"One Needs To Have a Comprehensive Character. "
I'm in the midst of building a bona fide Library to my house in California. Since the building takes time...a lot of time, I got a jump on the acquisition of hard cover books of ALL genre. I FEEL smarter when I read. Perhaps I'm not, but not many will argue the point with me […]
Spontaneous Squat Session
My son's sports schedule has dictated my Saturday OR Sunday Squat/Dead Lift sessions. When we are outta season, we have a regularly scheduled practice, but in season I don't like to commit because we all have some place else to be. RIGHT!!! (no question mark) Last week and this week, I get a wild hair, […]
Blindsided
Yesterday I wrote about the encouragement of young athletes and how by certain actions an unknowing coach can break the spirit or confidence of that person. Thinking about that, I further my beliefs in letting each person explore what THEY think could be fun or challenging. If you remember the Michael Orr story, that turned […]
Always a Student
The deep and meaningful conversations that go on in my gym are LEGENDARY! The Quote of the day: "The thing about money, you can exchange it for some really cool shit". ~ Mark Tuthill I mean...think about that. So simple and so eloquently stated. I had an observation that needs to be shared with […]
Jan. 23rd 1857
"23-Jan-1857 The coldest day that I remember recording, clear and bright, but very high wind, blowing the snow. Ink froze. ~ Henry David Thoreau Today's Training: Fwd/Bkwd Leg Swing: 2x10 Abductiom leg swing: 2x10 3 bench step over (knees in front) 5 sets of 5 times over the three benches and back Dynamic High Box Squat: […]
You Have Survived EVERY Bad Day
I have fun with my solution to most issues. "Go up in weight!" Having a bad day? Not one has killed you yet, Go up in weight. Having a good day? GREAT, let's run with it, Go up in weight. My car broke down. Can you fix it right now? No? Yes? Go up in […]
Play= Research
Appetizer Fwd/Bkwd Leg Swing: 2x20 Abduction Leg Swing: 2x20 Fire Hydrant Knee Circles: 2x10 Bench Step Over: Line up three benches keeping the shoulders parallel to the wall, step over each bench and come back=1 set. 5 sets with knee lifting in front 5 sets with the leg straightening out in the back […]
Weights Don't Ask Silly Questions. Weights Understand
Today was the first day back in the gym since getting the flu. Now hear this...Avoid the flu! It's gnarly and doesn't make anyone happy. AVOID the flu!!! Overall not bad in performance. But I took the cautious approach and didn't go ape shit. As the week progresses, so will I. Still taking in a […]
I Still Use Encyclopedias To Google Stuff
I no sooner suggest that people stay home when they are ill, that I get NO sleep from a tickle in my throat and a dry hack of a cough. Shit, shit, shit!!!! (Remember Rule #67) However, unlike people who have the option, I MUST go into work no matter how awful I feel, because […]
Deciding What To Do
When given choices, always choose that which is more AWESOME. That's the one that makes you grow the most! Dynamic Effort Bench: 10x5x50% Cable Cross Over: 4x15 DB Lateral Raise: 4x15 Rear Delt Destroyer: 1x60-40-20x36-28-18 Yoke Bar Shrugs: 4x12
If You Want To Change Your Life, You Need To Make Changes In Your Life
No one is getting out alive, so stop treating yourself as an after thought. Get outside! Cold, rainy, sunny, nice, HOT? Go! Why do you think trees grow so big? Because they are outside!!! Have you ever jumped into an ocean? There are lots of living things in there. There's a lot of living things […]
The Struggle Today=The Strength Tomorrow
Floor Press using a foam roller length wise on the spine: 10 RM The purpose was to allow the scapula to move and to engage the Combat Chassis for stability in of the spine. Duo/Poly DB Chest Press: Work up to a heavy pair of dumbbells slowly. Once the correct weight is established, do […]
The One Read If It's The Only One Of Mine For This Year
A bunch of winning ideas if you look close...REALLY
You Can't Change if You Don't See The Issues
I've been having issue with my sciatic nerve. I have now incorporated everything I can think of aside from the purchase of an Old School Nautilus Duo/Poly Hip and Back machine. (although that would do the trick for certain) I traced back my training journal to see what I added or had taken away that […]
The Pain Won't Go Away Until I Learn What I Need To Know
There a cold or illness that is going around just crushing people that I know. I came home yesterday with only sciatic nerve pain from posting about how I thought the Nautilus Duo/Poly Hip and Back was the best piece of equipment for that very reason. Murphy's Law...CJ? Naaa But as the day progressed my […]
A HUGE Public Service Announcement
A friend of mine has two tickets for the 2017 Super Bowl. He paid $1,700 for each ticket. He didn't realize when he bought them that this was going to be on the same day as his wedding - so now he can't go. If you are interested and would like to go in his […]
Not Getting Sh!t Done, GOT IT DONE!
