Gym regimen - February 2011

WEDNESDAY, 22 Feb. 2011

A2: Chest and Calves: 50+ mins, 96.5kg

WARMUP:

Stair machine, cable flyes, bench, calf raises, stretching

CIRCUIT:

Bench press: 10, 7/1, 6, 6 @ 80kg, 87.5kg/85kg, 92.5kg, 95kg

[3rd and 4th sets with spotter.]

Seated calf raises: 36, 45, 42 @ 50kg, 55kg, 60kg

CIRCUIT:

Incline bench press: 10, 8, 8, 6 @ 60kg, 62.5kg, 65kg, 70kg

Standing calf raises (Smith machine): 36, 45, 30 @ bdw + 95kg

[I used a little "body English" on some of these, i.e. incorporating a small shrug-squat motion to allow my calves to get high for a small squeeze. Like Arnold says, you must BLAST YOUR CALVES!]

CIRCUIT:

Dumbbell flyes: 10, 8, 5 @ 22kg, 26kg, 32kg

[Kind of funny: I got a spotter on my 3rd set, but even so, my arms simply gave out on the 6th rep and down came the dumbbells. I wasn't alarmed. The natural dynamics of the downward motion bring the arms open away from the face/chest, so my only risk would have been hanging onto the weights when they hit the ground.]

Plyo calf hops: 12, 12, 6* @ 19kg, 16kg, 19kg

[I kind of made these up, since I'm never too sure how to train calves besides seated/standing raises. I held dumbbells in my hands and hopped up to a small platform, did a calf raise and paused, then hopped back. On the 3rd set I began on the platform, flexed my calves for a few seconds, then hopped back. Meh.]

ABS:

Planking: 60 sec, 60 sec, 90 sec

Gym regimen - February 2011

TUESDAY 22.2.11

A1: Biceps and Quads: 50 mins

WARMUP: spin bike, squats, curls, stretching

CIRCUIT:

Leg extensions: 12, 9, 6 @ 45kg, 50kg, 55kg

Squat: 12, 9, 6, 4 @ 85kg, 95kg, 105kg, 110kg

Hyper-supinated dumbbell curls: 12, 9, 6 @ 17kg, 20kg, 22kg

CIRCUIT:

Walking lunges: 20, 18, 16 @ 10kg, 15kg, 20kg

[I held plates (at the weights shown above) by the central ring with my last three digits on each hand (i.e. not my thumb and index fingers) in order to train my grip.]

Barbell curls: 10, 8, 6 @ 40kg, 42.5kg, 45kg

[I used a towel on the last two sets not only to add girth to the bar but also to give a slight downward slant to the blade of my hand and thereby relieve pressure on my wrists.]

CIRCUIT:

Overhand EZ bar curls: 12, 10, 10 @ 30kg, 35kg, 40kg

Box jumps: 12, 12, 12 @ 17kg, 17kg, 20kg

[I held dumbbells in my hands and jumped up two steps and stepped back down for 12 reps. A good challenge, but I should go deeper before I jump next time.]

+ + +

Well, I can safely say my recent excursion into bodyweight not only did not leave me gasping but actually evidenced gains when I finally got my lazy but back in the gym. My biceps have become stronger and I don't know that my quads have gotten weaker.

Bodyweight exercises…

WEDNESDAY 2/16: 60 mins

Warmup: calisthenics, jump rope, stretching, Indian clubs

CIRCUIT:
Hindu squats: 55, 58, 61
Hindu pushups: 20, 23, 26
Lassoes: 60, 60, 60 @ cable + 2kg
One-arm chain hauls: 10, 10, 10
Rope rows: 14, 12, 10/4
[I used 1" PVC halves in loops on 2nd set, 2" halves on 3rd set; last 4 reps of 3rd set were without any halves.]
Bridge planking: 60 secs x 3
Calf raises (multi-angles, on chain grid): 60, 60, 60
Dips: 22, 22, 22
Chinups: 16, 16, 15
[with power straps and some kipping on various reps]

+ + +
I don't know why tonight's workout took so long. Partially it's because, as I get stronger, I do more reps, which takes more time. Another reason might be that I was still a little fatigued from two previous nights of inadequate sleep. (I got some morning sub hours this week, which caught my night-owlish self off-guard.) Plus, I had a terrible case of gastritis yesterday, truly crippling at one point. It was due to eating some "sticky year cake" last weekend at the behest of my always generous landlord. (Glutinous rice and my stomach DO NOT MIX!) Anyway, I fought through and finished the workout.

