Monday, April 30, 2012

Got that "Slumpbody"? Do work!

A good Team SideMeat training session has inspired us to inform you guys that there is an epidemic going around. You, your friends and loved ones, even your children may be rocking that "Slumpbody". This is the caveman like posture that is all too common in people today. This posture can cause you serious problems later in life and, if that alone isn't enough to get you started fixing in, makes you look plain bad! 

What do we mean by slump body? Your head is pushed forward and your shoulders are pulled forward and down causing you to "slump" like a caveman. The hump this creates in your back gets worse over time and is the reason many older people appear hunched over and have back problems. 

I can think of a million reasons how and why this happens but one that quickly comes to mind is muscular imbalance. From the time we are in high school everyone asks "How much do you bench?" Rarely do we hear someone ask how many pull-ups we can do or how much can we row. This thought process has led to a focus on pushing movements and a lack of focus on pulling. This creates an imbalance with strong front deltoids and chest muscles which now pull your body forward and weak rear deltoids and back muscles. I see this in numerous high school boys who have horrible posture! This can also lead to the medical condition known as impingement. 

Another muscular reason for this is a lack of core strength. Remember your abdominal muscles serve not only to pull your shoulders towards your knees, the crunching motion we all love to use, but also to hold you up right. How many of you include planking and bridging exercises as a regular part of your abdominal work? 

So the question becomes, how do I stop or correct that Slumpbody? Well there has to be a conscious effort. Learning how to "activate" your rear deltoids during back and shoulder exercises is one essential tool. Paying attention to the way you walk and sit will be of great help as well. Remember, shoulder back, chest out, and head up, just like they tell you in the military. 

People often are afraid to walk upright because it feels exaggerated at first. If you look at yourself in the mirror you will see that the feeling of exaggeration is in your head and this posture looks much better. It also pulls in your waistline and lifts and expands your chest giving you that coveted V shape. 

Need some help getting rid of that Slumpbody? Holler at your boys at SideMeat!

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Saturday, April 28, 2012

A little arms for bigger arms.

We hit the arms pretty solid last trip to the gym. If your arms are a little behind, especially your biceps, this may be a good one for you.

Bi's

1) Cheat Curls: Warm-up, 15, 12, 10, 8

There are a few methods for cheating. I prefer to use my legs and hop slightly while some choose to rock backwards. If you are using your back you may want to use a belt. Be careful not to cheat too much. I normally use a weight I can get almost half of my desired reps with and then cheat on the rest. As this is my mass movement I take my time and get about at least a minute of rest between sets.

2) Alternating Dumbbell Curls: 15, 12, 10, 8

Really focus on turning or pronating the wrist at the top. This will help build that peak. Try to focus on the contraction and actually flex throughout the movement.

3) Concentration Curls: 7 sets of 8 - 10 (FST 7)

Just go arm to arm on these and don't take any breaks. I normally grab two dumbbells of different sizes in case I need to go down. Make sure you keep your arm straight down and do not curl into your body too much.

4) High Cable Curls: 3 to 4 sets to failure

Position the cable so that as you extend your arms they go out at about a 45 degree angle from your body. Pump away on these reps. The keys is failure. For this exercise continue to rep until you cannot flex the muscle. You may be able to move the weight by recruiting other muscles but we are working biceps so, when you can't flex them, the set is over. Now on to triceps....

Tri's

1) Cable Overhand Pressdown: 20 (warm-up), 15, 12, 10, 8

Do work on these as they will be your primary mass builder in this workout. Lean forward slightly to recruit a little bit of the Chest to help with the extra weight. Don't let your arms get too far underneath your body or you will loose the stress on the Tri's. I prefer straight down or to press slightly forward to really focus on the Triceps. Once again you can keep your rest at a decent level to maximize repetitions.

2) One-hand Underhand Pressdown: 4 sets of 8 - 12

Keep your form tight and keep your arm straight down or slightly forward from your body with the elbow locked in position. Try to maximize Triceps contraction on each repetition just like you did on Biceps.

3) Dumbbell Kickbacks: Run the rack! 20, 15, 12, 10

Go arm to arm and try to increase weight each set. A key on focusing on the triceps is to make sure you do not bring the dumbbell too far forwards. This allows you to swing down and it becomes more of a cheat movement. If you can't finish your reps then incorporate this to help you finish.

That's a quick burner for you guys. Give it a try!

