Because I have been traveling alot in preparation for filming the 2009 season, I have had to workout on the road.

Here is another simple, good one:

Run 3 miles

Do 300 pushups

No rules…do the 300 pushups in any sequence at any time before, after or during your run.  For time

 I did this in Springfield, MO while visiting with Bass Pro.

Try this one:

20 burpees/1 bodyweight squat

19 burpees/2 bodyweight squats

continue down the ladder with the Burpees to 1 and up the ladder with the bodyweight squats to 20 for time.

This is a tough one as you do 210 Burpees and 210 squats.

Our group completed this in the following:

TR 16:58, KR 21:38, BE 21:52, AL 23:35. 

Finish with a 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 Pull up ladder

This is an EXCELLENT workout to do on the road as it takes NO EQUIPMENT at all and can provide incredible cardio, and resistance work.

 Post your time to comments if you try it.  Good luck!

For many, the art of catching fish is difficult.  The ability to adapt to changing conditions and adapting to conditions that make it very tough to catch a fish are the things that make a pro a pro.

 Clay Dyer has learned to adapt to many conditions that other anglers have never considered. 

I have tremendous respect for Clay and sincerely hope to share a boat with him in the near future.

Check it out below:

After a couple of weeks of vacation and serious family time, I am back on schedule and in the gym every morning.  My group reconvened and everyone is beginning to feel better after a significant layoff. 

I was pretty sure that I was not going to loose any fitness on my trip.  After all, I was hiking at 8000 feet.  I did a few days of the “Deck of Cards” (red are burpees-black are pushups-aces 11 and Joker 50 squats) routine, I also did the Sequential fatigue challenge (10 Burpees-sprint 50 yards-10 plyometric pushups repeat 5 times then 10 diamond pushups-sprint 50 yards- 10 high knee jumps-repeat 5 times).  I hiked with my family and my daughter (40 pounds) on my back to the Petrified Forest (hardest hike in Yellowstone) and I ate fairly well.

BUT when I returned to my group who does not slow down for anyone, I found that I had lost fitness.  For instance, I did my 500 routine (100 burpees onto tire-100 pushups-100 squats-100 Russian Twists-100 Mtn Climbers) and finished a full minute longer than I did before I left.  The burpees were also a chore.  Yesterday, we did Cindy (5 pullups-10 pushups-15 squats–as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes) and I only did 22 rounds, down noticeably from 26.  The 5th pull up on virtually every round was tough where I was breezing through them before I left.

What this all shows me is that true fitness is delicate and has to be nurtured.  While I was active, very active by most standards, I was still slipping.  As they say, if you are not growing your dying, if you are not improving, you are declining. 

Rest is important and so is a break.  My mind is fresh and my body feel great (except at the 71st burpee) but be careful not to let your fitness decline.  It does not take long to stay in shape but it takes a mammoth effort to get into shape.  You have worked extremely hard to achieve whatever fitness you have, do not let a vacation begin the downhill slide.

Things like 100 burpees for time, or “Jelly Legs” (15 burpees/1 squat, 14 burpees/2 squats…2 burpees/14 squats, 1 burpees/15 squats) or simply 10 100 yard sprints are enough to keep you in FANTASTIC condition without any equipment.

Some of my favorite no equipment routines which will bust your butt are the following:

Murph

1 mile run

100 pull ups

200 pushups

300 squats

1 mile run

Interval Challenge

12 burpees

24 pushups

36 squats

sprint 400 meters

X4

50 pushups/50 squats 40/40 30/30 20/20 10/10

GPP#2

burpees x 30 seconds

Jumping Jacks x 30 seconds

split jumps x 30 seconds

burpees x 30 seconds

Jumping Jacks x 30 seconds

Mtn Climbers x 30 seconds

perform 5 rounds with 30 seconds rest after each round

 There you go…now you have no excuse…and neither do I!

As many of you know, I have been on vacation in Yellowstone National Park with my family.  There is no doubt that these last two weeks have been the very finest quality family time that we have ever spent together.  The bonding that has developed between each of the kids and between us as a family is extraordinary.

 Climbing to the top of a mountain together, fishing in the Firehole River with the Geyser runoff creating giant clouds of steam, watching bison cross the river while we are in it, all created experiences that none of us will forget.

