New developments on that pasta front.
Firstly, from a flavor profile perspective - Spicy italian is pretty much totally superior to andouille.
Secondly, we got a new sense on the timing - in total once you've got your mis en place going and water boiling, you can basically handle the whole thing in 10-15 minutes.
If using dried rigatoni you can start the pasta at about the same time as the broccolini or sausage; if something faster-cooking (e.g. pappardelle), wait until at least halfway through the sausage. You can get away with draining it and then holding it in the sieve while you wait for the capers to finish if needed.
#1 - Broccolini - small pieces, saute and toss on med-high heat for a bit (in our case we do this on the big burner), then move to a medium burner on medium, tossing/stirring occasionally. Remove to a bowl once it's starting to lightly char.
#2 - Sausage - Wipe out the broccolini pan, add oil, wait ~30 seconds for it to heat up, then drop the sausage in. Toss for a minute to get nice and oiled up, then get into a single layer. Getting a good crisp on each one is still a challenge, but with the spicy italian this seems less necessary - you just want it properly browned on both sides. Remove to a bowl (can be the same as the broccolini one).
#3 - Garlic. Make sure it's evenly-sliced and thin. More oil in pan, medium heat, drop in the garlic and start to saute. Keep it moving (off the heat occasionally if necessary, just shaking the pan) until decently browned, then immediately move to an empty bowl. Have to remove it fairly quickly - tends to burn if left too long. You can control this by reducing the oil temperature.
#4 - Capers. Should have some oil left over from the garlic; add a bit more, heat to fairly high, drop the capers in. This should roughly coincide with ~1 minute left on the pasta. You'll have to lift the pan up sometimes and keep it moving so they don't explode, catch fire, or jump out of the pan.
Once crisped up you just cut the heat, throw in the pasta (or mix the whole thing in a saute pan or the original pasta vessel - might be better), throw in the garlic, mix well. Grate in the parmesan and a sprinkle of vinegar if desired, then throw in the sausage and broccolini.
Monday, February 17, 2020
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Bacon Take 2
Report from first try:
10 days may be too long. The saltiness was higher than I wanted, at least. Cooking at 200F may also be unnecessary - we'll see.
New thoughts based on reading up from here:
And from the blog links on there:
I also got a kindle copy of a Charcuterie book (one regarded as a good hybrid of textbook and recipe book, apparently). Ruhlman's blog has a link to his book, which could be interesting too.
RE: meats to use -
Whole Foods (at least, the larger one in Lincoln Park - up by REI) had standing pork rib roasts, so I snagged one with a decent "cap" and cut the bones off. The bones will take a bit of skill/practice to remove without cutting off much meat, but now what I've got is an ~800g slab of nicer pork than the TJs one gave me.
Based on the calculator, and a target of 2.25% salt, this works out to:
2.0g Curing Salt #1
16.0g Kosher Salt
Technically the calculator says 18g Kosher Salt, but I'm targeting 2.25% including the curing salt.
Considering doing the brine approach, but for this one at least I'll try the dry brine again.
Will keep 10 days for the one already in the fridge, but not cook it. KeefCooks suggests throwing it in the freezer before slicing, personally I think I'll just fridge it.
Monday, February 3, 2020
Reverse-Seared Pork Chops with Apples and Apple Pan Sauce
Ingredients (for 2 people):
Chops:
2 Pork Chops (thick cut ideal)
~2tbsp butter
3-4 cloves garlic
4-5 stems sage
Pan Sauce:
1 granny smith or other cooking apple/chop
1 shallot
~2 cloves garlic
~4tbsp butter
Apple Cider Vinegar
~1/2 cup chicken stock
Sugar (optional)
Apples:
1 granny smith or other cooking apple
~2tbsp butter
Steps:
1) Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Thinly slice the pan sauce apple (thin as possible), medium slice the "apples" apple (~1/8"), finely dice the shallot, and paste the pan sauce garlic (diced and broken down with salt and chef knife, crushed in garlic crusher, or grated on microplane)
2) Put chops in with a thermometer set to alarm at 120 degrees, or manually check - should take ~15 minutes
3) In a medium saucepan or skillet, melt 2tbsp butter over medium heat until starting to brown. Add ~2-3 tbsp of cider vinegar, mix to combine, then add the thin-sliced apples and sprinkle with salt. Cook over medium heat until broken down and reserve.
