November 2007 Archives

Here is a sacred cow that I don't recommend anyone eat. Juice, wile it
does have some positive nutritional content is a hyper-concentrated
form of sugar. not only is it very high GI, but any liquid food, due to
having such a large surface area will be rapidly absorbed into the
digestive tract. This combination is a one-two punch to the pancreas
resulting a massive spike in blood sugar. In addition, all of the fiber
is stripped out in the juicing process.

Much more Zone and food info at my Zone Blog

If you have not seen this. You must. This may be the most amazing video I have ever seen.

Nothing will contribute more to the development of increased athleticism than getting into "The Zone". A great resource to find out more is Dr. Barry Sears' Zone Diet

I recommend Muscle Milk 'n' Oats by Cytosport for a quick fix in the morning:

- 4.5 blocks protein
- 3.5 blocks carb
- 4 blocks fat

Add 1/2 an apple and it is zone perfect.

This is not quite as good as steel-cut oats (higher GI) but it takes about 29 minutes less to prepare. It is also expensive, but it is so worth it to start the day conveniently in the Zone.

Get it here: Muscle Milk 'n' Oats for about 1/2 price from Amazon.

Here is what I am shooting for (see yesterday's post). Go Nicole!

It is one of my personal goals to achieve at least a few of the "elite" level benchmarks from the CrossFit North Skill Level List.

One of the ones I am working on right now is to perform 15 bodyweight overhead squats. I hope to do this by slowly increasing the weight I can do, and lowering my bodyweight, while creating a more favorable lean mass to bodyfat ratio.

Have you mastered the basic handstand push-up (without the wall, of course)? Here is the next level.

Note: this is video of circus acrobat, Yury Tikhonovich.

Hey everyone, no time to do anything original today. Here is another video from CFO Mark 1:

Here is a scheme very similar to one I used to get a 21:20 Filthy Fifty. I will use this one to try to break the 20 minute mark next time it comes up. It would helpful to have a coach to keep you on the mark, but you could do this by yourself with a stopwatch with a big display. The key to a quick time on this workout, in my experience, is to arrive at the double-unders without being so winded that they are nearly impossible. If you find yourself unable to do them, sit down and wait one minute. Recovering is more efficeint than trying and failing over and over and over.

25 Box Jumps: 1:00
rest: :20
25 Box Jumps 1:00
50 Jumping Pull-Ups: 1:00
50 Kettlebell Swings: 1:20
50 Walking lunge: 1:20
50 Knees-To-Elbows: 3:00
50 Push-Press: 1:00
50 Back Extensions: 1:20
20 wall-ball: 1:00
Rest :20
20 Wall-ball 1:00
Rest: :20
10 Wall-Ball :30
Rest: :15
25 Burpees: 1:45
Rest: :15
25 Burpees: 1:45
Rest: :10
25 Double-Unders: :30
Rest: :15
25 Double-Unders: 30

Time: 19:55

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

There was a fair amount of interest in yesterday's post on partitioning. I don't have much time today, holidays and all, but I'll give you one scheme that should yield good results. I used the "intermediate" scheme for "Helen" yesterday with CFO athlete TC, he came in at 10:25, five seconds under the mark and a pr by almost a minute. He "liked" it.

Simple scheme for a "Linda" time of about 20 minutes:

Break up the sets of 10-9-8-7 and 6 as follows:

5/5
5/4
4/4
4/3
3/3

Take five deep breaths between everything: 5 DL, 5 Breath, 5 DL, 5 Breath, 5 BP, 5 Breath, 5 BP, 5 Breath, 5 Clean, 5 Breath, 5 Clean, 5 breath, 5 DL, 5 Breath, 4 DL, etc...

Then do everything unbroken, but continue to take five deep breaths between everything.

CrossFit focuses on all ten elements of optimal physical fitness:

1) Cardio/Respiratory Endurance
2) Stamina
3) Strength
4) Flexibility
5) Power
6) Speed
7) Coordination
8) Agility
9) Balance
10) Accuracy

There is an 11th element of fitness which is often overlooked: intelligence. It is quite possible to increase one's functional intelligence regarding the WODs. Thinking them through, having a plan and developing a partitioning scheme can dramatically increase WOD times/scores. In order to stick to your plan it is necessary to learn your own capabilities (how fast can I run and still perform 21 unbroken kb swings?) and also to learn the difference between being unable to continue and not wanting to continue.

