Charles’ Parkour Training Blog

This quarter, I decided to sign up for a public speaking course which also requires you enter in the quarterly Public Speaking competition. This quarter’s topic was health, a subject I feel I have a good grasp of, especially in the department of losing weight. My speech was an attack on the widespread belief that using elliptical and treadmills for hours on end will help you lose weight. Hopefully you readers of my blog know better, but for the sake of presentation, here is my speech. This presentation won me first place:

Weight Loss: Cardio vs HIIT from Charles Moreland on Vimeo.

About nine months ago I noticed an increasing trend in my Google Analytics and decided to make my post, Starting Strength Results. Since publishing that article, the keyword has become my second top generator of site traffic (”parkour training” being first). Also, I have been getting numerous emails from people all over the world asking advice on Starting Strength.

I must repeat, I am no expert when it comes to lifting or SS and if you can ever get in touch with Mark Rippetoe, do. You will benefit so much more. However, since people are finding me, I will do my best to answer questions. Because of the recent influx of emails, I have decided to start making public posts with my responses. Please do continue sending me feedback, though, so I can make my site more informative and better suited to your needs.

This email comes from an anonymous poster:

Hey Dude!

I am about to embark upon the the Starting Strength (SS) program and managed to stumble across your blog when looking for results.

It made for a very interesting read. Congratulations on the result man! It can be pretty difficult to find solid info when it comes to weight training
on the internet. So much BS floating around. Anyway, I though I would drop you
an email to show my appreciation and ask a couple of questions. Hope that’s okay.

I noticed your stats at the start of the SS programme were pretty similar to my current stats.

You were:

Age – 21

Height – 5′ 9.5″
Weight – 152 lbs
%BF – 6.3

I am:

Sex – Male

Age – 24

Height – 5′ 9″
Weight – 140 lbs
%BF – pretty low – can see my abs.

I saw that you were on ~4000 kcal/day. Would it be correct to assume that you were getting roughly 2000 kcal from the gallon of milk added to your regular (2000 kcal) diet? Was that semi-skimmed milk or whole milk by the way?(1)

Could you breakdown your starting strength diet a bit for me – food sources & grams of fat/carbs/protein?(2)

I have been experimenting with my diet over the past year. I would say that I maintain at ~2500 kcal/day and when on a cut I lose about 1-1.5 lbs/week on 2000 kcal. I am trying to finalise my diet before I begin the starting strength program. I was ready to go with 2800 kcal/day without the gallon of milk for building mass. If I were to add a gallon milk (8 pints = 8 x 255 kcal = 2040 kcal, assuming semi-skimmed milk) to my regular 2500 kcal diet (as recommended by Ripptoe) my caloric intake would be > 4500 kcal/day! This seems like an unnecessarily large surplus to me. The milk alone would be like 80 grams of fat! Sorry, I should probably just try it rather than ask questions. Ripptoe must be right after all!(3)

Anyway, as 4000 kcal worked so well for you, and I think we are quite similar, I was wondering what you would advocate in my case? Can I ask what your calorie maintenance level is? The fact that you only went from 7 to 8% body fat when getting 4000 kcal is amazing. You most likely have better than average genetics.(4)

I see you put on 18 lbs of lean muscle to satisfy your goal – I have a similar goal. I don’t want to get huge. I just want to get a bit stronger and bigger – regardless of whether this means following the SS programme to its conclusion or not. I reckon 20 lbs of lean muscle would do it for me.

Some additional info about me: I would say that I am a naturally athletic person. I have a pretty active background – I used to run and play badminton at competitive level. I run 8 k every other day at the moment (this will stop when I begin SS).(5)

Thanks again for posting all your progress. It’s really appreciated.

Cheers,

A

Ok, here we go:

First off, the log on this website started when I was 152 lbs however I was ~145-147 lbs when I initially began.

1. I never actually tracked my diet. When I did SS I was also a full-time student with two part-time time jobs. Calorie counting was NOT one of my top priorities, gaining weight was. I usually only tracked weight once a week to find fluctuations.

