BODYWEIGHT AND BELL 12.28.10

for this particular one i wanted something a little heavier than typical that didn't include bumpers and multiple bars. being restricted in what you allow yourself to work with is something everyone should experiement with.

bodyweight and bell 12.28.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

RESULTING DELIVERY 12.17.10

strap on an extra 20 and take something a little different for a ride. villa came up with this under the unusual parameters of taking a break from gripping anything made of metal, and it worked perfectly

resulting delivery 12.17.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

OHS TEST / ODDBALL 12.12.10

i walked into the ohs today with low expectations and an open mind. it had been over a year since going heavy so the resulting pr's were somewhat of a surprise. the second batch of work was constructed based on time constraints and the use of unfamiliar or neglected movements.

ohs test / oddball 12.12.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

DUE(MS) DAY 12.9.10

probably one of the most balanced and effective workouts i've done in some time. 5 minutes seemed to work for the 85% 1rm portion (250lbs) and the speed combination was highly effective with a load / rep scheme that promoted reduced transition times and high speeds.

due(ms) day 12.9.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

MET CONNED 12.1.10

in the end i know one thing, this combination and set up was highly successful in creating fear and panic of the next attempt. the desired symptoms of your typical metcon were all achieved; burning lungs, acid filled veins, and musculature ready to fail at any moment.

met conned 12.1.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

UNDER GROUND 11.25.10

playing catch up until the final round i reached the muscle ups at the same time as my counterpart, completing the first one before he started. what i didn't count on was an unbroken set of 4 on his part leaving me down by 2 as i watched him strap in for the final row.

under ground 11.25.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

EXPERIMENTATION DAY 11.20.10

how much can we use what's just lying around that i normally don't? or how can it be used in a different way? this thought led to a multitude of ideas while these efforts were in the planning stages. inspired and motivated, the lab worked overtime to put together the concoctions you see here today

experimentation day 11.20.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

JOURNEY(MEN) 10.30.10

when implemented at the appropriate time, these types of experimental efforts are important in that they break up the monotony of working out of the normal space under "normal" circumstances and parameters. throw it all out the window from time to time. get outside. break the cycle and do something different. it won't always be deemed 100% successful but that's not always what matters

journey(men) 10.30.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

45's 10.24.10

this breakdown is along those lines but in a slightly different direction in that the pieces of the puzzle have been laid out in order for further review. hip drive, rom, technique, and personal "style" can all be accounted for and viewed when the proper photos are sequenced together and viewed in context.

45's from insular gym on Vimeo.

STANDARD PROCEDURE 10.16.10

simple yet effective. heavy swings mixed with the ultimate body weight movement and the new 30lb ball resulted in a nasty combination with nowhere to hide.

standard procedure 10.16.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

THEORY APPLICATION 9.28.10

unscoreable, this side of total reps or sets, this scenario is largely impossible to replicate for the pure fact that the order and proportion of work is an unknown and inconsistent factor.

theory application 9.28.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN 9.29.10

strategy plays a much larger role in the execution of work than one would think. there comes a point where fuel management and pacing will result in faster results. knowledge of personal strengths and weaknesses is vital.

the final countdown 9.29.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

3 MILE INSULAR 9.6.10

every aspect of training is important but we're missing the boat if we never test our theories and practices. while doing all that we can to be prepared for it is still a worthy cause, a true "real world" event may never present itself.
so why not test ourselves, get out of the controlled environment of the gym, and create one?

RECENTLY 8.27 - 9.5.10

miscellaneous footage from 5 different days. more was done during this timeframe but this is a summary of what was taped. a wide variety of work.

recently 8.27-9.5.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

JACKED RABBIT 8.26.10

this combination proved to be a significant challenge. breath, stamina, strength, coordination, and technique were all challenged in a short window with only two "movements"

jacked rabbit 8.26.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

ROPE SLAMS 8.23.10

a cousin to the double under, sprint, and sit up rope slams are an underutilized tool that demand focus and drain fuel cells rapidly. 35-40' should do the trick. go get one.

rope slams 8.23.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

COUNTDOWN TO DESTRUCTION 8.20.10

...and the stars aligned for a memorable cosmic event. so intriguing was the phenomenon that i became hypnotized by effort and lost in a somewhat diluted parallel universe. the ability to maintain composure under stress without forgetting all aspects of the task at hand is a primary objective and underlying theme of my programming style and at or near the top of the hierarchy.

countdown to destruction 8.20.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

QUICK COUPLERS 8.17.10

compounding sets of work stacked on top one another added a level of difficulty, but perfectly matched pairs should equate to minimal transition time. i'm sure it can be done faster but the human body has limits and...

quick couplers 8.17.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

BRICK WINDOWS 8.8.10

a challenging scenario with various barbell movements and opportunities for eliminating work faster. the mixture of running and burpees compounded my primary weakness. while the ability to run within timed efforts and maintain intensity continues to elude me others march on efficiently chewing away at the meters stride by stride.

brick windows 8.8.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

HSPU 8.6.10

if you look closely you'll notice a distinct difference in technique including distance from the wall, degree of upright position, approach, and dismount. find what works for you but before you consider hspu a weakness play around with the variables. you might surprise yourself.

hand stand push ups 8.6.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

BLACK BEETLE 8.4.10

what i've found is that the mind and body have an amazing ability to adapt and find the path of least resistance when it comes to physical and mental exhertion. the learning curve is shorter thatn one might think. in other words, our bodies want to be, and we are naturraly programmed to be efficient.

black beetle 8.4.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

BATTLEFIELD INSULAR 7.29.10

in this video you'll see that the scenario played out perfectly for one and was a rude awakening for the other. it's back to the basics for some elementary training. this soldier has found a serious chink in the armor.

battlefield insular 7.29.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

HEAVY AND TECHNICAL 7.22.10

i am still a little apprehensive in failing under heavy loads while squatting. time to get over that. i intend to continue working on this lift, finding methods and techniques to reach my goal for this year.

heavy and technical 7.22.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

THE SHOPstacle course 7.17.10

extreme heat, exhaustion, austere movements, and the inconvenience of it all being topped off with a 20lb vest...
what more could you ask for out of the final event?

THE SHOPstacle course 7.17.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

LOCAL TALENT - 7.12.10 / OLY PICS - 7.5.10

the ability to push thru pain is something i'm obviously still working on and today's first section of swings and burpees was definitely good practice.
...finding mentors within your training partners, local community, and cyberspace is a wise place to start. it seems as though there are many knowledgable groups or individuals out there if one has the desire to learn..

local talent 7.12.10 / oly pics 7.5.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

FACE PLANT - 7.8.10

still working the clean. very inconsistent. this was my second time doing this set of work and i was considerably slower this time around. not the best day i've ever had but i think it's important to document the failures right along with the successes.

face plant - 7.8.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

FOUR TIME(S) 7.4.10

we all have our strengths and weaknesses but ignoring the later by spending our time in comfortable waters will eventually catch up to us. our weaknesses may never become our strengths but it's up to us to decide how vulnerable we allow ourselves to be. what casualty level are you willing to accept?

four time(s) 7.4.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

FIELD TRIP - 6.26.10

i believe it important to get out of our normal routine / surroundings and not only think, but work, "outside of the box". i was torn between a desire to work on the clean and jerk or head to the track for some much needed sprints. today's solution, to what so many of our fellow country men (and women) apparently don't even realize is a problem, is a mixture of both.

field trip 6.26.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

TECHNICAL ENDURANCE - 6.22.10

it's been said before and is 100% true... doing du or mu fresh is one thing, doing either while fatigued is what really matters. i threw this together last minute and sent out the call for willing victims. cabana was in. the game was on.
wow, it was hot.

technical endurance 6.22.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

PRESSure 6.15 / kb experiment 6.16

it's always good to step up to a challenge and also to experiment with your tools from time to time. if we're always doing the same stuff there will be no revelations, realizations, or solutions to be had. evolution and exploration are just as important ingredients as commitment and hard work.

PRESSure 6.15 / kb experiment 6.16 from insular gym on Vimeo.

UNBROKEN - 6.13.10

probably took too much time between rounds and before the squats but went unbroken on everything. unsure if i've ever done a 3rm back squat test but 255 has to be close. complete focus and effort was needed to successfully raise the load for the third time.

unbroken 6.13.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

THE POWER MILE - 6.5.10

pacing and gaming of certain workouts is important to maximize our potential within the given scenario and today i feel like that mentality was justified. however, only by intentionally stepping outside of that safe place, going blindfolded into the desert with no water, compass, or food and finding the will to survive and the heart to commit will we truly come face to face with our potential self.

the power mile 6.5.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

MISC. 5.27,28,29,30.2010

bits and pieces of the last four days' efforts. some change of scenery and methods led to an interesting and challenging group of work. time has become scarce and, out of necessity, this format may become the new normal...

Misc. 5.27,28,29,30.2010 from insular gym on Vimeo.

POWER AND SPEED - 5.18.10

unchartered territory again today. the real work started around rep 18 where my one breath per rep pace was brought to a screeching halt. from there i kept fending off the building fatigue of each subsequent repetition. the defenses wouldn't last forever...
and after a short break it was time to work on speed with a short timed circuit

power and speed - 5.18.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

PROGRAM ERROR - 5.16.10

at that point the thought didn't even cross my mind that the work should have been cycled each minute. i underestimated my abilites and as a result the potency of the intended prescription suffered.

INTERRUPTED INDULGENCE - 5.15.10

this was exactly what the doctor ordered. an effective combination aimed right at the core of the self preservation hub. result: direct hit. there is nowhere to hide, no escape, and no choice but to keep going.

interrupted indulgence - 5.15.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

POST WORK - 5.13.10

by the time i headed down the driveway and out onto the street for this 5,280ft of torture. needless to say, comfort was out of the question, regardless of what i tried.

post work - 5.13.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

A SIMPLE PLAN - 5.12.10

i'm anticipating elevated levels of soreness in my upper body for a few days but this was worth it. always been a fan of primarily body weight scenarios and this only increases the addiction.

a simple plan - 5.12.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

MEDICATION WITH PAIN - 5.10.10

my goal for this was to modify to a load that, with full throttle application, would produce a time at or below the 3 min mark. for me it was just a matter of how many seconds under could i get. unfortunately things didn't go as planned.

medication with pain - 5.10.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

MISCELLANEOUS MILE - 5.8.10

it's important to leave the gym / garage whenever possible and get outside for a change of scenery. this workout was a nice change of pace and a welcome reprieve from recent efforts.

misc. mile - 5.8.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

TEST DAY - 5.1.10

i must become even more diligent and practice these movements weekly, if not daily. otherwise i'll always be wanting more and right now there's more to be gained from improvements in technique than strength.

test day - 5.1.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

BENCH(LESS) - 4.28.10

when you're short on equipment you have to get creative. i'm having a hard time finding a simple flat bench with no gadgets or unwanted adjustments. in the meantime i'll continue to find other ways to maintain strength in that area.

bench(less) - 4.28.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

OH TEST METHOD 1 / CHASER - 4.22.10

after dealing with a shoulder injury for the last 8 months, today's result is a welcome sign of healing and progress. the chaser was effective and a much needed compliment to the stength test.

oh test method 1 - 4.22.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

BENCHMARK ALPHA - 4.20.10

with only borderline efficiency in the muscle up exhaustion was not as much of a consideration as was muscle failure. technical efficiency and increased power to weight ratio will help with this personal issue and should allow for a higher score next time

benchmark alpha - 4.20.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

EARNED REST - 4.17.10

my eyes and perceived abilities were larger than my stomach and reality on this one. a true failure in programming. the first trial with this format and due to a severe load miscalculation i wasn't able to experience the scenario as intended.

earned rest - 4.17.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

PAIN BEFORE PROGRESS - 4.6.10

frustrated and angry i devised a plan to take out the anger on the only thing that would make any sliver of sense, my body. ideas developed, new plans were drawn, and pain insued. this thing was brutal...

pain before progress - 4.6.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

4 DAY SALE - 4.4.10

this scenario was the spawn of two purposes and goals. the first was to employ some tools and methods that had been on the back shelf for too long. the second was to mix more than one method of attack during the same session.

4 day sale - 4.4.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

DUAL PURPOSE - 4.2.10

in conclusion, i would say each of these movements has their place and none should be left out or ignored. especially the explosive version of the squat, pushup, and pullup. many ignore these tools but i prefer to keep them close by

dual purpose - 4.2.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

FULL DOSE DESTRUCTION - 3.23.10

... against all standardized proven methods of training. this was a suicide mission. ... but i wanted to test some things and working at the limit seems to bring out all types of demons, especially when there's a clock running.

full dose destruction - 3.23.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

DUKKHA - 3.17.10

this was unchartered territory. work was complteded ehoh. for more info on the experiment check the main page on 3.17 and 3.18.10

dukkha - 3.17.10 from insular gym on Vimeo.

CHEROKEE GOAT-HAWK - 2.3.10

this was done at the shop but came from, and was inspired by, the same theories as what insular gym stands for. go here for more info on the workout.