Blog Archive

Starting this Friday (Friday May 30th) we will be running an event called the Monthly Match.

This will run the last Friday of every month. The Monthly Match will replace the 6:00 pm class on the given day. It will start at 6:15

It will be a partner workout, but the workout will be unannounced and unknown until the start of the Match. I assure you all it will be a fun and doable workout, and if scaling is needed, no worries there. 

I will be running this event most days and I will also be apart of the workout. If you have a partner you wish to workout with that is fine, if you do not, no worries, show up on the day of the Match and we will team you up. 

It is encouraged to bring a few drinks and hang out after the workout is completed. Suffering through workouts is the glue that holds us all together and what better way to celebrate that than with a cold beverage. Please note this will be a byob event and we will not supply for these gatherings. We will have a cooler with lots of ice to keep anything you bring chilled. 

We want to see everyone out to these workouts, so if you are free and looking to get together with some cool people on Friday night then come on out and workout and chat with some members of our gym you may have never seen before. 

I hope to see guys out there. Coaches included!

Tom

Fitness anyone?

Warmup:

1 length bear crawl

1 length duck walk

1 length crab walk

then

with a plate 45/25

20 ground to overheard

20 squats holding plate in front 

Tech: Manmaker- work up to a heavy set (Go heavier then WOD weight)

There are a few versions of the Manmaker the one we are looking for today is; one pushup, one single arm row, second push up, one single arm row (other arm), squat clean thruster.  

WOD:  Manmaker Run

4 Rounds

Manmaker x5 (45/25)

400m Run

 18 min time cap

* The Manmaker weight  should be challenging- scale accordingly!

 Shep & co

I wish you saw the bigger picture

This is a marathon of a process; I’m talking physical and mental development. Many opportunities arise for us to make an easy advance; however, the transition can feel rushed, and our desire often dominates our capability. You see the handstand push up, the muscle up, and the huge lifts. Fun is in our interaction and patience with progression. Blown attempts, blind adherence, and rushed movement, will leave you lying in chalk. Knowing it takes 8 years to Mastery, why would you attempt to get there in 8 weeks?

Clear as day but you don’t see the vision,
What we got deserves some patience,
Cuz this ain’t no finger painting

Addressing mobility is laying the foundation in all areas for you to move freely. Joe Montana would practice drop back drills that would bore high school football players to death. Wax on, wax off; Mr Miyagi drove one boy crazy with simple tasks before revealing their application. Progression, transition, substitution, activation, supplemental, accessory and corrective exercises should make up the bulk of your program. Advance simple exercise difficulty instead of leaping to the next progression. Add load, change tempo, or increase volume; otherwise, you’ll have to regress.

Beautiful and modern all the same,
But what’s a photo if it’s out of frame

You have attainable dreams; however you must chase what’s in view before arriving at your destination. Functional range is something rarely sought after on the road to movement. That round back has held up for years, yet your lifts haven’t risen significantly. Working hard through a difficult repetition is crucial, but cut the set before it gets ugly. Just because you managed to irk through it, doesn’t mean you made a healthy adaptation. Ingraining motor patterns is the same way you ingrain values. Integrity is built through character, not charisma. 

If I make it I’ll come back to get you,
I’ll paint all the world for you,

This is what I do, what we do. As movement coaches we study and apply the science. We challenge and experiment with techniques of old, and new. We’ve learned hands on, through injury, and know what works and what doesn’t. Through our environment we are able to find the most effective ways of progressing. We program, regress, reposition, and cue you for greatness. 

Movement is my life; let me share it with you.

I pray you see the bigger picture

Chesty

Friday Lesson Plan 

W/U:
10 Banded Good Mornings
10 Banded Pull Aparts
10 Banded No money’s
5/5 T-spine Bridge
8 min

Tech: Warm up Shoulder Press
EMOM 10 min
3 Shoulder Press

WOD:

The Bromance (shep and cabana’s wod)
20 min Row

1min Rowing , 1 min Rest

Set Rower for 3500m (this will keep Rower from stopping)

Score is Total Meters ( subtract meters left from 3500)

Saturday Lesson Plan

W/U: Coaches Choice

Tech:Groove the WOD movements

WOD:
Apprentice Tean WOD- 4 person
1 min KBS
1 min Burpee
1 min Pull Up
1 min Rest
12 min

then
10 min for each person to find Max Snatch

I spoke about the loose goose the other day. This is highly more prevalent in women, but I’ve trained enough lanky dudes to know they exist. Take a few seconds to assess yourself and the people around you:

If you have scored 4 or above on any of these, you qualify as hypermobile; or, you’re 12 years old. You lack significant muscular resistance; therefor, your joints can be highly unstable due to little muscular support. You may have or will injure yourself due to sudden joint dislocation or chronic pain induced by inflamed tissues. This doesn’t mean you are shit out of luck; in order to stiffen up your structure and train more effectively, you must prioritize, or die.

1) Understand a Stable Position

Packing the shoulder, screwing the feet into the ground, are both examples of creating torque or moment at the joint. Your goal is to wind up the joint and secure the tissues around the area. Cobra tight, and strapped down, primary locations such as the hips and shoulders will be safe. External/lateral rotation usually does a great job at securing this position. Keep your positions closer than you think; wide snatch grips and long lunges will be riskier positions. Keep close and wind it up.

2) Get Tight

Spend your warm up patterning stability. You have no reason to get loose, put the dowel down, put it down. Plank holds, waiter walks, bottom up kb walks, band pull aparts, goblet squats, and any other stability exercises. It takes 20lbs of force to cripple a lumbar spine, without any muscular contribution; learn how to brace properly:

1. Squeeze your butt as hard as you can.
2. Pull your ribcage down.
3. Squeeze your belly.
4. Screw your shoulders and head back.

