September Has Been PR Month!!!

I am going on my 6th week of this 12 week program and the results so far have been great for me. I can’t say that everyone will get the same results, but I believe a lot of it has to do with being consistent and committed to getting the workouts done. That in itself has been a challenge. We all know that life has a habit of getting in the way of your goals, but if your REALLY COMMITTED you find a way to make them happen. For me that meant scheduling my workouts for the week at the beginning of the week and not letting things interfere with that time. Also, if for whatever reason something came up that prevented me from working out, I would make it up or combine workouts so that I didn’t miss them. For instance last week I had a huge and unbearable headache. There was no way that I was going to be able to do the workout I was supposed to do for that day. I ended up having to take that day, Thursday, as a rest day and then make it up the following day, Friday, which was supposed to be a rest day.

Make working out or YOUR GOALS a priority and they will become reality. Schedule your workouts just like you schedule meetings or anything else you do in your day. And then don’t let things interfere with that time. Then its just, “GET ER DONE!!!”

SEPTEMBER PRS:

SNATCH: 97.5kg, 98kg, 101kg

CLEAN & JERK: 127.5kg

CLEAN: 130kg

3RM FRONT SQUAT: 150kg

1RM BACK SQUAT: 200kg

3RM BACK SQUAT: 190kg

5RM BACK SQUAT: 180kg

Scratch that last post of 182kg

This week I am starting week 5 of the 12 week program.  Yesterday I went from doing 5 rep maxes to 3 rep maxes.  I was able to put up a new PR of 190kg for 3.  Needless to say I am pretty happy.  I am really looking forward to when I hit week 10 or 11 to see what my lifts look like.  I was also able to hit a New PR in the Snatch this past weekend at 101kg.  That is the first time I have been over 100.  It felt AWESOME!!!!

I am super excited about how things are going.  I just have to keep it going!!!

Check out the video below.

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.   

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.

Get in the ZONE!!!

I subscribe to a newsletter from www.Zonediet.com.  They always send me some good stuff as far as how to stay in The Zone, and great recipes.  So occasionally I will throw something up here for you guys to check out.  This is a recent newsletter with with a recipes for dinner and lunch.  Check it out.  Hope you enjoy.

Grilled Turkey Salad with Mandarin Oranges
Here is a recipe adapted from Dr. Sears’ Zone-Perfect Meals in Minutes.
1 lunch entrée (4 blocks)
Ingredients:
4 ounces cooked turkey breast, cubed
1 cup celery, finely sliced
3/4 cup red onion, finely sliced
Romaine lettuce
1/2 cup Zoned French Dressing  
1/3 cup unsweetened Mandarin oranges
1 peach
1 1/3 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

Instructions:
In a salad bowl, combine turkey, celery, onion, oil, Zoned French Dressing, peach, oranges, turmeric and mint. Toss lightly to coat. On a lunch plate place lettuce, top with turkey mixture and serve.

 
Vegetable and Tofu Kebabs
Some people may believe that vegetarians cannot enter the Zone. That’s simply not true. In Dr. Sears’ The Soy Zone, published in 2000, chefs served up 100 tasty vegetarian recipes. Here is one of them.
1 dinner entrée (4 blocks)
Ingredients:
4 to 6 wooden skewers, soaked in water overnight
8 ounces extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large red pepper, seeded and cut into large pieces
1 large green pepper, seeded and cut into large pieces
2 large red onions, cut into large pieces  
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch slices
2 medium summer squash, cut into 1-inch slices
1 1/3 teaspoons olive oil
Dried thyme, to taste
Dried oregano, to taste
Garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Put tofu and vegetables on wooden skewers, being gentle with the tofu so it doesn’t break. Place vegetable kebabs at the bottom of a shallow pan or bowl. In a small bowl or jar mix together olive oil, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper, adding more olive oil if necessary. Pour mixture over kebabs and let marinate, refrigerated for at least 1 1/2 hours. Prepare grill or broiler. Place kebabs on grill, medium flame, turning frequently. Watch carefully so that vegetables don’t burn. Cook until vegetables are tender. Serve.

If you want or need more information on nutrition or want to get fit contact me at:

jp@crossfitsandiego.com

Weight Loss!!!

