Two Days Out

Two days til another game in KC. Today will still be relatively intense, say 80% or so. Tomorrow will be light and we will discuss the best way to prep for game day. Cardio is the plan for today so get 60 min. in with your core activated (abs squeezed) the whole time! Have a great day!!!

J

Deserve It

5 min warm up
Stretch
2-0-2 tempo
4x 8 burpee push ups
4x 8 squat to overhead press

4-2-1 tempo
2x 20 chest press on stab. ball
2x 20 bent rows

1-1-1 tempo
6x 30 sec. mountain climbers
2x 10 jackknifes
25 negative crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

No one I have ever met has wanted to lose. This doesn't stop it from happening to all of us from time to time though. I have spent a significant amount of time in locker rooms right before a game and it is funny the number of times I could tell the outcome of a game before the first whistle blew, even after seeing only one side that was competing. Now I am no fortune teller and I certainly am not a big fan of reveling in someone else's loss, unless the other team happens to be Ohio State of course, but without almost without fail I am proven correct by the final score. Why? The best way that I can sum it up is to say that a team that deserves victory based on their efforts prior to the competition behaves much differently than a team that doesn't. Now before I get to far, let me define deserving victory. I am not suggesting that any team is entitled to win or should be treated any differently because they are a so-called dynasty. I am suggesting that more often than not the team that is best prepared will come out on top. Preparation means coming early and staying late, not skipping practices, always being ready and willing to dig a little deeper especially when it hurts, being able to work as a team whether you like each other off the track or not, and finally having the ability to get shit done. When you walk into a locker room of a team that has prepared themselves to deserve to win you almost always find the same qualities. The players are their early, they all have what they need, they already have a game plan and have memorized it, they are confident, typically very up beat but not in a way that promotes a lot of bravado. The players have a look in their eye that can only be forged with the hours of practice, intense effort, and study of their strengths, their teammates strengths, and those of their opponents. Teams that deserve their wins focus on little things like the way they line up, the way that they encourage each other, and how they can help each other maximize their strengths. These teams know each other inside and out. Every so often you see a team that hasn't put in the effort pull out a win and you can see it on their faces. These are the teams that look shocked, over celebrate, and generally win with no class whatsoever.

The choice of which team you want to be is not made in the locker room though. It is made in every inch that you move against resistance; every inch that you skate or run when the rest have already gone home. At this point all that is left is the decision as to whether you want to deserve victory or not.

Good Luck!

J

Better Days

I have to be honest. Monday was not a really great day at all. I awoke to snow on the ground again, realized that the crazy weather shifts have begun to wear down my immune system, and was hit by a car while riding my bike and knocking out some cardio. Tuesday promises to be much better and as it is cardio today, I recommend watching out for traffic.

5 min warm up
Stretch
60 min moderate cardio
4x 30 sec planks
10x 3 sec. superman
5 min cool down
Stretch

Have a great day!

J

Up In The Mix

It's a new week and the beginning of a different phase of work outs. The new format will be some what of a combination of all prior phases mixed together including some other new thoughts. Pay attention to the number of sets. reps. tempo and rest to maximize efficacy and if there are any questions feel free to ask!

5 min warm up
Stretch
2-0-2 tempo
4x 6 squat thrust
4x 6 squat to overhead press

4-2-1 tempo
2x 20 push ups
2x 20 inverted rows

1-1-1 tempo
6x 30 sec. mountain climbers
6x 30 sec ab press
25 crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

Notes: Max rest between sets should be 60 sec. Form is still paramount. If you can't do what is recommended rep wise with good form on every one, complete what you can and work your way toward more. Results should be fast coming and i am sure you will appreciate them as we all like to look better naked! I am just saying

Enjoy!

J

Base Miles

We are fast approaching the point in the season where it is crucial for you to have your physical fitness locked down. In the world of cycling, the build up to the first few races of a season involves logging a lot of hours in the saddle or building what many call "base miles". This is where you make your bones, by forcing your body to endure as much if not more punishment than you will need to endure in competition. Not everyone loves this mentality but I do. Coaches that I have had and proved most effective always approached things from this angle. Game day, from a physical standpoint was like welcome break from our typically rigorous training schedule. The thinking is that if your body is already used to dealing with levels of intensity and pain that is beyond that of a game, you should be able to have more mental focus on the tasks at hand. Today we are going to pursue that with 90 minutes of moderate to intense cardio, of which mode I will leave entirely to your discretion.

Enjoy!

J

And Then Some

10 min warm up
Stretch
4x 6 Divebomb push ups
4x 6 45 degree Burpee
4x 25 meter lunges
4x 6 squat to overhead press
4x 6 pull ups (lat pulls if you can't do pull ups)
4x 15 floor bridges
4x 15 superman
5 min cool down
Stretch

I have recently been listening to a lot of Ani DiFranco, possibly because of her unbelievably straight forward delivery or her overt way of speaking her mind. I am not exactly sure but I imagine if she ever decided to don a pair of skates rather than an acoustic guitar she would be more than a handful to deal with in a pack. Her song 32 flavors sums up almost perfectly many of the women that, to me, epitomize my definition of the broad term "roller girls". These women are multi-faceted, intriguing, strong, stubborn, sensitive, caring, generally intelligent, fun loving, occasionally nasty, and entirely individual by and large. Working with roller girls has been an experience all it's own. I have learned the following three pieces of information that I will share here for any other people who share my outside perspective and are looking for some insight.

1. Lipstick, lip gloss, and eye make-up are almost as important as skates themselves and certainly more important than clip boards, stretching, or any other track side accessory. After all, what good is doing an amazing job if you aren't going to look amazing doing it?

2. Women, roller girls included, are far more disgusting in their behavior, specifically in the locker room, than any males that I have had the honor of spending time with. I believe that this is because women are completely open about everything and I do mean everything. Women will go into grotesque detail over anything that may be going on, whereas men may let some things go unsaid with an understanding nod or grunt. After awhile, you hardly even notice what gets said and the shock value wears off, but initially it was quite a learning curve!

3. Women are much better at executing a strategy, a play, or any other fundamental process than their male counter parts. Guys have to add their own style to everything, more often than not to their own detriment and that of the integrity of the teams play. Girls, on the other hand, will go out and play exactly as they have planned. In some sports, I believe this makes women a little less exciting to watch but in roller derby it is what makes the game incredible. A good team (and their are many) can go out and run a game plan to the nth degree, working as a single unit and demolishing any competition in their way. Trust me when I say that women work together a whole lot better this way than men.

These are a few very generalized statements that I have found to be true more often than not. I could be wrong but these certainly have held valuable lessons for me, though I am no closer to understanding women than any other man could ever be. Being a man, I wouldn't admit if I was wrong anyway. I just hope that these women keep being amazing and then some!

Enjoy!

J

Delusions

5 min warm up
Stretch
60 min consistent cardio at a moderate to fast pace
2x 25 V sit twists
2x 25 neg. crunches
2x 10 ab presses
5 min cool down
Stretch

Yesterday I had a conversation with one of my clients that left me laughing. The gentleman, unhealthily hard on himself over some recent lack of motivation and deplorable eating habits, was all but ready to give up. He looked at me and said with starstruck wonder and admiration "I am so impressed with you and the way that you can always stay healthy, avoiding temptations and making the right health choices all of the time." I smiled, not altogether sure whether he was being serious or not. This man has only recently started working with me and clearly doesn't know me very well at all. For example, yesterdays lunch for me consisted of a hot dog from a street vendor that I threw down with a latte (whole milk) in about 30 seconds between appointments. It was the first time I had eaten for the day and it would be another 8 hours before I would eat again. Now don't get the wrong idea here, I do my best most days to eat clean, regular meals throughout the day and break at least a few sweats as well. But like most of the rest of you, I am human and sometimes it just doesn't work out.

This is true of most people in my profession. I was mind blown when I began as a trainer to find out that none of my contemporaries ever came to work without a hangover. At the time this was great news, as I was still drinking heavily and was lucky to make it to work sober. In one of the CE classes I sat in on recently the instructor stated that in a study it was discovered that 80 percent of fitness professionals suffered from an eating disorder and severe body dis-morphia. One look at "Trainer Barbie" who could use a sandwich or some jackass meat head with biceps whose diameter are larger than my waist, and I would have to say that I agree. It's a little disturbing to say the least. My best recommendation for anyone who feels like they are struggling to get it together physically is to keep trying and cut yourself a little slack when you misstep. We all get off track, even the damn guru's like Jillian Michaels. There was a period of about a year and a half that I couldn't bring myself to workout. I simply didn't care and getting back in the habit was hard. At some point along the way my self abuse over being a complete hypocrite was more painful than the idea of working out again and I got back on track. Remember that the next time you see a personal trainer that "must walk on water and avoid any and all temptation". It is only in your own delusion that anyone is more qualified or dedicated than you are capable of being and it probably isn't the random guy in the gym!

