Salt Lake Running Company » Strength Training

Crossfit Kool-Aid

Deb — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:12:00 +0000

So, one of the endurance athletes I have coached for almost 2 years, has decided to mix it up a bit in the weight room. Yep, Mike, is going to take Crossfit for a spin around the ‘ol weight room block. Seriously, here is a guy who HEARTS the weight room, but hasn’t given the functional fitness routine a go. Well, I warned him. It may look like it is for girls, but it’s like the hardest tempo run going on steroids and forcing you to go lactate with 100 pounds on your back. I don’t think he understood the accuracy of that statement until well…until yesterday.

So, if you are curious about this beast, then don’t walk into the lair without reading the following words from Mike. He will update us over the next month as he gallantly drinks the ever so power concoction of Crossfit. Here is his pre-workout take and then his first real workout that came charging and snorting like a red eyed beast right into Mike’s body.

Uhmm..Mike…next time, don’t forget a shield!

Crossfit Kool-Aid

Let me start off by saying that I have been racing triathlons hard for the past 6 years. Numerous M-dot races, numerous 70.3 races, numerous, ahh well, you get the idea. After the debacle of torrential rain that was IM Lake Placid last year, I needed a break, a LONG break from the 3 sport sport. Needless to say, my break is still occurring. Not sedentary, but merely a break from the three headed monster! Enter, weight room!

Last winter I finally got back into the weight room seriously. First time since college Rugby in the late 90’s. The testosterone rush was addicting. I actually hit the pitch (rugby jargon for field of play) again and realized, that stuff really hurts when you can’t wash the pain away with numerous hours at the pub! I decided to hang the boots up and still have fun in the weight room. I did, to the tune of 14 lbs of pure muscle mass!

I had great hopes for this tri season, that is, until I started training! My mind was not fully recovered yet. I guess it takes some people longer than others! Did I mention that Lake Placid was rainy, yeah, to the tune of 4 inches during that hellish day!

Fast forward through the summer, lotsa running, no swimming, and barely any biking. Time for another off-season romp in the weight room. So, I started my first week of lifting 3 weeks ago and it just wasn’t doing it for me. That is when Deb and my good buddy from Ohio, Red, told me about crossfit. Deb had mentioned trying a few workouts, Red had told me to jump in and hold on for the ride.

The next few weeks I am going to chronicle the adventure that is Crossfit. I went to the first class on Saturday, Nov 14^th and heard their philosophy. Intense anaerobic workouts that last from 5 to 20 minutes and completely kick your butt. Yeah, right! A 5 minute lift kicking my 200 lb butt that thrives on the weight room? c’mon man!

Well, I decided I needed a new fitness fix, I have decided to drink the Crossfit kool-aid. I signed up for 1 month. I am going to totally dedicate and immerse myself in this crossfit program to see if it will make me a better 3 sport monster, or at least get me ripped like Arnold!

But, I had my first experience with some functional triathlon crossover and I haven’t even officially started. On Saturday, my crossfit coach taught me a new squat technique, putting my big ol butt below my knees. WAIT!!!! Isn’t that supposed to be bad for your knees? You ask. Well, the way he explained it is as follows. “When are you ever going to squat to parallel or less.” Good point I thought, and dropped my butt down. He then asked me to sit on a low box and stand with NO momentum. I couldn’t. I was humbled, embarrassed, and a little peeved! He was pointing out the fact that one can be very strong in many aspects, but lack what crossfit terms, “functional fitness”. Maybe that is why I never really have that biking power I want?

To read more about this functional fitness and crossfit, check out this website http://www.crossfit.com/ . I have my next session on the 16^th at noon. I will blog again later this week to see if this “10 minute of hell” routine is all it is cracked up to be. Apparently this week I learn how to power clean, dead-lift, jerk, and other Olympic lifts the crossfit way. We will see if the kool-aid tastes as good as I remember!

Mike

Now, get ready for blood and carnage boys and girls.

