The View from Sports Center: My Training Routines

Update and Closure
Today is my last entry in this journal.

I'll still be training but am now experimenting with a few things and have decided to keep it all off line for the time being.

Below are some of my metrics in graphic form tracked since November 2008.

Push Ups, Pull Ups, Single Leg Squat

My Single Leg Squat graph took a nose dive because I increased the load to above body weight. On the last test it was 20% over my bodyweight (~42 lbs).

The Pull Up score is at 60% body weight which was the intial test load. At full body weight, I can now complete 7 pull ups.

Dead Lift and Squat

The Dead Lift was by far the most difficult of all of the strength tests and some of that was due to fear. Performed properly, the drill is an excellent tool to improve lower body and trunk strength but you have to keep tight control of the lower back and not allow it to flex. And, you have to ignore what anyone else might be doing or can do. There will always be some one who can lift more, run faster, whatever. It's not about them. It's about you. You have to stay focused on what you can and should be doing.

The Squat test is the only test where I used a more traditional resistance machine. I have squatted with a straight bar but without a spotter, it's too risky. So, I tested on a FreeMotion Squat machine. The mechanics feel reasonably good - better than a Smith Machine - and I can easily adjust the weight. But, it's not at all the same as handling an Olympic straight bar. So, I suspect that my squat test using a straight bar would be 30-40 lbs less at least.

Single Leg Balance

My last test was Single Leg Balance. In November 2008, I could stand on one leg for 11 seconds. It wasn't because I hurt. I just could not control the position. And, about the only way to improve this, as with most things in life, is to do the very thing you can't do. To make it a little easier, I would sometimes use a staff or a pulley to counter some of my weight or for a light assistance with balance. Now, my leg muscles fatigue starting around 2 minutes and I just keep going until I have to quit.

I'm quite pleased with my improvements and how far I've come since February 2008.

Imagine where I could be next year?

Onward....

Saturday, June 27, 2009

30 minutes speed intervals
Three rounds:
- 15 Spiderman push ups
- 10 Pull ups
- 10 Burpees
- 10 split squats

Friday, June 26, 2009

45 minutes speed intervals elliptical
Flexibility / mobility drills

Thursday, June 25, 2009
OFF

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Priming (5 minutes of speed intervals then mobility drills) for 7 minutes.
Three rounds of:
- 15 Triple flex rows
- 15 Backsliders
- 10 Plank walkups
- 10 Squat-Press
Duration: 29'27"

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Early morning jogging intervals for 30 minutes. Felt very good. Solid.
Late afternoon speed intervals on elliptical 30 minutes. Flexibility and Mobility drills.

Monday, June 22, 2009

10 minutes speed intervals
- 4 rounds of:
  - 20 push ups
  - 10 pull ups
  - 10 speed gunners
  - 10 speed squats
Flexibility drills

I use enough resistance that 10 repetitions takes about 45 seconds to complete and I struggle through the last 2-3 repetitions of each drill.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

45 minutes speed intervals elliptical

I also built a pull up bar in the back yard. So, now I have a very rough outdoor training facility with a pull up bar, water bottles filled with various amounts of sand, and a TRX Suspension tool. It's nice to have the option and the variety although in this heat, I have to use that area early in the morning.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Three rounds
- 10 min speed intervals
- 15 Gunner press
- 15 Rev. Diag. Lunge
- 15 SUMO Squat
- 10 Pull ups (170 lbs)
Flexibility drills

Thursday, June 18, 2009

45 minutes elliptical
Flexibility drills

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

30 minutes speed intervals
Three rounds:
- 12 push ups (feet on a swiss ball)
- 12 pull ups (about 25lbs of assistance)

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

30 minutes speed intervals
Three rounds:
- 12 push ups (feet on a swiss ball)
- 12 pull ups (about 25lbs of assistance)
Flexibility:hamstrings, hip, thoracic spine, shoulders

A push up on a swiss ball with just your feet on the ball increases the load of the push up to about 90% of your body weight which is why my numbers were lower. And when I'm pressed for time, I use three key drills (pull ups, push ups, squats) because those three really tax my entire body. I was really pressed for time today so I only did the pull ups and push ups :)

Monday, June 15, 2009

30 minutes speed intervals
Flexibility: hamstrings, hip, thoracic spine, shoulders, neck.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

20 minutes speed intervals (elliptical)
100 push ups
50 pull ups
20 minutes speed intervals

Flexibility: hamstrings, hip flexors, thoracic spine and shoulder extensors.

Saturday, June 13, 2009
My brother was in town visiting so my training schedule was put on hold. We did manage to walk 9 holes of golf on Wednesday carrying our bags and I walked another 9 holes on Thursday carrying my bag.

Today's session:

60 minutes elliptical
Flexibility drills

I include flexibility and mobility drills in my sessions but also nearly every day. A reader emailed me asking about this and I'll post my thoughts on flexibility, stretching and the drills I use and why soon.

Monday, June 8, 2009

20 minutes speed intervals elliptical
20 squats
20 pull ups
15 squats
15 pull ups
10 squats
10 pull ups
5 squats
5 pull ups

Total workload was 16,800lbs.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

45 minutes intervals- elliptical

Friday, June 5, 2009

Walked six miles

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Walked 6.5 miles
30 minutes running intervals

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Walked five miles

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

45 minutes speed intervals - elliptical

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Jog 3200 meters
100 push ups
50 pull ups

Thursday, May 28, 2009

15 minutes of fast jogging intervals
Three rounds of:
- 20 Squat Swings
- 15 Pull Ups
- 15 Squat Press
- 5 x 10 Squats and Freezers (10 sec)
- 15 Triple Flex Rows

The squats and freezers is a combination of a squat (ten of them) followed by holding the deep squat position for 10 seconds and then repeating the sequence 5 times.

Monday, May 25, 2009

15 minutes jogging intervals
Three rounds:
- 10 Plank-Windmill
- 15 Pull ups
- 10 Plank walk ups
- 15 High Knee Diagonals
- 15 Squat- Press: single arm
The three rounds took 22 minutes.

Sunday, May 24, 2009
Off

Saturday, May 23, 2009

30 minutes jogging intervals
Three rounds of:
- 10 Plank-Windmill
- 15 Pull ups
- 10 Plank walk ups
- 15 High Knee Diagonals
- 15 Squat- Press: single
The three rounds took 25 minutes, 45 seconds

Sunday, May 17, 2009 through Friday, May 22, 2009

Saturday, May 16, 2009

25 minutes jogging
75 pull ups

Friday, May 15, 2009

Rest day

Thursday, May 14, 2009

15 minutes speed intervals
Three rounds of:
- 30 second plank
- 15 Suitcase Crunch
- 15 Squat Swings
- 15 High Knees
- 10 min intervals

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Rest day

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

15 minutes speed intervals
Four rounds of:
- 15 pull ups
- 15 push ups
- 15 speed squats
- 15 speed gunners
- 15 minutes speed intervals

Monday, May 11, 2009

25 minutes jogging intervals of 1 min jog and 1 min walk.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Rest day

Saturday, May 9, 2009

30 minutes jogging intervals in the morning
15 minutes speed intervals
- Three rounds of:
  - 25 Chop Squats
  - 25 Med Ball Speed Turns
  - 25 Alternating High Knees
  - 45 second plank
  - 25 Pull & Turn (pulley)
- The three rounds took 23 minutes and 44 seconds.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009, through Friday, May 8, 2009

Rest day

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Three rounds of
- 2 minutes speed intervals
- 25 push ups
- 25 pull ups

Monday, May 4, 2009

Rest day

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Rest day

Saturday, May 2, 2009

45 Minutes of speed intervals

Friday, May 1, 2009

15 minutes speed intervals
Three rounds of:
- 15 Walking Lunges
- 15 SUMO Squats
- 15 Swiss Knee Drive
- 15 Push Ups
- 25 Sky Highs

The Swiss Knee Drive is done by starting in a plank position on a swiss ball. Pull one knee up toward the ball, return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Rest day

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Rest day

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

15 minutes speed intervals
Three rounds of:
- 15 Walking Lunges
- 15 Sumo Squats
- 15 Swiss Knee Drive
- 15 Push Ups
- 25 Sky Highs

Monday, April 27, 2009

Rest day

Sunday, April 26, 2009

25 minutes speed intervals with Kangoo Shoes
Five rounds of:
- 15 push ups
- 10 pull ups

Saturday, April 25, 2009

15 minutes intervals
Three rounds of:
- 15 Squat Swings
- 15 Med ball Twists
- 15 Suitcase Crunch
- 15 Sky Highs
15 minutes intervals

Friday, April 24, 2009

Rest day

Thursday, April 23, 2009

15 minutes speed intervals
Three rounds of:
- 10 plank walk ups
- 20 Push Ups
- 30 Pull Ups
- 40 Speed Squats
15 minutes speed intervals

Session for Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Rest day

Session for Tuesday, April 21, 2009

15 minutes speed intervals
- Three rounds of:
  - 20 Speed Gunners
  - 20 Speed Squats
  - 20 Push Ups
  - 20 Pull Ups
15 minutes speed intervals

Session for Monday, April 20, 2009

25 minutes speed intervals

Session for Sunday, April 19, 2009

Rest day.

Session for Saturday, April 18, 2009

15 minutes speed intervals cycle
Four rounds of:
- 15 Single Arm Row (pulley)
- 15 Single Arm Push (pulley)
- 15 Triple Flex Rows
- 15 Squat to 1/2 V
15 minutes speed intervals cycle

If you stand with your arms extended up and slightly out, you form a "V". A "1/2 V" is just one arm extended up and slightly out. The squat to 1/2 V is a combined movement of squatting while holding a dumbbell in one hand and reaching across your body near the end of the squat toward the opposite foot. As you stand back up, you lift the weight up and across your body to the 1/2 V position. You have to focus on squatting properly and not bending too much at the hips because the weight in your hand creates extra torque on the trunk.

Session for Friday, April 17, 2009

25 minutes speed intervals Arc Trainer

Session for Thursday, 4/16/09

15 minutes speed intervals elliptical
100 push ups
100 squats
100 pull ups (60%)
15 minutes speed intervals

Session for Wednesday, 4/15/09

15 minutes of sprint intervals (15 seconds sprint; 45 seconds jog/walk)

I had planned for 20 minutes but after 13 intervals I noticed left Achilles tendon pain and tightness. It didn't feel familiar to me and didn't feel right. I did two more intervals and it got a little worse so I stopped not wanting to press my luck. By later in the evening, I felt fine.

Session for Tuesday, 4/14/09
30 minutes speed intervals elliptical Leg-exercises-tb-sumo-squat-2
Three rounds of:

8 minutes tennis volley
15 Sumo Squats (image to the right*)
15 Speed Gunners
20 Push ups

15 minutes speed intervals elliptical
*Olson, Lottie. "22 Leg Exercises for Women." 31 July 2007. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://health.howstuffworks.com/leg-exercises-tb.htm> 16 April 2009.

Session for Monday, 4/13/09
25 minutes speed intervals using an Arc Trainer.

Session for Saturday, 4/11/09
30 minutes speed intervals cycle
Three rounds of:

30 sec plank
15 Suitcase Crunch
15 Squat Swings
15 High Knees
15 Side Bridges
10 min intervals

This routine can be as hard as you want it to be. Increase the loads and speed of movement and you'll have plenty of work.

Session for Thursday, 4/9/09

30 minutes speed intervals cycle
Four rounds of:
- 25 Chop Squats
- 25 Speed Turns
- 25 Alternating High Knees
- 45 second Plank
- 25 Punches (Pulley)
15 minutes speed intervals

Session for Wednesday, 4/8/09

20 minutes of sprint / walk intervals; 15 second sprint and 45 second walk. Once in the AM and once in the PM.
100 push ups

Session for Tuesday, 4/7/09

15 min speed intervals
Three rounds:
- 15 Squat Press, 50 lbs
- 15 Back Sliders, 50 lbs
- 10 Plank Walk Up
- 15 Triple Flex Rows, 40 lbs

Session for Monday, 4/6/09

20 minutes speed intervals on a cycle

Session for Sunday, 4/5/09

10 minutes speed intervals elliptical
One round of:
- 15 Squats 160 lbs
- 15 Pull Downs 120 lbs
- 15 Standing Press and Lunge (Pulley) 60 lbs
- 8 Pull ups (188 lbs)
- 15 Overhead Press 90 lbs (sitting)
- 15 Overhead Press 50 lbs (standing)
- 15 Deadlift 120 lbs

This took 23 minutes and 15 seconds (including the speed intervals). This is a very high demand routine which is why I did only one round and I won't do it again for at least five days and maybe seven. Tomorrow will be a distance training day.

I repeated my tests on 4/2/09. My first round of tests was in November 2008 (these numbers are in brackets).

Push ups : 40 [10]
Pull ups: 30 [10]
Plank: 2 minutes [20 seconds]
Single Leg Squat: 15 (body weight + 10%) [10 body weight]
Deadlift: 120 lbs [I didn't test this in November but in January it was 95lbs]
Single Limb Stance: 2 minutes [15 seconds]
Squat: 150 lbs [95 lbs]

The above body weight tests (Deadlift and Squat) are 10 repetition maximum loads.

Session for Saturday, 4/4/09

20 minutes speed intervals elliptical
Three rounds:

15 Lunge Press
15 Press and Drop
50 Sky Highs
50 Push Ups
15 Standing Pull Downs

The three rounds took 34 minutes 16 seconds.

Session for Friday, 4/3/09

40 minutes speed intervals Arc Trainer
20 minutes speed intervals cycle

Session for Thursday, 4/2/09

30 minutes shoot and get it
40 minutes speed intervals
Three rounds of:
- 20 Speed Squats
- 15 Side Sliders
- 15 Push Ups
- 15 Triple Flex Rows
- 10 min speed intervals

The three rounds took 44 minutes.

Session for Wednesday, 4/1/09

25 minutes of speed intervals on a bike
Three rounds of:
- 15 push ups
- 15 pull ups
- 15 speed gunners
- 15 speed squats
- 10 min intervals

Session for Tuesday, 3/31/09

60 minutes on the Arc Trainer
20 minutes on the Precor AMT

Session for Monday, 3/30/09

40 minutes of jogging intervals
55 minutes of P90X Kenpo

The Kenpo workout by P90X is a routine that focuses on a mixture of punching, kickboxing, and flexibility. It's a tough 55 minutes. It's one of the few routines from P90X that I can do without modifying it much.

Session for Sunday, 3/29/09

45 minutes of Kangoo running intervals
Three rounds of:
- 150 jumps with jump rope
- 25 step ups (24 inch step)
- 25 push ups

Session for Saturday, 3/28/09

8 minutes speed intervals
Three rounds of:
- 10 Plank with weight transfer
- 15 Swiss Knee Tucks
- 10 Pull up and hold 10 seconds
- 20 Squat Swings
- 15 Swiss Bridge Press
15 minutes brisk walk on a treadmill

Plank Weight Transfer: start in a plank position with a small next to one hand. You reach across your body with the opposite hand, lift the weight and transfer it to the other side then repeat, That's one repetition.

A Swiss Knee Tuck: push up position with your legs on a swiss ball (exercise ball, stability ball are names that also used for this). Keep your lower back in a neutral position while you bring your knees toward your shoulders. This is easier if you start with the knees about shoulder width apart.

Swiss Bridge Press: use a Swiss Ball and lie down on it with your feet flat on the floor. This is the "bridge" position. Now perform a press with dumb bells.

Session for Friday, 3/27/09

45 minutes of jogging intervals.
100 Push ups
100 squats
50 pull ups

Session for Thursday, 3/26/09

Rest.

Session for Wednesday, 3/25/09

20 minutes of shoot and get it.
15 minutes weighted walk at 5 degree incline.
20 minutes speed intervals elliptical.
50 suitcase crunch.
50 sky highs.
45 second plank.
15 minutes speed intervals bike.

Still feeling good (as if I'm expecting things to fall apart ;) The occasional stiffness and aching that I have had in my knees is gone. My spine feels good. I have no symptoms of overload other than muscle soreness and stiffness.

Session for Tuesday, 3/24/09
So far so good from my last session. All of my joints tolerated the loads. So, with this drill set, I'm working on speed. I use minimal extra loading and just move as fast as I can through the reps.

25 minutes speed intervals on an elliptical
Three rounds of:

10 minutes speed intervals
25 speed squats (with 8 lb. medicine ball)
25 push ups
25 pull ups
25 squat press (20 dumb bells)

15 minutes cycling

The three rounds took 54 minutes and 17 seconds.

