Becca Longo and the Workout

For the first time a woman has earned a scholarship in college football. Becca Longo of Arizona is going to be kicking for Adams State University in Colorado. In a year where we could have had the first woman President, I will instead celebrate this young lady's accomplishment of busting through the "glass ceiling".

Warm-Up:
20 lbs. Slam Ball Tabata
Weight Training:
Standing Military Press, 3 sets of 5 repetitions
Chin-Up, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Barbell Skull Crusher, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Barbell Curl, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainer, 15 repetitions per hand after each of the above sets
AbMat Butterfly Sit-Up, 100 repetitions
Mobility:
Banded Shoulder Stretches

Have a Great Day!!

Whether You Like it Our Not, Donald.... The U.S. is a Player in the World

Clearly Donald Trump has learned that his buddy Bannon that helped get him into the White House lives in a fantasy world. America cannot be isolated from the rest of the world and President Trump has this week realized that at times we will have to engage in international issues. Now if he can somehow avoid a shooting war in the Korean Peninsula?!

Warm-Up:
Cardio Machine, 20 minutes
Weight Training:
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Hammer Curl, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Plate Loaded Chest Press Machine, 3 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Barbell Biceps Curl, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Roman Chair Toes Raise, 3 sets of 20 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers, 15 repetitions with each hand after each of the above sets
Mobility:
Banded Shoulder Stretches
Chest Stretch

Have a Great Day!!

USA Hockey and the Workout

The treatment of the world champion USA Women's Hockey Team by USA Hockey is frankly unbelievable. The most shocking part of the whole mess is that after being exposed for their obvious bias, USA Hockey doubled down and pursued what can only be described as "scab" players to step in for the protesting National Team players. It has gotten so bad that even U.S. Senators have stepped in and written a letter to USA Hockey to support the Women's Team. Why is it so damn hard for people to just say, "Wow, you are right. That is a huge mistake on our part and we will correct this immediately"?!

Warm-Up:
Self-Propelled Treadmill HIIT, 8 minutes, 30 seconds
Weight Training:
Dumbbell Chest Press, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Dumbbell Hammer Curl, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Triceps Cable Push Down, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Dip, 5 sets of maximum repetitions
Roman Chair Leg Raise, 3 sets of 20 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainer between each of the above sets, 15 repetitions per hand
Mobility:
Banded Shoulder Stretches
Chest Stretch

Have a Great Day!!

Quick Feel Good About Myself Workout Post

Row, 20 minutes

Weight Training:

Dumbbell Chest Press, 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press, 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Dumbbell Triceps Kickback, 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Dumbbell Hammer Curl, 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Captains of Crush Grip Trainer, 15 repetitions per hand after each of the above sets

AbMat Sit-Up, 80 repetitions

Mobility:

Chest and Arm Stretches

Have a Great Day!!

International Women's Day and the Workout

I wore red to work yesterday in recognition of International Women.s Day. By far the most influential people in my life have been women.... Ticking off the best supervisors I have had in my professional life, the top three are all women. Far and away the two people that impacted my life the most are my stepmother Lynn and my friend's mother Dorothy. Brilliant, hardworking, honest and accepting only the highest of standards. A woman at work when I told her that I wanted to recognize her on International Women's Day said "Every day should be International Women's Day..." which I agreed with. My response though was, "That is true. But when we don't take time every day to recognize the people that deserve it, we need to take a day to make that happen."

Warm-Up:
Row, 20 minutes
Weight Training:
Supersets: Perform each exercise in order to complete a set. No rest between exercises. Three sets total.
Superset #1:
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press, 10 repetitions
Alternating Dumbbell Curl, 10 repetitions
Superset #2:
Push-Up, 15 repetitions
Dumbbell Triceps Kickback, 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Concentration Curl, 10 repetitions
Superset #3:
Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension, 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Wrist Curls with Supinated Grip, 10 repetitions

Captains of Crush Grip Trainer, 15 repetitions with each hand after each of the above supersets.
AbMat Sit-Up, 70 repetitions

Mobility:
Chest, shoulder and triceps stretches

Have a Great Day!!

Walking it Off and Back at the Weights

Today I warmed up by going for our typical one mile dog walk.... going up our normal steep hill felt good on my still weary legs.... it was going down that really woke me up. Still a little tender going down hill.

