Shannon's Strongman Day

Yesterday started out like most....but when it came time for my training session with Shannon, I was in for a real treat.

Shannon is tiny. She weighs 115lbs soaking wet and has not spent a ton of time in the gym, which is understandable since she is currently working towards her Ph.D. in something that this meathead is not going to attempt to re-communicate.

In either case, she knows that becoming strong and fit will help her in all areas of her life and that is how our training came to be. 

Now, we've been working together for about 2 months. We started out slow and really focused on laying a solid foundation of good mechanics and building strength. (This never stops being the priority, right?) We are now at a point that we can begin throwing doses of intensity into our workouts.......so logically, we went right to strongman movements to get that job done!

Why?

If you've been a subscriber to this blog for any reasonable amount of time, you have most likely read that "Strongman movements are not learned - they are remembered." This hardwiring that all humans come with sets up for being able to successfully navigate through life and the obstacles that come with it. The sad part is that most people forget how to lift, carry, throw, squat, run, push, pull - at least when it comes to dealing with actual, real-life scenarios where these abilities are required. The good news is, that we simply need to be reminded because it's already known. It's innate in all of us.

This is exactly why strongman movements and workouts are perfect for newbies! There's minimal teaching that occurs before he or she is rocking it with some appropriate intensity!

The really cool part of this is that it's FUN as hell to do and you'll see that  it lights people up with excitement! Not to mention it gives them a massive boost of confidence. All great things, right?! 

So whether you are a coach or an athlete, if you are not implementing strongman movements into your workouts, you are missing a massive piece of the puzzle. Strongman is real life. To not train these techniques means you're not training for your life. 

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If you're ready to remember how to move and operate in ways your life dictates, Travis County Strength will be hosting the CrossFit Strongman Trainer Course on January 31st. This is the best way to re-introduce these movements and concepts back into your life. I hope to see you there!

Saturday, JAN. 31st  

CF STRONGMAN TRAINER COURSE

 9 AM - 4:30 PM

REGISTER HERE

All The Cool Kids Are Doing It

Some of you probably tuned in to watch the 2014 CrossFit Invitational that took place last night, but I assume the majority of you did not. In either case, this post is because of one of the events that was thrown at the competitors last night.

The international team competition started out much like any other CrossFit event. Right off the bat, athletes had to perform 45 pullups and 45 thrusters as fast as possible. If you do the math, those are the same reps as "Fran", just done one movement at a time. Pretty nasty. Pure CrossFit. 

Next, select athletes took on the challenge of lifting as much weight as possible in the snatch and clean & jerk. This one was definitely a fun one to watch as some of the athletes were throwing around some serious weight and making it look like a cake-walk. 

Most notable was Rich Froning's 305 snatch......in Nanos! Stupid. 

In any case, the next challenge involved rowing for calories while your teammate held the top of a deadlift with some significant weight (275/405). If your partner dropped the barbell, the athlete on the rower had to stop until the bar was picked up again. Once the two-person team cleared this fun-fest, they traded reps on a (135/185) barbell power snatch. It stretched out for some time and was more involved than what I described, but you get the idea.

The last event of the night is the one that had me excited. Why? TIRE FLIPS!

That's right, the 4-person(2males/2females) teams had to break off into male/female couples and flip a 950lb tire in alternating fashion for the length of hockey rink. It was pretty badass to watch some of the very best CrossFitters in the world struggle with something that Travis County Strength athletes take on all the time!

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that my athletes could have done the same workout any faster than the American team. All I'm saying is that this is proof that the strongman movements are absolutely scalable and can be performed by newbies as well as some of the best athletes in the world - and both will come out smoked!

SMOKED! Having to take some time to get their shit together for another flip.

This is exactly why I have such a passion for strongman and odd object training. It has a profound effect on athletes, but yet is so simple to coach and teach to new athletes. You've heard me say this before, but here it comes again......

Strongman movements are not learned....they are remembered. And because of this shit being hardwired in us, we get a massive return on our investment. Suffice it so say that strongman movements give you the biggest bang for your buck.

This beautiful idea was planted in my head when I attended my first CF Strongman Certification  course several years ago. Rob Orlando - the face and brain behind CF SM - stated a lot of things that made perfect sense to me, and has ever since.

That's why I'm so stoked to now be on his certification staff! I know have the awesome responsibility to share this badassery with others so that they, too, can implement these powerful tools, movements and ideas in their training and the training of their athletes. 

I mean, if the top CrossFit athletes in world are doing it more and more....don't you think that if you were to also implement strongman and odd object training (in a appropriate level for you) you might see some success and progress? 

I know you would. And not to mention the simple fact that this shit is FUN! Who doesn't want to flip a big, dirty tire, or learn to pick up an atlas stone? That shit is cool! The first step, however, is learning from those that have experience.

Here's your chance!

Saturday, Jan. 31st    
-   CROSSFIT STRONGMAN   - TRAINER COURSE
Travis County Strength  
9 AM - 4:30 PM

REGISTER HERE

Take A Deep Breath...Good. Now PUSH!

If you've spent any substantial amount of time living as a meathead, you probably already know that Mondays are the international "Chest Day", right? I remember this being the case prior to finding CrossFit and eventually doing the crazy shit I do know. The bench was the epicenter of the gym on Mondays, and you had little chance of getting your sets in before other meatheads crowded around and eventually pissed you off enough that you gave up and went to dumbbell bench.

Recently, after being inspired by a Nick Mounce warmup incorporating breathing ladders (more on this is bit), I decided that performing said breathing ladder while busting out a large volume of unbroken pushups sounded like an exciting way to mix up "Chest Day". 

I was right. It's a SMOKER!

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Pushup Breathing Ladder:

• 20 Pushups
  • 10 Breaths
• 18 Pushups
  • 9 Breaths
• 16 Pushups
  • 8 Breaths
• 14 Pushups
  • 7 Breaths
• 12 Pushups
  • 6 Breaths
• 10 Pushups
  • 5 Breaths
• 8 Pushups
  • 4 Breaths
• 6 Pushups
  • 3 Breaths
• 4 Pushups
  • 2 Breaths
• 2 Pushups
  • 1 Breath

Now, there are a couple very important details that you need to know prior to taking this on.

1. Your pushups need to be f*cking dialed in!!! Full range of motion is an absolute requirement, however, staying on your toes is not. IF you begin to burn out (and you will...) and are unable to perform the set in unbroken fashion on your toes, quickly drop to your knees and continue performing reps. No matter what.....DO NOT stop repping out pushups until the set is complete!

2. The breaths are there to provide you with a small rest before hitting the next set. It's your job to make these breaths last as long as possible - extending the rest period out. This will only happen if you force yourself to slow your breathing rate and heart rate down. You have to do this on purpose.....otherwise you will end up hyperventilating your breaths away before you've had adequate rest. Get it?!

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If you're looking for a new way to blast your chest away while avoiding the gorillas that plant their ass on the bench permanently, this pushup breathing ladder will do the trick perfectly. Not to mention the fact that perfect pushups have become nearly extinct in the gym. Why? Because they're fucking hard! Pushups have a unique ability to humble the shit out of anyone, so people avoid them and stick with what's easy.

Go against the grain - master the pushup - and you will reap a massive reward from all the hard work. Remember.....Simple doesn't mean easy. 

Why Does Running Suck?

Why does running suck and how can I make it fun like burpees?
-by Nick Mounce-

There is probably only one part of that question that makes sense right now. By the end of this post I will, hopefully, explain what that means and put a nice little bow on the answer for you.

First, why does running suck? Well, my guess is that you are not particularly good at it. If this is news to you I’m deeply sorry you had to find out this way. Don’t worry though there is a way to fix it and who knows...you might even find yourself looking forward to going for a run.

Before we get to the answer let's go back a few years. There was a time in my life when all I did for “fitness” was run. I followed the LSD (long slow distance) training model. Gradually increasing the distance of my 3-4 runs during the week and 1 long run on the weekend. Following that approach got me through 12 marathons and several half marathons and 10k’s. It also left me broken and sick of running by the time race day came around.

I know you are sitting there thinking, “What happened? Why did you change from distance running to being amazingly strong with such a beautiful beard?” Thank you for asking such a thoughtful question sprinkled with unsolicited compliments. The answer is simple. My terrible running form and constant “pounding of the pavement” got me a couple sweet stress fractures in my right foot. Being gifted in the art of not taking advice from doctors I refused to wear the boot they prescribed and kept running. Bad idea, the foot is still a little shitty from time to time. Enter picking up heavy stuff then putting it down.

For a couple years I kept telling myself I’m not meant to be a runner. Clearly I’m built for picking up heavy shit and growing a beard. That was my mind set until I started hearing about Brian McKenzie, and the pose method. Mr. McKenzie’s blog and subsequent book introduced the idea of treating running as a skill.

Brian MacKenzie: Not your typical-looking/thinking endurance athlete. And that's why I like him!

Running is a coachable movement that can be taught and learned. MIND BLOWN. Since I learned how to move my feet faster then my face is moving towards the ground I haven’t given one thought to how to run.

Earlier this year a couple coaches from Travis County Strength went to the Crossfit Endurance Certification where we spent a good amount of time learning to run using the pose method. Retraining your body how to run is challenging to say the least. The thoughts, "This isn't right!" and "What the hell are you doing? This is not how we run!" kept running around my head for almost the entire first day. Then it happened. It clicked. I was weightless, it felt effortless, I was running. Then I freaked out kind of like when you string double unders together for the first time. Fart and fall down, start over.

So where does that leave us in our attempt to make running fun like burpees? But burpees aren't fun. I hear you and I agree, burpees aren't fun...until you are given the option of burpees for time or a run for time. Honestly both options suck, until the airdyne bike is thrown into the mix. Then running and burpees sound like great options to most people.

My point is this. Running can suck less. Running can be a new skill. This will take practice, patience, and a "little suck it up". The resources are out there. Videos, articles, books, podcasts, and coaches probably pretty close to where you live. So where does that leave us? It’s up to you.

Friday Night SWOD - Recap

By now you've probably seen some picture, post, or tweet from last Friday evening's event at TCS, the Friday Night SWOD. I'll be honest in saying that this was one of our smaller FNS events - my theory is that holding this on the same night as the ACL opener is not the best plan of action, but what the hell. We had a blast with a bunch of great people! And really, that's why we do this.

So, with that being said, the competition was a huge success!

We had athletes from Houston, San Marcos, Seguin, Cedar Park and of course Austin. All of these competitors took on the 3 workouts of the evening:

1. "Draggin' Ass"
2. "Load'n'Go"
3. "The To-Do List"

It was clear that everyone thought that the first workout was the nastiest of them all.....which is exactly what we planned on. Competitors tore into this workout with a blistering pace that soon slowed to a "Get this shit over with" grind. Once each heat ended with several athletes taking a couple moments to collect themselves before attempting to stand and walk off the workout floor. Perfect!

The second workout slowed things down a bit.....at least temporarily while each athlete had 6min to establish his/her 2-Rep Max Front Squat before going immediately to a nasty little sandbag/stepup complex that only lasted for 90sec, but surely felt like a lifetime. 

We saw some massive lifts, and I would say that the majority of the athletes managed to PR their old 1-Rep Max and take it for a second rep! 

One moment that was captured by our video crew pretty much says it all. This is Carlos.

Carlos is the owner of CrossFit Houston and came up for his first FNS. He's probably glad he did, as he set a new PR on his Front Squat and ended up taking 3rd place overall.

On the final workout of the night we kept it super simple. But as you've heard on this very blog:

"Simple does NOT mean easy."

Athletes had to complete a ridiculously heavy set of single-arm DB presses, then go right to a short set of Burpees, only to then be forced to move a heavy-ass sandbag while performing Sandbag Getups. Miserable.

Nevertheless, these athletes powered through and came out the other side feeling beat-down and broken, but had fun all the while. Some athletes even got to perform some exercises and use some tools that they had never used before, like the stone and sandbag. 

At the end of the night, we gathered around and announced the top 3 males and 3 females in the Rx'd division, as well as the top female from the Scaled division.

Rx'd Males:

1. Elliot E.
2. Joshua K.
3. Carlos I.
4. Layke F.
5. Jason W.
6. Nathan F.
7. Anthony B.
8. Russ L.
9. Elliot S.
10. Michael S.
11. Gabe K.

Rx'd Females:

1. Taylor M.
2. Cat C./Amanda H.
3. Michelle H.
4. Allison W.
5. Carrey B.
6. Lindsay S.
7. Nicole A.
8. Marianna M.
9. Shannon
10. Evelyn
11. Laurie G.

Scaled Females:

1. Shelley S.
2. Katrina T.
3. Ashley B.
4. George

All of the competitors did an outstanding job throughout the entire night. But, as is the case with any competition, the FNS would not have even happened if it weren't for the judges and volunteers. 

These ladies and gents spent the entire time counting reps and maintaining a high standard of movement, as well as making big changes to the layout of the workout floor for each of the 3 workouts. Again, without these individuals the night would have gone completely different and no one would have had the quality experience they did. So a big Thank You goes out to those that made the evening possible!

In closing, I would just like to say that you can stay up to date with the events that Travis County Strength has going on at any given time by checking the EVENTS tab on the website. This is where we will post future Friday Night SWOD's and much more! You can also stay in touch with TCS goings on right here on the blog! 

Until next time!

What Makes Us Different?

Right now, as I type and you read, there are probably hundreds of gyms opening their doors for the first time as new businesses. It's a crazy time in the fitness world, largely due to the rapid expansion of CrossFit.

CrossFit has made fitness sexy again, much like Arnold made bodybuilding the hottest craze back in the day. Some people say that it's just a fad and that it will fade out, but I doubt it. There will be ups and downs I'm sure, but people are being exposed to the importance of this thing called "fitness" and I think we will continue to see it grow.

This is all great news! More people getting stronger and healthier is outstanding. But as a gym-owner and coach, it presents some unique challenges.

Like in any area of biz, it's a free market. Anyone can open up a gym and present potential competition for you. They do it by cutting down their prices, implementing the newest fitness thing-a-ma-jig, or by making bold claims that they do it better than anyone else. This is all fine, but it's also all bullshit.

You see, Fitness....strength and conditioning....working out.....whatever you call it, as I see it, boils down to an impossibly simple concept: Hard Work. That's it. Becoming strong, conditioned and fit is all about hard work. 

Often times, this concept gets pushed to the bottom of the deck while trends and fads get the spotlight. It also happens that there are a lot of people that really don't want to work hard. They want it the easiest way possible and in the least amount of time.

Not us.

Listen. I will never claim that Travis County Strength has all the right answers and that our way is the only/best way. This would be an absolutely silly statement. There is no perfect program or method.

Where we excel is utilizing tried and true methods of building true strength and conditioning. We keep it simple. You won't find trendy pieces of equipment that take longer to set up than to actually use. The work we ask you to complete is uncomplicated and purposeful. You will be asked to pick things up, carry things from A to B, put things over your head, push heavy shit, sprint your ass off, jump, crawl, load up and squat, move your own body-weight, and control your body in space. Not one of these is a new idea. These are not fancy methods, but they work....so long as you do as well.

Our purpose is not to make you a better worker-outer. Our goal is to use these simple methods and ideas to make you better at living your life and taking on new challenges outside of the gym. 

Suffice it to say that Travis County Strength is a life-enhancing facility. The deadlift, back squat, keg clean, farmers carry, burpee, etc. are all tools we use in the gym to help you build a better life outside of the gym. These tools serve a greater purpose.....they are not the purpose. Often times, in other forms of fitness, this gets lost in translation. 

Logs, Stones & Kegs Oh My!

If you've been following us for a while you already know about the love and admiration we have for the Strongman methodology.  In fact, it would be extremely rare for the coaches at TCS to exclude some sort of Strongman element from their workout.

Why do we love these movements and this method so much?

That's easy.  It all boils down to ROI - Return On Investment.  

Yes.....just like the big boys on Wall Street, we look for the most efficient and effective ways to get our job done.....in our case, our job is to get people moving well and building strength.  And, as the name implies, Strongman is at the very top of that list.

You see, the time and energy it takes a coach to teach the barbell snatch(and the athlete to perform the movement safely and proficiently) is tremendous.  The snatch is an outstanding movement used to develop speed, coordination, and power.  But, if I can teach a new athlete a keg clean or a stone shoulder that develops those very same characteristics....and do so in less time.....well, the answer is pretty clear.

The Strongman movements are all derived from natural human movement.  As we like to say at the CrossFit Strongman Certifications, "These movements aren't learned, they are remembered." That's important to understand.  These movements are exactly how we moved objects when we very young.  

But sometimes you need some help remembering, right?

That's were Coach Nick Mounce makes his entrance.  Nick loves the Strongman stuff!  A LOT!  So much so that he wanted to create a Strongman Seminar to help others discover the awesomeness that is Strongman and the potential these movements have to build tons of power, strength and speed.

His first seminar is taking place this Sunday at Travis County Strength from 10am-1130am and is open to the public.  The goal of this initial session is to dig in to the details of the Strongman Log, the Atlas Stone and the Keg - all extremely effective tools that build silly amounts of strength!  Proper technique and safety will be a priority while working through the skills and drills associated with each implement.

This seminar is a great opportunity to learn about some new movements in a small class setting (capped at 6).  We hope to see you there! 

REGISTER HERE

A Strong Showing!

You may have heard....The Fittest Games happened. Hahaha.

I laugh because if you're a part of this ever-growing fitness community, you were probably very, very aware of the event that took place this past weekend.
..It's kind of a big deal around these parts.

In any case, The Fittest Games brings some of CrossFit's best athletes out of the woodwork and on to a proving ground.  It also provides a platform for all athletes - at any level - to see what it means to compete in the sport of fitness.  And as the CrossFit Open is just around the corner, It offers a true test, a check-in, for all athletes as they prep for the "CrossFit in-season".

Despite the fact that Travis County Strength has only been operational for almost 2 months, we had a strong showing at The Fittest Games.

Coach Jen Shaw had 3 badass LIFT/TCS chicks take on the challenges that The Fittest Games' Amateur division had to offer, while two of my Strictly Strength athletes represented TCS in the Masters Men's and Women's divisions.

Now, I will get to their placings in a moment, but I would rather spend the time sharing how impressed I was with their performances, durability, and most importantly - the fact that they enjoyed themselves throughout the 2-day event.

I'll be honest, I was only able to see our athletes compete on the 2nd day, but that was enough for me to know that they were having a great time and enjoying the challenges this competition had to offer.  In fact, this year's FG's was the first major competition for majority of our competitors.  So, like a nervous father watching over his kid play a sport for the first time, I was anxious to see how they handled the experience.  I can only say that I am so proud of how each of them worked their asses off during the workout, then were able to "turn off" and move passed that workout and ready themselves for the next - all while maintaining the highest of spirits.

To be completely honest, I didn't really give a shit where they placed.  Of course I wanted them all do well, but more importantly - I wanted them to enjoy the fruits of their labor....

Every.  Single. Person. at our gym works their ass off.  We demand that from them.  They demand that of themselves.  So for the competitors to have enjoyed themselves on this proving ground was the best feeling a coach could have.  It means that they were prepared and confidently accepted that they would have to work....and possibly fail at attaining a goal that they had set for themselves.  The point is that they accepted the challenged, were forced to work and prove themselves, and had FUN doing this!  That's a WIN in my book!  If you think otherwise, you may want to refocus your priorities.....

So with the important part out of the way, we can get to the final placings.

Coach Jen Shaw's LIFT/TCS Competitors

NOTE: Both Tina "TeeTee" Spears AND Meghan McCraken are LIFT competitors

If you look closely you'll see that Taylor took 1st in one of the workouts and 5th in another!  Hahaha!  Not bad at all!

Strictly Strength/TCS Competitors

Richard splits his time between Travis County Strength and another badass training facility, Of The Lion Fitness.  His coach there is the one and only David DeLeon.  Let's just say Richard was ready for anything.  Again, notice the 1st and 4th place finishes.  That doesn't suck.

4th Place?!?!?!  That's f*cking bonkers!  Why, you ask?  This was here first major competition!  Watch for her next year...

In closing, I just want to say Thank You to the competitors for doing such an amazing job of representing Travis County Strength, your respective programs, your coaches, and most importantly yourselves and the hard work you have put in.  Great Job! 

Now....we get back to #work.