The milk was whole and I only recommend whole. I grew up on skim-milk and my mother is a product of the lipid hypothesis hysteria. However, whole milk is one of the cheapest ways to get calories, adding about 3200 kcals a day to a power lifter’s diet.

To anyone considering doing SS: drink the milk. It is easily the best tool available to a novice to put on weight.

2. I can only give a rough estimate at best of my calorie partitions. I did SS relatively “clean” and was probably around 40f/20c/40p. Near the end, I actually started losing weight (weird…) and bumped my fat up to around 60% to get enough calories.

3. Fallacy number one: you will NOT be able to maintain your same eating habits while on SS + milk. It will not happen. You are going to feel full the entire day from milk and you are also going to feel rather fat. It happens. Get over it. I could barely pound out one full meal a day because of the milk.

Your best bet is to start increasing your milk to near gallon/day levels, then go full swing into SS and track how you feel. Your meals must be re-evaluated after this period.

4500 kcals a day is hard to maintain. Realistically you will be around 4000. Forget about the fat grams. The lipid hypothesis is wrong and to this day I remain in an amazingly healthy shape and get ~50-60% of my daily calories from fat.

4. My caloric maintenance is currently around 2200 kcals/day at roughly 157 lbs. My recent loss in weight is due to personal dietary reasons, coupled with the fact that I enjoy being a smaller framed person. Now I’m smaller, but stronger. I have never been over 10% bodyfat (near the end of SS I was around 9.5%). Once you are at a desired weight, cutting the milk easily takes care of excess fat pounds.

5. I went from 145 lbs to 167-170 extremely fast. I have always been a physically adept person and it probably helped that I was able to start squatting body-weight right off the bat. I also rarely, if ever, stayed at one exercise weight. I was increasing my squat 5#’s every workout fairly consistently from 225# to 300#. For most people, I would say expect to stay on SS for about 3-4 months.

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I hope this new approach to answering questions is effective and if there are any questions not answered through this method please email me.

I wish everyone luck in their fitness endeavors!

Charles

 

To be honest I cannot believe I’m making a post such as this. However, I try to keep good track of the keywords that lead people to this blog every day and recently I’ve seen an influx in searches looking for Starting Strength results and body composition changes. In response, I decided at a recent photo shoot to ask for a couple shots of me to demonstrate where I am currently as a result of my previous training. 

 

I start off by bringing you back to when I was a Freshman in college. I hope every last one of you realizes how embarrassing this truly is for me to post this:

 

Me three years ago

I was such a different person back then. Finding this photo brought back interesting memories of my past. The next photo is one of very poor quality, however it is the latest picture I have with my shirt off prior to my Starting Strength program:

 

Me around Summer '08

Better, but even then I knew I was weaker than I thought I was. About a month later I began not only Starting Strength, but also ventured down my path to become a gymnast. I was on Starting Strength for a little over two months before ending my linear progression. I gained about 18lbs of lean muscle mass and saw massive strength to bodyweight ratio spikes. This is me currently:

 

Post-SS Feb '09

 

 

Post-SS Feb '09

 

 

Post-SS Feb '09

I want to stress the point at this time that aethetics were never a goal in my training. One day a couple weeks ago, I happened to look in the mirror coming out of the shower and realized that I had attained something I figured I’d never attain (nor had I cared about). The broadness of my shoulders and chest have filled out tremendously which for me, having spent a majority of my life with my torso appearing flat, up and down, is an extreme bonus. 

For those of you looking at this still debating whether or not to go on SS, do it. But do it for the right reasons. Follow the program and go as long as you can until you see the performance goals you are looking for. 18lbs of lean muscle is not exemplary in the least for results from this program, however, I had reached a point where I felt comfortable with myself and my functionality. 

Train for life. Train for functionality. Eat properly. One day you’ll look in the mirror and realize your abs just appeared out of nowhere, and more than that, you won’t care…

Peace,

Charles Moreland

Sunday Workout 9/28

Todays workout was substituted with a gymnastics style routine due to my involvement with the Gymnastics Club here at RIT.

