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Split Jerks, Split Shorts and More Squats

Friday, March 19, 2010

Wednesday

In light of Monday’s “warm up” issue, I backed off the weight a little in my opening circuits.

3x Warm Up @ 65#, 95#, 95#
8x Bent Over Barbell Row
8x Power Clean
8x Front Squat
8x Jerks
8x Back Squat

Ah…yes. Much better. In my 5-3-1 program, Wednesday was the day for Front Squats:

Front Squat
5x Front Squat @ 130#
5x Front Squat @ 170#
5x Front Squat @ 195#
1x Front Squat @ 220#…

…~riiiiiiiiiippp~

What? As I descended, my shorts got caught funny on my thigh and didn’t “ride up” like they normally do when I squat and they ripped right open. It was loud. Everyone who was in the weight room turned and looked.

I stood, thought about it for a second…thought, “what the hell? I’m already committed.”

Front Squat (cont.)
…+6x Front Squat @ 220#

Each squat brought more equally loud ripping. At the time, I couldn’t tell if it was my outer shorts or my boxer shorts which were ripping. I racked the bar, turned around and inspected my butt in the mirror. Amazingly, my outerwear seemed to be just fine - somewhat preserving my diminishing dignity. Excellent.

My Wednesday assistance exercises were supposed to be Floor Press, Zercher Squat, Chin Ups and Sit Ups. My legs were still super-sore from Monday; the Front Squats were painful and difficult. I was in no mood to do any kind of heavy Zercher Squatting. Also, my right elbow has been bothering me, pretty much putting a stop to chin ups.

3x Assistance Work
10x Floor Press @ 155#
10x Zercher Squat @ 155#
10x Incline Sit Ups (lvl#2) @ BW+10# (held behind the head)

I went home, undressed to shower, and inspected my underwear. Total annihilation - nothing left on the back hemisphere but an elastic waistband.

~shrug~

Friday (today)

My legs are finally starting to feel usable again this morning. Just in time to tear them down again.

3x Warm Up @ 65#, 95#, 115#
8x Bent Over Barbell Row
8x Power Clean
8x Front Squat
8x Jerks
8x Back Squat
Bench Press
5x Press @ 120#
5x Press @ 155#
5x Press @ 180#
5x Press @ 205#
Assistance Work
15x Incline Press @ 125#
5x Squat @ 135#
15x 3pt Rows @ 55# db
5x Squat @ 185#
12x Incline Press @ 125#
20x Squat @ 225#
12x 3pt Rows @ 55# db
15x Squat @ 225#
10x Incline Press @ 125#
10x Squat @ 225#
10x 3pt Rows @ 55# db
5x Squat @ 225#

And now I’m sore again.

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Back To Lifting Heavy(ish)

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

To recap since the last time I wrote anything here:

  • I trained a lot for the stair climb
  • I got violently ill for about 36 hours and couldn’t really eat anything substantial for about 12 days. Lost almost 10 pounds.
  • (Stupidly) continued to train anyway through those 12 days.
  • Nearly 1500 people raised more than $340k for the American Lung Association
  • We raced.
  • I made it to the top in 6:49 - not great, but I’m content. 5th in my age/gender division. 21st overall.
  • Rested for a week. I ate a lot, slept a lot and did a lot of soft tissue work.

And Monday morning, I got up with a new 5-3-1-and-lots-of-squats-plan and started lifting heavy again. Here’s what I (re)learned this morning: When one doesn’t lift heavy things for 8+ weeks, one shouldn’t expect to lift the previously lifted heavy things without some significant soreness.

Monday

3x Warm Up @ 95#, 115#, 135#
8x Bent Over Barbell Row
8x Power Clean
8x Front Squat
8x Push Press
8x Back Squat
Military Press (plan)
5x Press @ 80#
5x Press @ 100#
5x Press @ 120#
AMAP Press @ 135#

This is where my plan went horribly wrong in a few different ways, all at once. First, the “warm ups” were a little more than advertised and, not only warmed me up but burned me out. Secondly, I don’t have the strength endurance in my upper body anymore to maintain the pace between sets we were setting. Thirdly, my 1RM apparently isn’t 175# anymore.

