Fitness and Gym regimen update – April 2013

Thursday I just slept early and rested. Earlier that day, though, like the idiot that I am, on a whim I agreed to arm wrestle a student who was in my room after school, having been displaced from his usual tutoring room. I have always sucked at arm wrestling and I know arm wrestling more about tricks and timing than actual strength. But I took the bait, anyway, and just like last time, I landed myself with strained tendons. It didn't help that this time, like last time, followed closely on a bench press workout. So I've had to tread lightly on upper-body exercises the past few days. I was a little audacious with my workout tonight (Sunday), but there's nothing like a mild injury to check your kettlebell form! Strangely enough, holding my daughter makes it hurt worse than the drills I did tonight. Must be the angle. 

Oh, and Thursday night I read a good article by Jan Dellinger about training with Vern Weaver, which has given me ideas to tweak my current 5x5 regimen into a 6x6 routine, about which I'll say more later. In brief, though: SQ (hack or rack), weighted dips or flyes, clean high pull or DL, PU––that's it! Stay tuned….

Friday, 26 April 2013 
20 min., 218 lbs.

[I took a nap when I got home but then went for the following workout at night.]

jogging - 13 min. 

jump rope - 3 min., 3 min. 

Saturday, 27 April 2013 
30 min. (?), 218 lbs.

jogging - 10 min.

walking - 15 min. 

REST

jogging - 9 min.

walking - 20 min. 

Sunday, 28 April 2013
25 min., 219 lbs.

double end bag - 2 min.
kb drills - 2 min.
[swings, high pull swings, clean swings]
medicine ball - 2 min.
[wall ball, swing-toss, hop-catch]
jump rope - 2 min.
[250 skips]
REST - 2 min.
REPEAT

Fitness and gym update – April 2013

Monday 22 April 2013 work out
50 min.

Speed bag - 3 min.
Double end bag - 3 min.
Jump rope - 3 min.
Speed bag - 3 min.
Double end bag - 3 min.
Jump rope - 4 min.
Continuous kb movements - 3 min.
[I've wanted to try this for a while: just keep the kb moving for a fixed amount of time; once one motion becomes too tiresome, switch to another; very acrobatic.]
--------------------------------
Rest between sets to gear up, hydrate, stretch

+ + + 

This is the first time in several weeks (four? six?) that I've been able to jump rope without any pain or debilitation from my ingrown toe! Apparently my boxing, kettlebell/mace conditioning, and weightlifting has kept me in good shape, too. I was able to jump longer than I used to, with less soleus/shin pain, and, though it's nothing spectacular, a four-minute streak is a personal record for at least the past three years. My pulse was easily at 180 bpm while jumping, and just as high for the three-minute kettlebell "loop" I did at the end. I think working past my shin splints from a few months ago, and doing foam roller massages every couple days, had really restored my lower legs. Now I'm tempted to buy a unicycle, since I sold my bicycle a while back.


Wednesday, 24 April 2013 
50 min., 217 lbs.

warm-up: motions, stretching

SQ: 5 x 5 @ 205, 210, 215, 220, 225 lbs.
BP: 5 x 5 @ 195, 185, 185, 185, 185 lbs.
PU: 5 x 5 @ bdw+35, +25, +15, +10, +5 lbs.
"box squat" db curls: 5 x 5 @ 80 lbs.
[I think I made these up. Begin seated, stand up, curl, lower the db, sit down, repeat. Really liked them. Will try them with a bb next time.]

Gym regimen – April 2013

Sunday, 21 April 2013
50 min., 218 lbs.

warm-up: motions, stretching

SQ: 5 x 5 @ 215 lbs.

db slight-incline press-and-squeeze: 5 x 5 @ 55, 65, 65, 70, 65
[Felt pain in right posterior shoulder, hence I dropped back to 65 lbs.]

DL: 5 x 1 @ 305 lbs.
[Felt great!]

EZ bb standing curl: 5 x 5 @ 80 lbs.

Fitness update - April 2013

Friday, 19 April 2013
20–25 min.

jump rope - 1 min.
[The first time I've used my "impact feet" in weeks, so I'm finally getting past my ingrown toenail!]

speed bag - 3 min.

kb drills - 3–4 min.
[kb swings - 30, kb swing and shove - 10/10, kb shotput swing - 5/5, kb snatch - 10/10]

speed bag - 3 min.

kb drills - 3–4 min. 

