Blog Archive

Can you imagine if you had started your MadLab journey earlier in your life?

Last fall I had the opportunity to coach Ainslea, the 13 (now 14) year old daughter of one of our 6am regulars and Wall of Respect Elders, Liz.

It is hard to put into words how much fun I had. Every one-on-one session brought out the strength and resilience in Ainslea that was tucked just out of sight. Big shout out to Liz and her husband Tony for trusting me with Ainslea. Another big one to the 6am crew who have embraced her from day one as one of their own. Thank you.

A few lucky times, I managed to pit mom vs daughter in a workout. Grace, Fran, and Fight Gone Bad were pretty damn cool. Here’s a little vid:

(What I wouldn’t give to have had the opportunity to train like this when I was her age…)

I absolutely LOVE coaching and watching people of all shapes, sizes, and ages do things that they told themselves (and me) that they’d NEVER be able to do.

Andy’s post yesterday really put something in perspective for me.
Sure, people think they need to prepare for our training before they come in. But like Andy said, growth is HARD. And it’s better to get started growing sooner, than later.

~Squad

Warm Up:

Coach’s Choice

Skill/Str:

A. 3 Deadlift, 3 sets

B. Row 90sec at a brisk pace, 2 sets

Workout:

Row 30sec:Rest 2m30s

5 rounds.

Total meters for Leaderboard.

Compare to Oct 25th 2013 and April 24th 2014.

Coaches, in the event of large class, group 2 or 3 athletes to a rower.

Heat 1 goes at minute 0, minute 3, minute 6, minute 9, and minute 12.

Budget 15 min.

Optional Finisher:

3×12 reps/side Tempo Side Plank Crunch

Saturday’s Warm Up:

Coach’s Choice

Saturday’s Workout:

“Eva”

5 Rounds:

Run 800m
30 Full KB/DB swing (72/55lbs)
30 Pull-ups

45 min cap

Saturday’s Mandatory Finisher:

Stretch posterior chain

This article by James Clear really struck a cord with me.

(I’m becoming predictable.  Anytime I run out of content ideas, his blog is on my short to list help me get through the week).

One of the top 5 reasons prospective clients give for staying on the sidelines, is that they feel like they need to get into shape before signing up with MadLab.

Which has always left me scratching my head.

Our job is to help them get in shape…and they feel like they need to get into shape before they let us help them get into shape.

I’ve never really been able to articulate the fault in their logic without palming my face…which usually doesn’t go over very well.

James is better at using his words.  Here are a couple quotes from his article:

“…like any growth. You can’t be ready for it because it’s growth. It’s going to be new. You’re going to have a new life. You’re going to be a new person.” – J Seinfeld

‘By definition, growth must be something that makes you feel unprepared and uncertain. If it was comfortable and easy, it wouldn’t be growth. It would be normal. It would be standard. It would be who you already are’. – J Clear

Keeping the above in mind – If there are any lurkers, thinking about starting up with MadLab reading this post, my advice to you is:

Start before you think you’re ready.

Its the only way this is going to happen.

Everyone is uncomfortable at the start. Everyone gets better. Everyone grows.

Andy

Warm Up:

Coach’s Choice. Incl. Windmills

Skill/Str:

A1. 3 Overhead Squat, 4 sets

A2. 3/3 wt. Skaters Squat (weighted, if possible), 4 sets

B. Practice DB Power Snatch w/ 2 second hold in the catch position

Workout:

“Split Stability” compare to March 17th.

4 DB Power Snatch(L)

8 Alt Overhead Lunge (L)

4 DB Power Snatch (R)

8 Atl Overhead Lunge (R)

12 Box Jumps

100m Run

AMRAP in 12min.

*

M under 159lbs, use a 40lbs DB

M between 160 and 180lbs, use a 45lbs DB.

M over 181lbs, use a 50lbs DB

W under 129lbs, use a 25lbs DB

W between 130 and 145lbs, use a 30lbs DB

W over 146lbs, use a 35lbs DB

or scale as needed.

Our brain needs 2 things to thrive: Activation and Fuel.

Part Two: Fuel

Your brain is a hungry, hungry hippo.

Even though it accounts for only 2% of your body’s mass, it devours approx 60% of the Glucose (sugars, starches and ketones) and 20% of the Oxygen (respiration) you take intake in.

And that’s when you’re at rest!

During periods of high activity, intense focus, or stressful situations those % can be even higher.

Because the brain lacks fuel stores, it needs a constant supply of the goods to keep those synapsis firing.  