3) Substitute Movements

Cleaning, snatching, and jerking may be the coolest things to do in the gym. They require explosiveness and speed; both require a tremendous degree of stability. These are what Kelly Starrett calls category 3 movements, and what other coaches call, tough shit. You can’t jump into a Ferrari (stick shift) when you can barely handle your Chevette. This doesn’t mean you’ll never be able to do these, just spend a few weeks, months, securing rigidity. 

• Snatch – Overhead Squat/Overhead Lunge
• Clean – Front Squat
• Jerk – Push Press/Strict Press

Individualize your success. You must approach mobility, stability and strength. Then and only then, power and speed.

Chesty

Thursday Lesson Plan

W/U:

Hip Mobility then…

15 shrugs
15 Tall muscle cleans
15 Over and backs
15 behind the neck push press
15 Cuban press with empty bar

Tech:

1 RM Split Clean

WOD:

1 Km Run
30 HSPU
1 Km Row

When you begin a new fitness endeavour, there is an exhausting amount of knowledge to retain. You will be absorbing and adapting to new exercise, methodology, and technique. This pursuit of skill and strength will take time and patience to master; however, there is one thing you should have mastered within 5 minutes.

I often see a collection of trainees staring into the unknown. In front of a thick steel forest, towered by fear, they sense they have been here before. The fear leaves them opting for something else, maybe just a gymnastics day. 

The brave know success lies forward; it lives within one of these barbells, forged in the flames of strength. Alas, we have made it through, but what next. How much is this one? It’s this one, right? Yeah, it’s definitely this one. Nope. Is this the 35?

In order of appearance:

45 (the 3 cluster)

They may come in different shades. They are the longest and heaviest. Designed for the standard male athlete; however, great for ladies looking for a thicker gripping experience.

35 (the 2 cluster)

They may also come in different shades. They are the next size down from the big boys. Designed for the standard female athlete, they also suit those with lady fingers.

25 (second from bottom aka The Snub Nose)

The shortest of all the land. This is a great scaling option that still holds a rigid enough structure to handle load.

15 (bottom aka The Aluminium Bar)

Another great scaling option. It may seem longer than the Snub Nose, but don’t be fooled; this bar is feather light and rattles.

Often people will take a close look at the tip, staring down the barrel of a gun. There are only 4 options. Seriously.

Chesty

Wednesday Lesson Plan

W/U:
Elbow circles w/ small plate (10/10)
T-Spine Bridge (6/6)
Goblet Squat (30 sec)
D-ball Slams (10)
8 min

Tech:
EMOM 16 min
3 Front Squat
1-3 Muscle ups
Progression – False grip 3-5 Strict Ring Pull Up

WOD:

Lucky 7’s
7min AMRAP
7 Box Jumps
7 Burpees
7 Kettle Bell Swing

HOS

Before the start of every class, I watch people stroll in early (:40), on time (:45) and late (anything past :50). Pressed for time or not, the dowel dislocate seems to get at least 40 some cycles. Once you are introduced to this exercise, it’s hard not to do it. The freedom you achieve feels amazing; however, this exercise may sit lower in priority than you think. Chances are, you’re doing them wrong, doing too many, or shouldn’t even pick up the dowel.

The Loose/Limpy Goose

This list includes throwers, professional dancers, exotic dancers, yogi’s, and anyone with a high level of anterior laxity (Loose). Most of ya’ll may feel tight in some of those shoulder structures, but can bend your elbow backwards and grossly slide around that humeral head. My point being, you are already loose; prying around that joint may release what little stability remains. You have now left that shoulder more prone to injury through lack of stability.

This also includes those with past injuries of the rotator cuff and attachments to the humeral head (Limpy). You have some tenderness in the shoulder, as well as some weak links. Prying around those tender bits may just further injure or aggravate the area. 

When that humeral heads slides forward, the shoulder can be stretch in a weak position. Not only capsule structures can be put under unnecessary force, but nerves can be stretched and pinched (they no likey). You may have no business stretching. Whether you’re a rehabber or sexy slider, you’re better off with a couple of these:

• Figure out the perpetrator. Muscular imbalance can lead to an offset shifting of tension.
• Basic arm swings and circles. Low impact and probably enough to free you up.
• Grab a band. Prime the area by stabilizing the shoulder. Pull Aparts, Perturbations, Scapular ROM and Isometrics.

The Desk Jockey

You haven’t been in baseball camp since you were 3; you sit at a computer all day; your rack position doesn’t exist; you do Annie every time you come in. The dislocate has its merits; however, I wouldn’t use it as a blanket recommendation for all of you. There are more effective ways of freeing you up, without watching you struggle in the corner with the longest dowel in the bin.

• Figure out the perpetrators. You’re stiff, everywhere. Target that stiffiness with massage, rolling, or any manual release techniques.
• Restorative corrections. (back to Wall shoulder flexion, wall angels, scapular wall slides, t-spine bridges, and side lying windmills)
• Make change daily (Mobilize). After your workout get deep and gnarly into those tissues; because, when you’re not, they’re just seizing back up.

Use your brain. Be creative. But if you have to cycle through 10-12 of them…

• Squeeze your glutes and abdominals tight. Like first night in prison tight.
• Don’t bend your elbows. Seriously, stop it, you’re not there yet.
• Slow down. Keep the ball in the socket and work through range.

So maybe not death, but I doubt you need that many passthroughs.

Chester

Tuesday Lesson Plan

W/U:

Hip Mobility then…

The Tom Special
15 Shrugs
15 Tall muscle cleans
15 Over and backs
15 Behind the neck push press

Tech: 3RM Hang Squat Clean

WOD: Wabbits
10 Burpees
200m Run
9 Burpees
200m Run
8 Burpees
200m Run…..

etc …1 Burpees
200m Run