Exercising for snowmobiling?

[jbusch]

Pot meet kettle, lol.

Its super easy to poke fun at any type of gym. Koolaid crossfit drinkers, meatheads at golds, pansies at planet fitness, curl in the squat rack / glamour muscle bros, etc. Social douchebags are everywhere in every facet of society.

None of the stereotypes you listed are prevalent at the crossfit gym / box / whatever that I work out at, and if it was then I would not work out there. Have been to several and have never seen what you are referring to, not saying its not out there, but it is a moronic small minority. It is very simple (and simple minded) to paint an entire group because of its moron minority, we deal with that constantly as snowmachiners and it really is a mindset that needs to stop.

I do agree that there is nothing revolutionary about crossfit in regards to the workout. High intensity interval training has been around forever. Problem is most traditional gyms do not lend itself to that type of workout (bumper plates, oly platforms, tires, medicine balls, etc). Crossfit does a good job of developing a workout for you where you just show up, do your workout, and go home. Makes it much more convenient for people, and people don't mind paying for convenience. Free market and it is proving successful, good on them.

I stick with what works for me, crossfit has shown results that 20+ years of lifting for athletics has never done. To each their own, and the most important thing is to actually get and do SOMETHING.

I am a fitness professional and have been for 20 years. I own and operate a sucessfull training facility and have a pretty strong opinion on crossfit. My thoughts are based upon exercise science and 20 years of working in the industry. I think crossfit has done something amazing in that they probably got a lot of people moving that may not have been before. However, with that said most people that go to crossfit are already exercisers. And crossfit is not based upon any science. If you look at any of the WOD you are going to see things that just dont make sense. 30 power cleans with 225 (recent part of a WOD at the games) a power clean is a power development exercise, which means that it should never be done at those rep levels, much less with that kind of weight. Nobody can keep their form accurate with those rep ranges. Also, you will see 2 sometimes 3 days in a row of pulling, deadlift, pullups, swings, cleans. You have to allow your body rest in order to recover. All of the good stuff happens at rest not during the work phase. I have fixed countless crossfitters who have come to me with shoulder problems, back problems, knee problems, etc. I suppose it is job security for me at this point.

What makes crossfit so appealing is the community and while I don't know you or what you did for the previous 20 years. My guess is that you are working harder now, lifting heavier weights, and paying attention to your paleo diet. Those things put together will work everytime in any setting.

 

[Dogmeat]

power yodeling ... best cardio you could ask for.

 

[aebsledder]

good post

I am a fitness professional and have been for 20 years. I own and operate a sucessfull training facility and have a pretty strong opinion on crossfit. My thoughts are based upon exercise science and 20 years of working in the industry. I think crossfit has done something amazing in that they probably got a lot of people moving that may not have been before. However, with that said most people that go to crossfit are already exercisers. And crossfit is not based upon any science. If you look at any of the WOD you are going to see things that just dont make sense. 30 power cleans with 225 (recent part of a WOD at the games) a power clean is a power development exercise, which means that it should never be done at those rep levels, much less with that kind of weight. Nobody can keep their form accurate with those rep ranges. Also, you will see 2 sometimes 3 days in a row of pulling, deadlift, pullups, swings, cleans. You have to allow your body rest in order to recover. All of the good stuff happens at rest not during the work phase. I have fixed countless crossfitters who have come to me with shoulder problems, back problems, knee problems, etc. I suppose it is job security for me at this point.

What makes crossfit so appealing is the community and while I don't know you or what you did for the previous 20 years. My guess is that you are working harder now, lifting heavier weights, and paying attention to your paleo diet. Those things put together will work everytime in any setting.

Good post. Crossfit is my current fitness Kool-Aid of choice, but I am always looking for new ways to stay fit. I also try to do as much outdoor activity as I can, hiking, etc. So, what are your thoughts on the video fitness craze? P90x, Insanity, etc? I have done pretty much all of them, the one detractor I found was after I had done it, it was hard to stay motivated with the routines. I have shyed away from some of the crossfit workouts that are heavy olympic lifts while under extreme fatigue. Once my form suffers, I back off. However, I LOVE the workouts that are pushups, pullups, running, rowing, jump rope, box jumps, rope climbs, etc. I have not done the same workout since I started. I incorporate the Crossfit Endurance routines into my repertoire, and those have paid huge dividends. I also love the gymnastic aspect of crossfit, something about trying to develop technique keeps you very goal oriented. Any programs you like, or adhere to? I would probably consider working with a personal trainer if I could find one who keep things interesting, but the ones I have tried have not exactly met my expectations. I do understand people's reservations about it though, I have my own. One thing I do focus on is listening to what my body is telling me and take days off if I feel like I need it. Gonna keep on this train for a while longer, see where it takes me.