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Do it like a Pro, be an "Outlier"

Talk about training for your goals. Man today is an awesome sports day. You have a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship fight, baseball is in full swing (by the way, there was the 21ST PERFECT GAME IN MLB HISTORY TODAY), basketball is approaching playoff time and NONE of the playoff match ups are set with less than a week in the season, and the two greatest soccer players in the world just played against one another (for those who don't follow soccer that would be Lionel Messi and Christiano Renaldo). My TV has four channels on DVR and I need to get in the shower so that I can go somewhere to watch the fight. The Olympic Wrestling Trials are going on today as well. Right now I am streaming the wrestling on my computer, watching the soccer game I recorded, and watching basketball in the picture in picture window. This is awesome. I will be interested to see what is on the front page of ESPN in the morning...

One thing everyone one of these guys and girls has in common is the effort with which they train. Yes, some natural ability is a must for a professional athlete but the difference between those who get there and those who do not is hard, intelligent WORK. Here are two few facts I found floating around on the internet:

There are only ~17,000 professional athletes in the United States and with a total census population of ~301,139,947, thus you have a .0000565/1 chance of becoming a professional athlete.

The average professional athlete spends 10,000 hrs of practice before becoming a professional. If you start when you are 5 and practice until you are 18 that is over 2hrs a day with no days off.

Malcolm Glidwell identifies this as a success metric for ANY occupation in his book "Outliers." This book looks at people who are outliers meaning that they have success well above and beyond the average person. 

So, for the younger guys who think they maybe fighting for the title, throwing that perfect game, playing a hard four quarters to get into the playoffs, launching a long strike for a goal outside of the penalty box, or prepping for that gold medal, are you on track for your 10,000 hours?

I also read the following: Expert Mentors/Coaches are required, to show aspiring athletes what they should spend those 10,000 hours practicing. 

That is an excellent point as well. Training, no matter what the goal, is most effective when it is directed and focused. Just as I have told many people in the gym, I am getting in an hour what you are getting in three. That is the difference. That 10,000 hours? You think it is 10,000 of full court basketball and horse in the park, or directed practice and games designed to improve skills and learn the game? 

Don't have much time to train? Have a plan, go hard, and maximize what you have! Be an "outlier." Need help with a plan? Don't worry, SideMeat has something coming....SOON.

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Pure Motivation

I challenge anyone to take the less than 10 minutes it takes to watch this video and not be motivated to work harder to reach your goals in fitness and in life. No matter how hard or how far you fall, there is always a road back and beyond....the only question is are you willing to walk that road? 

DO YOU

-SideMeat

E:60 Making Weight

405 pounder Terence Haynes set out to lose 200 lbs in one year...and did. At age 45, he now wrestles on a DIII college team.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Family Fitness Shark Style

The post below is from a good friend of mine, Jonathan Shark. I stole it from his Facebook page. He has transitioned from a "Meathead" to a runner of the toughest kind....an UltraMarathoner. Not only does he run himself, he has made it a family affair and just completed his first 26.2 mile run with his daughter. I remember her when she was tiny and now she can probably out run me. The kicker? She is only 10. 


Being in shape, healthy, fit, determined, tough...all of these things are great. But they are even greater when shared with others, especially family. Jon is engraining precious lessons in his daughter that will stay with her forever and he is using training and fitness as a primary means for doing such. THAT IS AWESOME. 


In their honor I am releasing the design for the Team SideMeat UltraMarathon T-Shirt. Hopefully the will be available for sale early this summer. 






Do You Shark Family!


