ERIC'S BIG SNOUT

Rut's Best Friend loves the camera

Row 1000M
Push-ups 50 Reps
Run 800M
Push-ups 30 Reps
Run 400M
Push-ups 20 Reps

THE ZEN OF COACHING

One of the most fascinating and frustrating aspects of coaching is the encounter with the uncoachable student. I read something from Zen philosphy once and it made some sense.

In viewing the new student from a Zen perspective,you can see them as four different cups. Everything from upright open and receptive, to flipped over and non receptive.

1 UPRIGHT AND OPEN - Enthusiastic and willing receive coaching. The model student who also uses the information even away from the coach. These are typically the success stories you read about.

2. UPRIGHT AND OPEN WITH A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM. The student receives the information but has little time to apply the coaching or information, so it leaks immediately out the bottom. Much too concerned with other problems or issues and "already knows" what to do.

3. UPRIGHT AND OPEN BUT DIRTY-The coaching is received but previous experiences and perceptions of self makes it difficult to hear, learn and apply. Previous experiences or garbage perceptions make it so the coaching is not received. This is a great person to blame the coach. "HE DOESN"T LIKE ME BECAUSE I"M NOT IN SHAPE" This is a train wreck. They need a hand holder rather than a coach and will generally gravitate towards a bleeding heart type who listens to their problems and tells them what they want to hear.

4. CUP FLIPPED OVER SO THE OPENING IS CLOSED. I've only talked to this type and never coached them. They are flirting with the idea of a coaching relationship but can't pull the trigger. I know very little about this type as they never get over the commitment hump.

From a ZEN perspective how coachable are you? Don't think of your best time or your worst. Look at your outlook over time.

BURGIE

When I book my reservation at the training compound this is the room I request.

Rounds of 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 Reps.

Perform....

DB Burpee/ Hang Squat Clean/thruster (35lb Dumbbells Male Athletes/25lbs Dumbells Female Athletes)
Pull-ups
Ball Slams (20lbs Male Athletes/16lbs Female Athletes)

On this Burpee version the hands do not need to extend above the head with the load. The bells should be carried next to the hips as you jump and the feet leave the ground.

THE BRAHMA BULL

Seckinger's Gym.

THE BRAHMA BULL

75 Reps of Barbell Thrusters for Time

Loading equals 50% of body weight.

Somebody named this workout BRAHMA BULL last winter. Step forward and be recognized.

THE REAL THING AGAIN

Drinking as little as one can of soda a day — regular or diet — is associated with a 48% increased risk of metabolic syndrome, a key predecessor of heart disease and diabetes, according to results released Monday.

Researchers knew that drinking regular sodas contributed to the risk of metabolic syndrome, but this is the first finding implicating diet sodas, according to results published online in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Assn.

The researchers were uncertain why diet soda seemed to have such a large effect.MORE.......

FINGERNAILS IN THE FUDGE

Joane & Molly (aka "MOM" & "FRESHMAN") display their pleasure at graduation.
7 Intervals of:

400 M Run
21 Swings
12 Pull-ups

2:00 Rest

You will be posting 7 different time.

YOUR PULL-UP FITNESS

The great super weight Vasily Alexeyev did not use his enormous size as a limitation to pull-up performance. He was able to perform more than 20 pull-ups.

I look at pull-up skill as one of those key indicators of strength fitness. The gold standard being twenty.

Strict or kipping style permitted. Save the debate for somewhere else.

UNDERGRID BROWN OUT

BUMPER STICKERS NOW SHIPPING WITH ALL ORDERS!

4 Rounds for Time:

400 M Row
20 Dumbbell Clean & Press 10 Right/ 10 Left
10 Pull-ups

Loading: (Males 55lbs/Females 30lbs)

BALL SIZE

Hi Coach Rut,

Thank you for your hard work and for sharing your considerable experience in putting together the Dumbbell Moves DVDs. I recently purchased all three volumes, and they are awesome. Thank you so much for making this material available.

I intend to purchase one or more med balls, and I would like your advice. For wall ball shots, should I get the 20lb. Dynamax? What would you suggest for slam balls, a 40lb. and a 20lb. D-ball? Yellow non-bounceable or orange semi-bounceable? What diameter?

Thank you again for the Dumbbell Moves DVDs, and thank you for your med ball advice.

Best regards,

Scott



Scott

For real wall ball shots those Dynamax balls will be softer on the target and easier to catch. The 20 lb. ball is the standard but nothing says you need to use these or the 10ft target. The D-balls will work fine BUT they will be more difficult to manage and harder on the target you establish.

The d-balls in 20 and 40 pounds will be certainly good for you. The Yellow non bounce version is my preference.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with the DVD's. I really appreciate it.

Regards,

Coach Rut

DUMPLINGS IN THE DEEP END

Only two rounds here and try not to stop to smile at your camera. This workout from DUMBBELLS MOVES VOL II. THE COMPLEXES

5 Rounds

10 Dumbbell Snatch (5 left/5 right)
10 Dumbbell Swings Single Arm (5 left/5 right)
10 Burpees

CHANGING HABITS WITH A JOE

Joe's Goals Can Assist with Habit Tracking.