 

[ak ryda]

I am a fitness professional and have been for 20 years. I own and operate a sucessfull training facility and have a pretty strong opinion on crossfit. My thoughts are based upon exercise science and 20 years of working in the industry. I think crossfit has done something amazing in that they probably got a lot of people moving that may not have been before.

Good post, totally agree that crossfit has done a good job of getting people off their couches. Hell, even P90X, insanity, etc have done a good job as well. Like I have said multiple times in this thread, the most important thing is doing SOMETHING.

However, with that said most people that go to crossfit are already exercisers. And crossfit is not based upon any science. If you look at any of the WOD you are going to see things that just dont make sense. 30 power cleans with 225 (recent part of a WOD at the games) a power clean is a power development exercise, which means that it should never be done at those rep levels, much less with that kind of weight. Nobody can keep their form accurate with those rep ranges. Also, you will see 2 sometimes 3 days in a row of pulling, deadlift, pullups, swings, cleans. You have to allow your body rest in order to recover. All of the good stuff happens at rest not during the work phase. I have fixed countless crossfitters who have come to me with shoulder problems, back problems, knee problems, etc. I suppose it is job security for me at this point.

True, I am athletic and enjoy working out, the varied nature of crossfit keeps me interested and feeling fresh. As far as up to three days of similar workouts, I dont see that at the joint I work out at or on the main web page WODs. I also wouldnt pick what the dudes are doing during the games as typical. Those guys are machines in competition and train for high reps at heavy weight, their form looks pretty darn good if you ask me. Again, they are not the norm in any way. If my body tells me to shut it down, then I listen. If I feel good after a workout, then many times I will do it again. My body responds well to it, others may not.

What makes crossfit so appealing is the community and while I don't know you or what you did for the previous 20 years. My guess is that you are working harder now, lifting heavier weights, and paying attention to your paleo diet. Those things put together will work everytime in any setting.

Totally agree that busting your @ss and eating healthy is the key to results. To be honest the community is one of my least favorite parts. I want to go in, push/push/lift stuff up, put it back down, repeat, and push my body and mind past its comfort point. Results and progression are what drives me, not a cheering squad. I also dont Paleo, not my thing, but I do try to have a balanced and clean diet.

Crossfit is definitely different than my training and program before, so it is hard to say I am working "harder" compared to when I was training for sports, doing starting strength, or 5-3-1 and concentrating on going heavy. From a results standpoint it is a million times better than when I had no real direction and did a different body part each day of the week and ended with a hour of cardio and abs.

 

[Scott]

I think the guerilla workouts are definately positive for applicable core strength, cardio and stamina.

It's a bit more authentic and applicable than dancing in front of a TV.

But whatever you do, whether it's lifting weights, doing a DVD workout or guerilla workouts...you have to vary your workouts every 6 weeks. Muscle memory has it's limitations and you will hit a wall with no gains. People usually get frustrated and ultimately quit.

 

[hatchers]

geez akryda, you're way too serious on the interwebs....you must be a hoot to chat with a pancake social

on the 4 reals: i train as hard as a entry level triathlete, last winter i worked up to 5-7 days sets of 1000-2500 calorie burn workouts, what ive learned is to simply listen to your body and make smaller goals that lead to bigger ones, same goes with nutrition and your mental status

is the calorie thing a science? not really, but its a great feedback to trend

 

[ak ryda]

geez akryda, you're way too serious on the interwebs....you must be a hoot to chat with a pancake social

on the 4 reals: i train as hard as a entry level triathlete, last winter i worked up to 5-7 days sets of 1000-2500 calorie burn workouts, what ive learned is to simply listen to your body and make smaller goals that lead to bigger ones, same goes with nutrition and your mental status

is the calorie thing a science? not really, but its a great feedback to trend

No, not serious, just find hypocrisy and diarrhea of the mouth funny and called you out on it. Sorry if I hurt your feelers. Wanna hug it out?

I totally agree on the calorie thing. Work out and make your calories used more than your calories taken in, you will lose weight and get in better shape, its not rocket science.

