Goal setting is here again on "From the Mouth of Mallard". This weekend I am throwing at the Bay Area Renaissance Festival. Throwing in a Highland Games with chicks in corsets and wench dresses galavanting around- I'm all for it.
Here are my goals for the weekend:
1. I really want to hot 40' in the Open Stone. This has eluded me in the past and I feel I've got it this time.
2. 12'+ in the Weight Over Bar. 12' is my PR, so as long as I tie it I'm happy. I haven't had as much single arm Snatch work as I have in the past, so I'm not banking on much improvement.
3. Caber: I want to do away with all the 2:00 I've been getting. Hopefully my form work will have helped correct it.
4. Sheaf: I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE SHEAF
5. 56# Weight For Distance: 27'+
6. 28# Weight For Distance: Still looking for 55'+. I've thrown over 57' in practice, but I seem to not be able to carry it over to the competition.
7. Hammer: I'm not wearing spikes this time as I need more practice with them. I'm looking to break 70'
8. Overall I want to see at least 3 PRs in these Games
That is what I expect out of myself for these Games. I'm gonna drive down to Tampa today and spend some time with my Dad's side of the family before I throw tomorrow. Should be fun...
Friday, March 25, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Deloading for the Games
Now is deload time. Yesterday I had my last training session before the Highland Games this weekend. I am starting to get nervous because I am really hard on myself about achieving results. I have completely changed my training regiment and concentrated a lot more on my throws, so I'm hoping it will pay off. Only time will tell if the change has paid off. Today I only did:
Shot Put Drills: 10mins
Hammer Drills: 5mins
Weight for Distance Drills: 10mins
I really concentrated on foot speed on the shot put and weights for distance. I also changed my spins a little to make the first one shorter and the socond more of a sprint. Lets hope it all pays off...
Shot Put Drills: 10mins
Hammer Drills: 5mins
Weight for Distance Drills: 10mins
I really concentrated on foot speed on the shot put and weights for distance. I also changed my spins a little to make the first one shorter and the socond more of a sprint. Lets hope it all pays off...
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Weekend Bloat(Experimenting on Myself)
Over the past few weeks I dropped weight that I was not planning on dropping. Don't get me wrong, a certain amount of fat loss will not hurt anyone, however I did not want to be 295 until April 10th. With all the work capacity training I had been doing I dropped 10lbs like it was nothing. Hell, I wasn't even trying. So, I took the opportunity to see how well I could bloat. Wednesday I weighed in at 293 and was the first time I had seen the other side of 300 since September or August. I used this experiment to benefit not only myself, but the readers of my blog, so here is how it went.
What I used for the bloat:
Simple and highly refined carbohydrates
Salt and lots of it
Liquid calories
Gatorade and Water
I started off Wednesday night by taking in a ton of highly refined carbs and simple sugars, finished off with salt and 64oz of water on top of the 1.5 gallons I had already ingested that day. Thursday I already had some swelling going on. So I woke up and had 1.5 cups of rice 6 eggs and doused it in soy sauce and continued the trend throughout the day. Friday was a screwy day, but I managed to down a gallon of 1/2 water 1/2 Gatorade before I ate some smoked turkey(like real smoked turkey, not that Oscar Meyer "turkey") and drove to Jacksonville. From there I spent some time with my brother and ate some more salty, highly refined carbs. Saturday and Sunday was more of the same but with more coffee, NOS, and Rockstar thrown in there.
I weighed in this morning at 305 on the nose. What information could be gleaned from this "experiment"? I ate a diet that was pretty typical of your average American and I gained 12lbs in a matter of days. There is no way in hell I ingested enough calories to elicit that amount of weight gain. That means I would have had to eat 42,000 kCals over my maintenance levels over, roughly, four days. So why did I gain it? Mostly water retention. For every gram of glycogen you store in your body you store 2-3 grams of water. By filling up those glycogen stores I effectively gained the ability to hold onto more water. Combine that with the salt and there is the 12lbs I gained.
How can this help you? Don't eat this shit, plain and simple. Imagine how much lighter you could be walking around just by cutting this garbage out of your nutritional profile. Try it for a month and you'll never go back.
What I used for the bloat:
Simple and highly refined carbohydrates
Salt and lots of it
Liquid calories
Gatorade and Water
I started off Wednesday night by taking in a ton of highly refined carbs and simple sugars, finished off with salt and 64oz of water on top of the 1.5 gallons I had already ingested that day. Thursday I already had some swelling going on. So I woke up and had 1.5 cups of rice 6 eggs and doused it in soy sauce and continued the trend throughout the day. Friday was a screwy day, but I managed to down a gallon of 1/2 water 1/2 Gatorade before I ate some smoked turkey(like real smoked turkey, not that Oscar Meyer "turkey") and drove to Jacksonville. From there I spent some time with my brother and ate some more salty, highly refined carbs. Saturday and Sunday was more of the same but with more coffee, NOS, and Rockstar thrown in there.