-SideMeat


One year ago today, I ran my first UltraMarathon, the Squak Mountain 50k. Since then I have run many 50ks but none have even come close to being as challenging or possessing the same level of difficulty as the KILLER Course - Squak Mountain. So this year, in celebration of my one year ultra running anniversary, I brought reinforcements. Today, Squak became a Shark infested trail running playground as Linh, Myself and my 10 year old daughter Jaye-Linh tamed the beast that is Squak. 
Today Jaye-Linh completed her first trail marathon. 
Completing a marathon is a huge accomplishment in and of itself however the magnitude of her achievement can’t really be grasped unless you take into account the terrain she had to conquer. For those of you who run trails, especially those who have been on Squak Mountain, you understand the additional challenges that trail runners have to face; the most daunting of which is elevation gain. The marathon that Jaye completed today had a mind boggling 7,300 feet of climbing. This means that in addition to covering 26.2 miles on tough and rugged terrain, she ascended 7,300 feet of cumulative gain. 
To put this achievement into perspective- The Boston Marathon has a net loss of about 300 feet with 785 feet of climbing. The infamous Pike’s Peak marathon in Colorado has a gain of 7,900 feet. Jaye-Linh’s first trail marathon had a gain of 7,300!!!!! I’ll take the framing of this accomplishment a step further- My first 100miler, The Leadville 100, had a cumulative gain of 15,600, broken down that equates to 156ft of climbing per mile run. At 7,300 feet of gain, Jaye-Linh’s 26.2 mile marathon had 278ft of climbing per mile run. This, coupled with the fact that Jaye’s legs are about half the length of mine, and that she only had bananas, honey, and M&Ms as her fuel source, makes her roughly 98.5% tougher than her Daddy . This is a HUGE feat for a 10 year old girl. 
My beautiful, strong, and totally AWESOME daughter was on her feet for 9 hours and 24 minutes of non-stop movement. When she crossed the finish line I have never been more proud in my entire life. For 9hrs and 22mins my daughter kept going- She NEVER complained, she NEVER stopped to take a rest unless we were at an aid station, and most importantly she NEVER EVEN THOUGHT OF QUITTING! (Not that I would let her quit anyway.)
When we arrived at the finish line, almost 9 and a half hours after we started, we expected to see just see maybe one or two people cleaning up. To our surprise there were almost 20 people at the finish waiting for the Shark family to complete this epic journey. Some of them waited over 3 hours after their run just to cheer us on at the finish. We have never felt so blessed. To achieve something like this with my family and share it with some of the best people in the world was one of the most special moments of my life. 
Roger, thanks so much for letting a 10year old sign up for arguably the toughest marathon in Washington State. A lot of marathons have minimum age requirements, with good reason, but you knew that Jaye was a Shark and that she would be able to do it. Thank you for keeping the finishing line open for us as well. I know you had to hang around for a while and the Sharks REALLY appreciate it. 
Thank you to my friend Dan P for driving over 2 hours and then waiting around for another hour just to be a part of the surprise going away party and to see the Sharks off at the starting line. 
Jennifer H, a badass ultra buddy of ours, spent over 40 hours and probably about 2,000 bucks to hand craft the most badass cake EVER from scratch (estimation based on the immeasurable cool factor of the final product). Oh she also took second place in the 50k, finishing the same course that took me 8 hours to finish last year in a little over 6 hours. Congrats Jen! After kicking some serious Squak ass, she then waited around the finish line for over 3 hours to see the Sharks cross the finish line.
My boy George CRUSHED the course then, in true Honey Badger fashion, ran all the way to the nearest Safeway which was about 20 miles round trip. He then proceeded to run from car to car and house to house, hunting down all those Ultrabuddies nearby and at home to sign my going away card. Thanks George, I’m gonna miss you brother. Coincidently, I met George exactly one year ago today during my first ultra; the Squak Mountain 50k. Guess that means we just celebrated our one year anniversary ;-)
And what Shark UltraRunning saga would be complete without a special guest appearance from hot tub soaking, red wine drinking, Salomon gear wearing ultra superstar Deby K!?!?! She destroyed the 50k and then proceeded to corral all the Shark fans in one central location to ensure that Team Shark wasn’t greeted by the sounds of tumble weeds and crickets. Knowing Deby, I’m sure there was some intimation and sheer brute force used. Thanks for sticking around Deb. It was awesome sharing yet another significant milestone with you! 
Dan , who conquered the Squak half in preparation for his first 50k next week, stuck around for close to 4 hours to share this special moment with the Sharks. Rumor has it that he only waited around because there was cake but I know that wasn’t the case. ;) Thanks for hanging around Dan, it meant a lot to me and the Sharks.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t shout out my boy Jamey B and his amazing wife Heather. In 2010, George O, ran Squak 50k as his first ultra with a DFL finish. He then passed the torch to me in 2011 at Squak Mountain when I finished DFL on my first ultra . And it is with dignity, pride, and honor that I’ve passed the ever burning and bright DFL ultra torch to my good friend Jamey B for his first ultra. Jamey, you did it brother. I never doubted you for a minute. I thought it was extra special that the 2010, 2011, and 2012, Squak DFL ultra first timers not only knew each other but are good friends and were all together at the finish this year. Jamey, welcome to the club brother. Heather, it was great seeing you out there at the aid station to take care of us and also for taking those photos, especially the one of the 3 Sharks that will be framed and hung proudly in the Shark Den. You two make a killer team!
Thank you all again from Team Shark! For the awesome surprise cake and party, for waiting so long and most importantly for the friendship. We love all you guys!!!!! 

Thursday, April 12, 2012

A Gym to call my own....