I was able to hop into the garage gym and do a good upper body workout. Now that the marathon is done I am going back to weight training and will throw in cardio training three days a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday will continue to be Olympic lifting. Because those workouts will mostly focus on a lot of leg drive, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday will be "Feel good about myself..." chest and arms work.

Weight Training:
Bench Press, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Barbell Biceps Curl, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions

Super Set: Perform each exercise in order to complete a set. No rest between exercises. Three sets total.
EZ Bar Skull Crusher, 10 repetitions
EZ Bar Close Grip Chest Press, 15 repetitions

Captains of Crush Grip Trainer, 15 repetitions per hand
AbMat Sit-Up, 50 repetitions
Mobility:
Banded Shoulder Stretches

Have a Great Day!!

Tennessee Snowpocalypse, More Visitors and a Classic Dumbbell Workout!!

Yesterday it was very cold here (Well, cold for Chattanooga?!) and it actually snowed overnight. Chattanooga area schools were closed before the first snowflake even flew?! This morning we woke up to a cold, crisp day with a dusting of snow on the ground. We also had a good friend fly in from Arizona last night and her flight was delayed for de-icing at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport for almost two hours. It threw a bit of a wrench in the typical workout schedule. Today will just be a classic upper body dumbbell workout. The point will be to avoid leg work today since tomorrow will be a long marathon training day.

Warm-Up:
Row, 500m
Weight Training:
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Bent Over Dumbbell Row, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Alternating Dumbbell Curl, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Seated Dumbbell Triceps Extension, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainer, 15 repetitions after each of the above sets
Abdominal and Mobility:
AbMat Sit-Up, 50 repetitions
Shoulder Stretch

Have a Great Day!!

Yesterday's and Today's Workout Posts

Yesterday was the first time in a long time that as a family we got to actually spend an evening together. We had dinner together, hung out for a while and walked the dogs in the evening. It was really nice but I did not get around to posting. Two workouts posted today.

Yesterday's Workout:
Row, 20 minutes
Mobility:
Banded Shoulder Girdle Stretch
Hamstring Stretch
Quadriceps Stretch

Today's Workout:
Warm-Up:
Jump Rope, 50 repetitions
PVC Passthrough, 10 repetitions
PVC Wraparound, 10 repetitions
Hand Release Push-Up, 10 repetitions
Weight Training:
Bench Press, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Back Squat, 3 sets of 8 repetitions
Strict Standing Shoulder Press, 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers, 15 repetitions with each hand after each of the above sets
Mobility:
Banded Shoulder Girdle Stretch
Hamstring Stretch
Quadriceps Stretch

Have a Great Day!!

Derailed by FaceTime and Two for One Workout Posts

Last night I had every intention of posting the workout from yesterday, but that did not happen. Part of my responsibilities is keeping the doctor of the house fed and watered in the evenings after a twelve hour shift in the emergency department. I returned from the gym and was deep into dinner preparation when my phone let me know that I had an incoming FaceTime request from my old boss (and close friend...) at NOLS Southwest. At the same time Rebecca arrived at home from the hospital. By the time all was said and done, I needed to hit the sack for my 3:45am wake up for work. It was all quite nice: dinner as a family and catching up with friends but it did derail my posts. So today you will get two posts: One from yesterday and one from today.

Wednesday Warm-Up:
Airdyne Cycling, 2 minutes
Overhead Plate Lunge, 10 repetitions per side
Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift to High Pull, 15 repetitions
Weight Training:
Romanian Deadlift, 10 sets of 5 repetitions
Romanian Deadlift to Snatch Grip High Pull, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
No Foot Snatch from the Block, 7 sets of 5 repetitions
Snatch from the Block, 4 sets of 2 repetitions
Back Squat, One repetition with a 5 second pause at the bottom followed by one repetition
Snatch Grip Deadlift from the Block, 4 sets of 7 repetitions

Thursday Warm-Up:
Lawn Mowing?!, Two hours
Weight Training:
Bench Press, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Strict Overhead Press, 5 sets of 2-5 repetitions
Front Squat, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainer, 15 repetitions between each of the above sets
Mobility:
Banded Shoulder Girdle Stretch

Have a Great Day!!

