Happy Planksgiving!!!

We are a little under a week from Thanksgiving which marks the start of the holidays. It's around this time that temperatures drop forcing people inside and we are transitioning from pumpkin flavored everything to peppermint flavored everything. It's no wonder that everybody puts on weight this time of year with the increasing sedentary lifestyle, bad (delicious) food and lots of boozing.  Maybe it's a conspiracy by all the gyms to make us as fat as possible in November/December so we will sign up for their gyms in January. Might have to contact George Noory and the researchers at Coast to Coast AM to look into that one.

Journalism

But not at LPD because we are not just celebrating Thanksgiving but Planksgiving too. Abs are the ultimate vanity muscle. Everybody wants them and they are always on the cover of every magazine. For men it's the 'six week plan for a chiseled core' and for women it's getting a 'flat tummy'. By the way the real 'secret' to having a six pack is your diet not your workout, stop doing crunches and start eating veggies.  Having great abs is not just for the cameras though. But to understand that we need to start forgetting traditional ab training and start learning core training instead.

Dr. Stu McGill is a prominent researcher and kinesiology professor at the University of Waterloo in Canada and he is known as Dr. Spine. In a nutshell, McGill theorizes that the role of our spines and entire core is to stabilize our bodies.McGill thinks that by flexing our spines we increase our risk of irritating or herniating disks.  By keeping our cores strong and stable it allows the rest of our body to remain flexible. Don't think you just need a strong back either; when we have muscle imbalances and/or bad posture our bodies are not operating at full capacity. Remember being fit is about balance. You should be training your chest/back, quads/hamstrings, and abs/back equally to maintain that balance.

So instead of doing crunches, situps or V-ups let's learn how to do a plank.

If you are just starting with the plank start by holding the position for 10 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds. Do this for three sets. As you get stronger increase your time in the plank position by 5-10 seconds every week. I do a work/rest ratio of 1:1; so 30 seconds of work 30 seconds of rest. If you are a beginner and you follow this progression you should be able to do a plank for a full 60 seconds by the end of the year.

 If planks get too easy there are variations to make them harder. A simple way to is to elevate your feet or add instability. For example assume the plank position and lift one foot off the ground while maintaining a straight line. Another good variation is to put your forearms on a swiss ball instead of the floor.

 Good Luck and Happy Planksgiving!!!!!!

Turkish Getups

In previous blog entries I have covered two of the best exercises out there: burpees and kettlebell swings. Well prepare to be amazed cause I got a third one for you to add to your desert island list of all in one movements: The Turkish Getup. Where does the name come from? I don't know and I don't care. Saying it makes me feel like some BA Soviet cosmonaut raised by wolves. Unlike isolation exercises Turkish getups (TGU) work all your major muscle groups and require a lot of core strength to stabilize your body. I know this poor horse is beaten beyond recognition but it is crucial that LEOs incorporate full body, functional strength training with an emphasis on balance and stability. Isolation exercises are great for bodybuilders but they don't make sense in the tactical world.  

How do you perform the TGU? Basically you go from lying flat on your back to an upright standing position to back to your back. Like most exercises when you write it out it looks like the most complex thing out there so here are some of the basics with a few videos that explain the finer points of the movement.

 

Starting Position: Flat on your back. Right arm raised in front of you like you are doing a one arm bench press. Bring your right leg up like you are doing a situp. Leave your left arm flat at your side and your left leg flat on the ground also. Always keep your eyes on the weight. (At first don't use any weight until you get the movement down)

Hip roll: You will roll onto your left hip and support your weight on your left elbow. From that position you will continue to push up until you are on your left hand. All of this is done while keeping your right arm straight.

Swinging your leg: Now take your left leg and swing it under your body so that all of your weight is now on your left knee. This should be quick and when you are done you should be in a lunge position. Right arm still straight and eyes still on the prize.

Stand up: From the kneeling position stand straight up while maintaining the weight/eyes overhead.

All four of these steps are just 1/2 the movement. Simply reverse it to end up flat on your back again. Once in the starting position you have completed one rep. Of course you will have to switch sides so the weight is in your left and you support yourself on your right elbow/hand knee. You can see how this works your entire body.

How do you incorporate them in your training? Realistically they can be done at any time but I think they are great both as warmups and finishers. Initially I'd suggest starting out with little or no weight until you feel you have mastered the movement. From there I would suggest adding a little weight and doing 1/2 getups or maybe more appropriately 1/4 getups. Simply put the weight above your head and focus on getting the hip roll and transitioning to putting all your weight on your hand. Stop yourself short of getting to the kneeling position and lay down flat again. Again after you feel comfortable then incorporate the full TGU with weight. Start with 5 reps to each side. Ideally once you get it down these are supposed to be done heavy with lower reps not in a fast paced conditioning type of way.

Originally, TGUs are done with a kettlebell (explaining my Soviet reference earlier) but can be done with a dumbbell, barbell or even your wife!!! The rule here is don't bite off more than you can chew. Start slow and build your way up. As with all overhead movements if you get over ambitious and can cause yourself alot of pain. Remember, the goal to any training whether it is resistance, endurance, explosive, balance or whatever is to avoid/prevent injury first and developing strength  second.

Good Luck Comrades  

Homemade equipment: Kettlebell Swings

Lately, I have been reading Tim Feriss's book The 4 hour body and think it's a great read. Standby for all kinds of quotes and concepts from the book. To sum it up Tim is obsessed with finding the 'Minimum Effective Dose' (MED) for nutrition, sleep, exercise, rehabbing injuries, sex etc. Tim is self admittedly unorthodox and focuses on bucking the norms of fitness, essentially challenging the establishment. Tim does a brilliant job of pointing out bogus science, sensationalist headlines and marketing ploys used by today's fitness 'experts'.

