Today's Training Session: POWER!

Today was another power training day with sprints, plyos and med ball work.

Warmup: Leg swings, toe/heel walks, arm circles, ankle mobs, forearm wall slides, skip series, high knees, butt kickers

Workout: 10 x 55 meters w/75 sec. recovery; Box jumps 3 x 5; Med ball circuit: Ricochets 2 x 15 sec. ea; MB chest passes 2 x 12 @ 16 lbs; MB side tosses 2 x 8 ea. @ 16 lbs; Between the legs hip toss- 2 x 8 @ 16 lbs.

Comments: Good session outside on the turf for the sprints. The MB work was more of a strength-speed emphasis than earlier in the week.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Total Body Strength Training

Today was this week's 2nd total body strength training session. Core lift was the dynamic effort deadlift.

Warmup: Ankle mobs, forearm wall slides, Indian clubs, low box hip flexor, open hip adductor, open hip t-spine rotation, march series

Workout: Sumo DE deadlifts w/ bands: 8 x 3 (on the minute) @ 185 w/short orange bands; Incline DB chest press: 1 x 12 @ 65, 1 x 10 @ 70, 1 x 9 @ 75, 1 x 7 @ 80 supersetted w/face pulls 4 x 12 @ 57.5; DB Rows 3 x 10 @ 75, 85, 90.
KB snatch: 1 x 10 on the minute ea. side @ 20 kg., 4 rounds.

Comments: Good training session w/ lots of backside/posterior chain work.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: POWER!

Perhaps inspired by recently studying and watching DeFranco's and Smith" "Power!" DVD I did a power training session today. Though anyone who follows my blogs, tweets or newsletters knows I do 2-3 power sessions per week.

Warmup: Forearm wall slides, ankle mobs, Indian clubs, kneeling hip flexor, 1/2 kneeling adductor, Brettzel 1.0, sidelying t-spine

Workout: Band resisted long jumps- 3 x 4 ((90 sec. recovery); Box jumps-3 x 5 (90 second recovery); Med ball work-Ricochets 2 x 15 sec. w/ 4 lb. MB; MB chest pass-2 x 12 @ 6 lbs.; MB alt. hip toss-2 x 12 @ 6 lbs; MB soccer toss-2 x 10 @ 6 lbs.
10 x 50 yds. acceleration sprints w/ 75 second recovery.

Comments: Good training session with both upper and lower body power work as well as total body training (sprinting). Emphasis with MB work was on speed-strength.

Train hard and train smart!
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Seth's Blog: Q&A

Seth's Blog: Q&A
Man, isn't this the truth?!?

Today's Training Session: Total Body Strength Training

Today's training session was a total body strength training session at "rush hour" at the gym which meant dealing with the crowds of early New Year's resolution folks and well as those working off their holiday buffets.

Warmup: Forearm wall slides, ankle mobs, Indian clubs, low box hip flexor, 1/2 kneeling adductor, open hip t-spine rotation

Workout: Circuit: RFESS x 12 @ 20 kg.; chins x 12; 45 degree back raise x 15; MB 1 arm pushups x 12; rollouts x 10; 4 rounds w/60 seconds between rounds.
KB Farmer's walk: 2 x 80 yds. @ 32 kg.

Comments: Good training session though working around the crowd was a bit of a challenge to say the least. Not being reliant on equipment is a big help in situations like this as you can more easily work around all the post holiday crowd.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Total Body Strength Training

Today did a strength training session at our facility...nice to have the whole place to yourself.

Warmup: Foam rolling, Indian clubs, wall slides, ankle mobs, low box hip flexor, 1/2 kneeling adductor, jump rope

Workout: Strength circuit: RFESS x 12 ea. @ 50, TRX row x 15 @ 25 (vest), GHR x 8 @ 25 (vest), Spike pushups w/ft. elevated x 12 @ 25 (vest), KB swings X 15 @ 24 kg.

Comments: Nice to train with no distractions as I had the whole facility to myself as we were closed for the day. You can get a lot done with no distractions! :)

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Sprint Intervals

Got out early today right after daybreak and beat the early birds by getting a sprint session in before the crowds!

Warmup:Ankle mobs, wall slides, toe/heel walks, leg swings, march series, skip series

Workout: 10 x 50 meter sprints w/75 sec. recovery. On the turf, easier on the joints!

Comments: These new turf surfaces are so much easier on your joints than the all weather tracks and older turf surfaces. Almost like running on grass without the irregularities.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Total Body Strength Training

Today was another total body strength training day with the core lift being the deadlift.

Warmup" foam rolling, ankle mobs, forearm wall slides, sidelying t-spine rotation, low box hip flexor, open hip adductor, Indian clubs, march series

Workout: Speed deadlifts: 8 x 3 (on the minute) @ 175 w/short orange bands; Superset-Incline DB bench-neutral grip: 4 x 12, 8, 6, 5 @ 65,70, 75, 80 w/ Face pulls 4 x 12 @ 57.5; Low cable rows 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 135, 150, 165, 180; KB Farmers carries 3 x 80 yds. @ 32 kg.

Comments: Glutes a little sore after a good squash session yesterday but everything else felt pretty good.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Total Body Strength Training

Today was another total body strength day with bodyweight exercises working in the higher rep ranges which I will continue to do until the end of the year before going into another type of training cycle.

Warmup: Ankle mobs, forearm wall slides, tabletop hip rotators, tabletop hamstring, low box hip flexor, 1/2 kneeling adductor, open hip t-spine rotation, Indian clubs

Workout: Circuit: RFESS x 15; Chins x 10; 45 degree back raise x 15; Suspended pushups x 15; rollouts x 10; 5 rounds, 1 minute between rounds.
Myoforce suspension anti-rotation press 3 x 10 ea.

Comments: This is a higher rep range phase emphasizing bodyweight exercises. Trying to lay the foundation for the harder training to follow in the New Year.

Train hard and train smart!
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Athletic Business Newswire - School's Parental Guidelines Found Constitutional

Athletic Business Newswire - School's Parental Guidelines Found Constitutional
Sad but not surprising. Parents everywhere should get a grip!

America's Scariest Fitness Trends

America's Scariest Fitness Trends
Boy is this ever spot on!

Today's Training Session: Sprints/med ball work

Today was a sprint interval, med ball power training session.

Warmup: Forearm wall slides, ankle mobs, low box hip flexor, tabletop hamstring, tabletop hip rotators, open hip t-spine rotation, Indian clubs

Workout: Med ball work-ricochets 2 x 15 sec. @ 4 lbs; Med ball strength speed work: Chest pass-2 x 12 @ 16 lbs; Side toss 2 x 6 @ 16 lbs; Swing hip toss 2 x 6 @ 16 lbs.
10 x 50 yds. sprint accelerations w/75 sec. recovery.

Comments: Good session as my rt. ankle continues to improve both in range of motion and discomfort when running. It's been almost 5 months since the injury....longest recovery time I can ever recall having for an injury.

Train hard and train smart!
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PSU Scandal: Did Football Culture Enable Abuse by Sandusky?

PSU Scandal: Did Football Culture Enable Abuse by Sandusky?
No one had the courage or the principles to do the right thing. Inexcusable.

Today's Training session: Total Body

Had to get in and out of the gym quickly today as a busy day awaited me.

Warmup: Ankle mob, forearm wall slides, Indian clubs, tabletop hamstring, tabletop hip rotators, open hip t-spine rotation, 1/2kneeling adductor, low box hip flexor

Workout: Speed deadlift 8 x 3 @ 155+ short orange bands...on the minute.
Superset: DB high incline chest press: 1 x 10 @ 70, 2 x 8 @ 80, 1 x 6 @ 90 w/ face pulls 4 x 12 @ 57.5
BB rows 4 x 10 @ 185

Comments: Good, quick early am workout. Had to get it in as the schedule was packed today.


Train hard and train smart!
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Girls' Basketball Players Suspended for Using N-Word in Pregame Cheer

Girls' Basketball Players Suspended for Using N-Word in Pregame Cheer
In what world did the girls on this team think this was appropriate?

CU Rec Center's $63M Remodel Addresses Gender-Neutral Locker Rooms

CU Rec Center's $63M Remodel Addresses Gender-Neutral Locker Rooms
Interesting news from my alma mater as CU's Rec Center's was one of the first state of the art university rec centers some 35 years ago. Time for an update!

Today's Training Session: Total Body Strength Training

Today was a total body strength training session with an emphasis on bodyweight exercises.

Warmup: Ankle mobs, Wall slides, Indian clubs, low box hip flexor, 1/2 kneeling adductor, open hip t-spine rotation, KB arm bars, Brettzel 1.0

Workout: Circuit: RFESS x 15 ea; Suspended rotational pushups x 15; 45 degree back raise x 15; Suspended Archer's row x 12 ea. side; 4 rounds-45 seconds between rounds.
KB Farmer's Walk: 2 x 75 yds. @ 32 kg.

Comments: Good session once I got thru the gauntlet of people wanting to talk. Forgot to wear my iPod!

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Sprint Intervals

Today's training session was a hill sprint interval training session done outside on a cool December morning.

