Home Blog Random Friday Thoughts: 4/16/10

Random Friday Thoughts: 4/16/10

Written on April 16, 2010 at 7:40 am, by Eric Cressey

1. Yesterday was tax day.  And, since you’re all probably feeling like Uncle Sam took a dump in your favorite shoes on the taxes front, this uplifting video couldn’t be more appropriate to kick things off.

2. Yesterday also marked the end of the introductory offer on our new Optimal Shoulder Performance DVD set.  Some of our more noteworthy customers of these DVDs sold to the likes of President Obama, Amelia Earhart, Spongebob Squarepants, and King Tut.  Okay, they really didn’t buy any – but they might have if you blog readers had told all your friends about this fantastic resource to spread the word.  The take-home point is that you should feel poor and guilty the day after April 15.  Thanks for nothing.  Let’s move on.

3.  Just when I thought nobody could beat me down more than Uncle Sam yesterday, I realized that Tony had written this month’s staff training program, and I went through one of the most brutal training sessions in Cressey Performance history.  Here’s a little taste:

A1) Bench Press Clusters: 4 x (4×2) – 10s
A2) (160-lb/hand) Farmer’s Walk: 4x90yds (on last set, it was walk as far as you could go…I went 135 yards)

Frankly, this first pairing was enough to get a 25% attrition rate from our training crew (man down!) – but there was actually more:

B1) Wide Pronated Grip Seated Cable Rows: 3×10
B2) 1-arm, 1-leg DB RDL: 3×8/side
C1) Standing DB Military Press: 3×8
C2) Slideboard Bodysaw: 3×10

And, last but not least:

D) Side-Lying External Rotations: 2×8/side

I’m not sure why, but it really made me angry to do these external rotations at the end of all this brutality.  It was almost like Tony was rubbing it in our faces that we weren’t quite done, even though the hard stuff was over.  So, just as a statement, I did 2×10/side instead and then suplexed Tony off the loading dock…just because (okay, not really; Uncle Sam suplexed him off the loading dock).

4. While I don’t really “commute” anymore because our new house is so close to the facility, I do have a pretty good audio book rolling in the car right now: Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard.

switch-dan-chip-heath

It was written by Chip and Dan Heath (who also wrote Made to Stick, a book I absolutely loved and highly recommended in the past).  The Heath brothers go into detail on the important factors that determine whether or not attempts at change will be successful, highlighting some profound examples from everything from the business world to nutritional practices with newborns in Southeast Asia.  What I like the most is that they relate everything back to principles that are directly applicable to everything in my “world:” training and nutrition practices, managing employees, and running a business.  It’s definitely worth a read.  Check it out HERE.

5. This point is going to make today’s blog interactive, as I need some feedback.  My one responsibility on the wedding planning front is to decide where we go on our honeymoon (tough job, I know).  I know I’ve got readers all over the world who have been to some cool places, so let’s hear some recommendations in the comments section below.  We’re an active couple and want to honeymoon where we can hike, exercise, etc. instead of just sitting around drinking tequila.  As of right now, I’m leaning toward the Riviera Maya, but am open to suggestions – except Iceland.  This guy convinced me otherwise:

I think that was Alwyn Cosgrove.

Have a great weekend.

20 Responses to “Random Friday Thoughts: 4/16/10”

  1. chezzer86 Says:

    i heard Machu Pichu is pretty awesome (it’s in South America)

  2. Matt G Says:

    Costa Rica sounds like a good fit. Volcanoes, zip lines through the jungle, kayaking in the Tortugas, etc.

  3. Mark Young Says:

    Burj Al Arab Hotel. 🙂

  4. James B. Says:

    Northwest Arkansas. You can do all that stuff, plus, I guarantee “we got lots of stuff you ain’t never seen before”. Oh, and you can watch one of your boys play ball…

  5. J.B. Says:

    The wife and I did the hike to Machu Picchu on our honeymoon.. not for the feint of heart. No running water for 3 days. Sleeping in a tent, and packing all of your personal items. toilets that were indescribably gross. Hiking above 14000 ft over stone age trails. That said, the Andes are some of the most beautiful mountains in the world, and the ruins along the way make the whole trek worth it. It was a great fit for us.. don’t know if it would work for you guys.

    We went to Italy and France this summer, and you might consider Cinque Terre. 5 small towns on the Italian riviera. They have boats that you can rent and paddle. there are some pretty burly hiking trails between all of the towns.. and it is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. You do have to deal with the doughy Euro factor (large bodies in small bathing suits) but the trade off is worth it. Fly into rome, spend a day looking at the sites, take the train to Cinque Terre, hang out for a while. Might work.. but then I don’t know how long you’re planning to be gone.

    Costa Rica is cool too. Went there a couple years ago. It’s a little more accessible, more of a night life.

    Email me if you have any questions.. between the wife and I we’ve been to quite a few cool places.

