Push Don’t Pull

Stealing a rowing cue.

Reflecting

Dark Horse Rowing introduced me to the rowing cue of “push don’t pull”, focusing on driving legs first with a distinct catch, drive, release, and recover.  A popular weightlifting cue is “arms are ropes”.  Both remind me to not jerk my biceps.  A third cue that a coach recently mentioned is that you wouldn’t attach a slack cable to your truck then slam on the gas.  I’m trying to apply this to rowing as well as deadlifts, kettle bells, and tire flips. 

One that I added to the mix: if I’m not pulling, I flex my triceps to remind myself to push slightly until it is time to pull.  This has taken a lot of pressure off of my elbows and allowed the connective tissue around them to heal.  Elbows hurt?  Then stop jerking your biceps.  Push don’t pull.  Arms are ropes.  And your body is more valuable than your truck and you’d never jerk your truck’s cable. 

Training

This morning’s white board:

• 10 tire flips (some confusion on weights; used one marked 550 lbs. with success and tried one marked 760 lbs. without success.  Got it dead lifted, but should have cleaned it to get it above the knee to get a knee on it.)

• 25 chest to bar

• 25 toes to bar

• 50 wall balls 20 lbs.

• 25 toes to bar

• 25 chest to bar

• 10 tire flips

Read a study from earlier this year on step count that really drives home how good steps are at every level.  Even on a light day, it is worth just driving less, parking further, and walking more. 

Looking forward to several runs this weekend including running with a few Vale Tudo readers.  See you on the trails!  I got a lot out of poles (even if they necessitated the dreaded checking of luggage) in Switzerland.  The only negative is that stowing them when not needed is a bit of a pain.  Just got this quiver as a solution.

Fueling

I have not eaten anything today as of early afternoon and feel great.  This isn’t as much intentional intermittent fasting as experimenting with doing other stuff on my checklist first.  I love eating but don’t feel hungry yet.

Supplementing

One way I’m thinking about cutting back on supplements is to make sure I’m doing everything possible with behavior modification before doing anything with pharma.  For one example, cutting back on Diamox at altitude if I can substitute working on better breathing technique. 

Measuring

Weight down from 201 lbs. in June, 188 in July and now 183 with 8% body fat.  So far, experimenting with cutting weight feels a lot better with earlier experiment in bulking. 

Recovering

After two hours in the gym, I spent about twenty minutes in the sauna.  I’d like to stay more but needed to get to work, so expedited things with a sauna suit.  I loved it.  The positive was that it saved time and I sweated buckets.  Not sure if it is a negative but my heart rate stayed far more elevated than usual at 175 degrees. 

Closing

Tanner Guzy perfectly summed up what appeals to me about martial arts,

For as long as I can remember, I have struggled to be present. Relaxation and being in the moment have been all but impossible for me.

Until I started training Muay Thai and BJJ. Drilling, sparring, and rolling don’t leave me the luxury of thinking about finances, family, the future, or anything else.

When I finish a good session I can physically feel myself coming back to reality and I love recognizing that I’ve spent an hour or two completely in the zone.

And now that I know what it feels like to be present, I have an easier time getting there when I’m doing other things as well.

That state of mind is no longer foreign but familiar - and I keep finding more and more pathways to get me there.