October 2011
5 posts
Tabata this: Learning something new at Cross Fit...
Through other people’s programming and my own workouts, I’ve gotten into what I now see as a two-pronged Cross Fit workout trend. Typically on any given day, there will be a skill instructional which is relatively lacking in intensity followed either by a strength workout (5x5 deadlifts for example) or by a very specific type of met-con (pick two or three exercises, three rounds for...
The travelling CF-er: Community and variety on the...
I do a fair amount of work-related travel. One thing I’ve learned over the past year or so of doing regular CF workouts is that there are a whole host of challenges and temptations for the travelling Cross Fit athlete. The most obvious challenge is the nature of travel itself: up early to the airport, sit in a confined space getting dehydrated, sleep deprivation in crappy hotel beds, jet...
On Giving 100%
So here’s something I’ve been struggling with mentally of late…I have some of my own ideas, but opinions and input are certainly welcome. I watch a lot of TED talks. For those of you who may not have been exposed to TED, it stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design…you can check their website out over here. Essentially, TED gets a bunch of really smart or really...
On Surgery and Setbacks
Nick has had some very good posts of late on 1) Listening to your body and 2) Failure/Setbacks; I’ve been out of the loop here for awhile and as a means of explaining myself, I thought I’d throw up a post in an attempt to reinforce the excellent points he’s made. A few months back (April or May I think) I was doing a CF workout at a non-CF gym near my office. I knew this...
3 tags
Over and Over and Over
The best way to get good at something is to do it over and over. That’s assuming of course that you’re doing it right. Otherwise, you’re just learning bad habits. In my latest attempt to correct some problems with my karate basics, I’m also having to relearn the movements. It’s difficult, it’s awkward, but I think it’s starting to pay off. For the last...
September 2011
1 post
2 tags
Back to Basics
I attended an instructor’s seminar this past weekend with 20 (-ish) other wado-ryu karate practitioners, all of whom had significantly more experience (and ability) than I. I really enjoy these seminars. Not only does it put me in front of some incredible instructors, but I always walk away highly motivated and with a ton of fresh insight. This time was no different, except that I also took...
August 2011
1 post
3 tags
When to listen to your body
The way I see it, the two most vocal groups on the recovery/rest issue are 1) the no pain, no gain folks who think you’re weak, and 2) the your-body-is-always-right folks who think the former are steroid abusing neanderthals. I’m just starting to formalize my thoughts on this issue, so chime in if you have a different opinion. I just wrapped up a week’s worth of travel that...
July 2011
10 posts
1 tag
Mine goes to 11
I’m in week 3 of my renewed strength cycle, and Tuesdays are typically a rest day. Not today, though. Coming off a great weekend at the USAW workshop, hosted by Kate Rawlings at Coca CrossFit in Ohio, I’m motivated to get stronger, to get faster, to be better. So motivated in fact, I’ve set a monumental goal for myself - to qualify for the 2012 CrossFit Games. I mentioned...
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I know, I can be a bit long winded...
I got a lot of feedback on yesterday’s post. Most folks agreed that the content was spot on. At least 3/4 of them thought it was too long, and potentially condescending. Long winded and condescending is the last thing I want to be, so I’m adjusting my approach. I chatted with the owner of my daughter’s school today, letting her know I had some concerns (no specifics yet)...
4 tags
Great School, Shit Food
I just put my dad hat on… Little Ms. Shortstack is attending an awesome pre-school not far from where we live. She’s head over heels about this place. Her teachers are all great, and I dig all the stuff this tiny person tells me about when I pick her up. It costs a bit more, but it’s well worth it. Except for the food. As a busy parent, one of the perks of this school is they...
On losing...
Today is a rest day for me…and it comes at a good time. I’ve managed to make my entire body sore from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. Lots of calories and a little stretching for me today. I was doing a little reading last night and stumbled across a post I read awhile back over at the Gym Jones website. Those familiar with Mark’s writing and opinions will know he...
