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Always Be Smashing

05/14 06:00

5min jump rope
EYFS+

05/14 21:00

10k swings D3
KB2HS 10,15,25,50 x5
Inverted A-frame press 1,2,3 x5

1.5m treadmill run 5.4

I thought it might be fun to do this challenge with just kettlebells and bodyweight, so I experimented with the inverted press today. Tried a lot of combinations of foot elevation and hands on yoga blocks, but in the end, I'm just not strong enough to get into a position that really feels like an overhead press. Just feels like a decline pushup. Plus, I don't feel the oblique stress I like on a press. Think I will abandon that movement.
 
05/15 06:00

5min jump rope
EYFS+

I was feeling really proud of myself this morning. I was getting pretty deep into the frog, and really turning my ankles out, prying the hips open. Felt like I was making a lot of progress. Pride cometh before the fall.

Then, during a goblet squat, my back twinged. Really, body? A goblet squat with the 16 does you in? Really? I've had worse, but it didn't improve over the day. I assume this is my body's way of informing me that I can't handle the volume of the 10k swing challenge. So, back to the drawing board. Feeling pretty down about this.:(

05/16 06:00

2.5m treadmill run 5.0, nasal breathing
Circuit x3
- KB good morning x8 16
- KB pullover x8 16
 
05/17 06:00

5min jump rope
EYFS +

05/17 21:00

GSQT 3x5 32,40,24 with curl
Halo 3x5 16
Bridge 3x5
KB1HS 10x10 40,40,32,40,40
TGU 5x1 x side 40
Pullups 4x3
Uneven pushups 4x5 x side

Good old S&S, the fallback position while I decide what to do next. Took a lot of rest during the TGUs, but didn't feel like I needed a drop set with the 32.
 
05/18 06:00

5min jump rope
EYFS +

05/18 16:30

As I try to formulate a new plan, a few things I've been considering :
- my training over the last 6 months or so hasn't included much metcons like the 10k swing sessions. I used to do some metcon 3 or 4 times a week. I've bought into the idea that, given limited time, there's probably better ways to spend effort from a performance perspective... but at the same time, I lost around 20 # when I was doing a lot of metcon, and I have definitely stagnated on my weight lately. Given that all of my goals would be a hell of a lot easier if I could drop another 20, might be worth adding back in.
- have been reading Tactical Barbell, and viewing my training through that lense. I think strength endurance is really the most valuable attribute for a lot of my goals. I think in a lot of ways S&S aligns with strength endurance. But, TB pitches the idea that strength endurance really needs to be charged with some work on limit strength. I haven't put any real focus into limit strength in years.

With the idea of spending some effort on limit strength, I took some time tonight to evaluate my limits in a few lifts of interest.

Loaded assisted pistol squat: 32k KB x 1
- given that I can't do an unloaded unassisted pistol, I do consider this limit strength work. I tried a couple unassisted - I can get to the bottom, but I come way up off my heel. I think that's a strength deficit, as opposed to a mobility problem.

BB military press 155 x 1
- wow that seems sad, given 230 body weight. But, haven't done that since... ever.

BB side press 75 x 1
- I like the unilateral work, and this seems to hurt my elbow less than a KB press
- months ago, when I did some C&P ladders regularly, I could press the 32 x3, definitely lost some press strength, despite a much stronger TGU today. Obviously not good carryover there.

Thinking to transition a couple of days a week to max strength work, with DL, pistols, BB side press & pull ups. Keep some S&S practice other days, but add in some metcon work. And I need to put in more endurance work to get to a Spartan beast - want to use the run & KB snatch combination, because I think that's really effective as OCR training.

Think I've got a plan... we'll see what the body thinks of it next week.
 
05/19 09:30

Karate practice, teaching.

05/19 13:30

~40 min swim (didn't pay attention to when I started), 26 laps. Maybe the longest continuous swim I've ever done. Lung/heart could have kept going, but technique started to fade and felt like my shoulder was giving out.

Swimming seems to have an interesting anti-flexibility effect - after a swim, I have a hell of a time trying to touch my toes. I suppose all that time with the back slightly arched.
 
