A.20:00 EMOM
Min 1 – 10 Single Arm Press / arm @ 8 RM
Min 2 – 50 M Waiters Walk Right Arm
Min 3 – 50 M Waiters Walk Left Arm
Min 4 – :30 Nose to Wall HS Hold
Min 5 – :30 Pull-up Bar Hang
B. 3 Rounds for Quality
12 Strict Pull-ups
12 Deadlifts @ 225 / 135
8 Lateral Step-ups / leg
8 Ring Push-ups
Guys it’s HOT! Check out Coach Tim’s post on Hydrating!
Today we are kickin’ it back to an article Coach Tim wrote last year. We are in the midst of 100° days and when you’re sweating it out like we do, you have to be putting it back in. Check out some wise words from a wise man while you enjoy a nice, cold glass of H20!
The first official day of summer has arrived. As our bodies adapt to the heat and humidity that this season brings us, you hear your coaches tell you to make sure you are drinking plenty of water. What is “plenty”? Why is it so important?
Many of us know that water comprises the majority of our body. So making sure that we are consuming an appropriate amount of this clear, flavorless liquid is a no-brainer requirement for optimal health. Now, imagine yourself this summer hiking the Greenbelt, completing your WOD, or sitting by pool/river/lake for countless hours…without any water. Thirsty thoughts? Thirst is often thought of as an alert for the beginnings of dehydration. According to Merriam-Webster, dehydration is defined as;
Dehydration– an abnormal depletion of body fluids
I don’t think anyone would argue that the aforementioned activities could bring on the onset of dehydration without appropriate measures being taken. Most of us have heard the 6-8, 8oz. cups of water per day as the standard for water consumption. Yes, this is standard. However, just as our nutritional fingerprint differs from individual to individual, so should our water intake. We all come in different shapes and sizes and participate at different levels in vastly different activities. Additionally, depending on our current state of health, some systems are more efficient than others at regulating the needs of said activities. Without throwing specific recommendations out there for person A, weighing ‘x’ amount at such and such height yada-yada ya…here are some dehydration indicators to be aware this summer to help you key in on your health, thus your performance, as it pertains to water intake.
A few symptoms have been identified as;
Conversely, proper hydration helps eliminate the chances of these occurring, and can aid us in;
Are there other sources to help me stay hydrated other than JUST water? Yes. Although here, water is king, here are a few other ways to sneak in the liquid. Fruits and vegetables contain small amounts of h2o, as well as their juices. Keep in mind that the juices may have unwanted calories due to added sugars. Coffee and teas also contain water, but caffeine can act as a diuretic and lead to frequent urination and counter our purpose.
All in all, plan and prepare for your daily activities.
“Mama said Gatorade is the devil”
Train smart, live smart,
-Coach Garland
A. 10:00 E202
3 Negative Pull-ups
*Jump so chin is above the bar, and lower yourself for :05
*add weight between ankles if negatives aren’t challenging
B. 21:00 EMOM
Min 1: 8/leg Back Rack Step-ups @ 20/ 16, 45lb/35 lb
Min 2: 10 Strict Press @ 45 lb / 35 lb
Min 3: 200 M Run
*Exercises must be finished under :40. Record completed rounds under :40.
“Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them.”- Jack Canfield
A. In 14:00 build to a heavy 3 In the Hang Clean
Then…
In 6:00
Hang Clean x1x3 sets @ 100% of today’s heaviest set
B. 8:00 E202
Clean Lift off + Clean DL x2+1 x 4 sets @ 95-100% of Clean
C.12:00 E202
Front Squat (Tempo + Normal) x2+1×6
Reps 1 & 2 Tempo- :04 down, :02 in bottom
Rep 3: Normal Tempo
*build to a challenging weight
Before you lift, check out Coach Wes’s recommendations!
3 Tips to Dominate
Excuse me… I’d like to interrupt of everyone’s game of Pokemon Go. Friday marks the midway point for our summer training cycle and I’d like to drop a few tips here to help maximize the next 3 weeks of training. If you’re new and unfamiliar with the structure of our programming cycles take a look at this article for a basic lay of the land.. We have and will continue to focus on improving everyone’s strict pull-ups, back squat, and clean. So today I will include a tip for each of the three movements.
Tip 1 “Back Squat”:
Stretch your groin. This will not only help open of the bottom of your squat position, but also improve your ability to access the gluteus medius which abducts, internally, and externally rotates you femur in the hip. Why is this important? Because a fully engaged hip gives us a stronger more stable position in our deep squat, which allows us to protect our lower back and knees from common ailments associated with poor squat form. It also help us lift more weight (duh). If you need some examples of good groin stretches check out this article I wrote back in March with some quick hip and groin openers.
Tip 2 “Clean”:
Improve your rack. One of the most common problems I see with the clean is a poor rack positions. Countless lifts have been missed due to poor rack positions. Here’s a quick test – Can you squat clean your 3 RM Front Squat? If you can’t, it is most likely a positional issue in the rack or a poor squat depth in your front squats. Lets assume its a shitty rack position. First, go read Coach Tim’s in-depth article discussing the finer points of improving the rack position with dual mobility and stability work. Secondly, I have a challenge for you… Don’t front squat a weight that you can’t put a full grip on bar with. That’s right, no weight goes on your bar that you can’t keep all four fingers, your thumb, and at least part of your palm wrapped around. This is will you develop a rack position that is advantageous for the clean and will also probably help improve your squat depth.
