Bust out of the wintertime blues

Dont get bummed out prematurely


Some of you are 3 weeks into your New Year's resolutions

Some of you never really stopped , but winter can bring with it a case of the doldrums that is sometimes hard to shake even for motivated pro's

For those just slinking back into the gym or coming in after a long layoff,  --- you likely have already experienced the over-exuberance of those first 2 workouts , and the resulting 4 or 5 days of soreness afterwards

   Or you hit the track, trails or treadmill, and were disappointed that the numbers weren't rolling by as quickly as they did a few years ago


Don't despair -- it happens

Discipline is forged when you struggle past the weak spots and find triumph in what would formerly be mundane

If you deadlift 200 pounds -- be happy.    It may not be as much as you did when you were in college, or were 25 y/o etc etc,  --- but you just pulled 200 pounds straight off the ground -- not bad

    Dont be dejected if it takes you 11 minutes to run a mile, and the thought of running 2 or even 3 seems like an insurmountable task
    --- You just ran a mile   -- sure, not in the same time as you did when you were in the service, or when you were in high school track, --- but you did it.   See if you can add a quarter mile in a week if your working on a mileage goal

Life is a journey -- embrace it -- your goals should always be in the back of your mind ,  but get some enjoyment out of the little things
  ---after all, before you can ever run 6.2 miles, -- you must first be able to run one

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Shake Things Up 

For the most part , my musings and rantings are not geared towards professional athletes , and i think most can see that when they read enough of my entries, -- but we do have a handful that stop by every once in a while  -- so i try to give everyone some take aways

One point someone mentioned to me while speaking directly about motivation is to not be afraid to use material things as a slump buster --- this won't fix serious problems in anyone's program, ---- but it can be as simple as trying a new pair of shoes you like, -- or maybe getting a short guest membership at a different gym in a different part of town for a couple of weeks  ----

Personally,  I've been dabbling occasionally at a somewhat local BMX track with an overgrown adult size bmx bike lately --- I'm 43 years old, so this may sound preposterous ,  -- but let me break it down --- I go from resting heart rate to very close to max HR in 45 seconds , --- then when my heart rate gets back down to 115 or so , i do it again  (one lap taking roughly 45 seconds) -

- multiply those efforts times 6 or 10, -- and that sounds an awful lot like an interval session doesnt it?   ----  Thats because if we were doing anything else to do that, it would be an interval session

      disclaimer: i do have a previous (although limited) background in that sport - i wouldn't recommend BMX to everybody -- but its a fun way to get in a session if you have a suitable bike and a track close enough to use

    Take an indoor rowing class if there is one in your area --- that will also get you out of your comfort zone real quick

Lots of ways to shake things up if you need to


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Keep a journal

I know a ton of people who do not do this  --  But if its wintertime and the spirit is weak, -- you need every tool at your disposal to succeed

First off -- if you have modified your diet in any way ,  this should be mandatory

Whether its adding calories, cutting calories, trying a new system (like paleo) -- or anything else,  you should keep a record of what you eat and the effect it has on you

Do certain foods make you sleepy?  Give you digestive issues? Toss and turn at night?

NArrow em down and weed em out  ---

As well, if your trying to reduce calories, keeping a journal of everything you put in your mouth keeps you accountable.    It also makes it easier to calculate your tally at the end of the day.
    If its stuff you'd be embarrassed to show a trainer, - do you really need to be eating it?

Its also sobering to munch down on a 2 pack of oatmeal cream pies , then look at the nutrition label and realize you just wolfed down 340 calories

--- Doesnt 5 oz of lean sirloin and some veggies sound more satisfying than that ?  Thats also about 340-350 calories if you select hand trimmed cuts of meat carefully.  ---

All you need is a small spiral notebook  ---

 for example, - i write down what i eat,  - the good the bad and the ugly.   I write down what type of exercise i engaged in that day  ---i dont really break it down to the sets and reps - but i jot down what the basic exercises performed were

 --- i also take note of my nap times, plus how much sleep i got the night before -- if my sleep time is lagging, i'd like to get to the bottom of it too

You decide what goes in, its your journal --- but jotting everything down can help keep you more focused on what you need to do on any particular day

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Thanks for reading again --

2 or 3 people have told me that my blog is hard to get to --- i dont know - i also CC myself with every blog submission and dont find it too painful --- but if anybody has any suggestions on a better blog server -- i am all ears

I am also seeking help in updating and revamping our website ---  fitclaimspro.com   -- I havent done much it, because honestly, a month or so after i started this blog -- the blog has gotten much more traction than the website.  (although there is a link to the blog page on the website)

    --- But i've got some goals with the new year too, and revamping the site and putting more emphasis on it is a small one--- i'm just not a very good webpage developer, --- but if you or someone you know happens to be good at that stuff -- hit me up and i guarantee you will be richly rewarded with the coin of the spirit !


Drop me a line if you wish at  Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com

_____________________________________________________________________

disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

   

New YEars Eve --- Here's to an incredible 2015 !

New YEars Eve  --- 9 pm


While some of you are running around with Chex Mix crumbs on your face and 1/2 full drink glasses in your hands,  i am pounding out a few words


I really wanted to get this in before midnight for symbolic reasons

Purpose of this is to simply thank the FCP faithful for their readership, tips, techniques --- and in some cases, criticism

Its been a somewhat wild year and its hard to go over all the ups n downs in one end of year summary --- but let me say, it has been a year of growth and great experiences

    As of now, we're not public, so if you receive this blog, you are a part of the core readership and i appreciate you for that
    The growth has been good , -- with no external advertisement - no facebook forwarding - no nothing---
   This is by choice.  
        The 'ol figurehead of  FitClaimsPro.com is not ready for public consumption unless someone decides to share through word of mouth ---    I am chock full of personal failings and flaws myself and everyday, i deal with the same or more struggles that everyone else does, -- and i never thought of this as much above a private venture

--but that said

              For those who have spread the word and shared this labor of love through email, Facebook, Instagram, etc -----  I thank you so much.   It is so cool that some of you have faith that this can venture a bit beyond a small , private consultation venture !


This New Years Eve and the day, -- i wish you luck and the discipline to be true to yourselves.  

In the coming year,  ------ be strong, rely on your knowledge and training and if you need a little extra support, love , and an ear to bend ---- we will be here


In extending my gratitude and thanks --- i also want to encourage you to seek us out when you need to

            I am ready for 2015 to get fired up so we can address more challenges - vanquish more enemies, and climb more of our personal mountains!


   Again --- thank you --- and may God's blessings shine on all of us throughout the upcoming new year and beyond



Happy New Year folks ------  time to kick it off and celebrate in a slightly irresponsible manner !  ;)




   

Its that time of year again

December 26, (this time around its 2014)


One more big festival night, then its time to tighten up the 'ol belt and get serious with those resolutions right?

I have  spoken of this earlier in the year ,  but in case you didnt get it , here's the link

Re-set the meter - Then peg the meter !!

So you didnt take my advice from September to heart and start in on that pesky "resolution" early, huh?   (Some of you did, - i got the feedback   :)  thanks for charging hard)

No matter

I'm not big on encouraging the setting of resolutions per se',   but the setting of short term and long term goals can be done at any time ---   IF its done around NEw Years, that is characteristically called a "resolution"
      Around this time last year, i also covered the fact that 80% of well meaning resolution setters begin breaking them within a month, and by March, those P90X DVD's and gym membership cards are already starting to gather dust  ----  the gym reverts back to the 20 or 30 muscleheads who are always there, week in and week out.


     What's your 'ol trackie here planning on doing as far as New Years Resolutions?

Although i have already stated that the idea of a New Years Resolution is fundamentally flawed, i will add this one thing that i will be striving for --

-its a big one, yet a small one too

MODERATION

Yes, this new years i will be striving for even more moderation

Moderation in drink, late nights , "dumb decisions"  - over training , under training, - counting calories, being a nutrition nazi

Whatever the sin, you can moderate it -------  Your New Years party does not have to be "Paleo Perfect"  - loosen up -- its one day - you have 360+ to show your discipline ---  that doesnt mean to shotgun the margarita mix followed by the Cuervo -- that is not moderation.
      Moderation just means its ok to have a couple of cocktails on a holiday, ----- or on occasion, stay in bed for a couple more hours on a weekend and watch some TV  with the spouse


