Gatti's log

[cjgatti]

5.30.2007

Strength:
- 2 DB walking lunges (30 x 2, 25# DBs)
- 2 DB SLDL (15 x 2, 50# DBs)
- Leg lifts (15 x 2)
- Reverse hypers (15 x 2)
- 2 DB farmer’s walk (~200ft x 1, 50# DBs)
- Dips (30)
- Jump rope (1min x 4)
- HS hold (1.5min)
- Abs

Workout time: 0.8hrs

Today was a day off…but I went to the gym. I was sitting all day, falling asleep toward the end of the day, so I needed to get going. I managed to constrain my workout and didn’t let it snowball; just a bunch of stuff with no rests. So, it felt good just to get moving and wake up a bit.

[cjgatti]

5.31.2007

HB:
- Warmup
- Rybalko to mixed grip
- Dbl lay 1/1
- Yamawaki (vault catch) – good action from bottom through to throw, missing something on the first part a little though
- Half-tak (low bar)
- 10 skill GPP sequence (skill values, in sequence = B, C, C x 2, B x 2, B, A, A, C)
- 1 arm gienger – testing out the swing on the first (no catch), caught the second one

Tramp:
- Ballouts
- Ballout rudi, ballout 2/1
- Dbl ballouts

- Something resembling strength sequence on rings (1)
- Dips (30 x 1)
- HS hold (90sec)
- Shoulder prehab

Workout time: 1.5hrs

Had a really good, though quick, workout today. My ‘rest’ day yesterday showed today; I had real good energy, I wasn’t sore, and everything on high bar and tramp felt easier and tighter that usual. Maybe the energy was due to the fact that I was trying to keep my workout to 1.5hrs while trying to get in everything I wanted. Got a lot done on high bar, lots of different skills. The yamawaki and half-tak are under construction, but all the others felt easy. The sequences were tiring again, though I had more pep on the dismount. Tramp was good…flippy, nimble, and quick. Yay for my ‘lunchbreak’ workout.

[cjgatti]

6.1.2007

HB:
- Warmup – kinda dead and loose…good indicator of the workout
- Dbl quast - got my hand on the bar on 3 of 5, no catches though
- Stalder fulls (low bar) – missing something on these, maybe trying too hard

Strength:
- SR: kip maltese (spotted) (4sec x 4)
- SR: cross (4sec x 4, bw)
- SR: [kip L (3sec), press hs thru str planche, slow lower thru str planche] (x2)
- PB: straight-straights (2 x 4) – real good position
- HSPU (10 x 2, bw) – first set close grip, wide on second set
- Pullups (10 x 2, bw) – first set close grip, wide on second set
- Dips (40 x 1)

- Jump rope (1min x 2)
- HS hold (90sec)
- Shoulder prehab

Workout time: 2.25hrs

I was kinda dead heading into workout, but unlike most days, it didn’t really wear off. Warmup on high bar was kinda sluggish and dead. That may have been due to hot hands which kinda makes you put your tail between your legs and curl up into a little ball…figuratively speaking. Anyway, I tried some double quasts which I haven’t done in a week or so. They were okay, a little off, but I didn’t catch any. I think I need new set of grips and a new set of hands.

Strength, on the other hand, was actually pretty good. I didn’t have a predefined workout heading in today (today was more of a transition workout until next week), and just kinda put something together as I went. Maybe that was a good thing, in that I couldn’t psych myself out by thinking about it too much. Kip malteses felt good and strong, crosses were pretty easy, and the straight-straights were bona fide straight-straights.

Oh well, gotta have some bad days to have good days.

[hard_rox]

Originally Posted by cjgatti

1 arm gienger – testing out the swing on the first (no catch), caught the second one

Gatti,

Is this what you're doing? Holy shit the entire side of my body hurts just watching that!! A one arm giant is amazing enough. Doing a catch is unthinkable.

[cjgatti]

Yeah, but I normally catch with two arms (like this one), which makes it much easier on the shoulders. Although, I did play around with that one day...I did a one arm gienger, caught with one arm, right into another one. Considering health is up there on my list of goals, I haven't tried it since.

Another cool trick is a Kohlman (full twisting kovacs, the first release move in this video...it's in slow-mo later in the clip). I used to catch it with one arm by accident...I was trying to catch with two, only one got on. After the first one I caught like that, I expected it in the future, so the next ones I caught with one arm were real smooth and I worked out of them easy.

