Saturday
Endurance Athlete Weight Training Workout
A good quick workout for not just endurance athletes but for all athletes is listed below. I have been doing this workout 1-2 times per week. It is quick and really gets down to business in terms of building strength, stamina, and does not build bulk.
Warm-up: (In this order)
1) Foam roll
2) Stretch
Complete step 3 and 4 2 x's with 1 minute rest between sets and exercises.
3) Lateral Side Steps (With inner tube.) 2 x 60 steps left and right side combined.
4) Jumping Rope 1-4 minutes x 2 sets
Main Set:
1-Arm Kettle Bell/Dumbbell Swings 2 x 25 reps. Rest 1 minute between sets.
Dead Lift 2 x 15 reps. Rest 2 minutes between sets.
The final 2 exercises are to be done as a superset with limited rest between sets. I like to rest 15-30 seconds between these but some can go straight on through with rest. Rest enough to be able to complete the superset.
Super-Set:
Chin-Ups 1 x 5-10 reps depending on ability & Push-Ups OR Dips 1 x 5-15 reps depending on ability. Keep alternating chin-ups with push-ups with limited rest until you complete 3-4 rounds.
Cool Down: In This Order.
1) Foam Roll
2) Stretch
YOU ARE DONE!
This workout takes about 30 minutes with most of the time being spent warming up. Also,,,I like to complete my dead lifts with the device below. I am not a big fan of straight Olympic bar dead lifts as they require perfect form to avoid injury and most don't have perfect form especially when fatigued. I like to use a TRAP BAR which is the method I recommend and prefer when it comes to dead lifting.
Warm-up: (In this order)
1) Foam roll
2) Stretch
Complete step 3 and 4 2 x's with 1 minute rest between sets and exercises.
3) Lateral Side Steps (With inner tube.) 2 x 60 steps left and right side combined.
4) Jumping Rope 1-4 minutes x 2 sets
Main Set:
1-Arm Kettle Bell/Dumbbell Swings 2 x 25 reps. Rest 1 minute between sets.
Dead Lift 2 x 15 reps. Rest 2 minutes between sets.
The final 2 exercises are to be done as a superset with limited rest between sets. I like to rest 15-30 seconds between these but some can go straight on through with rest. Rest enough to be able to complete the superset.
Super-Set:
Chin-Ups 1 x 5-10 reps depending on ability & Push-Ups OR Dips 1 x 5-15 reps depending on ability. Keep alternating chin-ups with push-ups with limited rest until you complete 3-4 rounds.
Cool Down: In This Order.
1) Foam Roll
2) Stretch
YOU ARE DONE!
This workout takes about 30 minutes with most of the time being spent warming up. Also,,,I like to complete my dead lifts with the device below. I am not a big fan of straight Olympic bar dead lifts as they require perfect form to avoid injury and most don't have perfect form especially when fatigued. I like to use a TRAP BAR which is the method I recommend and prefer when it comes to dead lifting.
Monday
Sunday
Divorce by Triathlon
Being a psychologist in addition to being a health/fitness coach I tend to always be analyzing human behavior and what motivates individuals to do what they do. After all, no matter what we do has some sort of benefit to us either directly or indirectly. Skinner was always one of my favorites and I tend to shy towards the behavioristic models/theories of human behavior.
Having had a great deal of training and experience in working with individuals with suicidal tendencies/ideation, I was always aware of the phenomenon of "Suicide By Cop". If you are not familiar with "Suicide by Cop" it is the phrase used for individuals who are suicidal and decide to break a law that will involve police intervention. When the intervention comes in the form of an officer upholding the law the suicidal individual either draws a gun or makes a some sort of threat towards the police that will end in that individual's death. This is obviously a no win situation in that one person who needed help doesn't get it and the officer who is trying to do their job is left with the guilt of taking a life.
Where does triathlon fit into this equation? In reading blogs, knowing, coaching and being a triathlete myself, and combining all this with my background in psychology and behaviorism, I couldn't help but begin to draw some comparisons in this type of human behavior. It is a common and well known fact that Ironman distance triathlons or any ultra distance race (running/cycling) requires a great deal of time, commitment, and dedication to training. Those that take this challenge on know all too well what the are embarking upon. For some, this challenge and level of commitment maybe a way of building their self-esteem, feeling of purpose, feeling of accomplishment, or some combination of all three. For me it was mostly for the feeling of accomplishment and self-esteem. I am sure there were other factors involved that I am still unaware of that were playing a part in possessing me to wake up at 4am and ride my trainer and then run an hour at lunch time, only to bike another 2 hours outside after work. This type of behavior definitely warrants a psychological explanation though. I feel it was mainly a way for me to escape some things I was dealing with at work and also a way to feel that I was progressing in my life. After all, Americans are achievement junkies and I am no different.
Anyways, getting back to the high divorce rate in triathlon/endurance sports. I began to think that some maybe training for a host of reasons. One of them that came to mind is the idea of what I call "Divorce by Triathlon". Much like "Suicide by Cop" the individual begins to cause a situation in their relationship with their significant other that forces the desired result. In this case that result is divorce. When you have an athlete training especially for ironman distances it is not uncommon for them to put in 15-20 hours of training a week for months on end. This puts a great amount of stress on that person's spouse especially if they have kids and a job on top of everything else. Usually, the spouse tolerates this for the race, the triathlete finishes the race, calls themselves an "Ironman", and everyone goes back to life as usual. However, some don't stop there. They find that this lifestyle is quite nice and decide to continue to race and train for future Ironman events. No we are entering into a new realm I believe. This is no longer a one time event but a lifestyle change. Enter "Divorce by Triathlon".
Now there is no end in sight to the individual's training, racing, and time away from their "old" life. Most spouses tolerate this depending on their ability but ultimately the end result is "Divorce by Triathlon". The non-competing spouse becomes frustrated and problems begin. In my opinion it is not fair or reasonable to expect this from one's spouse. I know because I did it and have come to realize that it wasn't worth it.
I feel that some are able to compete at the Ironman distance and live a reasonably normal life. However, I feel these individuals are in the minority. I often wonder how many lonely wives, husbands, children of triathletes are out there wondering when the insanity is going to end. I know this is not going to go over very well with most Ironman distance competitors but I am also here to say that there is a life of excellent and outstanding fitness out there in case YOU decide to follow it. There is no shame in sprint distance or Olympic distance events. The belief that longer is better is in my opinion obsolete at this point IF your goal is to be a healthy individual. You will also find that a great many retired professional triathletes have come to these same conclusions. There is more to life. Being exceptionally fit does not mean you are exceptionally healthy. The two concepts are not the same.
Having had a great deal of training and experience in working with individuals with suicidal tendencies/ideation, I was always aware of the phenomenon of "Suicide By Cop". If you are not familiar with "Suicide by Cop" it is the phrase used for individuals who are suicidal and decide to break a law that will involve police intervention. When the intervention comes in the form of an officer upholding the law the suicidal individual either draws a gun or makes a some sort of threat towards the police that will end in that individual's death. This is obviously a no win situation in that one person who needed help doesn't get it and the officer who is trying to do their job is left with the guilt of taking a life.
Where does triathlon fit into this equation? In reading blogs, knowing, coaching and being a triathlete myself, and combining all this with my background in psychology and behaviorism, I couldn't help but begin to draw some comparisons in this type of human behavior. It is a common and well known fact that Ironman distance triathlons or any ultra distance race (running/cycling) requires a great deal of time, commitment, and dedication to training. Those that take this challenge on know all too well what the are embarking upon. For some, this challenge and level of commitment maybe a way of building their self-esteem, feeling of purpose, feeling of accomplishment, or some combination of all three. For me it was mostly for the feeling of accomplishment and self-esteem. I am sure there were other factors involved that I am still unaware of that were playing a part in possessing me to wake up at 4am and ride my trainer and then run an hour at lunch time, only to bike another 2 hours outside after work. This type of behavior definitely warrants a psychological explanation though. I feel it was mainly a way for me to escape some things I was dealing with at work and also a way to feel that I was progressing in my life. After all, Americans are achievement junkies and I am no different.
Anyways, getting back to the high divorce rate in triathlon/endurance sports. I began to think that some maybe training for a host of reasons. One of them that came to mind is the idea of what I call "Divorce by Triathlon". Much like "Suicide by Cop" the individual begins to cause a situation in their relationship with their significant other that forces the desired result. In this case that result is divorce. When you have an athlete training especially for ironman distances it is not uncommon for them to put in 15-20 hours of training a week for months on end. This puts a great amount of stress on that person's spouse especially if they have kids and a job on top of everything else. Usually, the spouse tolerates this for the race, the triathlete finishes the race, calls themselves an "Ironman", and everyone goes back to life as usual. However, some don't stop there. They find that this lifestyle is quite nice and decide to continue to race and train for future Ironman events. No we are entering into a new realm I believe. This is no longer a one time event but a lifestyle change. Enter "Divorce by Triathlon".
Now there is no end in sight to the individual's training, racing, and time away from their "old" life. Most spouses tolerate this depending on their ability but ultimately the end result is "Divorce by Triathlon". The non-competing spouse becomes frustrated and problems begin. In my opinion it is not fair or reasonable to expect this from one's spouse. I know because I did it and have come to realize that it wasn't worth it.
I feel that some are able to compete at the Ironman distance and live a reasonably normal life. However, I feel these individuals are in the minority. I often wonder how many lonely wives, husbands, children of triathletes are out there wondering when the insanity is going to end. I know this is not going to go over very well with most Ironman distance competitors but I am also here to say that there is a life of excellent and outstanding fitness out there in case YOU decide to follow it. There is no shame in sprint distance or Olympic distance events. The belief that longer is better is in my opinion obsolete at this point IF your goal is to be a healthy individual. You will also find that a great many retired professional triathletes have come to these same conclusions. There is more to life. Being exceptionally fit does not mean you are exceptionally healthy. The two concepts are not the same.
Friday
4th of July Weekend
Just wanted to drop a quick post leading into this 4th of July weekend. I remember last year at this time I was trying to juggle traveling, family obligations, training for the Musselman 70.3 race and basically burning the candle at both ends. Sometimes you don't realize how far you are pushing yourself until you finally take a step back. That is what I decided to do almost exactly one year to this date.
After having a decent performance at 2009 Musselman 70.3 and then running the Presque Isle Duathlon one week later I realized I needed a break. Actually, I realized I needed to drop down in the distances I was competing at for several reasons. I think most come to realizations on their own. People close to me were telling me I was pushing myself too hard but I didn't want to hear it or admit it. Finally, I realized I needed to listen. Since last year I have cut back on my training and focused on being HEALTHY. There is a big difference between being the most fit or the best in your age group and being healthy. I realized that after pushing myself to the extreme and being extremely fit that I was not actually very healthy. Something had to change.
Since last year I returned to the weight room on a consistent basis, only trained on the bike 2-3 times per week, and ran 1-2 times per week and many times didn't run at all. To my surprise my performance on the bike didn't suffer much and I was a much healthier happier individual. My future goals include competing at shorter triathlon and cycling distances and focusing on fun and health rather than winning.
I feel that many out there want to win their age group and that is okay. I also feel that you can be very healthy/happy and still win your age group. However, for me, I needed to sacrifice a great deal to be competitive and after performing to what I thought was my limit I decided to change gears.
As a coach, father and husband I have found my performance in these other areas of my life has substantially improved. I am sure I will return to the sprint and Olympic distances soon but hope to approach these events with a different perspective. I have learned a great deal on how to do this from the athletes I coach. I am greatly impressed by their discipline as well as their consistent ability to surprise not only me but themselves as well.
After having a decent performance at 2009 Musselman 70.3 and then running the Presque Isle Duathlon one week later I realized I needed a break. Actually, I realized I needed to drop down in the distances I was competing at for several reasons. I think most come to realizations on their own. People close to me were telling me I was pushing myself too hard but I didn't want to hear it or admit it. Finally, I realized I needed to listen. Since last year I have cut back on my training and focused on being HEALTHY. There is a big difference between being the most fit or the best in your age group and being healthy. I realized that after pushing myself to the extreme and being extremely fit that I was not actually very healthy. Something had to change.
Since last year I returned to the weight room on a consistent basis, only trained on the bike 2-3 times per week, and ran 1-2 times per week and many times didn't run at all. To my surprise my performance on the bike didn't suffer much and I was a much healthier happier individual. My future goals include competing at shorter triathlon and cycling distances and focusing on fun and health rather than winning.
I feel that many out there want to win their age group and that is okay. I also feel that you can be very healthy/happy and still win your age group. However, for me, I needed to sacrifice a great deal to be competitive and after performing to what I thought was my limit I decided to change gears.
As a coach, father and husband I have found my performance in these other areas of my life has substantially improved. I am sure I will return to the sprint and Olympic distances soon but hope to approach these events with a different perspective. I have learned a great deal on how to do this from the athletes I coach. I am greatly impressed by their discipline as well as their consistent ability to surprise not only me but themselves as well.
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