             If you currently have a late night lifestyle that rivals Mickey Rourke's  , you are probably not going to dial it down to the level of a competitive Olympic level athlete,  -- but make small changes

strive to go to bed a bit earlier , - Be a bit nicer to the people you care about,  watch the booze, and pick a day to enjoy your food ! --- But spend another 4 or 5 being disciplined -- depending on your needs

Most of my readership is comfortably in the "Masters Category"  (above 30)  and i have a tip that might sound a bit odd, or even unobtainable to many -
  -- but for the past 6 months or so, i have been fairly diligent about adhering to a nap schedule when i can as well

          This doesnt fit into everyone's schedule to be sure --- but if it does, please reap the benefits.    I drive a ton -- and i have pulled over at 3 pm at a rest stop or truckie stop for a little designated "Me Time"
     I throw in some ear plugs put on a mask (much like an eyeless Lone Ranger mask ) -- and then Hi-Yo Silver ! Lay the seat back and snooze for a bit

   
      If your just tuning in ,  check some of my previous blog entries,  but if you've been on board for a while,  you know that i try to speak out for the harried, the flawed, the excuse makers, and the binge diet failures
       -------  these are common maladies when you have a schedule that is written in Erasermates and you have to be up for any malady ----You have to be there for your customers , internal or external ,  and they do not give a flip about any of this stuff i am talking about --- they just want you there with a minimum of drama

                                       Again, and i will speak it in bold letters

                                                          MODERATION

We have the ticket to our own success or failure --- because as folks running our own small businesses' ,  oftentimes we make the schedule.

    If we can't manage time for rest, exercise, and proper nutrition -- we may be able to wrangle another 15-20k per year out of the time we are saving by burning the candle at both ends --- but are we saving anything by making a deal with the devil?

           
One last time --- for my New years  DECLARATION, -- (not a weak kneed and pitiful resolution) -- I will be practicing moderation

           epilogue:  resolution, declaration, moderation   --  all words that end with "tion"


In short -- put down the martini glass, the PBR, or the plate of brisket and kick this mess straight in the ass and rejoice while you follow a better schedule and get plenty of rest !


Thanks all

Doug

_______________________________________________________________


disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

       



         

Work smarter !........ not harder (myth for today)

Work smarter !  -- Not harder !


I love this slogan -- and who wouldnt'?    Just bone up on the procedures , --- make some sensible choices , then reap the benefits!

On the flip side, we have all heard the tales of woe from the sorry sacks who do it the other way

Maybe someone gets smug satisfaction from "working smarter"   --- but the guy in the 12 hour cycling marathon with ruptured blisters in bad places and blood running into his cycling shoes because his previous longest ride is a trivial 5 hours is laughing at you

       Work smarter?  -- I like that.  --- But i think working smarter opens up more opportunities to work harder !

          What is the allure of anabolics? -- Why do "steroids" work ?  EPO , etc etc ?  
Its not like these substances allow  you to pop a pill, then sit on the couch  for 3 months watching The Family Guy , -- then you can win your club championship or local physique competition

                   These substances work because they mute and blunt your natural inclinations to stop -- and they encourage what would previously have been over training and push you further
   ----
   No --- you will not get much effect on a 3 day, 35 minute a sesh program when you're on the juice  ----  You will receive some benefit to be sure as long as you dont get fat,  but the pandora's box of gains gets tripped when you are training 15-20 hours a week, and getting plenty of rest

Was it Thomas Jefferson who said  "The harder i work, the luckier i seem to get"  ??


                 Lets take your job for an example - and bear with me ----    You're the type of guy with a  a parrot at home -- your a Jimmy Buffet uber fan and you love to let loose at 4:30 on Friday -you and mother value your alone time          -   -- but your also pretty good at your job and you hate to see youngsters get promoted ahead of you ---

--------   Your big opportunity to get the corner office comes up -- but guess what??