A Whole New Flavor

So, I am almost done with my first week of crossfit. Gotta say, I have really never seen the point in squatting below parallel, using momentum to do a pull up, and other “functional” movements. That is as the crossfit world says. I used to giggle at the “girly men” at the gym that would kip (a form of crossfit hip thrust as you do a pull up) when they do a pull up. I would point at the muscle head that would squat till his trash touches the floor. Well, let me tell you something. It ain’t as easy as it looks.

First off, just trying to get my hip thrust to get a pull up done has caused a mass amount of confusion for my body. Squatting below parallel, well, lets just say that my hips are not quite that flexible. Now, on top of that, throw a 10 minute time limit, box jumps, push ups, and kettle ball swings and a coach yelling at you that there will be no gains unless you go balls to the wall! Lets just say that my guts were on the floor already in my crossfit journey.

So, the week started with a warm up of squats and jogging. We talked some correct form so I would not tag out of this game early, and then onto the workout. My first workout was ten 36 inch box jumps, followed by 10 20 lb kettleball swings, followed by 10 push ups in 10 minutes. The goal was to get as many as I could. And that I did. BUT, let me tell ya something, crossfit is a new game. Total lactate threshold work. I was expecting to blow my coaches hair back. And that I did, with the chunks spewing from my mouth after my last set. SERIOUSLY!

So, the week has progressed, today (Thursday) was my rest day, and I just (read that as 30 minutes ago) am now able to fully flex and extend my arm again. Yep, full on not able to even pick my own nose. G’times. At to think that all of the workouts so far have only dealt with body weight moves. Absolutely zero added weight, apparently this is telling me something. Still trying to figure out what that is!

After almost finishing my first week, gotta say. The kool-aid tastes pretty damn sweet. It has been tough to swallow, but once down, I am liking the taste. I have not puked from a workout since my college rugby days. And to tell you the truth, I like it, I like it a lot. The workouts are intense, full body, 30-50 minute workouts with the hardest part lasting anywhere from 10-25 minutes. I love the feeling of busting my gut with all I have and being able to see results immediately, even if it is simply boogers that I can’t pick;)

Alright, next week I will give more detail on the whole crossfit mind set and let you know if any of my muscles are adapting to the new moves. My guess is that workouts are going to be so varied they will not have the time to adapt. I believe there in lies the benefit of this new cult!

Until then, I’m pouring another glass, or 6, for the next week!

Essential off season leg stability work

Deb — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:27:00 +0000

I am sure many of you out there have gone through a knee, hip or ankle problem. Joint issues are very common among endurance athletes,but the good new is that you can dramatically reduce your chance of getting one of those kinds of injuries! Strengthening weak muscles, stretching tight ones and relieving muscle tension should become not just an off season, but year round mantra of any one who doesn’t want to get injured.

STRENGTHEN

Most joint injuries are a result of muscle instability. That means that certain dominant muscle are much stronger as compared to weaker large muscles or weaker stabilizing muscles. If this happens then joints, like hips and knees get yanked on too much in one direction by the stronger muscle and not equalized because the weaker muscle groups are too weak to do their job and pull it back into alignment.

For knees and hips specifically, working your abductor and adductors are two of what I consider to be the essential injury prevention exercises. There are some others like different types of lunges, but start with these first. These can be added to your existing leg routine or done at home with stretch cords. I prefer that people do this on cable machines though like the videos below show.

How many? Well, if you have never done something like this before, then start with 2 sets of 10 reps on each leg for about 4 weeks and then add another set to make it three. Or if you are really time crunched, the use this exercise as your warmup for leg day and do one set of 15.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT, AS YOU AS YOU CAN, YOU BEGIN TO LET GO WITH YOUR HAND AND LEARN TO BALANCE ON YOUR SUPPORTING FOOT. A BIG PART OF THE STABILIZING AND STRENGTHENING GAINS YOU MAKE ACTUALLY COME FROM THE STANDING FOOT AS WELL. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT YOUR STANDING LEG BECOMES TIRED AND BURNS BEFORE THE WORKING LEG.