Ted is Already Running for 2020 and the Workout

Ted Cruz took a huge political risk last night, clearly aiming for the Presidency in 2020. In a speech at the Republican National Convention, Ted Cruz laid out conservative values and near the end, when given the chance to support and endorse Donald Trump, chose to tell voters to "vote their conscience for candidates up and down the ticket". Cruz was booed off the stage.

If Trump loses this election badly, Ted will be able to say, "See you should have voted for me!" But almost any other outcome is the end of Ted Cruz. If Trump wins, I think that he will crush Ted for his lack of loyalty. But the worst outcome for Ted Cruz will be a close victory by Hilary. First, the Democrats will hold the White House for four more years. Secondly and more importantly, if Cruz pulls votes away from Trump, Donald will have the built in excuse for the loss and the Republicans will blame Cruz. I guess, the only positive there for Ted will feed his narcissism: a giant "Screw You Trump" by keeping him out of the Oval Office.

Warm-Up:
Steady State Cardiorespiratory Training, 20 minutes
Weight Training:
Bench Press, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Preacher Curl, 5 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Pec-Deck Machine, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
One Hand, High Cable Curl, 5 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Decline Bench, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Dumbbell Hammer Curl, 5 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainer, 15 repetitions per hand after each of the above sets
Core Work: Perform 35 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a "Grate" Day!!

More Cops Dead in Louisiana and the Workout

Three more cops dead in Louisiana and three more critically injured after showing up on a scene with a "suspicious person with an assault rifle" was reported.The Baton Rouge police have cracked down very hard on protesters that were demonstrating after the slaying of Alton Sterling earlier this month. Apparently someone felt that meant they could start killing cops...

This morning we took our pups on a hike over to Glen Falls on Lookout Mountain. We normally walk them for two miles a day along the road here at home, but on the weekends we try to get them out on one of the trails around here. The hardest part is trying to figure out which of the amazing places will you go to? On top of everything else we do for exercise, the love of our dogs gets us out to walk 14-16 miles a week!

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order to complete a set. Three sets total. No rest between exercises or sets.

Hand Release Push-Up, 10 repetitions

AbMat Sit-Up, 25 repetitions

Weight Training:

Bench Press, 5 sets of 2-5 repetitions

Axle Bar Curl, 3 sets of 4-6 repetitions

Incline Dumbbell Chest Press, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions

Seated Dumbbell Curl, 3 sets of 4-6 repetitions

Dumbbell Fly, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions

Captains of Crush Grip Trainer, 15 repetitions with each hand between each of the above sets.

Core Work: Perform 35 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.

Flutter Kick

Lying Heel Touch

Lying Knee Pull-In

Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Great Time Paddling, Ronaldo, LeBron,Venus and Federer and the Workout

I had a really nice time paddling with Chattanooga Therapeutic Recreation and their Team River Runner program. It was an hour and a half of paddling on the Tennessee River with local volunteers and veterans. I will definitely go out there and work with those folks again when life permits.

I am no fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James or Roger Federer. But, now that I am squarely middle aged I have to admit that I am very proud of all three of them. All three recently have been told that their sport has passed them by... respectively Gareth Bale, Steph Curry, and Novak Djokovic were the faces of the sport now... thank you very much for your effort over the years, None of them have gone quietly... LeBron has his championship and the other two on are the verge of theirs. And please, let us not leave out Venus Williams! Thirty six and she may end up facing Serena in the Wimbledon finals?! Awesome!

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order for one minute each to complete a round. Three rounds each. No rest between exercises or rounds.
Jumping Jack
Hand Release Push-Up
AbMat Sit-Up
Weight Training:
Bench Press, 5 sets of 2-5 repetitions
Barbell 21 Curl, 3 sets of 21 repetitions
Dumbbell Fly, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Strict Fat Bar Chin-Up, 3 sets of maximum repetitions
Parallette Push-Up, 5 sets of 15-20 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainer, one set of 15 repetitions per hand after each of the above sets.
Core Work: Perform 30 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Nutty Whirlwind Day and the Workout

So, today was a very different day. I started out with a 3:45 am wake up to be at my first day of a job at UPS by 5 am. The job is a part-time package handling job. Basically what I did from 5 am-9 am was stack boxes from sellers that were bound for Amazon. It was hard, honest work in trailers that have no climate control and well... the boxes just keep coming! I found it to be pretty fun but physically demanding. You just have to stay hydrated. The one thing that I will say that I really like about UPS is that the folks doing that job like me.... working 17.5-20 hours a week of manual labor... after one year they get full benefits. That is the reason most of them are in those trailers moving boxes. I was working with a great guy that is a barber in his other occupation and has worked sorting packages for five years to get the health coverage.

