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Always Be Smashing

11/15 06:00

5min treadmill walk
EYFS+

Upped the weight to the 24 for all the movements today, except for the lunge (still 16). Wasn't a bad as I though it would be. Interestingly, the good mornings felt even better - like I could get a little deeper with the bigger weight behind me. Probably some nervous system thing, being subconsciously more confident that the bigger weight could pull me up if I go too low.

Very encouraging to see this kind of progress. When I first started working this sequence half a year ago or so, my hips were so wiped out from the frog that goblet squats with the 16 were murder. Today, the frog felt really good, and squatting with the 24 was no big deal. Small victories.(y)

11/15 20:45

GSQT 32,40,24 with curl
Halo 3x5 16,16,24
Bridge 3x5
KB1HS 10x10 40,48,40,48,40
TGU 5x1 x side 40,48,40,48,40
Circuit L3 x4
- KB BU press 20
- Pullups
Static stretching sequence x1

TGUs with the beast felt particularly good today - stable.
 
11/19 13:00

DB GSQT 75#,90#, 55# with curl
DB halo 3x5 35#,35#,45#
Bridge 3x5
DB1HS 14x3 75#
DB TGU 5x1 x side x 95#, 85# x 4
Circuit x5
- pullups L3
- dips x2,3,5
EYFS+, but skipped GSQT and lunges.

Away from home gym for Thanksgiving, so doing some dumbbell work. Not sure what made me think 95# was a good idea at first getup, was very ugly/unsafe. Plus the TGU with the dumbbell and shoes on was different, just tough.

And just not enough gas in the tank to get through both a strength session and all of EYFS.
 
Very encouraging to see this kind of progress. When I first started working this sequence half a year ago or so, my hips were so wiped out from the frog that goblet squats with the 16 were murder. Today, the frog felt really good, and squatting with the 24 was no big deal. Small victories.(y)
great job man!
 
Much thanks, @Strong Rick , appreciate you keeping an eye on me.

11/20 11:30

2.6m outdoor run
Circuit x10
- Uneven pushups 2x3
- Med ball overhead squats 2x3
- Med ball twists x10
DB TGU 5x1 x side 85#
Wall handstands 3x30s
2.6m outdoor run

Interestingly, the second run felt better than the first. I suspect a little fatigue just forced me to reduce pace. Had a wicked energy crash later in the afternoon. Nothing a few drinks couldn't remedy, though.
 
Happy turkey day

11/22 07:30

5k outdoor run 44min

Little turkey trot race. Ran with my boy, he at least jogged the whole time. My daughter was feeling it today, she took off and finished 5 minutes ahead of us.

11/22 12:30

7m outdoor run/ walk

Seems like I'm feeling the effect of being at low altitude today- heart & lungs could have kept going for a while, but legs politely declined.
 
11/23 13:00

DB GSQT 3x5 75#, 90#, 55# with curl
DB Halo 3x5 35#, 35#, 45#
Bridge 3x5
DB1HS 3x12 75#
DB TGU 5x1 x side 85#, 90#, 95#, 100#, 100#
Circuit L3 x 5
- DB press 4 45#
- Pullups

Grip strength started to fail, so cut off one set of swings vs my target. TGU felt better today, though still a little wonky with the DB and shoes.
 
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Back home after Thanksgiving vacation... and facing the music on the scale. :( Holiday weight always seems to come off easy enough, but at the same it, it's like hitting the reset button on any progress made before the holiday.

11/25 08:00

750yd swim

Very impressed with my daughter's swimming today, her stamina seems to have gone up a bunch.

11/26 06:00

5min treadmill walk
EYFS+

Have decided to replace the goblet squats with Cossack squats - seems like a logical progression in terms of mobility. Will start off the first couple weeks unloaded, see if any interesting aches/pains show up before I try to load them.

I spent some time yesterday watching videos by the Flexible Steel folks, particularly the series of blog posts about the Cossack squat (Cossack Squat - Strength, Mobility and Flexibility all in one - PART 1 - Flexible Steel). Those guys are just impressive... I figure mobility/flexibility is just like any other quality; some folks are born with it, some folks work hard at it, and a rare few fall into both categories. I'm definitely not in the born-with-it bucket...

