Warm up, 3x10
OHS naked O-bar
Situps
hyperextensions
bardips
pull ups
Work out
Squats, 3x5, 250#
Bench Press, 3x5, 235#
Ham Raises, 3x8
Dead lift, 1x5, 365#, 1x5, 315#
Core, 1x20
Cable Crunches
Cable Push Pull
Feeling fat and lazy after the holidays -- Oh Joy! more holidays....
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Don't need no education!
An important step in your life is when you realize you don’t need teachers or schools to learn, moreover it is when you realize how you learn best. Schools, dojo’s, scouts, certify you as having completed a certain number of accomplishments. But, they do not necessarily prove that you know how to learn, how to own your learning. Being your own teacher involves 4 basic steps, and the self-awareness of your involvement in those steps, and self-awareness of specific skills that make those steps more efficient.
My short-hand for “focus” is “paying attention to what is going on around you”. There are many ways to practice focus. Meditations, kata, reading a book, listening to a lecture are some examples. Much in our society is about distracting us and developing mental diffusion, multi-tasking is rather like being nibbled to death by ducks – it doesn’t really hurt along the way but in the end you are dead. So teaching yourself to learn involves intentionally doing things that require you to develop an attention span and focus. We admire observant people, or rather the stories of observant people, like Sherlock Holmes, Colombo, Albert Einstein, Shakyamuni for examples. Yet, to admire them isn't enough -- how do we develop or own attention to detail?
Goal setting: it is important to break time into boxes; I suggest, 4 boxes, less than a year, 1-5 years, and 5–10years, and someday. One of the reasons it is important is so that you can figure out which things are really important, or, said differently, so that you can focus your attention. If you say, “I want to earn a college degree”. Then obviously parts of that goal overlap several time frames. You can’t get into college until you finish high school, you can’t finish high school till you complete biology, and you can’t complete biology until you pass this test. Waiting for others to give you goals is letting others live your life. Don’t go to the grave having not lived, spit in death's eye by living a full life. Set goals for yourself that will define yourself for yourself, not just certify yourself for others. 3 rules for goal setting, 1) write them down, 2) break them into pieces, and 3) put the pieces in the right boxes.
Owning the material: this is several skills twined together. One is positive self-talk. It is easy to be overwhelmed when you start to learn something new particularly as you get older. If you say, “I can’t do this, I’m a big dummy” the first time you encounter a challenge you will eventually live your life avoiding challenges, avoiding fear, and you will be a big dummy. If instead you say the truth: “I’m afraid of looking like a newbie” or, “This is really hard.” It is possible to turn the truth into positive self talk “I’m afraid of looking like a fool – but, everybody looked goofy when they started – so, I’m in good company.” Or; “This is hard – I love the challenge – I’m going to just have to work harder than hard.” Owning the material is also about making associations, sometimes these associations are between ideas – for example when I say Chocolate (the movie) is Mary Poppins for adults, I own the material. Sometimes, it is physical, squatting and lunging to pick-up a ground ball and squatting and lunging exercise are the same motion; hence, I own the motion and the way to get better at it. Owning the material is taking it and saying it or doing it in our own way and this is how we take it from outside us to inside of us.
Self-evaluation: sometimes positive self talk is a rationalization for doing a bullshit job, for being lazy. Sometimes, however, we are our own worst critiques and we never even get started because we set impossible goals. Part of self-evaluation is setting our goals in such a way so that we can test ourselves along the way. Part of self-evaluation is testing whether we got it right when we took it from the outside and put it inside – because sometimes we screw that process up. If you don’t test yourself, whether that is traveling around and climbing different boulders, or going to tournaments and sparring or whatever, how can you mark progress on your goals? If your skills won’t stand real world tests you have not learned them. Too, if you don't test yourself how do you know when you taught yourself wrong?
To be successful at this you have to be aware of yourself. What techniques work best for getting stuff into your long term memory? What tricks have you developed for owning the material and for testing whether you really do own it? The tests will tell you, too, if you got it right when you owned it or if you need to start over. Obviously if you test early and often you will waste less time with re-learning stuff you taught yourself wrong. Although I can write about these skills in several sentences they are perhaps the most important and difficult to master – what does it mean to be self-self-aware, that is, to watch yourself learning so that next time it is easier?Once you realize these skills for being your own teacher you will recognize the value that teachers do have. Sometimes that value is negative, for example, they are a doofus and you learn by doing the opposite of what they say and do. Sometimes you will simply meet very wise and mature people and they will have a lot to offer you if you are ready to take it. Being ready to take it, to not waste their time, is a lot of what I mean by being your own teacher. A good teacher saves you time, i.e. helps you complete your goals quicker so that you have time to set new goals and do it all again.
- Focus
- Goal setting
- Short term
- Mid term
- Long term
- Short term
- Owning the Material
- Self-evaluation
My short-hand for “focus” is “paying attention to what is going on around you”. There are many ways to practice focus. Meditations, kata, reading a book, listening to a lecture are some examples. Much in our society is about distracting us and developing mental diffusion, multi-tasking is rather like being nibbled to death by ducks – it doesn’t really hurt along the way but in the end you are dead. So teaching yourself to learn involves intentionally doing things that require you to develop an attention span and focus. We admire observant people, or rather the stories of observant people, like Sherlock Holmes, Colombo, Albert Einstein, Shakyamuni for examples. Yet, to admire them isn't enough -- how do we develop or own attention to detail?
Goal setting: it is important to break time into boxes; I suggest, 4 boxes, less than a year, 1-5 years, and 5–10years, and someday. One of the reasons it is important is so that you can figure out which things are really important, or, said differently, so that you can focus your attention. If you say, “I want to earn a college degree”. Then obviously parts of that goal overlap several time frames. You can’t get into college until you finish high school, you can’t finish high school till you complete biology, and you can’t complete biology until you pass this test. Waiting for others to give you goals is letting others live your life. Don’t go to the grave having not lived, spit in death's eye by living a full life. Set goals for yourself that will define yourself for yourself, not just certify yourself for others. 3 rules for goal setting, 1) write them down, 2) break them into pieces, and 3) put the pieces in the right boxes.
