Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Coach Rick's Ramblings & The Daily RAW: 3/20/13

Your Daily RAW for 3/20/13's workout:

Deadlifts or Squats, your choice: 4x5
Bench Press: 4x5
All-Star Sit-Ups: 4x5 per side

2MW Circuit: 30 seconds each exercise
Alternating Lunges
Side to Side Hops
Push-Ups
Total Body Extensions

Coach Rick's Ramblings - It simply amazes me that ever since I started reading training programs and information back in HS & college that year after year, someone is always touting interval training as being the greatest, 'newest' discovery for fat loss and also for improving performance. 

Its not new.

A couple years ago, as the school janitor, I had to toss out a lot of old, out of issue books from the library. These were books that were very old, hardly checked out the past 20 years or so, (some were from the 70's actually) and were allowed to be thrown out because they were out of the registry of the state library database.  I usually go through them and get historical books that intrigue me, like old biographies written for the typical JH or HS 'book report on an important person' kind of book. I've also got some political books and another favorite to get in these throwaways are sports books from the past.  A series I got called "Track & Field for Boys" was from the early 60's.  Back then, it talked about doing intervals for everything from sprints to even long distance runners.  So, the concept is NOT that new. I just saw a FB news update from a running magazine touting it as some new fantastic method to improve running performance.  Pssshh. Give me a break.

Another irritating pet peeve: I hate it when fitness experts compare a 'measly marathon runner' to an 'olympic sprinter', and make fun of the marathon or distance runner in comparison for fat loss comparisons.  Uh....both have low body fat levels, you don't see many pudgy elite marathon runners.  If these experts would watch the Olympics, about every top Olympian has a six pack showing.  The women don't look anything close to fat.  The men are ripped just as much as the sprinters. Maybe not as much muscle on them, but then again, muscle gain isn't in the long distance runner's goals either: its having a lean mean running machine available on race day.  So, both the men & women are far from unfit and unhealthy, they are at the top of their competition.  Get a clue...

As a runner, it just irritates the hell out of me when they also assume that if you run, you do marathons.  I run competitively, but keep it to 5K's and have only done two 10K's and 2 8K's in my life. My longest race was a sprint triathlon, which I also did twice.  I have no intentions or have any sort of love for runs longer than 6 miles, honestly.  5K's suit my body just fine.  I think if a lot of people ran 5K's in a serious mode, their fitness levels would be greatly improved if their body can handle running.  I just don't see it being beneficial if I keep going up in race distances just for the sake of saying I accomplished it, when I see so much to accomplish at the 5K distance alone. 

Rant over.

Lift. Dominate. Repeat.
Rats Alley Barbell Club
Coach Rick Karboviak

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