New clients

Garage Gym wants to welcome the following new private, semi-private, group class clients.

Matt T
Colin and Bridget
Sarah C
Jessica W
Matt P

Your path towards functional strength and health has just started.

We welcome you!

Garage Gym Game Highlights

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Anaerobic Lactate Training

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Garage Gym Games Results

265 x 2


1st- Mike B 29 points
2nd- Ben Q 28 points
3rd- Russ S 21 points
4th- Geoff 17 points
5th- Brendan 13 points
John B- results to be determined Monday

Female: 1st- Jess
This event was an example of true effort, and grit. Our athletes completed 3 workouts in 6 hours, all of which were a solid test of fitness.
I just wanted to post some of the amazing numbers that were put up by our athletes, because its truely inspiration what dedication, and heart can do. There were so many personal records set.

Thruster 3 RM Mike B 225
Geoff 185
Ben 175
Russ 145
Bren 125
Jess 65

Power clean 2 RM
Mike B 265
Geoff 225
Ben 185
Russ 170
Bren 165
Jess 75

Pullups max Ben 32
Mike B 25
Bren 25
Russ 14
Geoff 7
Jess 5

1 Mile run times
Ben 5:37
Russ 5:51
Bren 6:37
Mike 7:24
Geoff 7:47
Jess 7:49
All 6 athletes sub 8 min!

We complete very little running in our training but yet our athletes can run, and run fast.

Workout 3 was scored as the following
Mike- 8 + 315
Ben- 8 + 41
Russ- 7 + 315
Geoff- 7 + 54
Jess- 7 + 30
Bren 6 + 155
Pics and vids coming shortly...
I am proud of everyone. Rest up, see you all Monday.
Next Garage Gym Games January...date to be determined.

Garage Gym Games Events/Details

Who will come out on top this weekend?


Below are the 3 events plus details surrounding the first ever Garage Gym Games.

I want to quickly chat about exactly what this is.
The Garage Gym Games is a sport series that will have 3-4 events throughout the year. All events are a balanced test of fitness with constantly evolving methods and workouts. This gives all our athletes (private, group and remote) an opportunity to put all their hard work to the test. This is not just a competition for elite level athletes or those looking to compete against someone else. This is an open competition whose events can be scaled based on experience. Its an opportunity to learn something about yourself, maybe make a friend or two, surround yourself with individuals who value high levels of fitness and health and to have fun. This event is expected to grow at a very high rate, with no limits on how big this can get.

I want to make this clear, our community at Garage Gym is an open source model of learning. What does that mean? We are not trying to prove our methods are the best, we are looking to gather individuals who come from all backgrounds, cross fit, endurance sports, power lifting, generalized training etc and with time this will allow me to start putting some data together to better formulate what it "takes" to become the "fittest". Can the fittest ever be tested accurately, that hasn't been answered yet. What does the fittest mean, that hasn't been answered either. All I know is we are constantly searching for answers and higher level orders of thinking when it comes to fitness and health.

I commend all our brave athletes who will be stepping into the arena tomorrow morning.

This is the start of something special.



Event 1: 8 AM CP energy system
In one hour complete the following for max weight/reps

#1 Thruster 3 rep max
+
#2 Power clean 2 rep max
+
#3 Pullups/chinups 1 attempt max reps

Score = Thruster + Power clean + Pullups

Event 2: 10:30 AM Anaerobic lactate capacity test

One mile run sprint

Lunch 11:30-12:30- Don't eat too much

Event 3 Aerobic energy system

Heat 1: 1:30
Heat 2: 2:00 Top 2

25 min AMRAP
Row 400m
Deadlift 135/55 x 10 reps
Burpees jumping over the bar 8 reps


Movement standards
Event 1

Thruster will be taken from the rack
Lockout must be held for 1 sec overhead per rep
Squat must be below parallel
Rest as needed in the rack position
Group 1- Mike, Geoff, Ben
Group 2- Bren, Russ, Jess

Power clean- you have to stand all the way up upon catching the weight
You can drop from the rack position
You have 10 sec rest b/t reps
You must start your 2nd lift by 10 sec, that doesn't mean approach the bar at 10 sec, then pull at 17 sec.

Pullups/chinups
Need full extension at the bottom
Chin over the bar
any style excepted, ie. kipping, strict, mixed grip, 1 handed etc...
you have 1 attempt, make it count

You will be responsible for being honest with your reps/weight lifted. You will hand in your scorecard after the event is finished. Those within your group will be responsible for judging the quality of the rep. All of you have enough experience to understand what is expected. I recommend taking the entire hour for this workout, resting 3-5 min between high effort lifts is important.

Event 2

You will run 1 mile out, no turnaround. I will be at the finish line. You will turn left off of Knoxboro road and run straight for another 1/2 mile. You will walk back and cool down.
Every position counts

Event 3
Remain on the rower until monitor hits 400m
Shoulders need to be behind the bar at the top of the deadlift, hips and knees locked out
Burpees chest to deck- no jump at the top
You have to jump off TWO feet when jumping over the bar
If a rower malfunctions- no poor sports please, it happens, we will have an extra
The top 2 competitors will compete at 2:00, that doesn't mean one of these competitors will win though, heat one may produce a smasher of a performance, it happens all the time (CF games 2008)

FULL EFFORT = FULL VICTORY

Garage Gym Games Teaser

Whats in store for Saturday?

Dinner..

4 oz chix
1 free range organic beef hot dog
1 cup of beets/carrots
1 sweet potato
1 TBL sunflower oil

Dessert:
1 TBL almond butter
1 square dark choc 86%

A better person = A better world

Periodically I find myself asking, "what would make this world a better place?" Why am I on this earth? What is my purpose? I continually come up with the same answer. That is to leave the smallest footprint on this earth, live with nature and in the present and help those willing to help themselves become healthier through my job as Owner of Garage Gym, educating clients with writings on my blog, and discussion with people I come into contact with. With that said that leads me into my main topic.

A better person = A better world

Recently Ive had discussions with a few people (Mike B and others) in my community and had a few new experiences that has opened my eyes to some large ideas and thoughts.

I dont watch the news- rarely watch TV- but I normally cant have the news on for more than 5min at a time every 3-4 days. I figure if something really important is going on, someone will call me. Its the same story everyday. Gas is up, groceries are more money, politic fraud, crime increases blah blah, that means nothing to me. The government is always coming up with these glorious short term fixes that will make everything better, and people believe it, continually.

If you are looking to make this world a better place (and you should be, if your not, then man up)
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
Whats that mean? Well if you look at the problems our government and society has had for numerous years, it all stems from greed, ego, depression and insecurity. EVERYTHING. Some may argue and thats ok. You will not find one problem that doesnt fit into any one of those categories.

How in the world does FITNESS solve those problems?

I am finding through experience, discussions, and client feedback that they are happier, self esteem rises, more productive, and enjoys sense of accomplishment to name a few. How does that relate to real world problems?
-A happier person is MUCH less likely to committ a crime
-A productive person is MUCH more likely to get off the couch and find a job
-Internal Confidence silences the ego which means you are less likely to try and "prove" yourself through materialistic things (such as a house you cant afford = burden to society because now you have foreclosed on your house).
-A healthier person is not contributing to soaring health care costs.
- A person that understands how to live in the present, live with nature and leave a small footprint doesnt contribute to ruining this earth (hydrofracking, drilling for oil, littering etc)
-A structured person is more likely to be a better employee
-A confident person is more likely to be a better employee
-Better employees lead to a better work place = more profit = better economy (then everyones happy)
- Parents that are healthy are better parents. They get off the couch, and actually PLAY with their kids, having meaningful conversations and educate them to follow the right path in life.
- Exercise forces you to become present- ask any of my clients- their minds are clear during a workout.
-Learning to eat right CAN assist in reducing depression which is now affecting 1/3 of our population.
-Small things in life start to mean more to those that become comfortable stepping outside their comfort zone. Example: Competing in your first race and coming home to your warm shower. Or eating a "cheat meal" after a day of hard training- that food taste damn good huh?


If you find yourself asking- how can I make this world a better place?
Take care of yourself, continue to improve, educate along the way, and always have your hand out to help those looking to do the same, trust me...we will all benefit.

Training Vid

Confused and frustrated?

Are you living like your ancestors?

Are you confused and frustrated with your current fitness/nutrition program? Maybe you have no program and aimlessly wander around the gym and your kitchen, confused about what to eat next or how many "reps" to do?

At Garage Gym we fix that for you. We offer a few different packages that appeal to the individual who is unable to attend private or semi private sessions during their week. Our remote programming package allows clients to complete a structured fitness program at their own facility, on their own time and at the frequency they choose. Programs are based on assessment results, priorities, goals and progression. They also have the option to attend a private session 1-4 times per month for instruction on new movements, which we highly encourage.
Let us remove the confusion for you, let us make you strong, fast, and healthier, join our community and army. Our prime slots M-F 5-8 are almost full, do not hesitate. Are you a morning person or does your schedule allow for a daytime session? We have those available also! Contact us today for details regarding remote programming, and private training. Become what you've dreamed, you know what I’m talking about, let’s make it happen!

Congrats to Amanda, a client of GG for 6.5 wks. Yesterday during her re-assessment she completed 17 bodyweight air squats to a 13 inch depth and in her assessment was unable to complete 1. She also bench pressed 55lbs for 8 reps and completed 10 lunges per leg, all huge improvements from just 6.5 wks ago. Amanda is just starting her journey here but her results speak for themselves, well done!!

Become a BALANCED functional athlete, what you learn at the GG will be skills that will lend themselves nicely throughout your entire life. Lifting properly, balanced anterior and posterior muscles leading to decreased risk of injury due to overstretched-weak muscles, or maybe you just want to be that one person in your family who can complete strict chin-ups or have the ability to dead lift your bodyweight off the floor, or just want to look damn good, if that sounds like something you want, we make that happen, everyday.....at the Garage Gym.

Thoughts around a 60 min TT row

A fellow big dawg just posted his thoughts and feelings around a 60 min time trial row for max meters. I found it interesting as I had similar feelings throughout the row last year when I completed it.

If you want to test your true aerobic capacity, this is the test.
At 50 min he said if he pushed harder than normal he felt a burning sensation in his body, this is lactate, which means your body isnt producing enough oxygen to keep up with the demand, which means time to slow down or your body will make you slow down. At 45 min he felt in a "pace" which means he found a split that is working for him, hopefully max aerobic capacity for the amount of time rowed to determine the most accurate capacity. If you have never rowed before and consider yourself an endurance athlete or run for fun person give this a shot. Set your damper low and let it rip.



60min row - 13,182m, fastest 500m split: 2:08, slowest split: 2:26

- at 19min, my sinuses suddenly cleared, presumably from the sweat dripping down through that duct from the corner of your eyes into your nose
- a lot of burning in my left a(d)ductor, which is consistent with it being weak and furthermore consistent with my other lower body dysfunctions, at 30min stopped feeling it
- at 45min felt a real change - not really sure how to describe it other than I felt locked into that pace. It was either row in that "place" or nothing at all.
- at 50min kept trying to push the pace to finish the row higher. I'd be able to turn it up for about 30sec - 45sec before everything would start burning and I'd have to settle back into my previous pace. Would have to row for about another minute or so before I could try again. Tried 3 or 4 times before I finally waited till the final 1:30 and pushed through.
- Definitely first time in any "real" endurance realm for me (outside of a couple "special rules" BJJ tournaments).

Group class/ Client highlight

Do you know WHY you are doing what you are doing?

We had 4 solid performances today during our 2k row time trial.
Mike- 6:59
Geoff- 7:51
Dave- 7:57
Jess- 9:32

Mike and Jess finished this workout after a 15 min rest with...
3 sets:
30 sec AMRAP Wallballs/thrusters
30 sec rest
30 sec SDLHP 65/35
30 sec rest

How are we producing aerobic based monsters with limited aerobic based work and almost no running work? Anaerobic based training that is programed properly for its clients. Do you feel you need to "run", stay on an ellipical or complete 1 hour workouts to be considered "fit" or get better at whatever you are trying to improve on? Wrong. Learn what individualized programming can and will do for you. Your health and fitness levels will reach new heights you never thought imaginable. These workouts completed today were "designed" for these clients based on my relationship as their coach for the past 9 months.

Onwards!


I wanted to highlight a new client here at the GG. Adam just finished his re-assessment after 4 weeks of private training.
Airsquats- 5 reps decent form 4 weeks- Airsquat 10 reps solid form
Lunges- 3 reps per leg 4 weeks- 10 reps per leg easy
Pushups chest to deck- 10 very tough 4 weeks- 20 tough
Scapular movements- improved 2-5 lbs in 4 weeks per movement
Sorenson test 1:00 4 weeks- 1:30
Side bridge :50 4 weeks- 1:15
2k row 8:34 (first time)

Solid improvements across the board, proper eating habits, and training goes along ways!
Well done Adam!

Progress in 8 wks- Client profile

Z2 recovery row 20 min 152 AVG HR 4999m

Erik came to us 8 weeks ago fresh out of his residency at Upstate Medical. Below are his before and after Bodyfat skin fold caliper scores.

7/1/11 / 9/1/11
Pec 16 / 10.5
Tricep 7 / 7.5
Subscap 18 / 12
Midaxilla 13 / 10
Suprailiac 26.5 / 16
Umbilical 44 / 32
Thigh 14 / 12
Calf 6 / 5.5

Total Sum 144.5 / 105.5
% Change (-27%)

How did he do it? How did he lose 27% of the fat on his body in 8 weeks?
He learned to eat correctly for his body type, trained correctly and reduced his stress levels.
Well done Erik

Many more success stories in progress....more to come shortly