Tag Archives: WOD

Romaine Tacos and A WOD That’ll Fry Your Wontons

Posted on January 11, 2016 | Leave a comment
American Asian Romaine Tacos

Chicken Romaine Tacos with a side of cucumbers.  Sliced cukes, carrots, celery sticks, etc. help keep from reaching for tortilla chips, potato chips, etc.

It’s been a while since I put up one of my quick-n-dirty, four-ingredients-or-less recipes.  So let me show you what I had for dinner one night last week and then give you a WOD that will fry your butt into a crispy wonton.

Chicken Romaine Tacos

  • Fresh, all natural or free range chicken tenders
  • Romaine lettuce leaves
  • Sriracha mustard (I use Kroger sweet hot mustard)
  • Mayonnaise (I use Duke’s Olive Oil Mayo in the squirt bottle)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Spray a nonstick frying pan (or griddle) with oil and turn on medium heat.  Put chicken on, salt and pepper liberally, and set timer for 4 mins.  While chicken is cooking, rinse lettuce leaves and pat dry.  When timer beeps, flip chicken, salt and pepper liberally, and set timer for 3 mins.  Wash, peel, decorate and slice cucumbers to suit your fancy.  When timer beeps again, check the fattest tender with a meat thermometer and make sure it says 155 F.  If it does, put chicken on a plate to rest and reach 160 F (2 or 3 mins).  While you wait, put a stripe each of mustard and mayo in each leaf and put a fan of cukes on each plate.  When the chicken has rested, slide a tender or two into each leaf and you’re ready to eat.

The Fried Wontons WOD

  • Weights — 5 x 10 of Shrugs, Squat Press, Sit-ups, Goblet Squats
  • Calisthenics — AMSAYC* in 8 mins of 8 ea. Staggered Push-ups, Side Crunch, Zombie Squats, Full Stop Push-ups, and Twisters.  If you don’t get through 5 sets in 8 mins, tack on 100 Squats.
  • Kicks — Heavy bag Strike Count Drill.  4 x 1:00/:30 AMAYC* with Right Leg Roundhouse. If strike count for 4th round is less than the 1st, do 100 Squats. Repeat with Left Leg Roundhouse.  Again, if strike count for 4th round is less than 1st, do 100 Squats.
  • After this you should pretty much be fried crispy.

————————————-

* AMSAYC = “As many sets as you can” and AMAYC = “As many as you can.”

Leave a comment

Posted in Martial arts, Mysticism, Writing

Tagged , , ,

A New Offer and Your O2Max WOD

Posted on December 16, 2015 | Leave a comment

 

Stay tuned for the WOD that follows this special offer because it is a real beauty.  Seriously. But first…

From now until January 1st 2016, if you sign up for the Cabal Fang Distance Learning Program,  which is only $10/month, you will receive $20.00 off any order at PTDICE.com  — and I’ll throw in a free t-shirt with your order.  Or, if you’d rather, we’ll give you your first two months free.  After you sign up, just email your preference to first.elder@cabalfang.com and we’ll either email you a PTDICE.com coupon code or refund you two months tuition.

What is the Cabal Fang Distance Learning Program like?  Look, you can’t learn martial arts by working out solo at home.  But what you can do is practice the fitness and the philosophy of Cabal Fang martial arts.   It works like this:

  • You’ll be keeping a training journal.  Each month you’ll scan and submit your journal for review and receive new assignments.
  • In addition to getting your body in shape with fitness drills, you’ll improve your mental and spiritual strength as well.   Cabal Fang philosophy is based on Hermetic concepts, the so-called “secret wisdom” of the Western Esoteric Tradition that pervades all great spiritual paths.  
  •  You’ll be given free self-exams (we call them “trials”) for rank advancement when you’re ready.  There are no additional fees for rank advancement, nor are there any hidden or surprise fees of any kind.
  • Very little equipment is required.   But if money is tight, we can assist with our wholesale supply accounts and/or give you instructions on how to make some of your equipment yourself.  About 100 square feet of training space would be great, but if you’re comfortable training outside, you don’t even need that.

This is an exciting, one-of-a-kind educational opportunity.  Take advantage of it while it lasts.

