The New York Fitness Institute

The Problem With Stability Ball Training...

2011-03-01T11:58:00.001-01:00

I guess I have a problem. I can’t sit here and watch as the world of scholars performs experiments teaching us that less is more. I can’t get behind research that shows how sitting on a little rubber ball can do wonders for your abs; how it can make you more “stable,” more “proprioceptively aware” than simple weight training. Yes, I understand the science behind the studies – working out in a proprioceptively challenging environment enhances your ability to recruit the smaller stabilizing muscles that people often neglect to train. The reasoning is sound and simple. But what people are forgetting, as they sit and bounce their way to a slow, unmotivated, and painfully weak death, is that the only way to truly get stronger is by pushing your limits beyond what you’re used to. In science it’s called supercompensation – in the real world it’s called working your butt off.

In “Staying on Balance, With the Help of Exercises,” from the New York Times (Sept. 15, 2010) the author touches on a very important subject: incidence of falling in the elderly:

“Unintentional falls among those 65 and older are responsible for more than 18,000 deaths annually. Most of these falls are caused by a decline in that complex and multidimensional human skill known as balance.”[1]

The doctors interviewed point to the deterioration of the vestibular system, which regulates balance, reduced vision and proprioception, as well as the loss of strength and flexibility in bones as reasons for falling.[2] Of course, they’re absolutely right about this. Falling is a very real and serious fear for senior citizens. It can lead to painful bruising, abrasions, or, worse, broken bones. But they aren’t necessarily correct about how to prevent these falls. Wouldn’t it be just as important to be strong and agile than simply being able to balance on a ball while doing bicep curls?

Stability ball training is prevalent in physical therapy situations – a reactive form of exercise. However, performing exercises only in proprioceptively challenging environments can reduce the ability to accumulate strength necessary to stay healthy. So while it is very important that the glute medius muscle be firing to stabilize the hip during single-leg motion, it is just as important that we be able to move efficiently enough that this is never a problem. By training big muscles through functional movement patterns we can accomplish this goal; sitting on a stability ball won’t be nearly as efficient.

Other issues are also at play:

· Stability ball training is rarely metabolic enough to make a change in the cardiovascular system, thus necessitating hours more work per week – a commitment that many people just can’t make.

· Stability ball training doesn’t really simulate a proprioceptively challenging life environment. Rarely will someone be in a position so unstable as sitting or standing on a soft rubber ball. Because of the nature of this type of instability, movement patterns become mistimed and perturbed. (It’s why baseball hitters warm-up with a weighted bat – but not a bat that’s so heavy that it affects their swing timing). Time may be better spent developing muscle patterns that are properly timed to the movements they are responsible for.

· And, as mentioned above, stability ball training won’t allow a person to lift enough weight to become as strong as possible; and it won’t allow someone to become explosive. (The comparison would be to envision standing in a rowboat in the water and trying to lift a heavy bar above your head. Chances are, if it is heavy enough, you won’t be able to do it. But the same weight, while standing on the shore, can be lifted with explosive power and form, taxing the neuromuscular system appropriately to develop core strength and explosive power.)

· Most importantly, stability ball training doesn’t load the spine. In order to combat the onset of osteoporosis and arthritis, spinal loading is absolutely imperative – especially in women. Loading the spine strengthens the bones, and working the lumbo-pelvic hip complex under resistance is necessary to keep people of all ages strong. It will enhance the lives of the elderly in immeasurable ways to be strong enough to prevent a fall.

The point here is not to denounce stability ball training as inefficient. It has its place in many a regimen. However, I view stability ball training as something to be done for injured or rehabilitating individuals, so as to re-teach them how to use the muscles properly. It is a reactive methodology, therefore, and it is not what gets us stronger. It can get us from injury back to strength, but it won’t get us any further.

In our society it has become acceptable to merely “maintain” or “upkeep” instead of striving to become stronger, faster, and fitter. An appropriate balance of weight training, cardiovascular conditioning, and diet can enhance any person’s life. A proactive conditioning regimen that includes stability/balance training is going to enhance more lives than just stability ball training alone. Personally, I have never done any specific stability ball training, but I have been training with heavy weight and explosive movements for as long as I can remember – and, to this day, I still haven’t fallen over yet.

[1]http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/16/business/retirementspecial/16BALANCE.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=balance&st=cse

[2] Dr. David Thurman, neurologist at the CDC, and spokesman for the American Academy of Neurology.

Location...

2010-12-30T14:53:00.002-01:00

View Larger Map

endgame?

2010-12-30T03:49:00.000-01:00

Today i was reminded of how much i can't stand crappy programming. Why are you working out the way you are? What is the goal? Is there a goal?

Foam Roll
Ballistic Stretch
Dynamic Warmup
Hip/ankle Mobility
Workout:
Single leg DL/Single arm DB chest press/90-90 Hamstring
Single leg squat/single arm DB row/Hip flexor
Pullups/Kneeling Press (glute activation)/Wall slides
Walking lunge (DB rack)/Rotator Cuff (subscap, infra, supra)

Pose Running Reduces Economy...

2010-12-03T03:44:00.002-01:00

Check out this study.

Pose Running reduces running economy...the missing study

About 4 weeks ago, we ran a six-part series on running technique, evaluating the Pose and Chi methods for running. In that series, we looked at:

Whether there is a basis for teaching running as an activity, as opposed to letting "natural" technique evolve?
The philosophy of how we run
The biomechanics of Pose running
The Scientific evidence for changing a running technique
Some practical tips for improving your running without trying to make "wholesale" changes
Whether running techniques like Pose are marketed as medical products?

measurements...

2010-10-11T00:37:00.000-01:00

Jerry Rice, the all-time great wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers called it "game speed." And he was right. Sometimes, measurements taken in a lab or sports training facility aren't congruent with actual ability. Rice was a guy who never ran a 40-yard time much faster than 4.5, but I don't ever remember him being caught from behind on the field. He always said that he couldn't run just to run, but that he needed to run with a purpose - and that it's easier to run away from large men chasing you than it is to run from point A to point B.

Regardless of that fact, check out the video to see how teams are using testing protocols to enhance their player selection criteria.

Time Out New York...

2010-09-15T18:38:00.000-01:00

Check out the vid!

Being An Athlete...

2010-09-09T12:14:00.000-01:00

So many people either think they are better athletes than they are, or know they aren't good athletes, so they refuse to train as one. Both of these mindsets are poor. We, as a society, should all be training like athletes so that we can move faster, with more power, and more efficiency.

Here is a video of a regular guy who competes casually at sports he enjoys. Watch how difficult these exercises are for him and you may get a better appreciation for what it takes to be a collegiate athlete.

Good stuff from Boston University.
http://www.bu.edu/today/node/11441
Watch this video on YouTube

Run Fast...

2010-09-04T13:38:00.001-01:00

Sprint Day!

Today's Workout:

Run 1-mile (75%)

Then, 7 repetitions of:

Sprint 75m

Rest 1:30

Keep the arms pumping and the legs churning. Remember, stride frequency - not stride length - is the key to sprinting speed. Push off the ground and use your glutes to explode away - don't try to pull yourself along with the hamstring; that will be less efficient, and it is likely to cause a muscle pull.

Maintaining...

2010-09-01T23:11:00.000-01:00

We all know what Sarcopenia is, even if we don't call it by name. The Greek translation is "poverty of flesh," and it basically is defined as the erosion or deletion of muscle in the body with age -- but most of us just call it "getting old."

After the age of 25 (approximately - it will vary in different people), the body begins to lose a little bit of muscle mass every year. That means that if we aren't working out, we aren't doing what is necessary to combat this loss of strength. In due time, we will find ourselves slaves to the simplest daily challenges.

But even when we workout, we are often not working out properly. I hear the term, "maintain" so often from people. It drives me crazy. To maintain is to keep the status quo. But people need to realize that as we get older, the status quo is changing constantly. Our bodies aren't in homeostasis, they are in a catabolic state, and it takes hard work to "maintain" that state - and even harder work to improve upon it.

So next time you hit the weights and say to yourself, "I just want to maintain," think about what "maintenance" really is, and think about working a little harder to increase your quality of life for today and on through tomorrow.

Press Your Luck...

2010-07-21T10:32:00.000-01:00

Here is a terrible piece of strategy in one of my favorite all-time game shows. Also, the person who wins is absolutely hysterical.

Juan Mata: Awesome.

2010-07-10T16:25:00.000-01:00

Check out this great piece of skill by Juan Mata.

Frustration...

2010-07-03T09:00:00.001-01:00

How much does is suck to have to cover a guy like this? Ask this dude from Arsenal (Sol Campbell?), who just cracks him in the corner...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYgVzhZUqrs

Holding Your Breath...

2010-06-13T21:02:00.000-01:00

Freediving is an amazing sport in the water. It involves serious breath control and courage. This is a splendid video of world freediving champion, Guillaume Nery. This video is shot by his girlfriend/freediver, Julie Gautier - also while freediving!! Turn down the lights, turn up the volume, and enjoy!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQITWbAaDx0

Scoliosis...

2010-06-04T16:04:00.000-01:00

Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine, usually occurring around puberty. While scoliosis can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most scoliosis is unknown.

Last night, there was a performer on a tv dance show named Brian Gaynor. He has scoliosis. He is also ridiculously talented. Check out my new favorite video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vOjrChYDVE

More Goals...

2010-06-01T12:29:00.002-01:00

Well, I was gonna save this guyuntil later but why wait??

Leo Messi is amazing...

against Getafe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hokq-7olthE

against Zaragoza: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN6zTox-hhk

WOD...

5 Rounds of:

55# KB High Pull x 5/5

70m Hill Sprint

Rest 1:30

Footy...

2010-05-31T02:02:00.001-01:00

Since the World Cup is almost upon us, we will be running down great goals in football history. This week, our goals do not necessarily have to have happened during a World Cup.

Today, we have 2 truly great goals. The first by Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Ajax...

The second by my three-time European Footballer of the Year, Marco Van Basten, for Holland in the 1988 Euro Final. a Wondergoal if I ever saw one.

Intervals...

2010-05-25T17:26:00.001-01:00

There is a new post on the NYT Fit Blog that has to do with interval training. It basically states that interval training (specifically Tabata intervals) can improve endurance in the same fashion as long slow distance training. Wow - what will they report on next("Man Lands On Moon")? Where have they been???

WOD...

5 Rounds for time:

Row 250m

30# DB squat clean x 10

Pushups x 10

5 Steps to a stronger, healthier back...

2010-05-24T18:19:00.002-01:00

(picture courtesy of Women's Health Magazine)

1. Groove motion patterns, motor patterns, & corrective exercises.

-Identify perturbed patterns and develop appropriate corrective exercises
-Build basic movement patterns to complex activity-specific patterns
-TRAIN THE MOVEMENT, NOT THE MUSCLE

2. Build whole body & joint stability

-Build stability while sparing the joints
-Ensure sufficient stability commensurate with the demands of the task

3. Increase endurance

-Develop basic endurance training to build the foundation for eventual strength
-Incorporate activity-specific endurance (duration, intensity)

4. Build strength

-Spare the joints while maximizing neuromuscular compartment challenge

5. Develop speed, power, and agility

-Develop ultimate performance with the foundations laid in steps 1-4
-Focus on optimizing elastic energy storage/recovery

Drumming is good exercise...

2010-05-23T12:26:00.002-01:00

If this doesn't get your heart going...

Lifting a Weight, in phases...

2010-05-10T14:40:00.000-01:00

These are the 7 phases that describe the lifting of a free weight from a given position and returning it to rest.

1. Starting Strength
2. Acceleration Strength
3. Rate of Force Development (RFD)
4. Explosive Strength (Maximum RFD)
5. Maximum Strength
6. Strength Endurance
7. Deceleration Strength

(image courtesy of athletesunited.net)

Ridiculous...

2010-05-10T00:27:00.001-01:00

Sweep The Leg...

2010-04-29T18:25:00.000-01:00

How did I miss this?
Awesome.

Accupressure/Accupuncture...

2010-04-28T15:09:00.000-01:00

Definitions of "accupuncture" and "accupressure," as supplied by massagetherapy.com.

ACUPRESSURE
Acupressure is an ancient healing art that uses the fingers to press key points on the surface of the skin to stimulate the body’s natural self-curative abilities. When these points are pressed, they release muscular tension and promote the circulation of blood and the body’s life force (sometimes known as qi or chi) to aid healing. Acupuncture and acupressure use the same points, but acupuncture employs needles, while acupressure uses the gentle, but firm pressure of hands and feet. Acupressure, continues to be the most effective method for self-treatment of tension-related ailments by using the power and sensitivity of the human hand. Acupressure can be effective in helping relieve headaches, eye strain, sinus problems, neck pain, backaches, arthritis, muscle aches, tension due to stress, ulcer pain, menstrual cramps, lower backaches, constipation, and indigestion. Self-acupressure can also be used to relieve anxiety and improve sleep. There are also great advantages to using acupressure as a way to balance the body and maintain good health. The healing touch of acupressure reduces tension, increases circulation, and enables the body to relax deeply. By relieving stress, acupressure strengthens resistance to disease and promotes wellness. In acupressure, local symptoms are considered an expression of the condition of the body as a whole. A tension headache, for instance, may be rooted in the shoulder and neck area. Thus, acupressure focuses on relieving pain and discomfort, as well as responding to tension, before it develops into a disease—before the constrictions and imbalances can do further damage. The origins of acupressure are as ancient as the instinctive impulse to hold your forehead or temples when you have a headache. Everyone at one time or another has used their hands spontaneously to hold tense or painful places on the body. More than five thousand years ago, the Chinese discovered that pressing certain points on the body relieved pain where it occurred and also benefited other parts of the body more remote from the pain and the pressure point. Gradually, they found other locations that not only alleviated pain, but also influenced the functioning of certain internal organs. (Definition, in part, from the book Acupressure’s Potent Points, by Michael Reed Gach, director of the Acupressure Institute, Bantam, 1990.)

ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture is an ancient oriental healing technique based on the Taoist philosophy of balancing energy meridians within the body, thus allowing the body to heal itself. Fine needles are painlessly inserted at key points corresponding to body organs to relieve pain and cure disease and dysfunction. Related techniques include the use of low voltage, electric current (electro acupuncture) or massage at key points (acupressure).

Walkers...

2010-04-27T01:59:00.000-01:00

Gary Lineker and Frank Lampard seem like real good guys in this video. Why don't American sports stars do stuff like this? I think the Americans take themselves too seriously.

WOD...
3 Rounds, resting 1-minute between rounds...
5 Reps of:
135# Full Squat Clean to
Push Press to
Back Squat to
Push Press

You cannot drop the barbell.

Are You Kidding Me??...

2010-04-15T09:01:00.000-01:00

They say every Rose has its thorn. Not Danny Rose. Here is the debutant, 9 minutes into his first Premier League game, scoring an absolute cracker. Premier League goal of the year.

Maybe the funniest TV ever...

2010-04-14T17:37:00.001-01:00

WOD...
3 Rounds of:
315# Deadlift x 2
Pullups x 5
185# Squat Clean x 3
Handstand Pushups x 4

WOD...

2010-04-13T19:26:00.000-01:00

WOD...
5 Rounds of:
315# Deadlift x 3
36" Box Jump x 6
Pushups x 9

WOD...

2010-02-20T12:59:00.000-01:00

Squat
2,2,2,1,1,1

Also, I just remembered this awesome article from the Village Voice about 5 years ago.

http://www.villagevoice.com/2005-06-07/music/high-fidelity/

enjoy!

Baseball: 10-cent beer night...

2010-01-26T23:50:00.001-01:00

Here is a story from ESPN2 about 10-cent beer night

And from Wikipedia:

Ten Cent Beer Night was a promotion held by Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians during a game against the Texas Rangers at Cleveland Municipal Stadium on June 4, 1974.

The idea behind the promotion was to offer as many eight-ounce (237 mL) cups of Stroh's beer as the fans could drink for just 10¢forfeited Nestor Chylak because of the crowd's uncontrollable rowdiness, and because the game could not be resumed in a timely manner. each, thus increasing ticket sales. Ultimately, the game was to Texas on the orders of home plate umpire

Background

The game had a special significance for both teams, as there had been a bench-clearing brawl in a Rangers/Indians game one week earlier at Arlington Stadium in Texas, during a "cheap beer night" there.^[1]

In Texas, the trouble had started in the bottom of the fourth inning with a walk to the Rangers' Tom Grieve, followed by a Lenny Randle single. The next batter hit a double play ball to Indians third baseman John Lowenstein; he stepped on the third base bag to retire Grieve and threw the ball to second base, but Randle disrupted the play with a hard slide into second baseman Jack Brohamer.

The Indians retaliated in the bottom of the eighth when pitcher Milt Wilcox threw behind Randle's head. Randle eventually laid down a bunt. When Wilcox attempted to field it and tag Randle out, Randle hit him with a forearm. Indians first baseman John Ellis responded by punching Randle, and both benches emptied for a brawl. As Rangers players and coaches emerged from the dugout, they were struck by food and beer hurled by fans. As the intoxicated crowd began to storm the field, WJW-TV, Cleveland's then CBS affiliate, suspended their live telecast of the game.

Ten Cent Beer Night promotion enticed 25,134 fans to come to Municipal Stadium for the Rangers/Indians game. The past season's average attendance had been 8,000.

The game

Early in the game, the Rangers took a 5-1 lead. Meanwhile, throughout the contest, the crowd in attendance (which was already heavily inebriated) continually misbehaved. A woman ran out to the Indians' on-deck circle and flashed her breasts, and a naked man sprinted to second base as Grieve hit his second home run of the game. A father and son pair ran onto the outfield and mooned the fans in the bleachers one inning later.^[2]^{[dead link]} The ugliness escalated when Cleveland's Leron Lee hit a line drive into the stomach of Rangers pitcher Ferguson Jenkins, after which Jenkins dropped to the ground. The fans in the upper deck of Municipal Stadium cheered, then chanted "Hit 'em again! Hit 'em again! Harder! Harder!"

As the game progressed, more fans ran onto the field and caused problems. Ranger Mike Hargrove (who would manage the Indians and lead them to the World Series 21 years later) was pelted with hot dogs Thunderbird. and spit, and at one point was nearly struck with an empty gallon jug of

The Rangers later argued a call in which Lee was called safe in a close play at third base, spiking Jenkins with his cleats in the process and forcing him to leave the game. The Rangers' angry response to this call enraged Cleveland fans, who again began throwing objects onto the field.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Indians managed to rally and tie the game at five runs apiece, but with a crowd that had been consuming as much beer as it could for nine innings, the situation finally came to a head.

The riot

In the ninth inning, a fan attempted to steal Texas outfielder Jeff Burroughs' cap. Confronting the fan, Burroughs tripped, and Texas manager Billy Martin (thinking that Burroughs had been attacked) charged onto the field, his players right behind, some wielding bats.^[3] A large number of intoxicated fans – some armed with knives, chains, and portions of stadium seats that they had torn apart – surged onto the field, and others hurled bottles from the stands. WJW producer Tony Lolli then suspended the station's live telecast of the game. Realizing that the Rangers' lives might be in danger, Ken Aspromonte, the Indians' manager, ordered his players to grab bats and help the Rangers. Rioters began throwing steel folding chairs, and Cleveland relief pitcher Tom Hilgendorf was hit in the head by one of them. Hargrove, involved in a fistfight with a rioter, had to fight another on his way back to the Texas dugout.

Among the Indians players suddenly running for their lives was Rusty Torres, who was on second base at the time, representing the winning run. In his career, Torres wound up seeing three big-league baseball riots close up; he was with the New York Yankees at the Senators' final game in Washington in 1971 and would be with the Chicago White Sox during the infamous Disco Demolition Night in 1979.

The bases were pulled up and stolen (never to be returned) and many rioters threw a vast array of objects including cups, rocks, bottles, batteries from radios, hot dogs, popcorn containers, and folding chairs. As a result, umpire crew chief Nestor Chylak, realizing that order would not be restored in a timely fashion, forfeited the game to Texas. He too was a victim of the rioters as one struck him with part of a stadium seat, cutting his head.^[4] His hand was also cut by a thrown rock. He later called the fans "uncontrollable beasts" and stated that he'd never seen anything like what had happened, "except in a zoo".^[5]

As Joe Tait and Herb Score called the riot live on radio, Score mentioned the lack of police protection; a riot squad from the Cleveland Police Department finally arrived to restore order.

Later that season, the team's promotion of three additional beer nights was changed from unlimited amounts to a limit of four cups per person. American League president Lee McPhail commented, "There was no question that beer played a part in the riot."^[4]

Notable attendees

Late NBC newsman Tim Russert, then a student at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, claimed to be in attendance that night. "I went with $2 in my pocket," recalled the "Meet the Press" host. "You do the math."^[6]

Best Goal Celebrations...

2010-01-24T21:25:00.000-01:00

I love to score goals and I love to celebrate. so do these guys:

Music for a day...

2010-01-20T14:54:00.002-01:00

You've got to read this article, brought to my attention by Bob Lefsetz over at the The Lefsetz Letter.

Basically, it talks about the demise of the music industry as we know it - and specifically, how it relates to OK Go's new video and their fight with EMI to let it spread via the internet. You see, I would normally have embedded the video instead of posting a link to it but EMI has made a deal with YouTube to disable, or prohibit, this from happening. It's all to make a dime. Or maybe, anymore, a penny.

Boo Big Labels.
Yay independent music.

(by the way, the band has given me the code to the embeddable video on Vimeo- it appears below)

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass from OK Go on Vimeo.

Clogs and blogs...

2010-01-14T16:48:00.001-01:00

I found an old article about how shoes are bad for you. Are they really? you can decide for yourself.

I was never a big year-end guy but i thought, if you are reading this blog, why not read some other ones, too? Here is a list of the 30 best blogs of last year.

The Best Michael Jordan commercial ever:

Big Mac...

2010-01-11T19:32:00.001-01:00

Mark McGwire admits to using steroids. It is like finding out the tooth fairy is fake - never a doubt.

Just gonna poach this one from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Read the story

Flexibility...

2010-01-07T16:06:00.002-01:00

Ok, so we know by now that it is important to have a certain amount of flexibility. Stretching, obviously, helps us attain this flexibility.

Stretching is a type of mechanical loading, and the effects of this loading on the collagenous tissue reveal the science of stretching. (For lack of a bigger forum, collagen is basically connective tissue - its fibers provide strength and stiffness).

Physiological stretching is possible because collagen is a viscoelastic material. Under rapid loading it behaves elastically, while under slow, or gradual, loading it is viscous and can deform plastically. A quick and intense displacement of the joint can result in a muscle tear and/or joint dislocation. However, a safe and gradual elongation to a point of mild discomfort will eventually lead to the desired deformation and produce a lasting (not permanent) flexibility.

By the way, it is believed that too much flexibility can lead to chronic joint pain while too little flexibility leads to recurring muscular strains and injuries.

Lastly, Just because I think this is one of the most hilarious moments in movie history:

Shot Heard Round The World?...

2010-01-06T17:42:00.001-01:00

If you follow soccer - specifically the English Premier League - you have probably already taken a whiff of US National Clint Dempsey's absolute Wondergoal.

For those of you who haven't had your olfactory senses tickled, take a look at THIS STORY from the New York Times, and the video of the goal (below):

Holiday Calories...

2010-01-04T17:40:00.005-01:00

If you're like me, you enjoy a beer or 5. Here is a list of some of the more popular beers around. Along with the calorie content you will see the percentage of alcohol in each beer. Drink up!

Brewery/Brand

Beer

Alcohol %

Calories

Amstel Light	Amstel Light	3.5	95	5
Alaskan Brewing	Alaskan Amber	5.0
Alaskan Brewing	Alaskan Pale Ale	4.6
Alaskan Brewing	Alaskan Stout	5.7
Alaskan Brewing	Alaskan ESB	5.0
Alaskan Brewing	Alaskan Smoked Porter	6.1
Alaskan Brewing	Alaskan Winter Ale	6.2
Anchor	Anchor Steam	4.9	152
Anchor	Liberty Ale	6.0	188
Anchor	Anchor Porter	5.6	205
Anchor	Old Foghorn	8-10
Anchor	Anchor Small	3.3
Anderson Valley	Boont Amber	5.8
Anderson Valley	Hop Ottin'	7.0
Anderson Valley	Poleeko Gold	5.5
Anderson Valley	Belk's ESB	6.8
Anderson Valley	Barney Flats Oatmeal	5.7
Anderson Valley	Winter Solstice	6.9
Anderson Valley	High Rollers Wheat	5.3
Anderson Valley	Deep Enders Porter	5.5
Beamish	Beamish Stout	3.8	131
Beck's	Beck's	5.0	143
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Two Hearted Ale	7.0
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Amber Ale	5.5
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Pale Ale	5.0
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Kalamazoo Stout	6.5
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Oberon	6.0
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Double Cream Stout	7.5
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Third Coast Old Ale	10.2
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Expedition Stout	10.0
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Best Brown Ale	5.8
Bell's/Kalamazoo	Cherry Stout	8.0
Blue Moon	Blue Moon White	5.4	171	12.9
Breckenridge	Avalanche Amber	5.4
Breckenridge	Autumn Ale	6.7
Breckenridge	Pale Ale	5.7
Breckenridge	Christmas Ale	7.4
Breckenridge	Oatmeal Stout	5.0
Breckenridge	Pandora's Bock	5.8
BridgePort	IPA	5.5
BridgePort	Porter	5.5
BridgePort	ESB	6.1
BridgePort	Black Strap Stout	6.0
BridgePort	Blue Heron	4.9
BridgePort	Pintail Ale	5.2
BridgePort	Ebenezer Ale	6.4
BridgePort	Old Knucklehead	8.9
Budweiser (U.S)	Budweiser	5.0	143	10.6
Budweiser	Bud Light	4.2	95	6.6
Budweiser	Bud Ice	5.5	148	8.9
Budweiser	Bud Ice Light	4.1	110	6.5
Budweiser Budvar	Budvar	5.0
Busch	Busch	4.6	133	10.2
Busch Light	Busch Light	4.2	110	6.7
Busch Ice	Busch Ice	5.9	173	13
Clausthaler	Clausthaler	0.4	96	5.8
Colt 45	Colt 45 Malt Liquor	6.0	172
Coors	Coors Original	5.0	148	11.3
Coors	Coors Light	4.2	102	5.0
Coors	Coors Extra Gold	5.0	147	10.7
Coors	Coors NA	<0.5	73	14.2
Corona	Corona Light	4.5	109	5
Corona	Corona Extra	4.6	148
Czechvar	Czechvar	5.0
Deschutes	Cascade Ale	4.5	140
Deschutes	Mirror Pond Pale	5.3	175
Deschutes	Bachelor ESB	5.0	180
Deschutes	Black Butte Porter	5.2	185
Deschutes	Quail Springs IPA	5.8	200
Deschutes	Obsidian Stout	6.7	220
Deschutes	Jubelale	6.7
Deschutes	Broken Top Bock	7.0	233
Deschutes	Pine Mountain Pils	5.1	154
Deschutes	Cinder Cone Red	5.8	180
Dos Equis	Dos Equis XX	4.8	145
Dragon Stout	Dragon Stout	6.8	220
Edison Light	Edison Light	4.0	109	6.5
Foster's	Foster's Lager	5.1	156
Fuller's	Fuller's ESB	5.9
Fuller's	Fuller's London Pride	4.7	156
Genesee/High Falls	Genesee 12 Horse	4.8	152	14
Genesee/High Falls	Genny Light	3.6	96	5.5
Genesee/High Falls	Kipling Light Lager	3.4	99	8.0
Grolsch	Grolsch	5.0	156
Gordon Biersch	Märzen	5.7
Gordon Biersch	Blonde Bock	7.0
Gordon Biersch	Pilsner	5.3
Guinness	Guinness Draught	4.0	125	10
Guinness	Foreign Extra Stout	7.5	176	14
Hamm's	Hamm's	4.7	144	12.1
Hamm's	Hamm's Light	4.1	110	7.3
Heineken	Heineken	5.4	166	9.8
Heineken	Heineken Light	3.5	99	6.8
Henry Weinhard's	Weinhard's Amber Ale	5.3	169	14
Henry Weinhard's	Weinhard's Dark	4.8	150	13.1
Henry Weinhard's	Weinhard's Hefeweizen	4.9	128	9.2
Henry Weinhard's	Private Reserve	4.5	128	9.2
Hoegaarden	Hoegaarden	5.0
I.C. Light	I.C. Light	4.2	95	2.8
Icehouse	Icehouse 5.0	5.0	132	8.7
Icehouse	Icehouse 5.5	5.5	149	9.8
J.W. Dundee	Honey Brown	4.5	150	13.5
Keystone	Keystone Light	4.2	100	5.0
Kilarney's	Kilarney's Red Lager	5.0	197	22.8
Killian's	Killian's	4.9	163	13.8
Labatt	Labatt Blue	5.0	153
Lowenbräu	Lowenbräu	5.2	160