Military Press (actual)
5x Press @ 80#
5x Press @ 100# (this is harder than it should be)
3x Press @ 120# (WTF?)
0x Press @ 135#
Assistance Work
15x Dips @ BW+25#
10x Squat @ 135#
15x BW Rows
10x Squat @ 185#
12x Dips @ BW+25#
10x Squat @ 225#
12x BW Rows
10x Squat @ 225#
AMAP: 10x Dips @ BW+25#
AMAP: 5x Squat @ 275#
AMAP: 7x BW Rows
AMAP: 3x Squat @ 275#

And now I’m sore.

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Single-Leg Training for the Stairs

Monday, February 8, 2010

Just a reminder, if you want to donate to the cause, you may do so on my fund-raising page. Even $5 and $10 donations add up to significant numbers. Last year the event raised just over $225,000 - mostly in small donations from lots of people. Thank you all in advance for your generosity.

Friday

6x
2:00 Treadmill Incline Running @ 5.0 mph & 15% Grade
2:00 Active Recovery @ 3mph & 5% Grade
Barbell Circuit
I did the following circuit:

  • RDL
  • Bent Over Barbell Row
  • Hang Power Clean
  • Front Squat
  • Push Press
  • Back Squat
  • Good Morning

at the following reps/weights

  • 21x ea. @ 45#
  • 13x ea. @ 75#
  • 8x ea. @ 95#
  • 5x ea. @ 95#
  • 3x ea. @ 115#
  • 2x ea. @ 115#
  • 1x ea. @ 135#
  • 1x ea. @ 155#
To provide some perspective of pace: I started the round of 8x at the beginning of Don McLean’s “American Pie” and ended the 155# round at the Janis Joplin reference.
8x Rowing Erg
500m @ < 2:05 pace
Rest :45

Today, Monday

Reverse Lunges
200x each leg @ 75#
Done alternating legs each rep, without significant rest.
8x (Tabata) Rowing Erg
:20 Rowing Hard (~100m)
:10 Rest
3x More Rowing Erg
1k @ 2:10/500m pace
1:00 Rest
3x
100m Walking Lunge @ BW
10x Up and down 1 flight of stairs (24 steps)
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Training for the Stairs: Day 2

Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Barbell Circuit
I did the following circuit:

  • RDL
  • Bent Over Barbell Row
  • Hang Power Clean
  • Front Squat
  • Push Press
  • Back Squat
  • Good Morning

at the following reps/weights

  • 21x ea. @ 45#
  • 13x ea. @ 75#
  • 8x ea. @ 95#
  • 5x ea. @ 95#
  • 3x ea. @ 115#
  • 2x ea. @ 115#
  • 1x ea. @ 135#
  • 1x ea. @ 155#
Moving pretty quickly, just enough “rest” to change the weights, rechalk my hands and pick the bar back up.
8x Rowing Erg
500m @ < 2:10 page
Rest 1:00
5x
8x BSS (R) @ 95#
8x BSS (L) @ 95#
8x Back Squat @ 95#
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Training For The Stairs Starts Again

Monday, February 1, 2010

I’ve signed up to Master the Met again this year. My goals are similar to last year.

  1. Raise > $100
  2. Complete the 42 flights in < 7:00

If you’d like to join my team, you may. Go to the registration page and select “Join a team”. My team name is “Stair Supply”. It’s $25 to register and then you must raise at least $100 in donations.

Donating to me on their site is a little funky right now. I’ll post a link as soon as it is worked out. If you want to donate to the cause, you may do so on my fund-raising page. Even $5 and $10 donations add up to significant numbers. Last year the event raised just over $225,000 - mostly in small donations from lots of people. Thank you all in advance for your generosity.

Training

8x Rowing Erg
500m @ < 2:20 pace
Rest 1:00
4x
10x BSS (R) @ 95#
10x BSS (L) @ 95#
10x Back Squat @ 95#
No removing the bar from my back. As little rest as possible.
4x
2:00 Incline Treadmill Running @ 5.5mph & “Grade 5″
2:00 Active Recovery @ 3mph & “Grade 0″

Today was pretty easy. I wasn’t really sure where I stood with these sorts of activities. I planned easy and will increase intensity and volume over the next four weeks.

Wish me luck.

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CGHPS Are Hard, Reading to Children is Easy

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Wednesday morning my team at work volunteered at two Youth-in-Need child-care facilities. These two facilities provide highly-subsidized daycare and early-childhood education for children whose parent(s) meet some income requirement. The facility where I was, was organized into three classrooms: birth to 23 months, 2 years old, and 3 to 5 year olds.

