Sunday, October 30, 2011

STRESS, EXPECTATIONS & PRESSURE

An Athlete At Any Level - Whether It's A Local

Recreational Soccer Player, A College Basketball

Guard, Or A National Ranked Tennis Player - Has

Felt The Desire To Win. This Burning Passion To

Succeed Is A Great Mindset To Possess, But It Can

Also Bring About Negative Thoughts. Easily Put,

Being Successful Brings About Pressure. Each

Athlete Feels The Pressure To Win In Their

Respective Sport. Many People May Not Realize The

Stress That Athletes Undergo On A Daily Basis,

The Expectations That They Must Live Up To, Their

Desire To Be The Best. Can You Handle The Pressure?

Do You Have What It Takes To Win?



TRAINING
Snatch Grip Deadlift

2x2x2x2x2

Clean & Jerk

1x1x1x1x1x1x1


WOD

20 Minute Amrap

3x HSPU

6x Deadlift #225 / #185

9x Pull Ups

21x Double Unders



-I Am Legend

Monday, October 24, 2011

HOW TO PICK A GOOD COACH - FINAL THOUGHTS

I Consider Myself More Of A Guide Than

Anything Else. I Can Tell You What I Would

Do In Your Shoes, Not Mine. I Then Allow You

To Make A Decision And Bump You In The

Right Direction When You Stray Or Don't Get

It. In The End, If You Do Not Learn, Progress,

Or Get It, I Have Failed You As A Coach And Guide.

For Sure, On Numerous Occasions I Have Been

Stumped By Training Issues Or Questions. I Have

No Problem Saying, "I Don't Know" Or "Let Me

Find Out." There Are Plenty Arrogant Coaches

Out There, But As A Coach You Do Not Have To

Be One When You Don't Have The Answer.


Good Coaches Have The Ability To Talk To Anyone.

I Consider Myself To Be Pretty Successful At

Talking To An Athlete And Pretty Much Anyone

Without A PhD In Something Or Another. Good

Coaches Explain Things Easily To All People,

Schooling Or Not. Plenty Of Times, I Have Been

Blown Off By Mr. PhD Or Mr. "I'm About To Be"

Because I Explain Things In The Most Basic Of

Laymen's Terms. I Think This Offends Them
Because They Have Studied The Big Words So

Hard To Seperate Themselves From Everyone Else

Instead Of Listening Because Everyone And

Anyone Can Give You An Idea. Most Of The Time

They Go Back And Read As Much Research On

A Subject In Hopes Of Disproving You Or Looking

For The "It Depends" Factor. The "It Depends"

Factor Is Usually When It Can't Be Proved Through

Science And Therefore Has To Have A Bunch

Of Circumstances Behind It Or They Just Don't

Know. The Bottom Line Is There Is No Confusing

The Basics.


Coaching Does Have To Have Measurable

Progress Over Time. This Is Where Seperation

Occurs. Good Coaches Have Been Through

The Ringer. I Also Think The Best Coaches Are

The Ones Who Had To Fight For Every Inch

They Got. The More Sticking Points To Overcome,

The More You Learn. The Guy Who Struggles

The Most Is Usually A Better Coach Or Has

Atleast Learned More Through All The Obsticles

He Has Faced.


The Truest Test Of A Good Coach, In My

Opinion, Is The Coach Who Can Recognize

The Potential Of An Athlete. I Can Look At

A Guy / Girl And Tell You Their Potential

In A Few Seconds. Not Perfect But Close To It.

Potential To Me Is What A Person Can Do With

Their Body Given The Right Circumstances,

Which Is Mostly Instilling Belief In A Person.

Belief Is Way More Important Than Talent Or

Genetic Gifts. Will That Person Reach Every

Goal I Believe They Can? Sometimes Yes

And Sometimes No. It's The Word Or Belief
In Them That Inspires Them And Gets A Person

Thinking That The Impossible May Be Possible.