One of my favorite shows and probably one of the only TV shows I watch is the Biggest Loser.  Although,  I’m not a big fan nor do I advocate counting pounds or kilos as a measure of getting in shape.  The most important thing is losing the fat, period.  On the show they push losing weight and that is all good for Prime-time TV.  The only thing I wish they would cover more is how important it is to lose actual body fat over water weight, and muscle weight.  With the rate that those contestants are losing weight, its impossible to say that they aren’t losing a lot of water and muscle weight.

I push for my clients to concentrate on losing fat instead of looking at the scale.  Inorder to do that you have to get measurements.  The best way to do that currently is by getting dunked in the water.  That can be expensive.  Another good way is Calipers.  The Caliper method is as good as the person doing the pinching.  If you have the same person doing it and knows what they are doing then you can get a fairly accurate measurement of bodyfat %.  It might not be the best but its good enough to give you a baseline and an idea of where you truly are at.  There are many other methods, but those two are the best to my knowledge. 

If you concentrate on losing the bodyfat over the pounds, you will see and feel much better results.  You will be able to keep your strength and lose the eccess dead weight (FAT). 

If you need help with this, or would like to come in just to get measured you can contact me at jp@crossfitsandiego.com.  I will be more then happy to measure you and get you going on a plan to meet your goal.  I want you to succeed!!!

Mixing it up again

Glad to be back into the swing of things.  Injury is no fun.  But now I am starting to feel better.  Not a 100% yet but getting there.  I’m just glad I can hit the Olympic lifts again and squat without any pain.  Still can’t sprint at 100%, but pretty close.   Hammy still gets a little sore, but I just apply the whole RICE concept. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation)

Yesterday was a good day.  I was able to get my Olympic Lifting workout in and train a client in the Olympic lifts.  The Olympic lifts are so much fun to do and teach.  Its awesome to see someone go from not being able to do any of the movement to getting a decent Snatch going.  There is nothing easy about these lifts.  They take years and years to learn.  I am still a rookie when you think about.  Lucky for me I have had a chance to train with a great coach who has helped me out tremendously (Mike Burgener).  Every time I see him a learn more and more.  Not only about my lifts but also in coaching the lifts.  I pretty much use the stuff he has taught me and apply it to my coaching style with my clients.  Seems to work well.  I have seen a current clients lifts improve dramatically.  He could barely hold any weight over his head and now he is Clean and Jerking 90kg.  I think he may be able to do more at the moment.  We will see after a few more sessions. 

As for my workout, it felt good.  I was a little out of focus when I started, but it only took one miss for me to pull my head out of my ass.  I had to focus.  You have to be zeroed in when you lifting.  If your just going through the motions, your never going to get anything out of it.  You have to be fired up and trying to improve your technique at all times.  That is the only way to get better.

Injury Sucks, But Its A Part Of Life

I am going on my fourth week of a Hamstring pull.  No Bueno!!!  It has been the first time that I have pulled my hamstring.  Kind of amazing when you think about how long I have been playing sports at a competitive level.  I have torn my ACL a couple times and have had multiple surgeries on my knees.  We won’t say how many.  But its more then you can count on 1 hand.  Anyways, back to the hamstring.  I pulled it in a Rugby game going after a loose ball.  Prior to the game my hammys were tight and I knew it probably wasn’t the best idea to play, but I pushed it just because I love competition.  First half went with no problems, and then 10 minutes into the second half it went.  It was like someone shot me in the leg.  I couldn’t get a good step going in my left leg.  I thought….DAMN!!!! 

The next day sucked big time,  couldn’t even sit down on the toilet.  That is pretty bad.  I couldn’t put any pressure on the back of my leg.  You never notice how much you use something until its injured or broken.  Then its a constant reminder every time you try and do something that involves that muscle or bone.  It sucks.  I knew that I was going to miss the opening weekend of Super League and probably the next game after that. 

