Project Update: Keepin' It Alive!

Trying to Keep This Blog Alive

As usual, I'm way behind in my monthly blog update; this is partly due to the fact I have a few things on the go (which I'll expand on below), and partly due to the fact a few folks just wanted to see Tania a bit longer.  I get that, trust me!  From what I hear, her business in Bermuda is booming.

Update: Big Dawg Blog, Tuesdays

For those that don't know, James "OPT" Fitzgerald has a blog entitled Big Dawgs; this is where his 5 different groups of programming can be found, daily.  If you've ever been chomping at the bit for more than just "Dot-Com", wanted some serious intelligent thought put into it, but can't afford custom programming, this is where to go.

Tuesdays I'll be posting up a lil' sumtin-sumtin, more than likely related to nutrition (go figure).  I've already had a couple of posts, on Nov 29th and Dec 4th.  

Lab Example: Resilience

re·sil·ience

noun \ri-ˈzil-yən(t)s\

1

: the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress

2

: an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change 

 

 

Interpretation:  Ok, so what do we have here?  This is a snapshot of one of my clients that I regularly use as an illustration of resiliency in my seminars.  Without breaking patient confidentiality, this is a HIGH-level athlete that was preparing hard for the Open, and had multiple stressors affecting them.  A few key points:

• Cortisol output is still excellent.
• High nighttime cortisol: indicative of an immune/stress response, in this case, gastro-intestinal
• DHEA:  Low, secondary to over-training
• Progesterone:  Within a very healthy range; of note, in highly resilient athletes, both male/female, this will be elevated.  Why?  They have a greater capcity to create cortisol; progesterone is a precursor hormone to cortisol.
• Melatonin:  75% secreted in the GI epithelials; optimal range, 18pg/mL+.  Secondary confirmation of GI issues.
• Testosterone: Within "normal", but relatively low for this client.  Why?  Training stress has driven it down, and compensation is starting to fail.  For this athlete, normal testosterone should be 60+.

Is this a healthy person?  No---lets be clear on that.  This is an athlete that has GOOD compensatory mechanisms, but starting to show decompenstation---yet can still perform at a high level.

In the future, I'll go into some other lab examples.

Seminar Action!

This picture has nothing to do with anything, but it's kinda how I feel when I travel.  Shaken up, upside down, all over the place, but FUN.

So I've started doing a few more seminars (lectures?  Certs?  Bullshit sessions?  Do I make folks write a lame test with a busted pencil?  Would that make me legit?) in and around various CF affiliates.  Recently, I did a 2-day lecture at Reebok Crossfit Ramsay in Calgary, AB.  The two lectures I presented were Nutrition 101: The Foundations, and on Nutrition 201: Competition Fueling.  I had a blast both days, and Ken Andrukow, owner of Ramsay, was a super gracious host, and we had some good conversation over some VERY good tequila.  The crowd had some great questions and feedback, and anyone that knows me KNOWS I can yap for hours about this stuff.

  I'll be doing the same gig on my home turf of Crossfit Lethbridge on Jan 19th, and then waaaaaaaay up north at Crossfit VO2 Max Feb 2nd.

After that, I'm back down to sunny Scottsdale at the end of Feb to teach the implementation portion OPT CCP Level-1 Nutrition course.  Mat Lalonde, nutrition science Jedi master, will still handle Day 1, and my stage is Day 2.  James is around to keep a close eye on Mat to make sure he's not eating too much raw steak, and that I'm properly caffeinated.

My Training

I think I had mentioned a few posts back that I had Mike Fitzgerald (check THIS post for a brainstorm from Mike) from Optimum Performance Training in Calgary programming for me; as a quick update, things have been going PHENOMENAL.  I have been feeling stronger, faster, and PRs have been coming on a regular basis.  What I'm most impressed about is the fact my OH strength has FINALLY started to creep up to a respectable spot.  Some recent gems:

• Push Press, #210
• Front Squat, #300
• "Nate" (AMRAP 20min 2 MU/4 HSPU/8 KBS, 32kg) 12 rds + 5 rds

Here's an example fo what a typical session looks like for me:
  

Nov 8th Day 2 - Jerk tech + Vertical Push/Pull + LP2 (Thruster/Chin)

A. Split Jerk, 2-2-2-2-1-1-1-1, 1:30 min - all sets of 2's @ 165lb, all sets of 1 @ 175lb

Completed.

B1. Depth HSPU, 1 rep x 10 sets, 1 min - build to a max effort depth by the end

Max depth 6.75", strict.  Super happy! Started at 4", worked my way up w/ various plate sizes (left my notes at the gym, I think it was 35# + 15# + 10#)

B2. Weighted Supinated Chin-ups @ 30X0, 1 rep x 10 sets, 1 min

Worked up to 92.9lbs (32kg KB + 22.5lbs in plates), PR.

C. 5 sets for max reps - Full Effort:

20 sec Thrusters @ 95lb

20 sec C2B Chin-ups

20 sec Burpees

6-7 min rest

Completed.  Lost seconds on start of thruster + transition to pullups, but burps were solid 20 sec worth.  Last set was tough on C2B, thrusters felt slow today, don't know why.  All unfractionated, pushed for speed on everything.

What it comes down to is this:  I should have done this years ago.