Quotidian Catch-Up 9/26 - 9/29

September 29, 2009

Back Squat 240# X 6 +  (6,5,5)

Front Squat 140# X 8 + (8,8,8)

Weighted Pull-Up 12.5# X 5 (5, 5, 4)

3 Rounds

OHP 100# X 6 - 8 (3 Rounds)

95# X 6, 100# X 6, 105# X 7

25 minutes of stairclimber

September 28, 2009 

7 miles 56:21

September 27, 2009 

Rest and eat poorly

September 26, 2009

Hang Power Cleans @ 125# X 5 +

Thrusters @ 125# X 5 +

3 Rounds

20 minutes of stairclimber, 10 minutes of eliptical

Quotidian Catch-ups 9/24, 9/25

September 25, 2009

OHP 115# X 5 +
Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows 225# X 6 - 8

Actual

OHP 115# 7, 5, 4, 3, 3
Rows: 225# X 3, 205# X 5, 185# X 7, 7, 6

Quick notes: Keep the OHP at where it is, till I can hit 35+ reps as a total and the Reverse Grip rows should be at 195#, increase poundage when reps are > 35 (total for the movement).

September 24, 2009

DL @ 295# X 10+
IBP @ ???? X 6
5 Rounds

DL: 10, 8, 7, 7, 8
IBP: 205# X 4, 185 X 5, 165 X 6, 5, 145 X 7

I'll be back to daily updating.

Quotidian Workout September 16, 2009

September 15, 2009

DL: 150% X BW X 10+
BP @ 100% X BW X 10 +
5 Rounds

500M Row

20 minutes aerobic exercise

DL 285# 10, 10, 8, 8, 7
BP 250# X 1, 230# X 3, 225# X 3, 205 X 6, 2

500M: 1:54

20 mins - 5.5 mi (bike)


At this stage, the DLs are wearing out the frame too much for the BP's to be very productive in terms of gaining strength. The BPs are now meant just to provide a "push force" motion to counteract the heavy "pull force" work done on the DLs. It might be better to switch to dips and have a different BP focused workout going forward. I'll be happy to switch to that once i'm @ 315# on the DLs. 315 = 3 plates on each side. Let's not pretend that artificial milestones don't mean anything. They sure as hell do to me.  

Quotidian Workout September 15, 2009

September 15, 2009


500 M Row


Back Squat  6 - 8 reps +
Front Squat 8 - 10 Reps +
OHS 6 - 10 Reps +
Weighted Pull-Ups
3 Rounds
OHP (Failure)


500M: 1:42.5 (173 Drag Factor)


Back Squat: 235# X 5 X 3
Front Squat 135# X 6, 6, 8
OHS: 95# X 6, 5, 6
Pull-Ups: 7.5# 5, 4, 3


The front squats and OHPs are in service of increasing the back squat. However, a goal of one's BW for 15 reps on the OHS is a very worthy goal and a difficult one at that. Mark Rippetoe suggests (in #) 200, 300, 400, 500 for the overhead press, bench press, back squat and deadlift respectively as worthy goals for advanced athletes who are not Olympic lifters. I believe his suggestion was for an athlete with a BW of approximately 200#. So to translate: advanced strength goals for any enthusiast/athlete as a percentage of bodyweight would be 100, 150, 200 and 250 for the aforementioned lifts. Good luck. I'll be posting my numbers on those benchmark lifts around mid-October. I fully expect that my bench will exceed 150% and the OHP will be close. The back squat will lag and a 465# DL sounds cartoonish, honestly. Talk is cheap.

Quotidian Workout Sept 14, 2009

September 14, 2009

Run 7 miles or 1 hour (whichever first)
Row 1000M
10 minutes miscellaneous aerobic

6 mi : 47:20
1000M: 3:51.3
10 minutes eliptical

Some malfunctions on the Woodway got in the way today. I had the stumbles (3 time! wtf?). When you've been working out for sometime, plan your workouts a couple of days ahead, or at least have a theme in mind (aerobic, heavy lifting, circuit, grab bag). If you know what's coming and you're feeling anxious or aren't looking forward to it; that tells you something. Basically, "if it's hard and you don't like doing it; clearly, you should be a doing a lot more of it." So for me, 40 mins+ of running is a source of apprehension and anything to do with deltoids and pull-ups. Deadlifts and bench presses, I'll do them till I can't move my arms. Your instinctive emotional response to information is a great indicator.

Quotidian Workout September 13, 2009

September 13, 2009

6 X DL +
6 X Hang Squat Clean +
6 X Overhead Press
4 Rounds @ 65, 75, 95, 115 (3 reps)

5 Pull-Ups with 7.5# weight + (5, 4, 3, 3)
10 Push Presses @ 30# DB
6 Hyperextensions
4 Rounds

1 minute row + 1 minute rest
5 Rounds
20 minutes aerobic

Row: 307, 294, 291, 271, 292 (Avg 291 = 1:43/500m)
5.77 miles bike in 20:00

The first set of exercises is lifted from the GymJones workout on Sept-11 without split jumps. Consisetency in application of effort is paramount. Good days are easy to get through. When you set a PR in a "money" lifts it's easy to be super motivated. The days when you can barely get through a standard workout; recovery from those days is toughest. Again, "consistency in application of effort is paramount." My pull-ups still suck, so I'm tethering a 7.5# weight and barely getting 5 quality reps on it. The general population ("g-pop") can learn so much from Crossfit; but the organization's obsession with kipping pull-ups seems at odds with their adherence to their principle of General Purpose Power ("GPP"). There seems to be some sniping between Gym Jones and Crossfit with both sides making cogent arguments; but on the subject of pull-ups I agree with Gym Jones (and yeah, that doesn't mean much, I know), do them pure and measure your progress accordingly. Crossfit's all inclusive and welcoming approach to novices and experts alike though means their very worthy gospel is much better disseminated and accepted. Kudos to them for that.  

Quotidian Workout September 11, 2009

September 11, 2009

1mile run

Back Squat @ 225# X 8 - 10 +
Front Squat @ 135# X 8 - 10 +
Overhead Squat @ 95 X 8 - 10
3 rounds
30 minutes of aerobic exercise
1000M

1mi: 7:16
Back Squat 8, 7, 6
Front Squat 7, 7, 8
OHS 6, 6, 5
15 mins stairmaster + 15 mins bike
1000M: 3:51

If you take your resting heart rate/pulse in the morning and it's higher than normal it can indicate overtraining. I didn't check but definitely my enthusiasm to workout was minimal today. I find that lifting heavy weights is the best way to combat mental fatigue. My focuse over the next few months is to improve the following: back squat, bench press, deadlift and overhead squat. That's in descending order of importance. The end of the month will be a good time to see where I am. At the very least, my back squat should be stronger than my bench press, right now there about even. This is cause for amusement or consternation.

Quotidian Workout September 10, 2009

September 10, 2009

Run 2mi @ pace better than last 4 mile run

"Manny"
5 Hang Cleans +
5 Thrusters +
5 Sumo Deadlift Hi-Pulls
5 rounds (stop at failure)

Overhead Press  ("OHP") to failure (one set)
Row 500M
20 minutes of aerobic work

2 miles - 14:28
3 rounds of Manny completed at 120#
OHP @ 95# X 7
500M: 1:43.8 (drag factor 187)
5 miles - 17:08 (Bike)

I'm still not comfortable running with Vibrams, especially at the top end. However, the better your top end is the easier the intermediate level workouts. A sub 14:00 2 miles should be good next week. For the Manny workout I'm definitely not moving the weight up for a couple of weeks, till 5+ sets get done. 

Quotidian Workout September 9, 2009

September 9, 2009


DL x 10 @ 150% X BW +
Bench Press ("BP") X 6 - 10 @ 100% X BW (minimum)
5 Rounds (maximum 1 minute rest between rounds)

500M row
20+ minutes of aerobic exercise

DL 280# 10, 8, 8, 8, 7
BP 250# X 2, 230# X 4, 225# X 4, 205# X 6, 6

500M - 1:48.9 (the DLs take the fire out of the legs, guaranteed).
20 minutes of eliptical and bike.

After a few days of workouts of getting my ass handed to me it was nice to go back to a movement where there has been some success/progress. Over the next few weeks I'm going to try to focus on increasing shoulder and hip flexibility. My lack of depth on the OHS indicates that this is an area requiring more attention. So be it.

Quotidian Workout September 8, 2009

September 8, 2009
Power Circuit + Interval + Aerobic

Piston Press (on BOSU ball round side up) X 5 +
OHS X 5 +
Pull-Ups X 5 +
Hang Cleans X 5 +
Barbell Curls X 5
5 Rounds

1 minute row 1 minute rest
5 Rounds

30 minutes of miscellaneous aerobic work

Piston Press (50# DB on each arm)
OHS 115, 115, 115, 95, 95
Pull-Ups, 6, 5, 5, 4, 3 (w 7.5# weight)
Hang Cleans: 115, 115, 115, 95, 95
Barbell Curls: 115, 75, 75, 75, 75

Row (m): 283, 271, 276, 263, 298 (averaging a 1:47 split, ugh, that's slow)

30 mins - stairclimber

Overhead Squats ("OHS") and Hang-Cleans are primarily about technique. The OHS is particularly demanding. You can really embarrass yourself on it (I did a couple of times today); so proceed with caution. This is not a movement conducive to rapid gains. If you can watch someone with excellent technique or have someone instruct this is best. Devour as much as you can with respect to technique. A strong OHS is indicative of a painstaking attention to detail and work ethic. Some movements (bench presses and deadlifts come to mind) reward quantity. The OHS rewards a commitment to technique.