[cjgatti]

6.2.2007

Strength:
- SR: [kip L, planche (5sec), hollow support hold (20sec)] (x 1)
- SR: [kip L, pike press, back kip L, straddle press, muscle up L, hollowback, hollow support hold (10sec)] (x 2)
- SR: [muscle up L, straddle planche (5sec), straddle press (20sec), hollow support hold (20sec)] (x 2)
- HSPU (10 x 2) – first set close (~12”), second set wide
- Rope climb (1 x 2) – nice long 1 arm eccentrics on the way down

- Deadlifts (quick pulls) (5 x 3, 215#)
- Clean and press (5 x 2, 115#)
- 2 DB walking lunges (24 x 2, 30# DBs)
- Leg lifts (12 x 2)

- Jump rope (1min x 4)
- HS hold (1.5min)
- Dips (30)
- Shoulder prehab
- Foam roller (glutes, ITBs, hip flexors, lumbar/thoracic spine)

Workout time: 1.75hrs

Pretty good workout today. I tried to combine last month’s supplemental ring workout with my leg workouts; I modified a few exercises and cut down the volume basically…took the biggest bang-for-your-buck exercises I guess. This may become my Tuesday and Friday workouts for June, although I may up the intensity or volume here and there (I went a little lighter today because I know tomorrow will be much harder).

Chris Shugart says (something to the tune of) your time in the gym should enhance your life, and not take away from it. While that statement may apply to me, that’s a topic for another day. However, I feel it’s just as applicable to my leg workout; my leg workouts should enhance my gymnastics workouts (i.e. my main goals), and not take away from them. By combining the supplemental ring and leg workouts, I think that will force me to limit my leg volume, which is something I’ve struggled with. If this works, although I’ll kinda miss those long volume leg days, I’ll like the fact that I devote energy to other gymnastics-specific stuff and become more efficient.

On another note, I’ve noticed that with like 5 minutes of posting my workout, I get booted from the first page in the training forum. Good for all you guys.

[cjgatti]

6.3.2007

Strength:
- SR: kip maltese (attempt, no spot) (3)
- SR: maltese (ring belt) (5sec x 5, -17.5#)
- SR: cross pull (attempt, ring belt) (1 x 2, -17.5#)
- SR: cross pull (high, ring belt) (4 x 2, -17.5#)
- SR: cross hold (6sec x 2, bw)
- SR: back lever bouncing thinga-ma-jiggies (10 x 2)

- PB: straight-straights (3, 2, 2, 2)
- Maltese DB press (5 x 4, 30# each)
- BB close-grip bench (5 x 4, 165#; 17 x 1, 135#)

- Treadmill (10min, ave speed: 7.5mph)
- HS hold (90sec)
- Shoulder prehab
- Foam roller (glutes, ITBs, hip flexors, lumbar/thoracic spine)

Workout time: 2hrs

Wow, really good workout today. I was slightly sore from yesterday, however that didn’t seem to affect my intensity at all today. I tried some kip malteses on my own for the first time in maybe 2 years. They were promising; the first two had solid pauses in the maltese, but the third one wasn’t so much a pause (but not a plummet). When I get spotted by on those, everyone says they are doing practically nothing, however it’s that ‘practically nothing’ that is the hardest to get. Also, I feel like there’s a really heavy mental brick (i.e. block) when going from a spot to own your own. Still, I think sticking with these is what I need most right now. Everything was really good as well. I jumped on the treadmill at the end, which is the first time I’ve done cardio in a while (aside from the run at home). I guess I’ll stick with that for a while, not so much for cutting or dropping weight, but more just to include another form of fitness in my training.

Time for some curds and whey.

[cjgatti]

6.4.2007

HB:
- Warmup
- Kovacs – good day on these for being dead, caught 1/3
- Yamawaki – worked on first part of tap…getting better
- Jam work (low bar)
- 10 skill GPP sequence (skill values, in sequence = B, C, C x 2, B x 2, B, A, A, C)

SR:
- Lockarms (back)
- Inlocate, lockarm (front)
- Whip-its

- HS hold (2min)
- Shoulder prehab
- Foam roller (glutes, ITBs, hip flexors, lumbar/thoracic spine)

Workout time: 1.75hr

I was really dead today which was probably due to yesterday’s workout. Everything was a struggle today; I think every fast twitch fiber in my body shut down. Still, I made something of it, worked though things, and took something away. I keep reminding myself to put the swing workouts before the strength workouts, but I don’t know why I don’t listen.