Owning the material: this is several skills twined together. One is positive self-talk. It is easy to be overwhelmed when you start to learn something new particularly as you get older. If you say, “I can’t do this, I’m a big dummy” the first time you encounter a challenge you will eventually live your life avoiding challenges, avoiding fear, and you will be a big dummy. If instead you say the truth: “I’m afraid of looking like a newbie” or, “This is really hard.” It is possible to turn the truth into positive self talk “I’m afraid of looking like a fool – but, everybody looked goofy when they started – so, I’m in good company.” Or; “This is hard – I love the challenge – I’m going to just have to work harder than hard.” Owning the material is also about making associations, sometimes these associations are between ideas – for example when I say Chocolate (the movie) is Mary Poppins for adults, I own the material. Sometimes, it is physical, squatting and lunging to pick-up a ground ball and squatting and lunging exercise are the same motion; hence, I own the motion and the way to get better at it. Owning the material is taking it and saying it or doing it in our own way and this is how we take it from outside us to inside of us.
Self-evaluation: sometimes positive self talk is a rationalization for doing a bullshit job, for being lazy. Sometimes, however, we are our own worst critiques and we never even get started because we set impossible goals. Part of self-evaluation is setting our goals in such a way so that we can test ourselves along the way. Part of self-evaluation is testing whether we got it right when we took it from the outside and put it inside – because sometimes we screw that process up. If you don’t test yourself, whether that is traveling around and climbing different boulders, or going to tournaments and sparring or whatever, how can you mark progress on your goals? If your skills won’t stand real world tests you have not learned them. Too, if you don't test yourself how do you know when you taught yourself wrong?
To be successful at this you have to be aware of yourself. What techniques work best for getting stuff into your long term memory? What tricks have you developed for owning the material and for testing whether you really do own it? The tests will tell you, too, if you got it right when you owned it or if you need to start over. Obviously if you test early and often you will waste less time with re-learning stuff you taught yourself wrong. Although I can write about these skills in several sentences they are perhaps the most important and difficult to master – what does it mean to be self-self-aware, that is, to watch yourself learning so that next time it is easier?Once you realize these skills for being your own teacher you will recognize the value that teachers do have. Sometimes that value is negative, for example, they are a doofus and you learn by doing the opposite of what they say and do. Sometimes you will simply meet very wise and mature people and they will have a lot to offer you if you are ready to take it. Being ready to take it, to not waste their time, is a lot of what I mean by being your own teacher. A good teacher saves you time, i.e. helps you complete your goals quicker so that you have time to set new goals and do it all again.
Monday, December 22, 2008
December 22, 2008
Workout Group -- about 10 of us.
GENERAL MOBILITY
Various skips w/arm swings
Skip with a twist
Skip, skip, lunge
Carioca
Forward shuffle, 2l, 2r
Backward shuffle, 2l, 2r
Puddle Hops
Hips in shuffle
Hips out shuffle
Backward Push
Backward Run
Crazy legs
Jogging heel slaps
Jogging instep slaps
Straight leg hip things
Butt kicks
DYNAMIC MOBILITY:
Superman Walk
Reverse overhead lunge
High knee walk to lunge
Knee out walk
InchwormCrucifixion/Scorpions
Lunge with a double twist
Backward Hurdle Walk
Forward Hurdle Walk
Walking knee machine
Kick walk
Pre-work, 10 minutes
2 pushups, 3 inchworms, 4 lunges
Work
Walking lunges, outside lane of field house track, around once, 220 yards
When you stop, do:
15 pushups
30 V-ups
This turned out to be a really good workout, hard but not impossible. Folks still had energy at the end so they ran Suicides with a burpee on each line. I'm really psyched to be part of such a bunch of tough, fun, hardworking folks. Merry Damn Christmas!
GENERAL MOBILITY
Various skips w/arm swings
Skip with a twist
Skip, skip, lunge
Carioca
Forward shuffle, 2l, 2r
Backward shuffle, 2l, 2r
Puddle Hops
Hips in shuffle
Hips out shuffle
Backward Push
Backward Run
Crazy legs
Jogging heel slaps
Jogging instep slaps
Straight leg hip things
Butt kicks
DYNAMIC MOBILITY:
Superman Walk
Reverse overhead lunge
High knee walk to lunge
Knee out walk
InchwormCrucifixion/Scorpions
Lunge with a double twist
Backward Hurdle Walk
Forward Hurdle Walk
Walking knee machine
Kick walk
Pre-work, 10 minutes
2 pushups, 3 inchworms, 4 lunges
Work
Walking lunges, outside lane of field house track, around once, 220 yards
When you stop, do:
15 pushups
30 V-ups
This turned out to be a really good workout, hard but not impossible. Folks still had energy at the end so they ran Suicides with a burpee on each line. I'm really psyched to be part of such a bunch of tough, fun, hardworking folks. Merry Damn Christmas!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
December 18, 2008
Workout Group
Medicine Ball Warm up
Chest Pass
hip toss to dead catch
egg toss
one handed toss and catch
split squat twisting toss and catch
ball slams
putts l and r
1 leg shotguns
reverse egg toss
Work 2 rounds
Trigger Event -- Cinder block Carry, 15yards 8 blocks
Sledge Hammer the Tire
MaceBell Shield Cast
Kettlebell Swings
Clubbell Swipes
MediBall Pushups
Goblet Squats w/plate
Ball Slams
Core, Tabata
Mountain Climbers/Bicycle Crunches
Ankle Touches/Plank
v-ups/supermen
Windmills/supine hip march
I think a fun time had by all. The cinderblock carry made the rounds longer -- not a bad thing.
