Steel Shop Fun

The Steelfit Showroom is literally INSIDE a massive Steel fabrication shop. The cavernous space includes sky high ceilings, cranes, lifts, trucks, machinery and steel EVERYWHERE.

Steel Beams, Channels, Rods, Pipe and steel everything for as far as you can see. After getting some work done in the studio where the Steelfit equipment is produced, I love to take time to venture away to explore to see what type of "steel" trouble I could get into.

Now, I know lots of guys that would have an absolute field day exploring the shop in general....but my favorite finds are almost always in the SCRAP barrels; that is where it gets really fun. This is where odd pieces end up as by-products of other jobs in progress. What I find there is is always a bonanza, with dozens of toys the result.

I-Beam pieces of varying weights and widths are perfect for doing farmers walks, weighted pull ups or walking lunges. There are almost always solid rods and pipes of all sizes to experiment with overhead squats, snatches, pressing and all sorts of "body bar" type moves. Then there was the plates, channels and large pipes..........varying sizes and weights; for pressing, cleans and you name it; so much fun.

You may recall the saying, "one man's junk is another man's treasure". for Steelfit, the scrap barrel in the steel shop is it: Steel Shop Fun for sure!

Extra Pounds......Extra Effort

My workouts have been consistent and remain fairly vigorous; in fact, I have been working pretty hard as of late.

However, one must always remember that exercise is only half the battle. Balancing a clean diet with time in the gym, pool and elsewhere is the real key. I can't say that my diet choices have been horrible........but have definitely fallen a little weak when it comes to late night snacking and some indulgences that should simply invoke a quick NO. The result; a softer middle than I would like and about 5-8 extra pounds.

So, what's the big deal right? Most people wouldn't notice the extra baggage, but the sure fire test came for me this past week on the pull up bar.

We can all remember facing the pull-up bar at some point in our training evolution. I have often chronicled how much fun it is to see improvement in strength gains over time with hard work, variety and some sweat. After all, pull ups are the ultimate test of upper body strength as you lift and lower your entire body weight. Success takes consistent practice and requires that you never stray too far from the bar.

Now, add 6-8 pounds of weight (or more) to the equation and things start to change. The more you weigh, the more you have to lift. If you suddenly add extra girth due to a slump and some bad choices, athletic performance is going to suffer. An increase in your Body Mass Index will likely result in a decrease in pull up performance. While not rocket science for sure, we can sometimes lose sight of the physics involved.

Two less strict hang pull up reps this week than I would have expected woke me up to the softness in my middle and the need to get it corrected ASAP. Besides needing to get into my wet suit for an upcoming Triathlon, going backwards on anything (and especially pull ups) puts me and many others in a really bad mood.

So the extra pounds are what they are, but the effort to "right" the situation is a choice, just like the one's that resulted in the situation to begin with. Extra Pounds....Extra Effort; making the right choices is key.

Just Pulls

Found a CrossFit WOD that sounds so innocent on paper (don't they all)and thought it would be perfect for Steelfit to tackle. After all, it is ALL about pulls.....and nothing but pulls; perfect right? The plan was to get the work in this week, but with a heavy travel schedule again, creativity had to prevail to get something done while on the road.

10 Rounds for Time

Each round consists of:
3 Weighted pull ups (prescribed at 45 lb, but NOT happening for me).... 20lb or 25lb instead.
5 Strict pull ups
7 kipping pull ups

The goal is for each round to be completed without letting go of the bar. After the weighted pulls, you drop the dumbbell and keep going with the strict pulls.

On a workout like this, it is so important to have given that special attention to GRIP development along the way. Half of the battle is going to be keeping your hands glued to the bar, especially after you drop the extra weight.

This week for sure, with a brief update next week on the results: nothing but pulls!!!