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Now you have a proper training plan for the body you want to get your swagger back.
What I've Learned So Far:
One thing I’ve noticed as a physical therapist is that people obsess over strength, but very few people train power.
And honestly, your body cares about power a lot more than Instagram fitness culture does.
Strength is important, sure. I want my patients strong. I want people lifting, squatting, carrying awkward Costco loads in one trip like civilized Americans.
But life is rarely asking: “Can you slowly produce force over 8 seconds while listening to EDM in a commercial gym?”
Life usually asks: “Can you react QUICKLY?”
Can you catch yourself when you trip? Can you regain balance on ice? Can you sprint after your dog when he sees a squirrel? Can you jump over a puddle without sounding like microwave popcorn when you land?
That’s power.
Strength is force.
Power is force expressed rapidly.
Power = Force x Velocity
And one of the interesting things we see in both sports science and aging research is that humans lose power faster than they lose raw strength.
That matters.
A lot.
You can still be “strong” and struggle to react.
I’ve seen plenty of people who can leg press a small Honda Civic, but look genuinely terrified stepping off a curb too quickly.
Your nervous system matters.
Your reaction speed matters.
Your ability to coordinate movement under chaos matters.
This is why I love movements like the power clean.
And not because everyone needs to become an Olympic weightlifter.
Honestly, some people should absolutely not be launching barbells into the atmosphere at LA Fitness on a Tuesday afternoon.
But the movement itself teaches something important.
The power clean trains your body to recruit force FAST.
Hips extend violently. Ankles snap. The nervous system lights up. The body has to coordinate timing, balance, posture, rhythm, and force production all within about a second.
It’s basically organized panic.
And unlike slower strength exercises, you can’t really fake explosiveness.
A squat lets you grind.
A power clean exposes hesitation immediately.
If you pull too slow, miss timing, or second guess yourself, the bar basically says: “Cute attempt. Absolutely not.”
That’s why explosive movements have such strong carryover to athletics.
Jumping. Sprinting. Cutting. Changing direction. Even simply moving with confidence.
Power training teaches the body to be reactive instead of just resilient.
And honestly, from a rehab perspective, I think we underdose this quality massively.
People rehab until they can functionally move.
But athleticism lives in the transition between function and finesse.
That gray area matters.
Especially as we age.
Because nobody tears a hamstring carefully and under control.
Life happens fast.
The body has to respond fast.
And maybe that’s the bigger lesson of explosive training.
It’s not just about becoming more athletic.
It’s about staying capable enough to interact with a chaotic world without your joints tapping out afterward.
Quick recap, the Goal:
Power Clean 245 pounds
The Stakes:
if I succeed I will donate $250 to GiveDirectly.org
Memorial Day, first observed in 1868 as "Decoration Day," became a federal holiday in 1971 to honor the men and women who died serving in the U.S. military. The "Murph Memory Memorial" pays tribute to U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy, who sacrificed his life in Afghanistan in 2005 during a rescue operation, "Operation Red Wings."
What is the TriumFit the event? Murph's favorite workout, which he called "body armor"
(Gold division/Outdoor version)
1-mile run, 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 air squats, and another 1-mile run all with a 20lb weight vest
(Silver division/Indoor option)
1/2-mile run, 50 pullups, 100 pushups, 150 air squats, and another 1/2-mile run *no weight vest
**BOTH DIVISIONS MUST MEMORIZE/RECITE A SPEECH
(military speech or otherwise, about 100 words) spoken aloud at the end of the challenge, or they will have a +50 or +25 burpee punishment added onto their total time (gold and silver divisions, respectively)
Challenge window: (if you want to complete it on your own schedule)
May 18th - June 1st, 2026
Date/Location (for in person option with Tyler):
We all met on Saturday May 23rd, at "Active Park" in Lakewood, WA for the Murph. We had 11 brave souls sign up and complete the challenge. Shoutout to them below, and thanks to Danny who had a great reading from the actual Medal of Honor speech George W. Bush made for Lt. Michael Murph.