Medicine Ball Warm up
Chest Pass
hip toss to dead catch
egg toss
one handed toss and catch
split squat twisting toss and catch
ball slams
putts l and r
1 leg shotguns
reverse egg toss
Work 2 rounds
Trigger Event -- Cinder block Carry, 15yards 8 blocks
Sledge Hammer the Tire
MaceBell Shield Cast
Kettlebell Swings
Clubbell Swipes
MediBall Pushups
Goblet Squats w/plate
Ball Slams
Core, Tabata
Mountain Climbers/Bicycle Crunches
Ankle Touches/Plank
v-ups/supermen
Windmills/supine hip march
I think a fun time had by all. The cinderblock carry made the rounds longer -- not a bad thing.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
December 17, 2008
Warm up 3x10
OHS - naked O-bar
situps
hyperextensions
reverse lunges
pull ups
bar dips
Work out
Squats, 3x5, 250#
Bench Press, 3x5, 230#
Dead lift, 1x5, 350#
Core
Situps and dumbbell sidebends ran the rack alternating exercises 5 and 10 reps respectively
Cable Push Pull, 3x20, 60#
What an easy work out 'till it came time to pull. My grip gives out at about 300# so I got 2 reps raw and then wrapped for the last 3. One set of Dead lift hardly seems worth setting up.
OHS - naked O-bar
situps
hyperextensions
reverse lunges
pull ups
bar dips
Work out
Squats, 3x5, 250#
Bench Press, 3x5, 230#
Dead lift, 1x5, 350#
Core
Situps and dumbbell sidebends ran the rack alternating exercises 5 and 10 reps respectively
Cable Push Pull, 3x20, 60#
What an easy work out 'till it came time to pull. My grip gives out at about 300# so I got 2 reps raw and then wrapped for the last 3. One set of Dead lift hardly seems worth setting up.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
December 16, 2008
Warm up
OHS
Pull ups
hyperextensions
bar dips
knee machine
butt kicks
basically just kicked around and did some trash to get limber.
Work Out
Squat, 3x5, #250
Ham Raises, 3x8
Press, 3x5, #150
Squat Cleans, 3x5, #175
Core 2x20
4 way neck machine
cable crunches
cable push pull
hyperextensions
supine hip march
So, much nicer to be back up with more reasonable weights. 3x5 makes more sense when things get heavy. Surprisingly tight from yesterday pleased that it was uniform over the whole body. I'm impressed with the Tabata intervals and I feel good that I balanced the exercises in such a way that we got a solid full body workout without being crushed.
OHS
Pull ups
hyperextensions
bar dips
knee machine
butt kicks
basically just kicked around and did some trash to get limber.
Work Out
Squat, 3x5, #250
Ham Raises, 3x8
Press, 3x5, #150
Squat Cleans, 3x5, #175
Core 2x20
4 way neck machine
cable crunches
cable push pull
hyperextensions
supine hip march
So, much nicer to be back up with more reasonable weights. 3x5 makes more sense when things get heavy. Surprisingly tight from yesterday pleased that it was uniform over the whole body. I'm impressed with the Tabata intervals and I feel good that I balanced the exercises in such a way that we got a solid full body workout without being crushed.
Monday, December 15, 2008
December 15, 2008
Work out Group -- a dozen of us showed up
I got a GymBoss timer yesterday for an early Christmas present. So I thought I would share. So today is everything Tabata -- 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest, 8 sets in each round.
A World of Tabata
Warm up
Alternate Tiger Pushups/Inchworm w/double kick
Alternate Drop lunges/lateral lunges
Alternate Windmills/Mountain Climbers
Alternate Rocket Girls/Speed Skaters
Work out
Alternate Air Squats/Lunges
Jumping Jacks
Push-ups
Alternate V-Ups/Superman
Alternate Ankle Touches/prone plank
Burpees
We ran out of time but it was still a pretty good work out. Burpees at the end sucked. I've set the GymBoss so that it does 8 sets which is really nice for not losing count. In some ways using a timer is like using a treadmill it is relentless -- you just gotta keep going.
I got a GymBoss timer yesterday for an early Christmas present. So I thought I would share. So today is everything Tabata -- 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest, 8 sets in each round.
A World of Tabata
Warm up
Alternate Tiger Pushups/Inchworm w/double kick
Alternate Drop lunges/lateral lunges
Alternate Windmills/Mountain Climbers
Alternate Rocket Girls/Speed Skaters
Work out
Alternate Air Squats/Lunges
Jumping Jacks
Push-ups
Alternate V-Ups/Superman
Alternate Ankle Touches/prone plank
Burpees
We ran out of time but it was still a pretty good work out. Burpees at the end sucked. I've set the GymBoss so that it does 8 sets which is really nice for not losing count. In some ways using a timer is like using a treadmill it is relentless -- you just gotta keep going.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
December 14, 2008
Got two new toys today so I had to play with them! A GymBoss timer basically a fancy egg timer that has been tweaked so that gym rats can time intervals. It takes a few minutes to understand how to program it. But, after that BABOOM! So much easier than watching a second hand on your watch while you are bouncing around or swinging your arms.
I also got a Kettlebell. Weighs 25 pounds so not a big one but still cool to actually try out all the vid stuff I've been watching.
Tabata Interval -- 20seconds of work 10 seconds of rest, 8 sets for each exercise.
H2H swings
Presses
High Pulls
Squats
You just gotta love it, heart pounding, sweat pouring, legs burning and all in just 16 minutes.
I also got a Kettlebell. Weighs 25 pounds so not a big one but still cool to actually try out all the vid stuff I've been watching.
Tabata Interval -- 20seconds of work 10 seconds of rest, 8 sets for each exercise.