I like the fact that I walk to and from the park for these workouts. It's a mild warmup, yes, but, more importantly, it's a small respite from activity and pressured thought. I love walking. Walking has carried me through many long, dark night in the past. So walking is a nice way to begin and end my workouts. I must admit, even though I have slated myself to get back in the gym, next week for my A-regimen, it's very hard to let go of the BDW fun I've been having the past few weeks. As I mentioned before, I intend to alternate my A-regimen with BDW work every other week, so I will have the best of both worlds, I guess.

Recently, I've come up with the idea of a three-week cycle: A-regimen (or some variant thereof) 4x/wk, BDW 4x/wk, HEAVIES* 3x/wk. There's plenty written about how BDW training will boost conventional weight training, and I think I've covered before why "the Big Three" (the top three among what I'm here calling the HEAVIES) are adequate of themselves for progressive gains.

* HEAVIES: Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, Barbell Curl, Pullups, Military Press

Also, I intend to use thick pipe insulation tubing and/or towels as ghetto Fat Gripz on my A-days (until I choose to invest in actual Fat Gripz).

Anyway, tonight I also realized I should distribute some of my BDW exercises over more days, rather than doubling them up on the same day, mainly just to reduce the time of each workout. Notice that today, as in previous workouts, I did both Hindu pushups and dips, both lassoes and planking, both back rows and chinups, etc. These exercises are not exactly duplicates but they do train much the same muscle areas. So I thought about it like this:

BDW:
M warmup, Hindu squats, Hindu pushups, lassoes, calf raises, chain hauls, rope rows
T warmup, Hindu squats, dips, planking, chain hauls, calf raises, chinups
W Grip training
Th warmup, pistol squats, pushups, KB twists, bungee curls, cable tricep extensions, leaning shrugs
F Grip training
Sa warmup, Hindu squats, Hindu pushups, lassoes, calf raises, pullups
S off

A-regimen (M, T, Th, F):
See previous posts

HEAVIES (pyramid sets, MWF):
Squat 4X5
Bench press 4X5
Deadlift 4X5
Military press 4X5
Barbell curl OR Shrugs 4X5

Tomorrow I train grip and next week I'm back in the gym.

BDW workouts...

SATURDAY 2/12: BDW 50+ mins
Warmup: calisthenics, Indian clubs, stretching
Hindu squats 50, 55, 60
Hindu pushups 20, 22, 24
Lassoes (per side) 30 x 3
Rope rows (one-hand/two-hand) 6/12, 7/12, 8/12
[On the last two sets I used PVC sections in the strap grips, which gave my forearm flexorrs a killer workout, as the plams were half-open. See an earlier post for photos of the PVC pipes/sections I use.]
Bridge planking 40 secs x 2
Calf raises (chain grid) 50-60 x 3
Dips 20 x 3
Chinups 16, 15, 15
[With power straps and occasional kipping/negatives]


SUNDAY 2/13: BDW 45 mins
Warmup: calisthenics, stretching
KB torso rotation 20 x 3
Hindu squats 50, 55, 60
Pushups 32, 36, 40
Bungee curls (over-/underhand) 20/20, 22/22, 25/25
Behind-the-head tricep extensions 16, 18, 20
Leaning shrugs 20, 22, 25

The day is mine!

But first, my workout notes for today:

THURSDAY 2/10 40 mins: Grip training and shrugs
Jar handling: 1–2 minutes per hand x 3
Dumbbell gripping: until failure, twice per hand x 3
Wrist roller: flexion and extension, twice per hand x 3
Eagle catcher: 30 secs per hand, twice per hand x 3
Rope shrugs: BDW @ 30, 30, 30

+ + +
Why is the day mine, you ask? (Ask!) I finally up and did it: I made my own kettlebell (KB)!

I swung (no pun intended…) by the hardware store tonight after Eucharistic Adoration and spent about half an hour fiddling with pipes and joints before making my purchase. I will tweak it this weekend to be simpler, to be more like the model which inspired me. My model is too 'articulate' (i.e. has too many pieces), but I like how it has the true kettlebell shape with a central hoop-grip, rather than the T-bar model. That's about 12kg in the photos but I bumped it up to about 19kg earlier tonight.

