December 17, 2015: Fixing my Rowing

This past week, I have been receiving some feedback on my rowing technique from the Concept 2 forums. I was very appreciative of the other rowers who gave me some good feedback. Admittedly, sometimes it is hard to hear the critical feedback. A few of the critiques I expected and had noticed. However, some of them were surprising to me, and things that I thought I did well. When I looked at my video alongside with their feedback, I saw they were right.

I wanted to share this because I think sometimes it's easy to say that you should always accept critical feedback and work on your weaknesses. However, sometimes it is difficult because of our pride and egos. If you feel this way, don't feel bad. We all do to some extent. However, when you can recognize these emotions and still go forward and accept the criticism, then progress will be made.

God bless you.

December 17, 2015 Workout

Warm-up for Bench Press: 

Stretching

Push-ups: 5 reps x 3 sets

Bench Press:

1. 95 lbs. x 5

2. 115 x 5

3. 135 x 5

4. 135 x 5

5. 135 x 5

I felt a lot stronger this workout than I did when I bench pressed last week. Not sure what the difference was, but I felt pretty good today. I worked really hard on my form, using my legs and lats to assist in the lift.

Rowing

Warm-up, 8 min., 1387 m

I worked on my form during the warm-up. Mainly not breaking my elbows too early in the stroke and making the hands away smooth and quick after the finish. I rowed strapless to help keep me honest and it helped. These are my two biggest form weaknesses at the moment, so I will keep working on it.

12' x 2 UT1, 2 min. rest between intervals

1. 12:00 2296m, 19 s/m

2. 12:00 2301m, 19 s/m

My concentration was a little off today. I was working hard on my technique flaws, which made it very hard mentally. However, it was a great workout.

Cool-down: 5 min., 836 m

Stretching: 10 minutes

December 15, 2015: Hard Intervals

No deep thoughts for today. It was a good hard workout. 

December 15, 2015

Overhead Press:

1. 45 x 5

2. 55 x 5

3. 65 x 5

4. 75 x 5

5. 75 x 5

Rowing:

Warm-up 12 minutes, 2137 m

Intervals: 4 x 1:30 AN, 1 min. rest between intervals.

1. 354 (29 s/m) 
2. 354 (29 s/m) 
3. 353 (29 s/m) 
4. 352 (29 s/m)

These were hard intervals. I told myself that I wasn't going to quit during them and I was pleased at my performance overall. I kept my form pretty much throughout. The 4th interval was the hardest, and the burning was the worst, but I kept myself mentally focused and pushed through to the end.

Cool-down: 3:23.7, 539 m

Stretching: 10 minutes

December 13, 2015: Keep Learning

Today's post is going to be short because my family is busy getting ready for Christmas with cleaning, decorating, addressing cards, and in general enjoying each other's company. However, I wanted to share a very interesting discussion about growth and success.

One of my favorite podcasts is Barbell Shrugged - a podcast about fitness, Crossfit, and getting strong. Their hosts share a lot of insights into various aspects of fitness and life and have fun doing so. This particular episode resonated with a lot of what I have read in the past about success as well as some new and fresh insights that I found helpful personally. Warning: Some explicit language, but otherwise incredibly informative.

One of the impressions I got from this episode is to always be learning. Even if you are very experienced in something, there is always a different way to look at it or some detail that you may have overlooked in the past. All extremely successful people in all walks of life are constantly learning.

For read about it and some discussion on their website, check out: http://daily.barbellshrugged.com/the-common-qualities-of-amazing-athletes-coaches-righteous-human-beings/

I am applying this in my current training for the indoor rowing competition. I am having my friend from high school (who has coached rowing at the collegiate and high school level) look at my rowing videos. He will help me correct my technique and improve in a school that I have done for a while. I have the humility and clarity to see that I have plenty to improve upon so his insight and help will be very important and much appreciated.

So keep learning about all areas relevant to your life. For fitness and health, it may include nutrition, exercise programs, specific technique, mental training, or sleep and recovery. For other areas of your life, it may include relationships, communication, parenting, housekeeping, and a multitude of other areas that will be helpful to you. Enjoy the process along the way! God bless you.

December 13, 2015 Workout

Time of workout: 4 PM

Location: YMCA

Warm-up - just some loosening up before I bench pressed. I probably should have taken a little more time, but I was pressed for time as well.

Push-ups: 5 reps x 3 sets 

I stretched in between as part of warming up for bench press.

Bench Press: 

1. 95 x 5

2. 115 x 5

3. 135 x 5

I cut it short here. I was pressed for time, but also, I wasn't feeling mentally sharp. I think the volume of the rowing is affecting my lifting a little. I will consider if I should do anything to change, but one thing I will be working on is getting more sleep and making sure I'm eating enough as well as eating right. For the time being, I also may want to focus more on the quality of my lifting as opposed to the quantity since I'll be putting in a lot of rowing volume.

Rowing:

Warm-up: 5 minutes, 1053 m

The video below is a minute or so of hard rowing between my warm-up and my main workout. I wanted to get a side angle to highlight the body angles at the catch (the beginning) and the finish (the end) of the stroke. My technique is pretty good overall (although I'm having my friend coach me and may have some corrections for me when he gets a chance to look at it) and you can see how I initiate the drive with my legs and hips while my arms and back form a solid connection between my seat and the handle. Then you see towards the end of the stroke how the handle accelerates into my chest at the end of the stroke. I then return the handle back along a straight path and it passes over my knees before my knees break. The return to the beginning position is called the recovery, and it should be smooth and slower than the drive portion of the stroke. 

20 min. UT1 (Hard aerobic) 3887 m (2:34.3/500m; ~20 s/m)

This felt pretty good overall (as in it was a great workout). I focused on keeping my form solid throughout. What I'm feeling good about so far in training is that I am able to keep focused mentally. I am using kind of a 10-count method to focus on each 10 strokes. Sometimes, I will give myself a cue. For example, I'll focus on driving through my heels for 10 strokes or keeping a strong back during the drive for 10 strokes. This type of mental exercise during the piece I think helps keep me consistent throughout.

Cool-down: 3:12, 522 m

I just rowed until I felt loose again then I stretched.

Stretching: 10 minutes

December 11, 2015: Rowing Intervals

I was writing the 2nd part of my training plan, but I was too tired to finish it. In this post, I'll just be reporting my training for the day.

December 11, 2015 Workout

Time for workout: 11 AM

Location: YMCA

Overhead Press:

1. 45 x 5

2. 55 x 5

3. 65 x 5

4. 65 x 5

5. 75 x 5

I felt pretty good with these. I wasn't sure if the bar weighed 45 like mine does, but I don't think it was too far off otherwise. 

Rowing:

Warm-up 10 minutes 1586 meters

I took some strokes to record to check on my form:

Intervals 3 x 2 min. with 1 min. rest (Total 1312 m)

1. 435 m (2:17.9/500m; strokes/minute=25)

2. 438 m (2:16.9/500m; strokes/minute=25)

3. 440 m (2:16.3/500m; strokes/minute=25)

These were hard, but I felt good. Form was good. I made sure to emphasize safe form despite working hard during the work intervals.

