Ya know, not that I was going to skip out, but I've been poo-pooing my track workout planned for later this afternoon. It's sunny and approaching 95F, I didn't get enough sleep last night, and I'm having a fat day Then I watched this:
Now, I'm not one for inspiration, but even so, I really do need to just shut up and go. As soon as I'm off work (now THAT is a legitimate excuse).
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My Movember page (yes, I'm slacking on pictures)
I was speaking specifically of Michael. I'm sure he has a field day with the innuendo that golf brings about, and goodness knows baseball ain't far behind.
__________________ No Magic Pill (the log)
My Movember page (yes, I'm slacking on pictures)
I was speaking specifically of Michael. I'm sure he has a field day with the innuendo that golf brings about, and goodness knows baseball ain't far behind.
Agree. But then you can take innuendo to a whole new level when you start talking about cricket (the sport).
Notes:
--The 800m reps weren't nearly as bad as I expected them to be. I guess that says something for general conditioning (and not that much at that).
--The 50m wind sprints were pure Roland.
--The core circuit was nowhere close to what I'd planned:
Quote:
Turkish get-up @ cinder block weight, 5 per side
DL twist @ cinder block weight, 6 per side
V-ups x 5
I have enough strength and mobility in my shoulders to handle the weight of a cinder block, but stability is obviously an issue as evidenced by the fun and games I had with one-arm DB snatches last week, so I opted for something that targeted shoulder stability and still hit my core to a degree (after managing one wobbly Turkish get-up per side first). The DL twists could've gone for more reps, but I was seriously considering throwing up as I was outside in direct sunlight at 90F+ for the entire workout. Same for V-ups-turned-reverse-crunches
--The finisher was pretty much a have-to since I had to return the cinder block to the construction site next to the track (good thing it's still there since I forgot to take my own cinder block).
--Today was the Vibrams' first distance running test. They will be great in cooler/colder weather and will continue to be my shoe of choice for walking, hiking, and various GPP work that doesn't involve much (if any) running, but with as much as I sweat, I just could not strap them on tightly enough, so my feet slipped around in them (especially on the sprints), and I'm going to have some fun blisters to accommodate for the next week or so. No amount of powder will help. At least I have some semi-flat shoes I can use instead (may try those Adidas I just bought and see if they're usable). Hopefully, whatever I use will give me the same feedback as I got from the Vibrams today, namely that my right calf is significantly weaker than my left one. We shall see. I may end up having to get some track flats/spikes. Darn
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My Movember page (yes, I'm slacking on pictures)
Circuit x 7
--ring pull-ups x 5
--1-arm cinder block swing x 5 each arm
--medicine ball plyo push-ups x 5
--knee tucks x 5
Time: 22:34
Notes:
--I finally figured out how to best setup my Elite rings under my deck today, so now I'm not limited to doing pull-ups inside. However, pull-ups continue to be a limiting factor in my conditioning.
--According to the Interwebz, a cinder block weights approximately thirty pounds. Add the less-than-optimal grip and oddball shape (I became really aware of how much clearance those sharp edges and corners were getting), and it becomes a nice chunk of weight. I did use some heavy-duty gardening gloves for this.
--The other two movements were pretty straightforward and without anything of note.
--I'd hoped to get in ten rounds of this circuit, but the world started getting a little flashy toward the end of the sixth round, so I decided to call it a day after seven. At least I was in the shade for this one, and though I did time it, my goal right now is to add capacity before cutting time.
--I read more of Balance today, and I think I'm going to put together a couple warm-ups and cool-downs to use on my strength days just to help with assymetries that I know are affecting my performance right now.
__________________ No Magic Pill (the log)
My Movember page (yes, I'm slacking on pictures)
Circuit x 5, 30RI
--burpees x 30sec
--jumping jacks x 30sec
--split jumps x 30sec
--burpees x 30sec
--jumping jacks x 30sec
--mountain climbers x 30sec
Core circuit x 3, 90RI
--Turkish get-ups @ 20lbs x 5 per side
--DL twists @ 30lbs x 6 per side
--V-ups x 5
Finisher
--front plank, 60sec
Notes:
--I think I scared half the gym today either with the kind/amount of work I was doing or the fact that I looked like I'd just climbed out of a swimming pool. Or both. Or that I also looked extremely pissed off
--The plank was to be for time, and it was, and my core was more than able to go longer, but my shoulders were spent from the get-ups, so they gave out long before anything else, hence the sucky time. My shoulders have long been a problem spot for various reasons and are a huge contributing factor to poor pull-up and push-up performance. However, it seems they're getting hammered pretty well in this style of training, so yay.
--I'm beginning to wonder if jugglecat has some of Cotter's DNA. Have you seen the numbers he's putting up lately?
__________________ No Magic Pill (the log)
My Movember page (yes, I'm slacking on pictures)
Notes:
--It took a few reps to get the side split snatches down. It's just not a familiar move unlike the front version that mirrors what I'm used to with a barbell.
--Push presses embodied the speed desired for today--the first rep felt like my shoulder was just going to keep going through the ceiling, but I got it under control after that (no dislocation, just a sudden stop).
--Today's upper-body push superset was supposed to be one-arm push-ups and DB shot puts, neither of which are possible right now, so since I struggled with last week's setup, I just decided to repeat it.
--Lunges turned into a strength move rather than speed as I overestimated the load, but at least it made for some comical lunge jumps, all two inches of vertical I had at the end.
--I chose a lighter load for the swings, thinking I could get through 45 straight reps, but after that last superset, there was no way, so I just ended up doing five extra reps in splitting them up equally. Now I get to go sit on my ass for six hours at work and tighten up. Happy happy joy joy.
__________________ No Magic Pill (the log)
My Movember page (yes, I'm slacking on pictures)
If you're in a gym with a smith machine, squat rack, or even bench press you can do a one-arm pushup while holding onto one of those. Set the bar lower the stronger you get. Hell, get down on your knees and put one hand on a bench and do it that way. It's certainly a position your body is used to.
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
"Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
I guess there was more shared at the Summit than I had imagined...
__________________ The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same. -- Carlos Castaneda
Notes:
--I warmed up with the three "core progressions" suggested in Athletic Body in Balance in addition to my usual rope jumping. Even though they are slow/static movements, they felt much better as a wake-up call rather than jumping right in to light stretch-shortening/dynamic work. A curious thing popped up, though: for the last few months, I've commented on a perceived left hip immobility relative to my right hip; however, it seems my right hip is actually the less mobile of the two. It makes sense considering the hamstring injury, but going through those progressions really brought it out. Needless to say, I'll continue my unilateral work and checking for imbalances frequently.
--Push presses were right at the suggested %RM; snatches could be heavier, but I know I was hesitant to go all-out after the left shoulder issue last time. That shoulder felt more fatigued than the right one this time, but it held up. A few more rounds like this one and I'll be willing to push a little harder.
--Single-leg squats continue to improve, albeit very slightly, and I was able to move to single-leg Swiss ball curls rather than the two-legged version this time.
--Raw pull-ups dropped a rep (boo); raw push-ups remained steady (eh).
--The medicine ball slams were supposed to be 100 reps straight through, but considering the speed/intensity I was using--and the fact that I couldn't locate a trash can within ten feet of me--I decided to break it up a bit.
__________________ No Magic Pill (the log)
My Movember page (yes, I'm slacking on pictures)
I get tired typing them up, but never too tired to rip someone for saying "ya'll" instead of "y'all."
Yes, you're the only one-name person on the blogroll. Adds a bit of mystery, I think.
If I'm at a gym, it's the Peak on Morehead Street 99.9% of the time (have used Southpark, Harrisburg, and Lake Norman in previous lives). If I'm at a track, it's at Graham Middle School on Runnymeade Lane most of the time (occasionally I'll go to the REALLY nice track at Johnson C. Smith University, but it's hit-or-miss as to when that's open). I do a fair amount of work in my back yard as well.
__________________ No Magic Pill (the log)
My Movember page (yes, I'm slacking on pictures)
Oh yeah, forgot to mention Concord. That's where I started out and lifted for about a year-and-a-half. I try to repress all memories of having lived up there.
And no--well, maybe, just once. That's a haul for me. I will say that that's the only Peak I've been to where there was some serious powerlifting going on. I probably wouldn't fit in too well up there (not that I ever did, and not that I care).
__________________ No Magic Pill (the log)
My Movember page (yes, I'm slacking on pictures)
Yeah, I find that Concord's location has more serious lifters. I like that. Plus people there seem to know the gym etiquette. Oh and they have a nice shake bar.
Well, I'm subscribed. Wishing you all the best in reaching your goals.
Nat: True about the lifters, but they didn't have the shake bar when I was there. Ya know, back when it was closer to its Gold's roots than the fru-fru crap it's become. And thanks.
All: Ross Enamait posted a link to a book titled "The Way to Live" by George Hackenschmidt today. I can't stop reading it, especially since I'm still in between heavy study sessions. I want a hard copy now, but it seems to be out of print, so this'll be a fun search like the one other rare, out-of-print book I own that I tracked down a couple years ago (Place and Placelessness).
__________________ No Magic Pill (the log)
My Movember page (yes, I'm slacking on pictures)
Then I watched this:
C'mon now.... you didn't think you were going to get away with that did you? 
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