11/26 13:30

Static stretching sequence x1

Some soreness in the left hip - don't know if that's the Cossack squats, or just the fact that I didn't do much stretching last week.

11/26 21:00

GSQT 3x5 40,48,24 with curl
Halo 3x5 16,16,20
- The 16 felt like a toy for these today
Bridge 3x5
KB1HS 10x10 40,48,40,48,40
TGU 5x1 x side 40,48,40,48,40
Circuit L3 x 5
- KB BU press 20
- Pullups
Bench T-spine extensions (from Top Five Thoracic Mobility Drills to Improve Your Overhead Pressing)

I need to start incorporating some more regular T-spine extension work - I'm not sure I'm able to wring it out of my hindu pushups or downward dog stretches as of yet, maybe calf flexibility is a limiting factor right now. Doing extensions off the box seems to hit the right area... maybe should add those to my stretching sequence. Just worried that the longer it gets, the less likely I'll do it every day...
 
11/27 06:00

60min treadmill walk / run 4.3m

11/27 13:30

Static stretching sequence x1

Before starting, I played around with the downward dog position to see if I could get into a more aggressive overhead shoulder stretch. Just can't do it. My shoulders just won't seem to accept more loading in that position, when I try to drive my chest further back the shoulders just freeze and I bend at the elbow instead.

So, added an overhead extension against the wall to the stretching sequence (also from the link I posted yesterday). Pretty easy to get more stretch on the shoulder from there.

Had the thought that it might make sense to have an "A" sequence and a "B" sequence if it starts to get too long, and do them on alternating days. I'm up to 17 minutes now, which isn't terrible... but inevitably I'm going to come across other stuff I'll want to add.:rolleyes:

11/27 21:00

Circuit x8
- 6min slow box steps
- Pushups x10
- Ab wheel x10
 
11/29 06:00

5min treadmill walk
EYFS+

11/29 14:00

Static stretching sequence x1

11/29 20:45

GSQT 3x5 40,48,24 with curl
- Have widened out my stance a ways to get some more mobility work out of these. Not all the way to a horse stance, but going to work towards that.
Halo 3x5 16,16,20
Bridge 3x5
KB1HS 10x10 40,48,40,48,40
TGU 5x1 x side 40,48,40,48,40
Circuit L3 x 5
- KB BU press 20
- Pullups

Bit of a rough session, nothing felt energetic. But live to fight another day.
 
11/30 06:00

60min treadmill walk / run 4.2m

11/30 13:00

Static stretching sequence x1

Felt springy today, nice. The rag doll and the frog poses in particular felt more mobile than usual.

Took the evening off for family stuff.
 
12/01 10:00

Karate practice. Senpai put on some disco music, and we punched/ kicked along to the beat. Goofy, but a good workout.

Good tips from today: use the lat to close down the elbow for pull backs, keep the upper spine muscles engaged to keep the chest open.

12/01 20:30

Static stretching sequence x3
 
Bruised my knee in an indoor volleyball game last night, discovered that this morning. Unpleasant.

12/03 06:00

5min treadmill walk
EYFS+

I have fallen in love with this mobility stuff. I really look forward to waking up to do this - if I could feel as springy and ready when I rolled out of bed as I do when I finish the sequence now, that would really be something.

Cossacks are feeling good. If everything stays as it is, will try some light loading next week.

12/03 21:00

GSQT 40,48,24 with curl
Halo 3x5 16,16,20
Bridge 3x5
KB1HS 10x10 40,48,40,48,40
TGU 5x1 x side 40,48,40,48,40
Circuit L3 x 5
- KB BU press 20
- Pullups
Static stretching sequence x1

On the flip side... second KB session in a row that just didn't feel energetic. I feel great having done it, but in the moment, I'm surviving it, not enjoying it. :( Maybe just a down week or something. On the plus side, the elbows seem to be tolerating the pullup volume well. Of course, many of the 20 pullup programs I've read say I need to double or triple my current volume.... that's a long ways off.

This is the last week of my base-building, going to transition back to some strength & conditioning focus over the next couple weeks... as I try to plot it out, I keep asking myself, "what do I really want to do"... and I keep answering "be invincible," which is a little unfocused.
 
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