Rice Crispies

For every athlete that I have had the honor of meeting pain is simply a reality. You wake up in the morning and there is some part of you that is not feeling it's best. Before you write this off as a bitch session, understand it is just the way things are. The pain is neither a good thing or a bad thing, it is just a reality. My knees still ache from the countless miles that have been put on them and there are still ghosts of hits delivered and received that would prefer to torment every other joint in my body. Sometimes the pain is there to the point where you don't notice it anymore, like static in a speaker that has been playing so long that you have forgotten that it is broken. These things, my friends, are absolutely beautiful. Now beautiful may be a strange description for something that I just described as torment but hear me out. In the pain there is not only a reminder of the price that we were willing to pay but also an opportunity for growth. It is not until we have taken risk, even physical ones, that we can truly enjoy life and all that it has to offer. And sometimes life offers us it's finest gifts in the form of some sort of injury or injustice, essentially some form of pain. This moring when you get out of bed and hear more snaps, crackles, and pops than a box of Rice Krispies, remember the joy that you have received in playing along side of some of the finest people in the world and pursuing the purest form of freedom through competition. These are wounds that are hard won and more than worth it.

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 15 alt db chest press
3x 15 straight arm twists
3x 20 ball squats
3x 15 squat to overhead press
3x 15 meters lunges
3x 15 seated rows
4x 15 sec planks
2x 15 reg crunches
2x 15 crunches with feet up
5 min cool down
Stretch

Krushing It

I'm in a bit of a cardio kick right now and I will tell you there is nothing worse except doing it with no music. If your going to be out crushing some miles and getting your heart rate to the max, make sure you have some music that will carry you through when your brain goes to mush because you think putting miles on your body for no specific fucking reason is ludicrous. (maybe that is just me). All the same, conditioning your heart and lungs is important and doing it over distance is different than any other form so have fun! Below is a playlist that helps me through. Let me know if i mussed anything.

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
60 min consistent moderate to intense cardio
4x 30 sec planks
5 min cool down
Stretch

Hard In Da Paint- Waka Flocka
Natives- Blink 182
Brown Eyed Girl- Pennywise
Crushcrushcrush- Paramore
Electable- Jimmy Eat World
I Melt With You- Mest
Where Is My Mind- The Pixies(Bassnectar Remix)
Sail- Awolnation
Internet Killed The Video Star- The Limousines
The 59 Sound- The Gaslight Anthem
Wishing Well- Airbourne Toxic Event
Ditty- Paperboy
Notorious Thugs- Bone Thugs N Harmony and Notorious B.I.G.
Fuck Authority- Pennywise
Life Is Beautiful- Sixx AM

Basics

The basics are always the basics, and everything else is a variation of them. At this point in the season, it is not bad to visit or revisit the fundamentals just to make sure they are solid. That is what the workout is going to be about today. Have fun!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 12 alt db chest press
3x 12 straight arm twists
3x 20 ball squats
3x 12 squat to overhead press
3x 12 straight leg dead lifts
3x 12 seated rows
4x 15 sec planks
2x 15 reg crunches
2x 15 crunches with feet up
5 min cool down
Stretch

Just One Of Those Weeks

You ever have a week where you just can't get things to go in your favor? How about one straight out of hell? This week I can identify. At first it was a little frustrating, then maddening, and now it is straight-up comedy. Why funny? Because it doesn't matter how mad you get at the things you cannot control. You still won't be able to control them. I have had a somewhat sinister smile on my face for the past few days and it is fucking with peoples heads. They don't seem to be able to process the thoughts of moving forward no matter what that are running through my head. I'm not judging them for this as there is no room for them in my head anyways (it's already crowded enough) but I'm not slowing down either. We either gain ground or we don't. We are either growing or dying, both of which involve pain and difficulty, so I choose to grow. You choose for yourself but make it worth it. Now let's wrap this bitch up. It is Friday after all!