[kb swings - 30, kb swing and shove - 10/10, kb shotput swing - 5/5, kb snatch - 10/10] 

+ + + + +

Saturday, 20 April 2013
50 min.

mace bell - ~6 min.
[360's - 20/20, 10-and-2's - 20/20, King-Arthurs - 5/5, 5/5, samurai swing - 20/20]

medicine ball - ~6 min.
[shuffle ball - 15/15, lunge catch - 10/10, hot potato - 20/20, catch-jacks - 20/20]

kb drills - ~7 min.
[kb swings - 30, kb clean punch - 10/10, kb shotput swing - 10/10, kb snatch - 10/10, kb round the world - 20/20]

speed bag - 3 min.
--------------------------
REPEAT circuit

Then I made a brief set of exercises for a brief demo video I'll post to show some of my favorite exercises (most/some of the above).

Then I did about 20 minutes of yard work (clipping hedging).

Fitness update - April 2013

Thursday, 18 April 2013
25–30 min., 216 lbs. 

speed bag: 3 min.

medicine ball: 3 min. + 12 lbs. (wall ball, twist tosses, bucket pass)

double end bag: 3 min.

kb drills: 3 min. (swings, high-pull swings, shot put swings)

REST 1–2 min.

REPEAT, END WITH…

speed bag: 3 min.

Kicked my butt! Must stick with boxing conditioning even though I'm doing 5x5.

Fitness update – April 2013

Friday, 12 April 2013
60 min.

Coached a student on how to squat and deadlift. Helped me focus on and improve my own technique. He's coachable; only thing that matters.

warm-up: motions, stretching

SQ: 5 x 5 @ 205 lbs.

db slight-incline press-and-squeeze: 5 x 5 @ 55, 65, 65, 70, 65
[Felt pain in right posterior shoulder, hence I dropped back to 65 lbs.]

DL: 5 x 1 @ 305 lbs.
[Felt great!]

EZ bb standing curl: 5 x 5 @ 80 lbs.


Saturday, 13 April 2013
20 min.

3 min. mace drills (10-and-2's, 360's, King Arthurs)

kb swings: 30

kb shotput swings: 10/10

kb high pull / snatch: 5/5

3 min. speed bag 
REPEAT 


Monday, 15 April 2013 
40 min.

mowed lawn…

3 min. speed bag

3 min. kb drills

3 min. speed bag

3 min. kb drills

3 min. speed bag

Fitness update -- April 2013

Mostly just greasing the groove today.

I've got some "good soreness" from my 5x5 workout Saturday. My right hand felt better on the speed bag, only some residual soreness. I've still fighting my ingrown left big toe. Very hobbling as far as cardio exercises go. 

Anyway, today…

Monday, 8 April 2013 
30 min., 216 lbs.

speed bag - 4.5 min. 

mace drills... 

sword draw - 10/10
[Rest the bar on your hip with the weight behind you. Fling it forward around your waist as if drawing a sword, catch it with the leading hand, and reverse the vector.]

spear - 10/10, 10/10 
[Thrust the mace as you sidestep with it.]

Excalibur - 5/5, 5/5
[Yank the mace up like a sword from the stone, thrust it skywards, kneel (lunge) down, and stand to replace the mace into the stone.]

360's - 10/10, 10/10
[Here's a nice little mace swinging video, too.]

speed bag - 4 min. 

kb drills...

clean - 10/10

swing - 30

high pull snatch - 10/10
[Swing up to a high pull, swing down, then snatch up.] 

speed bag - 3 min. 

Fitness update – April 2013 … Back in the Gym for a little 5x5!