There were two other animals that we were able to see, and study from a safe distance that were really special.  We saw wolves eating carcasses, running through the Lamar Valley and simply crossing the road on Dunraven Pass.  The last time I was in the Park, the wolf reintroduction was only an idea proposed by extreme environmentalists.  Now, they thrive and the Park thrives with their presence.

In 1989, I worked in the Park for a summer.  I saw 13 bears in the whole time I was there.  In the last week, I have seen 38 bears!

To me this is incredible and reminds me of the way that the redfish, striped Bass, Mullet and many other species important to us as fishermen have also rebounded to record numbers.  How about the wild turkey and the Whitetail Deer?

 In a world often full of negativity about the state of the environment, it is a pleasant breath of fresh air to see that an area like Yellowstone is in such amazing shape.  It is one of my favorite places in the world and I strongly encourage you to visit it as well.  Just do not plan for 2-3 days.  It takes a week or two to see it the way it deserves to be seen.  It is HUGE.

 I am a strong believer in conservation and preservation, but often individuals or groups that are “green” or environmentally oriented can adopt a negative attitude, or what I perceive as a negative attitude.  Sometimes I get the feeling that they constantly tell everyone else how they are doing things wrong rather than praising the things being done right.  It reminds me of something that Mother Teresa once said, “Do not invite me to an anti war rally, I will not come.  Invite me to a pro peace rally”.

I tend to agree with Mother Teresa and feel that a slight tweak in the way you look at things can have terrific impacts on those around. 

So I would like to bring to light the amazing efforts of those who reintroduced the wolf and who watch the bears of Yellowstone.  The entire 2.2 million acres are wilder than ever and the wildlife is thriving.

Plan some time to see it for yourself.

Hurricanes are not nice to trout flies!

As many of you may know, I was a trout guide for a number of years before turning completely to saltwater.  I still enjoy trout, bass, bluegill, carp, striper and other freshwater fish.  If the truth was known, I like any fish.  There are no trash fish in my book and I have found great pleasure in fishing for many species extensively that others turn their nose up.  At any rate, I have been going through my formerly extensive and expensive collection of trout flies and tackle and found that a Hurricane that put 4 feet of water in my house also destroyed all my trout flies. 

I had a great collection and it was a sad day to open my boxes to find a rusty ball of feathers and hair.

I salvaged about 5% of the flies.  I guess the shops out west will be glad to see me coming as I will need to restock.

I am headed back to the trout waters of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem with my family.  I will leave tomorrow and be gone for about 2 weeks.  I will not post a blog entry while I am gone.  I will also be away from the board.

This is a dream trip for me to be able to take my whole family to Yellowstone National Park and have no schedule.  I will return to a busy time of filming and fishing for 2009 season.

Hold down the fort while I am gone!

Tight lines

No matter where you are in this wonderful country, spring has sprung.  This is the time to get outside and do whatever it is that turns your crank.

For me, I could not pick one particular style or species of fish that I like best.  Good thing that spring means that every fish from tarpon and bones to dry fly trout have begun to make an appearance or are in full blown spring blitz mode.

 Get out and enjoy the spring weather.  Take your kids and show them what you love about the woods or the water.  It will be time well spent.

WOD

300

25 pullups

50 Deadlifts 135pounds

50 pushups

50 floor wipers

50 box jumps 24″ box

50 Single arm clean and press 35 pounds

50 pullups

16:05

No matter how you slice it, kids are not getting the same opportunities in the outdoors as they once did.  Game Cube, Wii, cell phones, and various other electronic gadgets occupy kids time more these days than ever in history.

My grandfather did not have any of these temptations.  To have fun, his entire world was outside unless he wanted to read, draw or write stories.  My Dad didn’t have many indoor opportunities at fun either.  His youth was spent riding bicycles, and wandering around in the woods near his house. 

Today, I have to literally regulate television time down to the minute with my kids and insist that the kids go outside and play.  I understand the importance of digging worms, catching snappers, sea cucumbers, making bird calls, building forts, playing tag, hide and seek and camping out in the back yard, but how many parents today realize the importance of an aimless romp through the local woods or the front yard football game?

When I look around, I see a TON of overweight kids with no sun tan.  I can only assume that these kids are not getting outside. 

I know that my kids are lucky to have the ability to go fishing any time they want or to have a father who can teach them these things.  Many or most kids do not have anyone to take them to learn about hunting or fishing.