05/20 08:00

Circuit x8
- 0.5m treadmill run 5.5 nasal breathing
- KB snatches 2x5 24
- burpees x3

I kept my shoes on during the snatches, to try to keep the activity as constant as posible. Felt crazy wobbly.
 
05/21 06:00

5min jump rope
EYFS +

Progressed to the bretzel today. Still can't get my opposite shoulder to the ground, but have enough mobility to grab the foot, so I'm going for it.

05/21 21:00

DL 2x5 275
Pull ups 3x5
Assisted pistols 3x5
BB side press 3x5 55
Heavy bag 1min on 1min rest x5

Max strength day. Has obviously been a while since I've done a session like this, wore me out even with the long rests. But in a good way. Pressing in particular was fun - been too long since I did any significant pressing work.

Pull ups, on the other hand, are a problem at the moment. Feels like the limit is around 7 - seems unimaginable right now that I did 11 at TSC. Guess I can't be too surprised, given I brought the training volume way down to try to heal the elbow. Still discouraging.
 
05/22 06:00

3.0m treadmill run ~34min nasal breathing
- started at 5.0, increment 0.1 every 0.5m until 5.5, then repeat back down
+ Walk until 40min

Early morning run on the treadmill is tough - takes several minutes to settle into a grove. Hoping the weather will be nice later in the week to try one outside.

05/22 13:30

EYFS+ lite (just 2 rounds of everything)
Loaded pancake 2x10 15
- It's laughable that I call this a pancake, since I can barely rotate forward at the hips. But, that's the end goal.

I can't believe at some point during my youth, some coach didn't look at my terribly inflexible hamstrings, and tell me I gotta start doing good mornings. I've really fallen in love with them now.
 
05/22 21:30

GSQT 3x5 32,40,24 with curl
Halo 3x5 16
Bridge 3x5
KB1HS 10x10 40
TGU 5x1 x side 40
Circuit x3
- 1min slam ball 40#
- 1min jump rope
- 30s slam ball
- 30s jump rope
- 3min rest

Felt good tonight, so I pushed it a little. Tonight I am declaring "halfway solid"; a full session with the 40, in double the time standard. I remember 8 month ago doing 1 set with the 40 would suck all the wind out of me. Progress. (y)
 
05/23 06:00

5min jump rope
EYFS+
Loaded pancakes 3x8 20#

Volleyball in the evening. Normally, I consider volleyball day as a recovery day - not so much with this one. We played a double-header, and in the second set my wife and I subbed for a team in the next division up - and played the best team in that division. They beat us soundly, but we held our own. It was a lot of fun, but a lot more intense activity than our usual games. Think I did more jumping/blocking/hitting in any one of those games than I get in for an entire set most nights. Feeling a little sore in the hips and shoulders next morning.

05/24 06:00

5min jump rope
EYFS+
Loaded pancakes 3x8 20#
 
05/24 21:00

GSQT 3x5 32
Halo 3x5 16
Bridge 3x5
DL 2x5 275
Pull ups 3x5
Assisted pistols 3x5
BB side press 2x5 55#

Ugly session - definitely not enough recovery.
 
05/26 09:30

Karate practice. Senpai took us through a good kicking sequence. Really exposed my hip mobility imbalance (left hip sucks).

Feeling really worn down. The hard volleyball game Wednesday? Growing pains trying to start a new program this week? Who knows.

This week is going to be thrown off by an endurance day on Monday, so probably a good idea to stall on progressing this week.
 
05/28 07:15

Bolder Boulder

10k run 58:56
1m walk
10k jog/walk 1:39:49

This is the big local 10k race. It's a lot of fun - running with thousands of people is a lot different than running by yourself. I ran the first time through, then walked back to the start to meet up with my wife and my son to jog/walk it again.

Run time was ok. A little slower than i hoped, but this is a hilly course, tough to PR on. My boy did great - after a rough opening mile, he settled in and we kept a good pace.