And now for your Workout Of the Day, a.k.a. your WOD.  Since it’s Mettlecraft* Month at my martial arts club, I decided to push it a little this morning.  Here’s a 30-minute O2Max WOD that’s one one the hardest workouts I’ve done this year.  Beware: This workout is not for beginners.  Monitor your heart rate and keep it within safe limits!

  1. Box.  Set timer for 15 mins and hit your heavy bag as hard and as fast as you can until it beeps, taking as few 12 second breaks as you can to avoid collapsing (I had to take 7).
  2. Calisthenics.  Set timer for 15 minutes and cycle through these exercises until it beeps, taking as few 12-second breaks as you can to avoid collapsing (I had to take 8).   Go to failure or 50 reps, whichever comes first of:

 

  • Diamond Push-ups
  • Front Lunges
  • Crunches, legs up
  • Bodybuilders
  • Half Squats
  • Bicycles

 

——————————————————-

*Mettlecraft (noun) is a term we use in Cabal Fang that refers to the art or practice of cultivating one’s mettle.  What’s “mettle?”  The word mettle, which dates back to the 1500s, is a variant of the world metal.  It means courage, character, toughness, determination, endurance, and grit.

Leave a comment

Posted in Martial arts, Mysticism

Tagged , ,

Hot Hot Burning Heat

Posted on December 14, 2015 | Leave a comment

Lost of stuff has happened and/or is happening right now that falls under the heading “HOT.”

  • On Friday somebody gave me a Paqui Ghost Pepper tortilla chip.  Delicious.  But make no mistake. These mother-truckers are hot.
  • It was in the 70s yesterday and last night my wife and I had to open the windows to keep from sweating under our winter comforter.  To those people who laughed when Bernie Sanders said that the biggest threat facing the planet is climate change: Can you “feel the Bern” now?  No, of course you can’t.  Because you’re idiots.
  • This morning, while cooking breakfast, I watched a very cheerful Tamron Hall talk about all of the fun stuff people were doing this weekend because it was so nice and warm.  Are you fricking kidding me?  I know gloom and doom doesn’t sell advertising, but the lame-stream media has got to take some time away from stupidity and give it to important, intelligent storytelling.  So I tweeted thusly:

———————————————-

———————————————-

And now for your Cabal Fang WOD.  This is a 45- minute “FEEL THE BURN” killer.  Enjoy.

  • Dumbbells. 4 x 10 of Bent Rows, Squats, Kung Fu Curls, Curl-ups.
  • Kicks. 10 x 1:00/:30 of max power kicks vs. heavy bag.
  • Bike.  30 x :30, alternating AFAYC and coasting.

 

 

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Martial arts, Mysticism, Writing

Tagged , , , ,

Your WOD and Three Genius Actors

Posted on December 9, 2015 | Leave a comment

What the…?  Did you know that Robert Forster (from the movie Jackie Brown) is a member of the Tripe Nine Society (people with IQ higher than the 99.9%)?

And how about that James Franco?  He got his BA in English from UCLA in 2006, graduating with a 3.5 GPA.  He obtained his Master’s in Fine Arts from Columbia in 2010.  And he’s an accomplished painter.

Nolan Gould, the kid from the TV show Modern Family, graduated from high school at age 13.  He is a member of the high IQ society Mensa and plays six different musical instruments – double bass, banjo, mandolin, sitar, and didgeridoo.

Now for your Cabal Fang WOD.

  • Rope Weight Combo Conditioner.  Set timer to beep at 1 min. intervals.  Select 2 dumbbells 40% your 1RM.  Complete 4 sets of Dumbbell Presses, alternating (1:00), Squats (1:00), Jump Rope (2:00).  Total = 16 mins.
  • Ground-fighting Conditioner #4.  Put on your MMA gloves and set timer for 10 minutes.  Shin or Knee Ride bag, face post, and punch “head” 10 times.  Slide leg over into mount and strike 10 times.  Body lock bag and roll to guard.  Push up bag with one hand and strike it 10 times with the other.  Hip escape and advance back to Shin or Knee Ride and repeat as many times as you can before the timer beeps.