Because I used eye-bolts to carry the plate rod, there is a lot of play in the plates when I move the KB. This weekend I plan to go back to the hardware store, buy two more 6" rods (same length as the handle), two T-joints, and a rod that threads through the T-joints. The problem with this, though, is that such a small rod seems perilous at heavy weights. Will it bend over time, possibly even break? Am I being paranoid? Keep in mind, the KB is over your head for almost all movements, so safety is not a minor detail. I think a slightly narrower handle with longer vertical rods will be a nice change.

The best solution would be to find a couple 5/8"-3/4" couplings to replace the 1/2"-3/4" couplings and bushings I have attaching the eye-bolts and vertical rods. Probably need to get those from the good ol' USA.















I'm also providing photos of some of my other workout apparati, below. Cuz I can. Annotated in order of display (I don't know how to get the words right next to the pictures and I need to go to bed.)

+ + +
The alligator clip I recently bought, with Augmenting Rubberband Action!

The 2m loading strap I use for pullups, rows, shrugs, etc.

The hand wroller I made from a broomstick cut into three pieces bound together––thicker handles make for stronger wrists!––with a 5kg plate attatched. The concerted look on my face means it's real, kiddies. Do try this at home!

These are two halves of PVC coupling I sawed apart. I use these in the strap loops (shown above) for pullups and various other exercises, not only because they train a thicker grip than the rope by itself, but also because the rope is painful when it crushes my fingers together and wedges into my palm.

This is my homemade eagle catcher device. I bought some rubber-caoted work gloves recently (for less than US$1) and discovered they work nicely on dulling the pain of those hoops on my fingers. Reducing "ancillary pain" allows you to train harder (i.e. to generate more "central pain" for the "gain", not the "sprain".) Speaking of central pain…! Tonight, on my last set of wrist rolls, I wore the rubberized gloves, having just finished a set of shrugs, and discovered they add an exruciating edge: their adhesiveness forbids any cheating––the handle will not slide––, so you have to really open your hands on every cinch. Brutal.

Another shot of my using the eagle catcher. I'm only grinning for the camera.

These are the 1" PVC tees I use––that thick grip thing again––with bungees to do over- and underhand curls (as well as triceps extensions, etc. if I'm in the mood). They're hooked differently to allow for alternating grips. I stand on the center of the bungees to ground the resistance and curl.

Recent adventures in bodyweighting…

Wednesday 2/2 45 mins
Hindu squats 40, 40 40
Hindu pushups 20, 20, 20
Rope rows (two-/one-hand) 12/10, 12/10, 12/10
Behind-the-head tricep extensions 20, 20, 20
Bungee curls (over-/underhand) 20/20, 20/20, 20/20
Pushups 30, 40, 30

FRIDAY 2/4 45 mins
Hindu squats 40, 45, 50
Hindu pushups 20, 20, 20
Rope rows (two-/one-hand) 20/6, 20/8, 20/10
Behind-the-head tricep extensions 20, 20, 22
Bungee curls (over-/underhand) 20/20, 20/20, 20/20
Pushups 28, 30, 35

TUESDAY 2/8 60 mins
Warmup: calisthenics, stretching
CIRCUIT
Hindu squats: 50, 50, 50
Hindu pushups, 20, 20, 20
Lassoes (per side): 30, 30, 30 @ rope + 2kg
Chain hauls (per arm): 6, 6, 8
Rope rows: 20, 20, 20
Bridge planking: 40 secs, 60 secs, 60 secs
Calf raises (on a chain grid): 45, 50, 60
Dips: 15, 18, 22
Chinups: 12, 14, 12 (a decent amount of kipping on the last reps of the last sets)

[UPDATED 2/9: I couldn't resist another session…]

2/9 WEDNESDAY 50–60 mins
Warmup: calisthenics, stretching, Indian clubs
CIRCUIT:
Hindu squats: 40, 45, 50
Hindu pushups: 20, 22, 24
Lassoes (per side): 30, 30, 30 @ rope + 2kg
One-arm chain hauls: 6, 7, 9
Rope rows: 12, 12, 15
Bridge planking: 40 secs, 40 secs, 40 secs
Calf raises (on chain grid): 45, 45, 45
Dips: 17, 18, 20
Chinups (with power straps): 15, 15, 15
[with some kipping on various reps]

+ + +
I am doing BDW this week, not only because I love it, but also so I can get back onto my A-regimen square on Monday next week. The Chinese New Year holiday was not officially over until today (Tuesday), and I made the most of my time off. My gf said to me tonight, "You really are a 'gongfu guy.'" She had, I guess, recently seen a movie on TV, one of those ubiquitous, undying Asian martial arts films, so when I told her about my exercises tonight, she "whooed" and told me I'm a real gongfu guy.