I have been using very exacting partitioning schemes to good effect on benchmark (and other) WODs. I recently made the following improvements in under 3 months using such schemes:

• Linda: 27:02/22:35
• Fran: 8:14/5:55
• Filthy Fifty: 26:32/21:20

Notably, I tried to get a sub-5 Fran last week, and did not stick to my plan of breaking up the first set into 11/10: I arrived at the first few reps of set 3 at 3:55 and was unable to continue.

Here are some possible schemes for "Helen": this scheme is for full volume, but it could work otherwise.

Well-Rounded Beginner (time 12:29):
Run: 2:01
11 KB swing: :33
Five deep breaths :10
10 KB swing: :30
Five Deep Breaths: :10
6 Pull-Ups: :18
Five Deep Breaths: :10
6 Pull-Ups: :18
REPEAT 3X

Intermediate (10:30):
Run: 1:40
21 KB swing: 1:00
Five Deep Breaths: :10
6 Pull-Ups: :12
Five Deep Breaths: :10
6 Pull-Ups: :12
REPEAT 3X

Advanced (8:30)
Run: 1:32
21 KB swing: 42:00
Five Deep Breaths: :10
12 Pull-Ups: 24:00
REPEAT 3X

Elite (7:28):
Run: 1:19
21 KB swing: 42:00
Two Deep Breaths: :05
12 Pull-Ups: 24:00
REPEAT 3X

Watch OPT do Helen in 7:45. Notice his scheme is very close to the above elite scheme. This is not his fastest verified time by the way. Sub-7 is possible (but not likely for most of us, ever).

Here is a video from way back at CFO Mark 1 at the Oakland Karate Center. I was reminded of this yesterday when some folks did "Got Grip":

For time:
Deadlift, 15 reps
Rope climb, 5 ascents
Deadlift, 12 reps
Rope climb, 4 ascents
Deadlift, 9 reps
Rope climb, 3 ascents
Deadlift, 6 reps
Rope climb, 2 ascents
Deadlift, 3 reps
Rope climb, 1 ascent

Here is video of a recent WOD from CrossFit.com.

Tuesday 071113

7 rounds for time of:
95 pound Sumo-deadlift high-pull, 10 reps
10 Ring dips

Time: 6:45

SDHP were good, ring dips were questionable, and deteriorated: I need to work on getting full lockout every time.

The celebrants post WOD

The WOD:
100 reps minus your age Jumping Pull-Ups
100 reps minus your age Jumping Dips
100 reps minus your age Push-Ups
100 reps minus your age 45# Thrusters
100 reps minus your age Double-Unders

Thanks to Nicole and CrossFit Oakland for doing this.

If you did it, post time to comments.

I think this deserves a spot on CrossFit East Bay.

IRON

By Henry Rollins

I believe that the definition of definition is reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself.

Completely.

When I was young I had no sense of myself. All I was, was a product of all the fear and humiliation I suffered. Fear of my parents. The humiliation of teachers calling me "garbage can" and telling me I'd be mowing lawns for a living. And the very real terror of my fellow students. I was threatened and beaten up for the color of my skin and my size. I was skinny and clumsy, and when others would tease me I didn't run home crying, wondering why. I knew all too well. I was there to be antagonized. In sports I was laughed at. A spaz. I was pretty good at boxing but only because the rage that filled my every waking moment made me wild and unpredictable. I fought with some strange fury. The other boys thought I was crazy.

I hated myself all the time. As stupid at it seems now, I wanted to talk like them, dress like them, carry myself with the ease of knowing that I wasn't going to get pounded in the hallway between classes. Years passed and I learned to keep it all inside. I only talked to a few boys in my grade. Other losers. Some of them are to this day the greatest people I have ever known. Hang out with a guy who has had his head flushed down a toilet a few times, treat him with respect, and you'll find a faithful friend forever. But even with friends, school sucked. Teachers gave me hard time. I didn't think much of them either.

Then came Mr. Pepperman, my advisor. He was a powerfully built Vietnam veteran, and he was scary. No one ever talked out of turn in his class.Once one kid did and Mr. P. lifted him off the ground and pinned him to the blackboard. Mr. P. could see that I was in bad shape, and one Friday in October he asked me if I had ever worked out with weights. I told him no. He told me that I was going to take some of the money that I had saved and buy a hundred-pound set of weights at Sears. As I left his office, I started to think of things I would say to him on Monday when he asked about the weights that I was not going to buy. Still, it made me feel special. My father never really got that close to caring. On Saturday I bought the weights, but I couldn't even drag them to my mom's car. An attendant laughed at me as he put them on a dolly.

Monday came and I was called into Mr. P.'s office after school. He said that he was going to show me how to work out. He was going to put me on a program and start hitting me in the solar plexus in the hallway when I wasn't looking. When I could take the punch we would know that we were getting somewhere. At no time was I to look at myself in the mirror or tell anyone at school what I was doing. In the gym he showed me ten basic exercises. I paid more attention than I ever did in any of my classes. I didn't want to blow it. I went home that night and started right in.

Weeks passed, and every once in a while Mr. P. would give me a shot and drop me in the hallway, sending my books flying. The other students didn't know what to think. More weeks passed, and I was steadily adding new weights to the bar. I could sense the power inside my body growing. I could feel it.

Right before Christmas break I was walking to class, and from out of nowhere Mr. Pepperman appeared and gave me a shot in the chest. I laughed and kept going. He said I could look at myself now. I got home and ran to the bathroom and pulled off my shirt. I saw a body, not just the shell that housed my stomach and my heart. My biceps bulged. My chest had definition. I felt strong. It was the first time I can remember having a sense of myself. I had done something and no one could ever take it away. You couldn't say shit to me.

It took me years to fully appreciate the value of the lessons I have learned from the Iron. I used to think that it was my adversary, that I was trying to lift that which does not want to be lifted. I was
wrong.

When the Iron doesn't want to come off the mat, it's the kindest thing it can do for you. If it flew up and went through the ceiling, it wouldn't teach you anything. That's the way the Iron talks to you. It tells you that the material you work with is that which you will come to resemble. That which you work against will always work against you.

It wasn't until my late twenties that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I know more about myself. When something gets bad, I know it can't be as bad as that workout.

I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness. But when dealing with the Iron, one must be careful to interpret the pain correctly. Most injuries involving the Iron come from ego. I once spent a few weeks lifting weight that my body wasn't ready for and spent a few months not picking up anything heavier than a fork. Try to lift what you're not prepared to and the Iron will teach you a little lesson in restraint and self-control.

I have never met a truly strong person who didn't have self-respect. I think a lot of inwardly and outwardly directed contempt passes itself off as self-respect: the idea of raising yourself by stepping on someone's shoulders instead of doing it yourself. When I see guys working out for cosmetic reasons, I see vanity exposing them in the worst way, as cartoon characters, billboards for imbalance and insecurity. Strength reveals itself through character. It is the difference between bouncers who get off strong-arming people and Mr.Pepperman.

Muscle mass does not always equal strength. Strength is kindness and sensitivity. Strength is understanding that your power is both physical and emotional. That it comes from the body and the mind. And the heart.

Yukio Mishima said that he could not entertain the idea of romance if he was not strong. Romance is such a strong and overwhelming passion, a weakened body cannot sustain it for long. I have some of my most romantic thoughts when I am with the Iron. Once I was in love with a woman. I thought about her the most when the pain from a workout was racing through my body.

Everything in me wanted her. So much so that sex was only a fraction of my total desire. It was the single most intense love I have ever felt, but she lived far away and I didn't see her very often. Working out was a healthy way of dealing with the loneliness. To this day, when I work out I usually listen to ballads.

I prefer to work out alone. It enables me to concentrate on the lessons that the Iron has for me. Learning about what you're made of is always time well spent, and I have found no better teacher. The Iron had taught me how to live. Life is capable of driving you out of your mind. The way it all comes down these days, it's some kind of miracle if you're not insane. People have become separated from their bodies. They are no longer whole.

I see them move from their offices to their cars and on to their suburban homes. They stress out constantly, they lose sleep, they eat badly. And they behave badly. Their egos run wild; they become motivated by that which will eventually give them a massive stroke. They need the Iron Mind.

