Workout Meet Reality - Week One

A few weeks ago Chris Davis began charting his Smolov protocol workouts and posting them – including thoughts not just about sets, reps and weights but also his thoughts on balance, finding time and the like. His thoughts prompt me to share my thoughts on Week One as a “recovering bodybuilder”.

After 30 plus years in the fitness industry, in roles as a group fitness instructor; group fitness coordinator (that was time of freaking hell dealing with a largely dysfunctional group of male and female diva group fitness instructors); as a personal trainer both with fitness club clients and private clients; as a consultant and presenter to corporations and businesses on fitness I have pretty much seen it all. Couple this with a personal practice that includes a bunch of iron distance races, multiple iron distance races and ultra runs, plus competing and podium finishes in natural bodybuilding competitions (often in the same year) I have pretty much done it all.

And because of the time spent dealing with my own personal depression I have pretty much become a participant in life. That bothers me. I am working to change that.

I am smart enough to know what the mainstream fitness industry is presenting to the public isn’t working. All it takes it a little observation at any party when you hear people tell you they “belong to a fitness club” and “go to the spinning class with the great music” and “work with a personal trainer” and then they jam cheesy poofs in their mouth and wipe their hands on the cardigan covered expanse beneath their chest.

When I said that what the mainstream fitness industry is presenting to the public IS NOT WORKING over 5 years ago, the local McGloboGym-GloboGrocery-FitnessSh'Bam-Sham industry made Clar and I pariahs but then again wasn’t it was Groucho Marx who said “ I sent the club a wire stating, "PLEASE ACCEPT MY RESIGNATION. I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT PEOPLE LIKE ME AS A MEMBER".

A little more than 5 weeks ago we began training with a local trainer at an independent gym. He’s the real deal. I knew enough to ask if he would write us a program to get strong. He did. For I know that being strong in a key component to life, be it in a triathlon or in the office. So we follow his program to the letter. We pay to work with him 2 days a week and have adjusted our schedules to make it work. We ask questions and apply what he teaches us. We research and prepare for the next session(s). For doing 20 reps of “stripper deadlifts” in a BodyPump class won’t make you strong. Even if your instructor is so fun and wears the cutest outfits. So we don’t “stripper deadlift”.

So our first week of weights is over. We squatted 8 x 3, we benched 5 x 5, Clar learned the warm-up sets don’t count – she already heard that before from me but Ken is way bigger than me and it sunk in. I worked on improving my hamstring quality and in doing so using the GHD isn’t quite such a surprise. I’ve been able to send an e-mail to Clar and say “I hope your legs hurt half as much as mine”. And sales of the “little blue pill” would fall dramatically if men would learn to squat!

Week Two is ahead. The reps change a bit in some exercises – it’s still four scheduled days a week plus the other days when we kettlebell, run, bike and grind out yards with Dottie. I am going to work on the step-back from the rack when I squat and use my hips over a "knee-clean" in the squat. We have specific goals and will meet them.

Find your crucible! I'm finding mine.