Michelob	Michelob	5.0	155	13.3
Michelob	Michelob Light	4.3	113	6.7
Michelob	Michelob Amber Bock	5.2	166	15.0
Michelob	Michelob Hefeweizen	5.0	152	11.8
Michelob	Michelob Honey Lager	4.9	175	17.4
Michelob	Michelob Black & Tan	5.0	168	15.8
Michelob	Michelob Ultra	4.2	95	2.6
Mickey's	Mickey's	5.6	157	11.2
Mickey's	Mickey's Ice	5.9	165	11.8
Miller	Miller Genuine Draft	5	143	13.1
Miller	Miller Genuine Draft Lite	4.2	110	7
Miller	Miller High Life	5.5	156	11
Miller	Miller Lite	4.2	96	3.2
Moosehead	Moosehead	5.0	153
Murphy's	Murphy's Irish Red	5.0	171
Murphy's	Murphy's Stout	4.0	150
O'Douls	O'Douls	0.4	70	13.3
O'Douls	O'Douls Amber	0.4	90	18
Odell's	90 Shilling	5.3
Odell's	Easy Street Wheat	4.7
Odell's	Cutthroat Porter	4.5
Odell's	Cutthroat Pale Ale	5.1
Odell's	Levity	5.0
Odell's	Isolation	6.0
Odell's	Bobby	4.6
Olde English 800	Olde English 800	5.9	160	10.5
Olde English 800	Olde English 800 Ice	7.9	216	14.3
Old Milwaukee	Old Milwaukee	5.0	156
Pabst	Pabst	5.0	152
Paulaner	Paulaner Original Munich	5.5
Paulaner	Salvator	7.5	251
Paulaner	Paulaner Hefe-Weizen	5.5
Pete's Brewing	Pete's Wicked Ale	5.3	174	17.7
Pete's Brewing	Pete's Oktoberfest	5.8	189	16.9
Pete's Brewing	Pete's Summer Brew	4.7	163	15.6
Pete's Brewing	Pete's Winter Brew	5.2	170	15.2
Pete's Brewing	Pete's Helles Lager	5.0	163	14.6
Pete's Brewing	Pete's Red Rush	5.3	170	14.8
Pete's Brewing	Pete's Strawberry Blonde	5.0	160	13.6
Pilsner Urquell	Pilsner Uruqell	4.3	160
Pittsburgh Brewing	I.C. Light	4.1	95	2.8
Pittsburgh Brewing	Iron City Lager	4.5	140	10
Pyramid	Hefeweizen	5.2
Pyramid	Coastline Pilsner	5.0
Pyramid	Apricot Ale	5.1
Pyramid	India Pale Ale	6.7
Pyramid	Pale Ale	5.1
Pyramid	Curve Ball Kölsch	4.8
Pyramid	Broken Rake	6.4
Pyramid	Tilted Kilt	6.3
Pyramid	Snow Cap Ale	7.0
Red Dog	Red Dog	5.0	147	14.1
Redhook	Redhook ESB	5.8	179	14.2
Redhook	Redhook IPA	6.5	188	12.7
Redhook	Redhook Blonde Ale	5.4	166	13.1
Redhook	Redhook Hefe-weizen	5.2	155	10.9
Redhook	Redhook Nut Brown	5.6	181	16
Rhinebecker	Rhinebecker	5	106	2.5
St. Pauli Girl	St. Pauli Girl	4.9	148
St. Pauli Girl	St. Pauli Girl Dark	4.8	150
St. Pauli Girl	St. Pauli Girl N.A.	<0.5	96	23
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Light	4.05	124	9.7
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Boston Lager	4.8	160
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Golden Pilsner	4.6	145
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Cream Stout	4.7	195
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Boston Ale	4.9	160
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Cherry Wheat	5.2	166
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Spring Ale	5.2	170
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Summer Ale	5.4	175
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Pale Ale	5.3	145
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Octoberfest	5.7	165
Sam Adams	Sam Adams IPA	5.9	175
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Winter Lager	5.8	190
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Double Bock	8.5	240
Sam Adams	Sam Adams Triple Bock	17.5	340
Sapporo	Sapporo Reserve	5.2
Shiner	Shiner Bock	4.4	143	12.5
Shiner	Shiner Light	3.9	120	9
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada Pale Ale	5.7	171	14.1
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada Porter	5.7	194	18.4
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada Stout	6.4	225	22.3
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada Wheat	4.7	153	13.1
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada Summerfest	4.9	158	13.7
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada Celebration	6.6	214	19.4
Sierra Nevada	Sierra Nevada Bigfoot	9.9	330	30.3
Stone Brewing	Arrogant Bastard Ale	7.2
Stone Brewing	Stone Pale Ale	5.4
Stone Brewing	Stone Smoked Porter	5.9
Stone Brewing	Stone IPA	6.9
Stone Brewing	Ruination IPA	7.7
Stone Brewing	Double Bastard Ale	10
Stone Brewing	Stone Old Guardian	9.9
Tsingtao	Tsingtao	4.7	152
Widmer	Widmer Hefeweizen	4.7	159
Widmer	Widmer Pale Ale	5.0
Widmer	Widmer Blonde Ale	4.3
Widmer	Widmer Widberry	4.6
Widmer	Widmer Sommerbrä	4.8
Widmer	Widmer Oktoberfest	5.0
Widmer	Widmer Winternacht	7.0
Widmer	Spring Run IPA	6.0
Widmer	Drop Top Amber Ale	4.9
Yuengling	Premium	4.4	135-140	12
Yuengling	Light	3.8	98	6.6
Yuengling	Ale	5.0	145-150	10
Yuengling	Porter	4.5	150-155	14
Yuengling	Lager	4.4	135-140	12
Yuengling	Black & Tan	4.5	150-155	14
Yuengling	Light Lager	3.6	96	8.5

Sartorius...

2009-12-22T18:44:00.000-01:00

(image courtesy of wikipedia)

The Sartorius is the longest muscle in the body. It is a hip flexor, rotator, and abductor, as well as a flexor of the knee.

The Sartorius gets its name, ostensibly, from the famous cross-legged position a tailor would take when sitting to work. The word Sartorial, in Latin, means "having to do with tailoring," while sartor means "tailor."

WOD...

Back Squat

90% x 3 x 3

Then...

:20/:20 work/rest

Ball toe-touches x 6 sets

Lateral bounds x 6

Lateral box shuffle x 6

Burpees x 6

Dunkin on a Reindeer...

2009-12-21T15:01:00.002-01:00

Dunk you very much...

WOD...

Snatch
90% x 1 x 5
C+J
90% x 1 x 3
85% x 2 x 2

Then, 8 Rounds of:
Run 400m
Rest 1:00

The Jerk...

2009-12-19T04:27:00.005-01:00

Yesterday, we wrote about possible problems with the clean. Today we will talk about the jerK. Again, thanks to Mike Keelan at the Queensland Weightlifting Association.

June 28, 2003 - Damon Kelly(U20), 208.5 kg Clean and Jerk

The Jerk - Faults, Causes and Corrections

Fault	Possible Cause	Suggested Correction
1. Weak Jerk	Lifter fails to make the preparatory dip on full feet but on toes Lifter does not balance on two legs Trunk inclines forward Chest drops during dip Hands grip bar too tightly Bar lifts off clavicle during preparatory dip A deep slow dip Slow straightening of the legs	Keep the weight of the bar across the clavicles Coordinate muscle and joint action to instigate the necessary force Employ a soft grip to the bar Keep trunk upright Dip on both feet quickly Stop the downward movement sharply Utilise the elasticity of the bar Straighten the legs vigorously Instigate the greatest speed in the upward movement of the bar
Bar turns out to be forward	The lifters does carry the shoulders and hips under the Centre of Gravity Preparatory dip is performed on the toes The jerk off proceeds forwards and upwards away from the lifter Feet do not spilt equally fore and aft Chest drops Weak postural muscles Elbows are too far back	Perform preparatory dip on whole feet Hold elbows slightly forward Jerk off should be strictly upwards Pelvis should be locked Only knees displace form the mid-line Include Jerk Balance as a corrective exercise
Lifter drops too much in the Split	A slow deep preparatory dip Limited drive from dip Lifter travels very low in split to catch the bar on straight arms Insufficient strength and coordination	Increase effort of upward drive Practice Jerk Heaves Half Front Squats Speed
Bar is jerked to straight arms but turns to be far back and holding the weight aloft is impossible	The Jerk of the bar is not vertical The Jerk has significant horizontal translocation The lifter moves hips, trunk and shoulders too far forward	Strict movement in pure vertical plane Ensure hips, trunk and shoulders are placed exactly under the centre of gravity Practice Push Press, Jerk Balance, Jerk Heaves and Jamieson Squat exercises
The bar is correctly jerked upwards to straight arms, but the lifter cannot hold onto the weight on straight arms	Poor movement in elbow joints Insufficient mobility in shoulder joints Excessive flexibility in radio-carpal joints >90 degrees	Work on exercises designed to develop flexibility in the elbow and shoulder joints Bandage wrists or make use of wrist-band Position bar closer to wrist joint Turn forearms slightly out wards on the dip and drive
Jerking the bar to arms length the lifter moves around the platform with weight aloft	Inexact work of the legs (asymmetrical) Centre of gravity situated outside of the base Head thrown back and lifter looks upwards at the bar Head is forced forward and shoulders extended Legs cross paths	Head pressed into chin Execute aggressive jerk off Essential to split the legs fore and aft evenly and maintain shoulder width distance L-R Hips, trunk and shoulders should be directly under bar Head held straight looking forward

More Sleep...

2009-12-17T17:00:00.005-01:00

so now that my baby is nearly four months old and i am getting better sleep. this means, i hope, that i will be able to blog more consistently again.

In our Olympic Lifts, we have to move FAST. But that usually means that we make mistakes. Here is a list of those faults, their possible causes, and suggested corrections.

My thanks to Mike Keelan at the Queensland Weightlifing Association...

The Clean - Faults, Causes and Corrections

Fault	Probable Cause	Possible Correction
Lifter elevates Buttocks before raising bar	Insufficient leg strength Insufficient flexibility Weak posture muscles Ankle tightness	Standard strength exercises Lifting standing on blocks Incorporate flexibility as a core element of training Introduce core stability exercises as a core element of training Seek professional advice (shoe implants, screening)
Bar ends up being forward	Early movement onto toes before the bar reaches the knee Projection of the bar is positioned ahead of the metatarsal-phalangeal joints, with a greater inclination of the shins in the starting position, therefore in lifting the weight the bar has to travel around the knees i.e. the bar turns out to be in front of the lifter. The lifer does not fully straighten the trunk and legs and failing to utilise explosive hip drive Arms bend early at the elbows Elbows are taken back early in the final extension movement The lifter fails to accomplish an upward pelvic rotation at the top of the pull extension	Position the bar closer to the ankle joints and ensure the shins at the start have a shallow inclination (Ankle angle should not be less 60-70 degrees. Balance on both feet from start to full extension of the pull Aim for fully extended legs, hips, trunk and shoulders Elbows must move strictly upwards parallel with the trunk throughout the pull
Bar is pulled excessively Backward	Early movement onto heels Arms bend far too soon Shoulders move back ward Head is thrown back viciously	Balance on both feet perform pulls standing on blocks Elbows must move strictly upwards parallel with the trunk throughout the pull Pulls and other movements from blocks set at designated heights Perform Cleans from mid-thigh/waist using light weights Increase back and abdominal (core) strength utilising specific exercises
Bar is lifted far away from shins in opening phase of Clean	Shins are too inclined Angle of the ankle joint is to acute (less than 60 degrees) Bar is positioned too far from the lifter	Position bar over metatarsal-phalengeal joint
Bar travels forward Reacting from the thigh push	Lifter thrusts hips through not upward Lifter sufficiently straightens legs but not hips Lifters trunk remains inclined but hips travel forward	Ensure correct starting position Keep balance Ensure bar travels in most efficient line Pulls from knee (concentric/eccentric) Shrugs
6. Weak Full Extension	Insufficiently strong muscles Too great a weight Lifter fails to place knees under the bar to instigate upward bar trajectory No coordination between extensors of legs, hips and trunk and flexors of arms and shoulders	Build strength Perfect practice = perfect skill application Sub component exercises designed to enhance force application Pulls from varying heights
Bar Racked but not Secured	Lifter does not have sufficient time to rotate elbows Collapsed chest Lifter delays drop and looses momentum Lifter drops rather than drives under the bar Lack of flexibility around joint complexes	Emphasise drive under the bar Clean drops from full extension Correct breathing technique
Knee Touch	Trunk inclined too far forward Elbows not fully rotated Bar not received on clavicles Lethargic descent under the bar	Perform properly executed pulling movements Cleans from varying heights Specialised flexibility Perform Bench and Incline Press

WOD...