Through the years, I have combined meditation, action, and the Iron into a single strength. I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts. Time spent away from the Iron makes my mind degenerate. I wallow in a thick depression. My body shuts down my mind.

The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it's impossible to turn back.

The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you're a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.

There has been a fair amount of interest in the 3x5 schedule I posted on 11-13-08. I have gotten some questions about using different exercises.

Here is a list of exercises that can be used to good effect in the 3x5 schedule: use no more than 4 exercises performed one time a week each in this scheme: more volume will NOT equal more progress unless you are genetically superior in terms of strength development (a mesomorph).

Essential Exercises: Choose one for each day of the 3x5. These are the movements that will give you the biggest neuroendocrine hit.

• Deadlift
• Back Squat
• Front Squat
• Overhead Squat
• Thruster

Excellent Exercises: Choose one for each day of the 3x5.

• Bench Press/ Dumbbell Bench Press/ Weighted Dips
• Weighted Pull-Ups
• Hang Power Clean
• Sumo Deadlift High-Pull
• Press
• Push-Press
• Push-Jerk

Advanced Exercises. Use these in place of the "Excellent Exercises", above. You need to be able to do 3 sets of 5 unweighted first. I'll post on how to get there soon.

• HSPU/Weighted HSPU (need weight vest)
• Muscle-Up/Weighted Muscle-Up

Olympic Exercises: These can be substituted for the "Essential Exercises" if your focus is on developing power rather than limit strength. Use Dissimilar exercises (don't do Squat Clean followed by Hang Clean). Mix and Match (Day One: Deadlift, Bench Press/ Day Two Squat Clean, Weighted Pull-up).

• Squat Clean & Jerk
• Squat Clean
• Squat Snatch

There are, of course, many more permutations, such as the hang power snatch, etc. which could be used, but since the focus here is to build strength in intermediate athletes, let's keep it simple.

I have struggled with the Muscle-Up, but it is finally coming along. It would never have been possible for me without the combination of The Zone and CrossFit. My goal is 10 consecutive kipping muscle-ups by March 21st, 2008 and 10 perfect dead-hang strict muscle-ups by November 11, 2008.

I have fielded a lot of questions about incorporating 3x5s lately (actually folks have been calling them 5x5s but that is not technically correct, unless you are planning on doing five work sets). If you are a beginner, you should just stick with CrossFit out of the box (national schedule WODs). However if you are an intermediate and feel like your strength gains are stalled, or are deficient in strength, you might consider 3x5s.

An interesting test to see if your strength is up to par with your other skills can be found HERE.

Because CrossFit is a generalized physical preparedness protocol, some would argue that specialization is not necessary. However it is my feeling that fixing body composition by removing inert metabolic material and adding lean mass, along with focusing on strength until all workouts can be done as rx in under 45 minutes will yield faster progress towards developing elite athletic performance. I don't yet have the data to support this conclusion, only my admittedly anecdotal observations. I might mention that such luminaries as Coach Rippetoe (pictured above) substantially agree with me. In fact I spoke to him about this scheme and he gave input into it and pronounced it sound. See Starting Strength (2nd edition) and Practical Programming for Strength Training. In addition a similar program was initally suggested by Coach Mike Rutherford In Performance Menu #3, and followed up on in Performance Menu #7.

You can find much more comprehensive information on strength programming in the above books, however if you just want a simple strength programming protocol that you can insert into your CrossFit training, I have created a very basic program that will focus somewhat on building better strength (and power) without tremendously compromising the other aspects of your training. It should be said that altering CF in this way will result in somewhat more strength gains and somewhat less gains in other areas in the short run, however if it results in you being able to perform as rx'd sooner than you would have been able to otherwise, it should function as a shortcut to better performance in CF. Please keep in mind that this program is designed to preserve most of the GPP benefit of CF while increasing strength more rapidly than might be possible using pure CF. Adding more volume, or doing this on top of CF might lead to overtraining, while this protocol should not, at least not quickly. Think long-term results, not quick fixes. Unless you are genetically superior your results will not happen overnight anyway.