I weighed in this morning at 305 on the nose. What information could be gleaned from this "experiment"? I ate a diet that was pretty typical of your average American and I gained 12lbs in a matter of days. There is no way in hell I ingested enough calories to elicit that amount of weight gain. That means I would have had to eat 42,000 kCals over my maintenance levels over, roughly, four days. So why did I gain it? Mostly water retention. For every gram of glycogen you store in your body you store 2-3 grams of water. By filling up those glycogen stores I effectively gained the ability to hold onto more water. Combine that with the salt and there is the 12lbs I gained.
How can this help you? Don't eat this shit, plain and simple. Imagine how much lighter you could be walking around just by cutting this garbage out of your nutritional profile. Try it for a month and you'll never go back.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
How Is the New Training Going?
Quite well, actually. I have an easier time recovering and the work capacity work (yes, that is right) makes me feel healthier, even through the higher intensities. Today's training broke down like this
FRONT SQUAT
Bar x10
135x10
185x5
225x3
270x3
285x3
300x3
These felt good, but I always have to rerack the last rep on my highest % set. Probably form breaking down.
DEADLIFT
5x10 with 315(60% of 1RM).
I switched up stances with each set, so I did 2 sumo and 3 conventional. These sets showed me how low my work capacity is. These took too long to recover from and I ended up pulling 5 or 6 reps in a row and the rest were doubles and singles with 3-5 breaths between to finish the sets.
JUMP PULLUPS
I was supposed to do 5x10 here, but my grip was so fried from the deads that I only made it through one sets and had to call it quits.
BLAST STRAPS ROWS
4x12
Nothing special here
EXPLOSIVE WOODCHOPS
8x3 unidirectional to compliments throwing
THROWING DRILLS
Line Drills
Shot Put Drills and Throws
All in all it was a great day of training. I have been going M, T, R, F, but I missed Monday because I felt like garbage. The night before I was a little too sore for my liking so I took a contrast shower, and did some SMR while in there. I think that it released a lot of toxins, much like a too deep massage, so I had to listen to my body and call it quits. Now I'm rested up and back. Tomorrow is conditioning day, so I'll push Dynamic Bench and Hang Cleans back to Friday and Saturday.
FRONT SQUAT
Bar x10
135x10
185x5
225x3
270x3
285x3
300x3
These felt good, but I always have to rerack the last rep on my highest % set. Probably form breaking down.
DEADLIFT
5x10 with 315(60% of 1RM).
I switched up stances with each set, so I did 2 sumo and 3 conventional. These sets showed me how low my work capacity is. These took too long to recover from and I ended up pulling 5 or 6 reps in a row and the rest were doubles and singles with 3-5 breaths between to finish the sets.
JUMP PULLUPS
I was supposed to do 5x10 here, but my grip was so fried from the deads that I only made it through one sets and had to call it quits.
BLAST STRAPS ROWS
4x12
Nothing special here
EXPLOSIVE WOODCHOPS
8x3 unidirectional to compliments throwing
THROWING DRILLS
Line Drills
Shot Put Drills and Throws
All in all it was a great day of training. I have been going M, T, R, F, but I missed Monday because I felt like garbage. The night before I was a little too sore for my liking so I took a contrast shower, and did some SMR while in there. I think that it released a lot of toxins, much like a too deep massage, so I had to listen to my body and call it quits. Now I'm rested up and back. Tomorrow is conditioning day, so I'll push Dynamic Bench and Hang Cleans back to Friday and Saturday.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Why Your Certification Doesn't Mean Sh*t
What Personal Training certification do you hold? NSCA? NASM? ISSA? ACE? ACSM? In my opinion, no matter how you cut it, it doesn't mean jack squat. I know that certifications are a vital part of the industry and they help to develop some sort of standards, but holding one certification over another does not make you a better strength coach or trainer.
Sure there are some certifications that hold higher esteem than others, but let me put this in perspective for you. Are there any regulatory bodies that govern what each individual certifying organization puts in their tests? No. I could go out today and form the Sports, Hypertrophy, Integrative Trainer certification and people would pay me money to have S.H.I.T. put behind their name on their business cards as their certification. Likewise, there are organizations out there where you do a weekend workshop, pay them "x" amount of dollars and you are magically competent enough to train a client. Does that make a lick of sense?
Next, look for education. In this case more is not always better. Look for a relevant field of study such as Physiology, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, Fitness, Wellness, Human Performance, Athletic Training. A Master's trumps a Bachelor's, but a Bachelor's is probably on the same level as a Ph.D.. All three of those will trump a H.S. diploma for obvious reasons. Why rag on the Ph.D. Matt? If you have ever spent any time in college, aside from hanging out in your frat house, you would realize what Ph.D. students actually do. THEY SPEND ALL DAY IN A FRIGGIN' LABORATORY. They have probably forgotten all of the things they learned that practically apply to exercise and retained all the stuff they needed to chop rats up in the name of science. At UF I had plenty of professors teach me how to resistance train that looked like they had NEVER picked up a weight themselves, much less coached anyone else in their life.
