No gym over the holidays...what to do?

Sticking to a fitness routine "this-time-of-year" can be challenging. 

Here are a few simple, yet challenging workouts that require little to no equipment and limited space.

WORKOUT 1
Set 1: 50 reps of each movement then 90 seconds rest
Set 2: 40 reps of each movement then 75 seconds rest
Set 3: 30 reps of each movement then 60 seconds rest
Set 4: 20 reps of each movement then 45 seconds rest
Set 5: 10 reps of each movement then done

• Lunges
• Push ups
• Sit-ups
• Skip rope revolutions

WORKOUT 2
5 rounds for time

• 50 air squats
• 100 skip rope

WORKOUT 3
21 reps of each followed by,
15 reps of each followed by,
9 reps of each

• Thrusters (use broom or ski poles or x mas tree)
• Push ups

WORKOUT 4
"twelve days of xmas"

1. Bear crawl (10 yards)
2. Push ups
3. Sit-ups
4. Burpees
5. Jumping jacks
6. Walking lunges
7. Air squats
8. Flutter kicks
9. Thrusters (use broom or ski poles or back pack)
10. Mountain climbers
11. SDHP (use broom or ski poles or back pack)
12. Double under's

 ***the workout is performed like the song.
First set is 1 bear crawl,
second set is 2 push ups and 1 bear crawl,
third set is 3 sit-ups and 2 push ups and 1 bear crawl...and so on until all 12 sets are completed.

Enjoy the holidays, and have some fun.

Time to forecast our success

It's that time of year again!
That time of reflection and making resolutions.  Now, I'm not a big believer that one month or one day makes any real change, especially at midnight with a few drinks under the belt (see last years resolution).  Did you quit smoking for good, stop drinking permanently or commit to a fitness program?   

We are in a constant state of change and with enough planning, accountability, encouragement and knowledge we live in a constant state of positive growth.

To create positive growth we need to set specific, measurable goals that are attainable.  Weather our goals are fitness related, family related, or financially driven they all make up who we are and where we go.  The goals we create will determine daily decisions and keep us moving towards positive change.

Always keep moving towards positive growth.


    

Super Spartan Squamish 2012

This past weekend we took on the Super Spartan race in Squamish.  The course was 8 miles of single track trail running that started at the logger sports arena, through the smoke bluffs, to crumpit woods and back again, with the following obstacles:

• run a flight of stairs, then blow up a balloon
• climb over a cargo net
• mud crawl under barbed wire
• spear throw
• rope climb
• various walls to climb over
• hill run
• cinder block pull
• tire flip
• wall shimmy

The penalty for not completing an obstacle was 25 burpees before continuing the race. YAH BURPEES!!!

Overall, this was another good experience.

Fitness is fun

My brother came up for a visit and we had the opportunity to talk about fitness and re visit some old memories.  As kids we were always active either with sports, building secret forts in the woods or running around with the neighbour kids .  We never worried about getting in a workout because everything we did was functional and fun.

As adults we forgot how much fun playing is and how much it will benefit our health and wellness.

Next time you get bored with a workout, change things up and get creative:

• get outside, 
• climb a tree, 
• have a scavenger hunt, 
• swing on the monkey bars,
• play in a puddle,
• roll down a hill,
• don't even think of acting your age. LOL!

The Tough Mudder, Callaghan Valley 2012

This weekend, myself and a small group of friends completed the tough mudder.

The mudder was 12 miles long with 22 obstacles. None of the obstacles were very difficult, but each one had a different effect on the body: 

Some were physically demanding     

• Running 12 miles
• Climbing over large walls
• Hill cllimb

Some were a mental struggle:

• Crawling in dark tunnels
• Avoiding electric shocks
• Crawling under barbed wire

And some were just a "FREEZE YOUR ASS OFF" challenge:

• Swimming in a frozen lake
• Ice bath

Together our team completed all the obstacles, and the 12 miles in aproximately 3 hours.

Here is a quick video of our expereince.

We are all looking forward to completing the challenge next year...and yes we are taking on new recruits!

Vacation workouts - no excuses

Recently my girlfriend an I traveled to Mexico for 10 days.  While on vacation our workouts were subject to equipment and space. 