When supply fails to meet demand, performance is compromised.

We all know that physical activity can drain the tank, but studies have shown that mental concentration actually drains glucose from a key part of the brain associated with memory and learning.

A lack of Glucose affects the ability to think and remember.

A lack of sufficient oxygen supply to the brain can lead to difficulty concentrating, poor motor skills, memory loss, mood swings and restlessness.

The way we breath can effect the supply of O2 to the brain.

Its estimated that chronic hyper-ventilators and mouth breathers (you know who you are) can have up to 20% less oxygen in the brain, all day, every day (this is mostly due to low CO2 levels, which oddly, makes it harder for O2 to get into the cells where its needed).

“Insufficient oxygen means insufficient biological energy that can result in anything from mild fatigue to life threatening disease. The link between insufficient oxygen and disease has now been firmly established.”  Dr. W. Spencer Way, Journal of the American Association of Physicians

So, make your brain happy; take time to breath and eat some ice-cream.

Andy

Warm Up:

Coach’s Choice

Skill/Str:

A1. 2 Rope Climbs or 1 Legless Rope Climb, 4 sets

A2. 15sec Support Hold w/Rings Turned Out, 4 sets

A3. 30 Sec Hollow Hold, 4 sets

Workout:

In Teams of 2, trading off full rounds –

12 Dball Slam (20/12lbs)

10 Goblet Squat (55/35lbs)

8 Push Up

Rounds in 20 min

Part One : Activation

This may be overly simplistic, but our brain needs 2 things to thrive: Activation and Fuel.

Activation comes from the sensory and motor information gathered by our nervous system.

As our bodies move, we activate our nervous system and engage our brains in the complex process of:

1. Gathering info
2. Planning action
3. Predicting outcomes
4. Executing intension
5. Adjusting the plan

Without this type of stimulation our brains slowly degenerate.

Check out this short TEDTalk by Neuroscientist Daniel Wolpert titled, the Real Reason for Brains.

As we age, we move less (you could make an argument that we age because we move less). When we move less, our brain and spinal cord lose nerve cells and weight (atrophy).

Based on exercise and health data from nearly 5,000 men and women over 65 years of age, those who exercised were less likely to lose their mental abilities or develop dementia, including Alzheimer’s – Nature Neuroscience, May 1998.

In fact, Scottish dancing has been studied and shown to combat degenerative aging. 

Other styles have demonstrated promising improvements in early stage Parkinson’s patients. 

“Dancing improves brain function on a variety of levels, when we dance we’re usually negotiating multiple factors: changing physical space, the cues of a partner, rhythm/body coordination, and touch.” Christopher Bergland, Psychology today

Of coarse it doesn’t have to be dance.  Introducing any new skill or sport will expand your neural network.

Remember the Sea Squirt. Get out and move. The more new and novel the movement, the better.

Andy

Warm Up:

Coach’s Choice

Skill/Str:

A. 1.1.1 Snatch Pull EMOM, 12 min

B1. 5 Pendley Rows, 4 sets

Workout:

Flight Simulator – 

5 unbroken double unders
10 unbroken double unders
15 unbroken double unders
20 unbroken double unders
25 unbroken double unders
30 unbroken double unders
35 unbroken double unders
40 unbroken double unders
45 unbroken double unders
50 unbroken double unders
45 unbroken double unders
40 unbroken double unders
35 unbroken double unders
30 unbroken double unders
25 unbroken double unders
20 unbroken double unders
15 unbroken double unders
10 unbroken double unders
5 unbroken double unders

You must stop between sets. If you trip up, you must restart the set from the beginning.

No time limit. Just move out of the next class’s way. This is a right of passage on your journey to DU mastery.

Scaled version A

Mini Flight Simulator: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5

Scaled Version B

15 min of Double Under Practice

Doug Hepburn, former World’s Strongest Man, lived most of his life right here in Vancouver.

Born with a club foot and badly crossed eyes, Doug eventually became one of the strongest Men in (pre-steroid) history. I had no idea.

Local boy and “BC’s Man of the Year” of 1954, toying with a 370lbs Press.

A

Warm Up:

Coach’s Choice

Skill/Str:

Work up to a Heavy Squat Clean Thruster

Workout:

Just Nine Minutes – From CF Invictus

1min Hang Power Clean (95/65lbs)

1min Front Squat

1min Push Press

1min Rest

3 sets, total reps.

Compare to April 30th 2014

Optional Finisher:

100 Bus Drivers in as few sets as Possible