 

[Matte Murder]

I think the biggest thing Crossfit has done is get people focused on functional strength. Power, muscle endurance, ability to lift your own bodyweight etc. For decades we got away from useable muscles and the focus on making people better at "stuff". Sports, recreational activities etc. The focus shifted to making people "look" fit. Big body builder muscles are for the most part pretty useless and bulky, inflexible and heavy. Pure cardio people like marathoners are usually thin and weak every where but their lungs and legs. All the old school stuff that Weider and the bodybuilding crowd threw away is coming back. Push ups, pull ups, calisthenics, kettlebells, rope climbing etc both build useable strength an muscle endurance.
Hatcher has some valid points but as usual he makes it offensive to anyone who likes Crossfit. I have never been in a Crossfit gym. I am pressed for time and my best time to work out is very late in the evening, not a lot of Crossfit gyms are going to work with my schedule. I have a really good set up at home. But the main reason I don't do it is because of the injuries. Getting in really good shape to then get injured on a regular basis is really counterproductive. Counting rehabbing the injury I might miss half the winter which is really why I am working out in the first place.
jbusch is a "fitness professional" a personal trainer in English? I also find that the whole personal trainer industry is completely threatened and very negative to any kind of program that doesn't involve them.

 

[hatchers]

I think the biggest thing Crossfit has done is get people focused on functional strength.

Exactly...maybe im lame, but i just see the whole "Crossfit" movement as something for weak minds who need a flow chart or directions.

As for ryda, i wont be seeing you at the pancake social as your words are very hurtful!

 

[ak ryda]

Exactly...maybe im lame, but i just see the whole "Crossfit" movement as something for weak minds who need a flow chart or directions.

As for ryda, i wont be seeing you at the pancake social as your words are very hurtful!

Come on Hatch, they are even Paleo friendly pancakes and all the crossfit koolaid you can drink.

Lol, I really dont agree with the term "functional strength". ALL STRENGTH IS FUNCTIONAL. Functional movements is a much more applicable term. Strong is strong, always has been and always will be.

Crossfit does a good job of giving people direction with their workouts. I got bogged down with the whole "different body part each day of the week, eliptical / treadmill for cardio at end of every workout", which was boring as hell and didnt produce results. Crossfit gave my workouts direction and goals. Its not the only program out there, just what has worked for me. May not be the best direction for everyone, but it is better than no direction.

 

[hatchers]

I really dont agree with the term "functional strength". ALL STRENGTH IS FUNCTIONAL.

i not sure we share the same definition of "functional strengh"

whats my definition?

Functional
- core, core core
- lifting stuff around the house, changing a car tire
- planting a tree by myself
- painting the house by myself

not Functional
- bench pressing 700lbs with the help of two spotters
- lat pull downs with wrist straps, wtf are those for BRO, you dont use those cheater straps on your everyday travels
- running on a treadmill


on a side note, how big of an igloo do you guys have to build in alaska to shelter the average size family?

 

[ak ryda]

i not sure we share the same definition of "functional strengh"

whats my definition?

Functional
- core, core core
- lifting stuff around the house, changing a car tire
- planting a tree by myself
- painting the house by myself

not Functional
- bench pressing 700lbs with the help of two spotters
- lat pull downs with wrist straps, wtf are those for BRO, you dont use those cheater straps on your everyday travels
- running on a treadmill


on a side note, how big of an igloo do you guys have to build in alaska to shelter the average size family?

Totally agree that some strength better translates to everyday life.

I keep my straps locked and loaded at all times. Never know when I may find a mirror that I need to do curls or lat pull downs in front of.

And you know exactly how big we grown them up here, especially in the valley.

Actual Workout Info.................Decent workout tonight. Did 75 reps of power snatches at 75 pounds in a little under 5 and a half minutes. I see a date with my foam roller tomorrow for sure.

 

[aebsledder]

geez akryda, you're way too serious on the interwebs....you must be a hoot to chat with a pancake social

on the 4 reals: i train as hard as a entry level triathlete, last winter i worked up to 5-7 days sets of 1000-2500 calorie burn workouts, what ive learned is to simply listen to your body and make smaller goals that lead to bigger ones, same goes with nutrition and your mental status

is the calorie thing a science? not really, but its a great feedback to trend

2500 Calorie Burn Workouts? Please enlighten me on this one. What do you do? Slather yourself with bacon grease and run through Yellowstone?

