Daily Mental and Physical Training
The Training blog of Tom Rowland. Father, Husband, Son, Professional fisherman, Television host, Television producer, Athlete, living life with passion. Mental and physical training through SealFit, Goruck Selection and CrossFit.
Wednesday is the day to go long and we did today.
7.12 mile run on the awesome bridges of our fabulous town.
It was an amazing scene as the well lit Walnut Street Bridge was bustling with runners, walkers and bicycle riders this morning at 6 am. I am so glad to see people use the great facilities that we have here. One of my guys commented "It is like a Sunday afternoon"
For those who are injured or just don't want to run 7 miles,
Long Ruck
or
Row 10,000 m
Baseline: Pre-SOP and box breathing, then ROM drills. Run 400m, 3 rounds – 10x wall ball clean, 10x burpee, 50M bear crawl.
Strength: Dead Lift 5×5, then EMOM 10 rounds 3x WPU @ 75%
Stamina: 4 rounds, not timed: 10x Sumo Dead Lift @ 70%, 2x rope climb, 50m buddy pull with heavy band.
Work Capacity: AMRAP in 20 minutes of…
Durability: Row 1,000m for time (focus on having a negative split on the last 500m). 3 rounds – 20x GHD sit ups, 10x back extensions. Warrior yoga drills. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes. Journal post training session SOP.
Notes: for WC the max rep pull-ups is until you drop off the bar.
We did the Stamina and Work Capacity this morning. Love the Buddy Pulls!
Being 20 pounds down really helped with the Nicole workout.
I set a PR this morning of 137 reps in 6 rounds. 51, 23, 22, 13, 18, 10. It felt great.
Baseline, strength and durability will be this afternoon
RRL Warm up
Baseline: Pre-SOP and box breathing, then ROM drills. 50x double unders, 20x front squats (45#), 50x double unders, 20x push press (45#)
Work Capacity: Complete the following for time…
Strength: Bench Press 5×3. Then EMOM for 10 minutes of 2x OHS @ 70%
Stamina: Chipper, not timed: 50x Close Grip Bench Press @ 60%, 50x box jumps (24in/20in), 800m farmers carry (32kg/24kg).
Durability: Run 3 miles @ moderate pace. 2 rounds – Max sit ups in 2 minutes, 2 minutes rest. Warrior Yoga Hip Mobility Drill. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes. Journal post training session SOP.
I saved strength and stamina for a lunch workout
Post Selection...November. Definitely heavier than I would like to be despite working out 6 times per week
2 months ago, we decided to throw in $100 and have a winner take all weight loss contest. I was interested because I gained alot of weight while doing the preparation for and actually doing Goruck Selection. I read in Get Selected and other books, plus articles on Goruck main page that you should come in heavy and I did. Rucking large loads over great distances did make me burn a ton of calories but I had no problem replacing them with 2 quarts of Talenti Ice Cream and a massive volume of food. I did this pretty much every night.
I ate more last year than I may have ever eaten in my life. I also trained more than I ever have. I guess the extended sessions and long miles kept it in check, but I did find myself seeing numbers like 187 on the scale and I was not happy about it.
I played around with dropping some weight and it worked on and off but I was not committed. The contest gave me some added motivation.
We had weight loss achievements of 18 pounds, 16 pounds, 10 pounds, 5 pounds and one guy gained 2 pounds.
Today at 164
I started at 182 pounds on July 1. Today I weighed in at 167 before the workout, 166 after and 164 after my favorite morning ritual in my private office. Chris Curtis actually beat me by 1 pound at the start of the workout, but the guys said that the contest was based upon percentage of bodyweight. They said I won, but I conceeded to Chris who said we should just put the money towards some more equipment. I'm fine with that.
So how did I lose 18 pounds in 2 months?
Zone/Paleo/Mike Dolce
I started out with simple 4 block Zone meals and 2 snacks. I did feel better and my pants became a little looser, but I did not lose a single pound for almost 3 weeks.
I dropped all grains and processed foods while maintaining Zone portions and began to lose weight. During this time, I read the book, 3 Weeks To Shredded by Mike Dolce. I liked what Mike had to say and his track record of training fighters to make weight in the UFC was impressive. Johnny Hendricks, and Ronda Rousey are 2 fighters that I follow and Dolce is their guy. In the book, he gives the exact plan, exact portions and timing of the weight cut for Thiago Alves, another fighter that I follow.
Mike's advice is similar to Paleo and Zone but even simpler. I implemented what he said, incorporated some new foods like the Breakfast Bowl with Oat Bran and enjoyed the food and the results.