In this rant, I am not suggesting that every kid have a mentor to teach them about hunting and fishing, I understand that that is a luxury for those who have it and it would be impossible (but nice) to give everyone a hunting or fishing experience. Rather, I would just like to see kids  (AND parents) make a distinct effort to urge kids to get outside.  I dont care if they hunt and fish, just get them outside to chase butterflies, catch bugs or look at cloud shapes.

Kids need to be outdoors not indoors.  Turn off the TV and insist that they head outside even if they have no plan or purpose while they are out there.  Inventing games, and even simply sitting bored outside is better, in my opinion, than playing Halo3.

 I would like to also PRAISE Bass Pro for the following event:

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 11:39 pm    Post subject: Great Idea Bass Pro is sponsoring a “Go Outdoors” event where they will take old life jackets on trade and even have a video game trade in for kids! Maybe they will have a Blackberry trade in for adults! This type of event is what we need MUCH more of in the outdoor industry. I am proud of Bass Pro and feel like this is an excellent project. The people on this board probably do not need to attend, but maybe you could urge someone else who doesn’t get outdoors as much as you to attend. News Release Sportsman’s Park Center 2500 East Kearney – Springfield, MO 65898 www.basspro.com ———————————————————————————————————— For Immediate Release Contact: Larry Whiteley (417) 873-5022 Katie Mitchell (417) 873-5618 KIDS (AND ADULTS) URGED TO ‘GO OUTDOORS’ IF THEY KNOW WHAT’S GOOD FOR THEM Springfield, Missouri—Many of us can remember a time when we actually went outdoors to play, or attended summer camp. We got bumped, scraped and bruised, stung, bit and sunburned. But, we learned about the outdoors—how to fish, pitch a tent, make a campfire, identify which plants (and snakes) are poisonous and count the stars at night. It was the real world. In today’s world, adults and kids of all ages spend countless hours in front of hand-held monitors or TV screens playing video games. They get caught in the artificial worlds of watching television shows, chatting on the Internet and text messaging. Bottom line, kids and adults are not getting enough time outdoors. During the National Go Outdoors Event going on at 46 Bass Pro Shops store locations from May 17th through May 26th, the company is offering kids and adults all kinds of ways to get off their couches and go enjoy the great outdoors. Events include a video game trade-in, outdoor skill demonstrations, and interactive booths and displays. “One of the most exciting and invigorating places to go this summer is just beyond your front door,” said Larry Whiteley, Bass Pro Shops Manager of Communications. “Bass Pro Shops is committed to helping adults and children across the nation put away their laptops, video games, PDAs and cell phones this summer and head outdoors. Whether it’s fishing, hiking through a local park, or simply laying on your lawn watching the stars at night, there are so many great things to do outdoors this summer.” Why is this important? Bass Pro Shops’ National Go Outdoors event is a way to give kids (and adults) the chance to learn about the outdoors and the reason why is simple. Kids need this chance to re-connect with the outdoors to learn valuable lessons —how to swim, how to camp, first aid, survival techniques, orienteering, conservation—but more importantly, to become good stewards of the land and its natural resources, to feel good about themselves and to improve their general health and well-being. Listed below are some supporting facts and figures: • Long-term health concerns among children are increasing. According to information from the US Fish and Wildlife Web site (www.fws.gov), Americans, kids especially, spend less time playing outdoors than any preceding generation. • Kids spend an average of 6.5 hours a day with television, computers and video games and are six times more likely to play a video game than ride a bike. • In fact, of all the major recreational activities in 2006, bicycling suffered the worst in declining participant numbers (down 13.3% from last year) according to an annual report by the National Sporting Goods Association. (“Sports Participation Series I and II”) • Stress, depression, obesity, and low self-esteem among children are on the rise. Why is going outside good? • According to information from the US Fish and Wildlife site, nature is good for your health. New research shows that children who feel connected to nature have better physical, mental, and emotional health. • Other various studies have shown that kids that engage in outdoor classrooms have improved grades and test scores. • These same studies show that kids involved in the outdoors are more motivated to learn and achieve. • Studies suggest that families that interact together outdoors create lasting bonds by making life-long memories. One incentive to get more kids to turn off computers and go outdoors is the Video Game Trade-In. For each video game kids and adults bring in Wednesday through Monday, May 21st through 26th, they will receive a 15% discount off the regular price of Bass Pro Shops branded items in fishing, water sports, tents, sleeping bags and footwear. These ‘gently-used’ video games will, in turn, be donated to local children’s hospitals via Get Well Gamers, a nonprofit organization. Those videos with a more mature theme will be donated to our military serving overseas. Videos turned in that are unusable due to condition will be recycled by an appropriate e-waste facility. Other exciting events being offered to entice kids and adults to go outdoors include canoe and kayak demonstrations, casting contests, rock climbing walls, GPS classes, outdoor skills workshops on boating safety, Dutch oven cooking, outdoor survival training and much, much more. (Events will vary per store. Please visit www.basspro.com/gooutdoors and select individual store location for events listing.) The Coast Guard Auxiliary and Stearns Safety Team will be on hand at most Bass Pro Shops store locations offering water safety courses and advice on how to properly fit life vests. You can even bring any old or non-fitting life jackets into your local Bass Pro Shops on Saturday and Sunday, May 17th and 18th, for recycling and receive an instant discount of $5 to $50 off the purchase of a new Stearns life jacket or SOSPENDERS® inflatable PFD. This year, commit to taking your kids outdoors. Bring in the old video games to Bass Pro Shops during the National Go Outdoors event, interact with your family in the great outdoors and make some memories to last a lifetime. You might even get the urge to go back to summer camp! About Bass Pro Shops A major catalog and Internet retailer, Bass Pro Shops, headquartered in Springfield, MO, currently has 49 retail locations across the United States and Canada. The stores attract some 100 million visitors a year. In addition, Bass Pro Shops also provides products and services for thousands of independent dealers world wide through its subsidiary company, American Rod & Gun. For more information regarding Bass Pro Shops store locations, products or special events, please visit www.basspro.com. Those interested in applying for positions at Bass Pro Shops can go online and click on Career Opportunities for more information.

Workout of the Day

Deck of Cards

Red Burpees

Black Pushups

Joker 10 pull ups

Finisher: 1 mile run as fast as you can

If you are planning on battling big tarpon or better yet, you are a guide who will hold them at the boat and get the hook out, physical condition is very important.  Poling a skiff all day into the wind is demanding but so is standing on a skiff all day.  Strengthen legs through squats, burpees and other exercises as well as maintaining flexibility in the hamstrings.  This will help you to make it through a day of tarpon fishing in the hot times of the year.

Here is my WOD. (Workout of the day)

“Hayden”Sledge Swings on tireBurpees

Tire Flip (5 foot tractor tire)

Sandbag shoulder  50 poundsDB Swings 35’sRope Climb  15 footX 5     1 min roundsStrive for maximum density or reps on each exercise.  Set the timer or Gymboss for 1 min rounds and go through the circuit 5 times.  This is a puker.

I picked up a book recently that made me really stop and think about many, many things in life.  The book is called “No Excuses” and it is written by Kyle Maynard, wrestling champion and champion of life. 

When someone looks at his picture, they see the all American boy.  Good looking and determined.  Anyone that walks onto a wrestling mat has to be determined, however the story of Kyle’s success is far more than simply working hard to achieve success.

Wrestling is a tough sport for everyone who tries it.  Dan Gable’s famous quote pretty much sums up the whole experience “Once you have wrestled, everything else in life is easy.”

I agree with Gable on this one from my own life as a wrestler, wrestling coach and wrestler’s father.  It is a tough sport that a few make look easy but don’t be fooled.  No successful wrestler ever does it with ease.  Wrestling is a sport where every ounce of hard work you put in is magnified under the microscope of competition.  However, it is not always the strongest, best technician, or most experienced who wins.  Wrestling success is built on all of those and something else that is a little more difficult to identify or define.  This unknown material is crucial for wrestling success and it is a mix of hard work, determination, never surrendering, and an unbelievable level of commitment to make yourself your best.

Kyle Maynard embodies all of these things at a level higher than most athletes who ever walk onto a wrestling mat.  You see, Kyle was born a congenital amputee who only had stumps for legs and did not even have the luxury of having elbows on his arms.  Yet, Kyle overcame his defects and learned how to make them his strengths.  His story is not one of a kid that the coach let roll around on the mat because he felt sorry for him, this is a kid who truly deserved everything he did.  He earned his spot on the team and he earned every victory.  Kyle never asked for anything or any sympathy from anyone and his story is one that will make you or whoever picks up this book rethink many, many things in your life.  I recommend it to everyone, especially athletes, parents, expecting parents, and entrepreneurs.

Read this book!