The most important thing is to look for experience. Nothing, in my opinion, trumps experience. I would rather have an ACT certified (free cert) Personal Trainer with 15 years of competition and "under the bar" experience than a pencil-necked geek right out of college with his NSCA-CSCS, along with his NASM-PES. I'm sure that the 6'2" 155lb college kid had to learn more to earn his certification, but he has no idea what it is actually like to train. You have to be able to put yourself in the shoes of the one you work with.
Has the person been training for a while and can they carry clients? If you are a strength coach or trainer and do not have the ability to carry 15 clients at a time, you are just an enthusiast. Make a living and support yourself and possibly your family off of this industry and maybe I'll start to listen to you. Experience is king.
You can read all day long on how to do a Snatch, but until you walk up to that bar, put your hands on the iron and yank that sumbitch over your head, you have no idea what you are talking about. You see this all the time on the internet. They are the keyboard experts that carry about 4 clients at a time, but will try to sell you on their "secrets" of training leaving you with buyers remorse and a sour taste in your mouth about the whole industry.
I get asked a lot, "Matt, why don't you start writing articles?". I feel as though I have not fully earned the "experienced" title. Sure, I've been lifting since I was 15 years old and have competed in strength sports since I was 19. Hell, I've even come back from an accident that was supposed to kill me. However, I have only been earning a living off of this industry for 3 years now. I have been coaching people on lifting for the past 6 years, but not making a living off of it. While I have been successful in what I do 3 years does not make me "experienced" in my own eyes. Until that time when I deem myself "experienced" I will continue to educate myself, I will continue to grow, and I will continue to share my passion with new up-and-coming trainers. So, until that time, my thoughts and experiences will be published here.
Sure there are some certifications that hold higher esteem than others, but let me put this in perspective for you. Are there any regulatory bodies that govern what each individual certifying organization puts in their tests? No. I could go out today and form the Sports, Hypertrophy, Integrative Trainer certification and people would pay me money to have S.H.I.T. put behind their name on their business cards as their certification. Likewise, there are organizations out there where you do a weekend workshop, pay them "x" amount of dollars and you are magically competent enough to train a client. Does that make a lick of sense?
So what should you look for in a strength coach or trainer?
First look for certification because at least you know that the person know enough not to kill you. This is the least important thing to look for. If you didn't get the point from the previous paragraphs you are too dense and proably deserve to have a crappy strength coach/trainer.Next, look for education. In this case more is not always better. Look for a relevant field of study such as Physiology, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, Fitness, Wellness, Human Performance, Athletic Training. A Master's trumps a Bachelor's, but a Bachelor's is probably on the same level as a Ph.D.. All three of those will trump a H.S. diploma for obvious reasons. Why rag on the Ph.D. Matt? If you have ever spent any time in college, aside from hanging out in your frat house, you would realize what Ph.D. students actually do. THEY SPEND ALL DAY IN A FRIGGIN' LABORATORY. They have probably forgotten all of the things they learned that practically apply to exercise and retained all the stuff they needed to chop rats up in the name of science. At UF I had plenty of professors teach me how to resistance train that looked like they had NEVER picked up a weight themselves, much less coached anyone else in their life.
The most important thing is to look for experience. Nothing, in my opinion, trumps experience. I would rather have an ACT certified (free cert) Personal Trainer with 15 years of competition and "under the bar" experience than a pencil-necked geek right out of college with his NSCA-CSCS, along with his NASM-PES. I'm sure that the 6'2" 155lb college kid had to learn more to earn his certification, but he has no idea what it is actually like to train. You have to be able to put yourself in the shoes of the one you work with.
Has the person been training for a while and can they carry clients? If you are a strength coach or trainer and do not have the ability to carry 15 clients at a time, you are just an enthusiast. Make a living and support yourself and possibly your family off of this industry and maybe I'll start to listen to you. Experience is king.
You can read all day long on how to do a Snatch, but until you walk up to that bar, put your hands on the iron and yank that sumbitch over your head, you have no idea what you are talking about. You see this all the time on the internet. They are the keyboard experts that carry about 4 clients at a time, but will try to sell you on their "secrets" of training leaving you with buyers remorse and a sour taste in your mouth about the whole industry.
I get asked a lot, "Matt, why don't you start writing articles?". I feel as though I have not fully earned the "experienced" title. Sure, I've been lifting since I was 15 years old and have competed in strength sports since I was 19. Hell, I've even come back from an accident that was supposed to kill me. However, I have only been earning a living off of this industry for 3 years now. I have been coaching people on lifting for the past 6 years, but not making a living off of it. While I have been successful in what I do 3 years does not make me "experienced" in my own eyes. Until that time when I deem myself "experienced" I will continue to educate myself, I will continue to grow, and I will continue to share my passion with new up-and-coming trainers. So, until that time, my thoughts and experiences will be published here.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
New Breakdown of My Training
Here is the new training, now that I have had to re-plan EVERYTHING.
