Miracle Cure-All Discovered! Come one, come all!! Oh and the WOD!

Want to mentally feel better, have more energy, look great and sleep like a log? There is no drug or pill that will do all of this for you. There is no snake oil salesman here. If you are a man or woman, young or old, it doesn’t matter. The simple solution is EXERCISE. Walk, run, lift weights, do push-ups, play basketball, dance… DO SOMETHING and do it every day. Here are my top five reasons to exercise every day:

Great Reason Number 1: Keeps You Physically Healthier!  I know what you are thinking, “Well DUH?!” Sure, exercising makes you a healthier person, but do you know how amazing it really is? People that exercise regularly are less likely to suffer from heart disease, some cancers, type two diabetes, less likely to suffer a stroke and as we age less likely to fall or get arthritis. And it doesn’t take much. Get out and do something 30 minutes per day. Check out this video by Dr. Mike Evans titled 23-1/2 Hours.

No Brainer Reason Number 2: You Can Lose Weight When You Exercise! When you workout you burn calories. When you workout HARD you burn even more calories. As you exercise more and more you transform your body and increase muscle mass. Muscle burns calories more effectively and so the awesome cycle begins. You lose fat, build more muscle and become lean and mean. Do the little things everyday and you will notice the difference: Walk to the store instead of driving, take the stairs instead of the elevator, do a set of push-ups before eating lunch at work, etc.

The “No Way? That is AWESOME!” Reason Number 3: Exercising Turns that Frown Upside Down! Did you have one of those days at work where it feels like the people you dealt with were actually trying to crush your soul? Don’t go get hammered, go for a run. Lift weights. Ride your bike. Exercising releases chemicals in your brain like serotonin and endorphins. People with high levels of serotonin are usually more upbeat and just happier. Endorphins are what give people the “runner’s high”. They act like opiates in response to pain and stress and can lead to that feeling of euphoria! People who exercise are less likely to suffer from depression. And of course, when you exercise you look good. And when you look good you FEEL good! Looking good can boost your self-esteem and your self-confidence! “I am awesome!”

Seriously Kick Ass Reason Number 4: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ When you lay down to go to bed, how long does it take you to fall asleep? It seems that exercise has a rather weird relationship with sleep. Working hard later in the afternoon seems to be best. Your hard work kicks in your metabolism, you burn calories and your core body temperature rises a couple of hours before bed. Then after you have wrecked yourself, your body temperature begins to drop back to normal. That drop in temperature seems to be what tells your body it is time to hit the hay. Simple, exercise and sleep better.

And For the Best Reason of All, Number 5: Go Have FUN! Play some hoops, go dancing, go join a kick ball team at your local recreation department! Get outside and walk the dog, go for a swim or ride your bike. Do it for 30 minutes a day! As my university professor and mentor Dr. Gary Nussbaum once told me, “Get out and do SOMETHING everyday that reminds you that you are a physical being”. So many people think that exercise has to be painful and unpleasant. Just go have fun and move!

WOD: Lifting for the Back and a Good Long Dog Walk:

Dumbbell Pullovers

Single Dumbbell Bent-over Row

Dumbbell Up-Right Row

Weighted Pull-ups

Dumbbell Snatch

Horizontal Suspension Strap Pull-ups

2 mile Walk with the Dog carrying a 35 lbs. Day Pack

Have a great day!! 

 

 

 

 

The Power of Role Models and the Daily Workout!

It is true, I was a punk ass kid. By the time I was thirteen my parents had divorced and I had very little parental supervision. In a lot of ways it is a miracle that my brothers and I did not end up in jail.

Looking back though I have had a number of male "father figures" that were looking out for me that at the time, I didn't even realize. There are a number of lessons that I have incorporated into my own life from these people that took it upon themselves to set me on a path to become a productive member of society. In a sense to become a man. I continue to make mistakes, I continue to develop judgement through experience. But the foundation these men have set down for me gave me a stable platform to build on.

My Grandfather, a Car Salesman, a Corporal and a Lawyer.
My paternal grandfather was a wiry thin man, a story teller and a family man. Our family went through a lot of turmoil and trials from my mother passing away when I was very young to the divorce of my father and my stepmother. Though I do not have memories of all of these events, I did have photographs and of course the yarns that my grandpa would spin. It seems that every event that took place in our family, good or bad, there was grandpa and his graceful presence. He worked hard and loved his family. Grandpa would often drop pearls of wisdom down to me as I grew into adulthood. One of the many that has stuck with me is this: "If you fall asleep by the time your head hits the pillow, you have worked hard enough". I work hard everyday and sleep like a baby because of it.

