Swiss Danny Workout Log

[SwissDanny]

10 hours ago, Kit_L said:

Cutting down on carbs is the *fasted* way for me to lose fat, too. We miss you guys.

Nice freudian slip. Jokes aside, there's no doubt that the satiation derived from primarily fat+protein bias is completely the opposite of the more-ish-ness of fat+carbs. It would be interesting to see how blood sugar is working.

[Kit_L]

Hahaha: 'Dictation'. Though, as you may recall, I have  been an intermittent faster for a great many years now (for the uninitiated, this means eating your day is calories within an eight hour window – in practice this means eating lunch and dinner and skipping breakfast). In my case, blood sugar level is optimal. Even just doing intermittent fasting means that your body is much less insulin resistant – and you know that means health is improved.

[SwissDanny]

Been working on the running with Simon Oliver for a month, focus was a base of lots of really slow running much slower than I would normally go, initially very hard to do, but I think with hindsight very beneficial, frequency upto 5x per week now too which is a first. This weekend did a ParkRun as a time trial, CP back up to a more usual 320w, so the runs are going to get tougher, but it will be nice not to get overtaken by absolutely everybody!

Golfing season kicked off with a week in Spain. Played better as the week went on and well by the last day. Will get back to Switzerland tomorrow so will find a way of getting some strength work woven in to all that.

[Kit_L]

On 3/14/2023 at 7:23 PM, SwissDanny said:

It would be interesting to see how blood sugar is working.

All the studies I have seen have shown Intermittent Fasting and the ketogenic diets (low carbs, IOW) in general improve fasting lipid profiles. I recall a one-year study by two Harvard cardiologists who went on a meat-only diet for 12 months; their profiles returned to 21-year-old levels, and both lost significant amounts of fat. Not a diet I'd recommend or want to follow, but interesting.

[SwissDanny]

Hello Gang!

It's been a while, almost six months in fact, but happy to report that I was not idle in the meantime.

My now annual (I've just signed up for next three years too) half marathon was on 10/9. I trained very diligently all through the Summer under Simon's guidance, lots of miles with several cycles of long weekend runs each building up to 2.5 hours and 26km, combined with a much lower volume of intense interval and race pace work than I've done before, all together with a few b races: several 5ks, a 10k and a 14k event.

Race day was a bit warmer than ideal 22c, sunny and fairly humid. Ran with my now trusty Stryd power meter. Also got some Saucony Endorphin Pro carbon plate race shoes which after about 100k of habituation I found to be awesome to run in, but definitely are to be kept "for best". Anyway, was very very very happy to do 1:47:30, approx 9 minute PB on my 2013 run. Funny enough this was also the race that has left me with the least soreness, which I'd put down to both the training mileage and the shoes and maybe even a bit conservative due the relative warmth.

Golf was my other focus and after a long plateau everything has started to come together in the last weeks. I no longer have "imposter syndrome" scoring in the (high) 70's. Really looking forward to testing this progress in Scotland next week.

The days are closing in here and Im really motivated to get back into the gym and training room and work on strength and mobility as both are no doubt going to be important to unlock progress next year. I do think having a reason for being in the gym building on recent success will help discipline. Instead of stopping running until March, post race cold aside, Im going to try and get a new 5k PB before the end of the year, Simon figures 22' which seems very fast but he wasnt wrong yet.

Otherwise, like a few of us, life has been busy with supporting ageing relatives and thinking about and trying to execute on the next phase of ones own circumnavigations of the sun...

Swiss Danny

 

[Kit_L]

Thanks so much for the update, SD. Do let us know what you decide to focus on, gym-wise.

Miss O an I have sold our house and move on to the boat full-time in the next few weeks. We both need rejuvenation; we have been running on fumes for years now, so the first thing we'll do when we get to the marina is nothing! Actually, we will exercise in the mornings, eat a delicious lunch, and read/relax in the afternoons. We figure three  months should get us back to decent shape. I will restart my own blog in a few week's time.

Thanks again!

[SwissDanny]

Here's wishing eveyone a most excellent next rotation around the sun!

What a crazy few months; both Jane's mother and my own mother passed away with two weeks of each other in early November, both after long illnesses and end-of-life diagnoses, but still. Luckily out of choice have few work commitments atm, and was able to keep busy by dealing with both estates in record time. On the positive side, after a long and frustrating search, we've just signed for a new home. It's a new build project where we can chose all interior finishes and fixtures etc, the exterior and floorplan are fixed, so lots to get on with over the next months. It's great to have something to feel positive and excited about.

Despite or maybe as an escape from these travails, I've kept on a decent level of running over the winter and maintained a really solid base, in the end just over 1000 miles in 10 months. I also avoided the worst of the Christmas and winter weight gain of the last few years, so heading into this season enthusiastically and reasonably light. Great North Run half marathon in September is the A race again, but Im going to try and do some more 10k races as preparation. Though injury free all season, I was noticing and concerned about lack of strength work and I've finally managed to get into the gym with decent regularity for a simple machine based upper/lower split, with some barbell DL and squats. I've become a fan of Theragun, but cant admit to doing any stretching..

The European weather hasnt been friendly for golfing this winter, but I've been doing some "swing speedtraining" before gym sessions, basically some over/underload swings with heavy/light weighted driver shafts. After a good warm up you do a sequence of swings with the sole aim of getting the clubhead moving as fast as possible, any which way, technique be damned.  It's interesting because you do non-dominant swings too. At first this was horrible, but then I realized I got more proprioceptive insights from that side than from the dominant side where the movement is so engrained by 1000s of swings. Over about 20 sessions my final max effort swing of the day has gone from 100 to 117mph clubhead speed.

Take care everyone!

Swiss D

[SwissDanny]

Hello Campers!

Northern Hemisphere days are getting shorter already. The weather has continued to be fairly wet and it sort of does feel like Spring has not finished let alone Summer started.

Golf has continued enthusiastically, consolidating last year's progress and starting to play for the club in various modest leagues. I'm getting more involved in club life in the knowledge will be living only a few minutes away by this time next year.

Running has continued somewhat dutifully with 9 weeks tomorrow until A race. Perhaps a bit of a negative take as I equalled a 10 year historic 5k PB and set a new 10k PB earlier in the season. Last two months suffered a lack of motivation as around here it is a very solitary activity.

In the last few weeks I was happy to use ST techniques to get over a bout of hip flexor vs glute tightness that hampered running, but really should do more of that for prehab reasons, and strength training hasnt had enough look in at all.

Otherwise our energies are focussed on the home move due next year after 20 years in our current home. So far it's going well, although we are impatient with another 10 months to go before the big move.

Hope everyone is keeping healthy and well.

 

[SwissDanny]

Great North Run half was last Sunday. Considering much less diligent training and dragging an extra 4kg around 2.5 minutes slower was fine, especially as set out on a goal pace that would have been about 6.5 minutes slower then decided after 5k that was way too slow, and cranked it up and ran quite a heavy negative split, last km in 4'30, 45s faster than average pace, so still had too much in the tank. Most importantly no injuries and very little DOMS afterwards.

Definitely time to focus a bit more on strength and mobility and find some variety from the running heading into the cooler weather and shorter days. Otherwise on the golf front having some good matchplay success but scoring rounds have hit a bit of a plateau. Generally life is more settled though still a bit waiting for the big move next year. House goes on sale soon so it's becoming more real progressively.

Hope all are well.

[Kit_L]

Great to hear from you, Danny. We also have moved (to a South Coast town called Kiama, pron. Kie-yama); just beautiful. Surf Beach (and park) directly across the road from our front door. We bought a small two bedroom apartment (deliberately; downsizing became a necessity!) with a great kitchen. It's three minutes from the electric train station (I mention this, because this station is the beginning of the electric line that goes to the heart of Sydney, in two hours). We walk everywhere.

And between the front door and the surf beach is a set of decent chinup bars... I was sold immediately! 

Great result from the Great North Run—"very little DOMS" is what we all hope for! I am going to write up my current play routine; my legs are the strongest they've been in years, and no weights!

And then there was the debate last night... I am hoping for a reprieve from the madness of recent years!

 

[SwissDanny]

It looks beautiful Kit! Had a virtual visit courtesy of google street view. Delighted you have both found a new nest to settle in after some quite tumultuous years! Do you have a mooring for the boat nearby too?

Our place is gradually revealing itself in 3D having committed the project off 2D plans and site visits. The first floor slab has been poured, the amount of concrete and rebar is mind boggling. The lake is the Vierwaldstättersee, about 250m away, you can just see the "Badi" bathing area and there's a rowing club next to that I will definitely look into. Patience. 

We cant influence the US outcome so there's not much point fretting about it imo, but the quality of the people and debate is indeed depressing.

 

[Kit_L]

That must be SO exciting to see!

15 hours ago, SwissDanny said:

The first floor slab has been poured, the amount of concrete and rebar is mind boggling.

It is, isn't it? The sheer energy contained in modern housing (especially the concrete and steel) is staggering, when you see it. But, being Swiss-built, will last a long time and it probably won't leak. I'm afraid that we cannot say the same thing here about locally built apartments. We looked at about 200 over five years – believe it or not – before we bought the one we're in now. The strata reports, as they called here, were devastatingly critical of the building standards of most of the apartments we looked at. There is one multi story apartment in Wollongong, for example, that was finished three years ago and has never been inhabited because a building certificate could not be issued for it. It actually has a visible lean as the foundations crumble. You honestly can't make this stuff up.