I started out the morning in the 2 year old classroom. There were eight kids in the class, a teacher and an assistant. 4:1 isn’t a bad ratio. The topic of the day was “spiders”. The teacher read to the children a book that was a take-off of the “Itsy-Bitsy Spider” song. She then talked a bit about what spiders eat (bugs! ~ewwwww~) and how they catch the bugs. After that, she went child by child and asked them what they thought spiders eat.

She was met mostly with blank stares. One kid said “French Fries”. This was 2 minutes after she did a “puppet show” of sorts with giant plastic flies and moths and spiders and a huge web made of string. There was virtually zero recall.

The kids split up to do some crafts and have some slightly-organized playtime. As the crafts became finished and the playtime became less and less organized, I read a few books to some of the children and did some puzzles with them.

At that point the lunch lady had brought them lunch (tuna fish salad sandwiches, diced pears and cooked carrots). They sat down to eat and I moved to the 3-5 yr old room.

This room was a lot different. First, the kids are older. Second, there were more of them (23) and still only two adults. The women in the two-year-old room were both middle-aged. The two women in the 3-5 year-old-room were both in their early 20s.

The kids were in a very unstructured time. The lunch-cart lady was making her way into that room and beginning to set out their lunches. I sat down next to two children and introduced myself. They weren’t really doing anything so I asked them if they would like me to read them a book. They both said, “yes!” eagerly.

One of the children grabbed a book from the bookshelf and sat next to me, the other crawled up into my lap. As I read the book I tried to engage them in some sort of dialog. “What do you think is going to happen next?” “Why do you think that happened?” etc.

While they were both listening (not playing with some toy, fidgeting with each other or staring off into space), neither could engage in conversation about the book being read to them. It was as if they heard each sylable, but didn’t connect them into a story.

I understand these kids were both “only” 5 years old, but I have a 3 yr old and a 6 yr old at home with whom I engage in this kind of conversation all the time. I understand very well the capabilities of this age group.

…and I guess that’s kinda my point. You have to do it all the time. Reading, and actively thinking about the content, is a practiced skill. Teach it to your children when they’re young. It’s very easy to do. Read to your kids 30 minutes each night. As you read, ask them simple questions. Have them predict what’s going to happen.

Thirty minutes each night before bed is a simple investment that pays off HUGE.

Wednesday Workout

Warm Up @ 75#
8x Romanian Deadlift
8x Bent-Over Row
8x Power Clean
8x Clean-Grip Hang Power Snatch
8x Jump Squat
8x Good Morning
Military Press
5x Press @ 75#
3x Press @ 105#
3x Press @ 120#
8x Press @ 135#
6x @ 75#
8x Romanian Deadlift
8x Bent-Over Row
8x Power Clean
8x Clean-Grip Hang Power Snatch
8x Jump Squat
8x Good Morning

The CGHPS were clearly the limiting lift. They’re very hard. Much much harder than reading to your kids every night.

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Deadlift

Monday, January 11, 2010

I realized recently I need to work the bottom of my deadlift a little more. All my 5-3-1 deadlifts will be off a ~4″ block.

Warm Up
Chin Ups
Power Cleans + Thrusters @ 95#
Dips @ BW
Deadlift from ~4″ block
5x @ 205#
5x @ 260#
5x @ 305#
8x @ 345#
4x (ea. station @ 1:00 intervals)
5x Chin Ups
10x Thruster @ 95#
15x Dips

The 12×1:00 intervals were insufficient. There wasn’t enough load to get my heart rate up very high and the chin ups and dips were too “isolationist”. That is, my arms got tired long before my heart and lungs did. Next time I think I’ll go longer (maybe 5 or 6 rounds) and I’ll use something like KB swings, barbell thrusters and deadlifts or box jumps. That should burn right through the O2 supply. The good news is, in the last week (if the scale and the caliper are correct), I’ve lost some 4# of fat with about a half-pound lean increase.