Warmup: Leg swings, march series, ankle mobs, skip series

Workout: 6 x 80 yds. hill sprints w/90 second recovery. 2 min. rest. 5 x 25 yds.hill sprints w/60 second recovery.
Post workout stretching/mobility work: foam rolling, tabletop hamstring, tabletop hip rotators,
Indian clubs, low box hip flexor, open hip adductor, open hip t-spine rotation, ankle mobs

Comments: Something alluring about running outside when many think it's too "cool". Seemed fine to me!

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Power Training

Nice, crisp, late fall day with dusk arriving. Got outside to do some power training today as those days may be numbered so have to take advantage.

Warmup: Leg swings, arm circles, lateral squats, inchworms, lunge w/elbow to instep, ankle mobs

Workout: Overhead backwards MB toss 3 x 6 @ 3 kg.; Incline long jumps 3 x 6; MB scoop toss 2 x 6 @ 3 kg; Explosive leg blast stepups 2 x 10
2.5 minutes rest between sets.

Comments: Good training session. Tough for me to take adequate rest between sets of this type of power training but the goal was power not metabolic work so I did the best I could!

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Total Body Circuit-Outdoors!

Took advantage of a fairly nice afternoon for early December and did a training session outside with some of my portable gym: kettlebells, rings and short ropes.

Warmup: Arm circles, clubbell swings, Indian clubs, Leg swings, ankle mobs

Workout: 4 Exercise Circuit: Double kettlebell swings (hip dominant) x 12 @ 20 kg; Rope L-seat chins x 8; Double KB front squats x 10 @ 20 kg; Ring pushups x 25; 5 rounds--rest as needed between rounds. Done in under 15 minutes.

Comments: I was pressed for time,couldn't get to the gym so improvised with the tools I had at my disposal. No excuses, find a way and do it. Don't just talk about it!

Train hard and train smart!
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High School Football Recruits Ditching PSU in Wake of Scandal

High School Football Recruits Ditching PSU in Wake of Scandal
The fallout from the Penn State child abuse scandal continues and deservedly so.

Today's Training Session: Sprints/med ball work

Today was a sprint/med ball day to work on some power and extensive tempo work for running.

Warmup: Low box hip flexor, 1/2 kneeling adductor, open hip t-spine rotation, ankle mobs, forearm wall slides, leg swings, march series, skip series

Workout: MB work: Chest pass 2 x 12 @ 15 lbs;, alt. hip toss 2 x 6 @ 15 lbs; Swing toss 2 x 8 @ 15 lbs;
Box jumps 3 x 5
Extensive tempo sprints: 4 x 175 yds. w/ 3 min recovery between efforts.

Comments: Good session; the extensive tempo sprints are longer tempo sprints with correspondingly longer recovery times between repeats.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Total Body

Today was a total body strength training day with the core lift being deadlifts.

Warmup: Forearm wall slides, ankle mobs, low box hip flexor, Brettzel 1.0, KB arm Bars, Indian clubs, open hip adductor, open hip t-spine rotation

Workout: Speed deadlift 8 x 3 on the minute @ 185 plus short orange bands; Incline bench 1 x 10 @ 135, 1 x 8 @ 155, 1 x 6 @ 175, 1 x 5 @ 185 supersetted with 1 arm DB rows: 1 x 10 @ 80, 2 x 8 @ 90, 1 x 6 @ 100
KB Farmer's walk: 3 x 75 yds. w/ 32 kg.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Sprints, Power

Though I tried to get some squash practice in today there was no one to play so I did a power/sprint training session instead.

Warmup: Brettzel 1.0, Brettzel 2.0, 1/2 kneeling adductor, KB arm bar, sidelying t-spine rotation, low box hip flexor, march series, skip series

Workout: MB chest pass 2 x 12 @ 6 lb.; MB side toss 2 x 6 @ 6 lb;
1 leg box jumps 3 x 5
Sprints: 8 x 50 yds. w/75 sec. recovery.

Comments: Good session. Emphasis with med ball work was being explosive with full recovery.

Train hard and train smart!
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Test Results Reveal Almost 70% of California Students Not Physically Fit

Test Results Reveal Almost 70% of California Students Not Physically Fit
If this is what's going on in Cali, it's scary to think about the rest of the country.

Today's Training Session: Total Body

Today was another condensed total body strength training session. With our expansion under way time is of the essence so had to fit it in where I could today. But the point is that I made the time not excuses.

Warmup: Ankle mobs, wall slides, Indian clubs, leg swings, spider crawls, Inchworms

Workout: Circuit: RFESS x 10 @ 50 lbs; Spike pushups-ft. elevated x 12; GHR x 8; TRX inverted rows x 12; rollouts x 10. 4 rounds, done!

Comments: Remember consistency is key so it is better to a little something consistently than it is to do "death march" training sessions every once in a while. Each and every training session builds on the other or, in some cases, detracts from the following sessions.

Train hard and train smart!
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How to Lift and Live with a Herniated Disc

How to Lift and Live with a Herniated Disc
This should be of interest to the many out there with disc issues.

Today's Training Session: Sprints/med ball work

Beautiful, crisp, clear fall morning to get out and do some work. Out shortly after the sun rose and there was frost on the ground but dressed appropriately it was no problem!

Warmup: Leg swings, lateral squats, toe walks/heel walks, ankle mobs, forearm wall slides, march series

Workout: Tornado ball anti-rotation wall slams 4 x 10 seconds w/ 45 seconds recovery.
8 x 100 meter sprints @ 75-80% w/90 second recovery. Short, efficient, minimal effective dosage.

Comments: Yesterday' clinic solidified and reinforced several important concepts for me. The first is that there is a minimal effective training dosage for any type of training. More is not better, better is better.
And second, technique and good form are paramount. When they break down, the training session should end whether it is strength training, speed/power work or metabolic work.

Train hard and train smart!
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Yesterday's Training Session: at the Perform Better 1 Day

Yesterday was a little unusual, in the training sense, in that I was at the Perform Better 1 Day clinic in Fairlawn, NJ and my training consisted of afternoon "hands on" training sessions with the morning's presenters.
Following is a brief synopsis.
Martin Rooney did one of his Warrior Training metabolic circuits which consisted on 5 exercise: sandbag deadlifts, hop-scotch thru the agility ladder, Battling ropes, Seated MB short range rotations and KB swings. First circuit was 1 min. work/30 sec. rest, 2nd circuit was 30 sec. work/30 sec. rest. Good session in less than 16 minutes including breaks.
Mike Boyle took us through one of his typical strength training sessions which consisted of two tri-sets: Tri-set one: RFESS, Swissball rollouts and pushups (your choice). 2 sets of 10.
2nd tri-set: Val-slide reverse lunge, TRX inverted row, side plank band row. Again, 2 sets of 10. Some of the bigger guys, in particular, were amazed at how challenging such a simple circuit could be as Boyle also showed how to progress and regress it to your level.
Finally, Gray Cook took us through some KB carries of various sorts, some correctives, and some Cook band resisted bear crawls. It's amazing how an observant eye can use virtually any movement to analyze how someone moves.
It was good, energizing training session and a fitting end to a great day of education.

Train hard and train smart!
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Athletic Business Newswire - ABC 2011: Stop Bullying in Youth Sports

Athletic Business Newswire - ABC 2011: Stop Bullying in Youth Sports This is a wake up call for parents as well. Pay attention and listen to your kid.

Today's Training Session: Total Body

Today was a short, quick total body session of 5 exercises done in a circuit fashion.

Warmup: Forearm wall slides, ankle mobs, Indian clubs, low box hip flexor, sidelying t-spine rotation, leg swings

Workout: Mini-circuit: Ring pushups w/ft. on box 4 x 15; KB swings 4 x 15 @ 32kg; Rope inverted rows 4 x 15; high step-ups 4 x 8 @ 50 lbs.; KB Farmer's carries 4 x 70 yds. @ 32 kg.

Comment: Pressed for time but still got a lot of work done in under 30 minutes.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Power/sprints

Today was my 2nd sprint/power day of the training week and it was a good, all around session as you will see.

Warmup: Ankle mobs, forearm wall slides, low box hip flexor, lat stretch, open hip t-spine rotation, KB arm bars, Indian clubs, Leg swings

Workout: Band resisted long jumps 3 x 4; box jumps 3 x 4; med ball circuit-ricochets 2 x 15 sec. @ 4 lbs; Chest passes 2 x 12 @ 15 lbs., side toss 2 x 8 2 15 lb., Hip toss 2 x 6 2 15 lb.
Sprints: 8 x 55 meters w/75 sec. rest.

Comments: Good session as I got some good jump/plyo work in as well as some med ball work. Going to start upping the med ball work for the next 6-8 weeks to get ready for baseball season and help with squash season which is in progress.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Total Body

Today was a total body strength training session with some basic strength exercises with some twists.

Warmup: Ankle mobs, forearm wall slides, tabletop hamstring, tabletop hip rotators, Indian clubs, low box hip flexor, 1/2 kneeling adductor, open hip t-spine rotation, lat stretch

Workout: Band resisted "speed" sumo deadlift: 6 x 3 @ 185 plus short orange band; Incline bench press with pause: 1 x 6 @ 135, 1 x 6 @ 155, 2 x 5 @ 185; DB 1 arm row: 1 x 10 @ 80, 2 x 8 @ 90; 1 x 7 @ 100; Face pulls 3 x 12 @ 50;
RKC planks 3 x 45 sec. with 25 lb supersetted with 45 degree back raise 3 x 10 @ 75

Comments: Hips felt looser which may mean I'm finally making some progress with this mobility stuff! :) Need the gym to get heavier dumbbells as there is nothing heavier than 100's. Like the RKC planks...very effective.