Cool-down 10 minutes 1833 m

Planks: 40 sec. x 3 with 20 sec. rest

Stretching ~10 minutes

Rowing Plan Part 1: Don't Get Broken

Introduction

As I mentioned in a previous post, I plan on competing in an indoor rowing competition in February 2016. I wanted to give a brief outline on my training plan. I am not an expert trainer or anything, but I have a little experience with training for this event.

This will be a three part mini-series. In this first part, I'll be talking about how I'm going to avoid injury (not breaking myself). In Part 2, I'm going to discuss how I'm going to get faster. In Part 3, I'm going to discuss recovering from each workout. 

I think a lot of training when you get older - once you're in your 30's and 40's - should focus on not getting injured and recovery. In your 20's, you can do a lot of things and not worry too much about it and be ready to go again the next day. However, this is not so as you get older. However, I do believe with proper recovery and nutrition (as well as balanced programming), people can improve their performance dramatically as they age.

So let's talk about not getting hurt. There are two main things that I feel will help keep me fit and injured. First, I want do develop overall strength. Second, I want to improve my rowing stroke.

Getting Strong

Luckily, my current workout program doesn't have to be changed too much to accomplish the objective of increasing strength. There are two purposes to increasing my overall strength. 

First, as the muscles in the rowing stroke - particularly the legs, back, and arms - get stronger, the rowing stroke becomes easier. Or put another way, rowing hard becomes a lower percentage of our maximum strength. As an example, if you had a max deadlift of 300 pounds and had to deadlift 100 pounds, you would be lifting about 33% of your maximum. However, if you could increase your max deadlift to 500 pounds and then had to deadlift 100 pounds, you would only be lifting 20% of your maximum. The main exercises that will supplement the rowing stroke include low bar back squat, high bar back squat, deadlift, and chin-ups. 

The second purpose to getting stronger is to maintain balance within the muscles of the body. In rowing, the muscles of the posterior chain are emphasized - back, glutes, hamstrings (although the quads are also emphasized). The muscles of the chest, the front of the shoulders, and the triceps are not used as much (although they are used in the recovery, but with very little resistance). Therefore, training these muscles with exercises like bench press and overhead press are important. 

I will mainly be training for maximum strength, so I will be doing less volume and higher weights. I figure most of my muscular endurance I will gain from the act of rowing itself. Specializing for a specific event has certain trade-offs, but I want to minimize them through my program.

Rowing Technique

The importance of rowing technique in injury prevention should be obvious. The rowing stroke is designed to exert the most force on the oar (or handle in this case) in the most efficient manner. The sequence of using your legs and hips before your back and before your arms not only ensure you are pulling as hard as you can, but that the strongest muscles get engaged first and therefore make it safer for the weaker muscles. 

Besides the sequence of engagement, there are a couple other technique errors that I will be vigilant about. First, there is what rowers call "shooting your butt." This happens you don't brace or engage the muscles of your back when you drive with your legs and hips. It causes you to overextend your back while you straighten your legs. Besides the inherent inefficiency caused in the stroke, it puts your lower back in a more dangerous position. The other typical mistake I've made and see is rounding the back to reach further in the beginning or catch position. The problem with this is that when you drive with your legs, your spine is overextended and again susceptible to injury. It is important to have a neutral spine and to engage the back muscles as you drive, just as one would with a deadlift.

I posted a video on technique in my article Comfortable with Uncomfortable. Although I'm not currently working with a rowing coach, I think my previous experience has given me enough insight into an efficient and safe rowing stroke. I plan on occasionally taking videos of me rowing so I can self-correct the stroke. I will also show them to one of my friends, who spent a few years as a college rowing coach. 

Conclusion

I believe keeping myself injury free is incredibly important as I get closer to my 41st birthday. I will err on the side of safety versus aggressive progress as I train and I will keep aware of my limits during my workouts. I think by strengthening my whole body through heavy weightlifting and by perfecting my rowing technique, I plan on getting to my race healthy and ready to row my best!

December 9, 2015 Workout

Warm-up: Rowing 5 min. 904 m.

Rowing: 2000 m in 9:01.6

(This is a pic of the splits on my test today). I felt like my game plan worked well. I need to get used to the intensity, but otherwise I felt pretty good about the pacing throughout the race. I will be training three times a week (although I'll talk more about that in my next post).

I actually drove home right after this to catch my son's bus, so I didn't stretch until I got home. In general, I'd do a cool-down row at low intensity and then a nice long stretching session. 

December 5th and 6th, 2015: Reporting In

I'm a little wiped out from the last couple days of housework and family events. I did get a couple workouts in, which provided some respite from the social activities of the last couple days.

December 5, 2015 Workout

Time of workout: 3:45 PM

Warm-up: 3 minutes 

Just loosened up for a few minutes. Not the best warm-up but didn't have much time.

12 minutes AMRAP (As Many Rounds as Possible)

1. 8 Overhead Press @ 45 lbs.

2. 10 KB Swings

3. 12 Jump Rope Double Unders

Completed: 6 Rounds

This workout was a little tainted as at around 7 minutes I had to take care of something for my son, so I had a 2 minute break. I noticed my bottleneck during this workout was the Overhead press as my shoulders got burned out pretty quickly after the few couple rounds. I think this is partly due to the fact that the double unders burned the shoulders a little as well. It was a good workout though and got me breathing hard.

Stretching: 3 minutes

Total Time: ~ 20 minutes

December 6, 2015 Workout

Warm-up: 5 minutes

Loosened up and moved around. I also figured the next exercise would warm-up all of the relevant muscles.

Romanian Deadlift (RDL): 

1. 45 x 8

2. 65 x 6

3. 65 x 6

4. 65 x 6

These felt great on the hamstrings and glutes. I didn't add much more resistance because I didn't want to fatigue the hamstrings and lower back too much for the deadlifts.

Deadlift

1. 135 x 5

2. 135 x 5

3. 135 x 5

These felt good and powerful as well. This weight is light for me, but I'm going to ease into higher weights because I want to ensure perfect form.

Chin-ups

1. 5

2. 4 + 1 negative rep

3. 5

Felt good overall. I think the lighter deadlifts help warm-up the back for this exercise. 

Overall, this was an  easy going workout - although the sets were hard. I gave myself probably 3-5 minutes between each set because I wanted to make sure I was rested for all of the sets. I think I can add 10 pounds to the deadlift.

December 3, 2015: Running Technique

"I tell a student that the most important class you can take is technique. A great chef is first a great technician. 'If you are a jeweler, or a surgeon or a cook, you have to know the trade in your hand. You have to learn the process. You learn it through endless repetition until it belongs to you." - Jacques Pepin


I never ran much for fitness until I was in college. Admittedly, my motivation for running was to get to know a girl I was dating (and happy married to now). She always tells the story of my bad form and fitness from those days. I kind of enjoyed running after I got in better shape and started doing some road races. My progress increased dramatically after I learned proper technique in running. Today, I'd like to share a couple resources about running technique with you.