Have a Great Day!!!

J

Out Of Touch

10 min warm up
Stretch
4x 6 Burpee Push ups
4x 25 meter lunges
4x 6 squat to overhead press
4x 6 pull ups (lat pulls if you can't do pull ups)
4x 90 sec planks
5 min cool down
Stretch

I woke up this morning and realized that spring is here. Actually it feels a lot more like summer as the Midwest has some seasons that last forever (winter) and others that last for twenty minutes (spring, fall). All that aside, this seems impossible. Did you know that it is March? Again, my mind is blown as this seems to be only a few weeks into 2011. My point in all of this rambling is that I feel like I am on a bit of a different planet at times. I am not terribly unique in this, at least I hope not, as I have had several conversations with friends recently all boiling down to feelings of disconnection with reality. Though it may be both universal and rather commonplace, this state of existence is not really a pleasurable feeling if left to itself for too long. A few symptoms I have identified seem to be but are not limited to obsession over work, trouble sleeping when you are supposed to be, getting stuck in your own head with your own thoughts, speaking in language that is unrecognizable to more than three other humans, irrational insecurities, over thinking things yet remaining indecisive, and finally being annoyed with anyone or anything that does not go exactly your way at your pace. This is just a short list of highlights from what I have seen in losing touch with the rest of the planet. The danger of this is that in the process of spending too much time in your own inner or outer space, you alienate the rest of the world. Along these lines, yesterday I received a message on facebook(don't even get me started on this mysterious universe)from roller girls in Puerto Rico just saying hello. While I very much appreciate the greeting and hope all is well in paradise, I can't tell you what the names of my neighbors are, never mind what is going on nearly 3000 miles away. Today I am recommending getting out, spending time with other people in person, face to face, and trying to get back in touch with the rest of the world as well as sharing the individuality that is our own with everyone else. We may scare a few people in the process but it will probably be alright in the end.

Enjoy!

J

Strange Condition

5 min warm up
Stretch
60 min consistent cardio at a moderate to fast pace
2x 25 reg. crunches
2x 25 neg. crunches
2x 25 jackknifes
5 min cool down
Stretch


There seems to be some sort of irony for most of us that take competition seriously, whatever our game may be. It seems to center around our lackadaisical approach to being injured versus our burning desire to continue competing, no matter what the cost. What is it that allows us to move forward with bullheaded stubbornness no matter what price in pain we may pay. For me personally, I have boiled this down to a hatred of physicians. I have never had a conversation with a doctor having to do with their vocation or my health that has gone well. As a matter of fact, I oft times have gone well out of my way to do quite the opposite of what my specialist has recommended. If this were a coach rather than a blow hard with more letters behind his name than should ever be necessary or the superiority complex that comes with the practicing of medicine, I would probably listen just fine. Put a lab coat on and come at me with a stethoscope and I will promise we will have problems. Most of my distaste for the medical profession is the fact that any experience I have had with them, they are constantly delivering bad news. My own competitive spirit does not accept bad news very well and with that the line is drawn in the sand. The guy I see now has all but given up on civilized conversation or protocol medical advice. I can't really blame him as every time we have had contact it has turned into a pissing match of negotiation. The last one was over a concussion, him reading off his standard of care and me wanting bare brass tacks. Two weeks off? what are the chances I die if I only take 2 hours off?

This seems to be consistent with roller girls as I have never seen one take the "full time off" to recover from an injury. If this applies to you I have a few thoughts. A little more sleep than usual should let your body heal just fin. Ice is the best drug I've ever seen and I'm not talking about the illicit type. Anything that doesn't kill you, you can play through. Finally, If you are going to complain about an injury or make excuses for your performance because of it, I can think of three places for you; The bench, the other team, or the fucking doctors office! I'm just saying.

Enjoy!

J

Bring It On!

