What a week. We’ve been busy making changes to multiple aspects of this operation in an effort to improve our service and bring out the best in health and fitness from each of you.
Last Sunday, we rolled-out an update to our nutrition recommendations. If you somehow managed to miss it, catch up by following the link above. From top to bottom, that post spawned the most conversation we have ever had at MPH. We hope that, especially for those who have not yet seen it or weighed-in, there is more discussion to come. Please take care to read each and every comment, in addition to the parent post and our Nutrition Information page. Continue the dialogue by adding to last Sunday’s post, directly.
You may have also noticed the workout scaling that we used to provide no longer exists. We trolled every score submission—ours and yours, alike—to update specific loads and other scalings used. We may still provide scaling parameters within the comments section of each day’s workout, but we will not be placing them directly into the post anymore. This change was made for two reasons:
- Readability: we are forever on a quest to improve the look and feel of this site. With just the core workout posted, the site is much cleaner and more compact.
- Athletic development: posting the scalings as we did was too easy—for you and for us. We think this is why strength has come to be a “concern” for most. Too often, the scaled workouts were taken on immediately and without a proper warm-up (which should include attempts at the prescribed load). Over the last few weeks, we noticed that each of you have more of an ability to complete the workouts at these heavier weights than previously observed. Perhaps this is due to strength improvement; or maybe, just untapped capacity. Ultimately, we want each athlete to get as close to the prescribed weight as possible each day. And let’s face it, there is a big difference—sometimes, unnecessarily big—between 95 and 65 pounds, or 65 and 45 pounds, etc. We intend on approaching your warm-up in three ways, and we would like you to approach it in the same manner, with a general warm-up, a specific/mobility warm-up and finally, a strength warm-up.
When training on your own, please move through all three of the previous steps as best you can. If you have an appointment with us, please complete the general warm-up before the session begins, and then we will move you through the specific warm-up, as well as the strength warm-up, at the beginning of your session.
Rest today.
–Melody and John
In the past I have jumped too quickly to the lighter weights and have used them as a crutch. In the last few group sessions you guys have made me do the prescribed weight. I am realizing that, most of the weight, is within my capacity.
My confidence is growing and, my diet, while not perfect, is also getting better. I bypass all the junk food aisles at the supermarket, because they are unnecessary and counterproductive to my overall goals. Thanks. Jeff W.
This week I’ve been gradually eliminating post-agricultural food items from my diets, learning not to worry so much about zone blocks, and doing a bit of reading in the Paleo Diet. One resource I was glad to find was my neighborhood farmers market, http://www.palisadesfarmersmarket.com at 48th Pl. NW off Macarthur Boulevard. This morning I bought grass-fed, free-range angus flank steak, skinless boneless turkey breast, and even bought beef liver and heart based on the Paleo Diet’s recommendations. I also got a dozen eggs laid yesterday, though Paleo Diet points out they’re not an optimum protein source and limits them to 6 per week. There’s a farmer selling heirloom apples as well – the hard part is making your way past Bonaparte Bakery and two artisan cheese stands. Friday night I cooked tilapia using one of the Paleo Diet’s recipes – spicy flounder fillets, I think, it was excellent. I’m looking forward to the next lecture post.
Ted