I discovered the Pose Method, which teaches an efficient method of running. Once I started incorporating this, I had less injuries like shin splints, Also, I felt better running and got faster. I felt stronger when I ran instead of weak. Overall, I enjoyed running more. As opposed to it being a chore, it become enjoyable and relaxing. 

Below is a video that helps explain the technique (and there are follow up videos that go further into it):

Besides these videos, here is an article by the pioneer of the technique, Dr. Nicholas Romanov. Try incorporating this into your running. The major changes I made in my form were shifting away from heel striking as well as "falling" forward and allowing gravity to help propel me forward.

Besides using the Pose Method, I also did a few other things to help my running.

• I engage my core, so that my upper body doesn't work against me when I'm running - which also helped cure lower back pain, which I used to get a lot when I first started running.
• I keep my head in a neutral position - not tilted too far back or forward. Think about a bowling ball connected to your neck and how having it flop back and forth would affect your running.
• I control my breathing. For the most part, I time the breathing with my strides. When I'm running hard, I may inhale for two strides and exhale for two strides. When I'm sprinting, I inhale for one and exhale for one. I find it helps my rhythm, although I know other runners who do not pay attention to their breath and do very well. I say experiment with it and find what works for you.
• Increasing my overall strength. I attribute some of my current progress in running to a well balanced fitness program. Exercises like the squat and kettlebell swings strengthen the back, hips, glutes, quads, and hamstrings. My training in martial arts and jump rope work strengthen other muscles including the calves which contribute to my overall ability to keep my form. 

I hope you will consider looking at your technique in all of the exercise you do, whether it be running, rowing, swimming, weightlifting, or kettlebells. Good technique makes your exercise safer and your movements more efficient, meaning that you will go further and lift more with less risk of injury. Also, by keeping your mind engaged on proper technique, you are exercising your mental focus and attention as well. Enjoy your workouts and God bless you.

December 3, 2015 Workout

Warm-up: I warmed up by running slowly and walking in the first half mile of the run.

Run: Conley Loop (3.28 miles) in 38:19.
I wanted this to be kind of an active recovery day while going for this goal. I enjoyed the run, and I did throw a few "faster paced" segments into it. It was not a hard run, but I got a good sweat going and I was breathing hard. This is something I don't want to do too often, but it was better than taking the day off and helped me cross off a goal! This is the most I've run in one workout since my knee surgery. For the next couple months, I'll be focusing on Rowing because of my rowing challenge, but it was good to get this in.

Planks: 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds rest x 3 sets
These started out easy, but the last set was difficult. I will keep it at this intensity for a while.

Stretching and Foam Rolling: 15 minutes
Had a little time today, so did some extra foam rolling and stretching.

Additional Notes

I was feeling a little twinge in my SI joint, which I had an injury a couple years ago. This is right near where the spine meets my hips. I am sure this is from rowing. So I want to keep an eye on that, and make sure to prioritize proper form over intensity until that feeling goes away. It feels fine right now, and a little stretching and foam rolling helped a lot. I didn't feel it at all during the run, but I think my body is giving me a tiny warning to keep an eye on my technique.

December 2, 2015: Setting Up New Challenges

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Sometimes, we need to give ourselves a challenge. I've written about the importance of challenging yourself before. Challenging our previous efforts and attempting to improve upon them is our key to progress in life - not just in fitness. 

We can challenge ourselves with our goals and within each workout. Another way to challenge ourselves is to participate in an event or competition. I have done this in my past mainly with running road races and with thai boxing. These events give you something to train for in the not too distant future. I have found some of my greatest progress in fitness when training for a competition.

Last week, I decided to train for an indoor rowing race that is about 10 weeks away. The competition gives me enough time to focus my training a little and try to get a dramatic improvement. Also, the spirit of friendly competition and comparing myself to the performance of others gives me a lot of motivation as well. Also, as opposed to a running race which I've done more recently (albeit a couple years ago), I have not done an indoor rowing race in over 20 years (when I rowed in high school). The race also aligns with my current goals since I have a specific rowing goal and I don't have to postpone my other goals because those goals complement my rowing goal.

I won't say too much more other than to encourage you to find an event or competition that would help motivate you to improve yourself. For running and endurance challenges, there are a ton of road races at all times of the year. If you are looking for more of a challenge, you can try a Tough Mudder. If you want to improve your strength, there are a ton of power lifting meets all around the country. Pick one three or four months away and sign up! It may be intimidating at first, but the benefits to your fitness and your confidence will be worth it.

December 2, 2015 Workout

Warm up 500 m row 3:07 

Stretching

Push-ups 5 x 3 sets

I generally stretch in between my push-up sets (and during my barbell sets too). Rowing is a great warm-up for me as it hits the whole body. It also gave me a chance to work on my form a little before my longer rowing piece.

Bench press 

1. 95 x 5 

2. 115 x 5

3. 135 x 5

4. 135 x 5

5. 135 x 5!

Felt  tired last couple sets. I didn't get as much sleep as I usually do (maybe 5 hours) and I think that affected me a little. Also, I didn't feel as focused today during the sets. However, my reps were clean (except for the very last one) and overall I felt great afterwards.

. 

Rowing: 15 min. 2745 m (Avg. 500m Split 2:43.9)

I felt very comfortable during this. Every 5 minutes (so 3 times during this workout) I pushed a little harder for a minute - I brought my stroke rate up to about 22 and the split to about 2:30. I wanted this to be an easier row today, as I hadn't rowed for 15 minutes in a while, so I wanted to keep things in the "cardio" zone intensity-wise. I set a pace-boat for 3 min. splits, but it was pretty easy to beat, so I'll increase it next time for my longer rows.

Stretching 10 min.

December 1, 2015: Do It Anyway

After a week off from exercise due to Thanksgiving and travel, I'm back in the gym (or the basement in this case). It was actually a little hard for me to finally get going today. This scared me a little. I had had periods of time in my life where I was very motivated with exercise and fitness. Then something would happen in my life to distract me for a few days from working out and then my motivation would just trail off.

However, I came across a great article by James Clear in my e-mail (I am a subscriber to his e-mail list). The article is called How to Stay Focused When You Get Bored Working Toward Your Goals. I felt like he wrote this article for me on this very day! Here are just a few of the most important points I got out of the article.

First, he discusses that the top performers show up even when the work is boring because it is something they've done before. One of the things that separates the best from the rest is being able to sustain effort even when they're not feeling the passion that maybe initially got them moving towards world-class performance.

Next, people who consistently achieve their goals and continue to do so are committed to the process of achievement - not just the goal itself. For example, with my current goal setting system I am learning to love the methods I am using to reach my goals, and also creating the habit of setting new goals right away when I achieve one. I've also come to really enjoy certain exercises that I didn't before - although I'm still not loving the front squat.

