Category — Peace. Love and Pullups

An apple a day to keep the happy to stay

Make someone’s day by doing something small and sweet. I know this doesn’t go for everyone but for me the little things mean a lot. Something as seemingly little as leaving a healthy snack out with a little note attached can remind someone their are loved and thought of. Can you argue this?

Of course, there are those gestures, the big ones that can say a lot as well. The trips to St. Tropez or the shopping sprees at Neiman Marcus. Who wouldn’t appreciate those things. But I know I’m just a sucker for the occassional call or text just to say good morning. The surprise Chuck Taylor sneakers left for you at the gym. Or the seasonal sweet potato pie baked with you in mind. It’s the small gestures for me that seem to have a deeper and more lasting effect. I assume there are others that feel the same way.

So I say, share some sweet as much as you can. Do something nice for someone just because they exist in your life. And likely if they’re in your life, they’re bringing something positive even if it’s not always apparent. Shout them out. Give them a hug. Treat them to coffee. Buy flowers. They smell good and they’re pretty. Treat someone to a full tank of gas. Root someone on in some challenge they are undertaking. It feels good to give and to get the little things. So share.

111026: Wednesday
Skill/Strength: 8 rounds, 2 snatch complexes @ 135#, 4 hand stand push ups, 6 burpees (1 snatch complex = 1 snatch grip deadlift, 1 power snatch, 1 squat snatch).

111025: Tuesday
Metcon (am): 150 double unders, then 21-15-9, chest-to-bar pullups, ring push ups, then 150 double unders. Metcon (pm): row 500 meters, rest 10 minutes then, 21-15-9, overhead squats @ 115#, toes-to-bar.

111024: Monday
Strength: Press 3×10. Metcon: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 of Deadlift @ 225#, Box Jump @ 24″.

111023: Sunday
Metcon (am): “Fran”, 21-15-9 of Thruster @ 95#, Pullups. Strength (pm): Resting 60 seconds between sets: Squat 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2

The ropes at Guerrilla Fitness

All the cool kids are doing it so I figured I’d join in on the fun.

Today’s wod:

Strength
Front squat at 5 – 5 – 3 – 3 – 2 – 2

Metcon:
4 rounds
3 rope climbs, 15′
15 static lunges @ 95#

Result:
Strength: 255/255/275/275/305/305(1)
Metcon: 6:30

I haven’t done any sort of strength based squat in a while. So this felt good. But it’s clear I need to build my strength back up in this area. I think a strong squat is essential in Crossfit as well as life.

I failed my last rep and I could feel my knees buckle in a little. My coach pointed out that little flaw to me. So next time I’ll bring my feet in a little and hopefully that will help me out with my knees.

The lunges in the metcon were a challenge especially after the squats. But I’ve worked hard on my footwork with rope climbs and feel comfortable with the movement now. It used to be I could only climb the rope using all arms. It goes to show you a little perseverance goes a long way.

breakfast of champions… sort of.

Just a thought. But the dude with the XXL one-pack, ordering the plain egg white omelette and raisin bran muffin, might think twice about telling the dude with the six-pack that bacon is unhealthy. I’m just saying.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you have to look a certain way or possess a certain something to know what you’re talking about. Not at all. [Digression: The one-time Miami Dolphins kicking coach, never actually kicked a ball because he was bound to a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy. His kickers were All-Pros.] What I’m saying is you have to know what you’re talking about, to know what you’re talking about. Too often, folks are ready to go off half-cocked and shout advice or declare a position having done no reading or research from credible sources. Or even for one second carefully mulled over the information in front of them. Information floats in the air, penetrates their ears, gets passed around like one of those funny hand-rolled cigarattes and it becomes “common knowledge”. Eventually, everyone knows you’re not supposed to do this or that, or that thing over there causes cancer or take this and you’ll get all the girls. Whatever, man.

In my humble opinion, if you’re going to share your info, at least have tested it in the world or on yourself. Has the maple syrup and lemon juice diet helped you get a body like Jessica Biel? If it hasn’t, and you thought or were told it would, you have to question the diet. Did flipping single family homes make you yacht, private plane and trips to the French Riviera rich? Or did it leave you with a negative net worth? Either way, do your research. Experiment. Before you share.

The ironic thing is had my friend in line been a Paleo Pusher, he would have attacked my meal from the butter-loaded bagel angle. He would have told me that Paleolithic man would never eat bread and we are not built to do so. He would have said, bagels (wheat, gluten, et. al.) are a slow death and butter only hastens the inevitability. If I was in the mood, which I wasn’t with the bacon dude this morning, I might have asked Mr. P. Pusher, “Are you sure Paleo man never never EVER ate bread? Are you sure? I mean do we even know what Paleo man was let alone what he ate? Is butter really all that bad for you?”

Hopefully, Mr. P. Pusher would have based his viewpoint on something he read and experimented with instead of hearing it from the guy who heard it from the guy at some other guy’s son’s bar mitzvah. Hopefully too he’d be open to an opposing point of view and open to testing his presently held belief. Had the bacon dude asked he would have learned, I’ve been through the internal bacon battle and back. I’ve done the research and the experimentation on myself. I have eaten it and not. Praised it and scorned it. And after the long drawn tug of war, what I’ve concluded is, life is just better with bacon!

