Going Out on Top, Yesterday's Workout and a Rest Day Today

No one will ever quite beat Jerome "The Bus" Bettis' exit from the NFL. Winning Superbowl XL in his hometown of Detroit with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Peyton Manning has the opportunity to pull off something close by winning today. I have to say I would be pretty disappointed if Manning wins today, riding on the back of the Broncos' defense and then comes back next season as a depleted quarterback.

Yesterday we had a great early afternoon workout before attending a co-worker's wedding. We got home late so I did not post. Today is a day off from the weights to sit and enjoy the Superbowl.

Workout:
Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order for one minute to complete a set. Three sets total. No rest between sets.
Jump Squat
AbMat Sit-Up
Weight Training:
Deadlift, 5 sets of 1-5 repetitions
Dumbbell Pullover, 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions
Upright Barbell Row, 5 sets of 6-10 repetitions
Super Set: Perform each exercise in order to complete a set. No rest between exercises. Five sets total.
Kettlebell Swing, 15 repetitions
100m Cannonball Farmer's Carry
AbMat Sit-Up, 25 repetitions

Have a Great Day!!

Quick Post After a Beautiful Day in Tucson

It is weather like today's that really make me appreciate Tucson. Have to enjoy it and take advantage of it before June hits!! We had a great workout that was pretty intensive... beautiful evening that was nice and warm!

Workout:
Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order for one minute each to complete a set. Three sets total. No rest between sets.
Jump rope
TRX Row
AbMat Sit-Up
Weight Training:
Super Set:
Rogue SISU Warhammer Swing, 3 sets of 15 repetitions per side
Tire Flip, 3 sets of 3 repetitions
Super Set:
Kettlebell Swing, 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Sumo Deadlift to High Pull, 3 sets of 10 repetitions

T-Bar Landmine Row, 5 sets 4-10 repetitions
100m Farmer's Carry, 3

Have a Great Day!!

End of the 'Skins' Season and The Workout

It was a sad day for Washington fans as the Green Bay Packers dismantled the Redskins at FedEx Field today. Though they lost, it is kind of amazing how well the 'Skins did this season and they certainly exceeded expectations with a 9-7 record and a berth in the playoffs. Good start to the off season.

Workout: Perform each exercise in order for one minute each to complete a set. Three sets total. No rest between sets.
Jumping Jack
Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift to High Pull
AbMat Sit-Up
Kettlebell Swing

Weight Training:
Strict Pull-Up, 5 sets of maximum repetitions
Deadlift, 5 sets of 1-5 repetitions
Landmine Torso Twist, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Barbell Upright Row, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Dumbbell Pullover, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers, 15 repetitions with each hand between each of the above sets

Have a Great Day!

Viva l'Italia and Friday and Saturday's Workouts

Serena Williams' bid for the "Calendar Slam" was dashed by the unranked Roberta Vinci of Italy. The second ranked Simona Halep was also beaten by Italian Flavia Pennetta in the semis making it an all Italian Women's Final. Apparently the Prime Minister of Italy is flying in just for the occasion. Time for Serena to hit the reset button and give it another go next year.

Friday's Workouts:
Circuit: Perform each exercise in order for 1:15 to complete a set. Three sets total. One minute rest between sets.
Jump rope
Barbell Push Press
Sumo Deadlift High Pull
AbMat Sit-Ups
Side Dumbbell Raise
Hand Release Push Ups
Front Plate Raise

Evening Weight Training:
Bench Press, 5 sets of 2-10 repetitions
Axle Bar Curls, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Flies, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Hammer Curls, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Super Set:
Weighted Dips (Bodyweight +35 lbs.), 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers, 5 sets of 15 repetitions

Saturday's Metabolic Workout:
"Helen on the Water"
3 Rounds For Time:
Row, 400 meters
Kettlebell Swings, 21 repetitions
Pull-Ups, 12 repetitions

Have a Great Day!!

The Nats are Back and Swings and Squats!

I am happy to say that it seems like Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman will be activated for the Washington Nationals today. The team has suffered through a rash of injuries and a very suspect bullpen for most of the season. Thankfully the rest of the National League East has been pretty bad and the Nats hang on to a slim two game lead over the Mets. Wish I could get a Chia Pet of the Caveman though...

Workout: Squats and Swings!
Warm-Up:
800m Run
5 minute AMRAP:
10 Barbell Front Squats with a one second stall at the bottom
25m Side Step with resistance band
10 Barbell Good Mornings
10 24" Box Jumps
Strength Training:
Barbell Front Squat, 3 sets of 5 repetitions (Heavy!)
Barbell Weighted Step-Ups onto a 20" Box, 3 sets of 8 repetitions
2 minutes Continuous GHD
Metabolic Conditioning for Time:
30 Kettlebell Goblet Squats
3 Burpees
30 Russian Kettlebell Swings
3 Burpees
30 American Kettlebell Swings
3 Burpees
Cool-Down:
5 Minutes Steady State Row
2 Minutes Quadriceps Stretch
100 AbMat Sit-Ups

Have a Great Day!!

"Securing the Border" and Crossfit Day Three

I love it when a politician says that they will "secure the border" between the U.S. and Mexico or that they will not vote on some other important legislation until we "secure the border". The people that say those three words are either idiots or ignorant. I have been traveling on the U.S./Mexico border for weeks at a time for just about two decades. The Mexicans that I have been blessed to meet there are not drug or human smugglers or rapists. They are farmers, ranchers and people fishing. Are there bad people out there? For sure. I have run into way more scary Americans on the border than Mexicans. The border along the Rio Grande in the lower canyons will never be secure. There will never be a fully secure wall or fence there. Anyone that tries to tell you otherwise is full of crap. Anyone that claims that the Mexicans will pay for that wall is not an idiot.... they are delusional?!

Whenever people say we need to "secure the border" or keep "illegals" out of America I ask them a simple question: If you were a Mexican with no hope of finding a job and you had to feed your spouse and kids, would you enter the U.S. illegally? Most people answer "Yes". I would. The reality is this: Americans want illegal drugs. Mexican drug cartels provide those drugs. Because there is more money in the drug trade than anywhere else in Mexico, that is where people work. People who see no way out but to carry a backpack full of drugs across the desert for sometimes hundreds of miles. Or, they enter the U.S. illegally to find a job that no American will do for peanuts: Picking fruit or vegetables, cleaning hotel rooms, digging ditches. The other truth: The "War on Drugs" has failed. The solution is to decide what we as a nation want to do about drugs. If they were not illegal, there would be no interest in selling them. We could take the wasted money from the "War on Drugs"  and use it to help develop Mexico economically. That would be cheaper than the border security and wall building. Once the Mexican economy is stable and the drug cartels no longer make money hand over fist, the Mexicans will stay in Mexico and work there. These people don't WANT to leave their families!

Off my soapbox, onto the Crossfit box. Great instruction and camaraderie again. Excellent Turkish Get Up demonstration which I equate to weighted line dancing?!

Warm-up:
3 minute continuous kettlebell Turkish Get Up (35/26)
10 Kettlebell Swings
10 Kettlebell Windmills
Triceps and Shoulder Stretch with Band
Quadriceps and Groin Stretch
WOD:
Metabolic Conditioning: (3 Rounds for Maximum repetitions)
As Many Repetitions As Possible (AMRAP):  3 rounds ×6 minutes per round with 1 minute rest between rounds.
AMRAP #1:
Row for 15 Calories
15 Standing Wall Ball Tosses (14/10)
AMRAP #2:
Row for 20 Calories
7 Barbell Thrusters (95/65)
AMRAP #3:
Row for 15 Calories
15 Standing Wall Ball Tosses(14/10)
(Try to duplicate performance in AMRAP #1)
Keep track of number of repetitions per round. (I was able to do 90 repetitions (three full rounds) in AMRAP #1, 54 repetitions (two full rounds) in AMRAP #2, and 90 repetitions in AMRAP #3)
Cool Down:
200m walk

Have a Great Day!

Women Combat Marines and a Back Workout

During a year long training experiment conducted by the University of

Pittsburgh and the United States Marine Corps, females have been training alongside males in small combat units. Thirty percent of the women left the training due to physical injuries like stress fractures. That is a very high rate of injury, but the training included carrying packs over 150 lbs. and dragging 220 lbs. simulated injured Marines out of armored vehicles. Like all individuals... male or female... some can cut it and some cannot. A third of the young men that started in my boot camp training platoon washed out. Not surprisingly, some of the woman Marines outperformed their male counterparts. Women will begin serving in combat roles come January unless the Marine Corps or the Pentagon decide that some of the jobs should remain closed to them. The simple truth is this: If a person, man or woman meets the qualifications to do a job.... combat or not... let them do it. Service to one's country is not decided by genitalia... it is decided by heart.

Today's quote is from Carly Simon:

"A really strong woman accepts the war she went through and is ennobled by her scars."

Workout: Back

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order to complete a set. Three sets total.

Jumping Jack, 50 repetitions

Bicycle Abdominal Crunch, 100 repetitions

Trunk Twist, 25 repetitions

Barbell Good Morning, 25 repetitions

Weight Training:

Deadlift, 5 sets of 1-2 repetitions

V-Handle Pull-Up, 5 sets of maximum repetitions

Sumo Deadlift to High Pull, 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Rotating Wall Ball Toss, 3 sets of 20 repetitions

T-Bar Landmine Row, 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions

Kettlebell Swing, 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Bent-Over One Arm Dumbbell Row, 3 sets of 4-6 repetitions

Have a Great Day!!

New Instructors Coming In Hot and Back Day!!

Today we begin the briefing for the next generation of NOLS instructors to come out of NOLS Southwest. It is always exciting to see the new faces of folks arriving to educate our students in the wilderness. The challenge of taking a NOLS Instructor Course lies in the fact that it is a 35-day job interview. The challenge of working a NOLS Instructor Course is making it NOT feel like a 35-day job interview where the participants are competing with each other.

Today's quote is from Simon Sinek:

"Leadership is not about the next election, it's about the next generation."

Workout: Back
Warm-Up: Perform each exercise for one minute.
Jump Rope
Trunk Twist
Barbell Good Morning
TRX Row
Bicycle Abdominal Crunches
Weight Training: (For those not working the NOLS Instructor Course.... they are in NOLS Mode!)
Pull-Up, 3 sets of maximum repetitions
Upright Barbell Row, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Bent-Over Dumbbell Row, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Landmine Torso Twist, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Kettlebell Swing, 3 sets of 10 repetitions

For those NOT working the NOLS Instructor Course:
Super Set: Perform each exercise in order to complete a set. Three sets total.
Sledgehammer Swing, 10 repetitions per side
Tire Flip, 5 repetitions
100m Farmer's Carry

Have a Great Day!!

A Wolf Pack of Davids and Back Day!

And just when you think the #1 seeds are going to steamroll everyone, along comes the Wolf Pack of North Carolina State! Villanova rolled easily in the second round and may have been set up for a loss, but they should have known to be wary of NC State. The Wolf Pack had a huge comeback in the second round versus LSU. Regardless, I had Villanova winning which is why this tournament is so exciting.

Today's quote is from Wilt Chamberlain:

"Everybody pulls for David, nobody roots for Goliath."

Workout: Back
Early Afternoon Routine:
HIIT Spin Bike, 30 minutes

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order for one minute to complete a set. Three sets total.
Jump Rope
Air Squat
Barbell Good Morning
Trunk Twist
Bicycle Abdominal Crunch
Weight Training:
Sumo Deadlift, 5 sets of 1-5 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Erector spinae group, biceps femoris)
Weighted Pull-Up, 5 sets of maximum repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi, infraspinatus, teres major and minor)
Close Grip Pull-Up, 5 sets of maximum repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, teres minor)
Landmine T-Bar Row, 5 sets of 8-10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi, teres major)
Super Set:
Kettlebell Swing, 3 sets of 15 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Erector spinae group, gluteus maximus, rectus abdominis)
100m Farmer's Carry, 3
(Primary muscles worked: Flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris, erector spinae)
Bicycle Abdominal Crunch, 3 sets of 50 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Rectus abdominis)

Have a Great Day!!

Long Day at Work with a Great Back Workout Thrown In!

I am going to just do a quick blog post tonight after a long day at work. We were able to crank out a great back workout in the evening and earn an active rest day tomorrow. I may go for a run since the county just recently re-graded the shoulders of the road outside the base!

Today's quote is from Becca Fitzpatrick:

"After a long day, my favorite way to unwind is by going running. Not exactly the most relaxing activity, granted, but I always imagine I'm sweating out all the things weighing on my mind."

Workout: Back
Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order for one minute.
Jump Rope
Trunk Twists
Barbell Good Mornings
Crunches
Weight Training:
SISU War Hammer Swing, 3 sets of 15 repetitions per side
Weighted Pull-Up, 5 sets of 6-10 repetitions
Dumbbell Pullover, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Bent Over Dumbbell Row, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Landmine Torso Twist, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Kettlebell Swing, 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Have a Great Day!!

Persistence and Working Out the Back

My boss forwarded me a great video today that shows the power of persistence. Leave it to a bear to show that just because you fail the first time doesn't mean that sticking to a task will not yield results! Check this guy out!

Today's quote is from Bill Bradley:

"Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in."

Workout: Back
Morning Session:
Warm-up: Perform each exercise for one minute.
Jump Rope
TRX Rows
Trunk Twists
Abdominal Crunches
Weight Training:
Weighted Pull-Ups, 5 sets of maximum repetitions
Bent-Over Dumbbell Rows, 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions
Upright Barbell Rows, 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions
Landmine Rows, 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions
Kettlebell Swings, 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Evening Session:
Warm-up:
Jump Rope, 100 repetitions
Trunk Twists, 30 repetitions
Weight Training:
Hanging Toes to Bar, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Pull-Overs, 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions
Deadlift, 5 sets of 1-2 repetitions

Have a Great Day!

Back to the Office and Back to the Weights

I completed my WFR recertification today with the final piece being a review of CPR. It is amazing to me how much CPR has changed over the years. Apparently now it is focused more on the chest compressions and the use of an AED. The idea is that if you approach an unresponsive patient that does not have a pulse, there is still quite a bit of oxygen in the system and needs to be circulated. CPR is so simple yet could be the difference between a person living or not. Everyone should do such a simple thing.

Today's quote is from Queen Latifah:

"I am not allowed to get a big head, I've still got to do the simple things in life."

Workout: Back
SISU War Hammer Swings, 3 sets of 10 repetitions per side
Kettle Bell Swings, 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Pull-Ups, 5 sets of maximum repetitions
Landmine Rows, 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions
Deadlift, 5 sets of 1-2 repetitions
Atlas Stone Lift to a 48" Platform, 3 repetitions

Have a Great Day!

Lifting for the back and the WOD: The Hound

It is true. I named today's WOD after my favorite "Game of Thrones" character: "The Hound". Rough around the edges, mostly harsh but genuine through and through. Pretty tough son of a bitch. Seems like a good description of today's WOD warm-up. I will make sure though that the WOD named "The Mountain" is much worse! 

Today's quote is from The Hound responding to Arya Stark:

Arya: "You're fine murdering little boys but thieving is beneath you?"
The Hound: "Man's got to have a code."

Morning Weight Lifting: Back
Heavy Dumbbell Pullover
Heavy Dumbbell One Armed Bent Over Row
Standing Barbell Row
TRX Row
Pull-Ups
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers

Warm-Up WOD: "The Hound"(Each exercise done in order to make up one set. Three sets total.)
SISU Warhammer Swings, 10 repetitions per side
Tire Flip, 1 repetition
Kettlebell Swings, 15 repetitions
5 meter Rope Climb, 1 repetitions

Evening Weight Training:
Heavy Landmine Rows
Heavy Deadlift
Heavy Weighted Pull-Ups

Have a Great Day!