JJ's Law

JJ’s Law

You’ve heard of Murphy’s Law, well JJ’s Law states that if JJ plan’s to re-roof his house one of two things is going to happen.
Rain
Excessive heat wave
Luckily we had no rain, but a Bermuda High came screaming in just after I already ordered my materials and set up a delivery date. I can not remember when we had such intense humidity and heat in the month of June, but in a way I welcomed it. Look, you are talking about a guy who started laying blacktop at 15 in 100 degree weather. Yeah, I am sick and twisted in that respect.
Roofing in high humidity 90 degree + heat would be a good test of my conditioning and of my Renegade training to date. Here we have GPP, weighted GPP, strength work, flexibility, speed work and just plain will power all wrapped in a single workout atop an unstable environment.
You want a functional workout, try roofing.
What did I learn?
Bundles of shingles are far heavier than any loaded barbell.
Bundles up a ladder will waste your legs far better than squats.
Nail guns are awesome as are shingle rippers.
Use staples to affix tar paper, not roofing nails as did the builder in this case.
Cotton Shirts rule, blends suck!
My friend Dave is a true friend, those that did not show have been bumped to acquaintance status.
I am a machine and have no equal when it comes to work ethic in my neighborhood!
My neighbor is a wuss. He cuts his grass at 7 am and then flees inside an air conditioned house for the rest of the day.
Having a broken ac in the house after roofing all day sucks big time. I almost pulled an Al Bundy and camped out in the supermarket freezer section.
Roofing is not hard, just labor intensive.
Did I mention Cotton Shirts rule, blends suck?
Wear sneakers, not boots during the day.
I really wish I owned a pool!
I can’t be killed!

Perfect Posture

Perfect Posture, it is a term you hear often in Renegade Training. So important is this component to training and everyday life that it is included within the coveted Renegade Concepts of Training. Next time you are walking around the park, or in the gym take a hard look at the people around you. Are they performing their target activities and tasks with perfect posture? Is that buff dude in front of the mirror curling a bar with 45’s doing it the way it was meant too? Is that lady with weights in her hands as she does laps around the track slouching?
Yeah, big deal you might say. Well it is a big deal and I am going to tell you why. What happens when you do not adhere to perfect posture is you develop negative patterns. These negative patterns work, over time, to erode your natural patterns of movement. When this happens injury is just a movement away.

Now by reading some of my blogs and seeing I am a Sr. Renegade Trainer you may believe I am infallible. Well let me assure you I am not infallible nor am I immortal. Like most successful people I continue to learn and evolve with every passing day. Every so often I get a not so gentle reminder on the lessons of Perfect Posture, and the need for Balance. (By balance, I do not mean standing atop a swiss ball or a surfboard, but rather a balance among musculature.)
Several years ago I was involved in quite a devastating car wreck that saw injuries to my back and neck. I have spent five years thus far re-habilitating these injuries and will no doubt spend the rest of my life addressing these concerns. The problem is, because of the injury, I have several imbalances. Many of the imbalances I have corrected in my training, yet a few are being very stubborn. I am fully aware of these imbalances which affect my posture. I address them regularly, but every so often the body reminds me that these imbalances need to be addressed a little more attentively than other areas. Unfortunately I see in my business many of these imbalances or negative patterns arising due to poor posture and not necessarily a car wreck or other unavoidable injury. This must not be allowed!

So listen up Grasshopper, we will return to the “Ultimate Handstand” next week. For this week I want you to join me in re-evaluating your training and look for possible imbalances, negative patterns, or poor posture. To Excel you must adhere to the following:
1. You must not allow imbalances or negative patterns to form.
2. You must have perfect posture at all times.
3. You must continually set aside your ego and search for any imbalances no matter your skill level.
4. Continually work to perfect your posture in all areas of life.
5. Address any weaknesses, imbalances, or postural concerns IMMEDIATELY!
6. If by chance you do get injured; seek professional help, relax, take a step back and search for the cause. Pretend you are a detective and find the culprit, or culprits. Work to eliminate the apparent weakness.
7. Most importantly, and this is the hardest, be patient! Correcting any imbalances, postural concerns, or recovering from injury may take days, months, or even years. But it must be done.
8. Don’t ever quit or surrender.

Jump to it Grasshopper.