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Squats and Bench Press

Friday, January 8, 2010

Wednesday

Warm Up @ 75#
5x Romanian Deadlift
5x Power Clean+Thruster
5x (ea. leg) Reverse Lunge
Squat
5x Squat @ 160#
5x Squat @ 210#
5x Squat @ 240#
7x Squat @ 270#
5x @ 115#
5x Romanian Deadlift
5x Power Clean+Thruster
5x (ea. leg) Reverse Lunge

Friday

Warm Up @ 75#
5x Sumo Deadlift
5x Sumo Deadlift High Pull
5x Clean
5x Press
5x (ea. leg) Jump Lunges (alternate legs ea. jump)
Close-Grip Bench Press + 1 band
5x Bench Press @ 115#
5x Bench Press @ 150#
5x Bench Press @ 170#
7x Bench Press @ 195#
6x @ 95#
5x Sumo Deadlift
5x Sumo Deadlift High Pull
5x Clean
5x Press
5x (ea. leg) Jump Lunges (alternate legs ea. jump)

With any luck I’ll be back to a regular, three-times-per-week posting schedule next week.

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Happy New Year

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

The last two weeks have been very busy around here. I left you all on the 17th - one day before our tenth wedding anniversary. In that time we’ve had family come into town from Texas, Georgia and Chicago, we’ve spent significant time with my parents, my paternal grandmother, my maternal grandparents, 4 sets of my aunts, uncles and cousins, my in-laws, and two of my wife’s sibilings and their families. We had some sort of Christmas-like celebration on every day from the 19th through the 27th. It was busy and crazy. But we survived.

One of my cousins, in town from Texas, has recently gotten into the Crossfit thing. He showed up to the gym with me one morning and we did a deadlift workout right from the Crossfit site.

Deadlift
Warm Up - work up to heavy deadlift
1x Deadlift @ 405#
10x Deadlift @ 365#
1x Deadlift @ 405#
20x Deadlift @ 295#
1x Deadlift @ 395#
30x Deadlift @ 225#

Most of my workouts in the last two weeks have been of the “kinda screwin’ around” variety. Nothing formal, working what could be worked, resting what needed resting. Lots of foam rolling and general mobility stuff.

I got a pair of Iron Woody 41″ #2 bands from my wife. I spent two workouts playing with those. Bench press, incline press, band-resisted push ups, dips, barbell rows - great. Squats - not so much. I never could get them set up properly for squats. I have the basics down, I think, but I’m open to advice and ideas for things to do with my new bands.

On Thursday night 31 December, my wife and I met several other couples for dinner. We normally go to Zia’s, on The Hill. It’s really good food. Unfortunately, Zia’s had a fire several months ago and is still not open. We went, instead, to a place in Kirkwood called Amici’s. As I understand it, the head of the kitchen and one of the owners worked at Zia’s until he decided to go out on his own.

It was good - not as good as Zia’s, but not bad either. The atmosphere just isn’t the same - doesn’t have that very-old-family-owned-Italian-place feel. ~shrug~ We had a good time nonetheless.

Now it’s back to work, back to regular schedules and reality.

Reality

I’ve gained more than a few pounds in the past several months. That’s not an all bad thing - if the bioelectrical impedance machine and the skinfold caliper are at all accurate, slightly over half of my mass increase has been lean - but I do have some fat I need to drop before it gets out of control.

The plan for the next several weeks is a round of 5-3-1 followed by 5-7 rounds of barbell circuits. That combined with reduced calorie intake (with adequate protein consumption) should keep my muscle mass and strength up and cut the fat off pretty quickly. I’m hoping for about 10# gone in 6 weeks with minimal muscle loss.

Monday 4 January 2010

Warm Up Barbell Circuit @ 75#
5x Bent-Over Rows
5x Hang Power Clean
5x Thruster
5x Jump Squat
5x Good Morning
Military Press
5x Press @ 75#
5x Press @ 100#
5x Press @ 115#
7x Press @ 135#
5x Barbell Circuit @ 115#
5x Bent-Over Rows
5x Hang Power Clean
5x Thruster
5x Jump Squat
5x Good Morning

These barbell circuits were done at 1:1 work:rest ratio. I was breathing hard at the end. My heart was beating fast. My legs were burning with lactic acid. It was good.

More tomorrow.