I K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) much of life's challenges. This would obviously apply to health and fitness.

Examples could include replacing the bagels for breakfast with eggs. Water for the ounces of Diet Coke, an apple instead of the cupcake. Walking the golf course instead of sitting on your posterior in a cart. You know the drill.

Much of these monstrous undertakings consists of making simple habit changes. I've located yet another on-line tool which allows you to track your habits.

Joe's Goals (http://www.joesgoals.com/) is a nifty way to check off your positive behaviors. I suggest your share the idea with your own fitness guru, closest friend or circle of influence. Tell them what you are up to and give them access to this link. Now you are accountable.

HORSE CAMP

3 Rounds for time

Deadlift 225lbs (21-15-9 reps)
Box Jumps (21-15-9 reps)
Knees to Elbows (21-15-9 reps)

Adjust the deadlift load to your appropriate strength fitness.

GET IT TOGETHER CHESTER

With July 4th celebration in the rear view mirror, we are into the push towards fall. I'm officially launching the back to school campaign today.

We have bundled DUMBBELL MOVES VOLUMES I, II and III and have them on the gear page for the taking. The bundle offers the best there is on dumbbell conditioning and more. I'm receiving positive feedback from athletes taking DUMBBELL MOVES on the road for their travel workout program.

Starting today until July 21 2007, I am tossing in a complimentary BOOT CAMP FITNESS T-SHIRT! Your summer will finish strong with your official t-shirt. Follow up your order with an e-mail indicating your t-shirt size and I will zip it out to you.

I don't have an unlimited supply of these so when they are gone I'll let you know right here.

Today I also want to touch on four productivity tools that will lead to a more organized life.

These are four critical items you need at your disposal all the time. Without them you are attempting to hold information in your short term memory (RAM) and this just does not work.

So in no particular order here are the four productivity items to make your day more organized and might I add healthy!

CALENDAR- Do you have an appointment on August 2, 2007? Do you have three? If you can't find those at the flip of a page or the touch of a button you are in trouble. Believe it or not I already have an item on September 9th, 2008. Without a place to anchor your appointments you will struggle.

CONTACTS- My contacts are stored digitally in a database. I can update, change or eliminate on the fly. Today I have 1086 contacts in my address book. How do you think it makes people feel when you can pull up their name, e-mail, birthday or they ring into your phone and you can answer with a personal greeting? Fantastic that's how they feel. Again,this needs to be with you all the time.

TASK LIST- This is a location to catch all the TO DO items for the day, month, and year. You will have reoccurring items and one time items. You need a system that permits you to check off each item as you complete the task. This feels good. I suggest you keep this to only the real important items. Keep your important tasks limited to four to six per day. Today I have six and I've only checked off two items. I need to get going!

JOURNAL PAGES- This is a collection of thoughts and actions that haven't been placed in your calendar, task list or placed in the digital Rolodex. I carry a bunch of 3 x 5 cards. If I'm in the middle of something and an idea or task I need to complete pops into my head I have a place to record it. I can later transfer that to my bigger system or complete the task if necessary and dispose of the card.

Personally I use a BLACKBERRY that interfaces with MICROSOFT Outlook. These two synchronize on my computer so the data is backed up automatically on both platforms. The synchronization software is the most accurate in the industry. It doesn't play songs or take pictures but like a any good utility item it does the job.

40 LICKS

What's not to love about this gal? Strong, fit and smart as a whip. CrossFit Journal Editor-in-Chief Carrie Klumpar drags a bus!

How far can you run with an interval program of:

40 INTERVALS OF:
:20 work
:10 rest

Items to assist you with your workout

- A measured 400 meter distance
- An interval timer/watch that will permit a pre programmed intervals totaling 40 sets.

As soon as the work interval ends you must slow to a walk. No jogging. The stopping and starting is part of the challenge.


This will take some planning to measure your running distance. The obvious choice is a measured 400m distance. I strongly suggest a solid warm-up including some build up sprints.

BEST TRAINERS

The NEW BALANCE MX1007 is the best multi functional conditioning shoe.

Like General Patton I too believe that your footgear is important to your success. When questioned as to the perfect footgear for multi functional training I always point my athletes to the NEW BALANCE MX1007.

New Balance has recently replaced the MX1007 with the 1008. I hate it. The bottom is too slick and the foot bed too narrow.

I've successfully run 5k-10K, cleaned 125kg, and box jumped to some 30 odd inches in mine.

If you are interested there are a few outlets that still sell these beauties. My favorite is ZAPPOS. They provided FREE shipping and if the size is wrong FREE returns. These dogs run true to size.