Session for Monday, 3/23/09
25 minutes speed intervals Arc Trainer
Deadlift: 8, 6, 4 reps
Squat: 8, 6, 4 reps
Kettlebell Swings: 8, 8, 8
Kettlebell Clean and Press: 8, 8, 8
20 minutes arc trainer

The rep counts are low because of the loads I used in this drill set. They represent about 80% of my maximum and I have to really focus to maintain the movement. It's easy to lose control of the spine position, for example, in the deadlift and during the squat, as my hips fatigue, I have a harder time keeping my legs moving in a straight line.

Other than feeling quite fatigued when I finished, I didn't notice any other body signals.

Session for Saturday, 3/21/09
We're getting ready to go to San Antonio later today to see the Elton John and Billy Joel concert so I didn't think I had time to go to the gym. We debated about whether to go to the concert but decided that the change in routine and the energy from the show would be good for us; help us keep moving forward after losing Cirque.

I took Spencer for a weighted walk (I wore a 12lb weight vest and 5 lbs on each ankle) and we went a different route than usual (to help him and me set up a new routine). I went out for about 40 minutes; kept my heart rate in the 120-130 BPM range by walking very briskly. Then, I brought Spencer back to the house and went back out for a timed walk / run from the house to Yaupon Rd. and back. About 200 yards from the house, the road goes down hill, flattens out for about 100 yards and then is all uphill to Yaupon. Door to door took 21 minutes and 41 seconds (and I was wearing the vest and ankle weights). I'm not sure how far it is - have to measure it next time. I couldn't run much uphill. My heart rate just was too high so I walked as fast as I could and ran when I could.

I added the extra load for two reasons: to increase the physical demand without having to run and to increase the impact load very slightly.

Session for Friday, 3/20/09
45 minutes of intervals.

The first 25 was jogging for about 1 minute and walking for about 1 minute.
Then, I ran for 15 seconds, walked 45 seconds for the next 20 minutes.

I wore 5 lb ankle weights to increase stride length and impact load.

Session for Thursday, 3/19/09

I decided to spend some time outdoors today and work on cleaning up our deck. This required using a special deck cleaning tool that you push and pull in the cracks between the deck boards to clean out the debris. It's a lot of push-pull, trunk stabilization and spikes your heartrate quickly. So, I worked on the deck for about 40 minutes and did the following:

Jump rope / jumping jacks for 3 minutes
15 step ups on a 24 inch step
12 Suspended push ups
12 Suspended fall outs
12 Suspended pull ups

I repeated the cycle three times. It took about thirty minutes.
The suspended fall outs use a TRX Suspension Training tool. You start standing up holding onto the straps and then fall forward allowing your hands to move out to the side. You end in a cross type of position, hold for 5 seconds and then return to the starting position by pulling your hands toward each other.

Session for 3/18/09

I didn't have much interest in training today. Still working through the grief of losing Cirque. I did the following:

30 minutes Arc Trainer
30 minutes cycling
15 minutes stair step machine

Session for 3/16/09

I opened with 20 minutes of speed intervals.

Then, three rounds of:

125 jumps with a jump rope
1 minute boxing with a heavy bag
15 BOSU Push Ups

I followed this with:

Pull ups: 8 reps, 6 reps, 4 reps at 185 lbs
Dips: 8 reps, 6 reps, 4 reps at 185 lbs
Bench press: 10, 8, 6 reps at 115 lbs

And closed with 15 minutes of speed intervals

Session for 3/15/09

A lot of steady state training today.....
50 minutes between an Arc trainer and an elliptical and then 15 minutes on a bike.
Then, squats with 140 lbs: 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
Then, 50 push ups.

Session for 3/14/09

30 minutes of speed intervals.

Three rounds of:

15 Pulley Squat - Gunners
15 Pull Downs
15 Speed Gunners
15 Push Ups

30 minutes of speed intervals.

I know - images or video of the drills would be helpful and I'm working on a solution for that. A Pulley Squat-Gunner is done by positioning the handle of the pulley low. Face the pulley. Connect two handles to it. Grab the handles and step back so the weight is suspended off the weight stack. Now perform a squat with your arms straight toward the floor. Stand up and at the same time, bend your elbows pulling your hands toward your face (gunner).

Session for 3/13/09

Rest Day.

Session for 3/12/09

25 minutes of speed intervals

Four rounds of:

10 minutes Speed Intervals
25 Speed Squats
15 Push Ups
15 Speed Gunners
15 Triple Flex Rows

Tim for the four rounds was 52 minutes and 3 seconds.

Session for 3/11/09

Rest Day.

Session for 3/10/09

25 minutes of speed intervals on a cycle
Three rounds of:

Speed intervals 15 min
15 Squat, Reach up and Drop
15 Plank Rows
15 Pull ups
15 Triple Flex Flies

A Triple Flex is also called the "Athletic Position". You're flexed at the hips, knees, and ankles. A "Fly" is movement of the arms from in front of the body to the outside until the arms are parallel to the ground.

58 minutes 15 seconds

Session for 3/9/09

3 x 100 jump rope
Three rounds of:

12 push ups
12 pull ups
12 pull overs
100 jump ropes
20 minutes of Shoot and Get it
10 Sand Bottle Carries

15 minutes cycling

Session for 3/7/09

Three rounds of:

10 minute speed intervals
15 Squat Chops
15 Spiderman push ups
15 Pull ups
15 Single Leg squats
15 Suitcase Crunch

38 minutes and 20 seconds

Project Ski: Session for 3/5/09

20 minutes of speed intervals
Three rounds of:
- 10 minute speed intervals
- 25 push ups
- 50 squats
15 minutes of speed intervals

I'm due for another battery of tests. I'll probably do those next week, compare the results to my last test and then decide what I want to do about this project. I feel like I could ski but without the test results, I'm guessing a bit. So, if my numbers look good, I may suspend this project. I'll keep training; that's just part of my lifestyle but I may pick another goal to shoot for. I have said in earlier articles that I believe you should train on purpose; go for something specific. It doesn't have to be a sport or a hobby but it really helps if you have something concrete; measurable.

Project Ski: Session for 3/3/09

20 minutes of speed intervals
Four rounds of:
- 10 pull ups
- 10 Lunge-Gunner-Press
- 10 Push ups
- 10 Speed Gunners
- 10 Plank Walk Ups
15 minutes of speed intervals

Total time was 56 minutes 15 seconds.

Project Ski: Session for 3/1/09

Four rounds of 100 jumps with a jump rope.
Three rounds of hops on and over a BOSU holding with a 14 lb medicine ball.
Three rounds of holding a squat position on the BOSU and swinging a 14 lb medicine ball side to side for 1 minute.
Three rounds of jumping up in the air and off the BOSU practicing landing; holding a 14lb medicine ball; 12 repetitions
Four more rounds of 100 jumps with a jump rope.
45 minutes on the Arc Trainer

Definitely pushing the upper limit on joint loads and overall fatigue levels with this drill set. Total time was right at 74 minutes.

Project Ski: Session for 2/28/09

Twenty five minutes of speed intervals on an Arc Trainer followed by three rounds:

10 kettlebell swings
10 kettlebell clean and press
10 deadlifts
10 barbell squats
6 pull ups (at 85% body weight)
20 push ups

I then spent another 15 minutes on a stationary cycle.
The whole session took 78 minutes and 15 seconds.

For some basics on kettlebells, watch this video by Steve Cotter. He's really good at teasing out some of the finer points of using kettlebells. I wouldn't just dive into kettlbells without getting some instruction (if you can learn by reading and watching and doing - great - but be careful).

Project Ski: Session for 2/26/09

Twenty five minutes of speed intervals on an elliptical followed by three rounds:

15 Squat swings
15 Push ups
15 Staff Lunges
8 minutes of tennis (volley only)

The whole session took 58 minutes and 31 seconds.

Project Ski: Session for 2/24/09

I was caught in a time crunch today. The result of calendar mismanagement. So, I improvised and did this:

25 minutes of jogging intervals (30 seconds fast pace; 60 seconds slower pace)
Push ups : 20, 25, 15, 15, 25
Pull ups, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Total time was 44 minutes and 24 seconds.

For pull ups, I used a heavy elastic band attached to a standard doorway pull up bar. The bands are from Iron Woody Fitness. The band I used provides about 70 lbs of assistance depending on how far you stretch it (the website doesn't provide this info. I tested it.). So, my pull up loads were about the same as on a Total Gym. Although, I found them to be more difficult and that's likely because the Total Gym stabilizes my body and makes it a bit easier to perform the movement.

Thanks to the economic plunge, my hopes of skiing in April have been pushed to the next winter. This makes it more difficult to stay focused on this project as I am now reaching a level of fitness where I would next move into more ski specific drills (like slide board, BOSU squats, etc.). I would normally push the training for about 6 weeks and then go. But, since my plans have changed, I'll have to re-group and think about how I want to handle this for the next several months. I may need to re-design the training board (kind of like a vision board but for achieving a particular physical goal). Not sure. Or, I may just re-test, review my metrics, and establish new ones and keep going.

Project Ski: Session for 2/21/09

Today was a longer session and a tiring one. It was a combination of upper body strength, core endurance and interval training. I kept the rest between the drills to 65% of my maximum heartrate and between rounds. Here's what I did:

Three rounds of:

10 minutes speed intervals
20 pull ups
20 push ups
10 minute speed intervals
15 Suitcase Crunches
15 Sky Highs
15 Knee Tucks

The session took 78 minutes and 27 seconds.

My first 10 minutes of intervals were running on a treadmill. Felt great. I noticed that my heart rate stayed within my target zone. This was a first. Prior efforts at running or jogging always sparked my heart rate above my 85% upper limit. I concluded that I am, in fact, in better condition.

Knee Tucks use a Swiss Ball. You place your feet on the ball; hands on the floor as in a push up position. Pull your knees toward your chest BUT you have to keep your lumbar spine still. And, the return to the starting position. The guy in the video does this really well (and even does it with one leg). I'm not quite as sturdy and I made the drill a bit easier by placing my lower legs on the ball instead of my feet.

I'll take the next two days off.
DK

Project Ski: Session for 2/17/09

I felt rested today after having taken two days off from training. And, I slept well last night. I repeated a routine today that I've done before. Since I keep track of how long it takes me to finish the routine and the loads I use, it's a good way to get a quick picture of my general fitness progress.

I started with 30 minutes of speed intervals and the completed three rounds of the following:

15 Squat Swings
15 Sky Highs
15 Suitcase Crunches
15 Med Ball Twists
10 minutes speed intervals

The three rounds took 38 minutes and 28 seconds. I cut about one minute off my last time and I probably can't take this time much lower since 30 minutes of it is fixed (the three speed intervals of 10 minutes). So, I'll need to raise my training loads a bit the next time.

For a description of these drills, see my post for 12/18/08.

Project Ski: Session for 2/14/09

Opened up with 30 minutes of speed intervals.

Then, Tim and I did four rounds of:

15 Chop Squats
15 Push Spiderman push ups
15 High Knees with a medicine ball
15 Single leg squats

This took 37 minutes and 03 seconds.

A Chop Squat is a combination of a chopping motion and squatting with your feet staggered one in front of the other. I like to use a medicine ball but you could also use a dumb bell. Stand with feet staggered, holding the ball overhead. Squat and pull the ball down and across toward the foot in front. Return to the starting position lifting the ball overhead.

A Spiderman push up is a push up but in the down position you pull one knee up toward your shoulder. Then, when you push back up, you return the leg to the original position. On the next repetition, you move the other leg in the same way.

High Knees is another drill that uses a medicine ball. You start with the ball over head. Pull the ball down as you simultaneously bring one knee up. The ball and knee should bump into each other at about waist height. Repeat with the other leg. That's one repetition.

Project Ski: Session for 2/12/09

Opened up with 25 minutes of speed intervals.
Then four rounds of:

25 speed gunners
20 speed squats
15 push ups
10 minutes speed intervals

The four rounds took 53 minutes and 21 seconds to complete.

I did this routine last on January 6, 2009 and in just about the same amount of time. A little disappointed that I didn't lower my time. I felt good during the session and was using my heart rate monitor to determine the duration of the rest periods.

Press on.
DK

Speed Intervals Question

eader Eric asks, " I notice all of your workouts begin and end with a speed interval session. Is there some training advantage to the second speed interval session at the end?"
Thanks- Eric

Great question. And, there are two parts to my answer. The first one is that I just like it. I like the feeling and especially on days where I've really stressed my muscles. The second one is that with my history of spine disease and injury, I need all the help I can get.

The disc has a poor blood supply even in healthy individuals. The outer third of the annulus has blood vessels but as you move toward the center of the disc, you have less and less direct blood supply. So, the nutrient exchange comes from the subchondral bone from a very fine capillary network woven into it. As you apply and relieve pressure - cycling, walking, elliptical etc. - the bone oozes nutrients and absorbs metabolic waste into and out of the disc through this network (Rajasekaran, S., J. N. Babu, et al. (2004)). Both the outer rim of the annulus and the inner aspect of the disc respond to movement and as your blood pressure and heart rate climb, blood is pumped into those areas.

This dynamic relationship between nutrient exchange and movement is one reason why sitting so much during the day is so detrimental to your spine. One of my teachers liked to say that,"sitting does to the spine what placing a plastic bag over your head does for your breathing."

So, I basically think of speed intervals as "nourishing" my spine and letting it "breathe".

DK

Project Ski: Session for 2/10/09

ave you ever paid attention to how you work? I mean the process of how you get something done; the way you naturally go about it? Some people really like structure. Start at the same time; end at the same time; use a checklist. For years, I thought that was me. If you ask Elle, she'll probably tell you that I want to know what's going on; what's the plan. And, that's true but it's not something I like (and I can tell you about that some other time - the source of that is sort of interesting). I prefer variety, flow, an easy going, follow my mind type of thing. My mind knows nothing of time and place when ideas come, thoughts, connections. It just happens. And, often it happens when I'm asleep (which is why some days I'm worn out - I've been working all night). I may spend days thinking about a particular subject and not write one word then, while I'm walking with Spencer or Cirque, listening to music, I might hear something in a song - it could be lyrics or just the texture of the music - and the thing I've been thinking about or wrestling with comes into focus like the lenses an eye doctor uses in an eye exam. Click, click - I can see! It just all clicks into view and if I don't write it down or speak it into a recorder, I lose it. Gone. That drives me nuts.

To change your body, to change your physical abilities, you have to have some type of structure though. You can't be a completely free spirit and follow a path of insight and inspiration training two days one week then skip three weeks and then come back and train five days in a row and expect improvements. Your body is too smart. Or, perhaps, too lazy. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish. It seeks the easiest path and resists change until it must change.

Yet, here's the paradox of the body. If you train consistently without inserting inconsistency in the actual design of the regimen, you won't improve much either. So in other words, doing the same things, the same drills, week after week, doesn't help you much even if you increase the loads or speeds. You need variety within your structure.

A new routine (routine = structure) today with some familiar drills (but a new one and a new sequence = variety). The focus was core endurance (focus = structure). Here's what I did:

15 minutes speed intervals.
Found rounds of:
- 20 push ups
- 15 sky highs
- 15 suitcase crunches
- 15 sky high catches
- 10 minutes speed intervals
15 minutes speed intervals

The whole session took 86 minutes and 26 seconds.

The sky high catch is a sky high (lying on your back, knees bent, holding a medicine ball, press the ball to the sky and curl up only until your shoulder blades come up off the floor, hold for a second, and return to the starting position) but once you reach the up position, you throw the ball up, catch it while still in the curled up position and then lower to the floor. The catch of the ball gives your abdominal muscles a small eccentric load. Eccentric loads are not what the word sounds like - bizarre: conspicuously or grossly unconventional or unusual. An eccentric load is one that causes your muscle to contract very quickly to decelerate motion. So, landing from a jump is a good example of eccentric loads. Learning how to manage this type of loading is important because this is where injuries most often occur: during the eccentric phase of movement.

Tomorrow, the 11th, is a rest day.

Project Ski: Session for 2/8/09 and 2/9/09

took Friday (2/6/09) and Saturday (2/7/09) off. On Saturday, Elle and I attended a memorial service in Victoria, Tx. It's about a five to six hour round trip in a car plus plenty of sitting and standing around. But, I and my spine did fine and while a memorial service is never something you look forward to or want to do, I'm glad I was able to do it.

So, Sunday, I met Tim and we had a great session. I felt good. Slept well the night before which always helps. So, here's what we did - a routine that we did back in December:

20 minutes of speed intervals.
- Four rounds of:
  - 50 squats
  - 25 push ups
  - 10 minute speed intervals
10 minutes of speed intervals

The four rounds took 56 minutes and 11 seconds. So, the whole session was a little longer than usual at 86 minutes and 11 seconds.

