Squat Strength Program

Today marks the first day that I am starting a squat strength program.  I am limited on what I can do right now because I just had my torn pectoral tendon re-attached.  Lucky me Coach Burgener has a safety squat bar that lets me do back squats while I let my left pec heal.  Next time I go up to Coach B’s I will take a picture so that you can see what I am talking about.  Basically it has a collar that sits on my shoulders with a couple bars that run down to my chest that I can hold on too without stretching my chest out.  PERFECT!!!  I can still work on gaining strength and not be worthless.   

My intentions were to start some kind of program today when I went up to coach’s (Mike’s Gym).  I talked with him about the Hatch Squat Routine and a couple others.  He decided I should try out another type.  It has a lot of volume but broken up into lots of sets with small reps.  Today looked like this:

• 10sets x 3reps at 120kg (264lbs)
• Back & Abs (GHD sit ups & Back Extensions)

My current PRs are at 180kg for back squat, and 150kg for front squat.  We will see how this program works out.  The program is that you squat twice a week.  One day heavier then the other.  So today would be my heavy day and Thursday will be lighter day.  Then next week I will increase the percentage on my heavy day and light day.  Each week trying to go up more and more.  As for today, I felt pretty good.  Each set pushed me on that 3rd rep. Once I got to the later sets I could feel it was working my legs.  This type of workout is perfect for gaining strength and not getting sore.  We will see how I feel over the next few days.  I am excited to see the results when its all done.  

If your looking to gain some leg strength then give something like this a try.  If you have any questions you can shoot me an email at:

jp@crossfitsandiego.com

Weight Gain

This past Saturday I was hanging out with Coach Burgener at Mike’s Gym.  I brought up a couple of my soon to be trainers up there to get some work on technique with the Olympic Lifts and to get  a work out in.  Plus its always just good to hang out with “Coach B”.  Always full of knowledge and willing to help.  We had some time while everyone was training to talk about the surgery and how my recovery was going.  I told him that since I had the surgery I had lost 6lbs.  He asked me how much I weighed.  I told him 77.2kgs. (169lbs)  He said,” So you are light right now, and you want to compete in the 77kg class?  That doesn’t make any sense.  I have always felt athletes should eat up to their weight class, not lose weight.  You should be an 85kg (187lbs).”  That’s when I said, ” Those 85s lift heavy weights!!! I would rather stay at 77kg and try and compete.”  That was me just being funny though.  Ever since that conversation I have been thinking about how much food I would have to eat.  I would especially want to put on functional muscle and not fat.  Since fat doesn’t lift weight.  I have a hard task in front of me.  One advantage though will be that I am shorter then most 85s, I think.  So that is good.  I won’t have to get the weight that high.

This is a whole new experience for me.  There have been times in my life when I felt like I need to gain weight, like for football or rugby, but not like this.  If I felt it slowed me down on the field though, I would shed it off.  There is nothing worse then being caught from behind after you make a long break in Rugby or Football.  So I did whatever it took to make sure that wouldn’t happen.  Now, I am not sprinting down a sideline, but trying to move massive amounts of weight.  If gaining weight is going to make me more competitive then that is something I am going to have to do.  I have a hard road ahead of me, because from what I have been reading, putting on functional muscle is harder then losing weight.  There are all kinds of theories on how to do it, but the bottom line is that I have to eat clean and make sure I am getting more then enough calories in to support the muscle gains.  One suggestion that seems to come up often is drinking a half gallon to gallon of milk a day.  Which makes sense because of the high calorie and high protein content in milk.  John Welbourne (Crossfit Football) talked about this at his CF Football cert, Rippatoe talks about it in his strength books, and Greg Everette talks about it in his Olympic Weightlifting book. I am sold, I will be hitting that hard along with upping my protien consumption to 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight.  That should do it over time and then I will just have to maintain.  We will see how it goes.  

First and foremost I have to get this left shoulder healthy and back to 100% from the torn pectoral re-attachment surgery I had 2 weeks ago.  Things are going well as far as that goes.  Still in the sling, but able to train others and glad to be at work.  As long as I can do that then life is good.  

Stand by!!! I will keep you posted.

Olympic Weightlifting Program In San Diego

I am super excited about our Olympic Weightlifting Program that is on the horizon.  My plan is to have the best program in the area.  We have the platforms, bumper plates, Olympic bars, and great coaching.  There is no reason why we can’t have the best lifters in the area training with us.  The Crossfit San Diego Olympic weightlifting class will train Monday through Thursday at 4 or 4:30.  Rest Friday.  Train Saturday at Crossfit San Diego or up at Mike’s Gym to get training from the guru himself, Mike Burgener. (A.K.A. Coach B).  What a great opportunity to work on your lifts and improve your overall athleticism.

