Monday, June 27, 2011

kettlebell w/o

I'm up north for at least a couple weeks helping out with the family business. I brought my kettlebells, a jumprope, and rings so I should be able to crank out a wod or two every few days. Just a quick one today:

3 rounds:
30 KBS (2 pood)
As fast as possible
1 min rest

Daily report
  • Body: Fine. Funny story; so last night I was lighting the grill to throw on a few t-bones and the damn match wouldn't spark the gas to get 'er goin. Of course if it doesn't light with the grill closed, it will probably start with the grill open, right? Wrong. Very wrong. The second I opened the grill with a lit match in my hand the gas erupted and I cinged all of the hair off of my right side. Arms, facial hair, eyelashes, and a bit of my buzz cut. Very embarassed, but okay. FML.. propane grills suck anyways. Next time sticking to charcoal.
  • Sleep: Enough.
  • Nutrition: Pledging this week to stay clean.
  • Notes: Solid workout. Last set very challenging, but unbroken. 1 minute rest felt short.
  • Oh, and by the way. Finalized my trip to the games. YEEAA BOOIII
  • Good books:
    • Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace -- Just finished this book on Thursday of last week. It has been a goal of mine to read this book for awhile now, and I am very glad that I plowed through it in only one month. It was a fairly long read, coming in at close to 1200 pages. That said, it kept my interest throughout the entire read. DFW 'gets it', I'm not sure how else to put it... he has a gift for witty humor and precise description unlike any author I've read before. I learned a ton reading this book, but it is difficult for me to recommend it -- this isn't a book you can just pick up and casually read. The premise of the book is best understood by learning about the title... "Infinite Jest" is a line from Hamlet (Act V, Scn 1) where Hamlet is holding the skull of Yorick, a jester. He says "Alas, Poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio. A fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath borne me on his back a thousand times and now how abhorred in my imagination it is!" Yorick lived his life a a jester... worshiping vanity and escape. He lived for nothing, and now is nothing... Hamlet will end up like him no matter what, but what will his legacy be? Interestingly, "Infinite Jest" is also the title of a "cartrige" or video in the novel known as "the entertainment" which is rumored to be so compelling upon watching it that after its viewing, the person watching gives up all else in order to watch the film. It is difficult for me to sum up the book, as I can tell from how long this rambling is going.. but in short, the book covers everything. I have also recently picked up a set of DFW's essays which were fantastic (Consider the Lobser.) David Foster Wallace is for the moment my favorite author and I plan to go through as much of his work as possible before the summer is out.
    • On Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins -- I read this at the very end of the school year, and I consider it one of the most interesting discussions of the human thought process I have ever read. I really enjoy books like this because I find it very facinating how mysterious the human brain is... there is nothing quite like it in the universe. Yet, as powerful as it is, it cannot figure out itself. Anyways, the main premise of the book is to compare artificial intelligence to human intelligence. What it boils down to is that even the best artificial intelligence boils down to the same three components: A processor, rules, and memory. An interesting thought experiment brought up in the book is to imagine someone sitting in an empty room, with only a tiny slit in one of the walls. Through this slit comes a reading test, i.e. several books of chinese, a sheet of rules (in English) for the chinese and a sheet to record answers. Given enough time, the English speaking person would be able to manipulate the chinese characters and get correct answers. What this demonstrates is that computers may be able to converse in 'human' language, no matter what they cannot 'understand' human language. Looking deeper into what it means for a human to 'understand,' Hawkins demonstrates that what sets us apart is the ability to predict. For example, when a person hears a certain series of notes in a song, we are always in our minds completing the different musical phrases. Also, when conversing with others, we are always seeking to complete other people's sentances in our heads. A well told joke has a punchline that was not predicted, evoking a breaking of tension or 'laughter.' Lastly, think of if you were to come into your room and the door handle was shifter only two inches higher than it usually was. Immediately, you would know that something was wrong. Why? Because you are always predicting your environment. These examples all showcase the fundamental difference between humans and computers; you could never program a computer to detect changes in the environment without programming every possible scenerio -- a seemigly impossibe task. Anyways, it was a great book and anyone else interested in brain books should check it out.
    • Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer -- I sort of have a knack for memorizing things, so when I saw this on the bestsellers list at school I had to pick it up. This book follows Joshua through a training regime for the world memorization championships which includes events such as memorizing two decks of cards as fast as possible and being shown 300 faces and names and having to recall the names with only the faces 5 minutes later. What really stuck out to me in this read was an ancient memorization technique documented in a latin text called the Ad Herennium. The method is called the method of loci (loci=places in latin), which says that in order to memorize something, 'rerum' (things) must find their 'loci) in your mind. For example, there is a paradox known as the "Baker-Baker paradox" that was demonstrated by an experiment where 100 people were shown a person and were told that their last name was "Baker", another 100 people were shown the same person and were told that they were a baker (the occupation). Later, the experimenters asked each group to recall what they were told about the person. Overwhelmingly, the people remembered the occupation compared to the name. I used this in the last part of my latin course to memorize vocabulary... I have to say it is extremely helpful. Each word I break down into a neumonic device. I tell myself a story, and the more outrageous the better I remember. For example, one of our words was 'ingens' which means huge... my story was (pretending I am a bodybuilder) "if i keep mak"IN' GAINS" ... I'm gonna be HUGE." I dont know. Just some food for thought.
    • Thank you blog, for helping me get to sleep. I'm sorry if you read through all of that, just thought I'd share some things I've been thinking about.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