I added weight to the squats by holding an 8lb medicine ball. The last time I did this routine, I managed three rounds that took over 45 minutes to complete and did the squats with my body weight only. One of the keys to creating physical (and for that matter mental and emotional) improvements is something I call "edging". You want to make sure that the drill, in this case squats, creates moderate to high levels of fatigue. Fifty squats at body weight force, now, is not anywhere as tiring as it was in December. So, I had to add some weight (remember, I also move as fast as I can in most drills). An additional 8 lbs. was just about right. During the third set, My legs started complaining around rep #35 and during the fourth set, it was at about rep #20. I finished the rounds, was as tired as I wanted to be and recovered.

Today, I had a more ski-specific routine. Here's what I did:

25 minutes of speed intervals
- Two rounds of
  - 2 minutes of side to side hopping
  - 10 push ups
  - 5 repetitions of 10 squats followed by a 10 second hold in a squat position
  - 15 BOSU squats
15 minutes of speed intervals

I was much more fatigued today. I didn't sleep well last night. Monkey mind again. Woke up a lot; why I don't know. I just fell awake. I used my favorite mantra from "Eat, Pray, Love" - HAM SA (hahm-sah), which means, "I am That", to go back to sleep but I swear I did that about twenty times. I say the mantra in my head and concentrate on my breathing. Sometimes, I fall asleep only to awaken to the very thought I had prior to going to sleep which is, "I HAVE GOT TO GO TO SLEEP!" and yet, I was asleep. The mind is a bizarre thing...or at least mine is.

During the squats, Ross cued me once saying, "Dude, you're barely bending your knees!" Yep. He was right. My BOSU squats were more like BOSU bends. My quads burned and I think I heard them say, "No way. We've done our job. We're out!". I corrected the movement but really struggled to finish.

The side to side hops cover about four feet. I get in a triple flex position (athletic stance - hips, knees, ankles flexed) and hop right then left while trying to stay low. Feels a lot like carving skis on a mountain.

I'm back at it tomorrow and with some sleep expect to have a great session.

Project Ski: Session for 2/5/09

nother beautiful day..had to get outside.

Here's what I did:

20 minutes speed intervals
Five rounds of:
- Water Bottle Carry 180 feet
- 10 Push Ups
- Water Bottle Carry 180 feet
- 10 Squats (using bottle for load)
- Water Bottle Carry 180 feet
- 10 Overhead Press (using bottle for load)
15 minutes speed intervals
The whole session took 62 minutes and 41 seconds.
The water bottles were filled with about 45 lbs of sand which made a great training tool. The sand shifts as you pick it up or reposition the bottle which forces your body to react to the loads. And, it's a more real life kind of thing. Lifting barbells has its place but lifting things that you're apt to encounter in everyday life is even better.
Also, here's a video of one round of the routine with narration.
DK

Project Ski: Session for 2/3/09 and 2/4/09

The focus of my session on 2/3/09 was building anaerobic endurance: the ability to generate muscle power for short periods of time (less than 2 to 3 minutes) over and over. It's a demanding type of training but one that really delivers substantial improvements in strength, agility, and power.

My routine for 2/3/09 was:

20 minutes of speed intervals
1 round of:
- 10 Squat Swings, 10 Pull Ups, 10 Push Ups
- 15 Squat Swings, 15 Pull Ups, 15 Push Ups
- 20 Squat Swings, 20 Pull Ups, 20 Push Ups
- 25 Squat Swings, 25 Pull Ups, 25 Push Ups
- 30 Squat Swings, 30 Pull Ups, 30 Push Ups
15 minutes of speed intervals

The whole routine took 62 minutes and 12 seconds (27 minutes 12 seconds for the drills).

I added something new to the routine: a heart rate monitor. Prior to this I was only using my sense of exertion but I wanted to know if I was allowing enough recovery time between drills and drill sets. I found that by using the monitor, I was waiting a little too long between drill sets. I decided to use the Karvonen Formula to calculate my target heart rate of 85% and a recovery heart rate of 65%. The formula is:

220 - AGE = Max Heart Rate
(Max HR- Resting HR) x Training %+ Resting HR= Target HR

So, for me:
I'm 52 years of age. My resting heart rate (when I first wake up in the morning) is 60 beats per minute.

Ex: 220-52 = 168 (Max HR)
((168-60) x.85) + 60 = 152 (for 85% of max)
((168-60) x.65) + 60 = 130 (for 65% of max)

The problem with formulas used to calculate training heart rates is using your age to determine your maximum. I've written about this before. The original research on maximum heart rate, which actually was not research but a compilation of other's research, was never intended to be used on the masses. But, it has become the gold standard. The formula under estimates the maximum in older people and over estimates it in younger people especially if they exercise regularly.

You can use the BORG Rating of Perceived Exertion for aerobic exercise but this doesn't work for anaerobic exercise like many of my training routines.

So, my other options are too get a medically supervised stress test or use a heart rate monitor and recognize that I may be under training a bit. The supervised test is a little overkill right now so, I decided to go with the heart rate monitor and compare the numbers with how I actually felt.

I found that at 145 to about 160 beats per minute that I was tired but I didn't feel overly stressed. When I reached 164 to 175, I was at my max for sure.

The last time I did the routine above, just the drills, it took me a little over 38 minutes. So, I cut some time off my routine partly due to resting less between drill sets (before I would usually set a timer for a minute) and partly because I'm in better physical condition.

On 2/4/09, I trained with Ryan at Sports Center. Training, at least for me, is better when done with someone else. There's a little competition or motivation, there's some conversation (when we can actually talk!), and just the vibe of being around a friend. It's a good thing. Unlike gyms, the soulless cement monstrosities you rent for an hour or so and then isolate your self with an iPod or TV, the sessions at SC or with Tim or Ross are a soul recharge. I really look forward to it.

Our session was:

About 8 minutes of speed intervals
Three rounds of:
- 10 Pull Ups
- 10 Lunge-Gunner-Press
- 10 Push ups
- 10 Speed Gunners
- 10 Plank Walk Ups
10 minutes of speed intervals.

We rested between drills and rounds until our training heart rate came down into the 65% range. The more fit you are, the faster you recover. The session took about 42 minutes (we forgot to start the timer at the beginning!).

I have a session for today (2/5/09) with Tim and the a rest day on Friday and Saturday.
DK

Project Ski: Session for 2/2/09

got the Monkey Mind under control and sleep followed so today, I had a lot more energy. Elle made a spectacular breakfast so the combination of sleep and some good fuel powered me well through a morning of research and writing. I still had some juice in me when I went to the gym around noon.

Here's the drill set:

20 minutes of speed intervals on an Arc Trainer
Three rounds of
- 15 Back Slider with a Vector
- 5 repetitions of 20 second planks followed by 5 push ups
- 15 Pulley Squat Rows
20 minutes of speed intervals

The entire routine took 61 minutes and 28 seconds.

There are two pulleys (FreeMotion) at the gym and few people use them. Good for me; too bad for them. I like pulleys but using them is a little more work and requires more understanding about how they work and how to get them to work for you.

The Pulley Squat Row is good example of why I like to use pulleys. In this drill, I perform a squat as if I'm sitting down in a chair. But, I'm holding on to the handles of the pulley with the attachment point at about chest level. The load is suspended off the weight stack. I start with arms straight. So, in this position, I have to counter the load of the pulley that's pulling me forward. This requires me to use my spinal muscles and hip muscles. The first move is to squat down to almost a 90 degree angle of my hips and knees; my arms are out straight and I'm resisting the forward tug of the pulley. I then stand up by pushing through my heels and driving my hips forward while at the same time pulling the handles toward me. Once I am standing up, my hands are close to my chest and elbows are even with the side of my chest.

This drill loads my trunk and hips in more than one plane of motion. The squatting creates a load in the vertical plane while the pulley creates load in another plane (forward-backward). I can create significant fatigue but with lower physical loads (which my joints appreciate). Now, this drill will never give you the sculpted body of Adonis (that's a different kind of training) but you'll be strong and that strength will transfer into your everyday life.

Today and Thursday, I'll train with Tim; tomorrow with Ryan. Friday, likely a day off.

Project Ski: Session for 1/31/09

A short night last night, thanks to monkey mind, leaving me feeling drained this morning. I've struggled with the monkey mind for years. Once I wake up, usually, the night is over because my mind switches on and it's about two minutes before it's in high gear. Ideas, problems, solutions all fly around together competing for my attention. I have tried meditation, listening to nature sounds like the ocean or the wind but most of time, I'm up. I had made a commitment to Tim and did my best to talk my self out of it but failed. So, we started our training session at 9:30AM.

Thirty minutes of speed intervals on an elliptical got most of the sludge out of my cerebral synapses and I felt almost human by the end. We then took our routine outside into the sunny but cool morning.

Our routine consisted of four rounds:

15 Squat swings
15 Push ups
15 Staff Lunges
6 minutes of tennis (volley only)

This took 39 minutes and 12 seconds. But, I could feel the fatigue from monkey mind. During the squat swings, I noticed that I started lifting more with my back instead of my hips so I had to slow down and really focus. Push ups, normally not fatiguing until 25 or 30, were tough at about 10 or 12. I made it though. We then went back inside where I did another 10 minutes of speed intervals and then completely enjoyed Swiss Rock n' Roll (lying on a foam wedge with lower legs on a Swiss ball and then gently roll the legs about 3 inches each way) watching College GameDay while Tim pounded away on the bike.

A great session. Volleying outside was invigorating and, although not skiing specific, still a good drill for agility, balance, and general conditioning.

Project Ski: Sessions for 1/27/09 & 1/28/09

uesday was a greater workload than usual. I had two sessions - one the am and one in the pm. I trained with Ross in the morning both designing the regimen and performing it and then again in the afternoon with Tim. Other than feeling a bit more tired than usual, I had no problems.

In the morning, here's what I did:

30 minutes of speed intervals.
Three rounds of:
- 2 min PowPow Killers
- 1 min BOSU squats with a medicine ball
- 15 Side Sliders
- 15 Med Ball Twists
- 15 BOSU hops
15 minutes of speed intervals

This took 80 minutes and 10 seconds.

In the afternoon, this was my session:

20 minutes speed intervals
Three rounds of:
- 10 minute speed intervals
- 15 Squat Swings
- 15 Sky Highs
- 15 Med Ball Twists
- 15 Suitcase Crunches

This took 59 minutes and 18 seconds.

The new drill in the list, that I haven't described before, is the PowPow Killers. Skiing in deep powder, we call that PowPow. A PowPow Killer is done on a BOSU with the soft side down. You stand on the BOSU holding a medicine ball and then tilt the BOSU forward about 10 or 20 degrees. Now, squat down keeping the lower legs fairly vertical while sitting back like you're going to sit down in a chair - a posture you often use in deep powder. Once in the squat position, you oscillate up and down a small amount. Very tiring to the quads and gluteals and feels quite similar to the real thing.

Today, the session was:

30 minutes of speed intervals
- Three rounds of:
  - 1 min BOSU Squats-Gunners
  - 15 BOSU Shuffle
  - 15 BOSU Hops
  - 15 BOSU Push Ups
- 15 minutes of speed intervals

This took 66 min 20 seconds.

The BOSU Push Up is a push performed on a BOSU with the soft side down. It's more difficult than a typical push up because the base on which you're pushing, moves.

Thursday is a rest day. I'll be ready.
DK

Project Ski: Session for 1/24 and 1/25/09

aturday was a compressed day with house cleaning and a party to go to that night but it was nice and chilly. So, I took my boys - Spencer and Cirque - for a run.

We jogged down to the park and then started the first of 20 running intervals: 15 second sprint followed by a 45 second jog or walk. All systems go. Felt great to run fast - well sort of fast. I ran in my Chung Shi shoes. They tend to force me onto the forefoot which recruits the "spring" system of running: gastrocnemius, quadriceps, and gluteals. This reduces the impact load into the joints.

When we got home, I set up a new training tool - TRX - which is a suspension training device. This uses your body weight as resistance. It's a bit like using the gymnastic rings for exercise. I did three rounds of:

12 suspension push ups
12 suspension pull ups
12 suspension single leg squats
12 suspension clapper (you start in the push up position facing the ground, move to a cross position and then bring your hands together like you're clapping your hands)

The whole routine, including running, took 48 minutes and 20 seconds.

Push ups are more difficult on the TRX than on land because the handles want to move in three dimensions so you have to keep them still and use them as a base form which to push up. I felt more stress through my trunk than in the shoulders. Overall, I liked the device and have a lot of ideas on how to use it.

Today, 1/25/09, I met Ryan at Sports Center to help him get started on a training routine. Here's what we did:

Three rounds of:
- 10 minutes of speed intervals on a bike
- 20 speed gunners
- 20 pulley squats
- 20 push ups

We took up to a minute of rest between rounds but kept our rest between drills to as little as possible.

We did some flexibility work at the end focusing on hamstrings and the thoracic spine. We used the Total Gym to get a three dimensional hamstring stretch by standing next to the platform and placing one leg on it while standing on the other. Then, slide the board up the rails. Once you reach the end point of the stretch, turn your body right and left.

For the thoracic spine, we got on the floor with legs on a large Swiss ball. Tuck the ball up toward you far as you can and then slide your arms up toward your ears.

The routine, without the flexibility work, took 45 minutes. It was plenty of work. Just ask Ryan :-)

Project Ski: Session for 1/23/09

he last time I played catch with a baseball was a few months before I went skiing and then ended up with a nice disc herniation. So, today was a marker of sorts.

The deceiving thing about "playing catch" is that it sounds so simple; easy. And, it is if you're throwing a baseball, oh, 10 or 20 feet. It's something else entirely when the distance is 80 to 100 feet.

Ross and I started out at probably 20 feet just tossing the ball. We then gradually backed up over the next few minutes to roughly 80 feet; several throws were over 100 feet. We caught errant pop flies; fielded wandering grounders and chased down balls that flew overhead. We were throwing and on the move for 25 minutes. It was a blast.

I remember the last time I did this with Ross. I had a hard time getting down low enough to get a bouncing, skipping ground ball. My lower back was stiff, tight, sore. When I tried running after an errant throw, it was more lumbering than running. And, my shoulder hurt after a few minutes with throws that were slow and rarely accurate. I felt overworked.

This time I had none of those issues. My throws were on the mark (mostly) and crisp; my movement felt fluid; I had no stiffness or soreness. My arm grew tired but did not hurt. I could tell I had worked but not overworked. I loved the feeling of moving easily across the grass snagging a ground ball and quickly firing it back. I loved the way I felt.

I believe I can say now that I am in better physical condition today than before I was injured skiing.

How 'bout them apples?

Believe me, I have no desire to have another disc herniation or anything else remotely like it but I am grateful for how things turned out. The injury forced me to alter my life, develop innovative exercise routines, work on my mental and emotional fitness, and be open to new approaches to healing. I learned how to use a journal and how to write more honestly.

A lot of good things came from a bad thing.

So, today was fun. I played catch with Ross for 25 minutes. We then did two rounds of the following (what I did is in parentheses):

15 BOSU squats with kettlebell swings
15 BOSU Shuffles
1 minute slideboard (side to side hops)
15 BOSU lean back squats
15 Reformer Hops (BOSU hops)

A BOSU is a training device that adds dynamic balance reactions. The name stands for Both Sides Utilized. A BOSU squat with a kettlebell swing is done by standing on the firm surface of the BOSU and then performing a kettlebell squat and swing. The mobile mass of the kettlebell causes the BOSU to shift which then cause your legs and trunk to react in order to stay balanced.

A BOSU shuffle is done with the soft side up. You stand with one foot on the ground, for example your left, and the right foot on the BOSU. You assume an athletic position - I call it a triple flex position because your hips, knees, and ankles are all flexed. Now, move quickly to the right placing your right foot on the floor and your left foot on the BOSU while staying in the triple flex position. Then, back to the left. Fast as you can.

The slideboard is a great tool for anaerobic training (which is what skiing demands). A slick surface with a wooden or rubber stop on each end, you slide back and forth in a triple flex position like a speed skater.

A Lean Back squat is done with the flat surface of the BOSU up. You stand on it and tilt the BOSU forward while leaning your upper body back. Now, squat as far as you can (which won't be too far because the leaning) and stand back up keeping the forward tilt and the backward lean.

I did BOSU hops which is hopping on top of the soft surface of the BOSU. It feels a lot like hitting a bump on the snow and landing. You'll feel off balance and have to regain it quickly. Love that drill.

Tomorrow, I'm thinking of intervals with my boys. It'll be chilly and I love the cold weather.

Project Ski: Session for 1/19/09

Guess what? The buzzing in my knees I mentioned in my last Project Ski post, slinked away sometime in the night. Woke up this morning and felt fine.

So, today was core / abdominal day. The point of this training is to develop endurance of the abdominal and back muscles to help protect my spine. Muscles are like springs. When they're strong and supple, they protect the framework of the body much like springs in cars. When they're weak and too stiff or loose, the frame takes more of the loads.

