Tyler’s Workout Log – The PHAT Experiment – Day 4 of 28 – Heavy Legs

Lisa and I went on a long bike ride yesterday to Delray Beach and back.  By long, I mean 9 miles each way.  I’m not absolutely sure why this was hard for me.  We used to do 30-mile bike rides fairly easily.

I think it had something to do with the wind in our faces, the backpack full of glass tupperware on my back, the high heat, the excessive humidity, my uncomfortable seat (if you’re a dude, you know what I mean), and the fact that the backpack straps are positioned in such a way that my hands would go numb after about two miles.

It was hard.  We had fun once at Delray Beach, but the ride back especially was not fun for me.  Lisa had fun, though.  She wasn’t even tired… Cardio freak.  🙂

Tyler’s Workout Log – Day 18 – Heavy Lower Body

A good day.  I added a couple extra exercises to what I did last week.  Also, I hit each goal I set for each exercise.  That’s always nice.  🙂

Tyler’s Workout Log – Day 15 – Hypertrophy Legs

A nice day of progression.  However, I did sweat through my whole shirt.  Lol.  It just looked like it went from a lighter olive color to a darker olive color.  Gross?  Yes.  Somewhat awesome?  I like to think so.

How To Beat Lower Back Pain

Regardless of who you are, you probably know someone with lower back pain.  While the causes are numerous, one of the major contributors is a weak core.  This is something I’ve learned the hard way myself.  I’ve had minor lower back pain from heavy lifting, and I watched my best friend end up with a permanent injury from a herniated disc.  Thankfully, although he can’t do some exercises, he can still fully function in everyday life because he has been training his core strength.

Keep in mind that what I’m about to say is only an exercise science perspective.  I’m not in a position to prescribe exercise for someone with a serious injury.  If you have a serious injury, call your physical therapist.  I am, however, in a position to tell you how to make your core strong so that you can prevent future or alleviate current non-specific lower back pain.

A Critique of US Navy Seal Fitness Testing

Please understand that my intention is not to discredit the Navy Seals or claim their ignorance.  These are simply my own musings as I’ve started looking at the subject of military combat training because of talking with my friend John Ryan of http://www.stratconusa.com/.  I’m using the Navy Seals as an example mainly because they seem to be the most prominent branch of the military to the public (the Navy Seals taking out Osama, the movie “Act of Valor”, etc.)

I’ve been researching their workouts and brainstorming on how to make them better.  I’m not going to say that the system is bad, but I am going to propose some ideas on how to make it better.

My first point of contention is it seems that initially they’re often so focused on passing the Seal Fitness Test (SFT) that they don’t take the time to understand exactly what needs to be trained for military personnel in combat.

Essentially, the Seal Fitness Test is:

500 yard swim in less than 12 minutes and 30 seconds
Two minutes to do at least 42 push ups
Two minutes to do at least 52 sit ups
Do at least 8 pull ups before giving up
Run 1.5 miles in less than 11 minutes and 30 seconds

Well, it’s a decent way to distinguish a fit person from an unfit person, but it’s certainly no predictor of who will survive a battle.