Kettlebell & Barbell Workout

My Current Workout Scheme

Out of necessity, I greatly reduced my strength training as I was preparing for the marathon. As the stress of running went up, the stress of lifting had to go down. It was a bit tough to give up the weights, but it had to be done. Now I’m back to lifting and I’m loving it. It’s definitely refreshing to let the pendulum swing from the endurance end of the spectrum back to the strength & power end.

I’m a big fan of both kettlebells and barbells. They’re quite different implements but both are very enjoyable to use. Used correctly, both tools can make you big, strong, and powerful. My current workout comes from RKC Mike Mahler and it’s called the Kettlebell and Barbell Solution for Size and Strength Part II. (Part I can be found here. I had to choose one. I picked Part II.) It’s a 4x/week workout with two days on/one day off/two days on/two days off. I like the workout 1) because I get to lift most days of the week and 2) because I get to use kettlebells and barbells in all workouts.

Each workout has one or two of the big lifts (squat, bench press, overhead press, deadlift) as the focus with other supplemental lifts included such as pull-ups, renegade rows, bent barbell rows, kettlebell swings and snatches, and core exercises such as the Turkish get-up, hanging leg raises, and windmills. I’ve modified the workout slightly to include barbell cleans, barbell presses, a one-arm dumbbell press, and pistol squats. Ballistic exercises like the kettlebell snatch and swings come at the front of the workout. The ballistic exercises help fire up the nervous system. The big-bang exercises come next, followed by pulling exercises, core exercises, and a finishing metabolic exercises that gets the heart rate up. I plan to cycle various exercises in and out over the course of several four-week blocks.

The scheme

The volume/intensity scheme is a version of Wendler’s 5-3-1 program. In essence, it looks like this: Each workout is centered around one core lift: squat, bench press, deadlift, and standing shoulder press. Each training cycle lasts four weeks, with these set-rep goals for each major lift:

Week 1: 3 x 5

Week 2: 3 x 3

Week 3: 3 x 5, 3, 1

Week 4: deloading

Then you start the next cycle, using heavier weights on the core lifts. Again, the Mahler program is a variation of this, and I’ve modified it further. Here’s my version:

Monday:

Double kettlebell swing: 5×5

Barbell deadlift: 2×5, 3×3, 6×1

Barbell overhead press: 3×5, 3×3, 5-3-1

Kettlebell Renegade Row: 3×6+ I’ll add weight once I get 10 reps on each side

Kettlebell swings: 3×15, one- and/or two-arm swings. I’ve also used the rower.

Tuesday:

One-arm kettlebell snatch: 2-3×5-10 each side

Barbell cleans: 3×3, 5×2, 6×1

Pull-ups: 3×5. I’ll add weight once I get eight reps on the final set. (I’m bad at pull-ups. The cost of being tall….)

Bench Press: as per the 5-3-1 program

Kettlebell windmill: 3×5

Kettlebell front squat: 3×8+ I’m keeping this somewhat light.

Kettlebell swings 3×15 or farmer’s walks.

Wednesday: Off

Thursday:

Double kettlebell snatch: 3-5×5

Barbell hang clean: 3×3, 5×2

Back squat: as per the 5-3-1 program

One-arm dumbbell press: as per the 5-3-1 program. I clean the dumbbell from the ground and then press all my reps.

Barbell bent-over row: as per the 5-3-1 program, except I don’t do a 1-rep max in the 3rd week.

Hanging leg raise: 3×5. Mahler’s workout calls for 3×10 but I’m not up to 10 reps yet.

One-arm kettlebell swings, rower or farmer’s walks

Friday:

Double kettlebell swings: 5×5

Barbell cleans: lighter than Thursday

Barbell floor press: as per the 5-3-1 program

Weighted pull-ups: 3×3

Kettlebell Turkish get-up: 3×3. These are really tough at this point in the workout.

Pistol squats: 3×3, 2 or 1 depending how I’m feeling.

Kettlebell swings: I’m often smoked by this point so I may only do 1×10 or I may go as high as 3×15-20

Saturday/Sunday: Off

Observations

I’m on my third week of the program. I’ve made good progress. I think that since I was away from lifting for several weeks I have a lot of room to move forward. Plus, I’m eating more and I’ve recently started taking creatine which I haven’t used in a while. All of this should contribute to some decent increases in size and strength.

Sitting is Hazardous to Your Health

The research showed that those who sat for long periods of time have a higher chance in their risk of diabetes, heart-disease and death.
–Diabetes Research Group, University of Leicester

It’s been suggested that you sit too much. New research from the University of Leicester backs up this claim. (By the way, there are several other studies showing the same thing. Look here, here, here.) The study combines the results of 18 different studies and includes nearly 800,000 participants. Here are the important details. Emphasis is mine:

“The research showed that those who sat for long periods of time have a higher chance in their risk of diabetes, heart-disease and death. Interestingly, the results were independent of any individual physical exercise undertaken, suggesting that even if an individual meets the physical activity guidelines, their health may still be at risk if they sit for long periods of time during the day.”