H2H swings
Presses
High Pulls
Squats
You just gotta love it, heart pounding, sweat pouring, legs burning and all in just 16 minutes.
Friday, December 12, 2008
December 12, 2008
Warm up
10 minutes of treadmill intervals, 7mph, and 3mph, every mill has a different default idea of what an interval means this one was 40 seconds, kinda herky jerky, but whatever.
Work out
Bench Press 3x5, #185
Squat 3x5, #190
Ham Raises
Deadlift 1x5, #275
Core
Same as ever. I guess if I'm writing that I should try some new stuff. On the other hand I am increasing the weight and reps. Hmmm. I'll have to think about that.
I think I'm going to mess around with the sets and reps next week. I'm kinda bored with 3x5. I'll try 5x5 and see if I like that better. Too, I think I'll do some dead lift at home. A way to get the family involved and get a little more work in.
10 minutes of treadmill intervals, 7mph, and 3mph, every mill has a different default idea of what an interval means this one was 40 seconds, kinda herky jerky, but whatever.
Work out
Bench Press 3x5, #185
Squat 3x5, #190
Ham Raises
Deadlift 1x5, #275
Core
Same as ever. I guess if I'm writing that I should try some new stuff. On the other hand I am increasing the weight and reps. Hmmm. I'll have to think about that.
I think I'm going to mess around with the sets and reps next week. I'm kinda bored with 3x5. I'll try 5x5 and see if I like that better. Too, I think I'll do some dead lift at home. A way to get the family involved and get a little more work in.
Aesthetics and Exercise
I’ve been struggling with the whole shit on the “aesthetics” theme. I find it ironically both at CF and BodyTribe. Do, I really care what is the catalyst? Do I care that vanity is the motivator to get up off the couch, or to not stop at the drive through? I read historical body culture literature (which is a mythology that, in part, informs both tribes) yet aesthetics is certainly an important element in the physical culture’s notion of health. Admittedly a different definition of what constitutes body beautiful then what we value but that is the joy of historical research. Glassman rails against what he calls the “contortions” of the gymnast and dancer. And both Glassman and Conrad seem to snub the roid monsters – these are “bad” aesthetics it seems. Is it necessary to create philosophy against the extreme, the absurd, the exception? Rather, if Joe Sixpack and Jane Hiphugger are motivated to do something, anything, by vanity at least at first aren’t we big enough to seize that teachable moment with a little less judgment? Certainly, my own motivations for exercise are more complex, performance, adventure, fear, aesthetics all play a part and there probably are more – as I suspect is true for Conrad and Glassman too. Certainly both CF and BodyTribe are involved in the social construction of reality – a new body image being one element – a different aesthetic of health. But, is it really better, and truer, than any other aesthetic? It is important to understand the roid monsters as a synecdoche of Reagenomics, of Gay and Women's liberation, of entrepreneurial frenzy, of cheap and easy access to drugs, for some examples, situated in a particular historical moment. And to remember that CF and BodyTribe and their aesthetics of health is also historically and culturally situated? Perhaps it is too early in their evolutions to see what potential for absurdities they also contain. So then is it possible to use the master’s tools to dismantle the master’s house? Can we greet Joe and Jane civilly and salt their exercise with a little education – at least until the spirit grabs them and they fall down, so to speak? Or, would we rather exclude these friends we haven’t met yet and leave them to the sharks of slogging on the ergs and shiny machines; yet, feeling all the while smug in our circle of knowledgeable and beautiful fanatics.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Thinking about Martial Arts
I think there are 4 reasons why learning martial arts has become important to me.
Self Control As a young person Self Control was incredibly important to me as a kind of autonomy from my parents. They were very controlling. Self consciousness, and discipline allowed me to anticipate their decisions and emotions – and by anticipating manipulating them which in turn empowered me in an otherwise powerless situation. Alas, along with feeling powerless comes anger but anger that cannot be expressed because it weakens ones position anger none the less that must be absorbed. Absorbing anger is like eating fire. As an adult one grows out of, hopefully, those strategies they developed to survive adolescence and into strategies that support a long term relationship and a family, and so for me Self Control has come to mean other things as I’ve matured. One insight is that I have no control over other persons, but, I have total control over myself whether I realize it or not, whether I practice it or not. Another insight is that I don’t always have to be working and doing things to prove something to someone. If I feel tired it is ok to rest. If I feel hungry it is ok to eat. So long as I keep those things in balance. Hence self control is now more about balance in my life then about whipping myself to do and make more.
Self Determination Martial Arts in as much as they prepare one to have the Survival Mentality are valuable. I think the notion of a Survival Mentality is much better then simply panicking and either making the situation worse or, doing nothing and being run over by the situation. Violence and trauma comes in various intensities and styles and so modulating your responses to it is an aspect of mastery of martial arts. Martial arts are knowledge sets that limit susceptibility to violence and trauma. At times sophisticated communication skills are the martial arts one needs, for example, managing a bullying supervisor in the workplace. First Aid, CPR, is also martial arts. Martial arts for me are, in part, a way of preserving my privacy, a mind set of self protection. Certainly this links back to an experience of childhood powerlessness. But it also looks around at the institutions like our government, our schools, and our employers with an eye of suspicion. Likewise, our society is so much about exposing persons to public scrutiny and ridicule look at our various media, TV reality shows, talk show radio, YouTube, MySpace and so on are very much about exposing ourselves. What does it mean when our public institutions and our entertainment want us to be passive consumers, exposed to scrutiny? Why is so much of our culture about teaching us how to be victims?
