Tag Archives: weight lifting

Does Your Toddler Need A Weight Lifting Rest Week?

Only 20 months old and Avery has plenty of weight lifting experience under her belt. Literally….

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She is a master with the kettlebell, does plenty of squats, and even acts as our personal trainer sometimes. I follow a 4 day per week lifting routine and normally do some form of HIIT on my “off” days, and Avery is there with me, ready to workout too.

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Well, sometimes. She also enjoys reading, which is perfectly fine. Just recently she figured out how to loop my weight belt and now she must wear it at all times. She’s a little reluctant to hand it over when I have my own heavy lifting to do, but as long as I promise to give it right back, she’ll allow me to use it. Because she has heavy lifting reading to do too.

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As a bonafide exercise addict myself, I can tell when things are getting too excessive. I’m still struggling with the whole less is more ideology when it comes to gaining strength even though I know it’s true. The last thing I want is for Avery to develop the same tendency to need to workout out all the time, so it’s good for both of us that we’re going on vacation soon.

I can tell Avery is already a tad obsessive when it comes to working out just from her constant desire to have the belt on just in case she needs to pull a couple sets of doubles on deadlift or push for a new 5 rep max on back squat. Or maybe just push the boundaries of all things cute!

Whatever the case, I knew a break from it all was imminent. First she started having trouble with getting her belt on.

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Then her interest in other activities, like reading, began to wane.

Read.....or LIFT!!!
Read…..or LIFT!!!

A big indicator was when she started to take frequent rests and appeared lethargic. A classic sign of fatigue.

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But the ultimate sign for a weight lifting rest week came about when she began getting clumsy in her movements and very, very irritable.

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Trikes and belts just don’t mix, but she wouldn’t listen to Daddy.

Luckily, our whole Going Family is getting a rest week in 2 days. My training routine even has a scheduled rest week that fits perfectly for our vacation. Of course, it’ll be active rest as I plan on hiking and kayaking with my wife every day! We’re going to Colorado to stay with Nana and Papa which will be interesting since this is Avery’s first time to be on a plane. Yikes!

That said, I need to get back to perusing Pinterest for clever ways to make the trip as easy as possible. I found this blogger who created a great list for Air Travel Under 2; she says It’s not that bad. We’ll be the judge of that………or, Avery will that is.

Thanks to those of you who left me tips the other day, I’ll be using those for sure! I’m counting on her love of popcorn to make it a great snack to keep her occupied, one kernel at a time. I’m air-popping a big batch of this Tiny But Mighty organic popcorn to bring along. If you haven’t tried, pick some up and enjoy, it’s delicious! Better get back to it, we still have lots of packing to do!

Are you a fitness fanatic who never gives yourself a break, or the opposite and need more motivation to get going?

Do you find family vacations are more stressful than they should be, or have you had a great experience every time?

Soft Star Shoes RunAmoc Moc3: An Active Dad’s Review

I’ve been wearing minimalist shoes for over 5 years now and will never go back to cushioned unstability shoes again. Vibram Five Fingers or New Balance Minimus have been my shoes of choice, but since the kind folks “Elves” at Soft Star Shoes sent me a pair of their RunAmoc Moc3 barefoot running shoes to review, I have a new favorite.

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Here a few key details on the running “moccasins”:

Soft Star RunAmocs

– Superior flexibility and ground-feel.
– They weigh less than 5oz!
– Breathe-O-Prene® liners wicks moisture and keeps dust and dirt away!
– Genuine leather uppers, perforated for breathability.
– Zero drop 2mm Vibram® soling.
– Can be worn with or without socks.
– Extremely odor resistant.
– Reflective strips for nighttime safety.
– Handcrafted in Oregon, USA.
– See more by clicking this link.

Although they’re marketed as barefoot running shoes/moccasins, the RunAmoc Moc3’s are perfect for so much more. Lifting weights, walking, high intensity interval training (HIIT) exercise, chasing crazy toddlers, tasks around the house, shopping, and, when your kid lets you, relaxing.

I hear that last one is nice, but Avery has yet to allow this thing called “relaxing”. However, the shoes helped me block her path of destruction when they stopped her in her tracks to take a closer look.

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The Moc3’s instantly appealed to me since they are slip-on and as minimal as you can get without just actually being barefoot. Give me a slip on shoe, I’m happy, but give me a high quality slip shoe made for performance, I’m ecstatic! And that’s exactly what the Soft Star RunAmoc Moc3 offers.