4) Remove pork chops from oven. Heat a medium saucepan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add 2tbsp butter
Chops:
2 Pork Chops (thick cut ideal)
~2tbsp butter
3-4 cloves garlic
4-5 stems sage
Pan Sauce:
1 granny smith or other cooking apple/chop
1 shallot
~2 cloves garlic
~4tbsp butter
Apple Cider Vinegar
~1/2 cup chicken stock
Sugar (optional)
Apples:
1 granny smith or other cooking apple
~2tbsp butter
Steps:
1) Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Thinly slice the pan sauce apple (thin as possible), medium slice the "apples" apple (~1/8"), finely dice the shallot, and paste the pan sauce garlic (diced and broken down with salt and chef knife, crushed in garlic crusher, or grated on microplane)
2) Put chops in with a thermometer set to alarm at 120 degrees, or manually check - should take ~15 minutes
3) In a medium saucepan or skillet, melt 2tbsp butter over medium heat until starting to brown. Add ~2-3 tbsp of cider vinegar, mix to combine, then add the thin-sliced apples and sprinkle with salt. Cook over medium heat until broken down and reserve.
4) Remove pork chops from oven. Heat a medium saucepan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add 2tbsp butter
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Dry-Cured English Bacon (Round 1)
Back bacon is a pain in the ass to find in the US. Some Whole Foods seem to have it (we lived next to one in Arlington), and there are a couple of butcher shops in the Chicago area as well. Unfortunately none of it is as good as what we've found in the UK, which (according to my dad) is still way less flavorful that it should be.
This is our first experiment in making it ourselves. We're using a ~completely trimmed loin roast from Trader Joe's, roughly 1.75lbs. Fully trimmed means no real fat cap, though, so I'm looking for a butcher who can do a loin roast with the fat and foot still ok. Longer term target is to just start buying whole pig torsos, but that's a good ways down the line (i.e. when we have a house, ideally similar to one we've seen in Richmond - giant basement with 2 concrete rooms under the garage, which would be ideal space for a climate-controlled butchering/meat-aging/curing space).
This recipe comes via two online resources, though I'm going to look into books that go into better detail about the process. Sources are:
http://www.keefcooks.com/how-to-make-home-cured-back-bacon/
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/homemade-bacon-3362606
There's a guy on telegraph.co.uk who has this one:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/recipes/0/maple-cured-bacon/
The maple syrup may have some antibacterial effect? Not sure here (honey works for this because it's supersaturated and so dehydrates most bacteria it touches; given that botulinum can show up there in small amounts - hence no honey for babies - and the curing salt is partly there to kill botulinum in particular, I don't know if that actually works).
For now I'm dry-curing. The Keefcooks guy seems like an idiot but at least includes some more detail on timeline; mainly I'm following the foodnetwork one.
Key questions:
* What's an appropriate amount of salt to use? (the amount of curing salt is probably suitable, the kosher salt may make it excessively salty)
* Any other herbs/spices to include?
* (via independent research) Can you do this using a vacuum sealer instead of a ziplock bag?
* (via independent research) Keef soaks his in cold water before the fridge step - what does this do?
* (via independent research) Is the cooking step necessary?
* (via independent research) Can you do the cooking step sous vide?
* (via independent research) is the curing salt purely necessary? (see telegraph guy and a lot of "natural" bacon recipes)
This first round is just for #1.
Apparently it works even better if hung/dry-aged, and I'm interested in getting some kind of extra fridge/minifrige to do this. Would also be helpful for the dry-brining step on my chickens.
Ingredients (targeted for a 2lb loin, but ours is smaller):
1.75lbs pork loin
~20g Kosher Salt (~2 tbsp)
~2g Curing Salt #1 (aka 6.25% Sodium Nitrite; ~0.5tsp)
Make sure your hands are clean. Wear gloves (I didn't, but will in future).