I was done at UPS by 9 am and got one of our car's emissions test done on the way home so that it could get licensed and titled in Tennessee. This included a quick trip the Autozone to replace the 17 year old gas cap that could no longer pass the pressure test it needed to pass. Finally got home, ate some food, rested a bit and then worked out for the day.

After that I went to an interview and received an offer for a full-time job at the local Gold's Gym working as a personal trainer. I am pretty excited about this job. The one thing that I have not done yet is work in a fitness facility. The thing that I am most looking forward to is learning to generate a client list and working with a group of clients on a regular basis. I have been fortunate to have worked with a population of fit outdoor athletes and it will be really rewarding to work with people who are excited to take on fitness goals as a lifestyle change to better their lives.

Like I said, nutty whirlwind day.

Warm-Up:
Rowing Machine, 5 minutes
Weight Training:
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Hammer Curl, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Fly, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Concentration Curl, 3 sets of 10 repetitions per side
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers, 15 repetitions per hand after each of the above sets.
Core Work: Perform 25 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Subway Knife Attack Victim Shares his Story and the Workout

Lyle Zimmerman, an American who in 2015 was in the London subway when he was attacked by a self radicalized young man of Somali descent. Zimmerman tells the harrowing story of being surprised from behind, kicked to the floor and then his assailant attempted to cut his throat with a bread knife. The dull and weak blade sliced across Zimmerman's throat and then broke. Though he was injured the knife did not cut any of Zimmerman's arteries and an off-duty doctor on the Tube took care of him until further medical help arrived.

Meanwhile his attacker who had been chased off by other subway passengers was stalking around showing photos of victims of coalition bombs to people on his phone while stating that his knife attack was him "striking back for his Syrian brothers". Police arrived on the scene and tasered the attacker and he was taken away. Turns out the man was schizophrenic and delusional and to this day remains in a mental institution.

Zimmerman's point in sharing his story is this: Zimmerman is lucky to be alive for sure.... a stronger, sharper blade and he would have probably been decapitated. However, because this young man only had a bread knife and could not access a firearm in London, Zimmerman and the attacker both survived. If his assailant had an AR-15 style assault rifle like the ones used by mentally ill shooters in Newtown or Orlando, dozens of people could have been injured or killed. The solution is simple if only our politician's could not be bought. There should be no access to military style firearms for civilian use.

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order to complete a round. Three rounds total. No rest between exercises.
Jump Rope, 50 repetitions
Hand Release Push-Up, 10 repetitions
AbMat Sit-Up, 20 repetitions
Weight Training:
Bench Press, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Strict Fat Bar Chin-Up, 5 sets of maximum repetitions
Parallette Incline Push-Up, 5 sets of 15 repetitions
EZ Bar Curl, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Dumbbell Fly, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers, 15 repetitions after each of the above sets.
Core Work: Perform 20 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Ali's Funeral Procession and the Workout

It is amazing to watch Ali's funeral procession as it slowly rolls through neighborhoods of his hometown Louisville, Kentucky.The thing that makes it amazing to me is that many of the thousands of people lining the street never saw Ali throw a single punch! Watching young children chant his name and throw roses on the hearse as it slowly creeps by. This is the impact of this man on our country..... he really was "The Greatest". Black, White, Asian, Latinos.... everyone is out on the street.

Warm-Up: 6 minute, AMRAP
24" Box Jump, 10
Push-Up, 15
PVC Passthrough, 20
AbMat Sit-Up, 25
Weight Training:
Bench Press, 5 sets of 4-6 repetitions
Axle Bar Curl, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Weighted Dip (Bodyweight +50lbs.), 5 sets of maximum repetitions
Dumbbell Hammer Curl, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainer, 15 repetitions per hand between each of the above sets
Core Work: 20 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Heel Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

Made it to Chattanooga!!!

Just a quick post and then I am off to the first workout in our new home. Lots of painting and unpacking as we settle in. I will write more tomorrow! Excited about our new place!!

