Shoulders/ Chest/ Triceps
(Nothing crazy, just a basic workout to get back into it)
Warm Up - Stationary Bike (alternating levels)
Bench Press (Descending ladder)
1 set @ 10 reps - 185
3 sets @ 5 reps - 225
2 sets @ 6 reps - 205
1 set @ Failure - 135
Incline Bench Press (Pyramid)
2 sets @ 10 reps - 185
1 set @ 6 reps - 205
2 sets @ 10 reps - 185
Incline Dumbell Chest Press
3 sets @ 8-10 reps - 80/side
Flat Bench Dumbell Chest Press
3 sets @ 6-8 reps - 80, 75, 65
Dumbell Push Ups (Hyper Extension of Chest)
3 sets @ failure
Seated Shoulder Press
3 sets @ 8-10 reps - 65
Lateral Raise
3 sets @ 10 reps - 35
Anterior Raise
3 sets @ 10 reps - 30
Toro (Isolation Lateral Raise)
3 sets @ 10-15 reps/side - 22.5
Tricep Rope Press Down
5 sets @ 8-10 reps - 65, 65, 60, 60, 55
Tricep Overhead Rope Extensions
5 sets @ 10-12 reps - 70, 70, 65, 65, 60
Tricep Bar Press Down
5 sets @ 8 reps - 65, 65, 60, 60, 55
"Y" Tricep Press Down
3 sets @ failure - 60, 55, 50
Cool Down with a 15 minute Cybex Row or 5 Km row....whichever comes first!!
Thursday, 16 October 2014
Thursday, 31 July 2014
Cross Training Short 2.0
I want to briefly discuss the new Cross Training Short 2.0. I plan on doing a much more detailed review once I have used them for multiple hard sessions in a variety of fitness modalities.
I own multiple pairs of the 1.0 Board
shorts that I am very happy with.
Recently though, I added a pair of the 2.0’s to add some variety, and I
liked the black on black Stealth look.
They are a tremendous addition to the gear lineup. HYLETE has always done a stellar job of
listening to their customers. The
main changes have been the removal of the Velcro front fly, pockets and a
slight change in length/sizing. I
have come to count on the little wiggle room that I got from the Velcro front
fly and was a little concerned that I would be shimmying into these new shorts
as they don’t have that extra gap.
This has not been the case.
The shorts fit true to size.
In truth, they fit like a glove.
They also fit about a half inch shorter in the leg length. They have also replaced the Velcro
pockets with two zipper pockets.
The logo is much more distinct and looks sharp with the color choices
but also in the stealth black on black.
All in all they are a pretty sharp all around package.
I have recently worn them to the gym (weights and cardio),
in the lake, on a wake surfboard and tube, back in the lake, and then off for a
run. Versatile and gets the job
more than done.
HYLETE Support
Well, it’s been a pretty incredible first half of the summer
filled with training, time spent with my family, and our long vacation to the
lake. I have been very lucky this
summer to have the warmth of an incredible vacation spot and the support of an
understanding wife for my training and competition goals. Support is hard to come by
sometimes. It can take many forms. It can be colleagues or teammates,
family, friends, the athletic community or possibly a company that you have
come to rely on to make great gear at a reasonable price.
It’s no secret that I thoroughly enjoy HYLETE products and
that I personally feel that they have the best people working for them. (Makes me want to look for employment at Solano Beach)
I am also a member of the Train Team, although I could do a
lot more to contribute to that facet of my relationship with HYLETE. This though in no way alters or affects
my judgement of HYLETE, their gear or their people. I'm not the HYLETE poster child and I do wear other gear, from other companies. I can make an educated choice and I hope to help others make educated choices on their gear and the hard earned money that they spend on it.
I have been in the industry long enough to have a
clear head, and a sense of responsibility, to my readers to give them the best information possible.
This all leads to support. HYLETE looks after their
customers. To not put too fine a
point on it. You have a
problem….they will fix it. You
have a suggestion for them….they will listen and move forward. You want the best gear you can get at a
cost that makes sense….they are your place to go. You want an unheard of backing of TWO years on their gear….it’s
only here.
Contact customer service….you get Abbe, the Brand Experience
Manager, who works with you to resolve any issues you may have.
