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Always Be Smashing

10/30 08:00

42min treadmill run/walk 3.1m
FSPM

10/30 17:30

So... TSC is supposed to be tomorrow. I'm technically signed up, but I haven't really adjusted my training to be ready for it. And at this point, I don't really want to do something that will require a few days recovery.

So, at start of training, I tried to do a few heavy DL to see if I might be able to just bang one out, but trying to go perfect technique- nothing that would strain my back. I got 425 up double-overhand grip, but I could tell my back started to round. I tried 465, but felt the same thing, and just aborted it. So, no TSC for me right now. Feel a little ashamed of myself for backing away from a challenge. But, I ain't getting paid to deadlift (unfortunately).

Mobility warmup
Some DL singles
DL 5x1 355#
KB C&P 3x6 28
Crawling 12x45s
 
Saturday was supposed to be the last softball tournament of the fall for my daughter's team... and at the last minute, the city decided they weren't going to allow any spectators due to COVID restrictions, so I got in a little training instead.

10/31 10:00

45min treadmill run/walk 3.3m
Tac frog + pumps

Then, on Sunday, the city decided to let spectators come to the second day of the softball tournament. So I went. This is certainly one of the problems we've had in the US - regulations are so inconsistent and seemingly arbitrary, it gives people an excuse to just throw up their hands and say "oh, nobody really knows anything, so I may as well just do what I want". And subsequently, cases are on the rise... who'd have thought... :rolleyes:

In other news... before every morning training session, I've been doing a little calisthenics warmup routine, which currently looks like this:
  • Hand-release pushups x18
  • Ankles-to-bar leg tuck (I don't have the strength/flexibility to go toes to bar) x5
  • Single-leg calf raise x10 per leg
  • Horse stance squats x15
  • Chinups x4
  • Single-leg deadlift on a Bosu ball (forgive me, yes, we own on of them) x6 per leg
  • Wall handstand hold ~25s
I've found this little daily practice has been really good for mobility and "skill", without needing to push it really hard every day. Ankle mobility is improving, horse stance is getting deeper, single-leg balance has improved. Very satisfying. But, it doesn't seem to be doing anything for strength endurance. I still feel as much burn on that 18th pushup as I did months ago. Strength endurance clearly requires more volume to build, unfortunately.

Along those same lines... I'm very happy with my training lately, I feel healthy and strong. But... I don't feel like I'm in "fighting shape", per se. I don't feel primed for an extended burst of hard activity. Which is unsurprising, since I've been very much avoiding the burn in my training. Have been debating if there's some way to cycle in a high-intensity or high-volume session occasionally., without suffering for it (at least not too much...)
 
WhatWouldHulkDo said:
But... I don't feel like I'm in "fighting shape", per se. I don't feel primed for an extended burst of hard activity. Which is unsurprising, since I've been very much avoiding the burn in my training. Have been debating if there's some way to cycle in a high-intensity or high-volume session occasionally., without suffering for it (at least not too much...)
Click to expand...
This is a classic example of SAID. I feel exactly the same way. Personally... the only way I ever feel in ‘fighting shape’ is when I train that way. And when I train that way... suffering is involved....

But as the saying sometimes sort of goes... better to suffer in training...than to suffer in defeat
 
WhatWouldHulkDo said:
Tough squats today. All went well, but feels like I might be in for some sore glutes in the next couple days.
Click to expand...

I always do some stretching for glutes, quads , biceps femoris and adductors, the day before squats.
While I do it, I note that my muscles are tight, without even realizing it.

Not only I prevent injuries that way, but I am also able to squat more weight.
 
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Spartan Agoge said:
I always do some stretching for glutes, quads , biceps femoris and adductors, the day before squats.
While I do it, I note that my muscles are tight, without even realizing it.
Click to expand...
My mobility warmup is a lot of squat work (cossacks, dragon twists & "worlds greatest stretch"), and I do that every lifting day (squating or otherwise). I guess when I consider it, there's not a lot of direct glute or quad work in there. What's your favorite movement for those?
 
Had to skip morning training due to kids stuff. As expected, woke up with some sore glutes. Nothing too bad, though - satisfying sore, if that makes sense.

11/3 17:15

Mobility warmup
KB snatch 2x6,8x6 28
BP 3x3 210#
LTK 4x7
Joint plyo series

Think I felt some of the hip/glute soreness during the leg tucks as well, a little tough going there.

I've been thinking a lot lately about that DL miss at 465 a few days ago. There's definitely a weak link in the chain for me in being able to "lock out" the hips - drive with hips instead of hauling with the lower back. Wondering what I can do about that... but in the end, probably best if I just keep grinding away at lighter weights and accept what I get. Pursuing the optimum can drive you mad...

US election night. Much drinking, and trying hard not to express here my many opinions on the true nature of my fellow Americans. Whatever happens, tomorrow I will continue to smash.
 
WhatWouldHulkDo said:
What's your favorite movement for those?
Click to expand...

IMO, the best stretching for glutes is, by far, the pigeon pose.
For quads, the kneeling quad stretch against wall. Nothing else gives me such feeling of stretching.

As for direct work, for glutes, I belive the best option to be weighted bridges with pause. Great for strengthening the glutes, huge carryover to everything else, and it doesn't add much stress to the body, so it's great to do at the beggining, or at the end of the workout.

For the quads, I don't do any direct work, but I experience that front squats work them well.

Also, wide stance sumo squat, and sumo deadlift, target weak points and moving patterns which are usually neglected.
 
11/4 06:45

50min treadmill run/walk 3.7m
Foam rolling, bretzels + forward fold

Volleyball in the evening. We were absolutely awful. My wife had a really stressful day at work, so her mind was elsewhere. She told me later that at one point she literally forgot how to serve :oops:
 
Another missed morning for training due to family stuff. Has been a bit of a hectic week. In the end, maybe not such a bad thing training-wise. I'm in the heavy part of the barbell cycle, getting some rest from conditioning maybe not a bad idea.

11/6 17:00

Mobility warmup
KB snatch 2x7, 8x6 28
SQT 3x3 285#
Pullups 3x3 25#
Grip work
Hang board

A couple of positives for today:
* Strong pullups. Feels like I could bump a little more weight next cycle.
* I can close the 1.5 CoC gripper with either hand at will, it seems. Will put the #2 on my xmas list.
 
11/8 11:00

58min outdoor run 5.2m
- Ave HR 142, max 152
FSPM

Higher HR than I would have liked, but at the same time it was nice to sort of "open the throttle" a little since I missed a couple of runs this week. Not that 12min miles is anything remotely fast...

This weekend I decided to take a little break from intermittent fasting, because it was the first weekend we've had in months with no softball games, and I wanted to make breakfast for my family. On top of that, it seems like IF has stopped "working" for me... my weight has started to creep back up.

While out on my run, pondering the universe, I realized: I recently dropped my training volume. So I've been training 2 hours a day ... but eating like I'm still training 3 hours a day. So of course my weight is creeping back up. Need to reset the baseline, and get reacquainted with being hungry longer.

The great wisdom of the road...
 
Poor sleep last night, maybe from shoulder soreness. Some folks might say, "clearly I have no business doing dips." My tendency is, "clearly I should do more dips to get strong enough that they never bother me." Can't decide if I'm being a fighter, or an idiot. Probably both. Idiot fighter!

11/10 07:30

45min treadmill run/walk 3.2m
Tac frog + pumps

Tough run - had to stay very slow. Definitely some fatigue from the Sunday run.

11/10 16:30

Mobility warmup
DL 3x1 405#
KB C&P 3x4 32
TGU 10x1 32,40,32,40,32

Shoulder soreness manifested in presses and TGUs as well. That's the end of the heavy cycle, looking forward to some light work.
 
11/11 07:30

45min treadmill run/walk 3.2m
Foam rolling, bretzels + forward fold

Another day where I really had to dial down the pace in order to keep the HR under control.

I had been recently thinking that, given my schedule shift to spreading out my lifting over longer than a week, maybe it would make more sense to apply a barbell program with a little daily more intensity, like 5/3/1. But, during the run today, it occurred to me; the fact that I'm having to dial back speed to control HR is a clear indicator that my recovery cup is not overflowing. If the barbell was my primary focus, yes, more intensity would make sense. But, for better or worse, I have a lot of irons in the fire, a lot of rabbits to chase. I don't need more intensity.

Once again, the wisdom of running prevails...

Due to local COVID case increases, volleyball has been forced to close down for a little bit. They are planning to reopen a little later with a 2s coed league - which will reduce building occupancy vs. our normal 4s league. I would actually love to play doubles again... but, my wife is in no shape for 2s volleyball, that's a whole other game. So, for the foreseeable future, Wednesday night is power burpees day. Ah well... there are worse things that could happen.

11/11 17:00

Mobility warmup
Burpees 30x2
Heavy bag + jump rope
 
11/12 09:00

Trifecta
Shoulder sequence

Today was the first time I've done what I would call a legitimate hanging leg raise. Straight legs, slow raise, hold, slow drop. Progress (y)

11/12 16:00

Mobility warmup
KB snatch 10x5 36
SQT 3x5 235#
Pullups 3x4
Grip work
Hang board

Nice to have the mongoose (36) out again. My wrist seems to have finally healed up from the strain this summer. This session also showed that intensity and volume are not 1:1 interchangeable. 5s with the 36 are far more taxing than 7s with the 32, I was panting a little at the end of snatches.
 
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