BARF Today

Great Barf Class today - We kept it simple with a work out split that pays high dividends. Set the gym boss for 15/15 and 10 sets. Start your training session with the Z Health 4-High Pay Off's and establish a base line range of motion. (ROM) Perform deadllifts with a kinda heavy single or double bell combo. Then set your gym boss to a 45/15 for 10 sets - Use TRX push, squat, pull, lunge/lunge, push, single leg dl, pull/curl, tricep/lunge, alt pull/bicep, and squat. Follow with RTW, then TGU complex. Finish with some Z.   Enjoy

Car 3 Spicy Hot Quinoa and Eggs

Try the ultimate 10 am firehouse meal - Quinoa and egg whites with jalapeno peppers and pepper jack cheese.  We made it today at 2's and called it C-3 Spicy Hot Quinoa and Eggs.  Takes about 5 minutes to make - get the frozen precooked quinoa with sweet potatoes and zucchini, fry it up in a non stick skillet with a little olive oil, add some egg whites, cook it like it's fried rice, then add the jalapeno peppers - let it get friendly, then stir in some cubes of pepper jack cheese right before plating.  Scary good. 

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is an ancient food that is not yet well known in North America. It has been cultivated in South American Andes since at least 3,000 B.C. and has been a staple food of millions of native inhabitants. The ancient Incas called quinoa the "mother grain" and revered it as sacred.The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. It is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine and methionine-amino acids typically low in other grains. It is a good complement for legumes, which are often low in methionine and cystine. The protein in quinoa is considered to be a complete protein due to the presence of all 8 essential amino acids.

Quinoa was used to sustain Incan armies, which frequently marched for many days eating a mixture of quinoa and fat, known as "war balls."

The quinoa seed is high in protein, calcium and iron, a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans. It is exceptionally high in lysine, cystine and methionine-amino acids typically low in other grains. It is a good complement for legumes, which are often low in methionine and cystine. The protein in quinoa is considered to be a complete protein due to the presence of all 8 essential amino acids. Some types of wheat come close to matching quinoa's protein content, but grains such as barley, corn, and rice generally have less than half the protein of quinoa. Quinoa is 12% to 18% protein and four ounces a day, about 1/2-cup, will provide a childs protein needs for one day. The 6-7% fat of quinoa is relatively high when compared to other grains, but it boasts a low sodium content and also provides valuable starch and fiber. Quinoa also contains albumen, a protein that is found in egg whites, blood serum, and many plant and animal tissues. The seeds are gluten-free which makes this a nutritious and flavorful alternative grain for those with gluten sensitivity. Quinoa would be a worthy addition to anyone's diet, supplying variety as well as good nutrition. information taken from http://chetday.com/quinoa.html 

Greek Yogurt - Good and Good For You!

Greek Yogurt from Trader Joe's

Thick, rich, creamy texture defines TJ's Greek Yogurt!

If you are looking for a healthy snack option this is my best suggestion. Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt!  They have 2 flavors - Mango-Apricot and Honey.  When they introduced this product a little over 2 years ago I was hooked on the Mango-Apricot.  Was going through a rather signifigant mango time of life and this was the perfect compliment.  My protien shakes had mango puree, my jerk chicken had mango chunks, and my oatmeal was laced with a big spoonfull of apricot preserves. Life was good.  And then it happened - other people started to find out about Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt.  The healthy living section of the CT Post did an article on the health benefits of Greek Yogurt - Oprah even mentionied it on The View - the stock went from plenty to none - had no choice, had to try the honey.

They say when one door closes another opens - such was the case with the honey.  Crazy good is an understatement - the flavor is incredible - but the texture - the rich creamy texture sticks to your tounge the same way it sticks to the spoon in the picture above is what makes this such an incredible edible delicasy.  Some yogurts run - and well they should - from this great Greek Yogurt.  Enjoy :)

Good Sweat

Observation - I feel like my five fingers are filling up with water. Reality – They are.

During one of our training sessions last week Meredith remarked that she can’t believe how much she is sweating. It will be one year come October that she has been training at Ash Creek. She can’t remember sweating that much until recently – but she can remember not being able to stand on one leg without assistance when we did hip circles – and she can remember not being able to do a Turkish get up to elbow – without weight. Most importantly – she can’t remember getting injured or having injury impact her training schedule which has realized steady progress over the last year. We spent a long time building a very strong foundation – now it’s ready to load – and that we are doing. The conversation ended with "At Ash Creek - you earn the right to sweat!"


During BARF class today Jan had the same epiphany. It was the first time her five fingers had filled up with sweat. She was feeling more than a little uncomfortable. She was not used to sweating so much. So we did a pulse check – 78 after a heavy set of dead lifts interspersed with power breaths is really pretty good. We used a high intensity training split designed by Kim Massey that works really well. We alternate Kettlebell deadlifts, swings, or other lifts with TRX or compound movements to build training sessions that fit the needs of each athlete. Todays session included deadlifts, alt. deadlifts, swings, a Turkish get up complex, RKC planks, round the world, and a TRX complex that included one legged dead lifts. The end result is a strong, functional, and aerobically fit athlete that sweats a lot.

So….. Earn the right to sweat – then grab a towel and enjoy. Nothing feels quite so satisfying as a good sweat. (Unless maybe sharing it with a training partner.) Train hard, train smart, and remember to hydrate.

Today's View From the Creek

Definitely one of the 10 best days of the year. As I sit here entering this post the breeze off the creek is delicious and the view incredible. I worked last night at the fire department. We had been up since around 2 am extinguishing a rash of arson fires. At one point we had 3 working (heavily involved) structure fires burning at the same time. Crazy stuff - but hats off to the Fairfield Fire Marshal's office and Fairfield PD for catching the arsonist. Great work guys!!!

So anyway - I was just a bit tired this am to the least. But that changed as soon as I got to AC. The BARF crew was waiting. We did some Z and TRX to get Heather ready for her tennis match today - amped it up for Brian, Chet, and Meredith, who all stayed late for some kettlebell work. AMR Medic Kim D., one of AC's newest members, joined us today. Kim had just finished her shift during which she helped usher in a future member. Congrats on delivering a happy healthy baby girl - number 4 for Kim and the 2nd field delivery in the past month by AC members - Kim Massey delivered number 12 (or 13) 2 weeks ago - Good stuff ladies.

Parish Ct Senior Z was a home run today. We did a full 16 point neural warm up - STANDING UP the whole time >>>> AND we included 16 power breaths - 2 after every body part. Some of our clients remarked that they haven't been able to stand for that long without pain in years. Others said they haven't been able to stand for that long period. Amazing stuff.

On a final note - had a great meeting with Capt. Mike of FDNY yesterday. Came down to learn about AC and what we do with regard to firefighter wellness. He had many good things to say about AC and his visit. The privilege however was all mine. I have great respect for Mike and his/our brother firefighters in the City. We shared some hallowed ground 10 years ago Sunday in lower Manhattan - who could have imagined that we would be sharing Z and KB yesterday. Life has a funny way of bringing things full circle.

Enjoy this day, live it well. Stay safe.

Simple but Simple

Sometimes life gets in the way of our training - let's say for example a major hurricane comes through your town and knocks out the electrical power for 30,000 people and you really don't want to stand in line to take a shower down at Planet Fitness. Or maybe the Utilikilt you ordered from ThinkGeek didn't come in yet, and you really had your heart set on doing swings in a kilt. Regardless - let's say it's been a while and you need to get started again - lets keep it as simple as possible - 200 swings per day (or combo swings and dead lifts) for the next 2 weeks - keep the number at 200 - just vary the weight - if you feel strong use a heavy bell and 2 hands - or a lighter bell and 1 hand. If you don't feel strong use a light bell 2 hands - focus on your form - finish each session with a grease the grove style tgu - break down each movement of the tgu and perform it 3x on each side - with or without weight.

200 swings per day (plus tgu) for 2 weeks - be creative - use your gym boss - set it for 15/15, 20/10, or even 10/20 for heavy days (training/active recovery) throw in some power breaths during AR or hops, or a short walk. Just because you got a little soft that doesn't make you a bad person - keep it simple

Today's View from the Creek

Very busy day today at Ash Creek - started out with
BARF at 0615. Mark O. joined us today, along with Meredith, Chet, and David. Not an easy day in the least:

Started with the Z Health 4 High Pay Offs
Then performed a progressive TRX circuit that included the following (in order):
Round 1

Push Lunge - 10x Press 5x (x3)
Pulls (row) - 20x
Squats - 5x
Single leg DL (using TRX for support) alt 3x each leg
Squats 5x
Lunges - R/L - 10/10
Squats - 5x

Round 2, 3, 4 - added a few things

Push Lunge - 10x Press 5x (x3)
Single Arm Rotations - from lunge R/L 5/5
Tricep Press - 10x
Double Rotations - staggered from lunge 4x each side
Pulls (row) - 20x
Single arm rows - 5/5
Squats - 5x
Single leg DL (using TRX for support) alt 3x each leg
Squats 5x
Lunges - R/L - 10/10
Squats - 5x
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follow this with KB - hip ups
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follow this with deadlift or swing complex -
swing/ 20 yd farmers walk/ power breath (x4)
repeat for 10 cycles (10 minutes)
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follow this with KB - hip ups
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finish with round the world
10 low halo each side
10 curls
10 high halos
10 curls
10 low halos each side
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finish with z