We are a still a sexist culture. And as such we want our women to be weak so that it is easy to victimize them. I think it is doubly important for women to understand that they will be victimized at some point in their life and to prepare before hand for how they will respond to that. I feel that many women are hiding from this reality in hopes that it will just go away. And ironically at the same time, I think many young women are feeling the youthful immortality that nothing can happen to them because they are young and strong and optimistic. Both are delusions. There are bad people who want to do bad things -- I think it is important to understand this and to do everything in ones control to not surrender power to these predators. Oftentimes women come close to martial arts through yoga or tai chi. The Chinese talk about internal and external kung fu. Yoga is an example of internal kung fu, so to speak, and so it is true that it has significant value. But if one studies it alone he/she risks being out of balance. Likewise, to study Karate, an external kung fu, so to speak, alone risks being out of balance as well.
Learning Learning external Martial Arts is particularly easy for children, they are sponges, and their bodies are flexible. But for adults it is more difficult and hence a worthy challenge. I think that the distinction between body and mind is largely a meaningless distinction. But, much in our society divides these and so we tell ourselves a fiction until it is true. Martial Arts is a tremendous way to reunite body-mind. As one ages one forgets how to be a body. Children are mostly their bodies and must learn to be minds. Adults are mostly their minds and have forgotten to be their bodies. Elderly people are at risk of losing both. Hence, I think learning martial arts and practicing them throughout life is important in keeping mind-body youthful, tough, and resilient.
Finally: Spirituality is very different from Religion and as such is interesting -- I don't pretend to understand much here but I will try to say the little I do. I think an important component of Spirituality is respect. Respect is kind of a sense of wonder and a kind of politeness. There are mysteries like how it is that birds migrate, or how a person can have the strength to break stones with their punch that earns respect. I am less certain that the fictions, the repetitive motions, and the list of should nots that people have fabricated and call religion actually are about self-control, self-determination, learning and respect, rather I think religion is about being a passive consumer exposed to scrutiny. Instead, I think that hard work and failure and hard work again creates an appreciation and an humility that is respectful. Perhaps, that hard work is a hard climb to a mountain top, or a long canoe paddle to a remote and solitary place, or that hard work is struggling with a particular kata or throw until one does understand it and performs it perfectly. Certainly, folks gabble on about the spiritual aspects of the internal kung fu, but, we often forget the spiritual potency of the external kung fu. I think also that much of our popular culture is about distraction, multi-tasking is the opposite of attention span. Meditative practices are about the discipline of focus, counting the breaths and quieting the internal voices -- voices that express our self-doubt, our fear, our weakness. Martial arts are a form of meditative practice and as such a source of good things, spiritual things that I want for my favorite people. Spirituality is also about persistence and effort it is not a pill that we can take to fill the hole in our soul. Rather it is the practice of building virtues in the void.
Self Control As a young person Self Control was incredibly important to me as a kind of autonomy from my parents. They were very controlling. Self consciousness, and discipline allowed me to anticipate their decisions and emotions – and by anticipating manipulating them which in turn empowered me in an otherwise powerless situation. Alas, along with feeling powerless comes anger but anger that cannot be expressed because it weakens ones position anger none the less that must be absorbed. Absorbing anger is like eating fire. As an adult one grows out of, hopefully, those strategies they developed to survive adolescence and into strategies that support a long term relationship and a family, and so for me Self Control has come to mean other things as I’ve matured. One insight is that I have no control over other persons, but, I have total control over myself whether I realize it or not, whether I practice it or not. Another insight is that I don’t always have to be working and doing things to prove something to someone. If I feel tired it is ok to rest. If I feel hungry it is ok to eat. So long as I keep those things in balance. Hence self control is now more about balance in my life then about whipping myself to do and make more.
Self Determination Martial Arts in as much as they prepare one to have the Survival Mentality are valuable. I think the notion of a Survival Mentality is much better then simply panicking and either making the situation worse or, doing nothing and being run over by the situation. Violence and trauma comes in various intensities and styles and so modulating your responses to it is an aspect of mastery of martial arts. Martial arts are knowledge sets that limit susceptibility to violence and trauma. At times sophisticated communication skills are the martial arts one needs, for example, managing a bullying supervisor in the workplace. First Aid, CPR, is also martial arts. Martial arts for me are, in part, a way of preserving my privacy, a mind set of self protection. Certainly this links back to an experience of childhood powerlessness. But it also looks around at the institutions like our government, our schools, and our employers with an eye of suspicion. Likewise, our society is so much about exposing persons to public scrutiny and ridicule look at our various media, TV reality shows, talk show radio, YouTube, MySpace and so on are very much about exposing ourselves. What does it mean when our public institutions and our entertainment want us to be passive consumers, exposed to scrutiny? Why is so much of our culture about teaching us how to be victims?
We are a still a sexist culture. And as such we want our women to be weak so that it is easy to victimize them. I think it is doubly important for women to understand that they will be victimized at some point in their life and to prepare before hand for how they will respond to that. I feel that many women are hiding from this reality in hopes that it will just go away. And ironically at the same time, I think many young women are feeling the youthful immortality that nothing can happen to them because they are young and strong and optimistic. Both are delusions. There are bad people who want to do bad things -- I think it is important to understand this and to do everything in ones control to not surrender power to these predators. Oftentimes women come close to martial arts through yoga or tai chi. The Chinese talk about internal and external kung fu. Yoga is an example of internal kung fu, so to speak, and so it is true that it has significant value. But if one studies it alone he/she risks being out of balance. Likewise, to study Karate, an external kung fu, so to speak, alone risks being out of balance as well.
Learning Learning external Martial Arts is particularly easy for children, they are sponges, and their bodies are flexible. But for adults it is more difficult and hence a worthy challenge. I think that the distinction between body and mind is largely a meaningless distinction. But, much in our society divides these and so we tell ourselves a fiction until it is true. Martial Arts is a tremendous way to reunite body-mind. As one ages one forgets how to be a body. Children are mostly their bodies and must learn to be minds. Adults are mostly their minds and have forgotten to be their bodies. Elderly people are at risk of losing both. Hence, I think learning martial arts and practicing them throughout life is important in keeping mind-body youthful, tough, and resilient.