Now, my battle is with bagels (grains, wheat, whatever…). Butter-loaded bagels. With mounting evidence against continuing my relationship with my beloved, I have to consider the possibility she is no good for me. But, I will not just except what the dude, who knows the dude, who knows the bar mitzvah dude says. I’m doing the research and the experimentation before I make any judgment or completely break it off. Until such time, if it ever comes, we will go on the occassional date.

I am baffled why you put yourself through this. I do not know why you insist on putting yourself through the mental torture. Why is it even a part of your life? It never tells you exactly what you want to hear. And it’s likely you’ve answered for yourself before you even ask it the dreaded question.

Am I fat?

You don’t know it but what a ridiculous question. And the only reason you’re asking is because you think you are fat. No matter what number pops up on that scale, it will not convince you otherwise. Whether the number that pops up is “high” or “low”, you will see the phrase “big fat fatty”. But don’t confuse this for chatizing. I don’t blame you for asking a silly question. I don’t even blame you for your self-defeating self-perception. You been conditioned.

Throughout your life, you’ve been sent subliminal and overt messages by a plethara of sources; movies, magazines, your girlfriends, your mother, your rabbi, your coach and I’m sure many other well meaning but ignorant folk. Their message to you has been you should be obsessed with your weight. These messages even go as far as to have you believe your self-worth is inversely correlated to the number that shows up on the scale. The smaller the number on the scale the better the person you are. But let me let you in on a little secret. The number on that scale, no matter what it says, is a crock of shit! And the question, “Am I fat?”, that prompts you to step on to such an abominable device in the first place is a bigger crock of shit.

STOP! [Read more →]

The gift giving season is upon us and if you’re like me this time of year gives you as much anxiety as it does joy. For me at least, there is some guilt associated with taking gifts from my loved ones when all I really want is to spend some QT with them. For me, I’d rather have their time than some token. I feel like their time is worth so much more. Then there’s the other side of the coin. Finding that perfect gift for those I love so dearly. The process can be an extremely stressful situation. Most of that stress, at least for me, is wrapped up in notion that whatever gift I give, it can never represent what I truly feel for the receiver. But I cannot help it. I want the receiver to feel I care deeply and if I could I would wrap that in a pretty box and put a bow on it.

There’s a simple solution to all this holiday stress. Just tell me what you want! Kids have no problem writing or telling their wish list. So why can’t we adults do the same? And don’t say, “Oh, you don’t have to get me anything” or “Whatever you get is fine”. Can you spell bull-ish? Remember the Hide-Your- House-Key-In-A-Rock I got for you or the Never Ending Candle Bowl? You hated those gifts. So just tell me what you want and it will make both our lives simpler. I know there’s only a few days left ’til the big day, but there’s still time.

Even though I stress out about getting my peeps gifts, I don’t stress about what I will get. I could not possibly care less. If I see everyone around me smiling and happy and stuffed from sweet potato pie, then I’m happy. I get things you can’t put a value on, every day. (Sometimes I forget but I eventually remember. Thanks fam.) So when I say, “You don’t have to get me anything” or “Whatever you get me is fine”, I really truly mean it. You’ve already given me so much. Like many of the single dads I talk to, we have an appreciation for the little things and just want those things to remain intact. Being with our family is the perfect gift.

But… (did you see it coming?)

We single dads are a caring lot and know you might be stressing out about getting us a gift, despite our most convincing arguments we have all we want. So, I’ve decided to put together a short list of items that ANY single dad would want. Rest assured, most of us would be more than happy to get one just of these items and not necessarily on the big day. So feel free, family and friends, to pool your resources and buy his gift after the big day when everything is properly priced at deep discounts. The single dad in your life will feel less guilty accepting his gift. To the list:

1. Olympic weightlifting shoes or…

source: Rogue Fitness

There is no way any self-respecting father wouldn’t appreciate the proper footwear designed to assist him in lifting heavy items. Sure, he can get by doing that stuff barefoot or in his old sneaks from college, but I’m sure he would appreciate the hard soled support Olympic weightlifting shoes provide. And given is low-key nature, he isn’t too particular about which kind you get him, he’d be appreciative in any circumstance but man those Nike Romaleos look mighty fine. [Read more →]

Post-WOD Position

I have not been able to get the box lately. Lately encompasses since The Games this past July. Life (life and life) outside of CrossFit demanded and still demands my attention. The guilt of being away from the gym is great albeit highly irrational. I am not paid to CrossFit. Nor does CrossFit bring me love and affection. It doesn’t feed me or take me out to the movies or rub my earlobs to relax me after a trying day.

In fact, CrossFit many times treats me bad. It makes my lungs cry. It fills me with self-doubt and self-loathing about my physical abilities. It takes my money. It makes my shoulder, and my ankle and my neck hurt. And sometimes it’s WODs just downright hurt my feelings. But nonetheless, I feel like I have neglected CrossFit. Irrational.

But instead of dwelling on my clearly misguided guilt about being away from it, I’ve decided to call my sabatical my CrossFit off-season. [Read more →]