Warm up-

5 skin the cat
20 second false grip hangs
5 half bodyweight pull ups
10 Bulgarian dips

Work out -

Straddle back lever hold 10 seconds 1×5
Front support L-sit hold 30 seconds 1×3
Back hang kip to L-support hold 15 seconds 2×5

Today marks my first day devoted to a rings work out routine. The elbow is feeling great and my kips were pretty much flawless and involved no pulling at all. My support holds were still a little shaky but felt great.

I lost my back lever which I’m not thrilled about, but getting it back should be quick.

This workout, although I’m still not exactly 100% back, marks the beginning of my road to the Iron Cross.

Here I come.

My returning visitors will know that my regular training schedule has been put on a sort of hiatus since my elbow succumbed to tendinosis. The good news is, changes are coming.

After about three months off of my arm completely, I have finally gotten myself into a physical therapists office to get some professional advice. To my surprise, the months spent resting and off my arm have paid off and Mark the PT said that after a relatively short therapy regimen I will have my strength back. Fall is going to be a good season…

However, due to this lack of “proper” training, I have as of yesterday began a new lifting regimen to help me through this dry streak. The program is Starting Strength (www.startingstrength.com) developed by Mark Rippetoe. I won’t say much about the theory behind the program because there is already and amazingly well written book written on it. Anyone who finds their way across this article would find this book absolutely useful.

I will use this blog as a place to hold my numbers and to track my progress both in lifts and in body composition. Currently:
Height – 5′ 9.5″
Weight – 152 lbs
%BF – 6.3

Wednesday lifting -

3 x 5 Squats – 125#
OH Press – 80#
Deadlift – 150#

I was actually fairly impressed with myself. I’ve never actually focused on freeweight lifting so starting off on these numbers means I’ve certainly been doing the right stuff. I hope to use this program to build up my strength base while I wait for my elbow to heal. I hope that this program will help me pick right back up where I left off so many months ago and hit the ground running.

Off day log -

This is my first day off and all I can say is that this is rather hard mentally to do. My workouts are intense but quick and require a full day of rest inbetween which is driving me crazy. This first day off made me feel so much like a bum that I needed to get out and run for several miles. I can only sit down for so long…

The gallon of whole milk a day is seriously making me feel fat, but I’m determined to keep up with the program in full to mark the results. I’m excited and curious to see where this takes me.

-Charles

In my line of work I feel that one can’t help but be in complete adoration of nature and all it’s wonder. One thing I love most about coming home, besides the friends and family, is the environment. Albany is just a stones throw away from some of the best scenery this side of the Mississippi and I try my best to get out into it whenever I can.

A couple of days ago I took my pals Jason and Arthur up to the Adirondacks for some good hiking near Lake George. We climbed a small peak called French Point Mountain, a difficult rated trail and definitely one of the least traversed areas in the region, but one with one of the best views of Lake George around.

The trail itself was a nice workout which involved very steep, but short climbs in rapid succession. The scenery was beautiful all through the hike. Along the way up to the first peak we found a gorgeous waterfall that you crawl up off the path, sit, and just listen.

Yes, sorry Mom, we drank the water which was cold, refreshing, and absolutely delicious. I don’t recommend doing this to anyone.

About four miles up the nine mile route I ran into a very life threatening situation with a poor rattlesnake I have since named Henry. I was leading the climb for this part of the trek. Upon coming to the crest of the very steep climb we had just completed and as I went to step my left foot down I saw something move extremely quickly out from under my foot’s path! Cat like reflexes may have saved me here as I instantly jumped to the right just as the snake started to rattle and take a defensive stance.

I can’t really explain how scared I was at that particular moment, but after taking a moment to realize what had just happened the gravity of the situation dawned on me; Four miles up a very steep trail is not a good place to get bit by a rattlesnake. Who knows what could have happened had his head been the closest part to my foot instead of his tail. Definitely one of my closest calls yet.

As a short aside, here’s a little diddy about rattlesnakes. First off, there aren’t supposed to be that many here. This region is called the Tongue Mountain Range and is the only place where these creatures can be found. Despite this it is incredibly rare, according to official sources, to come in contact with one. This is ironic considering the two times I’ve climbed this region I have seen one. There hasn’t been a recorded bite since 1997.