Your intervertebral disc does a couple of things for you. One is to provide some cushioning between the bones and the other is to guide the motion of the spine. Having lost a good chunk of the L4-5 disc, I've lost some of the cushioning and the guiding action. I can improve the health of my spine but I can't replace the lost disc. So, I'll need superb mechanics (posture, flexibility, motion) and strength and endurance of the core muscles to do the things I want to do.

The challenge with core training is two fold: finding drills that have a high challenge to the spine but a low to moderate pressure on the disc and finding drills that are not completely boring.

Here's what I came up with. One round is all it took for me to say, "Done."

I started with priming. This is what some would call "warm up" but I prefer the term "priming" because you can warm up with a heating pad too. Doesn't help you much. Priming gets your joints and muscles engaged and working. Your blood pressure goes up, respiration rate climbs and when your core temperature bumps up about 2 degrees, you'll have a light sweat. You're primed for action.

4 sets of 100 Hops (like jumping rope but without the rope and with a dash of imagination - visualizing hitting moguls side to side).

Then, all of the following for one minute each resting as little as possible between drills:

Forearm plank
Dynamic side plank (A side plank but moving you hips up and down)
Sky Highs
Plank with alternating arm and leg extension (Push up position then raise opposite arm and leg straight up until parallel to the ground and hold three seconds. Repeat on other side.)
Suitcase Crunches
Scissors (Lie on your back. Brace the abdomen. Lift one straight leg up as high as possible. As you lower the leg, lift the other creating a "scissor" like action.)
Bicycles (Lie on your back. Bend your knees and hips to 90 degrees. Place your hands behind your head. Pull the left knee up toward the shoulder while bringing the right elbow toward the knee. You don't actually have to touch knee to elbow. Just make the effort. Alternate leg and arm.)
Knee Tucks
Plank to Pike (Push up position with your feet on something that will slide. I use an Ab Dolly. Move from the Plank to a Pike position and hold for three seconds then return to Plank.)
90/90 Pull downs (I use an elastic band that has a handle on each end and attach the band to the top of a door. Then, lie down on your back with your head toward the door. Bend your hips and knees. Brace the abdomen. Grasp the handles and pull down with both arms rapidly.)

This took 27 minutes and 8 seconds including the priming.

For me, Bicycles and Plank to Pike were the most difficult. With about 40 seconds to go on the Bicycles, I had to pause. My abdominal muscles were burning, cramping, and generally complaining so much that I could barely move my elbows. So, I paused and resumed. Twice.

I could do the Plank to Pike but my Pike was closer to a tuck. As I pulled my feet, sliding the Ab Dolly toward my hands, I noticed my feet wouldn't go very far unless I bent my knees a little. Also, I didn't want to over flex my lower back so the combination of keeping the lower back in neutral and flexing the hips was a bit like the proverbial rub your head and pat your stomach. Oh, yeah, and you have to breathe too.

Overall, I liked the drill set. Interesting mix of movements and plenty difficult for me.

Tomorrow is a rest day.

Project Ski: Session for 1/18/09

ere's what I did today:

600 meter fast walk.
Eight rounds of:

400 meter run at about 50% speed
200 meter walk

600 meter fast walk
Total time was 38 minutes and 42 seconds.
________

Didn't exactly leave a blinding cloud of dust behind me but it doesn't matter. Fifty percent of my top speed is still fifty percent. And, by round seven, the last 100 meters was a bit like jogging through waist deep sludge. But, I made it. Questions is, will my joints? I think so but I'm definitely tired and can tell my legs worked hard today. I've done 1800 meter intervals before with no problem but those were in Kangoos where the shoes absorbed a lot of the impact. I've also done 15 and 30 second intervals (full body weight) without any joint symptoms but today was the first time I ran sort of fast and for 4 to 6 times the duration. My knees are buzzing. I know that sounds odd but they don't hurt or ache and they don't feel stiff or swollen. They just feel like someone stuck a Energizer Bunny inside my knee and he's vibrating around beating his drum.

This is an anaerobic endurance training session which means it takes a while to get your breathing rate under control - if at all. Anaerobic means "without oxygen" and that accurately describes how I felt after the first two rounds. I alternated between concentrating on my breathing, letting my mind wander, and listening to music. The first two rounds I felt as if I had maybe gone out a little faster than fifty percent; maybe a little too anxious to run. My chest was heaving, heart pounding and I just generally didn't feel all that great. But, round three was better and by round four, I hit a groove. Sort of a zen-running state. Rounds four, five and six went smoothly. One round I would focus on my core making sure I had some tension and then the next round how my feet hit the ground trying to keep the load into my forefoot. I just really enjoyed the sense of freedom, motion, control even if all I was running was four hundred meters.

My pace slowed on round seven and was even slower on eight. My boys did well although Cirque was falling behind a bit. Spencer was right there keeping up. Didn't seem to phase him a bit. He's now completely sacked out on one of his "couches" and somehow looks exceptionally comfortable. I would love to know how he does that.

Tomorrow is core / abdominal training focusing on spine friendly drills to give my joints and leg muscles a rest.

Onward....
DK

Project Ski: Session for 1/17/09

ere we go:

15 minutes of speed intervals on an elliptical machine.
Then three rounds of:

20 pull ups
20 push ups
10 minutes of speed intervals
15 suitcase crunches
15 skyhighs
15 knee tucks
10 minutes of speed intervals

This took 68 minutes and 41 seconds to complete.

The knee tuck was a new drill. You do this by lying on your back and placing a medicine ball between your knees (or feet if you want to make this really tough). Keeping your knees bent and squeezing the medicine ball, lift the ball toward your chest while keeping the abdomen braced. Lower your feet to the floor without allowing the lower back to arch or move. That's one repetition.

Thank you to all who emailed me regarding starting a new blog. It's up and running. You can find it here. You'll find techniques, tools, and tips on the art and science of fitness and human performance. For example, I'll have more detailed descriptions of the drills, some that I have used in my ski project, for your reference. Some articles will be technical while others are more general and I encourage those of you who are working with clients or have a strong interest in fitness and performance to submit your ideas and leave your comments. I would love your feed back.

Project Ski: Session for 1/15/09

o surprise that some of my muscles were sore today from the testing and drills I did the day before but I had no joint symptoms (no aching, stiffness, swelling, or pain). The Painster no longer taunts me.

My session today was intense but in a different way from yesterday. While yesterday, I had to manage much heavier loads, today, I had to deal with challenges to aerobic and anaerobic endurance.

Here's what I did:

Three rounds of

10 Ab Dolly Tucks and Push Up
45 seconds of plank position
10 Speed Gunners
10 Pull Overs (using a Total Gym)
10 Burpees with push up

This took 28 minutes and 41 seconds. I opened the session with 20 minutes of speed intervals and closed it with 40 minutes of speed intervals for a total work time of 88 minutes and 41 seconds.

The Ab Dolly Tuck is performed by assuming a push up position with your feet on the Ab Dolly. Pull your feet toward your chest stopping at about 90 degrees of hip flexion. You should maintain "spine neutral" which for most people is a slight arch in the lower back If your hips go much past 90 degrees with your feet at shoulder width (which they are on the Ab Dolly), you'll have no choice but to flex the lumbar spine. If your spine is healthy, this may not be of concern but with mine, the repeated bending under load is not the best choice. Straighten your legs back to the starting position, then perform a push up.

Pull Overs are performed on a Total Gym while lying on your back. You use the handle attachments and cable and just pull down with your arms.

The Burpee with push up - an old-school drill. When I was in athletics, this was called the "squat thrust". I like Burpee better. Stand with your feet shoulder width. Squat down and place your hands as in a push up position. Now, hop back to the full push up position and do one push up. Hop your legs back to the squat position. Stand up and perform a small hop. Repeat.

The Burpee wore me out. I had planned on four rounds but as I finished the second one, having had to stop on rep 8 during the Burpee and catch some air, I decided three rounds was plenty. And, of course, I had my friend the Plank to do as well.

Friday is a rest day. Saturday I'm helping Tim and will likely get a training session in either with him or after.

Overall, things are going well. I'm very optimistic about skiing.
DK

Project Ski: Sessions for 1/10, 11, 13, 14/09

Saturday, 1/10/09, I felt ok. A little tired going into the session but no joint aches or pains. My body felt good.

I did the following (described here when I first did this sequence in December of '08):

Four rounds of
- 10 pull ups
- 10 Lunge-press
- 10 push ups
- 10 speed gunners
- 10 plank walk ups

I finished in 17 minutes and 48 seconds. An improvement from my last time of 22 minutes and 15 seconds. Definitely in better condition.

The 11th was a distance training day. I did a total of 80 minutes of speed intervals split between an Arc Trainer and a Precor AMT.

The 12th, Monday, was a rest day. I was ready for that one.

The 13th was both a training session and a testing one. I tested the following:

Pushups: 33
Pull ups: 25 (approximately 100 lbs of load - about 50% of body weight)
Single leg squat (body weight force only): 30
Plank (on forearms): 1 minute 20 seconds.

I was happy with the results overall although my plank score is moving up slowly. Of course, if I trained the plank more often that would help. I just don't like the drill to be honest. But, it's an important one for me to improve so I'll just have to find a way to do it more often.

When I started many months ago, I could barely do 10 push ups, 5 single leg squats, about 10 pull ups, and plank was less than 30 seconds. I report this not to brag but to emphasize that even a 52 year old, somewhat battered and bruised body can improve; get stronger despite degenerative joint or disc disease of the spine and knees and a disc herniation.

For my training session on the 13th:

Four rounds of
- 20 reverse squat chop with a medicine ball
- 20 Pulley punch ( a punch motion using a cable system for resistance)
- 20 hammer back sliders (A Hammer Back Slider is performed with a pulley. You set the pulley handle high, face the pulley, grasp the handle such that your hands are overhead and squat down on one leg while sliding the other backward and at the same time pull down on the pulley handle straightening your elbows)
- 20 pull overs (or pull downs)

This took 30 minutes and 14 seconds. I opened the session with 35 minutes of speed intervals and closed it with 15 minutes of speed intervals for a total work time 80 minutes and 14 seconds.

On the 14th, I added two new metrics: squat and power clean & press. My squat 10 repetition maximum was 135 lbs and my 10 repetition maximum for clean and press was 95 lbs. I prefer the 10 repetition maximum test over the more standard 1 repetition maximum because I can use lower weights, reduce the risk of injury, and it's good enough for what I'm trying to accomplish. If you are a competitive weight lifter, a repetition max is more important.

I was thrilled with my numbers. Lifting 95 lbs ten times from about knee height to over head, considering where I was about a year ago, is fantastic. And, the very cool thing about the human body is that you can just keep getting better if you stick with it. As my friend Tim likes to say, "Ya' gotta show up and throw up to go up." I prefer not to throw up but you probably get what he means (and I've never caused him to throw up either although he would like you to think that).

My session for today, the 14th, was:

4 x 100 jumps (jumping rope - 4 sets of 100 jumps)
6 x 6 x 6 x 6 x 6 x 6 (six repetitions followed by rest and then six repetitions, etc) power clean and press with 85% of my 10 repetition maximum
6 x 6 x 6 x 6 x 6 x 6 squat with 85% of my 10 repetition maximum
6 x 6 x 6 pull ups using about 85% body weight
4 x 100 jumps

This took me 37 minutes and 20 seconds.

I won't do this type of program again for a while. It's very demanding and my body will need some time to recover. I'll include one of the drills in another routine, like the power clean and press, but not the whole program at once. I'll still train tomorrow but with different movements and a lower intensity.

Friday is a rest day.

Project Ski: Session for 1/08/09 - What I have in common with super models

learned yesterday that I have a few things in common with super models. We're tall. We move gracefully (I do, most of the time, really). We're good looking (ok, I really did stretch that one) and, we can't sprint.

Sprinting requires fast twitch muscle fiber that is used to being used. It's well conditioned fast twitch fiber that gives you the "muscled" look. Super models are thin; really thin. Their fast twitch fiber, while present, is virtually dormant which is why you never see a super model lined up on the start line for a 100 meter dash. To move fast, you need fast twitch fiber that has hypertrophied (become larger) from training (yes, slow twitch can also hypertrophy but not nearly as much or as easily as fast twitch). I'm not thin but I found out yesterday that my fast twitch fiber needs a tune up.

Jogging, running, hopping - these are movements that people with joint disease (osteoarthritis), such as me, find very difficult to do without hurting a lot either at the time or later. One of the reasons is that their fast twitch muscle fibers have atrophied and it's exactly these fibers that not only help you move faster but protect your joint as well (the loss of muscle mass from aging is referred to as "sarcopenia" and it is mostly fast twitch fiber that you lose). When clinicians talk about using muscle strengthening to protect the joint, it's the fast twitch fiber that needs to be strengthened; not the slow twitch. You only have a couple of options when it comes to conditioning fast twitch fiber because the body recruits slow twitch first. You can either perform fast movements, use heavy loads (and isometrics with heavy loads works too), or use a rebounding type of motion, called plyometrics, like jumping.

This poses another problem for folks like me. I need to strengthen my fast twitch fiber but to do that I have to use heavy loads. But, remember it just needs to be heavy enough. For example, when I used a single leg squat drill several months ago, heavy for me was less than my body weight. I had to use a Total Gym to get the load right - to stress my muscles but not over load my joint - and I fatigued with about 15 repetitions. Now, heavy is body weight plus 75 lbs.

The trick is to get your fast twitch muscle fiber tuned up before you try to do much running or hopping (unless you can do those things in sub-gravity environments). I've been training for about two months with above body weight force and I've done some interval running - 15 to 30 seconds of higher speed followed by 2 minutes of walking or jogging. I've also jumped rope which is a high speed, plyometric type of drill. But, I've not done any sustained sprinting or jumping.

So, today was such a gorgeous day and I felt good and I just had the itch to get outside and shoot some hoops. I knew I had to be careful; keep the duration short; don't try to dunk it.

I opened up with jump rope - 100 jumps. No problem other than a little tired. Then, I did ten minutes of "shoot and get it" - a basketball drill where you take a shot and then get the ball before a defined number of bounces. I chose two and, after about three minutes, expanded that to three; then four bounces. I didn't sprint for the ball but did do a good, fast shuffle. After I finished the ten minutes of "shoot and get it", I did one suicide drill.

A "suicide" is a sprint on a basketball court from the baseline to foul line and back to the base line. Then, baseline to half-court and back; baseline to the far end foul line and back; finally, base line to base line.

Wow. After I made it to the half court line and back, I just had no power anywhere in my body. I felt like someone had tied my feet together and wrapped cellophane around my lungs. After I finished, I walked up and down the court slowly recovering, getting my breathing under control until I felt like I could actually do something.

I did the whole routine, jump rope to suicide drill, one more time. I managed to finish the suicide drill in 50 seconds.

Following this, I took about a twenty minute rest. I was meeting my friend Tim to work with him on his return to tennis project. I did the following routine with Tim:

15 minutes of speed intervals - cardio tool of choice.
Four rounds of:
- 15 pull ups
- 15 push ups
- 20 split squats
- 45" plank
15 minutes of speed intervals

This is a deceptively difficult routine if you're moving as fast as you can with the optimal load (and the definition of "as fast as you can" is speed with good form).

We finished the four rounds. I was happily tired.

I'll likely take tomorrow, Friday, off. Today was a lot more work and my joints and muscles and even my mind will need some time to recover but I felt great shooting baskets and even though I had very little power in the suicide drills, I'm looking forward to trying that again.

Back at it on 1/10/09.

Project Ski: Session for 1/06/09

lept great the night of 1/5/09.The barb wire in the spine was gone. So, what I learned was that even though I'm training regularly, feel a lot better than I did 10 months ago, I still need to pay attention to my total volume of activity. There was a time when I would be frustrated and have a "I shouldn't have to" attitude when faced with limiting my routines or exercise or things in life. I felt like it wasn't fair. I was too young to have all of these problems. Oh. Poor me. There was also a time when I hated to clean the house. Now, I appreciate it (I won't go so far as to say I love it). Losing the physical part of my life for several months last year has helped me appreciate whatever physicality I can get or have. Having to put a governor on my life for a while longer is ok. It's reality.

I had a great session although longer than I had originally planned. I had planned a distance training session - about an hour of speed intervals on different cardio machines (and I'll explain why I use cardio machines specifically later - see below about my new blog). I did that but later in the day I also trained with a friend of mine. I'm helping him get back to tennis. He has degenerative joint disease in his knee with loss of joint cartilage. He was headed for knee replacement surgery when I got involved last May. He's doing very well and we've even been out on the tennis court a few times. Anyway, it was his first day back from a 10 day vacation and I knew re-entry would be hard. So, I offered to do the routine with him (and I have rest day on Wednesday).