3 tags
Carbs are not (necessarily) the enemy
I came across a really great read today, second hand via the ultra-knowledgable folks over at Whole9Life. The author states his case for higher carbohydrate profile for hit athletes following the paleo nutrition model. You’ll have to cough up $2.75 to read the whole thing, but it’s well worth it - as is most of the content over at Catalyst Athletics. Here’s the link: ...
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Two Heads Are Better Than One
Today I want to welcome and introduce a new contributer to Die Going Forward, Mr. Brian Noyle. Brian and I have been friends and co-workers since 2005-ish(?). We have similar backgrounds and life experience, and are both opinionated about how we individually chase health and fitness. I’m eager to read Brian’s contributions to this blog and the fresh perspective he can offer to what...
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Team Tenacious Wins!
Popped into CrossFit Fishers today for their (free) Saturday session. They run team wods on Saturdays, offering up a coveted WWF belt to the winning team’s leader. I was placed on Trisha’s team, so we aptly named our team after “Tenacious Trish’”. We won, but it was close. Alright, so we had two teams of 5 run the following: 200m relay, then: n x pushups n x knees...
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Reentering the Atmosphere
I knew it would happen. DOMS! My legs have been ridiculously sore since Monday’s workout. I thought I scaled it back enough, but I was wrong. Oh well. Rest on Tuesday and a light movement session yesterday seemed to help. I was able to do a full workout today without too much trouble. This week was my ramp-up towards restarting my LP strength program on Monday. In conjunction, I start...
1 tag
Breaking in the Garage
1st official workout in the new digs. The garage is far from set up, but it can’t wait any longer. Hey, did you know there’s humidity in the midwest? And that a 3pm workout - outdoors - is significantly harder in said humidity? Whatev, we still got after it. I haven’t seen pukie in awhile. I heard him walking down my street, but he never showed up. This first week of workouts...
1 tag
Happy 4th of Ju
1st official workout in the new digs. The garage is far from set up, but it can’t wait any longer. Hey, did you know there’s humidity in the midwest? And that a 3pm workout - outdoors - is significantly harder in said humidity? Whatev, we still got after it. I haven’t seen pukie in awhile. I heard him walking down my street, but he never showed up. This first week of workouts...
June 2011
2 posts
1 tag
Again Faster
Again Faster shipment just arrived. Bar, bumpers, rack… It’s been nearly a month since my last strength training, and only a few metcons sprinkled in there to boot. Can’t wait to get the garage put together. Posted via email from Die Going Forward | Comment »
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Log: Spring Strength Week 5
Bumpy week. Missed a full day of training and one of the optional days. Back in the saddle this week (week 6). 5/23/11 - 5/29/11 Monday Bench Press: 2 x 5, 1 x 15 @ 120# Back Squat: 2 x 5, 1 x 13 @ 185# Rope Climbs: 3 x 20’ (I think it’s 20’) Handstands: 3 x 1:00 against wall Tuesday Rest Wednesday Hang Power Clean: 5 x 3 111#, 121, 131, 136, 141 Deadlift: 1 x 15...
May 2011
8 posts
2 tags
Log: Spring Strength Week 4
4 weeks in to this 12 week cycle. Feeling like this effort is growing into something bigger than just a strength program. I’ll post thoughts on that separately… This week was a conditioning week, so there’s a touch more of that in the mix. I have a 1.5 day karate seminar this weekend, but I think that will be more of a technical challenge than a conditioning one. Whatever,...
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Log: Spring Strength Week 3
Last week felt awkward, like I didn’t work as hard as I could have. I missed a couple of accessory days, but hit my numbers on the primary days. Diet wasn’t as solid as weeks prior, likely the primary factor. 5/9/11 - 5/15/11 Monday Bench Press: 2 x 5, 1 x 12 @ 115# Back Squat: 2 x 5, 1 x 10 @ 175# Overhead Squat: 2 x 5, 1 x 12 @ 85# Overhead Kettlebell Toss: 5 x 3 @ 20kg (44#) ...
