In and Out. That's What it's All About.

Short. (mercifully so) and then work rears its ugly head.

THURSDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
Dead lift 5 @ 110/5 @ 135/5 @ 160/3 @ 190/3 @ 215/3+ @ 245 (got 8)
Circuit:
Push ups 3 x 16
Ab wheel 3 x 5
Step ups 3 x 10 with 45lb DBs

FRIDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
Bench 5 @ 60/5 @ 75/5 @ 90/3 @ 105/3 @ 120/3+ @ 135 (got 8)
Circuit:
Dips 3 x 6
Floor wipers 3 x 8 @ 100
did some rowing today 5 x 100 with 30 seconds rest


...and away we go.

P Day right here in River City

Bad sleep. Bad nutrition and the body just says no. I planned on 30 minutes on the bike (made 22). I planned on 3 sets of 6 dips (made 1 set of 3. I could go on and on but I won't.
WEDNESDAY'S WORKOUT
Bike 22 minutes. 5 x 45 seconds out of saddle accelerations on 2:30.
A bunch of junk.
...and home.
I've got to go to the dentist today. Of all the things in the world that I hate I think the dentist is top 5.

The Long Dark Tunnel.

That's what it looks like from here. No light, cold, uninviting. At the end of this tunnel, not in sight, is me, doing 20 good pull ups. That is going to happen before I die or I will die trying. I added halos, windmills and goblet squats to the warm up today and they seem to help. I am going to try to do movement oriented flexibility work and foam rolling and not do any stretching for a week or so and see what happens. The fun is in using your body as a lab. Trying things just to see. Like jumping off of a cliff into a deep, dark pool of water, there might be something down there or there might not. One way you're impaled the other way you have a hell of a lot of fun.

TUESDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
Press 2 x 5 @ 45/5 @ 55/3 @ 65/3 @ 75/3+ @ 85 (got 8)

Circuit:
Pull ups 3 x 6
Back ext 3 x 10 with 10 lbs

Post Post

After the post post or 3 days later etc etc. It may appear that I am rambling incoherently but that is not the case. The words are organized and concise just slightly out of order. An easy fix, two more cups of coffee. I am becoming obsessed with Kettlebells they seem like such fun.

SATURDAY'S WORKOUT
Run 400 meters easy
DROM
Run 3 miles 34 minutes and 54 seconds
Circuit:
Pull ups 6/6/5
Ab wheel 3 x 5
Box jumps 3 x 5 to 24"

MONDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
Squat 5 @ 65/5 @ 85/5 @ 100/3 @ 115/3 @ 130/3+ @ 150 (got 5) I shouldn't have stopped but I didn't have a spotter and I don't want to dump a squat at 24 hr Fitness.
Circuit:
Push ups 3 x 16
Ab wheel 3 x 5
Swings 3 x 10 @ 35 (seemed light today)

And now I go. Off into the rain and wind, or maybe just another pleasant SoCal winter day.

While Driving Home.

Now there's a catchy title. So there I was driving along, minding my own business thinking about breathing through my nose as a self-limiter during endurance activities and all of a sudden like a bolt of lightening out of a clear blue sky I started hating the CF'ers again. They have these gyms and these people, an amazing resource for experimentation and development and all they do is CF. What a waste.

FRIDAY'S WORKOUT
Bike 30 minutes
I was breathing through my nose and doing sprints and out of the saddle work but only until I couldn't maintain it and still breathe through my nose. I would then recover and do it again.
DROM
Bench 5 @ 60/5 @ 75/5 @ 90/5 @ 100/5 @ 115/5+ @ 130 (got 10)
Circuit:
Push ups 3 x 15
Floor wipers 3 x 7 @ 100
Farmer's walk 3 x 40yds with 85lb DBs

Breathing through your nose was an idea I first encountered in a book called Body, Mind and Sport I haven't thought about it in years but Pavel and Dan John brought it up in their book Easy Strength. I like the concept.

That's a Bloody Stupid Idea.

Right at the beginning of the ab wheel part of the circuit I realized that straight leg raises in a support position and ab wheels are not a good combination. This is the 2 x 4 learning method that works best with thick headed louts like me. Take a 2 x 4 and crack it across the head of the student. that will get their attention then you may impart the lesson.
I keep having to explain to people why I don't wear a lifting belt when I do sub maximal lifts. It is a crutch and you can come to rely on the belt for support and then when you need that support and you don't have the belt you are compromised.
I took yesterday off.

THURSDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
Dead lift 5 @ 110/5 @ 135/5 @ 160/5 @ 175/5 @ 205/5+ @ 230 (got 10)
Circuit:
Dips 6/5/5
SLR 3 x 9
Ab wheel 3 x 5

...und das ist alles.

Pain, Failure, Nausea.

...or something like that. I hit 140 for 10 on my squat today and I am almost happy enough to put a sideways happy face in, but not quite. A quote:
"If you want pain, learn Muay Thai. If you want to learn about failure, play golf. If you want to vomit, drink syrup of ipecac. If you want to become stronger and more fit, train appropriately."
That's from Easy Strength by Dan John and Pavel.
Are ya hearin' this CF'ers.

TUESDAY"S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DEOM
Press 5 @ 45/5 @ 45/5 @ 55/5 @ 60/5 @ 70/5+ @ 80 (got 10)
Squat (makeup for yesterday) 5 @ 65/5 @ 85/5 @ 100/5 @ 110/5 @ 125/5+ @ 140 (got 10)
Circuit:
Pull ups 6/6/5
Back ext. 3 x 10 with 10lb plate
Step ups 3 x 10 to 12" box with 2 45lb plates
1:30 RI
Cut the size of the box down this week. Not quite sure why but it felt better on my knees.

Where ya been?

Not here that's for sure. Laziness got in the way again. I got a new book called Easy Strength by Dan John and Pavel and it is really good. Five thumbs up. That is the highest rating a book can get.
Making up:

FRIDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
Bench 5 @ 65/5 @ 75/5 @ 85
Bike 35 minutes
(I did the biking in a spinning class and that was worse than doing it by myself)
Circuit:
Push ups 3 x 14
Floor wiper 3 x 6 @ 100
Farmer walk 3 x 40yds with 80 lb DBs

SATURDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5K 25:30.2
DROM
Circuit:
Pull ups 6/5/5
Ab wheel 3 x 5
Pistol squats 3 x 5ea to a 24" box

MONDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
Run 3 x 400 meter hills 20 minutes total
Squat 5 @ 65/5 @ 85/5 @ 100
Squats called because of some weird knee pain. I was just standing there minding my own business and my knee started to hurt. I tried one more squat but the pain didn't go away so I stopped.
Circuit:
Push ups 3 x 15
Ab wheel 3 x 5
Weight swings 3 x 10 @ 35
I might just start calling these swings KB swings so I don't have to keep making up a name for them everytime I use a different type of weight. Eventually I will get an actual kettlebell.

Over Under

Started playing around with some freerunning moves today. It involved using the Smith machine for the only valid purpose to which a Smith machine should be used. I set the bar at about knee height and then went around the back grabbed the top bar and swung my legs through. I worked on landing light and clearing the bar. I considered raising the bar but realized, in time, that doing that would set me up for an epic fail.

THURSDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
Deadlift 5 @ 105/5 @ 130/5 @ 155

Circuit:
Dips 3 x 5
SLR 3 x 8
Bar rows 3 x 10

One of the guys at the gym is a freerunner and he has been showing me some things. It is as much fun as I though it would be.

Going, going, gone

My audience is dwindling. It is perhaps the lack of quality content that is driving them away. Maybe I should begin to think about beefing this thing up. I am about a month away from getting the O.P.W.A. (Old People With Attitude) site up and running. So I hope you all will stay with me.

WEDNESDAY'S WORKOUT

Swim 10 x 100 on 3 minutes
Focused on form and efficiency. When the stroke rate went up and I became less efficient the time went up as well. The good ones felt easy and were fast and the bad ones felt clumsy and were slow.
That'll teach me.

Au travail, Au travail, Au travail Aujord Hui

In my embryonic french that is to work, to work, to work today. Short and sweet (or not so).

TUESDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
Press 5 @ 45/5 @ 50/5 @ 55

Circuit:
Pull ups 6/5/4
Back ext. 3 x 10
Step ups 3 x 10 with 45 lb plates to a 20" box

Au Revoir.

There He Goes Again.

They are everywhere. Each gym is exactly the same as the one that came before it. They all teach exactly the same thing. They have a mix of good and bad trainers. One would think that I am talking about corporate big box gyms but I am not. I am talking about corporate small box gyms. Otherwise known as crossfit gyms. There are now more CF gyms in my immediate area then all of the 24 hour fitness, LA fitness and Bally's combined.
Just thought I would point that out.
MONDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
Run 30 minutes increasing elevation fro 2 degrees to 10 degrees and speed from 3mph to 4 mph. More of a walk than a run.
DROM
Squat (backoff week) 5 @ 60/5 @ 80/5 @ 95
These felt good.
Circuit:
Push ups 3 x 15
V-ups 3 x 10
Box jumps 3 x 5 to 24" + 1 plate

I turned 57 years old today.
Oh well.

I Run Therefore I Am

Decided to do Saturdays outdoors. Went to the track today. Ran 2.5 miles in 28:56 not a spectacular time but nearly 10 minutes faster than the 2 miles I ran last week. So this week I do not hate running quite as much.

