Day 2: Tuesday, March 1, 2011

5:15 AM - (wake); 2 cups of ice water
5:45 AM - Breakfast - 2 eggs scrambled w/ 2-2.5oz. chicken, onions and spinach, 10,000 I.U. Vit. D, 2g fish oil
10:45 AM - 2g fish oil
11:45 AM - Lunch - chicken thigh, mushrooms, onions, diced tomatoes, sauteed in olive oil, small handful of baby carrots, 1 HB egg, 2g fish oil
2:00 PM - ~1oz. chicken thigh, couple slivers of bell pepper
4:00 PM - workout - PreWO: 5g glutamine, 1 tsp. spirulina
4:45 PM - PWO: 5g glutamine, 1 tsp. spirulina
5:15 PM - Dinner - Chicken thigh ~ 8 oz., 1 cucumber, 1 bell pepper, 2 g fish oil
8:00 PM - Cold Shower
8:30 PM - ZMA, in bed
9:00 PM - 7:00 AM; Lights out (10 HRS)

Notes:
Was pretty tired all day long today. Took a small nap from 7:15-8:00am and another one after lunch for about 45 min. Had a small caffeine headache prior to working out but that went away after a bit and gone completely after exertion.

Total Supp: 10g glutamine, 2 tsp. spirulina, 8g fish oil, 10,000 I.U. Vit. D, ZMA

Day 1: Monday, February 28, 2011

Day 1 weigh-in: 189.5

Measurements:
Right Bicep -12.5" / Left Bicep - 13"
Belly - 35"
Hips - 40.5"
Right Thigh - 24" / Left Thigh - 23.5"

Total = 148.5"

Week 1 Pics:


8:00 AM (wake) - 2 cups ice water
8:30 AM - breakfast - 2 eggs scrambled, 2oz. chicken breast, cooked in chicken fat w/ 3 cups spinach, 2g Fish oil, 10,000 I.U. Vit. D
9:30 AM - Workout
A. Back Squat 275x5x5
10:45 AM - PWO grass fed whey protein, 25g
12:00 PM - lunch - chicken breast, onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, seasoning, sauteed in chicken fat, 2g fish oil.
12:30 PM - 40 Air Squats
5:00 PM - Dinner - pork, spinach, onions, diced tomatoes, garlic, sauteed in chicken fat, 2g fish oil
8:00 PM - Cold Shower
8:30 PM - ZMA, in bed
9:00 PM - 5:15 AM - Lights out

Here's to the 6-pack

Challenge:

So I have decided that I've become a bit off, shall we say, with my diet and health in general. I'm not saying I'm unhealthy, just that some things are starting to slip up and its time to get back on track yet again. I have some obvious cortisol and insulin issue that I keep putting off and need to take care of. You will see that on the first post of pictures. I have NEVER since I've been doing this stuff taken 30 days to truly find out what will happen if I clean things up 100% Paleo style. Below I will lay out what is involved with this personal challenge. I will keep this blog running daily on the start date with meals, thoughts, musings, and pictures of my success.

Length:
31 days

Start:
March 1 - March 31, 2011

Parameters:
1. No alcohol (wine, beer, liquor), caffeine, fruit, dairy, legumes, gluten, additives, drinks other than water.
2. No eating outside of my own cooking (exceptions will be Jason's Deli and Market Street salad bar options)
3. No eating after 5:30pm
4. No TV after 8pm
5. Best efforts to be in bed by 9pm every night
6. Allowable supplementation: BCAA's, fish oil, ZMA, Vit. D
7. Re-Feeds where I will add extra fat and sweet potatoes/winter squash to every meal after the first twelve days then every seven (Saturdays)

Purpose:
To display the effects of a solid diet, smart training, and plenty of rest and recovery.

**Please feel free to follow along with this challenge. It will be a hard 31 days but on the other side it will be well spent. If there are any questions or concerns please feel free to leave a comment. Start date is set for March due to the fact that Bev and I are taking our honeymoon at the end of Feb to Napa, CA. There will be some drinking involved.