10 min warm up
Stretch
4x 6 Burpee Push ups
4x 25 meter lunges
4x 6 squat to overhead press
4x 6 pull ups (lat pulls if you can't do pull ups)
4x 90 sec planks
5 min cool down
Stretch

This is the last week for our power phase. after this there will be a much more well rounded daily workout, focusing on different phases of movement with each exercise. For the time being, let's hit it with everything we have. I can appreciate if this doesn't sound like much fun. To be honest I don't want to do this right now either. It is not about what we want to do right now, but rather what we have for desired results/goals from this point forward that's important. My focus right now is on getting back into the routine of self discipline, learning and perfecting the chops if you will. The business of being busy has gotten in my head and left me feeling a little out of touch with reality as well as wreaking havoc on my schedule as I am exhausted beyond belief. This happens to all of us at some point but the important thing to remember is that this is merely circumstance that we need to over come. Before I start sounding like a successories poster I will leave my playlist and call it. Have a great Monday!

J

Whose Authority- Nada Surf
I Believe In A Thing Called Love- The Darkness
A New England- Billy Bragg
My Coco- Stellastarr*
Leaving Town- Dexter Freebish
Take'Em Down- The Dropkick Murphy's
Disconnected- Face To Face
Golden Years- David Bowie
Ghetto Symphony- Snoop Dogg Feat. No Limit
Where Do I Begin- The Chemical Brothers
My Body- Young The Giant
Karma Police- Radiohead

Going Out In Style

5 min warm up
Stretch
60 min consistent paced cardio
4x 45 sec. planks
5 min. cool down
Stretch

The end of a long week has come and it is time for the weekend to be in full swing. If you have the chance, get out and enjoy yourself. I recommend something that will require your own personal twist, something with your own style. Whatever this is I hope it is a blast and let's you forget the week past, live the moment your in, and prepare for brighter week ahead. Have fun!!!


J

Saint Paddy's

10 min. warm up
Stretch
4x 10 45 degree burpee push ups(sleight variation by combining the two exercises)
4x 6 tuck jumps for speed
4x 6 single arm row(each side)
4x 6 squat to overhead press
4x 100 jump ropes
2x 60 sec planks
2x 25 neg. crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

Today the green beer will begin flowing early for many and why not? I myself will be in pursuit of the elusive shamrock shake, the one day a year that I swing through McDonalds. I also am encouraging good Irish folk music , or punk for that matter, such as Flogging Molly or The Dropkick Murphy's. I would strongly recommend working out before going out!

Have fun!

J

Damned Irish Pride

10 min warm up
Stretch
25 meters high knees
25 meters butt-kickers
25 meter karaoke step(each direction)
4x 200 meter sprints
4x 400 meter sprints
1 mile jog
4x 45 sec planks
2x 25 straight leg crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch


It's a day early but who the hell cares. I've been in Chicago for a few days and can't help but notice the Irish pride literally running right through the middle of this city in the form of a green river. I love this holiday, St, Patrick's Day, for a slough of various reasons but mostly because I am almost entirely Irish. The only other blood in my veins is of Scotland, another country with a bold and troubled past. Both of my parents are the first generation to be born in the USA and I can remember as a child all of the stories that my grandparents would tell, war and tyranny, bloodshed and guilt. The problem is you never really know how much is true and how much is not because the Irish do have a knack for embellishing. We also have a pension for being stubborn beyond what anyone could ever think possible. Both of these are qualities that I have a strong serving of in my personality and generally I love it. I have to say that there are times when my strong willed, stubborn pride gets me into trouble. One problem that continually presents is the idea that not everyone can read minds as well as we Irish can. Talk about caring for someone, their importance to you on an emotional level, or anything else of the sort is not really our strong point. I personally leave those things unsaid way more often than is probably good. On the other hand, "Go Fuck Yourself" is practically a term of endearment by Irish standards. It is moments like this that I better understand how my ancestry has had to struggle with war and fighting for most of it's existence. If you want to avoid this malaise, particularly in a team setting, set your pride aside and compliment one another. Sounds ridiculous and I am certainly not suggesting that we should just give the world a hug, but I can say personally that most of the struggles that I have dealt with (and am still dealing with) are a direct result of my proud mentality and a sharp tongue to unleash it. You may want to avoid these this if possible. I'm just saying!

Eirinn go brach,

J

Go Anyway

10 min. warm up
Stretch
4x 6 burpee push ups
4x 6 tuck jumps for height
4x 6 inverted row
4x 6 squat to overhead press
4x 100 jump ropes
2x 15 jackknifes
2x 25 neg. crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

1-1-1 tempo, no rest if possible( when you begin to get nauseous, light headed, have ringing ears, or blurred vision, STOP. this means you have pushed to the limit and need to slow down). This workout is a little unique in it's intensity. Your heart rate will be through the roof and that is what we are going for. This one is designed to build performance more than anything else.

Every now and then we are all faced with fears, bigger than usual ones. How we face them, I believe, is what will determine our outcomes. There is a reason that a quality such as courage is held in such high esteem. We place value on it because it is very uncommon and difficult to continue in. The rewards of courage though are vast. Let me say here that any action with courage behind it will always result in victory. Sounds crazy knowing that there are many times we can meet obstacles with courage and still come up short, being trounced by whatever foe we meant to overcome. Is this not still a victory? I say it is. There is more to life than the score on the scoreboard at the end of a game. I have not always felt this way, having been born a fierce competitor and approaching every situation with a do or die mentality. I was fighting my way through life before i learned to walk, most times at someone elses expense. I was not (and truthfully still am not) a graceful loser. This always seemed appropriate as I rationalized that if I hated losing enough I would not have to drink from it's bitter cup. That, and the fact that nothing else I have ever done involved grace either. Last night I got a chance to see some old teammates and was reminded all to clearly of the former statements. I can't believe that I am about to write this but here it goes. I was wrong! Victories can be attained in losing if you have the ability to meet challenges with courage and grow through it. This does not mean that I am promoting losing or diminishing striving toward winning. I am merely saying that standing up in the face of your own fears and insecurities and taking action in spite of them will always leave you with an internal victory, no matter what the outcome. One last thing to wrap up. Acting in the face of your fears with courage continually has a way of moving the seemingly impossible obstacles out of your way and letting you accomplish more than you could have imagined. I don't know how this works only that it does. Today, go for it, whatever it may be!

Enjoy!

J

Go To Work

10 min warm up
Stretch
50 meters lunges
25 meter karaoke step(each direction)
4x 100 meter sprints
2x 200 meter sprints
4x 400 meter sprints
1 mile jog
4x 45 sec planks
2x 25 straight leg crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch


One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received was the statement a man made to me a long time ago. "No matter what is going on in your life, excitement and joy or stress and depression, go to work". This was all he told me and at the time I thought he was nuts. I thought that there was a lot more to life than work and honestly I would rather pursue everything else more. As time has passed, his statement has stuck with me and become a valuable lesson and a good guiding force in my life. While I still believe that there is more to life than your occupation, putting your hand to whatever work is in front of you is always to your benefit. Things of value, things worth living your life for, take effort to achieve and should be pursued relative to the esteem that you place upon them. People with the best relationships, the most athletic ability, the most natural talent, the greatest intelligence, or the best creative expression still have to try constantly to maintain and grow their abilities beyond where they have already been blessed. If you are miserable in all of these areas, and I have been, go to work on that. Don't forget this is a workout blog, and going to work on yourself physically is one of the best ways to speed things up. Physical work provides physical change as well as mental and emotional changes as well. moral of the story; all good things! That said, GO TO WORK!

Have a great day!

J

Professionalism

5 min warm up
Stretch
4x 8 burpee push ups
4x 25 meter lunges
4x 8 overhead presses
4x 8 inverted rows
2x 50 regular crunches(fast and small motions)
5 min cool down
Stretch

It seems a strange thing to consider given the history of the sport and it's popular connotations, but roller derby is not as unique as it may appear. It's women certainly are but as a sport, I believe that many of the same elements are universal here and in every other form of competition. One thought that stands above the rest in my mind is professionalism. Before I proceed, let me explain that I understand there are many different reasons for playing Roll Derby and I am not down playing or saying that any motivation is wrong. There is a difference between being an amateur player and a professional player and it has very little to do with receiving a paycheck. Amateurs play a sport because it is sheik, because it is social, because it is a distraction from the rest of there, a release of some sort. Professionals, on the other hand, play because they need to, because everything else in life is a distraction from there true passion, because competition and success are what drives them. The word amateur comes from a latin word meaning "to love". I believe that, in the words of Patti Smith and Don Henley, "Sometimes love just ain't enough". Professionals love the sport enough to take it to the next level, to commit to it in a way that they pursue it more than just by standing on the sideline or showing up to a practice hear or there. In general, professionals play for keeps instead of just for fun.

I remember leaving soccer. I remember missing it, knowing I would not return. I haven't put on cleats since and have no intention to. My reason is simple. I love the game and respect it too much for what it gave me than to go back and half-ass my way down a field. I just don't have it in me. To be honest with you, this is the first time I have been able to put that sentiment to words and it makes total sense. When you really love something you are willing to commit what is necessary to give it its due. Let me finish by saying again, no matter what your motivation for playing, you should enjoy this sport. There is nothing wrong with being a professional or an amateur, so long as you understand which you wish to be and act accordingly. The alternative is as difficult as hell!

Enjoy!

J

Saturday

Cardio today

5 min warm up
Stretch
60 min consistent paced cardio
4x 45 sec. planks
5 min. cool down
Stretch

The week has finished out like the inner workings of the mind of a sleep deprived madman. There's a picture for you. Why go with cardio today? At this point in the season it is important to build up the necessary endurance for tournament season, which is right around the corner. This week in sports has gone a long way towards proving that point with tournament time in college basketball being played out for all of us. I am not sure how many games have been decided by a three point margin or less this year in conference play but it has been a lot, many going into overtime. The point is that at some point talent will not substitute for conditioning, preparation, perseverance, and work ethic. These are things to get under control early in a season, as they take time to develop and ultimately perfect. Long story short, get your cardio done. Below is my tracklist for today in case you want to listen to the same thing. Kinda weird, right?


The Naked and Famous- Young Blood
Mickey Avalon- Jane Fonda
The Darkness- I Believe in a Thing Called Love
The Rolling Stones- Not Fade Away
Sugarcult- Bouncing Off The Walls
Citizen Cope- Penitentiary
Flatfoot 56- Son of Shame
Onelinedrawing- Bitte Ein Kuss
Frightened Rabbit- Things
The Grateful Dead- Friend of the Devil
Groove Armada- Hands of Time
Just Jack- Writers Block
Marvelous 3- Freak of the Week
Onlinedrawing- Jul00

Enjoy!

J

Keep Going!

5 min warm up
Stretch
45 min consistent cardio
4x 30 sec. ab presses
4x 30 sec V-sits
5 min cool down
Stretch

Week has gone crazy. Today is about grinding out some mileage. No other way to get results but to do it!

Enjoy!

J

Through Hell

10 min. warm up
Stretch
3x 8 squat jumps
3x 8 dive bomb push ups
2x 50 meters skipping for distance
50 meters bear crawl
2x 8 inverted rows
10 squat thrusts( burpees)
3x 8 overhead presses
25 bicycle crunches
2x 25 regular crunches
4x 15 sec. leg lifts
5 min . cool down
Stretch

1-1-1 tempo, 45 -60 sec rest between sets

Stumbled upon a book recently that had been abandoned in the gym and it has turned out to be the best book I have ever found/ stolen. I am still not exactly sure what the prevailing theme is but one of the sub themes is about stories; why they are important and wha makes a good story. In the text the author talks about taking a seminar where the speaker said " if you are going to have a good story, you must put the main character through HELL !!!" I thought about this for awhile and decided I agree. The best stories, the ones where champions are made, have beyond difficult situations in them. The best teams are forged together and what better fire to do it with than hell. Every successful team I know of has a few things in common, namely work ethic and ability to overcome difficult situations, and you better believe that for a team to become great they are going to have to overcome some difficulty. Personality conflict, commitment to excellence, singleness of purpose, and other garden variety obstacles have to be overcome before success can be attained justly and enjoyed sweetly. Today's workout will help specifically with self-discipline and perseverance so you can individually add more to your team. By the way doing things as a group will help forge a team that is a force to be reckoned with, specifically physically challenging endeavors. It exposes weaknesses and creates security within a group, allowing them to develop trust and the ability to compensate for each others weaknesses, making them the best as a whole they can be. Same thing works for relationships too if you were wondering. Last thought, high five each other or smack each others asses like football players to reaffirm positive emotion. Physical connection is soooo important!

Have a great day!

J

Like The Wind

5 min warm up
Stretch
20 min interval training(3 min. quick jog, 2 min moderate run)
4x 400 meter sprints (yes I said sprint)
10 supermans
2x 10 single leg bridge
2x 10 jackknifes
5 min cool down
Stretch

Enjoy!

J

Monday, Monday

10 min warm up
Stretch
4x 6 single arm chest press on stab ball
4x 6 squat into tuck jump
4x 6 inverted rows
4x 6 100 meter sprints
2x 25 crunches
2x 25 negative crunches
10 min cool down
Stretch

tempo is still @ 1-1-1, 45-60 sec rest between sets, warm up and stretch are key to this workout, don't skip them.




New week and it's go time. I'm waking up slow and laughing at people in a coffee shop. 32 flavors by Ani DiFranco is the soundtrack for this morning, some how a fitting choice. Great irony as I see a world of business people race around in polo's and khakis trying to be on time. A few old men are sitting in the corner and talking politics and gas prices. Descending Angel by the Misfits comes on and I check my email. I find it funny to think about the word misfits. It applies to almost everyone I know including myself. The part that doesn't make sense seems to be that, if everyone I know is a misfit, who fits? Is it possible that there is a group of people that are all exactly the same that I just haven't met yet? I doubt this is very likely. Roller Derby is kind of like this, a band of misfits really. My favorite part about the sport is that no matter how bizarre someone may be, they kind of fit together in this mash up of skates and blocks, warm ups and after parties. Some of the most interesting, strong, independent women in the world who are strangely vulnerable at the same time. Talk about two misfit qualities that seem in perfect balance with these ladies. I gotta say I love you and respect you as a collective whole for the way you play. Have a great Monday and get some good work done!

Enjoy!

J

Still Fighting It

10 min warm up
Stretch
4x 6 tuck jumps
4x 6 clap push ups (clap your hands between pushups)
4x 6 squat to overhead press
4x 6 inverted rows
2x 30 sec plank
2x 25 reg. crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch


Hell of a week draws to a close. Here's to everyone that survived. right now I am stuck in my own head and need to get out. Sorry I don't have anything more exciting to tell you. Just get a good workout in today and enjoy your weekend!!!

Stay Awesome!

J

Ego

10 min warm up
Stretch
20 min interval training(3 min . moderate run, 30 sec. sprint)
25 negative crunches
25 regular crunches
10 jackknifes
2x 30 sec. side planks (each side)
10 frog kicks
10 min cooldown
Stretch

I have started this post five times as something else but I ended up right back hear. It's funny, sometimes even though I am writing this shit I feel like it isn't by choice. Some of these things come out there own way, no matter what direction I had designed them to go.

When you are dealing with athletes, or for that matter non-athletes, in a fitness setting, you are bound to run into huge personalities and egos. It has been my experience that many of these egos are simply smoke screens to cover insecurity. I'm no expert in this area but it seems a perfectly natural response as a defense mechanism. Occasionally, however, you run across someone who's ego is a little different than the aforementioned type. These are the people who are not covering up insecurity by over compensating, they really are a little larger than life. This is much more of the category that I fall into, though I have no delusion about about being larger than life. I am as human as they get. Many roller girls, I feel, fall into the same category as I do. I will only speak for myself here as not to incriminate the innocent. Ego, for me, is a little funny and a lot scary. The funny part is that even when I am doing something stupid, like tripping over my own feet on flat ground, I do it with the the belief that I am fucking up in a more awesome way than anyone else could. That's where you begin to see the scary side which probably needs little explanation after the preceding sentence.

Freud talks about the ego being the more reasonable part of the mind, blaming the I.D. for being irrational and self serving. I think Freud is full of shit. My personal belief is that we as people, at the core are basically good, that we desire to care for others and relate to them openly. Trying to keep our egos or insecurities in check long enough to do that is a different matter. Here's to trying! In all seriousness, for the sake of the rest of the world, try not to be so incredible today that you blow anyone out of life! Just saying.

Cheers!

J

Souvenirs

10 min warm up
Stretch
4x 6 tuck jumps
4x 6 push up to single arm row( do a push up and from the same position row each arm, typically done on dumbbells)
4x 6 45 degree burpee
4x 6 inverted rows
2x 30 sec plank
2x 25 reg. crunches
5 min cool down
Stretch

1-1-1 tempo, 60-90 sec rest between sets, 85% intensity.

I have never been much of a collector of anything that one would traditionally collect. The idea of amassing tons of stuff has never been appealing to me as I prefer things very simple. One of the things that I do appreciate though and hold in high regard is a scar. Before I go any further I want to tell you that I am not a masochistic type of person. I am also not judging if you are. I remember watching Jaws as a kid, the scene where the characters are sitting around a table in their boat, swapping stories of scars in some sort of macho pissing match. This was incredible to me because at the time I always had some sort of battle wound from a bike wreck or some other adventure gone awry. I used to laugh at the part in this scene when Hooper pulls his shirt aside and points to his chest. "Mary Ellen Moffett" he says." She broke my heart". I thought this was hysterical and frankly still do. My reason behind loving scars so much, if reason has anything to do with it, is much deeper than this though. You can't earn a scar, even one on your broken heart, without going through something. I tried a glass window once. Not by best recommendation as far as things to go through. I digress. The beauty of a scar is that in order to have one, your body has to have regenerated or shown growth where there was once a wound. At some point along the way a gaping wound must close and leave you with a badge of honor in a scar, like a little souvenir from a minor tragedy. The only other option is that it doesn't heal, gets infected, festers, and you don't recover. This works in relationships too. I have friends and old teammates that I loved and hated simultaneously. Some of these people , on a personal level, I didn't care for at all. Some I cared for very deeply and still others I am not sure actually existed because they frustrated me to the point that they seemed to be defying all natural law. In the end though these people were ones that I would prefer to have fighting on my side any day of the week and most of them still would. Even the ones that I didn't like I would still stand behind. Probably good things to remember if you have to skate against five women who have a pension for destruction and have set their sights on you. If you get beaten up, at least you may get the scars to prove it!

Enjoy!

J

P.S. Here was my playlist for today. If you find this random you should see the inside of my head!

Let It Happen- Jimmy Eat World
Mama Hold My Hand- Aloe Blacc
Tennessee- Arrested Development
Venus In Furs- The Velvet Underground
Sail- Awolnation
Still Not A Player- Big Punisher
All of This- Robert Smith and Blink 182
The Fourth Drink Instinct- Cute is What We Aim For
9 crimes- Damien Rice
Las Piedras Rodantes- El Tri
Film Did Not Go Round- Nada Surf
Disconnected- Face to Face
All I Want- A Day To Remember
Radiation Vibe- Fountains of Wayne
Doing Time- MxPx
If You Leave- Nada Surf (OMD cover)

Till It Bleeds

10 min warm up
Stretch
20 min interval training(3 min . moderate run, 30 sec. sprint)
25 negative crunches
10 supermans
10 frog kicks
10 min cooldown
Stretch

One of the hardest things for me to do in life is to keep my mouth shut. Sometimes I have something absolutely brilliant to say, sometimes not so great. My mouth has gotten me into my fair share of trouble and unfortunately, once you say something you can't take it back. How many times each day do we find ourselves in situations where we definitely have an opinion on something but may be better served not to share it? My answer is constantly. More often than not it comes down to the fact that once I get started I find it difficult to stop giving my opinion, even if it is not entirely accurate or simply has malicious intent. I have a friend that is awesome at holding his tongue. The best part about it is that I still always know where he stands, he just refuses to take it the step farther and berate whomever or whatever may be the topic of discussion. I wish that I had the class to follow suit more often than I currently do.

The reason that I am rambling on is because I believe that the same things that cause us problems in life are amplified when we look at them in athletics. Bad behavior, when it comes to criticism, can be absolutely lethal to a team. I remember instances where I would go off on a teammate, rip them to shreds as well as their abilities, and then be shocked that we weren't connecting well on the pitch. What I later realized was that not everyone measures criticism the same way that I do. For me, "Go Fuck Yourself" was practically a term of endearment. This doesn't hold true for the rest of the world and that is probably a good thing. If you are experiencing tension or turmoil within a team and cannot point to a specific reason, consider the way that you address them. One of the best coaches I ever played for gave me this advise. "Praise, and only praise people publicly. Criticism should be handled on a personal level and in private, preferably face to face." This advise has served me well when I put it into practice and I highly recommend it. If you can't do this, I recommend biting your tongue until it bleeds!

Have a great day!

J