Finally, he alludes to the "10 years of silence" that world class performers go through before they reach the top. This is the famous 10,000 hours of deliberate practice that the top performers do before they become truly the best in their field. The realization that getting really good at anything takes time can be both a burden and a blessing. However, the way I see it, it gives me permission to be patient with myself.

In conclusion, today I wasn't feeling super excited about working out. However, I did it anyway. God bless you!

December 1, 2015 Workout

Time of Workout: 10:45 AM

Warm-up: 10 minutes

Dynamic and static stretching warm-up from Alan Thrall

I thought I'd try something different. It worked out pretty well, although I will continue to experiment with different warm-up routines.

Bodyweight Squat: 5 reps x 3 sets

Back Squat:

1. 45 x 5

2. 55 x 5

3. 75 x 5

4. 95 x 5

5. 115 x 5

I felt pretty good with my depth and positioning, but the bar didn't feel great a little higher on my back. Also, as this was my first workout in a week, I decided to keep the weight where it was.

I rested for about 3 minutes, then
4 rounds 3-minute Boxing with 1 min. rest between rounds



This was very hard for me. I think part of this has to do with the squats I just did, but I just need to build up my stamina for bag work again. From a technical standpoint, I did okay. I need to keep my hands up a little more, but my punches were strong and my combinations were crisp. As my conditioning increases, I want to continue to improve my technique as well.

Stretching: 5 minutes

Total Workout Time: ~1 hour

November 23, 2015: Emotional Training

Today, I was a little emotional while I was training. I had a few things on my mind and I had to consider whether or not it was advisable to work out today. I did, and I think I did the right thing, but here are a couple thoughts.

On the one hand, I found it difficult to focus. I figured I wasn't going super heavy with my lifts, so I would be okay. Also, I refocused and asked myself whether I was present before I took up the barbell. However, I think if I were lifting a lot more weight I would have opted for a different workout.

Working out did help me to work through the emotions though. It was good to separate from the situation and do something productive. As the weight went up on my squats, I found I had to really focus, which helped me take my mind off my challenges. It was cathartic in a way.

I think ultimately you have to ask yourself three questions. First, can you focus enough for the exercise to be safe? If the answer is no, then don't work out. The second question is whether you should be doing something else. For example, if my emotional stress was caused by something I could have done something about at that moment, then it would have been better to do that. Third, will working out be helpful? If the answer is neutral or yes, then I think it might be a good idea.

Sometimes, you will not be in the mood to work out. You might be thinking about something at work or in your personal life that is distracting you. It's not the end of the world to take a day off. However, sometimes it might be helpful to your emotional state to exercise. Remember to put fitness and exercise in its place when other things are occupying your mind. Consider your priorities and safety when making your decision. God bless you.

November 23, 2015 Workout

Time of workout: 4:00 PM

Warm-up: Stationary bike 3 minutes

Stretching

BW Squat: 5 reps x 3 sets

Front Squat: 

1. 45 lbs. x 5 reps

2. 55 lbs. x 5 reps

3. 65 lbs. x 5 reps.

4. 75 lbs. x 5 reps

I warmed up very deliberately and slowly. I was not feeling great, but I wanted to be productive. I took my time to refocus myself before each set. After this set, I felt I was ready to focus and tackle a heavier weight. 

5. 95 lbs. x 5 reps

6. 95 lbs. x 5 reps

I still need to work on my form. I kind of dip forward a little sometimes when I drive out from the bottom. However, I felt a lot more comfortable with this weight and my knee felt fine after warming up.

I did a couple Turkish Get-ups with light weight. However, I realized I was running late to pick up the kids! I stretched for a few minutes then ran out to pick them up from school.

November 21, 2015: Comfortable with Uncomfortable

Stretching my hips after a hard rowing session.

I used to row in high school. It was there that I was introduced to the Concept 2 Rowing Machine. Although I enjoyed rowing on the water in a boat, I kind of dreaded and despised the rowing machine. Basically, it took all of the "difficult" stuff about the rowing movement without the fun stuff. You get the burning quads and lungs and the desperate hope that your piece (rowing session) will be over soon. You don't get the gliding on the water or the breeze at your back. You don't get the satisfying feeling of your oar pulling you through the water. Instead, you get the whir of the flywheel. And lactic acid...oh, I mentioned that already with the burning quads.

Rowing is a great exercise. It works the legs, glutes, lower back, upper back, forearms, and hands. You can train both aerobically and anaerobically. When done correctly, the rower learns how to initiate power in the stroke by connecting the drive from the legs into the prying and pulling of the back and arm movements. An efficient stroke is graceful and powerful.

Speaking of graceful and powerful rowing, here is a rowing tutorial from Concept 2:


I see a lot of people rowing improperly at the gym. At a minimum, they waste a lot of energy with suboptimal strokes. At worst, they risk injury, particularly to their lower backs. If you have access to a Concept 2 Rowing machine, try to learn the stroke properly. Looking for an experienced rower at your gym who is willing to give you tips is a great idea. Besides the video above, check out Concept 2's page on rowing technique (that includes the above video as well).

I highly recommend adding rowing to your fitness regimen. Besides the physical benefits mentioned above, the general discomfort of hard rowing will help you develop mental toughness. Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable will serve you in all areas of your life.

November 21, 2015

Workout time: 3:30 PM

Warm-up: 5 minutes Rowing - 1007 m

Stretching

Rowing: 2000 m in 9:12.4

A hard rowing piece. I increased my intensity throughout the piece, finishing with a faster stroke rate and pressure. I was pleased with my effort.

Cool-down: Rowing 3:06 - 502 m

Did some pause reps and stopped at arms away and arms and back. I tried to accentuate these aspects of the stroke to improve my technique. In particular, I think my flexion at my hip needs improvement although part of this may be flexibility in my hamstrings, so I will work on that.

Plank: 30 sec. with 20 sec. rest x 3 sets

I will increase my planks to 40 seconds next time. 

Stretching: 10 minutes

Total Time of workout: ~40 minutes

November 20, 2015: Humility and Growth

I was reflecting this week on humility. I know I've written about this previously, but it is so important that it always helps me to repeat it. Humility is not weakness. Instead, it is the courage to look at things the way they truly are, instead of through a lens of pride and overconfidence.

I have found that my greatest periods of growth in business, martial arts, and relationships occurred at times of great humility.

I learned this lesson the hard way when I was about 20 years old. I was introduced to a new Kali instructor named Doug after training with another teacher for several years. I was young and perhaps overconfident. I told my instructor about my previous experience and although I felt I was being respectful, in hindsight I can see how my introduction of myself may have come off as slightly pretentious. After the class, he gave me a private "lesson."