Best of luck for your build, and you're right: we cannot influence the US elections, but I do fear for democracy. Perhaps this was inevitable. Best, Kit

[SwissDanny]

5 hours ago, Kit_L said:

But, being Swiss-built, will last a long time and it probably won't leak.

200 viewings!! I can imagine though having seen some newbuilds in the UK. Swiss building is for sure very high spec, and the trades are very specialised and generally very skilled and proud of their work, so as least it defintely shouldn't leak!

I hadnt really thought about the energy cost of such builds. It's ironic as it is basically specified as a "passiv haus" to minimise energy use, triple glazing, ventilation with heat recovery, automatic blinds, solar roof, hot water from community heat factory etc etc. I guess it's the same claim as electric cars with zero [tail pipe] emissions.

[Kit_L]

22 hours ago, SwissDanny said:

I guess it's the same claim as electric cars with zero [tail pipe] emissions.

Yes, and I think that whether that's good or bad, to each of us, is where we set the parameters for weighing these aspects.

Liv and I have a Human Ecology background (where we met, in fact, at the oldest one of these departments in the world), so we usually think in terms of "whole of life" and that necessarily includes cost of manufacture of all materials, cost of running (whether in financial or environmental terms) as well as disposal. When you take the long view, the 'passiv haus' will be a good thing, I'm sure. From a materials perspective a badly designed house (or car) will cost roughly the same as a good one.

[SiW]

On 9/12/2024 at 1:00 AM, Kit_L said:

Great to hear from you, Danny. We also have moved (to a South Coast town called Kiama, pron. Kie-yama); just beautiful. Surf Beach (and park) directly across the road from our front door. We bought a small two bedroom apartment (deliberately; downsizing became a necessity!) with a great kitchen. It's three minutes from the electric train station (I mention this, because this station is the beginning of the electric line that goes to the heart of Sydney, in two hours). We walk everywhere.

And between the front door and the surf beach is a set of decent chinup bars... I was sold immediately! 

Great result from the Great North Run—"very little DOMS" is what we all hope for! I am going to write up my current play routine; my legs are the strongest they've been in years, and no weights!

And then there was the debate last night... I am hoping for a reprieve from the madness of recent years!

 

Kit, can you enlighten us in how you achieved strong legs with no weights? How are measuring ‘strong’, what exercises etc. many thanks 

[Kit_L]

Yes, definitely. One word: baitheks (sometimes spelled "baithaks").

The way I do them is similar to the following video, with full ROM in the knee joint. As well, sometimes I add hops from the bottom position, forwards and backwards from the bottom position:

 

These ball of foot squats, also called "Hindu squats" (allegedly) were done by the great Gama, one of the world's greatest wrestlers in the thousands, daily. I usually alternate sets of 30 with flat-footed squats, with a pause in the bottom position; this keeps ankle flexibility. The baitheks are very strengthening for the feet, too; this is something you can feel. 

I'm up to 60 in a set, and I usually do one or two sets. I do them relatively slowly (if done quickly, they are fantastic cardio conditioning). Doing them slowly allows me to concentrate on balance and the multiple sensations.

I do intend to shoot a video on these. And I am measuring "strong" by having put muscle on the quads and glutes; this is a visible change. That, and feeling stronger!

[SiW]

Really fascinating Kit. And this is with no other leg exercises? Do you do any single leg, e.g. single leg deck squats or skater squat, in addition for balance or do you see little additional benefit in that. I played with Hindu squats when doing convict conditioning a year ago but had to stop for minor foot surgery. I may resume that now. 

[Kit_L]

@SiW: If you go over to my YT channel, you'll see a number of single-leg squat variations I use:

https://www.youtube.com/@KitLaughlin/search?query=single-leg

The second one I demo in the studio is very effective, if you do it with control on the way down, in particular. I have done a single set of 40 of these, alternating legs.

Re. the Hindu Squats: on a long retreat in Taos, NM, many years ago I worked up to being able to do 500 of these in a single set; this took about 14 or 15 minutes in total, IIRC. But I am much older today, and 60 in a set is where I'm at today.

The Indian wrestlers do not use weights (apart from Indian clubs), and some of them have exceptional physiques. The squats in all their variations are definitely worth playing with, I feel.

[SiW]

@Kit_L thanks Kit. I’ve not seen that second squat variation before, I will investigate. I definitely think there are specific benefits to single leg work, so will try to incorporate some of that first in my workout (more skill/coordination intensive), followed by baitheks.