All of a sudden, your making an extra 17k a year,  but you have to work a couple of Saturdays a month ,  and 4:45 happy hours are a thing of the past.    You also wear clothes to the office you formerly thought were "too stuffy" ,  instead of a "YOLO Man,"  or "LEgalize It !"  sweatshirt and dungarees

   Congratulations!!!     You got what you wanted   ----

But guess what?    -- The concept of "Work smarter, not harder"  - is completely gone now -- you are simply going to have to work hard

   You have a sweet lease on a Buick Enclave now,   so long 8 year old Hyundai

 and you and the missus are contemplating moving to a bigger pad in a better part of town, --

To this                                                                        From this

- but deep down, you liked the rut you were stuck in and working harder makes you uncomfortable  -- a "sell out"

Let mediocrity slide over you like death's cold embrace as you take a lesser position across town with less stress   -- its too embarrassing to ask for your old job back when you fail

You just got sucked in by the   "Work smarter, not harder"  mystique

Guess what?   --- There are not many free lunches out there 

Tom Brady   --- he's a fun guy for "regular guys"  to make sport of because on the outside looking in, his life looks perfect

    A recent SI article details Brady's routine    -------    Brady succeeds because he is more boring than you ----  he is more dedicated than you , ---   10 generations of his offspring are taken care of , --- but still , the guy wakes up unhappy and wanting to improve every day

Hours in the film room , hours of drills and practice as well as base fitness work.       Beatiful wife?  Beautiful house?   ---  Who gives a flip  ---  This is the business we've chosen, -- and Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck and Peyton are also working just as hard 

I'll admit i'm not much of a pro football fan, although i keep up with my alma mater in college -- but i'll switch gears and reference a couple of guys' i'm much more familiar with

Arnold Schwarzenneger and Lance Armstrong

In their respective disciplines, - these guys would stop at nothing to dominate their sports, -- despite already having a genetic leg up on most of their competition

    Arnie was an immigrant -- he overcame the language barrier and used his early bodybuilding winnings to invest in real estate  and was reportedly a several times over millionaire before he even made his first movie back in the 70's    --

              --- The work ethic instilled in growing up modestly and then overcoming language barriers carried over and gave the guy a tenacity to succeed that other competitors with more comfortable backgrounds didnt have

Lance Armstrong --- yes, the guy has some very serious personality flaws -he turned into a megalomaniac  -- But in his prime , nobody put in more time than he did.    He was the highest paid guy, sure, but he also put in more work  , more research and more obsessive detail

        The result was 7 Tour de France wins  

Yes, we all know the rest of the story, and he does have a ton of personality issues,  but i do believe the playing field was equally juiced up during that time frame   ------  If he had not tried to come back for 2 more  in 09 and 10, he would have rode off into the sunset a national hero forever

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

Schwarzenneger, BRady, Armstrong -----  all big names in sport  -- all huge workaholics 

Dont be these guys   -- they have to take viagra and can't bench press their way out of a wet paper  sack

As far as the "Work smarter not harder" premise    ----   kick that crap back into the dank hole it deserves to be in and recognize that you need to 

"Work smarter --- So you can work  HARDER " 

you lazy sacks of garbage ! ( kidding about the garbage part---- or am i?) 

  -----    Prioritize your time,  put in the hours --------

      

Synergy !!!! WTF???

Last post was 10/2 -- this one is 11/4  --- That means i'm slacking a bit (but the piece from 10/2 was solid enough by my standards to last a month -- LOL - i just re-read it )

I am not a writer, but writing gives me an outlet for the things that bother me -----Evidently i havent been bothered much in the last 3/4 of a month (yeah right)

The 'ol day job - My Rock of Gibraltor and the principal financing backer  of FitClaimsPro.Com
has been busy with a lot of miles racked up

-------------    Thats good ----     My prime objective originally was to  lessen the effects of stressful day to day insurance work by applying some common sense nutrition principles

Along the way, i have discovered that my plight is one shared by many working people - long hours - lots of miles- jet lag - poor exercise facilities  -------



---------

When blowhardy office types try to give motivational speeches for their slack jawed interns , they use phrases like "synergy"   ---   "We have a unique synergy !! "

        Well , synergy oftentimes means the sharing of ideas --- not just to congratulate ourselves on how cool we are, but to compare, contrast, and share

                 My thoughts do not just rumble from my magnificent head, as if planted there by the Gods ---- my thoughts come from research and trial and error ---- Bill Starr is an important motivating figure for me --  lately, i really like the stance that Rippetoe  (Mark Rippetoe , Starting Strength and the Aasgaard Company ) is taking with his training principles ---- and there is new  blood(well, sorta new compared to Bill or Rip )   , like Jim Wendler - who give hope for future generations

                            Apart from my collected training volumes and teachings gleaned from years of training,  i also draw from outside influences a good bit

We all do - there are very few original ideas -- but we can apply old ideas in original ways

---- That said, i am proud to say that in addition to the other sources i draw from , i will now be referencing Dave Draper a bit  --- I also encourage my readers to drop by his website at Davedraper.com  -- it is quite a bit more advanced than my own , and i encourage  everybody to subscribe to his weekly IronOnline newsletter

           Although i consider myself a hack, -- Dave can write!    And furthermore, his  words on finding motivation to hit the iron , despite your age, weight, or circumstance -- are powerful

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On a personal level,  i almost envy people who things come easy to now at my age.