1) Mix the salts together (plus any spices - none this time) very thoroughly
2) Thoroughly dry the pork and trim off any irregularities in the shape. Put on a sterile surface (e.g. a plate).
3) Coat the pork with the salt mixture, being sure to keep it distributed evenly and rub it into all nooks/crannies/cracks.
4) Put the pork into a ziplock bag and tip in any residual salt mixture. Remove as much air as possible and seal (I did this by just dunking the bag in a tub of water to push the air out; I'm interested to know if vacuum sealing would also work here).
5) Refrigerate in the bag for 10 days (I'm erring on the side of caution - Keef did it as 1 day per half inch plus 2, vs. food network guy says 7 days for a 1.5" and longer for thicker). Flip every day.
6) Remove from the bag, rinse thoroughly in cold water, pat dry, then refrigerate on a rack in the fridge for 48 hours. Flip once.
7) Preheat oven to 200 degrees F and cook until the pork registers 150F in the center (2-3 hours).
Food network guy says this will keep for about a week in the fridge, others say months. I don't know how long it'll last with us either way.
This is our first experiment in making it ourselves. We're using a ~completely trimmed loin roast from Trader Joe's, roughly 1.75lbs. Fully trimmed means no real fat cap, though, so I'm looking for a butcher who can do a loin roast with the fat and foot still ok. Longer term target is to just start buying whole pig torsos, but that's a good ways down the line (i.e. when we have a house, ideally similar to one we've seen in Richmond - giant basement with 2 concrete rooms under the garage, which would be ideal space for a climate-controlled butchering/meat-aging/curing space).
This recipe comes via two online resources, though I'm going to look into books that go into better detail about the process. Sources are:
http://www.keefcooks.com/how-to-make-home-cured-back-bacon/
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/homemade-bacon-3362606
There's a guy on telegraph.co.uk who has this one:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/recipes/0/maple-cured-bacon/
The maple syrup may have some antibacterial effect? Not sure here (honey works for this because it's supersaturated and so dehydrates most bacteria it touches; given that botulinum can show up there in small amounts - hence no honey for babies - and the curing salt is partly there to kill botulinum in particular, I don't know if that actually works).
For now I'm dry-curing. The Keefcooks guy seems like an idiot but at least includes some more detail on timeline; mainly I'm following the foodnetwork one.
Key questions:
* What's an appropriate amount of salt to use? (the amount of curing salt is probably suitable, the kosher salt may make it excessively salty)
* Any other herbs/spices to include?
* (via independent research) Can you do this using a vacuum sealer instead of a ziplock bag?
* (via independent research) Keef soaks his in cold water before the fridge step - what does this do?
* (via independent research) Is the cooking step necessary?
* (via independent research) Can you do the cooking step sous vide?
* (via independent research) is the curing salt purely necessary? (see telegraph guy and a lot of "natural" bacon recipes)
This first round is just for #1.
Apparently it works even better if hung/dry-aged, and I'm interested in getting some kind of extra fridge/minifrige to do this. Would also be helpful for the dry-brining step on my chickens.
Ingredients (targeted for a 2lb loin, but ours is smaller):
1.75lbs pork loin
~20g Kosher Salt (~2 tbsp)
~2g Curing Salt #1 (aka 6.25% Sodium Nitrite; ~0.5tsp)
Make sure your hands are clean. Wear gloves (I didn't, but will in future).
1) Mix the salts together (plus any spices - none this time) very thoroughly
2) Thoroughly dry the pork and trim off any irregularities in the shape. Put on a sterile surface (e.g. a plate).
3) Coat the pork with the salt mixture, being sure to keep it distributed evenly and rub it into all nooks/crannies/cracks.
4) Put the pork into a ziplock bag and tip in any residual salt mixture. Remove as much air as possible and seal (I did this by just dunking the bag in a tub of water to push the air out; I'm interested to know if vacuum sealing would also work here).
5) Refrigerate in the bag for 10 days (I'm erring on the side of caution - Keef did it as 1 day per half inch plus 2, vs. food network guy says 7 days for a 1.5" and longer for thicker). Flip every day.