2 tags
Ethical Paleo
I’ve had a series of Twitter conversations this week that involve the ethics (or lack of) in the paleo nutrition movement. The initial convo was touched off by a post I saw that stated “your diet (paleo) is dumb.” Being a glutton for punishment, I set out to understand why my chosen lifestyle was “dumb” and kicked off a thread with the Twitterer (Tweeter? I...
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Log: Spring Strength Week 2
A quick recap of this past week’s effort: 5/2/11 - 5/8/11 Monday Bench Press: 2 x 5, 1 x 18 @ 110# Back Squat: 2 x 5, 1 x 12 @ 170# Overhead Squat: 2 x 5, 1 x 12 @ 80# Dips: 3 x 3-rung Ladders L-Pullups: 3 x Max - 8, 8, 8 Tuesday Frequency Chins: 4 x 3-rung Ladders (due to availability) Wednesday Hang Power Clean: 5 x 3 - Deadlift: 1 x X @ Conditioning: 5:00 max rounds/reps of - 6...
2 tags
Off the Whole30 Wagon
The Whole30 program from Dallas and Melissa over at Whole9Life doesn’t leave room for cheating, so, as of last night, I’m officially off the wagon. For a wealth of reasons, all of which I turned over several times to decide whether it was worth it, I had a margarita. 3 actually. And then a Crown & Water. All of my food was still Whole30 compliant, even my late night snack (which...
2 tags
Whole 30 - 2 Weeks In
Yesterday marked two weeks of the Whole9Life Whole30 program I’ve been on. It wasn’t a huge departure from how I was eating before, and I’m not sure if the gains I’m seeing in certain areas are related to smarter training, better sleep, or the nutrition. Likely all of the above, right? Last night, my girlfriend came to some conclusions based on her own observations of...
3 tags
Log: Spring Strength Week 1
The post-per-workout day is getting tedious for me (and likely for my coach who is reading this thing), so I’m condensing a week’s worth of effort into an end of week post from here on out. Here’s the recap for last week: 4/25/11 - 5/1/11 Monday Bench Press: 2 x 5, 1 x 20 @ 105# Overhead Squat: 2 x 5, 1 x 12 @ 75# L-Sits: 6 x 20s work + 30s rest Back Squat: 2 x 5, 1 x 9 @...
April 2011
17 posts
1 tag
Review: Stronger Faster Healthier Fish Oil
Sometime last month I posted a quickie taste test after receiving my order from Stronger Faster Healthier. I was going to wait a full 30 days before dropping a review but at this point I’ve made my decision, so why wait? First, I’ve been regularly taking fish oil as a supplement to my nutrition for well over 4 years. The quality of the products have progressively gotten better and...
2 tags
Recipe: Ground Turkey Kababs with Mango Avacado...
Last night’s dinner was post worthy, so here it is. BBQ Turkey Kababs (based on recipe found in The Primal Blueprint Cookbook) 1 - 1.5 lbs. of ground turkey breast 1 tbl. chopped spinach 1 clove of garlic, minced 1/2 tsp. cumin 1/2 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1/4 tsp. cayenne 1 tbl. coconut oil Mix everything up and form 6 - 8 meatballs, elongated slightly. Skewer and cook over...
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WOD: Strength Cycle Week 1 Day 2
I’m tired today, but I LOVED yesterday’s workout. It involved some conditioning, which I haven’t done much of in a week or so, as part of an overall athleticism plug-in my coach and I are using in this current strength cycle. Week 1 Day 2 Warm-up: 3 x CrossFit Warm-up Deadlift 1 x 7 @ 255# Notes: The standard weight increase on the big lifts for this program is 5#. The...