J


5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 10 pushups with rotation
3x 20 chest passes with med ball
3x 10 step up to overhead presses
3x 20 volleyball set with med ball
3x 10 deadlifts
3x 20 box jumps
3x 10 inverted rows
3x 20 back flys
2x 25 stab ball crunches
2x 15 stab ball plank crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

Inspiration At It's Finest

Every now and then we all need a pep talk to remind us what needs to be done, and more importantly, that we are capable of doing it. Over the years I have spent more time in locker rooms and amongst teams before practices and games than I can count and have been present for some of the finest speeches ever given. The funny part is that a pep talk is as different from person to person in it's delivery as any individual could ever be. Sure, they are all generally attempts to be inspiring but some hit home better than others. My favorites are the borderline disturbing/psychotic, maybe because I can usually relate. These talks involve the most colorful language and depiction of exactly how a dream may play out in the darkest of horror. Let me just share a little bit of my all time favorite delivered from one of my coaches minutes before the biggest game that we had.

" Today is a little different than most days. What I am going to ask of you is simple in it's nature but far from easy in it's execution. Make no mistake that the second that we take the pitch, we will be stepping into a field of battle where we have no friends but the men that sit with us now. The hatred is running rampant outside this room, the fans despise us and the other team will stop at nothing to make sure we are so embarrassed that we never come back. Frankly, the scene outside these doors is hell. Every time you try to score it be as though you are looking the devil in the eye. So here is what I want you to do: I want you to walk as one right into the very pits of this hell, each of you with a can full of gasoline. I want you to walk, not run, walk right up to the devil him self and look him in the eye before dousing him with his own fowl fire. Sure it's going to be hot and yes we will all be burned, but we will make these bastards regret the thought of fucking with us and embarrass there asses until they have felt the fire of their own flames. Now let's go fuck some shit up!"

A little over-dramatic but more effective than you can imagine. We spread the team 10-0 and won in 75 minutes. Find something that inspires you, hone the edge of your blade on it, and be ready to spill more than a little blood. That is why sports (and other things in life outside of murder) exist.

Enjoy!

J


5 min. warmup
Stretch
2x 100 meters skipping for distance
2x 25 meters karaoke step(each side)
2x 25 squat jumps
2x 25 squat thrusts (burpees)
3x 10 push ups
3x 10 inverted rows
2x 25 lunge to overhead presses (each leg)
4x 30 sec. planks
4x 30 sec V sits(seated pike pos.)
2x 25 straight leg crunches
2x 25 side swishies
5 min. cool down
Stretch

Long Enough

Sitting here and deconstructing my own thoughts is not such an easy task. This weekend has been one of the more horrific missteps of irony I have ever seen and it has me thinking. So often I dance around a thought or an idea, but leave it out there just in case something should change. It has been long enough for that and the fact of the matter is that I am not going to change who I am on a fundamental level. Of course I believe that we can improve but typically I would say that it comes down to us being able to express our true selves effectively, not changing them. For the past month or so I have seemed to have forgotten this, to have given into playing the game that is constantly at our door. The game comes with drama and excitement but never leaves us feeling complete but rather gets us further addicted to hiding our thoughts and feelings rather than just expressing them. Quite honestly, I have had enough. Maybe it is time for us as people to just stand on the edge, eyes slammed shut and jump. No I am not recommending suicide whatsoever. I am talking about living. Living in the way that we just stop caring about how anyone will perceive us and let ourselves open up to the world. I mean living a life that thrills and excites us to no end because it is us at our finest, living what we believe and making no apologies. Who told us that we had to dance around the bullshit anyway? If this makes no sense at all then I am sorry but it helped me to get it out. Feel free to enjoy the workout and have a good week!

J

5 min warm up
Stretch
2x 10 dive bomb pushups
2x 10 single leg step up to overhead press
2x 10 inverted rows
2x 10 squat jumps
2x 25 neg crunches
2x 25 side swishies
5 min cool down
Stretch

