Wednesday, Mittwoch, literally means middle of the week. It's the day between Tuesday and Thursday. It's also my day off from work--YAHOO! I worked the Memorial Day holiday. DoctorsNow West opened at 9am and after 23 people strolled through the door and 1pm arrived, I was outta there and home to enjoy the afternoon. What a fantabulous Memorial Day. I remember one Memorial Day about 12 years ago, it was only 40 degrees. I was home to see my dad and I made him take me up to Okoboji......just so I could say I was there on Memorial Day. Burr, it was cold on the dock! This year, a welcome 85 degrees and not a cloud in the sky!

So, I thought Tuesday, the day AFTER Memorial Day was going to be a little slower...not true...58 sick people needed the doctor. I was dead tired at 8pm, but it's all worth it if all 58 patients are feeling better today!

I haven't gone to the gym yet this morning. It's only 10:30, but I have to decide soon if I'm going to get in there. I really haven't taken a day off for a while, but I am also not feeling worn out. Maybe I will hit some quads today. That sounds good, eh? I might nail some calves while I am at it.

The training thought for today...Functional training. It's definitely the training trend the past few years. I am going to give you a twist to this hot button term. Many people believe that the most effective way to recruit the core stabilizing muscles is to execute "traditional" exercises on an unstable surface. However, physical activity is rarely performed with a stable load on an unstable surface.....usually the surface is stable and the external resistance is not. In other words, if you want your exercises to have the most real-world functionality, keep the surface (bench, floor, chair) stable, and the resistance, in the form of dumbbells, kettlebells, or even a less stable piece of equipment such as a water filled pipe or balance ball, unstable.

Until next time, enjoy your Mittwoch, and train hard and smart!