Here's what we did:

10 minutes speed intervals; cardio tool of choice
20 speed gunners
25 speed squats
15 push ups

We did four rounds of this routine which took 53 minutes and 18 seconds. We had little rest in between drills and about one minute of rest between rounds. So, I had almost two hours of training.

We each used different loads for the speed gunners and speed squats. It's important to adjust your load to achieve the level of fatigue needed (which is about a 7-8/10). This means use the load that's right for you. I used two 20 lb dumb bells and he used 12 lbs. Pay attention to how you feel and how your body performs. If it's too easy, load up. Too hard, load down. After the second round, the loads suddenly feel a lot heavier and you'll find that getting to desired reps to be more difficult. If I struggle to complete the rep count, I just rest a bit within the set. I don't lower the weight but I also won't sacrifice the movement pattern or form.

Wednesday is a rest day.
DK

Project Ski: Sessions for 1/4 and 1/5/09 and a Request

brought up the "hedonic treadmill" in my last article and in keeping with that, I've noticed something else. I have released just about all of the governors on my activity with the exception of sitting in certain types of chairs or sofas. For example, on Friday (1/2/09), I helped Elle "stage" one of her listings which is real estate lingo for making the interior of a house more attractive by using either things already in the house and rearranging them or bringing in some additional decorative items. I seem to be good at that and I'm bing and strong (well, I'm big). We were there several hours and I moved furniture, hauled some twin mattresses down a couple of flights of stairs, rearrange rugs, bedrooms, a living room. I was tired but otherwise felt ok.

Then, on Sunday, I took down most all of our Christmas decorations: lights outside on the house, some stuff in the yard, the Christmas tree, a bunch of decorations in the house. This took a few hours and then I packed up all of the boxes and hauled them off to a storage place and unloaded those. After this, I went to the gym (the session is below). I came back, helped Elle finish packing up the decorations, loaded them into the SUV and made another trip to the storage place and unloaded everything.

So, last night, I hurt. In the middle of the night, I think one of the worst times to hurt if there is a worst time, my entire spine, cervical to lumbar felt like it was made of twisted barb wire. Tight, stiff, sore, cranky. I didn't sleep well and that often makes for a long and difficult day. But, within a few minutes of being up and moving around, I felt fine and I've felt great all day. No soreness; nothing. The problem is that moving around also revs up the mental hard drive and my day starts whether I want it to or not.

I was much less physically active today overall and I reduced the duration of my training. I cut my sitting in half today as well. I'll find out tonight if I did the right thing or not.

My session for 01/04/09:

15 minutes speed intervals on a stationary bike
- Four rounds of:
  - 12 Bulgarian Split Squats
  - 12 Squat - Gunners
  - 12 Speed Gunners
  - 30 seconds of a full plank
15 minutes of speed intervals on a stationary bike

Total time was 48 minutes and 33 seconds

Project Ski: Sessions 12/31/08 and 1/01/09

played golf on 12/30/08 for the first time in about a year and since my injury of February. The weather was perfect for golf. A mild, sunny day with little wind. Ryan and I walked 9 holes over about 2 hours. My back held up really well. Fantastic.

But, I have to admit something here. I realized, after playing golf, I had succumbed to the dreaded hedonic treadmill.

The term "hedonic treadmill" refers to the phenomenon of quickly adapting to changed circumstances and no longer appreciating that which you so desperately wanted in the first place. It's what happens when you buy a brand new 57 inch LCD TV and then a couple of months later begin coveting a 65 inch.

I realized this well after the round of golf. It happened when I got back home and was putting my golf gear back up in the garage. It then hit me that about 10 months ago, I could barely walk and today, not only could I walk, I walked for two hours carrying my golf bag filled with clubs and all sorts of other stuff and took at least 30 swings of a golf club at somewhere between 50 and 70 mph.

I had to focus on that thought, oddly enough. I had to really just let it marinate. That lasted about two minutes and then I moved on to whatever was next.

That's the hedonic treadmill. If you don't push the pause button to enjoy the things you have, you'll just keep moving on to the next thing and the next and the next.

The following day, I went to the gym and had to adjust my routine because the place was packed. The bikes and ellipticals are on the second floor and the free weights are on the first so with my routines, I do a lot of shuttling up and down the stairs. On this day, there were too many people going up and down the stairs, waiting for machines and there wasn't much freedom in the free weight area. I could take about a half step in any direction and either run into another person or a bench or something. It's not so bad when there are two or three people in the space but on New Year's Eve, there were about 20.

So, plan "B". Here's what I did:

10 minutes of speed intervals on a stationary bike.
20 Speed Gunners using a FreeMotion Pulley.
20 Pulley Squats.
20 Push ups

I completed three rounds of the above in 41 minutes and 15 seconds. I had planned on doing four rounds but I couldn't get to the tools I needed and waiting allowed too much recovery so I left.

The gym was closed on New Years day so I improvised again. I hadn't been out for a run in my Kangoos in a while so I thought I would give it a go. I had forgotten how heavy they are and even though there's a lot of spring in the shoe and substantial cushioning, jogging in them creates a quick spike in my heart rate.

For January 1, 2009, I did:

1800 meter Kangoo jog
400 meter walk
1200 meter Kangoo jog
400 meter walk
100 push ups

My next session is Sunday, January 4th.
DK

My session for 01/05/09:

Five minutes jump rope (4 rounds of 100 hops)
Power clean and press (6 sets of 8 reps)
Plank rows (3 sets of 10 reps)
Seated pull downs (6 sets of 8 reps)
Speed squats (6 sets of 8 reps)

Total time was 31 minutes and 48 seconds.

Project Ski: Session for 12/29/08

oday was great. Way better than yesterday. Today I was in the game and didn't need much "coaching".

The session today was:

Opened and finished with 20 minutes of speed intervals on an Arc Trainer.
Four cycles with as little rest as possible in between of:
- 15 reps of one arm pull and squat using a FreeMotion Pulley,
- 15 static chair squat with two arm pull down using a FreeMotion Pulley.
- 15 static chair squat with two arm speed pull using a FreeMotion Pulley.

The total time was 60 minutes and 15 seconds.

The one arm pull and squat is a great drill that challenges your balance, hip strength and core strength-endurance. You stand facing the pulley with the handle at about chest height. Grasp the handle with the right hand and step back so the weight is suspended. Squat down on the right leg while reaching the left leg behind you. As you squat, reach forward with the right arm straightening it. As you stand back up, pull the handle toward you and focus on driving the foot into the floor and pushing through the hip. You have to focus on form. It's very easy to get off balance, move too fast.

A chair squat is a squat position that is close to resembling sitting in a chair. In my case, it's probably a bar stool but I just don't like the name "bar stool squat". I'll get to the chair level soon. This is an isometric position for the leg muscles and trunk - good for ski prep. The two arm speed pull is done with the pulley handle at about chest height and then pulling your arms to your chest as fast as you can. The FreeMotion and Matrix Pulleys do a good job of permitting this kind of rapid motion without creating slack in the line causing a sudden jerking action.

Tomorrow is a rest day but, I'm playing golf! Plan to walk 9 holes at Hancock , the oldest golf course in Texas and what was once the Austin Country Club, with my friend and partner Ryan Smith. This will be the first time I've played in about a year. Can't wait. And I could care less about my score (and if you knew just how competitive I am, that would shock you). I just want to be out there; back into things I love to do.

Wrong Numbers

Goofed on the last entry re: session for 12/28/08.
Wrong numbers.

Here's what I did:

800 meter jog
10 pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 kettlebell one arm swings
15 pull ups, 15 push ups, 15 kettlebell one arm swings
20 pull ups, 20 push ups, 20 kettlebell one arm swings
25 pull ups, 25 push ups, 25 kettlebell one arm swings
30 pull ups, 30 push ups, 30 kettlebell one arm swings

Sorry about that...arms were shakin'... I guess.
:-)

Project Ski: Session for 12/28/08

Yesterday was a distance training day. Eighty minutes in 15 second high speed, 45 second moderate speed intervals split between the Arc Trainer and the AMT.

Today was the first day back from a recovery week and was one of those days where you find your self trying to talk your self out of it.

The benefit of a recovery week is, well, recovery. The downside is you lose some momentum and if on the day you start up again you're off your game, it can really feel like you're pushing an elephant up hill.

That was today for me.

I felt good going into the session. Slept great last night. Good energy. Body felt fine. But, the drive was in first or second gear. I was in a funk.

I've learned that the way out of a funk is often to go through the funk. Acknowledge it and just push a little bit but don't quit. Sometimes I just talk out loud like I'm my own coach, which I am I guess so maybe that's not as odd as it sounds, and just remind my self to keep going. Focus on the motions. Breathe. Remember where you were in March of '08? Breathe, focus, nice job. Now, what's next. Get after it. Bring your A game. Champions finish.

Whatever it takes. You might, probably are, different. So, experiment. You're going to have days when you just don't feel like showing up. Sometimes, if you're sick or some other urgent thing needs attention, not showing up is a good thing but most of the time, it works against you.

After about 10 minutes, the funk faded, I shifted into 3rd, then 4th gear, but I won't kid you the first 10 minutes today felt like 60. Today was as much mental and emotional training as physical.

So it goes but I finished.

Here's what I did:

800 meter jog
10 pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 kettlebell one arm swings
15 pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 kettlebell one arm swings
20 pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 kettlebell one arm swings
25 pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 kettlebell one arm swings
30 pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 kettlebell one arm swings

Total time was 38 minutes and 12 seconds.

A kettlebell swing is a squat combined with a motion that sort of looks like a chopping action using a kettlebell. I didn't have one today so I used a dumb bell instead. A kettlebell is more difficult even at the same load as a dumb bell because the kettlebell pivots or swings in you hand adding more momentum to the swinging action.

I like the kettlebell swing for me because it loads the hips and spine without high levels of compression and it has a little bit of speed and, trust me, my speed could use a little work. A couple of tips - the swing is generated by the hips; not the arms. And, you have to pull back a little with your shoulder so that the weight doesn't distract the shoulder joint especially if you have any underlying joint laxity. I don't but I tightened it a little anyway because it feels better and it's safer.

To see a kettlebell swing in action, click here.

Project Ski: The Benefit of Being

"You seem to be rushing the interview. Give the client some time. Ask follow up questions. Find out more about him," I said to my student.

"When am I going to get to do something? Like take some measurements and do some treatments? Why do I have to ask so many questions? I don't feel like I'm doing anything," replied the student.

"You are doing something; something very important," I said. "You're listening. You're being receptive, open, reflective. You're being present. Being is doing," I explained.

Some students understood. Others smirked, shook their heads and said, "Well, I want to do some treatments. I mean therapists treat people, right?"

Part of my practice for returning to skiing is to train for three weeks and then take five days off. Just be. Do other things. Rest. Recover. Let my body adapt. Then, start the process over again. Train for three; one off.

Taking five days off feels like I'm not doing anything.

But, it's a vital part of training and maybe the most important part. It's during the rest and recovery phase that your body adapts; builds new capillary beds, adds muscle, improves energy delivery pathways. Being is doing.

In order for me to actually stop and take a week off, I have to put it on my calendar. Of course, it helps if you look at your calendar which when I did just the other day, I realized that I was headed into a recovery week this week.

From the recovery, your body goes through something called "supercompensation" - kind of like earning interest on money in the bank. But, if you rest too long, you'll lose the benefits of training and gradually drift back to the starting line.

By applying this cycle, you gradually increase your performance (double click the graphs for a larger image)

If you don't allow enough recovery, you'll over train and actually reduce your performance level. You get weaker.

I start my sessions again on 12/27/08. Until then, I'll remind my self that being is doing.

Have a safe, relaxing, and fun holiday.

Project Ski: Session for 12/20/08

Why do muscles get sore after you exercise?

One common theory is build up of lactic acid. And even though it's been debunked*, it's still widely believed.

The most likely explanation is damage to the muscle cells allowing the contents of the cell to leak into the extracellular space. An inflammatory reaction within the muscle follows and the nerves fire off pain signals in response to the inflammation was well as the leaked cellular contents.

Sounds like an injury to me. Here's a good example of how exercise hurts you but helps you. Once the muscle recovers, usually within about four days, you'll no longer be sore and even if you do the same activity that caused the soreness the first time, you will not get sore from that activity. Within 96 hours, you have new armor for that particular drill.

The pain is usually at it's peak two days after the activity. So, I'm really looking forward to tomorrow.

Some of weakest muscles in the body are some of the most important: the rotator cuff in the shoulder, the multifidus in the lower back, the transverse abdominus in the abdomen, and the rotator cuff of the hip. They all do the same basic thing: stabilize joints as your body moves through space.

Have you heard of the rotator cuff of the hip? Like the shoulder, the muscles are deep and close to the joint and because these muscles are close to the joint axis, they have little mechanical advantage. They're not muscles that move your hip joint as much as they help guide motion and keep the joint stable. The muscles include the superior and inferior gemellus, obturator internus and externus, the piriformis, and the gluteus minimus (you can see these muscles in the picture to the right).

Most of the muscles that stabilize your joints are built to contract with rotary or sideways types of movements. So, for example, when you twist your body to the right and left, the hip rotator cuff works to keep your hip joint from slipping and sliding. It acts like a boat's mooring lines.

My session on 12/20/08 left me with a pair of sore hips but it's a good kind of sore. Muscle sore. Here's what I did:

10 minutes of speed intervals on a stationary cycle
20 Squat twists with an 8 lb medicine ball
20 Hammer Backsliders
20 Pulley Chops
20 Pulley Press

I complete four cycles of the above drills. It took 34 minutes and 30 seconds.

The Squat Twists were the culprit. You perform these by holding a medicine ball in your hands with your elbows at a 90 degree angle. Then, squat and twist fast to the right, make a sudden stop and twist back to the starting point, sudden stop, then to the left making a sudden stop and twisting back to the starting point. Then, stand up. That's one repetition.

The sudden stops increase the force that the muscles have to produce. It's like having muscular brakes. The rotary force is absorbed by the muscles in what's called an eccentric contraction (the muscle lengthens while producing force). Eccentric contractions create the soreness by causing small tears in the muscle fibers.

I'll be fine by, well, Tuesday. Today, Sunday, 21st of December, is a rest day and tomorrow will likely be a long distance training day. It's generally a good idea to not ask sore muscles to work too hard until the soreness has subsided.

Project Ski: Session for 12/18/08 Core Drills

Core strength, core stability, work on the core - all phrases that you sort of know what they mean, likely have heard at least one of them, but when you have to really define them, they're all kind of murky.

What's the "core"? How do you know if it's weak or stable and how do you work on it?

The core is a region of the body from the middle of your chest to the upper thighs. Another way to say it is the core is your trunk plus the upper part of your legs. It covers a large area, a lot of muscles many of which, in the trunk, that are not are under your conscious control.

You'll hear or read about "strengthening" the core but the issue isn't as much about strength as it endurance. Initially, drills for the core will strengthen the muscles but what you need for everyday function is endurance. This region of the body is the relay station for force absorption and production from the ground up and from the hands and arms in. Your ability to generate force over a long time with, for example, your upper body will be limited by how well your core muscles work and how long they work.

You know your core meets a minimum standard if you pass the side plank test described by Stuart McGill. Hold the position as pictured for 90 seconds (men) and 70 seconds ( women). The issue of core stability is a misnomer. There is no such thing. Your spine may or may not be stable or your pelvis or your hips, but those are joints within the body region known as the core.

I've described drills for the core in other posts but below are the drills for my session on 12/18/08 which had a heavy emphasis on core endurance.

10 minutes speed intervals on an elliptical machine.
15 Squat and Swing with a Medicine Ball
15 Sky Highs with a Medicine Ball (top photo)
15 Standing Twist with a Medicine Ball
15 Suit Case Crunch with a Medicine Ball (bottom photo)

I repeated the above cycle five times. It took 70 minutes and 14 seconds to complete.

The Squat and Swing is performed by taking a wide stance while holding a medicine ball with your arms straight. Squat to just shy of a 90 degree angle and as you stand up, swing the medicine ball up over your head. You have focus on bracing the abdomen to avoid subtle movements or arching your back. You do this drill as fast as you can (not as fast as you can't or speed with poor form).

I modified the Sky Highs by bending my knees. By pushing the ball up toward the ceiling, you create a spine friendly "crunch" (which seems to be an odd pairing of terms to me). For the Suit Case Crunch, I bend the other leg a bit and only curl my trunk to the point where I feel my shoulder blades come off the ground.

The Standing Twist is deceptively difficult. You stand with feet shoulder width apart. Hold the medicine ball in your hands with your elbows bent 90 degrees. Turn your body to the right keeping the ball in front of your chest and then quickly turn to left back to the starting position making a crisp, hard stop. Repeat to the other side which is one repetition. Continue this quick motion, stop, quick motion.

