Squat Stand

I am contemplating the possibility of having to move my home gym to the basement for a winter.  In the garage I have a generous 10 foot ceiling (when the garage door is down) and 96 square feet of floor space.

In the basement, I would have 8 foot ceilings which is fine for squat, bench and deadlift, but would not really work for overhead stuff.  From the ground I could still do cleans.  Reviewing the last month of weeks of workouts, I would be missing pull-ups, jerks, push press, thrusters, wall ball shots and ring dips.

I feel like the best squat stand would be the Raptor Rex Series featuring 3"x3" 11 gauge steel, 48"x48" footprint and 75" height.  $325 for the rack and another $135 for the spotter arms.  

Another fun option would be the La Junta Yoke.  The 75" Yoke is $425, adding spotter arms, dip bars, bumper storage, etc would jack up the cost considerably.

I really do not need more gym equipment and at $460, probably $500 with tax, I am looking at 3 years of Planet Fitness membership and 1 year at BeStrong Strength and Conditioning.  However long term, I would like to have a squat stand and pull-up bar instead of a foldaway rack.

T2B - Metcon

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Home Gym

1300

Warm Up

Hip Hammy

Wrist Mobility

Strength

Three sets of 

Banded Face Pulls 12-15@2111 tempo

rest 45 seconds

Strict T2B 6-8@2110 tempo

rest 45 seconds

I did the banded face pulls with the yellow band and 12 reps were pretty good and provided good scap activation.  The T2B was much harder and anything but strict.  I was swinging up, kind of paused halfway down and slowly lowered the rest of the way.  In retrospect, I should have done strict knee raises at tempo.

Metcon

"Belt Buckle" 

For Time:

1000 m row

30 Deadlift (225/155)

50 Bar Facing Burpees

The row was OK and I finished in just under 5 minutes (which included moving the rower out of the garage).  I did the deadlifts at 155# in sets of 5 and finished the 6 sets in about 3 minutes.  The burpees were tough.  I did lateral step over burpees and felt like I was moving well.  I called time at 15:20 which would put my burpees at roughly 7 per minute which is my sustainable pace.  It was a good mental win to keep cranking these out.

Strength programming was from CFG which also called for DB shoulder press at tempo.  Metcon was from Comptrain.  Crossfit.com had a fun chipper but that would have required multiple barbells and a lot more floor space than I had allocated to the workout.

Deadlift - Metcon

Monday, September 28, 2020

Home Gym

1330

Warm Up

Hip Hammy

Wrist Mobility

Down Dog

Inversions

30 sec handstand hold against wall

3 HSPU to 2 abmat

1 HSPU to 1 abmat (sketchy)

3 negatives to the floor

1 HSPU to 2 abmat

This felt pretty lousy today and I need to regain my focus.

Deadlift

25 minutes to establish 1 RM

5x135

3x185

3x225

2x255

1x275

1x295

1x305 (fail)

1x305 (fail)

295# stuttered up.  305# I could break off the ground, but it just wasn't moving.  

Metcon

AMRAP 10

3 kipping pull-ups

5 clean & jerk (95#)

10 wall ball shots (14#)

I managed 4 rounds + 3 reps.  The pull-ups were unbroken, the C&J were singles and the WBS were unbroken.

Programming was inspired by CFG for 9.28.20 taking the deadlift 1RM.  CFG metcon called for an AMRAP 8 of pull-up and single arm hang clean and jerk.  Comptrain called for 5 rounds of air squat, bike erg and clean & jerk.  I took the pull-ups and clean and jerk and opted for wall ball shots instead of air squats.  The pull-up number came from kipping pull-ups that I could string together.  I want to work this number up and want to balance my pulling strength between strict and kipping.  I need to start a plan for getting my chest to bar pull-ups.  I have not done much Olympic lifting lately and the 95# weight was good for getting moving.  I went with power cleans and push jerks.

Long Run Sunday

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Home Gym

1020

4.17 mile run on Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail (11:43/mile pace).

Kind of a crummy run as my stomach was on edge and it was cool and windy.  It was a good mental win to put the long sleeve shirt on and the lightweight gloves.

