The Warrior Diet

This is a typical meal for me...

Steamed broccoli and cauliflower

Roast beef and squash with egg

More beef, more vegetables and a little bit of rice

Dessert was two tequila martinis and a few microbrews.

I've lost 20lbs eating like this (down to a svelte 225 :) but more importantly, I feel better throughout the day. I've found that breakfast and lunch tend to weigh me down and makes me feel sluggish and lazy throughout the day at a time when I need to be most productive.

"Break-fast" boosting the metabolism, yada, yada, I don't buy it! My energy levels are higher and I am more alert going through my day with little to nothing to eat.

Was this really how "warriors" or ancient civilizations ate? I don't know and I don't care. I've found a diet that not only keeps me lean but makes me feel good too!

Is it healthy to eat this way? When was the last time you ate that much vegetables?

Fox 45 Morning News

On Tuesday I will be appearing on "Get Fit with Fox 45 News" to do a kettlebell segment. The production coordinator called this morning to set up the appointment. Nothing like being on live television! Looking forward to it. I'll post more next week.

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The Morning Show went very well today! I've received a lot of positive feedback. Unfortunately, the segment was only a couple minutes long but I made some great contacts at the news station with the strongman show I put on in the lobby after my bit. I thought the producer might like to see me perform a few feats... you never know were that kind of stuff will take you. In this case, it lead me to some in depth conversation about grip strength, a few new friends at Fox 45 Baltimore, a gripper sale and hopefully another spot on their show!

CK-FMS

5 months after the CK-FMS workshop and I have finally finished my certification requirements.

http://www.functionalmovement.com
http://www.dragondoor.com/rkc/

All that was required was completion of an online test (for FMS) and a video submission of a movement screen along with discussion of results and corrective strategies (for RKC). Neither of these took more than an hour but learning the material in order to pass the tests is what took time.

I was recently asked "why someone would wait" or put off getting certified but for me it wasn't "putting off" it was "practicing".

The movement screen could be described as a physical therapy test adapted to trainers and coaches. In other words, a physical therapist designed the test. PT's know their stuff. I think a lot of therapists (and sports medicine professionals in general) don't pay much mind to us "lowly" trainers, but I give them the credit they deserve.

The functional movement screen and the step-by-step corrective strategy protocol is a brilliantly designed system! This is not the kind of thing where you attend a weekend workshop and you are certified. (I've never cared much for certifications anyway, I am much more concerned with proficiency rather than a piece of paper that says you are proficient.)

In any case, now I am official. A big thank you goes out to all of my test subjects! Your cooporation was much appreciated!

Daddy's Little Girl

This is what I found my daughter doing this evening...


15 months old and lifting 16oz cans of beans from the top (aka hub lifting)! She's practically doing an upright row with them! And check out the left hand - not even using the index finger!

I think at this age kids do few things that stand out amongst other children their age. But this little girl lifts, and eats, (have you ever heard of a 1 year old that likes peppers and onions?) things that I doubt others her age are playing with. Last week I caught her walking around with a 2.5kg Ivanko collar, carrying it out in front of her with two hands on the tighten down bar.

I must confess, I started giving her a little pink 1lb dumbbell at 4 months old :) It was rubber coated and she seemed to like using it as a teething ring, and I admit to encouraging it :) Plus, I've got some theories about intellectual development being linked to hand strength & dexterity by way of neurological efficiency... but that is another post for another time.

Good day!

Merry Christmas!

Jingle Bells!

Coaching the Coach

This morning I met with Jeff Friday of ProShape Sports Training to put him through a kettlebell workout. Jeff is the former head strength & conditioning coach of the Baltimore Raven's who I worked under during the teams 2007 preseason training camp. Coach Friday has been in the business of making people stronger far longer than I so I was honored when he contacted me for kettlebell training. It was nice to be on the other side of the clipboard putting him through a workout as he and his staff had done so many times with me at the Raven's training facility in Owings Mills.

Part of my "job" when I worked under Coach Friday was to go through the same workouts as the rest of the team. I needed to be familiar with the routines so that I could lead players through them. Of course, the head and assistant coach(es) did most of the training, I only filled in as needed but I did take a few guys through workouts. Most of my responsibilities included set up and break down... somebody had to load 100lb plates on leg day!!!

Regardless, everyday that I came in I had somebody put me through a workout. And then I was usually sent off to the breakfast buffet before the players arrived. Training was GOOD during this time!

Anyway, back to todays workout...

This was only the second time Jeff had used a kettlebell before and I put him through the same workout I put any newbie kettlebeller through. That workout is:

5 min joint mobility warm up
1 hand deadlifts
swings
squats
presses
cleans
jerks
long cycle c&j
snatch

In my opinion, the swing, clean, jerk & snatch are the "meat and potatoes" of kettlebell training, and with the exception of the swing, these are also the most difficult exercises for the majority of people to learn. So I like to get people working on those lifts ASAP. Sets and reps are highly dependent on the individual and there are a few other drills mixed in to assist in the learning process but for the most part, this is what my introductory kettlebell routine looks like.

I typically like to include some sort of "finisher" as well. For a first time kettlebeller this is a must because the intro workout is not very demanding (simply because the trainee is still learning and I purposely hold them back to help with skill development). And the swing is a low skill movement that most people pick up within a couple sets. So that makes the swing a perfect finisher exercise even for the rank newbie.

Coach Friday rocked through a 100 rep swing test with a 24kg and showed me that even though he is new to the kettlebell, he is no stranger to hard work and is obviously in good condition. 100 reps in 2:24 with no put downs the first time out - not bad at all!

Hey Coach if you're reading this, the next step is doing those swings 1-handed, and eventually with a single hand switch... and once you got 24kg x 50/50, see what you can do in 5 or 10 minutes. Keep me posted!

Thanksgiving Day Workout

Knowing I had a huge feast ahead of me, I wanted to turn in a really good workout. So what better than to deadlift?

For 60 minutes I did nothing but pull. 350lbs for 100 singles. That's about 1 rep every 40 seconds.

It wasn't until almost halfway through when I thought to wear a HR monitor. The final 37 minutes of the workout I averaged 166bpm and maxed at 190. That's 100% of my age predicted maximum heart rate.

Great workout! My hands are blistered and I'm crazy sore right now but if you're going to eat like I did last night (and today) then you better be training hard!