Train hard and train smart!
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America's Scariest Fitness Trends

America's Scariest Fitness Trends
Couldn't agree more. You have to get in shape to run/jump not the other way around!

Consequences of Ignoring Concussions in Teen Athletes Can Be Severe

Consequences of Ignoring Concussions in Teen Athletes Can Be Severe
Parents pay heed: ignore your kid's concussion symptoms and the consequences could be dire.

Today's Training Session: Power and Intensity Tempo Sprints

Today was a power oriented session with some plyos and sprint work. Fun session!

Warmup: Ankle mobs, forearm wall slides, low box hip flexor, 1/2 kneeling adductor, Indian clubs, KB arm bar, open hip t-spine rotation, sidelying t-spine rotation

Workout: Band resisted long jumps 3 x 4; box jumps 1 x 4 @ 18", 2 x 4 @ 30"
Intensity tempo sprints: 8 x 100 meters w/ 90 sec. recovery

Comments: I love these type of training sessions for several reasons. It's great to still be able to do them when you're approaching 60 (did I really say that!), most people my age aren't doing anything remotely like this type of training and, finally, and perhaps most importantly, it's just fun to sprint and jump.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Total Body

Today was a total body strength training session using "free weights" i.e. barbells, bodyweight, kettlebells, etc.

Warmup: Ankle mobs, forearm wall slides, tabletop hamstring, tabletop hip rotators, Indian clubs,
low box hip flexor, open hip t-spine rotation, 1/2 kneeling adductor

Workout: Mini-circuit-Front squat 4 x 6 @ 95, 135, 185 (2); L-seat chins 4 x 8; Suspended fallouts 4 x 10; Landmine 1 arm press 4 x 8 @ 60
KB swings 5 x 20 on the minute @ 24 kg; KB Farmers walk 3 x 70 yds. @ 32 kg.

Comments: Good session; put the iPod on today to eliminate distractions. Seemed to work pretty well!

Train hard and train smart!
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California Bill Would Require College Coaches to Report Child Abuse

California Bill Would Require College Coaches to Report Child Abuse
This seems to only require common sense and a sense of decency not a law.

Today's Training Session: Sprints/power work

Too nice a day today to stay inside so went outside and did a sprint/power training session.

Warmup: leg swings, lateral squats, arm circles, ankle mobs, wall slides, toe/heel walks, march series, skip series

Workout: Med ball circuit: chest pass 2 x 12 @ 3 kg;Alt. hip toss 2 x 6 @ 3 kg.; Thru the legs hip heave 2 x 10 @ 3kg.
"Box" jumps 2 x 5; 8 x 55 meter sprints w/ 75 second recovery on the turf.

Comments: Good workout on a glorious fall morning...sunny, crisp, little wind. Great to be outside enjoying the sunshine and fresh air!

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Total Body

Today was a relatively quick total body training session with a combination of bodyweight and more traditional strength training.

Warmup: Ankle mobs, forearm wall slides, low box hip flexor, Indian clubs, 1/2 kneeling adductor, sidelying t-spine rotation

Workout: Mini-circuit: KB swings 4 x 15 @ 32 kg.; suspended inverted rows( ft. on box) 4 x 15; Hip thrusts 4 x 10 @ 100; banded pushups (ft. on bench) 4 x 12; rollouts 4 x 10
KB Farmers walk: 2 x 70 yds. @ 32 kg.

Comments: Good session with multiple big bang exercises. Good times!

Train hard and train smart!
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Penn State Disciplinary Official Says Paterno's Players Got Special Treatment

Penn State Disciplinary Official Says Paterno's Players Got Special Treatment
Even though kids need boundaries this is what happens when you don't have boundaries/rules for adults who supposedly should know better.

Today's Training Session: Total Body

Today was another total body strength session with the emphasis on strength. Nothing fancy here just compound, basic exercises.

Warmup: Indian clubs, low box hip flexor, 1/2 kneeling adductor, open hip t-spine rotation, ankle mobs, wall slides

Workout: Sumo deadlift: 3 x 5 @ 135, 195, 235; 1 x 8 @ 285
High Incline bench 1 x 7 @ 135, 1 x 7 @ 155, 1 x 6 @ 175, 1 x 4 @ 185; supersetted w/dumbbell rows: 1 x 8 @ 80; 2 x 7 @ 90; 1 x 6 2 100

Comments: 3 simple, compound exercises--lower body hip dominant, upper body push and upper body pull. Don't make it more complicated than it has to be to get the job done.

Train hard and train smart!
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Schools Struggle to Find Where Fitness Fits

Schools Struggle to Find Where Fitness Fits Is it any wonder kids are so overweight and unfit with warped priorities like these?

Today's Training Session: Total Body

Today was a total body strength training session. People try to make things too complicated....this workout had a lower body movement, a push and a pull and a trunk/core exercise. 4 exercises, that's it.

Warmup: Ankle mobs, wall slides, Indian clubs, leg swings, tabletop hamstring, tabletop hip rotators, lateral squat

Workout: Quad set: Chins- 4 x 12; Front squat 4 x 8 @ 175; Landmine 1 arm press 4 x 8 @ 55; Suspended fallouts 4 x 8. 2 min. rest between circuits. Segue from one exercise to the next as quickly as possible.

Comments: The factors that truly inhibit performance and recovery are mostly neurological. So a workout can be relatively "hard" (like today) but still not considered CNS intensive. Things like plyos, med ball work, sprints and the like can "fry" your CNS if you aren't careful with volume and recovery.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Sprints

Today was a sprint day with one more week of "prep" work before getting into more specific sprint work for my first indoor meet in 3 weeks.

Warmup: Leg swings, toe walks/heel walks, arm circles, march series, ankle mobs, forearm wall slides, skip series

Workout: 10 x 50 meters w/ 1 min. recovery. On the turf.

Comments: Takes me about 3 or 4 reps before my ankle feels fully ready to go or warmed up. But I love the feeling of sprinting on a nice day on a surface like turf which isn't too hard on my joints.
The Masters track meets are really more of a barometer of where my training is as my first two athletic passions are squash and baseball. And with my ankle being the way it is right now I'm not sure I will be getting back to long jumping any time soon . :( It is one thing to sprint and quite another to jump and land on a balky ankle.

Train hard and train smart!
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Sample Warmup: Practice What I Preach

I think it is way too easy, and I have been guilty of this as well, to forget how important a dynamic warmup is before you play but esp. so with the explosive, short burst field/court sports.
You are asking for trouble in terms of injury potential as well as performing at your best if you don't warmup before you play in my opinion.
Here is a quick, simple warmup I did before playing squash today:
Ankle mobs x 12 ea., Wall slides x 12, Leg swings x 15 ea., 1/2 kneeling hip flexor x 10 ea., 1/2 kneeling adductor x 10 ea., toe walks/heel walks, Indian clubs, jumping jacks x 25.
Simple to do nothing complex but got me ready to play before I stepped on court to hit balls.
Find your own warmup routine that works for you before your next game or match. See if it doesn't help you perform better.

Train hard and train smart!
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Baseball Showcases: A Great Way to Waste Money and Get Injured | Eric Cressey | High Performance Training, Personal Training

Baseball Showcases: A Great Way to Waste Money and Get Injured | Eric Cressey | High Performance Training, Personal Training
Must read for any parent with a young baseball player. You owe it to your kid!

Short and Sweet Kettlebell Training Session

Today I was jammed for time so I did a short, intense kettlebell training session. Including warmup this took less than 20 minutes!

Warmup: Indian clubs, ankle mobs, wall slides, hip circles, leg swings, arm circles, march series

Workout: KB swings: Down & Up the ladder 10 x 20 reps at 40 kg, 36 kg., 32 kg., 28 kg, 24 kg and back up. 200 reps total-8:15
Then, bottoms up 1 arm KB carries 2 x 40 yds @ 16 kg.

Comments: Haven't done the bottoms up carries much and they are very challenging esp. on your non-dominant side. Needless to say the KB swing ladder was a challenge as well esp. for my grip!

Train hard and train smart!
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Coffee Consumption and Health: The Final Word - Part 2 | Eric Cressey | High Performance Training, Personal Training

Coffee Consumption and Health: The Final Word - Part 2 | Eric Cressey | High Performance Training, Personal Training Yet more benefits of coffee!

Today's Training Session: Total Body

Quite frankly, yesterday turned out to be a recovery day as I was a little fatigued from the prior two heavy training days. So just did some mobility and SMR work yesterday.
Today felt refreshed and ready to rock and roll!

Warmup: tabletop hamstring, tabletop hip rotators, ankle mobs, wall slides, low box hip flexor, open hip t-spine rotation, Indian clubs, 1/2 kneeling adductor

Workout: Mini-circuit: Sumo deadlift- 3 x 5 @ 135, 185, 235, 1 x 7 @ 275; Suspended inverted rows (ft on box) 4 x 15; KB swings 4 x 12 @ 32 kg.; EQI low pushup holds 4 x 45 sec.; rollouts- 4 x 10;
KB suitcase carries: 3 x 70 yds. @ 32 kg.