Bike Ride

Saturday, September 26, 2020

Home Gym

1240

15.19 mile ride out to US 93 and back on the Gios.  12.2 mph, very windy

Sharkk Fitness

Saturday, September 26, 2020

Sharkk Fitness

0900 - 4 of us

Bag Class

Bag work, hit mitts, worked on rhythm

"Annie" - Death by Push-ups

Friday, September 25, 2020

Home Gym

1230

Warm Up

Hip Hammy

Jump rope - singles, drills, doubles

"Annie"

For Time:

50-40-30-20-10

Double Unders

Sit-ups

I had been looking forward to this and really please with my double unders.  I finished the first 50 in 47 seconds with only one misstep.  The last two rounds were unbroken.  The sit-ups were much tougher and I started with sets of 10 and then had to switch to sets of 5.

50 - 44/6 (44 rivals my all time best of 47!); finished the round in 3:20

40 - 32/6/2; finished the round in 6:34

30 - 22/8

20 - Unbroken

10 - Unbroken

Total time was 11:34 

I did a scaled version on 12.13.2015 with 2X single under and 0.5 sit-ups in 7:07

I did a scaled version on 01.08.2026 with 2X single unders and 1.0 sit-ups in 11:44

So not only did I Rx, but I shaved 10 seconds!!

Death by Push-ups

Every minute do increasing number of push-ups 2, 4, 6, 8, ...

I barely finished the round of 16 and got an additional 9 reps before the buzzer went off.  That is 81 push-ups in 9 minutes.  Not too shabby.

Programming

Ever since the 2020 Crossfit Games Stage 1, I have been interesting in getting after the girls.  I would have to scale Fran, Diane and Nancy, but I correctly figured I could do Annie Rx.  Crossfit.com, CFG and Comptrain were not particularly interesting today.  I will try a 1RM Front Squat, max Handstand hold against a wall and scales for the other girls

Fran - 15-9-6 Pull-up, Thruster (95#?) or 21-15-9 jumping pull-up and 65# thruster
Diane - 21-15-9, 135# DL, box HSPU or 9-6-3 225# DL, 2 abmat HSPU

Nancy - 5 rounds for time 400m Run 15 OHS 45+ pounds?

Sharkk Fitness - RTS I

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Sharkk Fitness

1815 - 5 of us Mike, Hanna, Allie, Hammer and me

Station 1 - KB Reverse Curl + Single Arm KB clean and press 3 sets of 12 reps

I used the 12 Kg KB and it was the right wait for me.

Station 2 - 360 swings + Archer Press 3 sets of 12 reps

I used the 15# mace for the swings and the 10# mace for the archer press

Station 3 - Scorpion Push-up + Hip Taps 3 sets of 12 reps

These were brutal and I was doing sets of 4 of each movement and then taking a short break

Station 4 - Deadlift + Row 3 sets of 12 reps

This was a comfortable movement and I used the 2 Pood (32 Kg) for the deadlifts and the 20 Kg for the rows.

All in all a good workout.  I finished with some foam rolling.

Hard to believe my time with Sharkk Fitness unlimited is soon coming to an end.

Pull-ups - Metcon

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Home Gym

1600

Warm Up

Hip Hammy

Kip swings

Scap pull-ups

Strength

Every 90 seconds, (4) sets of the following:

Station 1) weighted or strict pull-ups 2-3 reps

Station 2) banded pull-aparts x 20 reps

Round 1 - 3 strict pull-ups

Round 2 - 3 + 5#

Round 3 - 3 + 10# (video)

Round 4 - 2 + 15#

Metcon

"Pipe Down"

21-15-9

Power Clean (115/85)

Hand Release Push-ups

directly into

21-15-9 Push Press (115/85)

T2B

I modified this to 75# for both movements and planned on 15-9-6 for the Push Press (75#) and I switched the T2B to abmat sit-ups.

It was a tough workout.  Light enough that I could go fast, but heavy enough that cycling a barbell was not trivial.  I split all of the movements into 2 sets, e.g. 11/10, 9/6, 6/3.  I finished the first block in 7:50 and the entire workout in 12:22.  I could have likely managed the 21-15-9, but felt like I got a good stimulus.

Programming was inspired and blended from CFG and Comptrain for 9/22/2020.

Equipment Update

I used the Titan Silencer Pads for the first time and they did seem a lot quieter.  When put to the dB meter test, silencers were at 79 dB and the stall mats were 81 dB.  Although there was not much difference in the max dB recorded, I feel like they did the job of quieting quickly.  It is difficult to characterize vibration, but that is as difficult an issue as sound.  I will evaluate them again when my wife has time to listen for the noise from the garage.  I had a barbell loaded to 75# and was dropping from overhead.  These will be useful this winter also if I transfer to training in the basement.

Tempo Run

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Little Dry Creek Trail

1030

2.57 mile run (9:53/mile pace) around Pomona Lake Number 2

SLIPS - Metcon

Monday, September 21, 2020

Home Gym

1500

SLIPS

Scales - Front Scale (both Legs) Back Scale (both legs) ~20 seconds each position, two times through

L-sit - 4x max effort hold.  I clocked the first effort below at 13.5 seconds.  30 seconds by the end of the year?

Inversions - hold, 2x2abmat, 1x1abmat, negative to floor, 2x2abmat

Plank - on elbows for 2 minutes

Stretch - not really

Metcon

For time:

4 Rounds of:

400 m run

10 deadlift (155#)

15 WBS (14#)

This was as tough as expected.  I came out of the gate hot, with a 2:15 run, 5/5 deadlifts and unbroken wall ball shots.  Things slowed down, but I maintained the rep scheme.  I might have been able to go a little heavier on the deadlifts, but I am still wary of touch and go deadlifts.

R1 - 4:06

R2 - 8:30 (4:24)

R3 - 13:20 (4:50)

R4 - 18:17 (4:57)

Programming was inspired by CFG and comptrain.

2020 Crossfit Games Phase I

My picks for the top 5 were

Mathew Frazier - 1st

Noah Ohlsen - 2nd

Chandler Smith - 6th

Jacob Heppner - 12th

Patrick Vellner - 9th

Tia-Clair Toomey - 1st

Kara Saunders - 8th

Haley Adams - 3rd

Dani Speegle - 13th

Ragnheiour Sara Sigmundsdottir - 21st

On the men's side, Justin Medeiros, Samuel Kwant and Jeffrey Adler rounded out the top 5

On the women's side, Brooke Wells, Katrin Tanja Davidsdottir and Kari Pearce rounded out the top 5

I thought the programming for phase 1 was really good

Friendly Fran (5 min)

1RM Front Squat

Damn Diane (5 min)

1000m Row (4 min)

Nasty Nancy (20 min)

Handstand Hold (2 min)

Awful Annie (10 min)

Most of it was on a short time domain and as a result every second mattered.  In a live competition, I think this would have been more entertaining.  The 1RM was a good event that was a real separator.  

Long Run Sunday on Saturday

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail

0930

4.89 mile run along east side of Stanley Lake.  (11:08/mile pace)

RX Drag Rope

The 2020 Crossfit Games will have the athletes performing double unders with a drag rope.  I have never trained with one, but they do not seem too expensive at $29.95 at Rogue Fitness (3 Ships Free Item).  Based on the size chart, I would need a L (5'9"-6'2").

It was a good reminder that I need to keep up with rope skips using a speed rope and my beaded rope.

Deadlift - Metcon

Friday, September 18, 2020

Home Gym

1330

Warm Up

Jumping Jacks

Hip Hammy

Down Dog

Romanian Dead Lifts

Deadlift Warm-up - 135, 185, 225, 255#

Deadlift

Every 2:30 for 7:30 

2 reps at 85-90% - 265# (88%)

Every 2:30 for 7:30

1 rep at 90-93% - 280# (93%) - rep 2 of 3 video below

The deadlifts felt good today, but I was not very confident.

Metcon

3 rounds of

400 m run

20 KBS (16 Kg)

R1 - 0 to 3:17

R2 - 4:17 to 7:20

R3 - 8:20 to 11:28

The 16 Kg kettlebell felt great today and I am considering purchasing a 20 Kg kettlebell.

Programming was from CFG for 9.18.20, modified the metcon from 300/30 as I did not feel like setting up another running route.

Cindy

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Home Gym

1300

Warm Up

Jumping Jacks

Hip Hammy

Wrist Mobility

Kip Swings & Scap Pull-ups

"Cindy"

AMRAP 20

5 pull-ups

10 push-ups

15 air squats

I did kip swing singles on the pull-ups, did the push-ups unbroken every round and was steady on the air squats.  I was keeping a pretty good pace on the first 10 minutes, finishing nearly 6 rounds and then slowed down considerably.  At 20 minutes, I was at 10 rounds + 18 reps.  I finished the remaining 12 air squats after time was called.

This crushes my previous effort on 5-18-2015 when I got 8 rounds.

Programming was from Crossfit Golden for 9.17.20

1RM Back Squat - 1000 m Row

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Home Gym

1300

Warm Up

Jumping Jacks

Hip Hammy

Wrist Mobility

Barbell Warm-up

Back Squat - 95, 135#

Back Squat

Build to 1RM

185x3

195x2

205x1

215x1

225x1

235x1

245x1 - video

I had a sticking point at 235 and 245; Although the video looked good, 245 was my heavy for today; a bit short of my 264# (120 Kg personal best).

1000 m Row

For time:

4:21.2

I definitely slowed down on the second 500 m, but felt like I maintained really good mechanics.

Programming was a mix of Crossfit Golden and Crossfit.com

Sharkk Fitness - Bag Class

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Sharkk Fitness

1715

Bag Class - 5 of us

Worked on footwork, timing, feints

Tempo Run

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Little Dry Creek Trail

1300

2.59 mile run around Pomona Lake Number 2.  10:19/mile pace.

Titan Fitness - Silencer Drop Pads

Despite my wife's misgivings, I decided to go ahead and order a set of the Titan Fitness Silencer Drop Pads.  There are a bunch of knockoffs on Amazon selling for between $150 and $200.  The Rogue Crash Cushions by Abmat are running $250.  I have had my eye on these for a while, but hesitated as they were back ordered for the last several months.

I do not Olympic Lift often, but I do lift often enough that I wanted an alternate solution.  These would also allow me to do cleans in the basement if I were so inclined.  At the price point they are a valuable addition to my home gym.

On an odd side note, I noticed that Titan products are designed in Tennessee.  Upon further investigation, it turns out their headquarters are only 5 mile from my parents house in Germantown, TN where I grew up.  I may have to give these folks some more business.

Gymnastic Metcon

Monday, September 14, 2020

Home Gym

1300

Warm Up

Foam roll

Hip Hammy

Wrist Mobility

Squat Therapy

Set up stations - movement prep - wall walk, kip swings, lightweight DB snatch

Metcon

Every minute, on the minute, for 24 minutes (4 sets) of:

Minute 1 – Strict Pull-Ups 

Minute 2 – Strict Handstand Push-Ups - scaled this to Strict HSPU to 2 abmats

Minute 3 – Single-Arm Alternating Dumbbell Snatches (70/50 lbs) - 50#

Minute 4 – Ring or Stationary Dips - Ring Dips

Minute 5 – 40 seconds of Front-Leaning Rest

Minute 6 – Rest

This was a really good workout and forced me to work on some movements I have been neglecting.  My rep count was not as high as I would have liked, but I was able to move steadily through this workout.  Setting it up with rings on the pull-up bar worked well.  I was going in and out of the house for the HSPU.  Otherwise everything was spaced out well.

Pull-up - 5/4/4/4

Strict HSPU - 2 abmat - 4/3/2/1

SA DB Snatch - 6/6/6/6

Ring Dips - 4/4/4/4

40 sec Front-Leaning rest - shifted around a bit, but held 40 seconds everytime.

I was really pleased with using 2 abmat strict HSPU in a workout.

Programming was from Crossfit Golden for 9.14.20

Weekend Run and Bike

Sunday, September 13, 2020

Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail

5.49 mile run (10:52/mile pace) - Felt really good

Played tennis with the kids afterwards

Saturday, September 12, 2020

US 93 and back

15.28 mile ride (13.6 mph) - Perfect weather

Played volleyball with Shadrach and Khana afterwards

Sharkk Fitness - Bag Class + Dutch Drills

Saturday, September 12, 2020

Sharkk Fitness

0900 - Mike, Josh, Patrick and me

Bag Class

Foot work, combos on bag, footwork/jab drills.  

Foot work line drills - Hop in and out, L-step, ghost step.

Drills with Mike - 

step in/jab - L step out

step in/jab - ghost step out

step in/jab - step forward again/cross - step back - step back - L-step

Dutch Drills

Dutch Drill 1 - hook - low kick - jab - high kick

Dutch Drill 2 - hook - low kick - switch jab - right hook - high kick

Dutch Drill 3 - hook - low kick - check - switch jab - right hook - high kick

Dutch Drill 4 - hook - low kick - switch jab - right hook - right jab - right jab - high kick

I am not certain that I got all of the sequences correct.  The few things I know for sure is that we always start with a hook - low kick.  Off of the switch jab, I move right to get my right hook going.  The receiving is always the same.  For Dutch Drill 1 - partner strikes my left glove, I check with my right foot, partner strikes my left glove, I catch his kick on my right side.

It was fun and the Sanabul shin guards felt great.