To be kind (to myself), he showed me some nuances that I had failed to grasp in my previous training (to no fault of my previous instructor, but perhaps to my overconfidence in my technique). This lesson involved very sore knuckles - we used rattan sticks as seen in my last workout - and a bruised ego. From that day on, by revisiting and relearning the basics, I learned how to use my body more effectively and once applied to my previously learned techniques (along with the new ones I learned), made me much more powerful and fluid. Besides humility, my experience with Doug reinforced the importance of mastering basic movements before attempting more complicated ones.

I have similar somewhat embarrassing experiences in other parts of my life. Fortunately, I can laugh about them now. More importantly, I am grateful for them because it is through them that I have found the greatest growth in my life. God bless you.

November 19, 2015 - Recovery Day

November 20, 2015 - Workout

Warm-up: 5 minutes Elliptical 

I'm not a big fan of the Elliptical, but my son was using the one next to me, so we hung out for a few minutes. It is a nice non-impact way to warm my knee up though.

BW Squats: 5 reps x 3 sets
My right knee felt a little off, but warmed up as I did the squats.

Back Squat: 
1. 65 x 5
2. 95 x 5
3. 115 x 5
4. 115 x 5
5. 125 x 5! New PR!
I felt like challenging myself, and it was a challenge. I took several breaths at the top before holding a big breath through the squats. I focused a lot on keeping my core engaged and reaching proper depth. I'm thinking I might work some pause reps in my lighter warm-up sets next time to accentuate my bottom position and driving out of the bottom. I was pleased to hit a new PR. 

Push-ups: 5 reps x 3 sets

Bench Press:
1. 95 x 5
2. 115 x 5
3. 135 x 5
4. 135 x 5
5. 135 x 5
These were hard sets, but solid. I'm going to stay put at this weight while I bring up some of my other lifts, although if it gets too easy, I will add some weight to it. I'd love to hit 1x bodyweight by the end of the year.
At this point, I actually drove home and did some pull-ups at home.

Pull-ups:
1. 4 regular reps + 1 assisted rep (with band) This felt a little awkward and the band wasn't very strong, so I decided to use negatives on the following sets.
2. 3 regular reps + 2 negative reps (5 seconds down)
3. 2.5 regular + 3 negative reps (5 seconds down)

I realize in order to progress with these I need to get more reps in, so I'm using some assistance to increase the volume.

Stretching: ~5 minutes

November 18, 2015: Practicing Mental Toughness

Our attitude affects our performance. If we have a positive, "will do, won't quit" attitude, it will improve our mood and our perception of our workouts. Sometimes, we may not feel very tough or strong during a particular workout. Even then, we can adjust our attitude and "act" tough and strong.

I learned this from my wife. She ran cross country in high school and college. While we were dating, I would occasionally run with her. She was much fitter than I, and I would often trail behind her and whine about the pain I was experiencing. She told me I had to lift my head, look straight ahead, and "run stronger." This was something her high school coach taught her - she was a trained athlete and she should always run like a trained athlete. Even though I was just a recreational runner, that lesson stuck with me.

Every time I run now, I have "the eye of the tiger." Even though I'm running slow and relatively out of shape, I run with the attitude that I'm strong. I even say that to myself - "I'm running strong!" It affects my mood when I'm running for the better. My pace is a little faster and my form is a little more solid. Overall, I just feel better when I run.

When you're working out, practice mental toughness. Even when you're suffering or winded, act as if you are fresh and energetic. Watch your posture and your breathing. Your "acting tough" will carry over to reality, and you'll get tougher and more determined during your workouts.

Strength of body begins with strength of mind.

November 18, 2015 Workout

Time of workout: 8:15 AM

Warm-up: Joint rotation with the sticks - 4 minutes

Kali Tire Training:

About 10 minutes of free flow stickwork. First with two sticks, then with single stick. There are different ways to train with the tire. You can practice for pure power or speed. In this particular workout, I just wanted to work on using both hands equally and the general flow of the strikes. This training develops accuracy, distance awareness, as well as hand and forearm strength.

Here is an excerpt of the training:

I felt a little sluggish with my footwork, but I think the more I practice, the better it will get. I'm a little rusty overall, as I haven't done much consistent training in a few years.

Running: 2.54 miles in 27:08
I've been tracking my runs with mapmyrun.com. I recommend it if you like running outside.

During this run, I put a few sprints of varying distances in the run. I probably sprinted 6 times during the run. I am confident I'll be reaching my short term running goal within a week or two. Admittedly, the last half mile was quite tiring, I think because of the sprints.

Stretching: 5 minutes

Overall time: ~50 minutes

November 17, 2015: Progress with Accountability

As I was working out today, I was reflecting on how this blog and the videos I make have helped me to progress with my fitness. First, I enjoy writing and making the videos. It has become a hobby in itself in a way. At this point, I now also feel a small responsibility to my readers - all 4 of you! The blog has become a source of accountability to me.

I think a lot of people are afraid of accountability. We don't like when we need to report to someone, or when our actions have consequences for other people. A lot of people just want to do what they want to do with no regard for how it affects other people. This includes our health among other things. 

Before, I used to think of fitness as an extracurricular. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized how important it was to my life as a whole. My fitness and health affects my energy to do the things I have to do - my responsibilities. This includes being a father to my children and a husband to my wife. It includes having the energy to work a full week serving my clients in my business. It also includes having the energy and strength to take care of my house and property. Fitness matters! It is more than an enjoyable activity - it is a responsibility.

If you are trying to develop good habits for exercise, diet, or any other aspect of your life, try finding ways to become more accountable. Phone apps that track your diet or exercise like mapmyrun.com for example are great because they are visible and you can tap into the community if you wish for additional support. Maybe you have a friend who has similar goals to you. You can check in and support each other along the way.

Well, speaking of accountability, time to get back to work. God bless you!

November 17, 2017 Workout

Time of workout: 11 AM

Location: Basement

Warm-up: 3 min. Stationary bike

Joint Rotation

Overhead Press: 

1. 45 x 5

2. 55 x 5

3. 65 x 5

I have not done these in several years. I stuck with this weight for the rest of the sets because I still had full control of the weight but it was "hard."

4. 65 x 5

5. 65 x 5

I did something a little different in that I filmed every set and spent a minute watching it. I made a couple little corrections along the way, mainly in my grip.

Bodyweight Squat: 5 reps x 3 sets 

Warming up for Back Squat

Back Squat:

1. 65 x 5

2. 75 x 5

3. 95 x 5

4. 115 x 5

5. 115 x 5 (Click here for a video of the 4th and 5th sets - now with a cool soundtrack!)

Working with heavier weight forced me to focus on my breathing and technique. It felt great. Hard...but great.

5 minute rest

Boxing Heavy Bag: 3 x 3-minute rounds with 1-minute rest

This felt good. I focused on keeping active with 4-5 punch combinations and footwork. The 2nd and 3rd rounds I picked up the pace as well as adding more power hooks at the ends of my combinations.

Stretching: 10 minutes

Total Workout Time: ~75 minutes I had a little more time today so I enjoyed it!

