How the mighty have fallen -- and yet live to rise again...

After Workout 1 of Operation Get Back Into Serious Weightlifting the members most stricken were my biceps and my calves. Oh my calves! I didn't do anything on Tuesday. I attempted to stretch my calves but got scared off. Today I went a little heavier than Monday's workout on just a few exercises.

[NB: My comma key on my keyboard is broke and I do not want to press CTRL+V over and over so I'm using slashes instead.]

Ahnohld Three-Day Split 
Monday - 19 November 2014 
60 min. 

For a warm-up I did two sets of the following exercises at pretty low weight. Just to stretch and get the blood flowing. 

BP: 10/8/6/6/6 @ 155/165/185/195/205 lbs.

db MP: 10/8/6 @ 35/45/50 lbs.

PU: 12/8/6/4 @ bdw

db tricep extension: 10/8/6 @ 25/35/40*
[On the last set I used a single 80-lb db and summoned not a little Body English.]

EZ bar standing curl: 10/8/6 @ 60/70/80 lbs.
[Only used a smidgen of body English on the last set. These are great.]

SQ: 10/8/6 @ 170/190/205 lbs.

leg curl: 10/8/6 @ 60/70/80 lbs. (??)
[These were a great way to stretch out my poor lil' calves.]

calf raise: 10 x 5 @ 60 lbs.
[Sinking into the bottom for a real stretch was like putting my hand in The Pain Box. Essential but brutal.]

crunches: 50
[I cycled through having my hands on the outside of my legs; having my left hand in between them; and then having my right hand in between.]

+ + +

I have also decided to make at least one "off day" a traps/ neck/ and elliptical workout.

More brainstorming...

DAY 1
rings training: dips, pullups, pistol squats, pushups, rows, L-sits

DAY 2
grip & KB

DAY 3
tire/sledge: hitting, jumping, flipping

DAY 4
quodlibet: walking, jogging, boxing & jump rope, calisthenics & kung fu, battling ropes & med ball, etc.

DAY 5
weight training: db MP, SQ, db curl, db row, etc.

This is not a strict chronology. If day 1 occurs on Monday, day 2 might occur on Tuesday or Wednesday, or even Thursday. These are just the "modes" of exercise which I enjoy and endorse most. I know, I know, it was only a little while ago that I was prepping to do Wendler's 5/3/1, but, as I've been saying, lately I'm confused about my goals and I'm just trying to find a program I can maintain for a while. I don't know why I feel disaffected from going into the gym lately, but I do know that I go through phases like this.

Fitness update - new lifting approach and slight relative grip progress

Saturday, 7 June 2014 
60 min., 225 lb. 

walking - 10 min. 

db incline press: 20 x 5 @ 20, 20, 30, 30, 30 lb. 

db press: 20 x 5 @ 40 lb. 

guillotine: 20 x 5 @ 105 lb. 

- 

short head EZ bar spider curl: 20 x 5 @ 40 lb. 

long head EZ bar spider curl: 20 x 5 @ 40 lb. 

underhand curl: 20 x 5 @ 20 lb. 

-

[Later that evening I took a nice 30-35 min. walk with my wife and the kids. My legs actually feel a bit sore today from it. Walking is a great, great thing. If only I could find a good trail to hike....]

+ + + 

For the above, I did the three chest exercises, followed by the three bicep exercises, with moderate rest between all exercises. 

As of today, Sunday, I can report  pleasing soreness in all the right muscles, and a desire to keep this up and see what results I get. My next "pump" workout will be like so (until further notice): 

db MP
lateral delt flye 
neutral grip sternum PU
Pendlay row
Kroc row
CL-P

On my way out yesterday, I spoke with a former trainer at my gym, and I learned two things. 

First, next time I do the chest/bicep "pump" workout, I will raise the weight by about 15% on each lift, and stick to 16-rep sets (allowing for lower "failed" sets towards the end). "20 reps seems like a bit much," he said. And he's huge and vital, so I'll listen. 

Second, as I described what happened to my quad last week, he said, "That's probably an adhesion." As the article just linked notes, 

"[Adhesions] are places where the muscle has become chronically contracted. It can be an entire muscle, but more than likely it is a small band within the greater muscle. ... Things that cause adhesions are dehydration, overuse, and injury. ... The best way to treat an adhesion is with massage and stretching." 

Guilty as charged on the overuse front. And, as I suspected, what happened last week is that my "adhesion" (finally brought about by dead squats) was released under high tension on a front squat. My leg feels better already, but I am taking my time getting back into squatting. 

---------------------

Sunday, 8 June 2014 
Grip training PLUS
25 min., 226 lb. 

warmup - space mace, stretching, ghetto grippers

CoC #2 - 1 close (?) L, 1 close R

CoC #2 - 1 close L, 1 close R

CoC #2 (with chalk) - 1 near-close L, 1 close R

CoC #1.5 - 8 closes

CoC #1.5 (inverted grip) - 7 closes

ab wheel - 12, 12

forehead bridge - 20 sec., 30 sec., 35 sec.

+ + + 

Compared my last grip session, that is progress, though I'm still behind where I was a couple years ago.

It's a shame I don't get called up for battle duty, because, if I could find a compelling reason to avoid alcohol completely, I would be beastly.

For now, though, it's much better to remain...

Patient... Humble... Simple... 

If not Even Keel, then one of these...

- Monday: heavy DL (5x5) + guillotine (15, 12, 9, 6) + ZSQ (15, 10, 9, 6) + bb shrug/hold + PNF - Tuesday: heavy BP (5x5) + HSQ (15, 12, 9, 6) + PU (slow reps) + bench shrug / overhead shrug + PNF - Wednesday: heavy FSQ (5x5) + dips/guillotine/db press/flye-aways + pullover-press (15, 12, 9, 6) + cable shrug + PNF - Thursday: BP (5x4) + SQ (7, 5, 3, 3, 3) + PU/row (slow reps) + overhead shrug + PNF - Friday: FSQ (7, 5, 3, 3, 3) + CLP (5x4) + bb shrug/hold + PNF

- Monday: BP (12, 8, 5x5) + FSQ (12, 8, 5x5) + MP (12, 10, 5x5) + bench shrug / overhead shrug (5x5) + PNF - Tuesday: DL (10, 5, 3x3) + HSQ (5x5) + PU (5x5) + bb shrug/hold (5x5) + PNF - Thursday: BP (12, 8, 5x5) + FSQ (12, 8, 5x5) + MP (12, 10, 5x5) + cable shrug / calf shrug (5x5) + PNF - Friday: DL (10, 5, 3x3) + HSQ (12, 8, 5x5) + PU (12, 10, 5x5) + bat wings (5x10 sec.) + PNF - Wednesday or Saturday: hobby training [i.e. tongue press, pinch blocks, mace, farmer walks, CoC, sledge-tires, kb, mb, etc.] - Sunday: REST

[NB: Warm-up: prone/supine scorpions + neck bridging + + Hindu pushups + movements]

AYCE notes... (We have lift-off!)

