CrossFit Langley - High Rep Back Squat Workout with Metcon

High rep squats are super tiring and I feel they are one of the best indicators as to not only how strong your legs are but also, how your cardio can cope with extreme demands in a very short period of time. Doing high rep heavy squats burns up your oxygen super fast making your lungs burn and testing your cardio to the max.

We where supposed to do 3 sets of 10 reps using 225 pounds but the boys I was with decided to get it over with and do 2 sets of 15 reps using 225 pounds. So of course I had to do the same. Except I showed them and on my last set I did an extra 5 reps making it 20 reps at 225 pounds. I did space them out a bit at the end only because I was struggling for air, not so much my legs, they felt good and I maybe even had another 5 reps in them if it wasn't for my cardio packing it in first.

We also did equal amounts of pull-ups between our squat sets which did not give us a lot of time to recover our lungs.

This Squat video was filmed at the CrossFit Gym I go to in Langley called Langley CrossFit, and was part of a three section workout that included:

Warmup (3 Rounds):

• 5 x Bar Back Squat.
• 6 x Lunges.
• 100m Row.

Main Back Squat Workout (3 Rounds):

• 10 x 225lb Back Squat.
• 10 x Pull-ups.
• Actually did: Set of 15 Squats - 15 Pull-ups and a Set of 20 Squats - 20 Pull-ups.

Metcon Workout (3 Rounds): 

• 9 x 95lb Barbell Lunges.
• 12 x Box Step-ups.
• 100m Row.

You can see how this workout effected my heart rate and how many calories I burned by clicking on this link.

MIO Alpha Strapless Continuous Heart Rate Watch Table Top Review

I want to start this table top review by giving you a basic understanding of what the MIO Alpha Continuous Heart Rate Watch is used for: It 's very similar to a heart rate chest strap but it's worn on your wrist like a watch. Both types of devices read your heart rate continuously, both a heart rate chest strap and the MIO Alpha Watch Strap use Bluetooth wireless technologies to send your heart rate info to another device like a smart phone where that information is stored and can be recalled and examined at a later time. Neither device stores your heart rate info or can be used on its own. The MIO Alpha Continuous Heart Rate Watch does have the advantage of being able to see your heart rate in real time on the watch screen as you workout.

Who is this MIO Alpha made for?

The MIO Alpha is made for athletes that want to know very detailed information about how their heart rate is effected by physical activities. This information can be used to determine information like:

• How many calories a person is burning during a workout.
• If they are attaining a peek heart state during an activity.
• If they are allowing appropriate rest times while training.

This information is very accurate as it is not based on "how you feel" but rather the scientific data that is collected by the heart rate sensor.

Disclaimer 1: I did give my MIO Alpha a fair try but for me I just could not get it to work correctly when I was doing intense high level activities. In most situations when I got my heart rate in to the higher thresholds, I would get irregular results from the MIO Alpha, especially when I was up and over 140-150 beats per minute. The MIO Alpha would record much lower heart rate readings than was actually occurring. I know this to be true as I was using my Polar Loop paired with Polar H7 heart rate chest strap at the same time and getting much more accurate heart rate readings. 

Because of these false readings, I am not getting my true peek heart rate readings when most of the really hard work is being done and so I am not getting my true caloric readings, usually way under. So in essence, I'm getting ripped off by the MIO Alpha!

Graphs examples for your reference:

Example 1:

• CrossFit Langley - Legs: Box Squats 225 x10 reps x 4 sets - Metcon
• MIO Alpha - CrossFit Langley - Legs: Box Squats 225 x10 reps x 4 sets - Metcon

Example 1:

• CrossFit Langley - Power Cleans, 80 Pound bag lifts, Abs
• MIO Alpha CrossFit Langley - Power Cleans, 80 Pound bag lifts, Abs

Example 1 of MIO Alpha taking advantage of my iPhone 5s GPS for location and speed:

• MIO Alpha took Kiya for a walk, only half of trip, wore on bottom of wrist 

I even tried using alternate hands with my MIO Alpha and wearing it in an over and under wrist positions, this did not help with the high heart rate accuracy sensing.

Disclaimer 2: I do have  a heart murmur which may effect readings when using a wrist based heart rate sensor, but my heart murmur does not seem to effect a heart rate chest strap like the Polar H7.

I also tried to pair the MIO Alpha to my Polar Loop but did not have any success, this may be because I already had my Polar H7 heart rate strap paired to the Polar Loop? I was not about to monkey around with my Polar setup since this is my personal fitness tracking setup of choice.

So instead I paired the MIO Alpha to my iPhone 5s using the Polar Beats App, this allowed me to use my Polar Loop / H7 heart rate setup at the same time as my MIO Alpha which gave me good side by side comparison results.

I was able to use my Motorola BT headphones at the same time as being connected to my Polar Beats App and I was able to get really good distance away from my iPhone while being paired. For instance I would place my iPhone in the center of my CrossFit Gym and had no problems with the MIO Alpha sending its signal to the Polar Beats App that was running on my iPhone 5s. I would say I easily got a good 40 plus feet away from the phone at times.

Let's quickly go over the main feature of the MIO Alpha Strapless Continuous Heart Rate Watch:

• The MIO Alpha uses Smart BlueTooth for wireless communication.
• The MIO Alpha is marketed as being easier to wear than a chest based heart rate monitor and can be worn at all times, "ready when you are".
• The MIO Alpha is marketed as being highly accurate even when very active?
• The MIO Alpha can use the Zone feature to maximize your workouts. (User-settable heart rate zones with visual and audible alerts).
• The MIO Alpha uses Advanced Technology, LED lights & an electro-optical cell “sense” the volume of blood under your skin.
• The MIO Alpha is designed with simplicity in mind. (Two button navigation, Continuous heart rate display, Activity timer, Clock, Data review)
• The MIO Alpha connects to compatible smartphones using Bluetooth® Smart (4.0) technology

Pros:

• The MIO Alpha is a watch that when you need it to to be can track your fitness level using your heart rate with a high level of detail.
• The MIO Alpha has great battery life, can go weeks, perhaps months while not being used to read your heart rate much and if need be can go all day while tracking your heart rate.
• The MIO Alpha looks good, has nice rounded edges that do not catch on anything and it is fairly comfortable to wear.
• If you find a chest strap uncomfortable to wear than this could be a good option for you.

Cons:

• The MIO Alpha has no backlight? Whaaaaat?
• The MIO Alpha was not accurate for me in the higher heart rate zones. (Perhaps my heart murmur interfered with the sensor?)
• The MIO Alpha only does one thing, heart rate, no other types of data tracking like motion?
• The MIO Alpha does not have any internal memory so it must be paired with a device at all times when using it.
• The MIO Alpha is more money than a stand alone chest strap by at least double the price.
• The MIO Alpha could get a bit in the way when doing weight lifting type exercises since it is more bulky than other fitness trackers worn on the wrist.

Conclusion:

In theory the MIO Alpha looks to be a worthy alternative to using a heart rate chest strap, especially if you find the chest straps uncomfortable or awkward to wear. But for me it was just not reliable enough, especially when my heart rate got into the higher beats per minute levels. Perhaps this was due to my heart murmur? For the steep price of around $200, all the MIO Alpha does is read your heart rate, it does not track motion, record any real data or even have a backlight? And to be honest, I think using a heart rate chest strap is the more reliable and economical way to go.

Now keep in mind, you do need to plan your workouts around making sure to wear a heart rate chest strap, so this is kind of where the MIO Alpha has the advantage as it can be worm all the time and is ready to go when you are. With that said, I know when I am going to do my workouts and I like the fact that my Polar Loop is very discreet and low profile yet tracks my data all day long, while still allowing me to throw my H7 chest strap on for my high intensity workouts. So at least for me at this point in time, I am going to continue using my Polar Loop / H7 setup.

CrossFit Langley Deadlift - New 383 Pound 9 Rep PR

Last year in November I did one of my last one Rep PR's (Personal Record or Best). It was for a deadlift and I did one rep at 403 pounds, at that time I was about 180 pounds. Following that PR I had several injuries, mostly small muscle tears and decided that one rep max attempts where no longer for me and so I now shoot for sets that are no less than 6 reps, or at least I shoot for no less than 6 so even if I only get 3-4 reps I am not hitting my max weight and playing it a bit safe in terms of avoiding injuries.

