Perspective

Stephen Covey used this picture in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to illustrate a lesson on perspective.  What do you see when you look at this picture?

This past week a couple of things happened that made me think about perspective.  First, we went from -30 F to 9 F and as one person said it felt balmy out.  Since when is 9 degrees Fahrenheit balmy?  It is when it is almost 40 degrees warmer than the day before.

The second thing that happened was at the 5th grade girls basketball tournament that we went to in Pillager on Saturday.  The tournament was a round robin format.  The girls played great.  We beat a team that we had lost to previously and ended up going 2-1 on the day.  When we finished our last game the girls were really excited about how they played and rightly so.  They had definitely improved from the last time out in a number of areas.  We then had to wait for the final game to determine what place we would get.  When the final game ended, we were in a three way tie for first place.  The tie breakers were head to head (did not apply with the 3 way tie) and then defensive points allowed.  As it turned out we allowed 30, the team we lost to allowed 28 and the team we beat allowed 27.  So as you can see we got third, the team we beat got first and the other team got second.  What was interesting about this is that both teams missed numerous easy shots in the final game - had a couple of the shots fallen for each team, we would have been in first place.  As we left the gym, the faces on the girls showed disappointment rather than the excitement that was there just 45 minutes prior to that.  What had changed?  Perspective!  Because of something that was out of our control we got third rather than first.  What is important for our girls to remember is that the outcome of that final game does not change how we played or how successful our day was in perspective to our long term goals.

How does this apply at the gym?  What do you use to measure the results of training?  Body weight?  How your clothes fit?  How you feel?  Sleep?  Energy levels? Benchmark workouts?

Whatever you use, it is important to keep in mind to use a long term perspective.  Short term results can often be misleading.  This is where a training journal can help out tremendously.  If you make notes of how you are eating, sleeping, feeling along with your workouts, you can look back and see what works best for you.  One other idea is to keep a photo journal of yourself from year to year to track progress.  This is where goal setting comes in.  It is important to set long term goals and then specify the short term goals it will take to get you there.  Look for a spot in the gym where you can post your short term goals for the rest of the gym to see.  Putting a goal out in front of others is a powerful motivator to keep you on track!


Workout
Front Squat
5-5-5
Then...
21-15-9
Front Squat (65/45)
Push ups

1-28-11

Workout

Bench Press
5-5-5
Then...

12 min AMRAP
3 HSPU
6 Overhead Squats
9 Toes to Bar

1-27-11

Workout
Deadlift
5-5-5
Then...
Do one Clean and Jerk(45/65) the first minute.  Add one Clean and Jerk each minute until you can not complete the required amount of Clean and Jerks for that minute.  Your score is the last completed minute.  For example if you fail during your attempt at 15 Clean and Jerks, then your score would be 14.

1-26-11

Workout
Back Squat
3-2-1-1-1
Then...
10 Min AMRAP
10 Russian Lunges
10 Push ups
10 Box Jumps

1-25-11 Happy Birthday Zach!

                                                          Zach and his mom after a football game this fall.

Alicia and I now have a teenager.  We have definitely enjoyed Zach's first 13 years and we now are looking forward having a teenager in the house.  Zach we are extremely proud of you.

Workout
Clean and Jerk 3-2-1-1-1

3 Rounds for time
13 KB Swings
13 Situps
13 Supermans

You may either use strict cleans or power cleans.  Make sure to note which one you use for your own records.

Attitude Reflects Leadership

Every time that I watch Remember the Titans (Widescreen Edition) I reflect on this line and what it actually means.  As we go through life we all find ourselves in positions of leadership at one time or another.  Whether it is as a parent, teacher, coach, or even as a mentor.  The following is a compilation of some of the thoughts that I have come up with during these reflections.

Not all of the actions of our followers can be attributed to our leadership.

Our followers have many influences other than ourselves.  We can in no way assume that we are the only leader that our followers have in their lives.  We can however try to influence our followers within the context of our relationship and the attitudes that they take during those interactions for the better.


More of the actions of our followers than we would like can be attributed to our leadership.

I had a discussion this week with a colleague about our children and about the best ways to motivate them to be respectful and mindful of their family obligations (chores!).  This discussion led to the conclusion that often what we model has more influence on the behavior of our children than our words (sorry Alicia for leaving my clothes lay on the floor!).

Leaders often have to make tough decisions and those decisions have lasting consequences.

This is where the risk/reward comes in as a leader.  Make the right decision and you gain a loyal following.  Make the wrong decision and your followers start to splinter into factions.  Most of the decisions that leaders make do not fall into this category, but the few that do will define you as a leader.  How does a leader successfully navigate these decisions?  I think that the answer relates to an earlier post, you plan ahead.  A leader must have a set of values that she uses a reference to guide them through their decisions.  Ask yourself, will this decision reflect my set of values?  If so, even if the outcome does not go exactly as you would have liked, at least you can be comfortable with the decision you made.  One of the worst feelings in the world is when you make a tough decision that goes the wrong way and it was against your set of values as well - can you say Double Whammy?  That brings us to my next thought.


When tough decisions must be made, the leader needs to make a decision that reflects his or her values and not popular opinion or the opinions of the select few who are the most vocal.

When I look back at the decisions that I have most regretted in my times of leadership, they all have one thing in common.  They were all made in an effort to please my critics rather than being based on my own set of values or philosophies.  Upon looking back at these decisions, I usually realize that the loud voices are usually the minority rather than the silent majority.  On more than one occasion when listening to Don Meyer at a coaches clinic he tells a story about a guy who gave the advice, "You can't pwease everybody, so you got to pwease yourself."  In other words, make the decision that you can live with regardless of the outcome of that decision. 

In the end, a successful leader must follow the example of the most powerful leader of all time, Jesus Christ, and serve his or her followers.

One of the biggest mistakes that some leaders make is to try to gain power by exerting their force.  Although exerting their force is sometimes necessary as a leader, being a servant leader is more effective.  When I know that my leader has my best interests in heart, it is easier to accept decisions that I do not like.  If, however, I feel that my leader is placing his or her own interests ahead of the interests of the group I have a much more difficult time accepting the decisions of my leader.


I view my role as a coach at Trinity Strength and Conditioning as that of a leader.  I feel that at the gym it is important to have standards for our movements and to hold people to those standards.  Please understand this when I remind you to touch your chest on your push ups or to get lower on your squat.  This does not mean that there are not acceptable substitutions for movements that are outside current ability levels, it does mean however that if you are capable of doing a movement correctly you need to do it correctly or do not count the rep.  Over the past few weeks/months I have seen a number of you not count a rep that was subpar and applaud you for it.  This shows integrity to yourself which will in turn translate into integrity in your leadership positions.

Hopefully I will put the above thoughts into action as a coach here to make your experience the best that it can possibly be.  Feel free to let me know how I can better serve you.

Workout
"Fran"
21-15-9
Thrusters  (95#/65#)
Pull ups

Scaling:  If you do not have a pull-up, sub ring rows and scale weight.  If you have pull-ups, but weight is to heavy scale weight.  Just make sure to note the scaling that you used.

Note:  This is one of our benchmark workouts.  It will come up again later in the year.  We use benchmark workouts to evaluate progress throughout the year.

1-20-11

Workout
Cleans
4-4-4
Then...
5 rounds for time
5 Sandbag Front Squats
5 Burpees
Make sure to touch chest and to jump on the burpees.

1-20-11

Workout

Overhead Squat
3-2-1-1-1

For time
10 Box Jumps (20"/24")
1  Renegade Row
9  Box Jumps
2 Renegade Row
...
1 Box Jump
10 Renegade Rows

1-19-11

Workout

Shoulder Press
5-5-5
Then...
10 min AMRAP
10 DB Snatch (5 each arm)  (40/20)
10 Ring Dips
10 Toes to Bar

1-18-11

Workout
Single Leg Deadlift
4-4-4-4 (Each Leg)
Then...
3 Rounds for Time
Max Reps Pullups
Broad Jump (5'/6')

Complete 30 reps per round.  So if you do 10 Pull-ups, complete 20 jumps.  If you can not do a pull up, sub supine ring rows.

"What About Cardio?"

This weekend Alicia adapted this Paleo Chicken Alfredo recipe and we used it to put over Romain Lettuce for a great salad.  The recipe that we adapted this from comes from Robb Wolf's book The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 lb of chicken breast
• 2 tsp tarragon
• 1 cup almonds
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• chicken broth

Add the olive oil to a large skillet.  Saute the garlic over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.  Cube the chicken and cook until browned on all sides.  Add the tarragon, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

In a blender, combine the almonds, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, sea salt, pepper,and paprika.  Blend into a powder.

Drain the liquid from the chicken and slowly add to the powder in the blender, blending into a thick sauce.  Add in chicken broth to get your desired consistency.

Add the sauce back to the chicken, mix well, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add in chicken broth as needed.

We poured this over a salad of Romain Lettuce and enjoyed.  The next day, it warmed up well also.

Workout

3 Rounds

In 5 minutes, complete the following:
500 m row
10 Heavy DB Thrusters
As many double unders as possible
Rest exactly 5 minutes
Record total # of Double Unders and weight used for Thrusters

1-14-11

Workout
Push Press
3-3-3-3

Then...

10 Min AMRAP
3 Handstand Pushups
6 Pullups
9 Box Jumps

2011 Winter Fitness Challenge Results Posted

I will have the first round results of our fitness challenge posted at the gym today.

