Seals, Bullets, and Proof If you’ve dropped in to Parable for a class, been coached 1 on 1, or have been a part of our fit family here for some time, then the use of the term “Bulletproofing” is no foreign term. It’s an integral part of our programming, for the purposes of (1) creating integrity about the joints, (2) working on muscle endurance in multiple planes of movement in a controlled setting, and (3) developing progressions of strength for higher difficulty skills. Here’s an example from this past week’s programming: Seal Walk x 100’-75’-50’-25’ Kipping Toes to Rings x 5- 15- 25- 35 This takes people about 8-12 minutes, with the Tier 3 option of doing a second cycle of the above. This Bulletproofing piece was done at the end of the workout, and suffice it to say that our meat corsets got a good beating. If you want...Read more

MOVE THAT BUS! Transformation is what we all love to see! Whether it’s a home makeover or your body, there is a definite blueprint to get there. At Parable, this is summed up in meso, macro, and micro- cycles. There will be strength cycles, skill cycles, technique cycles, and accumulation cycles that focus on specific building. For the last 5 weeks, we have been focusing on three main lifts: Snatch Deadlift, Push Press, and Front Squat (with specific tempos). In addition to these 3 lifts, you’ll see that there is a fair amount of strongman skill pieces (odd object, braced caries, loads overhead), tempo work, and of course, bulletproofing. The Macro Cycle we are currently in is called an “Accumulation” Phase. The underlying purposes of this phase is to provide (1) Capacity for Load (increasing weights), (2) Structural Balance (push vs pull imbalance corrections and unilateral vs bilateral), and (3)...Read more

We have all heard the term ‘clean eating’ right? It’s where the majority of your diet consists of whole, nutrient dense foods. Well have you ever noticed what type of thinking you are doing the majority of the day? Do your thoughts consist of positive, motivational, encouraging thoughts? Or, do you find yourself falling down the dark, negative abyss of self loathing? What if I told you that your very own thoughts could be affecting your performance in the gym? Our mindset is a key indicator of how well we will take on adversity in our lives. First, when you find yourself using those negative thoughts, try to immediately turn it into a positive. “I’m never going to get a pull-up” can be replaced with “I am getting stronger every day! I WILL get that pull-up!” Speak words of affirmation. This will create a mindset that expects results to come....Read more

You Become What You Think: Mine Your Mind Question. Have you ever been so immersed in a workout that the voices screaming, the music blaring, the bodies moving, fade away? Have you laid on the ground wondering who just did that blistering workout with your body? Have you ever lifted more than your previous best with lightning speed, with ease? If so, you have met Flow. Flow State has been described as being so absorbed in an activity and doing such at very high levels of performance. Never met flow? You must train it. We Must Mine Our Mind We have room for only one thought at a time; two thoughts cannot occupy our brain space at one time, in training contexts. Perhaps two cues can, but only through MUCH training and right coaching. So we must mine our thoughts, so to speak. To dig, we must know what we...Read more

Age is a measure of beauty, of grace, and of wisdom. This application of measure is true of one’s fitness journey, as well. One of my greatest joys is training clients that are older than me, many of which are in their respective Masters Age category. Much of the time I wonder who is training who; am I training them for fitness and longevity or are they training me to be a better coach and human being? I have a suggestion: surround yourself with Masters Human Beings. There is a difference between being old and being a master, by the way.   Being “old” is a limited frame a mind, unless embraced with good humor—for we all know that humor brings youth to the bones.   Being a master means to “gain control of; overcome” and “having or showing very great skill or proficiency.” To gain control of one’s SELF...Read more