Comments: Good workout session; felt pretty good with the deadlifts.

Train hard and train smart!
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Testosterone Therapy for Men

Much like 30-40 years ago as estrogen replacement therapy was promoted for women in menopause, testosterone therapy for middle aged men is now all the rage.
But this is a definite situation of caveat emptor because much like estrogen therapy back then there is virtually no long term research on testosterone therapy's risks and benefits. Much of it's touted benefits are anecdotal and short term.
So here is the backstory.
Testosterone declines naturally with age, about 1% annually after you hit your mid-30's. This has an obvious impact on muscle mass, libido, and energy levels to name 3 prominent effects.
There also seems to be some evidence that men today have lower t-levels than their fathers and grandfathers due largely to higher obesity levels and exposure to environmental toxins.
Testosterone levels have decreased markedly in the last 20 years, some 16% in men age 65-69, for example. Obesity may play a role as body fat helps turn testosterone into estrogen.
Testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT for short, is like a gift wish list for every male: build muscle mass, trim fat, improve mood, increase energy, and improve sex drive. Who wouldn't want that?
That is why prescriptions for TRT have increased 500% over the last 18 years.
But there is a huge debate amongst the medical community about both it's efficacy and it's risks. And it won't be known for decades what those risks truly may be in the long term. We all know how the estrogen therapy picture changed once women had been using it for several decades: not as promising or safe as once thought.
There also is debate about what is a healthy level of testosterone. The current standard is 500-700 ng//dL for men under 40. Some proponents of TRT recommend those levels should be as high as 800-1,000 ng/dL.
But herein lies the rub. Some would maintain that there is a downside to high testosterone and that our bodies may lower levels as a protective mechanism against things like prostate cancer.
Studies on heart health and testosterone have been mixed to date. Some studies have shown higher levels correlating with lower heart disease mortality while some more recent studies have shown the opposite.
You also have to be aware of TRT's side effects: hair loss, shrunken testicles, acne, breast enlargement and even sterility. TRT can also raise hematocrit levels (red blood cell concentration) which is similar to blood doping and can raise the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood which is obviously a boon for endurance athletes. But at the same time if the hematocrit level gets too high the blood can become so viscous that it actually increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
And TRT is lifelong therapy. Once you've started there is no going back as the brain starts to produce less testosterone itself.
So TRT is where HRT is for women 20-25 years ago. Initially, HRT was thought to be very safe but the outcomes some 20 years later have proven that not to necessarily be the case when it comes to some forms of cancer and heart disease.
So bottom line is to do your homework and research before considering TRT and exhaust all alternatives. It is a decison that ultimately can only be made by the individual but I would proceed with caution.

Train hard and train smart!
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New Cholesterol Guidelines: Utter Madness

New Cholesterol Guidelines: Utter Madness
A must read article for parents of young children.

Nine Things Successful People Do Differently - Heidi Grant Halvorson - Harvard Business Review

Nine Things Successful People Do Differently - Heidi Grant Halvorson - Harvard Business Review
Good, practical tips to success from HBR.

2nd Training Session: Total Body

2nd training session today after am sprint session. Trying a little different approach to get ready for Masters track meet in 4 weeks.

Warmup: wall slides, ankle mobs, 1/2 kneeling adductor, open hip t-spine rotation,Low box hip flexor, Indian clubs

Workout: Mini-circuit: Zercher pause squat 4x4@85,95,115,125; eccentric chins(10 sec. Lower)4 x 4; hip thrust 4 x 10@ 135; Landmine 1 arm press 4 x 8@ 65; Rip trainer punch 4 x 10
Rollouts(ft on low box) 2 x 8

Comments: Good 2nd session; trying to do a couple double sessions weekly. See how I tolerate that for a while.

Train hard and train smart!
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Exercise Can Keep People from Losing Their Minds, Psychiatrist Says

Exercise Can Keep People from Losing Their Minds, Psychiatrist Says
Yet another reason to exercise should you need one!

Today's Training Session: AM Sprint Workout

Today's AM sprint session was the first of, hopefully, 2 training sessions today as I have a short term goal of running in a Masters track meet in 4 weeks. My aim is to do 2 training sessions, twice per week along with other daily training sessions.

Warmup: Leg swings, lateral squats, toe/heel walks, march series, ankle mobs, wall slides, skip series

Workout: 10 x 55 meters on the soccer turf w/ 1 minute rest between reps.

Comments: Love running on the turf; even surface but much easier on joints than even the all weather track. Goal is 3 sprint sessions per week to get ready for track meet in 4 weeks.

Train hard and train smart!
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Are There Any Fattening Vegetables?

Are There Any Fattening Vegetables?
Good, sound nutrition advice from Bowden regarding vegetables.

Start With One Hour A Week

Start With One Hour A Week
Good way for many people to start tho' don't like the sample strength training workout.

Today's Training Session: Extra Work Day

Today was an extra work day but had to be low/no impact because yesterday was a sprint day.

Warmup: 1/2 kneeling adductor, 1/2 kneeling hip flexor, open hip t-spine rotation, ankle mobs, Indian clubs, forearm wall slides, lateral squat

Workout: KB swings 10 x 15 @ 32 kg. on the minute; KB Farmers carries 3 x 70 yds. @ 32 kg.
MB "speed" circuit: Ricochets x 15 sec.; Put pass x 7 ea.; soccer throw x 8--all at 4 lbs., 2 times;
"Gorilla" sled drags 10 x 20 yds. @ 180 lbs.

Comments: May have to use more load on those drags. They are a Diesel Crew original.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Sprints/sprint intervals

Today was a sprint/sprint interval session as my squash plans fell through.

Warmup: low box hip flexor, 1/2 kneeling adductor, Indian clubs, open hip t-spine rotation, wall slides, toe walks/heel walks, march series, skip series

Workout: 10-20-30-40-50 sprint ladder x 2 ( 3 min. recovery between sets);
10-20-30-40-50-50 sprint interval ladder
Cooldown: foam rolling, stretch rope hamstring series

Comments: Good session with sprint work in lieu of squash as those plans fell through.

Train hard and train smart!
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High School Athletes Still Tempted by PEDs

High School Athletes Still Tempted by PEDs
While the headline grabs your attention the writer has to do his homework or not be so sensational. Protein shakes aren't synthetic steroids nor is creatine. Get it right.

Today's Training Program: Mobility/power

Today was a power oriented training day along with some additional mobility work.

Warmup: forearm wall slides, ankle mobs, Indian clubs, tabletop hamstring, tabletop adductor, open hip t-spine mobility, 1/2 kneeling adductor, low box hip flexor

Workout: Band resisted long jumps-3 x 4; Box jumps 3 x 5; med ball circuit-ricochets 2 x 20 @ 4 lbs; MB chest pass- 2 x 12 @ 20; alt. hip toss-2 x 12 @ 20; between the legs hip toss- 2 x 8 @ 20 lbs;
Sled drags with harness: 10 x 15 meters w/ 1 minute rest w/300 lbs.+ Really focused on good acceleration mechanics and good, active arm drive and driving thru the ground with the plant foot.

Comments: Good session without too much pounding on the body/joints. The box jumps and resisted long jumps reduce the impact forces, at least a little.

Train hard and traim smart!
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Today's Training session: Total Body

Today was one of my most complete training sessions in a while in terms of hitting many aspects of a good training program with both a warmup/mobility work pre-training and then some stretching/mobility work afterwards as well.

Warmup: forearm wall slides, ankle mobs, Indian clubs, tabletop hamstring, tabletop adductor, sidelying t-spine, low box hip flexor, 1/2 kneeling adductor

Workout: Mini-Circuit: Sumo deadlift-4 x 5 @ 135, 185 205, 225, 1 x 9 @ 255; TRX inverted row w/bodycurl 4 x 8; band resisted high step-ups 4 x 8; Landmine angled press 4 x 8 @ 55; Rip Trainer 4 x 8
Superset: TRX suspended Plank (ft. on high box) 3 x 45 sec; KB Suitcase carry 3 x 70 yds. @ 32 kg.

Comments: Good session with upper body push & pull,lower body hip dominant, lower body quad dominant and some trunk/core work.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Program: Quick Total Body Session

Because of time constraints running back and forth between my two training sites had to cram this one in when the opportunity presented itself.

Warmup: Wall slides, ankle mobs, Indian clubs, 1/2 kneeling adductor, KB halos, quad rocks, open hip t-spine rotation, leg swings

Workout: Tri-set #1: Ring pullups 4 x 4 @ 40 lbs; Ring pushups w/ft elevated 4 x 12 @ 40; KB Farmers walk w/weight vest (40 lbs.) 3 x 60 yds. @ 32 kg. ea.
2nd tri-set: KB swings 4 x 12 @ 40 kg.; Rope climbs (no feet) 3 x 20 ft.; Rollouts 3 x 10

Comments: Good session; want to include rope climbing more consistently---great grip, trunk and upper body exercise!

Train hard and train smart!
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Athletic Business Newswire - Blog: Survey Offers Fitness Trends, Not Tarot Cards

Athletic Business Newswire - Blog: Survey Offers Fitness Trends, Not Tarot Cards
This makes me feel so much better as we do/fit 4-5 of these so-called trends!?!:)

Athletic Business Newswire - Tips from Ohio YMCA Lead to National Steroids Bust

Athletic Business Newswire - Tips from Ohio YMCA Lead to National Steroids Bust
Sad but not surprising.

