Early Day...

and that means extra Forest time:) And I got to pick my son up at the bus stop after school, too! Heard all about his day, which always makes me smile.

March 6, 2014:

Training:

Strength Training:

StrongFirst Mobility Drills

Kettlebell Swings: 10 x 10,  50 left/50 right with 36 kg bell. Another weight increase and felt very solid.

Deadlifts: 2 x 5 with 275 lb barbell

Double Kettlebell Bench Press: 2 x 5 with 28 kg kettlebells.

Ab Work: 1 x 10, Hanging leg Raise; 1 x 10 Windshield Wiper; 1 x 5 Front Lever

Skill Training:

Bag Work, 35 minutes: :30 hard on the bag/:30 shadowbox.  Each work interval on the bag I concentrated on a different technique or combination, building to a complete arsenal by the end. I also switched up to southpaw on the shadowboxing. I occasionally throw this in (when I'm holding pads, as well) for two reasons: first, the ability to strike with all limbs from both stances is a useful tool in the ring; second, it gives my body a break and encourages some compensatory development (in a good way) of the non-dominant side.

Awesome food today: sprouted quinoa and spinach patties, and a great salad with  kale, radish, olives, watercress, tomato and balsamic vinegar. Finished the day off with some raw almond butter on a frozen banana:)

March 7, 2014:

Training:

Strength Training:

StrongFirst Mobility Drills
Turrkish Get Ups: 1 x 5 left/right with 32 kg kettlebell
Zercher Squats: 2 x 5 with 145 lb barbell
Double Kettlebell Rows: 2 x 5 with 36 kg bells
Ab Work: Ab Wheel, 2 x 10

Skill Training:

Sparring, 5 x 4 min rounds (:30 rest)
Partner bag drills, 30 minutes
Primal Move PFE to cool down

March 8, 2014:

It's Saturday, and it feels like spring. Yes, it's still a little chilly but the sun was up when I went in to open Five Points and that hasn't happened in months.

Training:

Strength Training:
Bodyweight Day!
One Arm One Leg Push Ups: assisted with small plyo band for reps. 3 x 5 left and right
Pistols: 3 x5 left and right
Pulls Ups: 3 x 5 on 4 count up and down
Ab Work: Hanging Leg Raise, 1 x 10; Windshield Wipers, 1 x 10; Front Levers, 1 x 5

Skill Training:
Partner Drills on the Bag: work a technique 30 seconds, shadowbox 30 seconds for 30 minutes

Classes were great today, well-attended and everyone training very hard. I really enjoy seeing my son getting better in class, too:)

Stopped by a great restaurant in the Gramercy park area on the way home. Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck (the take-out incarnation) serve outstanding and innovative raw cuisine. I picked up  the "lasagna" for my son. He LOVED it. 

March 9, 2014:

Sundays rule. Especially when it's nearly spring. Took Forest to the woods bright and early, trail run and playing around on obstacles for an hour. And it's actually possible to run again -- the snow and ice is mostly gone.

Lazy afternoon. My son went to a friend's birthday party, so I did a lot of reading and napping. I really needed a rest day like this one:) When I picked up the kid I realized -- again -- how quickly he's growing up.

Xmas Comes Early

I'm finding that eating raw isn't all that difficult...if you plan properly and have the right tools. This morning I got a bag load of implements that make it just that much easier. I've written previously about my student Passa, her husband Ed and their innovative and imaginative product designs. Ed does an entire line of really amazing and useful kitchen implements at prepara.com, and Passa brought a goody bag for me. These are some of the coolest time- and labor-saving tools you can have for any kitchen:

 citrus juicer (with a dedicated lid for storage)

 salad chopper (cut your produce right in your bowl)

 tri-blade peeler (3 blades to peel and julienne hard or soft fruits and veggies)

 chop savor (cut, save and store fruits and veg)

oil mister (mist cold-pressed oils and balsamic vinegar)

The chopper and peeler make meals like this one (spinach, watercress, beets, radish, tomatoes, olives, hemp seeds) a snap:

Training so far this week:

Mon, March 3:

Strength Training:

Strong First Mobility Drills

Kettlebell Swings: 5 x 10 left and right with 32 kg kettlebell

Deadlift: 2 x 5 with 275 lb barbell, an increase in working rep weight and still at 150 lb bodyweight

Double Kettlebell Bench Press: 2 x 5 with 28 kg bells. This is definitely my weakest lift, just need to keep at it.

Ab Work: Hanging Leg Raises, 1 x 10; Windshield Wipers, 1x 10; Front Levers, 1 x 5

Skill Training:

Primal Move Warm Up

Bag Work: :30 hard on bag / :30 shadow boxing for 40 minutes

Tues, March 4:

Strength Training:

Strong First Mobility Drills

Turkish Get Ups: 2 left/2 right with 24 kg kettlebell; 2 left/2 right with 28 kg kettlebll; 1 left/1 right with 32 kg kettlebell

Double Kettlebell Rows: 2 x 5 with 32 kgkettlebells

Zercher Squats: 2 x5 with 140 lb barbell

Skill Training:

Indian Clubs to Warm Up

Partner Drills and Light Sparring, 40 minutes

Wednesday, March 5:

Strength Training:
StrongFirst Mobility Drills
Kettlebell Complex: Swing, Snatch, Windmill x 100 with 22 kg kettlebell
Ab Work: 50 decline sit ups with elbow strike at the top

Skill Training:
Pad Work: 5 x 4 min rounds, :30 rest
Primal Move 15 minutes

It's been a great week of training at Five Points: motivated students, lots of folks in class, students in all day and into the evening, fights coming up.  The only down side was the sudden passing of a long-time Five Points employee and friend, Lance Turnbow. But this awesome memorial video by another friend -- and long-time Five Point's student -- John Kraljevich helped bring a smile back even with the sadness.

Keeping It Raw

Thursday, 27 Feb:

Couldn't take the treadmill this morning, so did my little warm up run outside. I didn't actually "warm up" but it did get me loosened up and the blood flowing!

Training:

Strength Training:

Kettlebell Swings: 100 swings (5 x 10 left and right) with 28 kg bell
Deadlift: 2 x 5 with 245 lb barbell
Double Kettlebell Bench Press: 2 x 5 with 28 kg kettlebells
Ab Work: Decline sit ups with elbow strike at the top, 1 x 50 alternating left and right

Skill Training:

Warm Up: crawling and tumbling forwards and backwards, 5 minutes
Shadowboxing, 5 minutes
Bag Work: 5 x 5 minute rounds with :30 rest
StrongFirst Mobility Drills

A great smoothie for breakfast after training: almond milk, apple, spinach, kale, banana, blueberries, ginger and Sun Warrior Raw Protein Powder.

Home in the afternoon, got to spend some time with Forest and my son. Walking Forest was cold but relaxing as always. Being home early let me see my son in the afternoon and help with some homework. Nice:)

Starting to experiment a little with making some raw entrees. Dinner was pretty nice: hommos, avocado and ghost peppers rolled in romaine leaves and a bean salad of chick peas, parsley, tomatoes, red onion and jalapeño peppers. Pretty tasty.

Friday, 28 Feb:

Training:

Strength Training:

Turkish Get Up: 1 left/1 right with 28 kg kettlebell. I "ratcheted" the movement -- at each step of the lift that is a transition to a new movement, I return to the beginning, then up one movement, then back, etc. It makes it a lift of 6 increasing segments, and takes about 3 minutes to complete per side.

Double Kettlebell Rows: 2 x 5 with 32 kg kettlebells

Zercher Squats: 2 x 5 with 145 lb barbell

Ab Work: Hanging Leg Raise, 1 x 10; Windshield Wipers, 1 x 10; Front Levers, 1 x 5

Skill Training:

Light sparring:

Muay Thai, 5 x 4 min rounds (:30 rest)

Boxing, 5 x 4 min rounds (:30 rest)

Taught a few students, did some paperwork, then home to walk Forest. That and helping the boy with some homework makes for pretty nice day.

Saturday,  1 March:

Best smoothie ever for breakfast this morning: banana, blueberries, pineapple, avocado, jalapeño pepper, spinach, SunWarrior Raw Protein and Ormus Greens, chia seeds. Try it!

Training:

Strength Training:

One Arm One Leg Push Ups: assisted for reps, but moved to smaller plyo band today. ladders of 5,4,3,2,1 left and right.

Pistols: ladders of 5,4,3,2,1 left and right

Pull Ups: ladder of 5,4,3,2,1 on slow 4 count up and down

Ab Work: Hanging Leg Raise, 1 x 10; Windshield Wipers, 1 x 10; Front Levers, 1 x 5

Skill Training:
shadowboxing, 6 minutes
padwork, 15 minutes no rest


Very busy classes today, and everyone working really hard. It makes me happy. That and the fact that my son is in class and getting very good:)

Food for the rest of the day was raw: almonds, walnuts, cashews and dried fruit for snacks. Main meal of the day was hommos with spinach, radish, celery, jalapeño and ghost peppers, and kimchi on the side. Awesome.

Sunday,  2 March:

Ah, Sundays. Off to the woods with Forest. There were enough days above freezing with snow in the last week that we're able to leave the main bridal paths and head back into the smaller trails. It's icy going, but there's lots to climb over, around and under. Good fun for both of us.

Had a great breakfast when we got back: sliced apples, bananas, orange, grapefruit bowl and sprouted quinoa and spinach patties -- topped off with sriracha sauce.

Spent most of the morning helping my son put all the pieces of his science project together on the display board. He did a great job on the experiment, writing it up and putting everything together. Then we did some training, all bodyweight which is perfect for kids: pull ups, push ups, hindu squats, some crawling around. Fun.

A bit of sadness as in the afternoon I attended a memorial for a long-time employee and good friend, Lance Turnbow. Lance was a talented artist and a loving father to two sons. He also struggled with some personal demons that caught up with him, passing away suddenly at a far too young 48. Take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally and embrace the friends and family you have -- or it will all be gone before you realize it.

Chewing is awesome!

30 day juice fast complete, so I'm adding solid food back in to my diet. 

Today was a cautious day as I didn't want to freak my system out. Also, my plan is to stay as raw as possible. So today was my habitual pre-juice fast smoothie for breakfast (a Vitamix is one of the things I use most in the kitchen). It was especially tasty today: spinach, beet, banana, ghost and scorpion peppers from my garden (I grow them outside in the warm months, move the plant inside for the winter and dry the last harvest for cold weather use), Sun Warrior Raw Protein powder,  and blueberries. Delicious. Lunch I added the real food back in, but stayed light. It was a salad with spinach, kale, almonds, walnuts, beets, jalapeño pepper, red onion and hommos. A great way to get solid stuff back in my system and a delight to eat. I was surprised with a dropped-off sample of the raw lasagne from One Lucky Duck for dinner at the gym -- it was fantastic! A Juice Press First Degree Burn cold-pressed juice to close out the food day, and I was feeling pretty damn good. 

Training:

Strength Training:

Warm Up: StrongFirst Mobility Drills

Kettlebell Complex: Swing, Snatch, Windmill x 100 with 22 kg kettlebell

Ab Work: Handstand Leg Raises, 2 x 10

Skill Training:

Pad Work, 5 x 4 min rounds with :30 rest

Skip rope, 10 minutes

Wednesday is a long day of teaching classes for me. It's gotten very cold and snowed again this morning in NYC, but that didn't keep the students away from Five Points:)

Ended the day with some Original Strength rolling and crawling (20 minutes), then a Harney and Sons peppermint tea just to wind down.

Juice Press: Day 30

This was it. The last day of my 30 day juice fast. This is the final report I gave to the great folks at Juice Press:

"I decided to try the Juice Press 30 day juice cleanse on the recommendation of Juice Press founder and CEO, Marcus Antebi. The suggestion came out of the blue and was something of a surprise to me, as I’m really pretty healthy: I’m a retired professional fighter who still trains regularly, my job as a gym owner and muay thai trainer keeps me active, I’m pretty lean and I’ve been following a healthy, plant-based diet for decades. But Marcus claimed that I would experience very real positive benefits from the experience. I’ve known Marcus a long time — he’s been training with me for many years — and I trust his judgement. And, honestly, I also wanted to see if I could do the 30 day fast.

The first thing I noticed on the cleanse was that I never felt as if I was starving or deprived. I’m used to cutting weight — I fought for years and it’s part of the game. But this was different: you’re drinking a juice every couple of hours and they really do make you feel satisfied. The second pleasant surprise was that I never felt tired or drawn; in fact, I had more energy, and was in a better mood. My work and training days are long (usually 12-14 hours) and I’d gotten used to drinking 6-8 cups of coffee per day, and still being tired from waking up until falling asleep at night. After only a few days on the juice fast I found that not only didn’t I need the coffee, I didn’t even want it, and I had energy from the time I woke up until I went to sleep at night. Perhaps the biggest surprise on the cleanse was that my training didn’t suffer. I fully expected to have to cut back on training intensity. It simply didn’t happen. In fact, throughout the 30 day period I made continuous gains in both strength and endurance. There were some other odd but pleasant surprises along the way, as well: circulation in my fingers and toes, which is always a big problem for me in the cold months, improved; the night sweats I’d been having for months subsided; and I received multiple comments on how I basically seemed to be glowing with good health. I didn’t set out to lose weight — getting too thin and weak was actually a little bit of a concern for me. I’m 5’11" and started the cleanse at a lean 154 lbs. I finished at 147 lbs, which is a little thinner than I would like to be, but I was never hungry or weak.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed all of the juices on the cleanse. For the first few weeks I followed the three options laid out for the juice fast (basic, alternate and winter solstice), rotating them daily. it kept me from getting bored and provided a lot of variety. In the final weeks I started experimenting a bit, mixing the selections and picking some alternates, as well. I have always liked spicy foods, so really enjoyed the selections with some bite. I thought Spicy Citrus and Ginger Fireball were it until I discovered the Volcano. It’s invigorating! And for those times when I wanted something a little sweeter, Juice Press has that covered, too: Fountain of Youth is like a berry dessert, but in my book, the Lait de Coconut can’t be beat. I also noticed that my palate got more sensitive as the fast progressed. The green juices -- which were decent enough at the beginning -- really became something to look forward to as I started to pick up on the the individual elements in the mix. I’d have to say that by the end of the cleanse, my absolute favorite was Doctor Green Juice. It’s just really, really refreshing.

Finishing the cleanse was something of a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, I really enjoyed how I felt the entire time. On the other, I found that I missed the act of eating. My plan is to get the best of both of those worlds. My diet has already been vegan for decades; I’m going to try to keep it as raw as possible going forward. And I think I’ll throw a 3 day juice fast in once a month, just to keep the momentum going."

thanks to my fellow juice-faster, fighter and long-time training partner Emily Bearden for this awesome pic of my dog, Forest

Juice Selection: Spicy Citrus, Dr. Green Juice, MILF, Lucky 7,  The Meal

Training:

Strength Training: another day of increases in the weight I'm loading

Turkish Get Ups: 1 x 5 left/5 right with 28 kg kettlebell
Zercher Squats: 2 x 5 with 135 lb barbell
Double Kettlebell Rows: 2 x 5 with 32 kg bells
Ab Work: 2 x 10, ab wheel

Skill Training:

Strong First Mobility Drills
Easy run to cool down
Bag Work, 20 minutes non-stop
Skip rope, 10 minutes to cool down

this was me at the beginning of the juice fast:

and me at the end:

SO in addition to the strength and endurance gains and overall feeling of well-being, I definitely added some muscle and lost some fat during the fast, which is pretty cool.

#juicepress #fivepointsnyc #juicefast #fivepointsacademy

Juice Fast: Day 29

With one day remianing in the fast I continue to feel strong, upbeat and very energetic. A little on the light side, though, getting down close to 145 lbs.

Training:

Strength Training: I increased weight in all my lifts today

Warm Up: Strong First Mobility Drills
Swings: 5 x 10 left/ 5 x 10 right (100 total one arm swings) with 32 kg kettlebell
Deadlift: 2 x 5 with 245 lb barbell
Double Kettlebell Bench Press: 2 x 5 with 28 kg kettle bells
Ab Work: 1 x10, hanging leg raise; 1 x 10, windshield wipers; 1 x 5, front levers with 5 sec hold

Skill Training:
skip rope, 10 minutes
bag work, 12 rounds

Juice Selection: 14 Hours, The Remedy, Miracle Mylk, Pink Punk, Volcano, Fountain of Youth

Lots of students and classes on Mondays. I start early and go late into the evening. But I feel great, and classes were awesome!

Juice Fast: Day 28

Sunday mornings are just about my favorite time of the week. I get up early and head to the park with Forest. We get back in the woods, running the trails, walking the railroad tracks -- both active and abandoned tracks run through the woods-- and just enjoying the solitude. It's a great way to start the day. Right now it remains rough, slow going from all the snow and ice but still pretty amazing.

My son got back from Florida vacation yesterday, after a weather delay of  one day and a very long, diverted flight home (as an aside, can I just say that American Airlines is just about the worst airline, ever). I missed the little bugger; he's growing fast. One week and he looks like a different kid.

Winding down to the end of the 30 days on the juice fast. I'm excited to start transitioning my plant-based diet of many years to a primarily raw diet. Exploring and researching lots of easy-fix meals, as well as kid-friendly options so that I can get my son involved, too. His eating habits are pretty good but I'd like to eliminate as much processed "food" as possible.

Juice Fast: Perfect Pear, Vital Force, Mother Earth, Spicy Citrus, Perfect Pear (I really had a taste for it today!)

Training: Easy day today, some simple bodyweight just to move a little.

Pull Ups: Ladder 5,4,3,2,1
Hindu Squats: 2 x 50
Push Ups: Ladder 10,9, 8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1

Then I had my son do some of the same, at lower volume.

Other than that, a very laid back day. Changed out a spotlight bulb in the backyard that the snow kept me from changing earlier, read, napped and helped my son with his science project. My job was mostly clean-up, he got to do all the fun stuff :)