I have never been a big vegetable guy and always felt that my leafy green vegetable intake was far below where it should be. This was fixed on Fathers Day when my kids and wife gave me a Ninja blender. I highly recommend this thing. I thought it would just be a Vitamix knock off, but the more I use it, the more I think that it is actually superior to the Vitamix. Lots of attachments and options come standard and I have been making a morning post workout shake like this:
4 leaves of Kale
3/4 cup blueberries
Carrots
Brocolli
chia seeds
Ice
water
blend til liquid and drink.
It changes pretty much every day depending on what vegetables we have or are left over but that is the basic idea. I have eaten or drank more vegetables since Fathers Day than I have in the last year. I pair that with a few eggs and either drink butter with my coffee for fat or eat some nuts.
Note: I am a big fan of the Vitamix or Ninja but not of Juicers. Juicers extract the juice and separate the fiber out of the end product. This is not good. The Vitamix or Ninja just chops up the entire food into tiny little pieces. It is a big difference and I far prefer the entire food over the extracted juice. Its just like eating a salad, but faster and easier for me.
Other days, I eat Mike Dolce's Breakfast bowl and may have the shake for lunch.
Dinner was meat and vegetables with a portion of fat pretty much every night.
I like to look at what 20% of effort resulted in 80% of the results. In this case, what was it that I did that really made a difference? The answer is preparation.
I planned what I was going to eat and how much of it. I took a cooler to Lacrosse Games, when traveling or when fishing and had my food ready. I planned snacks and had them prepared the night before.
This is pretty much the difference from what I was doing before, making no progress and actually seeing the weight come off. When you are not prepared, you settle for what is available and that is usually complete crap, fast food, or what you think might taste good. If this happens every now and then, no problem. But when it happens 40% of the time, you wont make progress. Despite what your mind is telling you, if you are not prepared everyday, the shit food gets in more than 30-40% of the time. It doesn't seem like it, but if you were to keep a food log it would become obvious.
That is what worked for me but here is what Chris Curtis said he did when I asked him:
"Portion control, reduced carbs. Carbs stick to me like glue. Ran a lot. I have a hard time with weight if i don't run.
Lets face it, when u start out over weight, common sense goes a long way. A child telling u, u have a belly, will provide good motivation!"
So now what?
I feel good at 164 and feel like it is a sustainable weight for me. I would like to stay under 165 for a while and see how I feel. Now that I am here, I can maintain this weight pretty comfortably if I stay prepared, pack food and have snacks ready. I will also enjoy one day per week of cheat meals where I will truly eat whatever and however much I want. Stay tuned for pictures of these epic cheat meals.
Here at the RRL, we try to train the whole athlete; mind and body. We really strive to be a complete athlete devoid of major weakness, ready to do anything, capable of anything and therefore, more useful to our family, our friends and the world in general. This seems like a simple task right? Just stay in shape and you will be ok.
But when we strive to train for this kind of condition, we have to continually train the mind, fuel the body properly and train the body toward the goals of having no glaring weakness. For this we need to keep a list of standards handy and strive to be up to these standards at all times.
In my opinion, a useful person should be strong, capable of moving large loads over long distances at a moments notice, capable of running quickly for short distances and also capable of running 15 miles at any time without significant issues or injuries. Additionally, we should not be out of the water for long periods of time and swimming should be a skill that we are comfortable with and ready for at any time. Athletes should be durable, flexible and ready at all times.
There are many standards that we could measure ourselves against, but the one that I have seen that is the closest to what I envision and strive for is the SealFit Assessment. It looks like this:
This assessment measures strength under the bar, bodyweight strength and endurance, Rucking, Running at all distances, Swimming, and Rowing. What it doesn't measure is flexibility, mobility, mental toughness or nutritional standards.
This is an excellent list of standards that is achievable. Meeting the minimum requirements on this list will not make you a super athlete or even capable of winning a local event, but it will make sure that you are durable, capable and useful. Nothing here is an amazing accomplishment on its own, however, having ALL of these standards makes for a pretty well rounded person.
So, how do we possibly train for all of these things at the same time? That can be a difficult question depending on your current condition. If you are a couch potato, you need to work on all of these things at once. Maybe a distance runner can easily meet all the running standards, but may not be able to backsquat his own body weight. We have to assess then attack our weakness.
I like to keep this list as a living document and constantly put in challenges as either the days workout or a finisher. Keep track of each and start completing the blanks on this list. When complete, you will see where there are glaring weaknesses.
The trick to improving your scores in certain areas is to put focus and time towards them, but we have to be careful that we do not let the other areas slip. For example, if you can easily hit all the weight lifting numbers and are close on the bodyweight numbers, but your running and swimming is off the chart horrible, then you obviously need alot of time there. However, don't spend so much time trying to improve your running and swimming that you leave the others completely.
In my case, I am close to or exceeding the standards in most categories, but there are still some that I am not happy with or that are far enough below the standard that I see that they need attention. When I put focus on distance running or making sure that I can ruck 26 miles with load, my weightlifting numbers go down. They do not have to go down much to fall below standard, so I have to walk a delicate line between too much and not enough.
I find the search for this balance to be an all consuming passion that actually puts alot of balance in my own life.
This assessment is to be a simple measuring stick as to where you are now. It will show you your strengths and weaknesses and point you in the direction of better fitness. Dont forget flexibility, mobility mental training and nutrition as these are all equally important to overall health.
Where do you stand? How are your numbers?
The gathering in the morning. Checking out the whiteboard
Team Day
Why We Train Together As A Team
(From Mark Divine's Unbeatable Mind)
Box Breathing together
12 cycles
Two Man Team
2 minutes on, 1 minute off
KB Swings 53 pounds
Dips
Sandbag getups 60 pounds
Row for calories
Sandbag lunge steps 60 pounds
Situps
Teams work together to come up with the best way to get alot of work done in 2 minutes. Teams do not have to distribute the work evenly. Keep track of reps at each station with chalk on the ground. then, add together for total score
Mike Drew and Card Steel win todays workout...excellent.
Finisher
6 minutes of Stillwater
Clear your mind
Discussion of the Big 4 (Breath Control, Positivity, Visualization, Goal Setting)
Have a great weekend
Happy Birthday Michael Lebovitz!
Great effort this morning
RRL Warm up
Then
Max Set Toes 2 Bar
25 Push Press @ 75 lbs
50 Double Unders
x 5 rounds
Run 200
1 rope climb legless
Run 400
2 Rope Climbs legless
Run 800
3 Rope Climbs legless
For time
RRL Warm up
1. Team Drills
As a team do:
10 Burpees
then
10 Situps
This is a drill to enhance teamwork and to realize that slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Reps have to be completed as a team, in unison, or they don't count.
Then
10 Wall Balls
10 Pullups
x 7 rounds
then
12-9-6-3
Power Snatch @ 95 lbs
Burpee
Good day!
Today
RRL Warm up
50 Burpees
For time
Nate
Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 mins of:
2 Muscle Ups
4 Handstand Push Ups
8 Kettlebell Swings, 2/1.5 pood
Back from SealFit Basic Training seminar. It was really a wonderful experience to be part of so many like minded people getting together to learn, share and grow.
It was an interesting group comprised of individuals drawn to SealFit from the physical mountain like the Kokoro graduates and others who found their way to Encinitas through the Unbeatable Mind program. The program went over the SealFit principles of the 5 Mountains that we train every day (Physical, Mental, Emotional, Intuition and Kokoro). I really enjoyed reconnecting with a few of my Kokoro 30 swim buddies.
Back at the RRL we did this one today:
RRL Warm Up
Warm up Back Squat
Then
Back Squat
5-5-5-5-5
Then
EMOM for 8 minutes
Snatch x 2
Then
Row 1000
50 OHS @ 95 lbs
25 Burpees
For time
Mulch Community Service Workout this morning
Indian Run to the nearby school
Move mulch for 30 minutes. Partner workout: 20 burpees while partner uses rake or pitchfork or wheelbarrow, switch until job is done
Indian run home
Then
5 Sumo Deadlift Highpull
5 burpees
10 min AMRAP
With partner, 2 man teams. Partner 1 does 5/5 while Partner 2 rests. Switch and get in as many rounds as possible in 10 minutes.
Josh and I got 22 + 4 SDHP
Michael and Chris got 26 rounds!
Great work everyone. I am proud of the RRL today
Track/Stadium workout
Up every staircase and do 3 burpees. Go around the stadium like that.
at one end, do 5 dips
other end, 20 vups
x2 laps
Then
Suicide sprint 50 yards
then
Bear crawl 20 yards/lunge 20 yards for 100 yards
return with Burpee braod jump/sprint
then
teams of 3
run 1 lap while team mates hold plank
then
Lateral burpees over tackling dummies
x3
hops over tackling dummines
x3
Indian run through campus
Make up your own or do this one or make up your own, but go for 1 hour continuous effort.
I wore a 28 lb vest today
The Quest for the Giant Bluefin Tuna continues!
Great workout today that will certainly help with mental toughness and overall output.
1. Every Minute on the minute (EMOM)
Odd minutes- 12 Wall Balls + 5 Toes to Bar (T2B)
Even Minutes- 12 Kettlebell Swings @ 70 pounds + 5 T2B
14 Minutes
2. 2 mile hill run
Great workout and great format. The 12+5 was perfect for this. Both exercises allowed for the reps to be easily completed in the first few minutes but became progressively harder as the workout went on. It was possible to complete if you were going at max intensity.
Love this format and I really love the EMOM workouts which are essentially an interval workout
Have a great weekend
RRL Warm up
then
Row 500m x 3
Not for time, just loosen up and row each interval a little faster than the last
3 Handstand Pushups
30 Double Unders
3 Cleans at bodyweight
x 6 rounds
From Dan Cerillo's CrossFit Bellvue
Run 1 mile
100 Thrusters @ 45 pounds
200 Leg Levers
300 4 count flutter kicks (yes...that is 1200 singles)
Run 1 mile
I had the opportunity to be an intern coach at SealFit 20x at the SLTC facility this weekend. Having graduated SealFit Kokoro 30 and surviving 20 hours in Goruck Selection, this training was not new to me. However, coaching was different.
Kokoro changed my life and I learned lessons that I use everyday for success in my business, family and personal relationships. I learned lessons that didn't really sink in for a year. I am so grateful for that experience.
The opportunity to be on the other side of the training is one that I enjoy because I learn more as a coach than I did as a student. Thank you to SealFit, SLTC and the students of this class for letting me be a part of it. The entire finishing class are studs in my book. You showed up, overcame your doubt and fear and accomplished 20x more than you believed was possible.
I lead the group through our Gratitude exercise and Stillwater. Unfortunately for them, the event was not over and it broke into chaos shortly after. I recommend slowly coming back to consciousness rather than getting hit with a hose...
Today at the garage:
Back Squat
5-5-5-5-5
Then
5-10-20-10-5
Front Squat @ 95 lbs
Box Jump/Step Ups @ 30"
Sumo Deadlift Highpull @ 95 lbs
WOD: 5 mile run
Friday
Run 5 miles
We did a familiar and popular course, but chose to run it the reverse way that we normally do it.
RRL-up Minnekahda Place-Down Minnekahda Rd-Winding Way-Left on Riverview, Left behind park to Young-Up Young and take right on Mississippi-To old RRL-return same way but pass Winding way, cross Hixson Pike, up Duane, right on Dallas-Back to RRL
37:57
Tough one this morning
Ethan Reeves
10 Cleans @ bodyweight
10 pushups
complete one set every 2 minutes. Rest is determined by how quickly you can complete set.
I started at 175, had to drop to 155 then ended at 135. One day I will be able to complete this at full bodyweight.
Here is a guy doing Rahoi in his backyard. He gets 8 rounds + 13 reps which is good. I got 7+22
Thruster
10-5-4-3-2-1
weights
95-115-135-155-165-165
then
Rahoi
12 Box Jumps @ 24 in
6 Thrusters @ 95 lbs
6 Bar Facing Burpees
AMRAP 12 min
Beep Test today.
See this post and this one for our previous Beep Tests and a video of how to do it and our exact recording that we listened to.
Very simple...Start a 20 meter shuttle run when the beep sounds. Turn around and come back on the next beep. Continue as long as you are able.
Top times were Jimmy and Josh coming in on the first heat in the low 11 to 11.3 and Rusty getting 11.4 and me with 11.8, my new PR. Mike Drew threw a shoe in the late 10's because of the new super grippy driveway and was out. It was unfortunate because I think that Mike can get into the 12th round pretty easily.
We did 2 groups. Group 1 did the Beep Test while Group 2 did
Front Squat 5-4-3-2-1
By the Way, here are some before and after shots of the driveway.
I added sand to the mix for super grip. We havent tried Bear Crawls yet or pushing the sled...
I hope it is not too aggressive. I can promise you that no one is going to slip on this driveway!
The blog of Tom Rowland. Father, Husband, Son, Professional fisherman, Saltwater Experience Television host, Television producer, Athlete, living life with passion. Mental and physical training through SealFit, Unbeatable Mind, Goruck Selection and CrossFit.
Stats: 53 year old Male, Husband, Father of 3, 5'8, 170 lbs, SealFit Kokoro 30 graduate Class 30, Goruck Selection Class 15 top 10 but DNF, GRT, lots of runs, obstacle races, CrossFit stuff. Professional TV Host, Fishing Guide, Tom Rowland Podcast
Vitals
Age: 55
Deadlift: 355
Back Squat: 365
Front Squat:285
Clean and Jerk: 245
Snatch: 175
5 mile run: 36:47
12 mile ruck @ 55 lbs: 2:57:59
100 burpees: 4:27
Max Pullups: 53
Training for:
LIFE, FISHING, Elk Hunting, CrossFit Games Age Group, Goruck Selection, SealFit, Olympic lifting, Endurance, Life in general
Logged workouts and results
Categories
Powered by Squarespace