During my teen years I would often flee the chaotic scene of my own home and stay at my friend's house. My friend's stepfather Steve was an amazing man. Having been a welder in the U.S. Navy, Steve with his high school education started a career working at car dealerships doing repairs. Quickly it seems Steve was a mechanic, then moved to become a salesman, then the owner of a dealership, then a few dealerships and then Steve became the President of the North American Automobile Dealers Association! For no reason I saw, he took me into his home and treated me like I was his own son. I look back now and I realize that Steve probably saw a young man that needed guidance and direction. When you would ask Steve about his hard work and determination to rise during his career he would simply reply with one of his many rules for life. The one that seemed to be his favorite was: "Life is a cinch by the inch, but hard by the yard". I make it a rule to make goals that I can achieve, clearing one hurdle at a time.

When I landed with Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 10th Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina as an 18 year old I found lots of people that could take me in one direction or another. Fortunately, by that time in my life I had learned the value of a good male role model. Corporal Watkins was always immaculate in appearance, carried himself with a ramrod straight bearing and was the most skilled person I have met at their job. Watkins was a radio operator and I was a forward observer so we often interacted throughout my career and we traveled around the world with our unit. I will never forget the morning in Okinawa during a physical training session when we were preparing for our physical fitness test that was coming up. A Marine has to do twenty pull-ups to achieve a perfect score on the physical fitness test. I was getting close to twenty and I was growing tired when Corporal Watkins said to me, "You don't quit when you are tired. You quit when you are done". There is work to be done in life and there is satisfaction in seeing a job completed.

Finally, I have been very blessed to have my partner Rebecca's father Pete in my life. Pete is a lawyer by trade and worked very hard for years at the Department of Interior. Now retired in his 70s I have watched Pete immerse himself in a number of adventures from sailing, to rebuilding a 1973 VW Karmann Ghia engine to taking math classes through the Kahn Academy. Pete has welcomed me into his family and loved me like a son for over seven years now. The thing that has impressed me though is Pete's level of fitness. Pete exercises every day and once explained it to me this way, "I am afraid that if I stop, I won't start up again!" As a man of 44 years I realize that I am blessed with good health and that daily fitness is essential. Pete's example has shown that by continuing to exercise I can remain active later and have a very high quality of life even at an older age.

The Workout of the Day (We have traveled home for the holidays and will be modifying our daily workout a bit. Each exercise is done for three sets)

Dumbbell Chest Press
Suspension Strap Chest Flies
Weighted Push-ups
Suspension Strap Biceps Curls
Alternating Biceps Curls
Concentration Dumbbell Curls
Abdominal Work
2-mile dog walk with a 35 lbs. day pack

WOD: Chest & Biceps and Footwear

So much of exercise and fitness is personalized. There are things that will work for one person and not work for the next: nutrition, supplements, stretching, etc. The list could really go on forever and I certainly do not claim to have all or even ANY of the answers. I have started to figure out what works for me. When I find those things I stick with them.

With that build up I will dive into the realm of footwear for exercise. As you may know based on my profile that I really liked the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Since reading that book I have moved to a minimalist shoe for exercise and in some cases no shoe at all!

The shoe that I have worn for the last year for general fitness and have been very impressed with has been the Brooks PureConnect versions one and two. It is a super lightweight shoe that breathes well with mesh all the way around but still protects my foot quite well even from the sharp Sonoran flora. The split toe platform goes almost all the way to mid-sole, really giving my rather wide "Fred Flintstone"-like foot room. At 7.2 oz. it hardly feels like I am wearing shoes at all. Being in Tucson, Arizona I have found one fault in the shoe: When running in a wash (Read "dry river bed" for the folks not living in the desert) very fine sand seems to sift through the mesh and build up in the shoe. It is a pretty petty concern for a shoe that I have put through running, tire flipping, farmer's carries, etc. You name it, this shoe has done it!

Off my footwear soapbox and onto the workout: Chest and Biceps.