Sprinting as a function of training

Want to lean out, get faster, build muscle? One word...Sprints! I'm talking short, intense sprints that leave you laid out on the ground gasping for your next breath. Keep the volume low (5-10 sets, depending on distance) and the distances short (20m up to 800m). In addition to a solid S&C program (O-lifting, CrossFit, Power Lifting) sprinting can give you that extra edge you may be looking for. As for a recommendation on the number of times per week, 1 - 2 times depending on your regular training volume. Since programs vary, its really up to the athlete on extra volume they may be able to handle. Always start small and work up if need be. We have seen really good results at just once a week with varied sprints weekly. Monitor recovery and see what works best for you. The following are a few examples of varying sprint types:

First lets start with some rest variations: walk to start, 'X' amount of seconds/minutes, varying seconds/minutes based on pyramid, i.e. sprint rest 1:00, sprint rest 2:00, etc., rest as needed, or fartleks*
*This is typically a longer session with varying intensity and rest. A good example would be sprint 'X' amount of telephone poles, and jog 'X' amount of telephone poles for 'X' amount of time.

Using the above principles develop as varied a program as you'd like to get results. here are a few examples:

10x100m, walk to start
6x200m, rest 2:00 between sets
6x400m, rest as needed, do not deviate more than :02
4x800m, rest 5:00 between sets
(200m, 400m, 600m) x 3, rest amount of each sprint**

Play with these variations and create your own. You'll find some are harder than others. I know that few things leave me as sore as all out 100m sprints. For additional ideas visit **www.crossfitendurance.com
-Happy training

A year + 1/2 off....

Well it's time to restart. I would have just restarted the entire thing, but there were some posts that I figured I would keep. If you go back through older posts there is some helpful info floating about.

-Why I decided to start this back up:
1. Because I don't have enough to do.... :/
2. Keeping up a blog for the gym is something we have to do on a daily basis but can't always put things on it that we want. This is my chance to get other info and points of view out there from my side and not a business side.

So, we will see how long I can keep this up.

Political Correctness...

Who needs it? Here is a story about a soccer coach and what happens with all this PC bull shit.
He's got the right idea:

A girls soccer coach who told parents of his 6- and 7-year-old charges that he expected his players to “kick ass” has resigned.
Michael Kinahan says he “meant to give parents a chuckle” but that people took his message on a the team he dubbed “Green Death” the wrong way.
In an e-mail message to parents last week, Kinahan wrote that the girls on his team would “fall, get bumps, bruises and even bleed a little. Big deal, it’s good for them (but I do hope the other team is the one bleeding).
“The political correctness police are not welcome on my sidelines,” he added.
Kinahan resigned after parents protested to league officials. Other parents have said they support his approach, said Chris Park, the registrar for the Scituate Youth Soccer League.
“He’s got a wry, sarcastic sense of humor. I think this whole thing just blew up on him,” Park said.
Kinahan also wrote that he expected “that the ladies be put on a diet of fish, undercooked red meat and lots of veggies ... Protein shakes are encouraged, and while blood doping and HGH use is frowned upon, there is no testing policy.”
Park said a major concern for league officials was Kinahan’s comments about referees.
“My heckling of the refs is actually helping them develop as people,” he wrote.
Park said a 12-year-old referee refused to return this year because of the way Kinahan treated her last year.
“That did lend some truth to what he said in the e-mail,” said Park.
Kinahan said his message was “largely (albeit not completely) meant in jest.”
“It was also meant as a satire of those who take youth sports too seriously for the wrong reasons,” he said.
--
THE COACH’S ORIGINAL E-MAIL
Congratulations on being selected for Team 7 (forest green shirts) of the Scituate Soccer Club! My name is Michael and I have been fortunate enough to be selected to coach what I know will be a wonderful group of young ladies. Chris Mac will also be coaching and I expect the ever popular Terry to return to the sidelines. Our first game will be Saturday April 4 at 10:00AM. There will be a half hour of skills followed by a 1 hour game, so total time will be 1.5 hours. All games will be played on the fields in the front of the High School. Each player will be required to wear shin guards and cleats are recommended but not required. A ball will be provided to each player at the first meeting, and each player should bring the ball to games and practices. There is no set practice time allotted for the U8 teams, but I will convene with the coaches to determine the best time and place. If there are cancellations due to rain, all notices will be posted via the Scituate Soccer Club website, no calls will be made (though I will try to send an email). Attached is the Schedule and Code of Conduct. After listening to the head of the referees drone on for about 30 minutes on the dangers of jewelry (time which I will never get back), no player will be allowed to play with pierced ears, hairclips, etc. We used to tape the earings, but that practice is no longer acceptable. Please let me know if your child has any health issues that I need to be aware of. My home phone is 781 XXX XXXX, my cell number is 781 XXX XXXX, and I check my email frequently. According to my wife, my emails get too wordy, so for those of you read too slowly, are easily offended, or are too busy, you can stop here. For the others……
OK, here’s the real deal: Team 7 will be called Green Death. We will only acknowledge “Team 7” for scheduling and disciplinary purposes. Green Death has had a long and colorful history, and I fully expect every player and parent to be on board with the team. This is not a team, but a family (some say cult), that you belong to forever. We play fair at all times, but we play tough and physical soccer. We have some returning players who know the deal; for the others, I only expect 110% at every game and practice. We do not cater to superstars, but prefer the gritty determination of journeymen who bring their lunch pail to work every week, chase every ball and dig in corners like a Michael Vick pit bull. Unless there is an issue concerning the health of my players or inside info on the opposition, you probably don’t need to talk to me. Coach MacDonald has been designated “good guy” this year.
Some say soccer at this age is about fun and I completely agree. However, I believe winning is fun and losing is for losers. Ergo, we will strive for the “W” in each game. While we may not win every game (excuse me, I just got a little nauseated) I expect us to fight for every loose ball and play every shift as if it were the finals of the World Cup. While I spent a good Saturday morning listening to the legal liability BS, which included a 30 minute dissertation on how we need to baby the kids and especially the refs, I was disgusted. The kids will run, they will fall, get bumps, bruises and even bleed a little. Big deal, it’s good for them (but I do hope the other team is the one bleeding). If the refs can’t handle a little criticism, then they should turn in their whistle. The sooner they figure out how to make a decision and live with the consequences the better. My heckling of the refs is actually helping them develop as people. The political correctness police are not welcome on my sidelines. America’s youth is becoming fat, lazy and non-competitive because competition is viewed as “bad”. I argue that competition is good and is important to the evolution of our species and our survival in what has become an increasingly competitive global economy and dangerous world. Second place trophies are nothing to be proud of as they serve only as a reminder that you missed your goal; their only useful purpose is as an inspiration to do that next set of reps. Do you go to a job interview and not care about winning? Don’t animals eat what they kill (and yes, someone actually kills the meat we eat too – it isn’t grown in plastic wrap)? And speaking of meat, I expect that the ladies be put on a diet of fish, undercooked red meat and lots of veggies. No junk food. Protein shakes are encouraged, and while blood doping and HGH use is frowned upon, there is no testing policy. And at the risk of stating the obvious, blue slushies are for winners.
These are my views and not necessarily the views of the league (but they should be). I recognize that my school of thought may be an ideological shift from conventional norms. But it is imperative that we all fight the good fight, get involved now and resist the urge to become sweat-xedo-wearing yuppies who sit on the sidelines in their LL Bean chairs sipping mocha-latte-half-caf-chinos while discussing reality TV and home decorating with other feeble-minded folks. I want to hear cheering, I want to hear encouragement, I want to get the team pumped up at each and every game and know they are playing for something.
Lastly, we are all cognizant of the soft bigotry that expects women and especially little girls, to be dainty and submissive; I wholeheartedly reject such drivel. My overarching goal is develop ladies who are confident and fearless, who will stand up for their beliefs and challenge the status quo. Girls who will kick ass and take names on the field, off the field and throughout their lives. I want these girls to be winners in the game of life. Who’s with me?
Go Green Death!
--
KINAHAN’S RESIGNATION
Team, After careful consideration, I have decided to resign from all coaching responsibilities related to Team 7 this season. Unfortunately, it has come to my attention that some parents and the Board of Scituate Soccer failed to see the humor in my pre-season email. For the avoidance of doubt, the email was largely (albeit not completely) meant in jest and with the goal of giving the parents a chuckle while enduring yet another round of organized youth sports. It was also meant as a satire of those who take youth sports too seriously for the wrong reasons. My overarching goal is the well-being of my players, and I do not want any player to feel uncomfortable, nor do I want to see the team disbanded because of a lack of active players. Therefore, while I’d prefer to go down swinging, it’s really about the kids and it just makes more sense for me to take the year off.
While I respectfully disagree with the Board's interpretation of my comments, I believe that they should be commended for their immediate actions to address the concerns of the offended parties. The Board’s action proves that the chain of command is functioning as designed. Board members volunteer their valuable time and I do not plan to add to their already significant workload. I also respect those parents who were offended as I am sure they acted in the best interest of their children. While I may question their sense of humor, I have no right to question their judgment regarding their children. Perhaps we may even have beer (I’ll buy) and a couple of laughs at the end of all of this.
And while I am sorry some people failed to see the humor, I do not apologize for my actions; I wrote it, I think it's funny and I do have a distaste for the tediousness of overbearing political correctness. Furthermore, I was serious about parental involvement as I do believe parents should cheer and encourage players (in a positive fashion obviously) so that the kids feel the excitement that comes from team competition. And most importantly, I was completely serious that I want to see each young girl develop a positive self image, self-confidence and the will to succeed in any endeavor that she desires. Lastly, I have added some comments to my initial email (in capitals) to clarify several points that may have been viewed as offensive.
Sincerely,
Michael A. Kinahan
Go Green Death!

