Help! I'm Going to Daytona!

Panic!

So, you thought that you were going to visit your folks or otherwise do something fat-friendly for March Break?  But, now your friends have convinced you to join them in the sunny, sandy south.  The problem is...you've been swilling beer and lattes all winter and have been slowly moving up in pant sizes. 

What to Do

Starting right now: eliminate salt and sugar.  Scrutinize the nutrition labels on all your food.  Start and keep a food diary.  Cut out all booze.  Cut out all bread and anything like bread (pizza dough, bagels etc).  Cut out all soft drinks.  Be careful with pasta.  I'm not talking about normal healthy nutrition here.  I'm talking about emergency fat loss diet time.

Jack Some Iron

Intense weight training will burn blubber.  Not only do heavy lifts demand a lot of caloric energy but they develop muscle tissue which burns even more calories.  Deadlifts, like the lady in the picture is doing are excellent.  Split your routine so that you are blasting iron 6 days/week.  Think of the beach.  Promise yourself that you will stay in better shape next year.

Pay Your Cardio Dues.

You need to do cardio twice a day to blitz your body over the next 3 weeks.  Do a 20 minute cardio session first thing in the morning before you eat.  Do another 30 minute session later in the day, after your weight training workout.  Do whatever it takes to get your heart pumping. 

If you're not sweating and breathing hard and gulping water; you're not pushing yourself hard enough.  This is workout cram time.

Keep Track

You're on a mission.  You need to stay focused.  Put up a calendar with a count-down on it.  Write out your workouts and write down your weight.  Drive yourself.  Be obsessed.

Keep Motivated

Find a picture of what you want to look like and tack it up on your fridge.  That way, before you pull the handle to gobble some cheddar, you'll be struck with a pang of guilt.  Hopefully, it works.

 



Find a Workout Partner

Link-up with someone who will push you and hold you accountable.  Pick someone who has the same work ethic that you do (or even better).  Push each other.  Compete with each other.

Good Luck

You have about three weeks until showtime.  Make them count.

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Training for EOD Work

 
When you're wearing 100 lbs worth of bomb suit, everything is difficult.  Lives depend on you doing a thorough and complete search.  You need to be in great shape and physically strong to concentrate on this task while suited-up.

Core Strength

Back Extensions on a Roman Chair are great for developing powerful spinal erectors.  These are the lower back muscles which hold you and that heavy suit up while fingering the ground for evidence of a bomb.

Leg Strength

Good old fashioned barbell squats are the go-to exercise for leg power.  Rising up in that suit as you sweep for trip-wires dozens of times as you advance on a device is exhausting.  If your legs give out and you stumble...bad news.  Heavy barbell squats are the way to build strength in the glutes, hamstrings and quads.  Load up the bar with enough iron that will allow you to do 4 sets of 8.  Keep your back straight and your heels glued to the floor.

 

 

Shoulder Strength

You need strong shoulders to work for extended periods of time in that hot, heavy suit.  Lateral Dumbbell Raises are one way to build good shoulder strength.  Grab a couple of moderate-sized dumbbells and go for 4 sets of 15.  This develops endurance in the shoulders.  Keep a slight bend in the elbows.  Raise the dumbbells to ear-height.

 

He's Training Too

Inspired by my friend and client John, who answers the call when you find something nasty during your 5s and 20s.

 

Tom

 

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Training for Box Lacrosse

Box Lacrosse is the redneck, uncouth cousin of field lacrosse.  Shockingly rough and fast, box lacrosse demands complete fitness from its participants.

Box Lacrosse Players Must Have Great Cardio.

Sprinting up and down the box is demanding on heart and lungs.  A great exercise to add variety to your training is called Mountain Climber.

Mountain Climber is simple and brutal.  Assume the high plank (push-up) position.  Then, drive one knee toward your chest.  Return that foot to its original position as you drive the other knee upward.  You're doing it right you'll feel like a cartoon character spinning his wheels.  Count each time a knee comes up.  Do 30.  Rest for 15 seconds and repeat...a few times.

Box Lacrosse Players Must Have Strong Upper Bodies.

There's a lot of pushing and shoving in box lacrosse.  You need strong chest and arm muscles.  Specifically, pectorals and triceps.  Here's a sweet exercise to develop explosive lacrosse power, the Plyo Push-up:

Plyo Push-up starts out like any other push-up, then it gets wierd.  Instead of just pushing up nice and easy, you shove yourself upward hard enough to launch yourself clear of the floor (except your toes).  Clap your hands once and then catch yourself as you land.  Repeat as many times as you can.

Box Lacrosse Players Must Have Powerful Core Muscles.

There's a lot of twisting and turning in box lacrosse.  When you launch the ball, you gotta get your whole body into it.  This demands strong core muscles.  One of the best core building exercise is the Barbell Pivot:

Grab a barbell.  Plant one end in the hole of a 45 lb plate laying flat on the floor (don't jam the bar into the corner of the gym).  Start with feet wide apart, arms straight.  Hold the end of the bar in front of your face.  Now, twist back and forth from one side to the other.  It looks easy.  Hah!  Try it.  Very, very tough on the whole core, especially obliques.  Do 20.

Good luck this season.  Go Wolfpack!

 



Tom

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