Posted by: Admin | May 26, 2012

Pounds: Strong Overnight

In an effort to mimic much better (sports) coaches than I, it is rare that I single folks out. Most of the time, I find that a coach’s words are best left for the ideas and the plan. There are exceptions, however. Making an example out of someone’s acts of extreme greatness and extreme disappointment does have it’s time and place. Today is one of those exceptions.

Leading ladies.

Nikki Pounds, as many of you know, has been a die hard student with us for a long time. She’s literally been a member since the first workout we did April12, 2011. That makes her the longest standing member. Today she did something that was (seemingly) impossible just weeks ago. Her power clean personal best (85lbs), was replaced with a new personal best. She power cleaned 95 pounds today… 45 times!

Incredible!

Not everyone can relate to Nikki’s exact journey, but everyone can relate to wanting results, wanting them now, and dealing with frustration along the way. Nikki’s incredible growth as a student has come just like it has for most other students. Slow and steady, yet remarkable. This process is often too slow to notice. Looking at oneself in the mirror everyday, it’s difficult to see where all this hard work is going. Lord knows how diligent Nikki has been training 4-5 times per week. She may check to see which class that day will have the most sunshine, but she will be there, nonetheless.

Nikki’s strength didn’t come over night, but boy did it come! Her performance today is a huge victory in her journey to elite fitness, and it’s larger than she knows. You all will experience this victories, and I encourage you to have your awareness high enough to notice them. Celebrate them! This road is long and it’s often difficult to see progress and have patients.

Next time you move from knee push ups to toe push ups, recognize that changes in your fitness that support that. Cut a minute off your baseline time? That’s called being “better than yesterday.” When you make that jump up to the next size kettlebell, throw a little party, because there’s no looking back to your old, less-fit self. You earned it!

Nikki, congratulations on what you accomplished today, it’s nothing short of incredible. You’re a force to be reckoned with and it’s a joy watching you grow.

 

Logan Gelbrich

——————-

Saturday’s Workout:

2 minutes Max Sit Ups

Then with a partner:

AMRAP 2
Alt Pushups (A-1,3,5…/B-2,4,6..)
Run 200M
-Rest 2 min-
AMRAP 2
Alt Pushups (A-1,3,5../B-2,4,6..)
Run 200M

-Rest 2 min-
AMRAP 2
Alt Squats
Run 200M

-Rest 2 min-

AMRAP 2
Alt Squats
Run 200M

 

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Posted by: Admin | May 25, 2012

Mediocrity Allergies

The Latin phrase “Res Firma Mitescre Mescit” translates to “a firm resolve does not know how to weaken.” Other, more literal, translations describe the phrase as “once you’ve got it up, keep it up.” This concept, depending how you apply it, may have unmeasurable importance for the context of your training.

This idea that “a strong thing cannot weaken” brings to mind the dynamic that occurs inside the living, breathing community at Functional Fitness on the Bluffs. Our students are hardening. Yes, there bodies are changing, literally from the inside out, but I mean they, the people, are changing.

Ariel building immunity to weakness.

Exposing one’s self to training like this, and the adversity comes with it, builds a certain resolve. That resolve is solidified when students live a lifestyle that says, “I will show up. I will find a way to tackle the task at hand, no matter what.”

The changes that occur inside of folks that commit to this include the very concept that the Latin phrase above describes. Living a life of positivity, health, fitness, and growth not only brings positivity, health, fitness, and growth, but it also deters from the destruction of those things. It’s harder to succumb to failure and negativity once “you’ve got it up.”

Res Firma Mitescre Mescit with regards to fitness means to build up immunity to poor habits. Live inside of health and wellness. Become allergic to failure.

Logan Gelbrich

——————-

Friday’s Workout:

Perform 3 Power Cleans (185/115) every minute on the minute for 15 minutes.

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Posted by: Admin | May 24, 2012

The Push Up Rant

Given its (relative) simplicity, one could argue that the push up is the most botched movement in strength and conditioning. OK, maybe as a whole other movements are performed more poorly, but I think perceived competency of the push up is grossly exaggerated. I’d say fully 99  out of 100 people I see think they have push ups, when in fact they’ve got quite a long way to go.

A quick YouTube search, for push ups will yield plenty of activities in the plank-ish position, but very few real push ups. One man has the record for the fastest 1000 push ups of which I saw zero push ups performed. There are plenty of bad examples out there and very few good ones.

I see two major issues show up in poor push up excecution:

1. Range of motion:Arms extended and chest to deck is the complete range of motion. There are plenty of ways to scale the load without compromising this range of motion. Every joint in your body deserves to move and train through it’s entire range of motion. One push up from the knees with full range of motion has much greater training value than numerous partial range push ups.