Day 1:
Close Grip Power Snatch from Hang
Push Press
Lateral Raise
Upright Row
Russian Twist
EXPLANATION: Close Grip Speed Snatch is for speed in the WOB. There is no drop involved in this snatch and the grip mimics the motion of the WOB. Push Press is there because I suck at OH Press and I need to get better at them. Lateral Raise is there to help with my sheaf. Upright Row is for my weak traps and the Russian Twist is more for range of motion (ROM) through my core.
Day 2:
Front Squat
Barbell Row
Jump Pullups
Blast Strap Rows
Pulling Woodchops
EXPLANATION: Front Squat to build up the Quadriceps, but also help me work on my Squat form as a whole. All the back work is thrown in to build up my upper back which has become weaker than I want it to. I am incorporating both horizontal and vertical pulling to get the best gains. The pulling woodchops are put in to help built rotational speed, which I seem to be lacking lately.
Day 3:
Conditioning
High rep Kettlebell work (Snatches, Cleans, Swings)
Weighted walks at an incline (40-135lbs added)
Throws work
EXPLANATION: To increase work capacity and endurance
Day 4:
Dynamic press: Specific lift changes every week
Dumbbell press: Specific lift changes every week
Triceps work
Caber Curls
Speed Ladder work
EXPLANATION: No big secret here, just trying to build up my shot put and caber. My upper body is seriously lagging behind my lower, so I need as much work as I can get. Speed ladder is included so foot speed will increase.
Day 5:
Power Cleans
Explosive Good Mornings
Depth Jumps/Reactive Jumps
Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts
Standing abs
EXPLANATION: General speed day, really keying in on the hips. Standing abs... you almost never use your abs when you are lying on the floor, so why train them in the gym that way?
Day 6:
Meathead Conditioning and Throwing
Throwing will come first, then the Meathead Conditioning. Tire flips, truck pushes, sled drags, caber carries for distance, etc... If it is heavy and I can move it, it is fair game
Day 7:
Rest
Three main lifts (Snatch, Squat, and Clean) are all done on a percentage based periodization determined by my one rep max on each lift. I'm going to re-try an older % based method from Bigger, Faster, Stronger. It is what I used when I first started lifting seriously and I got strong quick and stayed very healthy. The Press will be done at 40-60% of my one rep max and will change between incline, overhead, and flat. Every program will work, you just have to work the program.
All the accessory work is done between 3-5 sets and 8-15 reps and vary week to week. This will allow me to accumulate as much lean mass as possible while, hopefully, keeping my work capacity high. This is a representation of only one microcycle and it will change over time depending on where my competitions lay in a specific time frame.
During this time my conditioning will change, and most days will have some sort of weighted walking or sprints/sled drags. The goal here is to lose some fat mass, but I am not going to really focus on that until I have my next cut. I do not like a lukewarm approach when it comes to losing weight, either you are or you are not. It is as simple as that, so when I go on the next cut my goal will be to lose about 20lbs in 28 or so days. When I start the cut I want to be around 295, so I only need to drop 8lbs until then. This is where the conditioning work and portion size changes come into play.
Well, here is the plan and here is to setting goals and making them.
Day 1:
Close Grip Power Snatch from Hang
Push Press
Lateral Raise
Upright Row
Russian Twist
EXPLANATION: Close Grip Speed Snatch is for speed in the WOB. There is no drop involved in this snatch and the grip mimics the motion of the WOB. Push Press is there because I suck at OH Press and I need to get better at them. Lateral Raise is there to help with my sheaf. Upright Row is for my weak traps and the Russian Twist is more for range of motion (ROM) through my core.
Day 2:
Front Squat
Barbell Row
Jump Pullups
Blast Strap Rows
Pulling Woodchops
EXPLANATION: Front Squat to build up the Quadriceps, but also help me work on my Squat form as a whole. All the back work is thrown in to build up my upper back which has become weaker than I want it to. I am incorporating both horizontal and vertical pulling to get the best gains. The pulling woodchops are put in to help built rotational speed, which I seem to be lacking lately.
Day 3:
Conditioning
High rep Kettlebell work (Snatches, Cleans, Swings)
Weighted walks at an incline (40-135lbs added)
Throws work
EXPLANATION: To increase work capacity and endurance
Day 4:
Dynamic press: Specific lift changes every week
Dumbbell press: Specific lift changes every week
Triceps work
Caber Curls
Speed Ladder work
EXPLANATION: No big secret here, just trying to build up my shot put and caber. My upper body is seriously lagging behind my lower, so I need as much work as I can get. Speed ladder is included so foot speed will increase.
Day 5:
Power Cleans
Explosive Good Mornings
Depth Jumps/Reactive Jumps
Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts
Standing abs
EXPLANATION: General speed day, really keying in on the hips. Standing abs... you almost never use your abs when you are lying on the floor, so why train them in the gym that way?
Day 6:
Meathead Conditioning and Throwing
Throwing will come first, then the Meathead Conditioning. Tire flips, truck pushes, sled drags, caber carries for distance, etc... If it is heavy and I can move it, it is fair game
Day 7:
Rest
Three main lifts (Snatch, Squat, and Clean) are all done on a percentage based periodization determined by my one rep max on each lift. I'm going to re-try an older % based method from Bigger, Faster, Stronger. It is what I used when I first started lifting seriously and I got strong quick and stayed very healthy. The Press will be done at 40-60% of my one rep max and will change between incline, overhead, and flat. Every program will work, you just have to work the program.
All the accessory work is done between 3-5 sets and 8-15 reps and vary week to week. This will allow me to accumulate as much lean mass as possible while, hopefully, keeping my work capacity high. This is a representation of only one microcycle and it will change over time depending on where my competitions lay in a specific time frame.
During this time my conditioning will change, and most days will have some sort of weighted walking or sprints/sled drags. The goal here is to lose some fat mass, but I am not going to really focus on that until I have my next cut. I do not like a lukewarm approach when it comes to losing weight, either you are or you are not. It is as simple as that, so when I go on the next cut my goal will be to lose about 20lbs in 28 or so days. When I start the cut I want to be around 295, so I only need to drop 8lbs until then. This is where the conditioning work and portion size changes come into play.
Well, here is the plan and here is to setting goals and making them.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Highland Games Report and Revamping EVERYTHING
To sum it up, this was one of the most disappointing experiences I have had so far competing in a Highland Games. Not only did I not achieve a single goal I set for myself, I can't say anything too positive came out of the experience. I'll give you the run-down by events.
STONE: They had us throw one of the worst stone in the history of man, Herman's Head. This is really a Breamar Stone, but they use it as their Open Stone at the NEFL Games. It is a 22lb pain in the ass with a funky shape and no sweet spot. I had no "pop" on the throw and I felt as if I could not get any rotational force going on the throw. I only threw it 28'
56 lb Weight For Distance(WFD): My first throw looked like absolute garbage. The cast was too low, the first spin took up 3/4 of the box and I was falling backwards with the throw. It went 21' something. Second throw went a little bit better, but I had no pull on the throw. Third throw was the best, I got my first spin around quick enough and I got a small amount of pull out of it. It went 26' 9" which is a PR, but still 3" short of my goal.
28 lb WFD: I'd rather not talk about this one, but I'll go ahead and do it anyway. All three throws sucked. My feet were too slow, the mechanics felt poor and I threw almost 10' shorter than I threw in practice. I didn't even break 50' which in my eyes is pathetic and inexcusable.
HAMMER: This one was all poor practice methods. This was the first Games using spikes. I practiced the spins with spikes, but never the release. I fouled my first two throws, which felt really powerful, because I lost control and hit the ground on the first two throws. I ditched the spikes and went on for my third attempt. I got good speed, but on the fourth rotation I hit the ground and lost all power and the Hammer only went mid-50s.
CABER: This one went fairly well. I consider myself an average Caber thrower, but I seem to do really well. I placed fourth overall with a 2:00, 1:00 and a 12:00. At least I corrected some of my form errors.
56 lb Weight Over Bar: This one I tied my previous PR, but I was so defeated mentally and worn out physically, I could only touch the bar at 13'.
Sheaf: I suck at it and that is all there is to it. Tied my previous PR. I REALLY need coaching and form work on this one.
REVIEW: I am too slow. Too much Powerlifting and not enough Olympic and Speed training makes Matt a slow boy. So, this weekend I went back and totally revamped my training protocols. I plan to cut out a lot of my Max Effort work and work on a percentage based system. I am going to include speed ladder work and footwork drills. I am also going to change all my main lifts to include more speed/throws-based lifting. They will include Dynamic Incline and Overhead Pressing, Hang Power Snatch, Hang Power Cleans, and Front Squats. Two days a week will include throwing drills and the other two speed and footwork drills. One day on the weekend I am going to try to get a day of real throwing in. I am going to video record each session and only concentrate on two throws at a time.
As you saw I went 0 for 7 on my goals for this Games. I have VERY high expectations of myself because I know that I am better than this. I just need a way to transfer my "out of competition strength" to my "in-competition strength".
I tested Training Maxes for Front Squat and Close-Grip Power Snatch yesterday and man, am I ever slow.
Front Squat: 335. I feel like I had more in the tank, but I ran out of time and had already performed too many sets to work up to 335
Close-Grip Power Snatch: 185. WTF?! This is how slow I've become. This is a pathetic number for me, but a max is a max and I'm going to be smart and stick with the percentages for each given lift.
I am also debating on whether or not to drop weight, but that is another post for another time. My feet have been bothering me way too much for weight to not be a factor. I just need to decide how much I want to lose and how it will affect my throwing. Oh well, I guess that is how the iron game goes...
STONE: They had us throw one of the worst stone in the history of man, Herman's Head. This is really a Breamar Stone, but they use it as their Open Stone at the NEFL Games. It is a 22lb pain in the ass with a funky shape and no sweet spot. I had no "pop" on the throw and I felt as if I could not get any rotational force going on the throw. I only threw it 28'
56 lb Weight For Distance(WFD): My first throw looked like absolute garbage. The cast was too low, the first spin took up 3/4 of the box and I was falling backwards with the throw. It went 21' something. Second throw went a little bit better, but I had no pull on the throw. Third throw was the best, I got my first spin around quick enough and I got a small amount of pull out of it. It went 26' 9" which is a PR, but still 3" short of my goal.
28 lb WFD: I'd rather not talk about this one, but I'll go ahead and do it anyway. All three throws sucked. My feet were too slow, the mechanics felt poor and I threw almost 10' shorter than I threw in practice. I didn't even break 50' which in my eyes is pathetic and inexcusable.
HAMMER: This one was all poor practice methods. This was the first Games using spikes. I practiced the spins with spikes, but never the release. I fouled my first two throws, which felt really powerful, because I lost control and hit the ground on the first two throws. I ditched the spikes and went on for my third attempt. I got good speed, but on the fourth rotation I hit the ground and lost all power and the Hammer only went mid-50s.
CABER: This one went fairly well. I consider myself an average Caber thrower, but I seem to do really well. I placed fourth overall with a 2:00, 1:00 and a 12:00. At least I corrected some of my form errors.
56 lb Weight Over Bar: This one I tied my previous PR, but I was so defeated mentally and worn out physically, I could only touch the bar at 13'.
Sheaf: I suck at it and that is all there is to it. Tied my previous PR. I REALLY need coaching and form work on this one.
REVIEW: I am too slow. Too much Powerlifting and not enough Olympic and Speed training makes Matt a slow boy. So, this weekend I went back and totally revamped my training protocols. I plan to cut out a lot of my Max Effort work and work on a percentage based system. I am going to include speed ladder work and footwork drills. I am also going to change all my main lifts to include more speed/throws-based lifting. They will include Dynamic Incline and Overhead Pressing, Hang Power Snatch, Hang Power Cleans, and Front Squats. Two days a week will include throwing drills and the other two speed and footwork drills. One day on the weekend I am going to try to get a day of real throwing in. I am going to video record each session and only concentrate on two throws at a time.
As you saw I went 0 for 7 on my goals for this Games. I have VERY high expectations of myself because I know that I am better than this. I just need a way to transfer my "out of competition strength" to my "in-competition strength".
I tested Training Maxes for Front Squat and Close-Grip Power Snatch yesterday and man, am I ever slow.
Front Squat: 335. I feel like I had more in the tank, but I ran out of time and had already performed too many sets to work up to 335
Close-Grip Power Snatch: 185. WTF?! This is how slow I've become. This is a pathetic number for me, but a max is a max and I'm going to be smart and stick with the percentages for each given lift.
I am also debating on whether or not to drop weight, but that is another post for another time. My feet have been bothering me way too much for weight to not be a factor. I just need to decide how much I want to lose and how it will affect my throwing. Oh well, I guess that is how the iron game goes...
Friday, February 25, 2011
Highland Games Stuff
Tomorrow will be the 1 year mark of me throwing in the Highland Games. I LOVE the Northeast Florida Highland Games. They were my first Games when I threw the first time at 20 years old and they were my first Games back after my accident. Now I say it is my first year throwing in the Highland Games because when you have to learn how to throw all over again, I consider it a new start.
These Highland Games are huge. We throw at the Clay County Fairgrounds in Green Cove Springs, FL. The venue is big, the Masters and the A's get to throw indoors for the height events and the Caber, and there are always a ton of spectators. I love the crowd. There is nothing better than hearing the crowd after a big caber is turned or a weight for height is made. It just makes you feel good. Last time I threw I had a partial tear to my Achilles Tendon, so I didn't hit most of my goals, so here are my new goals for these games:
Stone of Strength: 40'
56# Weight for Distance: 27'
28# Weight for Distance: 60'
Hammer: 70'
Sheaf: 24' (pathetic, I know)
56# Weight for Height: 13'
Caber: Looking for one turn
I need to look at my form for the caber. I'm turning them and turning them easily, but I always end up between 1 o'clock and 2 o'clock. I think I am pulling from the shoulder, but I'll try to get my wife to shoot some video for me.