MED Explained

As mentioned above Tim wants to find the Minimum Effective Dose for building muscle, losing weight, improving sleep among others. To best explain the concept of MED Tim uses the example of tanning. Let's say the MED is 15 minutes a day of tanning. Anything more than that is just a waste, you aren't getting any darker. Not only are you wasting your time you also risk getting sunburned which will keep you inside for a couple of days, where you end up missing more tanning sessions. By figuring out the MED for any task Tim asserts that it gives you more time to do the things you want to do. Get Tim's book from Amazon or from your local library.

Kettlebell Swings and the homemade kettlebell.

In the book Tim introduces the Kettlebell swing and provides examples of people who have lost 100+ lbs from doing this one exercise. Check out the video below for an explanation of the move and proper technique. Kettlebell swings are one of the those cool exercises which is a strength/cardio hybrid, meaning it makes you want to throw up afterwards.

 

Alright so you decide you are going start doing these automatic vomit kettlebell swings. Hopefully your gym has them but if not you notice how expensive kettlebells are and because they are just one weight you might have to buy several of them. It can add up to $200+ quickly. So let me suggest the homemade adjustable kettlebell. Go to your local hardware store and pickup the following items:

 

3/4" diameter 12" nipple (1)

3/4" diameter 6"-8" nipples (2)

3/4" diameter T (1)

3/4" diameter Flange (1)

Clamp

 

A nipple is just metal pipe that has threads on both sides. We will use these to screw into the floor flange and T. I started with 8" nipples but will probably go down to 6" nipples so I stop hitting myself in the legs. Also you can get black metal or galvanized. the black metal is cheaper but is not as clean. I'm cheap so I went with the black metal.

 

What you need from the hardware store
 

So the longer 12" nipple serves as the base the shorter nipples will be your handles. You thread the three nipples into the T and then screw the bottom thread of the 12" nipple into the flange. Then you need to pick up weighted plates. I'd suggest going to a secondhand equipment store or garage sales as this gets pricey too. Then just unthread the top portion of the T and add the weights so they rest on top of the flange. Obviously you will need to get weights that have a large enough hole in the middle to fit around the nipple. Rethread the T back on, add the clamp to keep the weights from sliding and then get to work.  

Finished product.

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Drinking on Duty: Coffee

Besides body armor and a handgun, coffee is the most important piece of equipment for cops. Working weird hours and having other commitments during the off hours force many cops into a vicious cycle of staying awake and sleeping, alertness and drowsiness. Considered the world's most popular drug, caffeine is a stimulant that increases heart rates, mental focus and alertness, while decreasing sleepiness or drowsiness. Caffeine even has withdrawal symptoms, which leads many to claim they are 'dependent' or 'addicted' to coffee. Today more than ever we are overwhelmed with  energy drinks. Red Bull is the most widely known, but everyday new types of energy 'shots', gums, and pills are in convenience stores. Despite the market saturation, coffee is still king.

But is drinking coffee healthy? It depends on how you make it. The simplest rule I can come up with is, 'The blacker the better'". Many coffee drinks are laden with high amounts of sugar and dairy in the forms of sugary syrups, whole milk, and whipped cream. (If there is a second rule it is no whipped cream ever). Coffee is a drink with almost unlimited variations. You can get flavored ground coffee, add syrups, add sugar free syrups, use skim, whole, 2%, soy, or no milk at all. The drinks also come in a variety of sizes and can have other additions such as cookies, chocolate shavings, whipped cream etc. That makes getting accurate calorie counts difficult since many of your dedicated coffee shops have baristas who create and tailor each individual cup of coffee to the customer. That being said, let's take a look at some popular drinks at Starbucks. All nutrition information is from their site starbucks.com. All sizes are 'Venti' or 20oz. drinks because nobody drinks tiny coffees.

A little coffee, a lot of garbage.

Café Mocha with 2% milk and whipped cream: 410 cals, 18g fat, 55g carbs 17g protein.

Having the same drink substituting skim milk and omitting the whipped cream will dramatically reduce the calories and fat.

Café Mocha with skim milk: 280 cals, 3g fat, 54g carbs 17g protein.
What's the worst thing you can get on the menu? The white chocolate mocha. Made with 2% milk and whipped cream this drink comes in at 580 cals, 22g fat, 79g carbs and 19g protein. For some reason the 'iced' version is even worse adding another 30 cals, 2g fat, 6g carbs.

So what do you get? Of course you can always get brewed coffee and just avoid adding all the other extras yourself. If that's too boring, get an Americano which is just espresso mixed with hot water. It gives you a lot of kick with no calories. By the way, a Café Americano is purportedly from American soldiers in Europe adding hot water to their European coffee drinks to replicate the coffee they were accustomed to back home. So if you order one of these you show your love from freedom.

 

'Merica!!!!

Good Read: Transformation Photos

Here's a good article about the deceiving transformation photos that you see with a lot of diet/exercise plans. It is amazing how simple things such as lighting and poses make all the difference. Transformation photos can be inspiring but our fitness goals should be more focused on performance and health as opposed to the vanity of a one time photo.

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-dixon/weight-loss-secrets_b_3643898.html

These two photos are of the same guy taken about one hour apart.

It looks both of these guys were heavy weight lifters in their before photos and just ate like a fat cop for a few weeks to make their 'transformation' all the more dramatic.