Adarq.org

How many inches do you think you give up on DLRVJ on concrete vs. wood?

neutral focus
SH:SP:SR:SH:SP:SR:SH:SP:SR:SH:SP:SR:
power focus
SH:SP:SP:SR:SR:SH:SP:SP:SR:SR:
speed/reactivity focus
SP:SR:SR:SR:STIM:TEST

Having internet issues at home. Annoying. Anyway, yesterday:

warm up
jump rope/double unders
STW core stretches

work
5 yd sprint x a few
DLRVJ x a few
tuck jumps x10
ice skaters x10

squat 3x5x245
DL 5x295
bench 2x5x195, 4x195 (no spotter and lost focus, should have had last rep)
BOR 3x8x145
circuit x3
--BSS x12x95
--pull up x5
--dip x10

cool down
stretch

Felt good, squat was much better than last weekend. Gym is better on Sunday because there's basketball all day on Saturdays, but didn't have a choice because I had to go up to Pennsylvania today to see my brother.

Stretch to Win (http://www.amazon.com/Stretch-Win-Ann-Frederick/dp/0736055290) is an excellent book. Its purpose is to lay out the foundations of the authors' methodology and then describe how to apply those principles for personal use. The principles are described first. Then there is a quick, well-written anatomy lesson that goes into basics about different types of fascia and muscle tissue and how they respond to stress (whether it be good or bad). Then the authors describe a self-evaluation that the reader is supposed to undertake before proceeding with the last part of the book. That's all laid out very clearly, with each step broken down and some helpful cues given. After that the authors give detailed descriptions of each layer of stretching, from the core stretches (which I'm doing now), down the chain of to sport-specific stretches.

Couple of interesting takeaways:
1) Stretching to a count (10 seconds, 20 seconds, whatever) is dumb. Your muscle doesn't know what a second is so setting an arbitrary length of time makes no sense. It's better to cycle stretching with your breath, pushing a little bit with the exhalations and relaxing with the inhalations, until you feel the muscle release some of its tension.
2) It's important to stretch the core (hips) first before moving to the extremities, and to stretch muscles/tissues that just cross one joint before moving to multi-joint muscles/tissues.

Couple of downsides:
1) This isn't really a fault of the book, because I can't imagine how you would describe it in writing, but I've had a hard time knowing when to stop a particular stretch, i.e. when the muscle has "released its tension." But this may simply be a result of my muscles being super, super tight!
2) The stretch descriptions are generally adequate to very good, but a couple of the ones I've followed so far either aren't explicit enough or I'm too dumb to understand what to do.

On the whole, though, a really, really worthwhile book. I'm looking forward to incorporating a little bit of sense into my stretching and seeing how my flexibility, posture, performance, etc. improve. And for $13.57 on Amazon, the price is right.

One last thing: A lot of fitness-industry products will get "testimonials" from "pro athletes." These tend to be minor-league types, or obscure Pan Am games qualifiers or whatever. And often, the athlete met the product-seller one time, or they had a phone consult, and the product-seller tries to say that the athlete is a client, or a friend, or whatever. The athletes giving testimonials for Stretch to Win are legit high-level pros, and they're obviously really clients. Donovan McNabb is the model for some of the stretches at the end of the book and you know these people don't have enough cash lying around to afford McNabb's endorsement rates. Anyway, testimonials only mean so much, but these are still impressive. Eric Cressey may train some minor-leaguers and may have spent some time with Curt Schilling after he retired, but Ann and Chris Frederick work extensively with elite-level pros at the peak of their careers. Think Al Vermeil or Dan Pfaff. These people obviously know their shit.

JCsBck, two things.

First: The fundamental principles, sure, but Kelly does keep coming up with new and ever-clearer ways of describing those principles and finding nuance in them. But yeah, you're right, haha.

Second: Can you change your user title to "Adarq.org's Resident Guido"? For some reason that's so much funnier. To me, at least. Or maybe I'm just weird.

neutral focus
SH:SP:SR:SH:SP:SR:SH:SP:SR:SH:SP:SR:
power focus
SH:SP:SP:SR:SR:SH:SP:SP:SR:SR:
speed/reactivity focus
SP:SR:SR:SR:STIM:TEST

My mood right now:  

warm up
jog a lap
STW core stretches, fast tempo
sprinter's warm ups

work
superset until dropoff (ended up being 4 sets)
--20y sprint x3
--DLRVJ x5
plank circuit x3x90s

cool down
jog 2 laps
STW core stretches, slow tempo
ab and calf stretches

No soreness going in. Was getting up okay on a few of the jumps. I was jumping to a crossbar on a HS football field (sneakers on grass). If it was regulation, then I definitely had a couple 31" jumps, maybe even a bit more. But I don't know, so suffice it to say I was jumping okay. Sprints felt fine, I guess, although I don't have too much to compare them to. I forgot that I lost my stopwatch. Will need to be replacing that. Also, I can't sprint in Nike Frees anymore. Toes too fucked up. Need stiffer soles or shoes I can fit my orthotics in. Some club rugby team was practicing on the field (they pay for the lights to be on after dark, hurray) and a guy came over to me at one point and asked if I was interested in playing rugby, that they can always use speedy athletic guys. So I guess I looked fast, anyway . Anyway, energy is high right now in case the word vomit didn't clue you in. This felt nice.

Why will reaching 145 lbs allow you to eat massive amounts without gaining weight?

If I was at 145 lbs. I'd look pretty big (compared to now... maybe) Right not my body seems comfortable right under 140. I can't "bulk" because I have really hard time adding fat. According to my friend he was the same until after high school, then his weight fluctuated a lot.

oooooowhaaaaaaaaaat?