The beach is a beautiful area to relax and a great opportunity to practicing some skills:

• handstands
• push ups
• air squats
• pistol squats
• running technique
• swimming technique

We stayed the first 4 days in a condo that had a small gym.  We were fortunate that their was an old rusty olympic bar, some dumbbells and some open space.  Our workouts were:

WOD 1:
5 rounds of heavy deadlifts
followed by, the following movements for time:
10 dumbbell snatches 55 lbs
400 m run
10 dumbbell snatches 55 lbs
800 m run
10 dumbbell snatches 55 lbs
1 mile run
score:
Keith 19:56
Kelly 22:37

WOD 2:
25 Back squats 135 lbs
50 double unders
25 Front squats 95 lbs
50 double unders
25 Overhead squats 65 lbs
50 double unders
score:
Kelly 9:15
Keith 10:12





WOD 3:
"Lynne"
5 rounds of max reps of:
Body weight bench press
Pull up
2 minutes rest
score
6-12,5-8,5-8,5-8,3-8 @185#

These workouts were fun and helped us maintain our fitness while away.

The last half of the trip we visited the local CrossFit gym for some great workouts.


"Never let equipment or space be a limiting factor to a good workout. " 

Trying out a new sport: skate skiing

As a xmas present a few of my friends and clients bought my girlfriend and I day passes to the Callaghan, Whistler Olympic Park.  The Park has ski jumping, classic and skate skiing, not to mention beautiful views.

We took advantage of the generous gift and tried out a new sport on January 1st : skate skiing.

We picked up our rental gear and started out on this new adventure.  Driving up the road we began to feel excited and nervous.  At the lodge we managed to get the skis on and tried out the poles...we soon found out that Kelly had brought gloves far too large to fit into the pole straps....after some technical difficulty we were on our way...

The first few minutes on snow were a challenge.  We spent most of the time learning how to get up after falling flat on our butts multiple times.  After 20 minutes we felt ready to tackle the first of 3 green runs of the day....after about 15 KM and 3 hours we were both pooped and ready to head home.

We both felt challenged by the new experience and have decided to add this new sport to out training routine next season....Thanks again Heather, Allison and Amanda for the new, fun experience.

2012 goals

This year, my goals are simple yet challenging:

"Pursue excellence and over deliver"

Who aims at excellence will be above mediocrity; who aims at mediocrity will be far short of it.
-Burmese Saying

Is age a limiting factor?

My client demographic seems to be aging,  a majority of my clients are over the age of 50.

This age group continues to impress me in many ways:

• Their work ethic is amazing
• Their  passion to learn proper technique is impressive
• Their goals and dreams remain strong

This age group has taught me so much about mortality, goal setting, longevity and how to maintain a youthful outlook on life.

Most days I feel as though I learn more from my over 50 clients then they learn from me.

I would like to share a quick story that impressed me greatly:

Today's workout included a 1 RM deadlift.

Before the workout started one of my clients said "I'm gonna deadlift 200 lbs today" ...keep in mind that his previous best was 155 lbs for 5 reps with a body weight of 165 lbs at age 64.

Ted 200 lb deadlift 1 RM

Let's say that I was a bit skeptical at first so we slowly worked up to his previous best lift and then added small increments to the load.  While I observed his form with a "hawk eye".  If there had been any poor technique we would have stopped.

Here is how it went:

165 x 3...then 175 x 3...then 185 x 3...195 x 2 then came 200 x 1

Great job Ted!!  Keep up the good work.

Ted most definitely has not allowed age to be his limiting factor.

Elfin Lakes

The hike started out from the parking lot and into the woods with 5 Km of double track which lead up to an alpine meadow.

The trail turned into single track and was super muddy.  After a few more km we were fully in the alpine and the surrounding peaks were in our sites.





What a beautiful view.  After some meandering we began a gradual decline to the Lakes, picnic tables and the ranger hut.  We stopped for a quick lunch and the cold started to set in...it was time to get back on the trail and start our decent to the car.

The total time to complete the trail was 4 hours.

My weight gain challenge: Day 90

90 days ago I wrote a blog post that explained my difficulty gaining weight.  The strategy in May was to work with heavier loads and increase my calorie consumption.

Over the last three months I managed to increase my calorie consumption while still eating clean.  I've also moved some heavier weight in many movements; from Front Squats to Dead lifts and Snatches.  This has allowed me to gain some muscle mass and increase strength, while maintaining a healthy body fat percentage.