 

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Martial arts, Writing

Tagged , , , ,

Physical and Spiritual Respiration and Your WOD

Posted on December 4, 2015 | 1 comment

In response to a post by my virtual buddy Andrew, I wrote the following comment which I believe is a very important thing to keep in mind, both spiritually and physically.  Or maybe not.  I could be wrong.  Anyway, dig it and let me know what you think.

FYI, when I mention “the prophetess of the 2nd Key” I’m referring to the High Priestess of the Tarot (picture at right).

————————————-

Robert Mitchell
Dec 04, 2015 @ 10:47:43

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

The prophetess of the 2nd Key sits between the pillars of Mercy and Severity, and her wisdom lies in knowing when to be severe and when to be merciful (with oneself and others). This oscillation is like breathing, and breathing is life. Cessation of respiration is death. I advise breathing life and respiration into your “dead” regimen. You might have some 20 min days, some 1 hour days, the occasional 90 minute day, and some days off. And two weeks per year you should do absolutely nothing but eat, sleep, and veg out.

My regimen: Temple rites (LBRP, LUX, and meditation) 7 days/week at dawn. Fall & Winter I train once/day and take off Thurs & Sun. Spring I take off Sun only and work out twice on Sat (one AM and one PM). Ditto for Summer except no Sat doubles. Workouts are about an hour, longer on Fri and Sat, shorter on Weds. Full week off between Christmas and New Years, another full week around July 4th, and sometimes a third week off around Labor Day.

I do not claim to be all-wise, so please take or leave this info. I hope not, but I admit the possibility that I could be completely full of shit. Have a great weekend!

————————————

20151204_070312.jpgAnd now for your WOD — a 30 minute, upper-body-crushing, all-out, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout:

  • Set timer for rounds of :30/:10.  Work for the :30 and use the :10 to transition to next exercise and/or rest.
  • For the first 27 rounds, cycle through the following resistance band exercises: Squat/Rev. Flys, Push-ups, Lunges/Press.
  • For the final 18 rounds, max power punches and hand strikes vs. heavy bag.

 

1 Comment

Posted in Martial arts, Mysticism

Tagged , , , ,

WOD: Stick Fighting Fitness, Command, & Mastery

Posted on December 2, 2015 | Leave a comment

Today’s WOD addresses every aspect of using your stick as a weapon.  It combines fitness, mobility, and technique, including familiarity with and control of your weapon, and it can be done by martial artists of any stripe using a stick of any type or description.  If you practice Arnis/Escrima/Kali, cane, jo, bo, umbrella, quarterstaff, Jogo do Pau, la Canne, hanbo, baton/billy club/ASP, doesn’t matter.

Video below.  For those of you who prefer words, see the recap at the bottom of the post.

Stick Fighting Fitness, Command, & Mastery Drill

Set timer to beep every 2:00 mins.  You are going to alternate 2:00 calisthenics rounds and 2:00 striking practice rounds.  Go this twice — that’s 16 total rounds for a total of 32:00 mins.  The first time through, concentrate on circular strikes; second time through, concentrate on linear strikes.  If your weapon can be used with one hand, make sure you alternate between right and left hand.

  1. Squats – as many as you can in 2 mins with stick held out in front, “zombie-style” with elbows locked
  2. Strikes for 2:00
  3. Get-ups — as many as you can in 2:00 mins
  4. Strikes for 2:00
  5. Jackknifes — as many as you can in 2:00 mins
  6. Strikes for 2:00
  7. Knuckle Push-ups — as many as you can in 2:00 mins
  8. Strikes for 2:00
  9. Repeat once more for a total of 16 x 2:00 = 32:00 mins

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Martial arts

Tagged , ,

The Hermetic Formula (and a WOD)

Posted on December 1, 2015 | 1 comment

Hermes Trismegistus (courtesy of Wikipedia)

What is Hermeticism, and why should we care?

Hermeticism is a spiritual philosophy that claims to be the perennial philosophy, the Ageless and Primordial Wisdom.  Based on an ancient document known as The Emerald Tablet of Hermes Trismegistus, whose most enduring quote is the famous, “As above, so below,” Hermeticism forms the backbone of Western esoteric thought.