[Refer to notes below the "END" break for earlier "paradigms" that I have trained with. I am still tinkering with a cyclical training program, based on Dan John's maxim that "Everything works, for six weeks or so". I am currently loving HIT, but also realize that my own (favorite) Even Keel regimen was in certain key ways a HIT program. -- 25 January 2015] 

Here's a tentative, conceptualized outline of my 6-month regimen for ongoing meta-progress:

I. 
HIT (full-body, one-set workouts, ample rest) 
January 1-February 5
REST 9 days 

II.  
Even Keel (full-body, higher volume workouts, ample rest)
February 15-March 22
REST 9 days 

III. 
Attempts For Personal Bests (SQ, FSQ, DL, Grip/Crush)
April 2-May 7
REST 9 days 

IV. 
Olympic Lifts (cf. bottom of this Dan John article) 
OR 
Mass Made Simple (also thanks to Dan John) 
OR 
5/3/1 
OR 
5x5 
OR 
Bodyweight Power
May 17-June 21
REST 9 days 

---

REPEAT THE ABOVE for another six months 

As always, I just don't know, yet I am intrigued enough to keep tweaking, based on what I do know. Meanwhile, come what may, I want to be able to include:

boxing
rowing
trap workouts

in any long-term regimen.

Hmmmm...

--- END 2015-25-01 ---

[NB: After almost six months out of the gym, as of early November 2014 I am doing a three-day split, designed by Schwarzenegger in his old The Education of a Bodybuilder, in order to regain a solid base. Beginning in 2015, I will start a HIT program (as presented by Ellington Darden), which will last for at least 6 months. After that, I think I will return to my lifetime PR goals. Stay tuned! -- 1 December 2014] 

Monday, 7 April 2014
45 min., 226 lbs

Warm-up (9 min.) - movements, OHS, stretching

DL: 5 x 5 @ 285 lbs

Guillotine: 12, 10, 8 @ 135, 145, 155 lbs

ZSQ: 5 x 5 @ 135

PNF (3-4 min.)

+ + + 

This article from Pavel gave me the break I think I needed. I really like training every day, but I've had difficulty figuring out how to program the lifts over a week. 5 x 5 is tried and true, and as simple as a stone. Along similar lines, this interview with Perryman reminded me about the distinction he makes between volume responders and intensity responders. I'm a volume responder, meaning, I need more reps (i.e. more time under tension). What I was doing the past couple weeks offered a decent amount of intensity, but too little volume. And so, in my never-ending variations-on-a-theme progress:

Monday: heavy DL + Guillotine + ZSQ 
Tuesday: heavy BP + HSQ + PU (reps)
Wednesday: heavy FSQ + IBP + Pendlay row
Thursday: light FSQ + db press + PU 
Friday: light SQ + CLP 

As always, except for the primary "big lifts" on the first three days, and squatting every day, of course, the exercises are subject to change (e.g. Kroc row instead of Pendlay row, or OSQ instead, or DBP, etc.). I could have gone heavier today on some lifts, but I'm going to start modestly, shoot for 5 x 5 ten pounds heavier next week, and just keep at it for a while. Oh, and, that's right: I'm throwing some back squat into the mix again. My upper back needs a break from FSQ's--heck, the bar will make for a nice massage! Still, my primary goal is FSQ 285 x 4 before making (high-bar, narrow-ish stance) SQ my bread and butter again. 

The good news is, this weekend I finally got a clear sense of my overall goals. It's so hard to go into the gym without a goal. "Getting a pump" is too short-sighted. I'm not interested in real powerlifting (triple bdw everything, lifting equipment, etc.), nor in bodybuilding per se. My sport is weightlifting: I want to be good at maneuvering heavy weights in classical, primal movements. As such, the cycle I envision are like so:

4 months of sheer strength training (5x5, 5-3-1, etc.) -- POWER

4 months of calisthenics and bodyweight -- MOBILITY

4 months of bulking and building (Mass Made Simple, HIT, etc.) -- MASS

MASS --> POWER --> MOBILITY

Leaning out before bulking makes bulking more effective --> 

bulking gives me more mass to apply to power training --> 

then I will have power to apply to bodyweight skills and more focused kb drills

 Wash, rinse, repeat. It's been many years since I cold say I trained for a sport. In high school it was rowing and cross country (and a season of wrestling, woohoo!). In college it was road cycling. In Taiwan... I sort of floated from one martial art to another, and mantained "general fitness" (when I wasn't de-maintaining it with lots of food and beer and late nights, woohoo!). I realize now, however, that I need the structure of being an athlete in training, even if only on an amateur scale. Indeed, what better way to live than as a lover? Whichever third of the year I choose to emphasize--and right now it's strength and power--I can view the other cycles as off-season, prehab/rehab, etc.  

It's still a work in progress, of course, but I no longer feel like I'm flying totally blind as a weightlifter... simply bewildered with my eyes wide open. (Now I just need an erg to reignite my ineradicable rower's identity!) Best of all, it's amazing how holy and mellow all this exercise is keeping me.Idle hands, and all that.

"7 But avoid foolish and old wives' fables: and exercise thyself unto godliness. 8 For bodily exercise is profitable to little: but godliness is profitable to all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." -- I Timothy 4

AYCE notes... and an epiphany or two...

Monday, 31 March 2014
AYCE Anterior
37 min, 234 lbs

[Rather than devote a separate time just for warming up, I used my "ramp-up" sets as the warm-up for each exercise. I may have been a little too hasty in that regard, but it wasn't really a problem. I'll try some usual stretching and shaking next time.]

DBP:
225 x 1, 2, 2
235 x 2
245 x 2
255 x 2*
[* my spotter was grabby, but I'm sure I could have gotten them without his overzealous pawing]
-
FSQ: 
205 x 4
225 x 2
235 x 2
245 x 2
255 x 2
265 x 2
-
Dip: 14, 12
PU: 10, 10
-
db supinated press: 100 x 10
[I'm not sure what to call this exercise. It's based on the idea of "scooping" to activate the pecs. Like a chicken press, bring the weights low, but then arc them upwards into a squeeze. Sort of a chicken flye, I guess. Very fun.]

+ + + 

Today was a very fruitful workout. Maybe even a sort of milestone. I think I PR'd on my FSQ (though I'm not concerned with a PR: my goal is to get 4 reps at 285 lbs, at which point I'll bring back squats into my routine).

A possible PR was nice, but the real benefit was the two-fold insight I had about AYCE. First, I need to do an upper-body semi-split (anterior/posterior or push/pull). Second, it's called "Squat Every Day", not bench press or row every day! The upper body simply cannot keep up with the rigors which daily leg work is meant to provide. My legs haven't really been sore for a couple weeks. This will not do. Happily enough, then, today I realized the problem: I am basing the intensity of my upper body exercises on the intensity I want for my legs (which is unsustainable), while I'm limiting the volume which my lower body needs based on a reflex for symmetry. Instead, I need to divert more volume to my legs and less to my upper body.

Lest I keep rambling, let me just lay it out:

AYCE Anterior
DBP / db press - 5, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2
FSQ / HSQ / OSQ - 5, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2 
neck press / dip / pullover / db flye / underhand BP - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5   

AYCE Posterior
CLSQ / DL / SDL / RDL / JSQ - 5, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2 
MP / one-arm press -  5, 4, 3, 2, 2
Pendlay row / Rope row / T-row / PU -  5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

(The slashes indicate options I can choose depending on how I feel or what I think needs more work.) 

The simplicity of this program, like Even Keel, but even more so, is among its most attractive features, so I don't want to over-think it. At the same time, I'm experimenting into a new approach to training, so it's enjoyable cutting out excess exercises and going for the essentials with heavy low-rep sets. It's too distracting right now to try to figure out what percentages to use for the above reps. I'm just going by feel these first few weeks--and today felt just about perfect. Nonetheless, I will use a ratcheting principle to guesstimate weights from one workout to the next. It's what Perryman calls your daily minimum: imagine right now what you could do on various lifts if you just walked into the gym and hit them cold. That's your daily minimum, your confidence-boosting warmup-baseline. By the end of the workout, you should have gone heavier than your baseline, of course, so you then use that number as your rule of thumb for a new daily minimum over the ensuing workouts. Mind you, this is different from a mechanistic, highly regimented planned progression scheme. Sometimes you'll simply perform sub-par and punch the clock based on your older baseline--and that's perfectly fine. Why should one bad workout--and they will happen!--derail your progress? Why should you shackle yourself to such a fragile and finicky regimen? Train your body, not a set of numbers. The key is to show up, get the lifts in, and keep developing a "fatigue-hardened" neuromuscular system.

Now, Perryman acknowledges the awkwardness of fitting the DL into a daily regimen like this. I have learned two things about the DL: 1) I go heavy when I do it, and therefore 2) I must not do it twice in too short a time (i.e. once a week is not a bad idea, as it worked out when I was doing Even Keel in Taiwan). I think I will execute the DL every fourth AYCE Posterior workout. I did one last Wednesday and Friday, and will do another tomorrow, so I'll go for the DL on Thursday.

Again, though, what makes high-frequency training counter-intuitive is that it focuses more on consistency than rigid programming. The goal is to develop athletic preparedness, with daily (perhaps sometimes even will-o-the-wisp) attempts for 1RM, so, unless you simply stop training, it's almost impossible to "derail" your program with a bad workout or more. By contrast, highly regimented programs only work like they are supposed to if you "conquer" every workout as prescribed. As Perryman notes, though, we've got to stop seeing the weight as the enemy, and see it simply as a tool for athletic improvement.

AYCE Heavy notes...

Thursday, 27March 2014
All You Can Eat (AYCE) Heavy
40 min, 233 lbs

Warm-up (10 min.) - a lot of hopping, shaking, swinging, and stretching 
-
i) DBP: 225 x 5, 245 x 3, 255 x 2
-
ii) FSQ: 195 x 5, 225 x 3, 255 x 2
-
iii) Dip: 12, 11, 10
iv) Pull-up: 11, 9, [5-10 minute discussion with a couple high-school guys who asked me some questions {not counted in workout time shown above}], 10 

Hoo-boy! It's a good thing that "how you feel is a lie," because I feel pretty worked! I'm glad I went "lighter" today than on Tuesday. I spent time at lunch today calculating the 75/85/95% 1RM weights for today's workout 5-3-2 rep-scheme. I think it's a reasonable set-up, but it may turn out to be better to go with a 70/80/90% ratio on a 5-5-5 rep-scheme.

I will almost certainly still hit the gym tomorrow, but if not, I'll do some kettlebell and box jump drills at home. Either way, I'm taking the weekend off. There's a Eucharistic Congress downtown beginning tomorrow evening, and I may be having dinner with my brother's family Saturday.

SMILES: I felt more secure on the DBP. I lurrved feeling my abs go completely rigid for my final FSQ.

FROWNS: Meh. 

As for tomorrow, I'm projecting the following:

AYCE Light Friday, 28 March 2014,   min. 
Warm-up:
-
i) MP: 5, 3, 2 @ 115, 125, 135 lbs
-
ii) CL: 5, 3, 1, 1 @ 145, 165, 185 lbs
-
iii) Gironda neck press: 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 105, 115, 125, 135 lbs 
-
iv) Pendlay row: 5, 3, 2 @ 155, 175, 195 lbs

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

I finally decided to go beyond the preview pages available via Kindle and purchase Matt Perryman's Squat Every Day. I like what I've read so far and am going to try the approach in conjunction with my Even Keel program. What tipped my hand is that they actually overlap in important ways: big, complex lifts at low volume + some accessory movements.

The only difference is the change in frequency. In the past couple weeks I've felt the urge to hit the gym more frequently; it really is a healthy addiction. So I'll simply limit the workouts to four, instead of five or six, lifts, and mix in some speed/power drills (box jumps, jump rope, medicine ball, bounding, short sprints, boxing, kettlebells, tire flips/rolls, etc.) on days I just don't want to be under the bar. That's a certainty, so I might as well plan around it in advance. Besides, as Perryman notes, the title of his book is not meant to be taken literally. Five, maybe even four, days a week is sufficient.

I am still not sure how to set up my programming as far as intensity goes. My understanding--or at least my working premise--is that I should work up to a 1RM every time I'm under the bar. Although I just tried out the rep scheme today, to get a feel for it, and paid no real attention to percentages of 1RM, 2RM, etc., I will shoot for four sets on "big lifts" scaled to a conservatively low 1RM:

80% x 5, 90% x 3, 100% x 1, 65% x MAX REPS

So, assuming I could 1RM 265 on the FSQ, I would do 215 x 5, 235 x 3, 265 x 1, and then max reps at 175 lbs. I think it would be similar for my DBP.

In any case, what I did today was...

All You Can Eat (AYCE) Heavy
44 min, 233 lbs

Warm-up
-
i) DBP: 225, 235, 245 x 3; 205 x 12
-
ii) FSQ: 225, 235, 245 x 3; 185 x 10
-
iii) Dip: 13, 10, 8
iv) Pull-up: 10, 7, 6

Tomorrow I will try the following:

AYCE Light

i) MP
-
ii) CL
-
iii) Gironda neck press: 
iv) Pendlay row:

As you might be able to tell, this second day is a lighter day. In a way, it's meant to be supplemental to the big lifts on the first day.

SMILES: Going heavier on the FSQ felt great in my quads! I did better on dips than I expected. I think letting my feet hang (knees pressed together), instead of lifting them to my waist, made it easier.

FROWNS: I felt some unusual stiffness/pain in my right wrist on the FSQ. I didn't feel as secure as normal on the DBP. It felt hard to set firmly and tightly on my traps and shoulder blades.

Mass Made Simple - Time to reassess...

Week 7 of Mass Made Simple is for assessing one's progress and recalibrating one's goals and methods going forward. By the end of MMS (Mass Made Simple), my immune system and sleep were getting a little buggy, Lenten fasting threw my nutrition routine off, and then I mildly strained my knee Thursday night doing some double-KB "recharge" work. (In fact, I had been doing KB drills since Tuesday. KB bench press rocks!) Basically, I hit a wall, and it's time to restrategize.

From early January till now I've been hitting the weights pretty hard and have put on a good 20 lbs of lean body mass, so the quest has hardly been a failure. Did I reach 240 lbs? No, but I am not done bulking. I am simply releasing myself from the accelerated pace at which I've been bulking for almost two months. Weight training itself (as opposed to "augmenting athletic training with weight resistance") is a mega-marathon type sport. Some of the savvier gurus on YouTube, for example, have been weight-training-itself for 15-20 years. I've been doing weight training for less than four years, with a fairly significant hiatus in year three. I've learned a lot and I've gained 50 lbs since I began, and have enjoyed very satisfying gains in the major lifts (MMS helped my otherwise always lousy bench press quite a lot). Now it is simply a time to learn more, and build on a plateau.

I know what movements I want to train, so it's just a question (as always) of effective programming. Each person must adapt successful principles to his own needs. For me, for instance, I need a lot of volume for my chest, whereas I need a lot of power for my back and legs. I also do not enjoy losing whole-body mobility and agility by letting weight training crowd out calisthenic and gymnastic training.

OHS: overhead squat
FSQ: front squat
SQ: (back) squat
DL: deadlift
SDL: snatch deadlift
CX: complexes
MP: military press
OAP: one-arm press
DBP/db-P: decline bench press OR flat dumbbell press
DIP: dips
PU: pullups
CL/SQ: clean/into-front-squat

The above are the motions I prefer and which I believe research will bear out as the most efficient. However, given the demands of the DL, I will only do it every other workout.

So, what will I try today, mainly to get my mind back in the game and climb over the wall of stalled motivation that I ran into last week? Depending how my knee responds....

DBP: 2-3-5 x 2 @ 235 lbs
CX: 8-6-4 [CL/MP/FSQ] @ 115 lbs
PU: bdw for reps
SQ: [will report after workout]
db-P: 10 x 3 @ 70 lbs

For now I’m in a free-flow mode, discerning which program I want to pursue next. I’ve been interested in the 5-3-1 program for a while, so we’ll see. One thing that I do want to restore, is my grip training regimen, with a strong bodyweight dimension to all my training. This video was very "moving" ;) to me when I watched it last night. Enjoy!

Mass Made Simple - Days 5 and 6

Monday, 3 February 2014   
225 lbs, 60 min
 
Warm-up
-
BP : 2-3-5 x 3 @ 195 lbs
One/arm press : 2-3-5 x 2 @ 50 lbs
Bat wings : 5 x 5 sec @ 65 lbs
Bird-dog : 20 sec, 20 sec x 2 (tighter form)
-
Complex : 5 x 3 @ 105 lbs
-
SQ : 30 x 3 @ 105, 115, 125 lbs

A very "mental" workout. I took a nap which lasted longer than I had intended, so I was not fully "amped" when I got to the gym. I also avoided drinking a sports drink, Red Bull, coffee, etc. By the end of the workout, I was soaked and had little spontaneous "drive"; I muscled through.

Bench press was a little more challenging than last time, but by the third set I was sufficiently warmed up. I used to do more of a powerlifter stance, but I prefer the flatter bodybuilder posture. Either way, it's all about tight traps, perpendicular forearms, and a tight grip.

After the workout, when I was reviewing Mass Made Simple, it dawned on me that I have been doing one-arm presses wrong so far. They had become a little too easy lately, but instead of switching hands every rep-set (2/2, 3/3, 5/5), I should complete a whole set for one arm (2-3-5) and then switch to the next.

I like bat wings. I think in a few weeks, heavy bat wings will be a favorite. In contrast, I honestly don't "feel" the point of bird dogs, so I may replace them with planking, do one set between other upper-body exercises, or get rid of them altogether, and do more planking and core work on my recharge day.

The complex was not as challenging this time, but breaking through the press barrier takes time. At least this time the I felt no "hitch" in my shoulder when resetting the hang clean.

Finally, the squat--PISSED! I wanted to squat 135 lbs, which is what Dan John scheduled, but I had mistakenly written 125 lbs.

My sleep has been slightly messed up since moving, but last night I fell asleep at about 8 PM and woke up after 6 AM today. I'm going to hit the gym earlier today so that I can get to bed earlier. I'll also drink a sports drink, a Red Bull, and a serving of protein before the workout. I'm going heavier tonight, damn it. Squat more or don't squat.

As for tonight....

DAY 6 
Thursday, 6 February 2014   
225 lbs, >60 min
[I revised the results in red after the workout.]
 
Warm-up
-
BP : 2-3-5-10, 2-3-5, 2-3-5 @ 195 lbs
One/arm press : 2-3-5 x 3 @ 50, 45, 45 lbs
Bat wings : 5 x 5 sec @ 65 lbs
[Bird-dog : 20 sec, 20 sec x 2 (tighter form)?]
-
Complex : 5 x 5 @ 95, 110, 110, 110, 100 lbs
-
SQ : 10, 10, 30 [up-to-50] x 3 @ 135 lbs
[Up-to-50 means I can do the remaining 30 in one go, or break them up into chunks, as long as do a total of 50 squats.]

While I normally avoid chit-chat, I had a few social encounters tonight, which contributed to my workout running longer than usual. I asked a trainer some nutrition questions, and met a fellow parishioner. I also took a little more rest between complex sets, to make the most of each one.One guy doing deadlifts with his friends saw me doing a complex (specifically the hang clean to front squat portion) and I overhead him say, "Now that's damn impressive." Perhaps it is. But I want to go heavier. Now that I've discovered them, I don't think I'll ever take complexes out of my standard routines. 

Tonight was the first night I felt "big." Not BIG, mind you, but it was the first time in maybe a year that I saw myself in a mirror, and realized that calling me a "big guy" would be a very natural response from, say, a bystander or colleague. To use a social metaphor, I was probably a "lower-upper" on the size chain. There was one guy who was more cut than me, but I think I had him in terms of power.

Anyway.

It was nice to go heavier on squats--but I want to go heavy!! Having just taken a glance at the upcoming workouts, I intend to go heavier than Dan John advises on most sets, though I will stick to his rep counts.

It was wonderful to be done with the gym and home by the time I usually head out. No more night workouts, if I can help it.

As for my weight, moving in has made me out of sync with my cooking the last few days, but tonight I made a pot of brown rice, baked fish fillets, veggies, lentils, and chicken strips. I hope to be 228 by Monday.

Mass Made Simple - Day 2

(I am only counting the "full workout" days, by the way. After each workout day, there is a rest day, then a recharge day. I went for a jog a few days ago, maybe Tuesday? On Wednesday my recharge was 4 sets of 10 goblet squats (50 lbs), 10 hang cleans (105 lbs), 10 presses (105 lbs), and 10+ pullovers (50 lbs). I intended to workout last night but I was exhasusted (we're moving and planning on a trip); I slept from 1700 last night till 0600 this morning, give or take. I will add tonight's workout data when I get home. Fridays are a real challenge on a protein bulking program, so I'm stoked that my protein, creatine, and ZMA will arrive in the next few days.)

A note on nutrition:

• This  morning I ate five fried eggs and a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter in it; roughly 40g protein. 
• Then I came home for lunch and at five fried eggs with rice and spinach and kale; roughly 40g protein. 
• Then in the afternoon I drank a small protein shake; roughly 20g protein and half an apple.
• When I got home I ate... another five fried eggs... with rice and spinach; roughly 40g protein. 
• Shortly before my workout I had a Clif Bar; roughly 10g protein. 
• After my workout I ate... another five fried eggs... with spinach... and kale... and then ate a bowl of oatmeal... with peanut butter; roughly 50g protein. 
• Before going to bed I will drink another protein shake, a glass of milk, and a can of tuna; roughly 55g protein.

255g protein. That's at least 50g below my daily protein goal. On the other hand, today was a Friday, and I'm still waiting for my protein powder to arrive. I'll be cooking up half a dozen chicken breasts, nearly as many pork chops, cooking a pot of lentils, and making PB&H sandwiches for the coming week. 

Brang it.

Friday, 24 January 2014 
221 lbs, 50 min

Warm-up
-
BP : 2-3-5, 2-3-5 @ 185 lbs
One/arm press : 2-3-5 @ 50 lbs
-
Complex : 3x5 @ 75, 85, 105, 115, 115 lbs
-
SQ : 30 @ 115 lbs
-
One-arm press : 2-3-5 @ 50 lbs
Bat wings : 10x5 sec @ 55 lbs 
db pullover : 20 @ 40 lbs

-------------------------

I did things slightly out of order, and did not do bird dogs, because I was a little pressed for time, and wanted to make sure I got the complex and squats above all else.

I was surprised by how good the bench press felt, though there was a faint tinge of that right shoulder weakness that dogs me. I will go for 195 lbs next time.

Likewise, the complex felt much better this time than last, but the squats felt too easy; I could have done another set of 30, but... I'm going by the book as best as I can.

I have been a bit annoyed that I'm not gaining weight more quickly, but, hey, once the creatine and ZMA and get here, and the volume keeps getting higher and higher, and I keep getting good nights of sleep.

I've got this.

Stay tuned.

Mass Made Simple - Day 1

Lesson for the week is...

DAN JOHN IS RIGHT: COMPLEXES ARE REALLY HARD!

I wanted to get a promo workout done on Saturday, but I forgot the gym closes at 1800, so I just rested through Sunday and went for Day 1 of my official bulking regimen today.

Monday, 20 Jan 2014
50 min, 220 lbs

Warm-up
-
BP : 5x5 @ 135, 140, 145, 155, 175 lbs
Bat wings : 10 sec 2 45 lbs, 10 sec. @ 50 lbs
One-arm db press : 5x5 @ 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 lbs
Bird dog : 15 sec/15 sec x 2
-
Complex 3x3 : Pendlay row, hang clean, FSQ, press, SQ, good morning @ bb, +50 lbs, +70 lbs, +70 lbs
-
SQ : 30 @ 105 lbs
-
db pullover : 40 lbs x 20
goblet SQ : 50 lbs x 10
db pullover : 40 lbs x 20
goblet SQ : 50 lbs x 10

----------------

Before the workout I ate at least 10g of lean chicken protein and 400mg (?) of niacin. (Didn't feel it, though.) I came home, showered, sent the kids to sleep, and ate a bowl of rice, kale, and probably 30g of lean chicken protein.

PROS: Bench press felt very solid. I had sworn off it after a shoulder (re)injury almost exactly a year ago, but seeing as Dan John called me to it, I will comply. I didn't over-think it, and my old habits kicked in nicely (tight traps, slightly arched back, crushing grip, vertical forearms directly under fists).

CONS: I'm still iffy ony my hang clean form.

I'll be ordering some high-grade protein and creatine this week. Like I say, eating is the hardest part about bulking. Protein powder will make things easier. For example, Saturday night while doing laundry, I went for a 20 min. jog and then ate an entire package of Oscar Meyer turkey cold cuts in one sitting. It just about made me puke, and my stomach felt "off" until Monday. On workout days, I will eat at least 300g or protein and consume at least 200oz of water, while on rest and recharge days I will go for just as much water, nearly as much protein, but with fewer calories in total. One day a week I will significantly lower my caloric load, mainly in order to rebalance insulin levels, avoid excess fat gains, and give my tender gut a rest.

Stay tuned. 

Gym regimen - January 2014

Even Keel A 
215 lbs, 40 min. 

[I wrote this post this afternoon and scheduled it to publish at 20:00. The below figures were my projected efforts, but what I actually did is in red. I love outdoing my own expectations. It's good to know that I have the ambition and humility to keep it up.] 

Warm-up
-
SQ : 205 lbs @ 5x5 180, 185, 190, 195, 200 lbs @ 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Pendlay row : 155 lbs @ 5x5 135 lbs @ 5x5
-
db pullover-press : 60 lbs @ 10x3 12x3
Calf shrugs : 270 @ 10x3 12x3

+ + + 

And so it came to pass that today I signed a contract with one of my German classes that I must weight 240 lbs. (with a 15% body fat count) by March 18. Our scale at home has been acting up lately, so I'm not sure how much I weigh. My guess is at least 215 lbs. So, I've got two months to put on 25 lbs of LBM (lean body-mass).

Can I do it?

My guide for the bulking process, Dan John, says I can.

Accordingly, tonight after my workout I ate almost a whole bag of turkey cold cuts, a biscuit with PB and honey, and a kale garden salad. OOOrah!

Gym regimen - 8 January 2014 - Quasi Even Keel C

Based on a perusal of Perryman's book, Squat Every Day, and a couple related articles, I rustled myself up and went for another workout tonight. I am not going to pursue Perryman's method (or "the Bulgarian method" on which it is largely based), for a number of reasons. I'm still just getting back into the swing of things, I haven't mastered the conventional Olympic lifts, and because I simply do not get enough sleep. That's my Achilles heel. Babies, writing, cleaning, praying... I let sleep get the short end of the stick. I'll be trying to work on that, though.

As for tonight...

8 Jan 2014 
45 min, 214 lbs
Even Keel C (i.e. a tweaked version of my Even Keel routine)

Warm-up

-

SQ : 190 lbs @ 5x5 

Bent row : 135 lbs @ 6x5 

- 

bb press : 105 lbs @ 5x5 

calf shrugs : 270 @ 8x5 

- 

Decline db press : 60 lbs @ 5x5 

I kept a very tight posterior chain and traps for the squat, and they felt wonderful. I knew I could have gone heavier, but... in time. It felt great to get back in the gym, and knowing me, I'll go again tomorrow night... unless CURSED LAUNDRY traps me!

Back under the bar!

For the past several weeks, I've been immersed in my main blog, but I have been keeping fit. I will not even attempt to catch up on exactly what I did when, so let me just provide a brief sketch. Every couple days, I did routines anywhere from 15-40 minutes based on the following exercises:

tire flips
tire tennis
tire-sledge hits
medicine ball slams
jump rope
box jumps
high-knee jumps
tire jump-outs
tire stair-climbers
jogging
KB swings
boxing
lasso swings
KB tossing
pullups
dips
L-sits
planking
etc.

Around Christmastime, though, I was finally inspired to get back in the gym. I have missed THE EVIL SQUAT for too long. Being able to DEADLIFT is also wonderful.

My goal is get my muscle used to weightlifting again over the next two weeks, and then complete Dan John's six-week Mass Made Simple program from late-January until mid-March. I weigh 210-215 lbs. now, and I expect to be 220 lbs. when I start bulking in earnest. I want to be at least 230 by mid-March, and woudn't be surprised if I hit 240, which would be a new personal "record".

For now, I'm doing a variation of my Even Keel routine (you can find the basic structure of it here, infra, in orange and purple). I'm now doing a 5(reps)x5(sets) schema, and I have decided not to crash in by going too heavy at first. I'm old enough by now to know that true gains will come in their own time. There's no need to...

Saturday, 4 Jan 2014 
40 min, 212 lbs. 
Quasi Even Keel A

Warm-up

-

SQ : 185 lbs @ 5x5 

Lying T-row : 95 lbs @ 5x5

- 

SDL : 185 lbs @ 5x5

db flye : 45 lbs @ 6x5

- 

db pullover : 65 lbs @ 8x3

Sunday, 6 Jan 2014 
20 min, 213 lbs

tire-sledge hits (8 lbs) x 25 

jump rope 150 skips 

TWICE

heavy bag 2 min

jump rope 150 skips

TWICE

3 Ferdi flips 

Tuesday, 7 Jan 2014 
45 min, 214 lbs 
Quasi Even Keel B

Warm-up

-

DL : 225 lbs @ 5x5 

Dips : bdw @ 6x5

- 

FSQ : 155 lbs @ 5x5

chinups : bdw @ 5x5 

- 

db pullover-press : 60 lbs @ 8x3

standing calf raises (using shurg machine) : 270 lbs @ 10x3  

Catching up…

Fortunately, the title refers to my posting here, not my fitness goals! I even managed to rope some friends into working out with me at my home back in June. There are far too many detailed workout records to present now (or perhaps ever) that I've done since my last post here, but basically: these days I'm training exclusively at home, I canceled my gym membership, and I've settled on three basic kinds of workouts through which I cycle each week. Until I get a bicycle, an ergometer, and/or regular access to a pool, or decide to get back into weightlifting full-time again, I don't see these routines changing any time soon. They are what I think are long-term, well rounded fitness routines for maintaining a high metabolic rate, cardiac fitness, speed, power, and neuromuscular coordination.

First, a boxing/calisthenics day (heavy bag, double end bag, speed bag, jump rope, kettlebell, medicine ball, battling ropes, mountain climbers, Hindu squats, etc.). It's been great to get back behind the gloves. It was simply too hot to do much boxing over the summer, since I box outside under a tree or in my garage with no fans or A/C.

Second, a tire and sledge hammer day––that's right, I finally got a GIANT TIRE! It's a Michelin 23.5 R 25 that weighs in close to 900 lbs. I call it Ferdinand. I use it for sledge hits, box jumps, med ball slams, moguls (or donkey hops), kettlebell, flips, tire tennis, etc. Here are some videos I made not too long ago about this. I would like to upload other videos I made in the past highlighting other exercises, but when will I find the time? Stay tuned!  Errmmm...







Third, a gymnastics and bodyweight day (dips, rows, pullups, pikeups, jack knives, pushups, L-sits, pistol squats, etc.) using my Jungle Gym XT. I'd like to get a set of wooden gymnastic rings, so that I can have all four points suspended for the motions, but I need to hold my horses. Budget. (And I know I could get another suspension trained for about $20 but I want to get rings, since they enable different maneuvers than standard trainers, and, apparently, "just feel better."

I also mix in grip training during the week with an Ivanko-style multi-grip crusher, Captains of Crush, eagle-loops hangs, rotations, gyro ball, etc. How I miss my spinning flail!

On truly "off days" I at least try to get in 20–30 minutes with the Bodyblade or brisk walking, or even just some intermittent planking.

I began focusing a lot on my core and abs a few weeks ago, after a couple years of taking my abs for granted (not taking their beauty for granted––as if!––but taking their development for granted as a result of squats, deadlifts, and other full-body exercises). As they say, "Your waistline is your lifeline," and I can't deny it's been invigorating and calming to have a tighter, flatter stomach again.

Also, without even really noticing it, I dropped below my goal of 206 lbs. I'm now about 204 lbs, but expect I will gain a few pounds of muscle once my gymnastic and sledge/tire wourkouts add up over the winter months.  

Let me close with two specific workouts, to give you an idea of how I'm training. Granted, these were mini-workouts, but you get the idea.

Yesterday my workout was this:

sledge/tire
15 min., BPM 150-180

5/5 sagittal hits
5/5 low baseball hits
20 med ball slams (inside Ferdinand)
10 abduction jump-ups (from inside Ferdinand)
10 box jumps*
short REST
repeat 3 more times

* My friend told me that the best way to do box jumps is from a low platform onto the floor and then up onto the box. Since, however, I find that jumping backwards off of Ferdinand onto cinder blocks is too dangerous, and jumping onto the ground and then stepping onto the blocks for a new box jump is too low-intensity, I discovered a good semi-solution: jump off of the box (Ferdinand) into a wide stance and then immediately hop a couple inches forward to bring your feet closer together and then immediately explode up into the box jump. This not only keeps the intensity high and approximates the low-ground-high routine that my friend recommends, but also incorporates adduction and abduction into an otherwise one- or maybe two-plane exercise. 

Tonight I "took it easy" and only trained:

grip and core
20 min.

Bodyblade and crusher warm-up, forearm stretching

loop hangs -
2-finger 5 sec.
3-finger 8 sec.
4-finger 11 sec.
REST
repeat 3 more times

multi-crusher (4th from bottom notch) -
10 R/L
8 R/L
6 R/L
4 R/L
2 R/L
(then I inverted the gripper so the handles form a V instead of the normal A shape)
2 L, 2 R...
(pretty much until I couldn't do anymore)

dip-sits -
(I slowly press up from a hanging dip into an L-sit, hold it for 10 sec., and slowly dip down)
short REST
repeat 6 more times

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...

Monday, 24 Feb 2013

20 min. double end bag
20 min. speed bag
10 min. double end bag 


Wednesday, 27 Feb 2013 
40 min., 218 lbs. 

15 min. double end bag
1 min., 1 min. jump rope
45 sec. jumping jacks
45 sec. burpees
2 min. jump rope
45 sec. hill climbers
45 sec. high knees
2 min. jump rope
15 min. speed bag
1 min. jump rope

+ + +

Having some good fun with the double end bag. My left hand is still slightly out of cadence on the speed bag. Skipping feels much better on my shins, and I'm gaining stamina. I go for slightly longer at a slower pace, or use my cable speed rope at a faster pace, and alternate my footwork every 30 skips or so. Strength circuit tomorrow: Lifeline slings, pistol squats, pullups, pushups, dips, chinups, squat jumps, etc.

Everlast Training Camp... and reality

The tail end of this post shows what I did Monday for this week.

Tuesday, 5 Feb 2013
24 min., 220 lbs.
heart - 160-180 bpm  

Stretching warm up

Jump rope - 45 sec.
Jumping jacks - 45 sec.
Burpees - 45 sec.
Jump rope - 45 sec.
Hill climbers - 45 sec.
Squat jumps - 45 sec.
Jump rope - 45 sec.
Knee highs - 45 sec.
Shadow boxing - 45 sec.
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2

Wednesday, 6 Feb 2013
 I came home and almost immediately fell asleep for two hours. Then I decided to take the day off and took the family out for dinner. 

Thursday, 7 Feb 2013
25 min., 219 lbs.
heart - 160-180 bpm  

Stretching & 45 sec./45 sec. jump rope warm up

Jump rope - 45 sec.
Jumping jacks - 45 sec.
Burpees - 45 sec.
Jump rope - 45 sec.
Hill climbers - 45 sec.
Squat jumps - 45 sec.
Jump rope - 45 sec.
Knee highs - 45 sec.
Shadow boxing - 45 sec.
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2

Now I want to post something I wrote on Facebook asking friends for advice. 

Need some input on my fitness regimen, specifically what the line should be between pushing through the pain and resting by doing other exercises for a little while. For the past couple weeks I've been doing the Everlast "Training Camp" workout. M, W, F is a strength building circuit of 8 exercises twice. Tu, Th, Sa are aerobic conditioning along the same lines. The first week involves 30 second intervals for the conditioning exercises, with no rest between them until the one minute break between the first and second circuits (strength circuit allows for 30 second tests between exercises). Each week adds 15-30 second to the intervals.

Now, as it is a boxing program, jump rope is a big part of it. For the past few years I've primarily trained weight and plyometrics, and have terribly neglected the cardio side of things, at least as far as loss of lower body IMPACT exercises go. Every time I try to make jump rope a regular thing (this is the third or fourth time in as many years), I suffer shin splints, but this time I'm determined to overcome them. I've had relative success by using the golf ball under the foot massage, a massage cylinder, NSAIDs, ice, stretching, and rest. Even so, when I go for a quick sprint (upstairs or to my classroom, for example), my soleus and inner lower shin really ache for a while. Yesterday I got home and pretty much immediately took a two hour nap, and then decided to take the day off from training (given my training the past few years, I knew I could afford a missed day of strength training). Well, I got back on track today with the conditioning circuit and holy cow I felt like a bag of rusted bolts. Plus, once I got inside, I lay on the floor for a few minutes, stunned at how badly my lower legs ached. I know I'm getting fitter, since I'm technically doing more effort each time, but I still basically feel like I'm never fully rested or recovered. Today for example I felt a slight shortness of breath after a burst of teaching activity. The training is making FEEL weaker, even though I know objectively and rationally that it's making me stronger. Another issue is that this regimen is partially aimed at losing weight, so I'm reducing my Celtic intake.

Anyway, I'm thinking of taking tomorrow off (though I'm sure I'll work up a sweat breaking in my new heavy bag/speed bag stand), going for a walk or bike ride, doing a strength circuit Saturday, taking Sunday today off, and getting back to it in full swing Monday. However, my quandary is whether I should even progress to the next time bracket until I can do the circuits strictly as advised by the training pamphlet. I won't lie; those breaks have a way of stretching past 30 seconds and I have a way of pausing for air during some conditioning exercises. On the other hand, maybe it's designed just to be hell week after week, and is to be scaled by whatever means as long as you stick with it. It's hard to believe I'm THAT out of shape compared to the average purchaser of the jump rope that includes the Training Camp booklet, but this is a humbling endeavour any way you cut it. Perhaps I should do the exercises at a little lower intensity?

Friday I drove to pick up my Everlast dual bag stand, got a double end bag while I was at it, and had a little fun with the heavy bag and speed bag once I got everything set up.

 

Heavy bag, jump ropes, and power tower -- what else do you need?

 I got the swivel you see for free (the one included in the stand is, apparently, dumpy), but it didn't match the holes on the stand's board, so I installed it in my garage ceiling. Meh.

 Enough space, not hit too hard by the sun but also not in the breezeless back of the garage. 

 My advanced jump rope station: a long rectangle of carpet folded in half, stacked on top of a plywood board on another rectangle of carpet on the ground.

 My Lifeline Jungle Gym XT does well on this branch. I also attach my double end bag here (anchored by two 20 lb. dumbbells I place in that nearest tire). Again, not without breeze but also with shade.

 This is my main neck trainer, and also how I 'invented' "Necker lunges."  It's a Lifeline cable expander thingie, with the handles latched onto a large hook I screwed into the wood over the doorjamb. For a while I did suspension pushups, rows, and pistol squats with another suspension trainer I have, but then decided that was too much strain on the wood, so now I only do neck exercises from it. Each red cord is about 30 lbs of resistance, and doubled through the carabiner, I can get a total of 180 lbs of resistance. What's that blue thing? Why, it's a large dog harness I bought a couple years ago in Taiwan. I place it on my head and the cords provide the resistance from any angle I like. 

Saturday, 9 Feb 2013 

30 min., 219 lbs. 
(I woke up Friday with a wicked little kink in the left side of my neck. I did the following workout after a couple hours of yard work.)

A. Jump rope 45 sec. THEN double end bag sparring 45 sec. x 5
THEN 
B. Three-round Everlast heavy bag workout
Round 1: 5 hits, squat, 5 hits, rest, repeat x 3 min.
Round 2: 15 sec. on the bag, 15 sec. rest, repeat x 3 min.
Round 3: 5 squats, parry left, 5 squats, parry right, 15 sec. on the bag, repeat x 3 min.

My shins didn't hurt too bad.

+++

So, I hit a wall and need to re-strategize. Where do things stand with the Everlast Training Camp? I think I'll space out the workouts like so:

Monday: Strength circuit
Tuesday: swim or bike or jog or bag training 
Wednesday: Conditioning circuit
Thursday: swim or bike or jog or bag training
Friday: Strength circuit
Saturday: Conditioning circuit
Sunday: total rest

I'll do this until I can do each 45-sec. interval without cheating or pausing, before moving to a longer interval. As I say, rest is the key exercise in any exercise plan.

Everlast Training Camp - Week 1 and 2

This blog post has a nice summarized presentation of the Training Camp, which I'll reproduce here. 

Training occurs every day except for Sunday.

Week 2:    0:45 seconds per activity
Week 3:    1:00 per activity
Week 4:    1:30 per activity
Week 5:    2:00 per activity
Week 6:    3:00 per activity

Week 2:    15 reps
Week 3:    20 reps
Week 4:    25 reps
Week 5:    30 reps
Week 6:    35 reps

*** Chin-up bar is an alternative for Resistance bands.


Wednesday, 30 Jan 2013
24 min., 220 lbs. 
heart - 150-170 bpm

Skipping warm up - 2 min.

Squats x 20
Lunges x 20
Push ups x 25
Pull ups x 11
Sit ups x 20
Leg raises x 15
Rotations x 20
Ab wheel x 10
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2

Thursday, 31 Jan 2013
24 min., 222 lbs.
heart - 160-180 bpm  

Stretching warm up

Jump rope - 30 sec.
Jumping jacks - 30 sec.
Burpees - 30 sec.
Jump rope - 30 sec.
Hill climbers - 30 sec.
Squat jumps - 30 sec.
Jump rope - 30 sec.
Knee highs - 30 sec.
Shadow boxing - 30 sec.
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2

Friday, 1 Feb 2013 
24 min., 221 lbs. 
heart - 150-170 bpm

Skipping warm up - 2 min.

Squats x 20
Lunges x 20
Push ups x 25
Pull ups x 11
Sit ups x 20
Leg raises x 20
Rotations x 20
Ab wheel x 10
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2
Saturday, 2 Feb 2013
24 min., 222 lbs.
heart - 160-180 bpm  

Stretching warm up

Jump rope - 30 sec.
Jumping jacks - 30 sec.
Burpees - 30 sec.
Jump rope - 30 sec.
Hill climbers - 30 sec.
Squat jumps - 30 sec.
Jump rope - 30 sec.
Knee highs - 30 sec.
Shadow boxing - 30 sec.
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2

I finished up with neck extensions: 12/12/12 @ ////, 10/10/10 @ ////, 6/6/6 @ //////

Monday, 4 Feb 2013
25 min., 222 lbs. 
heart - 140-160 bpm

Skipping warm up - 2 min.

Squats x 20
Lunges x 20
Push ups x 26
Pull ups x 12
Sit ups x 25
Leg raises x 15
Rotations x 20
Ab wheel x 15
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2
On my day "off", I did a few sets  of neck extensions: 10/10/10 @ ////, 6/6/6 @ //////, 6/6/6 @ //////