I have fallen short on my original weight gain goal, of 10 - 15 pounds, due to a few factors:

• a case of the flu in July (lost a few pounds)
• programming too many metcons
• no hypertrophy training 

The results of my efforts so far:

May 19th 2011 at 173 pounds

August 16th 2011 at 178 pounds

May 19 2011:

Height:             6' 2"
Body weight:   173.2 lbs
Body fat:          7.4%
Muscle mass:  152.4 lbs

August 19th 2011:

Height:             6' 2"
Body weight:   178.1 lbs
Body fat:          8.2%
Muscle mass:  154 lbs






 My biggest mistake was trying to gain weight in the summer...
... "What was I thinking?"

Weight gain mission will continue during the Fall/Winter season.

For now its prep time for Fight Gone Bad 6 with the Fitness Town Team.

No equipment...roll the dice for some creative workouts

Body weight exercises are a fantastic way to tone muscle, burn fat and even elevate the heart rate.  With a bit of imagination and some motivation there are endless body weight combinations that are sure to produce fantastic results.

Try this mix up game for a fun workout.

You will need a pen, a die and some paper.

Write out the following on small pieces of paper and create 3 piles:

1. (first pile) Body weight movements
2. (second pile) Repetitions ranges that you are comfortable with (i.e between 1 and 100)
3. (third pile) Number of sets that you are comfortable with (i.e between 1 and 10)

Next roll a die, the number on the die will determine the number of body weight movements picked from the first pile.  This will make up the movements and order of the workout.

Roll the die for each movement selected to determine the number of repetitions.

Next pick from the last pile to determine the number of times you will complete each circuit.  Put it all together and you have a creative, new body weight workout.



Some examples of body weight movements:

Crab walk

• Push ups
• Squats
• Lunges
• Sit ups 
• Jumping jacks
• Jumping squats
• Burpees
• Bear crawl
• Crab walk
• Butt kickers



Bear crawl




•  

Burpees

The list of body weight movements is endless and so are the workouts.  Be creative and have fun.

United with my long lost brother after 35 years

...When my Mom was 17 years old (37 years ago) she became pregnant and her only recourse was to give the child up for adoption. She held much regret for the decision and never gave up hope that one day she would be re united with her first born son...

...Yesterday my Mom called me to say that she had been contacted by someone who meets the description of her first child and she wanted my help in contacting him.  Of course I was ready to help and keep her safe from a potential scam.

After a number of missed phone calls we finally connected.  Our conversation was filled with questions, answers, confusion excitement etc...After a few questions we realized that we lived within 70 KM of each other.  This came as a huge shock because he was given up for adoption nearly 5000 KM away.

With a positive feeling that this person was legitimate and not a "scam" I contacted Mom with the details of our conversation.  She became excited immediately and said "I want to meet him!"  So, we arranged to meet him in Vancouver the next day.

We waited anxiously in a coffee shop near his home.  For the first 20 minutes, every young man that walked by the coffee shop window, Mom would ask "is that him?"..."is that him?"...(she was visibly excited and nervous)

The first meeting

Then all of a sudden, he was standing in front of us...he introduced himself and they immediately began a long hug with tears in their eyes.

Over the course of a few hours our lives (as we've known it) have completely changed:

• We have another brother
• I'm no longer the oldest
• We are uncles
• Mom is now a grand mother

What an amazing experience...I'm so happy that both Dominic and Mom now have closure.

Welcome to the family big brother Dom :)

 

From left to right: Dominic, Mom, Vince and Me

Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream

Today we went out for a nice leisurely float down the Nooksack river.

With a few beers some beautiful sun and some great company this was a really fun afternoon.

And a much needed dose of good old vitamin D.

I thought my rowing skills were coming along well...I guess not. LOL.

XC bike ride "Wonderland"

My girlfriend has found a new love for mountain biking and she lead me on a trail called Wonderland.  It was a quick, mellow ride with a fun descent.

We started out from the house and past the golf course to a short climb, that brought us to Jack's trail eventually spitting us out at Alice Lake.  At the lake we practiced some "wheelies" and speed bump "bunny hops".   After playing around for a bit we rode to the Alice Lake entrance and the trail head.

And this is where the video starts...enjoy.

Don't ingnore what your body is telling you

“You need to listen to your body because your body is listening to you.”

Phillip C McGraw

A few days ago I was reminded of how important it is to listen to your body...

Over the last month my focus has been on gaining mass and power.  My workouts have been strength focused and have produced positive results in the form of heavier 1 rep max loads and managed pack on over 6 lbs of body mass.  Unfortunately I made a costly mistake...