Today's Training Session: Total Body

Almost done the 7 week pushup/chin program and started on a 5-3-1 protocol for my sumo deadlift. Not sure about adding another movement but may next week.

Warmup: wall slides, ankle mobs, Indian clubs, 1/2 kneeling adductor, 1/2 kneeling hip flexor, sidelying t-spine rotation, Brettzel 1.0

Workout: Mini-Circuit: Chins/pullups: 17, 15, 12; Sumo deadlift-1 x 5 @ 135, 185, 205, 225, 1 x 8 @ 255; TRX suspended pushups-20,26,21,26, 44; Rip Trainer overhand chops 4 x 8; KB swings 4 x 12 @ 32 kg.;
Offset Farmer's carries: 2 x 60 yds. @ 32 kg/20 kg.

Comments: May add a squatting pattern next week to the 5-3-1 protocol to complement the deadlift. Like the offset carries--haven't used those much in the past but will be more consistent with those in the future.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Sprint Intervals

Looked like the only time to train today was early so out I went in the dark to do some sprints.

Warmup: Leg swings, March series, toe walks/heel walks, high knees, butt kickers, skip series

Workout: 10 x 70 meters w/1 min. rest. On the turf, in the dark.

Comments: Actually kind of cool to train in the dark as I haven't done that in quite a while. But schedule today is packed so had to make the effort and get it done!

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Clubbells, Power Training

Today was a power oriented training day along with some work with Clubbells.

Warmup: wall slides, Indian clubs, spider stretch w/ rotational reach, march w/knee hug into overhead lunge, ankle mobs, tabletop hip rotators w/t-spine rotation

Workout: Club-bell exercises: swings 2 x 10 @ 5 kg; front pendulum 2 x 10 @ 5 kg; Inward pendulum 2 x 8 @ 5 kg.; outward pendulum 2 x 8 @ 5 kg.
Box jumps: 3 x 5
MB circuit: chest pass 2 x 10 @ 8 lbs; alt. hip toss 2 x 12 @ 8 lbs.; overhead soccer throw 2 x 8 @ 8 lbs.
Treadmill sprints 8 x 5 sec. w/ 60 sec. (no motor-"dead treadmill")

Comments: Good session working on both upper body and lower body power as well as starting club-bell exercises. Would like to get more consistent with those and add them to my exercise regimen.

Train hard and train smart!
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Strength is Paramount as We Age

Though this blog is intended for Masters athletes, this post applies to all of those who are middle aged and older.
I also am a passionate advocate for strength training because it has been much maligned and misunderstood throughout the years and has been the "poor stepchild" to the almighty aerobics "god." Not only is such an approach misinformed it is a great disservice to the general public who have prioritized "cardio training" for years at the expense of the huge benefits they could derive from an appropriately designed strength training program.
Being strong and staying strong may be the single best thing you can do for yourself in the physical training realm as you age. It is as close to the fountain of youth as there currently is and there is nothing on the horizon that will replace it.
But you have to work at it consistently. You will lose 5-10% of your muscle mass every decade after the age of 40 and the process accelerates after age 65. That is, unless, you strength train.
Stronger men have a lower risk of dying from all causes (Ruiz, etal, BMJ, July, 2008).
Strength is the most important factor in fall prevention, the performance of ADLs, balance and walking (Journal of American Geriatrics Society, volume 49, 2001).
You have to think of strength much like money...the less you have of it, the more important it is. If a 40 yr. old loses say 30% of their strength they, more than likely, will still have the capacity to go about their daily lives without too much difficulty.
But if a 75 yr. old loses only half of that, say 15%, that could be the difference between living independently and assisted living. There simply is no margin for error.
So no matter your current condition, your injury history, or even your age, you can get stronger with a good, sound, well designed strength program. It is never too late to start and reap the benefits of the fountain of youth, strength training!

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Total Body

Back to the routine after a weekend of traveling and training in strange/different places. Not necessarily a bad thing just different.

Warmup: Wall slides, ankle mobs, tabletop hamstring, tabletop hip rotators, 1/2 kneeling adductor, sidelying t-spine rotation, Indian clubs, 1/2 kneeling hip flexor, Brettzel 1.0

Workout: Mini-circuit: Chins/pullups 12,11, 11, 10,10; 2 KB single leg RDL 5 x 6 @ 16 kg; TRX suspended pushup-18, 28, 24, 24, 42; Rip Trainer punch 4 x 10; Face pulls 4 x 12 @ 50 lbs.
Rollouts 3 x 10

Comments: Good session; 2 weeks left in the chin and pushup program before retesting which should be interesting.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Extra Work

Was down in Charlottesville,Va visiting our youngest who is in grad school at UVA. Found a local gym near the hotel and decided to train there.

Warmup: wall slides , ankle mobs, low box hip flexor, 1/2 kneeling adductor, Indian clubs, leg swings

Workout: MB slams 2 x 8@ 12 lbs; Safety bar squat 1 x 8@135; 1 x 8@185; 1 x 6@205; 1 x 3@275;
Incline bench 1 x 8@135; 1 x 6@185; 1 x 3@215; Hammer Isolateral row 3 x 10@ 200 lbs.; TRX suspended incline press 3 x 8 supersetted with 45 degree back raise 3 x 10 w/ 45 lbs.

Comments: Good session at a commercial gym...haven't done that in a while. Always an interesting experience which may lead to another blog post.
Was a day to "test" some old exercises just to see how my "barbell" strength was holding up with all of the bodyweight training I've been doing lately.
Conclusion: not too bad.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Total Body

Today did a total body session incorporating a combination of kettle bells and bodyweight exercises.

Warm: wall slides, ankle mobs, side lying t-spine rotation, Brettzel 1.0, Indian clubs, 1/2 kneeling adductor, low box hip flexor

Workout: Mini-circuit: Chins/pull ups-4 x 14,10,12,9; KB swings 4 x 12@32kg.; Ring pushups w/ feet elevated 4 x 20; KB front squats 3 x 10@20 kg.; KB Farmers carries 3 x 60 yds @ 32 kg.; Rollouts 3 x 10

Comments: Good, comprehensive training session...trunk, upper body, hip dominant lower body, quad dominant lower body, grip strength, power...covered a lot of bases!

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Sprint/power day

Today was a sprint/power day as I like to get 2-3 of these per week.

Warmup:Foam rolling, Wall slides, ankle mobs,Indian clubs, sidelying t-spine, 1/2 kneeling adductor, low box hip flexor, march series

Workout: Box jumps 2 x 5, then db squat jumps followed by box jump 2 x 4
Med ball circuit: chest pass, alt. hip toss, soccer throw 2 x 8 ea. w/6 lb. MB (idea is to move it fast).
Sprint ladder: 2 x 10-20-30-40-50 with walk back for recovery. 3 minutes rest between sets. Focused on mechanics esp. acceleration, good arm drive, and relaxation. About 75-80%.

Comments: Good training session. Don't know if I'll get outside for any training this weekend as we're supposed to have a Nor'Easter. We will see.

Train hard and train smart!
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Weight Gain's Impact on Performance

There was an interesting article in the Wall St. Journal the other day about Albert Pujols.
Arguably, he is the greatest hitter of this generation and he will be a free agent at the end of the World Series.
He is asking for enormous money and he will be 33 next season, an age when many hitter, post PED esp., start to decline. If anyone is worth it, or deserves that kind of money, it is Pujols as he could retire today and be a first ballot Hall of Famer.
But the interesting thing brought up in the article was his weight. They showed a picture of him now and in 2004 and there is a marked difference esp. around his middle. The article also mentioned that he is not the most diligent when it comes to off-field training nor is he very strict about his diet.
He may have been able to get away with that when he was younger but it is apparently catching up to him as evidenced by the pictures.
Now there will be those that argue "just look at him hit." But the fact of the matter is that additional weight just puts that much more stress on his joints esp. his low back, hips and knees. So regardless of how well he hits, his liklihood of injury is increased and that makes him a risk for a long term contract at his age.
The point of all of this is that as Masters athletes we have to be diligent about how well we eat because any added weight will increase injury risk as well as likely be a performance detriment esp. if your sport has any meaningful running in it.
Bear that in mind the next time you ask for seconds or just indiscriminately load up your plate!

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Total Body

This week is a deload week as far as the dead lifts are concerned....less volume, lower loads.

Warmup: ankle mobs, wall slides, Indian clubs, 1/2 kneeling hip flexor, 1/2 kneeling adductor, side lying t-spine, Brettzel 2.0

Workout: Mini-circuit: Chins/pull ups 10,10,9,7,6; sumo dead lift 4 x 6@ 155; TRX suspended pushups 21,27,23,23,35; KB swings 4 x 12@ 32 kg; TRX Rip Trainer punches 4 x 10

Comments: Good session; getting some serious pushup volume--over 100 reps

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Total Body

Today was another total body training session. Did a lot of mobility/movement work in the warmup to keep on top of that issue.