Saturday, 6 April 2013
<60 min., 215 lbs.

warm-up:
SQ: 8, 8 @ 135 lbs, 185 lbs
db press: 8, 8 @ 45 lbs, 50 lbs
DL: 8, 8 @ 185 lbs, 135 lbs

SQ: 5x5 @ 205 lbs
THEN
db press: 5x5 60 lbs
THEN
DL: 5x5 @ 245 lbs
THEN
EZ bb curl (quasi-superset):
10 @ 60 lbs, 8 @ 50 lbs, 10 @ 40 lbs;
REST;
8 @ 60 lbs, 6 @ 50 lbs, 8 @ 40 lbs;
REST;
10 @ 60 lbs, 8 @ 50 lbs, 8 @ 50 lbs

Fitness update - April 2013

Thursday, 4 April 2013
30 min., 215 lbs. 

speed bag – 3 min. x 3
kb swings – 30, 35, 40
pull-ups – 5, 8, 11
dips – 5, 8, 11

[I lost a lot of time dealing with the tire-made heavy-bag––I'm still working on how to hang it––and trying to eradicate the stench that's been coming from two giant dead rats that my neighbor tossed in his back yard next to my garage. I used gasoline, fire, and then bleach. Win!]


Friday, 5 April 2013
25 min., 215 lbs.  

warm-up: mace drills ––> 5–10 min.

speed bag – one round for as long as I could keep up cadence ––> 5'26"
[Actually, I could have gone longer, but I was distracted by the pain in my right hand. I had an intense speed bag session yesterday, and the bones feel a bit bruised. So I'll be icing my hands, or at least my right hand, laying off the speed bag for a while, and maybe not even filming my progress video this weekend.]

kb swings: 20, 20

kb shotput swing: 10/10, 10/10

kb hoist and shove: 10/10, 10/10

[I also did some raking under the back tree to make the ground more level. Getting ready to hang my tire-made heavy bag...! I've already got two friends "on board" for training at my "gym laboratory" once or twice a week this summer, and on the way home from Home Depot today I saw a guy running backwards in the street and I immediately knew, "This guy needs to train with me." His name is James and he lives maybe a mile away. We exchanged numbers and hope to hang out when he gets back from a visit home to Michigan in a couple weeks. He's got a degree in sports science, also motivates/trains his wife, and is way more cut than I am heheh!

Why did I go to Home Depot, you ask? I try to limit myself to one DIY project a month, if it costs me money, so this month I decided to make a mace. I made one in Taiwan, and I've been missing it lately. My mace in Taiwan was about 3' of 1/2" steel pipe, a cap to stop the weights, and some rubber gaskets and a U-bolt to lock the weights up at the top. My new mace is much more ambitious: 3' of 1.5" steel pipe for the weight plates, a bushing to join a 1' long handle of 3/4" pipe, a cap for the top and a U-bolt to lock down the weights. I added a modest 6 lbs. of plates to the head, but, honestly, the mace by itself, even without weights, is quite a challenge after a hiatus, so for now I may just use it as a massive Indian club. For a shorter homemade mace bell, I could try this awesome DIY method. Here's another ingeniously simple method for a homemade mace bell/gada. ;p

Tomorrow I will be back in the gym. I originally wanted to cancel my membership, but they talked me into a 25% lower monthly fee and I'm staying. I figure I need a gym for 1) squatting, 2) deadlifting, 3) db shrugs, flyes, and presses (the Big Three, basically), and 4) farmer walking. Otherwise, I'll stick with my kettlebell, mace, boxing, jump rope, medicine ball, bodyweight conditioning.] 

Fitness update –– April 2013

Sunday, 31 March 2013 
25 min., 214 lbs.

keg movements (swings, press, FSQ, etc.) –– 10 min.

Speed bag – 3 min. 1 min. REST --> Heavy bag –– 3 min., 1 min. REST
x 3  


Tuesday, 2 April 2013
40 min., 215 lbs.

wall ball –– 20
med ball twist toss –– 20/20
med ball bucket toss –– 25
lassoing –– 20/20
kb pass around –– 20/20
kb figure-8 –– 20/20
kb shotput swing –– 10/10
kb swing –– 20
2 min. REST
----------------------
x 2

Then… 

speed bag – 3 min.
keg FSQ – 15, 15 @ 70 lbs. (?)
---------------------
x 2

*****

Yesterday I went to my gym, Olympia on Normandy Blvd., ready to cancel my membership. I felt bad just canceling, but also explained that I have less time and reason to go to the gym (job, new baby coming, etc.), so the manager was nice enough to reduce my monthly fee by about 20%. Blush. I'll be there this weekend! I think one day a week of squats, deadlifts, bench/flyes, and farmer walks, mixed in with my more conditioning-based regimen these days, will be good. The trainer said I looked good, having obviously cut 15–20 lbs.