Making amends to my mending process

Exactly 2 weeks have past since my last rah rah post about the Rangers, so I guess I should be even more cheerleaderish in this post since they made the World Series. Alas, I shall not. I got a little cocky last year, and the Rangers ended up getting their poo pushed in by the buzzsaw known as the '10 San Francisco Giants. This year I'm going to keep my mouth shut and pretend like I'm just happy to be along for the ride. Unless, of course, they win and then I'm going to be more obnoxious than a front running Yankee fan. So, today I'm going to share a few new items I've picked up to help some of my injuries be less painful.

I'm going to reveal something embarrassing now. I have small wrists. I know, you thought I'd finally admit to having full blown HIV (or what we in the professional medical community call "AIDS"), but no. I'm sorry. Yes. I'm sad to report that my parents again failed me and left me with frail wrists. Somewhere along the lines of my youthful exuberance to have sick grip strength and be able to perform 360* ballistic pull ups I severely injured my wrists. I've talked about that. I failed to go through the proper progressions. Again, live and learn. Since then I've tried a myriad of shit wrist wraps and braces, all which have not worked. That ranges from McDavid to Nike to athletic tape to KT tape and more. All of those products are decent and have their applications, but it wasn't what I needed. Some of the power lifting wraps were great and all, but super bulky and not conducive to what I'm doing.

So what did I do, much later than I should have done? Bought these:

Garage Ink wrist wraps. The support these things give is unreal. On top of that, they don't cut my circulation off even when I tighten them fully. That right there was a major downfall of the Nike and McDavid wraps. Well, that and the support is only good for frail old ladies picking through apples at the grocery store.

I digress, the wraps are well made and I'm actually able to do press movements again. I was even able to carry 90lbs of kettlebells (50lb and 40lb KBs, my gym hates the metric system) in my hand with zero discomfort. I decided to give them a full test yesterday and did a lot of bench pressing and DB pressing. Simply fantastic.

Just how small are my wrists? Well, those wraps are the smallest ones at 12". There is a larger size. Check them out over at Garage Ink Powerlifting. I actually bought them from christiansfitnessfactory.com, but whatever. Side note about CFF.com: good customer service and I received those wraps in 3 days. Not bad. If you go over to the site try not to get too nauseated by the Crossfit (tm) (c) stuff. The kool aid is strong, so be stronger than it.

What else did I get to assist my injuries? Well, this purchase was moreso to prevent injuries. As I said in an earlier post I transitioned too quickly to the minimalist shoes and my knees and feet were a tad sore. So, I scaled back and bought shoes that still provide me what I want in a trainer, but give a tad more cushioning.

It's a pair of custom Nikes using their NikeID "system" on their website. I mixed the Nike Free Run +2 cage with the Nike Free 3.0 sole. My thoughts on them so far? If you have a dog that sheds a lot then be forewarned as these are fur magnets. Even the soles. My dog also doesn't seem to like them very much. Perhaps that is because they were made in Vietnam and there could be some dog parts used in them. How about that for a complete and utter butchering of a stereotype? Don't judge me.

"How do the shoes fit? How do they feel? Are you FREE?!"

Good question, self. They fit fantastic and I can't wait to train in them tomorrow. If you're looking at purchasing a Free model, whichever one it may be, just know that the toe box runs very small so you absolutely must go up a size. For instance, I'm a 12 and I had to get a 12.5.

Oh, and yes the tongues on the shoes really do read "CHAMP IS HERE". That's my small dedication to the Mavs. Sure I may suffer from a slight bout of megalomania, but I promise I'm not referring to myself.

So, given the progress I'm making I should finally be able to get back to actually training and writing about the same. I'm a bit tired of these filler blog posts, although they do seem to be a hot topic amongst all the fly ladies around the vending machine at work.

Stay hard.

p.s. Mavs 2011 Champs

The Rangers win! The Rangers win!

Sorry. If it's not obvious I just finished watching game 4 of the ALDS. My (yes, MY) Texas Rangers just beat the Rays 3-1 in the uncomfortable 5 game ALDS. Now it's off to face either the Tigers or the Yankees. At least that won't be a 5 game series, unless one team loses in 5. My prediction? As long as the Yankees lose at some point, I don't care who wins. Kidding. But seriously I love it when the Yankees lose. Kind of how the nation loves it when the Cowboys lose. Of course, those people are inbred and beat their children. I read that on wikipedia.

So the last three weeks I've done zero upper body outside of core work. I should have completely cut off all stress in that area MONTHS ago, but I'm stubborn and had the "bug". I just couldn't stop training, lest I go insane and find other, less healthy outlets for my over abundance of energy. You know, like impaling virgin puppies on unsuspecting unicorns' horns. Don't judge me. You know you've come close to doing the same. We're all human here.

I'm happy to report that my elbow and wrist have made significant improvements. Both areas are still tender, but I'm actually able to exert force and pressure with minimal discomfort. That's huge. At least for me. So, hopefully I'll be ready to get back at it sometime in the next several weeks. This blog will update at a significantly higher rate at that time.

Until then, I shall continue reading this historic cluster F of a thread on Irongarm. Now, that thread is old news to many, but new to me. Yeah, it's really 1111 pages. It's as if you're watching the evolution (or devolution if you prefer) of the world of strength and conditioning. There is literally no way to give you a summation of said thread. It's basically just one huge Crossfit bash session with some incredibly intelligent, and not so intelligent, people. There are also quite a few big names from around the industry posting in there, which I always find fascinating. For those of you not familiar with Irongarm, it's a spin off site from the Dragon Door forums. A group of many were tired of censorship, John Du Cane or whatever else, and created that site. I think it's happened about eleventy times across the internet. If you must know, I've literally read every word through page 74. Again, don't judge me. I've actually learned some things, but I'm pretty sure whatever I learned is going to be buried way below all of the inane stuff I also read.

BTW, my girlfriend won't even subscribe to my blog. How sorry is that? I mean she can't read and always drools on my keyboard due to not having a properly tensioned jaw or a full set of teeth, but it's the thought that counts. You know, perception is everything and all that.

The great Dr. Yessis on the state of plyometrics today

I'll admit I am guilty of over broadening the definition of plyometrics. I actually committed said sin in the previous blog post about box jumps, and a reader kindly asked about my word usage (I believe I tagged the post with "plyo jumps"). I didn't fully understand the meaning of his question, but now I do.  I'd go back and edit my blog entry and shore up the language, but word has it that is immediate grounds for blacklisting in the competitive world of blogging. We bloggers are effing hardcore.

I must admit I'm a bit ashamed for being guilty of this, as I have often scoffed at "p90x athletes" and fitness class whores for talking about the sweet plyos they do. Such is life.

Watch the video, and listen to the man. Dr. Michael Yessis is a legend and knows what he is talking about.

Musclin' Up with Mango

Oh the videos we come across when searching for something else. I happened to find this fantastic instructional piece when searching for vids on the reproductive cycles of unicorns. Everyone meet Mango. He's going to teach you how to do a muscle up.

Okay back to my important research.

Working on my hops

I used to be able to jump. Not so much now. Well, I used to be able to do a lot of things that I can't do now, but that doesn't keep me from trying to get back to that point or close. I've really worked on improving my maximal strength and accelerative strength in my lower body. It's slow going, but I'm getting closer to where I want to be.

Last week I was finally able to consistently hit 45" on the box jump. I know that isn't high compared to others you've most likely seen, but again this is only a step towards my end goal. I've seen some pretty funny rigged box jump setups on youtube. Here is mine:

No that mat behind the box isn't to stop me from falling. It's to help cushion my knees jumping down since I'm training in minimalist shoes. My knees are currently taking the brunt of the stress during this transition. Here's the vid of me completing the jump. I suggest turning your speakers way down since my buddy decides to go all raging hormonal cheerleader on me:

GOOOOOOOOOOOOO JUMPING YAY!!!! I'm going to shoot for 50" next week, but I'm going to have to setup shop outside or somewhere with higher ceilings. Yesterday I was able to complete the same exercise, but with a 45" plate underneath the mat. Sound precarious? It is, but I just have to remain focused and everything is fine. If my mind isn't right then I step away from the box and reset. I figure that's way better than falling and hurting myself.

Some new toys, and knee discomfort is uncomfortable

Well, one of my favorite sites for really expensive workout equipment FINALLY got their resistance bands back in stock. That would be EliteFTS. Sure there are plenty of other bands out there that are fantastic, but I like to support certain companies and this is one of them. So I immediately ordered a couple "average" bands. They naturally went on sale for 25% off the next day, but I'm so incredibly wealthy that I scoff at such handouts. I don't want your charity! I mean, you can tell my over abundance of wealth just by the mere fact that I have a Blogger blog and not my own domain. Tremble before my wallet which may or may not be falling apart. All jokes aside (which will undoubtedly be taken seriously by someone, here is the average band compared to the light:

That's a hefty band. Here is their band calibration chart just in case anyone is interested:

I'll be using these for sprints, rows, presses, core work, isometrics, and stretching. They're such a fantastic tool. If I had a large reader base I'm sure I'd receive comments like "BRO WHY R U NOT USING THE BANDS FOR BENCHING AND SQUATTING? THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE MADE 4 BRO. STAY 2TRU." Well, fictional reader powerlifter guy (sorry PLs I know all of you aren't uneducated neanderthals), I literally have no way to use these at my gym for either movement as my gym's bench press benches do not have pegs nor do the power racks. Oh wait, my gym doesn't even have a power rack. I used to leave that as a suggestion in the suggestion box daily. My words have so far gone unheeded. I should be used to that by now.

I did discover another goal: I'm not even strong enough to do a one arm OH press with the average band, so I'll certainly be working on that.

Mix up your training people. Break up the monotony that some of our daily routines unfortunately inflict. In a later blog I'll show you how and where I use these tools. I'll even provide photographic evidence. Does that make your pants excited?

I almost forgot about my knees. For the first time, that I can remember at least, my knees are sore and making me slightly tentative. I have been putting them through hell the last several weeks due to my training for mastering the pistol squat, but I feel that has been doing nothing but strengthening them. Well, on Tuesday I did some heavy plyometric exercises. The one that pushed me over the edge was the plyo box jump, jump down, and immediately explode into a long jump. I've been able to go deep on squats (ass to floor, or hammy to calf. whichever) for quite awhile now, but nothing has stressed my knees like the aforementioned plyo exercise. Wow. Next time I'm going to use a mat.  When I jump off the plyo box I went deep on my landing, and same goes for the landing after the long jump. My knees are literally up at my chest.

So, live and learn. Plyometrics are no joke and I know that. I should have cushioned my landing with a mat while doing this exercise. My knees are just a tad sore and that's it. It'll go away, but let this be a reminder to not immediately go into hero mode before you're ready!

If any of you are wondering when I became such a proponent of full squats, and I know ALL of you are, it was after watching a training session with Dirk Nowitzki and the great Holger Geschwindner. Dirk has an amazing ability to recover from knee injuries quickly, and that is largely attributed to his training with the German mad scientist. Holger has Dirk do court long ass to floor long jumps. It looks awfully silly when a 7 footer is doing it, but that workout has conditioned his knees to perform and remain stable through the full range of motion. That's necessary in basketball, and most pro sports, as awkward falls are the norm. I fully realize that doing that is not ideal for everyone, and it's certainly something that no beginner should ever attempt. You have to work yourself up to the point where you do have that flexibility and strength in the knees to get that low. Otherwise you could be facing massive injury, because knee injuries are nothing to joke about unlike most every single Presidential nominee for the next term.

Stay hard, Dallas.

How bad do you want it?

That is Giavanni Ruffin out of East Carolina. I admit I only knew that because it says so on Vimeo. That shouldn't take anything away from the message though. How bad do you want it? I think it's a question we all should ask ourselves on a daily basis. I also believe it's a question, that when asked, many of us subconsciously lie in our response or don't truly comprehend the sacrifices we must make in order to obtain it, whatever it may be. It's less about making a change in your life, and more about changing your life. That's perhaps a bit extreme in some instances, but the video isn't about those.

It's not uncommon to hear people on Facebook, any given internet forum, workplace, and pretty much anywhere talk about how they wish they were skinny, how they wish they were in shape (there is a difference), how they wish they could do [insert hobby/activity], or how they wish they had a certain job. Well, wishing never got anyone anywhere. My family is incredibly God fearing and spiritual. Your opinions on religion aside, my father always used to tell me that while we need to pray for that which we want, we must always strive to achieve those goals ourselves. We can't just sit by and let life happen all while hoping something miraculous will occur. You must invest time into your goals. You must invest a lot of energy and emotion. Success, in any shape or form, must be worked for and earned.  The journey is not easy, and more often then not it flat out sucks.

So many of us are prone to issuing strong declarative statements of our goals without first making the real promise to ourselves that we will do whatever it takes to achieve them. Let me re-emphasize the "do whatever it takes" part. That's fairly broad and all encompassing right? Whatever it takes. Let that sink in.

We live in a society that is over saturated with the now. I'll spare you the detailed examples, but you've read magazines covers promising six pack abs in a month. You've seen the ridiculous claims supplement companies dish out. You've seen the over saturation of pyramid schemes in America who promise their clients, I mean employees, the world. You've no doubt seen lottery commercials or have played the lottery yourself. How many people have experienced success in any of the aforementioned? I imagine very few compared to the number who have tried and failed. Whatever happened to reaping the fruits of our labor? Is there anything truly self fulfilling by not giving something our all and trying to cheat the "system", for lack of a better term? Well, maybe to some of you. That is sad, but a different topic.

Be real with yourself. Look in a mirror and ask yourself "How bad do I want it?" Are you willing to make the lifestyle change in order to achieve your goals? Do not lie to yourself. There's literally no point. People often ask me for help. Why? I don't know. I don't know everything, but I was blessed with an over abundance of common sense and an ability to problem solve. In other words I was clearly born a man. Kidding, ladies. I often ask people I help, after being informed that they have made little progress, "Which part of the "lifestyle change" wasn't clear to you?" after they tell me they don't want to give up a particular food or way of life that is detrimental towards their supposed goals (partying). I then generally ask the person to adjust their goals since their current ones will not be achieved with that mindset and/or lifestyle. That's simply reality. In response I'll receive a smile or a nod of the head, and it's clear they're not accepting my words. They'll show me they can do it and prove me wrong. After all, I'm not a certified trainer or "lifestyle coach" so I don't know what I'm talking about. Then 6 or 7 months down the road they look exactly the same and are wondering why "everyone else but me is getting results." While the "everyone but me" line of thinking is inherently untrue, it is still a dangerous mindset. That's when people tend to give up and let despair overwhelm them. Regardless, you will not achieve your goals only putting in half the effort. It's all or nothing. If you want something then you must do whatever it takes, and that usually means making sacrifices which are more often than not outside of our comfort zone. I ask again, when have we ever grown while being comfortable?

Make the tough decision. Push yourself beyond what you think you're mentally capable of. Work long and hard to get the job you want. Make sacrifices and change your life for the better. The journey can suck and be overly miserable, but the reward at the end more than makes up for it. Hell, somewhere along the line it may even become fun. You never know until you actually do it and quit making excuses. You're in control of your own life. Why settle for mediocrity?