Metcon - "Never Forget"

Friday, September 11, 2020

Home Gym

1330

Warm Up

Hip Hammy

Wrist Mobility

Row

Kip Swings, Scap Pull-ups, Pull-ups

Barbell Warm Up - good morning, back squat, elbow rotation, strict press, RDL, front squat

Metcon

"Never Forget"

For Time:

2001 m Row

followed by 

4 Rounds of

9 clusters (135/95)

11 strict pull-ups

I scaled this to 75# clusters and it was still a really tough workout.  The row took me 10 minutes.  I strung a few of the clusters (squat clean into a thruster) together and was quickly doing singles.  Similarly with pull-ups, I did a couple and then switched to singles.

Round 1 - 3:30

Round 2 - 4:00

Round 3 - 4:30

Round 4 - 4:30

Total - 26:47

Programming was from Vintage Crossfit in Houston.  I have been subscribed to their YouTube channel and they typically mirror Comptrain, but often have good warm-ups and variations.

Sharkk Fitness - RTS I

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Sharkk Fitness

1815 - 6 of us including Hammer, Mike, girl, Mom and her son

Warm Up - (30) 360 swings in both directions and 15 push-ups

Block Training

Block A

• Shin Boxes (16) - these are 90/90's with hip extension in each direction
• Full Uppercuts (24) - used 10# steel mace
• Full Swings (20) - used 12 kg KB
• Offset Push-ups (16) - one hand on KB, one hand on the ground

Block B

• Bear Squat (16) - From pike position, knees drop and hover over ground then extend to pike
• 360 Ballistic Curl (24) - 10# steel mace
• Single Arm OH Press (20) - 12 kg KB
• Toe Touch Pike Push-ups (16) - From pike position, reach for outside opposite ankle both sides then pike push-up

This was kind of a fun workout.  The goal was 3 times through of both blocks only resting after completing the block.  I opted to alternate Block A and Block B and got through 2 full rounds of each.  As time was getting short, on the last round I did shin boxes, uppercuts, 360 ballistic curl, full swing and offset push-ups.  I wanted to grab some more steel mace work and did not want to run out of time.

In talking to Mike, I learned that his father owned the building and he helped manage the gym space.  He has some good plans for upgrading equipment and even potentially expanding the space.

Gym Membership?

I went out for a run today and the cooler weather was surprisingly pleasant.  The run today also got me thinking about whether I wanted access to a treadmill this winter.

I have been considering a few options.

Currently I have a membership at Sharkk Fitness.  I have enjoyed the program, but am ready for a change of scenery.

BeStrong Strength and Conditioning - 5160 Parfet Street, Wheat Ridge - 15 minute drive from the house - I enjoyed training here and am anxious to see the new facility.  They are definitely geared for powerlifting, but have plenty of space for general fitness.  $45/month.

Planet Fitness - 7635 W 88th Street, Westminster - 5 minute drive from the house - I have always looked down on Planet Fitness with disdain, but they always have a great selection of cardio equipment and I need access to cable machines which they have as well.  I need to visit this location and see if it could work for me.  $10/month + $40 annual fee applicable around November 1st.

I definitely want a month to month option.  Assuming the global pandemic subsides to some degree, I expect myself to be working from the office instead of from home and that would put me back in the position of training at Crossfit Golden 

Tempo Run

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Little Dry Creek Trail

1330

2.57 Mile run (9:50/mile pace) around Pomona Lake Number 2.  This was my fastest pace off the track in a long time.  The cooler weather seems to have helped my speed substantially.

Metcon

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Home Gym

1600

Metcon

AMRAP 30

10 Burpee

20 Calorie Row

30 Box Jumps (20")

40 Sit-ups

I set this up and did a few practice moves to verify spacing and then jumped right into this without much warm-up.

Round 1 ~ 8 min

Round 2 ~ 9 min

Round 3 ~ 9:30 min

Round 4 - got through burpees, row, 3 box jumps for 3+33

The toughest part was definitely the box jumps and I am glad I did not opt for the men's standard 24".  I was pleased with my effort.

New Bands

Rep Fitness was showing stock on some pull-up bands so I went ahead and ordered an XXX-Light (Yellow) for banded pull aparts, face pulls and general warm up.  I also ordered a Heavy (Blue) band with the intention of working on pistols.

The same day that I picked them up, I was helping my daughter do banded pull-ups only to have my X-Light (Black) band break.  My XX-Light (Red) is still intact, but probably on its last leg as it is the same age and has been stored in similar conditions.  These bands were purchased on Amazon and are branded as Functional Fitness bands.

