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.

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Reviews \• September 25, 2011

Rippetoe on Training vs. Exercise

Face it, Mark Rippetoe knows what he is talking about, and also has a way with words. Great article on T-Nation from back in July (July 7th, 2011). Thanks to T-Bone for the tip. “Exercise and training are two different things. Exercise is physical activity for its own sake, a workout done for the effect [...]

Reflections \• August 12, 2011

Concerning the anatomy of the Radius and Ulna

Skeletal anatomy of the arm (pictured: right arm, with supinated hand).Skeletal anatomy of the right hand.Schematic (overly simplified) drawing of skeletal anatomy of the forearms. So, because of breaking my left radius two weeks ago, I’ve been trying to educate myself about the treatment, healing, and rehabilitation of this particular injury. To my taste, no [...]

Is It Paleo? \• October 10, 2010

Life Expectancy of Hunter Gatherers (Paleolithic Humans)

I was first tipped to this by Chris at Conditioning Research, but thanks still go to Henry, a reader of Mark’s Daily Apple who recently provided a link to UC Santa Barbara anthropology professor Michael Gurven and University of New Mexico professor Hillard Kaplan’s three year old paper on life-expectancy in paleolithic humans. The paper, [...]

Nutrition \• October 5, 2010

Nutritionists Question 2010 Govt. Dietary Guidelines

Hite, Feinman, et al., “In the face of contradictory evidence: Report of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee,” Nutrition 26:10 (2010) 915–924. [See ONLINE ABSTRACT and FULL TEXT]. The original Dietary Guidelines for Americans were produced in the 1970′s and were the first government sanctioned nutritional directives published in America. Under the influence of Ancel [...]

Reviews \• August 5, 2010

Crazy for the Storm (Review)

Reviewed in this post: Norman Ollestad, Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival (New York: HarperCollins, 2009; Ecco 2010). A wonderful and exciting read, Norman Ollestad’s personal memoir Crazy for the Storm should appeal to surfers, skiers, fathers, and sons, and anyone interested in stories of eleven year old boys who survive alpine plane [...]

Nutrition \• July 24, 2010

The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Review)

Reviewed in this post: Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (New York: Penguin, 2006; imprint 2007). FOOD is mysterious. It is both intensely personal and ultimately social, a matter of private taste and of public life. It is not enough to point out that food (along with air, water, clothing [...]

Health Reports \• March 16, 2010

The Physiology of Fasting

A look at Peter R. Kerndt, MD, James L. Naughton, MD, Charles E. Driscoll, MD, and David A. Loxterkamp, MD “Fasting: The History, Pathophysiology and Complications,” Western Journal of Medicine 137:5 (1982) 379–399. PMCID: PMC1274154.

Nutrition \• September 24, 2009

Brillat-Savarin’s Physiology of Taste

Reviews and discusses the historical and gastronomical significance of The Physiology of Taste, the 1825 book by the brilliant French gourmand Jean-Anthelm Brillat-Savarin.

Nutrition \• March 8, 2009

Revisiting “the Zone”

Explores my CrossFit inspired rediscovery of “the Zone” diet, 14 years after the original publication of Barry Sears’ 1995 book, Enter the Zone. In my own experience, the Zone-favorable diet is the best way to control your weight and promote your overall health and well-being.

hi mom!