Here is the program:

• you are going to warm up with the empty bar for one or two sets
• You are going to progressively warm up for 2-4 sets depending on how strong you are. For example if you are planning to squat 405 3x across, do 45#, 45#, 185#, 225#, 275#, 315# as a warm-up. If you are going to Squat 95#, then 45#, 65#,75# should be adequate.
• You are going to perform five sets of five reps per exercise
• The first two sets are going to be warm-up sets
• The last three sets are going to be work sets, at the same weight
• You are going to start at 80% of your one-rep max in each exercise in week one
• You are going to add weight each week, either 2, 5 or 10 lbs as long as you can
• If you fail to complete the 3 sets as rx you will repeat the next week at the same weight
• You are going to repeat this protocol as long as it yields results
• You are going to stop doing the protocol when you fail at your target weight three weeks in a row.

So let's say you have a 100 lb shoulder press 1RM and you want to improve. In week one you do 3x5 @ 80 lbs. In week two you do 3x5 @ 85 lbs. In week three you do 3x5 @ 90 lbs and fail. In week four you do 3x5 @ 90 lbs. In week five you do 3x5 @ 92 lbs. In week six you do 3x5 @ 94 lbs. This should yield a new 1RM of 106 in the shoulder press. Continue as long as you are getting results, or until you have reached your target.

Simple 3x5 Program for CrossFit:

• Day One: 3x5 Deadlift, 3x5 Push-Press
• Day Two: CrossFit
• Day Three: CrossFit
• Day Four: Rest
• Day Five: 3x5 Squat, 3x5 Hang Power Clean
• Day Six: CrossFit
• Say Seven: CrossFit
• Day Eight Rest
• Repeat

This program can be repeated as needed. Of course other exercises can be used instead, but I would not recommend doing more than four exercises with this scheme. Other exercises that will yield good results are compound, multi-joint movements such as the Push-Press. Remember, this is a way of adding strength without too much sacrifice in metcon,etc. You should still be getting faster, etc. If you use this protocol I would be interested to hear about your results:

Contact Me.

PVC is an essential building material for creating a great CrossFit Home Gym (or commercial gym for that matter). Check out these homemade rings:

And, of course PVC Parallettes are a staple of most CF Gyms: use them for L-sits, Handstands, Handstand Push-Ups and regular Push-Ups.

Yesterday's post pointed out the many uses of PVC pipe. The following warm-up, The "Burgener Warm Up" from Coach Mike Burgeners website, Mikesgym.org is another excellent use  of the PVC or dowel.

The Burgener Warm Up
Mike Burgener
19 May 2005

"when learning the Olympic lifts for the first time i have found that the following warm up is very helpful learning bar path requirements in snatching. there are several steps in this warm up protocol. before we go into this warm up, all students are taught foot position: jump (feet under your hips) land (feet 2" outside hips with bent knees weight on heals.) practicing jumping and going to landing is essential in the understanding of: CREATING MOMENTUM AND ELEVATION ON THE BARBELL THRU (sic) A RANGE OF MOTION!! understanding that the barbell in the snatch position is approximately 8-12" above the head (a wide grip) and is held by using the hook grip (thumb around the bar, fingers around the thumb)"

THE WARM UP:

• power shrugs x 3 (down and up, just like jumping)
• power shrug+elbows high and outside x 3 (down and up, continue pulling elbows high and outside in order to keep the bb close to body)
• power shrug+elbows high and outside + muscle snatch x 3 (same as above but continue to the overhead position)
• muscle snatch + land (feet 2-3"outside hips with bent knees) x 3
• overhead sqt x 3
• pressing snatch balance x 3
• heaving snatch balance x 3
• snatch balance x 3

A wonderful, even essential piece of equipment for CrossFit, is a five foot length of PVC pipe or wooden dowel. These are great for performing the Olympic Lifts. While the lifts perhaps make more sense when performed weighted, being able to do them with a light weight is a great way to learn proper form. In fact Coach G. calls adding weight to fix a movement "painting a dirty car". Some things you can do with a dowel:

• snatch
• clean and jerk
• Bergner warm-up
• shoulder dislocate
• flagpole strech
• deadlift
• press
• push-press
• push-jerk
• thruster

Here is a surprisingly hard workout you can do with just a dowel:

Broomstick Mile

With a broomstick complete the following:

• Back Squat X25
• Front Squat X 25
• OHS X 25
• Run 400 M
• Shoulder Press X 25
• Push Press X 25
• Push Jerk X 25
• Run 400 M
• Hang Clean X 50
• Run 400 M
• Snatch X 50
• Run 400 M

Here is some more amazing Pyrros Dimas video for your perusal.