Here I am, 3 almost 4 weeks after I injured it, and still recovering.  I have been able to work around it though.  I have taken this time to work on some other things while I am down here at Crossfit San Diego.  I have clients throughout the day, so that keeps me busy, but when I have free time, I mess around with my pull ups, muscle ups, dips, and other things that don’t aggravate the hamstring.   I think the front flips with Aush were a bad idea though!  I have noticed some improved strength and technique in some of these areas.  I have also taken this time to go really light and work on technique with my Olympic Lifts.  In a way this hamstring pull has helped me develop other areas that may have been taking a back seat for awhile.  With Rugby and the Olympic lifting I have taken a more specialized route for performance in my position at that sport.  In doing so I have seen a fall off in some of my other activities.  Just goes to show what specializing does to you. 

Bottom line is this…..

Just because you get injured, DON’T STAY AWAY FROM THE GYM!!!  Do other movements that don’t aggravate the injury.  Take this time to get after some of your weaker movements.  Keep in touch with your workout partners.  I suggest everyone get a person that holds them accountable.  If you don’t have someone, then get someone.  Don’t feel bad for not being able to do the daily workout because of injury.  It happens, deal with it.  

Once you get healthy you will be a better person.  You will be able to do things you used to do, plus more.  Never stop growing mentally and physically. 

These guys remind me that I have nothing to bitch about when I am hurt.  Their courage and motivation is UNBELIEVABLE!!!

Are you a Chump or are you a Champ?

The other day I was talking with a client and friend Mark R.  He regularly attends our Crossfit classes and has some goo things to say.  Anyways, we were talking about several things but one that stands out in my mind is that he was talking about a book he read by some author, I can’t remember who, that had an interesting view on people and athletes.  Basically we are all “CHUMPS or CHAMPS”.  Meaning that when we make our decisions throughout the day are we making a Chump decision or a Champ decision.  One good analogy that Mark brought up was when you are driving in your car and your hungry.  Do you stop at the fast food joint because its quick and easy (CHUMP decision).  Or do you keep driving past it to the grocery store and pick up some healthy foods so that you can put it together at home.  Yeah its going to take you a little longer, but it will be better for you in the long run (CHAMP decision).

I can honestly say that ever since this conversation with Mark I have had to decide between CHUMP or CHAMP a few times.  Lets just say I have been on both sides.  DAMN those thin mint girl scout cookies.  I can’t wait till they are gone.  They are like Crack!!!  The point is though that I think about this throughout the day.  Am I being a CHAMP or CHUMP right now.  I feel like it has made me aware of some of the bad  and good decisions I have made throughout the day. 

The good thing about this is that you can apply it to everything.  Business, fitness, your relationship, just about anything.  Is what your doing going to make you a CHUMP or a CHAMP.  Think about this when you look at your path towards your goals.  And if you don’t have any goals then your already a CHUMP.  I suggest you make some ASAP, and put them somewhere where you can see them.  We are all human so of course we are going to be on both sides from time to time.  Work hard to make the CHAMP decision as often as you can.  Then watch yourself progress. 

See you later CHAMP!

Personal Training in San Diego.

Its almost that time again.  The sun starts warming up, and people start heading to the beach.  Spring Break is already here.  Next thing you know it will be July 4th.  Will you be ready to strut your stuff on the beach?  Ready to walk around and be happy that your body is looking good?  Then get your ass in the gym.  You don’t have to come to Crossfit, but do something.  Crossfit just happens to be the most effective workout program that I know of. 

The personal training that we offer here at Crossfit San Diego is far better then any globo-gym in the county.  Everyone that I know that comes to Crossfit San Diego at least 4 times a week, is getting results.  Don’t believe me?  Come down and check it out for yourself.  I don’t have to sell you on it.  My clients do the selling.  Its awesome hearing how someone is getting stronger or getting leaner.  Makes my day!!!  I see many people walk through our doors not being able to do a proper body weight squat without a bar.  In about a month or two they are squatting like champs with their body weight on a bar.  That is a huge improvement.  I also see girls and guys who can’t do pull ups.  In about a month or two, depending on the individual, they are knocking out 5 -10 pull ups.  Tell me who else is doing that going into the regular globo-gym. 

If your serious about wanting to get in shape then you need to come see me.  This is the best personal training in San Diego that you are going to find.  Yes its going to be tough, but you will be happy in the end.