Back Day: Weight Training, Functional Strength and Odd Objects

Today was our last free weekend before our NOLS Semester starts on Monday. It will be really exciting to meet the students who will spend the next three months all over the wilderness in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Today everyone slept in a bit and we met at 7:30am for a morning lifting session. Five participants showed up which is the best showing yet this season! We mixed in some traditional weight training, bodyweight exercises and a bit of strongman stuff. The evening schedule is all functional and odd object training.

Today's quote is the oath taken by AmeriCorps members as they enter their service. It is the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps!

"I will get things done for America, to make our people safer, smarter and healthier.
I will bring Americans together to strengthen our communities.
Faced with apathy, I will take action.
Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.
Faced with adversity, I will persevere.
I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond.
I am an AmeriCorps member and I am getting things done."

Workout: Back
Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order for one minute to complete a set. Two sets total.
Jump Rope
Trunk Twists with Barbell
Straight Arm Hangs
Good Mornings with Barbell
Abdominal Crunches
Weight Training:
Pull-Ups, 3 sets to failure
Land Mine Rows, 3 sets of 5-10 repetitions
5m Rope Climbs, 5 repetitions
Deadlift, 5 sets of 1-2 repetitions
25m Farmer's Carry, 6 repetitions
Evening Circuit Session: Perform each exercise in order to complete one set. Three sets total.
SISU War Hammer Swings, 10 repetitions per side
Tire Flips, 5 repetitions
Atlas Stone Lift to 48" Platform, 1 repetition
Log Toss for Distance, 3 repetitions

Have a Great Day!

Stealing a Workout and the WOD!

Everyday, my two brothers and I exchange e-mails to share the things that we did for exercise. Today I got a great e-mail from my brother Kevin who is a general contractor, home builder and owner of Newphire. I think that it speaks for itself on ways that you can get a workout into your day.

"Unlike Brian, I rarely have or make the time to do a solid block of working out.  I do, however, steal a workout throughout the day without adding much time to my other commitments.  For example, yesterday I put my tea water on to boil and did a set of 50 pushups and a couple of TRX sets of shoulder and ab stuff.  I knocked out another set of pushups while cooking breakfast.  While bushing my teeth, I did 2 minutes of squats into toe raises.  At work, I spent about 30 minutes cleaning out footings by shoveling out loose dirt that had fallen in.  Bought a sack of chicken food and rather than lifting it once to put it away, I lifted it 10 times.  Got in a set of twisting bicycle crunches in the evening." 

"Far from an overwhelming amount, and I wish that I did more, but it beats the hell out of nothing and it literally took no more than a few "extra minutes" out of my day." 

"Today I am going to split well over 50 gigantic hickory logs.  They were knocked down in a mini twister in our backyard two summers ago and I need to get them split before they rot.  I broke down and got a splitter from the rental place (for free- perks of the contractor) as each log takes over 30 minutes to split with a maul.  Nonetheless, I will be lifting a shitload of wood to get it to the splitter and positioned right, then load it in the wheelbarrow, cart it across the yard, and stack it in the woodshed.  I will be worn out by the end of the day."

To me that sounds as good if not better than anything I do on a daily basis!

The WOD: Chest and Biceps

2.5 Mile Walk with the Dog "Ocho"

Dumbbell Chest Press

Suspension Strap Flies

Weighted Pushups

Alternating Dumbbell Curls

Suspension Strap Biceps Curls

Concentration Biceps Curls

Abdominal Work

Have a Great Day!

 

Strength, Function and the WOD!

What the hell is functional training anyway? There are as many definitions out there as there are people lifting heavy stuff. There is a guy standing with one foot on a balance board, kettlebell extended over his head, tongue sticking out just right calling it functional training. Then there is a woman carrying a keg full of pea gravel across a parking lot calling THAT functional training. Who is right? Who knows? I personally like to think functional training engages us in everyday movements using weights (i.e. barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells) or everyday objects (i.e. sandbags, stones, kegs, tires). Adding these exercises to supplement a more traditional weightlifting routine has really helped to build my strength.

There are many theories on what should be included when doing a functional training workout. I prefer to focus on using free weights, the use of common postures, positions or motions and the use of dynamic/explosive drive.

Free weights, whether that is something traditional like a dumbbell or an everyday object like a heavy rock, have a couple of advantages. When using these objects, a person has to grip the object, balance the object and then move the object through the body’s range of motion. This not only develops strength in the targeted muscle group but also in the core and builds overall balance. Lifting, say seated on a machine that supports us, does not engage as much of the body and rarely do we find ourselves in these ideal situations, isolating one muscle group.

One of my personal goals is to get stronger and to be able to do my job better. In the course of a NOLS river expedition I may need to portage heavy gear such as canoes, bags full of food or 5-gallon water jugs over uneven terrain. Squatting down, grasping a heavy sandbag and driving up with my legs to shoulder is very similar to lifting a bag of rations. A farmer’s carry is EXACTLY like carrying two jugs of water. These exercises prepare my body for the work I actually do. Not once have I laid on a perfectly flat surface and pressed 270 lbs. up off my chest. Do I bench press? Yes. Do I supplement that exercise with lifts that I will actually do? Absolutely!

When I think about moving that heavy bag of food on a portage, I don’t think about doing ten repetitions of slowly putting that bag on my shoulder. I grab it and in one dynamic motion I drive my body to get it up. Our bodies are meant to function this way. We have evolved to do explosive movements: Lifting, jumping, sprinting, and throwing. We may as well practice it in our routines.

WOD: Shoulder and Triceps

Dumbbell Push-Press

Alternating Front Dumbbell Raise

Lateral Dumbbell Raise

Sandbag Overhead Press

Dumbbell Shrugs

Triceps Diamond Push-ups

Overhead Triceps Press

Suspension Strap Triceps "Face Breakers"

Abdominal Work

Have a great day!