I'm a little short on time today, so this is basically a mirror post of my Zone Blog for today. This is a video favorites list I am working on. You can embed it into your site if you want: Note to make it small like this one you will have to edit the width and height parameters that come after " wmode='transparant' ".

The Kettlebell is an excellent piece of portable (well, more portable than an Olympic weight set) equipment. Any dumbbell or barbell exercise can replicated with the kettlebell, and more specialized moves can be done as well.

For our purposes, the main moves we will do are:

• The Kettlebell Swing
• The Kettlebell Snatch
• The Kettlebell Clean & Press

Get your kettlebell here.

Perhaps the most essential piece of portable equipment you can buy, the buddy lee speed rope can be carried literally anywhere, and can add a great deal of variety to outdoor, and, indeed, all workouts.

The most important move to master for CrossFit is the double-under or power jump. In the double-under, the rope simply passes under the feet twice for each jump. To perform the double under, one must first learn to jump fairly quickly. Maintain a neutral body position (upright), keep the feet together and turn the rope with the wrists, not the arms. At first you may want to try jump-jump-double-jump-jump-double. Another way to get your first one is to spin the rope as fast as you can from a dead stop and jump high: don't keep using this method, but you may want to do it to prove to yourself that it is possible to do.

Get the Aero Speed Rope, which I highly recommend, here.

The D-Ball Medicine Ball is a great compliment to the Dynamax ball. The D-Ball can be used for Ball slams. With a D-ball (You'll wreck your Dynamax ball, don't try it) throw the ball to the ground from the outstretched start of the launch. Only by following-through the throw with the hands will you be able to catch the low bounce of the D-ball. A 20 pound ball is pictured.


The d-ball is also more compact than the Dynamax, and is, therefore, more portable.
Get yours here

The Dynamax Medicine Ball is an amazingly versatile piece of equipment. I have the 8 lb, 14 lb and 20 lb sizes, but if you had to get just one, the 20# is probably the way to go for most men, and the 14# for most women. The Dynamax website has information on how to chose the right one.

These balls are essential for:

• Wall-Ball
• Med Ball Cleans
• Various Throws
• As targets for air squats
• As core builders
• etc
• etc
• etc

You might not know that the ten physical skills of CrossFit:

• Cardio-Respiratory Endurance
• Strength
• Speed
• Power
• Stamina
• Flexibility
• Coordination
• Agility
• Balance
• Accuracy

Come right out of the Dynamax manual: check it out here:

The Well-Rounded Workout: An Introduction to Medicine Ball Training

Get yours here.

I'm preparing to open my own gym in the near future, and imminently start offering some classes outside, at clients homes, and other facilities. Getting the most bang for the buck, equipment wise, is on my mind. One amazingly versatile piece of equipment is the Elite Ring Set from ringtraininging.com I have ordered mine, and you might want to do the same if you are looking for something that is versatile, portable and allows scaled exercises for everyone from seniors to elite athletes.

All of the ring exercises are scalable from very, very easy to extremely difficult. For example:

• Support: this can be done by anyone; easy, support on toes, hard; support for time to failure.
• Push-up: easy, rings at chest height; hard rings inch off ground, feet elevated
• Body Row: easy, rings at head height; hard, low rings, feet elevated
• Dip: easy, low jump to support; hard, weighted dips

Of course the rings are essential for learning the muscle-up as well. get them here.

I rather enjoyed this movie, which is an interesting combination of schmaltz, real spiritual insight and good gymnastics footage. The Peaceful Warrior is a bit silly in parts, but surprisingly touching in places, and of course, watching it will make it clear that the muscle-up is only the very beginning of gymnastics ability.

Here is the last scene: it won't ruin the movie for you, and it features a good ring routine.

Also by request, here is an on-the-road workout that you can do with no equipment but a pull-up bar in under 1/2 an hour:

Run 800 Meters
How many rounds in 20 minutes?

• 5 pull-ups
• 10 push-ups
• 15 squats

Run 800 Meters

This is a slightly modified "Cindy"

Here is a little post-Halloween video. Now put down the candy and get back to working out!