From the posture in the picture I can tell it is a Copperhead. Timber rattlers also frequent this region and do sometimes come in this color, however a Timbers will almost always keep it’s rattle in an erected position in the defensive stance. Copperheads hold the most bites nationwide yet also hold the lowest fatality rate. Being bit by this particular one would have been in my best interest, had I in fact been bit, rather than be bit by a youngster. Mature snakes have more control over their venom and would probably do their best not to part with their venom in the instance of a bite.

If you do find yourself bitten by a rattlesnake it is of the utmost importance to stay calm. Having a rapid heartbeat will only spur the venom through your system faster. If you have a cell phone and have reception call 911 as fast as you possibly can. Snake bites should ALWAYS be considered a life or death situation. If you are on the side of a mountain, try to make your way down the easiest way keeping the bitten limb as immobile as possible. Some experts recommend sucking out the venom quickly while others do not. In any case, a tourniquet several inches above the bite, loose enough to allow a finger to pass through, should be utilized. Always keep the location of the bite below the heart.

A snake bite, depending on the species, is not always fatal. Time is of the essence however to ensure that the tissue surrounding the bite will not die or become horribly infected.

After shaking off the craziness of the situation and after cursing at the lady who had written my mothers hiking book (”I’ve been hiking these regions for 35 years and have yet to see a rattler.” Yeah, nice call) we headed for the peak. Once there we sat, ate, and took in the gorgeous scenery.

Obviously I couldn’t leave without a summit handstand photo op.

At the summit we also came across a very pleasant sight: blueberry bushes! They were remarkably delicious and very bountiful. We sat for maybe a half hour eating and laughing.

We headed back after about an hour at summit and finished our hike. There was danger. There was excitement. There was adventure. There was brilliance. For those who are fortunate enough to live near mountain regions or national parks, please, take full advantage.

-Charles

Before I begin I’d like to apologize for the month long absence. Between finishing up final projects and attempting to find a job, to dealing with my move from college to my parents house, I’ve been thoroughly swamped. For this absence, I apologize.

To continue this post, I have some updates concerning my supplement testing. As you recall, I began a test with Vitamin C and Glucosamine and recorded my progress through my ordeal with tendinitis. After over a month of testing I believe I can give some concrete feedback.

What originally caused me to start something like this was some advise given from Coach Sommer, a world renown gymnastics coach. I was then directed to this research abstract http://www.springerlink.com/content/f41g434v74203337/ which I found more than interesting.

This injury has been active since February of this year and has definitely been giving me a lot of stress in regards to my training. Not being able to perform any intense pulling exercises has really put me in a hard spot. However, since starting this new supplement routine, I have absolutely seen improvement from the Vitamin C supplementation.

Yes, that’s right. I admitted it. It pains me so much to admit this, however this comes with a very strict clause because I know someone might take this out of context and start flaunting around the “great healing properties of vitamin C.” Megadosing Vitamin C is not a cure-all and it still holds true that megadosing does not boost your immune system or fight off the common cold. But despite my sceptical attitude towards this dietary solution, it appears to have helped. Only recently have I been incorporating very minimal and slow eccentric work into my daily routine and so far, the elbow feels amazing.

The glucosamine I didn’t really expect to work, and after looking back, I don’t see how it could help foster collagen health. To me it appears the manufacturers slapped in 300 mgs of Vitamin C just so they could advertise tendon strength on the box. I don’t believe this helped at all to my specific problem and for this issue was a waste of money; stick to the abstinence of all exercise that may cause damage to the injured tendon and if you feel adventurous, start taking some vitamin c.

After somewhat finishing this supplement adventure, I can say I am truly shocked. I doubted all plausibility of the procedure and, in my personal case, have been proven wrong (Not that I feel so horrible about this. After all…I have a half functioning elbow again!). My advice remains the same, however. Supplements and pills do not solve everything. I could have easily avoided this issue with proper training techniques, but instead decided to push myself much harder than my body was ready for and sometimes worked through the pain. Understanding this concept will be more beneficial to your overall health than any pill ever will be.