6) Remove from the bag, rinse thoroughly in cold water, pat dry, then refrigerate on a rack in the fridge for 48 hours. Flip once.
7) Preheat oven to 200 degrees F and cook until the pork registers 150F in the center (2-3 hours).
Food network guy says this will keep for about a week in the fridge, others say months. I don't know how long it'll last with us either way.
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Pasta with Sausage (inspired by Rigatona a la Barese)
I bumped into the original dish at an Italian restaurant the family visited once in high school. I don't remember it that well beyond "this was delicious" so I've tried to recreate it a few times; this evolved from that.
It's evolved over the years (and continues to evolve) via a few things, mainly (as of 1/29/2020):
* Discovery of sliced fried garlic, via Babish's aglio e olio video
* Discovery of capers, probably via Gordon Ramsay
* Discovery of broccolini, no idea where
Ranges below are based on appetite but the ratios should stay approximately the same (e.g. 50g pasta means more like 1 link sausage).
Unsolved problems here include the best way to do the broccolini, and the best timing/oil heat for the capers. Ideally I like them fairly crispy but this seems hard to do.
Ingredients (per person):
* Pasta (Rigatoni preferred), 50-100g depending on appetite
* Salt for water
* Spicy sausage links (Hot Italian or Andouille), 1-2 links. Fine to use good chicken sausage
* Garlic, 4-6 cloves minimum (typically ~1 head/2 people if doing 180-200g pasta)
* Optional: Capers, ~1tbsp. Relatively large ones often work better.
* Optional: Broccolini (3-4 stems)
* EVOO (usually about 2-4 tbsp total, I don't really measure)
* Optional: Parsley to garnish
* Optional: Parmesan to garnish. Aged is better.
* Optional: Pepper flakes to amp up the heat
* Optional: White/Sherry vinegar or lemon juice
Steps:
1) Put your pasta water on to boil - this tends to take a while and some pasta (e.g. store-bought dry rigatoni) can take upwards of 15mins, so best to start early.
2) Prep - slice sausages 1/8" to 1/4" thick, slice garlic thin, drain the capers and set to dry on paper towels. Break up the broccolini if using. Chop parsley.
If using a long-cooking pasta - put into the water around here
For the below steps, pepper flakes can be added to the oil while it heats up in order to add extra heat.
3a) Sausage: Heat ~1tbsp of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium/medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the sausages slices and toss/mix to coat with oil. Arrange slices in a single layer and cook 2-4 minutes, until very brown and crispy. Flip and repeat for the other side. Reserve. Don't clean this pan yet.
Note: I like my sausage crispy for this. Don't underdo it.
3b) Garlic: Heat ~2tbsp of olive oil over medium-low heat in a saute or fry pan (can be the sausage pan, if not using broccolini). Add the garlic and spread around; it should be just sizzling at the edges. Cut the heat to low and leave to fry for 2-5 minutes.
3c) Broccolini (Optional): Heat ~1tbsp of EVOO over medium-high heat in a large sautee or fry pan (can add a splash of oil to the sausage pan and use that if desired) and add the broccolini, tossing or mixing to coat well. Cook, tossing occasionally, until browned.
Proceed with below once pasta is 2 minutes from ready
4) Turn the garlic pan to medium heat. Once heated, add the capers and fry for 30-60 seconds, then cut the heat.
5) Drain pasta and add 1-2 splashes of pasta water to the garlic pan. Mix the oil and water around to emulsify, then add the pasta and mix until well-coated with sauce. Optionally, grate in a small amount of parmesan and continue to mix. Also optionally, add a light sprinkle of vinegar or lemon juice to cut the richness - be conservative here.
6) Add the sausage and broccolini and stir to combine. Serve, and top with parsley.
It's evolved over the years (and continues to evolve) via a few things, mainly (as of 1/29/2020):
* Discovery of sliced fried garlic, via Babish's aglio e olio video
* Discovery of capers, probably via Gordon Ramsay
* Discovery of broccolini, no idea where
Ranges below are based on appetite but the ratios should stay approximately the same (e.g. 50g pasta means more like 1 link sausage).