The fact is, despite his operatic background and his highly staged combat style, Jackie Chan has "true gongfu." As did Bruce Lee. As does Jet Li. As does Donnie Yen. And, I'm sure, as do many other martial artists whom I don't know. Real gongfu is about meekness––or at least I'd like to think so. "Meekness," as my beloved youth pastor used to say, "is power under wraps." That's what I want. I want to be one of those old guys who can suddenly show true strength never when expected, yet always when needed. All this, of course, assuming God does not will to sanctify me by disease and weakness "in the open".

Here are some verses I got from a Wiki (?) entry on "real gongfu":

行走江湖，最忌心浮氣燥；
沉住氣，最少保持兩秒距離；
瞻前顧後，為轉線做好準備；
無論大與小，禮讓最緊要；
於公路上，一定要有良好的技術及態度，
才稱得上為真功夫！

My translation:

Walking along the Hujiang River, heart all aflutter;
Keeping my bile down, keeping at least a two-second distance from everyone;
Eyes ahead, eyes in back, ready to turn on a dime;
I don't care if they're big or small, best to keep a polite deference;
On the open road, you need sharp skills and attitude,
that's the only way to claim real gongfu!

And of course, there are the immortal lyrics to the theme song of Once Upon a Time in China remind us of true gongfu:

傲氣面對萬重浪　熱血像那紅日光
膽似鐵打　骨如精鋼
胸襟百千丈　眼光萬里長
我發奮圖強　做好漢
做個好漢子　每天要自強
熱血男兒漢　比太陽更光
＊讓海天為我聚能量　去開天闢地
為我理想去闖
看碧波高壯　又看碧空廣闊浩氣揚
我是男兒當自強
昂步挺胸大家作棟樑　做好漢
用我百點熱　耀出千分光
做個好漢子　熱血熱腸熱　比太陽更光
做個好漢子　熱血熱腸熱　比太陽更光

(You can view this video for what looks like a respectable English translation of the song.)

I know it makes me a complete nerd, but I keep a copy of these lyrics in my wallet. I have done so since early 2009. Although Lin Zi Xiang 林子祥 was the original singer, Jackie Chan 陳龍 is also known to have a rendition of his own.

And that's my point: those with true gongfu tend to gravitate towards each other.

I hardly mean to suggest I am anywhere near the level of excellence and discipline of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, et al. I only mean to say that their spirit of "real gongfu" inspires me. Indeed, it was Jackie Chan's early rendition Drunken Boxing which drew me to Asia, and, certainly, his second rendition of Drunken Boxing which kept me here. (Pardon the Englsh, and, erm, Spanish, dubbing in both clips.)

So, tonight was all about real gongfu. I slacked off the past few days but still hit it hard tonight. I'd like to think both are the perogative of those with reak gongfu.

+ + +
WEDNESDAY 2/9 UPDATE:

The nice thing about BDW is that it's demanding enough to make pain-gains, but not so intense that you couldn't do it every single day. A true martial arts goal: relentless gains with humble patience.

Tonight I struck upon a way of training my traps with BDW: loop the cable under a park bench (or even around the base of a tree, if need be), lean back, and shrug up to an upright position. That is, by the way, the basic motion I use for chain hauls and rope rows: loop the cable onto something at or above shoulder level, lean back, and pull up into a locked/flexed position.

I liked using the power straps on my chinups, since it allowed me to isolate and really work the biceps. I shall continue to use them, since my biceps need a big boost. Once they "get there," I'll go back to a 'naked' grip. Meanwhile, on off days, I shall continue training my grip. To date, my grip-training devices are the following:

• Indian clubs
• Eagle catcher
• Gyroscopic wrist ball
  
• Augmented wrist gripper (I stuff wedges of a rubber baseball into the hinge to increase the poundage)
• Heavy-gauge alligator clip (Augmented with any number of rubber bands around its teeth)
• Clay vase [LINK!] (Can be augmented by adding sand, water, etc.) I'm also very pleased with a modification I invented last night. I threaded a couple plates onto a/two 3-ft bungee cord/s and hung them from the mouth of the vase. This allows me to add almost limitless weight to the vase.
• Wrist roller