Motivation

Here are a few quotes I enjoy thinking about every day. I think I will put a few these next couple weeks:

"God ever works with those who work with will."
-Aeschylus

"The fact is, that to do anything in the world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can."
-Robert Cushing

Day 60

Front squat
315
405
455

Isabel as rx'd : 56 seconds (pr)

Day 61
315
405
455

400m/ 12 burpees x4: 8:55


"If you're going through hell, keep going." ~Winston Churchill

Hydration

"The greatest anabolic is water...anyone who tells you different is dehydrated."
-Me

Day 56
315
405
455

bench press
325x3
355x2
375x1

3 set of max hspu
20
16
10

Day 57
315
405
455

4x400m run

Day 58
front squat
315
405
455

177lb Isabel 3:40

Day 59
315
405
455

100 burpees for time: 5:04

Mobility and Recovery

I thought you might be interested to see some of the mobility and recovery resources I try to use on the regular to stay healthy. For me, my main areas of tightness and discomfort are my hip flexors and quadratis lumborum (not sure if I spelled that right). My back is really dense, and with density comes tightness and adhesions. I try to devote alot of time to keeping a more flexible posterior. Here are some of the things I do:

-ART Chiropractic, Acupuncture e-stim, and graston in the hip flexors and back.

-Trigger point ball rolling on both sides of the spine

-Foam rolling the IT band, quads, and shins

-Heavy static yoga plow, sampson stretch, and pyraformas stretch

-Pool recovery sessions

Day 52

Front squat:
315
405
455
475
500!! (pr)

200 pullups for time:
13:25

Day 53
315
405
455

30 mu for time:
6:15

Day 54
315
405
455

400m sled drag (130 lbs): 5:39

Day 55

315
405
455

death by 10 meters:
17 rounds

read about Amanda at amandaredmiller.blogspot.com

What a Games!

Sorry I've been away for a while. My last post was a week ago. I have been traveling off in California for the CrossFit Games. Guess what those guys are fit! I don't know how I would have done if I was competing. Not enough heavy stuff to give a guy like me an advantage over those gymnasty Crossfiters. We saw some high degrees of difficulty with movements such as pistols, ring hspu, muscle ups, and rope climbs. Things that when I see in my workout I say: "Yeh..I think I'm gonna squat." Funny how we love doing the things we are good at and avoid our weaker movements and skills. This is exactly what I will need to work on this next year. A good way to roadmap your programming may be to make every workout one that you do not exactly like. I think the point to to not spend so much time in "The Wheelhouse" or maybe make the wheelhouse bigger...or destroy the wheelhouse altogether.

Day 45
315
405
455
475

1 mile run 6:21

Day 46
315
405
455

Day 47
315
405
455

log clean n jerk 1rm 265lbs
100 log press for time at 165lbs 7:48

Day 48
315
405
455

Day 49
315
405
455

Day 50
315
405
455

Day 51
315
405
455

run 800
50 burpees
run 800
100 situps
run 800
200 pushups
run 800
300 air squat

31:17

read about Amanda at amandaredmiller.blogspot.com


Thanks to Dave Castro and CrossFit for this awesome tribute
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/AmandaMillerTribute2010Games.wmv

Judging at the Games

Well I'm not gonna lie and say that I don't wish I was competing at the games. It is a sore spot for me because I know that I should be going head to head with some of my counterparts like Rob Orlando and James Hobart. And the reason I am not there is that I was unprepared for my regional, entirely at my own fault. None the less I love these guys, they are my friends and I am so excited to and support them as they go up against the best in the world. Dave Castro was nice enough to give my cloud a silver lining by inviting me to judge at the Games. It's an honor and responsibility I will take extremely seriously. Plus I don't think I could just sit there and watch...that would drive me nuts.

Day 44
315
405
455

Sled drag 400m (.5 bodyweight)
3:30

Farmers walk 400m (250lbs) 2:56

Day 45
315
405
455
475

Bench press 1,1,1,1,1,

100 pullups for time: 3:53

Day 46
315
405
455

15 rope climbs (15')
3x50 sledge hammer hits
10 prowler sprints 100ft (2x45 plates)

Read about Amanda at amandaredmiller.blogspot.com

Training The Invisible

Squatting is just one movement...granted it is the king of all movements if we are talking about training effect in the organic and nueromuscular sense, but how does squatting everyday effect other strength movements? For the past 42 days I really have not deadlifted at all. My hypothesis is that by increasing my capacity in the squat, most of my other strength numbers should shoot up...and guess what, THEY DID!
I pr'd my dealift the other day by over 50lbs, I pr'd my press by 15bs and my bench by 25lbs. How is this possible? The skills we train in the squat are very transferable. Elements such as posterior chain engagenment, range of motion, and midline stability are essential when squatting heavy. If I don't start a line of action back and down with my hip, if I don't stay through my heels, if I don't stabilize my midline and lock in my lumbar curve that 475lb squat will be very laborous if not impossible to execute. Another key aspect of these gains is the horomonal responses to lifting heavy load. Production of testosterone and insulin-like growth factor has been proven to increase with the introduction of frequent heavy lifting. Here is a snapshot of some of my strength numbers and a slice of my cardio capacity before and after I started this challenge: I'm not saying try this program...I just think the results are interesting.