I travel a lot. There is no telling where I may find myself. However, no matter where I go, I have to get it in. Be it a hotel gym or the local gym where they kindly "allow" me to pay for a month long membership even though I will only be thee for 10 days a gym rat has gotta do what he's gotta do. That being said, I wonder what everyone else thinks of the different gyms they workout in and why the go there. One gym I was in recently in has had the same equipment for the last four years at a minimum. Now when I say the same equipment, I mean the same benches, lockers, dumbbells, and machines. NOTHING in there has be re-upolstered, painted, tightened, or even moved. If you decide to use the showers you will see rusty shower heads and the "trenches" filled with band-aids and paper towels. Need to use the lockers? You better check the one above or below it and to each side to make sure they aren't bent in so much that someone can stick their hand in your locker. 

I asked a guy there why he goes. He said it is only $15 per month and he has been there forever. I then asked him would he be willing to pay $5 more dollars to per month to have better quality equipment and a cleaner facility. He said enthusiastically, "Five dollars and you could make all of this brand new? Yeah I would pay it!" Go figure. 

This type of thing is way to common in many of the gyms I have been in. Everything from leaky roofs to rusty dumbbells to sticky cables have almost ruined workouts for me. Now I definitely do not need a red carpert. Hell, I don't even need a gym with a shower. I just want quality equipment and a "non-disgusting" place to train. The make-shift gym my unit built in Iraq with weights they managed to sneak in vehicles, 2 x 4's and plywood allowed me to get into some of the best shape of my life. It was as neat as it could be for an outside dirt and sand covered area and was just fine by me. Of course, leave it to Soldiers to make the most out of nothing but that is another post for another day...

After all of this, it makes me think I should open my own gym. I don't need to be a millionaire or even have a large profit margin. I would like to have a quality facility where people can train and be comfortable. Some place I am proud to show people, the employees and trainers are proud to work in, and you don't wonder if you might get ring worm or a staff infection from sitting on something in the facility. 

So you may ask yourself why do I go to the first gym I am speaking of? My "excuse" is that I have very little time when I am in this area so I can't go exploring looking for a new one. I think that is going to change in the near future. 

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Monday, April 9, 2012


One great thing about being in the states is the constant ability to watch Sports Center. That being said, the around the clock Master's coverage has rekindled some of my golf interest. After fighting through a few weeks of lessons two summers ago and buying a new Taylor Made R9 driver, my interest started to fade. I must say transitioning to a sport that requires you to relax during your swing motion and maintain a loose grip is a tough transition for a weight lifter.

Bubba Watson is a guy, from what I can see, with very non-traditional golf habits and a non-traditional golf look. One thing that really interests me is his multi-jointed swing. The way he swings goes against majority of what I was taught the times I took golf lessons. This actually gives him a slight advantage in the power arena. 

The key is the torque he creates by rotating his body. A traditional golf swing has a 45 degree rotation with the hips and a 90 degree rotation at the shoulders with both feet firmly planted on the backswing. Bubba manages to get even more torque my allowing his front heel to come off the ground, something I was taught was a strict no-no! This allows him to get rotations of closer to 60 and 120 degrees respectively. Watson also allows his hips to start to rotate forwards as his club continues to rotate back. Which increases his torque even further. 

This is a part of Bubba's swing which is just as non-traditional as his hair, his shirt buttoned all the way to the top button, and his pink driver. In fashion circles, color blocking is in this year. What does that mean? Bubba's pink driver will look great next to his new Green Jacket. 

One thing for certain, Bubba Watson did him.

DO YOU

-SideMeat

Reference: 
1. http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2009-04/02tipplusbubbaswing

Thursday, April 5, 2012

I sho am tired.....

As I fight through my first day of jet lag and prep for a dinner with financial clients and friends tomorrow I thought of what many of us are missing in our training plans. We train hard and even manage to tighten down those diets but in today's rat race we often neglect a third pillar of health and fitness: rest and recovery. Just as with everyone else, I get caught working late and have to get up early to prep for the day or get in that workout I may not be able to get in later that day. With clients from Hawaii to all over the continental United States to Japan and many other countries abroad, my schedule can be crazy! With that in mind I have taken steps towards getting the appropriate amount of rest. Just as with nutrient intake and training plans, the amount of required rest varies slightly from person to person. Every thing from the amount of REM sleep to number of hours we spend being "inactive" can help us rest and recover. Now, I am not recommending everyone become lazy and spend more than the required number of hours sleeping and laying around, but learn to read your body and make sure you are resting and recovering appropriately. If you manage your rest as you do your training and nutrition you will find you perform better in the gym as well as other aspects of life!

DO YOU

-SideMeat
Since there is so much social media and there are so many ways to share Team SideMeat is going to start blogging to bring you more fitness experiences, ideas, thoughts, and opinions. We will eventually get this set to feed to Twitter and Facebook so the information will get to you in any medium!

DO YOU

-SideMeat