Lifting with Rebecca: Again, each exercise is three sets.
Dumbbell Flat Bench Press
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
Flat Bench Dumbbell Flies
Weighted Push-Ups (I use a 50 lbs. V-Force Weight Vest but my backpack full of bricks from the GoRuck Challenge would work just fine!)
Alternating Dumbbell Curls
Dumbbell Concentration Curls
Weighted Dips
Barbell Flat Bench Press

Supplemental Workout:
Barbell Flat Bench with Heavy Chains (See chains from yesterday's post).
Dumbbell Complex "Man-Maker" Rows
Fat Bar Biceps Curls (This is a DIY Fat Bar made out of 2" galvanized pipe filled with sand and corked at the ends).

Have a great day!

Philosophy on Fitness, the Workout of the Day (WOD): Legs and "Captain Caveman"

My theory on exercise? Pretty simple really: I want to be able to do my job, challenge myself physically and have fun. I don't do it to compete with people around me, I haven't bought into the Crossfit craze of doing exercises for time. I don't think that I will ever be the strongest or fastest, but I will be fit and healthy for me.

My job at NOLS often times requires me to be in wilderness settings with novices for weeks. My level of fitness allows me to take care of myself and others in remote settings for long periods of time.

My partner Rebecca is a second year medical student and has a very busy schedule. Fitness is also very important to her but was a challenge to work into her busy schedule. As a couple we committed to working out six days a week lifting weights. These workouts are a big part of my daily routine.

There are times that I like to challenge myself whether that was climbing 14,000 foot peaks when I lived in Colorado, running a marathon while living in southwest Virginia or participating recently in the GoRuck Challenge in Tucson. My fitness level allows me to do things that are challenging and to push myself.

Finally, I like to have fun. My weightlifting routine is pretty consistent and if that is all that I did I would probably get pretty bored. I supplement my traditional lifting exercises with functional workouts that can be strenuous, but also very fun at the same time. Here is an example of my workout from today:

Lifting with Rebecca (Each exercise is done for three sets):
Dumbbell Squats
Dumbbell Lunges
Barbell Front Squats
Body Weight Calf Raises
Straight Leg Dead-lifts
Glute-Ham Developer (GHD) (This is a simple DIY device that we made).

Supplemental Workout:
Back Squats with Heavy Chains (3/4" links, 5 foot sections. 22.5 lbs. each. Purchased at McMaster-Carr).

Today's WOD is named "Captain Caveman". The idea was to simulate hoofing out into the dangerous world of the caveman, clubbing your dinner and busting it back to your hole in the rock with your grub!

100m Shuffle (not really a walk, not really a run) with a sledgehammer (in this case it was a Rogue Fitness SISU War Hammer at a lead-filled 28.5 lbs.).
20 Hammer Swings on a large tire (The big, old earth mover tire was free! I just went over with a pickup to a commercial tire place and drove it home. Ten reps right handed, ten left handed).
70m Weighted Sled Drag (35m out and back. This is a DIY sled made out of an old tire, an eye-bolt, some webbing and weighted with 120 lbs. of kettlebells).
400m Shuffle with a Sand Bag on one shoulder and the hammer in the other hand. (The sand bag is also DIY and weighed in at 40 lbs.) This shuffle is a loop that brings me back to the large tire where the routine picks back up at the Hammer Swings.
Three complete rounds with a swig of water between sets.

Hard but fun!

And so it begins...

Welcome to the first posting of Blood, Chalk, Sweat and Tears. My name is Brian "Duck" Murphy and I have started this blog for a few reasons. The main reason though is to hopefully start discussions around strength training, fitness and exercise with people who are out there doing amazing stuff.

I live a truly blessed life and have had a variety of jobs that have involved a need to be physically fit. I am an honorably discharged combat veteran of the United States Marines, I have worked for the Department of the Army taking soldiers and their families on outdoor recreation adventures in Colorado and I am currently a senior Field Instructor and Program Supervisor for the National Outdoor Leadership School. Each of these careers has required a level of strength, agility and endurance that can only be acquired through training. I also firmly believe that maintaining this constant level of physical fitness since I was a Marine recruit at Parris Island has helped me remain healthy and relatively injury free into my mid-40s (Knock on wood. Now.)

Topics that I will be posting on will include: daily workouts, food and nutrition, supplementation, body work, gear and equipment reviews, outdoor adventures, my Red Heeler Ocho and who knows what else?!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned.