Quick Monday and Tuesday Posts

I have been doing the Buckeye Program for a few weeks now and have used it with two of my clients that have specific goals to improve their bench press, back squat and deadlift. Both of those clients have made gains in their lifts after doing the program for three weeks and then attempting a one repetition maximum lift on the fourth week. We will keep moving forward and see how it goes!

Monday:
Warm-Up:
Jumping Jack, 50 repetitions
Barbell Good Morning, 10 repetitions
Foam Roller Work
Weight Training:
Back Squat, Buckeye Program
Toes to Bar, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Mobility:
Quadriceps Stretch
Hamstring Stretch

Tuesday:
Spin Bike Metrics Ride, 45 minutes
Mobility:
Quadriceps Stretch
Hamstring Stretch
Calf Stretch

Have a Great Day!!

Trump is Finding Out There Are No Good Answers.... and the Workouts

Syrian nerve gas attack. North Korea plowing ahead with their nuclear missile program. These are just two of the international problems that the new President is having to deal with. Campaigning is one thing. Calling other administrations weak or ineffective are easy on the campaign trail... but now serving as President, this is where the rubber meets the road and decisions must be made. We will see how real leadership decisions are made here very soon.

Wednesday Weight Training:
Warm-Up:
Jumping Jack, 100 repetitions
PVC Passthrough, 20 repetitions
PVC Wraparound, 20 repetitions
Weight Training:
Super Set: Perform the next two exercises in order to complete a set. No rest between exercises. Three sets total.
Barbell Weighted Lunge, 10 repetitions
Pendlay Row, 10 repetitions
Super Set: Perform the next two exercises in order to complete a set. No rest between exercises. Three sets total.
Barbell Push Press, 10 repetitions
Romanian Deadlift, 10 repetitions
Front Squat, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Mobility:
Quadriceps Stretch
Hamstring Stretch
Banded Shoulder Stretches

Thursday Cardio:
Spin Bike Workout, 35 minutes
Roman Chair Toe Raise, 3 sets of 20 repetitions
Mobility:
Quadriceps Stretch
Hamstring Stretch

Have a Great Day!!

"Have a Nice Day! Hope Your Bracket Goes Down in Flames!!"

The NCAA tournament continues tonight and it has led to a lot of funny exchanges between people that I am in my bracket challenges with. "I am coming for you!" "Have a Nice Day!! Hope your bracket goes down in flames!!" So funny.

I went into the gym for my Olympic lifting session yesterday after my 6:30am client. Normally it is not very crowded with a few old dudes like myself in a relatively empty space. I walked in yesterday and it was total chaos with every platform filled with teenagers. Ahhhhhh... spring break. Walked through and then headed to the squat rack upstairs in the YMCA where it was quiet and I could be a crotchety old man by myself!!!

Wednesday Weight Training:
Warm-Up:
Jumping Jack, 100 repetitions
PVC Passthrough, 20 repetitions
PVC Wraparound, 20 repetitions
Weight Training:
Front Squat, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Standing Military Press, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Bent Over Barbell Row, 5 sets of 5 repetitions
Leg Press, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Leg Curl, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Leg Extension, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Mobility:
Quadriceps Stretch
Hamstring Stretch
Banded Shoulder Stretches
Chest Stretch

Thursday Cardio:
HIIT Spin Bike, 35 minutes
Bicycle Crunch, 100 repetitions
Mobility:
Quadriceps Stretch
Hamstring Stretch

Have a Nice Day! And I hope that your bracket goes down in flames!!

Really Good Pitching Tonight and Steady State Cardio Day

Zack Greinke vs. Jacob deGrom: The best pitching that has been seen in a make or break MLB playoff game in a long time. With that said it is already 2-1 Dodgers! Today is a day off from the weights and will just be a steady state cardio spin. Back at the lifting tomorrow!!

Steady State Cardio:
Spin Bike, 30 minutes

Have a Great Day!

The Calendar Slam and a Cardiorespiratory Output Day

Serena Williams is going for the "Calendar Slam". This feat is achieved by winning all of professional tennis' Grand Slam tournaments during a calendar year. Serena has won the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon already this year and continues to move through the opening rounds of the U.S. Open. If Serena pulls this off, she will only be the fourth woman all time to complete the Calendar Slam. Completing the Slam will most likely firm up her place as not only the most dominant female tennis player of all time.... but arguably one of the greatest athletes of all-time. Period.

Cardiorespiratory Output Day:
30 minute 10-20-30 Interval Spin Bike Routine
75 AbMat Sit-ups

Have a Great Day!!

Hot, Damn Hot, Hydration and a Cardiorespiratory Interval Day

Yesterday it was 109 degrees when I set out to exercise. My workout area is in the shade, there was a slight breeze and thankfully in Tucson there is almost no humidity. However, in the end I had to adjust the workout a little bit because of the heat. I cut down the number of burpees and extended the rest period between sets to between 45-60 seconds depending on how I was feeling. I also had a gallon jug of cold water that I was hitting liberally between each set. According to the National Athletic Trainers' Association you would ideally have around 20 ounces of water two hours before starting a workout in the heat, 7-10 ounces every 10-20 minutes during exercise and 16-24 ounces of water afterwards for every pound of weight lost during the exercise session. Summer has arrived here.... take care of yourself!

Today's quote is from Ben Stein:

"If you can't stand the heat, don't go to Cancun in the summer."

Workout: Cardiorespiratory Interval Training
Warm-Up: 5 minute easy spin
Spin Bike Interval Training, 5 sets of 5 minutes maximal effort, 5 minutes easy spin
Cool-down: 5 minutes easy spin
Bicycle Abdominal Crunch, 50 repetitions

Have a Great Day!!

Quick Cardio Post

Today is a day off from the weights. It is however a cardio training day and we will do some hard interval training.

Workout: Cardiovascular Training
Warm-Up:
Spin Bike, Light spin for 5 minutes
Workout:
HIIT Spin Bike, Two minutes of maximum effort standing out of saddle, two minutes easy spin in the saddle. 8 sets total.
Bicycle Abdominal Crunch, 50 repetitions
Foam Roller Work

Have a Great Day!!

Craft: Ah, Forget About It and Cardio

First, Robert Craft said the Patriots would not fight whatever punishment that the NFL handed down for "Deflate-Gate". Then the punishment came down and after he picked his jaw up off the floor he decided that he was pissed and spent a lot of time and it seems lawyers' billable hours preparing for a fight. THEN, Craft and Goodell "hugged it out on a couch"(?!) at the NFL owners' meetings and Craft decided that this whole thing just needed to go away and he would again... not fight the league's imposed penalty?! And just when you thought you were done hearing about deflated balls... Tom Brady filed for an appeal. Thanks for the effort Bob.... but this isn't going away for a while.

Today's quote is from Woody Allen:

"I'd call him a sadistic, hippophilic necrophile, but that would be beating a dead horse."

Workout: Cardio
Spin Bike, 46 minutes with heart rate at 130-150 beats per minute
Bicycle Abdominal Crunch, 50 repetitions
Foam Roller Work

Have a Great Day!!

Quick Cardio Post

Doing a lot of running around and chores today so a real quick post.

Workout: Cardio
Spin Bike, 46 minutes with heart rate at 130-150bpm
Bicycle Abdominal Crunch, 50 repetitions
Foam Roller Work

Have a Great Day!!

Yogi and Cardio

Yogi Berra turned 90 years old yesterday. As a person that follows sports, appreciates sportsmanship, always pulls for the underdog and hell... puts a daily quote in his blog... I love Yogi Berra. When you watch him in his prime, Yogi seems pretty small in stature but his skill and enthusiasm are undeniable. One of the greatest catchers of all-time,  Yogi won the American League Most Valuable Player award three times and 10 championships!  Yogi  played in 14 World Series and was an 18 time All-Star. Happy Birthday, Yogi.

Today's quote is of course from Yogi Berra:

"So I'm ugly. So what? I never saw anyone hit with his face."

Workout: Cardio
Spin Bike, maintain heart rate between 130-150 bpm, 40 minutes
Bicycle Abdominal Crunch, 50 repetitions
Foam Roller Work

Have a Great Day!!

Caps: Consistency is Not Always a Good Thing and Trying Something New

The Washington Capitals. Sigh. The only thing that the Caps have been consistent at is losing in the playoffs. For a couple of decades now they have done nothing but disappoint. Game 7 has moved back to New York and even my die-hard fans back home in the DC area have said that they cannot watch.

Now that I am going to working out on my own for a while I am going to mix things up and throw in more cardio as well as full body workouts with a couple of days of rest. I think that it is often a good move to switch up workouts to break out of routine and make more substantial gains. We will see where things go! Because yesterday was a heavy leg day and I am going to start a full-body routine tomorrow, today will be an active rest day.

Today's quote is from Bruno Mars:

"Music is not math. It's science. You keep mixing the stuff up until it blows up on you, or it becomes this incredible potion."

Active Rest Day:
Spin Bike, 20 minutes
AbMat Crunches, 50 repetitions
Foam Roller Work

Have a Great Day!!

Dog Sitting and an Active Rest Day

One great thing about living in a community where there are a number of dog owners, there is always
someone willing to watch your dog. Last night my co-worker drove to the Gila Wilderness to pick up the Medicine in the Wild course and I got to spend the afternoon and evening with Pepper. The dogs here are un-phased by having one of the other pack stay with them for a few days. It is great!

Today's quote is from Cesar Milan:

"The dog is a reflection of your energy, of your behavior. You have to ask, 'What am I doing?' That's the right question to ask."

Active Rest Day:
Spin Bike Easy Spin, 30 minutes
Foam Roller Work

Have a Great Day!!

Rest from the Weights!

Today is a great day to recover after a good week of hard weight training. Going to ride the spin bike and make some pork shoulder!

Active Rest Day:
Spin Bike HIIT, 30 minutes

Have a Great Day!!

Active Rest Day!

Today is the weekly day away from the weights. A lot of the regular workout participants are scattered doing various jobs today, so it only seemed logical. We will be back at it tomorrow with a strongman back day!

Active Rest Day:
Spin Bike HIIT, 30 minutes

Have a Great Day!!

Last Post Until March!

Today was the last workout until I return from my NOLS field contract. It was a good leg day and time to put all of this exercise that I do to work. These workouts are done mostly so that at 45 years old I can continue to hang with the 19-year old students in the field. It has worked up 'til now and you know what they say about old dogs...

Today's quote is from Joseph Chamberlain:

"You cannot teach and old dog new tricks."

Workout: Legs
Warm-Up:
Spin Bike Routine in Target HR Range, 20 minutes
Weight Training:
50m Weighted Sled Drag, 3
25m Barbell Weighted Lunges, 3
GHD, 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Abdominal Crunches, 50 repetitions
Super Set:
25m Weighted Sled Push, 3
Calf Raises, 3 sets of 50 repetitions

Have a Great Rest of February!!! See you in March!

Active Rest Day!!

Working on Saturday getting two courses de-issued, de-briefed and graduated. Everyone at the base is doing their part to wrap it all up. Today is a day off from the weights. Tomorrow is the last day of lifting before I start my field contract.

Active Rest Day:
HIIT Spin Bike Routine, 30 minutes

Have a Great Day!!

Working This Weekend So Thursday Off and a Back Workout

This weekend our two Southwest Outdoor Educator Courses wrap-up so as a base we got today off from work. It is very easy when working for NOLS to forget what day of the week it is. When I am in the field I don't even try. It is a great day though to get studying in, laundry done and to get in a strong back workout.