 

[hatchers]

2500 Calorie Burn Workouts? Please enlighten me on this one. What do you do? Slather yourself with bacon grease and run through Yellowstone?

run 3-4 hard miles is a good warm up and good for 500
spin 1.25 hrs while bouncing 85-100% HR, twice down to 80% and twice down to 65%.....good for 1000-1100
moderate Swim or hit small weights and big reps for an hour...good for 700-1000
know your body, you cant do this chit on water alone, i like to load up on gatorade early in the workout and finish with water, i like rasberry hammer gel for ease and it taste great, and ill also eat two energy bars, i usually need 200-400 calories an hour to keep going

sometimes i work up to bigger workouts:
- road cycle 4-5 hrs, usually 50-70 miles of Utah grade hills...after a ride like this you'll be chipping rocks of salt off your body

 

[aebsledder]

run 3-4 hard miles is a good warm up and good for 500
spin 1.25 hrs while bouncing 85-100% HR, twice down to 80% and twice down to 65%.....good for 1000-1100
moderate Swim or hit small weights and big reps for an hour...good for 700-1000
know your body, you cant do this chit on water alone, i like to load up on gatorade early in the workout and finish with water, i like rasberry hammer gel for ease and it taste great, and ill also eat two energy bars, i usually need 200-400 calories an hour to keep going

sometimes i work up to bigger workouts:
- road cycle 4-5 hrs, usually 50-70 miles of Utah grade hills...after a ride like this you'll be chipping rocks of salt off your body

Yikes. So, about 2-3 hrs per workout? I like to exercise, but I don't think I could workout that long. I suppose if you are biking and swimming it would probably pass the time. Kudos to you...if you aren't completely full of it.

 

[jbusch]

jbusch is a "fitness professional" a personal trainer in English? I also find that the whole personal trainer industry is completely threatened and very negative to any kind of program that doesn't involve them.

Matte, Just a little background on myself. I am in my forties and have been doing this for 20 years and own a small 3800sqft, training facility/yoga studio in Boulder CO. I have graduated countless high school athletes who have gone on to college scholarships, set high school athletic records, helped hundreds of people loose thousands of pounds over the years, achieve personal records in multiple sports including snowmobiling, rehabbed more shoulders, knees, backs, and hips than I can remember. We have expanded twice in 5 years, and there are over 100 people a week that come in and out of my facility. I have partnerships with the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine and several physicians and Orthopedic Surgeons. I personally see over 60 clients a week between privates and semi privates.

While I agree that there are a lot of hack personal traininers out there and I am the first one to admit that. There are others like myself who take ourselves very seriously. If you look at the majority of professional athletes they all have trainers, coaches, therapists, etc on their team. So, while the "group" fitness industry is growing, so is my business.

I see the fitness industry changing like this, and with 20plus years in the industry I have seen a lot. The portion of the industry that is growing right now are the small low overheard facilities that offer niche orientated facilities, such as crossfit, my facility, trx group studios, etc. The trend back towards strength training and away from body building is a good shift. The giant commercial general fitness facilities such as 24, golds, lakeshore, etc are battling it it out for a shrinking market share.

I hope that I was able to educate you on the difference between a professional in the fitness industry and some hack who knows what works with him/her and therefore thats best for everyone else.

 

[jbusch]

So, what are your thoughts on the video fitness craze? P90x, Insanity, etc? I have done pretty much all of them, the one detractor I found was after I had done it, it was hard to stay motivated with the routines.

My thoughts on the video craze are the same as you alluded to. They become boring very quickly and lets face it if you not enjoying it then it sucks. Plus I believe in lifting heavy weights. The fountain of youth is lean muscle tissue and the only way to increase your LMT is to create a large enough response on the muscle that requires it to grow, which means you have to lift heavy. Pushups, pullups, gymanstic moves, etc are all solid training tactics. But nothing beats deadlifts (directly correlates to sledding), back squats, single leg squats, heavy pulling (bent over rows, cleans, swings, etc), and pushing, chest pressing, overhead pressing, snatching, etc. Plyometrics are another really important tool in conditioning.

In the end the important thing is to find something that works for you. There are million different workout programs and while I would encourage everyone to work with a trainer, finding a good one can be an issue. There is a term in my industry called self moderate progression, which basically means listen to your body, you live there I don't, if something doesnt feel right then dont do it. Learn your body type and the problems that you have in mobility and stability and work on those, use a foam roller, warm up correctly, and pay attention. If you keep those things in mind you will go along way to staying healthy which is the ultimate goal as we age.

 

[Scott]

Anyone see the 300 Spartan workout in the next issue of Sledheads?

It's a bit burly.

 

[ak ryda]

Anyone see the 300 Spartan workout in the next issue of Sledheads?

It's a bit burly.

That's a good one. Along the same lines to the workout we are doing tonight.

"Filthy Fifty"
For time
50 Box Jumps (24")
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettle Bell Swings (53lbs)
50 Walking Lunges
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press (45lbs)
50 Back extensions
50 Wall balls (20lbs)
50 Burpees
50 Double Unders

 

[sledboy82]

Filthy fifty...... thats an a** kickn. Love that one