2009-11-19T13:03:00.001-01:00

WOD...

6 Rounds of:

24kg KB Swings x 12

40# DB Walking Lunge x 10 steps

Burpees x 6

40# DB Walking Lunge x 10 steps

Rest 1:30

Saturn...

2009-10-07T09:57:00.001-01:00

(photo courtesy of www.nasa.gov)

They just found a NEW ring around Saturn. It is so big, it would take 1-BILLION Earths to fill. WOW!

WOD...

10 Rounds of:

24kg KB Swing x 7

Sprint 60m

Rest 1:45

World's Longest Dunk...

2009-10-01T15:29:00.000-01:00

WOD

5 Rounds for time of:

50 double-unders

15 pullups

sooooo....

2009-09-14T12:54:00.000-01:00

Having a baby is bad for blogging.

I have been tired and preoccupied lately. But now I am back.

First of all, thanks to Newley for this sweet link. wow, that's an amazing collection - a true Star Wars FREAK!

Now for the workout. Since we are just getting back to things, we are gonna take it easier.

WOD...

7 Rounds of:

Row 250m

Rest 2:00

Press

125# x 5 x 5

some light reading...

2009-08-22T12:44:00.003-01:00

Hopefully I won't get sued for posting this, my favorite short story from my favorite writer. Pushkin's "The Shot" is pure genius. I won't spoil it by telling you something when someone else can say it better:

Just in case, here's the website i copied this from: http://www.classicreader.com/book/2194/1/

CHAPTER I.

We were stationed in the little town of N--. The life of an officer in the army is well known. In the morning, drill and the riding-school; dinner with the Colonel or at a Jewish restaurant; in the evening, punch and cards. In N--- there was not one open house, not a single marriageable girl. We used to meet in each other's rooms, where, except our uniforms, we never saw anything.

One civilian only was admitted into our society. He was about thirty- five years of age, and therefore we looked upon him as an old fellow. His experience gave him great advantage over us, and his habitual taciturnity, stern disposition, and caustic tongue produced a deep impression upon our young minds. Some mystery surrounded his existence; he had the appearance of a Russian, although his name was a foreign one. He had formerly served in the Hussars, and with distinction. Nobody knew the cause that had induced him to retire from the service and settle in a wretched little village, where he lived poorly and, at the same time, extravagantly. He always went on foot, and constantly wore a shabby black overcoat, but the officers of our regiment were ever welcome at his table. His dinners, it is true, never consisted of more than two or three dishes, prepared by a retired soldier, but the champagne flowed like water. Nobody knew what his circumstances were, or what his income was, and nobody dared to question him about them. He had a collection of books, consisting chiefly of works on military matters and a few novels. He willingly lent them to us to read, and never asked for them back; on the other hand, he never returned to the owner the books that were lent to him. His principal amusement was shooting with a pistol. The walls of his room were riddled with bullets, and were as full of holes as a honeycomb. A rich collection of pistols was the only luxury in the humble cottage where he lived. The skill which he had acquired with his favorite weapon was simply incredible: and if he had offered to shoot a pear off somebody's forage-cap, not a man in our regiment would have hesitated to place the object upon his head.

Our conversation often turned upon duels. Silvio--so I will call him-- never joined in it. When asked if he had ever fought, he dryly replied that he had; but he entered into no particulars, and it was evident that such questions were not to his liking. We came to the conclusion that he had upon his conscience the memory of some unhappy victim of his terrible skill. Moreover, it never entered into the head of any of us to suspect him of anything like cowardice. There are persons whose mere look is sufficient to repel such a suspicion. But an unexpected incident occurred which astounded us all.

One day, about ten of our officers dined with Silvio. They drank as usual, that is to say, a great deal. After dinner we asked our host to hold the bank for a game at faro. For a long time he refused, for he hardly ever played, but at last he ordered cards to be brought, placed half a hundred ducats upon the table, and sat down to deal. We took our places round him, and the play began. It was Silvio's custom to preserve a complete silence when playing. He never disputed, and never entered into explanations. If the punter made a mistake in calculating, he immediately paid him the difference or noted down the surplus. We were acquainted with this habit of his, and we always allowed him to have his own way; but among us on this occasion was an officer who had only recently been transferred to our regiment. During the course of the game, this officer absently scored one point too many. Silvio took the chalk and noted down the correct account according to his usual custom. The officer, thinking that he had made a mistake, began to enter into explanations. Silvio continued dealing in silence. The officer, losing patience, took the brush and rubbed out what he considered was wrong. Silvio took the chalk and corrected the score again. The officer, heated with wine, play, and the laughter of his comrades, considered himself grossly insulted, and in his rage he seized a brass candlestick from the table, and hurled it at Silvio, who barely succeeded in avoiding the missile. We were filled with consternation. Silvio rose, white with rage, and with gleaming eyes, said:

"My dear sir, have the goodness to withdraw, and thank God that this has happened in my house."

None of us entertained the slightest doubt as to what the result would be, and we already looked upon our new comrade as a dead man. The officer withdrew, saying that he was ready to answer for his offence in whatever way the banker liked. The play went on for a few minutes longer, but feeling that our host was no longer interested in the game, we withdrew one after the other, and repaired to our respective quarters, after having exchanged a few words upon the probability of there soon being a vacancy in the regiment.

The next day, at the riding-school, we were already asking each other if the poor lieutenant was still alive, when he himself appeared among us. We put the same question to him, and he replied that he had not yet heard from Silvio. This astonished us. We went to Silvio's house and found him in the courtyard shooting bullet after bullet into an ace pasted upon the gate. He received us as usual, but did not utter a word about the event of the previous evening. Three days passed, and the lieutenant was still alive. We asked each other in astonishment: "Can it be possible that Silvio is not going to fight?"

Silvio did not fight. He was satisfied with a very lame explanation, and became reconciled to his assailant.

This lowered him very much in the opinion of all our young fellows. Want of courage is the last thing to be pardoned by young men, who usually look upon bravery as the chief of all human virtues, and the excuse for every possible fault. But, by degrees, everything became forgotten, and Silvio regained his former influence.

I alone could not approach him on the old footing. Being endowed by nature with a romantic imagination, I had become attached more than all the others to the man whose life was an enigma, and who seemed to me the hero of some mysterious drama. He was fond of me; at least, with me alone did he drop his customary sarcastic tone, and converse on different subjects in a simple and unusually agreeable manner. But after this unlucky evening, the thought that his honor had been tarnished, and that the stain had been allowed to remain upon it in accordance with his own wish, was ever present in my mind, and prevented me treating him as before. I was ashamed to look at him. Silvio was too intelligent and experienced not to observe this and guess the cause of it. This seemed to vex him; at least I observed once or twice a desire on his part to enter into an explanation with me, but I avoided such opportunities, and Silvio gave up the attempt. From that time forward I saw him only in the presence of my comrades, and our confidential conversations came to an end.

The inhabitants of the capital, with minds occupied by so many matters of business and pleasure, have no idea of the many sensations so familiar to the inhabitants of villages and small towns, as, for instance, the awaiting the arrival of the post. On Tuesdays and Fridays our regimental bureau used to be filled with officers: some expecting money, some letters, and others newspapers. The packets were usually opened on the spot, items of news were communicated from one to another, and the bureau used to present a very animated picture. Silvio used to have his letters addressed to our regiment, and he was generally there to receive them.

One day he received a letter, the seal of which he broke with a look of great impatience. As he read the contents, his eyes sparkled. The officers, each occupied with his own letters, did not observe anything.

"Gentlemen," said Silvio, "circumstances demand my immediate departure; I leave to-night. I hope that you will not refuse to dine with me for the last time. I shall expect you, too," he added, turning towards me. "I shall expect you without fail."

With these words he hastily departed, and we, after agreeing to meet at Silvio's, dispersed to our various quarters.

I arrived at Silvio's house at the appointed time, and found nearly the whole regiment there. All his things were already packed; nothing remained but the bare, bullet-riddled walls. We sat down to table. Our host was in an excellent humor, and his gayety was quickly communicated to the rest. Corks popped every moment, glasses foamed incessantly, and, with the utmost warmth, we wished our departing friend a pleasant journey and every happiness. When we rose from the table it was already late in the evening. After having wished everybody good-bye, Silvio took me by the hand and detained me just at the moment when I was preparing to depart.

"I want to speak to you," he said in a low voice.

I stopped behind.

The guests had departed, and we two were left alone. Sitting down opposite each other, we silently lit our pipes. Silvio seemed greatly troubled; not a trace remained of his former convulsive gayety. The intense pallor of his face, his sparkling eyes, and the thick smoke issuing from his mouth, gave him a truly diabolical appearance. Several minutes elapsed, and then Silvio broke the silence.

"Perhaps we shall never see each other again," said he; "before we part, I should like to have an explanation with you. You may have observed that I care very little for the opinion of other people, but I like you, and I feel that it would be painful to me to leave you with a wrong impression upon your mind."

He paused, and began to knock the ashes out of his pipe. I sat gazing silently at the ground.

"You thought it strange," he continued, "that I did not demand satisfaction from that drunken idiot R---. You will admit, however, that having the choice of weapons, his life was in my hands, while my own was in no great danger. I could ascribe my forbearance to generosity alone, but I will not tell a lie. If I could have chastised R---without the least risk to my own life, I should never have pardoned him."

I looked at Silvio with astonishment. Such a confession completely astounded me. Silvio continued:

"Exactly so: I have no right to expose myself to death. Six years ago I received a slap in the face, and my enemy still lives."

My curiosity was greatly excited.

"Did you not fight with him?" I asked. "Circumstances probably separated you."

"I did fight with him," replied Silvio; "and here is a souvenir of our duel."

Silvio rose and took from a cardboard box a red cap with a gold tassel and embroidery (what the French call a bonnet de police); he put it on-- a bullet had passed through it about an inch above the forehead.

"You know," continued Silvio, "that I served in one of the Hussar regiments. My character is well known to you: I am accustomed to taking the lead. From my youth this has been my passion. In our time dissoluteness was the fashion, and I was the most outrageous man in the army. We used to boast of our drunkenness; I beat in a drinking bout the famous Bourtsoff [Footnote: A cavalry officer, notorious for his drunken escapades], of whom Denis Davidoff [Footnote: A military poet who flourished in the reign of Alexander I] has sung. Duels in our regiment were constantly taking place, and in all of them I was either second or principal. My comrades adored me, while the regimental commanders, who were constantly being changed, looked upon me as a necessary evil.

"I was calmly enjoying my reputation, when a young man belonging to a wealthy and distinguished family--I will not mention his name--joined our regiment. Never in my life have I met with such a fortunate fellow! Imagine to yourself youth, wit, beauty, unbounded gayety, the most reckless bravery, a famous name, untold wealth--imagine all these, and you can form some idea of the effect that he would be sure to produce among us. My supremacy was shaken. Dazzled by my reputation, he began to seek my friendship, but I received him coldly, and without the least regret he held aloof from me. I took a hatred to him. His success in the regiment and in the society of ladies brought me to the verge of despair. I began to seek a quarrel with him; to my epigrams he replied with epigrams which always seemed to me more spontaneous and more cutting than mine, and which were decidedly more amusing, for he joked while I fumed. At last, at a ball given by a Polish landed proprietor, seeing him the object of the attention of all the ladies, and especially of the mistress of the house, with whom I was upon very good terms, I whispered some grossly insulting remark in his ear. He flamed up and gave me a slap in the face. We grasped our swords; the ladies fainted; we were separated; and that same night we set out to fight.

"The dawn was just breaking. I was standing at the appointed place with my three seconds. With inexplicable impatience I awaited my opponent. The spring sun rose, and it was already growing hot. I saw him coming in the distance. He was walking on foot, accompanied by one second. We advanced to meet him. He approached, holding his cap filled with black cherries. The seconds measured twelve paces for us. I had to fire first, but my agitation was so great, that I could not depend upon the steadiness of my hand; and in order to give myself time to become calm, I ceded to him the first shot. My adversary would not agree to this. It was decided that we should cast lots. The first number fell to him, the constant favorite of fortune. He took aim, and his bullet went through my cap. It was now my turn. His life at last was in my hands; I looked at him eagerly, endeavoring to detect if only the faintest shadow of uneasiness. But he stood in front of my pistol, picking out the ripest cherries from his cap and spitting out the stones, which flew almost as far as my feet. His indifference annoyed me beyond measure. 'What is the use,' thought I, 'of depriving him of life, when he attaches no value whatever to it?' A malicious thought flashed through my mind. I lowered my pistol.

"'You don't seem to be ready for death just at present,' I said to him: 'you wish to have your breakfast; I do not wish to hinder you.'

"'You are not hindering me in the least,' replied he. 'Have the goodness to fire, or just as you please--the shot remains yours; I shall always be ready at your service.'

"I turned to the seconds, informing them that I had no intention of firing that day, and with that the duel came to an end."

"I resigned my commission and retired to this little place. Since then not a day has passed that I have not thought of revenge. And now my hour has arrived."

Silvio took from his pocket the letter that he had received that morning, and gave it to me to read. Some one (it seemed to be his business agent) wrote to him from Moscow, that a CERTAIN PERSON was going to be married to a young and beautiful girl.

"You can guess," said Silvio, "who the certain person is. I am going to Moscow. We shall see if he will look death in the face with as much indifference now, when he is on the eve of being married, as he did once with his cherries!"

With these words, Silvio rose, threw his cap upon the floor, and began pacing up and down the room like a tiger in his cage. I had listened to him in silence; strange conflicting feelings agitated me.

The servant entered and announced that the horses were ready. Silvio grasped my hand tightly, and we embraced each other. He seated himself in his telega, in which lay two trunks, one containing his pistols, the other his effects. We said good-bye once more, and the horses galloped off.