Finally: Spirituality is very different from Religion and as such is interesting -- I don't pretend to understand much here but I will try to say the little I do. I think an important component of Spirituality is respect. Respect is kind of a sense of wonder and a kind of politeness. There are mysteries like how it is that birds migrate, or how a person can have the strength to break stones with their punch that earns respect. I am less certain that the fictions, the repetitive motions, and the list of should nots that people have fabricated and call religion actually are about self-control, self-determination, learning and respect, rather I think religion is about being a passive consumer exposed to scrutiny. Instead, I think that hard work and failure and hard work again creates an appreciation and an humility that is respectful. Perhaps, that hard work is a hard climb to a mountain top, or a long canoe paddle to a remote and solitary place, or that hard work is struggling with a particular kata or throw until one does understand it and performs it perfectly. Certainly, folks gabble on about the spiritual aspects of the internal kung fu, but, we often forget the spiritual potency of the external kung fu. I think also that much of our popular culture is about distraction, multi-tasking is the opposite of attention span. Meditative practices are about the discipline of focus, counting the breaths and quieting the internal voices -- voices that express our self-doubt, our fear, our weakness. Martial arts are a form of meditative practice and as such a source of good things, spiritual things that I want for my favorite people. Spirituality is also about persistence and effort it is not a pill that we can take to fill the hole in our soul. Rather it is the practice of building virtues in the void.
December 11, 2008
Work out group -- 7 of us showed up
Warm Up
Run the Rabbit -- 10 minutes
Stretch
Inchworms w/twist
Crucifixion/Scorpions
Lunge with a double twist
Reverse walking lunges hands overhead
High knee walk, Lunge with quad stretch
Backward Hurdle Walk
Forward Hurdle Walk
Walking knee machine
Superman walk
Kick walk
Work 3 rounds, 2 minutes of rest between
Trigger Event -- Diagonal Run w/ sandbag 2x
Sledge Hammer the Tire
Plate Swings
Clubbell Mills, L
Clubbell Mills, R
Push-up Rows
Bear Crawls
Core
Seated Sand Bag Brigade
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
December 10, 2008
Warm up
Basically, I taught "M" how to do OHS and started to introduce Squat Cleans to him. So, not much of a warm up. But today's work was fairly light so I didn't worry about it.
Work out
Press 3x5, 115#
Hang Squat Cleans, 3x5, 135#
Squats, 3x5, 190#
Glute-Ham Raises 3x8
Core 3x20
4 way neck Machine, 150#
Cable Crunches, 150#
Cable Push Pull, 80#
hyperextensions
supine hip march
So what I'm doing is a combination of Rippetoe's Starting Strength workouts and a 10 week cycle I found at EXRX.net. The cycle oscillates between weeks of increasing intensity and weeks of relative rest. So this week is 65% of 1 rep max. Last week was 80% and next week will be back up to 85% the week after 75%. I like the periodization. I'm not convinced the exercises and the number of sets and reps are ideal for me. But, I can work that out.
After tanking this fall I really need to think more clearly about cycles of intensity.
Basically, I taught "M" how to do OHS and started to introduce Squat Cleans to him. So, not much of a warm up. But today's work was fairly light so I didn't worry about it.
Work out
Press 3x5, 115#
Hang Squat Cleans, 3x5, 135#
Squats, 3x5, 190#
Glute-Ham Raises 3x8
Core 3x20
4 way neck Machine, 150#
Cable Crunches, 150#
Cable Push Pull, 80#
hyperextensions
supine hip march
So what I'm doing is a combination of Rippetoe's Starting Strength workouts and a 10 week cycle I found at EXRX.net. The cycle oscillates between weeks of increasing intensity and weeks of relative rest. So this week is 65% of 1 rep max. Last week was 80% and next week will be back up to 85% the week after 75%. I like the periodization. I'm not convinced the exercises and the number of sets and reps are ideal for me. But, I can work that out.
After tanking this fall I really need to think more clearly about cycles of intensity.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
December 9, 2008
Warm up
10 minutes of treadmill intervals
glute and ham stretches
reverse lunges
ohs naked o-bar
Work out
Squats 3x5, 190#
Glute-Ham Raises, 3x10
Standing leg raises, left side, 3x8, 100#
Bench Press 3x5, 185#
Dead lift 1x5, 275#
Core
4 way neck machine, 3x20, 120#
cable crunches, 3x30, 150#
cable push pull, 3x20, 70#
hyperextensions, 3x20
supine hip march, 3x20
10 minutes of treadmill intervals
glute and ham stretches
reverse lunges
ohs naked o-bar
Work out
Squats 3x5, 190#
Glute-Ham Raises, 3x10
Standing leg raises, left side, 3x8, 100#
Bench Press 3x5, 185#
Dead lift 1x5, 275#
Core
4 way neck machine, 3x20, 120#
cable crunches, 3x30, 150#
cable push pull, 3x20, 70#
hyperextensions, 3x20
supine hip march, 3x20
Monday, December 8, 2008
December 8, 2008
Work out group 10 showed up.
Medicine Ball Warm up
Chest Pass
hip toss to dead catch
egg toss
one handed toss and catch
split squat twisting toss and catch
ball slams
putts l and r
1 leg shotguns
reverse egg toss
Dynamic Flexibility
Tiger Pushups
Scorpions/Crucifixtion
Reverse walking lunge
high knee, lunge, quad stretch
Inchworms
hurdle walk/reverse hurdle walk
elbow to instep, overhead reach
lunge and reach, back and stretch
Partner Work
1 lap on track -- trigger event
continuous movement
seated twist pass, 2l and 2r
1 push up 4 shoulder taps
MediBall Putts, 2l and 2r
Chest Pass to sit up, 2x and switch -- bonus if needed
Partner squat -- bonus if needed
Move the mountain -- trigger event
MediBall Pass Barbarian Squats
Tire Rolls
x-box
Alligator crawl, side shuffle box -- bonus if needed
mediball pushups alternating hands -- bonus if needed
Tabata, MediBall Core
Vertical Chops
Side to Side Chops
diagonal chops
lunge and reach
Fairly good workout. I do a poor job of explaining things so I guess folks get confused. But everybody kept busy and nobody puked so what the hell.
