Charlie Martin, Late-Blooming Athlete: Week 1
Charlie has already done a fairly exceptional job of getting a handle on his life over the past 13 weeks; his documenting it on PJ Lifestyle has been a bit of a traffic hit as well. I wanted to pitch in: first, because I get all torn up from an underdog-coming-through story. (Seriously – I cried during City Slickers when the sporting goods salesman saved the calf from the whitewater rapids. “Stop! You’re a sporting goods salesman!” said Billy Crystal, desperate to keep his friend from danger.
But: “Not today!”, he answered. He dove in.
Not today, bro. Today, Charlie Martin saves baby animals from the rapids.)
Ahem. Second: I’ve kept on top of the developments over the past decade of exercise science, the most notable being that the majority of activities people are accustomed to doing at a gym are neither efficient means of getting fitter nor particularly safe. A typical trainer at a typical gym is now a terrible investment, both for your fitness level and because elite-level training information is freely available online. There is no substitute for an actual qualified trainer at a quality gym, both in instruction and motivation, yet you can do great things for yourself on your own, with a computer. Charlie’s PJ Lifestyle entries strike me as a good opportunity to demonstrate this; he’s agreed to be somewhat of a lab rat. (In terms of expertise, I am certainly not an expert trainer, yet I’ve been certified as a trainer, by Crossfit — the movement behind all of the past decade’s progress — and have been following the regimen for a few years. Crossfit has since added a written test to their certification process; I haven’t taken it yet. I’m just an enthusiast, and I believe a good person for demonstrating just how much great information is available.)
I have a few initial comments and suggestions regarding Charlie’s Week 13 entry. He writes regarding how he plans to document his exercising:
I still haven’t figured out a measure I’m very happy with for exercise. … The best I can think of right now is to measure two things: how compliant I am being, and the amount of work done, in thermodynamic kilocalories, which happen to be the thing we are used to measuring diet in anyway. For the weights part of the plan, I’m going to compute this as product of weight lifted times repetitions, which will give me kilocalories directly, as well as amusing conversions to horsepower, kilotonnes yield, and other perfectly silly conversions.
Far from being perfectly silly, Charlie is on the right track. Power output is absolutely the way to think about designing his workout program, and to measure his progress. Force x Distance / Time. In a nutshell, and I will get more detailed in later posts, Charlie just hit on most of what fitness actually means: work capacity at the various activities life might confront a person with.
Charlie also writes:
I don’t do boring well. I’ve got a million interests, I’m always many books and projects behind, and I can’t imagine spending seven to ten hours a week exercising.
Good. He doesn’t have to, and not just because he doesn’t want to be in elite shape. Charlie could get himself from where he is to elite shape in five or six hours a week, and that includes warming up, practicing, cooling off, etc. Actual time spent exercising per week need only be about two hours — at most.
More Charlie:
I’ve also been looking at various exercise plans, and I’ve learned at least one thing about them — there are even more determined, dogmatic, and argumentative people talking about fitness than there are talking about diet.
Still, there is some good new science, and the CrossFit folks have in general got what looks to me like a very good philosophy of fitness with decent science backing them. So as I’ve mentioned before, I’m at least using the advice of a CrossFit trainer, our own David Steinberg, to set this up. But I’m not using an official CrossFit routine, at least not to start.
Again, he’s right, and this is why Charlie is a good person to demonstrate this with: he’s a logic and science guy. He understands the difference between noise and truth; that all that matters is the numbers. It’s because of this that I expect him rapidly to get sold on Crossfit.
Here’s Charlie’s initial idea for an exercise plan:
A Sun Salutation yoga routine every morning.
One aerobic session using a Tabata protocol every day except Sunday. I’m going to mix this up among kettlebell exercises, martial arts exercises, and exercise bike.
Lift weights twice a week using the same slow-repetition routine I started in the first season. Basically the reasoning was good, my compliance was dreadful.