CHAPTER II.

Several years passed, and family circumstances compelled me to settle in the poor little village of M---. Occupied with agricultural pursuits, I ceased not to sigh in secret for my former noisy and careless life. The most difficult thing of all was having to accustom myself to passing the spring and winter evenings in perfect solitude. Until the hour for dinner I managed to pass away the time somehow or other, talking with the bailiff, riding about to inspect the work, or going round to look at the new buildings; but as soon as it began to get dark, I positively did not know what to do with myself. The few books that I had found in the cupboards and storerooms I already knew by heart. All the stories that my housekeeper Kirilovna could remember I had heard over and over again. The songs of the peasant women made me feel depressed. I tried drinking spirits, but it made my head ache; and moreover, I confess I was afraid of becoming a drunkard from mere chagrin, that is to say, the saddest kind of drunkard, of which I had seen many examples in our district.

I had no near neighbors, except two or three topers, whose conversation consisted for the most part of hiccups and sighs. Solitude was preferable to their society. At last I decided to go to bed as early as possible, and to dine as late as possible; in this way I shortened the evening and lengthened out the day, and I found that the plan answered very well.

Four versts from my house was a rich estate belonging to the Countess B- --; but nobody lived there except the steward. The Countess had only visited her estate once, in the first year of her married life, and then she had remained there no longer than a month. But in the second spring of my hermitical life a report was circulated that the Countess, with her husband, was coming to spend the summer on her estate. The report turned out to be true, for they arrived at the beginning of June.

The arrival of a rich neighbor is an important event in the lives of country people. The landed proprietors and the people of their households talk about it for two months beforehand and for three years afterwards. As for me, I must confess that the news of the arrival of a young and beautiful neighbor affected me strongly. I burned with impatience to see her, and the first Sunday after her arrival I set out after dinner for the village of A---, to pay my respects to the Countess and her husband, as their nearest neighbor and most humble servant. A lackey conducted me into the Count's study, and then went to announce me. The spacious apartment was furnished with every possible luxury. Around the walls were cases filled with books and surmounted by bronze busts; over the marble mantelpiece was a large mirror; on the floor was a green cloth covered with carpets. Unaccustomed to luxury in my own poor corner, and not having seen the wealth of other people for a long time, I awaited the appearance of the Count with some little trepidation, as a suppliant from the provinces awaits the arrival of the minister. The door opened, and a handsome-looking man, of about thirty- two years of age, entered the room. The Count approached me with a frank and friendly air; I endeavored to be self-possessed and began to introduce myself, but he anticipated me. We sat down. His conversation, which was easy and agreeable, soon dissipated my awkward bashfulness; and I was already beginning to recover my usual composure, when the Countess suddenly entered, and I became more confused than ever. She was indeed beautiful. The Count presented me. I wished to appear at ease, but the more I tried to assume an air of unconstraint, the more awkward I felt. They, in order to give me time to recover myself and to become accustomed to my new acquaintances, began to talk to each other, treating me as a good neighbor, and without ceremony. Meanwhile, I walked about the room, examining the books and pictures. I am no judge of pictures, but one of them attracted my attention. It represented some view in Switzerland, but it was not the painting that struck me, but the circumstance that the canvas was shot through by two bullets, one planted just above the other.

"A good shot that!" said I, turning to the Count.

"Yes," replied he, "a very remarkable shot.... Do you shoot well?" he continued.

"Tolerably," replied I, rejoicing that the conversation had turned at last upon a subject that was familiar to me. "At thirty paces I can manage to hit a card without fail,--I mean, of course, with a pistol that I am used to."

"Really?" said the Countess, with a look of the greatest interest. "And you, my dear, could you hit a card at thirty paces?"

"Some day," replied the Count, "we will try. In my time I did not shoot badly, but it is now four years since I touched a pistol."

"Oh!" I observed, "in that case, I don't mind laying a wager that Your Excellency will not hit the card at twenty paces; the pistol demands practice every day. I know that from experience. In our regiment I was reckoned one of the best shots. It once happened that I did not touch a pistol for a whole month, as I had sent mine to be mended; and would you believe it, Your Excellency, the first time I began to shoot again, I missed a bottle four times in succession at twenty paces. Our captain, a witty and amusing fellow, happened to be standing by, and he said to me: 'It is evident, my friend, that your hand will not lift itself against the bottle.' No, Your Excellency, you must not neglect to practise, or your hand will soon lose its cunning. The best shot that I ever met used to shoot at least three times every day before dinner. It was as much his custom to do this as it was to drink his daily glass of brandy."

The Count and Countess seemed pleased that I had begun to talk.

"And what sort of a shot was he?" asked the Count.

"Well, it was this way with him, Your Excellency: if he saw a fly settle on the wall--you smile, Countess, but, before Heaven, it is the truth-- if he saw a fly, he would call out: 'Kouzka, my pistol!' Kouzka would bring him a loaded pistol--bang! and the fly would be crushed against the wall."

"Wonderful!" said the Count. "And what was his name?"

"Silvio, Your Excellency."

"Silvio!" exclaimed the Count, starting up. "Did you know Silvio?"

"How could I help knowing him, Your Excellency: we were intimate friends; he was received in our regiment like a brother officer, but it is now five years since I had any tidings of him. Then Your Excellency also knew him?"

"Oh, yes, I knew him very well. Did he ever tell you of one very strange incident in his life?"

"Does Your Excellency refer to the slap in the face that he received from some blackguard at a ball?"

"Did he tell you the name of this blackguard?"

"No, Your Excellency, he never mentioned his name,... Ah! Your Excellency!" I continued, guessing the truth: "pardon me... I did not know... could it really have been you?"

"Yes, I myself," replied the Count, with a look of extraordinary agitation; "and that bullet-pierced picture is a memento of our last meeting."

"Ah, my dear," said the Countess, "for Heaven's sake, do not speak about that; it would be too terrible for me to listen to."

"No," replied the Count: "I will relate everything. He knows how I insulted his friend, and it is only right that he should know how Silvio revenged himself."

The Count pushed a chair towards me, and with the liveliest interest I listened to the following story:

"Five years ago I got married. The first month--the honeymoon--I spent here, in this village. To this house I am indebted for the happiest moments of my life, as well as for one of its most painful recollections.

"One evening we went out together for a ride on horseback. My wife's horse became restive; she grew frightened, gave the reins to me, and returned home on foot. I rode on before. In the courtyard I saw a travelling carriage, and I was told that in my study sat waiting for me a man, who would not give his name, but who merely said that he had business with me. I entered the room and saw in the darkness a man, covered with dust and wearing a beard of several days' growth. He was standing there, near the fireplace. I approached him, trying to remember his features.

"'You do not recognize me, Count?' said he, in a quivering voice.

"'Silvio!' I cried, and I confess that I felt as if my hair had suddenly stood on end.

"'Exactly,' continued he. 'There is a shot due to me, and I have come to discharge my pistol. Are you ready?'

"His pistol protruded from a side pocket. I measured twelve paces and took my stand there in that corner, begging him to fire quickly, before my wife arrived. He hesitated, and asked for a light. Candles were brought in. I closed the doors, gave orders that nobody was to enter, and again begged him to fire. He drew out his pistol and took aim.... I counted the seconds.... I thought of her.... A terrible minute passed! Silvio lowered his hand.

"'I regret,' said he, 'that the pistol is not loaded with cherry- stones... the bullet is heavy. It seems to me that this is not a duel, but a murder. I am not accustomed to taking aim at unarmed men. Let us begin all over again; we will cast lots as to who shall fire first.'

"My head went round... I think I raised some objection.... At last we loaded another pistol, and rolled up two pieces of paper. He placed these latter in his cap--the same through which I had once sent a bullet--and again I drew the first number.

"'You are devilish lucky, Count,' said he, with a smile that I shall never forget.

"I don't know what was the matter with me, or how it was that he managed to make me do it... but I fired and hit that picture."

The Count pointed with his finger to the perforated picture; his face glowed like fire; the Countess was whiter than her own handkerchief; and I could not restrain an exclamation.

"I fired," continued the Count, "and, thank Heaven, missed my aim. Then Silvio... at that moment he was really terrible... Silvio raised his hand to take aim at me. Suddenly the door opens, Masha rushes into the room, and with a loud shriek throws herself upon my neck. Her presence restored to me all my courage.

"'My dear,' said I to her, 'don't you see that we are joking? How frightened you are! Go and drink a glass of water and then come back to us; I will introduce you to an old friend and comrade.'

"Masha still doubted.

"'Tell me, is my husband speaking the truth?' said she, turning to the terrible Silvio: 'is it true that you are only joking?'

"'He is always joking, Countess,' replied Silvio: 'once he gave me a slap in the face in a joke; on another occasion he sent a bullet through my cap in a joke; and just now, when he fired at me and missed me, it was all in a joke. And now I feel inclined for a joke.'

"With these words he raised his pistol to take aim at me--right before her! Masha threw herself at his feet.

"'Rise, Masha; are you not ashamed!' I cried in a rage: 'and you, sir, will you cease to make fun of a poor woman? Will you fire or not?'

"'I will not,' replied Silvio: 'I am satisfied. I have seen your confusion, your alarm. I forced you to fire at me. That is sufficient. You will remember me. I leave you to your conscience.'

"Then he turned to go, but pausing in the doorway, and looking at the picture that my shot had passed through, he fired at it almost without taking aim, and disappeared. My wife had fainted away; the servants did not venture to stop him, the mere look of him filled them with terror. He went out upon the steps, called his coachman, and drove off before I could recover myself."

The Count was silent. In this way I learned the end of the story, whose beginning had once made such a deep impression upon me. The hero of it I never saw again. It is said that Silvio commanded a detachment of Hetairists during the revolt under Alexander Ipsilanti, and that he was killed in the battle of Skoulana.

young bucks...

2009-08-18T14:48:00.003-01:00

These little kids are unreal.

Madin Mohammed

Rhain Davis

WOW.

WOD...
3 Rounds for time of:
60kg Snatch x 3
Row 250m
Pullups x 15

WOD...

2009-08-14T13:55:00.000-01:00

WOD...
6 Rounds of:
Run 400m
rest 1:30

Knee Pain?...

2009-08-12T17:17:00.004-01:00

A new study is suggesting that running can help reduce knee pain over time. I am not sure how in depth this study is, but there is a quick synopsis in the NY Times.

According to this study, it would seem that the compression forces on the knee during running are safe since the cartilage in the knee is built well-enough to absorb a head on force. Runners work for the most part only in the sagittal plane - meaning they run straight ahead - so they basically put compressive - not multi-directional, or shear - force on the knee joint. There is very little lateral movement and almost no twisting of the knee or leg, unlike motion in ball-sport athletes.

It is of little surprise to me, then, to see the condition of the knees of elite soccer, football, and basketball players deteriorating over time. They are producing heavy Newtons of shear force on the knee joint, leading to irritated and perturbed muscules, tendons, and cartilage about that joint. I guess, since runners don't move laterally they don't have to deal with shearing forces, thus making distance running a safe way to exercise into old age.

WOD...
4 Rounds for time of:
60kg Snatch x 3
Sprint 50m
Pushups x 25
Sprint 50m

Today in History...

2009-08-11T18:12:00.004-01:00

A day of milestones in Major League Baseball:
1926 Cleve Indian Tris Speaker hits his 700th double
1929 Babe Ruth becomes 1st to hit 500 homers
1961 Warren Spahn records victory #300, beats Cubs 2-1
1971 Harmon Killebrew hits HRs #500 & 501
1980 Reggie Jackson hits his 400th homer
1988 Gary Carter (NY Mets) became 59th player to hit 300 career HR

Some notable births on August 11th:
1921 Alex Haley US, author (Roots)
1933 Jerry Falwell televangelist, Moral Majority head
1950 Steve Wozniak cofounded Apple Computer
1953 Hulk Hogan [Terry Bollea], Ga, WWF heavyweight champion (1984-89)

That's right - it's Hulk Hogan's birthday today!! In honor of the Hulkster (who I saw defeat Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake in Cleveland's Convention Center in the 80's for the WWF title) we will be reminding everyone not to take steroids.

WOD (thanks, Kevin)...
Squat 100kg x 10
40" Box Jump x 10
Squat 110kg x 8
40" Box Jump x 10
Squat 120kg x 6
40" Box Jump x 10
Squat 130kg x 4
40" Box Jump x 10
Squat 140kg x 2
40" Box Jump x 10
Rest 2:00 between each couplet

Muscle Hypertrophy...

2009-08-08T12:05:00.008-01:00

(Image courtesty of The New England Journal Of Medicine)

For those of you who don't know the meaning of the word hypertrophy, here is a definition:
From Dictionary.com: "excessive growth or accumulation of any kind."

In the human body there are 2 types of hypertrophy, and they are brought about by two distinctly different types of training. We will discuss these in as non-scientific a way as possible, but first a quick note.

Muscle fibers exist in your body within a fluid called Sarcoplasm. Imagine your muscle fibers like a loose bundle of spaghetti. When you view this bundle from the end you see a bunch of little circles. Since the bundle is loose there is space between some of the spaghetti. If you dropped that bundle into a vat of sauce, you would see spaghetti sauce filling in the space between the spaghetti. That sauce serves as our sarcoplasm and the vat basically serves as our muscle (the fibers, cumulatively, make up a muscle).

SARCOPLASMIC HYPERTROPHY occurs when the amount of plasma (spaghetti sauce) in the vat increases, thus increasing the diameter of the vat. There is no increase in the size of the muscle fibers (spaghetti) and therefore no increase in density or strength - only an increase in muscular SIZE. Think bodybuilding.

SARCOMERE HYPERTROPHY occurs when the size and number of sarcomeres - the substance that makes up muscle fibers - increases, but the amount of sarcoplasm does not (Imagine the spaghetti becoming thicker). This increase in density leads to an increase in muscular strength. Think Olympic Lifting.

SO is it better to be one or the other? It depends on your goals, but we here at the NYFI believe in Sarcomere Hypertrophy. Strength, not size, is most important.