Custom gear for events/gyms/competitions….you get Jon who
knows his stuff, knows all about their products and is the mover and shaker to get it done. He moved heaven and earth to get a logo done for a youth event that I organize. Well above the call of duty.
Event Promotion and Athlete contact….you get Jenn who is a
social media savant and takes care of the athletes with the best gear.
I am excited to see what HYLETE has coming up in the future.
Badass Wod Wear - Interview with Manda Freyman
Recently I had the unique opportunity to speak with Manda Freyman, one half of the dynamic duo that makes up the founders of Badass Wod Wear. She represents the best of a new breed of Canadian athletes that are driving innovation, style and a little bit of edge. The brand is purebred Canadian with a mandate of supporting sport, fitness and the athletes that drive them...regardless of the brand they wear or where they call home.
Manda was very upbeat when I interviewed her and you could hear the passion when she spoke about the sport she loves and the brand she has built. She spoke of her time developing her love of the sport of Crossfit as well as the competitive nature it continued to foster in her as a long time athlete. She was very forthright with the direction that they want the brand to go in and the deep attachment they have to community and community development. Manda, and Badass, recognized that many incredible Canadian athletes go unnoticed, unsponsored and lack the support from the community to take their sport to the next level. To this end, Badass Wod Wear infuses the Crossfit community with 25% of their revenue. Badass Wod Wear's mandate is support Canadian athletes and the community as it moves forward in it's growth.
One of the biggest things that got me fired up to do the piece on Manda, and Badass, were the parallels that exist. Manda, and the people at Badass, and I both have similar goals when it comes to fitness. Fitness for life is bigger than an individual or particular sport, but you have to be willing to see the individual's needs as well and address the "tree for the forest". Manda is driven by the potential in all of us. This potential will see the next great athletes in the sport rise from virtual obscurity to the eventual pinnicle of their human capability. Fitness is unique in that anyone, anywhere can challenge themselves and others to be the absolute best that they can.
We are both the marble and the artist.
Badass was started for the people that they would build and design gear for. The people, as Manda explained, "immediately feel that something is different and it's interesting to watch the transformation when new people settle into Crossfit and it's community." Badass Wod Wear is a company that "embraced the same virtues that Crossfit instills in it's members."
Badass Wod Wear has a brand as unique as those who run it. #REP THE BEAVER is their motto, their motivation and their rallying call for others with similar interests and competitive natures. They are proudly Canadian and their brand logos and clothing designs reflect that proud heritage. Upon visiting their site you are inundated with the Canadian national animal in all of it's glory. The gear is meant to be as tough as the people who wear it and to stand up to whatever WOD, workout or adventure the wearer could put it through. The customers are the "face" of the company and the company strives to have a human element in their brand.
When it comes to Social Media, Bad Ass is no slouch. Manda describes their social media work as a "party". "When you're at a party you need to keep it going and keep it interesting to keep people involved. You have to keep the conversation going." Badass accomplished this goal in spades by being a vendor at the 2014 Crossfit Games and being a hugely visible presence within their social media community. Athlete interaction and a who's who of those in the sport made regular appearances on all of their social media platforms. Each and every time they continued to #REPTHEBEAVER with their innovative logo and variety of gear options.
The future looks very bright for Badass. From the creation of their "Super Jocks" competition, where they will challenge sponsored athletes to compete for their sponsor with the goal of generating funding for a charity of their choosing to collaborations with top Canadian athletes, and other fitness brands, the only way for Badass to go is up. The brand, like the athletes it supports, will continue to evolve.
When I asked her what people should know about the brand she got directly to the point.
"This is only the beginning for Badass, our clothing will continue to evolve as the brand does and know this; the face of Badass is like Crossfit in Canada in it's infancy. We have some exciting new designs and evolutions of the beaver that will be coming out early fall with the collaboration with some great Canadian artists.
One of the biggest things that got me fired up to do the piece on Manda, and Badass, were the parallels that exist. Manda, and the people at Badass, and I both have similar goals when it comes to fitness. Fitness for life is bigger than an individual or particular sport, but you have to be willing to see the individual's needs as well and address the "tree for the forest". Manda is driven by the potential in all of us. This potential will see the next great athletes in the sport rise from virtual obscurity to the eventual pinnicle of their human capability. Fitness is unique in that anyone, anywhere can challenge themselves and others to be the absolute best that they can.