Before / After

Bench 350 / 378

Press 215 / 231

Deadlift 600 / 650

2k Row 6:31 / 6:28

Day 43

315
405
455
475

100du
25 wallball
25 ctb
25 deadlifts 225
25 calories on a rower
25 box jumps
25 40lb db push press
25 situps
25 ring dips
100 du

12:42 (I hate double unders!!)

Read about Amanda at amandaredmiller.blogspot.com

Senator Schumer Continues to Make Unfounded Sunscreen Allegations

Senator Charles Schumer is at it again. He is putting people at significant risk of skin cancer with his allegations that there is a relationship between vitamin A in sunscreen and increased risk of melanoma. These claims are not supported by published scientific evidence. After reviewing the recently released report from The Environmental Working Group, The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Photobiology Committee, a group of renowned experts in the study of the interaction of ultraviolet radiation and the skin, have come to the conclusion that there is no scientific evidence to support claims that retinyl palmitate (vitamin A) is a photocarcinogen in humans. Our photobiologists are unaware of any evidence that supports the relationship between the use of sunscreen containing retinyl palmitate and an increased risk of skin cancer.

“When used as directed, sunscreen products are safe and effective. Since our inception, The Skin Cancer Foundation has always recommended using a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher as one important part of a complete sun protection regimen which includes seeking the shade and covering up with clothing,” said Warwick Morison, MD, Chair, The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Photobiology Committee.

Romain Lettuce Feddish

Many people are curious about my diet while training on this program. Nutrition is truly the foundation of your fitness, the gas that fuels your instrument. I will not bore you with explanations of the paleo and zone diets. Most of you know how those work and I agree with them. I am just touching on something that has been working for me lately...romain lettuce. I eat romain lettuce like an animal. Somewhere along the lines of 6 heads a day. I don't particularly enjoy greens, this is the one vegetable I can eat for days. I hold the head like a chicken bone, dip it in some olive oil and pepper, and go to town. It's neat, it fills me up, and it looks pretty bad ass crushing heads of lettuce and meat.

Day 42
315
405
455
475

Happy Birthday To Me

Yes it is my birthday today. I am 28 years old. I do not always act 28. Some days I am more like 5. But today is my birthday so I can act however I want. I got off the redeye from san diego, went straight to work with an 8:30 client, then went down to Robs for my birthday wod. Needless to say I did my squat. Looking at the bar with 475lbs on it I felt so tired and empty from that sleepless night on the plane. "Come on David! Get up! Fuck sleep!" I said to myself. I thought about Amanda and all the Birthdays she should have had infront of her with family and friends. I feel lucky today. I am grateful for my life.

Day 41
315
405
455
475

20 reps 225 backsquat
40 toes to bar
60 2 pood kb swings

6:05

read about Amanda at amandaredmiller.blogspot.com

Coolibar brings Australian advances in sun protective clothing to America.

The name Coolibar comes from a eucalyptus tree found in the harsh Australian outback. Our company, like the Coolibar tree, provides welcome relief and protection from the sun's damaging ultraviolet rays.

Our sun hats, UPF clothing and sun protection swimwear were the first garments recommended by The Skin Cancer Foundation.

While sun protective clothing is a new concept in America, it has been used in Australia for over a decade where it is now more popular than sunscreen. Our Sun Hats, SPF protective clothing and UV protective swimwear are designed to cover a maximum amount of skin, use highly protective fabrics, and yet still be cool, comfortable and fashionable.

Summer clothing doesn't provide much sun protection.

Often, too much skin remains exposed. Summer weight fabrics actually let through an astonishing amount of the sun's damaging ultraviolet rays - they usually protect less well than an SPF 30 sunscreen. For maximum UV protection in the water, try our Rash Guards, or while on land, check out our UPF clothing.

Coolibar stands for the best in sun protection. It's all we do.

Australians have made sun protection a national health priority for over a decade. Utilizing that expertise, we continually search for more and better options to keep people safer. Our research, experience, and dedication to the science of sun protection are the basis for all our products. We now offer SPF clothing, sun hats, sun protective swimwear and zinc oxide sunscreen designed to provide you with the highest UV protection available and to keep you cool, comfortable, and fashionable.

Got That Redshirt!

After 4 internships with the level 1 seminar crew I have finally earned the job on the staff. It's a great honor for me to work with some of the finest trainers and quality people in the CrossFit world. They hold an extremely high standard for coaches to live up to and I hope to continue that tradition. The opportunity to travel around the country and world and share passion and knowledge of CrossFit is a dream come true.

Day 38
315
405
455
475

5 cleans (221lbs)
5 bar muscle ups
farmers walk 70' (460lbs)

3 rounds for time

6:34

Day 39
315
405
455

Snatch balance
135
199
225
250

High Hang Snatch

135
155

Day 40
315
405
455

1000m row
2:55

Testosterone Lifestyle Creed

- Workout like an animal
- Eat like a horse
- Do a bad thing like a rabbit
- Sleep like a rock


Day 35
315
405
455
475

5 push jerk (185) / 7 box jumps 48''
15 minutes for rounds:

14 rounds

Day 36
315
405
455


2k row:
6:29

Day 37
315
405
455

700lb yoke walk 50'
Deadlift 555, 595, 629, 651

Red about Amanda at amandaredmiller.blogspot.com