Warmup: ankle mobs, forearm wall slides, Indian clubs, Swiss ball chest/shoulder stretch, tabletop hamstring, tabletop hip rotators, 1/2 kneeling adductor, Brettzel 1.0, 1/2 sidelying t-spine rotation, low box hip flexor

Workout: Mini-circuit: Chins/pullups-10,10,10, 2; KB sumo squat iso-hold 3 x 35 sec. w/ 20 kg.; TRX suspended pushup-23, 27, 21, 21, 35; KB swings 4 x 12 @ 32 kg. ; Face pulls 4 x 12 @ 50 lbs.

Comments: Good session w/lots of good mobility work. More volume with both chins and pushups. 3 more weeks on the pushup/chins program.

Train hard and train smart!
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FDA Trying To Take Away Your Right To Buy Supplements!

FDA Trying To Take Away Your Right To Buy Supplements!
Write your Congressman to prevent this from happening.

Another Study Says “No Problem” With Dietary Fat

Another Study Says “No Problem” With Dietary Fat
Yet more evidence that fat is not the evil too much processed carbs (sugar) is.

Today's Training Session: Power Training

As we age we lose power, the ability to produce force quickly, twice as fast as we lose strength. Yet many Masters athletes don't train power at all in their training programs. Every Masters athlete, even endurance based athletes, needs some power training in their program.
This is a very simple, short power program based off of Joel Jamieson's principles.

Warmup: Leg swings, lateral squats, arm circles, march series, forearm wall slides, no moneys, skip series

Workout: 6 x 8-10 sec. w/ 90 sec. rest intervals: Med ball work-Tornado ball horizontal chops, hip toss, chest pass, side toss
10 x 5-6 seconds steep hill sprints w/60 second rest

Comments: This entire session took about 35 minutes. If that is too long for you (which it shouldn't be) cut back the volume a bit. Always emphasize quality over quantity esp. at our ages.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training session: Total Body

I think at our age that if you are doing more than 3 strength training sessions per week then you are likely overdoing it.
Because when will you have the time and energy to do other training like agility/sprint work let alone the skill work of your respective sport.
You can still make amazing gains/progress on a 2-3 times weekly training program if done properly.
So today was another total body training session along the lines of what I just mentioned.

Warmup: tabletop hamstring, ankle mobs, wall slides, tabletop hip rotators, Indian clubs, sidelying t-spine, Brettzel 1.0, 1/2 kneeling adductor

Workout: Mini-circuit: Chins/pullups-10,8, 6,6, 6; Sumo deadlift 5 x 5 @ 135, 225, 235, 255 (2); TRX suspended pushups, 15, 19, 15, 15, 27; KB swings 5 x 12 @ 32 kg; Landmine 1/2 moons 4 x 10
KB Farmers walks 2 x 70 yds. @ 32 kg. ea.

Comments: Good session; still a little sore after the weekend of kettlebells but feeling better.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Interval Sprints

It was a beautiful day outside and forecast calls for rain tomorrow so I decided it would be a good day to do some outside sprint work.

Warmup: Leg swings, lateral squats, arm circles, toe walks/heel walks, march series, butt kickers, high knees, skip series

Workout: 10 x 70 meters w/ 1 min. rest. BOOM! Done!

Comments: Great day to be outside on the turf. Won't be too many of these nice days left where you can train in shorts. Have to take advantage!

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training: Mobility & Restoration

As I recently mentioned I had the privilege of doing Steve Maxwell's Level 1 Kettlebell certification program this past weekend. And one of the take home messages was the importance of recovery and mobility. That is what today is about, my friends.

Today's Session: Foam rolling,Cobra, 3 way hamstring w/rope, quad rocks, cat & camel,band wind mill iso hold, quadraped t-spine rotation/extension, Indian clubs

Comments: A lot of these movements focused on the thoracic spine (t-spine) as that is one of my big "issues" as this weekend revealed yet again. Any movement issues I have stem from the dysfunction I have in that area. My focus for the next 30 days will be on doing daily, if not twice daily, mobility and soft tissue work for that area.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Hill sprint intervals

Again, following some of the ideas of Joel Jamieson, I did one of my regular hill sprint workouts today.

Warmup: leg swings, march series, skip series

Workout: 8 x 15 seconds w/ 60 second recovery; 2 min. recovery, then: 5 x 6 seconds (steeper hill) w/60 second recovery.

Comments: Intense but the hills definitely take some of the pounding out of the training. Good stuff!

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training session: Total Body

Today was another total body session but with a little less volume and intensity as I have the Maxwell KB cert. course coming up this weekend in NYC. Caution is the better part of valor when it comes to training sometimes as well.

Warmup: foam rolling, wall slides, ankle mobs, Indian clubs, sidelying t-spine rotation, low box hip flexor, 1/2 kneeling adductor

Workout: Mini-circuit: chins/pullups 5 x 12; TRX suspended lunges 5 x 10; TRX suspended 1 leg pushups-5 x 17,19, 15, 15, 25; KB swings 5 x 12 @ 32 kg; Landmine "1/2 moons" 4 x 12
KB Suitcase carries 2 x 50 yds. @ 32 kg.

Comments; Good session; challenging but not too draining. Will need all I have this weekend to survive Maxwell's challenge.

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Intervals

Today was a "conditioning" day on the turf.

Warmup: leg swings, lateral squat, march series, toe walks/heel walks, skip series

Workout: 10 x 70 meters w/ 1 minute recovery

Comments: Right ankle a little stiff to begin but loosened up after several repeats. Had to finish in the drizzle....needless to say, no company on the field!

Train hard and train smart!
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Yesterday's Training Session: Total Body

Yesterday was a total body training session and as it looks like I'll only get two sessions in this week due to the weekend seminar I had to make sure I got maximum bang for my buck.

Warmup: tabletop hamstring, tabletop hip rotators, wall slides, ankle mobs, sidelying t-spine, Brettzel 1.0, Indian clubs, 1/2 kneeling adductor, low box hip flexor

Workout: Mini-circuit: Chins/pullups 5 x 12; Sumo deadlift 5 x 6 @ 185, 215, 225, 235(2); Pushps-ft elevated 5 x 25; KB swings 5 x 15 @ 32 kg; Rip Trainer punches 4 x 10;
KB Farmers walks 3 x 70 yds. @ 32 kg. each

Comments: Good workout; getting back into deadlifting and will ramp it up over next 4-5 weeks along with pushups and chinups.

Train hard and trai smart!
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Doctor: Brain Trauma Risks in Hockey Just Got More Serious

Doctor: Brain Trauma Risks in Hockey Just Got More Serious
The evidence mounts more and more about the pervasivenss and severity of head trauma in sports.

Today's Training Session: Total Body

Today was another total body training session. Normally don't go back to back with strength training days but this was an exception due to a weekend of playing baseball.

Warmup: leg swings, ankle mobs, wall slides, Indian clubs, march series

Workout: Mini-circuit: Chins/pull ups-6,9,5,5,5; KB swings 5 x 12@32 kg.; pushups(feet on box):16,19,14,14,25; KB suitcase carry 3 x 40 yds. @36 kg; TRX fallouts 4 x 8

Comments: Good session; no squatting/lunging to save legs for weekend--4 games in 3 days!

Train hard and train smart!
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Today's Training Session: Total Body

I am starting to post at least some of my training sessions on this blog as it will show some samples of what type of training I believe is applicable and useful for Masters athletes. If I were training someone I would prescribe and design something similar.

Warmup: foam rolling, tabletop hamstring, tabletop hip rotators, wall slides, ankle mobs, 1/2 kneeling adductor, 1/2 kneeling hip flexor, Indian clubs

Workout: Mini-circuit: Chins/pullups- 5 x 12, TRX suspended lunges 5 x 10 @ 16 kg., pushups 5 x 25, KB swings 5 x 15 @ 32 kg., Rip Trainer overhead chops 4 x 10
Then: KB Farmers walk 3 x 70 yds. @ 32 kg.

Comments: This session had an upper body push, upper body pull, hip dominant lower body, quad dominant lower body, and two trunk/core exercises. That seems to cover just about everything.

Train hard and train smart!
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Energy Drink Calories Add Up for Student-Athletes

Energy Drink Calories Add Up for Student-Athletes
Better to drink water. These drinks have very little, if any, value added.

Using the FMS to Judge Performance and Durability

Using the FMS to Judge Performance and Durability
Powerful stuff on the FMS from the world of the NFL

Chicago Park District Eliminates Junk Food in Vending Machines

Chicago Park District Eliminates Junk Food in Vending Machines
Somebody has to take the first step in sending the message. Bravo!

Strength and Conditioning Programs: Eliminate Distractions to Gain Muscle, Lose Fat, Get Strong, and Take Over the World | Eric Cressey

Strength and Conditioning Programs: Eliminate Distractions to Gain Muscle, Lose Fat, Get Strong, and Take Over the World | Eric Cressey
Good post by Cressey and pertinent to anyone.

Act Your Age!

My wife might argue that I have a difficult time with this concept but at least at an unconscious level I get it!
Recently, I've been listening to/reading a lot by Dan John, the great strength coach philosopher and much of what he says resonates with me as it should with you.
For those of you who don't know, Dan John is a 50+ strength coach/teacher/lecturer who is also a Highlands games competitor and national class discus thrower. In fact, he has been a national class thrower since college.
But more importantly, perhaps, is that he is truly a philosopher as well (he has a Masters in theology, I believe). And this background, along with his long time teaching, imbues his presentations and writings with a reality that few others can match.
Sometimes he will posit a hypothetical question to people just to get them to think.
And one of those recent questions was should a Masters level athlete train like he did when he was 25/26?
Dan seems to be hinting at the fact that maybe he/she shouldn't and certainly not all of the time. His point isn't that you shouldn't train hard but that you have to look at the risk/reward ratio especially as you age because you simply can't recover like you once did. If you think you do recover like you did in your 20's you are either delusional or on something (if you know what I mean!).
So bear that in mind when you train. Can I accomplish the same ends with less liklihood of injury or prolonged recovery time? Something to ponder.

Train hard and train smart!
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Bolt disqualified in 100; Dix takes second - Arizona Sports News from USA Today

Bolt disqualified in 100; Dix takes second - Arizona Sports News from USA Today
That false start rule is stupid and even more so by the fact that TV/money are what dictated it happening.

Athletic Business Newswire - ACE Reinvents Personal Training Using Behavioral Science

Athletic Business Newswire - ACE Reinvents Personal Training Using Behavioral Science
I believe good trainers/coaches have known and done this for years.

Recovery: the Real Key to Progress

Though there has been tons of research in many areas of training and fitness one of the least researched and understood areas is recovery.
And recovery is even more important for the Masters athlete as they can't afford to break down and quite frankly don't have the recuperative powers of athletes that are younger. That is just a fact no matter how much you delude yourself into thinking otherwise my friends!
Many anecdotal methods have been tried and used extensively but most of them have little to no research to validate their efficacy.
Now don't get me wrong about research. I am of the school of thought that the research, esp. in our field, validates what we have been using in the field and know to be effective. It is not the other way around.
That being said there are 3 cornerstones to good recovery that virtually no one can argue about:
sleep, good nutrition and hydration.
Many people are sleep deprived and the amount of sleep, though important, isn't a vital as the quality of sleep. Basically, a mature adult should be getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep daily. Masters athletes that means you!
Sleep is important for several reasons: it is when the body recovers, when a lot of tissue repair occurs from injury or training stresses, and when important hormones like HGH and testosterone are released. You can see how if any of those things are compromised how recovery/improvement would be very difficult if not impossible.
Nutrition is equally important in the recovery process and is starting to get the attention it deserves. You can't out-train poor nutrition no matter how spot on your training program...you are deluding yourself to think otherwise.
Good nutrition facilitates muscle/soft tissue and even bone repair and building, speeds recovery from training and even helps minimize things like inflammation. We are just beginning to understand the widespread impact of good nutrition and many are still well behind the latest information. Simple rule of thumb for good eating: if it doesn't have a Mother or come from the Earth, don't eat it!
Finally, hydration is critical to proper recovery as water esp. literally lubricates the whole recovery process. Proper hydration is critical to good central nervous system function (obviously important for an athlete) which is the key to good, powerful movement. For most people the fluid of choice for most of the time should be water. There has been little independent research backing up the claims of sports drink makers about the efficacy of these drinks in events lasting under 75-90 minutes. Water is easily available, cheap, and has no additives of dubious benefit.
So bottom line is your recovery program should be built around these 3 things: good sleep, good nutrition and adequate hydration. If those aren't in place then you are wasting your time on things like supplements and the like.

Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links

12 Ways To Encourage Better Sleep

12 Ways To Encourage Better Sleep
Good tips though not sure how realistic #7 is in the real world.

Coop DeRenne: a Man Whose Message Goes Largely Unheeded

As a baseball athlete as well as a athletic development coach I can remember hearing Coop DeRenne speak nearly 20 years ago on the subject of weighted implement training as a tool for striking/hitting sports like baseball, tennis, golf and the like.
Though his research has been largely in baseball at the Univ. of Hawaii the principles apply to virtually all ball and stick sports as it were: hockey, golf, racquet sports, baseball, etc.
DeRenne's research has shown that there is a very finite window in which you can use a weighted implement similar to the one in your chosen sport without throwing off the finely honed coordination of that skill.
In baseball, for example, it is common for players in the on-deck circle to swing all manner of weighted objects some of which bear little to no resemblance to a bat: steel bars, re-rod, lead bats, etc.
DeRenne's research has indicated that this practice, steeped in baseball myth/superstition, has no basis in science. His studies have shown the invariably bat speed actually slows down when using these tools for warming up and does the opposite and what the player thinks they are doing for him/her.
The window for this type of training is very narrow, =/- 10% to be exact. So if you are swinging a 30 ounce bat, an average weight for many college and pro players, then your "practice" bat should weigh no more than 33 ounces or less than 30 ounces if you don't want to screw up your swing mechanics. The same principles apply to weighted baseballs as well.
These concepts would apply to golf swing mechanics which are also a finely tuned and precise pattern where the slightest variation can cause things to go awry.
So this is one of those situations where just because they done it that way for a long time doesn't mean it's right or helpful. In this case it's the opposite.
But baseball let's go of it's traditions very slowly, if at all, despite all the evidence to the contrary in many cases. Do don't expect major league on-deck circles do to without the usual warmup "tools": weighted donuts and sleeves, lead bats and the occasional random piece of steel!

Train hard and train smart!
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Seth's Blog: A definition of a leader...

Seth's Blog: A definition of a leader...
Simple but to the point. Just do it!

S.A.I.D.--Vital for Masters Athletes

SAID is the acronym for Specific Adaptations for Imposed Demands and is a fundamental principle of training. You will play as you train, or more accurately, your performance will be limited or enhanced by how you train.
To illustrate the point, many athletes, young and old, have been misinformed as to the extent of "cardio" they need for their sport. So as result every summer you will see college athletes out jogging with their iPods on to relieve the boredom. But unless they are cross country runners are they really preparing themselves for their respective sports be it soccer, field hockey, football, or volleyball?
In any SAID needs analysis of a sport you have to analyze the movement patterns and nature of the game and most are power based, intermittent burst sports. In addition, these sports are played in 3 planes of movement and require multiple changes of direction So how does jogging prepare you for the conditioning and movement demands of those types of sports? The answer is that it doesn't.
The same can be said of many so-called sports specific strength programs which use machines, pay little attention to multi-directional movement, or to improving functional movement.
The SAID principle is of particular importance to the Masters athlete as they are of an age where they can't make up for poor training programs or lost time. They don't have the luxury of time that a younger athlete may have at their disposal.
So take some time and look at your respective sport, it's movement patterns and energy system demands and then ask yourself if your training program is addressing those issues.

Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links

Self Myofascial Release/soft tissue Work: Mandatory for Masters Athletes

I think everyone in the athletic community appreciates the value of massage as it relates to recovery and performance.
But the problem with massage, or any manual therapy, is 3 fold:
1. It's expensive: $45-100+ per hr.
2. Convenience or time issues: have to go to wherever to get the session done
3. Skill set of practitioner. As with any profession there are some good and some not so good practitioners and you could spend some time and waste some money on those who don't work for you.

So let's take a step back and see why soft tissue work, of any sort, is so valuable. Over time, and as we age, we accumulate micro-trauma to our tissue, both muscular and fascial. Our training creates microscopic tears in muscle tissue which if left unattended can turn into spasms and eventually trigger points. All of those impair optimal muscle function and contraction, create pain, inhibit recovery and hurt performance.
I think I've made it clear as to how much I believe in massage therapy and a good practitioner is worth their weight in gold IMO. But we can't always do massage therapy as much as we would like so we need to find alternative soft tissue work.
The solution is in Self Myofascial Release (SMR, from now on).
This involves the use of sticks, foam rollers, and small ball work to "iron out" those kinks and muscle spasms and try to preserve tissue quality and thus function. Essentially, you are using your body weight to allow the tool to "iron out" the knots and kinks that accumulate over time.
SMR should be a regular, consistent part of any Masters athlete's training regimen as important as mobility, strength, power or any other facet of athletic development. You will feel better and move better if you do it consistently as part of your training or at other convenient times of the day. And much like mobility work, a little will work wonders and you can even do it several times a day.
Your body will thank you for it.
Next week we will have a YouTube demo of some of the devices and also show a quick foam rolling regimen.

Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links

College Football Coaches Decry Prep Sport Specialization

College Football Coaches Decry Prep Sport Specialization
More ammo for those of us who believe early sports specialization is not a good thing.

Seth's Blog: "Why wasn't I informed?"

Seth's Blog: "Why wasn't I informed?"
It would seem this concept would be common sense but evidently not! Should be applied to all aspects of one's life.

Power: a Must Have in Any Program

We lose power at roughly twice the rate we lose strength yet it is amazing to watch how many Masters power athletes don't do any power training.
Now I am talking about intermittent, power based sports/athletes not endurance athletes like triathletes and marathoners. Thouh a strong case could be made that they need power training as well. Even in an endurance event there is still the element of speed which is based on power.
The key for a Masters athlete is how to intelligently and judiciously add power training to one's training program.
First, let's be clear on what power training is and isn't. Power can be simply defined as: speed x force/distance. In other words how quickly can you move or move something with force over a given distance. True power training is max effort, max speed training with full recovery between bouts to optimize recovery. Whether you are doing plyos, med ball work, or Olympic lifts you have to do the movement explosively and with optimal technique. Fatigue through inadequate recovery will compromise those factors. So Crossfit , for example, is very seldom true power training for this very reason.
You should not feel wiped out after power training but energized and ready to go. If you're wiped out you are confusing conditioning with power training which is a common mistake both coaches and athletes alike make far too frequently.
One of the beautiful things about power training is that it doesn't/shouldn't take a lot of time. 10 minutes twice weekly will get the job done for virtually anyone. Much more than that and you are risking injury and diminishing returns.
Power training should be done early in a training session after your dynamic warmup while your central nervous system is fresh and ready to go. Doing it at the end of the training
session compromises all that you are trying to achieve.