Unsolved problems here include the best way to do the broccolini, and the best timing/oil heat for the capers. Ideally I like them fairly crispy but this seems hard to do.
Ingredients (per person):
* Pasta (Rigatoni preferred), 50-100g depending on appetite
* Salt for water
* Spicy sausage links (Hot Italian or Andouille), 1-2 links. Fine to use good chicken sausage
* Garlic, 4-6 cloves minimum (typically ~1 head/2 people if doing 180-200g pasta)
* Optional: Capers, ~1tbsp. Relatively large ones often work better.
* Optional: Broccolini (3-4 stems)
* EVOO (usually about 2-4 tbsp total, I don't really measure)
* Optional: Parsley to garnish
* Optional: Parmesan to garnish. Aged is better.
* Optional: Pepper flakes to amp up the heat
* Optional: White/Sherry vinegar or lemon juice
Steps:
1) Put your pasta water on to boil - this tends to take a while and some pasta (e.g. store-bought dry rigatoni) can take upwards of 15mins, so best to start early.
2) Prep - slice sausages 1/8" to 1/4" thick, slice garlic thin, drain the capers and set to dry on paper towels. Break up the broccolini if using. Chop parsley.
If using a long-cooking pasta - put into the water around here
For the below steps, pepper flakes can be added to the oil while it heats up in order to add extra heat.
3a) Sausage: Heat ~1tbsp of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium/medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the sausages slices and toss/mix to coat with oil. Arrange slices in a single layer and cook 2-4 minutes, until very brown and crispy. Flip and repeat for the other side. Reserve. Don't clean this pan yet.
Note: I like my sausage crispy for this. Don't underdo it.
3b) Garlic: Heat ~2tbsp of olive oil over medium-low heat in a saute or fry pan (can be the sausage pan, if not using broccolini). Add the garlic and spread around; it should be just sizzling at the edges. Cut the heat to low and leave to fry for 2-5 minutes.
3c) Broccolini (Optional): Heat ~1tbsp of EVOO over medium-high heat in a large sautee or fry pan (can add a splash of oil to the sausage pan and use that if desired) and add the broccolini, tossing or mixing to coat well. Cook, tossing occasionally, until browned.
Proceed with below once pasta is 2 minutes from ready
4) Turn the garlic pan to medium heat. Once heated, add the capers and fry for 30-60 seconds, then cut the heat.
5) Drain pasta and add 1-2 splashes of pasta water to the garlic pan. Mix the oil and water around to emulsify, then add the pasta and mix until well-coated with sauce. Optionally, grate in a small amount of parmesan and continue to mix. Also optionally, add a light sprinkle of vinegar or lemon juice to cut the richness - be conservative here.
6) Add the sausage and broccolini and stir to combine. Serve, and top with parsley.
Friday, January 6, 2017
Supplemental Stuff, Updates, etc.
General notes, relevant to supplementation and general progress:
1) Glucosamine Sulfare or Sulfate Salts (Rottapharm) is probably useful as it reduces markers of collagen degradation and thus probably reduces progression towards problematic side effects of too much climbing.
2) Chondroitin appears to be pointless.
3) High calcium intake is very important for climbing health; providing a surplus (in conjunction with other vitamins, e.g. D and K2 - fortunately found in butter/ghee) will go far towards preventing unnecessary injuries.
4) There's very little evidence supporting ZMA specifically, but it's handy if you're low in the ingredients.
5) Importantly, it's probably not a good idea to climb every day. Alternating days of climbing and lifting - when climbing's even possible - probably reigns here. That's also good because it provides a great excuse for getting back on the lifting wagon and reclaiming the old body.
Also probably time to start sketching out an outline for that cardio manifesto I've been toying with.
For supplements, I'm generally skeptical of anything that's associated with reduced symptoms unless it's acting on the underlying; I'm concerned about my fingers hurting because I don't want to fuck them up, not because it's painful.
1) Glucosamine Sulfare or Sulfate Salts (Rottapharm) is probably useful as it reduces markers of collagen degradation and thus probably reduces progression towards problematic side effects of too much climbing.
2) Chondroitin appears to be pointless.
