2.15.2016

Week 7

Goal of the week- Positive internal dialogue

Be mindful of negative self talk and stop it in it’s tracks.  Replace these thoughts with positive ones every time they arise.

What you say to yourself matters.  We always tell our kids they can do anything they believe they can, and it’s something we need to remind ourselves, as well!  

Working on your thought patterns can be quite difficult, but it is an extremely valuable skill to master.  Start by paying attention to your thoughts, and recognize when you start a negative thought pattern.  Then, override those negative thoughts with positive ones.  This isn’t as easy as it sounds, and it definitely takes some practice!  Try this: next time you walk in the gym, see the workout on the board and start thinking, “You want me to do WHAT?!”, switch gears and say something to yourself like, “I’m feeling good and strong… I’ve got this”.  I know this sounds corny and even obvious, but I see you all doubting yourselves all the time!  On the other hand,  I hear you encourage each other constantly during those workouts.  Treat yourself with as much respect as you treat your friends, and give yourself the same amount of encouragement and confidence!   This applies to anything and everything, though; not just our workouts.  

Remember the dirt dives we talked about when we first started the SEAL training programming?  Dirt diving is positive visualization; it’s succeeding in your mind first, so you can then go on to succeed in real life.  This is an extension of positive self talk.  If you can tell yourself that you can do it, and then see yourself do it, you WILL do it!

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Monday

Baseline
Box breathing/ rolling trouble spots
ROM drills

400m Run

3 Rounds

10 Air Squats

10 Goblet Squats

10 Lunges

Strength

10 Rounds

3 Double KB Front Squats

Work Capacity

2 RFT

50 Pull-ups

75 Situps

50 OH Squats

75 DU

Durability

3 Rounds

50 4-count Flutter Kicks

50 Leg Levers

Yoga or active stretch.

Record workout results in training journal.
Continue with all weekly goals so far, and remember to create a daily goal to focus on each morning, and record it in your journal.

2.8.2016

Week 6

Goal of the week- Focus

Every morning, come up with one goal to focus on.  It can be something you want to accomplish, or something you feel would make the day awesome.  Write it in your journal in the morning, and check it off at night.

Each day is an opportunity to get closer to your goals.  You all should have at least one goal on the board in the gym that you want to accomplish in 2016.  If you haven’t done this yet, then THAT is your first goal- to make a goal!  The only way to work toward your larger goals is to take one step toward them every single day.  So, before you start your day, decide on one thing you can do that will move you in the direction you want to go, and get it down on paper.  

Maybe you have a lot of things hanging over your head that you need to work through, and they don’t have anything at all to do with your 2016 goal.  That’s ok!  Pick one thing that needs to be done, and make that your goal.  Those baskets of laundry that need to be folded may not be part of your goal for the year, but staying on top of those little things DO actually help clear the path for you to keep moving forward.  And it always helps to be able to check that one item off your list in the evening and feel like you have done something productive every single day.  Keep in mind that your goal one day may be to kick your feet up and actually take 15 minutes to yourself and relax.  Doing nothing can be productive for you, too!  Anything that meets a current need or desire, or something that will make you happy counts.  The point is to focus on what is important to you, and to get it done.  Add focus to every single day, to ensure that you use each one to move in the direction you desire to go.   

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Monday 

Baseline
Box breathing/ rolling trouble spots
ROM drills

400m Run
15 Air Squats
400m Run
15 GSQ

Strength
10 Rounds
3 Double KB Front Squats

Work Capacity
5 RFT
30 Situps
20 KB Swings
10 Box Jumps

Durability
3 Rounds
60 sec Plank
10 Good Mornings

Yoga hip mobility.

Record workout results in training journal.
Continue with all weekly goals so far, and remember to create a daily goal to focus on each morning, and record it in your journal.

1.18.2016

Image from mic.com

Week 3

Goal of the week- Sleep

Be sure to get in at least 7 hours of sleep every night.  Stop using phones, iPads and computers at least 30 minutes before bed.  