Pragmatic Training
Obligatory Disclaimer: I’m a rookie trainer and as such my comments shouldn’t be construed as what I believe to be gospel. They are just observations and opinion, hopefully supported by experiential evidence or the reference/experience of other trainers and coaches who actually know what the fuck they are talking about. With that… It’s been a month or so since the...
1 tag
Pragmatic Training
Obligatory Disclaimer: I’m a rookie trainer and as such my comments shouldn’t be construed as what I believe to be gospel. They are just observations and opinion, hopefully supported by experiential evidence or the reference/experience of other trainers and coaches who actually know what the fuck they are talking about. With that… It’s been a month or so since the CrossFit...
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WOD: Strength Cycle Week 1 Day 1 (take 2)
Last week was week 0, the preparatory week I took to figure out loading and to get the rhythm of a session pattern I hadn’t done in awhile. 12 weeks of strength starts… now. (Well, technically yesterday, but still.) Week 1 Day 1 Warm-up: Light jump rope, pre-hab/mobility/stretching Bench Press 2 x 5, 1 x 20 @ 100# Overhead Squats 2 x 5, 1 x 12 @ 75# L-Sits 6 x 20s with...
2 tags
WOD: Strength Cycle Week 0 Day 3
Ok, gonna skip posting all the warm-up sets and what not. I’m still keeping track of them if ya’ll want to see it, but they just make the posts too long. Week 0 Day 3 Warm-up: Light jump rope, pre-hab/mobility/stretching Bench Press 2 x 5, 1 x 12 @ 100# Seated DB Curls 2 x 30 (alternating arms) @ 25# each arm Overhead Squats (practice) 3 x 3 @ 55# Hang Power Snatch...
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WOD: Strength Cycle Week 0 Day 2
Still trying to sort out loads and get into the rhythm. The programming is rad, but requires some planning ahead of time so I’m not fumbling around too much. Week 0 Day 2 Warm-up: Light jump rope, 22 burpees (day 22 of a 100 day challenge), pre-hab/mobility/stretching Standing Press Warm-up Sets 1 x 10 @ empty bar 2 x 5 @ 55# 1 x 3 @ 65# Working Sets 2 x 5, 1 x 8 @ 85#, failed on...
3 tags
FOD: Whole30 Day 1 & Catfish
This past weekend I sat in on a day long nutritional seminar presented by the folks behind Whole9Life.com. A lot of what was presented wasn’t new to me, but I came away with a much better understanding of how and why our body reacts in certain ways to certain foods. The Foundations seminar is something I’d recommend to anyone interested in learning more about paleo-based nutrition and...
3 tags
WOD: Strength Cycle Week 1 Day 1
Today marked the start of a 12 week strength cycle my coach has prescribed, based on StrengthVillain.com/Johnny Pain’s Grayskull LP program. We’re still locking down the details of the “plug-ins”, but the primary goals of this cycle include defining/increasing my numbers on the basic lifts (back squat, deadlift, bench press, standing press) and getting my skill level...
2 tags
Taste Test: Stronger Faster Healthier Fish Oil
SFH Fish Oil Taste Test from Nick Kirkes on Vimeo. Ok, no mind blowing information in this video, but it’s my first video blog post. Gotta start somewhere, right? One take, no editing, fuck all here it is. Tonight I cracked open a bottle of Chocolate OmegaMaine Fish Oil from StrongerFasterHealthier.com. This was really more of a taste test than a full blown review, which will come after...
How's That Medicine Taste?
Met with my old/new coach this afternoon for a little heart to heart. Basically, my strength sucks, and my form in the olympic lifts (and likely the power lifts) sucks more. This was evident in my CrossFit Games WOD #3 video. I’m committed to being better every day, so, armed with humility and an assload of motivation, Chris Brown and I sat down to discuss my goals and a path to success. I...
2 tags
Why does CrossFit cost so much?
I’ll admit, this question is what drove me to train solo for much of my CrossFit experience. Why pay $150+ per month at a garage gym or CrossFit facility when I can join the local globo-gym for $45 per month AND get unlimited access? Even though I fall into the category of wanting needing to save money, I always recommend that new recruits find a legitimate coach to work with for awhile...
CrossFit Affiliation Essay
It’s a rough draft, but here’s something of what I’ll be submitting to HQ for the affiliation application. Maybe idealistic in tone, but speaks to the heart of what we want to achieve. Feedback/Criticism welcome. Hi-Fidelity Fitness – Powered by CrossFit We believe CrossFit to be a catalyst for change. To make use of a musical metaphor we commonly offer: CrossFit is to fitness...
First Post-Certification WOD
I took the early part of this week off. Lots of training the previous week, and my 2nd attempt at the CrossFit Games WOD #2, left me with some calf strain that was irritated further during the certification this past weekend. But, I laced up my new New Balance Minimus (review coming soon), told my buddy Damon to meet me at the gym for his 2nd on-ramp class, and got in a workout today. I took...
WTF? #1: Intro
This is the first in a series of posts I have lined up to brain dump some of the lessons I took away from the CrossFit Level 1 certification. I’m calling it the WTF? series, because honestly, that’s usually what comes out of people’s mouths when they approach me about my training. Disclaimer: this shit isn’t gospel, it’s just my opinion. If you have a different one,...
CrossFit Level 1 Certification
Tonight I wrapped up and passed the CrossFit Level 1 Trainer certification in Golden, CO. I knew I’d be satisfied when I passed, but I didn’t realize just how much I’d been thinking about this weekend. I have a couple additional posts in the works that outline my notes and thoughts for both of the training days, but I wanted to get a few things out there while they were fresh....
March 2011
14 posts
1 tag
Hi-Fidelity Fitness - New Logo
Thought I’d throw this out for the world to provide feedback. Opening up a box gym in late Summer. Thoughts? Posted via email from Die Going Forward | Comment »
1 tag
Friday Link Love
Each Friday I’ll be posting links to a small handful of sites, blogs, or articles that influenced my week. Hope you find something useful. Blogs to Follow FitBomb - http://fitbomb.com PerfectMike.com - http://perfectmike.com/ Muchies, Muscle & Mischief - http://fortheloveofcookies.wordpress.com/ Performance & Health I’ve got to hand it to you… - CrossFit Virtuosity...
WOD: Elizabeth has a new friend
A buddy of mine joined me today for his semi-first taste of what we do. He’s been using personal trainers for a long time, and from the sounds of it his primary experience with anything similar to CrossFit is hour long chippers. Lame. Anyway, I took the opportunity to practice some coaching skills, watching his movements and correcting if I saw anything that posed a thread. We did a good...
1 tag
WOD: Frantastic
Short and simple today. Painful, though. Opened it up with 3 rounds of a modified version of my regular warm-up: 10 Double-unders (see, told you I’d be practicing these) 10 Squats 10 Pushups 10 Situps 10 Kettlebell Windmills 10 - 15 seconds of leg/hip stretching Strength: 3 x 5 Deadlifts 155# warm-up then 243#, 273#, 283# The final set is 2 lbs. lighter than the last time I did deads,...
Books and Covers
I’m on this named WOD binge lately, but today’s prescription from HQ was to run a 10k. Running is something I hate. Dropping f-bombs the whole way kinda hate. I can deal with 400m sprints, etc., but 5k and 10k options aren’t something I look forward to and I’ve passed on them frequently. I’m not doing that anymore; I’m committed to improvement. So I saw it,...
Training Solo
I first discovered CrossFit in 2006 when a buddy of mine, one of my karate students, invited me to his (globo) gym where he proceeded to punish me for 30 minutes. I was hooked, right then and there. I started reading everything I could, joined the CrossFit.com forums, and even wandered outside the ranks to learn about other CrossFit-inspired modalities (Gym Jones as an example). I sought out some...