My right knee is hurting, but I don’t know if it’s from sitting so much or the run yesterday. I’ll probably figure that out tomorrow or the day after. I think tomorrow is a rest day.

[cjgatti]

6.6.2007

Strength:
- SR: [kip L, really open pike press, hollow support hold (20sec)] (x1) – almost a straight-straight
- SR: [kip L, planche (5sec), hollow support hold (20sec)] (x 2)
- SR: [kip L, pike press, back kip L, straddle press, muscle up L, hollowback, hollow support hold (10sec)] (x 2)
- SR: [muscle up L, straddle planche (3sec), press hs from planche (20sec), hollow support hold (20sec)] (x 2)
- SR: maltese (ring belt) (8sec x 4, -25#)
- SR: [invert (5sec), cross (3sec), cross pullout] (x 4, -25#)

- SR: [muscle up (8), support hold (20 sec)] (x 2)
- HSPU (10 x 2) – first set close (~12”), second set wide
- Rope climb (1 x 2)

- HS hold (1.5min)
- Dips (40)
- Horizontal pullups (10 x 2)
- Shoulder prehab
- Foam roller (glutes, ITBs, hip flexors, lumbar/thoracic spine)

Workout time: 1.5hrs

Nice morning workout today. Strength felt good and most things are improving and/or getting easier. I wrapped my knee today and it’s feeling a little better, although it’s still kinda unstable with any varus/vaglus or torsion load. I can only think that it was the run on Sunday that did it, although I didn’t feel anything significant…maybe just the cumulative stress. Oh well, on the mend…hopefully.

[cjgatti]

6.7.2007

HB:
- Basics

SR:
- Basics

- HS hold (2min)
- Shoulder prehab

Workout time: 1.5hrs

Had a shorter and less intense workout today due to time constraints and because I am still a little weary of my knee. It was…um, informative though, in that I could use a little work on the smaller, less flashy skills. I was also playing around with some other skills which highlighted some deficiencies (i.e., wrist supination and shoulder flexibility). Anyway, hopefully a more normal workout tomorrow.

[hard_rox]

It's funny hearing a 1.5 hr workout is on the "shorter" side compared to most people's exercise regime.

You've never mentioned the pommel horse in your training log. Is that something you don't really enjoy? I'm assuming that was an event you involved with during your college years.

[cjgatti]

Originally Posted by hard_rox

You've never mentioned the pommel horse in your training log. Is that something you don't really enjoy? I'm assuming that was an event you involved with during your college years.

Right now I do what doesn't hurt (for the most part). I trained and competed all six events up until my junior year of college (2004). In July of 2000, I had my left ulna shortened because it was crushing some things in my wrist. With that procedure, they put in a metal plate to rejoin the ulna that they cut in half. I came back well from that one and could still swing pommel horse for another two years or so (with manageable pain). In May of 2002, I had to have the same procedure done on the right arm. This time, my arm healed much slower. I tried to continue pommel horse after that, but the pain wasn't worth the payoff. The metal plates redistribute the stresses in the bones and gives me some real bad forearm splints. So, that was the end of pommels. I was alright when I did compete pommels, nothing great, but I loved the fact that it was such a tough event. It could kick your ass day in and day out, but every once in a while, you'd kick its ass.

As for the other events, it's the same deal...I stick to what doesn't hurt and keeps me healthy. I had some stress fractures in L4-L5 during my fifth year (2005) and was told not to do floor and vault for a while (also the reason for the timid leg strength numbers). I play around every now and then, but the time off made a big dent. Parallel bars is the same as with pommels; the support swings put too much pressure on my forearms.

High bar and rings primarily put tensile forces on my forearms, which the plates respond much better to. High bar does require a lot of supination though, which definitely hurts. The plates have also negatively affected my grip strength (although it's getting better from focusing on it), which in turn, affects my overall strength. With a neutral wrist posture, my grip strength is good, but is much weaker with flexion and extension, not to mention trying to keep a strong grip while moving through flexion or extension. But, for the most part, these are the events that I can handle.

