Becoming an Athlete

The frequency is crushing me.  I'm not sure I can eat enough to recovery for this 3-day rotation.  I am stiff, sore, and hungry all day every day.  Thank God I have 2 weeks off to give this a solid effort. Since it was below freezing for the first time since February, I warmed up in the sauna.  Lots of static stretching and bodyweight movements.  After that, 3 minutes on the stepmill to get my heart pumping.  Really, 3 minutes is all it take on the stepmill.  That thing is torture. bench press:  215 x 2,3,5,2,3,5; 205 x 7 Bat wings:  5 x 10sec holds with 45lbs.  Easy. next time:  50lbs 1-arm overhead press:  55 x 2,3,5,2,3,5 right shoulder still hurts.  Will cease shooting heavy recurve for a while and see if that helps.  If not, will reduce frequency to Mon & Fri, instead of every 3 days Complex: 3 x 5 at 95lbs a. row b. clean c. squat d. overhead press e. front squat I switched the order a bit to give my...

This 3 day rotation is starting to crush me.  Everything hurts, and I can't eat enough food to feel better.  I'm going to stick with it through week 2 and if my shoulders are still this jacked, I'll switch it to a Mon,  Fri program instead of every 3 days.  Seriously, folks.  This program will crush anyone!!!! Bench press:  205 x 2,3,5,2,3,5,2,3,5 next time:  215lbs bat wings:  10 x 5 sec holds with 45.  Doable.  Not "easy", but less than hard. 1-arm press:  55 x 2,3,5,2,3,5,2,3,5 Right shoulder is especially sore.  I've been massaging it, but to no avail.  May have to stick with this weight or reduce frequency. bird dog:  easy as always I skipped complexes.  I'm just sore as bird dog shit squats:  115 x 30, 30

Training on my birthday.  Followed by a family trip to Tokyo Steakhouse to celebrate turning 37.  Yeah, it's gimicky, but the food is good and everyone loves the show.  :) Warm-up super-set: a. incline db curls:  22.5s x 12, 12 b. 1-arm overhead db extension:  45 x 12, 12   EZ-bar curl:  70x7; 80x5; 90x3; 75x7; 85x5; 95x3 EZ-bar skull crusher: 55x7; 65x5; 75x3; 65x7; 75x5; 85x5 Super-set, going for "pump" a. Machine hammer curl: 60 x 20, 15, 10, 9 b. Maching tricep extension: 65 x 20, 15, 10, 12 Alternating "dead bug":  Just going real slow and focusing on engaging transverse abdominus.  I gave myself some excruciating cramps with this one.

Much tougher work today. bench press:  205 x 2,3,5,2,3,5 bat wing:  45lb - 10 x 5sec 1-arm dumbbell overhead press:  55 x 2,3,5,2,3,5 bird dog.  easy. barbell complex: a. bent row: 45 x 5; 65 x 5, 95 x 5; 105 x 5; 105 x 5 c. clean: 45 x 5; 65 x 5, 95 x 5; 105 x 5; 105 x 5 d. front squat: 45 x 5; 65 x 5, 95 x 5; 105 x 5; 105 x 5 e. overhead press: 45 x 5; 65 x 5, 95 x 5; 105 x 5; 105 x 5 f. Back squat: 45 x 5; 65 x 5, 95 x 5; 105 x 5; 105 x 5 g. FBGM: 45 x 5; 65 x 5, 95 x 5; 105 x 5; 105 x 5 Back squat:  115 x 30; 125 x 30

Is it just me or does that sound stupid?  "Today was arms and abs day."  Well, be that as it may, it serves a purpose.  One of the planned movements for today was weighted dips, but I can't find my gear bag, so I didn't have my dip belt.  Instead I just banged out bodyweight dips for higher reps. Warm-up (to get muscle, but more importantly ELBOW ready for higher loads) a. incline dumbbell curl:  22.5s x 12, 10 b. overhead dumbbell extension:  45 x 12, 10   EZ-bar curl: 65x7; 75x5; 85x3; 70x7; 80x5; 90x3 Dips:  BW x 10, 10, 5 Then I did went back and forth on the machine curl and machine tricep extension, just to push some blood.  I went light and did 4 rapid fire sets of 10, not resting at all from bicep to tricep work. Elbow plank:  3 x 35 seconds

Doing 1/4 mile laps at the park.  Run x 200, walk by 200. Total distance:  2 miles. Super easy.  Just enough to loosen up my legs and back and exhaust my poor fat dog.  Poor boxer is not much of a jogging or hiking companion, but he's a good boy.