If you have any questions about this, or any other fitness issue, please contact Danny Segelin at dsegelin@thenyfi.com. Or visit the website www.thenyfi.com.

WOD...
7 Rounds of:
140kg Deadlift x 3
60# DB Thruster x 5
Rest :30 between each round
*(scale weight appropriately)

Laughing...

2009-08-05T13:15:00.001-01:00

The title of this youtube video is "If you watch this 100 times you will still laugh." I think i have watched it like 50 times an i laugh out loud each one. it's just plain stupid humor.

WOD...
100kg Squat x 10 x 6
Rest 2:00 between sets

Roid Much?...

2009-07-30T16:35:00.002-01:00

Here we go again. It seems that Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz are the latest major leaguers to be linked to steroids via the infamous 2003 MLB drug test.

I have no stance except for this: Print all the names on that list so that we can release those who played with honesty and integrity from the clutches of doubt and mistrust. Enough is enough - I have had it with this anti-public relations fiasco. I am sick of checking the news every 45 days and reading about the latest player who has been outed.

Lets play ball!

WOD...
Clean and Jerk
100kg x 1 x 3
90kg x 2 x 2
80kg x 3 x 1

Then...
4 Rounds of:
Sprint 100m
50# KB swing x 15
Sprint 100m
5 Burpees
Rest 1:30

Death Race...

2009-07-29T14:45:00.002-01:00

My Friend, Holly, recently turned me on to this Death Race thing. it's awesome!!

WOD...
Snatch
80kg x 1, 1, 1
70kg x 2, 2
60kg x 3
Then...
3 Rounds for time of:
Deadlift 120kg x 5
Pullups x 15

WOD...

2009-07-22T18:47:00.002-01:00

WOD...
3 Rounds for time of:
Row 250m
60kg Clean x 10
Pushups x 15

WOD...

2009-07-20T21:56:00.001-01:00

WOD...
5 Rounds of:
250# Squat x 5
50# KB Swing x 10
24" Box Jump x 10
Rest 1:30

Old-Fashioned Batter...

2009-07-19T11:20:00.002-01:00

a good poem about what i, too, miss about baseball:

The Old-Fashioned Batter

George E. Phair

How dear to my heart was the old-fashioned batter, who scattered line drives from the spring to the fall.

He did not resemble the up-to-date batter, who swings from the heels and misses the ball.

The up-to-date batter I'm not very strong for; He shatters the ozone with all of his might.

And that is the reason I hanker and long for --Those who doubled to left, and tripled to right.

The old-fashioned batter,

The eagle-eyed batter,

The thinking-mans batter,

Who tripled to right.

WOD...
5 Rounds of:
95# Overhead Squat x 10
Pullups x 10
95# Push Press x 10

Could It Be?

2009-07-02T10:29:00.004-01:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers have missed out on Charlie Villanueva in free agency. I am glad about that. He is still improving and he is going to be solid, but the Cavs need an impact player. This impact player may be arriving soon and his name is Ron Artest.(photo courtesy of http://yourwrong.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/stock-check/)

Artest is a beast. He is one of the only players in the league who can guard LeBron 1-on-1 and he can hit the 3. I'm not going to get all deep and whatnot, but you need 3 stars to win in this league now, and Artest would surely shine bright in Cleveland's rotation.

WOD...
5 Rounds of:
135# Clean & Jerk x 5
Pullups x 10

Liverpool...

2009-06-30T16:18:00.003-01:00

I don't know why I was thinking about Liverpool football today, but I was. Maybe it was Fernando Torres' scintillating move against the US defense that produced a shot and a great Tim Howard save. That must be it. Anyways, here are some cool, random tidbits on Liverpool FC (from bleacherreport.com).

Anfield was the original home of Everton FC in 1884, but after a rent dispute, Everton decided to move to Goodison Park in 1891.
John Houlding, the lease holder of Anfield, was left with a stadium and no team, so the board went to Scotland and signed 13 players to form the new Liverpool Football Club in 1892.
The club's original strip was blue and white quarters.
Liverpool's first ever game was against Rotherham Town. They won the match 7-1 with Malcom Macvean scoring their first ever goal. That game was also the first time an English domestic team had fielded a side consisting entirely of foreign players.
After being rejected by the Football Association, Liverpool played in the Lancashire League. Their first game was an 8-0 victory against Higher Walton with John Smith scoring Liverpool's first ever competitive goal.
They ended the season as champions, beating Everton 1-0 in the first ever Mersyside Derby.
The Merseyside derby has the highest amount of players sent off than any other Premier League fixture.
Liverpool were elected in to the Football Association in 1893.
Their first professional season saw the club become second division champions and going the whole campaign unbeaten, with Malcom Maclean once again scoring their first ever goal.
The strip changed from blue and white quarters to red and white.
In 1901, Alex Raisbeck was the first Liverpool captain to collect the Football League first division championship, under the management of Tom Watson.
Expansion of the South end of Anfield in 1906 created a larger stand called the Spion Kop, named after a Boer war battle of 1900 where over 300 men of the Lancashire regiment died, with many being from Liverpool.
1915 saw Liverpool involved in one of the sports earliest betting scandals, with four Liverpool players being banned.
Liverpool spent eight seasons in division two between 1954 and 1962.
In 1964 Liverpool changed their strip from red and white to the current all red that is seen today.
In February of 2006, Liverpool ended an 85 year run of losses against Manchester United in the cup by beating them 1-0 at Anfield. The first victory over United in the FA Cup since 1921.
In the 2007-08 season, Liverpool recorded the biggest ever Champions League margin with an 8-0 victory over Besiktas.
In April of 2008, Forbes magazine ranked Liverpool as the fourth most valuable club in the world.
Liverpool supporters singing ''You'll Never Walk Alone'' was featured in the Pink Floyd song, Fearless.
Robbie Fowler holds the club and Premier League record for the fastest hattrick standing at 4 minutes and 32 seconds.
Kenny Dalgleish was the first player-manager in English football in 1985.
Liverpool's Xabi Alonso holds the English record for the longest goal scored from open play standing at 64 metres.

WOD...
Run 5k
100 situps

Oddly enough...

2009-06-29T08:24:00.003-01:00

This is from the website '64 And Counting, the Cleveland Scene's sports blog. I found this to be quite interesting and kind of odd.

(photo courtesy of WFNY.com)

Posted by Vince Grzegorek:

So, in what was clearly the biggest news of this week, and will most likely go down as one of the most remembered stories of the entire year, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, passed away at the age of 50.

Obviously, in terms of the kind of worldwide awareness that drives virtual discussion, that's pretty freaking huge. No surprise, then, that Michael Jackson easily topped Goggle's trends for June 25, 2009. "Michael Jackson died" and "Michael Jackson dead 2009" took the top two spots.

Who/what was third?

That would be one Christian Eyenga, the unheralded, unheard of pick by the Cavs in the 2009 NBA draft.

And it wasn't just the ingorant internet masses trying to figure out who he was. Even Brian Windhorst was a little clueless when it came to background information on the Congo product. Check out his two tweets after the pick.

(Hat tip to Chris Littmann's twitter)

WOD...
For Time:
Row 1,000m
45# Barbell Thrusters x 50
Pullups x 30

RIP Michael Jackson...

2009-06-26T10:16:00.002-01:00

I went to see him in concert in 1983. The "Victory Tour". Vintage Mike. When people talk about the best concert they've ever been to, I always recall that one. Michael freaking Jackson.

For most people, one album like Thriller would cement their indelible legacy in world culture. For some reason, Michael Jackson was always measured by that great album - unfairly expected to top the effort. he was always, for the rest of his life, the guy that could never again scale that peak of genius and incredible popularity. For this, many would unfairly label him as a fading star. Maybe he was fading - but his light shone so bright, and his talent was so immense that, while fading from the mesmerizing glare that was Thriller, his evanescence was the only thing that let us view him without covering our eyes. His legacy will live, faded or not, forever.

I'm pretty sure i don't need to provide a Wikipedia link for anyone who is wondering who we are talking about.
some links:
Other artists' views
Other celebs
PaulMcCartney.com
Africa Cries for MJ

Showdown 2009

2009-06-25T12:06:00.007-01:00

Steve Nash - 'The Player' from meathawk on Vimeo.

WOD...
Run 1 mile
100 situps
100 pushups
Then...
Sprint 50m x 6

That's right - Showdown in Chinatown 2009. This year I was on the touchline and midfield. Some sick talent came to play.
Check out Chris Bosh, Javier Zanetti, Edgar Davids, Thierry Henry, Claudio Reyna, Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Ryan Babel, Adrian Mutu, Salomon Kalou, and others...

Run a little...

2009-06-19T14:40:00.002-01:00

WOD...
Run 1 mile
then...
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
45# KB Swings
Burpees

Run Fast...

2009-06-17T16:17:00.002-01:00

WOD...
Sprint 50m x 5
Rest 1:30 each

Sprint 1oom x 3
Rest 1:00 each

Run 400m
Rest 2:00

Run 800m

100 situps
50 pullups

Well...

2009-05-27T03:55:00.003-01:00

We aren't happy with the Cavaliers' overtime loss to the Magic. Painful.

All we want to do is check in and let you know that we will be vacationing in Costa Rica until June 5th.

(map courtesy of www.lonelyplanet.com)

On June 3rd we will be attending the United States vs. Costa Rica 2010 World Cup Qualifier in San Jose. It will be a huge match, as it pits the top 2 teams in CONCACAF against one another. Though 2 teams qualify, you never want to be on the bubble. I expect the U.S. to bring a very strong team, now that the league seasons are over. We will need big things from Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey.

See you next Saturday!

--danny

Game 4...

2009-05-26T12:00:00.003-01:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Orlando Magic tonight in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavs trail the series 2 games to 1 and will need their best effort of the year tonight if they want to bump off the Magic.

Cleveland's LeBron James is averaging almost 40 points during these playoffs, and if the Cavs stand a chance he will need to be big against the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, Dwight Howard. Howard has fouled out of 2 games in this series, a contentious point with the Magic players and coaching staff who think Orlando is getting the short end of the refereeing stick.

The game will also hinge on which team's bench contributes more on offense AND on defense. The Cavs bench has been thoroughly outplayed and, frankly, embarassed by the Magic reserves. With the exception of Joe Smith (19 points/10 rebounds in game 3), Wally Szczerbiak, Ben Wallace, Boobie GIbson, and the rest have been non-factors. For Orlando, Mickael Pietrus, and Marcin Gortat have played huge while Anthony Johnson and JJ Redick have contributed solid minutes.

With the series most definitely on the line, look for another tight game this evening in Orlando.

WOD...
5 Rounds of:
Run 400m
Burpees x 10
HSPU x 10

(Photos courtesy of Joshua Gunter/Cleveland Plain Dealer, and www.bleacherreport.com)

Photos...

2009-05-20T20:22:00.002-01:00

I love this picture:

HAHAHAHAHA- how hilarious!! Go to this website to see more!

WOD...
5 Rounds of:
20# Ball Slams x 7
Sprint 50m
55# KB Swings x 7
Sprint 50m
Rest 1:00, 1:00, 1:30, 1:30, 2:00 between sets

New Spot...

2009-05-18T10:51:00.003-01:00

The NYFI lost its lease last month when the business we rented space from went belly-up. It was kind of a tough thing to swallow - especially with the less than 5 minutes they gave me to wrap things up.
I walked in and they said "we're closing".
I said, "When?".
"Now"
"Now?"
"Now - today. you're done today."

Well, i have scrambled for 10 days and I have finally found a new home: 5-points fitness on Canal and Broadway (277 Canal St., 3rd floor, to be exact). So come visit us!!

WOD...
150# Clean x 10-8-6-4-2
Pushups x 15-12-9-6-3

WOD...

2009-05-15T13:50:00.002-01:00

WOD...
5 Rounds of:
85# DB farmer's walk x 50m
Burpees x 10
20# Ball Slams x 10

WOD...

2009-05-01T16:35:00.003-01:00

WOD...
5 Rounds of:
Row 150m
60% Bodyweight walking lunge x 10 steps
5 Max vertical leaps
Rest 1:30

WOD...

2009-05-01T16:35:00.001-01:00

Training...

2009-04-29T15:18:00.002-01:00

This article in the NY Times seems to finally get it right. It talks about the ability to make yourself athletically better by "training". That basically means "putting some gosh darn effort into a scientifically inspired program".

Each individual has a personal genetic potential. To reach that genetic potential one must work far beyond their current limits, teetering on the brink of injury, overtraining, and burnout. It's a very fine line and slippery slope, and that is the reason that so few people ever truly get there.

With the help of a trainer, and a well-planned and well-implemented program, you have a greater chance of reaching your potential.

WOD...
Clean
80kg x 3 x 5

Then, 8 Rounds of:
Run 200m
Rest 1:00

WOD...

2009-04-28T12:04:00.004-01:00

We spent the night in Atlantic City at the Borgata. We gambled and lost. We don't really remember the rest.

*Don't forget to watch Barcelona hosting Chelsea in the Champions League Semi-final today.
NYFI prediction:
Barcelona 1-2 Chelsea
goals by Messi, Lampard, and Kalou

WOD...
Snatch
60kg x 3 x 5

Then, 5 rounds of:
50# KB Swings x 10
Sprint 60m
Rest 1:45

WOD...

2009-04-24T10:52:00.001-01:00

WOD...
5 Rounds of:
Row 250m
Pushups x 15
50# DB Thrusters x 5

The Playoffs....

2009-04-21T14:44:00.005-01:00

It's the NBA playoffs. The Cavs have a shot - a real shot - to go all the way. they've got the talent, they've got the coaching, they've go the fans, and they've definitely got the chemistry.

I haven't seen talent and chemistry synergize so well since the days of the '85 Bears with Jim McMahon, Mike Singletary, and William "The Refrigerator" Perry yukking it up while dancing "The SuperBowl Shuffle".