Warm-up:
Row, 5 minutes
Weight Training:
Dumbbell Chest Press, 3 sets 10 rep
Alt Dumbbell Curl, 3 sets 10 rep
Dumbbell Fly, 3 sets of 10
Dumbbell Hammer Curl, 3 sets of 10
Incline Dumbbell Press, 3 sets of 10
Captains of Crush Grippers, 15 reps after each of the above sets
Core Work: 15 rep of each. No rest between exercises
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Knee Pull-In
Leg Raise

Have a Great Day!!

Quick Workout Post

Warm-Up: 6 minutes as many rounds as possible
20" Box Jump, 10 repetitions
Hand Release Push-Up, 10 repetitions
Walking Lunge, 10 repetitions per side
Strict No Kip Pull-Up, 5 repetitions
Workout: Perform 21 repetitions of each of the exercises below to complete a round. Then complete 15 repetitions of each for the second round and then complete 9 repetitions of each exercise for a third round. Complete the three rounds for time.
Kettlebell Swing (32kg)
24" Box Jump
AbMat Butterfly Sit-Up
Cool-Down:
400m Slow Jog
Core Workout: Complete 15 repetitions of each of the exercises below. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Heel Touch
Knee Pull-in
Leg Lift
Grip Training:
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers, 5 sets of 15 repetitions per hand

Have a Great Day!!

Ted, Bernie: Move On Dot Org.... and the Workout

I think it is about time for Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders (and technically John Kasich...) to admit that they are done. It is time to move on to the general election between Hilary and the Donald. Not that I am excited to get THAT ball rolling.... but it does seem kind of ridiculous for Cruz to be picking a running mate?! Fiorina? Really.

Warm-Up:
Steady Pace Run, one mile
Warm-Up Super Set: Perform each set in order to complete a set. Two sets total. No rest between exercises.
Hand Release Push-Up, 15 repetitions
Strict Chin-Up, 8 repetitions
AbMat Butterfly Sit-Up, 15 repetitions
Strength: Complete each exercise in order to complete a set. Seven sets total. No rest between exercises.
80% 1-RM Bench Press, 5 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers, 15 repetitions per hand
Metabolic Conditioning: perform each exercise in order to complete a set. Five sets total. No rest between exercises.
Dumbbell Fly, 20 repetitions
Axle Bar Curl, 15 repetitions
Burpee, 10 repetitions
Strict Chin-Up, 5 repetitions
Cool-Down:
400m Walk
Mobilty:
Chest and Shoulder Girdle Stretches

Have a Great Day!!

Tigers: Now That is Some Great News... and the Workout

The World Wildlife Fund has just reported that the number of tigers in the wild worldwide has increased by more than 20%. From an estimated 3,200 in 2010 to almost 3,890 in 2016! When the United Nations' Environment Programme estimates that 150-200 species of plant, insect, bird and mammal become extinct every 24 hours... this is huge news! They are hoping that with continued protection that they can reach a goal set in 2010: Double the wild tiger population worldwide by 2022.

Workout:
Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order for one minute each to complete a set. Two sets total. No rest between sets.
Jump Rope
TRX Chest Press
TRX Biceps Curl
AbMat Sit-Up
Weight Training:
Bench Press, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions
EZ Bar Curl, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Fly, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Concentration Curl, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dip, 3 sets of maximum repetitions to failure
Captains of Crush Grip Trainer, 15 repetitions per hand between each of the above sets

Have a Great Day!!

'Nova and the Heels Bring Home the Bracket Challenge Win!!

Today with Villanova blowing up the Oklahoma Sooners and the UNC Tar Heels polishing off the Syracuse Orange, I was able to pull off a win in our NCAA Bracket Challenge! That means I will be taken to dinner by the other two that did not win. Now, Rebecca is a medical student up to her eyeballs in debt and my friend is recently married with a child on the way. So I am only going to make them take me to Five Guys for my victory meal. Quality at a fair price!

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order for one minute each.
Jumping Jack
AbMat Sit-Up
Hand Release Push-Up
Weight Training:
Bench Press, 5 sets of 2-6 repetitions
Axle Bar Curl, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Dumbbell Fly, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Dumbbell Hammer Curl, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Incline Parallette Push-Up, 5 sets of 20 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainer between each of the above sets, 15 repetitions per hand

Have a Great Day!!