[cjgatti]

6.8.2007

HB:
- Warmup
- Rybalko to mixed
- Blind, full piros to mixed
- Full-and-half turns
- Jams (low bar)

Strength:
- SR: kip maltese (attempt, unspotted)
- SR: kip maltese (spotted) (4sec x 4)
- SR: cross (4sec x 4, bw)
- SR: [L (3sec), press hs thru str planche, slow lower thru str planche] (x2)
- PB: straight-straights (2 x 4) – last one real ugly
- HSPU (10 x 2, bw) – first set close grip, second set wide grip
- Pullups (10 x 2, bw) – first set close grip, second set wide grip
- Dips (40 x 1)

- HS hold (90sec)
- Shoulder prehab

Workout time: 2.1hrs

Pretty good workout today. High bar was a technical day and I made some good changes here and there. Strength was real good; everything felt good and strong. I was surprised that my grip strength was so good and strong considering my forearms were hurting a lot from high bar.

[hard_rox]

Originally Posted by cjgatti

Right now I do what doesn't hurt (for the most part).

I figured it was wrist-related, but thought I'd ask. Didn't even think about not being able to do the p-bars. Bad wrists, bum shoulders, iffy back, yikes. When they say gymnastics takes its toll on the body they're not kidding.

[cjgatti]

Originally Posted by hard_rox

Bad wrists, bum shoulders, iffy back, yikes. When they say gymnastics takes its toll on the body they're not kidding.

That's about half of the major problems I've had.

Also, that's also another reason why so many guys are done, and happy to be done, after college, and why so few continue on after college.

[cjgatti]

6.9.2007

Strength:
- SR: [kip L, planche (5sec), hollow support hold (20sec)] (x 1)
- SR: [kip L, pike press, back kip L, pike press, muscle up L, straddle press, hollow support hold (10sec)] (x 2) – added second pike press, replaced hollowback with straddle press
- SR: [muscle up L, straddle planche (2sec), press from planche to handstand hold (20sec), hollow support hold (20sec)] (x 2)
- SR: [invert (4sec), maltese (4sec), cross (4sec)] (ring belt) (x 4, -25#)

- SLDL (10 x 3, 185#)
- Hang clean, push press (5 x 2, 115#)

- HSPU (10 x 2) – first set close (~12”), second set wide
- 2 DB walking lunges (30 x 2, 25# DBs)
- Rope climb (1 x 2) – 12 steps
- Leg lifts (10 x 2, 5# ankle weights)

- Dips (45)
- Horizontal pullups (12 x 2)
- HS hold (100sec)
- Shoulder prehab
- Foam roller (glutes, ITBs, hip flexors, lumbar/thoracic spine)

Workout time: 1.75hrs

I was kinda surprised how good my workout was today considering I did a good amount of ring strength yesterday…somehow my strength was there today. Also, I was able to work through the forearm splints I’ve gotten from so much high bar torsion work lately, and my grip strength didn’t really suffer today either. I was a little weary of the knee still, so I dropped some weight and added some reps. It felt alright, maybe a little weird afterward. All in all though, strength is going up in most places and I’m pleased.

[cjgatti]

6.10.2007

HB:
- Break in grips

- Run (~2mi, ave speed: 7.0mph)

- HS hold (90sec)
- Shoulder prehab
- Foam roller (glutes, ITBs, hip flexors, lumbar/thoracic spine)

Workout time: 1hr

Had a scheduled day off today, so I broke in some new grips and went for a run and walked all over town. I was a little weary of my knee on the run so I didn’t go all out; just enough to test it out…hopefully.

[cjgatti]

6.11.2007

HB:
- Warmup
- Kovacs – good energy on these, weary of catching due to the new grips, 3 of 4 were catchable, though only caught 1 of 4
- Yamawaki
- Jam work (low bar) – starting to be a jamming kind a guy
- 10 skill GPP sequence (skill values, in sequence = B, C, C x 2, B x 2, B, A, A, A) – easy dismount watching out for the knee

SR:
- Lockarms (back)
- Inlocate, lockarm (front)
- Front uprise drills

- HS hold (2min)
- Shoulder prehab

Workout time: 2hrs

Good workout today; had good energy and my body was pretty fresh. I was using the new grips on high bar so I didn’t have the best grip (another day and it’ll be good to go) and I was a little weary of some skills. Still, made some good progress. I had an epiphany on rings…not quite a breakthrough, but an epiphany. I suck at front uprises, so I tried to approach