Big Dawgs
What is a Big Dawg?
We have high level fitness enthusiasts who strive to be better at a lot of things, not just one. We have high level thinkers who understand the connection between the body and mind. We have respect for all ideas around fitness and truly allow an area for open mindedness. We welcome all; but be prepared for discomfort, mental and physical - this allows forward momentum.
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apr 26, 2012
45 comments
04/26/2012
"I'm a whole new athlete/person since attending the OPT Camp. James gave lots of insider advice that I could apply instantly; nutritional changes, breathing techniques, mental approaches, as well as physical suffering that brought insight and growth. At the athlete camp I was surrounded by other solid competitors; great camaraderie as well as learning from seeing their approach and intensity. I am a humble guy so I say this only as a thanks, results speaks volumes; 1st place in the CF Open masters age 45-49! Even better; 2011 open I finished 44th in the mid Atlantic, this year my scores at age 45yrs old would have placed me 25th in the Mid Atlantic! One year older and up 19 places, pretty freakin stoked!"
Colin Jenkins:
"The OPT athlete camp really allowed me to compare myself to other top athletes and see where I was improving and where I needed to improve to be competitive. The information regarding nutritional strategies, pacing, and training during lectures in between the workouts was some of the most useful advice I've ever heard as an athlete. If you consider yourself an athlete and scores, placings, and rankings matter to you, then flying to Arizona for this camp should be near the top of your list. I plan on going again at least once every year"
Michael McIlroy
This was no ordinary training camp. Most training camps I've been to are just a beat down. Anyone can do that. Anyone can be thrown a bucket load of training and call it a camp! This camp was tough just like a camp can be but, what made it legit was that it's execution had purpose.
What we all got was well thought out testing, personal analysis of those tests and more Importantly discussion on how we could all go about being better. Mix that with a team atmosphere and you had the perfect environment for 2 days of athletic training bliss! I'd recommend this to any fitness athlete who takes what they do seriously and is committed to being better."
mar 29, 2012
54 comments
03/29/2012
mar 25, 2012
51 comments
03/25/2012
thurs, feb 16, 2012
82 comments
02/16/2012
thurs, feb 2, 2012
99 comments
02/02/2012
jan 7, 2012
72 comments
01/07/2012

nov 9, 2011
83 comments
11/09/2011
nov 6, 2011
63 comments
11/06/2011
nov 3, 2011
61 comments
11/03/2011