Down the line at FFOTB Nation.

2. Body Position: The hollow body position is vital to a well executed push up. If you look closely athletes often either never achieve hollow body, or loose hollow body position far before fatigue in the arms or chest fail. Hips tucked under and locked (via engaged stomach and glutes) is requisite for a good push up. Find it and hold it. Prioritize hollow body first.

And, I believe there are two major causes that contribute to lack of range of motion and poor body position:

1. Ego: There is zero ambiguity in the standards of a push up. The tactile feedback of your chest on the floor can’t be missed, so I believe there is a conscious choice made to move through smaller ranges of motion. Understand the push up is a gymnastic skill that can’t be assumed or taken for granted.

It’s OK if you don’t have a skill you thought you had. Treat the push up with the same diligence as the clean and jerk and you’ll be able to slow down enough to execute them with attention to detail.

2. Hollow Body Awareness: Knowing if you’re in good body position and even being able to get into position, are very difficult concepts. Practice finding the hollow body position in the sanding position, lying on your back, in plank, etc. Awareness is important and it takes practice to garner that awareness. You’ll be able to take your newfound hollow body skills into numerous movements, so it’s worth your time, too.

This post is about the push up but trust me on this one, attention to detail bleeds into everything in your life. Have enough in you to be meticulous about your standards in the push up, and you’ll surely begin to practice greater excellence in bigger, (seemingly) more important aspects of your life.

Logan Gelbrich

——————-

Thursday’s Workout:

Spend 20 min on the Split Jerk..

Then 3 rounds for time of:

10 Split Jerk (95/65)
20 Arch Rocks
30 Sit ups
200m Run

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Posted by: Admin | May 23, 2012

Learning with (Your) Style

How do you digest information best? Are you a visual learner, or does it take doing things to understand them? There’s also a certain population of folks that have great success verbally. For those folks, listening to a captivating explanation of any concept is enough to garner proper competence.

Beautiful strokes for beautiful folks.

If you’re unsure how you learn best, it’s an extremely valuable bit of information to seek out. While some folks are clearly learners of one particular type (visual, verbal, or tactile), the story is a bit more murky for others. For many people, they are a combination of 2 or more style of learning.

I challenge you to get a firm grasp on how you learn best. Once you know yourself well enough to zero in on your ideal learning style, focus in on the coaching aspects that facilitate your learning. Our coaches include all three teaching techniques in class, while they may use some more than others, it’s important that you cherry pick the cues that will help you most.

Do not be troubled if the cue to send your butt back (“like your closing a car door”) doesn’t do the trick if your a tactile learner, for example. In your case, focusing on reaching back to feel for the med ball target behind you is what’s going to do the trick. Need to see it to learn it? Ask for another demonstration, or maybe a drawing on the white board.

FFOTB is built on coaching. Thus, finding how our students learn best is vital to us as program leaders. Next time you’re in class, filter for the type of coaching that makes you tick.

 

Logan Gelbrich

——————–

Wednesday’s Workout:

Complete the following for time:

800M Run

Then:
10, 9, 8, 7…1 Push Press
1, 2, 3, 4…..10 Jumping Lunges (2 ct)

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Posted by: Admin | May 21, 2012

A Coach’s Dream

Four years ago I was a financial advisor, which is the creative and misleading name for a guy trying to sell you life insurance.  Could there be a harder thing to sell?  It is not for you, it costs a lot, and you can’t see it.  I used to look at the sales guys at Best Buy and think, “Are you kidding? How easy would it be if I was selling Flat Screen TV’s?  I mean come on, they are awesome, and you can take it home and watch it today.”  If I buy a life insurance policy, I have to take a medical exam, and I get a promise on paper.  I am by no means invalidating life insurance, or financial advisors.  I truly believe in them both.  It’s just not for me.

Socialize, for time!

Anyways, at this point in my life I hated my job, and was very frustrated with where I was personally.  I had a dream of living in California.   I had a dream of running a school of fitness.  I followed Crossfit, but I was really out of shape.  I decided that things were going to change.  I studied and got certified to become a personal trainer.  I quit my job as a financial advisor, which was probably the best day I have ever had.  I got a job at a big corporate gym, and for the first time I was beginning to do something I loved.

Fast forward 4 years.  I moved to California, and you know the rest.  Moving scared me to death.  I didn’t know anyone, and damn sure didn’t know how I would start a school, or where I would do that.  All of these pieces have fallen into place.  I don’t know how.  A few times the bank account read less than 1 dollar.  I can say definitely some help from the Big Man upstairs.   The Nation lives and breathes, and to me that is a dream come true.

The point of this entry is not to toot my own horn.  I want to share the journey I had. By simply “going for it” my dream came true.  Stepping out there is the important thing.  People ask that question, “What would you do if you had a million dollars?”  I would get up and go teach at the bluffs.  There are times and circumstances that will make things seem impossible or, at least, very difficult.  Whether it be monetary or the situation, I for one believe if you follow your heart and are doing what you love, you are already successful.  The chips will fall in your favor. Trust that.

What is your dream?  Are you going for it, or just letting it fade?  Go get it.   A weird realization is when you are living what you used to be dreaming.  If you are already doing this… Celebrate! Lets hear your story.   And, thank you for letting me live mine.

I love you all!

 

Danny Lesslie

——————

Tuesday’s Wokout:

AMRAP 9

3, 6, 9, 12…
KB Swings
KB Front Squats

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Posted by: Admin | May 20, 2012

FFOTB Presents: The Dynamic Duo PR Challenge

There’s undeniable power in numbers. That’s why FFOTB’s newest challenge is taking on a format that much the fitness world hasn’t seen in a challenge before. For 6 weeks, you and your partner will be training to improve both as individuals and as a unit. Most specifically, you’ll be taking strength, flexibility,  power, stamina, and endurance. This challenge, more than any other, isn’t just about fitness and raising your game, though, this is about commitment, accountability, and teamwork.

—

 What: 6 Week Fitness Challenge (with a partner)

With a partner, complete 3 rounds for time of:
15 Front Squats (135/95)
300 Yard Shuttle
-Switch-
Rx: 135/95         Intermediate: 95/65         Beginner: 65/45
.

Who: This open to the PUBLIC. Any man and woman can enter a team, each partnership must choose 1 of the 3 scaling options.

When: June 9th – July 21st

Why: Challenges bring context to your training. Let’s put the microscope on your fitness for 6 weeks, compete, and have fun!

Cost: $30 – Your ante goes into the prize kitty and gives you entry to the baseline workout and our challenge finals.

Winners: Most IMPROVED times and the fastest time will win cash prizes!

Have a friend that needs 6 weeks of fun, motivation, and improvement? Make a team. Do you know the perfect match up for you to take home the win? Make a time. There’s a million ways to win. It’s time to strategize amongst yourselves, choose teams, and play to win. Let’s have some fun!

Stretch Fest 2K12

Logan Gelbrich

——————-

Monday’s Workout:

Embo’s 23rd Birthday Bash (5/21/1989)

AMRAP 19:89

198.9m  Run
23m Bear Crawl
23 KB Swings
23m Forward Roll

**Each 5 minutes, athletes are to perform 21 tuck jumps

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Posted by: Admin | May 18, 2012

No end in sight? Perfect!

How fit is fit enough? How will you know if you’re strong enough? If you’re not flexible enough now, will you know it when you are?

We all have different goals. As we should, right? As much as we embrace goals at Functional Fitness on the Bluffs, it’s worth noting that goals are best suited as stepping stones to success.

Give me an “A!”

For example, a kid having a long term goal to play in the NFL is wonderful. Arguably the more important goals, however, are the goals along the way, like making the local peewee all-star team, making varsity, and eventually getting a college scholarship. These stepping stone-like goals lead the way.

Fitness works the same way. Fitness goals that are geared towards reaching benchmarks of bodyweight, strength, endurance, etc are important stepping stones to high level fitness. For many of us, however, there isn’t a clear end goal. If you have a clear picture of what the end of your fitness journey looks like great, but most of us have no idea what “fit enough” even means.

I’m here to tell you that, “It’s OK!”

I have no image of what “fit enough” is for me, or what “strong enough” looks like. In many ways, I think it’s best that way to go about this whole thing. I’m personally not interested in being “fit enough”, “healthy enough,” or “strong enough,” because I don’t think there is such thing.

Set short term goals to move along in your progress, but be careful trying to find an ultimate end goal, especially in fitness. This is a journey with no end. Live it.

 

Logan Gelbrich

———————

Saturday’s Workout:

In teams of two, with only one partner working at a time, complete rounds of 50, 40, 30, 20 and 10 reps for time of:

Kettlebell Swings (24/16 kg)
Anchored Sit Ups

-Rest 2 minutes-

In teams of two, with only one partner working at a time, complete rounds of 50, 40, 30, 20 and 10 reps for time of:

KB SDLHP
Squats

 

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Posted by: Admin | May 18, 2012

Ebb and Flow

You’ve heard it a billion times: “Nothing is constant but change.” Cliches may be overdone, but I promise the moment they stop being true, I’ll stop talking about them. Deal?

Deal.

Ebb and flow, with regards to the tides, describes the fluctuation that occurs on any sea shore. These fluctuations are a bit more predictable than the fluctuations that occur in your life, however, albeit your bank statement, relationship status, or something as general as your level of happiness.

Pigeon party.

Considering that change is inevitable, it seems as though we all have both some ebb and some flow coming our way. Things not going so well? The ebb and flow of life is unpredictable. Are you comfortable living in your current lull? How long are you willing to endure the low points? Rest assured… fluctuation is in your favor.

Can’t relate? Maybe things are going great, then. Without bursting your bubble too much, keep in mind your flow won’t last forever. Can you enjoy the good times knowing they are temporary?

Change is coming. It’s inevitable, whether it’s for the good or the bad. I suggest you embrace the reality of the situation… ebb or flow. Find comfort in chance and you’ll find comfort in life.

 

Logan Gelbrich

———————–

Friday’s Workout:

2-2-2-2-2
Hang Squat Clean

AMRAP 8
1000m Run
15 V-Ups
Max Reverse Burpees

 

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Posted by: Admin | May 16, 2012

Event: Fitness/Yoga Power Hour @ lululemon

Yup! It’s back on the schedule, folks. We’ve moved our awesome fitness and yoga power hour, featuring Mary Beth LaRue, to Thursday May 24th at lululemon Santa Monica from 8:15-9:15 PM. We will have the entire floor to ourselves and the event will be open to the public.

Oh, happy day!

Quite honestly, I can’t say I’ve ever seen or heard of an event quite like this one. We will harmonize functional fitness with the undeniable power of yoga in a fun, loose atmosphere. The event will be a wonderful taste of fitness as executed at FFOTB and yoga as made famous by Mary Beth, one of the city’s brightest yoga stars.  Come out and have some fun. Feel free to bring friends or family as this event is free.

Yin. Yang. Yup!

Logan Gelbrich

——————-

Thursday’s Workout:

For time:
10-8-6-4-2 Sandbag Clean & Press
100 Yard Shuttle

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Posted by: Admin | May 16, 2012

How Google is Using Steve Jobs’ Last Words to Affect Your Fitness

Trends make me nervous. By nature, I think they lack thought, depth, and purpose. At the point in which folks do things simply because enough other people are doing them, I begin to worry.

Old fashion fun!

I recently read a piece about the traction that keys words like “Steve Jobs” and “Google” have in social media. Blogs with a Top 10-Something-to-do-with-Steve-Jobs-list are shockingly more popular than, well, anything else. So, whereas the title of this blog wasn’t entirely to get you to click on the link, there is a message in the dynamic it creates.

Is your training regime standing on a foundation centered around buzz and popularity? Committing to something because it’s new and exciting, is like falling in love to break up. Turn around you thinking. What if you sought after the tried and true, regardless of what it looked like? Let’s be honest, you’re out shopping for a fitness methodology because you want some fitness (strength, flexibility, improved health markers, better body composition, etc), right? So look for that, instead of convincing yourself that your looking for convenience, ease, and shiny bells & whistles.

I didn’t invent the squat. The clean and the press weren’t my idea either, but I’m not selling novelty. I’m selling you fitness… real, tangible fitness. Hell, sometimes it’s even fun and exciting, but that’s a bonus. At FFOTB, we won’t do a movement that’s less than 100 years old. That’s not very “hip,” and for that I’m sorry. But, at least I can say you won’t have to shop around for fitness anymore.

What are the pros and cons of opening a hula hooping-based fitness studio? It’s fun, it’s new, it’s easy to teach, and it’s easy to do. People looking for fitness will love it. All they have to do is play with a hula hoop! The cons are that I’ll have to find new clients when they get bored and don’t get fit. (SEE: 6 Minute Abs, Tae Bo, Zumba, Jazzercise, P90X, etc)

What are the pros and cons of functional training? Well, that’s simple, people will improve their fitness. They will function better as parents, athletes, milkmen, paratroopers, or whatever it is that they do. They will get strong, flexible, lean, and so on. The cons are coaching people to do these things is hard. It takes responsibility, time, and patience. And, you know what? It’s not on the cover of People Magazine either.

With fitness today, it’s easy to confuse what you’re shopping for. For the record, the fitness store is on Ocean and Marguerita. I can’t help with the other stuff.

 

Logan Gelbrich

——————-

Wednesday’s Workout:

100 Squats
Then:
3 rounds:
20 KB Swings
10 Clapping Push Ups
200m Run

 

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