Here we go again...

Another pervert (alledged) is in the news. Last year it was a local powerlifting coach taking pictures of kids as the dressed in a private room while they changed into their powerlifting gear in his basement gym. He is gone for a long time in the pen. Now a local soccer guru has been charged with binding and gagging kids, then suspending them in the air in his garage. This was done for his sexual gratification. I knew of, and had met both of these guys. If my son was still playing soccer, he probably would have played for the soccer coach in question. In each case, these horrors were committed when the child was alone. Never, Never, Never leave your child alone with a coach, trainer, etc... either be with the child, or make sure there will be a team or group in attendance. This is not meant to slight all coaches/trainers, but to the small minority of creeps- you have to protect your child. One slip could cost that child his or her innocence for the rest of their lives. How normal of a life will these kids who were tied up, gagged, and raised to the ceiling while "coach" got his rocks off be? Be vigilant. When it comes to your child- DTA, "don't trust anyone".

Pullin' and Hoppin'

Did some pulls and box jumps today. Nothing to fancy or heavy. Went like this:

Lifecycle 12mins/ Hill/ L-8

Deadlift warm-up 245/15

DL- 325/5

Box jumps (30" box) x 5

DL-345/5

Box Jump x 5

DL-365/5

Box Jump x 5

Lifecycle 12mins/ Hill/L-8

Pulls were easy, jumps surprisingly easy. I know that this is the highest box attempted in a long while and I know that this was not max height....that's a good thing.

My A#% is beat-up!

Knees are sore. Left elbow- bursa sac swollen. Got some kind of cervical issue that is causing discomfort and pain to right shoulder. Left shoulder screwed up. Yikes. Hopefully I can figure out a way to train- make gains- and get my body pain free (relatively) again. Took off yesterday, but still ended up doing a parent child soccer game and then coming home to some one on one bball out in the driveway. Today I stole a workout from Anthony Dugilio(sp?) site www.theartofstrength.com. Anthony has a very inspirational story and has really become a marketing genius with his kettlebell series and now branching out into strongman training. He sent out his newsletter that had a workout done by a former Husker Kyle Vandenbosh. This guy was ripped up as a Husker and physically has not changed. I added some 400M runs to the workout and some posterior delt stuff (trying to get healthy)- but it is a basic "push" type workout.

400m run

Side chest press with DB (70lb) x 5
Floor pullover with Barbell (65lbs) x 10
Elevate ring push ups x 10
Alternating ring flyes x 10
Scarecrows x 10 (100lbs)

x 5 rounds

The side chest press is a variation of the floor press, but you cross your leg/hip over your opposite leg in the same way that you would perform a "hip stretch". This elevates your shoulder off the ground creating more range of motion when pressing the bell. Alternating ring flyes sounds kind of "fu-fu" bodybuildingish, but I kid you not....watch out- these are tough if you are not a gymnast. From the ring push up position you will move one ring out laterally, then bring it back to your start position while repeating the movement on the opposite side.

This was a fun "different from what I have been doing" workout that really felt good, even though my structure feels like crap. Tomorrow I think it is time for Deadlifts and box jumps.

Happy Mother's Day!

I am blessed to have found such a wonderful wife and mother to our children. I hope on this day, you are able to spend some time either in person or via the phone or web with a "special" mother in your life. I lost my mom when I was 12 to cancer, yet to this day can see her face and will never forget her. Don't forget to contact your mom today and tell her how much she means to you.

FRAN!

Went with the CrossFit mainsite WOD yesterday.....FRAN- the brutal couplet of barbell thrusters and pullups for time. I wanted to break the 5 minute mark, but it was not meant to be. I probably did not leave enough in the tank after my "pre" workout just to get psyched/warmed up enough to do Fran.

12min Lifecycle level 8

3 rounds of 20 abmat situps with 25lb plate
20 kb swings with 52lber
45 second handstand hold

Fran- time, 5:23......old pr 5:25, done at GSX my time was 5:45, but I do not believe the time was accurate on that.