SPORTS STAR ICE BATH

Great Gals. Eva T and Dylan Sakamoto

For Time:

9 Pull-ups
9 Thrusters
15 Pull-ups
15 Thrusters
21 Pull-ups
21 Thrusters

(Male Athletes 95lbs/Female Athletes 55lbs)

SNEAKING IN MORE OMEGA 3

When I walk the golf course I need some snacks. When you dehydrate and get hungry your focus on shots goes into the tank. At my weight my energy expenditure is around 1560 kcals.- It takes alot of fuel to run this truck.

Since course chow is a nasty blend of day old hot dogs and tuna salad from last week, I pack in my own nourishment.

Water is number one so if I know the course does not provide enough stations I pack in my own.

This year I've been bringing along Salmon Jerky. Kodiak SOLSTIX is amazing. Nice shot of protein and the added benefit of more Omega 3. It helps me keep my focus and finish the round without waving a white flag.

BONE-DEEP PAPER CUT

How many rounds can you complete in 20 minutes?

20 Get-ups (10 Right/10 Left)
20 Push-ups

OH NO!

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEN'S FITNESS No way one of the world's best athletes subjects himself to one of these.

I have all kinds of bad memories in regards to the smith machine This one falls under the category of a good idea gone bad. Like the Sony Beta Max and the Pacer.

Years ago I encountered an unmentionable fitness trainer who had a nice following.
Besides exercise movements that bordered on tribal rain dances, he asked his clients to perform them in this smith machine. To make matters worse, they performed litterally hundreds of reps. I'll never forget it.

So imagine my horror when a client, friend and sometimes golfing partner brought this photo to my attention.

IGUANA FOUNTAIN OF FUN

5 Intervals of

300 Jump Rope trips/spins
2o Dumbbell Swings
10 Pull-ups

Rest 2:00 between intervals. You should have 5 times to record or post.

TRACK YOUR GOALS ON LINE

The on line application list continues to expand. It is now possible to track your goal progress with INPOWR. There are profiles and questionaires to access your current level of fitness and overall health. You are then able to go back to the site from any computer terminal and update and chart your progress.

Anyone serious about change will have some form of charting or tracking system. If you don't you are spinning your wheels and the jokes on you.

This is currently a free service but I can't see this lasting forever. You can find it here http://www.inpowr.com/

GLAD TIDINGS AND SEASONAL GREASINGS

This lad is a bit over 50% of bodyweight.


Select a 400M route. A track or measured distance is one in the same.
Next pick a pair of dumbbells in the 50% of bodyweight for the pair.
Carry 400M drop the bells and run 400 meters. Post the number of rounds completed in 20 minutes. Happy 4th!

DON'T STOP ME NOW....MORE BRAIN FITNESS TIPS

I have developed a new found appreciation for training the brain. Mostly because I catch myself grinding a few gears. In listening to MOZART’S BRAIN and the FIGHTER PILOT by neuropsychiatrist Richard Restak, I have learned to start working more wordy gurdy and cross word puzzles. If you follow along here you have likely noticed my pimping of the BRAIN GYM known as MY BRAIN TRAINER. They have recently rolled out version 2.0 and it's killer tough training for about .11 cents per day.

Your brain unlikely your kidneys or other organs that begin to show the mileage, will keep on reprogramming and rebuilding if you work it. If you only challenge your noodle with re-runs of Andy Griffith and abuse your noodle with recreational drugs and alcohol you are accelerating dementia.

Here are some suggestions to stimulate each hemisphere in your brain forcing new programming and rebuilding:

*Write letters instead of calling. Use a pen and paper.
*Write articles for newsletters, magazines or newspapers. It doesn’t matter if the circulation is less than 3 million.
*Work crossword puzzles and word games.
*Journal
*Take a different route to work.
*Go to the grocery store and look at the people in the aisle next to you. Turn away and then try to recall what each person is wearing in vivid detail.
*Go to a library and read a book.
*Sell your television.
*Draw a picture using color and detail (no stick men). Put the picture away for 30 minutes. Get out another sheet and try to duplicate it.
*Use visualisation to improve performance.
*Work to memorize phone numbers, account numbers, pin numbers and passwords. Don’t punish yourself if you forget. Remember it is your brains version of a bicep workout.
*Use association to recall information. For example, you have a need to recall several pieces of information during a presentation. You will have time to prepare but you will not have notes or your PDA. You will probably be in a room you commonly use during your preparation. Using the surroundings, hook (associate) the information you need to recall with items in the room. Such as: Ceiling=High profit services. As you make your presentation recall each part of the room. If you practice this association enough your brain will recall the association or hook with each item.
*Do something entirely different. Break your routine.
*Learn a new skill or craft
*Learn a NEW language.
*If you have worked on a PC your entire life, find the own of a MAC and learn to run that operating system.

Get the idea? Now get out there and pump up that brain.

ROCK HARD ABDOMINAL CRAMPS

Word!


For time:
30 Pull-ups
30 Box Jumps, 20 inches
30 DB swings, (55lbs/35lbs)
30 Push-ups
30 Barbell Hang Power cleans, (65 lbs/35lbs)
30 Burpees
30 Wall-ball shots (20lbs/12lbs)
30 Sit-ups