Squeezing In Productive Workouts

My morning is somewhat hectic. I have two children who catch the bus at different times. The first bus picks up my older son at 6:40 AM. The second bus picks up the other son at 8:10 AM. Before these buses pick them up, I have to make sure they are awake, clean, dressed, fed, and packed up for school. Admittedly, it's gotten better because they can do a lot by themselves now, but I can't ignore them quite yet. While this is going on, I need to get clean, dressed, fed, and packed up for work! And just because I love her, I make tea for my wife for her drive to work. Some days, getting a workout in before I go to work can be difficult. However, with the right mindset and focus, it can be done.

First, I think it is important to learn to be content with less volume on days where you have to squeeze in a workout. Ideally, we'd love an hour to get in a nice warm-up, our main workout, and full cool-down and stretching session. Some days we just don't have that. I believe we can still make progress towards greater fitness in short periods of time and in my case today, when the workout is interrupted. They key though is to realize this and not get too worked up about not having time to work out.

Second, we need to be creative and flexible with our workouts. On my agenda today was running and Turkish Get-ups. Normally, when I run, I like to do some non-ballistic movements to warm-up my knees (particularly my right knee that I had surgery on a couple years ago). This might be some stationary bike or some shadowboxing with slow bodyweight squats thrown in.

Today, I had to start my workout after my first son got on his bus at 6:40 AM. Also, my stationary bike is in my bedroom and my wife was still sleeping (and the bike is loud). Finally, my other son got up earlier than usual so I knew my time to workout was limited. So I ran out the door and used the first half mile to warm-up by running at a slow pace and being very deliberate about my form so that I wouldn't be pounding on my knees (which I try not to do in any case).

Finally, I have found the ability to increase my focus for short periods of time between interruptions to be critical in squeezing in workouts. After my run today, my son was up (and fortunately started his own breakfast). I told him I'd need fifteen minutes in the basement to finish working out. A couple times, he called down because he needed something. In the past, I would get exasperated at the intrusion and lose my temper. However, I realize that this is part of being a father and I would take care of what needed to be taken care of before returning to work out.

At this point (and all points during the workout), I sharpened my focus on the task at hand - the dumbbell in this case. This is very important for safety. I also think this mental practice also carries over to many parts of our lives. We are constantly bombarded with distractions from social media, co-workers, family members, notifications on our cell phone, and more! To be productive - whether to get a good workout in or in our professional lives - we need to be able to return our focus after distractions. The ability to bring our attention to the task at hand also makes the workout feel more satisfying and less like you compromised on your workout - because you didn't! I have found the practice of meditation to be useful in developing this ability.

Part of becoming healthier and more fit is prioritizing it in your life over things that are less important. For me, these were things like video games and television. However, some priorities have to take precedence like getting your kids on the bus and getting to work on time. Sometimes, we just need to squeeze a workout in. However, these workouts can be productive towards helping us reach our goals. Having the mindset of contentment, being creative and flexible, and learning to bring our attention to bear on the task will help you to squeeze in productive workouts when you are short on time.

November 16, 2015 Workout

Time of workout: 6:40 AM

Running: 2 miles in 24:28

As I mentioned above, the first mile was much slower than the second. I am pleased as this is the most I've run since my surgery a couple years ago.

At this point, I had about a 5 minute break as I was conversing with my son and getting him all set up before going into the TGU.

Turkish Get-up: 

2 reps with 8 lb. dumbbell.

2 reps with 18 lb. dumbbell

1 rep with 23 lb. dumbbell (you can check out my attempt with 23 lb. dumbbell here)

Working time: ~10 minutes

I tried holding the kettlebell, but I need to work on my grip technique and it was too heavy at this point to attempt a full TGU. I will work in some floor presses with the kettlebell over the next week I think.

Stretching - Probably about 10 minutes spread out over the next 20 as I was with my son getting him ready for school. Focused on hips, legs, and calves.

Resources

I mentioned meditation above and I wanted to give you some links to some meditation sites that I use. 

Breath Awareness Meditation on MeditationOasis.com: I use this tutorial to practice breath awareness meditation. It is easy but the focus is on bringing our attention back to our breath. Over time we can use this skill to bring our attention to whatever we need to at the moment.

Headspace.com: I am experimenting with this. There are free meditations as well as a subscription service. I am not a subscriber as of this writing, but I am finding their free Take 10 program to be of great benefit. It is a series of 10-minute meditations as well as a few video tutorials that explain the purposes of meditating and how we can use it in our life.

Recovery

Sunday, November 15 - Rest Day

Sometimes, we just need a day off. During this current period of my attempt to get into shape, I've been very careful to moderate my enthusiasm. Even so, I'm finding myself run down today. Part of this is realizing that every area of your life that stresses you out or drains you of energy takes away from your ability to keep working out hard - even if it's not physical activity. Pressures within the family or at work can have an effect on your ability to exercise. 

This is why it is important to not just take programmed days off, but sometimes to listen to your body and get the rest you need even when you have a workout planned. Rest is a part of progress, too. Your muscles and joints need time to recover from exercise. Besides physical rest, you also need to keep fueling your body with lots of good nutrition - fruits and veggies, proteins from various sources, and lots of water!

Have a beautiful day and God bless you!

Saturday, November 14 - Workout

Today I didn't do a full structured work out. Instead, I was just very active during the day with some exercise thrown in. I was doing a lot of laundry and my pull-up bar happens to be next to my laundry machines, so whenever I went down to switch a load, I did a few pull-ups and chin-ups. Over the course of the day, I probably did about fifteen or twenty.

In the afternoon, I went to the YMCA with my son. I wanted to focus on spending some time with him, so we did the Elliptical and walked and ran on the track a little. Nothing too intense, but I took a few minutes to do some more pull-ups - and I did 8 over three sets.

I can feel some soreness in my core and in my back from the pull-ups and chin-ups today. It was good to connect with my son as well.

Challenging Yourself

"Challenge is the pathway to engagement and progress in our lives." Brendon Burchard

A key to improving your fitness is challenging yourself during your workouts. I don't know much about our biochemistry and the physiological processes that cause our muscles and other physical systems to get stronger. However, I do know that when I push myself, I can typically do a little better each workout.

Our bodies are amazing. When we try to lift something heavy, our body adapts so that it gets stronger. When we try to run faster, our body adapts so that it is a little easier the next time. As I mentioned the other day, when the body doesn't get challenged or forced to use its muscles, the body takes away resources that maintain that muscle. Exercise along with proper rest and nutrition are the key to creating the functional bodies we want.

Of course, not all challenge is good. We have to be careful not to overwhelm our body's ability to adapt by pushing it too far. Besides hampering our progress, we potentially risk injury and conditions such as rhabdomyolysis (aka Rhabdo). However, I think we can find a balance between being too comfortable in our exercise and overdoing it. (The chart shown is a representation of the intensity I try to exert during my workouts to challenge myself)

It is important to track your exercise. By tracking what you do, how long it took you to do it, and how much resistance you used, you can see your progress along the way and plan to challenge yourself on future workouts.

I hope this post will inspire you to challenge some of your current bests in various exercises. No matter what level you are - whether you are starting out or an experienced athlete - there is always a next level that you can go for. Do it during your next workout!

November 13, 2015 - Workout

Time of Workout: 1:30 PM

Location: YMCA

Warm-up: 3 min. Rowing (559 m)

Push-ups 5 reps x 3 sets

Stretching

Bench Press:

1. 115 x 5

2. 125 x 5

3. 125 x 5

4. 125 x 5

5. 135 x 5 Goal Met! New Personal Record!

This last set felt great! I focused on my technique, particularly my bar path and having a good grip on the bar. 

Bodyweight Squats: 5 reps x 3 sets

Front Squat:

1. 95 x 5 New Personal Best!

2. 95 x 5

3. 95 x 5

Inspired by my Bench Press performance, I decided to take a calculated risk. I have to admit I was also motivated by watching a guy do some very heavy squat singles. I need to work on keeping my chest up and my back vertical. I think I try to sit back too much which puts the bar in front of my center of gravity, which causes some struggle. The nice thing about the heavier weight is that it exposes this weakness so that I can correct it.

Rowing: 1500m in 7:49.9

This was not easy particularly coming off the front squats. I focused on 10 strokes at a time and the position of my back. I felt my form was pretty good although perhaps it broke down a little in the last 300 meters or so. 

Plank: 30 seconds x 3 reps with 30 second rest in between.

Stretching: 5 minutes

Total Workout Time: 70 minutes. I took a little longer in between sets in Bench Press and Front Squat since I was going for personal bests. This is acceptable and I had the time today. I wanted to stretch more afterwards but had to get home before my son's bus.

Start Where You Are

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." -Arthur Ashe

A couple years ago, I tore my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and my meniscus. After surgery to repair the damage to my knee, I couldn't put any weight on it for a week. My leg quickly shrunk to half of its thickness due to muscle atrophy.

However, three days after surgery I started physical therapy. All I could do was squeeze my quads slightly to straighten my leg. It seemed like it would be forever before I could regain use of my leg much less do any of the activities I had enjoyed before - e.g. running and martial arts.

I just kept doing my exercises. Each week, the physical therapists increased the difficulty and added more exercises. Over the following months, I saw my leg slowly regain mobility and strength. Now I can run, row, squat, and do martial arts again!

No matter where you are physically, you can do something to improve yourself. I am not trying to downplay the physical challenges that some may have. However, I think a lot of people wait for the "right time" to get started with something that will benefit them - like exercise.

What can you do to get started today? Can't do a proper push-up? Try pushing off the wall and work your way to a full push-up from the ground. Can't run? Start by walking down the driveway and add a few feet each day. Don't have time? Do a few bodyweight squats or push-ups during commercials of your favorite television show. Just get started!

November 12, 2015 - Rest Day

I'm feeling good overall, but busy with work and a little tired from lack of proper sleep. It is a good day to recover from a few good workouts and looking forward to picking it up against tomorrow.

Attacking Your Weaknesses

I listened to several interesting presentations by Crossfit's founder Greg Glassman. He was very insightful about many fitness and health-related topics, but today I wanted to focus on his view of weaknesses. One of the basic philosophies of Crossfit is that they don't want to specialize in anything - and conversely they don't want to have any weaknesses in fitness. He states that we should focusing on strengthening our weaknesses. It is fairly logical advice - your fitness "chain" is only as strong as its weakest link. However, this is often easier said than done.

Weaknesses may develop for many reasons. Maybe we've never been exposed to a certain exercise or method - e.g. the person who grew up using "bodybuilding" weightlifting strategies who discovers powerlifting or Olympic weightlifting. However, sometimes our own fears and biases have led to a "comfort" zone where we continually focus on the things we are good at. For example, always being of slight build, I always preferred high repetition calisthenics like push-ups and bodyweight squats to heavy weightlifting. You may notice my current strength goals are biased towards weightlifting in an attempt to balance that bias.

We may also have fears or embarrassment that prevents us from facing our weaknesses. I didn't learn to swim when I was younger, and for the longest time, I avoided going anywhere I'd have to swim. However, now I'm currently trying to improve my swimming - partly because my wife and children love swimming, and partly because I realize it is a great form of exercise and a practical skill to have. Now that I have some proficiency, I'm actually finding it somewhat enjoyable as well.

So what are your weaknesses? Are you a runner who dislikes strength training? Or are you on the other spectrum, you love lifting heavy weights but don't enjoy conditioning? Of course, part of exercise is enjoyment and recreation, so don't feel like you have to attack your weaknesses. However, if comprehensive fitness and health is your ultimate goal, your weaknesses are a great place to start.

Extra Credit

If this post inspired you or sparked your curiosity, you can also check out Greg Glassman's original article What is Fitness? that defines what Crossfit is and attempts to do. I'm not affiliated with or represent Crossfit in any way. I respect Greg Glassman and have many friends and family who enjoy Crossfit.

November 11, 2015 Workout

Time of workout: 11:30 AM

Location: YMCA

Warm-up:

Bike 3 minutes

Bodyweight Squat: 5 reps x 3 sets

Stretching

Back Squat:

1. 75 x 5

2. 95 x 5

3. 95 x 5 Here I reminded myself to hold my breath until the end of the rep, which helped a lot.

4. 105 x 5

5. 115 x 5! I felt good and brave, so I went for an unplanned jump in weight. I did well in the first 4 reps. On the 5th rep, I struggled and my hips came up before the bar a little, but I was able to quickly correct it. On a side note, this is the most I have ever squatted.

Time for Squats: ~15 minutes

Stretching - 5 minutes

Swimming - Nothing too intense. Practiced breaststroke a little as well as floating around in the deep. About 20 minutes with the boys.

Post-Workout Comments

Not much to add. I was pleased to hit a new personal best. I want to continue to developing my breathing technique during the squat. 

Paying the Price

"For every promise...there is a price to pay. If the promise is clear...the price is easy." -Jim Rohn

Original photo credit: picjumbo.com

What price are you willing to pay to reach your goals - fitness or otherwise? Do you know what the price is? In order to make a significant change in your life, you must do something different than what you are doing now. These changes might involve reallocating your time to the activities that will help you reach your goals. This means taking time away from less important activities. This is often easier said than done. However, if you want the change badly enough and you believe you can reach it you will pay the price.

I used to play a lot of video games. I played with my children. I played after the kids went to bed. I used to play when I got up! I'm slightly embarrassed to admit this, but sometimes I played three or four hours a day. Other aspects of my life stagnated. I wasn't reading. I wasn't exercising. I wasn't conversing with my family. It was bad.

I realized that I needed to change around my priorities. I started reading good motivational and educational books. I started to exercise. It was hard at first, because I had to stop playing the games I had come to love. At first, I started to just reduce my time in order to do more reading each day. Then when I started working out 20-30 minutes a day, I reduced it even more.

