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Always Be Smashing

More baseball tonight, so couldn't get to volleyball. Haven't been to volleyball in weeks, actually :(. But at least left me some training time.

07/10 21:30

Treadmill intervals x6
- 1min run 8.0
- walk until HR in Z3 4.0
KB snatch 20x4 32
Bent press 5x1 x side 28
- Felt solid, much less awkward than prior practices
 
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Has been a few days in a row where life took precedence over training.

Stayed up way too late Wednesday night chatting with my wife, was in no condition to train Thursday morning. That evening my daughter's softball team (which my wife coaches) wrapped up a tournament, took second to a very talented team. Fun to watch, but no time for training.

Friday morning had to skip training to get kids to early-morning orthodontics appointments. That evening my son's baseball team had a semi-final game - which we won in a real battle. My son made a diving catch to end the game, and the crowd just went nuts for him. So awesome, my heart just about exploded. But again, no time for training.

Saturday was the championship game. There was one of those game-defining moments where we were down by several runs, we had runners on the corners, 2 outs, and our best hitter at bat. They brought in their best pitcher - who just happened to be a girl - to face him. Count got to 2-2. Then she fired strike 3 past him at around 50mph - really impressive for this age. Tough loss, but the boys really handled it well - kept good attitudes, and had a ton of fun. I got in a couple hours of yard work later on, but again, no training.

Then Sunday, I was just flat out lazy.

Well, since the Spartan is deferred for a while, it's time to start working on some heavy stuff - the poor barbell hasn't been unleashed in weeks. Baseball is over, so no coaching responsibilities for a while - hopefully I can get refocused on smashing.
 
07/15 06:00

5min samurai getups
EYFS +

07/15 14:00

Static stretching sequence x1

07/15 21:30

GSQT 3x5 40,48,28 with curl
Halo 3x5 24,20,20
SL glute bridge 3x5
Wall overhead extensions 3x5
DL 1x5 305#
Pullups 4x5
ZSQT 3x5 155#
BB side press 4x5 60#

A little humbling. Back in college, my best back squat was 550#. But it's been a long time since I trained a loaded squat seriously, and it's going to take me a while to build up the forearm pain tolerance on the Zercher. I figure I'll back it off a little next session - this was manageable, but this week is supposed to be light.

And I still don't get any carryover from KB swings to pullups - if I don't train pullups, I lose strength there. Pullups definitely feeling soft today.

But, all that aside, felt good to get back to some max strength work.
 
07/16 06:00

60min treadmill walk / run 4.5m

07/16 13:00

Static stretching sequence x1

07/16 17:00

Treadmill intervals x6 8.0/4.0
KB snatch 20x4 32
TGU 5x1 x side 40

Snatching is tough when you are a sweaty mess already - hard on the grip.
 
07/17 06:00

Agile 8-1
Static stretching sequence x2

07/17 15:30

Bent press 4x1 x side 45# BB
- 20s bar hang between sets

Just needed a break from sitting at my desk. This seems like something I could do more often, since I didn't get sweaty.

Volleyball in the evening. First time in a more than a month! My defense was still ok, but my timing on my spikes was way off.
 
07/18 06:00

5min samurai getups
EYFS +

07/18 21:30

GSQT 3x5 40,48,28 with curl
Halo 3x5 24,20,20
SL glute bridge 3x5
Wall overhead extensions 3x5
DL 1x5 305#
Pullups 4x5
ZSQT 3x5 155#
BB side press 4x5 60#
Convict circuit 3x10
- Pushups
- Flat frog raise
- BW squat
- TRX face pull
- Glute bridge
- Wall handstand 20s

Pullups feeling better. Decided to keep the weight the same in the Zercher - weak point right now is definitely the elbow tolerance, rather than leg/back strength.
 
07/19 11:00

60min treadmill walk / run 4.5m

07/19 21:30

5min jump rope
Heavy bag 1min on 2min off x6
Burpees 20x3 EMOM
- 1min rest after set 13 because HR wasn't recovering

Have been frustrated with my running lately. Granted, my training has been a bit broken lately, but not so much that I think I ought to be regressing - but it feels like I am. Very disappointed that I still can't run much more than 1 mile at MAF HR, and that's at a pathetically slow pace.

Recent article on StrongFirst (Running Without Running: Training For A Half-Marathon When You Have A Full Schedule | StrongFirst) brought some ideas into perspective. Running is about two things:
  1. Cardiac capacity
  2. Relative strength - ability to move yourself effortlessly
Everything I read says that you develop #1 through long easy work. So I've been doing that. I think it's been working - everyday life certainly feels easy.

But, if seems working #1 doesn't improve #2, and maybe lets it regress. I think my relative strength just sucks right now - in no small part because I've put on 8# or so over the summer.

Need to improve relative strength, both in the form of lifting heavy and propelling the body. And dropping some #$@! weight. Long cycles of LSD don't seem to move me the direction I want to move.
 
Daughter's softball tournament took up most of the day, but was determined get a session in - just had to start really late.

07/20 22:00

GSQT 3x5 40,48,28 with curl
Halo 3x5 24,20,20
SL glute bridge 3x5
Wall overhead extensions 3x5
Circuit x5
- KB1HS 2x4 48
- Diamond pushups x5
- KB1HS 2x4 48
- GSQT x3 48

Good power on the swings, solidly at chest height.
 
07/22 06:00

5min samurai getups
EYFS +

07/22 13:00

Static stretching sequence x1

Threw in 2 bent presses with a 55# DB just for fun.

07/22 17:30

GSQT 3x5 40,48,28 with curl
Halo 3x5 24,20,20
SL glute bridge 3x5
Wall overhead extensions 3x5
DL 1x5 325#
Pullups 6,6,5,5
ZSQT 3x5 165#
BB side press 65#

Time to invest in some good elbow braces. I'm too old to pretend like the Zerchers aren't bothering my forearms.
 
07/23 06:00

60min treadmill walk / run 4.6m

07/23 16:00

Treadmill intervals 8.0/4.0 x6
KB snatch 20x2 40
TGU 5x1 x side 40

Fun stuff, but beat up my forearms.

Had one snatch where I forgot to dry my hands, and the bell nearly flew away on the way up. That would have been somewhat destructive.
 
07/24 06:00

Agile 8-1
Static stretching sequence x2

07/24 16:00

DB bent press 2x1 x side 65#
- 15s hang between reps

Some front splits attempts.


Volleyball in the evening. We really just sucked. And on top of that, one of my teammates informed me that she hates my guts, and quit the team. Not really sure why, to be honest. Not a big deal in the grand scope of things, but decidedly puts a damper on the evening. Ugh.
 
07/25 06:00

5min samurai getups
EYFS +

07/25 14:00

Static stretching sequence x1

07/25 17:00

GSQT 3x5 40,48,28 with curl
Halo 3x5 24,20,20
SL glute bridge 3x5
Wall overhead extensions 3x5
DL 1x5 325#
Pullups 6,6,5,5
ZSQT 3x5 165#
BB side press 65#
Convict circuit 3x10
 
Having some ugly DOMS in the lower hamstrings today. Probably from karate on Saturday, lots of roundhouse kicks.

07/29 06:00

5min samurai getups
EYFS +

Have made really good progress on SLDL since I started, very encouraging. Feels like it's time for more weight, if I'm not too sore from the Spartan this weekend.

07/29 13:00

Static stretching sequence x1

07/29 17:30

GSQT 3x5 40,48,28 with curl
Halo 3x5 24,20,20
SL glute bridge 3x5
Wall overhead extensions 3x5
DL 1x3 365#
Pullups 7,6,6,5
ZSQT 3x3 185#
BB side press 4x3 75#
Convict circuit 3x10

First heavy DL in quite a while, felt like it. As always, grip started to fail in the 3rd rep. I one of those things where I know I need to work on it, but I just don't seem to have the training time to spare. Too many goals...

Pullups feeling much more solid than a couple weeks ago, also encouraging.

Got some nice elbow sleeves from IronMind, helped make the Zerchers more comfortable. Also found that tucking the elbows closer to the body helps.
 
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