Workout
Power Snatch
4-4-4-4

For time:
1000 m Row
Then
3 rounds
15 Squats
10 DB Push Press (20/40)

Workout

Front Squat
3-2-1-1-1

15 Minutes on the minute perform
3 Power Cleans
6 KB/DB Swings
Record total weight power Cleaned
If you do not finish a round within the minute, finish the round and sit out the remainder of the minute.

What should the caption for this photo be???????

Plan Ahead

                                                                                

Yesterday morning I had a conversation with my daughter about planning her breakfast the night before.  In the morning she usually has a hard time deciding what she "feels" like eating.  I asked her to start making that decision the night before to take the emotion out of it.  That brought me to an important thought about making good decisions.  When we are left to our emotions we often choose decisions that we may later regret.  However, if we decide ahead of time our course of action, we can usually make decisions that we are proud of later on.  An example of this would be the person who goes to a party as the designated driver and refrains from alcohol all evening.

How do we apply this to our current fitness challenge?  Many of you are trying to alter the way that you eat and to make better food choices.  The difficulty in doing this is when you find yourself in a situation for which you are unprepared.  This usually ends by eating what is there and convenient.  If you are away from home this might be a soda and a poppy seed muffin.  You can avoid these situations by planning your meals ahead of time.  Bring some acceptable snacks with you when you are driving somewhere.  If you know you will be out at a restaurant for a social gathering, decide ahead of time what type of meal you will order.

Workout


Weighted Pull-ups
3-3-3-3
Then...
21-15-9
Sandbag Clean and Jerks (25/40)
Toes to Bar

2011 Winter Fitness Challenge

Today we will finish the workouts for the first part of our Fitness Challenge.  Two competitors completed their workouts on Saturday.  Here is the workout.

You will be scored on total reps.

1 min Row (Cal)
1 min Rest
1 min Barbell Push Press (35/65)
1 min Rest
1 min Burpees (Hand release on bottom, jump over towel with hands above head)
1 min Rest
1 min Dumbbell Ground to overhead (20/35)
1 min Rest
1 min Box Jumps (14"/20")
1 min Rest
1 min Pull ups (No scaling allowed.  If you can't do a pull-up, you have a goal to work on.)

I posted my score on the board as the rabbit.  No other scores will be posted until everyone has finished their workout.

1-7-11

Workout

Take 10 minutes to work on Turkish Getups
Then...
4 rounds for time

15 Double Unders
10 Lunges
5 Pull-ups

If you scale the pull-ups to ring rows increase to 10.

1-6-11 "How do you afford to eat like that?"

When people ask about the way I eat and what I believe about nutrition, the topic of how expensive it is to eat meat, fruits, and vegetables.  We have actually found that cutting grains and sugars from our regular menu actually saves us money (we eat less food!).  In yesterday's post I referred to the Whole 9 blog and their Whole 30 plan.  It just so happens that today they posted a well written post about grocery shopping when eating Paleo.  Not all of their suggestions are practical for where we live, but you can still get a pretty good idea of how to attack the shopping issue.  On a side note, there are many farmers in the area from whom you can buy beef, eggs, pork, and chicken from.  I think that is an excellent way to go.

Workout
Push Jerk
5-5-5

12 Min AMRAP
7 Deadlift (155/95)
7 Handstand Pushups

                                          

1-5-11

Workout

Power Clean
4-4-4-4

5 Rounds for Time
5 Toes to Bar
10 Overhead Squats

With our upcoming Fitness Challenge many of you have been asking about what to eat and what not to eat.  I have posted some links here from Robb Wolf.  Along that same line, here is another link to the Whole 30 challenge.  In October, I had a chance to attend a workshop put on by the Whole 9 crew.  Dallas and Melissa are two very smart people who have devoted their careers to helping people eat healthier.  This program is well laid out and does a great job with what to eat as well as what not to eat.  It would be well worth your time to check it out.

1-4-11

Workout

Back Squat
3-3-3-3
10 min
Squat, Pushup, Pull up ladder.  First round 3, 2, 1.  Second round 6, 4, 2.  Continue from there.

1-3-11 Lifetime on the Hips

We will be holding Trinity S&C's first ever fitness challenge beginning next week.  The contest will go until the weekend of March 12.  Throughout this week I will give you more details on the contest.  In the meantime, if you are interested in finding out some more information on eating clean, check out the links on this page.

On a related note...

On Sunday afternoon, I took in the 3D Yogi Bear movie with my family.  Yogi had a line in the movie that I found humorous as well as perfectly timed for our upcoming fitness challenge.  When talking about pic-i-nic baskets Yogi said they were "delicious on the lips but a lifetime on the hips."  Getting your workouts in during the coming weeks will be important to your success, but the biggest difference maker will be the choices that you make when eating.

Workout

Shoulder Press
3-2-1-1-1
Then...
5 rounds for time
5 Renegade Rows
10 Box Jumps (20/24)
Scaling:  If you do not have a regular push-up, do 5 scaled push-ups followed by 5 bent over rows with each arm.  Scale height of box as necessary.