Category Archives: Martial arts

Full Pyramid to 7: Pullups, Zombie Squat

Posted on August 4, 2013 | Leave a comment

Full Pyramid to 7: Pullups, Zombie Squats, Pushups, Jackknifes (49 ea.) @cabal_fang #WOD

Fast Lunch: Curried Chicken and Lentil Soup

Posted on August 2, 2013 | Leave a comment

Everybody can use a simple recipe that’s healthy and delicious, right? It’s also inexpensive — by my math it will run you (depending on the price of organic chicken) about $4/serving.

If you’re doing the Slow Carb Diet like I’ve been for almost two years now, this one is also 4HB compliant.

This is a great recipe to prepare Sunday evening and take to work the following week for lunch. Go shop tomorrow and cook on Sunday.

Curried Chicken and Lentil Soup

Here’s what you need:

A 16 oz. Thermos bottle (the wide mouth kind)
1 free range chicken
1 cup red lentils
2 cups organic green beans
Knorr chicken broth mix
curry powder
red pepper flakes

Cook the chicken in a crock pot on LOW for 6 hours. Allow to cool. Remove skin, pull and shred. Store in plastic tub in the fridge.

Cook 1 cup red lentils with 2 1/2 cups water in a covered sauce pan. Simmer for 25 minutes. Allow them to cool in the pan with the cover on. Transfer them to a plastic tub and refrigerate.

Steam green beans until tender and put them in the fridge as well.

Each morning before work, put a cup of chicken, 2/3 cup lentils, and a pinch of green beans into a glass measuring cup. Top off with water to the 2 cup mark and microwave until boiling (about 3 1/2 minutes). While that’s going, put a teaspoon of broth mix, 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder, and a dash of crushed red pepper into your Thermos. Carefully dump in the hot ingredients and seal tight.

When the lunch whistle blows you’ll have a healthy delicious meal ready to go.

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Posted in Green, Martial arts

Tagged 4HB, chicken, curry, lentils, lunch, sunday prep

Jumprope 10 mins; 1/2 Pyramid: 28 Pullup

Posted on July 31, 2013 | Leave a comment

Jumprope 10 mins; 1/2 Pyramid: 28 Pullups w/ 10# vest, 56 Jump Squats, 56 Pushups, 28 Squats 40# @cabal_fang #WOD

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Posted in Martial arts

Productivity Boost – Get Moving

Posted on July 31, 2013 | Leave a comment

If a standing desk arrangement isn’t your cup of tea, check out this spiffy post about exercise breaks…

Live to Write - Write to Live

You’ve heard the mantras:

Writers, write.

Butt in chair, fingers on keyboard. Go!

Still, humans weren’t really built to sit still for long periods of time and yet, that is what so many of us do every day. We sit, at a desk, for 8+ hours poking our keyboards and staring at our monitors. More and more we are hearing that the path to productivity, is NOT more hours, it is higher QUALITY hours. A fellow writer Nancy Mirtle, shared this article by Rachelle Gardener about interval training for writers. Based on the work of Tony Schwartz Gardener suggests setting a timer for 90 minutes and focusing on writing without interruption. On the days I can make this work with my schedule, it’s gold, pure productivity gold. There is however a catch for me and, I suspect, other writers.

If the diagnosis ADHD had been around 30 years…

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Posted in Martial arts, Writing

Taking Up the Grip Strength Challenge (Again)

Posted on July 31, 2013 | 1 comment

I have been trying for years to get my grip strength up to the top 1% level (see previous posts). So far I’ve only been able to get to what I would consider the “above average” level, followed immediately by hand pain, tennis elbow, tendonitis, etc.

I am healthy now and I’ve ordered some more grip tools, and a new booklet, from Ironmind. Time to try it again.

Where am I right now? Don’t know. I could probably shut the #1 gripper, but I don’t want to try it right now. I haven’t touched a grip tool since last October and I want to re-start slow. Here’s a breakdown of the pull on Ironmind grippers:

Guide (60 lbs). Almost everyone who works out at all can shut this one.
Sport (80 lbs). Lots of people can shut this one.
Trainer (100 lbs). Starting to get into above average territory. Some folks can shut this gripper on the first try.
Number 1 (140 lbs). Remarkable power. Very few can shut this gripper. I had one on my desk at the office for a year, and I give to people at martial arts demos and what-not. Only a handful of people I’ve met can shut it. I’m somewhere in this area right now.
Number 2 (195 lbs). Very exceptional grip. Specialized training is required to close this gripper unless you are a freak of nature or you’ve developed grip strength unintentionally because you sling very heavy iron in the gym. This is the gripper I want to close, or die trying.
Number 3 (280 lbs). Extreme grip strength. Only a couple of hundred people in the world can shut this gripper.
Number 4 (365 lbs). Superhuman power. Since 1998 only five men have closed this gripper.

Why do I want to have ridiculous grip strength?

Admiration. My father had amazing grip strength despite a serious hand injury. He could crush a soda can — unopened and full of drink! — and he did not practice, work out, or lift weights. I admire that natural power.
Fantasy. I started writing a story when I was a teenager (still unfinished) about a prehistoric character with amazing grip strength named Ul. I want to be as strong as my fictional character.
Practicality. I once trained self defense with Walt Lysak. His brother Charlie can close an Ironmind #3 gripper, and Walt is no slouch either. Walt can take you by the wrist or the back of the neck and the fight is over. It feels like you’re in the grip of the jaws of life.
Aspiration. I don’t like failure and I don’t believe in giving up. I want to shut that @#%&*! Ironmind #2 gripper, and that’s all there is to it.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress…

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Posted in Martial arts

Tagged captains of crush, grip strength

10 Min. Solo Ground-fighting Conditioner #2

Posted on July 30, 2013 | 1 comment

Awhile back I put up a 10 min. solo ground-fighting conditioning workout to help you stay in shape between sessions with a live partner. That seemed pretty popular. So here’s another.

Mount your heavybag. Strike it 10 times as hard as you can.
Drop, lock, and roll so that bag is ontop of you. Knee boost the bag as hard as you can.
Mount the bag. Strike it 10 times as hard as you can.
Drop, lock, and roll so that bag is ontop. Reverse/roll the bag to mount.
Repeat.

Complete as many rounds as you can in 10 minutes.