We are both the marble and the artist.
Badass was started for the people that they would build and design gear for. The people, as Manda explained, "immediately feel that something is different and it's interesting to watch the transformation when new people settle into Crossfit and it's community." Badass Wod Wear is a company that "embraced the same virtues that Crossfit instills in it's members."
Badass Wod Wear has a brand as unique as those who run it. #REP THE BEAVER is their motto, their motivation and their rallying call for others with similar interests and competitive natures. They are proudly Canadian and their brand logos and clothing designs reflect that proud heritage. Upon visiting their site you are inundated with the Canadian national animal in all of it's glory. The gear is meant to be as tough as the people who wear it and to stand up to whatever WOD, workout or adventure the wearer could put it through. The customers are the "face" of the company and the company strives to have a human element in their brand.
When it comes to Social Media, Bad Ass is no slouch. Manda describes their social media work as a "party". "When you're at a party you need to keep it going and keep it interesting to keep people involved. You have to keep the conversation going." Badass accomplished this goal in spades by being a vendor at the 2014 Crossfit Games and being a hugely visible presence within their social media community. Athlete interaction and a who's who of those in the sport made regular appearances on all of their social media platforms. Each and every time they continued to #REPTHEBEAVER with their innovative logo and variety of gear options.
The future looks very bright for Badass. From the creation of their "Super Jocks" competition, where they will challenge sponsored athletes to compete for their sponsor with the goal of generating funding for a charity of their choosing to collaborations with top Canadian athletes, and other fitness brands, the only way for Badass to go is up. The brand, like the athletes it supports, will continue to evolve.
When I asked her what people should know about the brand she got directly to the point.
"This is only the beginning for Badass, our clothing will continue to evolve as the brand does and know this; the face of Badass is like Crossfit in Canada in it's infancy. We have some exciting new designs and evolutions of the beaver that will be coming out early fall with the collaboration with some great Canadian artists.
Saturday, 26 July 2014
Summer Series (Part One)
Each series is done for four compound sets of both exercise groups. Very standardized exercises. Program is just there to get it done and allow you to move on to other summer activities.
Thursday - Bicep & Shoulder Day
1. Bicep Rotation Curl & Isolation Lateral Raise
2. Bicep Hammer Curl & Anterior Raise
3. Cross Curl & Shoulder Press
4. Concentration Curl & Arnold Press
5. Alternating Curls & Shrugs (TO FAILURE)
Friday - Lake Swim, with repeat diving to 20 ft, and a tread water finish
Saturday - Tricep & Shoulder Day
1. Tricep Kickback & Lateral Raise
2. Tricep Overhead Extension & Anterior Raise
3. Band Press Down & Anterior Alternating Raise
4. Double Overhead Press & Lean Flyes
5. Band Press Over & Shoulder Presses (TO FAILURE)
Sunday - Stand Up Paddle Boarding with dock to dock lane swims (40m)
Enjoy the summer and have fun!!!
Hylete Training Shorts going from training to treading. Use code: WARMACHINE25 to save on your next purchase from www.hylete.com
Thursday - Bicep & Shoulder Day
1. Bicep Rotation Curl & Isolation Lateral Raise
2. Bicep Hammer Curl & Anterior Raise
3. Cross Curl & Shoulder Press
4. Concentration Curl & Arnold Press
5. Alternating Curls & Shrugs (TO FAILURE)
Friday - Lake Swim, with repeat diving to 20 ft, and a tread water finish
Saturday - Tricep & Shoulder Day
1. Tricep Kickback & Lateral Raise
2. Tricep Overhead Extension & Anterior Raise
3. Band Press Down & Anterior Alternating Raise
4. Double Overhead Press & Lean Flyes
5. Band Press Over & Shoulder Presses (TO FAILURE)
Sunday - Stand Up Paddle Boarding with dock to dock lane swims (40m)
Enjoy the summer and have fun!!!
Monday, 21 July 2014
Obstacle Course Race Training Series - #1
Welcome to an Alberta Summer. What that means to the uninitiated is that summer has just arrived (better late than never). The weather is finally with us and it's time to put it to good use. As a result, I will be capping off a series of posts with exercises or combinations that will help you attain your personal goals in the Obstacle Course race of yours choosing.