We have all heard the stories about people who just cut out their daily Snickers bar, or soda, -- and voila --- 30 excess pounds come off  just like that

Yes  Yes  --- take the stairs instead of elevators,  cut out soda ---- blah blah blah

These are low level changes that do work for some people

If you have been entrenched in bad habits for years ---- you may need to dig a little deeper though

My goal all along is to focus on whole body wellness, --- The outward presence does hinge on mental well being as well for some of us
    Sure, there are people all around us who are built like NFL Wide receivers and exist on beer and chicken wings and they still can run circles around  average 35-50 year olds, -----thats called genetics and   something nobody can get away from

    If your genetics are wonderful -- embrace life !  Rejoice and eat right

If they are not though -------  my advice is the same --- Embrace life!  Rejoice and eat right ! --- but its going to take a little more work -- and in some cases a lot more work
   

             If you have a stubborn situation - dont be afraid to make a drastic change or two to get you out of your comfort zone --- Force yourself to hit a treadmill for 20 minutes a day
 --- get a mountain bike and use it for something more than a clothes rack
 ---  join a fitness or nutrition support group so you can bounce new ideas off each other

Your not alone --- enlist your family and friends to help

 ------   If they are  not helping --- realize that not everybody shares your passion and intensity on personal betterment -- or maybe they just need to see results from you and me to get 'em on board, who knows

Its getting close close to holiday season, and for those of us who are "nutrition sensitive" ,  we have to stay en' garde , ---- but its do-able and i am hoping we can all have some fun in the upcoming 3 or 4 months !



thanks again for reading




Doug






____________________________________________________________________

 Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

---- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________________

disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

A fine line between great and average

Car racing --- open wheel indy style ---   An average ---  "Average" -- Formula One race car driver banks between 8 and 10 million a year -- its Europe and its much more popular over there, yada yada yada

   A Formula -V driver, which is the developmental league does not make quite as much --- 50-60k is a stellar --- stellar year -- That is only one step below  ---- think pro sprint car driving vs. Nascar

Some drivers never rise above Formula V -- such is life -- but almost all drivers rise through the formula V ranks

Care to guess what a lap time difference is on the same track of a Formula V driver who has graduated to the "big show" ,  and a journeyman Formula V racer who stays in the class forever?

     2/10th's of a second per lap on the same course  in the same class

Doesnt sound like much does it?   ---      2/10ths equals 1 second after 5 laps and 20 seconds after 100 laps  ----  In racing, that is a generation apart (and a few million bucks)




In American football --- a high school wide receiver who runs a 4.7 40 yard dash may be the fastest guy in his school

----4.7 can be a productive speed in college as well - not flashy - but do-able

But the veteran 4.7 receiver might slide to the 7th round in the draft, - or maybe not even have the chance to go pro at all
     The guy who runs 4.5 is going to get a shot somewhere though ------- again ,  2/10th's of a second

2/10th's is the difference between a multi millionaire and someone who is struggling to make a practice squad

So bummer ---- we dont all make it ---- boo hoo   --- but  there becomes a time to get over it and start making the most of what we have

These are parables from sport that have direct application to your  life

• 
  
• Have a plan
• Have The discipline to execute a plan
• Have the ability to adapt when things change
• Put a great team around you and be the leader of your personal team 

Fall short in these areas and if you dont have that theoretical "4.5 speed" - your going to falter

What is one of my takeaways from this?