I find this fascinating. You’re putting yourself at risk of death if you sit too much–even if you’re highly physically active. So in this way, sitting is like smoking. We can’t seem to out-exercise our sitting habit. So what do we do? We need to move a little. Researchers suggest we take frequent breaks from sitting and go move around.

It’s often easy to sit at your desk for hours on end and not even know it. We need to be reminded to move. So here’s an idea: Set a recurring meeting on your computer’s calendar. Make it every half-hour or hour. Label it “Get up and move around.” Otherwise, try this series of spine mobility drills. (Because it’s not just sitting per se that’s so bad, but lack of movement that’s the problem. You can still move while sitting at your desk.)

Good Reads: Rethinking Sleep, A Look At “Hardcore” Workouts

Two recent articles have caught my attention. One comes from the New York Times; the other is a two-part piece from a blog called Fit For Real Life. The Times article presents some new concepts on our sleep patterns. The blog post gives a good insight on workout intensity and why more doesn’t always equal better.

Sleep

“It seemed that, given a chance to be free of modern life, the body would naturally settle into a split sleep schedule. “

I’m a big fan of sleep. I’ve mentioned here and here that lack of sleep is tied to various ailments such as obesity and obesity-related issues like diabetes. As I’ve always understood it, most adults need 8-9 hours of sleep a night. (I also understand it that a small part of the adult population actually thrives on five or fewer hours of sleep per night. I wish that were me.) The NY Times article Rethinking Sleep has me… rethinking sleep.

The article describes the American view of bedtime and sleep and contrasts that with other cultures’ take on the same thing::

“Typically, mention of our ever increasing sleeplessness is followed by calls for earlier bedtimes and a longer night’s sleep. But this directive may be part of the problem. Rather than helping us to get more rest, the tyranny of the eight-hour block reinforces a narrow conception of sleep and how we should approach it. Some of the time we spend tossing and turning may even result from misconceptions about sleep and our bodily needs: in fact neither our bodies nor our brains are built for the roughly one-third of our lives that we spend in bed.

The idea that we should sleep in eight-hour chunks is relatively recent. The world’s population sleeps in various and surprising ways. Millions of Chinese workers continue to put their heads on their desks for a nap of an hour or so after lunch, for example, and daytime napping is common from India to Spain.”

The article goes on to cite historical variations on sleep including a mention in the Canterbury Tales of going back to sleep after her “firste sleepe.” Further, physicians from the 16th century mention “first sleep” and “second sleep.” Research from the NIH supports the concept that divided sleep patterns may naturally occur during the night.

Deep sleep or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is discussed. This is the most valuable sleep time during which our brains are highly active. REM sleep aids cognitive function, helping us solve problems and perform at a mentally high level. The benefits of REM sleep can be derived from any type of sleeping pattern, not just from eight straight hours of sleep. Research suggests that brief naps can be quite useful.

The article concludes with a discussion of workplace napping. Though napping at work isn’t allowed for most of us, the concept may be gaining traction at some places such as Google. The Army is also experimenting with the concept for soldiers who need to be ready to fight around the clocks. Strategic naps may be essential to keep them ready for war. The Texas Rangers baseball team has also prioritized sleep and napping for its players.

I can say from my own experience that napping during the day is way more than a luxury. Since I’m a personal trainer I tend to be able to nap on most days of the week. I believe it’s absolutely essential for my mental state and my overall health. I couldn’t imagine taking another job that didn’t allow for it. The pay would have to be MUCH higher, and I imagine I’d hate life a little for it.

“Hardcore” Workouts

“There is a finite amount of quality movement before the movement pattern breaks down, eventually degrading enough that your body is at risk for a variety of issues, including injury, if it continues.”

I found this two-parter on Twitter and I really like what the writer has to say. Her words echo my observations of many a gym member’s exercise routines and many a personal trainer’s training strategies–namely “more/harder is better.” Any idiot can exercise–or push someone else to exercise–until he or she vomits, passes out, or collapses. Easy! Swing a 24 kg kettlebell 800 times in an hour then do 100 pushups. Run 20 x 400 m all-out sprints with one minute rest between sprints. Add more weight. Go faster. There is a better way to work out.

The articles do a very good job of explaining what happens as we fatigue, namely we don’t move as well. We collapse at the feet, knees, hips, spine… We set ourselves up for needless wear, tear, and injury. It’s a very good read and here are the links:

“It’s a dangerous thing to think that harder/more is better. It’s not. In fact, it’s likely what limits the long-term fitness success of many. And, when used incorrectly (as I see far too often)- it’s the fast-track to injury.” The Poison Is In the Dose: A Look At “Hard-core” Workouts”

“So what if your movement patterns are dysfunctional? Fix them. Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent. If something isn’t working don’t continue doing it: that only teaches dysfunction & permanent faulty movement patterns.” Where There’s Smoke, Don’t Fan the Fire: Continuing Our Look at “Hard-Core Workouts”

The Marathon: Done and Done

This past Saturday I ran the Denver Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon–my first marathon. My time was 3:57:15 for an average pace of

Proof that I helped tie up Denver traffic on Saturday.