Spending "Break Time" Wisely

By a series of scheduling circumstances I happen to have a 2.5 week hiatus from baseball right now which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I will continue to go to the cages and hit off a tee to maintain my hitting form but what I do with the rest of the "break" will be key in maintaining performance and decreasing my chance of injury.
I have a few nagging nicks: several hit by pitch "reminders" as well as a mild ankle sprain to pay attention to and in 2.5 weeks those should be back to "normal."
But I am also going to work on some more SMR (self myofascial release) through foam rolling, stick work and small ball work to improve soft tissue quality and pliability. That is a continual struggle as we age as we tend to lose moisture from our tissues which impacts tissue pliability and elasticity.
I will also continue to work on my strength/power, movement work and conditioning. It is known that we lose power at twice the rate as we lose strength yet so few Masters athletes do little, if any, power work.
In my strength work I emphasize "big bang" exercises. Currently, I have front squats, deadlifts, inclines, chins, and KB swings amongst others, in my strength program.
My power work currently includes box jumps, long jumps, and med ball work. I also do sprint/agility work at least twice weekly even in-season.
I do mobility work daily as it is critical to maintaining at least some mobility/ROM esp. in my ankles, t-spine, and hips.
I am more convinced than ever that you either keep moving and pretty soon you won't be able to move. There is no magic pill that will replace movement and the human body is designed and meant to move.
I playing and observing both my teammates and other teams play baseball this summer and in the past 10+ years that I have been playing senior men's baseball it is apparent to me how limited one's game becomes when you can't move. Even in a game where many think movement is not important if you can't move in baseball you can't: steal a base, your fielding range is severely limited, you are easy to "double up", you can't get an infield hit, etc.
I hope to avoid that fate by being diligent in my training and maintaining my ability to move. So should you!

Train hard and train smart!
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Train for the Game

Many people who are athletes make the mistake of trying to play their way into shape instead of training to play.
Masters athletes aren't immune to this approach as many think that they can just show up and start playing their respective game and that will suffice. Especially as we age this is a recipe for disaster as the first priority of any training program is injury prevention which is a huge issue for older athletes. Playing the sport doesn't do anything for injury prevention as it just
predisposes you to an even greater chance of injury without the appropriate training to decrease the chances of injury.
I see this mistake made all of the time: people don't train between seasons, go full bore in the first practice/game and pull their hamstring/ calves/ low back/whatever.
What would you expect? You had no off-season/pre-season training and then expected to go full bore without any consequences. But this happens all the time in Masters sports like squash, baseball, soccer and the like. As the body ages it is especially intolerant of such abuse as muscles tighten/shorten, ligaments/tendons are less resilient than they once were, and power isn't what it once was when you were younger.
So back to the title of the post: you must train to play not the reverse.
So examine the demands of your sport: speed, agility, fitness, strength, balance, etc. and determine where your strengths and weaknesses are and plan your training accordingly.
Your body will reward you with improved performance, less chance of injury and increase your overall enjoyment of the game/sport you love.

Train hard and train smart!
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Movement is the Key-Part 2

To continue with the thoughts from the last post, there is a concept called the Performance Pyramid that is relevant to this discussion.
The Performance Pyramid is a 3 tiered pyramid with the foundation and base level being functional movement with functional performance on top of that and functional skills/specific skills at the top of the pyramid.
But functional movement is the broadest/largest of the 3 levels and each successive tier is progressively smaller.
The reason for that is that functional movement is the foundation off of which all other athletic traits are built. If you don't move well and proficiently through fairly large ranges of motion the other aspects of your athletic development will never be truly optimized and you will be more likely to get hurt.
The problem most people have, including those of us old enough to know better, is that the emphasis is frequently on the skills and performance aspect of things without having the underlying functional movement base. In other words, the pyramid is usually upside down or inverted.
Many people delude themselves into thinking they move well when the facts and observation would indicate otherwise. Don't confuse quantity with quality of movement. Just because you can "run" 5 miles doesn't mean that was good, quality movement nor necessarily improving your athleticism or movement proficiency.
So in your own training dedicate some time to improving your functional movement and you may want to seek someone out that does the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) to truly get a baseline on your movement proficiency.

Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of links

Movement is the Key

Although it is a paramount skill at virtually any age/level in sport, movement ability is even more important, I believe, as one gets older.
The ability to move in all directions fluidly, quickly, and with accuracy and power is probably the hardest athletic trait to maintain as one gets older. When you're younger you take it for granted but as you get older you realize that many people fall by the wayside in this invaluable athletic trait.
I play on several senior men's baseball teams and on the one team (16 players) there are only 4 of us that still move well. There are only so many people you can rotate at first base and then you have to play people in positions where they are severely limited in what they can do without being both a liability in the field as well as being more likely to get hurt.
The point is that even in a sport like baseball, which many would not consider a movement dominant sport, good movement is still a prerequisite to being able to do all of the 5 basic skills: running, fielding, throwing, hitting and hitting for power. The first two skills are particularly limited if you have poor movement ability.
Because of what I do many on my teams want to know what they can do to improve their movement ability but there is no single, simple answer.
For some lack of good movement for so long combined with an injury history may make getting good, safe movement back virtually impossible. For others the road back to good movement may be possible but it will take consistent applicable of sound training principles involving a multi-faceted approach including mobility/flexibility work, soft tissue/manual therapy work, strength and power work. The point is that it won't happen overnight nor without some effort.
Bottom line: improve your movement sphere capacity and your game, whatever it is, will improve as well.

Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links

Want to Get Strong? Quit Switching Strength Training Programs Every Week. | Eric Cressey

Want to Get Strong? Quit Switching Strength Training Programs Every Week. | Eric Cressey
I call this program deficit disorder but Cressey's point is the same. There has to be some rhyme and reason to your training program.

Training is Not a Sport

It is a principle of training, at least it should be, that training is a means to an end not an end in itself. For the Masters athlete this is a principle of paramount importance because we don't have the ability to recover that we once did.
Much of what passes for training out there gravitates towards the training as sport mindset. Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's appropriate nor moving the athlete towards his/her training goals. And quite frankly any idiot can put a mishmash of exercises together to make someone else puke....that takes no skill or knowledge.
As Masters athletes we have only so much energy to expend on training and our sport and if we are constantly recovering from our training sessions where does that leave you at game time? I think the answer is obvious.
I am not saying you shouldn't work hard when training but it has to be where appropriate and as part of an overall training plan...in other words it's not random but planned.
Recovery is where we actually improve, get stronger, fitter, faster, etc. but if there is no time or planned recovery then there will be no progress, at the least, and overtraining at worse.
So remember there is a time and place for tough training sessions but there should be a rationale as to why and it should be where appropriate in the training cycle.

Train hard and train smart!
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Having a Plan

Many athletes, Masters included, workout but don't really train. What do I mean by that?
Working out is merely putting together a hodgepodge of sessions with no rhyme, reason or plan to what you are doing daily.
You should have a rationale for not only what you are doing in your session but also the individual components of that session. If you can't explain why you are doing then don't do it.
So many would go where do I start?
First of all, as Vern Gambetta would say, a plan should be specific to the individual and relevant to the sport/activity. So, for example, if lack of strength is one of your shortcomings then there should be an emphasis on that until it is brought up to the appropriate levels. For someone else it might be power or mobility...that is the individual component of a plan.
2nd, the training has to be relevant to our sport/activity. If you are a golfer how much long distance running is really necessary to help your game? Or would long distance running actually harm your game?
As Masters athletes especially it is absolutely essential that we bear in mind the principle of training efficiency. With only so much time to train it is critical that your training be focused on the most pressing demands of your sport/activity. You can't afford to waste time and energy on things that won't either increase performance or reduce your chance of injury. This applies to all athletes but especially so to Masters athletes.

Train hard and train smart!
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My Thoughts on Training Masters Athletes

As both a lifetime competitive athlete and still playing competitively in at least two sports, baseball and squash, I felt there was a dearth of information out there on training older/masters athletes. This will be my attempt to remedy that situation.
I am not only a competitive Masters athlete but have been a strength coach/trainer and coach for over 25 years so I am coming at this project from those two perspectives. From my experience anyway there aren't too many that are both competing and training athletes...but I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time! :)
I feel there are many websites/blogs, etc.out there that address youth sports training and, obviously, training college and elite level athletes. I'm not aware of too many, if any, that are geared solely towards the Masters athlete and that will be our mission: to address the training of Masters athletes in a comprehensive, holistic approach. And perhaps unlike other advice in this area this will come from a practical, in the trenches approach as both athlete and strength/performance coach.
Masters sports has grown tremendously since the Baby Boomers hit that age (40+) and decided that they didn't want to give up their lifelong love of whatever their chosen sport/competitive outlet.
We will attempt to bridge this information gap with this blog and we hope that you enjoy it!

Train hard and smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links