SATURDAY'S WORKOUT
Run 400 meters easy
DROM
Run 2.5 miles 28:56

Circuit:
Pull ups 3 x 5
Plank :30 left/:60 front/:30 right
Walking lunge 3 x 20 steps

I do love the track early in the morning.

To Run or Not to Run.

I was pondering this morning. Trying to figure out if I should use the lifting I am doing as the strength component of an endurance sports program or use the swim, bike, run as the conditioning component of a lifting program. I am inclined to go with the latter as I really like lifting. As with most things that come up here I will keep you posted. If I remember. I am prone to forgetfulness these days.

FRIDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
Bench 5 @ 60/5 @ 75/5 @ 85/5 @ 110/3 @ 125/1+ @ 140 (got 10)
I have to make sure that I keep pushing the last sets on these.
Circuit:
Push ups 3 x 14
Floor wipers 3 x 5 with 95
Farmer's walk 3 x 40 yds with 80 lb DB
I might stick with 80 next week because they were a tad taxing.

Always Twirling, Twirling, Twirling Towards Strength

Took yesterday off from the gym and did 5 rounds of 20 push ups/20 sit ups/20 squats with a 4 minute RI.
It felt good and was fun.

THURSDAY'S WORKOUT
Bike 30 minutes with 5 x 30 second accelerations with a 2 minute RI and 2 x 2 minute out of saddle intervals thrown in.
DROM
Deadlift 5 @ 105/5 @ 130/5 @ 155/5 @ 195/3 @ 220/1+ @ 245 (got 10)
Circuit:
Dips 5/5/4
SLR 3 x 7 (did these on the dip bar which made it a tad harder.)
Bar row 3 x 10

Slowly getting things ready for the launch of the Old People With Attitude website. Hopefully have that up and running by the end of April. I will keep you posted.

Not CF Approved.

I guess I'm going through a phase. I really dislike crossfit now mostly because I feel like a fool for having fallen for the party line for so long. I am purging. Today I did :30 minutes on the elliptical and I really liked it. Is it redundant to write :30 and then put the word minutes after it. Does that mean 30 minutes minutes?

TUESDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
Press 5 @ 45/5 @ 45/5 @ 50/5 @ 65/3 @ 75/1+ @ 85 (got 10)
Circuit:
Pull ups 3 x 5
Back ext. 3 x 10
Step ups 3 x 8 to a 20" box with 45 lb plates
1:30 RI
Elliptical :30 (the one with the arm things that is kind of like cross country skiing.)
I do so wish this gym had a Versa Climber.

More, More, More.

Another interesting piece on Crossfit Endurance and its claims on the Science of Running Blog. The arguments against CF just keep piling up and the kool ade crowd just plug their ears, close their eyes and say Lalalalalala really loud.
I decided to put the swim off until this afternoon and see how that works out.
MONDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
Squat 5 @ 60/5 @ 80/5 @ 95/5 @ 115/3 @ 130/1+ @ 145 (got 3)
Circuit:
Push ups 3 x 14
V-ups 3 x 10
Box jumps 3 X 5 to 24"

I missed Saturday so here it is.
SATURDAY'S WORKOUT
Run 2 miles at the track
Circuit:
Pull ups 3 x 5
Plank 3 x :45 seconds (went Right side, Left side and Front. the side ones are really hard)
Walking lunge steps 3 x 20
Meanwhile back at the gym.
I went to the gym to do squats but didn't get very far.
Box Squats 5 @ 45/5 @ 55/5 @ 65

I'll let you know how the swim thing works out.

They're Back.

Another bloody tweak. Went through my whole workout today and felt great except for the running. I truly hate running. Got home, started breakfast and was taking the top off of the blender and all of a sudden I got this pain, sharp like a knife, in my shoulder. Out of nowhere. It is an example of Things That Hurt for No Apparent Reason. It will probably be gone by tomorrow.

FRIDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
Run/walk 30 minutes. Did a 4 mph walk thing adding 1 degree of elevation every 2 minutes for 10 minutes.
Bench 5 @ 60/5 @ 75/5 @ 80/3 @ 100/3 @ 115/3+ @ 130 (got 10)
Circuit:
Push ups 3 x 13
Floor wipers 3 x 5 @ 95
Farmer's walk 3 x 40yds with 70lb DBs

Other than the damn shoulder thing a good day.

Fun, Fun , Fun Til Daddy Takes the Weight Plates Away.

A good time was had by all at the gym today. I do enjoy lifting and stuff. Saw a good piece on Hip Anteversion today. Well worth the read.

THURSDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
Deadlift 5 @ 105/5 @ 130/5 @ 155/3 @ 180/3 @ 210/3+ @ 235 (got 10)

Circuit:
Dips 5/4/4
SLR 3 x 6 (slow)
Rows 3 x 10

And that is it for today. 10 minutes of stretching and 10 minutes of foam rolling after.