These videos are hilarious and awesome - I was laughing out loud by myself. These clips are also something else: they completely epitomize what it means to be a "team". It is fun, empowering, satisfying, and tribal. Anyone who has never experienced being a part of a winning team can't possibly be expected to empathize. But that doesn't mean they can't understand what we are all seeing. This type of camaraderie is a rare occurrence that should be cherished. (Think 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team)

When an assembled group buys into a shared philosophy and can be motivated to use that philosophy through good times and bad, they can transcend the sum of their parts - and the coach becomes the mathematician. He yields to none yet all yield to him. His ideas are implemented and his authority is earned with effort, communication, and humility. He understands when to forge ahead and when to hold back. One so great as General George Washington once said "Men need to be led, not pushed." Mike Brown has been the leader of men this year.

By revealing this to the rest of us, to people far beyond the outside of their circle, we are treated to such a rare, and beautiful sight, and the entire point of the commentary: These are friends having fun with each other, bonding and supporting one another, learning and caring about who they all are - these are friends united, trustworthy allies, world conquerors; these are the future Champions of the National Basketball Association.

WOD...
Every minute, on the minute, perform:
30#DB Burpee/Clean/Thruster x 4

Rest with whatever time is leftover.

Ronaldinha?....

2009-04-07T14:33:00.004-01:00

WOW - check out this young lady!

WOD...
Snatch
75kg x 1 x 2
70kg x 1 x 3

C+J
100kg x 1
95kg x 1 x 2
90kg x 1 x 2

3 Rounds of:
Run 400m
55#KB Swings x 21
Pullups x 12

WOD...

2009-03-23T14:42:00.003-01:00

WOD...
Back Squat
Double-bodyweight x 1 x 3

3 Rounds of:
Clean and Jerk
Body weight x 5
Rest 1:00

This should be taxing. Unless you're this guy:

Lebron...

2009-03-19T12:16:00.002-01:00

here is a good video of "the king" that made my day.

WOD...
Press
135# x 3 x 5
7 rounds of:
50#KB Swings x 5
Sprint 50m
Rest 1:30

ACL Rehab...

2009-03-11T14:13:00.002-01:00

We talked yesterday about tearing your ACL. There is a rehab that goes with the surgery and it normally can be divided into 4 main phases. The 5th phase would be a return to sport. Here is a sample rehabilitation schedule:

Phase I - Begins immediately after surgery & extends through approximately 2 weeks.
Emphasis:
• Control of inflammation
• Range of motion - full extension, and 90 degrees of knee flexion
• Achievement of quadriceps control
• Education of patient about rehabilitation process
• Crutches - usually seven to 10 days until patient is comfortable
• Patellar Mobilization - to prevent patellar tendon shortening/contracture and loss of knee motion

Phase II - begins two weeks post-operatively and extends to six weeks.
Emphasis:
• Strengthening - light weights and sports cords
• Full range of motion
• Continued protection of the graft from stresses
• Improvement of endurance and proprioception - use of treadmill, step machine and elliptical trainer

Phase III - typically starts at six weeks and extends through three to four months.
Emphasis:
• Improve patient's confidence in the knee
• Progression in strength, power, and proprioception - preparing for return to sport
• Jogging typically allowed at three months
• Straight ahead running

Phase IV - begins at four to six months.
Emphasis:
• Possible return to sport, depending on type of sporting activity and type of graft
• Full pain free range of motion should be present
• Sufficient strength and proprioception should be present
• Typically, patient is advanced to initiate advanced lifting exercises
• Phase is typically customized to the patient's activity level and competition level in sport.

Phase V - begins with return to sport, usually at six months.
Emphasis:
• Patient must meet all the criteria for return to sports
• No soft tissue or range of motion complaints
• Physician must clear the patient to resume full activities
• The goal is safe return to sports
• Education of patient about possible limitations
• Maintenance of strength, endurance, and proprioception
• Functional bracing may be recommended by some physicians for the first one to two years after surgery for psychological confidence.

WOD...
Max Rounds for 10 minutes of:
Row 250m
135# Push Press x 7

ACL Reconstruction...

2009-03-10T13:27:00.005-01:00

Tearing your ACL - that stands for Anterior Cruciate Ligament - is no fun thing. However, due to medical advancements, it is no longer a career ending injury. Yes, it is still serious enough to have that effect, but most tears are able to be reconstructed in such a way that the athlete actually comes back stronger than before.

Check out this video of Dr. Spero Karas from my Alma Mater, Emory Universtiy, as he performs an ACL reconstruction. Cool stuff!

Reconstructive ACL Surgery at Emory Sports Medicine Center Atlanta - kewego

After this process is completed there will be a rigorous rehabilitation period for the injured athlete. Tomorrow we will have an example of a typical physical therapy schedule for a recovering ACL.

WOD...
Snatch
70kg x 1 x 3
60kg x 3 x 2
C+J
95kg x 1 x 3
80kg x 3 x 2

4 Rounds of:
Row 500m
Rest 3:00

Park Slope...

2009-03-07T14:57:00.003-01:00

This is a funny blog entry from a certain blog who's name i cant post here. Click on it and you'll see why. By the way, is that proper grammar above? "Who's" as opposed to "whose"?? somebody let me know.

WOD...
Front Squat
125kg x 3 x 5

3 Rounds of:
Row 500m
60kg Snatch x 5

WOD...

2009-03-06T11:12:00.001-01:00

WOD...
Back Squat
135kg x 5 x 5

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Reps of:
50# KB Swings
Burpees

Paul Harvey....

2009-03-02T03:48:00.009-01:00

One of my all-time favorite radio personalities died on February 28th. He was 90. I will just paste the NY Times article below about his passing. Definitely, one of the all-time greats. I guess, now we all know the rest of the story...

Paul Harvey, Talk-Radio Pioneer, Is Dead at 90

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: February 28, 2009

CHICAGO — Paul Harvey, the news commentator and talk-radio pioneer whose staccato style made him one of the nation’s most familiar voices, died Saturday in Arizona, according to ABC Radio Networks. He was 90.

Fred Jewell/Associated Press

Paul Harvey in 1992.

Mr. Harvey died surrounded by family at a hospital in Phoenix, where he had a winter home, said Louis Adams, a spokesman for ABC Radio Networks, where Mr. Harvey worked for more than 50 years. No cause of death was immediately available.

Mr. Harvey had been forced off the air for several months in 2001 because of a virus that weakened a vocal cord. But he returned to work in Chicago and was still active as he passed his 90th birthday. His death comes less than a year after that of his wife and longtime producer, Lynne.

“My father and mother created from thin air what one day became radio and television news,” their only child, Paul Harvey Jr., said in a statement. “So in the past year, an industry has lost its godparents, and today millions have lost a friend.”

Known for his resonant voice and his trademark radio feature called “The Rest of the Story,” Mr. Harvey had been heard nationally since 1951, when he began his “News and Comment” feature for ABC Radio Networks.

He became a heartland icon, delivering news and commentary with a distinctive Midwestern flavor. “Stand by for news!” he would tell listeners.

“Paul Harvey was one of the most gifted and beloved broadcasters in our nation’s history,” James M. Robinson, president of ABC Radio Networks, said in a statement. “We will miss our dear friend tremendously and are grateful for the many years we were so fortunate to have known him.”

In 2005, Mr. Harvey was one of 14 people chosen to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He also was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame, as was his wife.

He composed his twice-daily news commentaries from an office in downtown Chicago.

At the peak of his career, Mr. Harvey reached more than 24 million listeners on more than 1,200 radio stations and charged $30,000 to give a speech. His syndicated column was carried by 300 newspapers.

His fans identified with his plain-spoken political commentary, but critics called him out of touch. He was an early supporter of the late Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and was a longtime backer of the Vietnam War.

Perhaps Mr. Harvey’s most famous broadcast was in 1970, when he abandoned that support, announcing his opposition to President Richard M. Nixon’s expansion of the war and urging him to withdraw American forces.

“Mr. President, I love you, but you’re wrong,” Mr. Harvey said, shocking his listeners and drawing a barrage of letters and phone calls, including one from the White House.

In 1976, Mr. Harvey began broadcasting “The Rest of the Story,” his anecdotal descriptions of the lives of famous people. The segments started chronologically, with the person’s identity revealed at the end. The stories were an attempt to capture “the heartbeats behind the headlines.”

Mr. Harvey also blended news with advertising, a line he said he crossed only for products he trusted.

In 2000, at age 82, he signed a 10-year contract with ABC Radio Networks.

Paul Harvey Aurandt was born in Tulsa, Okla. His father, a police officer, was killed when he was a toddler. A high school teacher took note of his distinctive voice and started him on a broadcast career.

While working at KXOK radio in St. Louis, he met Lynne Cooper, a graduate student at Washington University. He proposed on their first date (she said no) and always called her “Angel.” They were married in 1940.

March Newlsetter...

2009-02-23T16:05:00.007-01:00

The NYFI March Newsletter is here! Go to www.thenyfi.com to sign up for the monthly newsletter.

WOD...
Snatch 75kg x 1
70kg x 1 x 3
65kg x 2 x 3

Clean + Jerk
95kg x 1 x 1
90kg x 1 x 3
80kg x 3 x 3

Back Squat
140kg x 3 x 3

state of grace...

2009-02-20T14:10:00.002-01:00

South Dakota was the 40^th state in the USA; it became a state on November 2, 1889.
Origin of the Name South Dakota - Dakota was what the Sioux Indians called themselves.
State Nickname - Mount Rushmore State

Tennessee was the 16^th state in the USA; it became a state on June 1, 1796.

Origin of the Name Tennessee - The name Tennessee came from a Cherokee village in the region that is called "Tanasie."
State Nickname - The Volunteer State

Texas was the 28^th state in the USA; it was admitted on December 29, 1845.

Origin of the Name Texas - The Caddo Indians of eastern Texas called their group of tribes the "Tejas," meaning "those who are friends".
State Nickname - The Lone Star State

Utah was the 45^th state in the USA; it became a state on January 4, 1896.

Origin of the Name Utah - The name Utah is from the Ute Indians.
State Nickname - Beehive State

Vermont was the 14^th state in the USA; it became a state on March 4, 1791 .

Origin of the Name Vermont - The name Vermont comes from the French words for green mountain, "mont vert."
State Nickname - Green Mountain State

Virginia was the 10^th state in the USA; it became a state on June 25, 1788.

Origin of the Name Virginia - Virginia was named for Queen Elizabeth I of England (she was known as the Virgin Queen). Sir Walter Raleigh may have suggested this name around 1584.
State Nickname - Old Dominion

Washington was the 42^nd state in the USA; it became a state on November 11, 1889.

Origin of the Name Washington - This state is named for George Washington, the first president of the USA.
State Nickname - The Evergreen State

West Virginia was the 35^th state in the USA; it became a state on June 20, 1863.
Origin of the Name West Virginia - West Virginia was named for Queen Elizabeth I of England (she was known as the Virgin Queen). Sir Walter Raleigh may have suggested this name around 1584.
State Nickname - Mountain State

Wisconsin was the 30^th state in the USA; it became a state on May 29,1848.

Origin of the Name Wisconsin - Wisconsin is from an Indian word, but the origin is uncertain. It is perhaps an Algonquian Indian word that means "long river," a Chippewa/Ojibwa/Anishinabe word, "Ouisconsin," that means "grassy place," or "gathering of the waters."
State Nickname - Badger State

Wyoming was the 44^th state in the USA; it became a state on July 10, 1890 .
Origin of the Name Wyoming - The name Wyoming may be derived from the Delaware Indian word "Maughwauwama," which means "large plains."
State Nickname - Equality State

WOD...
Front Squat
260# x 2
245# x 2 x 2
230# x 3 x 3

Row 2k

Stating my case...

2009-02-20T00:14:00.002-01:00

New Mexico was the 47^th state in the USA; it became a state on January 6, 1912 .

Origin of the Name New Mexico - Named by the Spanish, in reference to Mexico
State Nickname - Land of Enchantment

New York was the 11^th state in the USA; it became a state on July 26, 1788.

Origin of the Name New York - The English took over of the area that had been called "New Netherland" in 1664, and renamed it New York to honor the Duke of York (York is a city in England).
State Nickname - The Empire State

North Carolina was the 12^th state in the USA; it became a state on November 21, 1789.
Origin of the Name North Carolina - North Carolina was named to honor King Charles I (Carolus is Latin for Charles).

State Nickname - Tar Heel State

North Dakota was the 39^th state in the USA; it became a state on November 2, 1889.
Origin of the Name North Dakota - Dakota was what the Sioux Indians called themselves.
State Nickname - Peace Garden State, Flickertail State, Roughrider State

Ohio was the 17^th state in the USA; it became a state on March 1, 1803.

Origin of the Name Ohio - Ohio derives from the Iroquois Indian word meaning "good river" or "large river."
State Nickname - Buckeye State

Oklahoma was the 46^th state in the USA; it became a state on November 16, 1907.

Origin of the Name Oklahoma - The name Oklahoma is from the Choctaw Indian words "okla" meaning people and "humma" meaning red.
State Nickname - Sooner State

Oregon was the 33^rd state in the USA; it became a state on February 14, 1859.

Origin of the Name Oregon - The origin is unknown. It may have come from the French word Ouragan (which means Hurricane) and was a former name of the Columbia River.
State Nickname - Beaver State

Pennsylvania was the 2^nd state in the USA; it became a state on December 12, 1787.

Origin of the Name Pennsylvania - This state was named to honor Admiral William Penn and his son, William Penn, Pennsylvania's founder.
State Nickname - Keystone State

Rhode Island was the 13^th state in the USA; it became a state on May 29, 1790 .

Origin of the Name Rhode Island - Rhode Island was either named for the Isle of Rhodes (in the Mediterranean Sea) or for its red clay (the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block may have named it "Rood Eylandt" meaning Red Island, in Dutch).
State Nickname - The Ocean State, Little Rhody

South Carolina was the 8^th state in the USA; it became a state on May 23, 1788.