Looks

At first, they looked a little funky to me, but as I studied them longer…they still looked funky. It’s true, they’re basically an upgraded sock, but that’s what I love about them. Even compared to the Vibram Five Fingers, the Moc3’s just tend to grab more attention.

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Maybe because they look as if they are some sort of business casual shoe when you first see them, but then you notice you can see the person’s toes poking through the thin leather uppers. Not to mention how thin the whole shoe looks/is.

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The looks have actually grown on me, and I’m completely happy with their design. Besides, barefoot/minimal shoes aren’t meant to fit in and they shouldn’t, they deserve to stand out from the rest!

Fit and Feel

No half sizes here, but for the Moc3’s I recommend you round down from your regular shoe size. I usually wear a 10 1/2 and got the size 10 Moc3 which still had some room inside. Note that these shoes can be worn with or without socks, and wearing socks can make your foot slip around more than if you were barefoot. I tried both ways and prefer going without socks as the shoes hug my feet better and don’t slip.

Whether you have socks or not, the shoes slip on easily and are extremely comfortable. I love being able to feel the ground beneath me, and the RunAmoc Moc3’s allow me to do just that. It’s almost therapeutic to walk or run in the grass when wearing these shoes since you can feel the blades under your feet with every step.

At less than 5oz, it truly is as if you’re just wearing some thick socks. But since they’re handmade by Elves who are actually passionate about what they do, you don’t have to worry about getting any holes like you would socks! My feet feel free in the shoes, and they basically are with their soft yet sturdy construction.

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Performance

These shoes are rock stars! I may not be running high mileage like back in my marathon days, but know that I could in the Moc3’s if I wanted. Instead, I’ve gone on daily long walks and runs with Avery and even incorporated “stroller hill sprints” in the shoes.

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The Moc3’s offer the best barefoot running experience I’ve ever had, hands down. Even the Vibram Five Fingers seem less minimal after wearing the Soft Stars. Don’t get me wrong, I still like and enjoy the “VFF’s”, but Soft Star is my new go-to shoe.

I tried running with and without socks, and prefer no socks the best. When I did wear socks, my feet would slide around and the heel would slip every so often like they were going to come off. Without socks, the shoes hug my feet better and feel more like they are just a part of me, not something loosely attached to the end of my limbs.

Running is a liberating movement, and the Moc3’s allow me to take things a step (ha ha) further by making everyday activities liberating too. Like, for instance weightlifting.

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When lifting weights, ideally we would be barefoot to connect better with the ground and be more stable. Think of all of the cushioning on standard shoes like standing on pillows when trying to squat heavy weight. The end result would NOT be pretty!

Thankfully, the zero drop, super flexible, and high quality construction of the Moc3’s make them perfect for any weightlifting session. I normally wear a minimal shoe with a 4mm drop, and after lifting in the Moc3’s, I could feel my leg muscles activating more which surprised me at first. I didn’t think it would be a big difference, but these are now the only shoes I’ll use on leg day.

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The Vibram soles provide plenty of traction which comes in handy when performing any of the Olympic lifts or HIIT exercises. CrossFit type of workouts is another area where the shoes shine as their grip and light weight instill confidence from kettlebell swings to burpees, to box jumps.

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Durability

I’ve worn the Moc3’s for several weeks now, and never wore any other shoes in that time besides when it was raining. Side note: the ultra minimal nature of these shoes means they are not water resistant, so they WILL NOT absorb water when stepping in puddles. I found out the hard way, but they do dry out and clean up easily!

In wearing these shoes all day every day where I spend most time on my feet, going for walks/runs with Avery, cooking in the kitchen, playing on the playground, lifting weights, and performing high intensity interval training, the shoes still look great! I managed to scrape my toes going over an obstacle when running, and all I have is a scuff, but besides that, these things hold up well!

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Seriously, it’s hardly noticeable. After dealing with stitching coming undone on my Vibram Five Fingers, I am completely happy with how well the Soft Stars are constructed and absolutely love that they are handmade right here in the U.S.A!

Summary

Their light weight, high durability, and zero drop are key factors making the Soft Star RunAmoc Moc3’s my new favorite shoe. The fact that they’re slip-on is what I love, but can see this being a drawback to some wanting a more snug fit. That said, ditch your socks and you should be just fine.

I love how you can feel so much under your feet in these and it makes me feel more connected to the earth. Call me a hippie if you want, but nothing compares besides actually going barefoot…..just beware of sharp objects! Being able to quickly slip these shoes on to go workout or just go to the local coffee shop makes them perfect for anyone looking to get a minimal shoe that is multi-functional. Oh, and, absolutely necessary for any parent with little ones running around!

Soft Star Kids Shoes

As a Soft Star Shoes Ambassador, I’ll be talking more about these shoes for a while. I have confirmed I love them for myself, but they also make children’s shoes by hand and I’m thinking Avery needs to have herself a pair soon! Check out all they have to offer on their site and have fun with the create your own feature.

Hopefully this review will have you ordering your first pair soon and you’ll be opening a package to find this glorious sticker with your new foot huggers carefully wrapped inside.

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Last Week’s Workouts and the Start of Movember

Had a pretty good week of workouts and decided to stick with an upper/lower routine by following one I wrote out a few years ago. I’m still adding more conditioning work than needed, but it’s getting better. Avery did great by “spotting” me in her jumper and cheering me on with her cute and loud coos.

I don’t write it out, but I always warm up before lifting with a 10 minutes of dynamic moves and stationary biking before ramping up the weights to my working sets. Again, this is in additional to walking at least a total of 3 or 4 miles each day of the week and chasing a very fast crawler around the house.

Monday – 10/27

– Back Squat: 4 x 8 x 215lbs

– Straight Leg Dead Lift: 4 x 8 x 205lbs

– Dumbbell Lunges: 3 x 10/side x 45lb/side

Superset w/ Glute-Ham Raise: 3 x 12

– Double Kettlebell Swings: 3 x 31 x 25lb/arm

– 31 1-leg squats and Push-ups

Tuesday – 10/28

– Bench Press: 4 x 8 x 160lbs

Superset w/ Strict Chin-ups: 4 x 6

– Dumbbell Hang Clean & Press: 4 x 10 x 30lb/arm

– 1-arm Dumbbell Rows: 3 x 12 x 45lb

Superset w/ Bodyweight Dips: 3 x 13

– Renegade Rows w/ 30lb Dumbbells: 3 x 10

– Dumbbell Curls “21’s”: 3 x 20lb

Superset w/ Standing Triceps Ext w/ 45lb plate: 3 x 12

– 31 1-leg squats and Push-ups

Wednesday – 10/29

– Warm-up walk/jog followed by 12 x ~75 meter hill sprints pushing Avery in stroller with 35lb weights in bottom basket; cool down jog of ¾ mile

– 31 1-leg squats and Push-ups + run 2 miles easy

Thursday – 10/30

– Front Squat: 4 x 8 x 170lbs

– Dead Lift: 3 x 8 x 230lbs

– Clean: 5 x 5 x 120lbs

– 31 Bulgarian Split Squats w/ 20lb Dumbbells/arm and 31 Push-ups

– 1 Round of Tabata bike

Friday – 10/31

– Overhead Press: 4 x 8 x 105lbs

– Barbell Bent Row: 4 x 8 x 130lbs

Superset w/ Dumbbell Incline Press: 4 x 10 x 45lb/arm

– Dumbbell Hang Clean & Press: 5 x 5 x 45lb/arm

– 4 Rounds: Close-grip Bench – 10 x 130lbs, Wide-grip Pull ups x 5, Kettlebell Windmill w/ 25lb/side x 10/side, Bike ~30 seconds

– 31 1-leg squats and Push-ups

Saturday – 11/01

– Cardio Challenge (30 min of 30s on: 30s off) wearing Elevation Training Mask

– 31 1-leg squats and Push-ups

Sunday – 11/02

– Walk 1.5 miles with Kelley and Avery in stroller to playground to push Avery in swing and then run 1.5 miles back

– Reel Mow back yard while wearing Avery in the Onya

– 31 1-leg squats and Push-ups

– Strict Pull ups x 10, 11, 11

November 1st marked the end of October and the month Avery was born. Yep, we’ll be celebrating her one year birthday on the 15th!!! Ahhhh! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it many times again; being a parent is equivalent to having a time machine stuck on the “future” setting.

I’ll be sharing more about her birthday soon, including her 1 year pictures we had done recently. But I need to go for now and just wanted to mention that I’m participating in Movember and just shaved my face clean on 11/01. Now I’m all set to let my mustache grow…..or something to that effect, it never grew well before.

Starting with a clean slate.....
Starting with a clean slate…..

If you can, I’d love to have you support the cause by donating to my page or team of Dads/Bloggers. Just sharing our page with your friends, family, and followers would be much appreciated too!

Any plans for November?

Have you heard of Movember?