I had the opportunity to work with Andy Vince this past weekend. Andy Vince is a throws coach based out of Clermont, Florida and is a phenomenal teacher. Here is part of his resume:
Former British Director of Throws
Great Britain Under 23 National Team Head Coach
Scottish Team National Coach
Senior United Kingdom Shot Put Champion
Record Holder, Indoor Shot Put/Outdoor Shot and Discus throw at Murray State University USA
This guy made sense of the throws. He was able to explain it practically as well as biomechanically. In fact, at one point during the clinic he was talking about the biomechanics and physiology of some of the throws, one of the other throwers looked at me and said, "I bet this is really turning you on, huh."
We had about 6-7 hours of coaching which included drills for hand, body, and foot position as well as foot speed and throws techniques
These Highland Games are huge. We throw at the Clay County Fairgrounds in Green Cove Springs, FL. The venue is big, the Masters and the A's get to throw indoors for the height events and the Caber, and there are always a ton of spectators. I love the crowd. There is nothing better than hearing the crowd after a big caber is turned or a weight for height is made. It just makes you feel good. Last time I threw I had a partial tear to my Achilles Tendon, so I didn't hit most of my goals, so here are my new goals for these games:
Stone of Strength: 40'
56# Weight for Distance: 27'
28# Weight for Distance: 60'
Hammer: 70'
Sheaf: 24' (pathetic, I know)
56# Weight for Height: 13'
Caber: Looking for one turn
I need to look at my form for the caber. I'm turning them and turning them easily, but I always end up between 1 o'clock and 2 o'clock. I think I am pulling from the shoulder, but I'll try to get my wife to shoot some video for me.
I had the opportunity to work with Andy Vince this past weekend. Andy Vince is a throws coach based out of Clermont, Florida and is a phenomenal teacher. Here is part of his resume:
Former British Director of Throws
Great Britain Under 23 National Team Head Coach
Scottish Team National Coach
Senior United Kingdom Shot Put Champion
Record Holder, Indoor Shot Put/Outdoor Shot and Discus throw at Murray State University USA
This guy made sense of the throws. He was able to explain it practically as well as biomechanically. In fact, at one point during the clinic he was talking about the biomechanics and physiology of some of the throws, one of the other throwers looked at me and said, "I bet this is really turning you on, huh."
We had about 6-7 hours of coaching which included drills for hand, body, and foot position as well as foot speed and throws techniques
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Some Thoughts on Nutrition Part II
Let's talk about me, for instance. My goal is to stay 285-305, sure that gives me quite a bit of wiggle room, but that is where I feel the best. I've walked around heavier than that and I feel like a slob. I've also walked around at 240 and I just don't feel as strong or powerful, not to mention that my lean mass is in the high 230s right now. So how do I eat? I try to eat as clean as possible. I found out while giving speeches at a local high school that my co-presenter (a figure/bikini IFBB pro competitor and marathon runner) and I both ate relatively the same. Both of our nutritional profiles were very similar. The big difference, portion size and types. We both eat tons of chicken, beans, green leafy vegetables, etc..., but I will eat everything on the entire chicken, while she sticks with the tenders or the breasts. Where she may eat 1/2 a cup of beans with her meal I'll eat the whole can. You can see where this is going, but we have totally different goals and the "technical profile" is the same.
Now, can I eat completely clean all the time? No. {INSERT HORRIFIC GASP HERE} I'll be the first to admit that I do not eat clean 100% of the time. When I lose my appetite and can't eat as often as I should, I have to make up for it with pretty calorically dense stuff. This isn't saying I sit down with gallons of ice cream, I will however, pick fattier cuts of meat(dark poultry, chuck beef, etc...) or add extra oils to my meals like olive, flax, and grapeseed. Remember that my goal is to maintain a certain weight that is 100+ lbs over that of your average male. When my training gets really intense and I feel my body "shutting down" to the stimulus, I have to eat more. In my personal opinion there is no such thing as over-training in non-elite athletes. There is only under-eating and under-resting.
If you are trying to lose weight is this a good protocol to follow? NO!!! If you want to lose weight you have to eat clean and be consistent. Consistency is the key for dropping weight. Not, "I did well the past three days, so I can take it easy today". IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY! If I said, "I got in 5500 cals for the past week, I think I'll only eat 2200 today", would I stay at my desired weight? There is not a snowball's chance in hell I would. Match your nutrition to the goals you want to accomplish.
To be frank: You eat like shit...You're gonna look like shit! Garbage in = garbage out.
"Ma!!! Where's muh proteeen?!
My opinion: the more you get the better. It helps with satiety(feeling of being full) and ensures you have all the building blocks you need to make all the necessary repairs. Remember that fat and protein are the building blocks for everything in the body. The biggest key is knowing when you need to get certain types.
After Training:
Whey Protein Isolate by far is the best for post-workout. It is the fastest absorbing, most biologically available form of protein. This is what you want to pump your body full of post-workout. Get the protein in the system as fast as possible so that you can stay anabolic. Pair this with a high Glycemic Load carbohydrate (Vitargo, Turbinado sugar, Honey), no fat and you have the perfect post workout shake. Fruit is so-so to use but remember that there is also fructose in fruit, so the glycogen produced from fructose will be most likely stored in the liver, not the muscles. Fat will slow down the digestion and absorption, so leave it out here.