Medicine Ball Warm up
Chest Pass
hip toss to dead catch
egg toss
one handed toss and catch
split squat twisting toss and catch
ball slams
putts l and r
1 leg shotguns
reverse egg toss
Dynamic Flexibility
Tiger Pushups
Scorpions/Crucifixtion
Reverse walking lunge
high knee, lunge, quad stretch
Inchworms
hurdle walk/reverse hurdle walk
elbow to instep, overhead reach
lunge and reach, back and stretch
Partner Work
1 lap on track -- trigger event
continuous movement
seated twist pass, 2l and 2r
1 push up 4 shoulder taps
MediBall Putts, 2l and 2r
Chest Pass to sit up, 2x and switch -- bonus if needed
Partner squat -- bonus if needed
Move the mountain -- trigger event
- Mediball carry, 2 pushups on the baseline
- Bear crawl, run, 2 pushups on the baseline
MediBall Pass Barbarian Squats
Tire Rolls
x-box
Alligator crawl, side shuffle box -- bonus if needed
mediball pushups alternating hands -- bonus if needed
Tabata, MediBall Core
Vertical Chops
Side to Side Chops
diagonal chops
lunge and reach
Fairly good workout. I do a poor job of explaining things so I guess folks get confused. But everybody kept busy and nobody puked so what the hell.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
December 5, 2008
Warm-up
Inchworm in place, with a tiger pushup, and a double leg raise
Rowed for 3 minutes
OHS with a naked 0-bar
towel hamstring stretch
quad stretch
reverse lunges
hurdle walk, reverse hurdle walk
Work out 3x5
Squats, 225#
Press, 135#
Hang Squat Cleans, 155#
Core 3x20
4 way neck machine, 120#
Cable Cunches, 150#
Cable Push Pull, 60#
Hyperextensions
Supine hip march
I felt good today although I needed a bunch of stretching to get loosened up.
Inchworm in place, with a tiger pushup, and a double leg raise
Rowed for 3 minutes
OHS with a naked 0-bar
towel hamstring stretch
quad stretch
reverse lunges
hurdle walk, reverse hurdle walk
Work out 3x5
Squats, 225#
Press, 135#
Hang Squat Cleans, 155#
Core 3x20
4 way neck machine, 120#
Cable Cunches, 150#
Cable Push Pull, 60#
Hyperextensions
Supine hip march
I felt good today although I needed a bunch of stretching to get loosened up.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
December 4, 2008
Work out group had about a dozen folks show up. Had a new person, alas, this workout wasn't so welcoming. Fortunately she intuitively scaled stuff to her capacity -- I like that kind of self consciousness.
General warm-up
Various skips w/arm swings
Skip with a twist
Skip, skip, lunge
Hips in shuffle
Hips out shuffle
Puddle hops
Carioca, l, r
Forward Shuffle 2left, 2right
Backward shuffle 2left, 2right
Backward push
Butt kicks
Stretch
Reverse walking lunges hands overhead
High knee walk, Walking Lunge with quad stretch
Walking knee out Lunge with a double twist
Lunge elbow to instep w/ rotation
Inchworms with double kick
Walking Knee Machine
Superman walk
Kick walk
Pre-work, 6 rounds
6 burpees
6 lunges
6 broad jumps
Weight Room
70 Squats
5 supine rows, or pull-ups
50 Squats
10 supine rows, or pull-ups
30 Squats
15 supine rows, or pull-ups
10 Squats
20 supine rows, or pull-ups
Finish
Stairs Serpentine
"K's" killer ab workout
Pretty good work out tough but doable. My calves were cramping on me while running the stairs so I was doing the poky puppy but other wise just a good solid workout.
General warm-up
Various skips w/arm swings
Skip with a twist
Skip, skip, lunge
Hips in shuffle
Hips out shuffle
Puddle hops
Carioca, l, r
Forward Shuffle 2left, 2right
Backward shuffle 2left, 2right
Backward push
Butt kicks
Stretch
Reverse walking lunges hands overhead
High knee walk, Walking Lunge with quad stretch
Walking knee out Lunge with a double twist
Lunge elbow to instep w/ rotation
Inchworms with double kick
Walking Knee Machine
Superman walk
Kick walk
Pre-work, 6 rounds
6 burpees
6 lunges
6 broad jumps
Weight Room
70 Squats
5 supine rows, or pull-ups
50 Squats
10 supine rows, or pull-ups
30 Squats
15 supine rows, or pull-ups
10 Squats
20 supine rows, or pull-ups
Finish
Stairs Serpentine
"K's" killer ab workout
Pretty good work out tough but doable. My calves were cramping on me while running the stairs so I was doing the poky puppy but other wise just a good solid workout.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
December 3, 2008
25 minutes of Treadmill intervals, 1:30, 3mph, 1:00, 8mph, covered 2 miles
Core 3x20
4 way neck machine, 150#
Cable Crunches, 150#
Cable Push Pull, 60#
Hyperextensions
Supine Hip march
felt pretty fine today, which after Monday's embarassment is nice.
Core 3x20
4 way neck machine, 150#
Cable Crunches, 150#
Cable Push Pull, 60#
Hyperextensions
Supine Hip march
felt pretty fine today, which after Monday's embarassment is nice.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Play-Out
Why are we so enamored by the term “work-out”? Are we obsessed with “work” so that it becomes pervasive throughout our entire lives?
