So the latest investment in the gym is the Rogue RML 3W Squat Rack. It's a rack that folds into itself when not in use, this means you can have all the stability of a high quality rack, while saving space when you are not using it. I like things that are versatile and modular, and this fits that description. This rack also comes with an attachable pull-up bar, so I have not only 2 Squat Stations now but also 2 Pull Up Bars :) 

This banner will tkae you straight to this Rogue Rack. Click through my affiliate link to support my business :)

Step 1. Check Dimensions of product online - Get your measuring tape and measure if it will fit - Find and mark studs that you may want to use. 

Step 2.  Unbox - Read Directions - Pencil - Measuring Tape - Level - Measure again - Mark studs - Mark precisely where you want stringers

Step 3.  Get out Ratchet, Sockets, Wrenches, or Adjustable Wrenches, and Attach Brackets to the Stringers using supplied Hardware

 Step 4. Now that the stringers are ready - and where precisely they will be placed has been marked - get out your drill. 
If you have a partner (i did not) have them hold up the stringer against the wall precisely where you want it, and begin marking your drill points for the pilot holes. This is really a 2 person job, but I was too impatient to wait and I knew I could do it myself. 

Once you have those, set the stringer down, pick a corner, drill the pilot hole, and then pick a corner on the opposite side, and drill the pilot hole there as well, then set the stringer back up on the wall where it goes, and start screwing in the lag screws with a ratchet and socket set, a wrench, or impact wrench - once they are snug, the stringer will be secure enough that you no longer have to hold it. Once you've got one stringer mounted up, then mount the other stringer. Make sure they are the correct distance apart and that they are plum and level!! Once this is done, install the rest of the lag screws :)

Step 5. Once the stringers are secured, you take the rack crossmembers, (the arms that pivot and fold) and secure them to the brackets that we already mounted on the stringers using the supplied hardware. Lock the arms in position perpendicular from the wall. 

Step 6. Take the uprights, and mount them to the crossmembers/arms using the supplied hardware :) This is DEFINITELY a 2 person job - you do not want a 90" upright accidentally falling on anyone or anything, I can assure you that. This DID NOT happen but the potential is very bad so do not be careless. I was not able to get pictures of this part of the process, but below are the uprights. Be careful to ensure that at least one of the uprights touches the floor when it is in the perpendicular position - this means you have to be precise with the position in which you mount the uprights to the crossmembers. The crossmembers have an inch or two of play up or down in the design, and you can also move the uprights up or down in order to ensure that this happens - it is an intelligent design that allows for a high likelihood that you can achieve this, even if your measurements were slightly off. 

If your floor is not perfectly level, but your stringers and rack are perfectly level, you may find yourself in a situation where only one side touches the floor, adjust the height of the flooring or measure and cut a wood wedge to slide under the upright so you can achieve support for both sides. This will take stress off the wall. Installed correctly, this is an amazingly sturdy unit :)

 Step 7. Attach Pull Up Bar with supplied Hitch Pins, and attach the J-hooks so you can start lifting!

So I've noticed the overwhelming majority of folks I talk to about their activity levels over Thanksgiving week all report little to no physical activity. So I've been inspired to talk a little bit about an experience I had on Thanksgiving day that relates to this. :)

The last few years on Thanksgiving Day I've participated in what's called The Turkey Bowl, it's a group of guys and we play Flag Football. I recently bought a Chest Strap Polar H10 HR Monitor in order to get more insight about what my HR is doing during various workouts, as well as things like recovery time and Heart Rate Variability and whatever else I can come up with. 

Several things stand out here:
The game made me work hard for about an entire hour! And it was a blast. This hour was composed of sprinting, jogging, short bouts of recovery, and tons of lateral and backwards movement - this covers a TON of bases as far as goes movement and energy system training. It's timing, coordination, balance, direction change, etc. My Hips and legs were sore for several day Lol.

The next thing is the Max Recorded HR at 174 - which I have yet to replicate during training in the gym, although I have come close, and I also have not deliberately tried. But that's the beauty of playing a game - it makes you try much harder than you would if you weren't competing! For me, I've learned 174 is quite high, and when I get into the 170's, recovery from such workouts takes more time and more carbs than recovery from workouts where my HR never gets into the 160's.

The next thing was the Estimated Calorie Burn for my size weight sex age activity level and fitness level and HR expenditure and activity profile. This came in at 874 and I was quite impressed. It would require monumental amounts of focus and dedication for me to match this on a cardio machine, I typically don't even touch the 400 Calorie mark on the Concept 2 or AirBike, although I am NEVER on there for an hour at a time, to be fair. This left me extremely impressed at how effective going out and playing sports can be, plus it's a good explanation for why I was STARVING after this!  Hence the Duck, Turkey, White Sweet Potato, and Veggies after this on Thanksgiving day :)

Another cool set of data points:
1:32 in the most intense, max performance and max speed zone (this level does not get reached often or for long, except during the highest intensity intervals in training)
23:11 in the increasing max capacity zone (this is quite good!)
28:34 in the aerobic fitness impovement zone (Interestingly this time must have been primarily the time between plays when my HR was recovering from the spikes that happened with the sprints during every play)

I could have learned a lot more data with a high level sports watch that was coordinated with the HR Monitor - this may be something that I'll look in to and share my insights about the data I learn in the future. I would have underestimated how hard I worked if not for this data tracking - it's true I was quite tired at the end and there were moments where I was utterly exhausted (HR 174!) but still, I would have discounted and minimized the overall work I performed. Cool stuff - excited to keep learning more as I go. 

First Impression: This thing is a beast! It's sturdy as hell, and it's substantially bigger than the Assault AirBike. It feels way overbuilt. The main difference is the the drive train system, this one is belt driven whereas the Assault Bike is chain driven. The result is that the rogue bike is smoother and more quiet in operation, and it is very sensitive to changes in power application. The chain system of the Assault Bike is louder, but it feels much more like pedaling a real bike. It also seems like for the same level of effort, the assault bike displays a slightly higher wattage output than the rogue bike does. They're both awesome and you can't go wrong with either one. I'll do a more detailed review and compare and constrast the two in a later post.

Below are pics of the unboxing and install process:

Considering buying your own? My affiliate banner below will take you straight to the Rogue Echo Bike and clicking through will support my business and family :) 

QSC has a brand new Concept 2 PM5 Rower! :)  It's beautiful, and even has Bluetooth connectivity with the ErgData app, which will record your workouts and display additional metrics that you can't find on the regular display. I've been using it the last couple days and it's very technical and impressive. ​

Also we've got a new lighter slam ball, lighter wall ball, lighter KB's and a set of lighter DB's :) Reviews on all the gear and links where to purchase coming later - but in short, I love it all, excellent quality.  Plus there's more gear on the way! 

So with this brand new rower, we will see how you do on the Rowing tests! We'll be using to gauge your progress - 

100 M For Time: this is a max power, short duration, CPr (creatine phosphate) and ATP energy system dominant test - every 1/10th of a second counts! 

500 M For Time: this is a longer duration power event compared to the 100M test. It draws mainly upon the Glycolytic Energy System, also called Anaerobic Glycolysis, which serves as a bridge between the Creatine Phosphate (Phosphagen) system and the longer duration Aerobic System. 

2000 M For Time: this is an even longer duration test, drawing mainly from the Aerobic Energy System (Aerobic Glycolysis). This test duration is long enough that the Phosphagen system and Anaerobic Glycolysis systems can no longer be the main energy provider after a few minutes, so this is designed to place a large demand on the Aerobic System. 

No energy system works in a vacuum, you're always using every energy system, to an extent, to do any activity, the difference is which one is providing the dominant amount of energy. Let's find out how your energy systems stack up! Schedule at the link below or message me let's get you in here! 

So people often ask which shoes I wear to workout. For years now, the answer for me has been the Reebok Speed TR or the Nano series. Recently I've been going solely with the Speed TR. You can order custom colors (which I do) from Reebok if you like. 

These are what mine looked like fresh out of the box, and below is the custom "your reebok" box that the custom shoes come in. Clean stuff :) Reebok makes the custom shoes from scratch, and estimates a 6 - 8 week lead time, but I've done a custom order twice now and received them within the week each time :)
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So you're looking for a few key things in a workout or "training" shoe:
1. It needs to be wide, with a wide toe box. (this is for the ability to maintain lateral stability in the ankles and feet during weightlifting and lateral movements, it's not good for the ankles to lift heavy weights in a shoe that is extremely laterally unstable like a typical running shoe - hello tendonitis.) 
2. It needs to be flat from front to back (to have proper weight distribution during weightlifting. One cannot squat properly rolling between the heels and the balls of the feet in a curved running shoe during the squat)
3. It needs to be light and flexible enough that you can still run for short to medium distance with comfort. (one cannot run with an olympic weightlifting shoe, and it is more difficult when the shoe is heavy and inflexible)
4. Pay attention to the "heel drop." My preference is a low, or a small heel drop. The heel drop refers to the height of the heel relative to the forefoot of the shoe. A 3 mm drop would be considered a small drop, and an 8 mm drop would be more typical of a tennis shoe or many running shoes. 

Shoes with big fat heels have a huge heel drop, and they encourage poor running technique via hardcore heel striking, which is a jarring for the body and a braking force during running. It is easier to run with better technique with a shoe that has a smaller heel drop such, as the Speed TR. This makes it easier to forefoot strike.

The Speed TR meets all these needs perfectly. Great blend of comfort, enough stability to lift weights in, and light and flexible enough to run in comfortably. The shoes weigh 8.5 oz, which is light enough, and they have a 3 mm drop, which is perfect for me.

The shoes hold up well against rope climbs, and I find them excellent and handling shorter interval / track workouts, and they are great at distances up to about 5 miles. 

If you might need a new training shoe, you can shop through the button link below and it will take you straight to the Reebok Page where you can customize your own set of Speed TR's. Go check it out and get creative, or maybe check the standard color options :)