The historical influence of Hermeticism cannot be overstated.  There was a time when the world’s greatest thinkers were Hermeticists — Pythagoras, Isaac Newton, Carl Jung, Giordano Bruno, Aleister Crowley, Israel Regardie, Dion Fortune, Franz Bardon, John Dee, William Butler Yeats, and many more.  And when you consider that Freemasonry is essentially a Hermetic organization,  and that 14 U.S. Presidents, plus Franklin, Mozart, Twain, and Churchill were all masons, you can see that Hermeticism is one of the most important spiritual philosophies in history.

Mainly though, we should care about Hermeticism because it the Unified Field Theory of spirituality.  Its formula for success in all things is,

“To Know, To Will, To Dare, To Keep Silent”

and it equates to the four ways of seeing, which are,

Mystic, Gnostic, Magical, and Scientific.

The individual who has achieved, reconciled and sublimated all four ways of seeing has attained the Holy Grail, the Philospher’s Stone, the coveted AZOTH.

In other words, Hermeticism is the original human potentiality movement.  If you are interested in learning more, consider becoming a hermit brother or sister of Cabal Fang — the world’s only Hermetic martial art — by joining our distance learning program.

———————————————-

 

An without further ado, here is your WOD:

  • Dumbbells (2 sets of 15 + 1 set to failure of Lat Raises, Kung Fu Curls, Ripcords, Hindu Squats)
  • Grappling Conditioner #3 (3 x 5:00/1:00. For each 5:00 portion, squeeze medicine ball with max power Rear Naked Choke grip and while completing 30 Rear Lungnes, 30 Knees, and Squats until round ends. Rest 1:00 and repeat, changing grips with each exercise)

1 Comment

Posted in Martial arts, Mysticism

Tagged , ,

Mystic Nutrition Facts (and your WOD)

Posted on November 23, 2015 | 3 comments
wpid-20151123_072225.jpg

This is my lunch for today. Grilled chicken breast, soy sauce, radishes, carrots, raisins, and a sesame bar.  What’s it packed in?  I bought one of those bistro boxes from Starbucks and I’ve been re-using the container for months.

A while back I posted a little mindfulness exercise that, for reasons unfathomable, hasn’t been all that popular.  Maybe if I rapped it, people would grasp it?  Momma didn’t raise to quitter, so here it is again, finger on the transmitter…

Mindfulness Lunch Exercise

Devote a full ten minutes to making your lunch.  Take your time.  Relax and focus.  Make your lunch as beautiful, nutritious and delicious as you can.  Really put some thought and effort into it.  If you work outside the home, do your prep the night before or in the morning before you leave, and take your meal to work with you.

When it comes time to eat, give your lunch your undivided attention. Do not eat while reading, surfing the web, or anything like that.  Just sit and eat the food. Think only about the food — about how pretty it is, how nice it tastes, how good for you it is, how wonderfully it is going to fuel your activities, what a blessing it is, and so forth.  Fully chew and taste every bite.

It just may be the best meal you’ve had in six months.

Listen guys!

Food is more than nutrients, and nutrition is a holistic and mystical experience that is still not fully understood. As Michael Pollan famously noted, we have identified 15 carotenes in the carrot, but carotene pills do not replicate the health benefits of munching on actual carrots.  “We still don’t know what is going on in the soul of a carrot,” he said.  “It’s a wilderness in that carrot!”

Choose healthy foods, then experience them fully when you eat them.

Lunch Ideas

  • Sesame bars — These little devils are the business.  Just under 60 calories per tiny bar, and with tons of fiber, these are a great addition to your lunch in the off-season.*  I got mine at the Asian market — 16 little thumb-sized bars for $2.49.  Sure, they have a tiny bit of sugar.  But they are minimally processed and make a perfect little healthy, mini-dessert to your lunch.

  • Buy single-serving bags of nuts and dried fruit.  I know, they cost more by volume and packaging hurts the environment.  But wasted food is also bad for my budget and for the environment, and over-eating is bad for my waistline.
  • Save those sauce packets.  I rarely eat fast food, but when I do I save the extra stuff that isn’t objectionable — taco sauce, soy sauce, salad dressing, mayo, etc. as long as it’s low in sugar.  Watch out for stuff like honey mustard that’s straight sugar and soybean oil.  Save extra fortune cookies and use them to zip up lunches on workout days when you can easily burn off the extra sugar.
  • Cook once, eat five times.  Make a main dish and pick off it for the rest of the week.  Make a few chicken breasts or cook a big steak.  Slice it on a diagonal and you’re good to go.
  • Veggie trays.  They’re not just for parties you know.  Get one from the grocery store, put it in the fridge, and you won’t have any excuse for not eating your daily vegetables.
  • Check out my recipes.  I’ve posted a fair number of them on this blog.

