Perfect Pullup & Olympic Barbell

Teammates -- Here's a question perfect for Marcus Colburn (and Thank You for keeping us on our toes with these challenging questions! AMM). Common sense warning: Marcus Colburn aka Mojo Frog is a former Navy SEAL and an extreme athlete and professional trainer. Make sure you adapt his ideas to your fitness level and have a Swim Buddy (aka spotter!) to work with.

Would the pullup handles fit around an Olympic barbell? I have an Olympic barbell set, and squat rack, and would want to use the Perfect Pullup through there, and I want to know if it would fit, before I decide to order. Thank you for your time. Here's Mojo Frog!

As far as the perfect handles working on a barbell...

It does & will work on a barbell set as well as a squat rack as long as you do the exercises that they can be used safely for like...BACK WORK, as well as TRAPWORK. Doing shrugs, bent over rows & anything like that ... don't get the hooks in a position so they come loose by raising it the wrong way or too high. One just has to make it so the extension from the hook to the handle doesn't get in your way. And there is an open end to the hook themselves that you have to be wary of! Just takes common sense. Just be safe because once you raise the bar over your head the handles don't make sense.

TRAIN HARD WITH PASSION, GET RIPPED & STAY READY....

HOOYAH...

"NUFF SAID"

Cheers!

Mojo Frog

P.S. Teammates, here's a quick health bulletin. It turns out that I need to have my cast on for 8 more weeks.. but that's not going to stop me. I just work on my stretching, ab work & lots of legs.. hams, quads, calves. I still practice tai chi chuan. This activity & diet is sure to help me watch my (girl-ish figure) since no one else does...grins!

Perfect Truth about ABS Pt 1

CM SEAL Team blogger: Marcus Colburn

Hey team, here’s a "little-known" PERFECT TRUTH about ABS." Aren't you annoyed every time you read a "how to get abs" article and all it says is the same old, same old? You know what advice I'm talking about, "You already have a 6-pack but it's covered by a layer of blubber!" Duh! Tell me something I don't know. And that's true... SORT OF! You see, too many people have put in all the "hard work" to get to single digit body fat levels only to find that when the fat is gone... their abs are still FLAT AS A PANCAKE!

Wouldn't that suck?

You bust your butt and diet your brain off till you get single digit body fat and all you have it a "flat stomach" like a skinny runner. Now I'm sure many would be happy with just a flat and firm stomach but let's face it... the trophy of all trophies is a chiseled, dense set of 6-pack abs that you could bounce a quarter off of.

So here's "THE PERFECT REAL TRUTH" about ABS. You actually have to HAVE "muscle" on your abs in order to achieve that chiseled, "popping out" look! Plus, here's one more little "unknown" that will make getting a 6-pack EASIER...You see, the amount of muscle you have on your abs will determine whether you start seeing your "pack" poke through at 10% body fat or 6% body fat. I can see see my 4-pack at 13% fat because I have muscular abs. And TRUST ME...there's a WORLD of difference in that 4% gap, as anyone who's ever tried to "diet down" to single digit body fat levels will tell you! As far as I'm concerned, if I can look great at 10% body fat because my abs have more muscle and are more defined, then all the better...easier abs!

So you see, the key is to TRAIN your abs hard in the gym, just like ANY other muscle...with RESISTANCE!

Part 2: two exercises that will get you perfect abs.

Train hard with passion & get ripped & stay ready!

"STAND BY FOR HEAVY ROLLS"
NUFF SAID

Marcus Colburn

How to Gain Weight Part 2

Teammates, fighting Mother Nature is difficult. Lots of younger athletes want to gain size – particularly for sports. Unfortunately, most of these athletes are fighting nature. Men and women in their early to late teens typically experience growth spurts. Loosely translated, they grow taller - not bigger. Your body grows at its own pace. Messing with your natural metabolism almost always does more harm in the long run.

Still want to gain weight? If you are interested in gaining muscle mass try the following. First, monitor your caloric intake. Slowly increase your caloric intake until you start to gain more fat than muscle. Believe me you will notice when this happens. Eat good amounts of protein, fat from natural oils, and nuts and seeds. Carbohydrates should come from fresh fruit and veggies. Try to avoid processed foods and white flour products. If you increase your calories, eat more lean protein and good fat. Eat a minimum of six meals per day.

Second, change your workout routine. Watch the number of repetitions and the amount of cardio you do. High reps and lots of cardio can actually decrease your ability to gain muscle mass. Lift heavy, with good form, and get lots of rest. Stick with this for a while and modify as necessary. You will see some size increments but be patient.

Remember, gaining weight is oftentimes harder than losing weight. Hope this helps you reach your goals. If you have any questions, post a comment and I will get back to you.

Mike Ryan
---------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Ryan is the President and CEO of Intensity Nutrition LLC. Founded by former Navy SEALs, Intensity develops super-premium sports supplements for professional, semi-professional, tactical, and functional athletes. Intensity will launch in 2009 and welcomes any recommendations for product development. Mike and Alden met during “running remediation” at Basic Underwater SEAL (BUDs/s) training. Special thanks to BMC Pardue for the introduction.

Answers to Gain Weight Queries

Great comments Charlie Mikers! A couple of generic comments before I address specific issues. First, this is part 1 of a two part post. Second, most of the comments regarding weight gain were posed by younger athletes (teens) that were having a difficult time trying to gain weight - so keep that in perspective. Finally, nothing has ever, or will ever, replace proper nutrition. If you want to re-read the questions, check out the comments to my Part 1 post.

Joe G.: Everyone has a six pack - you just can’t always see it. Typically, for men, your abs start to show when your body fat is under 12% - better around 10%. For women it is a little more. To put this in perspective, the male model for the perfect push up is under 7% body fat. The best way to measure body fat is hydrostatic testing - immersion in a tank. Electronic impedance testing and calipers will also give you a baseline BF measurement.

Paul: I agree. It is absolutely possible to lose fat and gain muscle. People do it all the time. However, it can be very difficult for a novice to dial in their nutrition to the point where they maximize muscle gain without gaining excessive fat as well. As you pointed out, it is all about discipline with nutrition. Check out the second part of my post.

Jim: As Paul points out, you can gain muscle and be extra lean – but you have to watch your nutrition religiously. It also takes longer to build a pound of lean muscle mass that it does to pack on 1 lb of fat. So the gains take a bit longer to achieve. Finally, supplements aren’t inherently bad – as a matter of fact, they can be immensely helpful in achieving your fitness objectives. If used correctly and in the context of proper overall nutrition they are great. Much more on this later.

Mike Ryan

How To Gain Weight Part 1

CM SEAL Team blogger: Mike Ryan.

There have been some recent questions from those trying to gain weight. I'm here to share with the Perfect community some of my thoughts on the matter.

1. Be Careful What You Wish For: Gaining weight is not a typical goal in the fitness community. In general, those who wish to gain weight do so for two reasons

• to gain mass for sport specific purposes (football linemen)
• to build mass for bodybuilding.

If either of the above are your goals, there is a fairly reliable formula; eat everything that moves. Seriously. At a certain level calories are calories- and you need calories and protein to build muscle mass. But fat comes with those extra calories as well.

2. You Can’t Have Your Cake and Eat It Too: When athletes try to gain weight, they typically consume vast amounts of calories during a ‘bulking phase”. They do this so that they have the baseline caloric intake to offset the calories burned by exercise. But be careful. Most of these athletes ‘cut weight’ after they have reached a certain goal. Fighters, particularly those jumping up in a weight class, are famous for doing this. Many of the Mr. Olympia candidates do this as well. Have you ever seen a bodybuilder during a “bulking phase?” They look like a bowling ball with eyes. Totally unrecognizable from the ripped look they have during competition. Bottom line, if you bulk up, at some point you need to come down. If your goal is a having perfect 6-pack abs you don’t want to gain weight – you want to lose weight. As a guideline, your body fat has to be under 10% to show your ab muscles.

Part 2:
• Fighting Mother Nature is difficult
• Still want to gain weight?

Gaining weight is oftentimes harder than losing weight. Hope this helps you reach your goals. If you have any questions, post a comment and I will get back to you.

Mike Ryan
---------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Ryan is the President and CEO of Intensity Nutrition LLC. Founded by former Navy SEALs, Intensity develops super-premium sports supplements for professional, semi-professional, tactical, and functional athletes. Intensity will launch in 2009 and welcomes any recommendations for product development. Mike and Alden met during “running remediation” at Basic Underwater SEAL (BUDs/s) training. Special thanks to BMC Pardue for the introduction.

Don't Fall Off the Wagon!

CM SEAL Team blogger Mike Ryan: Teammates, this Labor Day: Don’t Fall off the Wagon! Have you ever thought about the perfect holiday meal? Holidays are a dangerous time if you are trying to stick to a nutrition plan. Just one poor meal can erase an entire week of productive training. Let me put this into perspective. A typical Labor Day party usually consists of a bar-b-que with an assortment of appetizers and cocktails. Let's say you have a traditional meal of: 6 oz. rib eye (or cheeseburger with bun), 2 ears corn, ½ cup guacamole (8 tablespoons), 2 oz tortilla chips, salad (with unknown dressing) 3 Sam Adams beers, and one 2” brownie (or cookie).

To some of you this may seem like a lot, but over 3-4 hours it seems pretty reasonable. Having said that, you just consumed a minimum of 1,500 calories with 81 grams of fat. In just one meal! I bet most of you are saying “well I wouldn’t eat a brownie - or that much guacamole.” Yeah right. For most people, this meal would take 1.5-2.0 hours of moderate to intense exercise to burn off. This assumes that there was no net gain in your net caloric intake over the previous week. Bottom line, it’s not worth it.

Here’s a better meal. 1.5 chicken breasts, 20 grilled asparagus, ½ avocado, one whole tomato, and about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Put the oil in a flat dish and dip coat veggies first – meat last. Some of it will burn off on the grill. Salt, pepper, and season everything to taste or use Santa Maria Grill seasoning on everything! This meal only sets you back about 570 calories in an almost perfect 40:30:30 PRO, CHO, FAT ratio. Just remember, everything else you eat adds to the caloric values above – so watch out!

Here are some other tips to keep you on the right track.

Avoid all dips – the better they look and taste, the faster you should run.

Eat a moderate/large snack of high fiber veggies before you go to the party. This is key. You should plan on being almost full when you arrive.

Guzzle water – as soon as you arrive – slam 12oz of water and stay on that track every hour or so.

Avoid mixed drinks – this is a killer. Mixers can be as much as 300 calories of sugar per cocktail. Aim for wine, soda water mixers, or shots.

Chuck the buns. You can save almost 150 calories of useless carbs by chucking the white bread.

One final tip.

Plan for a brutal training session at 0600 the morning after your festivities. (When I say brutal, I mean 1 hour of "dry-heave difficult": the worst workout ever.) You have two choices – a) eat anything you want and throw up what’s left 30 min into your workout or b) eat my meal, sleep in, and blow off that workout!

Don’t quit. Stay focused. Remember, you only get one go-around. Live with Intensity.

Mike Ryan
---------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Ryan is the President and CEO of Intensity Nutrition LLC. Founded by former Navy SEALs, Intensity develops super-premium sports supplements for professional, semi-professional, tactical, and functional athletes. Intensity will launch early summer ’09 and welcomes any recommendations for product development. Mike and Alden met during “running remediation” at Basic Underwater SEAL (BUDs/s) training. Special thanks to BMC Pardue for the introduction.

Get Ready for Ripped Abs

Through following a "PERFECT" diet & exercise program, my abs are showing through like magic! I do a lot of exercises like pullups and dips while holding on to the Perfect Pullup bar in different positions. I need those turning handles because of my injuries and it’s like they were custom made for me! I hold on and do leg lifts on the side, in front, and behind along with squats in between leg lifts. Here’s the magic part. When we work muscles, other muscles are affected and they’re not even the primary ones involved due to the theory, "you can't spot reduce". But it’s all good because leg lifts, sit ups and pushups not only affect those perfect spots, but they result in ripped abs too.

So use that theory of no spot reducing to your advantage and affect your abs. Abs on men are the final piece of the puzzle to make the picture complete. Sure, a big physique can appear intimidating but a well-defined set of abs can be equally intimidating and can make a near-perfect body "perfect". A sculpted stomach on a female can accentuate a smaller waist-to-hip ratio which makes your shoulders appear more rounded and your butt appear more firm and full. Ripped abs are a sign of good health, power and yes, even sexual ability!

And ladies, obviously us men don't like a flat and firm midsection too. If you ever watch a sporting event with athletic females you'll be drawn to the three hot spots of a female body - thighs, butt and abs. And these are three body parts that any woman can modify with a clean diet and effective training (so don't let me catch you day dreaming about artificial enhancement of any kind). Because I know a cheaper, less expensive, less evasive method because I sure don't have much money and I'd rather spend it on other more fun toys! So just spend a mere fraction of the cost of medical modifications on "PERFECT GEAR"!

With perfect products and diet, you will make yourself healthier and stronger as well as ready for anything! True story: I crashed on my bike (spun the back tire out in the sand). When I was at the doctors’ office, one of the nurses mentioned that I was so ripped. I replied, "I was just in training for my next injury.” ‘Nuff said!

Mojo Frog aka Marcus Colburn

Martha's Vineyard Sandy Secrets

Teammates, where in the world is Tom Rancich? He and his VRHabilis partner, Elliott Alder, have been making Martha's Vineyard's South Beach safe for beach lovers.

Nelson Sigelman of the Martha's Vineyard Times published a story on July 2, Navy vets put warmaking training to peaceful use, which featured the US Navy veterans co-owners of VRHabilis. Here are some excerpts:

"A group of Navy veterans have used skills honed over the course of their military careers to remove practice munitions dropped decades ago at former target ranges along South Beach (pictured above). The popular stretch of sand and surf that fronts on the Atlantic Ocean is far removed from the world's conflicts that shaped much of his training, but for Elliott Adler, co-owner of VRHabilis, the cleanup is an opportunity for veterans, some of whom are disabled, to do meaningful work. Tom Rancich, a former Navy SEAL, is a partner in the company and once commanded a specialized unit that included Mr. Adler.

Since April the men and their four employees have worked out of a small trailer parked on the beach. They have methodically moved along the shore searching the underwater terrain for any lost munitions. Safety, for the public and the crew, has been a primary concern. While one diver is in the water another is suited up and ready to assist at all times. Signs warn the public that they are not allowed within a set exclusion zone."

Bravo Zulu Tom and Elliott! Teammates, watch for a repost of one of Tom's popular blogs, "When Did You Last Do a Pushup?"

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

Marcus Colburn's Diet Plan

Teammates, CM SEAL Team blogger checking in with some fast and furious Colburn Nutrition "Cliff Notes".

1. Eat like an elk. Elks graze during their waking hours. You are not an elk you say? You need to graze, not binge!

2. Cut back on empty carbs. Eat good clean carbs instead like black beans, brown rice, sweet potatoes and oatmeal.

3. Consume more protein. Our bodies burn more protein on a reduced-calorie diet. On average, lol "EXPERTS" recommend about 1 gram of HIGH quality protein per pound of body weight every day for someone that is exercising regularly and wants to maximize lean body-mass while losing fat. Don't be dependent on protein shakes and other LOW quality quick fixes!

4. Keep your fat intake to 20% of your total daily calories. Now be careful here. That's "LOWFAT" not "NO FAT"! Certain fats are important to regulating much of our metabolism. People that eliminate "ALL" fats tend to put on extra unwanted blubber. Because good fats like omega-3s actually possess thermogenic properties, meaning that they actually help your body produce heat by burning fat. So it's easy on a LOW-FAT diet to cut your "GOOD" fats too low and sabotage all fat burning efforts!

5. Eat more fiber.

6. Keep ALL alcohol to a MINIMUM!

7. Consume whole foods at least 4 of your 6 daily meals. Meal replacement like shakes & bars are not like whole foods that require digestion requiring a minimal (fat burning)metabolic boost.

8. DRINK LOTS OF H2O!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nuff said!

Mojo Frog

Here's a link to Marcus's "Mirror Mirror on the Wall" diet post of a few months back.

Swim Buddy Mission Plan

TEAMMATES – I’m heading out for a little vacation with my family, and as I do I wanted to take a moment to thank my SEAL swim buddies on CHARLIE MIKE. I want thank them for not only writing when I’m absent but more importantly for also adding different voices and perspectives to the mission of this blog. Hearing one voice all the time might be great for some, but it surely won’t resonate with others.

That’s the point of our CHARLIE MIKE Team, each one emphatically believes that taking control of your body is the best way to change your life, but each swim buddy represents a different voice with a different perspective. The more perspectives we can offer to you, the richer your mind will be when it comes time to take action. In order for you to achieve anything, you must first believe. How you come to believe in your plan is your business, we just want you to know that we’re here for you and believe in your potential.

So while I’m surf-torturing my tadpoles on the East Coast, I hope the perspectives you gain from Marcus, Stew, Tim, Tom, and Mike will inspire you to take action on your mission plan. Then, of course, share your journey of successes (and failures) with all of us…after all, if you’re not failing, you’re not trying!

HOOYAH CM SWIM BUDDIES!

MILLS OUT

Beach picture licensed under Creative Commons Attribution

One Minute Out!

In the SEAL teams, there is nothing like the adrenalin rush of getting the "one minute out" call from the air crew of a helicopter as you are about to get inserted in the field. The bird is about to start its flare. In that last 60 seconds, all the mission planning, preparation and rehearsing flashes through your mind. You are fired up!

You are chomping at the bit to get going, but you know that there are unknown factors that you cannot possibly foresee no matter how thorough you were in mission planning. Nothing is ever executed exactly as planned! Yet, you feed off this uncertainty and know that you will execute successfully no matter what "unknowns" you will encounter along the way. I have been working on my performance apparel venture now for over a year now and I am "One Minute Out!" I will give you a full situation report (SITREP) in a couple weeks.


CM Teammates, I hope all of you are having a great summer! About the photo, it was taken at San Clemente island -- 2 weeks before graduating from BUD/S. I am about to go put a lot of C4 explosives on obstacles in the surf.

Fired Up!

Tim

HOOYAH Brotha Al! Your CM Teammates have your six.

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

15 Pullups/40 Pushups contest: how to be a winner

CM SEAL Team blogger: Stew Smith

Milo P asked CHARLIE MIKE: "I would like to ask you if you could advise me on the following challenge: 15 pullups and 40 pushups, three times through in 6 minutes. Could you, please, advise me on a training routine to accomplish this in 3 months?"

And here's Stew Smith's answer: Sounds like you are on a 2 minute interval. So I would tackle this one by doing:

- 15 pullups / drop down immediately for 40 pushups - this will take 1 minute tops
- Take about 30-45 seconds to rest / stretch and begin set #2.
- Repeat with 1 minute rest on last one if needed.

But basically you have to be able to do multiple sets of 15-20 reps of pullups - make your workouts that. The two exercises (pullup/pushups) are opposing muscles groups so they should not tire you out from one exercise to the next.

Once you get good at this timed test with rest, decrease your rest time until you can roll through this workout with no rest at all. It can be done - just takes practice three days a week.

Are you overtraining in your workouts?

Overtraining has been a hot topic in fitness world for the last couple of decades and there is a lot of confusion surrounding how much training is enough and how much is too much. In the SEAL Teams we had sayings like, Training is never over and Pain is good, extreme pain is extremely good.

Here are three schools of thought on overtraining:

1. It doesn't exist and the more training you do the better.

2. Everyone is overtraining and we all need to drastically reduce our training volume.

3. Some people (like myself) believe that it is an individual thing and we all react differently to training volume.

You can't simply look at someone's workout routine and tell if they are overtraining or not. It depends on the individual person. We all have different work capacities and some people can handle more workout volume than others and still make progress.

Another very often overlooked factor when it comes to overtraining is your lifestyle outside the gym. Do you have a stressful life or a physically demanding job? Do you get enough sleep?

The best way to know if you are overtraining with your workouts is to do a self-evaluation of yourself and your overall workout progress. I'll talk about that next.


But all you "CHARLIE MIKE" human racers -- here's a picture of my 83 year-young mom as my workout partner! Getting close friends and family involved is easy and makes working out more fun as you enjoy the journey towards "Perfect"tion.

Mojo Frog aka Marcus Colburn

RACE DAY: Completing a Marathon: IV (B)

“Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Steve Prefontaine, American running legend

CM SEAL Team blogger: Tim Grizzell

Marathon race day is a big deal. You have prepared for many weeks/months to reach this point. If you are a first-timer, you are probably wondering about the unknown. If you are an experienced marathoner, you are probably hopeful that you can post a personal best and that you do not have any injuries. Regardless of what category you fall in, none of you slept well the night before (at least the majority of you). Anxiety fills the room you sleep in. All your thoughts the night before are about the race and you worry that you will sleep through the alarm.

Mental aspect aside, it is very important that you prepare yourself properly the day of the race. A lot of marathons begin in the early morning (for good reason) and the temperatures can be quite low. Therefore, you will want to layer some clothes over your base running outfit. Some marathon participants even start shedding external layers in the early miles of the race (i.e., throwing these clothes off to the side of the road). Most marathons donate these clothes to a great cause. Nevertheless, the purpose of layering these clothes is to ensure that your body stays warm prior to the race starting.

A big challenge in the race will be getting all of your muscles warmed up prior to starting the event. If you do not, you risk injury. I have seen a lot of runners in the first five miles of a marathon injure themselves by pulling a muscle or straining a tendon. More than likely, this is the result of not warming up properly before the start of the race. The last thing you want is to have a “DNF (Did Not Finish)” next to your name after all of that hard training you put in leading up to the marathon.

Another factor to consider is what type of fuel to put in your body before and during the marathon. You need to put something in your belly before you start. A light pancake breakfast is a great to start off your morning. For my wife, it is a power bar and banana. Secondly, if you have trained with one fuel during long runs, stick with it. For example, if you train with Jelly Belly sport beans, you might have to pack them during the race. Things to think about!

The gun has gone off and you are running. Remember – you want to run a negative split (i.e., your second half marathon is faster than the first half marathon). Be careful at the beginning. Assuming you are not stuck in “traffic,” it is easy to run some of the early miles 30 seconds to a minute faster than your body can handle. In the late stages of the race, this will catch up with you and most likely, you will pay for this. You want to conserve enough energy to get through the tough section of the race – miles 21 to 25. This is the section where you start to see runners digging deep. Anyone can run the last 1.2 miles. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Regarding aid stations and whether you walk or run through them, do what is most comfortable. I personally walk long enough to drink what is in my cup and then start running again. If I try to run through them, I invariably end up spilling gatorade all over myself.

Although I covered a lot, I am sure there are questions. Please send them my way.

Fired up!

Tim

One final note: I will be back sometime in July. I have lot to do right now. As some of you know, I am starting a running apparel company. Official launch date is August 31, 2009. T minus 75 days!

Relaxed but Alert in Competition: An Oxymoron?

What tips do you have for staying relaxed but alert in an equestrian competition*?

CM SEAL Team blogger: Tom Rancich

It takes some practice to find the right combo of whiskey and coffee, but that is what I do. Seriously, the biggest thing is: do not be afraid to relax—you don’t need to be keyed up for two days to make a successful first or second jump.

My son, the starting defensive end for his high school team, asked once why right before he makes a tackle it almost seems like he has already done it. Well think about it—when the play starts, he doesn’t know what is going to happen—is it a pass or a run toward him or away---but as the play progresses variables start to drop away. It is a pass (bunch of running variables drop away) so he can rush the quarterback. Quarterback is in the pocket (more variables gone). He is past the blocker (more variables gone). Quarterback doesn’t see him coming (only two variables left, either he beats the pass or not) and then the split second before he hits the quarterback there are no more variables and he can totally focus on one event—hitting the quarterback. So it would be pretty silly for him to have been all worried about that before the play started.

So, what I am trying to get across in this long winded way is, break your event down into bits that you can handle and don’t artificially amp yourself up before it makes sense. Nervousness costs energy—so at the point that you are in competition, is it logical to worry about what is going to happen? You are either prepared or not---in either case worrying won’t help. The horse is going to respond well or not---if he responds well it wasn’t because you were worried. The horse wouldn’t know that. If the horse doesn’t respond well then worrying didn’t help and won’t help: you have to act.

That is part of what visualization is about---working through the actions you will take when things vary from plan.

* Carole, a CHARLIE MIKE Teammate who’s an expert equestrienne, asked Tom Rancich how would a Navy SEAL stay relaxed but alert when competing. Her field of battle: the dressage arena.
____________________________________________
Lt. Commander Thomas Rancich, US Navy SEAL (Ret.) is the co-founder of VRHabilis, a disabled veteran-owned small business that seeks to employ the highly trained and motivated veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for work in construction and related fields. Rancich and co-founder Elliott Adler are pioneering the concept of using adaptive technology to bridge the gap between industrial and medical technology. Their company contributes proceeds to two worthy causes: a fund for the development of adaptive technology that will allow disabled veterans to pursue their desired career path and the EOD Wounded Warrior Fund.

Through his consulting firm, Off-Shore Consulting, Tom provides professional advice on leadership and team building, often as a motivational speaker, in addition to being an expert consultant to the entertainment industry.

Alden Mills and Charlie Mike blogger Tom Rancich served together in the Teams.

Is the Pushup a Full Body Exercise?

CM SEAL Team blogger: Stew Smith

This blog is a reply to comments from a few of our YouTube Teammates. The first, commenting on the Perfect Pushup Power 10 Arms Workout, said "This stuff really works, I got one of 'em myself and I'm getting ripped! The only problem is that you don't work your legs!!! *%$@!"

You actually work several muscle groups...

Another Teammate posted to the Perfect Pushup - Power Punch Workout that punching itself is the best exercise these push ups generate only the arms and they are only a small part of the body.

Actually, your chest / shoulders / triceps are doing the actual pushup - BUT you also have to have the following muscles flexed ("working") during the entire movement or you would not be able to do a pushup:

abs / lower back / upperback / hips / thighs / calves

In order to straighten your legs you have to use your leg muscles - that is why the pushup is truly a full body exercise compared to a bench press that does the same basic movement.

It is an isometric flex in the legs but it still an effective exercise. To really work the legs you should add squats or the 8 count pushup...where you stand up in between each rep of a pushup.

Stew
_________________________________________
Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL, and author of several fitness and self defense books such as The Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Fitness, Maximum Fitness, and SWAT Workout. Certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and as military fitness trainer, Stew has trained hundreds of students for Navy SEAL, Special Forces, SWAT, FBI, ERT and many other law enforcement professions. See him at StewSmith.com.

Don't miss Fight Science Special Ops with Stew Smith on the National Geographic Channel.

Embrace the Debate: SEAL Summer Reading II

CM SEAL Team blogger: Alan "Sav" Saviano

Teammates, I was asked to submit two influential books for reading to this blog and I’ll have to admit it’s been some time since I’ve read very many books; however, two books came to mind immediately because their content is so relevant to what is going on in our country today. Now, before I suggest these readings let me just say that I am a conservative yet I am also open minded and transparent, and I do not agree with every position of the Republican party. Actually, I embrace the fact that in America we can debate and strongly disagree with one another over the state of our affairs now and into the future without resorting to civil war or suppression by our government.

Many of the men on this blog have had the opportunity to travel to other countries, and embrace and fight for beautiful humans that haven’t been so fortunate, to say the least. I, like many of my fellow Teammates, truly wish every American had the opportunity to see and feel what we have in these faraway places because if you did you would not believe everything you hear on any of the thirty second sound bites on the various Nightly World News Reports at 6:30 EST. If you like the facts and are open to other’s opinions you will enjoy at least one of these books-at least I’m honest :).


Liberty and Tyranny: Mark Levine- An interesting dialogue into what principles our country was founded on and why. It’s really that simple so you be the judge…

A Random Walk Down Wallstreet: Burton Malkiel- Probably my favorite book which I have read numerous times. If you think some of what has happened on Wallstreet is a first, keep reading! This book is so interesting because Mr. Malkiel gives you concrete, factual events that show that everything will be ok in regards to stocks and specifically the stock market. Most investors think the last 25 years was ordinary concerning the explosive rise of the stock market; however, he will explain in detail how most Americans haven’t a clue about what they should expect from the market and more importantly, why. As a matter of fact, if you invest with someone and they haven’t read this book I would run for the door!

Cheers,
Sav

CM SEAL Team Summer Reading List

Marcus Colburn
1ST of all, of course, The Green Room: A Mother’s Truth by Liliane Colburn (my mom!). STRANGER THAN FICTION! Stephen King even wrote a review at Barnes & Noble about how it would be one of his classic tales if it wasn't true. All about some Navy SEAL & where he got his mojo from: www.mojofrog.com. You can get it there! But of course I'm a little biased!
2nd The Tao of Jeet Kune Do. Unbelievably easy book to follow + lots of pictures: www.brucelee.com or www.jeetkunedo.com.

Alden Mills
Non-fiction: Lone Survivor - by Marcus Luttrell - the best Spec-ops (let alone SEAL) survival mission I've ever heard about.
Fiction: The Increment - by David Ignatius – a fantastic and plausible fiction story regarding Iran's nuke program and a joint CIA/MI6-SIS covert op to penetrate it. Written by a journalist who has covered these agencies and the Middle East - very knowledgeable writer (also wrote Body of Lies which was made into a movie last year).

Tim Grizzell
Non-fiction - STRIDES: Running through History with an Unlikely Athlete by Benjamin Cheever - Great book about the history running and funny too!
Fiction - Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? by Dr. Seuss - I read it to my children at least once a month if not more. Trust me -- it is not just a children's book!

Tom Rancich
Non-fiction: Commandos by Doug Waller -- It was the biggest event of my life up to that moment, I was 10 years older than the class average, nervous etc etc, and then Captain Richards brings me into the office on Sunday and "Introduces me" to Doug and informs me that I am to make sure he gets what he needs and doesn't get hurt---so I reply, "Sir, I have a few other things on my mind" to which Richards replies, "Yeah well now you have another, get the hell out of my office." The biggest way that Doug affected my experience is that I have a near minute to minute chronicle of my Hellweek----I absolutely recommend the book for someone wanting to be a SEAL and do so frequently---(Brave Men Dark Waters by Orr Kelly is the other must read IMHO). I will refer to myself as a former or retired SEAL depending on who I am talking to---I don't worry about any risk---well, unless I am in a bar and well---lots of people want to see just how tough a SEAL is, which, frankly, I am not, without sig, M-4, cold steel and preferably aircraft over head.
Fiction: A book that most affected me was The Bridge of San Luis Ray by Thornton Wilder -- how do we wind up at a place with another at a moment of importance?

Mike Ryan
My summer reading recommendation is Blood and Thunder - the epic story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West. From the author of Ghost Soldiers (Hampton Sides). A fantastic book. One of the most riveting historical fiction books I've read. Up there with the Killer Angels (by Michael Shaara). If you are even remotely interested in the formative years of American History or the American West - this will knock your socks off. A first hand account of Indian culture and the conquest of California.

Stew Smith
Non-fiction:
Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell – Awesome. Best one to date for me.
SEAL TEAM ONE – by Dick Couch - my first SEAL book - loved it.

Fiction: Without Remorse by Tom Clancy – OK, not real – entertaining though.

Get Your Head As Invigorated As Your Body!

CM SEAL Team blogger: Mike Ryan

Charlie Mike Fans! By now you have probably been exposed to Marty Heilman and some of the incredible exercises he's developed for Perfect Products. But the images only scratch the surface of Marty's expertise. And I believe his dedication and commitment to pushing the boundaries of fitness merit a more formal introduction.

