Becoming an Athlete

Friday is my light day.  I use it to keep my heart rate up and get a good pump.  While it is good for hypertrophy, it's also good conditioning and recovery. skipped cardio warm-up.  sad-face sticker for me 1st circuit a. overhead press:  75 x 15, 15, 15 b. wide grip pulldown:  120 x 15, 15, 15 c. alternating lunges:  BW x 20, 20, 20 Decline situp:  BW x 15, 12, 12 2nd circuit: a. dumbbell upright rows:  15s x 12, 12, 12 b. incline dumbbell press:  55s x 12, 12, 12 skipped arms again.  another sad-face sticker Down and dirty, Nice and quick.  Cheap and Easy.

Fat man passing through!  Watch out.  I was incredibly tired after 2 bad nights of sleep, and with contractors hijacking my garage I couldn't get to my barbell or weights for Deadliftapalooza.  So I took my jump rope and 73lb T-bell. 5 minutes of jump rope to warm up various stretching for 10 mins t-bell swings:  2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10  (50 total) hindu pushups x 10 back bridge pushups x 10 3 mins rope down dog - cobra pose x 5 each t-bell swings:  2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10  (50 total) hand stands for longest time x 5 plank wall walk (feet on wall):  3 x ~15 feet hindu pushups x 10 back bridge pushups x 10 feel good and loose now.  

You know what I love?  Strength, conditioning, and agility.  You know what I hate?  Cardio and dieting. Cardio is the most mind numbing activity I can think of, especially when done on a machine. But for whatever reason, I chose to do 45 minutes of recumbent bike today.  Nothing brings out my ADD like sitting still doing something that isn't a mental challenge. So I did my 45 minutes and vowed never to do that again.  From here on out, my "cardio" will be conditioning.  Stuff that gets me funny looks but works like nothing else.  Mobility  / Agility drills that will force my body through ranges of motion I haven't used since fight training. I'll call it Cirque du Gros Homme

I missed Friday's workout, but Monday was solid.  I started the session with 7 minutes in the sauna and was sweating profusely.  I take a gallon of water with me to training sessions, so I was never dehydrated. front squat:  145x15; 165x10; 95x12 wide grip bent row:  105x10; 125x8; 145x6 bench press:  165x10; 195x8; 205x6 v-grip pulldown:  130 x 10,10,10 dips:  BW x 5, 5, 6 decline situp:  BW x 12, 12, 12 skipped arms.  :( back to the sauna for 10 minutes, finished my gallon of water.

Took the new 28 pounder out and threw for about an hour while my son skated. 

Hot day in the parking lot today. jump rope:  3 mins deadlift 135x10 185x10 225x10 275x5 315x5 + 5 singles 375 x 10 singles

My ability to adhere to an aggressive schedule is pretty much nil at the moment.  3-on / 1-off is still the most productive split I've ever followed, but damned if I can find 3 days in a row to train.  Daughter needs to go here, son needs to go there, extended family events, wife and I get a rare afternoon to get out of town....... So my scheduling gland has atrophied.  I am not secreting the "find time to train" hormone.  Consequently, I am going to the over-used, under-performing Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule. Framework for the next month is: Monday: whole-body - medium loading Wednesday: deadlift till I crumble while my daughter is in roller derby practice Friday: whole body - light loading Monday was a good full body day: treadmill:  5 mins to get the stank flowing bench press:  155x10; 185x8; 195x6 (easy) front squat:  135x15; 155x10; 95x20 (everything easy but the last set) wide grip bent row to chest: 95x10; 115x8; 135x6 (easy)...