I love the training principles Dan John outlines.  They make sense.  They work.  They go deeper than methods or programs. I know I want to get in some serious volume work, but I want a bridge between what I can handle today and the classic 10 x 10 approach.  MMS is the perfect bridge. Day 1:  Feel it out, find your weights. Bench press:  205lbs is my starting weight Bat Wings:  40lb dumbbells is my starting weight 1-arm overhead press:  65 is my starting weight  Bird dog:  easy enough Complexes: Work up to max weight for 3 reps of: a. row b. clean c. front squat d. overhead press e. back squat f. Flat back goodmorning Starting weight:  115 Back Squat:  Recommendation was 25 reps at 95.  I did it and it was easy.  I bumped up to 115 and banged out 30.  THAT was a challenge, but manageable. Only difficulties I had: 1-arm overhead press:  I got banged up pretty good last week at the skate / BMX ...

Another 1.5 miles, and another 6 x 100yards.

Took my dog to the park and walked a total of 1.5 miles.  During those 6 laps, I ran 6 x 100 yards.

I was pressed for time so I just did some intervals: 8 rounds of: - 3min @ 3mph - 1min and 6.5mph

What a shitty performance.  I was dehydrated, under-fed, and stiff.  7 hours of back to back phone calls at work meant I didn't get time to eat except for my 6:00 AM meal.  So by 8:00 PM, when I finally made it to the gym, I was a sad sack. I only did my strength work, and even then I started cramping up everywhere. bent row: 135 x 10; 155 x 8; 175 x 6 front squat: 155 x 10; 185 x 8; 205 x 6

More strength.  More sweat.  More tired bench press:  225 x 3; 235 x 3; 245 x 3 deadlift: 335 x 3; 365 x 3; 385 x 3 MetCon 8: 4 rounds for time a. 55lb dumbbell swing x 10 b. leg raise off bench x 10 c. Pushup x 10 d. 65lb barbell curl x 10 TOTAL TIME:  about 4 songs.  I couldn't see the clock from where I was, so I just pushed as hard as I could.  That's really all you ever need to do. 

MetCons Strongman style!  Another day.  Another increase in LBS on the big lifts, and some heart & lung bursting MetCons.  This blend is what was lacking when I did CrossFit.  I got fitter, and weaker.  Now I'm getting fitter, stronger, and more mobile. Pullup:  BW x 5, 5, 5 Squat:  255 x 3; 275 x 3; 295 x 4 MetCon 7: Complete without rest 1. Farmer's walk x 2min 2. Tire-sled drag x 2 min 3. Heavy bag alternating shouldering* x 2min 4. Heavy bag side to side press** x 2 min  (MAJOR FAIL!!!!) *Heavy Bag shouldering:  I cut the straps off an old 70lb heavy bag.  This movement is basically a clean, but you catch it one shoulder, drop to the ground, then clean to the opposite shoulder.  The unstable nature of theheavy bag makes it much more difficult than the weight suggests. ** Heavy bag side to side press: After last rep of shouldering, press the bag overhead and lower to your opposite shoulder.  Again, the na...

Man, what a tough training session.  I feel so good right now. overhead press:  105 x 8; 115 x 8; 135 x 9 (new rep max PR) flatback goodmorning: 105 x 8; 115 x 8; 135 x 8   MetCon 6: Unilateral circuits 1a. Bulgarian squat: 30 x 8/8, 8/8, 8/8 1b. 1-arm wide bent row: 30 x 8/8, 8/8, 8/8 1c. Archer pushup: BW x 8/8, 8/8, regular pushups x 16 for 3rd round 2a. 1-leg db straight leg deadlift: 30 x 8/8, 8/8, 8/8 2b. 1-arm arc dumbbell row: 30 x 8/8, 8/8, 8/8 2c. 1-arm overhead press: 30 x 8/8, 8/8, 8/8 3a. BW x 8/8, 8/8, 8/8 3b. 1-arm snatch swing: 30 x 8/8, 8/8, 8/8 3c. 1-arm cross body lying extension: 30 x 8/8, 8/8, 8/8

My wife and I went for a Saturday morning hike at a cool, little known spot.  The trails were popular when I was a kid, but by the looks of things Saturday morning, they haven't been walked by more than a handful of people in the last 5 - 10 years.  The weeds had overgrown the trails, and there weren't any signs of wrappers, garbage, or litter of any sort. Because the trails had be reclaimed by nature, we had a rough, slow-going 6 mile round trip.  The terrain varied from riverbed, to sandy loam, to granite outcroppings.  The constant up and down and uneven footing taxed my ankles, knees, and even core. I stopped at almost ever boulder to do some low-level free climbing and jumped from rock to rock, clearing some nice gaps from as high up as 10 feet. That's the most tired such a short hike has ever made me.  It was a fun challenge.