Marty is a rare breed. I can count on one hand the number of times I left a training session with my head as invigorated as my body. That's Marty's secret to success - and why his classes and seminars are standing room only. Marty's workouts are kind of like getting kicked in the nuts during a Tony Robbins seminar. Though pushed to the point of puking, you somehow feel the need to thank him. Marty keeps you motivated, and the workouts keep your body in a state of constant adaptation to new stressors - just like all workouts should. He's a functional fitness freak. And if you attend one of Marty's classes I guarantee you'll be sore in places you never knew existed.

Just try some of the exercises he'll be posting and you'll get the point.

My favorite part of Marty's workouts is at the end. He circles up the class and screams into his headset, "Turn around and take a look at everyone else in this gym! I guarantee nobody in here today worked harder than you just did! Nobody else just burned 1500 calories in their workout!" It really pisses off the 'big and round' crew. I can tell because they are wringing their soft, weight glove covered mitts.

So enjoy his posts and give the exercises a shot. You'll be better for it.

Mike Ryan

CHARLIE MIKE SITREP: May 2009

Teammates – Check out our SITREP (Situation Report) for May - highlighting the depth and breadth of the CM SEAL Team bloggers. Click on their names to read more.


CM SEAL Team blogger: Mike Ryan
Title: Secret Weapon #1
"Cowards never got started and the weak died along the way. Truer words were never spoken. The first time I read this quote I was standing at parade-rest waiting to begin my first day of SEAL training. The words were carved into a wooden bench that stood just inside the doors of the Naval Special Warfare Center. At my feet, just in front of the bench, stood a perfect line of about 30 helmets - the last remnants of students who had reached their mental and physical limits and quit training. Predictably, my initial reaction was a mix of skepticism and sarcasm. “Yea” I thought, “that’s a little bit over-the-top.” About twenty minutes later I realized my worst nightmare had just begun.



CM SEAL Team blogger: Tom Rancich
Title: A Debt of Memory to Brothers and Sisters, Gratefully Paid
Memorial Day has always had an identity crisis. Even in the very beginning, it was only for Union soldiers, not merging all "Decoration Day" activities until after World War One. In 1971, Memorial Day became the last Monday in May instead of May 30. This move, designed to create a three-day weekend, irritated many by adding to the day an air of celebration instead of reflection: picnics, parades, ballgames, sales -- the start of the summer party. That doesn't bother me: somewhere in the 1.5 million soldiers remembered every Memorial Day there is certainly someone who would have really enjoyed another picnic, parade, ball game or day shopping. Some of those sacrificed would have liked one more party or one more prayer. It's all good.

CM SEAL Team blogger: Marcus Colburn
Title: MMA Fighters: Modern Day Gladiators
They entered the ring to the sound of rap, rock, old-school hip-hop, reggae, and even country-and-western, but the one thing every fighter at Saturday’s UFC (mixed martial arts fighting) event had in common was a powerful athletic physique built from metabolic resistance training. These modern-day warriors know better than to do bodybuilding, because those workouts just take too long and leave you puffed up, slow, and inflexible. That’s not how modern man should be – or look.



CM SEAL Team blogger: Stew Smith
Title: Stew Smith's Bodyweight Exercise Plan: Part I
Calisthenics, or bodyweight exercises, originated thousands of years ago in ancient Greece and have been a major component of fitness in athletics, military, law enforcement, and daily fitness for home workouts without equipment. Here is a request from a Perfect Pushup user in our YouTube group seeking to do more exercises without having to go to a gym.

"I need help in making a full body bodyweight routine. Any advice/sample that you can offer? I am seventeen and have been using the Perfect Pushup on and off for a year now."
CM SEAL Team blogger: Tim Grizzell
Title: Completing a Marathon: IV (a): The TAPER
Hello Charlie Mike teammates – I was initially going to cover just the day of the race in the final post of my marathon series. After reviewing a previous answer to CM teammate, Joe G., regarding tapering, it was suggested that I should cover this topic and break up the blog up into two parts: tapering and the day of the race. It was a great idea!

Tapering is very important if you want to post a good marathon time. It gives your body the opportunity to recover from all of the hard training you put in leading up to the race. You can replenish energy, rejuvenate muscles and possibly kick any nagging injuries you might have up to this point.

Teammates -- Mike, Tom, Marcus, Stew, Tim, Sav -- all of them get the meaning of CHARLIE MIKE -- that it's "An Attitude of Action" and they're preaching what they practice. Drop on Down and Get Fired UP for pushing out and pulling up after you read what my Teammates have to say.

CHARLIE MIKE – ALDEN