9:02/mile. (For the record, I beat Paul Ryan’s official marathon time by 4 minutes, 10 seconds. However, in his imagination, he definitely beat me.) This race was a culmination of about 10 years of my overcoming various aches and pains brought on not by running, but by moving–walking, running, standing, lifting, anything else that counts as moving–incorrectly. I’ve overcome these issues and the marathon was a victory lap.

It was definitely a fun experience but it was very tough and fairly uncomfortable. I was very sore and way beyond fatigued by the end of the race. I’m sore in some unexpected ways. My feet were very beat up it as you might expect. My thighs and hamstrings were plenty sore too which is no surprise. It’s Tuesday and I’m feeling decent now.

Interestingly, my lateral abdominal muscles are quite sore. I’m fairly certain it’s my external obliques that are sore and this is actually a good thing. It means that I was using them correctly. Part of my pain problems were rooted in incorrect use of my external obliques. Now I know they were put to very good and thorough use yesterday. (For more info on the role of the role of these muscles in running, check out this three-part video series of from the Gait Guys: part 1, part 2, part 3. I’ve been using elements of these videos with some of my clients to very good effect.) I’ll refer back to my run technique in a moment.

Things got tough at mile 18/19. I was about hip deep in the suffering by then. That’s where my pace slowed and I knew hitting my goal time would be very difficult if not impossible. My legs were hurting. The crowds had thinned out a good bit by then and what I knew would be a long lonely stretch lay ahead. That I had about 10 miles to go wasn’t the most joyous thought I’d ever had. I was functioning though and there was no sign of anything like an injury.

Difficulties: nothing major

I’d planned to run with a pace group. There were several pace groups dispersed throughout the event. My goal time was 3:45 and there was a 3:45 pace group. I got to the race very early but I was late getting to my corral. Thus I couldn’t find the 3:45 group. My fault entirely but it wasn’t a disaster, just a bit of a bummer. Got kind of lonely out there, especially at the later miles. Suffering with others is better than suffering alone. Being that I missed my goal time, I can’t help but wonder how my race would’ve gone had I gotten in with the group….

Not much slowed me down but one thing definitely took a little momentum away. I’ve had a little trouble with blisters on my toes mostly on my right foot, only once on my left. Because of this I often tape several of my toes. My mistake was that I taped some of my toes on the left but not all. Not long into the race I felt friction against my left pinky toe. I knew this would probably turn into a sizeable problem well before the race was over. The only solution was to stop, sit down, take off my socks (compression socks which are long and fit tightly thus they’re sort of hard to get back on), remove the tape, get everything back on and resume running. That took a few minutes. I took one bathroom break but other than those stops I kept running.

The final stretch

Brutal is the word I’d use to describe miles 22 through 26.2. There were several short/steep hills on what was a steady false-flat that led back into downtown. (In fact, I’m convinced that during this marathon, the very laws that govern the universe were broken. We started and finished in the same location yet 99/100s of the whole course was uphill. I believe the course was designed by MC Escher.) Four miles to go was A LONG way to go. The idea of stopping to walk just a little was very tantalizing. I knew if I started walking I might not start back running. It was also fairly warm–not hot–but warm enough to add real difficulty to the whole process.

Somewhere around mile 21 I felt a potential hamstring cramp in my right leg. I wasn’t sure if it was an electrolyte issue but I didn’t really think so. I’d taken some salt pills before and during the race and I was consuming fuel containing electrolytes as well. The cramp didn’t really come on until I was crossing Speer Blvd right at about mile 25. I felt that right hamstring start to ball up underneath my right glute. I thought I was done! I thought I was going to have to walk the last mile and I finish well over the four-hour mark. This was about to be a minor disaster. I was fine though. Why?

Earlier I mentioned my glutes, external obliques, and my running technique. I went right back to the running method described in those Gait Guys videos. I focused on lengthening through the hip into the ground and letting the right hip drop away from the right bottom rib as my right foot struck the ground. I did this for a few strides and the cramp simply vanished.

Technique! Technique! Technique! It’s all about proper movement and proper positioning! This is the undisputed key to getting out of pain and performing your best.

What’s next?

I intend to run more marathons. I’m not sure which one(s) or where. I want to get faster. Run Less, Run Faster tells me that since I finished slower than my 5k time predicted I need to work on my endurance. I definitely want to run with a pace group next time. (God that was dumb of me to miss the group…) My shoes (Nike Free 3.0) and nutrition seem solid.

My next race (probably) is the Run the Rocks 5k in October. Then I’m only doing random, unstructured runs for a while. I’ll run with my dog then some time this winter I’m going to do one or two track/sprint workouts per week with random longer runs whenever I feel like it. I’m looking forward to getting into the weight room and working on my clean and press, squat, and deadlift. For now though I’m very content to not run for a few days.

