Five Alarm Fitness

Bloomington, Illinois

Coach Josh

Josh’s Shoulder Re/Prehab Routine

By

The shoulder is one of the most common problem areas for pretty much everyone – people who workout, people who don’t workout, sport athletes, tactical athletes, general population, etc. Injuries can range from minor pulls to major strains or sprains. Impingement, bursitis, cartilage tears, rotator cuff tears… the list goes on.

Let me preface this article by saying that I am NOT a doctor, and that this is NOT medical advice. If you’re having a shoulder issue, whether minor or severe, the only way to truly know 100% what is going on is to see an orthopedic doctor and likely obtain an x-ray, MRI, or both.

Here’s what I can tell you… for a 7-8 year period (I’m a stubborn and slow learner), my shoulders were a mess. I would hurt my left shoulder… rest it, let it heal, gradually reintegrate exercises, etc. until it felt pretty good on its own… then, sometime within the next year, I’d hurt my right shoulder… rest it, let it heal, gradually reintegrate exercises, etc. until it felt pretty good on its own… then, sometime within the next year, I’d hurt my left shoulder… and on and on. It literally felt like one shoulder or the other would be hurt in any given year. Luckily, I’ve always been able to avoid a major injury that might require surgery; but it was always frustrating, to say the least.

Finally, I decided enough was enough. I wanted a “shoulder routine” that I could do for rehab, and eventually PREHAB, that would end the cycle. It had to be…

  • simple – it couldn’t be crazy, complex, or require specialized equipment, 
  • efficient – it needed to be doable fairly “quickly,” as an add on to my current workouts,
  • progressive – it should progress from rehab to prehab as my shoulders got healthier/stronger.

After a lot of thought, I decided my Shoulder Routine would need to focus on 3 elements of shoulder health…

  • Flexibility/Mobility
  • Stability
  • Strength

In the end, I came up with a routine that I’ve done consistently for the last few years, and my shoulders have never felt better. I won’t bore you with WHY the various elements are part of the routine. I’m told I ramble when I talk about things like this, and I’m sure you’re already bored enough and ready to get on with it. But if you’d ever like to know WHY something is included (or excluded), then you can always hit me up for a chat at josh@fivealarmfitness.com.

Now, onto the routine…

I break up the shoulder work into two areas… General Work and Specific Work. General Work consists of things I do EVERY SINGLE TIME I’M IN THE GYM. Specific Work is more actual exercises that get added into my workout 2-3x/WEEK.

GENERAL WORK: AGAIN, EVERY TIME I’M IN THE GYM. 4-5 DAYS/WEEK.

  • 100 – 200 Band Pull Aparts or Band Face Pulls. I usually work these into a Warm Up. For BPA, I use a light band and do them pretty fast, usually doing 2-4 sets of 50. BFP are a bit harder, and I use a light band and usually hit 2-4 sets of 25. Sometimes I’ll even mix them up. Regardless, I try to get 100+ reps every single day.
  • Accumulate 1:00 – 2:00 of Overgrip Bent Lean. To hit a solid OBL, start by placing your hands palms down on something (a racked barbell, a box, a countertop, a GHD, etc.). Keeping your elbows locked, hinge at the hip and bend over, pushing your head down in between your arms. Depending on your flexibility/mobility, you might need to find a surface that allows you to put your hands/arms wider. No worries. I’ll do OBL for :30 at a time, and usually hit 2-4 sets, either in my Warm Up or mixed in with other exercises instead of just standing around resting.

SPECIFIC WORK: STRUCTURED EXERCISES. 2-3 DAYS/WEEK.

For the Specific Work, I try to integrate it into that day’s strength work. Usually I’ll pick one of the exercises below, but I might hit 2 if it’s an actual “shoulder day.”

  • Kettlebell/Dumbbell Arm Bar – Honestly, this is the bread and butter of the routine. You can do these for reps (usually around 5/side per set), but I usually do 4 sets of :15 – :30/side and just hold it the entire time. The key is to start LIGHT and don’t rush progress. Here’s a video of Jeff Martone teaching the KB Arm Bar.

    • When I first started, it was my left shoulder that was in pain. I would hold a 5# DB and go for 4 x :15/side, because it was all I could handle without pain (ALWAYS DO EVERYTHING PAIN FREE. IF IT HURTS, STOP.) My plan was to do the routine 10 times/month. Over the first month, I was able to go from 4 x :15/side to 4 x :30/side with that 5# DB. The next month, I went up to a 10# DB, but went back down to 4 x :15/side. Again, pain free. And again, over those 10 sessions I was able to get up to 4 x :30/side at 10#. I repeated this month 3 with a 15# DB. Month 4 with a 20# DB. And so on. Eventually I jumped to kettlebells. Even though the jumps in weight got a bit wonky with the KBs, I was able to keep progressing this way for an entire year. At the end of that year, I was doing 4 x :30/side with a 70# KB.
    • Accumulating 2:00/side in a KB Arm Bar with a 70# KB is pretty solid. I’ve held that standard for over 2 years with no re-injured shoulders. I’ve also begun playing a little with variations of KB Windmills. Those are fun, and we’ll see how it goes.

  • Strict Presses – Specifically, KB/DB Strict Presses (overhead). 90% of the time, whenever any pressing overhead motion comes up, in a strength or workout portion, I modify it to some kind of KB/DB Press. Even then, about 90% of the time I’ll do them Strict, and maybe 10% of the time I’ll do something like a Push Press. Even less frequently, I’ll do a variation of BB Press.

    • The range of motion available from doing KB/DB work is important. Over the same year I mentioned above, I focused intently on hitting KB/DB Strict Presses a couple times per week (and ALWAYS WITH A FOCUS ON FORM). Lots of light weight/volume work, with occasional heavier loads, and within the year I was able to Single Arm Strict Press a 70# KB for a double on either arm, and pain free.
    • As a side note, this same rule applies to when I Bench Press. When I Bench, I’ll use DBs the majority of the time, but I’ll also often modify any horizontal pressing to Push Ups or Dips (see below).
  • Loaded Carries – I don’t do these nearly enough, but I’m looking at integrating them a lot more. If you can maintain good posture, Single Arm Farmer Carries, SA Front Rack Carries, and SA Overhead Carries are money in the bank for shoulder stability. Just start light enough to be able to maintain good posture. Go light and long, or heavy and short. And WALK, DON’T RUN.
  • Push Ups / Parallel Bar Dips / Strict Pull Ups – These I do a lot of, and there’s a million ways to program them. For my shoulder health though, regardless if they’re light and high rep or heavy and low rep, I started doing them all to a (1111) tempo. This can be a real ego check. So lose the ego, and reap the long-term strength and joint stability benefits.

And that’s it. Seems like a lot with it all typed out like that, but it’s really not. Things like Carries, Push Ups, Pull Ups, Dips, and even Strict Presses are already part of a solid functional program, so that’s not really adding anything.

The Band Pull Aparts, Overgrip Bent Lean, and KB/DB Arm Bars are a bit extra, but I do the BPA and the OBL daily as part of my Warm Up. Arm Bars I usually do at the end, after my workout. I’ll just constantly alternate sides until all 4 sets/side are done, and I’m done in under 5:00. Often though, they can be integrated into a strength set, working them with another exercise instead of just waiting to do my next main set.

I hope that helps. Or clarifies some things. Or sparks some thoughts of your own. If you have any questions, or you’d like to talk more about rehab/prehab or anything else health/fitness related, you can reach me at josh@fivealarmfitness.com!

We Are All Heroes

By

“You’re much stronger than you think you are. Trust me.” – Superman

It’s no great secret that I possess some “nerdish” tendencies. Of relevance to this discussion, however, is only my love of comic books… and superheroes.

Background
My favorite superhero is Superman. I know, I know, such an obvious choice! But, hear me out… See, it’s NOT about the powers. It’s NOT the strength, the flying, the heat vision, etc. It’s Superman’s HUMANITY (yes, in spite of the fact that he’s Kryptonian) that draws me in. Imagine for a minute Superman was a real person. Physically he’s good to go; but what does he have to deal with mentally and emotionally? He’s the most powerful person in the world, and yet he can’t be everywhere at once; he can’t save EVERYONE. What unofficial demands has society placed on him? “Why didn’t Superman save MY [insert family member]?! Too busy that day?!” Does Superman have PTSD? You can see bits of this struggle in the movies and how various actors set out to portray the role.

“What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely.” – Christopher Reeve

“My version of Superman is essentially of a guy who has spent his whole life alone.” – Henry Cavill

Superman’s humanity makes him the ultimate tragic hero.

Application
It is the different aspects of our HUMANITY – our problems, our struggles, our compassion, our perseverance, etc. – that is OUR power. We might not have SUPERpowers, but that doesn’t make us powerless. We might not be SUPERheroes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be heroes. It doesn’t mean we aren’t already.

You might not feel like a hero when you…

  • prioritize your family’s health by cooking at home instead of going out.
  • come into gym before the kids are up so you can be home in time to put them on the bus.
  • set a PR on a lift or get a new movement/skill.
  • push hard just to finish a workout, especially after a long, full day at work.
  • show dedication and consistent effort in family, work, and personal time.
  • etc.

But to someone you are. Someone is amazed you find the time to eat healthy and provide healthy food for your family. Someone is astonished at the physical feats you accomplish daily in the gym. Someone is inspired by your ability to keep pushing and striving to improve yourself in various aspects of your life.

It’s so easy in our line of work to focus on physical accomplishments. I am equally impressed by the member who gets their first Pull Up or runs their first 400 meters non-stop as I am by the member who hits a 225# Snatch. But even more than that, I am inspired by the effort and dedication it takes for either of them to do so. To strive, and fail, and strive again. To overcome. It’s not about the specific task.

So, by all means, stay humble, hungry, and happy. But know that someone somewhere is inspired by you and your effort. We all lift each other up.

– 49%

PS. This is a real photo from a Five Alarm member, and I think it’s the greatest thing ever, and not because of the physical ability stuff.

Thriving Through COVID-19

By

An integral part of Stoic philosophy involves focusing on the things that are within your control, and letting go of the things that are not. Without diving too deep into that, I think our current circumstances are a perfect opportunity to put the concept into practice.

There are a whole slew of things happening right now that are beyond our control. Those things are forcing us all into new and uncomfortable situations. But while we can’t control everything that might be happening to us, we CAN control how we react to it.

This isn’t a burden. It’s an opportunity. And NOT an opportunity to just see how many shows you can binge watch on Netflix, but to snap out of some of those bad habits you don’t even consciously think about anymore. To get shit done. Don’t just think about WHAT you want to do, but WHO you want to be. Take some time to get your head right and your body healthy. Then, when the dust settles, you’ll emerge stronger. Accomplished. Better.

Here’s a good start…

MINDSET

  • Perspective and gratitude. Our brains are actually wired to look for dangerous and negative things. Now is the perfect time to flip that on its head and flex some gratitude muscles. You have a home. A family. Access to healthy food.

    I’m not leaving the house nearly as much. We might not get a family vacation. But I’ve roughhoused and read books with my kids every single day for two weeks (outside of days I’m at the firehouse). This OPPORTUNITY won’t last forever.
  • Focus on what you can control. Figure out what you need to do, then do it. Or develop a plan to do it, then start executing the plan. Don’t waste time or energy on things outside your control.
  • “Get to” vs. “Have to.” This fills in gaps along with gratitude and focusing on what you can control. It’s a simple mindset trick. We tell ourselves all the time, “I HAVE to do this…” and “I HAVE to do that…” But often we don’t.

    I don’t HAVE to take the kids to school. I GET to take the kids to school. I don’t HAVE to go to work. I GET to go to work. I don’t HAVE to mow the yard. I GET to mow the yard. I don’t HAVE to workout. I GET to workout.

    You get the idea. So simple, but such an extremely powerful difference.

HEALTH

  • Physical Fitness. Even if you typically workout at a gym that’s been closed, your physical fitness needn’t suffer. You can still workout. You GET to. In fact, now is likely the perfect OPPORTUNITY to focus on some of those aspects you’ve always known you should focus on, but never do. Shoulder or Squat mobility? Push Ups?

    At Five Alarm, we’re still running classes (online) and providing members with different workout options based on their equipment availability. But whatever you do, find something you enjoy. Be creative. Make fitness fun. Workout with family. Get online with friends. Challenge each other. Share your workouts. Just keep going!
  • Nutrition. Home is the easiest place to CONTROL what you have access to for food. If you don’t have sugar-laden, empty calorie foods lying around then you can’t eat them. Whether you’re a great cook or microwave chef, take this OPPORTUNITY to learn to cook a new meal (or meals). Get family involved, and eat together.
  • Sleep. A great day starts the night before. Take a little time at night to plan out the following day. Take 5 minutes to… write down 3 things you’re grateful for, your 3 biggest priorities to accomplish the next day, and to set yourself somewhat of a schedule (don’t forget to include your workout).

    Set a bedtime routine that helps relax you and promotes quality sleep. Things like limiting screen time before bed, darkening the room as much as possible, etc. Then shoot for 7+ hours every night.
  • Mental/Psychological/Spiritual Health. Stress levels are high. If you don’t already know, take some time to find out what helps you relax and reset. Get closer to family and friends (even if it’s from a distance). Practice gratitude, prayer, meditation, philosophy…

    Read something you find fun or interesting¹. Start journaling (there are several great guided journals available)². Learn something new. You don’t have to, you GET to. Laugh. And once in a while, even watch Netflix³.

One last thing. As you move through this, cut yourself some slack. As always, we’re looking for progress, not perfection. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Remember, we don’t fail when we fall. We fail when we decide not to get back up. We can emerge from this better people than when we went in. And when that day comes, we’ll both be ready. And I’ll hope to see you in the gym soon. I’ll be there. Probably with Burpees.

Coach Josh

¹ My top books over the last couple of years…

² Leah really enjoys The 6 Minute Diary. I love The Daily Stoic Journal (which pairs well with The Daily Stoic book).

³ I hear Ozark is good.

Survive or Thrive Through the Holidays?

By

Words matter. Stop me if you’ve heard this one… “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions…,” etc.*

But it CAN go the other way. The words we use can shape our thoughts as well. It’s around this time of year we start hearing (and using) the phrase “survive the holidays.” There will be articles about surviving holiday parties, family gatherings, and an overall busy season filled with festivities.

Many of the uses of the phrase will be geared towards our eating habits and nutrition. What strategies can you take to survive the assumed damage that the holidays are going to cause to your waistline? Spoiler Alert: It’s usually dietary deprivation in some way or another.

But SURVIVE? Sounds a little dramatic. What if we flipped the script? How would your thoughts and outlook change if you used the phrase “THRIVE through the holidays?”

Thrive with nutritious food that makes you feel satisfied and warm.
Thrive through awesome workouts powered by that food.
Maybe even take advantage of these shortened days and thrive through a holiday break nap. (Adequate sleep is a topic for another time!)

Please note, I’m not asking you to become so militant you don’t enjoy your holidays. But words matter. Change the words you use, and change how you think and feel and ACT. Let the things we love to do – be with friends and family, eat well, move with abandon, and get appropriate rest – take us through this holiday season. Thrive.

– Coach Josh

* “Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” – Lao Tzu

#mindset

The Most Revealing Test in CrossFit

By

Not Our Usual CrossFit “Test”

If you’ve been with us for awhile, you’ve likely partook in one or more of our standard fitness “tests.” We use a variety of these to measure and track different elements of our strength, our aerobic capacity, our endurance, etc. But today I’d like to talk about a different kind of “test.” One that is more about character and community. One that happens almost every single day we’re in the gym (at least every day the workout isn’t an AMRAP)…

What do you do when the workout is over?

Do you immediately begin cleaning up your equipment? Maybe after lying on the floor or catching your breath for a minute? Get a drink? Do you check your phone since you’ve likely got a little bit of time before everyone else is done? Or chat with friends who have also finished?

Or…

Maybe you still lie on the floor or catch your breath for a minute; but then… move on to someone still working to offer encouragement? Do you cheer them on? Clap for them? Try to include everyone (whether you know them or not)? Do you give high fives or fist bumps as people finish?

There are a variety of reasons CrossFit has exploded in popularity. It’s simplicity, it’s varied and fun workouts, it’s universal scalability, it’s ability to provide trackable results, etc. – but also it’s community. There’s a reason people choose not to workout on their own in a standard gym or at home – we’re social creatures. We become our best selves when we’re pushed and encouraged, and when we’re surrounded by others who believe in us.

Why did you initially choose Five Alarm? If group training, accountability, friends, or a like-minded community are part of your answer, then consider this – the workout isn’t over when you’re finished, it’s over when everyone is finished.

Challenge

When you’re in a class, the members of that class are now your tribe. You should take personal satisfaction in that every member of your tribe feels supported and that no one “finishes alone.” It doesn’t matter if you’re a 10-year CrossFit veteran or if you’re fresh out of Academy. It doesn’t matter how the workout or exercises might have been modified for different people. For that hour we are one group with a common goal – self improvement through shared suffering. Make sure no one suffers alone.

– Coach Joshua

Paralysis by Choice

By

Last weekend, Leah and I attended a conference put on by our mentor group. Overall, it was incredibly informative, and equally as inspiring. Over 400 people spent two full days listening to over a dozen speakers on topics such as gym operations, and fostering an amazing culture and the highest levels of training and professionalism. We took A LOT of notes, and they even gave us planners to use to start taking actionable steps.

So, once we were back, the next logical question was, “What’s next?” And for me personally, that’s ALWAYS been the most difficult part. Even BEFORE the weekend I had pages of notes and ideas on things I’d like to see done or implemented within Five Alarm. Now, I’ve got a ton more. Some are obviously more important than others. Some are more involved. Some are behind the scenes. Some are just for fun. With so many options, where do I start?

Here’s the issue… I’ve given myself TOO MANY CHOICES. This is a legitimate problem. Sometimes called Choice Paralysis, or Overchoice, it’s a “cognitive process in which people have a difficult time making a decision when faced with many options.” (Overchoice. Wikipedia.) So, what’s my solution? Action. I’m going to take a bit of time, sit down and prioritize some things, PICK ONE THING to focus on, then set a timeline for myself and get it done. Afterwards, I’ll pick something else, and so on.

This is not unlike when people come into Five Alarm with various goals of weight loss, strength gain, overall health, etc. Before walking through our doors, they’ve been bombarded with messages of “the best” way to workout, “the best” way to eat, “the best” way to be healthy. If they’ve Googled any of those things, they’ve gotten BILLIONS of results (literally). Even after they’ve come to us, we offer CrossFit, bootcamp (Burn), Personal Training, Nutrition, etc. Where do you start?!

My advice? Just start. Choose ONE THING that will improve your quality of life or set you on the path toward your goals. Then start. Make it a HABIT. Maybe it’s big, maybe it’s small. Maybe you’re diving head first into a personalized workout regimen. Maybe you’re cutting out soda. The point is YOU’RE MOVING FORWARD. And if you’re not sure where to begin, ask us! If you’re not a current member, schedule a No Sweat Intro HERE! If you are a member, chat with a Coach or schedule a Goal Setting/Review Session! We’re here to help guide you, one step at a time.

– Coach Josh

Keeping a Training Log, Part II – How?

By

Grid lines and neatness, FTW! #OCD

Keeping a Training Log, Part II – How?

And we’re back for Part II of this brief series on Training Logs, Workout Journals, or whatever you choose to call them! In Part I we focused on the WHY – if you missed that award-winning write up, you can CHECK IT OUT HERE. But let’s move on for now…

In getting to the HOW to keep a Training Log, I’d like to first mention a couple of concepts I first heard from James Clear (author of Atomic Habits – which is amazingly good, by the way – you should read it).

  1. However you choose to keep your Training Log, it should be quick and easy. The harder it is to do something, the less you’ll want to do it. Besides, you’re energy should be spent doing the work, not recording it.
  2. Your Log should be VERSATILE. Can it keep track of personal bests? How about a wide variety of movements or workouts? The most common alternatives to pen and paper are apps, and I’ve tried a lot of them over the years. However, in my opinion, most fall short – as they either don’t offer enough variety of movements, or enough variety of styles of workouts, or both.

So, what IS the best method? Like all things in life, there is no BEST. You have to find what works best for you. I know there are a few member of Five Alarm that do record their workouts via apps – and hopefully they’ll throw something up in the Comments. Now, I’m going to tell you what I’ve found works the best for me.