For Meals:
Turkey and eggs are king here. Both are extremely biologically available and absorb well. Eggs are also full of great fats and other nutrients you need like cholesterol. OOHHH NOOO NOT CHOLESTEROL. Different post for a different time, but cholesterol is the main building block for your sex hormones, like testosterone. Turkey breast has less than half of the fat of the leanest cut of beef. Now this means Thanksgiving type turkey breast, not the chopped, boiled, formed crap you get in the deli and on sandwiches.
Don't be afraid to eat red meat either. Red meat had tons of things that are phenomenal for you like: creatine, B-vitamins, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, and the list goes on and on. Choose the leaner cuts like: meat from the Round, Loin, Sirloin, and Flank. Stay away from the Chuck, Rib, Shoulder and Brisket as they are very fatty. Expand you horizons and try other sources of red meat like Buffalo and Lamb. Mmmmmmm, Laaaaaammmmmb.
Chicken is a staple for most people trying to get lean. Stick with the breast and the tender when trying to lean out, but eat everything if you are trying to maintain or gain. Consider yourself a "hardgainer"??? Eat a whole chicken every day and you'll not longer have "hardgainer" issues. Its cheap, easy to cook and you can make it taste like anything you want.
Slow absorbing protein:
Micellar Casein rules the roost. Remember when Met-Rx protein first came out and it was phenomenal? Everyone saw great results and it was the best thing on the market. Then they reformulated it and left out the Micellar Casein because it was too expensive to keep in the product. Met-Rx protein got crappier and most of it was due to the exclusion of Micellar Casein. Get it in shake form or from cottage cheese for slow absorption. Casein form a gel in the stomach and has been shown to release amino acids into the blood stream for up to 6-7 hours after ingestion. Pair it with some soluble fiber and some fish or flax oil for an even more drawn out release. Those "old-people fiber powders" actually work well for this. Just be sure to mix it and SLAM it down. If you let it sit in the glass too long it is gonna get gross, quick.
That is all for today. If you want to hear about a specific topic write a comment and I'll do something up for you.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Some Thoughts on Nutrition
First do something simple; think about foods that upset your stomach in any way, shape, or form. Does it make you nauseous after you eat it? Do you get gassy? Does it make you feel bloated? Chances are that you have a insensitivity to a food. Now, insensitivities are not full-blown allergies, but they can be just as detrimental to your nutrition. Lets take wheat(and other cereal grains) into consideration.
People that are insensitive to wheat have absorption issues. When they eat wheat and it is introduced into the small intestine the villi(small finger-like projections) in the small intestine will lay down. Now the purpose of these villi is to increase the amount of surface area in the small intestine to increase chances of absorption of nutrients. They lay down and you are not absorbing the nutrients that you need.
I hate that "Paleo" has become a fad, but there is some merit to it. If you could not go out and pick it or kill it yourself, don't eat it. What does this do? It just eliminates processed foods. The exception that I make to this is supplementation. You have to think like this. We have been around for 1.2-2 million years, depending on who you ask. We have only had agriculture for the past 10,000 years and most of that was centered around Northern Europe. That is a flash in the pan when you think about the grand scheme of things. You can't go out and take wheat off of the stalk, throw it in your mouth and digest it. You have to process the ever-loving bejeezus out of it to be able to digest it. With that processing comes extra crap that does not need to be put in your body.
Chances are, unless you are of 100% northern European descent you will have an intolerance or an insensitivity to agricultural products like wheat or milk. It is more uncommon to be able to digest milk properly than it is to be lactose intolerant. Why is this? Milk has not been in the human diet long enough to elicit an adaptation. A great example is Native Americans. Dairy has never been in their diet so intolerance is 100% in adults.
Next point...Eat things in their natural state. Wheat grows in nature, but we have turn it into something else before we can use it. Same thing with corn. Not to be crude, but you can always tell when the last time you ate corn was. If it looks the same way coming out, as it did going in, you are getting no benefit from it. Chicken grows naturally, but a chicken nugget isn't natural. There are 38 different ingredients in a single chicken nugget. Pretty gross right? Now look at a box of Cheerios, there are over 20 ingredients in a single Cheerio. They beat the crap out of the grains they are using and process them so much they have to add back vitamins and minerals that were already in the original grain. Plus, the more you pulverize something, then more the surface area is increased. Why is this important? Surface area affects the Glycemic Load of a food. The higher the Glycemic Load, the more it affects your blood sugar levels, which in turn affects insulin response.
I'll go into more depth a little later, but if you got nothing else out of this, remember the bold points. When you shop, ask yourself these two things when you pick up an item. Next time we'll talk about portion sizes and protein selection. Trust me...I worked my way through college as a Meat Cutter/Butcher.
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