Either a yoga lesson or a Pilates lesson every week.
It sounds like Charlie kinda likes yoga and Pilates and martial arts, and that’s great — I just want him to look at these activities as sports, part of an active enjoyable lifestyle that he has never experienced before, and not as workouts.
These activities are not efficient ways of achieving fitness. Moving is better than not moving. But yoga and Pilates classes tend to run 60 to 90 minutes. Recall our “power output” measure of the efficiency of a workout — I’m sure you can all think of ways to create more power output than a yoga class in much, much less time, or ways to exercise that full 60 to 90 minutes with greater power output. Additionally, you can see progress in flexibility, balance, coordination, and a few other well-defined measures in much less time. Also, not everything those activities ask you to do is safe, injury-wise. (I will explain how to define “safe” in future posts.)
As for lifting, and what exercises you should be doing, and how fast: the logic and science answer derives straight from your genes.
Why do human legs look like that? Why does your foot look like that?
Short answer: we are all designed to raise and lower our center of gravity, to push things, and to pick things up off the ground. And walk, and run. Everything else is commentary.
In terms of lifting: I just described the squat, the press, and the deadlift.
For this week:
1. Do you have any old injuries, pains, etc.? Can you describe them?
2. Look up on Crossfit’s site for instructional information on the air squat, the press, and the deadlift, and then try to film yourself from the side doing a few reps of each of these. Use a broomstick or PVC pipe for the press and deadlift.
Warm up beforehand. The idea here is for you to familiarize yourself with the foundational movements of the human body, and to see your current range of motion on these.
Oh cool. And to think I started this thinking I was just making sure I couldn’t give up.
My plans for the lifting routine are very much as you suggest; I’d been using Nautilus leg machines simply because they were easy to find and didn’t require a spot. I think I’ve got a lifting partner now, so the problem of a spot will be significantly simplified.
On this point:
These activities are not efficient ways of achieving fitness. Moving is better than not moving. But yoga and Pilates classes tend to run 60 to 90 minutes. Recall our “power output” measure of the efficiency of a workout — I’m sure you can all think of ways to create more power output than a yoga class in much, much less time, or ways to exercise that full 60 to 90 minutes with greater power output.
Dude, have you ever been in the back row of a yoga class in Boulder? A bunch of athletic college girls in yoga pants and shorts? Or a Pilates class full of dance majors who are now looking for something they can do for a living?
This isn’t a workout or a sport: it’s a social event. And a fat old guy taking it seriously is surprisingly popular, even if I do think they’re resisting calling me “Gramps”.
Seriously, I like the classes and I like what they do for me; Pilates helped me recover from a back injury years ago and I’ve actually kept it up somewhat.
Charlie, on my way from 320 to 180, I started riding my bike again. I then starting setting higher goals to encourage me to keep the weight I had lost off. Last year, as a 54-55 year old, I rode over 5500 miles, mostly after work and on weekends. I participated in 5 or 6 “events” and over 20 races. You don’t have to go that crazy, but bike riding isn’t hard on the joints, and it isn’t boring. There is always new scenery coming up. You must stay mentally engaged in directing your machine. It can be aerobic or non-aerobic, just depending how hard you want to push that day.
You have made good progress. Keep with it.
Charlie,
Like Loren said in a previous post, real cycling is the way to go. It becomes a lifestyle, if you let it, and not just a ‘plan’. The freedom you feel when you ride, the adventure, and the ease of parking anywhere you go. The bike shop, events, street side bike talk, and rides are a subculture filled with nice, well educated people who you will find incredibly supportive of anything you want to do on the road or trail. Once you get into cycling, it is not something you have to make yourself do, but something you have to do because it is so damn fun, and makes you feel so much better!
LOL.
Check out YRG.
http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Regular-Guys-Workout-Planet/dp/1594740798
Dude, have you ever been to a CrossFit gym?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zvqNHDTf8Y
Looking forward to it as I do to Charlies updates.
Thanks David! I never thought look up Cross Fit online. Now I have a video showing the correct way to do kettlebells… and I wondered why it hurt my back so badly lol. Looking forward to this!
I plan to read Charlie’s entries on this, but haven’t yet, so I may be reiterating something covered there already, but a few comments…
Much of this is already sounding like it has a good deal of commonality with Tim Ferriss’ “Four-Hour Body”, a resource that took me from feeling like I was going to pass out at one point during Hurricane Irene (due to lack of fitness, humidity, stress) to feeling MUCH stronger and more ‘fit’ to do the things I don’t often do. So ‘plus-One’ for Ferris’ book, which has a LOT of interesting information that doesn’t necessarily need to be pursued to be appreciated. Kettlebells figure prominently in the equation.
Also, I think a good companion to this information – and forgive me if it’s already been covered – would be some first-hand accounts of various workstation arrangements. Glen covers new entries to this category from time to time.
I recently bit the bullet and ordered a Workrite Sierra HX Electric Equal Corner desk, which is basically a workstation that adjusts in seconds from a low level of 22” to a high of 48”, and will lift up to 300lbs. I got the 60×60 (L-shaped) three-leg model. I think it would be a perfect companion for something like LifeSpan’s TR800-DT3 Standing Desk Treadmill, which would provide options for standing, walking and sitting using an exercise ball. But even WITHOUT a treadmill, being able to stand while working during a good part of the day is already helping to clear up some low back pain that’s been getting steadily worse these past 6-8 months.
For those interested in this particular model desk – it is HEAVY (over 200lbs., shipped in 6-7 cartons), and extremely well-made. Assembly was straightforward and took approx. 4-5 hours, total. If you order one, BE SURE to also order the casters. Can’t stress that enough as, once it’s built, moving the thing will require two or three people if you go with just the stock levelers.
I definitely read Four Hour Body and that’s what got me started on kettlebells. But Ferris really needs someone to titrate his OCD meds — he devotes a helluva lot more time to thinking about than I do.
for the data driven, analytic types…
which charlie clearly is:
bench press chart.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/bench-press-max-chart.html
the chart allows a rather accurate predictor of max bench press, without having to actually perform your max bench.
I don’t really consider the bench to be the ultimate exercise…
the press(standing and full rom) is far better, while deadlifts and squats, performed correctly are essential. (imho, one should not even do one attempt at squats until their deadlift is done without damage, and output is, at minimum, the lifters body weight. patience, but also a very worthy goal. I would also put pull ups ahead of bench, but accept others who would choose otherwise.)
having given the disclaimer about the bench’s importance, the use of the max bench chart is fantastic.
it is far more concrete than determining watts, ergs, newtons…
there are other charts, for different exercises, and I would add a modest link to fitness standards based on weight, which also provides goals:
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.html
I would love to see charlie move to an emphasis on power, as opposed to weight loss. the only means for achieving this end are to have him reach the point where his power shows some decline from weight loss/dieting. while he possesses the mind to burrow deeper into output, finding his existing max potential and increasing it are easier done by keeping it simple…without damaging oneself in search of their potential by a one rep attempt.
“Crossfit — the movement behind all of the past decade’s progress…”
Can we tone down the marketing hype? This is a gross overstatement that ignores effective approaches such as super-slow and Tabata, to name just two. They may not have originated in the past 10 years, but seem to have gained many more adherents over this time, and scientific studies continue to confirm their (and related approaches’) effectiveness.
There are numerous effective approaches to fitness. What works for a given person is a function of interests, motivation, and body type. (Personally, I could not stand the type of workouts that CrossFit promotes.) The one thing that studies over the past 20-odd years seem to agree on is that long aerobic workouts are *not* the most effective path to fitness.
The key question: of course there are numerous effective approaches to fitness — but can we identify a MOST efficient approach? An individual’s personal interests, motivations, and body type are not relevant to determining this.
Most efficient for whom, for what purpose, and by what measure?
No approach is efficient if you can’t (or can’t stand to) follow it. E.g., I recall one author who claimed that people below a certain conditioning level are simply unable to maintain the intensity that the Tabata approach demands. Yet the approach is of proven benefit if that baseline conditioning is there.
In any case, there is zero evidence that CrossFit, or any other specific approach, is the “universally most efficient fitness plan” for all people (assuming you could even define such a concept). The statement that motivations, interest, and body type are irrelevant to determining the most efficient approach *for a given person* (by whatever measure) is simply false.
Two words: Jack Lalanne
The “four Hour Body” is a very good viewpoint, as it goes into Minimum Effective Dose of exercise as well as TUT, or Time Under Tension, for lifting exercises. From a competitive swimmer who put in way too many miles in training, I make much better improvements with much less work, which is very encouraging and forms excelletn habits. Ferriss documents the effectivness by citing world class athletes who do much less but more intense workouts and get tremendous results.
Minimum time spent exercising isn’t much of a goal in itself, we’re looking for which program produces the best measurable results.
David and Charlie, if you want to try something really different, learn to juggle. After learning to juggle, get some weight balls and learn to juggle those.
I started off juggling baseballs and moved up to weighted balls. I started with 4 lb weight balls and have worked up to 8 lb weighted balls. Keeping a total of 24 lbs moving for any length of time is a trick.
Please, just buy the third edition of Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.
This book will provide you all the information you need to learn how to lift correctly and why you should perform these lifts.
Rippetoe has worked quite a bit with Crossfit, I believe he may still do some of the lifting seminars.
rippetoe is extremely useful, but do not treat it as the bible. there are things that are left out of a 323 page book.
it is a great reference, one of the best, but not nearly supplying the complete understanding of weight lifting.
Father did 2 stints in Stalin’s Siberia & said that it was the biggest, strongest, broadest chested & most brawny men who died first.
excellent trivia.
if i am ever in a stalin-esque prison camp, I will ruminate greatly over this info.
@mark l.,
It may not be trivial to consider whether the contemporary image of well-being is being internalized by a generation presuming it knows best.
My anecdote can be expanded if you would look at old photographs of shirtless World War soldiers who were mostly scrawny – yet adapted to extreme demands.
Your own goals & motivation are not for me to 2nd guess.
Personally, boxing is my favorite sport to watch & greatly admire mixed martial arts fighters.
I have not criticized what D. Steinberg (or C. Martin) are doing.
Trust me… it would take me far longer to starve to death than a big brawny guy.
My intention is to stay the hell out of the gulag.
I went to the crossfit.com Web site and here is the workout for today:
Tuesday 130205
For time:
205 pound Front squat, 20 reps
30 Box jump, 30 inch box
40 Kettlebell swings, 1.5 pood
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
Austin Malleolo 5:25. Post time to comments.
Aside from the front squats, which look pretty hefty to me, I don’t even know what they’re talking about.
Strength: The Rack DVDs with Owen as PT. This is Zone Progressive Training. A lot like intervals.
CARDIO: Intervals on the bike. Power meter essential.
Look up “Heavy Hands”.
Start light, work your way up. Very good approach especially as you get older. Also cheap.
You might try Pavel Tstsouline’s “Power to the People” and his kettlebell programs. I used his Deadlift and overhead press routine from power to the people and built a lot of muscle and strength with short workouts. The kettlebells build strength and can be used for cardio depending on your pace. The best thing about them is that the equipment isn’t terribly expensive so you can do it at home and won’t have to worry about a gym membership.
Charlie, anyone – go for a run, or swim if you can’t run; do sit ups and push ups. Eat less. The end. The rest is middlemen and psychobabble.
Arthur, in a word, bullshit. Go back over my preceding 1`4 or 15 “13 Weeks” posts.