The higher volume of training was not balanced with a higher volume of mobility and recovery work.  I was maintaining a 1:1 ratio of training to recovery.  That means for every hour of training I was spending one hour of recovery work.  This was clearly not enough and during an intense workout I experienced a muscle tear in the trapezius. At first it only felt like a tight muscle but after a few days the pain increased to the point of limited mobility and loss of range of motion.  Bring on the ice...then heat...then recovery work.

Its interesting how our bodies communicate needs through pain, limited mobility etc...My body is clearly telling me to increase my mobility and recovery work to the point of forced rest.

Travel roller @ Fitness Town

Forced rest has given me the opportunity to listen to my body a bit more and spend some serious time on recovery and mobility.  My new recovery ratio is 1:2.  Twice the amount of recovery work in relation to training.  And while I recover I am spending much time working on some skills; including improved running technique, deeper yoga poses and improving on my golfing short game.

Time to get out the roller, release some tight muscles and head down to the the putting green...

Personal fitness programming for June

In May I posted my workout programming which included CrossFit training, golf specific work and golf.  May's programming helped me post some faster CrossFit times, increase mobility and cut a few strokes off my game.

In June my goal is to increase muscle mass and increase strength while maintaining mobility and endurance. 

To keep with the CrossFit philosophy of constantly varied, high intensity functional movements, none of the workout are planned with specifics.  The programming is organized in the following order to balance the activities and goals that I have set out for myself.

JUNE: 2011

DAY	TRAINING	GOLF
Monday	Rowing: short time trials (250M – 1000M) Mobility work Golf specific training	Golf 18 holes
Tuesday	Benchmark “Girl” WOD	Golf 18 holes
Wednesday	Olympic lifting: Clean, Snatch, Presses,	Golf 18 holes or Driving range irons & woods
Thursday	Power lifting: Bench, Deadlift, Squat	Putting practice
Friday	Hypertrophy training	Chipping practice
Saturday	Rest day TRX Mobility work	Varied
Sunday	Crossfit.com WOD	Varied

"Every ceiling, when reached, becomes a floor, upon which one walks as a matter of course and prescriptive right."
Aldous Huxley

My weight gain challenge: Day one

Gaining and maintaining a heavier body weight has always been a challenge for me.  I always seem to climb up a few pounds then I miss a meal or two and the weight drops.

After reading a blog from one of my friends where he wrote about his 2012 CrossFit goals I thought writing about my weight gain struggle would be a great opportunity to keep myself accountable.

Thanks for the inspiration and motivation Patrick-Phatty Vuong. 

Just a bit of background on my body weight struggle.

Me at 160 lbs

In 2009 I weighed in at 160 lbs.  Some of the reason for being so light was due to some stress in my life. Another reason was that I was golfing nearly everyday, to avoid the stress, and skipping meals.  This was not a healthy weight for me and I decided to pack on some weight and get healthy.  I managed to get over 170 pounds through isolation training and increased food consumption.  Since then I have fluctuated between 178 and 170 lbs depending on my food intake and training.

In 2010 I discovered CrossFit and my gym programming and diet focus became performance and function based.  This form of training has taught me much about my real world strength and power.  Strength is one of my weaknesses and I believe that packing on 10 - 15 lbs of muscle mass, and lifting heavier loads, will increase my performance with the WOD's.

Today at 173 pounds

Here are my stats as of May 19th 2011:

Height:  6 feet 2 inches
Body weight:  173.2 lbs
Body fat:  7.4%
Muscle mass:  152.4 lbs

 My personal time line to gain the weight is two months.  Time to go eat :)

Mother's day 2011

Today my Mom came up for a visit.  Now I know it's not really mother's day today...but we have never been much for following dates accurately.

The day started off with my Mom participating in my TRX group class.  She worked really hard and tried some new movements.  I was very proud of her effort. The warm up and cool down portions of the class really helped her increase shoulder and hip flexibility.

On the way home we stopped in Lions Bay to enjoy an ocean view and a coffee.  It was a bit cloudy but the view was still amazing.

The afternoon we played a fun round of golf.  We were paired up with an older gentleman that was great company.  It was a no stress kinda round.

At hole #6, a long par 5, Mom's body started feeling fatigue from the morning TRX class and after a few topped balls we decided 9 holes would be enough for today. 

Just off the 6th green in 3 shots.

Happy mother's day Mom :)

Cardiovascular benefits in 12 minutes?

Here is an interesting video discussing the benefits of short high intenity cardiovascular training.

Pay close attention at the 13 - 25 minute mark.

Enjoy...