The benefits of Olympic Style lifting are numerous.  How many lifts do you know of that improve agility, speed, power, balance, explosiveness, flexibility, and on and on and on.  There is no comparison.  The Olympic lifts are what the Professional Athletes do.  Its part of their program.  If you ask me its crazy that these aren’t taught to high school athletes.  If there are high school athletes doing the Olympic lifts, I can almost guarantee they are starting for their sport.  You just can’t get good at the lifts without it benefiting you in your sport.  Period.  

There is no substitute.   

Stay Strong

I am in a sling because of my recent surgery to repair my left pectoral tendon.  It had ruptured a few weeks back while I was bench pressing.   Now I am on the path to recovery.  One week into recovery and I am ready to throw this freaking sling in the trash!!!  It is so hard to not do anything.  Especailly when each day that goes by is a day that someone else is working out trying to beat me in weightlifting.  I have enough people that I need to catch or pass to move up in the rankings of the 77kg Men’s Weightlifting class without needing to add more.  

I have to really stay focused.  With everything that is going on around me, I still have to produce results with the gym, clients, trainers, and myself.  When I have all that going on its easy for me to get caught up in everything else but what is important for myself.  What is important right now is that I rehab this left shoulder while somehow increasing leg strength.  Looks like I am about to get creative.  That’s okay because I like the challenge. 

I wrote a post not too long ago about working out while your injured.  It just talks about the importance of doing what you can at the gym.  Don’t let the injury run your life.  Your in control.  You tell your body what to do.  Its really easy to sit back at home and say, ” I’m not going to do anything today because …fill in your sorry excuse here.”  That is your little voice in head called mental weakness that is telling you what to do.  I hear him too.  I just try and to tie him up with a blindfold, gag him, and then throw him in a box when he speaks.  Then I push myself to do whatever it is that I need to do.  

REMEMBER YOUR IN CONTROL!!!  YOU MAY BE SURPRISED AT WHAT YOU CAN MAKE YOUR BODY DO!!!

Olympic Weightlifting in San Diego

If you found this article its probably because your looking for a place to do some Olympic Weightlifting.  Most globo-gym facilities don’t cut it, or get mad at you if you want to throw some weight around.  Well, your in luck.  I coach and train in Olympic Weightlifting here at Crossfit San Diego.  We have everything you need to meet your goals. (4 Platforms, Jerk Boxes, Bumper Plates, Bars, Coaches)  We are also a regional training center for the Crossfit Weightlifting Team under Coach Mike Burgener.  We have 2 in house coaches here.  Sage Burgener and myself.  Sage has a lifetime of experience and is a great communicator with her students.  You will not find a better place to train here in San Diego.  The closest thing is Mike’s Gym in Bonsall.  

In the near future Crossfit San Diego will be adding a weightlifting training sessions for those people looking to improve their lifts.  My whole thought behind adding this session is to get some serious lifters in here that may want to compete or just get really good with their lifts.  The sessions will be run by Sage and Myself.  If you want to get good then this is where your going to do it.  We will occasionally set up road trips up to Mike’s Gym to get some instruction from the Guru himself.

If this sounds like something for you.  Please don’t hesitate to leave me a comment.  

Bad News!

 I got some bad news recently.  I just found out yesterday that I tore my pectoral tendon.  It happened about 2 weeks ago at a seminar that was going over the bench press.  We warmed up a bit, and then decided to do the NFL Combine 225lb bench press.  After a couple of other athletes I decided to give it go.  I unracked the bar and started my reps.  It was going pretty smooth.  1……2……3…..and then as I was pushing up on my 4th rep POW!!!!  It felt like somebody punched me in the chest and then the bar came crashing down. I had spotters so they were able to get the weight off pretty quickly, thank god.  Then I grabbed my chest.  I had never felt anything like that.  I thought someone was playing a joke on me.  After I stood up there was some pain in my chest by my arm pit.  Not good!!!  I had some trouble trying to move my arm across my body and my left pec didn’t feel right

Over the next couple weeks I iced it and did some physical therapy hoping that it wasn’t fully torn.  I eventually got an MRI on May 28th.  Got the results back and spoke with an Orthopedic surgeon on June 1st.  Turns out I tore my pectoral tendon.  Surgery is required if I want to keep lifting and stay active.  SO…..I go under the knife next Tuesday.  They will go in and reattach the parts that have come undone. 

What does that mean for me?  Well, that means that I will have to take a little bit of some time off Olympic lifting.  I will still be training athletes and running classes throughout my recovery.  I still plan on reaching my goal of competing in the American Open in December.   I have a long road ahead of me, but as long as I do the right thing I should be OK.