The surprising thing was that as I started to increase these positive behaviors in my life, I eventually stopped playing video games all together. It started out gradually, but it ended very abruptly. I realized (at least at a subconscious level) that whatever joy, satisfaction, or escape video games were giving me, it was no longer feeding me like the vision of a future where I was smarter, fitter, less stressed, and with better relationships. As Jim Rohn said, "When the promise is clear...the price is easy."

Now, I won't be foolish and tell you that this is easy. Some of you may be struggling with habits and addictions that have served you in some way for years. What I will offer are a couple things I did to help me overcome my vice (at least this one) and use that time and energy more wisely.

First, I wrote down what I wanted. These weren't necessarily goals at first, they were just concepts or phrases that were attractive to me:

• I want to be in better shape.
• I want to be of better service to my clients.
• I want to be a better father and husband.
• I want to fulfill my potential.

After I wrote these down in my journal, I started to ask myself questions, "What does a person who does [fill in the blank] do? What activities and habits do they have? What activities and habits don't they have? 

• Does a successful business person play video games? Maybe, but probably not as much as I do.
• What types of things to healthy, fit people do? Exercise, eat well, and keep their stress levels down.
• What kind of activities do good fathers do (and I looked this up on the internet)? They spend time with their children, they encourage them, and they teach them.

I did this quite a bit, mainly using my journal, but also just talking to myself. I realized there was a bunch of stuff that I could be doing but wasn't. So the next step was to start small. Here are a few examples of what I did that got the momentum going, but didn't "break" me.

• I tried to work out a minimum of 10 minutes as often as possible.
• I took note of when I spent quality time with the children - conversing with them, playing sports, helping them with chores.
• I decided to read something motivational or educational 10 minutes a day.
• I decided to read something related to my business at least 20 minutes a day.

The final thing I did was to decide what the price I was willing to pay to do these things. Fortunately, I was able to steal a lot of time from the video game playing. However, there are a few other things I committed to doing. I stopped eating at fast food restaurants (although I still occasionally stop for a breakfast sandwich and a coffee from Tim Horton's). I also made an effort to stop whining and complaining - I'll have to write more on this another time. Finally, I stopped watching late night television in an effort to get to bed earlier. 

By taking these little steps, I got the momentum going in the right direction. Admittedly, I didn't come up with this process before I did it. When I started, I just realized I needed to make a change, and my first reaction was to ask myself, "What do you want to change?" The following steps were all logical next actions from the first step. However, now that I'm sharing them with you, perhaps you can apply them more efficiently than I did. 

My Challenge to You

Is there something in your life that you'd like to change? Some aspect that isn't ideal for you? Commit to making a change and try out these steps. If you have other steps that you think belong in this process, let me know. I share my thoughts with you with humility, and I am always looking to learn as well. God bless you and I look forward to hearing from you.

November 10, 2015 Workout

Time of workout: 11 AM

Warm-up: ~10 minutes

Kali Stickwork (double and single stick)

Shadowboxing

Foam Rolling

Push-ups 5 reps x 3 sets

Stretching (mainly chest area)

Bench Press: ~15 minutes

1. 115 x 5

2. 125 x 5

3. 125 x 5

4. 125 x 5

5. 125 x 5! This last set was very hard and I struggled to get the bar back to the rack.

5 minute rest

Conditioning

10 sets of 10 Kettlebell Swings on the minute.

Jump rope in between sets.

Stretch: 10 minutes

Total Workout Time: ~45 minutes

Post-Workout Comments

This was a great work out. On days where I have more than 20-30 minutes to train, I like to do a strength movement, and some type of conditioning - e.g. Crossfit-style MetCon, Running, Rowing, Boxing, etc. 

One area in the weightlifting I want to improve is my breathing technique. Right now, it's not a big deal, but as the resistance increases, it will be an important factor both for safety and for maximum performance. I experimented during the bench press, but will have to do more research. I'm finding with these heavy lifts that they are more technical than I once thought. 

The conditioning was hard! I was breathing heavy, but it felt great. I need to push myself more. In this particular session, I need to find a way to measure my efforts between the Kettlebell swings. Greg Glassman from Crossfit ruined me, because now I want to measure my output on everything! On a side note, Crossfit is cool. I cannot afford the time or money right now to train at a Crossfit gym, but I like their general philosophy. 

Course Corrections

When we work towards goals, sometimes there is a fine line between being committed to a course of action to reach a goal and failing to making necessary adjustments to reach your goal. Indeed, when we develop a plan we don't want to abandon it at the first sign of adversity. However, at times, we need to change our plan in order to reach our goal. Ultimately, our goal is the goal and we have to be careful to not follow a plan blindly. We have to check make sure the plans we make are still the best path towards our goal.

As a fan of the Buffalo Bills football team, I naturally loathe the New England Patriots. However, Bill Belichick - the coach of the Patriots - is a master of halftime adjustments. Unfortunately, I have seen many games where the Bill were winning going into halftime, only to have the Patriots come back to win seemingly with ease. Why? Because Coach Belichick made the changes needed to win, while the Bills' coaches couldn't adjust to New England's new gameplan fast enough.

Being able to make adjustments is crucial in all parts of our life. Fitness and health are no different. Currently, one of my goals is to increase the weight on my back squat. Specifically, I am currently working on the Low Bar Back Squat, which emphasizes the large muscles of the hips, glutes, and hamstring along with the back to lift the weight. After watching several videos and reading articles, I realized that none of the exercises in my current arsenal directly address the front of the legs, the quads. Hence, I decided to include the Front Squat into the mix. I eventually would have gotten this exercise into the mix, but I felt that doing so sooner was important for balanced development. 

We cannot get too attached to our tactics - the methods we use to reach our goals. If you knew you were headed the wrong way on the highway, when would get off the highway? As soon as possible! Success requires us to continually assess our tactics, and make course corrections along the way. 

November 9, 2015 Workout

Time of workout: 6:50 AM

Warm-up

Double stick practice - 3 minutes 

This gave me a chance to shake the rust off and the movements are very good for warming up the shoulders and arms.

Joint Rotations and Stretching - 2 minutes

Turkish Get-up: 18 pounds (dumbbell + 10 pounds) x 3 reps on each side.

These took longer than expected. Also, because i was using slightly heavier weight, I didn't want to practice poor form with fatigued muscles. I can probably practice this tomorrow or in the next couple days and continue to work on my form before adding too much weight. 

Front Squat: 

1. 45 x 5

2. 55 x 5

3. 65 x 5

4. 75 x 5

5. 85 x 5

This wasn't too hard until the last set. However, today I wanted to just focus on technique, which improved over the sets. I watched a video by Coach Mark Rippetoe which I found very helpful to explain some of the mistakes I made today. 

Here's a link of the Mark Rippetoe video on Youtube. 

Stretching: 5 minutes

Total Workout Time: 35 minutes