Next Challenge

Summer is coming to an end, time to look forward to our winter workout routines. I've decided I want to achieve the 1000-lb. combined lifts for the Bench, Squat, and Deadlift. I cam up 10 lbs short a couple years ago, and will renew my efforts again this fall/winter. What are your goals?

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THE SECRET INGREDIENT

Thanksgiving is a time of reflection and food right?

Well, right about now I start thinking forward towards the next year’s goals, but you can’t really look forward without looking back. So I looked way back. I didn't remember when I started with the kettlebells, but I did remember that it was in November of 2007, (Happy Blog - a - versary by the way gentlemen.) so I went back to take a look:

First KB Workout - November 19th, 2007 "40 minutes on the rollers. 3 x 30 second one handed swings alternating."

I’m not really sure what that means. KB swing 3 x 20 after 40 minutes on the bike? That was workout #3 of trying to get back in the game.

Well, looking back...it's...been...a....well, um....a...good....learning experience. Right?

Am I happy about what I've accomplished? Not really.

Is there room for improvement? Yes.

Is there something to be thankful for? Yes, I'm not irreparably damaged, I've made some progress, and I'm having fun. I'm just not as strong as I hoped I'd be. But, I have learned a lot. Unfortunately, I’ve also accumulated a lot of clutter. When I go through my training logs I feel like I continue to take one step forward and two steps back. Some of that is due to injury and some is training ADHD (which is due to not following a consistent protocol, having too many goals, boredom, erratic schedules, and having a trainer who is maybe not quite on the same page. She wants me to move well so that I can get strong, I just want to get strong – realistically, it’s me that’s on the wrong page, but that just means more to do, more choices, more goals. Hey look there’s a squirrel!)

SO WHAT IS THE MISSING INGREDIENT?

Consistency!

Some would say practice. Some would say goals. Some would say incremental resistance. Some would say periodization. But for me, I’m thinking consistency is the missing key to success. Consistency is the missing ingredient to my previous three years.

So what will I try to make consistency look like? First, sticking to the same program. This will be ETK Plus at least through the First Quarter. There’s enough variety. I will be making a few small modifications to the original template, but it will still be ETK Plus. Another key will be not beating the crap out of myself every time I step up to the bar/bell, hopefully to avoid some of the overuse injuries I think I’ve been causing to my back. Again, slow but sure. This is not inconsistent with the ETK Plus which calls for only one “Heavy day” a week, something I haven’t really adhered to.

There will be other goals, but that’s at the forefront of my mind right now.

SO…WHAT’S YOUR MISSING INGREDIENT?

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Holy Toe Clips Batman!

Went to the club this morning to do some riding. As I was coming up on the bike section I began scanning the bikes for those that still have foot straps. Who are the ignoramuses that remove the foot straps from the bikes! There are only a few bike that still have the foot straps left, but today I was in for a surprise. I discovered two plain, lifefitness recumbent bikes with honest to goodness Shimano foot clips! (they were from the spinning bikes) Excited I was! So I strapped myself into the bike and cranked down the straps. Aahh.. I could feel the relaxing power as I spun up the bike (random setting, level 12, up 2 levels!) The ball of my foot positioned perfectly over axle of the pedal. 90 RPM was a breeze (I did a stint at +110) as I was able to use both the down and up stroke and not have my foot slide all over the place. Please answer me this. Why do people not use the foot straps? I just don't get it. Biking was such a pleasure, I was disappointed when my 30 minutes were up. Maybe it was because I knew I had to go to work ;). 37 minutes, 358 Cals, 45% fat, HR max: 159, HR avg: 126, 19:52 in zone (119-135). Up 3lbs though. Scoundrel and his Ghandi diet (it's a joke son) is losing weight like melting ice.

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Where is your clutter?

I am a slob. My table is stacked with paper, my dishes are stacked in the sink, there’s laundry on the loveseat, books everywhere, my basement is full of books and stuff and other peoples stuff. It’s not pretty. That is one type of clutter.