Today's quote is from Anna Paquin:

"If I don't do laundry today, I'm gonna have to buy new clothes tomorrow."

Workout: Back
Morning routine:
HIIT Spin Bike Routine, 45 minutes

Afternoon Routine:
Warm-Up: Perform each exercise for one minute.
Jumping Jacks
Barbell Good Morning
Trunk Twists
Step-Ups
Abdominal Crunches
Weight Training:
Sumo Deadlift, 5 sets of 1-2 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Erector spinae group: Spinalis, logissimus, iliocostalis, and biceps femoris)
Fat Grip Dumbbell Snatch, 5 sets of 3-5 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Upper and lower trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids, infraspinatus, teres minor)
Bent Over Dumbbell Row, 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi)
Weighted Pull-Up, 3 sets of maximum repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Latissimus dorsi, infraspinatus, teres major and minor)
Landmine Torso Twist, 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Internal and external obliques)

Have a Great Day!!

Bit of a Crusher Workout Day!

Today we had a group workout with five folks that showed up in the evening. It was a short 35-ish minute circuit, but it was brutal. The five of us were working out and Rebecca came home from med school and none of us greeted her. "No one made eye contact with me. Everyone seemed to be suffering through their own personal hell."

Today's quote is from Florence Griffith-Joyner:

"You were born to run. Maybe not that fast, maybe not that far, maybe not that efficiently as others. But to get up and move, to fire up that entire energy-producing, oxygen-delivering, bone-strengthening process we call running."

Workout: Legs
Morning Routine:
HIIT Spin Bike Routine, 30 minutes

Evening Circuit: Complete each exercise in order to complete a set. Three sets total. Short water break between sets.
400m Run
100m Weighted Sled Drag
24" Box Jump, 30 repetitions
Barbell Back Squat, 30 repetitions
20m Weighted Walking Lunge
Abdominal Crunch, 50 repetitions
100m Farmer's Carry

Have a Great Day!!

All-Natural Sunscreen, Chest and Biceps

I am going into NOLS "field mode" which includes thinking about being in the sun of southwest Texas all day long for a few weeks straight. To combat the sun in the desert there are two options: Wear very little clothes and LOTS of sunscreen or cover up completely from the sun and wear very little sunscreen. I go with the latter: Long sleeve shirt, long pants, cotton gardening gloves, wide brim hat, sunglasses and then my real secret weapon.... my beard. I grow it as long as possible to cover as much of my face as it can. When it is all said and done I use a lot of sunscreen on the tip of my nose and cheeks.

Today's quote is from John Hodgman:

"First of all, I wish I could grow a beard."

Workout: Chest and Biceps
Morning Routine:
Spin Bike HIIT, 30 minutes

Afternoon Routine:
Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order for one minute to complete a set. One minute rest between sets. Three sets total.
Jumping Jack
Inch Worm
TRX Biceps Curl
Abdominal Crunch
Weight Training:
Captains of Crunch Grip Trainers between each of the following sets, 15 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris)
Bench Press, 5 sets 1-10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, triceps brachii)
Weighted Dip, 5 sets to failure
(Primary muscles worked: Anterior deltoids, pectoralis major and minor, triceps brachii)
Super Set:
Dumbbell Fly, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Pectoralis major and minor)
Push-Ups, 3 sets of 30 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Pectoralis major and minor, triceps brachii)
Super Set:
Axle Bar 21 Curl, 3 sets
(Primary muscles worked: Biceps brachii, flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris)
Dumbbell Hammer Curl, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Biceps brachii)

Have a Great Day!!

Yesterday's Active Rest Day

Yesterday was our weekly active rest day away from the weights. A couple of our regulars left to participate in a mountain bike race and we went out to dinner with friends to a wonderful Ethiopian restaurant called Zemam's to celebrate Rebecca's upcoming 40th birthday. I will post our workout for today later on.

Active Rest Day:

Spin Bike Ride, 30 minutes with an average heart rate of 124 BPM

Have a Great Morning!!