Blog Archive

HA! Is there an answer to this question?

Well… Actually there is!

Triumphs of Experience is a book written by George Vaillant in 2012. It chronicles “the longest running study of human development in history”.

In 1938 Harvard University started a study “to determine as best as possible what factors contribute most strongly to human flourishing”.

Now in the past I have spent hours summarizing an abstract for you to read and get the gist of an article. This time you have to hit the link and read for yourselves.

I will say this however… Like most things in life the answers are often upstream. Way Way Way upstream.

There are two good times to plant a tree. 20 years ago and right now.

Cheers,

Sheppy

Monday’s Workout:

Warm-up: 15 minutes

A).

20 Pull Aparts
20 Face Pulls
10/10 Ring Row and Reach

B).

2 Rounds:

7/7 Split Squats with KB
7 Goblet Squats
7/7 RDLs or Bowler Squats

Skill: 10 minutes

Choose 1 of 3

25 strict pull-ups (as few sets as possible)
3×10 kipping pull-ups
3 big sets of butterfly pull-ups

Strength: 15 minutes

Front Squat – 5×5

Conditioning: Partner WOD – AMRAP in 12 minutes

Partner A: 15 Cal Row
PArtner B: 10 Burpees

Partner A does a 15 cal row, while partner B does 10 burpees.

When both partners have completed their task, switch! Go back and forth for 10 minutes. You’re only allowed to switch stations each time when both partners are finished their task.

A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

“If you are sick, please do not come in to train.”

Adrenaline and epinephrine might make you feel better for a couple of hours, but when you train while sick you are stressing an already stressed system. This delays recovery–not only from the illness, but from any training that you try to undertake.

Besides this, it is inherently selfish to bring any illness into the school.   Any teacher can attest to this. In fact, Sheppy gets sick nine times a year because someone with a sore throat and a runny nose thinks that burpees and cleans will make them feel better.

What you should consider beforehand instead:

Or, read THIS (for those who need an argument).
Respect your body.  Respect the Man Cold.

~Squad

Friday

Warm-up: Andy’s Choice (10 minutes)

Strength:

1. 6 x 3 Box Squats (5-10 lb. heavier than last week) 15 minutes

2. 6 x 2 Power Cleans (5-10 lb. heavier than last week) 15 minutes

Conditioning:

EMOM for 8 min:

30 seconds burpees
30 seconds cleans (at 60 to 70% of you 6 x 2)

Optional Finisher: EMOM for 5 min 30 seconds of pistols

Saturday

Warm-up: 15 minutes

2 rounds:

10/10 back and forth leg swings
10/10 side to side leg swings
10/10 banded shoulder press
10/10 halos
10/10 RDL

Accessory: 20 minutes (rest as needed between sets)

8x40m single arm KB carry in racked position**

**alternate arms every 40m, use a relatively heavy KB
You should feel like you have to put it down after 40m

Conditioning: 10 minute time cap

18, 12, 6

KB thrusters (red/black)
Pull-ups
Overhead walking lunges with two Kbs (keep arms as straight as possible)

*I did this at a training camp in Calgary with some of the top girls in Canada West and the fastest time was about 5:50

First, a little bit of house keeping : we’re donating the contents of our Lost and Found this week.

So please take a look, and rescue any of the shirts or shorts you don’t want to part ways with, before the end of day Friday.

And in other news, from the planet Krypton:

Nobody likes a showoff.

Andy

Thursday

Warm-up: 10 minutes

30 face pulls
10 push back push ups (push back into crouch position)
10 split jerks
10 split jerk stance shoulder press
10 behind the neck shoulder press

SKill: 25 minutes

6 x 3 Kipping HSPU (deficit if possible)

or

6 x 6 Pike Push-ups

then

6×3 Jerks

Conditioning: 12 min to perform

30 Wall Balls
15 Toes to Bar (v-sit)
30 Wall Balls
15 Toes to Bar
Max wall balls with remainder of time

Optional Finisher: 5 minutes: 200 Double Unders (2 push ups every time you mess up).

It’s been a while since we had a good social commentary.

Patty sent me this article recently: Many People Use Drugs – But Here’s Why Most Don’t Become Addicts

He also sent it to Wendy and Reto, titled: “Clyde vs Crotch Debate”

You can imagine what ensued… approximately a dozen emails back and forth with both parties switching sides at random in order to keep their opponent on their toes.

Priceless.

Take a minute, and read the article.

My favourite quote:
“It does happen. But the atypical experience of the relatively small number of drug users from stable backgrounds who stumble into addiction and can legitimately attribute the chaos of their subsequent lives to this one event drowns out the experience of the overwhelming majority of addicts for whom social isolation, economic exclusion, criminality and fragile mental health preceded their drug use rather than being caused by it.”

To start the creative juices flowing:

Clyde: “With all due respect to my colleague’s moral and non-reprehensible sensibilities, I declare that all drugs should be available without limitation to every Tom, Dick, and Harry, and Tom, Dick, and Harry’s kids. It is their responsibility to ensure they are neither socially isolated, economically excluded, criminally nor mentally fragile and that their opioid receptors will not attach to morphine molecules. The citizens do not need the government to tell us what substances we can and cannot try. Those laws that you claim have “protected” us for over a century, I would argue, have done nothing but shelter us from awesome psychedelic and hallucinogenic experiences that would have enhanced our lives rather than destroyed them. We want the FREEDOM to decide how and when we deteriorate our own brains’ white matter!”

Crotch: “Is my esteemed colleague trying to justify some feeble case for relaxing existing laws on access to dangerous and life altering intoxicants? Just because most mentally fit people don’t become addicted, that’s no reason to suddenly start handing out free crack cocaine to every 12 year old standing on a street corner! These laws have served to protect our children and families for the better part of a century. One poorly written junk science article is certainly no justification for suggesting such a sweeping change to our safe and just society. Frankly, I find this irresponsible and seditious suggestion to be seriously reprehensible!”

I invite you all to join in the comments.

Freedom vs Responsibility
Drug Use vs Addiction

Discuss…

Wednesday: 15 minutes

15 banded good mornings
20/20 lateral step ups
15 Russian KB swings
15 Goblet squats
20/20 banded hamstring pull-downs

Strength: 15 minutes: (same weight as Monday)

Front Squat – 4 x 5

OR

Push Press – 4 x 5

Accessory: 20 minutes

A). Superset:

GH raises 5×5 (or Glute Bridges with weight)
Choose: Muscle-ups OR Ring Dips OR Strict Pull-ups 5×3-5 reps

B). 50 Burpee Pull-ups for time (10 minute time Cap)