nov 2, 2011
76 comments
11/02/2011

sat, oct 29, 2011
66 comments
10/29/2011
oct 22, 2011
48 comments
10/22/2011

Lisa- 5' 6"/ 135
JBF- What is one thing about you as an fitness athlete that fitness
geeks out there do not know?
Lisa- This is a hard one - do you mean something like I hate ring dips
and they make me cry? Or possibly that my biggest challenge as an
athlete and working mom is to get more sleep? I know the benefits and
have felt the rewards, but I continue to fall short in the sleep dept.
Every night my intention is to be asleep by 10:00 (in bed at 9:30) and
without a doubt I fail. Right now it is 10:42...
JBF- Where do you think your well rounded-ness comes from in fitness?
Lisa- Honestly, I think it is mostly genetics. I have been blessed
with coordination and speed and I am so lucky I am able to capitalize
on that. I played soccer my whole life until a couple of years ago, so
I have always been active and fit. Sport is just part of my make-up
(essence, right?). I am extremely competitive and that provides the
drive I need to train hard and see results. I think my age (almost 39)
gives me wisdom and perspective regarding my training and during
competitions. I can be a freak about this stuff just like anyone, but
I also have a general sense of groundedness that comes from life
experience and being a mom, so that definitely helps with the mental
part of things.
JBF- If you were to "let things go" with the food profile, what would
you choose as a "meal and desert" that would suit your fancy so to
speak?
Lisa- My biggest downfall when it comes to food is breads. Tortillas,
croutons, bun on a burger - love them all but the worst (aka the
best!) - ciabatta bread dipped in olive oil. For dessert: vanilla ice
cream with caramel sauce, almonds and whipped cream!
JBF- When under discomfort in a workout; what types of things do you
focus on to give you possibly an edge over others that you can share
with us?
Lisa- I mostly compete as a team, so I am very motivated to not let my
teammates down. I also play games with numbers in my head to get me
through. When I really hurt, I think of people who can't do this
(because of injury, circumstances, death) and it inspires me to keep
fighting and pushing. On a more shallow note, posting on this blog
helps alot in the day to day workouts as I do not want to embarrass
myself in front of these badass athletes with lame numbers!
JBF- Speak to us about your version of what "fitness" means
Lisa- No pressure to declare my definition of fitness to this
crew...but here goes. My working definition of fitness is the
never-ending quest to find strength, health and happiness within one's
body, mind and soul. To be truly fit means more than numbers, and
allows the athlete to be centered and balanced in all realms of life.
Through this journey, one gains self-confidence, fortitude and a
mental stability that provides not only a better platform from which
to pursue higher athletic goals, but from which to live a happier
everyday life. The journey to fitness never ends and is constantly
changing. (disclaimer: i purposely didn't read your/James's definition
prior to working on this - there are some similarities although yours
is more eloquent but i promise i didn't plagiarize!)
JBF- If you were OR already have tested it, after finding a 1RM for
your high bar back squat; then taking 85% of that; how many reps could
you do right now for an amrap set of 85%?
Lisa- My last documented 1 RM BS was 210. So, I went with that and did
an AMRAP at 175. I got to 16 today with that. I was with Danny who
claimed I gave up too early (probably right) and pushed me to find a
proper 1 RM. I did 215 pretty easily and jumped too quickly to 235 and
failed miserably. Should have tried 225 instead but was done. So, my
85% was a bit off today. Hope this is still useful - if not I am happy
to try again in a couple days.
thurs, oct 20, 2011
68 comments
10/20/2011
wed, oct 19, 2011
71 comments
10/19/2011
Nate - 6'1", 210lb
JBF - Describe to us what is in your viking hash.
Nate - the only ingredients in Viking hash are sweet potatoes, bacon,
onion, salt and pepper
JBF - Are you married/single/kids/planning on it?
Nate - I'm married and my wife Emily competed in the first OPTathlon as
well. We don't have kids yet but are planning on it in the near
future.
Nate - i like lifting heavy and any kind of workout that includes lifting
heavy. i don't like the guaranteed discomfort of the anaerobic
sessions that often include a heavy lift, but i do enjoy the lifting
portion!
JBF - Put us inside your head and give us a glimpse of what it is you do
to overcome serious physical challenges while working out.
Nate - there are various physical challenges that occur during a workout,
depending on the type of workout, and consequently there are various
things i use to try and overcome them. one challenge would be when
there is a heavier lift or tougher movement (ie for me, c2b pull-ups
or muscle-ups), learning how long i need to rest to optimize my
performance for the duration of the workout, instead of going all out
and then hitting muscle failure and "holding on" for the remainder of
the time; i've learned this through following OPT style training.
another challenge would be the inevitable discomfort from a high
intensity workout or training session, whether it be a time trial,
anaerobic interval or a "metcon" style workout. learning how
to pace these workouts is a key as well, but when looking at the
"testing" portion, and going "all-out", i usually try to battle myself
mentally into not stopping when my body is screaming to stop, and
often times this leads to picturing a competitor of mine doing the
workout and not stopping, and therefore i keep going. it helps when i
have a training partner that i am racing against so that there's no
picturing but reality.
JBF - You listen to me speak about athlete essence, what were your
thoughts on that as related to you?
Nate - As far as athlete essence goes, my essence would be in the
strength/power, anaerobic and shorter aerobic realms. out of my
essence would be bodyweight movements in higher numbers and longer
endurance-based workouts. i can hang in these areas, but do not
excel, and agree with your training approach to training them as the
minority and in skill/technique-based, non-fatigued ways. i am
excited to take what i've learned and am continuing to learn, and
apply it to my training and training others.
JBF - What did you have for breakfast today?
having "lunch" for breakfast, which consisted of a salad full of
various greens and vegetables, eggs, cheese, ham, olives and olive oil
and vinegar.
aug 27, 2011
73 comments
08/27/2011