What if instead we did our “play-out”? What if we went to the gym with the goal of having fun? Obviously, we see this with folks who do a lot of cross training, and play sports to get their exercise. But, so many folks are trapped in the cycle of slogging. Slogging through an hour on some sort of ergonomic machine or slogging through a circuit of exercises with various machines. GAHHH! HOW DAMN BORING!
CrossFit defines fitness this way:
Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.
So, I love that they chase after variety and intensity – and they encourage folks to play sports – particularly to learn new sports.
What if we called an exercise session a “play-out” and we looked for fun things to do? What if we said I have to go to my "learn-out" and we looked for new sports, new skills to learn?
Agility drills and skills offer a lot of fun.
Drills for Balance and Coordination
Drills for Speed and Agility
Eye-hand coordination stuff can be a hoot. And not everything has to be about grunting and sweating.
Learn to Juggle
Ross at Ross Traing has an interesting article about Juggling particularly about the mental benefits of learning new skills.
Of course places like Brand X, and HardCore Kids know that it has to be fun for kids to want to come back -- why do adults make exercise such a vitamin pill?
Interestingly Jim Baker of CrossFit makes the point that in coaching elderly people you have to remind them of seemingly simple neuromuscular activities, how to crawl, how to get up from a kneeling position -- they have to become child like to retain their youth.
Of course, now I have to take my own medicine.
What if instead we did our “play-out”? What if we went to the gym with the goal of having fun? Obviously, we see this with folks who do a lot of cross training, and play sports to get their exercise. But, so many folks are trapped in the cycle of slogging. Slogging through an hour on some sort of ergonomic machine or slogging through a circuit of exercises with various machines. GAHHH! HOW DAMN BORING!
CrossFit defines fitness this way:
Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.
So, I love that they chase after variety and intensity – and they encourage folks to play sports – particularly to learn new sports.
What if we called an exercise session a “play-out” and we looked for fun things to do? What if we said I have to go to my "learn-out" and we looked for new sports, new skills to learn?
Agility drills and skills offer a lot of fun.
Drills for Balance and Coordination
Drills for Speed and Agility
Eye-hand coordination stuff can be a hoot. And not everything has to be about grunting and sweating.
Learn to Juggle
Ross at Ross Traing has an interesting article about Juggling particularly about the mental benefits of learning new skills.
Of course places like Brand X, and HardCore Kids know that it has to be fun for kids to want to come back -- why do adults make exercise such a vitamin pill?
Interestingly Jim Baker of CrossFit makes the point that in coaching elderly people you have to remind them of seemingly simple neuromuscular activities, how to crawl, how to get up from a kneeling position -- they have to become child like to retain their youth.
Of course, now I have to take my own medicine.
December 2, 2008
Warm-up
10 minutes of treadmill intervals and 5 minutes talking to "W" about asthma -- ok so not the best one.
Workout
3x5, Bench Press, #195
3x5, Squat, #205
3x8, Glute-ham Raise
1x5, Deadlift, #285
Core, 3x20
4 way neck machine, #120
cable crunches, #150
cable push pull, 60#
hyperextensions
supine hip march
10 minutes of treadmill intervals and 5 minutes talking to "W" about asthma -- ok so not the best one.
Workout
3x5, Bench Press, #195
3x5, Squat, #205
3x8, Glute-ham Raise
1x5, Deadlift, #285
Core, 3x20
4 way neck machine, #120
cable crunches, #150
cable push pull, 60#
hyperextensions
supine hip march
Monday, December 1, 2008
December 1, 2008
Workout group about a dozen folks showed up.
General warm-up
Hips in shuffle
Hips out shuffle
Puddle hops
Various skips w/arm swings
Skip with a twist
Skip, skip, lunge
Carioca, l, r
Forward Shuffle 2left, 2right
Backward shuffle 2left, 2right
Backward push
Butt kicks
Stretch
Reverse walking lunges hands overhead
High knee walk, Walking Lunge with quad stretch
Walking knee out Lunge with a double twist
Lunge elbow to instep w/ rotation
Inchworms with double kick
Walking Knee Machine
Superman walk
Kick walk
Agility/Speed
Sprint from a lying start
Prone head first
Supine head first, l,r
Prone feet first, l,r
Supine feet first
Weights 3 rounds
12, Sumo Dead lift, 50% bodyweight
12 Jump tuck
12, Dumbbell PP alternating sides
12 Jump tuck
12, Goblet Squats
12 Jump tuck
Farmers Walk, 40% body weight
V-ups , Planks, Cross lateral superman
Too damn hard my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Kinda embarassing to write a workout you can't do. Next time I'll drop the number of reps, to 8 and on the jump tucks I'll do a descending pyramid, 10, 8, 6
General warm-up
Hips in shuffle
Hips out shuffle
Puddle hops
Various skips w/arm swings
Skip with a twist
Skip, skip, lunge
Carioca, l, r
Forward Shuffle 2left, 2right
Backward shuffle 2left, 2right
Backward push
Butt kicks
Stretch
Reverse walking lunges hands overhead
High knee walk, Walking Lunge with quad stretch
Walking knee out Lunge with a double twist
Lunge elbow to instep w/ rotation
Inchworms with double kick
Walking Knee Machine
Superman walk
Kick walk
Agility/Speed
Sprint from a lying start
Prone head first
Supine head first, l,r
Prone feet first, l,r
Supine feet first
Weights 3 rounds
12, Sumo Dead lift, 50% bodyweight
12 Jump tuck
12, Dumbbell PP alternating sides
12 Jump tuck
12, Goblet Squats
12 Jump tuck
Farmers Walk, 40% body weight
V-ups , Planks, Cross lateral superman
Too damn hard my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Kinda embarassing to write a workout you can't do. Next time I'll drop the number of reps, to 8 and on the jump tucks I'll do a descending pyramid, 10, 8, 6
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