First off, for those of you that are new to obstacle course racing or OCR, welcome!! It is a blast and a lot of fun whether you take yourself seriously or not.
The purpose of OCR races is to test you in a non-linear race environment. In other words, kiss the road, trail or treadmill behind. You will be faced with a variety of challenges that will test your endurance, your strength, your mental toughness and your "ick" factor. My brother, who is a bit of a princess, will be going through his first race this season and I really hope he wears his nice shoes.
As a result, we need to train in some non-linear ways. Cardio is a must. You need to be able to run successfully at some type of distance. Whether that is 5k or greater is up to you. Most races start at around 5k, or 3 Mi, and go up from there. However, if a 5K seems daunting to you, you need to remember that the obstacles will provide a bit of respite from the running portions. Not that they are sunshine and roses. I am not a runner...at all. Running gives me hives and a perpetual feeling of failure. However, I love OCR races because it's not all about the running.
Training
1. Running.
This is a three (3) week series so we need to get rolling. You need to build your run capacity. Start with a series of run/walks. Run for one minute, walk for one minute. Then run for two minutes, walk for two minutes. Progressing to run for two minutes, walk for one minute...you get the idea. Set a realistic goal that challenges you and go from there. Don't worry about anyone else or there times. Worry about you. I had a buddy that did one of these with me a few years back and beat me by three minutes. It didn't matter that I had run my first race and put in a good time. It didn't matter that I gave it my all and that we ran in different heats. I let that three minutes consume me and it really hurt my memory of that first race.
2. Getting down and Getting up.
This is probably going to be the most ridiculous thing I will ever post but it does have value. People are crap at falling down. We are. As kids we do it all the time. We wipe out, we pick ourselves up as fast as we can and we keep on going. Elapsed time...nothing. Or we go down, take a moment to collect ourselves, contemplate the inner meaning of the GI Joe cartoon we watched that morning and off we go. Elapsed time...2 seconds. As adults, we suck. We fall down, get our bearings, do a damage check, do a wardrobe check, see if anyone saw it, address it if someone saw it, establish an effort factor to getting back up, get back up, shake it off, make sure our clothing is still in place, then set off again. Elapsed time...A LOT!!
So, fall down, get back up and fall down again. Practice the following. From a standing position, squat low, lower or fall to your butt, roll down your spine to your shoulder blades. Roll yourself over onto all fours, get your feet under you and stand back up in an active stance. Then do it all over again. It will help you get a feel for your body and the numerous times you are going to have to pick yourself up.
3. Fencing.
You're thinking Antonio Banderas in tight pants, a sexy mask/mustache combo, and a sword. I'm thinking of the thing you have to stain every few years unless it's pressure treated, cedar or chain link. Every OCR worth it's salt has at least one, if not many, climb over obstacles. These can be A Frames, Walls, Cargo Nets, Bars or any other variation. The result is the same. You have to go over it. You should be comfortable doing so. You should have the basic technique down so that you can avoid the following pitfalls.
A) Inappropriate behavior on a wall. That's right...you. We saw what you did to that wall as you shimmied, shook and basically looked like a love starved wildebeast. Somewhere, someone has that on a phone and is uploading it to youtube.
B) Sad Struggle. Your butt has just taken on the gravitational pull of a mini black hole. Your arms are doing everything they can just to keep you hanging on while the rest of you has resigned itself to a slow and drawn out fall. So there you hang.
C) The Crusher. More typical of boys but definitely a gender equal opportunity activity. This is usually done by the gung ho first timer that launches up the wall, breaches the summit in mid leap, throws one leg over to signal the return from your lofty visit to the top, only to come crunching down on the top of the 2x4/pipe/cable/bar that makes the top of the obstacle. This is usually followed by a sense of dread, nausea and a responsibility that you have abandoned to your future progeny.
The training for this is simple. Find a fence, your fence...not a stranger's. Then climb it. Get over to the other side and repeat as often as possible. You will be amazed at your strength gains, your body awareness and your agility.
Muddy Times!!!!
First off, for those of you that are new to obstacle course racing or OCR, welcome!! It is a blast and a lot of fun whether you take yourself seriously or not.
The purpose of OCR races is to test you in a non-linear race environment. In other words, kiss the road, trail or treadmill behind. You will be faced with a variety of challenges that will test your endurance, your strength, your mental toughness and your "ick" factor. My brother, who is a bit of a princess, will be going through his first race this season and I really hope he wears his nice shoes.
As a result, we need to train in some non-linear ways. Cardio is a must. You need to be able to run successfully at some type of distance. Whether that is 5k or greater is up to you. Most races start at around 5k, or 3 Mi, and go up from there. However, if a 5K seems daunting to you, you need to remember that the obstacles will provide a bit of respite from the running portions. Not that they are sunshine and roses. I am not a runner...at all. Running gives me hives and a perpetual feeling of failure. However, I love OCR races because it's not all about the running.
Training
1. Running.
This is a three (3) week series so we need to get rolling. You need to build your run capacity. Start with a series of run/walks. Run for one minute, walk for one minute. Then run for two minutes, walk for two minutes. Progressing to run for two minutes, walk for one minute...you get the idea. Set a realistic goal that challenges you and go from there. Don't worry about anyone else or there times. Worry about you. I had a buddy that did one of these with me a few years back and beat me by three minutes. It didn't matter that I had run my first race and put in a good time. It didn't matter that I gave it my all and that we ran in different heats. I let that three minutes consume me and it really hurt my memory of that first race.
2. Getting down and Getting up.
This is probably going to be the most ridiculous thing I will ever post but it does have value. People are crap at falling down. We are. As kids we do it all the time. We wipe out, we pick ourselves up as fast as we can and we keep on going. Elapsed time...nothing. Or we go down, take a moment to collect ourselves, contemplate the inner meaning of the GI Joe cartoon we watched that morning and off we go. Elapsed time...2 seconds. As adults, we suck. We fall down, get our bearings, do a damage check, do a wardrobe check, see if anyone saw it, address it if someone saw it, establish an effort factor to getting back up, get back up, shake it off, make sure our clothing is still in place, then set off again. Elapsed time...A LOT!!
So, fall down, get back up and fall down again. Practice the following. From a standing position, squat low, lower or fall to your butt, roll down your spine to your shoulder blades. Roll yourself over onto all fours, get your feet under you and stand back up in an active stance. Then do it all over again. It will help you get a feel for your body and the numerous times you are going to have to pick yourself up.
3. Fencing.
You're thinking Antonio Banderas in tight pants, a sexy mask/mustache combo, and a sword. I'm thinking of the thing you have to stain every few years unless it's pressure treated, cedar or chain link. Every OCR worth it's salt has at least one, if not many, climb over obstacles. These can be A Frames, Walls, Cargo Nets, Bars or any other variation. The result is the same. You have to go over it. You should be comfortable doing so. You should have the basic technique down so that you can avoid the following pitfalls.
A) Inappropriate behavior on a wall. That's right...you. We saw what you did to that wall as you shimmied, shook and basically looked like a love starved wildebeast. Somewhere, someone has that on a phone and is uploading it to youtube.
B) Sad Struggle. Your butt has just taken on the gravitational pull of a mini black hole. Your arms are doing everything they can just to keep you hanging on while the rest of you has resigned itself to a slow and drawn out fall. So there you hang.
C) The Crusher. More typical of boys but definitely a gender equal opportunity activity. This is usually done by the gung ho first timer that launches up the wall, breaches the summit in mid leap, throws one leg over to signal the return from your lofty visit to the top, only to come crunching down on the top of the 2x4/pipe/cable/bar that makes the top of the obstacle. This is usually followed by a sense of dread, nausea and a responsibility that you have abandoned to your future progeny.
The training for this is simple. Find a fence, your fence...not a stranger's. Then climb it. Get over to the other side and repeat as often as possible. You will be amazed at your strength gains, your body awareness and your agility.
Muddy Times!!!!
Monday, 14 July 2014
Chest, Back and Shoulder Workout (July 12, 2014)
Body Parts will be worked antagonistically (against each other) with chest and back working against each other and shoulders to end off each grouping.
Workout is a descending ladder for the first three sets of each exercise with an additional one or two sets at fatigue with good form. Each set is a rep count of 1-2-1 (one second contraction, two second extension, one second reset).
Rest 45 seconds at the end of each set with a 1 - 1.5 minute rest at the end of the series.