There is another type of clutter: church groups, bible studies, Council, workout classes, scouts, choir, favorite TV programs, soccer games, bowling. It’s the madness around us, often self inflicted. I’m not saying it’s not important, there just seems to be so much that it’s overwhelming. This type of clutter is its own brand of insanity. This is where your schedule runs you rather than the other way around.

My Dad had a way of dealing with this. He made my brother and I choose one thing: “Sports or band?”, “Sports or scouts?”, “Sports or …?” He wanted to be a part of our activities, but there’s only so much time. I think there’s a lesson in there.

Obviously family is important. Does your schedule enhance your family in some way? Are relationships strengthened? Are the offspring educated and ready for independence, with a high sense of self-esteem to boot? Or are they left in the dust?

How’s your spirit, your energy, your anxiety level? Are you sleeping well, or is that suffering because there aren’t enough hours in the day?

This might be where some people would say goals, ideals and principles can be of some benefit. Chose what’s important; limit what’s important, take control, and focus. That’s not really my point. My point is: “Can you see the forest for the trees?” Can you see the sofa but for the laundry? Can you see your health but for the ten million activities? Are you really enriched? Are you strong? Are you energized?

I think that was part of the reason for my previous post:Your Best

I think health wise there is a purity that comes of youth. But we accumulate stuff, things, activities, (relationships?) that really boil down to clutter.

Maybe it’s time to clean house.

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Was I the best I really were?

Scoundrel has a good post. At what point in my past was I at me best or peak. What Scoundrel means is, when was the time your were at your best physical shape. Weight, Conditioning, Strength. Naturally it would be sometime in our youth. But really? For me, it was the spring of 84 through 85 and then if kinda of tapers off from there. Through the spring and summer of 84 I was working removing flooring and water skiing almost daily. I had a waist of 34 and weight 204. Sorry Scoundrel, no BF count for ya. Diet you say? No breakfast, all meals eating out and unlimited Dew! Have you ever been at a point where you were just plain tired of fast food and just went home and ate nothing? Me. I was probably down from about 220. The job and the water skiing went away in the fall but I picked up a job at UPS loading trucks which kept up the physical activity. I stayed at 215 for most of 85. But it was a great year because that is when I met my cutie! I started playing a lot more racquetball. Lots of tournaments. Fast forward to today. (and by today I mean the last few years) After about a 10-12 year layoff of racquetball I started playing (year 2007)(at 280!) again. about 3 days/week. I'd take my racquetball game today over what I had in the late 80s. Maybe that doesn't say much about my game ;). Last year, Scoundrel, Galan, Lard and myself tested ourselves in the 'Big Pull'. 1 rep maxes the Squat, Dead Lift and Bench Press. I went from 785lbs total to to 910lbs. I have never benched more in my life! Last November I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I have changed my diet dropped 20lbs and have a regular workout. So was I the best I ever was? Or am I better now?

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What made you the best you ever were?

I was contemplating a time when I was my leanest. It was a time when I was standing all day at my job, biking about three miles every day to and from work, taking karate and sparring twice every day I had off. I was also jumping rope at home during my down time in order to improve my conditioning. On top of all this I was going to night school.

I’m pretty sure my diet was crumby; both from a quantity and a quality perspective. Yes, a part of that time I was working at DQ, but lunch was a cheese burger and a root beer.

Today that would be a recipe for over training. Back then I was a little more resilient. I was also at 8.6% body fat. I’m not interested in getting that lean now, but I was thinking that looking back might show me what works for me…..aside from being young.

For instance, the sparring was very intense, but the jumping rope was steady state. I often jumped for over 40 minutes (hey it was the disco age – good jump rope music). Today there is a lot of debate that HIT is better than steady state, but experience shows me what was working for me…and as Swami will attest the best exercise is the one you will do. I think that jumping rope used to be effective for me because of an initial depletion of ATP stores and then the use of fat as a fuel source. That’s just my opinion, but whatever the reason it was working.

The next step is to focus on the now with the lessons of the past in mind.

But, what I really want to know is when were you at the top of your game? And why do you think it was working for you?

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