Just Over A Week ‘Til Race Day

The marathon is close and I’m feeling it. What does that phrase mean? I’m worn out! A summer of hard training, long runs, fast runs, a brutal trail race and the big 20 mile run Saturday-before-last means the organism that is me is feeling shagged out. My sleep patterns have been off a little lately, I’ve been a bit grumpy, and I’ve had two runs that were tougher and slower than they should’ve been. In other words I’m not in optimal condition.

As they sometimes ask on ESPN, “Is it time to panic?”

I went to a former client and good friend of mine to get his take on my condition. (This guy is a multiple-Ironman competitor and veteran of numerous Olympic distance triathlons, marathons and various very demanding and ugly adventure races.) I told him about all this. His words were, “Congratulations, you’re two weeks out from a marathon. You’ve been training hard. Feeling beat up and tired is completely normal.”

Wonderful! I’m normal! Psychologically, it’s very comforting to have someone who’s gone through this process tell me that all is probably very well. Seems like it’s a good time to discuss exactly what’s going on here and why I might be feeling a bit run over and rundown.

Whether we’re looking at strength training or endurance training, a process known as the General Adaptive (or Adaptation) Syndrome is at work. Rather than try to explain this myself, (I am tired after all) I’ll borrow from Cedric Unholz, a Vancouver-based collegiate strength coach and manual therapist. The following comes from his document, Resistance Training Theory and Adaptation Fundamentals. (Never mind that this is directed at resistance training. As I said earlier, endurance training processes are essentially the same.)

The Stress-Response Model

The fundamental model underpinning all training and adaptation processes is derived from the ‘General Adaptation Syndrome’ initially outlined by Hans Selye in 1936, and later refined by the same author in 1956. In most training literature this concept is commonly referred to as the ‘supercompensation cycle’.

These models very clearly highlight that training is ultimately about applying appropriate stress to take advantage of the body’s subsequent adaptive responses. Any stimulus/stressor or recovery method, regardless whether acute or chronic in nature, will cause a response that will correspond to the principles of this concept and shape the response curvature. Similarly, a lack or over-application of stimulus will also be accompanied by a corresponding response profile.

In essence, this stress-response model (Figure 2) consists of four phases:

1. ‘Alarm reaction’ following a disruption in homeostasis (e.g. a training stimulus).

2. ‘Resistance’ where the body responds to the stimulus by recovering, repairing itself, and instigating a return towards the initial baseline.

3. ‘Supercompensation’ where the body adapts to the initial stimulus by rebounding above the previous baseline, in order to better cope with the initial disruptive stimulus should it present itself again.

4. ‘Exhaustion’, which could also be termed ‘Detraining’, sees a drop to the initial level of homeostasis (or below) if there is an inappropriate application of following stimulus; whether too much, too soon, or not enough.

Figure 2. The Stress-Response Model based on Hans Selye’s ‘General Adaptation Syndrome’

So in my case, my recent poor runs suggest that I’ve had a little too much stimulation and I was somewhat deep in the alarm phase of this model–somewhere in the A/B range of the curve. The strategy now is to get well into the C part of the curve for the race.

Recovery strategy

The key word here is REST. I need to back off of the running, lifting, cycling, etc. in order to allow for supercompensation. That means lying around a good bit, sleeping in a bit, looking for any opportunity to sit. I’ve also been overeating a bit. I haven’t been too terribly gluttonous but I’ve definitely been taking in more good quality calories. I’ve also been drinking a bit of delicious tart cherry juice from I got at the local farmer’s market.

Beyond rest and eating, I’ll modify my running plan for the final week before the race. I will likely do a long run on Saturday or Sunday of 6-8 miles and I’ll run it slow and easy. Next week I’ll probably do some speed work early in the week but I’ll cut down the reps. Then the mid-week three mile run at marathon pace sounds about right.

I’ve already cut back my weight workouts and I might do one upper-body focused workout next week but even just working the upper body can tax the whole system, so less is more in this regard.

Finally, if any of this is of interest to you, then definitely have a look at this Running Times article titled How Long Does It Take To Benefit From A Hard Workout? The information here should prove very valuable to anyone trying to strategize their race training.

***UPDATE***

Today I did a 3 mile tempo run and I felt good. I hit my pace without too much discomfort. All seems well. I believe I’m right where I need to be.

All About Feet

Anyone who’s read this blog much at all knows I’m way into feet–or I should say I’m way into foot function. Lately I’ve been investigating the diabolical effects of Morton’s Toe. I seem to have a touch of this dysfunction and I think it brought on the major foot pain I had during the trail race I did recently. (And to expand on the issue of injuries, I seem to have had every single running injury known to man. There is an upside. I’ve learned how to defeat these various strange villains of movement.)

Because the feet are so intricate and so extremely important to every single thing we do all the time, I want to present some relevant information on how to fix some potential problems many people may have. So here are some videos from some experts in the field of movement impairment and movement improvement: Dr. Kelly Starrett at MobilityWOD.com and Drs. Shawn Allen and Ivo Waerlop aka the Gait Guys. I’ve found these instructionals to be extremely valuable. If you’re having Achilles issues, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, hip pain–who-knows-what-kind of pain then this information may be very helpful.

Ski Haus Continental Divide Trail Race Outcome

I ran the big Continental Divide Trail Race on Saturday and I didn’t come in last. It was on the rough side of brutal (my feet feel like they spent the weekend in Guantanamo Bay) but I’m fairly content with my performance. That said, there’s plenty of room for improvement.

The good

It’s been less than a year since I’ve returned to serious running. I finished in the top half of the participants and middle of the pack for men. (Results weren’t broken down by age group.) This is nothing spectacular but it makes me happy. I simply couldn’t have run this race at all a year ago.

I ran for almost three hours which is well into marathon-time territory. I’ve never done that. That’s good. I bet I can do it again.

Also, the race included a very long downhill stretch near the end (about 3000 ft.!) and my legs held up. Downhill running is typically very strenuous on the muscles. I’m not saying it was easy but I held up and I haven’t been unduly sore since the race. I think I hit it right with my strength program.

My only pain issues were in my metatarsal heads (the part of my toes that attach to my feet; more on that in a moment.) No Achilles pain. No heel pain. No back pain. No knee pain. No hip pain. Don’t call me “bulletproof,” but maybe… “bullet-resistant.” I’ve worked years to overcome chronic pain and I’m on the winning side.

The bad

By far the biggest negative to this race was some severe metatarsal pain, particularly on my left foot and to some degree on my right. (Specifically, we’re talking about metatarsal head pain. The met heads are the part of your toes that meet the feet. Think of the knuckles of your feet.) Holy s__t those things hurt!! And they hurt for quite a while. They’re still sore as I type this. By the end of the race I thought those bones must’ve popped through the soles of my feet. I’ve got to find a solution to this issue before the marathon.

Without going way too much into it, I’ve been reading Anatomy and Biomechanics of the First Ray to get a better feel for what’s supposed to happen and what can happen in the toe neighborhood. Further, I’ve been reading and learning more about Morton’s Toe, including the possible implications and what to do about them. This is a situation in which the 2nd toe is longer than the big toe. Wow… There’s potentially a lot to this issue. For now, I’m experimenting with a Morton’s Toe shim. I’ll probably write more about this issue in the near future. (If you’re experiencing foot pain and your 2nd toe is longer than your big toe, you may well want to look into this Morton’s Toe business. In addition to the links above, the Barefoot Runners Society has a whole discussion board devoted to the matter.)

I should’ve fueled better. I consumed two Honey Stinger gels and one package of Honey Stinger chews. Based on my weight, I should’ve had about two more gels or another package of chews. The race featured a lot of repeated ascents, some of them were quite steep. Then we had a long downhill run to the finish. I was more tired near the end than I expected, though I didn’t bonk. Not that I expected to feel fresh as a daisy, but I have no doubt that more fuel in the tank would have ameliorated some of my weariness. Lesson learned.

The near future

I’m taking it somewhat easy this week. I’m probably only running twice–easy runs with my dog–and possibly a little mountain biking this weekend. Then next week it’s back to work. I’m going to use the FIRST marathon plan. I really like the three-day per week plan. I’ve ordered Run Faster, Run Less which is written by the team that formulated the quality-over-quantity scheme. Assuming my tender toes are up for it, I’m looking forward to a track workout next Tuesday, a tempo run then a long run next weekend.

I’ve got the Park-to-Park 10 Miler on Labor Day. This is a fun, scenic race and it’s local so the logistics are easy. Then in a month is my Moby Dick. I’m planning on running the Denver Rock’n’Roll Marathon. I’ve wanted to run a marathon for years. My injuries have gotten in the way. Now I’m winning the battle and I’m ecstatic to be within striking distance of the event.

Finally, as part of the marathon preparation, I’m going to start doing group runs with the Boulder Running Co. located in the Denver Tech Center. They do group runs on Saturday mornings. Group runs should do a couple of things for me. First, I’ll be pushed to run harder. That’s good. Also, suffering through long runs with other similarly suffering individuals should help the miles go by a little easier.

My Running & Strength Program

I’ve got a trail race coming up this weekend in Steamboat Springs. It’s the Ski Haus Continental Divide Trail Race. It’s 15 miles with 4800 ft. of elevation. This is the longest race I’ve ever run and it’s by far the longest race I’ve run in over two years–and I’m hugely excited about the prospect. It’s going to be reasonably brutal but beautiful and fun.

I feel like I’m fairly well prepared. I’ve used a modified version of the FIRST half-marathon program. It’s a three-day per week program that uses speed work on the track, tempo or moderately fast runs, and long slow runs. I’ve also been strength training twice per week. The main feature of my workouts have been various types of jumping. A notable Finnish study has shown that explosive jumping-type movements improve running economy in a way that simply running will not. (I’ve written previously about strength work for runners, here and here.)

(Jumping work like this is sometimes called plyometrics. The definition may vary depending who’s doing the defining. Some insist that plyos must be a rather high magnitude type of activity such as depth jumps off of a high box. Simply jumping or bounding from the ground doesn’t necessarily count as true plyometrics. In any event, the stuff I’m doing for this workout plan involves jumping. You can decide whether or not to call this jumping a plyometric workout.)

I based my plan loosely on this one from the Running Times. I added work each week for three weeks. Plans of this type vary in nature. The Finnish study involved a 9-week plan. The Running Times plan was a 6-week plan.

Plyo workouts are very intense and there’s a lot of loading on the muscles and connective tissue. For this reason it’s very easy to quickly overload things and become overtrained or injured. Further, my run plan involves both track workouts and hill workouts. Those type of workouts are in some ways similar to plyometric workouts and they can be quite taxing. For these reasons and because I know that more work doesn’t always equal better work, I opted for a 5-week plan. I didn’t want to grind myself up too much. Going forward, I may try a longer plyo plan.

Jumping exercises:

Week 1:
- 2 leg jumps up from the ground 2 x 10 reps for both workouts.
- I simply focused on jumping as high as I could into the air and then landed as softly as possible with as little noise as possible.
- The soft-as-possible landing approach was used on all jumping exercises.
Week 2:
- 2-leg box jumps x 6 reps
- Workout 1 is 3 sets
- Workout 2 is 2 sets
- First week was onto and off of a 1-ft. high box.
- Following weeks were onto and off of a 2-ft. high box.
Week 3:
- 2-leg box jumps x 6 reps
- 1-leg hops onto and off of a small box x 10 reps each leg
- Workout 1 is 3 sets
- Workout 2 is 2 sets
Week 4:
- 2-leg box jumps x 6 reps
- 1-leg hops across a basketball court
- 2-leg long jump across a basketball court
- Workout 1 is 4 sets
- Workout 2 is 2 sets
Week 5: Taper week–this week!

I’m backing off my workload this week in order to allow all my previous hard work to take hold. I wasn’t sure at the start of this plan whether or not I’d do any plyos this week. Doing more work this week definitely won’t improve my race performance by much if any. Doing too much work this week can definitely have a negative impact on my race.

Barbell clean & press: Lifting weight overhead is known as a press. Before the bench press became popular in the 70s, the press was the original weight exercise that indicated your manhood. To get the weight overhead, one must bring the weight from the ground to the shoulders or clean the weight. The ability to do these things is tremendously useful, fun and generally wonderful. My goal is to clean and press my body weight (200 lbs.). This exercise may have no effect at all on my running. That’s fine with me.

Workout one is 3×5 reps. Most recently I used 100 lbs.
Workout two is heavier at 3×3 reps.
Taper week is only one workout.

Pistol squat: The pistol is an interesting exercise. It’s essentially a squat on one leg. They’re nearly impossible when you first try them, especially if you have long limbs like me. I’m doing them because running is a one-legged activity. Also, I’ve been doing a lot to get my glutes to work correctly. If your knee caves in on this exercise then the glute isn’t doing its job. I keep the knee aligned with the outside of my foot when I do these. This exercise works everything from the foot to the glutes and spine. I figure getting strong on one leg is a good idea.

Typically I did 3×3 reps. Other days I did double or singles.
I varied the exercise. I started by doing a short-range squat onto a high box, then working down to lower boxes then no box at all.
Right now I can do three good pistols on my right and two on my left. I’m fairly excited about my progress. I’ll add weight at some point.

Pull-ups/Chin-ups: What can you say? Pull-ups and chin-ups are very challenging. Done properly they are a tremendous upper body exercise. Hands, arms, shoulders, back and abs all get work here.

Workout one is about 4-5×5-6 reps
Workout two is 2-3×5-6 sets.
I superset most of these sets with the following exercise, the glute/ham raise.

Glute/ham raise (GHR): This one is a tough one to describe. This article describes it well. This is an essential assistance exercise used by Olympic lifters and powerlifters. Very strong people often do them, so why shouldn’t I? We don’t have a genuine GHR machine at my gym, so I’ve done a modified version. Similar to the article, I’ve hooked my feet under a pull-up machine. These are very very tough! So, I’ve used bands wrapped around the machine and myself to give me further assistance in doing the exercise.

You might wonder if a hamstring curl could provide the same benefits. Probably not. The GHR calls on the glutes, hamstrings and abs to contract together. This is similar to how we actually move when we run, jump or lift. In contrast, the hamstring curl isolates the hamstrings. This rarely if ever happens in typical human movement. Further, I’ve found hamstring curls promote overextension of the lumbar spine which is rarely a good thing.

Workout one is 3 x 8-12 reps
Workout two is 2 x 8-12 reps
I typically supersetted this with pull-ups.
I used different thicknesses of bands to provide either more or less assistance.

Kroc row: The “what?” The Kroc row is a slang term for a version of the one-arm dumbbell row. Read the linked article to get a full description. I’m doing this to 1) get a stronger upper back to help with my pressing and 2) build my grip for deadlifting which I will resume in the Fall.

Workout one is 3×12-15 reps depending on the weight
Workout two is 2×12-15 again depending on weight.
I superset this one with the ab rollout

Ab wheel rollout: You’ve seen the ab wheel on an infomercial. Doesn’t mean it’s not a very useful tool. This is a very good exercise to engage the external obliques and thus keep the pelvis in neutral. Keeping a neutral pelvis is very important in avoiding back pain. I know because I spent a lot of time not keeping my pelvis in neutral. Mike Boyle’s article dissects the ab wheel rollout very thoroughly.

Workout one is 3×5-6 reps
Workout two is 2×5-6 reps
I superset this with the Kroc row.

Sleep: An Essential Ingredient

I’ve mentioned previously that lack of sleep contributes to obesity. (Also look here and here.) Missing sleep has also been linked to increased risk of stroke and possibly depression. Lack of sleep can predict which older adults will move to nursing homes or assisted living facilities. Finally, sleep has been shown to improve performance in swimmers, college basketball players, and college football players.

Important stuff this sleep! Sounds like we need frequent good doses of it to be healthy and perform well. We may be sabotaging our sleep though if we look at electronic screens at night before bed.

Recent articles in the LA Times and the Chicago Tribune discuss the disruptive effect of electronic “blue light” (such light is emitted by phones, computers and TVs) on our circadian rhythms. We often look at these electronic devices at night before bed with the result being poor sleep and the following host of problems. In fact, the American Medical Association released a statement on blue light saying, “that exposure to excessive light at night, including extended use of various electronic media, can disrupt sleep or exacerbate sleep disorders, especially in children and adolescents.”

Essentially, blue light is prominent during daylight. Looking at a screen–especially one like a smartphone which is near our face–seems to make our brain think it’s day time when it isn’t. I won’t go into all the details but they are interesting. Have a look at the articles for more information. As for solutions, 5 Ways to Unplug at Night for Better Sleep offers some suggestions for avoiding computers at night.

Getting away from the electronics at night is very similar to changing our eating habits to lose weight. Reward centers in the brain are triggered by our devices and the stimulation they deliver. It can be difficult to alter that pattern. I find it difficult to change my ways. I’m as guilty as anyone in looking at an electronic screen at night. Lately I’m consciously working to turn off these devices well before I go to bed. Sometimes it’s tough. A really good book can help. (If George RR Martin will hurry up and finish the Winds of Winter then it’ll make ditching these gadgets much easier…)

Are All Calories Created Equal?

“Put most simply, the fewer carbohydrates consumed, the more energy these weight-reduced people expended.”
Gary Taubes, author, Good Calories, Bad Calories

A recent Harvard University study has produced some interesting results as regards various types of eating patterns, calories, and how these all affect weight loss maintenance. The study is discussed in two New York Times articles; one titled What Really Makes Us Fat, the other titled In Dieting, Magic Isn’t a Substitute for Science is a Q&A with a veteran obesity researcher. ABC News also analyzes the study in For Calories, It’s All About Quality Over Quantity, Harvard Study Says.

There are two main points of consideration in this discussion. First, there’s the question, “Are all calories created equal?” Are carb calories the same as fat and protein calories? Are refined sugar calories the same as calories from vegetables or beans? The second question is, “What’s the best way to stay lean once we’ve lost the weight?”

(The country is full of people who’ve lost weight but can’t keep it off. The big secret is this: Any diet will work. If you follow the directions, you’ll very likely lose weight no matter what diet you chose. From paleo, to the Zone Diet, to Weight Watchers to any of the vast number of other diets, if you follow it you’ll probably lose weight. Done and done? No. The most difficult part has just begun. Keeping the weight off is typically very difficult.)

What about the study? Researchers studied 21 overweight and obese adults, starting each on a diet that helped them lose about 12-13% of their body weight. Then, to help them maintain that weight loss, the researchers put the participants on a cycle of three diets, each lasting four weeks.

One diet is of the low-fat/high-carbohydrate variety as advocated by the FDA and the American Heart Association. This diet suggests among other things that we eat a lot of grain products, both refined and unrefined; and that we seek to reduce fat consumption at all opportunities.

The other diet was a high-fat/low-carbohydrate diet similar to the Atkins diet. This is almost the total opposite of the previously mentioned diet. This diet encourages fat and protein consumption and discourages grain consumption–particularly refined grains.

The third diet was based on low-glycemic foods. This diet was sort of in between the other two. Fewer refined grains were found here and more vegetables, beans, fruit and the like. Plus there was less fat and protein than the Atkins-type diet, but more than the low-fat diet.

What were the results? This is from the ABC News article:

The results weren’t good news for low-fat diet aficionados. When dieters followed that plan, their bodies burned fewer calories than when they were following the low-carb or low-glycemic index diets. And the low-fat diet changed certain metabolic factors in their bodies that typically predicted weight regain.

The low-carb diet seemed to help participants burn the most calories. But it also increased certain markers of stress and inflammation in the body, such as the stress hormone cortisol, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and other health problems.

(I’m quite curious about this. What’s causing the inflammation? Is it high fat? Is it high protein? Is it low carbohydrate? Is it a combination of some or all of these factors? The Perfect Health Diet discusses research indicating that limiting protein intake can help with immune function, and that too much protein can lead to ammonia toxicity. So that leads me to think it’s the protein that may be causing the inflammation. Would someone please do a double-blind placebo study on this? And please make it a long-term study while you’re at it. Thanks in advance.)

In the end, the researchers found that the low-glycemic index diet struck the right balance for the participants. It helped the dieters burn more calories, though not as many as the low-carb diet, but didn’t seem to increase disease-causing stress markers in the body.

I like this observation as well:

“Remember the old food pyramid, with six to 11 servings per day of bread, pasta or rice at the base? In light of this article, it would seem to provide an efficient prescription for weight gain,” said Dr. Jana Klauer, a doctor in private practice in New York.

Gary Taubes, says in What Really Makes Us Fat:

The results were remarkable. Put most simply, the fewer carbohydrates consumed, the more energy these weight-reduced people expended. On the very low-carbohydrate Atkins diet, there was virtually no metabolic adaptation to the weight loss. These subjects expended, on average, only 100 fewer calories a day than they did at their full weights. Eight of the 21 subjects expended more than they did at their full weights — the opposite of the predicted metabolic compensation.

(Please note that Taubes is the author of Good Calories, Bad Calories. He essentially proposes some of what is suggested by this study, namely that a high-carb diet–particularly one high in refined carbs–is bad and that a high-protein/high-fat diet is good for us. His article for the NY Times highlights the good of this diet. He doesn’t mention the following information. Perhaps there’s a conflict of interest.)

Now, here’s a wrinkle. Dieting, Magic Isn’t a Substitute for Science is the other NY Times article. It’s a Q&A with Dr. Jules Hirsch, emeritus professor and emeritus physician in chief at Rockefeller University, who has been researching obesity for nearly 60 years, about the state of the research. With regard to the benefits of high-fat diets, he says:

They report that people on the Atkins diet were burning off more calories. Ergo, the diet is a good thing. Such low-carbohydrate diets usually give a more rapid initial weight loss than diets with the same amount of calories but with more carbohydrates. But when carbohydrate levels are low in a diet and fat content is high, people lose water. That can confuse attempts to measure energy output. The usual measurement is calories per unit of lean body mass — the part of the body that is not made up of fat. When water is lost, lean body mass goes down, and so calories per unit of lean body mass go up. It’s just arithmetic. There is no hocus-pocus, no advantage to the dieters. Only water, no fat, has been lost.

The paper did not provide information to know how the calculations were done, but this is a likely explanation for the result.

So the whole thing might have been an illusion? All that happened was the people temporarily lost water on the high-protein diets?

Perhaps the most important illusion is the belief that a calorie is not a calorie but depends on how much carbohydrates a person eats. There is an inflexible law of physics — energy taken in must exactly equal the number of calories leaving the system when fat storage is unchanged. Calories leave the system when food is used to fuel the body. To lower fat content — reduce obesity — one must reduce calories taken in, or increase the output by increasing activity, or both. This is true whether calories come from pumpkins or peanuts or pâté de foie gras.

To believe otherwise is to believe we can find a really good perpetual motion machine to solve our energy problems. It won’t work, and neither will changing the source of calories permit us to disobey the laws of science.

So Dr. Hirsch draws a different conclusion from the researchers and the reporters. I don’t have a solid enough command of statistics to advocate in either direction. Both Dr. Hirsh and Gary Taubes suggest that more useful information would come from a long-term study of this type.

What seems clear though is that we should steer well clear from processed foods. A high-fat/low-carbohydrate diet seems to best best for weight loss but also may cause an increase in the stress hormone cortisol. The study suggests that making an extra effort to avoid fat may not be very helpful in the battle to rid our bodies of fat. The third and possibly healthiest eating strategy revolves around a healthy intake of low-glycemic foods. The Wiki entry on low-glycemic foods states (emphasis is mine):

There are some specific factors to look for in foods that can indicate their glycemic index: Low glycemic foods contain: Fat, Whole grains, Protein, Raw Starches, legumes, vegetables, fruits and dairy products. High Glycemic Foods contain: Refined grains, refined sugars, increased amylopectin: amylose ratio, and often high sugar fruits have a high glycemic index.

Finally, we’re often told to eat more of this that and the other. “Eat more healthy fat.” “Eat more fruits and vegetables.” “Eat more whole grains.” We’re rarely told to “Eat less” of anything. Therefore I like what Dr. Hirsch has to say about the matter:

What would you tell someone who wanted to lose weight?

I would have them eat a lower-calorie diet. They should eat whatever they normally eat, but eat less. You must carefully measure this. Eat as little as you can get away with, and try to exercise more.

Denver Fitness Journal

All Things Health and Fitness by Kyle Norman, MS, CSCS, FMS, RRCA Running Coach