squats/deads metcon

Warm-up:
800 M Run
21 PVC Muscle Snatch
21 Lunges

Met con:
21 Squats (225/163)
400 M Run
21 Deadlift (225/163)
400 M Run
75 Box Jumps (24/20)

For time: 10:15

Daily report
  • Body: Good.
  • Sleep: Not enough.
  • Nutrition: Fine.
  • Notes: Nothing really. Broke up the squats after 17; really wish I could have gotten all 21 in a row. Deads were UB. Box jumps were mostly mental for me, but pushed through. Good wod.

Monday, June 20, 2011

helen

 Back squat -- heavy triple
185, 225, 245, 265, 275

-------------------------------------

"Helen"

3 rft
Run 400m
21 kbs -- 1.5 pd
12 pull ups

For time: 10:53

Daily report
  • Body: Good.
  • Sleep: Enough.
  • Nutrition: Too many cashews. Otherwise, good. 18 hour fast today.
  • Notes: Form started to slip at 265. At 275 my knees severely caved in on the 5th rep. Really need to work on that. Helen was done at about 80% effort.. didn't really put my heart into it.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

couple thoughts



Haven't been training for the past few days. Work has left me quite spent... I tried to oly lift the other day at CFSP, but mentally wasn't there. Didn't get past 185 for snatch, and my 185 c&j was painfully difficult. Day off tomorrow; I am going to try to get in the gym. May go swimming later tonight.

Daily report
  • Body: A little 'off'/sore... but overall okay.
  • Sleep: Lots.
  • Nutrition: Could be better.
  • Notes: Not much training, lots of reading.
  • Random Thoughts:
  •  Squatting -- Straight forward or toed out?:
    • This debate originates from Kelly Starrett's Mobility Wod, which has put out several compelling videos detailing why squatting with toes as straight forward as possible is a better position than toes pointing outwards. Personally, I have always accepted (and coached) that squatting with toes slightly outward is the correct position.
    • I have been playing around with toes forward and while it is uncomfortable at first, I am going to practice towards making this the default position for squat and oly lifts. Starrett really is on to something -- not only can you more easily maintain a stronger arch which means a more stable relationship between the floor and the load, but when you push your knees outwards you can more effectively generate torque.
    • I find it interesting that the theme of external rotation plays true for both upper and lower body limbs. The cues "Active Shoulders" and "armpits forward" put the shoulder into external rotation. This is analogous to "knees out" and "spread the floor" for your hips.
 
  • HSPU support -- Kick up or face the wall?
    • Another debate that has struck some interest at CFSP is whether to kick up into a HSPU wall-support or to face the wall. Again, I have always been taught that the easiest way to get into a HSPU position is to kick up onto the wall. What Carl Paoli says is that while this may be quick and easy, it is not the best way to perform if one is seeking progression into an unassisted HSPU.
    • I have played around with this one as well, and it is still much easier to kick up against the wall and knock them out. While this may be effective for a met con, this is not effective for building up to a freestanding HSPU. I am going to begin practicing wall-facing support and see if I can't knock one out before the end of the summer.

CFJ - Fixing the Hand Stand Push Up with Carl Paoli with Jason Khalipa from Mike Jackson on Vimeo.
 

  •  Fuck Spongebob Squarepants
    • An eccentric argument, sure, but I am convinced that one of, if not the worst problems with childhood obesity is exposure to mass media. To understand this, one must have a change of prospective... not looking into these programming networks, rather outwards to the audience. How does Nickelodeon and the Disney channel see the American youth? As far as I can tell, they see them as nothing more than a dollar sign to feed their wide wallets and those of their investors.
    • For example, Spongebob Squarepants has grown itself into an $8 billion franchise. With that kind of money on the line, they are not just in this for the laughs -- they're in it to make a killing. One thing that I have noticed in watching several episodes is that the show plays into the one of the most fundamental phenomenons in the universe; tension and resolution. Why does a person find enjoyment in music? Tension and resolution. Laughter? Tension and resolution. Sex? Tension and resolution. What happens several times in each episode is tension of some sort building around Spongebob.... often times tied with bodily functions such as being taken over by a gigantic fungus. This creates discomfort and stimulus in children watching, almost to the point of scratching and gnawing on fingers. Once at it's peak, the tension is broken............ how? With product.  a krabby patty,"Kelp" cereal, ice cream... propagating consumption of their investor's poison.
    • This evokes a DEEP and POWERFUL connection in children at a subconcious level. It is no surprise that at commercial breaks we find ads for McDonalds and Fruity Pebbles cereal. The next time a child is feeling anxious on the car ride from school, there is no question that Mom will pass the golden arches. Tantrum insues, mom gives in, tension resolved until bed time when they brush their teeth with insulin-attack inducing Spongebob toothpaste and curl up next to their Spongebob pillow to get some sleep only to wake up and eat Spongebob endorsed cereal infront of a daily dose of feedback-loop-inducing Spongebob television. Holy fuck people.
    • This leaves our youth completely bereft from anything meaningful. Children's programming networks instill torpor in the mind of their audience. This is a detriment to their development. Big media wins at the cost of depressed and inattentive kids...
    • I challenge you to go to your closest television and turn the station to either Nickelodeon or Disney. It doesn't matter if it is SpongeBob or iCarley or whatever... they ALL sell whatever that quality is to investors and it must be fought like the plague. What happened to the emotional appeal of quality rhetoric? Unrehearsed and creative and moving... PBS?

  • Paleo or ... not paleo?
    • I found this article fascinating. Don has done 14 year of paleo dieting, only to now say farewell to this lifestyle. That said, I would certainly classify the approach he has taken in lieu if of paleo dieting as still a flavor of paleo, but you can judge for yourself.
    • As a result of these experiences I have abandoned “paleo” dieting as popularly conceived, and realized that all my difficulties were predicted by Chinese medical nutrition theory, which has a few thousand years head start on recent "paleo" diet theory.  I have returned to eating a whole food, high-starch, gluten-free, low-fat (≤20% energy as fat) plant-based diet with much smaller amounts of animal products, primarily fish and shellfish.   Although this accords with both traditional Chinese medical knowledge and modern Western nutrition research, it does not fit with the claim that “paleo diet” consists of a meat-dominated, low-to-moderate carbohydrate, grain-free diet. 

      Although I now believe that reverse engineering from presently observable human biochemistry and physiology suggests that modern humans are adapted to a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet with relatively low or intermittent intake of animal foods (by current Western and especially "paleo diet" standards), mostly of fish and shellfish,  I doubt that my input will change the now entrenched idea that human evolutionary “paleo” diets were meat- and fat- rich and plant-food poor.   Therefore, I will not even attempt to call what I do or advocate a “paleo” or “primal” diet, although I think it appropriate to do so.  