First Grouping
Set 1
Bench Press (6-8 RM)
One Arm Row (8-10 RM)
Seated Shoulder Press (8-10 RM)
Set 2
Bench Press (6 RM)
One Arm Row (8 RM)
Seated Shoulder Press (8 RM)
Set 3
Bench Press (4-6 RM)
One Arm Row (6-8 RM)
Seated Shoulder Press (6-8 RM)
Set 4
As above for all three - Failure
Second Grouping
Set 1
Incline Dumbell Chest Press (8-10 RM)
Lat Pull Down (8-10 RM)
Lateral Raise (8-10 RM)
Set 2
Incline Dumbell Chest Press (8 RM)
Lat Pull Down (8 RM)
Lateral Raise (8 RM)
Set 3
Incline Dumbell Chest Press (6 RM)
Lat Pull Down (8-10 RM)
Lateral Raise (8 RM)
Set 4
As above for all three - Failure
Third Grouping
Set 1
Dumbell Chest Press (8-10 RM)
Seated Cable Row (8-10 RM)
Anterior Shoulder Raise (8-10 RM)
Set 2
Dumbell Chest Press (8 RM)
Seated Cable Row (8 RM)
Anterior Shoulder Raise (8 RM)
Set 3
Dumbell Chest Press (6-8 RM)
Seated Cable Row (6-8 RM)
Anterior Shoulder Raise (6-8 RM)
Set 4
As above for all three - Failure
Fourth Grouping
Set 1
Dumbell Chest Flye (10 RM)
Bar Row (10 RM)
Toro Raise (10 RM)
Set 2
Dumbell Chest Flye (8 RM)
Bar Row (8 RM)
Toro Raise (8 RM)
Set 3
Dumbell Chest Flye (6 RM)
Bar Row (6 RM)
Toro Raise (8 RM)
Set 4
As above for all three - Failure
Note: This one was pretty tough and it's hard to stay motivated. Find some great music, a good partner, keep your head down, and keep moving.
Workout is a descending ladder for the first three sets of each exercise with an additional one or two sets at fatigue with good form. Each set is a rep count of 1-2-1 (one second contraction, two second extension, one second reset).
Rest 45 seconds at the end of each set with a 1 - 1.5 minute rest at the end of the series.
First Grouping
Set 1
Bench Press (6-8 RM)
One Arm Row (8-10 RM)
Seated Shoulder Press (8-10 RM)
Set 2
Bench Press (6 RM)
One Arm Row (8 RM)
Seated Shoulder Press (8 RM)
Set 3
Bench Press (4-6 RM)
One Arm Row (6-8 RM)
Seated Shoulder Press (6-8 RM)
Set 4
As above for all three - Failure
Second Grouping
Set 1
Incline Dumbell Chest Press (8-10 RM)
Lat Pull Down (8-10 RM)
Lateral Raise (8-10 RM)
Set 2
Incline Dumbell Chest Press (8 RM)
Lat Pull Down (8 RM)
Lateral Raise (8 RM)
Set 3
Incline Dumbell Chest Press (6 RM)
Lat Pull Down (8-10 RM)
Lateral Raise (8 RM)
Set 4
As above for all three - Failure
Third Grouping
Set 1
Dumbell Chest Press (8-10 RM)
Seated Cable Row (8-10 RM)
Anterior Shoulder Raise (8-10 RM)
Set 2
Dumbell Chest Press (8 RM)
Seated Cable Row (8 RM)
Anterior Shoulder Raise (8 RM)
Set 3
Dumbell Chest Press (6-8 RM)
Seated Cable Row (6-8 RM)
Anterior Shoulder Raise (6-8 RM)
Set 4
As above for all three - Failure
Fourth Grouping
Set 1
Dumbell Chest Flye (10 RM)
Bar Row (10 RM)
Toro Raise (10 RM)
Set 2
Dumbell Chest Flye (8 RM)
Bar Row (8 RM)
Toro Raise (8 RM)
Set 3
Dumbell Chest Flye (6 RM)
Bar Row (6 RM)
Toro Raise (8 RM)
Set 4
As above for all three - Failure
Note: This one was pretty tough and it's hard to stay motivated. Find some great music, a good partner, keep your head down, and keep moving.
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