-Charles Moreland

It was early February that I first abandoned my shoes and started running barefoot. Since then, I have spent most of my time training barefoot and have become nothing less than pleased with the results. A week ago I mis-stepped on a small platform and felt my ankle collapse from under me. To my surprise, my ankle stretched and snapped right back into position, despite where my center of gravity was located, and saved me from a decent six inch drop that would have surely done some nasty damage to my joint structure. This made me think for a second and for the past week, I have recorded every occurrance brought to my conscious where my ankle has either missed a step, become tangled, rolled slightly, or twisted. Here are my results from one week:

Lifestyle – (Risks I accept as part of my practice in Parkour, Martial Arts, Gymnastics, etc.)

5 instances

Daily Life Occurrances – (Walking, climbing stairs, etc.)

68 instances

Of these instances, only three of which would I consider possibilities for major damage; and of these only one was caused by a lifestyle activity. I find this remarkable, first, because I truly didn’t believe I was this clumsy and also because I didn’t sustain any damage. My ankles function just like they normally would and may go through these types of instances every single day and I never pay attention to it. How many people roll their ankle, sprain, break, or tear? How many of these are then forced into crutches or wheelchairs? How many can no longer lead a normal life because of the incident?

I take my shoes off to run, to train, and to practice my balance on rails and slack lines. With each one of these activities, I had the most fun ever. I normally spend entire Fridays outside sitting with my friends in the sun next to or on a slack line. I wouldn’t want to spend my sunny Fridays any other way. Who would have thought that I could have so much fun while minimizing my chances to sustain life altering injuries?

Food for thought…

-Charles Moreland

For a long time now I have been a big opponent of the supplement industry. I don’t necessarily have an undying hatred for supplements in general; specifically the companies that sell and advertise them. They design their bottles and ads to be as misleading as possible and catch people up in a storm. It is my opinion that almost all supplements are a waste of time and hard earned money.

I’m in a bit of a situation that is going to involve abstinance from that which I love most – my training. As I’ve found, this is about as difficult as a chain smoker attempting to quit cold turkey and I have had little success. My tendinitis/osis is extremely resillient.

True to the quote that graces my top banner, I’ve decided to switch strategies to use my situation to my (and hopefully others) advantage. So here we go!

Charles Moreland’s Great Supplement Adventure!!!

A couple months ago I had nice argument/discussion with someone about the effects of glucosamine. After a great deal of research I concluded that there “appeared” to be some interesting clinical support for the tag team that is glucosamine chondroitin. This product appears to be mainly for osteoarthritis however also boasts collagen support for tendons.

After an interesting chat with Coach Sommer, Vitamin C was brought to my attention. This my bane and without a doubt the whole supplement craze was started by this one “miracle” being preached by Linus Pauling. However each study that slams Pauling back down into mortality is also based on his premise that megadoses of Vitamin C will fight off the common cold. I have yet to find any addressing collagen recovery.

Given Coach Sommer’s experience level, I’ve decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. And off to the store I was. $25 US dollars later I had two “miracle” supplements and zero self-esteem/pride.

Glucosamine Chondroitin

Vitamin C

I have enough supply to last for a decent month long trial. I’ll be keeping a log pertaining to dosages consumed perday accompanied by a weekly “personal assessment.”

Onward!!!

Charles Moreland

A new cross fit girls work out to add to the list of my mid-night work outs.

Mary is a lot like Cindy…but vastly different.

5 hand stand push ups
10 one legged squats (10 each leg)
15 pull ups

20 minutes – as many rounds as possible.

This was by far the hardest workout I have done to date. Hand stand push ups were done free-wall. Balance became a huge issue after only the second round and I had to resort to knocking out two presses before falling and starting over. Pull ups were hard solely because of volume involved, however the clincher came from the pistols. After the first round I could barely stop myself my falling over on the way down and form went completely out the door. I resorted to 5 pistols a leg followed by 10 air squats to scale for the missed pistols. My glutes hate me right now.

Mary was finished with 9 rounds exactly complete. Sleep ensued shortly after…who needs sleeping pills?

-Charles Moreland