Bananas not included
What’s more fun that a barrel of monkeys? Why an adult jungle-gym to play on, of course! We’re big fans of climbing, an essential MovNat skill, and we’ve played around with everything in the gym from pull-up bars, climbing walls and even a log that hangs from the ceiling, but our new MovNat climbing platform really does take the prize for all-out fun.
The structure’s design was inspired by a temporary one built by Erwan LeCorre for his Brazil course last year at this time. Erwan had lashed several pieces of wood and bamboo into a fairly sturdy and flexible four-sided structure that offered quite a number of training possibilities. This was no simple pull-up bar — the grip was wide and sometimes slippery, and it proved to be quite challenging. I loved the multi-level options that it provided.
The structure in Itacare, Brazil
In designing our own, we faced several challenges. The structure had to be strong enough to withstand heavy use in a commercial facility, but we wanted to retain the natural feeling of real wood. And with cross-beams measuring 8-10 feet, we also needed something strong enough to hold quite a bit of weight. These horizontal bars needed to be of reasonably small diameter (so you could grip them), but still have enough strength to not break or splinter even with a fair amount of abuse.
Roughed up for a natural feel
The solution came from looking at the same technology used in long-bow construction. Kevlar (yes, the bullet-proof kind) was used in the construction of the horizontal bars to re-inforce their strength. Very little chance of them breaking, and certainly no chance in having them ever splinter. We love it! The upright posts are solid Western Red Cedar, and the horizontals are Poplar. The cedar is naturally resistant to fungus and bacteria, so very little maintenance is involved. The bars were lightly laminated with a non-toxic, matte finish just to seal in the wood and to further eliminate the chance of splinters. Each bar can be placed at a number of different heights for a variety of training options.
Pullups, toes-to-logs, muscle-ups, hip-overs, swings, vaults, duck-unders, balancing, climbing — really the only limiting factor with this new apparatus is one’s own imagination. This morning, we were practicing some squat-balances on one of the lower bars while catching PVC poles, sticks and medicine balls. It’s not just about pull-ups, it’s about MovNat playfulness. I’ll be thinking of more possibilities as we experiment more!
Some post-workout stretching
Ready for some action
Tags: climbing, climbing structure, MovNat, MovNat platform, natural movement, StrengthBox
Everyone can learn from the Paleo Solution
Spring has finally arrived, so it’s a perfect time to get serious about your diet. And since Robb Wolf will be in town next weekend to present his Paleo Solution Seminar, what a perfect time to launch another EAT REAL Challenge here at the StrengthBox. We saw some solid transformations from our challenge in 2010, and now armed with Robb’s book and seminar knowledge, we expect to see some great results again!
The Challenge will kick-off at 6:30pm on Friday, March 25th (the day prior to the Robb Wolf seminar). Immediately following our 5:30pm workout, we’ll be giving a small presentation on the basics of the Challenge, including some solid strategies for coping with Paleo requirements in a modern, and often busy world. You’ll receive a StrengthBox Strategies book, which not only covers the basics of the Paleo Diet, but contains some great tools for measuring your own progress. From visual assessment and measurement guides to diet logs and compliance sheets – the book is chock full of information.
For one solid month (until Easter Sunday, April 24th), you’ll commit to eating good-quality meats, fish, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds and some fruit – while avoiding grains, legumes, dairy, salt, sugar and processed foods. You will log your compliance daily (using our compliance sheets), and will aim to keep at least 90% compliant for 4 weeks. At the end of the 4 weeks, we’ll draw for prizes among all those with top compliance scores. Prizes will include a free month of StrengthBox training, Schinoussa Sea Vegetables, and more. Of course, everyone will be able to celebrate an entire month of clean eating – and great results!
Paleo Solution Seminar March 26th
So what’s the deal with the paleo diet? Many nutrition scientists believe that it is a way of eating for optimum health, as the diet most closely mimics the way our Paleolithic ancestors ate. Over a two-million year period, our genes adapted to a diet in which all food had to be hunted, fished, or gathered from nature. Though the natural environment has changed drastically, the humane genome has changed less than 0.02 percent in the past 40,000 years. Thus, most of us eat a diet that is not in synch with their genetic needs, and sooner or later end up with with health conditions that would have otherwise been preventable.