Wednesday, June 15, 2011

CFSP Wod



Did this one after lawn service 7am-6pm

1830

6 Rounds for time:
(1 min rest between rounds)
10 DB Cleans (45/30)**
200 M Sprint
10 Pull-ups
** Subbed 2 pood KB cleans (full clean w/ flip)

For time: 17:10

Daily report
  • Body: Pretty good. Soreness has finally subsided from WOD 4.
  • Sleep: So/so. Could be better.
  • Nutrition: Needs work. No more Culvers after work!!
  • Notes: Its been awhile since I've had time for a met con. Felt solid. All pullups were butterfly

Friday, June 10, 2011

few wods this week



Each of these was after work, which was from 7am to 6pm. Traffic is pretty rough around 6 back home, so I did the 6:30 class at Crossfit St. Paul.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Monday 1830

400 M Run
Snatch Review/Prep

Snatch:
1-1-1-1-1-1-1-HS
For Load: 185 for four quality singles.

21-15-9 Reps** for time:
Right arm KB high-pulls (53/35)
Left arm KB high-pulls (53/35)
WB Shots (20/14)
** Do 5 burpees each time you transition from one movement to another for the duration of the workout. 21-5-21-5-21-5-15-5-15-5-15-5-9-5-9-5-9.

For time: I did this one twice. 7:14, 7:24

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Tuesday 1830

Warm-up:
500 M Row
Muscle-up Review/Practice

Amanda
9-7-5 Reps for time:
Muscle-ups*
Snatch (135/93)**

For time: 10:40
* Did first 6 single muscle ups, the rest scaled to strict ring pull ups and deep ring dips.
** Scaled to 95#, all unbroken and fast

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Wednesday 1830

5/1, 4/2, 3/3, 2/4, 1/5 Reps for time:
Clean 225#
Rope Climb

For time: 19:55

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Thursday 1830

Warm-up:
20 Ring Rows
5 Lengths: Bear Crawl
20 PVC OHS

Games WOD #4
100 Pull-ups
100 KB Swings (53/35)
100 Double Unders
100 OHS (95/63)

For time: 23:10

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Weekly report:
  • Body: Very, very sore at the moment. Lots of squatting this week. Work was very difficult today. Games WOD 4 tore up my legs pretty bad.
  • Sleep: So/so. Have to wake up each morning at 0530, and it has been difficult to go to bed at a decent hour for enough sleep. Planning to catch up here this weekend.
  • Nutrition: Not too much during the day, but good at night. This week 1-10; 7. Room for improvement.
  • Notes: Some good programming this week. I could not believe that today's CFSP wod was Grace (30 c&j for time, 135#). There was no way that was happening.
    • Very happy with day 1's snatches. Haven't done them for awhile. Previously 185 was miss/make, but Monday I felt like 185 was child's play. Really hoping to break through 225# this summer. The day I did Amanda it was 103 degrees out; hottest day in 23 years in Minneapolis. I scaled a lot, but it was still difficult. I'd like for that to someday be 'metconnable.' 
    • Rope climbs are what held this one back. 225 was heavy but manageable. For some reason my grip would not cooporate with my legs for the last two sets of climbs. Very slow reps, none touch-and-go. Need more training here.
    • Games WOD 4 was awesome. The pullups were quick, less than 5 min. KB swings were broken, but little rest. 40-40-20. Double unders were harder than expected, but quick. OHS were really the sticking part of this workout. I did 6 sets of 15, one set of 10. I felt like that was the best way to break it up, but I could have rested a little less between sets.
  • Music of the moment: Heard this on The Current during my morning commute. Ugly Ducking -- Slow the Flow #prettydope

Monday, June 6, 2011

long bike ride



Saturday

Bike ~80 miles
Notes: 4 breaks, lots of reading and talking. Not enough food during ride; last 15 miles there was a lot of cramping. Solid pace with tail winds for first half, facing head wind was not fun on the way back.

Daily report
  • Body: Legs very sore.
  • Sleep: So/so.
  • Nutrition: Needs to be cleaner.
  • Notes: Good ride; hope to crossfit a few times this week.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Pistols, pull-ups



Thursday 1830

Work 12 hours, outside

Warmup -- 500m row (1:40 @ 75%)

400m x 2 (sprints)
For times: 1:20, 1:24

10-8-6-4-2
R-leg pistols
L-leg pistols
strict pull-ups
For time: 8:10

Daily report
  • Body: Very sore after this one, especially in shoulders.
  • Sleep: So-so. Could have ben to bed earlier.
  • Nutrition: Good. Not much during the day, good at night.
  • Notes: Pistols felt good, pull ups were broken up.