Smoothie Recipie

I had a great workout this morning! It was even warm enough to ride my bike to the gym. I thought when I got home I would make a post workout smoothie. Experts say for optimal recovery you should shoot for a 4:1 carb/protein ratio. For my smoothie I threw in a can of pumpkin, 1/2 scoop of natural vanilla protein powder, scoop of BCAA, Creatine, some honey, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and Ice. What came out was probably the worst tasting smoothie ever created. I added more honey, cinnamon and drank it like a man. Point is, when life gives you a shitty tasting smoothie, find a way to make it taste good enough to drink it.

"Paleo diet" review

As of today I've stuck to the "paleo diet" for one month. For those of you who have no clue what a paleo diet is, it's basically everything you eat now except breads (wheat), dairy, and beans. Nothing weird about this diet, no coffee enemas (although they don't tell you not too), no pills that cause your heart to race, just really tasty food.

I've never tried a diet before for a few reasons. First, I love to eat. No really, I love to eat! I probably eat more than 99.9% of the world population. Ask my wife or my friends if you don't believe me. If I wasn't eating I was thinking about what I was going to eat. I could get hungry for my next meal while I was eating. It would be hard for me to go more than 3 hours without food. The second reason I've never dieted before was I wasn't conscience of what the food actually did to my body. Food was food, and I just believed to be healthy, stay away from fatty foods, eat a few salads, and get 6-8 servings of whole grains.

The more I have learned about nutrition the more I see that the typical "American" diet is making us all fat. There are many virtues of good fats and cholesterol that our modern diet isn't providing. What it does provide is too many carbs and Omega 6 fatty acids that are making us fat and sick. Carbs are a fuel source for our body but so is fat, and when we have an overload of carbs our body’s wont burn fat for fuel. When we eat those 6-8 servings of whole grains that the food pyramid suggests we never let our bodies use our fat storage, and it starts causing problems; Fat-assitis and that wiggly-underarm syndrome. The "Paleo" way of eating has you getting more fats and proteins from meats, fish, avocados and nuts and less carbs from breads, and pastas.

On the "paleo diet" you try to eat as if you only had the food that a caveman would have eaten. I don't go as far as hunting and trapping wild animals in my subdivision, but I do order a southwest chicken salad instead of a Big Mac. When you say the word "diet", your mind automatically thinks hunger pains and crappy bland food. That's the best thing about this diet so far. The food is really tasty! I also go much longer between feedings, and my cravings for breads and sweets are much more controllable. I don't feel like a strung out junkie looking for a hit of snickers or a shake. When I'm done eating I feel really satisfied, not like I'm on a diet. My normal foods consist of Sweet Potatoes (for carbs), sausage, meat, avocados, coconut, almond butter & delicious bacon.

So far this diet is working really well for me. I kicked my carb addiction and eliminated most of the processed foods. I didn't take any measurements or weigh myself before starting the diet, but I can visually see I'm much leaner and more muscular. Energy levels are up and no weird stomach aches and pains. I highly recommend anyone that’s looking to drop some fat and/or improve health give this diet a try for a month. Below are some of my favorite paleo foods and a good article on why we're getting so fat.

Spicy stuffed poblano peppers

Sweet potato & apple pancakes

lettuce wrapped burger

Garlic mashed cauliflower - add a couple pieces of bacon and chives, and try this it's way better than you think.

Good article on how food effects the bodys metabolism

Quickie with THoff

Really good interview with Tony Hoffman. Tony caught my attention last year when he began posting up videos and articles about training for bmx. I really liked what he had to say and how he was always thinking about how to get better. I asked him a few questions and this is what he had to say.

Since this is a training blog, What do you feel is the most beneficial type of training?(Thoff) I believe that all aspects of the race should be trained. It's how you cycle those demands through a season that determine how well rounded you are in competition. Power, Speed, Muscular Endurance, & Strength all need to be addressed. IMO you can't have one without the other.


What exercise do you feel developes a powerful gate start?
(Thoff) I think fundamental methods like a squat, deadlift in the gym but most importantly a strong flat ground sprint that is short in distance (4-6 revolutions) and downhill sprints to improve the speed of your legs. The gym is great but if you don't do sprints the gym is a waste of time.


What other sports/hobbies you do for either cross training or just for fun?
(Thoff) I don't really do much outside of training for my personal objectives on the BMX circuit. During the summer when I have time to recharge my endurance I will ride with the local road race group. We do 27-33mph on flat and it's pretty intense, I love it though!

What was your first race bike and what year did you start racing?
(Thoff) I had a chrome Robison SST. I started racing in 1996 and stopped in 2002. I returned and started racing pro in May of 2009

Do you have any ritiuals before getting in the gate?

(Thoff) I always pray before I load into the gate... Not to win the race or for safety but I quickly make an acknowledgment to God that I am thankful for the opportunity having been through my past struggles to compete with the top athletes in the world.

How do you get over a fear of a trying something on a track like a jump you know you have to do?
(Thoff) This is a good question... I find myself not trying to think about it much. Another thing I like to do is follow a rider who's abilities I trust to give me a speed check through the section.

Any plans after your Elite career is over? Vet, amature, Road bikes, MTB, or something else?(Thoff) My plans will be to further the Freewheel Project my non-profit organization http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fthoffonline.com%2Ffreewheel-project%2F&h=VAQGY4GHJ, possibly get into some coaching with a few athletes and definitely race road bikes on the crit circuit


Anything else, Shout outs, props?
(Thoff) There are many ways to reach peak performance, i've found a lot of people try to over complicate the process and or make it seem that you are not smart enough to do it on your own. If you train create a way to measure your progress or regression. If you can see your results objectively you can make the changes or tweaks necessary to enhance your performance. Your body is the best coach in the world. Learn what it's telling you.

I'd like to thank God first and all of my sponsors. Haro Bicycles, GU Energy, SRM power meters, Freelap Timing, Gaerne Shoes, DT Swiss and of course RaceFIT for the opportunity to share.

Check up from the neck up

I slacked the past couple of days with updating my blog. I'm sorry, but i'm making it up to you today. Here is a link to probably the most helpful article I've ever read. I'm serious about this. Read it and give it a try at the next race. I did some of the breathing and relaxing before my races last weekend, and had some of the most consistent gates I've ever had. Not only is it good for concentration but also very helpful for recovery by getting your breathing under control. I hope my competition isn't reading this one.

Check out the article and all of James Wilson's stuff here --> http://www.bikejames.com/strength/check-up-from-the-neck-up-tapping-into-the-ride-changing-power-of-your-mind/#comments

Just in case you thought you were strong

You might be able to squat 500 lbs, but can you do a handstand while balancing on a pair of dumbells?

Quickie with Sam Willoughby

Tomorrow is my birthday, and I hate the fact that i'm getting older so I don't like to celebrate. I feel like if anyone should be giving any credit for my birthday it should be my Mom. She did do all the hard work afterall. So as a thank you to Mom, here's a quick interview with her favorite bmx guy pro Sam Willoughby.






What is your favorite exercise for developing powerful gate starts?
(Sam) I guess Squats are the simplest and most effective

What are the biggest mistake you've seen or have made in training?
(Sam) Over training is a very easy thing to do in a power sport

If you could do any trick on a bike what would it be?
(Sam) A double back flip would be a good one forsure



Big thank you to Sam Willoughby for answering a few of my questions. I didn't want to bother him too much. I'm sure he's having a hard time this week after his favorite supercross racer messed himself up. Thanks again Sam and Thanks Momma for all you do!

Tebow landmine

I named this move after J.C's favorite Q.B. This is one of my favorite explosive full body exercises. I just started using them in my program, and really love that it requires a powerful drive from the legs and shoulders and a strong core to do these. Also it really shows you your right/left strength imbalances. To do these grab the bar and get down in your best Tebow pose and drive your leg into the ground and punch the weight to the sky. Start light and work your way up. I'm using the bar and 75# and it's pretty heavy for me. For more of a core challenge, drive with opposite foot from the working arm.

Quickie with Stephen Larralde

Pretty psyched on this interview. This dudes busy making deals and buying houses but he took a miniute out of his day to answer some questions, Free Agent/ Rockstar's World Champ Stephen Larralde.


When did you start racing?

(Stephen)  Started racing when I was 10 years old 1991

Since this is a training blog, do you actually train for bmx?

(Stephen) Yeah I go to the track when I can, that is good practice, however since lake perris shut down it is tough to get out to a track since they are all like 1 hour away. I also do the gym but that is only for the gun show haha.

If so what's the fav exercise to get quicker?

(Stephen)Really nothing I do at gym makes me faster, but I do, do road rides about 2 times a week and I think that helps for my cardio.

You seem to have a mental edge on the competition even though sometimes (sundays) you may not have the physical edge. How do you mentally prepare for a race?

(Stephen)You know, I really don’t know what it is, when the mains come around my mentals head a different way it’s like something comes over me and I get to a place where I need to be. I mean most of the time on Sundays I feel like I have been hit by a semi truck!! But you know what once the main comes it seems as if that is all forgotton. I think this has a lot to do when I was young, I have never been the type that gets nervous and seem to put it together when it counts. I just know what I came here to do and let it loose at the end.

I know you like to wakeboard for some crosstraining. Who's your fav rider? 

(Stephen) love wakeboarding even though I think I did it once last year ha ha. I like rusty malonaski, I think I spelled it right. He goes big! I also like byerly because he is old school ledgend!

 

Is there a wakeboarding trick that you want to learn but too scared to try?

(Stephen) I have a few tricks in the bag like all back flip rotations and 360’s. the trick I actually like the most and am terrified to do is a air reighly. It just scares the crap out of me. however I heard it is pretty simple. 

I see you're in love with Rockstar energy drinks, what's your fav flavor?

(Stephen) Actually driking one right now!! ha ha I love the Rockstar zero carb! All time favorite.

Best moment in bmx racing?

(Stephen) Well of course the best moment was winning the world’s last year.

Is there going to be a Larralde carrying on the name in bmx in the future? 

(Stephen)  Haha I doubt it, I don’t want to be around bmx all my life, just kidding if they want to ride then let um ride. I hope they choose something along the lines of baseball or something traditional. Ha ha

For those of you who don't know Stephen is a really nice guy and a really good racer. It may have to do with all the excess Taurine and vitamin B in his system. Thanks again Stephen!

The secret to amazing feats of strength and long life

Quickie with Superstar MTB trainer James Wilson

James Wilson was nice enough to answer a couple questions about training for BMX. For those of you who don't know James, he's a really bright guy that has trained some of the top Mtb guys. I love all the videos he puts out, and I'm happy everytime he graces us with a new blog post. Check his site out at bikejames.com

Question #1- What in your opinion is the single best exercise to develop the gate start?

(James)- While kettlebell swings and snatches are hard to beat, I really like banded swings for developing max power. I like swings better than the traditional Olympic lifts since they are a forward projection of energy as opposed to the upward projection of energy seen with Olympic lifts plus they are easier to learn. Since you want to project your energy forward out of the gate and not up swings are actually more specific in my opinion.

Question #2- What do you think is the most common mistake people make in training?

(James)- Following a program designed for another goal. General fitness programs like Crossfit and lifting sports like Olympic lifting and power lifting all have different goals than riding and while you can learn something from their approaches a lot of riders confuse general "principles" with specific "methods". Riding a bike requires a mastery of specific movement patterns and fitness laid on top of those patterns and blindly using other approaches can lead to less than optimal results. 

Question #3- If you could learn one trick on your bike what would it be?

(James)- The only trick I have is keeping the wheels rubber side down and not crashing but if I could do any trick I think that a tailwhip would be pretty sweet.

Thanks again to James for taking the time out of his day. I plan to ask others in the BMX, MTB, and strength and conditioning fields similar questions and hopefully get some good answers.

Inspirational video

Coach G's videos pale in comparison to the motivation that this video gives me to push that extra mile.

Sam Reynolds and the Road to Whitestyle Vital MTB

Single leg training

I've noticed most trainers have there philosophy that shapes the way they program their gym work. Some guys are into kettle bells, others love to do super heavy squats and deadlifts. Others have drank the P90X or Crossfit koolaid. I have subscribed to the idea of single leg training. Many of the top strength coaches believe and use this method in training their pro athletes.
To me, single leg training makes the most sense for bmx training and most sports. Training should be specific to what you're training for. When you pedal you drive the front foot down while your back foot un-weights on the upstroke. At no point in your pedal stroke is both legs driving down simultaneously (hopefully). We walk, run, and pedal one leg at a time; why shouldn't we train that way?
Single leg training also allows you to lower the overall load on your spine during squats, but impose the same load on the leg being trained as bi-lateral training. This can be good for people with back problems and prevention of future problems from too much spinal compression. I like the core demand and balance that lifting off of one leg gives you (two major qualities of a good athlete). Single leg work will also help minimize muscle imbalances that we have developed from doing thousands of gate starts with our dominant leg forward. Another thing I've noticed while doing single leg squats, S. L. dead lifts, and S.L. split squats is the tempo at which you perform these is much safer than the tempo than when you're on two feet. Try doing a single leg squat or dead lift quickly and you will probably fall over as you lower too quickly. You will do this a few times and quickly figure out the eccentric part of single leg work needs to be done at a slower pace, but the concentric portion of the lift can be just as explosive as bi-lateral squats.
I'm not telling anyone to give up bi-lateral training totally, but give some single leg work a try. Here is a good article on the virtues of including single leg training to your lower body training written by a very smart strength coach.

Jake

Video here --->share

Hey MeatHead! Instead of shredding your biceps, give this one a try next time you're at the gym

This is a good bmx specific exercise that will develop your core, quads, hamstrings, and glutes. It also challenges your balance.

New year, new blog, new goals

Reflecting back on 2011, I was a failure. I had goals last year. My goal was to be in the running for Nag 1 going into the grands. Well not even close, Ouch! In 2010 I made my BMX comeback after an almost 9 year hiatus.  That year I ended up making every main and getting a bunch of 2nd place finishes at nationals and a 5th at the Grands. I earned a Nag 6 plate for the year, and was really stoked with it. 2010 wildly surpassed any expectations I had for my comeback to BMX racing.

That December I took almost a month off of racing and any real training to think about the next season and mentally and physically refresh myself. I started doing some research to learn how to improve my training, and found a few fitness/strength podcasts that I listened to religiously while working for the next few months. I started reading all the blogs of the coaches I listened to and started to really get into the concepts of functional strength training. I was fascinated by the way the body works, and how it all relates to movement, and more importantly to us how it relates to making us more powerful for our BMX racing. It completely changed my mind and my gym protocol. Back squats were replaced with rear foot elevated split squats and planks and pyloff presses took the place of ab crunches. But most importantly a sore back and tight immobile hips were replaced with flex ability, strength and pain free movements.

Although I'm fortunate now to have a good job, it is becoming less and less satisfying by the day. My new focus is to combine my two passions and help others become better, faster, and healthier racers. So my new goal this year is to take the steps to becoming a fitness coach that specializes in helping BMX learn how to train properly and efficiently.  Goals don't change the world, actions do! First step was to become a certified USA Cycling coach. I'm happy to say I just received my card in the mail yesterday.  Next step is studying for the NSCA personal training certification.

So although my racing in 2011 was a failure, I didn't totally fail. I figured out how to combine what makes me happy in life and turn it into a job. So now I have a huge goal that might take many years to accomplish, but I’m really excited about it.

I started the RaceFit blog to post my thoughts on training, and other articles and videos I think are interesting and pertain to training for BMX.  Do you have any questions, advice for me? Please leave me a comment below; but take it easy on me I majored in Welding in high school not spelling and grammar.
Jake