This is always a humbling experience. Of course there are people I expect to outrun me, but there's always plenty that I don't expect to outrun me that do. The 70+ year old man who runs like he's dragging a club foot. The doughy lady who's head bobs so hard when she runs I worry that it's not completely connected to her shoulders. The little girl who's not even as tall as one of my legs. It's a good reminder that being generally strong will make you good at everything - but not the best.

Naturally I still pick being strong over a sub-50:00 10k. The dream remains, though, to someday have both.

Will take me a day or two to recover, I figure. Hips and ankles are pretty sore.
 
05/29 06:00

5min jump rope
EYFS+
Loaded pancake 3x8 20#

Lot of soreness in the hamstrings this morning - pretty limited range on the good mornings.

05/29 17:30

GSQT 3x5 32,40,24 with curl
Halo 3x5 16
Bridge 3x5
KB1HS 10x10 40
TGU 5x1 x side 40

S&S is just good stuff - effective even when you're a little sore. The swings were a little rough; took the first couple sets for the body to loosen up enough to generate some real power, and that faded in the last couple sets. But TGUs felt great.

05/29 21:00

Circuit x5
- treadmill hill run 12% incline 8.0 30s
- KB snatch 2x5 24
- rest ~2:00
Front splits on yoga blocks 3x10 x side
Loaded pancake 3x10 20#

Recovery? YOU CAN RECOVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD!:mad:

Had a little extra time and energy this evening, so burned 'em with a conditioning & stretching session.
 
05/30 06:00

5min jump rope
- Ugly today, sore quads
EYFS+
Loaded pancake 3x8 20#

Hamstrings feeling better today, but need to roll out my quads, got a bit of a knot in there. Tonight is volleyball - another double-header on the schedule.
 
05/31 06:00

5min jump rope
EYFS +
Loaded pancakes 3x8 20#

Taking the night off. Legs aren't feeling fully recovered from Monday yet, and I have another endurance event on Sunday.
 
06/01 06:00

5.8m run outside 1:03 nasal breathing

When I got back to the house, had a terrible sneezing attack, allergies are pretty bad right now. Feeling generally lousy, and constantly blowing my nose. I think it's affecting my recover rate.
 
06/02 10:00

Karate practice, teaching. Sensei came to class and watched the whole time... made me nervous, but it would be nice to get some feedback on the way I teach.

06/03 07:30

Sprint triathlon

525 meter swim
12m bike
5k run

For those who don't know, "sprint" refers to the distance - not the way I ran it. Our city claims to have the longest continuously running city triathlon in the US - who knows what caveats they put on that. But they always do a good job running it - a bunch of the local police come out and direct traffic so we can bike on the road.

I enjoy this race (my 4th time today) because I've got a lot of respect for folks who can pull off an Ironman. I mean, if a man can swim 2 miles, bike 120, and then run a marathon, what can't he do?

The answer, of course, is deadlift 500#. But we'll keep working on that too.

I took the swim a little easy, but I think my time was ok. I haven't done enough bike training this year - or any at all, really. The bike phase went OK, but my backside was asleep when I finished, and didn't wake up until about 1 mile into the run. Once it did, though, my running training, which has been a lot more volume than last year, kicked in. I was able to hit a strong pace (for me) in the back half of the run. Overall, very pleased.

That's my last endurance event on the schedule for a while, so hopefully I can get back into some better strength practice. But... when I woke up this morning, I had an awful knot in my lower back. Could have been a lot of things. .. a lot of kicking in karate yesterday, tried some RIS-style pancake stretching last night, generally not a good sleep since I was thinking about the race. Fortunately it loosened up before the swim, but I don't want to start feeling like that again. ..
 
06/04 06:00

5min jump rope
- Horrible - because hungover
EYFS+
Loaded pancake 3x8 20#

06/04 21:30

GSQT 3x5 32,40,24 with curl
Halo 3x5 16
Bridge 3x5
DL 2x5 275
Pull ups 5x3
- Having trouble with chest to bar, so going neck to bar, and trying to keep strict hallow position. Disappointing how quickly pull up strength seems to have faded.
Assisted pistols 3x5
BB side press 3x5 55#
 
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