We know that proper recovery is important if you want to stay in the game.  You work hard on your training in the gym, but you have to work just as hard on recovering if you want to be able to stick with it and remain injury free.  The hydration goal from week 2 is something you’re already doing to help with recovery, but another very important one is sleep.  

Sleep affects everything!  You're muscle tissues repair during sleep and long-term memory sets in.  When you are short on sleep, even by just a little bit, you lack focus, your hormones can be imbalanced, your immune system suffers, and physical performance drops.  Unfortunately, when we have a lot on our plates, sleep seems to be the first thing to go in order to create more time to get everything done.  It’s important to realize that when we have had adequate sleep, we perform more efficiently, both mentally and physically, and perhaps wouldn’t require as much time to accomplish what we have on our lists!  Just a thought.  Here’s a great page with lots of FAQs about sleep. http://www.docparsley.com/#!faq/c5cd

Keep in mind that your ability to fall asleep is also dependent on proper hormone functioning.  Blue light lets your brain know that it’s day time, and when you are exposed to it at night, it can inhibit melatonin release, which is necessary for sleep.  Blue light is what is emitted from your electronic devices, so stop checking Facebook or texting before bed!  You should stop using your phone and computer at least 30 mins before bed, and be sure your bedroom is totally dark. 

Melatonin works in opposition of cortisol… when cortisol levels are high, melatonin is low, and vise-versa.  Ideally, your cortisol levels are highest when you wake in the morning, and it slowly diminishes during the day.  By bedtime, cortisol levels should be low and melatonin should be high, so you are ready to fall asleep.  If you have trouble falling asleep at night, work on your box breathing to shut of your stress response, and make sure you aren’t looking at electronic devices close to bedtime.

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Monday

Baseline
Box breathing/ rolling trouble spots/ ROM drill

400m Run
10-8-6-4-2
Air Squats
Jumping Pull Ups

Strength
5 Rounds
5 Suitcase Deadlift

Work Capacity
5RFT
12 KB Swings
6/6 Push Presses (20/12kg)
9 Burpees

Durability
Yoga Short Form A or active stretch.

Record workout, daily hydration, and box breathing practice in your journal. 
Also, record many hours of sleep you got last night.

1.11.2016

Week 2

Goal: Hydration

Your goal this week is to drink AT LEAST 2 to 3 liters (about 70-100 oz) of water every day.  Spike your water with salt or electrolytes between meals for maximum absorption.  Record your daily water intake in your training journal.  

Not being properly hydrated can cost you as much as 11% of your VO2 max (the indicator of how much oxygen your body can process for sustained power output) and keeps your joints and sliding surfaces within your soft tissues from sliding and gliding properly.  By skipping something as simple as drinking enough water, you’re leaving your maximum performance ability on the table, and your muscles and connective tissues may be left as stiff and brittle as dried out beef jerky.

If your hydration levels are running low, there is less blood available for circulation.  Since blood is your body’s oxygen delivery system, less blood means less oxygen and nutrients are being delivered to your working muscles.  Not only that, but your joints and sliding surfaces will suffer, as well.  Dehydration can glue things together, preventing proper range of motion and causing joints to grind.  

In his book, “Ready to Run”, Dr Kelly Starrett tells us that staying properly hydrated means a little more than drinking water throughout the day, though.  Sometimes, we can drink water all day long, constantly run to the bathroom to empty our bladders, and still feel thirsty.  What’s the deal with that?!  This is evidence that your body isn’t actually absorbing the water.  The fix for this is to add electrolytes to your water!  There are a variety of electrolyte tablets and powders available (steer clear of sugar!) that will add flavor to your water and ensure that your body is actually absorbing it.  An easier option is to simply add a pinch of sea salt… not enough to make your water taste like the ocean; just a pinch.  When you’re drinking water with a meal, this isn’t necessary, since your food probably contains sodium.  When drinking water between meals, though, ensure you’re absorbing it by adding salt or electrolytes. 