MURPH CREW 2026!
"Do a funny face" -Jon
"Ok, now be mean." -Jon
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WARRIORS BELOW WHO BOUGHT AN ENTRY TICKET AND COMPLETED THE CHALLENGE!
Also, shoutout to Josh and Asaph for completing it out without a weight vests
And because of your generosity of buying entry tickets, I could donate to Murph's Scholarship fund on TriumFit's behalf! Gross revenue ($330 x 25%) = $82.50
Next month (JUNE):
June is another GROUP CHARITY CHALLENGE MONTH!
I do my "Abode on the Underground Railroad" every year in honor of the life and work of Harriet Tubman and her legacy of leading so many to their freedom in the 1800's.
June 19th (Friday). I plan on walking the entire thing around Wright Park starting at 9 am. It will take until the better part of 4 pm. So come out for all, or part of the challenge that day, and bring some extra water/snacks and a lunch!
We can all get dinner afterwards, or depending on sign ups, I may get my guy Kasim out there to make us Tacos at the end like he did for the Farm Worker Rights Day challenge because that was a hit!
What do you get for signing up?
Limited edition (only 10 made of each) Gold/Silver Coins. And maybe some foot pain...
Pay $25 for any event to be registered as a "TriumFit Athlete" (25% of TOTAL ticket sales are now going to a relevant charity)
Or buy ALL 7 challenges at once and get 1 challenge FREE
"Bear Crawl Club" Updates
I made a new swaggy logo
"TriumFit and Chill" is now "Bear Crawl Club." A bi-monthly group fitness challenge and social hang in Tacoma, WA. Read more about THE WHY below!
The next couple dates are:
May 10th: Bear Craw Club #12 DONE!
Thanks to Jairo for hosting while I was away on a meditation retreat!
May 24th: #13 DONE!
Congrats to Michelle and Deniss, who both PROMOTED TO "KOALA" members for a combined 2 miles of bear crawling at club events. Amazing work there, well earned!
P.S. the first 3 badges are IN! These look incredible.
If you show up to Bear Crawl Events you can earn these bad boys
(or bad bears rather) ;)
These will be $5 each. The "Cub" arm band is FREE for showing up the 1st time though :D
What is Bear Crawl Clubs purpose?
America is Broken. Not beyond repair, but cracked where it matters most. We’re politically polarized, physically unfit, and angry at anyone but ourselves. We’ve lost the muscles that made us: grit, grace, unity, humility. So let’s rebuild it. Not with opinions. With actions. Introducing: TriumFit’s Moonshot Challenge “The Fall Bear Crawl Across America” 3,000 athletes. 3,000 miles. $300,000 raised for charity. One mile at a time. In October the goal will be to get every day athletes to register to commit to Bear Crawling 1 mile in 1 day, and raising $100 for GiveDirectly.org It will be a completely VIRTUAL challenge, no location limitations. One day it would be cool to actually pass a baton or something across the United States, but not yet. We start on all fours — bear crawling across a divided country to prove something simple: We don’t need to agree on everything to move in the same direction. Because strength isn’t found in shouting louder. It’s found in those who bear their weight and keep moving forward.
🧭 What Training For This Looks Like (local to where I am) Every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. Unless otherwise noted. 📍 Location Stadium High Football Field, Tacoma WA 🕑 Time 2:00 – 4:00 PM Hour 1: Fitness (Bear Crawl Challenge) Hour 2: Fun — bring a nostalgic snack + drink combo to share 🐻 Distances (choose your level) ¼ mile · ½ mile · ¾ mile · 1 mile 👉 Gloves recommended Each crawl contributes to our national mission, one local effort at a time. This is where community meets commitment. Where fitness becomes a statement. Where America begins to rebuild. Join the mission. Crawl for a cause.
What all the badges will look like!
p.s. If you paid for and completed a TFC event, make sure you're on the list below. This is an editable document for you to keep track of your completion times after each event, to see how your fitness is improving!