Part of the key to sticking to a paleo diet is having both a strategy for eating, and a good support system. Doing the EAT REAL challenge will provide you with both. Why not take advantage and “spring clean” your eating with StrengthBox?
Note: Our regular 6:30 and 7:30pm classes will be cancelled on March 25th so we can kick-off this event.
For more resources on the Paleo diet, please visit www.robbwolf.com.
Tags: Eat Real Challenge, paleo, Robb Wolf, StrengthBox
Venison Roast, with Kale and Vegetables
Venison is as special as the word sounds, and any type of large antlered game is perfect for a paleo feast. While you might not be hunting your own wild booty, farm-raised deer and elk meat is available from select butchers, and the animals are raised without the use of antibiotics and growth hormones. Farm raised venison is naturally lean and tender, and it will cook faster than meats with more fat and connective tissue. Use the low setting on your slow-cooker, and please forget about all the venison recipes on the Internet that involve cans of cream of mushroom soup or dried onion soup mix!
- 3-4 lb Venison Roast
- 1 onion, sliced
- few stalk celery, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1/2 can Italian tomatoes
- 1/2 bunch fresh kale, tough stems removed
- 2 peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- bacon fat
Marinade:
- 4 T apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 c olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 T Tamari (wheat-free) soy sauce
- 1 t herbs de Provence
- 1/2 t dry mustard
- black pepper
High in protein and low in fat
Mix the marinade and rub into the roast well using the hands. Cut slits into the roast with the tip of a knife and insert pieces of garlic into the meat in various places. Add a bit of water to the remaining marinade and place the meat and the remainder of the marinade in a large glass bowl or container, and let sit overnight (in the fridge).
In the crock-pot, just before cooking
Brown the roast well in a cast-iron skillet, using a small amount of leftover bacon fat. Turn the meat from time to time so that all sides are well-browned (this will add a greater depth of flavour to the dish). While the meat is being prepared, place the tomatoes, onion, celery, kale leaves, carrots, herbs, bay leaves and peppercorns in a slow-cooker (crock-pot). Add the browned roast to the crock-pot with the vegetables, ensuring that it rests in the stoneware properly without touching the lid. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
The slow cooker must be 1/2 to 3/4 full to operate properly (otherwise it will cook the meat too fast). If you are using a smaller roast, alter the amount of tomatoes and other vegetables accordingly.
Fall and winter vegetables like turnips, mushrooms and even chestnuts are great accompaniments. So go ahead, give some large game a try!
Tags: crock-pot, deer, game meat, recipe, slow cooker, venison
Modern-Day Vitruvian Man
Attempting to represent a modern-day Vitruvian Man was quite the challenge, as da Vinci’s original sketch is based on the Classical concept of ideal human proportions. While I may not be the epitome of his “Canon of Proportions”, the illustration also relates man to nature, and that’s a concept I can certainly identify with. Leonardo believed the workings of the human body to be an analogy for the workings of the entire universe.
The original, named after the architect Vitruvius
Photographer Gary Hills of Fizzbucket came up with the creative concept for this photo, and together with his assistant Chester, they prepared the StrengthBox gym for the actual shoot. Using a black backdrop and a combination of natural and remote flash lighting, they got the look they wanted. I had to stand for two tricky poses, which were combined to create the final. Chester and Gary were sticklers for accuracy with the original; getting the angles of my arms and the positioning of my feet just right. My arms and legs extended had to fit perfectly within two geometric forms: a square and a circle. The result I think was worth it. After quite a bit of post-production processing in Photoshop CS5, the composite came to life.
One of many original set-up shots
Working on a portrait
We also worked on some portrait and action shots using some logs and other natural props that I use in the gym. Gary made me feel completely comfortable; he’s truly a professional and I would highly recommend his work. In fact, I can’t wait to do more creative stuff with him in the future!
Tags: da Vinci, Fizzbucket, Gary Hills, photo shoot, StrengthBox, Vitruvian Man
One of my clients trains precision jumping
What should the goal of an exercise program for seniors be? A study supported by the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (funded by Fitness Canada) found that seniors engage in organized fitness programs for the same reasons the majority of the population does: they want to “feel better mentally and physically” and they want to “control weight or to look better”. Personally, I think the goal should be to improve quality of life. Too often, however, older people end up doing seated chair exercises or bicep curls with soup cans or water bottles – isolation movements that have little or no carry-over benefits to real life. Those exercises are fine when required as rehab or when someone’s physical capabilities are limited, but they shouldn’t be used if a person is capable of full-body movement on their own.
Functional skill training: Balancing
We know the benefits of regular exercise on wellness and health, but this message seems to get lost for people later in life. Risk factors are higher, and some might falsely assume that it’s too late. It’s a bit of a struggle to convince people 65 and older that they need to exercise, and sometimes a struggle with health-care providers and trainers to provide assistance due to safety reasons or for the same false belief that declining health trends are irreversible for the elderly.
The important thing for seniors is to start slowly, and to work on simple natural movement skills. Start with a skill that can easily be performed, like walking, and then progress to variations like walking on all fours, balancing on one leg or walking on a beam. If a person can’t safely squat, they can do assisted squats at home by hanging on to the kitchen sink as they squat, or by squatting to a chair and then standing up again.
Erwan LeCorre, founder of MovNat, often uses the phrase “strong to be useful”. This applies to anyone, of course, but in the case of seniors it’s particularly important. Erwan coaches people in all the natural movement skills: skills that humans have been doing for hundreds of thousands of years, and MovNat is therefore just as powerful for older populations as it is for the young. We need to practice the squat, for example, not only because it’s a natural position — but because the day we lose the ability to raise our own bodyweight off the floor is the day we might have to look into going into an extended care facility. Doing a scaled burpee (squatting, getting into a plank position and immediately standing up) isn’t so much of an exercise to train core strength and power, but is a way of training the ability to get off of the ground quickly. These aren’t merely skills that would increase one’s independence – they could literally save someone’s life.
I almost hate to use the terms “exercise” and “fitness” when it comes to seniors. It should be called “life skill training” or something more aligned with gaining and maintaining independence as people age in a healthy manner. This simple change of terminology would help get people away from the comfort of exercise machines and contrived isolation exercises and move them towards learning how to move, naturally.
Seniors wanting to start an exercise program should definitely consult with their doctor before proceeding. Working with a trainer is also a great idea, especially one who is experienced in working with older populations or who has experience in natural movement exercises.
We spend a ton of money as a society on prescription mediations to lower cholesterol, control blood pressure, and to keep diabetes in check. In that context, a session or two with a personal trainer certainly isn’t a big-ticket item, and the benefits are huge.
Tags: fitness, MovNat, natural movement, seniors
The Classic Marinade
I’m a lover of liver – calf’s liver to be exact, done with bacon and onions. So it should follow that I’d enjoy other organ meats as well, and since they’re prized in ancient cultures and part of the modern Paleo diet, I figured it was time I learned how to cook a greater variety of these delicacies.
The flavours found in these organs goes back to the beginning of cooking, as they have been an important part of the human diet since prehistoric times. Unfortunately, most North Americans get their share of innards by eating hot dogs and processed meats, where they are ground up so consumers are none-the-wiser.
I picked up some lamb hearts and lamb kidneys from Fresh From the Farm in Toronto, a local store that partners with Mennonite communities in Ontario. They were so easy to prepare — and easy on the budget as well. I’m definitely going to include them more regularly in my diet, along with some beef organ meat and marrow bones. Mine were done Greek style, that means they were marinated in a good Greek olive oil with a bit of fresh lemon juice and some oregano. I use oregano that is dried on the vine, which you can find in Greek markets. You simply crush some of the leaves between your fingers, and the aromatic oils of the oregano will be released. You can also cook beef or calf’s liver in this way. It is simple and will give you a new perspective on liver.
Ingredients:
- Lamb hearts and kidneys, sliced into smaller pieces
Marinade:
- Olive oil
- Greek oregano, crushed
- Fresh lemon (or a bit of red wine)
- Garlic (optional)
- Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Ready to Eat
Marinate the cuts of heart and kidneys for several hours or overnight, and them cook them on a grill or cast-iron pan, turning once or twice. Do not overcook, as the organ meats will be tough.
This dish reminds me of “kokoretsi”, or lamb innards done on a spit. That’s a Greek classic. Liver, heart, kidneys, sweetbreads and even the spleen of a lamb are cut into pieces and placed on a large skewer. Everything is then wrapped with lamb intestines and seasoned with the same type of marinade as above. The skewer is then cooked over charcoal, and the result is cut into thick slices for serving. Beautiful? I think so.
Need more help and inspiration for eating Paleo? A reminder that Robb Wolf is coming to Toronto on March 26th – you can get further details and find the registration link here!
Tags: innards, lamb, organ meats, paleo
Traversing an incline at a skatepark
When the temperature drops to an “extreme cold-alert” status, it would seem logical for most to stay indoors. And that was the case for most today in Toronto, as the temperature hit -20°C and the wind-chill made it feel closer to -30. That’s brutally cold.
Myself, I only saw the clear, blue sky and the sun. I needed to get out, to soak up even a bit of Vitamin D and feel the fresh air. I donned some compression gear, some wind-proof clothes, and headed out to the park for some planned hill-sprints and burpees in the snow. Figuring that the brutal cold would ward off any tobogganers, I anticipated having the hill all to myself. I ended up having the entire park. Even the dog-walkers were nowhere in sight.
Too icy for proper sprints!
As the hill was far too icy for sprints, I moved on to a local skateboard park. The snow had covered the entire area, and I saw an immediate possibility for some MovNat training. Using the skateboard installations and the snow-covered ‘bowl’, I put together a little combo. Within minutes, I was walking on all fours, balancing on a slippery steel beam, traversing a cement incline, jumping from one cement station to the next, walking in a low squat through the snow, and swinging a heavy rock like a kettlebell. It wasn’t comfortable — the wind and cold was piercing, and I felt my face freezing, which drove me to work even harder to generate body-heat. All in all, I only did the combo for about 12 minutes, but that was enough given that my face was exposed to the wind and I didn’t want to risk frostbite. Besides, I still had to run home.
Slowly, I’m learning to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Why do this? Because training in uncomfortable conditions expands your own comfort zone. And that’s something worthwhile.
I’m skipping the cold-water dousing today though — there are limits!
Tags: MovNat, outdoor training, winter, workouts
Nothing like a cold shot of water!
Why would I pour a bucket of ice-cold water over my head in the middle of the winter? The concept isn’t as crazy as it sounds, as people have been doing cold water therapy for eons. Reporting benefits of improved circulation, healthier skin, overall vitality, and faster recovery from injuries, people from many cultures still swear by the age-old practice and it is recommended by Russian Systema teachers and some of the Asian (including Akido) Martial Arts practitioners.
Dousing in this manner is not the same as taking a very cold shower. The water is much more frigid (almost frozen), and the impact of the “pour” is sudden. The body quickly reacts by raising core temperature slightly as the blood vessels dilate from the cold, and produces more white blood cells. The theory is that this raised body temperature is similar to a “mini-fever”, where the antibodies seek out and kill pathogens: harmful things that can cause colds and the flu. In other words, the experience is supposed to be a great immunity-booster.
As to the immunity-boosting theory, I’m not aware of any clinical evidence proving dousing’s ability to ward off sickness, but I can say from personal experience that it makes you feel great! Maybe I’m somewhat de-sensitized by my Polar Bear Swim experiences every January 1st, but I actually enjoy the sensation. Once I had doused a few times, I came to the realization that the result was not so much a feeling of intense cold, but rather one of warming heat. As soon as the initial shock is over, you can truly feel your skin getting warmer. And you stay warm, anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours later.
Perhaps the whole dousing phenomenon will become more popular now that best-selling author Tim Ferris has discussed his experiences with the ritual in his latest book, “The Four Hour Body”. I’m proud to say that I’ve been dousing on and off for several years. In fact, some people say that dousing should not become a regular habit — breaks are recommended so that your body doesn’t become acclimatized to the shock.
This morning, Toronto had a fresh snowfall, and it seemed a fitting day to douse after our Martial Arts class held at the StrengthBox. The night before, I had left a large bucket of water outside, so that it would be super-cold by the next day. And cold it was. The below-freezing temperatures ensured that the top of the water-bucket had frozen over with chunks of slushy-ice. Perfect! I won’t lie and say that there isn’t a psychological element to dousing, as it does take some courage. But my MovNat training has taught me that we need to expand our comfort zones by making ourselves uncomfortable from time to time. So, as my instructors Edward Wilson and Oded Levy watched, and fellow trainer Cynthia filmed, I braced myself for the event and started the “pour”. You can see for yourself how things unfolded…
Immediately following the douse, I felt a warm glow inside that radiated out to my skin. I felt energized and ready to do another training session, but I also felt like I could go to sleep (and would sleep like a baby), so it seems that the experience can either energize or relax you depending on how you channel it.
There are some other things about dousing that is part of the ritual according to some of the leaders in Systema. One rule is that your feet have to be touching the earth, regardless of the weather conditions. And there are some specific breathing exercises and movement patterns that are recommended (I have yet to try those). Overall, I can say that I’m a fan — no matter what the neighbours may think.
Tags: cold water therapy, dousing, hydrotherapy, StrengthBox, Systema
Guess who's coming to Toronto!
Exciting news for those interested in optimal health and performance nutrition — Robb Wolf is coming to Toronto this March to spread the Paleo message as only Robb can!
Date: March 26, 2011
Time: 9am – 5pm
Place: Westin Harbour Castle (1 Harbour Square Toronto, Ontario)
Cost $195
Robb is a former research biochemist and now one of the world’s leading experts in Paleolithic nutrition as well as co-owner of NorCal Strength and Conditioning. Robb’s seminar includes his full lecture on performance eating, recovery and optimizing health and longevity, although emphasis will be placed on the practical implementation of Paleo principles. You’ll learn how to maximize fat loss and support lean muscle gain, and how to avoid metabolic conditions such as Type II diabetes, heart disease, cancer and even Alzheimer’s.
As someone who has suffered from autoimmunity and chronic inflammation in the past, I can personally attest to how “going Paleo” took me from a path of sickness to wellness, and further on to fitness. It was Bryce Wylde who first put me on the road to recovery, and as I learned more about Paleo nutrition, intermittent fasting, training and fitness, I was led to the writings of Robb Wolf and his now-famous blog. If you haven’t picked up your copy of The Paleo Solution, I highly recommend you do so now!
I’m proud to say that StrengthBox is one of the sponsors of this event, along with the Wylde on Health Show, Academy of Lions, and CrossFit Toronto. Robb Wolf and I appeared as guests on Bryce Wylde’s show a few months ago, so it will be a pleasure to see them both again!
Tags: one-day clinic, paleo, Robb Wolf, seminars, The Paleo Solution
Great Canadian Chill
Still pretty brisk!
It may be January 1st, but the weather is feeling less like winter here in Toronto. A warm push of air from the south has raised the temperature to a high of 12°C, and has brought light rain showers along the way. Hardly the setting for an icy polar bear dip…except perhaps for a bear caught in the throws of global warming. Nevertheless, it’s become an annual tradition for me, and so for the third year in a row I got sucked into braved the icy waters of Lake Ontario for a cool winter dip.
This year, I opted for another location and event – this was sponsored by Sears to raise money to help kids who are living with cancer by supporting various oncology centres across Canada, including the one at Sick Kids Hospital. This was the inaugural year for the Great Canadian Chill series, and judging from the turnout, the event was successful.
Ready for a plunge
StrengthBox representer Boris
This was my third time participating in an ‘organized’ dip, and my second in the company of competitive kettlebell lifter and friend Boris Terzic. We always have fun, and I usually learn a few things. This year I learned I do not look good in Speedos…(and I’m sparing you by not posting “those” photos).
I’m not such a fan of the cold water blast, but I do love the all-over warm feeling that you get when you finish a plunge such as this. It’s why I’m a fan of cold-water dousing (another activity that I’ve done in the past, and have to revive this year!).
Two years ago was my first and best experience in polar bear swimming. There was an extreme cold alert in Toronto, and the ice that covered the water had to be chopped up with hatchets before any of the dippers could get wet. And there was just enough snow on the ground to make some nice snow-angels afterwards. As the warm weather event in Toronto is supposed to be short-lived, perhaps I’ll have to repeat my experience when the temperatures drop to below seasonal. Of course, it’s when you start taking plunges in icy waters – and it’s not part of an organized event – that you know you’ve gone off the rails completely. Oh well…
January 1st, 2009!
Tags: Great Canadian Chill, New Years, polar bear dip, swimming
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