You Have To Work The Skills, Raise The

Weak Areas, Go To Competitions, Manage Your

Weight, Prepare Mentally And Practice,

Getting Proper Nutrition And Programming

Is Vital. #Underground Legends


TRAINING
Snatch Pulls

2x2x2x2 *Heavy


Muscle Snatch

1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1


WOD

12 Minute Amrap

1x Clean & Jerk #155 / #105

5x Pull Ups

5x Toes 2 Bar


-I Am Legend

Sunday, October 23, 2011

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE




REST IN PEACE JJ. Jones


TRAINING

Rack Jerk *Doubles

1x1x1x1x1x1


WOD

8 Rounds:

10x GHD Sit Ups

10x Transition Push Ups

Trifecta Jump Ropes

10x Left 10x Right 10x Alternate

1x SDHP *Each Round Add Rep #135 / #95


-I Am Legend

Monday, October 17, 2011

HOW TO PICK A GOOD COACH - PART 1

I Think We Are All Attracted To Like People. Like

People That Make Us Feel Comfortable And At Ease.

I Guess It Applies To Pretty Much Any Situation, But

My Thoughts Today Concern You As An Athlete

Picking The Most Suitable Coach Possible. Best Bang

For Your Buck Is Another Way You Can Look At It.

Before We All Had Internet, You Had To Actually Read

And Do Your Own Research On Training. And Often,

The Information Was Second Hand Or Unreliable

Because Information Of Knowledge Were Kept Secret

To The Competition To Ensure The Competitive Advantage.


Nowadays, There Are Tons Of Coaches All Waiting To Be

Your Guy Or Gal On The Internet. This Is Good And Bad.

It's Good Because Of The Competition But Bad Because

It's Hard To Tell If That Coach Is For You. I Think Training

Through Trial And Error Is The Only True Way You Make

Gains. That Is The FIRST Thing I Look For In A Coach -

Is The Coach Tested? Two - Or Three - Day Weekend

Certifications Are Not Tests No Matter How Many Reps

Or Rounds You Do. They Help Or Inspire But Still Are

Not Tests Of A Coach.


There Is Always The Purely Academic Coach (All

Books & Videos). This Is The Guy With Little Street

Work Or "In The Trenches" Work Gained Through Self

Trial And Error "Not All So Don't Get Pissy.... But Most."

If We Were All Terminator Robots, Then Yes, A Purely

Academic Coach Would Be All You Need. Simply

Crank Out The Numbers And Perform Automatically

& Perfectly.


The Most Important Trait Of A Coach Is The Ability

To Mix Book Smarts, Street Smarts, And Intuition

Into A Successful Program. Even Though A Coach May

Not Be As Strong Academically As Others, They Should

Have The Basic Ability To Spot Kinematic Flow (Form

Breakdown In Any Lift Whether It Be A Curl, Squat, Press,

Or Jump Of Any Sort). The Instant An Athlete Performs

Any Motor Skill, The Coach Should Be Able To See Tight

Muscle Groups, Inhibited Muscle Groups, Chain Break-

Downs, Weak Or Lagging Muscle Groups, And Pretty

Much Anything That Impedes Performance. It's Simply

A Breakdown Somewhere Along The Lift Activity Line

Where All Muscle Groups Do Not Perform At Their
Highest Potential. This Is A Skill Developed Over Time

And Not Anywhere Else.


The Main Idea About Training And Coaching Is That

There Is Always Room For Improvement. Successful

Coaching Is Being Able To Adjust Under Any

Circumstances. I Employ Numerous Types Of Training

Because There Is No One Perfect Training Protocol.

If There Was A Perfect Way, We Would All Be Doing It

And Become The Terminator Robots I Mentioned Earlier.

The Truth Is Everyone Has Something To Contribute From

Bodybuilding To Olympic Weight Lifting To MMA To
Powerlifting. Successful Coaches Borrow From Everyone.

Because Each Athlete Or Person Is Different, A Good Coach

Has To Have The Ability To Step Back From Themselves

(Ego Mostly) And Do What Is Right For The Athlete.


TRAINING

15 Minute Amrap

10x Full Snatch #75 / #55

10x Strict Press

400m Run


-I Am Legend

SMOOTH WATERS

As Much As We Love Smooth Water, An Arab

Proverb States That Smooth Waters Do Not Make

A Skillful Sailors. In This Journey Called Life, The

Question Is Not, "Will Storms Arise?" Rather, The

Question Is, "When Will The Next Storm Arise?"

