A Note On Flexibility.

I read an interesting article the other day on flexibility. I will post a link when I find the piece. The crux of his argument was that if you are more flexible on one side than you are on the other and you continue to stretch both sides equally than what you are doing is maintaining the imbalance. What was suggested is that you focus on the tight side in order to even things up. I thought that was an interesting premise and I will probably try it and see what happens.

TUESDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes
DROM
V-ups 3 x 10
First day of the 18 month plan. The weights are much easier but if I stick this thing out it will get hard soon enough.
Squat - 5 @ 55/5 @ 70/5 @ 80/5 @ 90/5 @ 100/5+ @ 115 (got 10)
Press - 5 @ 30/5 @ 40/5 @ 45/5 @ 50/5 @ 55/5+ @ 65 (got 10)
Good Mornings - 3 x 10 @ 75
Pull up speed day - 10 x 3 on 1 minute with 110lbs assistance

Felt good today. The sick seems to be waning.

Exercise ADD explained

I had an epiphany this morning. I have planned to start an 18 month 5/3/1 cycle designed to get me up to a 315 squat, a 420 dead lift, a 165 press and a 225 bench. The epiphany came when I realized that I am in love with process rather than end goals because to get to a goal requires a certain amount of discomfort and work and by continually starting on something new I am able to avoid the really hard work that comes at the end.
I hate it when I discover something less than admirable about myself. Makes me think there might be other less than admirable stuff floating around that I have not confronted yet. Damn.
On to brighter things. I worked out today after a week off being sick. Things like strength and endurance go away rather quickly.

MONDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes 715 meters
DROM
Straight leg raises 3 x 10
Row easy 2K just to get moving again 9:45.6
Push ups 12/10/10/8/6
Step ups 5 x 10 with 25 lb DB to 20" box

The weights that are coming up were derived by figuring out where I want to be in 18 months and then working backward from there subtracting 10 lbs per month for lower body stuff and 5 lbs per month for upper body stuff.
That leaves me with the following starting weights for the first cycle:
Deadlift - 240
Squat - 135
OH Press - 75
Bench Press - 135
These will be the numbers that the percentages are based on.

Sick. Like Dog.

Had a good workout Tuesday, started feeling poorly in the afternoon and by Wednesday I was full on sick. It is now Friday and I am just starting to feel a little better. No exercise probably until Monday next week. The only problem with that is how to keep this blog fresh and exciting without any new workouts being posted.
Ideas for topics are always flooding into my head while I am on the rower but by the time I am done those ideas are gone. I am sure they are still around but I can't find them.
So...how are you?
Maybe some links will fill the long silence that may be coming. Some of these I have posted before but for the sake of those just joining the fun here they are:
Mark Rippetoe's site.
Dan John's site.
Catalyst Athletics site.

T-Nation. going through the archived articles can occupy a huge amount of time so be careful there.

That should keep you busy. If I think of anything pertinent or bloggable I will post it straight away.

Mary Jane. It's Time to go Now.

I spend way too much time at the gym. Is that possible? I got there at 5:30 this morning and didn't get out of there until nearly 8. What's up with that? I believe that I chat way too much. I know people down there now and they like to talk as much as I do and that adds, easily, :45 minutes to the gym time. I guess if I had something else to do I would be more conscious of the time but I don't and so I fritter away the hours. I am a fritterer (is that even a word). All I can say in my defense is, oh well.
Switched the warm up row to 5 minutes today instead of 500 meters. I felt better after that.

TUESDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 5 minutes 846 meters
DROM
V-ups 3 x 10
Squat - 5 @ 45/5 @ 65/3 @ 80/2 @ 95/3 x 5 @ 145 got these pretty easily maybe I am finally going to get this weight up to something respectable.
Press - 5 @ 45/5 @ 50/3 @ 60/2 @ 70/3 x 3 @ 105
Good morning - 3 x 10 @ 65
Pull ups 3 x max - 6/6/5 (1 more than last week)
I have been foam rolling at the gym for :15 minutes each day because if I wait to do it later I won't.

Perception V Reality

I realized today that my perception of my abilities is in no way reflective of the reality of my abilities. My PR on the 2K row to date is 7:26 and to think that I could drop nearly a minute off that time in a few months was a tad over ambitious. I have now set my sights on something a bit more realistic that being to go a sub 7 by February. I may not qualify to have the Concept 2 people fly me to Boston but it will be a significant improvement and that is now okay.
Missed Saturday so here it is
SATURDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 500 meters
DROM
Weighted sit ups 3 x 10 @ 15
Squat 5 @ 45/5 @ 65/3 @ 80/2 @ 95/3 x 5 @ 140 Hit the 140 this week so adding 5 lbs next week
Bench press 5 @ 45/5 @ 75/3 @ 90/2 @ 115/3 x 3 @ 160 trying for 3 x 5 @ 160 next week but I need to find a spotter
Push ups 16/12/10/10/8
Tabata row 94/94/93/97/93/95/96/97 avg. pace 1:45.6 avg sr 33

...and now onto the new week
MONDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 500 meters
Row sprints 9 x 1 min. with 1:30 ri
284m/1:45.6, 290m/1:43.4, 289m/1:43.8, 287m/1:44.5, 288m/1:44.1, 284m/1:45.6, 289m/1:43.8
287m/1:44.5, 296m/1:41.3
The goal on all these was to go below race pace which I did for all but 2 of them.
DROM
Straight leg raise 3 x 10 slow and controlled
Push ups 16/14/10/10/10

I saw someone doing very slow and controlled toes to bar today for sets and I hated him.
(propriety dictates that I inform you that I did not really hate him I was just envious of his mastery)
Barbell row 3 x 5 @115

Plans versus Goals

A guy I know in Sunnyvale California says, "If you don't have a plan you're an idiot." I agree with him entirely. Then there are goals. Goals, to me, are finite they have a stopping point which, in my opinion, limits you. I am process oriented, which may account for why I don't finish things, I enjoy the process of getting somewhere without the added baggage of having a destination. Without a destination you can never get lost. This may appear to be a rambling approach but I have had success with it. I get places and although it may not be the place I thought I would end up it is always interesting and fun and interesting and fun is what this journey is all about.
FRIDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 500 meters
Row 5 x 500 with 1 minute rest 1:48.5/1:46.7/1:56.6/1:57.3/1:51
I was trying for an average pace of 1:45 to 1:50. Didn't quite make it
DROM
Weighted pull ups 3 x 3 with 25lbs
Farmers Walk 3 trips with 50 lb dumbbells (not sure how far the trips were)
Reverse Hyper - 5/8/10 tried working on breathing under tension and it came out okay now maybe we can get these up to 3 x 10

Try adding in Farmers walks to your program as a finisher and watch your grip strength go off the map.
See you tomorrow.

That Putin Fellow

Hopefully the Russians will get this Putin business out of the way and get back to the truly important things in life like reading my blog. Good luck.

THURSDAY'S WORKOUT
Row 500 meters
DROM
Back extension 3 x 10
Squat - 5 @ 45/5 @ 65/3 @ 80/2 @ 95/3 x 5 @ 140
Deadlift - 5 @ 135/5 @ 155/3 @ 170/2 @ 205/5 @ 295 (this is 7 lbs more than my previous 5 rep max)
Barbell row - 3 x 5 @ 110
Push ups - 16/12/10/10/8

A good day overall. The squats felt strong. The deadlifts felt good. (as good as a deadlift can feel) and the pushups went well.
See you tomorrow.