I alluded to it above, but for me the good old fashioned pen and paper has been my Training Log staple for L-O-N-G time. Below is how I set it up. Refer to the post’s picture to actually see the example.

  • My name and the dates covered get written on the front cover (i.e. “Wheeler 2019”). For the last 5+ years, I’ve used one notebook for each year. Usually I have some pages left, but it doesn’t matter. I leave them blank and move on.
  • I designate one page either at the very beginning or very end of the workout to record PRs of any kind, whether strength lifts or benchmark MetCons. That makes them much easier to find down the road. Even if I check years’ worth of old notebooks, I only have to check one page in each.
  • Whether it’s a standard notebook or my new-found love – graph paper notebooks – I write the date in the left “column” and underline it. I find any type of highlighting is useful – underlining, drawing a square around it, etc. It makes it easy to see where days begin and end.
  • I know some people also choose to write their body weight (or body comp) here, if it’s a day they checked it.
  • I separate different exercises or workout within the day by letter (the same way we do on the daily WoD board in the gym). So, in the photo example, “A” is the Low Bar Back Squat portion, and “B” is the MetCon. Because I haven’t done a Low Bar Back Squat in F-O-R-E-V-E-R, I also wrote down my Heavy Single in the back of this notebook. Other than that, I felt pretty good today and nothing really stood out, so I didn’t feel the need to make any additional notes.

And that’s really about it. It’s simple, it’s easy, and it takes minimal time. Are there drawbacks? Sure. The Beyond the Whiteboard app can give you a metric ton of data on your own workouts, as well as keep track of PRs, benchmarks, etc., at the drop of a hat. Many companies make pre-printed logs that are much prettier than I’ll ever make a notebook! But like I said above, there is no best method – you have to find what works for you.

So, if you’ve got a preferred method, please sound off in the comments! You may help someone with their choice! Just remember, in the end, it’s not about the HOW, but the WHY!

Coach Josh

Keeping a Training Log, Part I: Why?

By

My Training Logs dating back to 1999.

In this two-part series on Training Logs, Workout Journals, or whatever you choose to call them, we’ll focus on two things… In Part I we’ll cover the WHY, and in Part II we’ll cover the HOW. The other 3 standard questions are fairly easy to answer:

  • Who?: You
  • What?: A Training Log
  • When?: Every day you workout out (and maybe even some days you don’t).

So, let’s move on to WHY! Here are my top 4 reasons for keeping a Training Log:

  1. For Faster Learning. Writing down your workouts and other relevant information is like taking notes in school, and it’s been proven that the act of writing things down can lead to better memory retention. For newer individuals this can be especially beneficial, as it can help with learning new terminology, new movements, specific cues, etc.
  2. As a Memory Tool. Most of the time it’s not feasible to remember all the different personal records you may have set or how you did the last time you did a specific workout. What was my last Back Squat Heavy Single? The last time I did Cindy did I use a band for Pull Ups or a box for Push Ups? How many Calories did I do the last time we did Echo Bike Sprints? Having this information written down allows you to use that history for more accurate current estimates.
  3. For Motivation. Looking back at your training history doesn’t just have to be about figuring out what to do in the present. It can also be a concrete indicator of how far you’ve come. Similarly, motivation shouldn’t just come from setting concrete goals and working toward them, but also from looking back at where you started and all that you’ve already accomplished.
  4. For Analyzation. A good Training Log should be able to tell you all sorts of things. At the very minimum it should tell you your training specifics, but why stop there? Losing sleep because of a new baby? Maybe start keeping track of your sleep in the Log to see how it’s affecting you. Did you feel R-E-A-L-L-Y loose and good doing those Squats last week? What type of warm up did you do? Did it address specific issues individual to you that you can focus on in the future? How does your nutrition affect how you feel and your gym performance? One way to know – write it down.

Depending on your training age, the goals you’ve set for yourself, or your “why,” any of the above reasons might be more or less important to you. But it’s likely that at least one or two resonate in some way. I’m of the opinion that a good Training Log should allow you to look at all of these things. It becomes not just a workout history, but almost a health and medical record. It will show you your ups and downs, your victories and defeats. You can look back and see the trail you’ve already blazed, and forward to the one you will set on fire, one entry at a time.

Coach Josh