And Even More Important Than That Question

Is, "What Type Of Person Will I Be When The Next

Storm Arises?" It Takes A Degree Of Mental

Toughness And Creativity To Approach The

Problems Of Living In A Way That Will Benefit

You The Most. Before You Close Your Eyes Tonight

Ask Yourself, "What Have I Given Today?" If The

Answer Is, "Everything I Could." Then Today Was

A Good Day.


TRAINING

Snatch Skill Work


Full Hang Snatch

3x3x3x1x1x1


Full Snatch

3x3x3x1x1x1


WOD

6-9-12-9-6

Front Squat #135 / #95

Burpee Pull Ups


-I Am Legend

Monday, October 10, 2011

PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY, SPIRITUALLY

I Find That Not Only Should We Be

Strong Physically, But Mentally, And

Spiritually As Well. If Any Area Lacks Strength

Or Discipline We Allow Ourselves To Be

Vulnerable. It Is A Daily Grind Of Hard Work

And Consistant Training That Allows Us

To See Growth. Underground Legends Promotes

Not Only Being Physically Fit, But Mentally &

Spritually Fit. If You Are Physically Fit, But

Lack The Spiritual Or Mental Discipline To

Follow... You Won't Make It. Period. #UGL


TRAINING

Snatch Pulls *Heavy

1x1x1x1x1x1x1


Snatch

3x3x3x3x3


WOD

3 Rounds:

10x Deadlift #275 / #185

100m Sprint

30x Sit Ups

50m Sprint

30x Push Ups


-I Am Legend

Sunday, October 9, 2011

REMAIN STRONG



The Important Thing Is To Remember To Fulfill

Your Own Path To The Greatest Of Your Ability And

To Do It With A Happy Heart. It Does Not Matter

Whether It Is What Society Condisders A Lowly Position

Or A High Position. The Important Thing Is That You

Perform Your Path To The Greatest Of Your Ability

And With Love & Compassion For All With Whom You

Come In Contact. This Is The Key That Will Help Each

Person Move Forward On His / Her Path. The Love

And Compassion That Come Forth From Your Heart

Will Assure That You Are Moving Forward In Higher &

Higher Directions. As You Do This, You Will Find

New Opportunities Opening To You. You Will Know

Which One Is Right For You By The Way You Feel When

You Encounter It. Remain Strong My Friend.



TRAINING

Floor Press *Shoulder

5x5x5x5x5



WOD

7 Rounds:

18x Squat Clean #95 / #65

10x Burpee

18x Power Clean #115 / #75

10x HSPU




-I Am Legend

Monday, October 3, 2011

LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR

Everyone Knows Someone With A

Narcissistic Personality. A Narcissist, By

Definition, Is A Personality Trait Of Egotism,

Vanity, Or Simple Selfishness. To Climb The

Leadership Ranks, One Must Display Talent And

Confidence In Their Abilities And Role. But Once

One Reaches A Little Success, Having Too Much Ego

Can Be Toxic. While It Has Been Said That Life Is A

Long Lesson In Humility, The Sooner A Leader Comes

To Grips With Their Humility - The Quicker They

Will Become A Better Leader. Keep In Mind Humility

Is Not A Weakness. Leaders That Display Humility

Tend To Have More Influence, Attract Better Talent,

And Earn More Respect. It's Not About The Leader,

It's About The Team.


TRAINING
Power Cleans

1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1


Hang Power Snatch

1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1


WOD

21-18-15-12-9-6-3

Hang Power Snatch #75 / #55

Wall Ball #20 / #14


-I Am Legend

Saturday, October 1, 2011

EVERYONE FALLS BEHIND

As People Who Constantly Create More & More

Work For Themselves Everyday, We Often

Find Ourselves Falling Behind. Everyone

Falls Behind. When I Fall Behind On Things,

Sure, I Get A Little Worried. You Snooze You

Lose, And In Todays World There Is Just No

Time To Mess Around. But I Feel That When We

Do Slip Up And Do Fall Behind In Our Lives,

We Can Only Learn And Become Stronger People

Once We Get Through It. So, Next Time You

Feel You Are Falling Behind Take A Second &

Know We All Do.... Now Jump Back In The Game!


TRAINING

Sled Work

15 Minutes Of Work

50m Repeats #140 / #90


WOD

JT

21-15-9

HSPU

Ring Dip

Push UP


-I Am Legend