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“It feels like gravity just got stronger.”
Famous first words immediately following my initial introduction to highness; Halloween, in the year 2000 (Grade 8).

Born and raised in Vancouver, I have come accustomed to activists, pot heads, haters,  stoners, and those, indifferents. At my peak (high school), I smoked a little over a ¼ oz per day (think 5-7 respectable joints worth). I’ve also not partaken for months, and years at a time. You could say I have had my fair share of experiences. I don’t dive into this subject too much on the respiratory front with clients; primarily due to the fact, I don’t see it necessary to have the “why smoking is bad” conversation with a grown up.

Your opinions are just that, yours to share when the opportunity presents itself (here in the comment section).

Dr Jade Teta has tackled a few topics like this, and applies them to lifting. Take a read of 2 of my favourites:

http://www.t-nation.com/training/lifters-guide-to-marijuana

http://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/lifters-guide-to-alcohol

Here’s a few notes from the article:

• The Endocannabinoid System: controls pain sensation, appetite, temperature regulation, stress reactivity, immune function, and sleep as well as other processes. And perhaps even more interesting, muscle and fat tissue also utilize these receptors to control their processes.

• Research: Another confounding variable when studying marijuana is that very little research exists in the realm of randomized double-blind clinical trials with weight lifters. So, much of what you’re going to get from me here is extrapolation of research based on mechanism, animal studies and populations studies. 

• Muscle & Performance Enhancement: Marijuana…

• Decreases reaction time

• Interrupts concentration

• Disrupts hand-eye coordination

• Reduces exercise capacity and time to exhaustion.

• These above effects have been shown to last up to 36 hours after usage.

• Affects Appetite & Recovery:
  

1. This is interesting info for those who use marijuana and want to know which strains are most likely to send them on a 3,000 calorie midnight Taco Bell run. The hardgainer may love this effect, while the hard-loser may not.
2. The two major strains of cannabis are indica and sativa. Indica has a lower level of THC compared to cannabidiol (CBD). Sativa is the reverse.
3. Also, if you’re using marijuana to aid in overtraining and recovery, you may be interested to know that the high CBD strains have equal fatigue recovery merits as the high THC strains, but with much less appetite effects.
   1. So for a hardgainer looking to aid recovery and pack in the cals, high THC levels in the brain are best (i.e. sativa). For the person overtrained and wanting to minimize fat gain and lose weight, low THC and high CBD may be best (i.e. indica).

• There are some pretty striking difference in marijuana use and its effects between men and women:
  • Men are more responsive to the appetite-stimulating effects compared to women.
  • Men have lower sex drive and sexual behavior compared to women who have greater effects from use.
  • Men get greater effects on energy homeostasis, which could mean greater chance of metabolic change in a positive or negative direction.
  • Women have greater pain-reducing effects and more anxiety alleviation from pot.

At the end of all this, more research needs to be done, on everything. You know how things affect you individually. Weed is hardly something you should go out of your way to incorporate into your training/lifestyle; however if it’s something you are considering, or currently partaking in, here you go.

I approach it as I do cupcakes and scotch,

Chesty

Friday Lesson Plan

Preparation: 10 minutes

Coaches Choice

Strength/Skill: 25 minutes

A) Weighted Power Box Jumps 5×2

B) Backsquat 4×3

*Use same weight as Monday for both Jumps and Squats.
*Reminder: Do not allow weight to slow on route up.

Conditioning: 20 minutes

“Triple Up Relay”

Teams of 2. Trading off rounds.
8 Rounds:

250m Row
12 Front Squats 75/55
3 Muscle Ups

*Sprint
*Replace MU’s with 3 Burpee Pull Ups

Saturday Lesson Plan

Preparation:

A) Coaches Choice

B) Xiaopeng Forward 3×5/5

Strength/Skill:

C) Shoulder Press 5×5

*Use same weight as Tuesday.

D) Warm Up Power Clean

Conditioning:

“Power Elizabeth”

21-15-9

Power Cleans 95/65
Ring Dips

At Madlab School of Fitness we are genuinely thrilled to hear about and share your successes.

Whether it be at the school or not. Maybe you got a promotion at work, maybe you hiked the Grouse Grind for the first time? Or you snatched 165lb, Did 30 Pullups unbroken. It doesn’t matter what it is but it makes you happy and  proud. 

Whatever these achievements are we encourage you to share these on the PB Board which is by the small entrance door. Each month we post it on the website also. Last month we didn’t see many posts on there so this month please share!!!!

See Nikos Below – He got his first Pullups this week!!!! CONGRATS
January we are going to make it a goals board! So start thinking about what you want to achieve and will have you all write these up and then check in as the year progresses!!! 

But for now write up something you achieved in December!! CELEBRATE IT! Let others Celebrate with you!

Dashie

Thursday Lesson Plan

Preparation: 10 minutes

A) Coaches Choice

B) Wall Facing Handstand Hold – gather 2min

Strength/Skill: 20

C1) Power Jerk 4×3

C2) Pull Up Negative Iso 4x1x3p

*Power Jerks are performed at no more that 85% of C&J 1RM. A failed rep will cost you an additional set of Pull Up Negatives.
*Pull Up Negative Iso’s begin at the top and pause at each location for 3-5seconds: Chin Over, Forehead, then Halfway. Descend as slow as possible.

Conditioning:

“Eastern Block Escape”

10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.

Heavy Russian Swings 2p/1.5p
Box Jumps 24/20

*Consider moving at 80% effort and replacing Box Jumps with Step Ups. Continuous movement.

Ivan Rossman’s story is a familiar one: Skinny, vegetarian triathlete finds functional fitness and strength training.

“I walked through the blue doors about two and half years ago. I was a skinny, marathon running, vegetarian of ten years.  I was looking for a change to break up the monotony of running for hours on end, and after researching CrossFit couldn’t wait to check it out,” he said.

“On my first day, the class workout was Cindy and I remember seeing men and women side-by-side, swinging from the chin-up bar, sweating hard and working non-stop Everybody’s positive energy, camaraderie and fitness was immediately apparent and I couldn’t help but think – ‘I want to do this,’” he added.

Ivan took to it immediately, and although training at MadLab was a world of difference from triathlon training, he took to it immediately.

“Today, I’m certainly stronger and fitter than I was. I’ve developed a much greater awareness and appreciation for efficient movement that comes in handy in all life’s activities,” he said.

But beyond the physical changes he has experienced, Ivan said what he likes most about MadLab is the positive energy the people around him give off, and how the workouts test his emotional limits.

“For me, that mental strength has translated into increased confidence, resolve and happiness throughout my life,” he said. And part of this happiness is undoubtedly connected to his decision to bring meat back into his life.

“I’ve now given up vegetarianism and taken up hunting,” he said. “This year I successfully filled the freezer with two beautiful White-tailed Deer – harvested with great care and awareness of life’s significance.”

Lisa showed up here in 2013. She had already lost a ton of weight and was ready to make the next step.

Her coach, Chest immediately noticed her determination. “As a coach, I know she’s someone I can put my trust in because I know she’s going to show up. She listens to everything I say. I know I can make a difference in her life. She comes in with such determination, purely based on what she’s already earned. And now she’s focused on the next goal. She wants it so bad. There’s nothing that can stop her,” Chest said.

Lisa explained what brought her in: “I’ve struggled with weight my entire life, and on the road to morbid obesity I decided to make a change. I had lost a couple of hundred pounds on my own but felt kind of stuck, and although I was losing weight, I still had a long way to go and my goal had changed from wanting to be skinny to wanting to be fit and strong,” she said.

Despite her will to become fit and strong, it took a ton of courage to contact a school of fitness.

“I walked through the doors my first day completely terrified. I was terrified of my coach (Charlie), whom I had never met, I was terrified he was going to be mean, I was terrified I was going to embarrass myself and/ or pass out during the assessment, I was terrified the other people there were going to judge me and make fun of me, I was terrified I couldn’t keep up in classes. I was so terrified,” she admitted.

She put her fears aside and showed up. Again and again and again. Her fears soon subsided and before she knew it, she found herself fitting in and loving it.

“The community has helped me stay with it, cheering me on and giving me confidence instead of judging me like I’ve experienced at traditional gyms in the past. I feel like I’m a part of something, not just at MadLab but even at events like the Regionals, volunteering and feeling like I’m a small part of it. I even feel like it’s easier to learn things, to read things and remember them. Fitness has changed every part of me, physically and mentally. Those of you who know me know that I’m usually the last one finishing up workouts and that I’ll never make it to the games. But that doesn’t matter, because I’ve gotten so much more out of it,” she said.

“Today I have never been stronger, healthier, and more self-confident. Fitness makes me feel strong and powerful, two things I’ve not felt ever in my entire life. It gives me an outlet to de-stress after work, to focus my energy into something positive when I’m feeling down. At work, the heavy equipment I used to struggle to lift is now no trouble at all. At home I no longer struggle to lift the heavy laundry basket or groceries from the car. I feel more confident as I no longer have to worry about not fitting into clothes in the “regular” stores,” she said.

Lisa as a child and Lisa now