And now for your Cabal Fang WOD.

  • Calisthenics.  As many sets as you can in 10 mins of 10 each Diamond Push-ups, Steam Engines, Hop/Clap Push-ups, Split Squats.
  • Kicks.  5 x 2:00/1:00.  Kick combos for 2:00.  For the 1:00, full power kicks vs. heavy bag.  Count number of full power shots during the first round and try to exceed that count in your final round.

———————————————–

* I generally eat a paleolithic diet.  During Fall and Winter I’m a little more relaxed and I let myself have a daily serving of whole grains and relax a little about trace sugars and such.  During Spring and Summer, when I’m trying to get cut, I get super strict.  I remove all grains and all fruit along with as many carbs as possible.

3 Comments

Posted in Martial arts, Mysticism

Tagged , , ,

A Real Ball-breaker of a Boxing WOD

Posted on November 20, 2015 | Leave a comment

Box_glovesWhy do I do this stuff to myself?  Why do you follow this blog?  These are the unanswerable questions…

A Real Ball-Breaker of a Boxing WOD

Set timer for 10 x 2:00/1:00.  Work your double-end ball ( Shadowbox if you don’t have one) for 2:00, going fast but with good form — full extension, plenty of pops, rolls, bobs, and weaves, etc.  For the 1:00, complete as many Sandbag Squat Presses as you can using a bag at least 25% of your body weight (I used #44 which is about 30% of mine).  Repeat 9 more times for a total of 10 rounds/30 minutes.  Take as few 12 second breaks as possible to finish standing up.

If you try this, please share your thoughts in the comments below!

Leave a comment

Posted in Martial arts

Tagged , ,

Did You Know…? (And a WOD)

Posted on November 18, 2015 | Leave a comment

First your Cabal Fang Workout of the Day, and then a little bout of “Did you know?”

The theme of today’s WOD is is grappling, a.k.a. the clinch, a.k.a. stand-up wrestling, and the workout itself is a puke-inducing two-parter as follows:

  1. Choose a sandbag of appropriate weight (I used at #20)  and set timer for 10 mins.  Complete as may sets as possible of 8 each: Hop Push-ups (alternating hands on sandbag, on knees if you must), Flutter Kicks (while holding sandbag up with elbows locked), and Split Squats (sandbag on shoulder).  Take as few 12-second breaks as you need to finish.
  2. Grappling Conditioner #2.  Set timer for 3 x 3:00/1:00 and square up against your heavy bag.  For the 3:00, splay, punch x2, splay, punch x4, splay, punch x6, etc. up to splay, punch x10.  Start over and repeat as many sets as you can until 3:00 is up.  For the 1:00 so-called “break,” grab heavy bag with a palm-to-palm grip and squeeze with all your might, making sure you are applying sword-bone forearm pressure (if you are a visual learner, video below).  Repeat twice more for a total of 3 rounds, 12 mins total. Take as few 12-second breaks as you need to avoid throwing up.

Now for a  little “Did you know?”  Did you know…

  • That I’ve been maintaining a Productivity Log since January of 2012 that contains all my workouts and various other personal activities, and that it’s a treasure trove of workout ideas and inspiration?
  • That I have six books to my credit — two non-fiction martial arts books, one non-fiction fitness book, and three supernatural romance novels (which are currently on pre-order as a bundle)?
  • That I designed some one-of-a-kind fitness dice and wrote a whole heap of personal improvement pamphlets that are available over at PTDICE.com — and that I include a free t-shirt with every order?
  • That in 2009 I founded a really cool martial art called Cabal Fang?
  • That there’s a Temple of Cabal Fang that contains, among other things, a library of over 100 esoteric books, most of which are cataloged here?

 

 

Leave a comment

Posted in Martial arts, Writing

Tagged , , ,