Cut The Net

Self preservation is a funny thing. I say this because it has been my experience that things categorized as self preservation often feel more like death than life. For the record this may make me a mentally ill individual but... whatever. In my mind is it the difference between playing to win and playing not to lose. The two phrases seem to be identical but are as different as night and day in their execution. If you are playing to win, you accept that there are risks that need to be taken in order for success, even when the odds are not completely in your favor. Playing to avoid losing is more about minimizing risks and playing smart and safe. Both probably have their merits but I cannot identify with the latter. It is way to limited because it hold the illusion that there is a safe play in everything. I cannot say if this is true or not, but I will tell you that there isn't anyone that I truly love and respect because they have managed to live safely enough to succeed. To me, both life and sport are dangerous in nature and full of twists and turns, many of which cannot be foreseen. I am all for preparing as well as possible but that is only effective to a point. After that point is reached, you have to decide how you are going to meet the unexpected. For me, I prefer swagger and confidence, bold moves and aggression rather than trying to just hold your ground and minimize loss. I also prefer this as a code of conduct rather than a last ditch effort. To put a point on it, you are probably better off cutting down the safety nets than looking at them as a constant back up plan, an out that will be taken at the first sight of trouble. At least that way you know that you are living to the fullest rather than hedging little bets and accepting defeat like it's no big deal. Just saying...


J

5 min warm up
Stretch
20 min interval training ( 2 min moderate jog, 2 min. full run)
2x 20 rockstar jumps
2x 10 burpeee pushups
25 meter lunges
2x 25 side swishes
2x 30 sec plank on stab. ball
2x 25 neg crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

In And Out Of Love

Sometimes the world can seem fickle. Right now I am trying my best to make myself sit down and write but procrastination has been prevailing. As a personal trainer, I am not supposed to say things like this but rather be on my game all of the time. Well ... fuck that. I am also human and right now I am in a bit of a rut. let me explain. I am in love with being active and in order to do that I am a huge proponent of staying in good physical condition, but while love is an action, the feelings sometimes wax and ebb as we go. Right now, it is all I can do to get in the gym and get my own workouts done and when that is the case it is very difficult to tell anyone else to, let alone write about it. Have I lost my passion for fitness? I don't believe so but like anything else there are easy times and more difficult. It is only if we persevere through he rough patches that we get to again experience the joy and love that drew us in to begin with. I am sure that roller derby is no different. All commitments that we begin will at one point or another seem to have lost their meaning and leave us feeling a little stale. The key here is that we don't give up, don't quit on the things to which we owe such a debt of gratitude for bringing us incredible happiness even when the spark seems lost. So Here's to pressing forward!

J


5min. Warm Up
Stretch
4x 50meters skipping for distance
4x 25meters skipping for height
3x 20 speed skaters
2x 30 sec. mountain climbers
10 min. of interval training ( Sprint 30 sec., Jog 90sec.)
2x 25meters lunges
2x 25meters bear crawls
4x 60sec planks
4x 25 bicycle crunches
5 min. Cool down
Stretch

Obsessive

I have a tendency to be an all or nothing type of human being. After spending the weekend with the roller derby community, I have found myself in good company. Over the past month life has been busy, mostly with the mundane shit and seemingly hopeless situations that can present themselves from time to time. This explains a lot of my absence in writing as consistently but it does not excuse it. A few observations that I have made over the past few days have kind of brought this to light. Specifics have no need to be discussed here but these are my thoughts on life, competition, and getting done what we are meant to do as individuals. First off, anything that we are going to do, fun or not, is worth doing the to the best of our abilities. It is easy to cut corners, to procrastinate, but once we fall into these patterns they can be a bitch to break. Life is too short to half ass anything. I'd prefer to live each day crushing it, squeezing every last little drop of wonder, emotion, thought, and action out that a day can yield. If you are sick, hurt, or injured, put your focus on getting back to the top of your game by allowing yourself to recover and making progress in other aspects of life. Just because you are on the sidelines doesn't mean you cannot play a role in your own and those around you's success. Secondly, don't be afraid to show emotion. You don't have to wear your heart on your sleeve but allowing yourself to feel and letting others see that is a vital part to living your life to the fullest. It's not easy or comfortable for everyone but it is totally worth it. Lastly, forgive people including yourself. We all judge more than we should. I have a tendency to be very vocal about this before I have taken the time to really think things through. It has landed me in trouble more times than I can count and left me eating crow until I am chocking on black feathers. Forgive yourself for situations that you have a part in and try to improve in the future. The roller derby community is a great one for both living life to it's fullest and being accepted. Enjoy this and take it to the fullest!

5 min warm up
Stretch
3x 15 push ups
3x 25 meters of lunges
3x 15 overhead presses
3x 15 inverted rows
4x 30 sec planks
2x 25 reg crunches
2x 25 neg crunches
2x 25 side swishies
5 min cool down
Stretch

Enjoy!

J