Go Coach! May others understand...

Myth: You know how much stress your body can take.

I came across this today. Pretty good words to live by.

Myth: You know how much stress your body can take.

Mythbuster: Craig Weller

"During Special Operations selection training, you're subjected to a brutal series of physical and mental tests. Depending on the program and the time of year, between 60 and 90 percent of candidates won't finish. Fun stuff.But it taught me something important: Pain does not stop the body. There's nothing that hurts so badly that you can't keep going just a little longer.

Extreme and continuous stress teaches you to break daily life down into short, measurable goals. You make it to breakfast, and then you focus on making it to lunch. Sometimes your mind refuses to project beyond the immediate future: running one more step, swimming one more stroke, grinding out just one more push-up.Everybody hits bottom at some point. You get to a place where you'd do anything to make the pain stop. If your mind breaks first and you stop running, or wave for a support boat on a swim, or raise your hand during a beat-down to say that you're done, you're officially "weeded out." You've quit. You're part of the majority, but you still feel like a loser.

Fortunately, there's a loophole: If your body breaks first, they won't hold it against you. Every guy in my squad had the same perverse thought at some point: "If I can just push myself hard enough to black out, I'll crash in the sand, take a nap, and wait for the medics to revive me. I'll get a nice little break, and then rejoin the pack." So we ran harder. We pushed. But we hardly ever got those naps.

I remember being on a run, soaking wet and covered with sand. We'd just gotten back to our feet after calisthenics in the surf and a series of sprints up and down a sand dune. Then the instructors took off sprinting again. I didn't think I could make it any farther, but I knew I could never live with myself if I stopped running. So I put my head down and sprinted as hard as I could through the soft sand. Pain surged through my body, and the only conscious thought I can remember was that the air I was gasping into my lungs had turned to fire. I focused my eyes on the heels of the instructor. The pain was getting worse, but I kept going. I could hear another member of my class behind me, struggling to keep up with the pack while puking between strides. Guys who went through the training with me had similar experiences. They'd hit bottom one day, and think they could finally reach their breaking point if only they pushed a little bit harder. But it never worked. The agony would only increase. But so would their capacity to keep going. Pain, in other words, never actually broke our bodies.Which isn't to say we weren't incapacitated from time to time by hypothermia, hypoxic blackout, hypoglycemic shock, or some other things you find in the dictionary a few pages past "hell." But passing out was acceptable. Quitting wasn't.

I'm a civilian now, running a facility and training people. Every now and then, I hear someone say, "I can't." Frankly, that's bullshit. Next time you're tempted to say you "can't," remember that what you're really saying is, "I don't want to."