3) High calcium intake is very important for climbing health; providing a surplus (in conjunction with other vitamins, e.g. D and K2 - fortunately found in butter/ghee) will go far towards preventing unnecessary injuries.
4) There's very little evidence supporting ZMA specifically, but it's handy if you're low in the ingredients.
5) Importantly, it's probably not a good idea to climb every day. Alternating days of climbing and lifting - when climbing's even possible - probably reigns here. That's also good because it provides a great excuse for getting back on the lifting wagon and reclaiming the old body.
Also probably time to start sketching out an outline for that cardio manifesto I've been toying with.
For supplements, I'm generally skeptical of anything that's associated with reduced symptoms unless it's acting on the underlying; I'm concerned about my fingers hurting because I don't want to fuck them up, not because it's painful.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Sunday, November 11th, 2016
Key Takeaway:
For Taku intervals and steady-state conditioning, do the lower-intensity stuff on an inclined elliptical or treadmill.
At least some cardio should be AM to wake up; this can be light and low-intensity. Probably the same half-hour setup as currently used, but potentially at an even lower intensity than currently used to avoid tiring out. This should be done immediately on waking the first time - take meds and just go power walk/elliptical.
Intervals should alternate machines where possible (never do the same thing twice in a row unless absolutely necessary) and be exclusively zero-impact until running's improved. Running would then only be on days as far from any squatting/deadlifting as possible.
The erg's still out until shoulder's back to better shape, meaning consistent soft tissue, TRX, and band work.
Details:
Back in the gym, a little more solidly this time. Cardio is the one thing I can consistently do during the week, so I've been running through Taku's protocols (so far the "first two weeks" part - this started with 1-2 runs of 90/90, then 3 for most of the last two weeks, now 4 for the last two times; it'll be the protocol as traditionally written going forward). Other days it's conventional cardio, looking for ~20 minutes at lactate threshold (which with the caffeine and addy is more like 150-180 heart rate instead of the generally-prescribed 120-130...jesus). The weekends (and generally any SF days, and/or any SEA days) go more to climbing right now, with lifting to return soon.
In the interest of minimizing system stress, I'm trying to focus on concentric-only cardio. Machine choices are laid out below, though there's some variation in validity there. I'm also trying to focus on low-impact, at least for the intervals.
From an energy expenditure/weight loss effect perspective, it's probably worth designating 1-2 primary machines for the lactate threshold work and then cycling through everything else for the intervals. Based on the selection below, I'd probably peg inclined Elliptical and Treadmill for threshold and everything else for the intervals. Erg probably calls for some PT in advance; packing TRX and some soft tissue tools for the road lets me do a lot there, but dedicated attention (especially graston for the lat...) will be a big help too. Also a great way to burn through the FSA funds.
Given some running coaching to get form down (also mobility work etc. - I've been terrible about couch stretching, actually) that may be a viable choice for a mid-week (say Tuesday) session - presumably any squatting would be something like Thursday/Friday and Sunday, so it'd give just about the best possible recovery window and let me work on a pretty fundamental human skill.
Favored Machine Choices
- Erg
- Upright bike
- Recumbent bike
- Stairmaster
- Treadmill (INCLINE)
- Elliptical (INCLINE)
These are all nice in that there's no/little lengthening under load - it's actually kind of annoying trying to find other sources on this, but it's not that hard to figure out for yourself (or to test - go do a hard cardio workout on a new machine; if you're not particularly sore the next day, it's low/no-eccentric).
Presumably more exotic machines like the Versaclimber and Airdyne match this.
The treadmill and elliptical seem like mixed bags, since both either are or emulate flat running and thus (at least based on reputation) have a greater eccentric component than the above (where any lengthening is either unloaded [erg, stairmaster] or actively facilitated by shortening from the other side [bikes]). Doing these things on an incline helps by simulating hills; there may also be a way to manipulate foot position on the elliptical to similar effect. Murder on the calves, though.
Other Attractive Ideas
The stereotypical powerlifter "counter-culture" exercises also seem to fall into the lower/no eccentric zone - which makes a lot of sense:
- Sledgehammer
- Sled pull (aka regular sled)
- Sled push (aka prowler)
- Hill sprints
Rope jumping is probably acceptable since it shouldn't kill quads/hamstrings/glutes, though concentrically it's murder on the calves.
