Let Nature Be Your Playground

Friday, April 25, 2014

Prehab:

Banded Posterior Floss
Lat Activations
PVC Dislocates

Warmup:

50 ‘ Walking Straight Leg Kicks
5 Inchworms
50′ Walking Samson Lunges
10 Straddle Situps
2 Rounds:
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats

Classic Strength:

Deadlift 3×5
5x10sec L-sit, rest 60 sec, hardest variation possible

 Notes:  You will perform your Deadlifts first, then the Lsits separately.  This is the same work being performed as the Advanced strength, except without percentages.  This is designed for the newer athlete that does not have a true 1 rep max, but we still want you to keep track of these numbers because you will be repeating them over the coming weeks.    Perform 2 warmup sets and then add weight each set as needed.  The last set will be like the advanced where you will perform as many reps as you can.

Advanced Strength:

Wendler Cycle 1, Week 1:

Deadlift: 65% x 5, 75% x 5, 85% x 5+
5x:15 L-sit, rest 90 sec, hardest variation possible

 Notes:  Percentages are based off 90% of true 1 RM. When you see 5+, that means you do the max reps you can manage with that weight, with the goal of setting a rep record in each workout. These sets are not touch and go reps.  Lower the bar back to the floor and reset each time (release the hands and re-grip). Perform a few warm up sets before getting into your working sets.  Keep rest intervals around 2 minutes.  Click HERE for a full description of the Wendler 531 cycle.

 Classic Conditioning:

“Cindy”

20 minute Amrap:
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats

Notes:  Standards are notoriously an issue in this workout, but it is still a great test!  Be sure to obsess over quality movement, not just how fast you are going:)

 Advanced Conditioning:

“Mary”

20 minute Amrap:
5 Handstand Pushups
10 Pistols
15 Pullups

Cooldown:

5 Jefferson Curls, with a 10sec Hold at the Bottom
Cobra, 20sec
Pike/ straddle Hold, 1 Min
German Hang, 30 sec

 What a difference warm weather makes in terms of the buzz of outdoor activity and how easy the transition of getting outside the gym may be for all of us.  Not only is nature a great workout, but it’s also a release of daily life indoors and a chance to revisit that child-like curious mentality by getting in some outside fun.  Being outside allows us to ‘unplug’ to ‘plug in.’ What I mean is that there is an opportunity to most definitely connect to our surroundings but more importantly get in tune with ourselves.   Life can get pretty stressful with work, school, our commitments, obligations, and even our fitness goals. All of this can sometimes be overwhelming. Simply getting outdoors can free your mind from some built up stress that has accumulated over the week.

Since I’ve moved to California, I have never done so many new outdoor activities—this coming from a Midwest, flatlands native.  SoCal living has allowed me to participate in  multiple hikes where I get to explore the great city that I live in and see breathtaking views of LA from all types of perspectives.  Hiking on trails is a low impact way I can get my aerobic exercise that won’t put heavy stress on my joints and gives me that mental stress reliever that I need to decompress.  The constant change in elevations and terrain works every muscle and helps build cardiovascular health, and mental toughness.  I always seem to be reminded of my hike the next day due to soreness in places I never knew existed! In addition to hiking, I’ve also conquered several different staircases around the city, which never seems to get any easier.  Two of my favorite are the Culver City Stairs (pictured above), and also the Santa Monica Stairs.  If anyone has other ones they have done, I’d love to hear about them. 

There are a plethora of outside activities one could possibly participate in LA.  One pastime that is a great way to get in a workout that is both fun and exciting is surfing.  Last summer I had tackled the challenge of trying to surf 3-5ft waves. This year I’m determined to practice riding the waves in order to consistently get up on to my feet. Other activities to get my fix of the beach on a consistent basis have been rollerblading and biking the bike path down Santa Monica and Venice.  But the one activity that sticks out in my mind as one of the toughest would have to be doing the Sand Dunes in Manhattan Beach, which is a steep hill made of all sand (picture below).  It might have been the hardest workout I’ve done outside so far, and I will definitely never look at sand the same again.  

 I am very fortunate to work at a gym and for a boss that share the same passion for fitness and the outdoors as me.  Paradiso Crossfit is known for developing your skills inside the gym so that you can use your fitness for activities outside of it and on a daily basis.  I am able to get involved in things I have never tried before and that I never had the opportunity to do in Ohio.  Did you know that the infamous ‘Beach Wod’ has started back up on saturdays at 11:30?  There is nothing like a good sweat session with Lauren in the sun to help get your weekend started.  We also have Swim nights on Thurs, and Track workouts on Tues and Wed nights with Frank.  Being outdoors is a great change of pace that is often overlooked.   I encourage everybody to do something outside the gym… anything that will force you to use your fitness and have fun.

For an outdoor enthusiast, the best workout program involves strength training, interval training, power endurance, and outdoor endurance training.  The goal is to become stronger and have this strength last for extended periods of time.  Developing strength and endurance can be quite mentally taxing but it’s the variety and creativity that adds depth in achieving such stamina. Training is all about having fun, challenging yourself, engaging in healthy fitness activity with family and friends, and even taking time to go solo to appreciate nature.  Try spicing things up and venture outdoors for some varying perspective and test your fitness.  You may even surprise yourself with how enjoyable working out can be when you add a lil’ of that Vitamin D into the mix!