  6. Dean Somerset Says:

    The Canadian Rockies. Hit up Banff, Lake Louise or Jasper, Alberta, it’s only an hour drive from Calgary international airport.

  7. danny Says:

    go to nepal and hike to mt. everest base camp. this is certainly not a typical honey moon but i doubt you will ever see anything more beautiful in nature. you can vary the length of your trek depending on where you want to start from. you can vary the difficulty by using sherpas as needed.

    also it is cool because the capital of nepal katmandu has really good cheap food, old temple sites where monkeys steal food from tourists, cheap and good massages, etc. – so you hike and then you can chill out in katmandu for a week.

  8. Mike Says:

    If you have the time, Kauai is phenomenal. We went to Kauai and Maui but definitely would’ve stayed in Kauai 2 weeks if possible. Plenty of hiking, incredible weather and scenery – just be careful that you don’t decide to move CP West to the island and stay there!

  9. Leon Says:

    French Riviera. You can get to Italy,Switzerland,Spain pretty much anywhere in Europe from there by rail (one ticket allows you to go on any train) or hire car and of course Paris, Rome and Venice (considering it’s a honeymoon). Plenty to do mountains, lakes, cities and gyms lol. Prices I’m sure are reasonable given the current state of things. 7/8 hours flight from east coast.

  10. Eric L. Says:

    I second Costa Rica. Hike/zipline through the canopy of rainforests, see an active volcano, bathe in natural hot springs, raft rough white water, and enjoy some of the nicest beaches/surfing…all in one friendly country and all doable within 1-2 weeks.

  11. A.J. Aguila Says:

    Costa rican rainforest is unbelievable! With that being said, make sure you check previous monthly precipitation rates before you book it, or prepare to pack a poncho! Good luck planning, look forward to seeing you at PB summit in Providence.

  12. Gordon Kocher Says:

    MY wife and I went to Africa for 3 weeks. By far the best trip I have ever took. We went South Africa, Botswana,Zimbabwe, and Zambia. We took a 4 day safari trip in Kruger National park, Drove from Johannesburg to Victoria falls with a car rental. It was a 20 hour trip through the bush, no gas stations. Stayed there for 3 days and drove back. Then took a flight to Cape town where we rented a Harley and drove the cost for 2 days. ALL without a tour guide or a plan. I have some interesting stories of events that we went through.

  13. Todd G Says:

    It has already been mentioned quite a few times but it’s worth suggesting again. I live down here in Cost Rica and there is no shortage of things to do: hiking, rafting, rain forest, volcanoes, beaches, surfing, mountain biking, etc… Or you can stay in a hotel and enjoy a few umbrella drinks.

    If you want to come down just let me know, I can help put together a great itinerary.

  14. Walt Denkinger Says:

    Cambodia- Visit Angkor Wat….phenomenal.

  15. Yael Grauer Says:

    Another vote for Costa Rica. It is absolutely beautiful. My folks live out that way (in Heredia) so I get to visit quite a bit. There’s a gorgeous five or six-hour hike with a view of the volcano Arenal; the zipline through the rainforest and cloudforest, Zoo Ave if you want to see monkeys and other animals in their natural habitat, Puerto Viejo is a nice beach area, could go on and on. Just make sure to pay with exact change (or count your change) and be really careful driving. The highways are okay, it’s the local streets that are a bit of a mess.

  16. Jason De Los Santos Says:

    My wife and I spent our honeymoon in Moab, Utah. It was our first time out west, so seeing the huge red rocks, and endless skies was amazing. Moab is known for being and adventure town so they have anything you could dream of doing outdoors. We tried canyoneering (hiking through canyons and repelling off of 2 arches), sunset hummer ride over the edge of the canyons (scarier and cooler than it sounds), tomcar rides through the red rock mountains, and white water rafting on the green river. That was about all we could fit into a few days because there were just too many fun activities to do.
    Enjoy wherever you both go.

  17. Tom Williams Says:

    Definitely hit New Zealand. I to the South Island for two weeks and it was the greatest views, activities, people and trip ever. Glaciers, lagoons, mountains, rainforest, beaches. It rocks.

  18. Matt Says:

    Australia. And you can do New Zealand with it that way. Great sunshine, great places to exercise and too many awesome travel spots to list.

  19. Jerry Johnson Says:

    Eric, I have not been to Kauai but have been to the big Island and loved it. We spent two weeks there and were doing stuff everyday.
    I have been to the Rivera Maya and own a timeshare there. My wife is taking our daughter there to the Mayan Palace over Memorial day. I know you will have a great time whereever you go. It isn’t the place it the person your with and I can’t believe I’m saying this but it is about communicating. Jerry

  20. Tom Meegan Says:

    My wife and I hiked for a week in Yellowstone for our honeymoon. In one day we saw snow, rain, bright sunshine, boiling mud pots, hot springs, grizzly bear markings on a tree nine feet up, and a spectacular rainbow… we also saw only three other humans once we got 1/2 a mile away from the road.

    Not as exotic as many of the above, but man it was great.


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