I'm loving the Wednesday evening workout in the parking lot behind my daughter's roller derby building.  since she practices for 2 hours, I can really get after it and feel no pressure for time. Deadlift: 135 x 10 185 x 10 225 x 10 275 x 5 315 x 5; 10 singles 365 x 10 singles Farmer's walk: 90lbs per arm:  4 x 50 yards

I'm still just having fun and building momentum.  Nothing planned today, so I went to Lake Pflugerville and alternated 1/4 mile jogs with 1/4 mile walks.  I completed all 3 miles, so it works out to: 6 x 1/4 mile jog 6 x 1/4 mile walk I have been training in New Balance MT20BY2 shoes and there is no cushioning whatsoever.  Wearing them every day for walking shopping, or errands has helped strengthen my feet, calves, and shins.  Had I not done this first, I'd never have been able to run in them today. Great shoes.  I highly recommend them.

Even though it was mother's day, my daughter's roller derby team has practice, so i had another opportunity to train in the parking lot behind the loading docks. walking lunges by 50 (PAINFUL) 30" box jump x 15 3 Med Ball explosive circuits a. straight slam x 10 b. rotational throw left x 5 c. rotational throw right x 5 d. right arm shot put x 5 e. left arm shot put x 5 f. chest pass x 10 g. backward throw for height x 5 73lb t-bell swing x 15 40lb kettlebell high pull left x 10 40lb kettlebell high pull right x 10 1-arm pushup right x 5 1-arm pushup left x 5 tricep pushup x 5 tire sled drag: +45lb 4 trips x 40 yards 

Life changes all the time, and when it does you have to change with it.  I've been going through some minor changes to routine, schedule, and family stuff - all of which have thrown me off my plan. Well, I'm not one to let stuff like that derail me.  It may temporarily slow me down, but I never come to a stop.  I call it my flywheel theory.  As long as I keep a littlest bit of inertia, I can overcome a loss in velocity and never quite stall. All that said, I had to change gyms as my wife left her job at 24HR, so I'll be training at home once again. I actually prefer home training for a number of reasons.  Now to break the news to my training partner.  :(

I had a brief training session on Tuesday. A. Incline dumbbell curls:  30s x 5, 5, 5, 6, 5 B. Plank step-out:  x 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 Bench press:  135 x 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1  (55 total reps in about 5 mins or less.  I am still incredibly sore.) Wednesday was interesting.   Since my daughter is in Roller Derby and practice runs from 6:30 to 8:30, I have to train in the empty parking lot.  I competely smoked myself yesterday. 12lb med ball circuit: a. slam:  4 x 10 b. right arm throw:  4 x 5 c. left arm throw:  4 x 5 d. wall ball:  4 x 5 e. weight over bar:  4 x 5 tire sled drag:  10 x 50 yards  This one killed me.  I'm dead.  I wrote this from the beyond A. 73lb t-bell swing:  10,9,8,7,6 B. 73lb t-bell goblet squat:  10,9,8,7,6

Man, I'm happy with my progress thus far in 2013.  I threw against 7 other guys and came in 3rd.  I had some big increases in most throws, and fell apart on others. Braemar stone: 26', 9.5"  -  added 2 feet to my PR Open stone:  30', 4.5"  -  same.  need technique work Heavy WFD:  18' 11"   - dropped a foot, but clearly have 22 in my near future! Light WFD:   41' 1"  -  shit the bed.  I over thought it and never got my feet under me for any of these throws.  I have 50+ in me Heavy hammer:  58' 5"  -  another bed shitting.   Light hammer: 74' 6"  -  same as ever, but I had one throw at 86' 1" that didn't count because I stepped over the fault line (AKA Trig).  That's a 12' increase in my normal distance. Caber:  12:45   -  not bad Sheaf:  18'  -   Judge said once I get a little form I'll be throwing 24'.  Can't wait till that...

4th cycle through these training sessions.  Maintaining 3 on, 1 off is becoming difficult due to work and family commitments, but I'm still getting through all 3 sessions, just taking longer than 4 days. 10 min on recumbent bike Superset: a. incline dumbbell curls:  30s x 8,6,6,6,6 b. plank step-out:   x 10,10,10,10,10 EZ bar reverse curl: 45 x 10,10,10,10,10 Dips:  34 total pushups: 34 total overhead press:  115 x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5