My wife and I were having a discussion this morning at Zero-Dark-Dark. She asked if I wanted her to get up with me and head to the gym? I told her that it wasn't anything she needed to do, after all it is Monday after Christmas and I'm pretty sure NO ONE is moving. My […]
Casa de Selkow Menu Plan for Christmas/Hannukka
5K and no wheeze. I not sure how I feel about that. On one side, it was my bench mark as to how hard I needed to work. On the other side, with it out of the equation, I now need to go even faster or farther. For now, I'll just run this three quicker. […]
I Don't Count The Days. I Make The Days Count.
I seriously was going to go into some big time coaching techniques and strategy into the New Year, but I wasted 5 minutes on Social Network and realized that people are plain and simple miserable. Please...have a safe and fun Merry Christmas. I hope you find some peace in something. However, I think the folks […]
Next Time, When You Have A Story...Get To The Point
I like to help people realize that their "Potential" is actually unused talent. People get lumped into a category that they then start to believe, and then self serve their unwritten prophecy. Example: "He's a good athlete, but doesn't seem to have much going on upstairs. Tends to be a bit stupid at times". So...since […]
I'm A Beginner Before I Am Anything Else
Here's the thing... I am a minimalist! When it comes to nice things, I don't mind them, I'm just not going to purchase them if I have a way of doing it with what I have. Shoes...I say..."hahahahahahah...shoes...hahahahahah" just about every chance I get to my friends that are into them. I'm glad for them, […]
What Do You Call A Fish With No Eye?
FSH! Everyone knows that. Dynamic Squat: 8x2x54% Then move it up to the next recognizable increment and do. 5x5@ that weight. Example: D.E. Squat: 8x2x275 move up to 315 and do 5x5 THEN, a drop set on the 5th set 1x5x315 1x10x225 1x20x135 GHR: 2x10xBW 4x20x20 lb med ball held on the chest […]
Run? Why? Fight or Flight!
Early morning, and I mean...Ass up and out of bed on Sunday morning for an 'Og, which turned into a 5K sprint. It's always the same, I lay in bed thinking about what I SHOULD do, versus what I want to do. Lazy Sunday at 0430 (remember, that's sleeping in at Casa de Selkow), Big […]
Be The Fruit Loop in a Bowl of Cheerios
On dynamic day, I like to adjust the technique flaws of the athletes. Because it's hard to remember things, I use the Buddy Morris approach: Teach one thing the participant has an 87% chance of remembering it. Teach TWO things the number drops to 33% Teaching THREE things...well, "Good Luck with that" […]
Sometimes All You Need Is A Football To The Head
Safety is always a concern in the weight room. More often than not, I am telling people to FOCUS and stop goofing off.
If You’re Hotter Than Me.. Does That Make Me Cooler Than You?
Coaching tip for today: I had to apply this MULTIPLE times this morning. Excuses Are Useless! Three drop sets of the following exercises: Cable rope Tricep Push down DB Curl Supine DB Tricep Extension DB Hammer Curl Dips vs. Multiple Bands Barbell Curl Finally in two sets PUMP as much blood as you can […]
My Brain Has a Mind Of It's Own
MAN! You should have read what I just erased. When I re read it, I took it away with this one thought...WHY would I dump that kind of negativity on people who read my stuff? Why would they want that kind of influence today? It was a rant of very unproductive reasoning behind it. How […]
Tri Valley Blue Devil vs. Santa Clara Blackhawk Hockey
Playing youth sport the way it is suppose to be.
That Special Moment When You Know A Person Is Full Of Sh!t
and you let them dig themselves a deeper hole
If You Can't Do Stuff Outside, Do It In. Excuses Are Useless
If I accept your excuse, it's as bad as me giving you one.
Attitude, Not Amplitude Determines Your Altitude.
As a Strength and Conditioning coach I have found often that I am the Segway between Coaching Staff and Athlete. Seems the unique position is one that WANTS the athlete to succeed beyond everyone's expectations and the Coaches that want to put the BEST players on the Field, Court or Ice. I've been in this […]
Stop Starting Things Tomorrow
I have said, no one actually retires from sports, they get tired of recovering from the pain of the sport. I heard it put this way as well. "Everyone has one more injury, but not everyone has one more recovery". Unfortunately as brilliant as that is, I can't remember which one of my friends said it […]
The Point of Bifurcation (Santa Jo Jordan pictured)
I reached it on Friday. What? The point of bifurcation. You know, "Do or Die". You've read about all the weight room heroes that say things like, "not until they peel my dead cold hands from the steel", or "It isn't over until I'm DONE" After 20 years of rising every morning at 0300, opening […]
Kryptonite!
I have a steadfast rule about feeling ill and training. I call it the 20 minute test. As you go about your warm ups, and into the working sets when you aren't ON TOP of your game...stop and check the symptoms. If you feel no worse for wear, then continue with your session, but don't […]
Life Always Offers You A Second Chance. It's Called "Tomorrow&...
I've always believed I could, so I did. Once the mind conceives an idea, or the imagination takes hold of the possibilities, then the active body goes about succeeding in the endeavor. I say that you first have to see it, in your mind. Then go into ACTIVE mode with reckless abandon and feverish perversion […]
Rocks, Pebbles, and Sand
"At the beginning of a philosophy class at university, the professor stood with some innocuous looking items on his table – an empty mayonnaise jar, some rocks, some pebbles, and some sand. The college students looked on with interest, wondering what the professor was up to and unable to guess what the demonstration was going […]
“Passion” by Derek
" Of course, passion has all kinds of meanings and connotations, but we are focused here on a passion for whatever you endeavor to do. “There is no passion to be found playing small; in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” — Nelson Mandela Passion is […]
Thanksgiving
I enjoy reading and listening to what everyone is thankful for on this holiday. I love to hear how people feel about family, work, training, and interactions. Success in goal achievements and world records. I am particularly thankful for my last breath and the next one I get to take. You see.. my last breath […]
You Don't Need A Reason To Help
On my bike ride home, something happened that I was going to tell the world about. You know...the "this will make you feel good about me story" that you've read? I was going to set up the incident and then tell you how I rode up on my white stallion to save the day […]
Holidecays
Holiday time again! There is one of two moods during them. Either you are into them, or you become decayed by them. Too often, I hear the excuse, "it's the holidays". Whatever the motive is behind that phrase, I know that there is a good one coming. "I'm having extra (fill in your favorite comfort […]
I Keep The Keys To My Happiness Right Here In MY Pocket
Every good thing that has happened in your life, has happened because something changed. Think about that for a minute. I saw a shirt somewhere that said to "Remember Everyone Deployed". I thought that it was a GREAT idea. To do so and as an outward display of it, I decided that I would […]
Be GREAT!
Today, more than any other one this week, the conversation turned to having SELF respect for the job you do. I use the weight room to prove points that can be utilized outside of the gym and in a person's life. I noticed that there was a lack of "Oomph" today in the APPROACH to […]
I Tried Being Reasonable. I Didn't Like It!
4 Way Neck: 1x20x6.0 1. Barbell Curl 2. Cable Tri Push Down 3. DB Curl 4. Supine DB Tri Ext 5. Hammer DB Curl 6. Dips 7. Seated BB Curl 8. C/S Tricep Kick Back 9. Concentration Curl 10. Over head Cable Tricep Ext All exercises 5 sets of 20 reps. Combine an odd […]
Character/Integrity
My son, Hunter plays for two teams during the Hockey season. The Santa Clara Blackhawks is his club and travel team and he also GETS to play for Coach Derek Eisler (who was at one time the Head Coach of the San Jose Sharks of the NHL) on his Elite team for the NorCal Blazers. […]
If You Can't Be Happy, How About Being A Little Less Pissed Off?
If you are reading this, I want you to know how AWESOME I think you are. Thank you! After all it is the season of Thanksgiving. Dynamic Squat: 8x2x60% GHR: 3x8 1x12x15 1x10x20 1x8x25 Reverse Hyper (STRICT): 3x15 Prowler: 10x40
YOU Are One Of A Kind
"I’ve lived through things I would never have thought I was capable of, and I’m not as afraid as I used to be. The process of wounding wakens us to our strength. It shuffles our values, and the top priority is never what you thought it would be. It’s never about perfection or power. It always […]
The Later I Stay Up The Funnier Things Become
My early gym time is a concern for my son who truly wants to train with me. Unfortunately, 0400 and a 10 year old rarely meet. Something about sleeping and growing. Anyway, Hunter is a pleaser. He never wants to disappoint either his Mom or me. So, when I told April when she asked why […]
Stand Up When You Pee. Zip Your Pants From The Front
I care about the outcome of today. I have my favorite Presidential Candidate as well as local government officials. I have my opinions of Propositions and Proposals. I voted! I don't need to justify to ANYONE the reasons I chose the way I did. But I CHOSE and I will STAND BY those decisions. I […]
Rule #28, and The Wheezing Stops Here
For the record, Rule #28 in my "Book of Life Rules" states, Excuses are useless. During a day, I hear quite a few of them. I listen, but in the back of my head I am saying...If I accept one of these, it's as bad as me giving one. So I listen, and give a […]