Update on my neck....it feels great.

Doug Kelsey

Project Ski: Session for 12/17/08

"Hey - wanna' go for a jog with us? We're all goin' out to the park and go for a run since we've been sittin' all day, " asked my colleague.

I felt good about going since I had been "working out" for a long time using a NordicTrack Cross Country Ski Machine for several months. I had lost some weight, toned up. I felt good.

"Yeah, sure sounds good. Be right there," I replied.

I was attending a conference in Chicago, in 1987, and the running group was about 10 physical therapists from around the country who wanted to jog through Grant Park.

They jogged about 3 miles. I jogged about 800 yards and was breathing so hard I thought I might inhale several small rocks.

Even though I had trained the same muscles you use in jogging and used movements very close to the running motion pattern, I had zero fitness for jogging. Nada.

The human body is inherently lazy seeking the lowest level of energy exertion that's required. Your body learns in a very concrete way. You become adept at what you do. Sometimes, that's really important like in sports. If you want to get good at shooting free throws, it won't happen if you're practicing dunks or jump shots. Likewise, if you want to get fit to jog, you have to jog at some point; not use a ski machine.

So, you may notice that my sessions have a certain amount of variety. Consistently variable is how I describe it. What I'm trying to do is build a broad base of physical, mental, and emotional fitness before I begin to focus on sport specific capacity. I don't want to spend several months of practice only to end up "inhaling rocks".

Today's session was relatively short but not particularly easy.

A series of Yoga poses followed by Burner Ski Squats.

I cycled through the following poses holding each one for about 5 seconds trying to breathe slowly. I quickly discovered limits in flexibility which increased the difficulty in holding the pose. I was tired enough after 20 minutes that I couldn't keep the forms so I stopped feeling much looser, a little sweaty, and overall good.

.Burner Ski Squats are done like this:

Set a timer for 30 seconds.
Stand with feet slightly wider than your shoulders.
Squat down to about a 90 degree angle at the knee placing the weight through the heel of the foot more than the forefoot and reach forward with your arms.
Stand back up.
Repeat as fast as you can for 20 seconds.
Hold the squat position for 10 seconds and oscillate up and down a very small amount (this is the Burner part of the squat - Burner is a term we use at Sports Center for positions that make your muscles really burn).
Hit the reset button on the timer do it all again for 10 cycles.

After six cycles I could not hold the Burner position. At all. My muscles were just out of fuel. I'm blaming it on the Yoga.

Any Yoga poses that required me to bend sideways (Side Stretch Pose, Triangle Pose) with my arm overhead felt like I had some steel cables inside my muscles. They just would not budge. And that made breathing very tough. Obviously, I need some work here.

I guess I need to be a little more consistently variable ;-)

Project Ski: Session for 12/16/08

You may have heard from someone, somewhere, that one of the reasons massage or heat or ultrasound is a good thing to do for an injury is that the modality of choice increases local blood flow which in turn increases oxygen. And since just about everyone knows that injuries don't heal very well without oxygen, the argument seems to make sense.

But, it's one thing to get oxygen to the area. Its another to get it into the tissue that needs it.

Some passive modalities transport oxygen to the affected area but the result is like dropping a bunch of friends off outside your house with a locked front door. Everyone's there but no one can get in.

You unlock the door and let oxygen into the tissue by one of three ways: diffusion from a pressure gradient, elevated tissue temperature or increased acids levels in the tissue.

Passive modalities depend on the pressure gradient mode which if it exists, and I'm not sure that things like massage or other soft tissue modalities actually create such a gradient but let's assume they do, it will last until equilibrium is reached.

I prefer exercise because you hit the trifecta of oxygen delivery with rising tissue temperature, rising acid levels, and a pressure gradient all of which exercise has been proven to do. But, the key is you have to sweat and burn fat.

You know you're burning fat when you do distance training when you can pass the talk-sing test and you feel really good. The talk-sing test has two parts:

While exercising can you sing? If so, you're not working hard enough (and I've added a new version - if you can read you're not working hard enough).
While exercising, can you talk? Carry on a conversation? If no, you're working too hard.

So, you have to work hard enough that you sweat, can talk, and finally, feel really good. You have energy. You feel like things are easy. It's the runner's high. When these things happen, good things happen in your body that last a lot longer than what you can achieve with any passive modality.

Today was a distance training day. It is what many people would call "cardio" but many of my sessions have a cardiopulmonary training effect which is why I differentiate the two types of training.

Here's my session for today:

Two miles of unloaded treadmill jogging using three minutes of running with two minutes of walking. Time to complete the distance was 25 minutes and 14 seconds. I used 30 lbs of unloading.
Thirty minutes of speed intervals on a stationary cycle.
Thirty minutes of speed intervals on an elliptical machine.

The good news is that the isolated neck pain from my session of 12/15/08 is just about gone. Expect complete resolution of the symptoms by tomorrow or Thursday at the latest.

Optimism is always good.
DK

Project Ski: Three Drills in Just 30 Minutes!

There's a small muscle in the upper part of your neck, close to the skull, the can really be a pain if you ask it to do too much.

Like I did yesterday.

This muscle, the obliquus capitis inferior (OCI), attaches from the Axis bone (also known as C2) in your neck to the Atlas bone (known as C1). When you turn your head, over half of the motion comes from the joint made by these two bones and the OCI does a lot of the work by pulling C1 around on C2.

But the OCI muscles do two other things for you:

Help hold your head still when you lift your arm up over your head. If this muscle fails to do it's job then every time you, for example, raised your hand to ask a question, your head would whip around. You can test this by lying down on your back with your head on a partially inflated beach ball. Lift your right arm up over your head while keeping you head and neck completely relaxed and note the movement of your head. It will turn a bit to the right. To keep it still, your left OCI muscle has to contract.
Keep your neck joints stable and still when you lift both arms over your head. When you lift both arms over head, your head wants to tilt back and your neck wants to extend. Sometimes this is a good thing like when you paint a ceiling but other times, like when you place something up on a shelf, you need to keep things in place. So, these muscles tighten up to hold your spine still keeping your eyes level so you can see what you're doing.

So, you might be wondering, how did I make this muscle work too hard?

Pull ups.

Because I'm not yet strong enough to perform "regular" pull ups beyond about 5 reps, I use a Total Gym with a special pull up bar attachment. I have to lie face down on the machine to use the attachment. So, both arms are over head, pulling, exerting a lot of force and I sure don't want my head to be slip-slidin' around so my OCI muscle gets a lot of work. Enough that the right one is tender, sore, and it hurts to turn my head. Feels just fine if I lie down though since the muscle in that position is completely relaxed.

I've done pull ups for a while but yesterday pushed the limit - a little. I have a tendency to do that. Here's my session from yesterday 12/14/08:

100 pull ups
100 squats
100 push ups

I finished the repetitions of each drill before moving on to the next one. Now, before you get too excited about what a monster I am, this took me nearly 30 minutes to complete with the push ups taking me the longest. I would just do as many reps as I could and then take a rest. I started off with a bang. Nearly 30 pull ups. But that trickled down to as low as five at a time. And, the push ups, well, I had a good start there too - 30 - but rapidly slowed to 5 or 8 at a time.

I opened and closed the session with 15 minutes of speed intervals on a stationary cycle.

And, my neck pain is much better this morning as I write this than it was last night. So, probably by Wednesday, I'll feel ok. Assuming that all I injured was muscle, that is.

Project Ski: Session for 12/12-13/08

There are about as many theories on muscular strength and endurance training as there are books on Amazon. But, try looking at it through a physics lens. It's simpler. Strength is the amount of force you can produce and endurance is how long you can keep producing some percentage of force (cardiovascular endurance is a different discussion that I'll cover later).

Strength (or force) = mass x acceleration. I can increase the force by increasing the mass (or for our purposes let's use the term weight although I know some of you will argue that it's incorrect...that's ok - I get it), increasing the acceleration (and, once again, we'll simplify that to speed), or both. That's all you have to work with: mass (weight), acceleration (speed), or both.

By altering certain variables (repetitions, sets, rest, etc.) though, you can induce anatomic and biologic change in the body. You can build or rebuild functions and abilities. Do things you never thought were possible by using physics. How cool is that? Physics you can actually use (instead of trying to figure out the how long it takes for a pizza to hit the ground from a three story building). You can also hurt your self if you're not careful (well, technically you do hurt your self, you just recover from it).

For example, physiologists discovered a long time ago that when you use a really heavy weight, one that you can move fewer than about five times, you'll primarily develop strength. You'll have little to no effect on endurance, and notice a mild change in muscle size. I know that seems odd and just about everyone I talk to about this argues with me about this, but it's not my opinion. It's science. When you lower the weight such that you can move it between 8 and 12 times, you'll develop strength and increase muscle size but still have little effect on endurance. When you increase the repetition count to between 20 and 30, you'll develop muscle endurance more than strength (and there's another discussion on how many sets you should do but I feel like I'm probably pushing the limit here on technical detail....more later). One of the fringe benefits of this kind of training is an increase in tendon and ligament strength.

Most of the drills I have used so far use a repetition count between 12 and 20 per set to develop some strength and some endurance. I'm early in the process so I'm still working on the "framing". I'm past the foundation - passed the basic tests for core endurance, single leg squat, push-pull strength, flexibility, etc. - but do not have the the overall muscle strength and endurance to move into sport specific training....yet.

You may have noticed that some of my sessions are a fixed time (like the one below) or are timed. This is another way to manipulate the effect of the training. In the drills below, I could easily do more repetitions (instead of 10 push ups, I could do at least 20) but I would then have to rest more between the drills. By keeping my rest intervals short, I create not just muscular strength-endurance but also a cardiovascular endurance effect as well.

My session on 12/12/08:

Fifteen minutes of the following drills performed one after the next with as little rest as possible.
- 10 push ups
- 30 body weight squats (this means using my own body weight as the resistance)
- 10 pull ups (performed at a percentage of body weight)
- 10 roll outs - I use a Ab Dolly invented by a friend of mine, Brett Fischer to do this drill. Here's video of it.
I completed five cycles in fifteen minutes and welcomed the end.

I opened and closed the session with 20 minutes of speed intervals on a stationary cycle.

On 12/13/08:

10 minutes of speed intervals on an elliptical machine
25 push ups
50 squats (body weight)
10 minutes of speed intervals on an elliptical machine
25 push ups
50 squats (body weight)
10 minutes of speed intervals on an elliptical machine
25 push ups
50 squats (body weight)

12/14/08 was a rest day.

Project Ski: Session for 12/11/08

On 12/11/08:

I completed three cycles of the following:

20 squat rows
1 minute Plank
1 minute Bosu Squats
1 minute Speed Gunners
30 seconds Floor Cross

The three cycles of the above took 18 minutes and 49 seconds. I started and ended the session with 10 minutes of speed intervals on a stationary cycle.

Squat Rows are performed with a pulley system. I like Steens and Matrix the best. You adjust the height of the attachment point to about chest level. Choose the load, grab the handles, and step back so the weight stack is suspended. You squat as if you're going to sit in a chair placing more of your weight through your heels and at the same time, straighten your arms like you're reaching forward. When you return to a standing position, you pull the handles toward your chest stopping the motion when the elbows are even with the chest wall and really focus on extending with the hips trying to drive the hips forward. Perform the squats as fast as possible without compromising your form.

Bosu Squats are body weight squats while standing on a Bosu with the hard surface up. As you squat, you keep the elbows bent at 90 degrees and drive the hands / arms forward during the squat (down) phase (image source: www.triplefit.com). I focus on bracing the abdomen the entire time. This drill will reveal quickly if you have any secondary or tertiary plane weakness or timing problem (nearly all movements have three planes of motion - the second and tertiary planes for a squat are rotation and side bending of the trunk and hips.). The platform wobbles. It should stay relatively still but if, for example, your right hip is weaker than your left, then as you squat and stand up, the platform wobbles since you're placing a different amount of force on each leg at different times. Great feedback. When I first started this drill a few weeks ago, my speed was quite slow in order to control the wobble. I'm faster now but not quite as fast as I would like to be. Skiing is a turbulent sport: unexpected bumps and dips with frequent changes in body position. Bosu Squats have just a hint of turbulence which at this stage is about right for my level.

The Floor Cross is, at least for me, a really tough drill. You get in a push up position and then place your hands very wide apart. Lower your body, keeping it in a straight line head to heels, until your elbows are just shy of a 90 degree bend. Now, hold. Breathe. Pay attention to your shoulder blades. They should not drift off the rib cage. If they do, the drill is way too hard. This is an excellent endurance drill for the core muscles (trunk) and shoulder and is lumbar spine friendly.

More later....
DK

Project Ski: Practice Session for 12/9

Tuesday, I was really tired going into the session. Sleep was shoddy the night before - an attack of the monkey mind - leaving me feeling like I had oat meal in my head with the reactions of an elephant on Xanax (sometimes spelled Zanax). I just didn't want to make the effort. Didn't think I could. After all, if I'm that tired, shouldn't I just take a break? Haven't I earned a break?

My thoracic spine hurt; stiff, sore, tight. Probably the rowing....nice....wonder if it's too much....It's in this moment that I forced my self to think a different thought. What do you want? To ski. And, it's in these sort of moments, in that decision space, that you can change your behavior. You choose to think something else and do something else. I'm getting better at this but I have a long way to go. Just ask my wife how many times, probably on a daily basis, that I'm grumpy or terse or less than thoughtful. Somehow she gets past all of that.

Then let's get after it.

It was not an easy session. A partner would have helped. Or a coach. Or maybe even just my dog Spencer. Someone, anyone to just be a positive presence. This is where practicing on your own is not ideal unlike in music where practicing with someone else is nearly impossible. But, I did it and was glad I did.

I woke up this morning and felt great. Slept great. Spine feels good. Awesome. Inspiring.

Here's the practice session for 12/9 (today, 12/10/08 is a rest day).

10 minutes of speed intervals on a stationary bike (15" fast; 45" easy)
Four cycles of the following:
1. 10 partial body weight pull ups
2. 10 Lunge-Press
3. 10 Speed Gunners
4. 10 Plank Walk Ups
10 minutes of speed intervals
10 minutes of flexibility drills (touchdowns on my back and sitting)

The Lunge Press requires you to hold your lower back from over arching as you lift the weights up. Really have to focus on body position and coordination. It's very easy to lose your form as you fatigue. When I notice my form deteriorating, I slow down and concentrate on "belly breathing" - pushing air using the diaphragm instead of the chest. It lowers the sympathetic nervous system drive and helps me stay focused. During the lunge, you can either keep your lower back straight and tall or lean forward. Trainers and therapists often argue about which is better. I have spinal stenosis - narrowing of the space where the nerve exists the spine - at L4-5 and L5-S1 so I prefer to lean forward just a bit to keep from closing that space down too much. It also feels more natural to me like I'm picking something up from the floor. When you return from the lunge though, you must brace the core and push with the leg to avoid making your spine do too much of the work.

Speed Gunners are performed in standing holding a dumb bell in each hand. You have to focus on maintaining a braced core, holding your head still, knees slightly flexed as you rapidly bend one elbow and then the other alternating right and left. The load of the dumb bell can whip your trunk around which is why you have to really focus on holding your self still. As you fatigue, your neck will extend (your chin will go up) which increases the stress on the joints in your neck so you also have to be tuned into where your head is in space.

This routine took me 42 minutes and 15 seconds to complete (not including the flexibility drills). Toast when it was done.

Project Ski: I Don't Work Out

He sought to have that by practice which he could not by prayer. --Sir P. Sidney.

I meant to say the other day for those of you who will be following my quest to ski, you may be tempted to try some of the drills. So, here's my disclaimer: Do so at your own risk. I'm posting my sessions for educational (and perhaps even entertainment) purposes; not for you to implement. To do that, you would need to go through a screening process to determine where to start, how to choose the proper load level, how to do the drills properly and adjust the intensity. Some day I hope to have all of those details available for you but right now, just read, learn, and enjoy.

I need to back track a bit and you'll see this happen in a few more posts until I feel like I'm caught up. In my last post (and the one before that), I used the term "work out" although I don't think it's a good description of what I'm doing and I violated one of my own rules which is to never use the term. I had a feeling that if I posted what I really wanted to write without the framework around it, you would walk away scratching your head. So, consider the phrase "work out" and any of its' derivatives, gone.

When you hear the phrase, "working out" or "work out", what immediately comes to mind? First thing. What is it? Be honest. I'll bet that for a lot of you, working out is not a positive thing. Maybe it's something you feel you should do, you have to do but you don't look forward to it. If you go to a gym, it's an impersonal, self-serve sort of experience. Yep. There are exceptions. Spin classes, Body Pump classes, Pilates, Yoga can be a much more enjoyable "work out" although I would argue that those experiences are incomplete when it comes to preparing for something like skiing.

I don't think of the process I'm going through to prepare me to ski as working out. I think of it as practice.

Why is it that when you lift your arm or move your trunk or do some stretch in a gym, it's part of a work out but if you do virtually the same thing in yoga, it's practice?

Why is it that when you go to the driving range you practice your golf swing; not work out your golf swing?

Why is that if you perform dips on rings in a gymnastics class, it's practice but dips on a dip bar in a gym is a workout?

The difference is purpose; to perform at your best; to create something you and or others will enjoy.

You practice to create something special; great; even beautiful.

Thinking of your work outs as practice creates a subtle but important shift in your mind. You practice on purpose for a purpose. This is why, too often, that "working out" or "training" or "exercising" becomes tedious, boring, routine, and why many people quit. Practice is a state of mind that is focused and present to help you achieve some greater purpose. Practice will improve you and inspire you; working out will bore you.

It's not just a label though. You can't just say to your self on the way to the gym, "Ok, today I'm practicing!" and find that it makes one bit of difference. What you need is purpose. You practice on purpose for a purpose. Your purpose is both your anchor and the wind beneath your wings. It doesn't have to be a sport although it can be. Your purpose just needs to be something meaningful to you (One of the best ways to get clear on your purpose is to fill out one of these: a goal map from Brian Mayne. It's much more difficult than it seems but very clarifying.).

Practice includes drills or exercises. You're training your self to do certain things a certain way to become more proficient. So, you'll find me using the words "exercise", "drill", and "training" but as a subset of the broader theme of practice. And, speaking of drills, sometimes the drills are very difficult to do but this is how I transform my self (and how you can do the same thing) to achieve something special; something that I really want. Soon, what was difficult becomes relatively easy. I have become more proficient.

When I started playing guitar last year, I could barely play the thing for 5 or 10 minutes before my hand ached and my fingers cramped up so badly I had to stop. All I could play were major scales and very slowly and with a sound that was closer to a cow wailing than something like Stevie Ray Vaughn. It was hard and I found my self feeling discouraged with words in my head like, "How will I ever play in a band? This is going to take a century!" But, my teacher, Jim Collard, pointed something out to me. He said, "Play each note with all of your self. Really hear it and feel it. It doesn't matter how fast you play or how many scales you know. It's being in the moment with the music and just really enjoying it. And when your hand aches and cramps, you know you've really done something!" He's right. I enjoy the process of practice and look forward to someday playing in a band. I'm a better guitar player now than I was a year ago and I'll be better still in a month, six months, or a year from now. I practice to play something special that moves me and those who hear it.

As for my quest to snow ski, I practice - in the gym, at home, outside - drills and exercises to prepare for skiing.

I don't work out.

What do you need to practice?

Make today count.
DK

Project Ski - Workout for 12/8/08

25 minutes Arc Trainer
25 minutes Precor AMT
10 minutes Concept II Rower
20 minutes Technogym Cycle

Notes: Felt very good today other than some stiffness and soreness in the thoracic spine region. I kept my Borg RPE between 12 and 14 throughout the session. When I started the rowing a few weeks ago, I lasted about 3 minutes due to fatigue in my thoracic spine. This was a technique fault which I have fixed. The technique I use is legs-body-arms (similar to the video) trying to drive with the legs instead of pulling with the back. You might wonder why I would do this given my history. Here's why. The body adapts to the forces it's exposed to and to achieve a strengthening effect, the force needs to be close to or slightly over the physiologic limit of the tissues involved. So, if I expect my spine to get stronger, I need to expose it to a variety of stresses. I typically row about once every 10 to 14 days. It's a risk though and I know that. I pay close attention to technique, I keep a slow but steady pace and when I feel fatigue, I stop. The feeling is a tightness, burning or cramping sensation. I don't push past that point and have no plans to move beyond ten minutes (as I have a slight degree of fatigue) until I have no fatigue at that duration.

Project Ski - Chapter 1

I quit wrestling with this idea and have decided to publish my journey to the land of snow skiing. What was I wrestling with? Oh, I guess that you might find this story boring or tedious or of little use. Or, that I won't be able to explain every little thing I do or don't do or that I might (and probably will) do things that are completely stupid which might make you think less of me.

Sometimes a mind is a terrible thing. You'll see what I mean soon enough.

But, my positive mind overcame my negative mind. There's a lot to learn from what I'm about to go through. For you and for me.

So here we go.

Last week I announced I had been medically cleared of my injury back in February 2008 and that my surgeon felt there was no reason I could not return to skiing. I want to emphasize no reason.

The afternoon following the publishing of that post, I had a return of the Painster only it was more like a Mini-Me Painster: the original symptoms of hip pain and leg pain but with much less intensity. I was puzzled by this because little had changed in my life to provoke these symptoms. Now, a year or two ago, I would have most likely denied the presence of these symptoms. I wouldn't have stopped and asked my self questions in a third party, sort-of way as if I'm two people:
Hmmm...this is interesting....wonder what this is about....

Let's see...what's different in the last week or so...

Well, I've been exercising...

Anything new?....

Yeah, I did the slide board for 30 seconds, three times...

Anything else?...more sitting? more lifting?....

No....nothing else new...

So, 90 seconds of slide board produces the same pain you had 9 months ago?

Yeah, I see what you mean...probably not....

So, what else happened this week? What were you doing when you noticed the hip pain?

Uhhh....I was talking with Ross about how I had been cleared and even cleared to ski...

And then?

And then I noticed my hip hurt.....

I said in that last post that I had a number of fears in my life but skiing wasn't one of them. I lied. Not on purpose but that's the beauty of the subconscious. You can lie to your self and think you're telling the truth.

What's the one thing that would keep me from pursuing a return to skiing that I would not have to defend? Leg pain. If my leg hurts, well, you can't train hard, you have to be careful, you might really do something bad here and if you can't train because your leg hurts, you have a really good excuse to not go skiing.

And, my leg hurt.

But, I questioned the source.

All pain is real. All pain is in your head. The question is whether the stimulus for the feeling is in some peripheral part of your body or in your mind. One isn't better than the other nor more or less real. But, the way you deal with it is different.

So, what did I do?

The first thing I did was admitted to my self that I was scared. And, it's ok. Let the feelings come up and out. Don't fight it. Sit with them, look at them, feel whatever you feel. So, that's what I did. During my workout. I decided that I likely had no physical reason to hurt. It was emotional. I did my workout (below) and just said, "This is only fear." If I was wrong, well, I could get worse but there would be something other than just these vague symptoms to deal with.

But I got better.

By the end of the workout, my hip pain was gone. I had a different pain traveling around my right leg like a band of gypsies. "Not to worry," I said. "They're just on their way out of town." By the next morning, I felt fine.

That might sound a little bizarre but that's what happened. Maybe it was just coincidence. If so, I'm sure I'll get the chance to test it again. I know that there's a chance I will miss the mark in the future. I'll misinterpret the signal. Stuff happens. But, here's the thing about emotionally based pain. It subsides surprisingly fast once you face it, feel it, and move through it. If I had re-ruptured a disc or sprained a ligament or pulled a muscle, it would still be around (or worsened) after my work out (especially once you read what my workout consisted of!).

Fascinating stuff. And, we think we know a lot about how the body works. I figure you can fit on the head of a pin what I really know about how the body and mind work together.

My work out for that day (which was December 4th, 2008) is below. I'll back track a bit in future posts to fill in some gaps about what I'm doing and why I'm doing it and where I started.

20 minutes of 15" / 45" intervals on a bike (15" really hard, 45" easy)
15 minutes of the following performed in sequence with little to no rest repeating the cycle until time was up.
1. 15 push ups
2. 25 squats (body weight)
3. 15 pull ups at 70% body weight
4. 15 Hammer Back Sliders with 30 kg
15 minutes of cycling intervals.

A Hammer Back Slider is performed with a pulley. You set the pulley handle high, face the pulley, grasp the handle such that your hands are overhead and squat down on one leg while sliding the other backward and at the same time pull down on the pulley handle straightening your elbows (I know - a picture of video is a lot better but I don't have either yet).

I do pull ups using a Total Gym. That's how I can use less than full body weight. Works great.

This sequence is really tiring but joint and spine friendly (sitting on the bike carries a little bit higher loads for the lower back but it's for a short period of time). It took me about an hour to complete because I just had to rest some during the 4 drill sequence. I can easily squat on one leg so I'm safe doing the bilateral squats (since two legs is half the load of just one leg alone) but if I couldn't I would use a Total Gym for that as well.

I'm off to Pure Austin for another but different session. I'll post it in the near future.

I think my surgeon should have said, "There's no physical reason...."

Onward....

Project Ski: Session for 2/10/09

A new routine (routine = structure) today with some familiar drills (but a new one and a new sequence = variety). The focus was core endurance (focus = structure). Here's what I did:

15 minutes speed intervals.
Found rounds of:
- 20 push ups
- 15 sky highs
- 15 suitcase crunches
- 15 sky high catches
- 10 minutes speed intervals
15 minutes speed intervals

The whole session took 86 minutes and 26 seconds.

Tomorrow, the 11th, is a rest day.

Project Ski: Session for 2/8/09 and 2/9/09

So, Sunday, I met Tim and we had a great session. I felt good. Slept well the night before which always helps. So, here's what we did - a routine that we did back in December:

20 minutes of speed intervals.
- Four rounds of:
  - 50 squats
  - 25 push ups
  - 10 minute speed intervals
10 minutes of speed intervals

The four rounds took 56 minutes and 11 seconds. So, the whole session was a little longer than usual at 86 minutes and 11 seconds.

Today, I had a more ski-specific routine. Here's what I did:

25 minutes of speed intervals
- Two rounds of
  - 2 minutes of side to side hopping
  - 10 push ups
  - 5 repetitions of 10 squats followed by a 10 second hold in a squat position
  - 15 BOSU squats
15 minutes of speed intervals

I'm back at it tomorrow and with some sleep expect to have a great session.

Project Ski: Session for 2/5/09

nother beautiful day..had to get outside.

Here's what I did:

20 minutes speed intervals
Five rounds of:
- Water Bottle Carry 180 feet
- 10 Push Ups
- Water Bottle Carry 180 feet
- 10 Squats (using bottle for load)
- Water Bottle Carry 180 feet
- 10 Overhead Press (using bottle for load)
15 minutes speed intervals
The whole session took 62 minutes and 41 seconds.
The water bottles were filled with about 45 lbs of sand which made a great training tool. The sand shifts as you pick it up or reposition the bottle which forces your body to react to the loads. And, it's a more real life kind of thing. Lifting barbells has its place but lifting things that you're apt to encounter in everyday life is even better.
Also, here's a video of one round of the routine with narration.
DK

Project Ski: Session for 2/3/09 and 2/4/09

My routine for 2/3/09 was:

20 minutes of speed intervals
1 round of:
- 10 Squat Swings, 10 Pull Ups, 10 Push Ups
- 15 Squat Swings, 15 Pull Ups, 15 Push Ups
- 20 Squat Swings, 20 Pull Ups, 20 Push Ups
- 25 Squat Swings, 25 Pull Ups, 25 Push Ups
- 30 Squat Swings, 30 Pull Ups, 30 Push Ups
15 minutes of speed intervals

The whole routine took 62 minutes and 12 seconds (27 minutes 12 seconds for the drills).

220 - AGE = Max Heart Rate
(Max HR- Resting HR) x Training %+ Resting HR= Target HR

So, for me:
I'm 52 years of age. My resting heart rate (when I first wake up in the morning) is 60 beats per minute.

Ex: 220-52 = 168 (Max HR)
((168-60) x.85) + 60 = 152 (for 85% of max)
((168-60) x.65) + 60 = 130 (for 65% of max)

You can use the BORG Rating of Perceived Exertion for aerobic exercise but this doesn't work for anaerobic exercise like many of my training routines.

I found that at 145 to about 160 beats per minute that I was tired but I didn't feel overly stressed. When I reached 164 to 175, I was at my max for sure.

Our session was:

About 8 minutes of speed intervals
Three rounds of:
- 10 Pull Ups
- 10 Lunge-Gunner-Press
- 10 Push ups
- 10 Speed Gunners
- 10 Plank Walk Ups
10 minutes of speed intervals.

I have a session for today (2/5/09) with Tim and the a rest day on Friday and Saturday.
DK

Project Ski: Session for 2/2/09

Here's the drill set:

20 minutes of speed intervals on an Arc Trainer
Three rounds of
- 15 Back Slider with a Vector
- 5 repetitions of 20 second planks followed by 5 push ups
- 15 Pulley Squat Rows
20 minutes of speed intervals

The entire routine took 61 minutes and 28 seconds.

Today and Thursday, I'll train with Tim; tomorrow with Ryan. Friday, likely a day off.

Project Ski: Session for 1/31/09

Our routine consisted of four rounds:

15 Squat swings
15 Push ups
15 Staff Lunges
6 minutes of tennis (volley only)

A great session. Volleying outside was invigorating and, although not skiing specific, still a good drill for agility, balance, and general conditioning.

Project Ski: Sessions for 1/27/09 & 1/28/09

30 minutes of speed intervals.
Three rounds of:
- 2 min PowPow Killers
- 1 min BOSU squats with a medicine ball
- 15 Side Sliders
- 15 Med Ball Twists
- 15 BOSU hops
15 minutes of speed intervals

This took 80 minutes and 10 seconds.

In the afternoon, this was my session:

20 minutes speed intervals
Three rounds of:
- 10 minute speed intervals
- 15 Squat Swings
- 15 Sky Highs
- 15 Med Ball Twists
- 15 Suitcase Crunches

Today, the session was:

30 minutes of speed intervals
- Three rounds of:
  - 1 min BOSU Squats-Gunners
  - 15 BOSU Shuffle
  - 15 BOSU Hops
  - 15 BOSU Push Ups
- 15 minutes of speed intervals

This took 66 min 20 seconds.

The BOSU Push Up is a push performed on a BOSU with the soft side down. It's more difficult than a typical push up because the base on which you're pushing, moves.

Thursday is a rest day. I'll be ready.
DK

Project Ski: Session for 1/24 and 1/25/09

aturday was a compressed day with house cleaning and a party to go to that night but it was nice and chilly. So, I took my boys - Spencer and Cirque - for a run.

12 suspension push ups
12 suspension pull ups
12 suspension single leg squats
12 suspension clapper (you start in the push up position facing the ground, move to a cross position and then bring your hands together like you're clapping your hands)

The whole routine, including running, took 48 minutes and 20 seconds.

Today, 1/25/09, I met Ryan at Sports Center to help him get started on a training routine. Here's what we did:

Three rounds of:
- 10 minutes of speed intervals on a bike
- 20 speed gunners
- 20 pulley squats
- 20 push ups

We took up to a minute of rest between rounds but kept our rest between drills to as little as possible.

For the thoracic spine, we got on the floor with legs on a large Swiss ball. Tuck the ball up toward you far as you can and then slide your arms up toward your ears.

The routine, without the flexibility work, took 45 minutes. It was plenty of work. Just ask Ryan :-)

Project Ski: Session for 1/23/09

15 BOSU squats with kettlebell swings
15 BOSU Shuffles
1 minute slideboard (side to side hops)
15 BOSU lean back squats
15 Reformer Hops (BOSU hops)

Tomorrow, I'm thinking of intervals with my boys. It'll be chilly and I love the cold weather.

Project Ski: Session for 1/19/09

Guess what? The buzzing in my knees I mentioned in my last Project Ski post, slinked away sometime in the night. Woke up this morning and felt fine.

The challenge with core training is two fold: finding drills that have a high challenge to the spine but a low to moderate pressure on the disc and finding drills that are not completely boring.

Here's what I came up with. One round is all it took for me to say, "Done."

4 sets of 100 Hops (like jumping rope but without the rope and with a dash of imagination - visualizing hitting moguls side to side).

Then, all of the following for one minute each resting as little as possible between drills:

Forearm plank
Dynamic side plank (A side plank but moving you hips up and down)
Sky Highs
Plank with alternating arm and leg extension (Push up position then raise opposite arm and leg straight up until parallel to the ground and hold three seconds. Repeat on other side.)
Suitcase Crunches
Scissors (Lie on your back. Brace the abdomen. Lift one straight leg up as high as possible. As you lower the leg, lift the other creating a "scissor" like action.)
Bicycles (Lie on your back. Bend your knees and hips to 90 degrees. Place your hands behind your head. Pull the left knee up toward the shoulder while bringing the right elbow toward the knee. You don't actually have to touch knee to elbow. Just make the effort. Alternate leg and arm.)
Knee Tucks
Plank to Pike (Push up position with your feet on something that will slide. I use an Ab Dolly. Move from the Plank to a Pike position and hold for three seconds then return to Plank.)
90/90 Pull downs (I use an elastic band that has a handle on each end and attach the band to the top of a door. Then, lie down on your back with your head toward the door. Bend your hips and knees. Brace the abdomen. Grasp the handles and pull down with both arms rapidly.)

This took 27 minutes and 8 seconds including the priming.

Overall, I liked the drill set. Interesting mix of movements and plenty difficult for me.

Tomorrow is a rest day.

Project Ski: Session for 1/18/09

ere's what I did today:

600 meter fast walk.
Eight rounds of:

400 meter run at about 50% speed
200 meter walk

600 meter fast walk
Total time was 38 minutes and 42 seconds.
________

Tomorrow is core / abdominal training focusing on spine friendly drills to give my joints and leg muscles a rest.

Onward....
DK

Project Ski: Session for 1/17/09

ere we go:

15 minutes of speed intervals on an elliptical machine.
Then three rounds of:

20 pull ups
20 push ups
10 minutes of speed intervals
15 suitcase crunches
15 skyhighs
15 knee tucks
10 minutes of speed intervals

This took 68 minutes and 41 seconds to complete.

Project Ski: Session for 1/15/09

Three rounds of

10 Ab Dolly Tucks and Push Up
45 seconds of plank position
10 Speed Gunners
10 Pull Overs (using a Total Gym)
10 Burpees with push up

This took 28 minutes and 41 seconds. I opened the session with 20 minutes of speed intervals and closed it with 40 minutes of speed intervals for a total work time of 88 minutes and 41 seconds.

Pull Overs are performed on a Total Gym while lying on your back. You use the handle attachments and cable and just pull down with your arms.

Friday is a rest day. Saturday I'm helping Tim and will likely get a training session in either with him or after.

Overall, things are going well. I'm very optimistic about skiing.
DK

Project Ski: Sessions for 1/10, 11, 13, 14/09

Saturday, 1/10/09, I felt ok. A little tired going into the session but no joint aches or pains. My body felt good.

I did the following (described here when I first did this sequence in December of '08):

Four rounds of
- 10 pull ups
- 10 Lunge-press
- 10 push ups
- 10 speed gunners
- 10 plank walk ups

I finished in 17 minutes and 48 seconds. An improvement from my last time of 22 minutes and 15 seconds. Definitely in better condition.

The 11th was a distance training day. I did a total of 80 minutes of speed intervals split between an Arc Trainer and a Precor AMT.

The 12th, Monday, was a rest day. I was ready for that one.

The 13th was both a training session and a testing one. I tested the following:

Pushups: 33
Pull ups: 25 (approximately 100 lbs of load - about 50% of body weight)
Single leg squat (body weight force only): 30
Plank (on forearms): 1 minute 20 seconds.

For my training session on the 13th:

Four rounds of
- 20 reverse squat chop with a medicine ball
- 20 Pulley punch ( a punch motion using a cable system for resistance)
- 20 hammer back sliders (A Hammer Back Slider is performed with a pulley. You set the pulley handle high, face the pulley, grasp the handle such that your hands are overhead and squat down on one leg while sliding the other backward and at the same time pull down on the pulley handle straightening your elbows)
- 20 pull overs (or pull downs)

This took 30 minutes and 14 seconds. I opened the session with 35 minutes of speed intervals and closed it with 15 minutes of speed intervals for a total work time 80 minutes and 14 seconds.

My session for today, the 14th, was:

4 x 100 jumps (jumping rope - 4 sets of 100 jumps)
6 x 6 x 6 x 6 x 6 x 6 (six repetitions followed by rest and then six repetitions, etc) power clean and press with 85% of my 10 repetition maximum
6 x 6 x 6 x 6 x 6 x 6 squat with 85% of my 10 repetition maximum
6 x 6 x 6 pull ups using about 85% body weight
4 x 100 jumps

This took me 37 minutes and 20 seconds.

Friday is a rest day.

Project Ski: Session for 1/08/09 - What I have in common with super models

So, today was such a gorgeous day and I felt good and I just had the itch to get outside and shoot some hoops. I knew I had to be careful; keep the duration short; don't try to dunk it.

I did the whole routine, jump rope to suicide drill, one more time. I managed to finish the suicide drill in 50 seconds.

Following this, I took about a twenty minute rest. I was meeting my friend Tim to work with him on his return to tennis project. I did the following routine with Tim:

15 minutes of speed intervals - cardio tool of choice.
Four rounds of:
- 15 pull ups
- 15 push ups
- 20 split squats
- 45" plank
15 minutes of speed intervals

This is a deceptively difficult routine if you're moving as fast as you can with the optimal load (and the definition of "as fast as you can" is speed with good form).

We finished the four rounds. I was happily tired.

Back at it on 1/10/09.

Project Ski: Session for 1/06/09

Here's what we did:

10 minutes speed intervals; cardio tool of choice
20 speed gunners
25 speed squats
15 push ups

We did four rounds of this routine which took 53 minutes and 18 seconds. We had little rest in between drills and about one minute of rest between rounds. So, I had almost two hours of training.

Wednesday is a rest day.
DK

Project Ski: Sessions for 1/4 and 1/5/09 and a Request

I was much less physically active today overall and I reduced the duration of my training. I cut my sitting in half today as well. I'll find out tonight if I did the right thing or not.

My session for 01/04/09:

15 minutes speed intervals on a stationary bike
- Four rounds of:
  - 12 Bulgarian Split Squats
  - 12 Squat - Gunners
  - 12 Speed Gunners
  - 30 seconds of a full plank
15 minutes of speed intervals on a stationary bike

Total time was 48 minutes and 33 seconds

Project Ski: Sessions 12/31/08 and 1/01/09

But, I have to admit something here. I realized, after playing golf, I had succumbed to the dreaded hedonic treadmill.

I had to focus on that thought, oddly enough. I had to really just let it marinate. That lasted about two minutes and then I moved on to whatever was next.

That's the hedonic treadmill. If you don't push the pause button to enjoy the things you have, you'll just keep moving on to the next thing and the next and the next.

So, plan "B". Here's what I did:

10 minutes of speed intervals on a stationary bike.
20 Speed Gunners using a FreeMotion Pulley.
20 Pulley Squats.
20 Push ups

I completed three rounds of the above in 41 minutes and 15 seconds. I had planned on doing four rounds but I couldn't get to the tools I needed and waiting allowed too much recovery so I left.

For January 1, 2009, I did:

1800 meter Kangoo jog
400 meter walk
1200 meter Kangoo jog
400 meter walk
100 push ups

My next session is Sunday, January 4th.
DK

My session for 01/05/09:

Five minutes jump rope (4 rounds of 100 hops)
Power clean and press (6 sets of 8 reps)
Plank rows (3 sets of 10 reps)
Seated pull downs (6 sets of 8 reps)
Speed squats (6 sets of 8 reps)

Total time was 31 minutes and 48 seconds.

Project Ski: Session for 12/29/08

oday was great. Way better than yesterday. Today I was in the game and didn't need much "coaching".

The session today was:

Opened and finished with 20 minutes of speed intervals on an Arc Trainer.
Four cycles with as little rest as possible in between of:
- 15 reps of one arm pull and squat using a FreeMotion Pulley,
- 15 static chair squat with two arm pull down using a FreeMotion Pulley.
- 15 static chair squat with two arm speed pull using a FreeMotion Pulley.

The total time was 60 minutes and 15 seconds.

Wrong Numbers

Goofed on the last entry re: session for 12/28/08.
Wrong numbers.

Here's what I did:

800 meter jog
10 pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 kettlebell one arm swings
15 pull ups, 15 push ups, 15 kettlebell one arm swings
20 pull ups, 20 push ups, 20 kettlebell one arm swings
25 pull ups, 25 push ups, 25 kettlebell one arm swings
30 pull ups, 30 push ups, 30 kettlebell one arm swings

Sorry about that...arms were shakin'... I guess.
:-)

Project Ski: Session for 12/28/08

Yesterday was a distance training day. Eighty minutes in 15 second high speed, 45 second moderate speed intervals split between the Arc Trainer and the AMT.

Today was the first day back from a recovery week and was one of those days where you find your self trying to talk your self out of it.

That was today for me.

I felt good going into the session. Slept great last night. Good energy. Body felt fine. But, the drive was in first or second gear. I was in a funk.

After about 10 minutes, the funk faded, I shifted into 3rd, then 4th gear, but I won't kid you the first 10 minutes today felt like 60. Today was as much mental and emotional training as physical.

So it goes but I finished.

Here's what I did:

800 meter jog
10 pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 kettlebell one arm swings
15 pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 kettlebell one arm swings
20 pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 kettlebell one arm swings
25 pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 kettlebell one arm swings
30 pull ups, 10 push ups, 10 kettlebell one arm swings

Total time was 38 minutes and 12 seconds.

To see a kettlebell swing in action, click here.

Project Ski: The Benefit of Being

"You seem to be rushing the interview. Give the client some time. Ask follow up questions. Find out more about him," I said to my student.

"When am I going to get to do something? Like take some measurements and do some treatments? Why do I have to ask so many questions? I don't feel like I'm doing anything," replied the student.

"You are doing something; something very important," I said. "You're listening. You're being receptive, open, reflective. You're being present. Being is doing," I explained.

Some students understood. Others smirked, shook their heads and said, "Well, I want to do some treatments. I mean therapists treat people, right?"

Taking five days off feels like I'm not doing anything.

By applying this cycle, you gradually increase your performance (double click the graphs for a larger image)

If you don't allow enough recovery, you'll over train and actually reduce your performance level. You get weaker.

I start my sessions again on 12/27/08. Until then, I'll remind my self that being is doing.

Have a safe, relaxing, and fun holiday.

Project Ski: Session for 12/20/08

Why do muscles get sore after you exercise?

One common theory is build up of lactic acid. And even though it's been debunked*, it's still widely believed.

The pain is usually at it's peak two days after the activity. So, I'm really looking forward to tomorrow.

My session on 12/20/08 left me with a pair of sore hips but it's a good kind of sore. Muscle sore. Here's what I did:

10 minutes of speed intervals on a stationary cycle
20 Squat twists with an 8 lb medicine ball
20 Hammer Backsliders
20 Pulley Chops
20 Pulley Press

I complete four cycles of the above drills. It took 34 minutes and 30 seconds.

Project Ski: Session for 12/18/08 Core Drills

What's the "core"? How do you know if it's weak or stable and how do you work on it?

I've described drills for the core in other posts but below are the drills for my session on 12/18/08 which had a heavy emphasis on core endurance.

10 minutes speed intervals on an elliptical machine.
15 Squat and Swing with a Medicine Ball
15 Sky Highs with a Medicine Ball (top photo)
15 Standing Twist with a Medicine Ball
15 Suit Case Crunch with a Medicine Ball (bottom photo)

I repeated the above cycle five times. It took 70 minutes and 14 seconds to complete.

Update on my neck....it feels great.

Doug Kelsey

Project Ski: Session for 12/17/08

"Hey - wanna' go for a jog with us? We're all goin' out to the park and go for a run since we've been sittin' all day, " asked my colleague.

I felt good about going since I had been "working out" for a long time using a NordicTrack Cross Country Ski Machine for several months. I had lost some weight, toned up. I felt good.

"Yeah, sure sounds good. Be right there," I replied.

I was attending a conference in Chicago, in 1987, and the running group was about 10 physical therapists from around the country who wanted to jog through Grant Park.

They jogged about 3 miles. I jogged about 800 yards and was breathing so hard I thought I might inhale several small rocks.

Even though I had trained the same muscles you use in jogging and used movements very close to the running motion pattern, I had zero fitness for jogging. Nada.

Today's session was relatively short but not particularly easy.

A series of Yoga poses followed by Burner Ski Squats.

.Burner Ski Squats are done like this:

Set a timer for 30 seconds.
Stand with feet slightly wider than your shoulders.
Squat down to about a 90 degree angle at the knee placing the weight through the heel of the foot more than the forefoot and reach forward with your arms.
Stand back up.
Repeat as fast as you can for 20 seconds.
Hold the squat position for 10 seconds and oscillate up and down a very small amount (this is the Burner part of the squat - Burner is a term we use at Sports Center for positions that make your muscles really burn).
Hit the reset button on the timer do it all again for 10 cycles.

After six cycles I could not hold the Burner position. At all. My muscles were just out of fuel. I'm blaming it on the Yoga.

I guess I need to be a little more consistently variable ;-)

Project Ski: Session for 12/16/08

But, it's one thing to get oxygen to the area. Its another to get it into the tissue that needs it.

You unlock the door and let oxygen into the tissue by one of three ways: diffusion from a pressure gradient, elevated tissue temperature or increased acids levels in the tissue.

You know you're burning fat when you do distance training when you can pass the talk-sing test and you feel really good. The talk-sing test has two parts:

While exercising can you sing? If so, you're not working hard enough (and I've added a new version - if you can read you're not working hard enough).
While exercising, can you talk? Carry on a conversation? If no, you're working too hard.

Today was a distance training day. It is what many people would call "cardio" but many of my sessions have a cardiopulmonary training effect which is why I differentiate the two types of training.

Here's my session for today:

Two miles of unloaded treadmill jogging using three minutes of running with two minutes of walking. Time to complete the distance was 25 minutes and 14 seconds. I used 30 lbs of unloading.
Thirty minutes of speed intervals on a stationary cycle.
Thirty minutes of speed intervals on an elliptical machine.

The good news is that the isolated neck pain from my session of 12/15/08 is just about gone. Expect complete resolution of the symptoms by tomorrow or Thursday at the latest.

Optimism is always good.
DK

Project Ski: Three Drills in Just 30 Minutes!

There's a small muscle in the upper part of your neck, close to the skull, the can really be a pain if you ask it to do too much.

Like I did yesterday.

But the OCI muscles do two other things for you:

Help hold your head still when you lift your arm up over your head. If this muscle fails to do it's job then every time you, for example, raised your hand to ask a question, your head would whip around. You can test this by lying down on your back with your head on a partially inflated beach ball. Lift your right arm up over your head while keeping you head and neck completely relaxed and note the movement of your head. It will turn a bit to the right. To keep it still, your left OCI muscle has to contract.
Keep your neck joints stable and still when you lift both arms over your head. When you lift both arms over head, your head wants to tilt back and your neck wants to extend. Sometimes this is a good thing like when you paint a ceiling but other times, like when you place something up on a shelf, you need to keep things in place. So, these muscles tighten up to hold your spine still keeping your eyes level so you can see what you're doing.

So, you might be wondering, how did I make this muscle work too hard?

Pull ups.

I've done pull ups for a while but yesterday pushed the limit - a little. I have a tendency to do that. Here's my session from yesterday 12/14/08:

100 pull ups
100 squats
100 push ups

I opened and closed the session with 15 minutes of speed intervals on a stationary cycle.

And, my neck pain is much better this morning as I write this than it was last night. So, probably by Wednesday, I'll feel ok. Assuming that all I injured was muscle, that is.

Project Ski: Session for 12/12-13/08

My session on 12/12/08:

Fifteen minutes of the following drills performed one after the next with as little rest as possible.
- 10 push ups
- 30 body weight squats (this means using my own body weight as the resistance)
- 10 pull ups (performed at a percentage of body weight)
- 10 roll outs - I use a Ab Dolly invented by a friend of mine, Brett Fischer to do this drill. Here's video of it.
I completed five cycles in fifteen minutes and welcomed the end.

I opened and closed the session with 20 minutes of speed intervals on a stationary cycle.

On 12/13/08:

10 minutes of speed intervals on an elliptical machine
25 push ups
50 squats (body weight)
10 minutes of speed intervals on an elliptical machine
25 push ups
50 squats (body weight)
10 minutes of speed intervals on an elliptical machine
25 push ups
50 squats (body weight)

12/14/08 was a rest day.

Project Ski: Session for 12/11/08

On 12/11/08:

I completed three cycles of the following:

20 squat rows
1 minute Plank
1 minute Bosu Squats
1 minute Speed Gunners
30 seconds Floor Cross

The three cycles of the above took 18 minutes and 49 seconds. I started and ended the session with 10 minutes of speed intervals on a stationary cycle.

More later....
DK

Project Ski: Practice Session for 12/9

Then let's get after it.

I woke up this morning and felt great. Slept great. Spine feels good. Awesome. Inspiring.

Here's the practice session for 12/9 (today, 12/10/08 is a rest day).

10 minutes of speed intervals on a stationary bike (15" fast; 45" easy)
Four cycles of the following:
1. 10 partial body weight pull ups
2. 10 Lunge-Press
3. 10 Speed Gunners
4. 10 Plank Walk Ups
10 minutes of speed intervals
10 minutes of flexibility drills (touchdowns on my back and sitting)