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Three Workouts and Beads For Blood

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Let’s start with the three workouts. This time between Thanksgiving and New Years is a crazy one for me. My projects have picked up a bit (independent of the time of year, but having an effect on my time nonetheless), there’s Christmas shopping to accomplish, my wife and I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of our marriage tomorrow (Friday), there are kids’ Christmas singing programs, dance programs and all manners of other family events. If posting gets slow, it’s not because I don’t love you all anymore.

Friday 11 December

Mobility Circuit
10x High Knee Walk
10x Butt Kick Walk
10x Overhead Lunge
10x Walking Spider-Man
10x Scapular Push Ups
10x Quadruped Rotation-Extension
10x Scapular Wall Slides
4x Circuit #1
12x (6x ea. side) Recoiled Rollover Med Ball Slam
5x Box Jump @ 24″ box
4x Circuit #2
6x Snatch-Grip Rack Pull w/ Bar 3″ below knee @ 295#
16x (8x ea. side) Side Lying Extension-Rotation
16x (8x ea. side) Wall Hip Flexor Mobilization
3x Circuit #3
12x (6x ea. arm) Low Incline Alternating DB Press @ 70# DBs
10x (5x ea. leg) 1-Leg, Feet Elevated BW Row @ BW+25# plate on chest
3x Circuit #4
16x (8x ea. side) Plate-Loaded Lateral Lunge @ 45# plate
10x (5x ea. arm) Prone Arm March
Inverted Ladder MYBH
12x - 1x Goblet Squats @ 55# DB
1x - 12x Push Ups
For Time.
5:18

Monday 14 December

Mobility Circuit
10x High Knee Walk
10x Butt Kick Walk
10x Overhead Lunge
10x Walking Spider-Man
10x Scapular Push Ups
10x Quadruped Rotation-Extension
10x Scapular Wall Slides
3x Circuit #1
6x Clap Push Ups
8x (4x ea. side) TGU @ 24kg KB
One More
6x Clap Push Ups
3x Circuit #2
3x Bench Press @ 230#
16x (8x ea. leg) Reverse Lunge from 4″ box @ 2-60# DBs
One More
3x Bench Press @ 230#
3x Circuit #3
16x (8x ea. arm) 3-pt Row @ 70# DB
8x Natural Glute Ham Raises
5x MYBH @ 16kg KB
16x (8x ea. arm) Snatch
16x (8x ea. arm) Row
16x (8x ea. arm) Squat
16x (8x ea. arm) Press
16x (8x ea. side) Reverse Lunge w/ Twist
16x (8x ea. arm) Swing
90 sec. Rest

Wednesday 16 December

Mobility Circuit
10x High Knee Walk
10x Butt Kick Walk
10x Overhead Lunge
10x Walking Spider-Man
10x Scapular Push Ups
10x Quadruped Rotation-Extension
10x Scapular Wall Slides
Box Squat
4x Warm Up Sets @ 135#, 185#, 225#, 275#
2x Circuit #1
2×3 Box Squats @ 315#
10x Knee Break Ankle Mobilizations
30 sec. ea. leg Table Hip External Rotation Stretch
2x More Circuit #1
5x Box Squats @ 275#
10x Knee Break Ankle Mobilizations
30 sec. ea. leg Table Hip External Rotation Stretch
3x Circuit #2
5x Pull Ups @ BW
16x (8x ea. leg) Bulgarian Split Squats @ 2-60# DBs
One More
5x Pull Ups @ BW
3x Circuit #3
16x (8x ea. arm) 3-pt Row @ 70# DB
10x (5x ea. side) Prone DB Glide @ 5# DB
3x Stretch/Mobility Circuit
16x (8x ea. arm) Side Lying External Rotation - arm abducted ~30°
60 sec. Lying Knee-to-Knee Stretch

Beads For Blood

I’ve written about my uncle, Mark Siddle, and his custom motorcycle shop, Cutting Edge Cycles, here before. (Also here, near the end.)

On Saturday 6 February 2010, Cutting Edge Cycles will be hosting a Mardi Gras-themed blood drive: Beads for Blood. Uncle Mark’s mother had a series of medical issues last year during which she benefited greatly from blood in blood banks. Time to give back.

If you’re in the St. Louis area, this would be a great time to come out and see his custom-built bikes, see what he could do for your bike if you already have one, and give blood for a good cause. Also, no promises, but knowing the kinds of people who frequent his store, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if blood wasn’t the only thing for which beads were being distributed (if that’s your thing).

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