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Monday

Baseline
Box breathing/ rolling trouble spots/ ROM drills
30-20-10
Jumping Jacks
Air Squats
Arm Circles (fwd/ bkwd)

Strength
5 Rounds
5 Double Strict Press

Work Capacity
For time
1 mile run
12/12 Strict Presses
20 Ring Rows

Durability
Shoulder Mobility

Record workout in your journal.  How did you do?  How did you feel?  Did you focus on deep breathing techniques and how did it affect you?  What could you have done better?  

Don’t forget to record your total daily water intake in your journal, and also write down whether or not you get in some box breathing during the day.

1.4.2016

Week 1

Welcome to SEAL Training!  Before we get started there are a couple of things we need to cover.  First, there is a schedule change!  Classes will start at 5am, 8:30, 10:30, 4:15 and 5:30.  Please be on time!  There is a protocol that needs to be followed for each class, and we will need to stick to it in order to finish everything within the class time.  Aim to be in class 5 minutes before starting time!

Next, there will be a new goal each week for you to focus on either in class, outside of class, or both.  These will be posted with the Monday workouts at the beginning of each week, and we'll discuss them in class as well.  Your participation in working on these goals will go a long way toward changing your habits, keeping you performing your best during the workouts, and feeling and moving better all the time.  

Lastly, I strongly encourage everyone to keep their own workout journal.  Just a cheap spiral or composition book is all you need!  You can even keep this in your phone if you prefer- Evernote is a great app for this.  In it, you can record your goals, workouts, recovery habits, etc.  We'll get to all that as we move along.  It will go a long way toward helping you stay on track!

That's covered, now let's get started!

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Goal: Breathing

Bring your awareness to your breathing several times throughout the day and be sure you are breathing fully.  Try a few minutes of box breathing any time you are feeling stressed out or having trouble relaxing.  Stay aware of your breath during workouts, and continue breathing through the nose and out through the mouth as much as possible.

Dr Andrew Weil said, “Improper breathing is a common cause of ill health.  If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one item, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly.  There’s no single more powerful— or more simple— daily practice to further your health and well-being than breath work.”  Because breathing is a controllable event that can be regulated, it’s very useful for attaining a relaxed and centered state of mind.

Oxygen feeds every part of your body.  Breathing deeply and slowly will relax the body, while instantly sending powerful doses of oxygen to the brain and every single cell of the body.  Deep breathing raises blood oxygen levels, stimulating the digestive system, and improving physical and mental performance.

Before every workout, you will spend a few minutes performing box breathing while you roll out your muscles.  Box breathing consists of exhaling all the air from your lungs through the nose to a count of 4, holding it for 4, inhaling fully through the nose to a count of 4, holding for 4, and repeating.  You can build up to longer increments of time as it becomes more comfortable.  This calms and prepares your nervous system.

Being aware of your breathing is vital to increase you power, presence and mental control during the workouts. SEALs call this arousal control.  Breathe in through the nose and out through the nose or mouth as much as possible.  Take air all the way into the lungs- your belly should expand with each breath.  If you feel the need to gasp for air, take a few mouth breaths, then go back to controlling your breathing through the nose.  During rests, always focus on deep, slow breathing.

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Monday

The first 4 weeks are the on ramp phase, which lead into the basic training phase of weeks 5 through 8.  Use these first 4 weeks to work on mastering the moves, your breathing and mobility, and being consistent! 

Baseline
Box breathing/ rolling trouble spots/ ROM drills

3 Rounds
200m Run
10 Air Squats
10/10 Arm Circles (10 fwd/ 10 bkwd)

Strength
5 Rounds
5 Double FSQ (modify to GSQ)
*Keep it fairly light

Work Capacity (this will be our first assessment)
For time
500m Run
40 Air Squats
30 Butterfly Situps
20 HRPU
10 Pullups (kipping is fine, but chin must clear the bar!  Modify with band, jumping pullups, or ring rows)

Durability
Yoga Hip and Shoulder Mobility.