It is that you can dramatically improve your circumstances in life with small changes

You dont have to be a Mensa standout --- just be a little bit smarter or more cunning than your competition , - (even if your competition is yourself from last week)

Have just a little bit more discipline this week than last --- you dont have to be Ghandi,

But  Exercise a little more self control


The elite race car driver is faster because of a number of small things he does different -- he brakes a little later ,  stretches his time between shifts just a little longer , - and maybe cuts 6 more inches out of a corner than an also-ran,
   but using my 2/10ths of a second ideology, after a few laps at the speed those cars go, he is out of sight


Kind of like my cookie theory -- what is the toll for one toll house a day? 140 calories -- not much right?  
   140 calories a day is 980 per week , and 980 per week times 52 weeks = 50,960 -- and if we divide that by 3000 calories, which is the generally accepted calorie number for an extra pound ,  you have 17

17 pounds  --- that is how much extra your body has to process for just a little bit of flour, shortening, sugar and chocolate chips each day

I'm never going to say an occasional cookie or 2 is  bad for you  --- but think about that next time   you order an appetizer  at your next restaurant outing,  or polish off a bag of chee-tos at Subway ,  if its the bigger bag, there are actually 2.5 servings of chips in there

What are you really there for?  -  If its a restaurant , you are likely there for some good company and a real meal, not a mess of artichoke dip and fried onions  ----  at Subway or anyplace similar, your there for a quick meal to get you through the next cluster of hours , nothing more , nothing less --- eating a sack of chips just adds empty calories to the experience


What do you need to add to your personal life to get big time results?   I'm talking outside the box about everything
  -- this blog is centered around healthy lifestyles,  but its my experience that many people who can manage a positive lifestyle tend to kick butt in a lot of other areas too

I'll bet its not 50% more,  30% more or even 15% more   ---- start with a 5-10% improvement in your problem areas and see where that leads you

I fully realize life is not an Open Wheel car race , or a 40 yard dash to determine your NFL contract,  --- but keep that 2/10th's of a second thing in mind

There is not a lot separating great from average  --- sometimes its just that extra little kick ---  like sprinkling a touch of horseradish in your next bloody mary ,  or a gymnast finishing a routine with a dismount just a bit better than everyone else

I'm closing with this photo of the finish  from the 1983 Professional Road World Championship bicycle race in Altenrhein Switzerland
  ----  Greg Lemond was already  somewhat of a known quantity , but he had not elevated himself to greatness yet

  At the end of a long road race when everybody is dying inside --- he is attacking !   Compared to Stephen Roche  (in the green) and  Adrian Van Der Poel , in the red ,  this expression says it all

The margin of victory ? ---- not much more than 2/10th's of a second , over the course of 150 + miles

This became a tipping point for Greg Lemond that led to better and better rides and ultimately culminated in 3 Tour de France championships in the pre doping era and he is now a household name


Fractions of a second -----  You've never heard of those other 2 guys and they rode the race just as fast


These are the things that fire me up and get me motivated to put out a little extra --- give it a try yourselves


Thanks for reading again

_______________________________________________________________________

Just a quick reminder, if you like what you read, forward this email to a friend, or use the little tab at the bottom to link it to your facebook page.  

 Thank you very much in advance for your support and send me an email at   Dougmcbride@fitclaimspro.com   to be added to the hard subscriber list

---- Doug

_______________________________________________________________________________

disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted

Cross Fitters- act like you've been there before

Where do i start?

First off, before i ruffle too many feathers --- I hate wasting ink on this subject-- its all been written, good , bad , ugly and indifferent ---- but these people continually keep entering my orbit on this planet as well for some reason  -- part of it is because the equipment they use is similar to the equipment an athlete in training needs , --- so they frequently inhabit my space, -- and on occasion, i inhabit theirs -
 i have no qualms about hitting up a cross fit  "box" for a workout if i'm  out of town and the only alternative is some globo gym  --- i pay my fee and as long as there is not an active class in session, i do what i want there


Crossfit has gotten a lot of slack jawed yokels into better shape than they've ever been in -- so not knocking it there

Crossfit has generated renewed interest in the basics - Olympic lifts plus squats and dead-lifting (which really arent basic at all)

          This to me is all outweighed by the moaning and the noisemaking that goes on down there -- followed by clapping
   LAst night i witnessed someone in the squat rack with 135 on his shoulders furiously banging out squats ---- at the same pace one would do an air squat ---  he was banging the bar against the safety catches every single rep

This boy did this perhaps 15 times to wild applause ----  i was thinking - "What are you geeks clapping for? -- the squat should be done in a controlled fashion, even if the weight is light -  there are instances where the push is done briskly with lighter weight to generate greater fast twitch neuro-transmitter firing,  but the recovery is typically done in a slower, controlled fashion, -- not bouncing the weight wildly off the stays -

I cant say he was really hurting the equipment, but its an unnecessary distraction  ---  i mean, if you are 6 reps deep into an 8 rep set with an appropriate quantity of weight and you spazz out and bang the bar against the uprights, - so be it  --- but this celebration of noise making was ridiculous

The problem was --- in someone's mind's eye -- they looked like this 

But the truth was something closer to this

 Or even this (but at least this guy has 295 on there )

When you are seeing this -- and you look at the gym mirror and wink at yourself -

Everybody else sees this  --- 

Another peeve is when Cross Fitters (or anybody really)   hit the Olympic lifts with gusto --- before they can even execute the base movements properly
      Why do i single out the beginning cross fitters? - Its because they are the only beginners silly enough to incorporate these into their system --
 -- the average new years resolution gym duffer usually putts around the gym in a state of confusion for the first month or two trying to figure out what to do ---  plus most "normal" gyms physically dont have the space for the Oly lifts  -- heck i worked out at a gym where the power racks and smith machines and everything else was stacked close enough that even pulling a bar out to do some deadlifts off the floor was a problem


     But the average national or olympic level weightlifting trainee usually has at least  a couple of years of powerlifting and strength building experience as a base before moving into the complex stuff with heavy weights

--- spend some time learning the hang clean, basic power clean and deadlift before trying to master the clean and jerk or snatch   ---

                Why is the deadlift important when it is incorporated into the movement itself? --- because a person who can dead 400 is always going to have a better clean than someone who can dead 250

       The full clean and jerk, likewise is a specialized lift comprised of several different components that can be trained separately to boost  the strength necesary to handle more weight
 --- the squat is another movement that can be done separately to boost strength

If you try to boost your strength doing full clean and jerks all the time -- yes, i'm sure you will get stronger , but results will lag behind someone  separating the complimentary lift training and training for strength first, then power --- as the olympic lifts are all about power  (the rapid application of force)

Am i saying dont do Olympic lifts? --  No -- work on mastering them with some light  bumper plates first, - but  initially focus on the lifts that feed and support these movements  -- deadlift, squat and hang clean    --- it will work out better for you in the end if you ever advance past novice stage in your lifting

     A quick word about novice , intermediate and expert stages of weightlifting

I wont go into beginner status, because that is self explanatory

A novice should have about 6 months experience minimum and should progress to where they can handle decent working loads  executed with acceptable form  ---- lest you consider the "novice" label a knock -- its not .
     A lot of athletes who are training for other sports stay at the novice weightlifting level because they do not lift weights to be weight lifters, they are lifting to improve their sports performance and weightlifting is just one tool in the arsenal to get there ---
 -- and novice has nothing to do with strength -- some guys can walk into a weight room and deadlift 405  or bench press 250 their first day -- the world is full of people like that  -- but just look at what they call a rep at NFL 225 challenge in the combine --- guys literally bouncing the bar off their chest and belly to eke out a few more reps
   -- i'd be more impressed if they had powerlifting judges there to tell them it doesnt count if they start bouncing it, or doing half reps
       

An expert in my opinion would be someone who is actively engaged in weightlifting as a sport, -- has received professional coaching and may be a coach themselves ---- but sadly, not all coaches are "experts" - and neither are all the competitors at an average powerlifting meet
           --- those guys' arent reading my blog (well, a couple of them are actually) -- they have other forums and conversational outlets where they can discuss the idiosyncrasies of different grades of lifting chalk ,  and how much better their old Inzer bench shirt was than the new one and so on

And regarding the Cross Fitters who gallavant around my gym space for an hour or so every other night

Act like you've been there before  --- the moaning and the nosemaking and clapping is irritating to the guys that are there to do some work in a silent, grim and determined fashion





Look at the guys in the background here ----- nobody gives a flip that this guy is kissing the floor with his butt with a sizable load across his back

 Bodybuilders arent very strong either because they are only interested in vanity  ---- LOL

Thats it for this week --- 

Eat clean, keep training and always remember Rome wasn't built in a day  when your goals seem far away 

Shoot me an email if you have any specific questions  (link below)  - and thanks for reading again !

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---- Doug

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disclaimer:    The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice.  This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted