Training Board is about…

Weightlifting, nutrition, paleolithic and "Zone" dieting, weight loss, my workouts, and reflections and reviews of various related topics that interest me. But mostly, I just use this blog to track my workouts.

If anything I have posted seems useful to you, let me know with a comment.

About Me

I'm a level I "sports performance certified" USAW coach, and I train, and work as an assistant coach at Asheville Strength and Conditioning, a great little gym here in Asheville, N.C.

I work with clients who want to get strong and fit, and specialize in helping older, detrained individuals reclaim their fitness and youthful athleticism.

Also, it should be said that I used to train with, and still love many of the folks down at CrossFit Asheville. A lot of the older portions of this blog deals with CrossFit and reflects my earlier fascination with CrossFit's "fitness as sport" model of training. I've learned a lot from CrossFit since I first discovered it, back in late 2008, even though my own training is now more focused on developing pure strength and capacity in the basic strength lifts.

Support Wikipedia

Support Wikipedia
www.flickr.com
mcbalz's items Go to mcbalz's photostream
CrossFit Asheville WODS \• August 30, 2010

Monday Squat PR and Sprinting MetCon

Sore and tired from my Sunday run, but not so sleep deprived as most days last week, still 100% paleo, and consistent in my eating plan, I made it to CFA at 6:00 am today feeling pretty good. A shout out to Keith Roberts for joining up with us today! I have no time for [...]

Outdoor Recreation \• August 29, 2010

9.3 mile run (1/2 marathon training)

No time for additional details, whether about empty dark streets, bunnies darting across the road, or almost puking on Edgewood, the little lost dog on College, the horrible auto accident on Hilliard, or mind-numbing pain and struggle… not even time to describe the incredible beauty of a gas-station parking lot playing Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get [...]

Health Reports \• August 29, 2010

Weigh In

Weight Measurements Sunday Aug. 29th Weight Observed Body Fat % Implied Fat Mass Implied Lean Mass Comment 180 lbs 17% 30.6 lbs 149.4 lbs Post run and breakfast. No way this is accurate. 181 lbs 16% 29 lbs 152 lbs Also an unlikely reading 179.5 lbs 15% 27 lbs 152.5 lbs This is closer to [...]

CrossFit Asheville WODS \• August 27, 2010

Dressing in the Dark

Friday morning I couldn’t find my black shorts. I wore my purple old school Birdwell’s Beach Britches board shorts instead; they are a little too slim, a little too short, and much too purple. And they really didn’t go with my tight red singlet. Oh well. I still had fun, although I endured quite a [...]

CrossFit Asheville WODS \• August 25, 2010

monster mash

Even on less sleep, things went pretty well at CFA this morning: we did shoulder presses (at 120×4 I barely missed a new 5 rep PR) and “metabolic monster,” a wicked combo of 800 meter runs, broad jumps, and waiter’s walking. I had to stay up late on Tuesday night (getting ready for first day [...]

Strength Day \• August 24, 2010

Deadlift PR (5 x 290)

Today I joined the 9:00 am crew at CFA only for the warm-up and strength session (deadlift). I skipped the met-con, since I just had a good one on Saturday and a decent one yesterday, am planning on tomorrow, and Friday, and have a long endurance run scheduled for Saturday. It’s plenty. But I have [...]

CrossFit Asheville WODS \• August 23, 2010

Overhead Squat and Gone in 60 Seconds

Quick note here. No time for rumination. Overhead Squat: warm-up, then, 5 x 55 / 3 x 75 / 1 x 95 / 6 x 105 (fail on 7). New PR by 10 lbs. Gone in Sixty Seconds: 228 reps, 35 lbs dumbells, 12 lb. medicine ball. I got one more rep than last time, [...]

Health Reports \• August 22, 2010

Weigh In

Strict paleo for 30 days begins today. No alcohol, limited caffeine, no forbidden foods AT ALL, until Sep. 21st, which is a Tuesday, so, really, I won’t be drinking alcohol until the 24th, which is 33 days. The numbers today suggest I am pretty much flat for the week, although, I did not see the [...]

CrossFit Asheville WODS \• August 21, 2010

D.T. again

Today at CFA: definitive proof that I’m getting stronger and faster. The WOD, called “D.T.” is a hero workout honoring slain soldier Timothy P. Davis (RIP D.T.) I’ve done the workout at CFA twice before, in April and in August 2009. According to my records, CFA last did D.T. exactly one year ago today. Last [...]

CrossFit Asheville WODS \• August 20, 2010

Paris, Burning

Ouch! Something about today’s workout put the hurt on me. I’m not injured, it’s just that when I finished my work (dead last in the 6:00 am class) I felt like dying. I took a walk through the bank parking lot so my pain wouldn’t be so evident to all. Warm-Up I got decent sleep [...]

hi mom!