Tip 3 “Strict Pull-ups”:
Last, but certainly not least let’s talk strict pull-ups. Let’s look outside the box a bit here. Besides upper body pulling strength and body weight, the biggest challenge in the strict pull-up is full body control. Most of us naturally relax everything as we try to struggle our chin over to the bar. So the challenge here is to find as many ways to hang from the bar in a hollow position as possible. Full hand, active hang, 90 degree bent arm hang, chin over bar hang, or chest to bar hang. The goal is to maintain a great hollow position, if at any point you feel your legs, butt, or belly relax jump off the bar. This is will help you develop proper body positions in different ranges of motion of the pull-up, and ingrain proper positioning in nervous system. Don’t spend more than 2:00 total minutes hanging from the bar however.
That’s it folks lets dominate this second half of the programming like you have a rare pikachu in your sights. Full disclosure, I know nothing about the new Pokemon fad, but it sure is popular with the kids these days!
-Coach Wes
A. 15:00 EMOM
Min 1 – 6 Strict Toes to Bar
Min 2 – 50 M Farmers Walk @ by feel
Min 3 – Rest
5 Rounds
In 2:00
8 Box Jumps @ 24/20
10 Push Press @ 95 / 65
Double Under for the remainder of the time
1:00 Rest
*Record total double unders completed
“Positive anything is better than negative nothing.” – Elbert Hubbard
A. 15:00 E:90 0 :90
2 Back Squats w/ :02 Pause x 10 sets
Sets 1-5: build to 85%
Sets 6-10: @ 85%
B. 30 Ground to Overhead @ 135 / 95
*at the top of each minute do 3 burpees
Then immediately…
400 Meter Med Ball Run @ 20 lb / 14 lb
*Time recorded
*Time cap 10:00 for GTOs / Burpees
C. Accumulate 2:00 in a Chest to bar hold
– keeping shoulder blades down and back
– Use a spotter and/or band
“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” – Kofi Annan
30:00 AMRAP
5 Ring Dips
10 Burpee Box Jump-Overs @ 24″/20”
20 Wall Ball Shots @ 20/14
400 M Run
*Two Person Teams. Each partner completes each exercise individually. Only one person can work at a time. Both partners will complete the run together
Example Round:
Partner 1: 5 Ring Dips
Partner 2: 5 Ring Dips
Partner 1: 10 Burpee Box Jump-Overs
Partner 2: 10 Burpee Box Jump-Overs
Partner 1: 20 Wall Ball Shots
Partner 2: 20 Wall Ball Shots
Partner 1 & 2: 400 M Run
Are you on Instagram?? You better get in on this! You could win a FREE month!
Details
A. 20:00 EMOM
Min 1 – 8 High Pulls / arm by feel
Min 2 – 50 M Waiters Walk Right Arm
Min 3 – 50 M Waiters Walk Left Arm
Min 4 – :20 Nose to Wall HS Hold
Min 5 – :20 Pull-up Bar Hang
B. 3 Rounds for Quality
10 Strict Pull-ups
10 Deadlifts @ 225 / 135
10 Lateral Step-ups / leg
10 Ring Rows
Registration for The Expert Series – Session 2 with Ursula Garza Papandrea is now open!
Details
All too often, I see athletes push themselves day in and day out and watch their nutrition meticulously, only to come across the nagging injury or sideliner. I believe this issue can be conquered a majority of the time, but it requires a look within…
Each week. Every workout. Each movement. Every rep. Even every ….breath. We are presented with hundreds or thousands of opportunities to improve and make strides towards our goals. We can also misuse these hundreds or thousands of opportunities, working closer to the next plateau and/or injury. Be it a chronic, nagging injury, or something more serious, it’s a good bet that you can reduce your chances by practicing this principle.
Virtuosity
*vir-tu-os-i-ty
great technical skill, or captivating personal style, ESPECIALLY as exhibited in the arts
For the coach and athlete alike, the science is in the explanation. One teaches or explains, while the other (hopefully) works to truly understand. As for the art, the perceptions may differ here.
While the art of coaching maybe up for debate, I doubt you will find many that will debate the inclusion of proper program design and relaying of information. As for the athlete, the art should include a mastery of movement. I believe your approach as an athlete, your paradigm, can have just as much effect on your goals as your genetic potential. So even if you are physically gifted, an improper approach or misguided paradigm may limit your potential.
The paradigm I’m speaking of here that can get us in trouble is, “if X,Y,Z is good…then a lot more of X,Y,Z will get me to my goals,” While the drive and determination can be appreciated and respected, not knowing when to dial it back and listen to your body can set you back. If we pound away for quantity, at the expense of quality, we are in trouble. Even if your movement is impeccable, more grinding isn’t always the answer.
I recently attended a sports performance conference with many wonderful presenters. One of whom, Dr. Bob Rakowski, broke down nutrition and energy systems in impressive and effective way. A big take home from this particular presentation, “It takes twice as much energy to recover than it does to do the work”. Stop reading for a second and chew on the previous statement.
More grinding isn’t always the answer. Movement is not the only part of the puzzle where virtuosity should be applied. We need to be as proactive and purposeful in our recovery as we are with our training. Think about the time it takes for the demolition of a building compared to the time it takes to rebuild.
As a coach, the body can be a new canvas to perform his or her artistry. Are you working with a pretentious artisan, who is constantly trying to perfect his or her craft? Or are you working with a cheap home builder, pushing out cookie-cutter homes that unfortunately start to show problems all too early?
Look within. Strive for virtuosity in movement mastery. Apply discipline. Reap the benefits.
In health,
Coach Tim