Quotidian Workout September 7, 2009

September 7, 2009

(Power Circuit)
1000M Row

Back Squat or Front Squat (225#/135#) X 6 +
Pull-Ups X 6 +
Bench Press @ 135# X 6
Push-Press @ 45DB or Dips @ 30# X 6
6 Rounds

1000M = 3:31

Back Squat 225# X 5, 4, 4, 4, FS 135# X 6 X 2
Pull-Ups 6, 5, 5, 5, 4, 3
Bench Press 135
Push-Press @ 45DB X 6 X 2/Weighted Dips w/ 30# DB 6 X 4

20 minutes of easy stairclimber.

Squats, deadlifts and overhead presses are movements that nobody likes. The olympic and olympic style movements are even more reviled. Why? They are hard to do; they require tremendous amounts of concentration, you can't talk to someone while doing them. You need to focus on oxygenation, they require attention to detail and technique.

Go to a random gym. I've been a member of NYSC for 12 years and have never seen anyone do an overheard press. NEVER. I have actually seen some people do deadlifts. I see guys do partial squats frequently but rarely have I seen an individual do squats with the thighs going parallel with let alone "ass to grass." And believe me these guys don't recognize they're doing partial squats. Those are squats to them. More ranting on this; but I'll rant on this more once my three lifts get to respectable levels.

Quotidian Workout September 6, 2009

September 6, 2009

60+ minutes of aerobic work

6 miles 46:47 (run)
5 miles 17:07 (bike)
500M (row): 1:48

As usual, running with Vibram Five Finger shoes is a challenge but "it's getting better all the time" and I'm hoping in the next month or so I can get back down to a sub 45 minute time for 6 miles. The 500M row is nice cherry on top of the oxidation workout cake. Surely a time trial for the 500M is in order the next few weeks. Dare I dream of a 1:30 time? I'll be happy with a 1:35.

Quotidian Workout September 5, 2009

September 5, 2009

The last two days haven't allowed for workouts, so this morning I tried to "get the lead out."

Hang Cleans X 5 +
Thrusters X 5 +
Sumo Deadlift Hi-Pulls X 5
All at 115#
7 Rounds or failure
1000M row
20 minutes of aerobic exercise
500M row
FINIS

Made it through 4 rounds @ 115#

1000M = 3:38
20 minutes cycling, touch under 6 miles
500M = 1:48

if you can hit 7 rounds, you need to go up a significant increment (15#+). The body acclimates to static loads very quickly. Continually increasing weight, even by minute increments, battles the body's naturally complacency/resilience.

“Continuous” refers to actions which are uninterrupted: “My upstairs neighbor played his stereo continuously from 6:00 PM to 3:30 AM.” Continual actions, however, need not be uninterrupted, only repeated: “My father continually urges me to get a job.”

Quotidian Workout September 2, 2009

September 2, 2009
(183.2#)

150% of BW DL X 10+
Incline Bench Press ("IBP")(Declining Balance) X 6
(Alternate between DLs and IBPs)

DL: 275# X 10, 8, 8, 8, 6
IBP: 195# X 5, 185# X 5, 175# X 5, 165 X 5, 155# X 5

This workout started at for the first time a few months ago, and I was unable to get through 185# on DLs. The improvement has been dramatic, but the continued emphasis on the DL resulted in some fatigue today. The IBPs were strong though. A full week till the next DL workout is probably in order. Continued "clean" and shoulder work can't hurt.

Quotidian Workout September 1, 2009

September 1, 2009

Hang Clean X 5 +
Thruster X 5 +
Sumo Deadlift Hi-Pulls X 5
All at 95#
5 Rounds
500M Row + 20 mins Aerobic
2 Rounds

500M = 1:56
20 mins stairmaster
500M = 1:45
5 miles: 17:30

Warming up with progressively higher hang cleans (start at the regular olympic bar) works pretty well for any workout. The hang cleans open up the hips, activate the lower back, traps, even the shoulders. Your mileage may vary.

Quotidian Workout August 31, 2009

August 31, 2009

Run 4+ mi
Row 1000M
Back Squat X 10
Front Squat X 10
OHS X 10

4.5 mi: 36 mins
1000M - 3:56
Back Squat: 225# X 6
Front Squat: 135# X 8
OHS: 95# X 8

An uninspired day. The run is always tough as I'm adjusting to the Vibram Five Finger shoes. These shoes create a lot of stress on my calves as I have a tendency to overpronate. With Vibrams overpronation will result in all sorts of heel pain. I managed a 7:45mins/per mile pace for 4 miles and then jogged/walked to finish out. With conventional shoes 4 mi have been done sub 28 minutes.