STRETCH AND RELIEVE TENSION

There are numerous resources that have effective stretches. There are now multiple DVD’s and Books on stretching and Yoga for athletes. These are great because they show you poses that you can do when you are tired and don’t need any more strength or power work. Just relax and stretch. Flexibility Training is one of my favorite DVD’s. It is a great 25 minutes stretch routine and has some good leg stretches as well. Do this once or twice a week will really help your body unwind.

For relieving muscle tension and knots, you either need to have a really good sports massage therapist you see once or twice a month AND/OR you use something like a Trigger Point Therapy kit. You can read that post here.

Oh and, this quick video demonstrated the yoga stretches that target specifically the adductor/abductor muscles we are concerned with today. ACTUALLY, you will have to just do what this video says and then drop your leg the other direction as well(across your body.) to get both sets of muscles.

So, just remember that injury prevention should be a staple part of your year round program. Happy strengthening, stretching and relieving of muscle tension!

Marilyn Monroe had it figured out!

Deb — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:13:00 +0000

ALRIGHT LADIES, DO YOU NEED ANY OTHER REASON THAN THE FOLLOWING PICTURES TO LIFT WEIGHTS?

Rumor has it that she woke up at 6am to go for a jog and lifted to keep her womanly curves looking good.

AHHH YES…A REFRESHING FLASH BACK TO THE PAST WHERE MARILYN MONROE’S REAL FIGURE COMPLETE WITH BROAD SHOULDERS AND SERIOUS HIPS WERE IT!

Muscle is where your health is

Deb — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:01:00 +0000

Have you ever noticed the obvious physical difference between a distance runner and a sprinter? Yeah, many distance runners are almost too skinny. Now, the world class runners may be a little more genetically programmed to be extra thin and need to be as light as possible too, but even many of those athletes are realizing that perhaps there is a performance edge they could gain if they had a bit more muscle and strength. But, what about you? If you’re not running for a podium position, does the concept of being stronger matter? MOST DEFINITELY because MUSCLE IS WHERE YOUR HEALTH IS. As long as you are a human, then adding and strengthening your muscle tissue will increase your immunity, help you reach your fitness goals faster, increase your performance, produce more anabolic hormones like testosterone and growth hormone and help you lose body fat more quickly. This will not happen with just aerobic exercise. So every person out there looking to look, feel and perform their best should be doing both strength work and faster running work.

So once you decide to lift weights, then what? That gets a little bit trickier because there are so many options. And actually, a lot of good ones too. So here are some ideas:

If you are a beginner:

Stick to lighter weights and higher reps like 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Go no more than twice a week for an hour.
Lift upper body, lower body and core.
Find exercises that doesn’t use machines that you sit in or are supported.
Train your body to support itself.
Go to a body sculpt or body pump type of strength class.
Hire a trainer to help lay out a program or try resources below, but go lighter.
Stick with easier exercises for 3-4 months until you have strengthened your joints to handle harder movements like squats or deadlifts.
Take a week of now and then.
Lift most of the year.

If you are more experienced:

Use a periodized strength program that cycles through muscle endurance, hypertrophy (muscle building) and power phases.
Make sure to know your 1 rep max numbers so you are lifting as hard as you are supposed too. For example, if you are supposed to lift 70% of max, do you really know what that is?
Most all exercises should be functional and/or compound movements.
Try a book like this http://www.velopress.com/triathlon.php?id=263
Try a DVD like this http://www.thenextleveldvd.com/ (great demos/programs.)
Hire a knowledgeable performance oriented strength coach. Ask for references.
Add plyometrics in the spring and summer.
Lift twice a week most of the year.
Take a week off now and then.
Whatever lifting program or class that you decide to pursue, be smart. If you get really tired, then lighten up or take a week off. Always take time off in the 10-14 days before a big race or event. Overall, give yourself time to adapt your body and be patient. At the very least, realize that muscle work is an essential part of training. So, get going, get tough, get strong and stay on it!

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Deb — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0000