Origin of the Name South Carolina - South Carolina was named to honor King Charles I (Carolus is Latin for Charles).
State Nickname - Palmetto State

WOD...
Clean + Jerk
80kg x 3 x 3
75kg x 3 x 2
60kg x 3

Run 5k

state of affairs...

2009-02-18T14:11:00.002-01:00

More state nuggets:

Massachusetts was the 6^th state in the USA; it became a state on February 6, 1788
Origin of the Name Massachusetts - Massachusetts was named for an Algonquian Indian word that means "a big hill place."
State Nickname - Bay State

Michigan was the 26^th state in the USA; it became a state on January 26, 1837.

Origin of the Name Michigan - Michigan is from an Algonquian Chippewa Indian word "meicigama" that means "big sea wate" (referring to the Great Lakes).

State Nickname - Wolverine State

Minnesota was the 32^nd state in the USA; it became a state on May 11, 1858.

Origin of the Name Minnesota - Minnesota is from a Dakota Sioux Indian word that means "cloudy water" or "sky water" and refers to local rivers.
State Nickname - Gopher State. North Star State

Mississippi was the 20^th state in the USA; it became a state on December 10, 1817 .

Origin of the Name Mississippi - Mississippi is perhaps from the Ojibwa (Chippewa) Indian words "mici zibi," which means "great river" or "gathering of waters"
State Nickname - Magnolia State

Missouri was the 24^th state in the USA; it became a state on August 10, 1821.

Origin of the Name Missouri - Missouri was named for an Algonquian Indian word that means "river of the big canoes."

State Nickname - The Show Me State

Montana was the 41^st state in the USA; it became a state on November 8,1889.
Origin of the Name Montana - The name Montana is the from the Spanish word from mountainous.
State Nickname - Big Sky Country, Treasure State

Nebraska was the 37^th state in the USA; it became a state on March 1, 1867.
Origin of the Name Nebraska - The name Nebraska is from an Oto Indian word that means "flat water" (referring to the Platte River, which means "flat river" in French)
State Nickname - Cornhusker State, The Tree Planters' State

Nevada was the 36^th state in the USA; it became a state on October 31, 1864 .
Origin of the Name Nevada - Nevada is from the Spanish word meaning "snowcapped."
State Nickname - Silver State, Sagebrush State

New Hampshire was the 9^th state in the USA; it became a state on June 21, 1788.

Origin of the Name New Hampshire - New Hampshire was named for Hampshire, England, by Captain John Mason.
State Nickname - Granite State

New Jersey was the 3^rd state in the USA; it became a state on December 18, 1787.
Origin of the Name New Jersey - New Jersey was named by James, Duke of York (the brother of King Charles II of England), who was given New Jersey by his brother. James later gave New Jersey to Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret. James named the colony New Jersey to honor Carteret, who had been the Governor of Jersey, a British island in the English Channel.
State Nickname - Garden State

WOD...
62.5kg Snatch x 3 x 3
57.5kg Snatch x 3 x 2
52.5kg Snatch x 3

75kg C+J x 3 x 3
70kg C+J x 3 x 2
65kg C+J x 3

Back Squat
130kg x 2 x 3

More state info...

2009-02-17T17:54:00.003-01:00

Hawaii was the 50^th state in the USA; it became a state on August 21, 1959. It consists of a long chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Origin of the Name Hawaii - Hawaii may been named for the traditional home of the Polynesians, Hawaii or Hawaiki, called "Owhyhee".
State Nickname - Aloha State

Idaho was the 43^rd state in the USA; it became a state on July 3, 1890
Origin of the Name Idaho - Unknown

State Nickname - Gem State

Idaho was the 43^rd state in the USA; it became a state on July 3, 1890

Origin of the Name Idaho - Unknown
State Nickname - Gem State

Illinois was the 21^st state in the USA; it became a state on December 3, 1818.

Origin of the Name Illinois - Illinois comes from the word Illini, a confederation of the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Moingwena, Peoria and Tamaroa Indian tribes.
State Nickname - Prairie State

Indiana was the 19^th state in the USA; it became a state on December 11, 1816.

Origin of the Name Indiana - Indiana is a word that refers to the local Indians.
State Nickname - Hoosier State

Iowa was the 29^th state in the USA; it became a state on December 28, 1846 .

Origin of the Name Iowa - The name Iowa comes from Ioway, the French word for the Bah-kho-je Indian tribe that lived in the area.

State Nickname - Hawkeye State

Kansas was the 34^th state in the USA; it became a state on January 29, 1861.

Origin of the Name Kansas - Kansas was named for Konza (also called Kansa or Kaw) Indians who lived in the area.
State Nickname - Sunflower State

Kentucky was the 15^th state in the USA; it became a state on June 1, 1792.

Origin of the Name Kentucky - Kentucky is from the Iroquois Indian word "Ken-tah-ten," which means "land of tomorrow."
State Nickname - Bluegrass State

Louisiana was the 18^th state in the USA; it became a state on April 30, 1812.

Origin of the Name Louisiana - Louisiana was named by the French explorer Sieur de La Salle in 1682 to honor King Louis XIV (14) of France.
State Nickname - Sportsman's Paradise (previously - Pelican State)

Maine was the 23^rd state in the USA; it became a state on March 15, 1820 .

Origin of the Name Maine - Maine refers to the mainland
State Nickname - Pine Tree State

Maryland was the 7^th state in the USA; it became a state on April 28,1788.

Origin of the Name Maryland - Maryland was named to honor the Queen consort Henrietta Maria (1609-1669), the wife of Britain's King Charles I
State Nickname - Old Line State

WOD...
5 Rounds of:
Row 150m
50# Thrusters x 5
Pushups x 10
Rest :45

State of mind...

2009-02-16T13:33:00.003-01:00

so for the next week we will concentrate on some US History. Each day i will be bringing you small facts about our 50 states. It is your job to memorize these facts - there will be a test at the end of the semester!!

Origin of the Name Alabama - Alabama means "tribal town" in the language of the local Creek Indians
State Nickname - Heart of Dixie, "Yellowhammer State"

Alaska was the 49^th state in the USA; it became a state on January 3, 1959.

Origin of the Name Alaska - The word Alaska is from the Aleut Indian word "alaxsxaq" or "agunalaksh" that mean the mainland or shore.
State Nickname - The Last Frontier

Arizona was the 48^th state in the USA; it became a state on February 14, 1912.
Origin of the Name Arizona - The word Arizona comes from one of the following (its origin is not certain): the Aztec Indian word "arizuma," that means "silver-bearing," from the Tohono O'odham Indian word "Aleh-zone" which means "small spring," or the Pima Indian word "Ali shonak" which also means "small spring."
State Nickname - Grand Canyon State

Arkansas was the 25^th state in the USA; it became a state on June 15, 1836.
Origin of the Name Arkansas - Arkansas is from the Quapaw (Sioux) word "acansa," which means "downstream place" or "south wind."
State Nickname - The Natural State

California was the 31^st state in the USA; it was admitted on September 9, 1850.
Origin of the Name California - The name California comes from a mythical Spanish island ruled by a queen called Califia that was featured in a Spanish romance ("Las Sergas de Esplandian") written by Garcia Ordonez de Montalvo in 1510. The Spanish explorers originally thought that California was an island.
State Nickname - The Golden State

Colorado was the 38^th state in the USA; it became a state on August 1, 1876 .
Origin of the Name Colorado - The word Colorado is Spanish for the "color red," and refers to the muddy Colorado River
State Nickname - Centennial State, Colorful Colorado

Connecticut was the 5^th state in the USA; it became a state on January 9, 1788

Origin of the Name Connecticut - The name Connecticut is from a Mohican/Algonquin Indian word "quonehtacut", which means "long tidal river."
State Nickname - Constitution State

Delaware was the 1^st state in the USA; it became a state on December 7, 1787 .

Origin of the Name Delaware - Delaware was named to honor the early Virginia governor, Lord De La Warr.
State Nickname - First State (this is because on Dec. 7, 1787, Delaware was the first of the 12 US states to ratify the new US Constitution), Diamond State, Blue Hen State, Small Wonder

Florida was the 27^th state in the USA; it was admitted on March 3, 1845.

Origin of the Name Florida - Florida was first seen by the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon on Palm Sunday on April 2, 1513 - he then named the "Pascua de Florida," meaning "Feast of Flowers" and claimed it for Spain
State Nickname - The Sunshine State

Georgia was the 4^th state in the USA; it became a state on January 2, 1788.
Origin of the Name Georgia - Georgia was named to honor King George II of England.
State Nickname - Empire State of the South, Peach State

WOD...

2009-02-13T19:26:00.002-01:00

WOD...
Max efforts for:
Snatch
Clean + Jerk
Back Squat

2009-02-12T13:46:00.003-01:00

You know you're in trouble when this place opens up in your neighborhood. Man, I'm gonna pack on some pounds!!

WOD...
5 Rounds of:
100kg Front Squat x 5
50# KB Swings x 10
Max vertical jump x 5
Rest 1:30

ok...

2009-02-11T16:42:00.002-01:00

let's not even talk about the a-rod thing.

WOD...
5 Rounds of:
180# Bench press x max reps
55# KB Swings x 21

Innocence...

2009-02-09T14:57:00.004-01:00

In this country, i still agree with the "innocent until proven guilty" rule. Now, it makes sense to believe that Alex Rodriguez used steroids - after all, which major league all-star wasn't using them in the late 90's and early 2000's? But for a writer to single out the multiple AL MVP winner and not mention any of the other 103 purported steroid users sounds more like a witch hunt than actual journalism. It sounds to me like a reporter wanted to change his self-import into worldwide acclaim.

Too often in this country we are not innocent until proven guilty - instead we are guilty until proven less guilty. Do i think A-Rod used Roids? I don't know, but if i had to bet on it I would say yes. But that doesn't mean i am willing to throw out any testimony he may have to prove the contrary. In fact, the reports that just surfaced about him using steroids don't have any viable evidence to show. This report is based solely on an "unnamed source" who has ties to the 2003 tests by Major League Baseball. This "source" does not have the actual tests but only heard that A-Rod's name was implicated in the positive testing samples.

So before we go hanging asterisks on all of his records and accomplishments, let's find the smoking gun in all of this: the test results. Until you have the proof, don't point your finger.

WOD...
5 Rounds of:
Run 200m
185# Deadlift x 5
Run 200m
20# Ball slams x 10
Rest 2:00

Big Snatch...

2009-02-05T17:01:00.003-01:00

Take a look at this 200kg snatch! Even though he is using straps and is probably on some sort of horse growth hormone, this is an awesome display of strength and power.

WOD...
5 Rounds of:
Power Snatch 135#, then Overhead Squat x 15
then:
Row 500m

Arshavin to Arsenal!

2009-02-03T18:12:00.003-01:00

Picture and Text from www.premierleague.com

Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Russian international midfielder Andrey Arshavin from Zenit St. Petersburg.

Arshavin, 27, who played a key part in Zenit's UEFA Cup winning campaign last season, on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.

He was also a member of the Russian Euro 2008 squad in which he scored two goals from his three appearances, earning him a place in the 'Team of the Tournament'.

Arshavin won the Russian Premier League with Zenit in 2007, making a total of 232 appearances for his previous club, scoring 51 goals.

During his time with Zenit, he was also part of the winning team that picked up the Russian Super Cup in 2008, the Russian Premier League Cup in 2003 and featured in the UEFA Super Cup victory over Manchester United in Monaco last August.

With 41 international caps for Russia, Arshavin has scored a total of 15 goals for his country. His versatility has allowed him to play in a variety of positions.

The 2006 Russian Footballer of the Year started his career as a right midfielder, but has since played as an attacking midfielder and more recently has filled the 'second striker's' role.

The paperwork was submitted on Monday to the Premier League who have now ratified the transfer. He is set to wear the number 23 shirt and, fitness permitting, could make his debut in Sunday's north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

However the Russian close season means he has not played for several weeks and he may need time to build up match fitness.

Arshavin was paraded to excited fans waiting for news outside the Emirates Stadium.

He said: "I am surprised to see so many supporters and I want to say thank you so much.

"It was a hard few days but I am a Gooner now and I will do my best for the club."

WOD...
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
120kg Deadlift
80kg Bench Press
60kg Clean

Arshavin to Arsenal?

2009-02-02T17:09:00.003-01:00

From Yahoo.com:
Andrei Arshavin's transfer to Arsenal is in doubt over the payment of a part of his signing-on fee to Zenit St Petersburg. Arshavin's club Zenit want the Russia star to cough up a chunk of the cash - endangering the deal after the passing of the transfer window. The player and club have been unable to agree the repayment of a signing-on fee. Hearts in mouths for Arsenal fans.

And this from espn.com:
Andrei Arshavin's protracted move to Arsenal from Zenit St Petersburg could be dead in the water after last-ditch talks in London stalled on Monday morning, re-opened in the afternoon and then collapsed in early evening.

However, while Zenit spokesman Alexei Petrov told Reuters: "I can confirm that the deal is definitely off," there could yet be a further twist in the story
The 27-year-old Russia playmaker, who caught the eye in last summer's European Championships, travelled to the UK on Sunday and was in place to undergo the formalities of the transfer, provided the two clubs could an reach agreement over a fee.

On Monday morning key figures in the deal revealed that Arshavin had left for London City Airport and the move was off, only for a late move from Arsenal seemed to resurrect the transfer.

It is understood that the two clubs were at loggerheads over Zenit's £15m asking price; the two parties then agreed terms only for an 11-th hour hitch to scupper the deal.

With London City Airport still closed because of the snow which has gripped the UK and blighted Monday's transfer dealings, Arshavin remains in the UK and a deal could yet be thrashed out.

Although the transfer window officially closed at 5pm UK time the Premier League are allowing special dispensation because of the weather which could allow clubs to complete deals, as such the Arshavin saga could yet have some way to run.

WOD...
3 Rounds of:
60kg Snatch x 5
Rown 500m