With all that said, I can still push myself and so in this video I take a weight that was only 20 pounds away from my one rep max and I achieved 9 reps. This tells me that I am getting stronger and this is always the goal, be better than you where yesterday, even if it's only just slightly :)

One of the reasons I feel I am getting stronger is because I have been working very hard doing a lot of weight lifting at my gym and I have been eating lots, I actually gained close to 20 pounds in just under three months and in this video I weighed in at 199 pounds that morning.

This Deadlift video was filmed at the CrossFit Gym I go to in Langley called Langley CrossFit, and was part of a three section workout that included:

Warmup 4 Rounds:

• 5 Bar Deadlifts
• 4 Ring Rows
• 10 Lunges
• 20 Second Arm Hangs

Main Deadlift Workout:

• Deadlifts 8x8x8x8
• Warmup - 135 x 8
• 225 x 8
• 275 x 8
• 313 x 8
• 383 x 9
• 6 Box Jumps in-between Sets

5 Round Metcon Workout: 

• 8 x Straight Leg Deadlifts with  (65 Pounds Dumbbells)
• 12 Box Step-ups
• 10 Lunges
• 20 Second Plank. 

You can see how this workout effected my heart rate and how many calories I burned by clicking on this link.

Joint Interview with LTRob from It's My Midlife Crisis

I teamed up with LTRob from YouTube Channel "It's My Midlife Crisis" to bring you guys a different kind of video, sort of a joint interview. I have been watching Rob's YouTube videos for some time and really enjoy his somewhat dark sense of humor combined with his take me as I am attitude. Rob has a great story or should I say "reality" going from rock bottom to what some people may say is an example of what a person in their 40's plus can achieve not just physically but also personally.

Most people are not happy with themselves in one way or another yet never actually do anything about it, Rob on the other hand made the changes necessary to become the person he wanted to be.

Here are some of the questions we had for one another asked in this joint YouTube video Interview:

Questions from Mike for LTRob (Part 1):

1. What made you decide to get sober and lose the weight?
2. How have you been able to stay sober and keep the weight off?
3. Thoughts on addictions turning into positive habits?
4. What advice do you have to to other people over 40 who want to improve their fitness and health?

Questions from LTRob for Mike (Part 2):

1. Why is fitness a priority in your life?
2. Were your parents active? What sports did you play?
3. Do you currently participate in a sport?
4. How many people are aware of the fact that you are an international gun dealer?

In (Part 3), Rob and I just Shoot the Breeze...

Please make sure to checkout LTRob's YouTube Channel "It's My Midlife Crisis"

Part 1 of 3 - Questions for LTRob from GetFitOver40 

Part 2 of 3 - Questions for Mike from It's My Midlife Crisis

Part 3 of 3 - LTRob and Mike Shoot the Breeze

Krack Klassic BCABBA Sanctioned Mens Physique Event

Krack Klassic BCABBA Sanctioned Mens Physique "Short"

On March 1st I had the opportunity to go and view a Fitness Contest located near to me over in New Westminster. The show was called the Krack Klassic BCABBA Sanctioned Event and covered the following categories: Men's and Women's Bodybuilding, Men's and Women's Physique, Figure, Fitness and Bikini.

I went to the morning Pre-Judging portion, mainly to see the Men's Physique. I am interested in seeing how developed these guys are since I might compete in a similar show this year in November.

Krack Klassic BCABBA Sanctioned Mens Physique "Open"

I have been trying to put on a bit of size since you need to have a decent amount of muscle for the Physique category, not nearly as much as a true body builder but as you will see in my YouTube video, these guys are pretty built!

Krack Klassic BCABBA Sanctioned Mens Physique "Tall"

I will be doing a test run so to speak to see what I look like now after I trim down just a bit, hopefully to around 190 or so. I have put on about 15 pounds since around Christmas time and feel that I have made some definite strength and muscle gains by keeping my cardio low and my food intake higher. Not all is muscle but a good amount is. My goal is to be leaned up for a June trip to Vegas so I have about three month to strip off 10 pounds of fat which is a very realistic goal and should not be so quick that I will lose any muscle, I may even gain a bit of muscle between now and June :)

Krack Klassic BCABBA Sanctioned Mens Physique "Masters"

Watch my YouTube Video of the Krack Klassic BCABBA Sanctioned Mens Physique Portion: