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 - May 2013 - quasi back on track!

My arm injury is subsiding nicely, and my shin splints have backed off, once I gave them a few days without running or jump rope. It was nice just to come home and eat, or nap, or read, or simply "veg" for a few days. But now I'm trying to regain a little momentum, at least to shed some fat and focus more on bodyweight strength.

Monday, 13 May 2013 
24 min., 215 lbs.

3 min. - double end bag
3 min. - jump rope / power tower

[50 skips, then 3 dips, then 3 pullups; ~once per minute] 

3 min. - kb drills

[30 swings, 10/10 jerks, 10/10 high-pull-snatch] 

3 min. - speed bag 
REST 2 min., THEN REPEAT

[I also allowed enough time between exercises to remove or don gear and hydrate.]

Tuesday morning I took an NSAID to quell some minor aches in my right arm and medial shins. After work I took my wife to her last pre-natal exam before our son is born, came home, and then… NAPPED for 2+ hours.


Wednesday, 15 May 2013 
24 min., 215 lbs.

2 min. - double end bag
2 min. - jump rope / power tower
2 min. - speed bag
2 min. - kb drills

[30 swings, 10/10 snatch, 2/2 high pulls] 

REST 90 sec., THEN REPEAT x 2

[I also allowed enough time between exercises to remove or don gear and hydrate.]

Stupid mop, stupid injuries…

The first clause is a reference to Pearl Jam's final 'song' on Vitalogy. #ftw.

The second is more mundane: my shoulder/elbow injuries, induced by a stupid arm-wrestling challenge a couple weeks ago, and my (medial) shin splints, induced by too much jump roping and jogging––together they finally caused me just to "give up" for the last few days and REST.  After a jaunt to the beach for some body-boarding, which had my right arm aching all the way home, I was reduced to saying, "Damn it, it's always up or down, always either my ankles or my arm!" So I simply stopped doing any exercise for a few days.

So these notes are pretty off-hand, from memory.

I think on Sunday, May 5, I did…

20 minutes of conditioning, roughly like so…
3 min. jump rope
3 min. jog 
3 min. kb x 2

I think on Monday, May 6, I did…

15 minutes of conditioning, like so…
3 min. jump rope
3 min. double end bag
3 min. kb
x 2

But by the end of the workout on Monday, my shins hurt so badly, I could only
walk my second jog circuit. Crippling pain.

So the past few days I've been reading and chilling with my family. And flipping out, now and then, about fulfilling/handing in my first-year-teacher certifications/documentations.

Today, though, I did the following, with little pain…

Saturday, May 11, 2013
20 min., 214 lbs.

3 min. medicine ball (30 wall ball, 30 bucket pass, 20/20 twist-catch)
3 min. double end bag
3 min. kb (30 swings, 10/10/10/10 jerks, 5/5 high-pull-snatch)
3 min. speed bag
REST
3 min. medicine ball, kb (30 wall ball, 30 swings, 10/10 jerks)
3 min. double end bag
2 min. speed bag  

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).