Unfortunate Exclusions
- Flat running/Treadmill
- Flat elliptical
Other than that it's actually hard to say - the big problem honestly seems to be that you've got to hit an incline to do a particularly good job. We're also primarily after low/no impact activities for anything halfway intense.
For Taku intervals and steady-state conditioning, do the lower-intensity stuff on an inclined elliptical or treadmill.
At least some cardio should be AM to wake up; this can be light and low-intensity. Probably the same half-hour setup as currently used, but potentially at an even lower intensity than currently used to avoid tiring out. This should be done immediately on waking the first time - take meds and just go power walk/elliptical.
Intervals should alternate machines where possible (never do the same thing twice in a row unless absolutely necessary) and be exclusively zero-impact until running's improved. Running would then only be on days as far from any squatting/deadlifting as possible.
The erg's still out until shoulder's back to better shape, meaning consistent soft tissue, TRX, and band work.
Details:
Back in the gym, a little more solidly this time. Cardio is the one thing I can consistently do during the week, so I've been running through Taku's protocols (so far the "first two weeks" part - this started with 1-2 runs of 90/90, then 3 for most of the last two weeks, now 4 for the last two times; it'll be the protocol as traditionally written going forward). Other days it's conventional cardio, looking for ~20 minutes at lactate threshold (which with the caffeine and addy is more like 150-180 heart rate instead of the generally-prescribed 120-130...jesus). The weekends (and generally any SF days, and/or any SEA days) go more to climbing right now, with lifting to return soon.
In the interest of minimizing system stress, I'm trying to focus on concentric-only cardio. Machine choices are laid out below, though there's some variation in validity there. I'm also trying to focus on low-impact, at least for the intervals.
From an energy expenditure/weight loss effect perspective, it's probably worth designating 1-2 primary machines for the lactate threshold work and then cycling through everything else for the intervals. Based on the selection below, I'd probably peg inclined Elliptical and Treadmill for threshold and everything else for the intervals. Erg probably calls for some PT in advance; packing TRX and some soft tissue tools for the road lets me do a lot there, but dedicated attention (especially graston for the lat...) will be a big help too. Also a great way to burn through the FSA funds.
Given some running coaching to get form down (also mobility work etc. - I've been terrible about couch stretching, actually) that may be a viable choice for a mid-week (say Tuesday) session - presumably any squatting would be something like Thursday/Friday and Sunday, so it'd give just about the best possible recovery window and let me work on a pretty fundamental human skill.
- Erg
- Upright bike
- Recumbent bike
- Stairmaster
- Treadmill (INCLINE)
- Elliptical (INCLINE)
These are all nice in that there's no/little lengthening under load - it's actually kind of annoying trying to find other sources on this, but it's not that hard to figure out for yourself (or to test - go do a hard cardio workout on a new machine; if you're not particularly sore the next day, it's low/no-eccentric).
Presumably more exotic machines like the Versaclimber and Airdyne match this.
The treadmill and elliptical seem like mixed bags, since both either are or emulate flat running and thus (at least based on reputation) have a greater eccentric component than the above (where any lengthening is either unloaded [erg, stairmaster] or actively facilitated by shortening from the other side [bikes]). Doing these things on an incline helps by simulating hills; there may also be a way to manipulate foot position on the elliptical to similar effect. Murder on the calves, though.
Other Attractive Ideas
The stereotypical powerlifter "counter-culture" exercises also seem to fall into the lower/no eccentric zone - which makes a lot of sense:
- Sledgehammer
- Sled pull (aka regular sled)
- Sled push (aka prowler)
- Hill sprints
Rope jumping is probably acceptable since it shouldn't kill quads/hamstrings/glutes, though concentrically it's murder on the calves.
Unfortunate Exclusions
- Flat running/Treadmill
- Flat elliptical
Other than that it's actually hard to say - the big problem honestly seems to be that you've got to hit an incline to do a particularly good job. We're also primarily after low/no impact activities for anything halfway intense.
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