Really, is it all that complicated? Yeah, all of us in the Paleo/Evolutionary Fitness community like to geek-out on the minutia of this stuff (and with the workout specifics as well), but when we get down to brass tacks — or (and especially so!) when dealing with the “mainstream”, or potential converts — it’s helpful to remember this: Paleo is, at its roots, really, really easy. To wit, check out Robb Wolf’s the Paleo Solution, Quick Start Guide. In fact, the entire Paleo Solution book is a great Paleo introduction tool. I won’t go into a full-fledged review just quite yet, as I prefer to fully digest a book (lots of margin scribbles, notes, underlining, etc.) before weighing-in. I can tell you this much, though; Robb’s book would be a fantastic introduction to anyone contemplating testing the Paleo/Evolutionary Fitness waters. As opposed to, say, Taubes’ Good Calorie, Bad Calories; a read that I’m particularly fond of, by the way, but that can be, oh…how shall be say…a bit off-putting to the newly initiated? Hell, even Toban Weibe’s most excellent summary of Taubes’ tome can be much for most initiates. Not so Robb’s the Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet. Accessible? You bet; I’d feel comfortable suggesting it to anyone — and certainly to anyone who is even the least bit skeptical over the whole “Caveman” thing. Robb does an excellent job of both providing sound, science-backed information, and doing so in a way so as to not come-off as being some kind of a back-to-the-caves whack-job…or worse yet, a dietary dogmatic. Bottom line? Get Robb’s book; get it for yourself and for anyone you care enough about to coax into the Paleo fold.
On to a couple of workouts –
Let’s preface things a bit by noting that I spent the greater part of Sunday lifting, toting, and just all-around man-handling heavy things. And not in a fun way, either — I’m talkin’ moving, folks. As in, shuttling a shit-pot-ton of household…stuff, from one place to another. How does one ever acquire so much? Anyway, thanks to my good friend Robert Remmers for sacrificing his Sunday (and a good deal of sleep!) to help Michelle and I out. Thanks, my man — we couldn’t have done it without you!
So I split this workout up into an AM/afternoon thing, as that’s just the way things happened to pan out on Monday, between training clients and handling other, more admin-related work. It was a nice opportunity for me to test how I’d respond to back-to-back (and separated by only a few hours) explosive work, as it’s been a while since I’ve done something like this. Again, I’m not personally a huge fan of the power clean, as I feel like I can (because of my build/bio-mechanics), get a bit more out of other lifts — however, I do like to keep light and technically flawless PCs in the mix — more so for the dynamics of the catch (as opposed to the pull). So, power cleans and power snatches in the AM; trap bar jump-ups and feet elevated ring presses in the 2nd of the day’s bouts.
power cleans: 135 x 7, 7; 175 x 3, 3; 185 x 2, 2, 2, 2 (high, rock-solid catch, very little knee bend with an immediate return to the hang position and explosion into the following rep)
power snatch: 135 x 3, 3, 3, 3
…and a few hours later:
trap bar jump-ups: (jump squats with a trap bar): 135 x6, 6, 6, 6
in a superset with –
feet elevated ring presses: bodyweight + 60 lb vest x 8, 7, 7, 7
How much can one cram into 10 minutes? Quite a bit, actually. I sandwiched this quick-HITer (heh…) between Wednesday AM and early afternoon fixie sprint sessions:
tru-squat: (115 counter weight) – 115 x 12, 150 x 10 (42×0 tempo)
rdl (X-Ccentric machine): 90 x 12, 140 x 7 (42×0 tempo)
nautilus pec dec: 110 x 8, 7 (4020 tempo)
Amazing what a concentrated slam you can give to your body in such a short period of time.
Theory to Practice 