12 min Lifecycle level 6.......this was brutally hard. Instead of lying on the floor or walking around- jumped back on the bike.

May start to do this work by moving the weight up on the thruster....it is not the pullups, those are fairly easy and do not seem to be as taxing as the thrusters in the later rounds....or I could just become more FIT! Hey what a concept.

Just Squats

Went with some back squats today. Had alot of training appointments and busy tonight so in between 4:15-5:00pm, it was squats for sets of 5.

45/20
135/10
185/10

245/5
295/5
345/5

singles with 365 and 385...fairly easy, working my way back up to where I was before the weeks leading up to the cert back in March. Stick with 5's for awhile and then switch to a 3 x 5, and 5 x 3 routine on alternating weeks.

Kind of went off the reservation....

Decided to go back to my own programming for awhile. This does not mean that I will not do the CrossFit mainsite WOD once in awhile- but for now, I will do what I feel is best for me. That includes more precise programming, trying to maintain a high level of strength while not completely ignoring my met-con workouts.

At 46 with 30+ years of training, I know that squatting singles every few weeks will not increase my RM. Same with overhead pressing. I also cannot perform squatting, running, OHS, and single leg squats (pistols) at maximum intensity in the same week.....my knees will be lit up with tendonitis.

You have to take past training history and injuries into account when programming. The latest issue of the CrossFit journal has an excellent article on this by Lon Kilgore. Buy the issue or better yet, pick up a subscription. Even if you are not sipping the "kool-aid", there are some great articles and interviews in each issue.

Here are some recent entries into my workout log-

5/8

Incline chest supported DB rows (scapula retraction to stabilize weak shoulder)
50'sx 10x2
60'sx 8x2
75'sx 6x2

MetCon
1000M airdyne
21 pullups
21 Ball Slam
1000M airdyne
15 pullups
15 Ball Slam
1000M airdyne
9 pullups
9 Ball Slams
* gotta give a nod to Coach Rut from CrossFit KC for inspiration on this metcon. He has a great blog with lots of good info.

5/7/08

Lifecycle 12 mins L-6

Reverse Hypers- 90/20x2

Box Snatch
45/6 65/6 95/3 115/3 135/3 140/3 145/3

Reverse Hypers- 90/20x2

Lifecycle 12 mins L-7


5/6/08

400 M (1:52:93)

Tabata Mash-up

Jump rope/MB push-up variations

1. Jump rope/ crossover push up- 12,13,12,13
2. Jump rope/hands on,hands off- 15,12,13,13
3. Jump rope/single arm right- 6,5,4,4
4. Jump rope/single arm left- 3,4,3,3

400 M (1:52:33)

5/5/08

12 mins Airdyne 69rpm ave...(get this over 70!)....4.29 miles

Coupling of DL with chains and GHR situps using the dynamax ball with a chest pass at the top!

*Did not time this- should have, went fairly fast.

DL- warm-up, 245/10
DL- 325 plus 40lbs of chain at the top x 2, 4, 6, 8
GHR situps with a chest pass with 20lb dynamax x 10 done after every set of DL's

5/3

CrossFit mainsite WOD

OHP 165/1 175/1 185/1 190/X dropped to 90% for 5 singles with 170
PP 175/3 180/3 185/3 195/3 205/3
PJ 180/5 185/5 195/5 205/5...quit...workout called for 5 set of 5 here.

5/2 Ran in Mayors run

5/1 Ran with kids in training for Mayors run!

4/30

Airdyne 6 mins/ 2.40 miles 147 calories

Neck work- flexion and extension

# of rounds in 15 minutes

5 pistols to 18" box
5 pullups
5 dips

All done with 40lb vest on.

6 rounds plus 5+5 pistols and 5 chins

Ran 1 mile on treadmill 7:20:43...goal is to get this under 7, Hey- have to start somewhere!

This workout was brutal. Not necessarily while doing it, but my body was sore for the next 3-4 days- especially in the glutes and legs. This was surprising as I had to modify the pistols, using a box and cutting the depth- it still kicked my ass.