Body Weight Excercises take more out of you than joggin...

I learned this yesterday. Modified "W" workout on the field to go along with our baseline test on BW excercises.

I warmed up with 10 KB burpees (you do a DL w/ 2 KBs instead of the jump and you keep your hands around the bell handles the whole time)

Then 3 rounds of...

10 burpees- 25 yard komodo walk- core exercise (R1: janda sit-ups; R2: descending twists a-la-Newport; R3: planks/plank side crunches)- 30 yard frog walks (step, drop to frog position, up step, drop repeat)- 25 pushups STRICT form- 30 yards frog leaps- KB rows w/ 28KG R/L, sprint back 70 yards. 30 sec rest. Repeat for 2 more rounds.

Then did 4 70 yard sprints, 15 sec rest between each.

After this I was dead. This was really a great deal harder than I thought it would be. It killed my legs, the very bottom part of thigh muscles just were totally dead.

Today will be off day.

A Short Summary on Some Things

In no particular order-

1. Sprints are the new crack. I love the way they make me feel. Its total self-destruction minus the negative side effects that usually go with self destructive behaviors.

2. While sprinting, I can actively feel myself undoing the damage I did to myself by stupidly starting to smoke.

3. I love me, I'm still smoke free.

4. I am bringing my other 20KG KB to the office tomorrow and I will be leaving it there. When I get antsy at work (which happens a lot- I'm fidgety by nature, I drink too much coffee, when I get bored I watch CF videos etc on youtube and get amped), I'm going to start GTG with snatches and my arch nemesis- the bent press and the sots press.

5. The new Life Long Tragedy record is SICK AS FUCK. It makes we want to put my head through a wall... in a good way.(http://www.deathwishinc.com/listennow/33/)

6. I have body issues. I don't think they will ever go away.

7. I want to open a KB/alt fitness gym (a-la-PUNCH Gym Houston)- I need more partners b/c I am cash-broke at the moment and I estimate start up costs in at about more than I have right now. Anyone interested drop me a line.

8. Make it count today. I sure as hell am going to- I'm talking total destruction... shaking, weak-in-the-knees, vomiting, praying for death- the total satisfaction of knowing you left NOTHING on the table... because in a world where all you can control is yourself and your own actions it is a great thing to be reminded that you choose what you want to do and can make yourself choose it, especially when it isn't easy, fun, or even pleasurable- although it benefits you in the end. Bring on the field motherfucker and I hope its ready for me because today there will be no excuses, no mercy, no quitting.

On your marks, get set, ...

SPRINTS.

a bunch of them.

sprint 70, walk 30 x 4

rest 15 sec

repeat x 4

jog 1/3 mile

sprint 70, walk 30 x 4

rest 15 sec

repeat x 4

DIE.

Testing the Test

Yesterday we did a varition on the abseline test we did a few weeks ago except we repeated it a few times through-

Round 1
30, strict form, slow push ups, 45 full range sit ups, 6 pull ups, 8 burpees

Round 2
7R/7L spider push ups, leg raises a-la-providence 15R/15L, 6 pull ups, 60 yards frog jumps

Round 3
5 stacked R push ups, 5 stacked L pushups, 5 inclined pushups, 5 clap push ups (no breaks), pike-pull ups 2 sets of 3), SPRINTS 4 rounds 70 yard sprints, 15 sec break btwn each

it was 102F outside when we did this. i am waiting to get used to summer again. this workout was fun. i loved the sprints. i wanted to just keep running and running them until i literally couldnt move anymore. those spider push-ups are fucking HARD. i can only do 10 a side at once (total of 20).

I need more sprinting.

I can't walk...

because of the leg workout listed below.

I feel fat and lazy and useless. I feel like I'm not working out hard enough. Like I'm leaving things on the table.. I don't know.

I get like this sometimes and I feel like it now. UGH!

I hate it. I want to leave work right now and hit the field.

I will get it in today. I am also thinking about bringing a KB up to the office and leaving it under my desk so when I feel like this I can do snatches, just a quick 100- 5 sets 10R/10L... is that crazy? Do I need a reality check?

Summer's officially here and...

it is FUCKING HOT! 101F today.

I didn't do snatches yesterday. Wound up having a going away party last nite for a friend. He got drunk and decided to tackle me and FUCKED up my left shoulder. I hope it isn't re-injured, just tweaked. Either way no weight over my head for probably at least the next 3-4 weeks. However, I can still do pull ups and push ups so its not so bad.

Today, in light of my new gimp shoulder, I did legs. I was doing good on building them up and then I fell off. I'm back with this shoulder thing. I did
w/ the 24KG
4 sets 20 swings warm up
4 sets 10 squats
3 sets 5R/5L 1-Legged suit case dead lifts (1LSDL) & 1 set 3R/3L

140 yards walking lunges

= DEAD

My legs are shaking and I'm pouring sweat and I can barely type. I FUCKING LOVE THIS SHIT! also no cigarettes. FUCK YES!

Quick fast

Yesterday had to squeeze in a quick workout.

Did pull up ladders 1-5/5-1

Then ran 70 yards w/ 24KG on right side, walked 30 yards, sprinted 70 yards no wieght, walked 30 yards, sprinted 70 yards, walked 30, ran back 70 yards w/ 24KG on left side.

Then warp speed shower. There will be some snatches today and the conditioning class tomorrow.

Swetting Grain Alcohol..

Worked out yesterday. Swetted my ass off. My friend shows up and asks me if I have been drinking. I say no. He says I smell like a bar- it's me sweating out Vegas... hilarious.

To get it out of my system I did HOC for 4 laps.

Laps 1 & 3 -
station 1: (20KG) swing, high-pull, snatch, negative press, press, x5 transfer to x5 on other side
station 2: spider push ups (a-la TT and P90X) 5 R knee to elbow, 5 L knee to elbow

Laps 2 & 4-
station 1: (20KG) 8 windmills R/L
station 2: 3 sets, non-stop, descending twist crunches 10-8-6-4-2-repeat a-la-AOS Newport

Thought about a 1-5/5-1 pull up ladder. Then I changed my mind.

More jogging, pull-ups, and leg exercises when I get home today. Also, it is 3:45 in the afternoon and no cigarettes today so I am on my way to day 3.

Back in Black...

I'm back from Vegas. I have quit smoking- 2 days now. Tomorrow will be 3. I havent worked out since Saturday morning. I am hitting this afternoon. I am also throwing in a 1-2 mile jog seperate from my workouts to get my lungs back and to reclaim my life.

Vegas wrecked me. Working out today is going to be HILARIOUS.

Push up variations...

One of guys in my office subscribes to TT (turbulence training. He showed me this push up in the office he saw on there called "spider-push ups" or spiders, or something like that.

You go down in hte pushup and as you do it you bring your right knee to your right elbow and then push up and as you push up you extend it back out as you come up so you end up in the top position of a regular push up. You can do them focusing on one side (x reps R, x reps L) or alternate. I find alternating to be harder.

I just did a few alternating sets in the office and these are the real deal, hard. It might be that I'm wrecked from yesterday but my core is really feeling these. I'll get some video of them and get it on here so yall can check it out.

What a workout..!

So in training for out next test and to improve on it (push ups, pull ups, burpees, sit ups), we have focusing on different types of workouts this week and will continue to for the next 2 months.

Yesterday I designed a workout that went
single floor press w/ 24KG 10-9-8....-1 (total of 65 reps a side)
pull up ladder 1-5/5-1
windmills
5 C&P ladder's w/ 5 rungs each.

Let me tell you something. HA! This didn't even KIND of happen. I grossly underestimated that floor press routine. It fucked me up! It fucked all of us up.

We got through it and moved to pull ups. They were much harder after that but i got through my 1-5 ladder great with no spots needed. Then the group decided to do the 5-1 ladder as underhanded pull ups where bicep is worked more. These are easy for me. I did them no problem but when I got to my 1 rep, Justin did his 1 rep with the 40lb vest. It looked hard. Me being a guy, I had to try it. I put on the vest and it has NEVER felt so heavy. I was thinking maybe this wasn't a good idea when i jumped and grabbed the bar. I banged out 2 reps with the 40lb x-vest. No spot or assist needed. I think I could have done more but I was so amazed at what was happening that after I did 2, I just sort of stopped! HA! Again, underhanded pull ups much easier. I don't know if I could have done that overhanded.

After that we were done. There were no C&P ladders. My entire upper body was swollen and dead. I did do a few rounds of core exercise that go bell into the ground handle first. Hands on the bell in a push up position, balance, lift one leg for 5 count, lift other leg for 5 count. Repeat. Then rest. I did 4 or 5 sets of those. They are challenging.

I will be VERY sore tomorrow (i usually take 32hrs to get really sore).

On the one hand this workout felt great. It was challenging and the only way to get your pull up #ers up are to do more pull ups. However, I still feel like I cheated myself somehow. I didn't leave anything on the field. I pushed myself. I think that I feel that way b/c this workout in particular, and what we will be doing for the next few weeks, is so different than what we have been doing... if that makes any sense.

I am off to Vegas for work tomorrow. I will be back late Wed nite. I am going to do some hotel room workouts a-la-Anthony D, using towel like rope-gone-wild, deck squats to burpees, and maybe actually get into the fitness center at the hotel despite my HATRED for gyms.

Holler.

Pwned

No workout yesterday. I'm super buymmed. Work kicked my ass. I'm going to GTG push ups all day at work, really concentrating on form. When I get home bells in the park.

New circuits

So yesterday was day 1 of training for the new testing period. We didn't circuit them actually, now that I think about it. We ran right through them.

I got there early and warmed up with a 1 mile run.

The we did RR with the 24's with a push up between each row. 3 sets of 5 a side

Then we moved to 3 min of as-many-as-u-can single TGU reps w/ the 20KG. I broke my record and got 26.

Up next pull up ladder- 1-5 then back down 5-1 (got all the pull ups clean)

Then last was descending/ascending deck squat/burpee combos (5DS,1B-4DS,2B, 3DS,3B, etc..)

This workout was awesome. Felt good and that DS/B combo at the end is a real killer. It sounds not so hard but it is ugly. Try and see.

Today was going to be MT class but I think I am going to have to miss it for work- BOOOO!

Home made club bells and new exercises

The KB drills are after the olypmic lifts in the beginning. The BW drill is at the end.

Monday

Went to MT class. We didn't do circuits, we did pad work. I was worried it wouldn't be enough. I was wrong. 4 rounds, 4 min each, throwing same combo over and over. It was hard and by the end I was pouring sweat.

Then we did cool down- 40 JJ's, 40 squats, 40 sit ups, 40 push ups- no stopping no breaks.

Then I went home and ate a ton of food and drank a bunch of water.

Today we start training on the new paradigm for the next 7 weeks. There will be lots of TGU's, lots of RR's, lots of weighted squat thrusts and burpees, windmills, presses, and basic leg work.

I found a link yesterday on youtube about how to make your own club bells. Club bells are something I have really wanted to try out and this link shows you how to make your own for like $20+ @ Home Depot. I'll post it today along with a bodytribe video I found on you tube that has some really interesting KB rotational exercises- it is a rotational snatch to a rotational clean.. I know it sounds weird, you just have to see it. ALSO, I almost forgot, on that video there is the craziest BW exercise I have ever seen! It is part deck squat, part burpee, part jumping lunge- MADNESS!

Saturday revised

Later Saturdya afternoon I got in another workout b/c the test we did in the morning I felt really wasn't enough.

I saw this workout in Men's Health and I thought, HEY! I do all those workouts w/ bells, so I decided to do it. I changed it up a bit. I did more reps and more sets. What I didn't do were the walking shoulder presses. No overhead work until the new tattoo on my left arm heals. Its right where the bell rests on my forearm. I did 4 rounds of the following

10 squat thrusts with the 20KGs
10 RR w/ the 24KGs
10 walking lunges w/ one 24KG

90 sec rest, repeat.

Then I cooled down with one time back and forth across the BBall court doing frog walks (step, drop into frog squat, hands hit ground, pop up, step, repeat)

Sunday was off and today is MT class.

Friday and Today

Friday was the wife's graduation and lunch w/ family. Then we went a small gathering of people in her program and went home. It was a good time for an off day anyway so I'm not worried about it.

This morning I did testing with the guys I work out with at 7am. We spend about 2 months doing a certain type of workout. Then we switch. We just got done off of a cardio/endurance kick. The new program will focus around improving body weight exercises. We took the baseline test today to see where our #ers are so when we test again after the next 2 months of training, we can see where our progress went.

This morning we tested on
push ups
sit ups
pull ups
burpees

The rules were clean reps only counted. If u did more than 2 ugly-reps in a row u were done and your # was minus your two ugly reps. My numbers were ok, not great, but it was 7am..
push ups - 61
sit ups - 63 (my legs gave out WAY before my abs, annoying)
pull ups - 7 ( i hate full ups, this is what i want to improve most)
burpees- 13 (this is also what i would like improve on, the jumps SMOKE the bottoms of my quads)

My new training schedule is going to look different b/c i am committing to this muy thai class. It will now look like

Mon- Muy Thai class (MT)
T- training with the guys at the park, this will be bells and BW excercises
W- MT
TH- training at the park
F- OFF!
Sat- maybe an AOS dvd, maybe off
SUN- the conditioning class that is offered at the MT gym, it is usually a crossfit WOD or bells.

Is that too much? Opinions? I dont know.

Hold it in the Palm of my Hand...

on an unrelated-to-fitness note, i have lots of tattoos, im really into tattoos. i want more tattoos. i have been looking at palm tattoos lately and have decided they are fucking cool. i want some but cant them b/c im scared they will make me homeless and unemployed. and that's ok. instead i will just admire from afar and covet other people's. the one above is currently my all time favorite i have found. it is awesome. i wish these were my hands.

Wed

A few things.

1. My day was terrible so I was REALLY ready to go to Muy Thai class.

2. I get there and it is straight to business- awesome.

3. We do 2 circuits, first conditioning, second skills. The first is 7 rounds, 2 min each with 30 sec in between. Second is 6 rounds, 4 min each, 30 sec in between.
First circuit we did
- renegade rows w/ pushups (i ate this up b/c dumbells were only 20 pounds, thats a lot light than my 24KG KB)
-push ups on your knee where you push yourself up to full upright position, hold it there with your core while you clap for 5 times and throw yourself back down- these sound not so bad, they are terrible
- one hand on box, other on groun push ups, do one rep, walk it over to other side repeat
-sprints back and forth in the gym
-stair running on a folding chair, run up on it run down off it, repeat as fast as you can
- frog walks across the ring back and forth

Then we did the skill circuit, then we went for a jog and on way back did internval sprints. I was a champ through everything until the end. I did the first two sprints on the way back with EVERYTHING i had... and it fucked me up. I got a cramp so bad in my lower ribs that I couldn't breathe and had to walk for most of the rest.

I fucking LOVE this class. I am going to start going 2 days a week- Mon & Wed.

And I am making progress on not smoking. That Muy Thai class helped me get there a little b/c I really want to do this. It makes me happier and there is NO WAY I can keep smoking and really get into this b/c of the conditioning level.
Today is 1 and tomorrow will be 2. It is going to happen and these are not hollow words.

Monday and Tuesday

Monday was off. I was so sore from Sat & Sunday I needed a break.

Yesterday I ran a mile with the dogs and then did 2 C&P ladders with 5 rungs as a warm up.

Then we did a leg workout w/ the 28KG
4 sets of 10 swings
4 sets 10 front squats
2 sets R, 2 sets L 1 Legged Suit Case Dead Lifts
walking lunge, thruster complex (walking lunges to the 24, squat, crush curl, stand up press to overhead, bring back to chest, squat, uncurl repeat 3 times)

This was supposed to be for 3 rounds but in middle of first round I went down and got a NASTY rock stuck into my knee cap, it bled a lot. I did the thrusters adn walking lunges back to start then called it a day.

I am back to 0 because I am a loser. This is hard and I am not doing the best job. If I could just work out ALL day then I wouldn't feel the need. When I work out and after I am done I have no desire to smoke. UGH!

Life's a beach

I did a heavy KB leg workout before we left for the beach.

Front squats, lunges, and 1 legged suit case dead lifts. 4 rounds of 10 each. quick fast. I used to do this + a few more thigns and it really biult up my legs. I havent done it in a while and b/c of that, today my ass is SO SORE. I'm getting back on this.

Today went to Revolution Dojo for the conditioning class. We did Ju Jit Su drills for warm ups for about 12 min. Then it was a crossfit WOD called "400"- 100 reps of each
push ups (60, 16, 14, 10)
squats (100)
slammers (20, 20, 20, 20, 20)
pullups. (6,4,5,5,5,4,3)
time of - 25:19

the pull ups FUCKED ME UP! The slammers werent fun but I got them done. The push ups and the squats were no problem, but the pull ups. Fuck that. It was only excercise I didnt get all my reps in for- I got 32 total. 100 pull ups ridiculous. Ick. I am shaking all over. Smoked.

Yesterday

I didnt work out. Went out with people from work instead to drum up some business. It's probbaly for hte best b/c I am pretty damn sore from M-W, especially W.

Tomorrow we are going to the beach where I might do some running but if not I will def be going to that conditioning class Sunday.

#1.

I'm a lsoer

# for today is still 0. I am making it through the rest of the day smoke-free. Got to start somewhere so its here now. Made it through all afternoon yesterday and last nite. I fucked up this morning around 8:30. I've been good for the last hour. If I can make it through tomorrow morning I will be on my way.

Wed Nite- "High strung tension in the American Night..."

"High stung tension an American Night
Can't find a friend and it don't seem right
Want to rip through every face I see
Cause I'm standing here and they don't see me
Just walking down the street, couldn't hear a sound
Just the pounding of my hard boots on the ground
Hands in pockets and my coats done up tight
I'm the one you never see in the American Night

Anything you want it's all right here
A fist and a boot and plenty of beer
The American Night

Walk into the bar for another warm beer
Faces talking at me but I don't hear
Had to leave the place before I got served
Before I gave those bastards what they deserved
There's trouble in the air and I'm not far behind
If it's trouble they want then it's trouble they'll find
Hanging out the window and looking for a fight
Won't be a victim of the American Night

Anything you want it's all right here
A fist and a boot and plenty of beer
The American Night" - The Bruisers

Went to the Muy Thai class- holy shit that was fun. 1hr and 10 min of conditioning mixed with skills drills and then 30 min on new combos to practice at home. We did a massive circuit with 4 min at each station. Did
1. Jump Rope
2. X bands with 25 reps with several diff movements- killed my shoulders
3. body hug small punching bag, 20 squats, suplex over shoulder, repeat
4. jab, body hook, drag hook combo on 70lb bag
5. jab cross x5, 3 hook R, 3 hook L on 110lb bag
6. headwork under rope in ring
7. combinations in the ring with practicing ducking counters

THEN time for clap pushups, holding V's for abs and some other shit i have now forgotten. This was smoked me and it was a blast.

Just like Bruisers said-
"There's trouble in the air and I'm not far behind
If it's trouble they want then it's trouble they'll find"