Moral of the story is that next time I am placing an order, I should go ahead and order a red and black band.  I will likely add a purple and green in the future.  From Rep, buying a bundle is $70, but buying them individually is $74 so not much of a loss.

Sharkk Fitness - RTS I

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Sharkk Fitness

1815 - 6 of us including Hammer and Mike

1000 Waves

Alternating SA KBS + Alternating SA KB Clean & Press

Wild Things + Push-ups/variations

Curls + Deadlifts

Working in teams of 3 with a shared set of battle ropes, accumulate 1000 swings each of any style.  Alternating single arms, double arms, waves in, waves out, etc.

While other teammates are working on the rope start doing 20 reps of the movement sets, for example 20 wild things and 20 push-ups.

I did finish the 1000 waves.  I started with sets of 50 with some variety, after 500, it was mostly sets of 80 alternating single arm waves.

I made it through almost two rounds of the movement sets, not finishing the 20 deadlifts after 20 curls.  The single arm kettlebell variations were an interesting change.  The body weight movements were tough.  The curls and deadlifts were meh.  Overall, it was good to get comfortable with battle ropes and mentally challenging as well.

Long Run Sunday on Monday

Monday, September 7, 2020

Rocky Mountain Greenway Trail

0930

4.74 mile run (11:39/mile pace)

Deadlift - Metcon

Friday, September 4, 2020

Home Gym

1230

Warm Up

Hip Hammy

RDL

Deadlift warm up - 45, 95, 135, 185, 225#

Deadlift

Every 3 minutes for 15 minutes

2 Reps at 85-90% - 255#

This felt pretty good today and I considered going heavier

Metcon

400 m sandbag run/walk

90 calorie row

70 wall ball shots (14#)

50 KBS (35#)

30 Burpee Box Jumps (20")

400 m sandbag run/walk

This was a grueling tough workout that ended with me getting bit by a dog and cutting the last run short by about 50 meters.  My time was around 34:30 which includes trying to get the dog owners contact information as neither of us had mobile phones or identification on us.  So for those who think crossfit is not dangerous, think again.

Nutrition Week 14

I had my A1C checked yesterday and it came it at 5.9% (down from 6.1%).  I feel like that is a significant improvement and hopefully I can keep working it down towards the normal range of below 5.7%.

My A1C was climbing from 5.8% to 6.0% to 6.1% which all fall into the Prediabetes range of 5.7% to 6.4%.  I had to make a dietary change.  After a while it does become routine and I find myself looking at donuts with a nostalgic twinge before realizing that is not who I am.  I am not yet in a position of neutrality nor have I sworn off.

I still have room to work with portion size, snacking between meals and increasing vegetable consumption.

Sharkk Fitness - RTS I

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Sharkk Fitness

1815 - 6 of us including Mike, Floyd, Hammer and me

3 Blocks

Floor Press - 12, 10, 8, 8

KB Combo 3 - 6 reps after each set

Deltoid Raise - 12, 10, 8, 8

KB Combo 3 - 6 reps after each set

Reverse Curl - Row - 12, 10, 8, 8

KB Combo 3 - 6 reps after each set

As prescribed called for increasing the weight on the movement and the KB Combo each set.  I did not do this.

KB Combo 3 consists of

Row

Clean

Squat

Press

Full Swing and reset to floor

Floor Press - I used 17.5# for 12, 10 and 20# for 8, 8

KB Combo 3 - 12 KG for all 4 sets

Deltoid Raise - 12x10#, 10x17.5#, 8x20#, 8x20#

KB Combo 3 - 12 KG for all 4 sets

Reverse Curl and Rows - 12x12KG, 10x12KG, 8x16KG

KB combo 3 - 12 KG for all 3 sets

I skipped the last set and foam rolled.  This was a taxing, but somewhat flowing workout.  I rarely do the movement patterns in my normal lifting.

York Standard Curl Bar

I finally received my York 1" Standard Chrome Curl Bar with Fixed Inner Collars.  I also got two dumbbell collars and a sticker pack.

This was nothing fancy, the bar was $15.95, the collars $2.98, the stickers, $5.00, but the shipping via UPS ground was a whopping $17.27.

The bar is an incredible upgrade from my hollow, beat up curl bar that did not have a lick of knurling.  This has medium knurling and feels solid.  Per the website it weighs 11 pounds.  I opted for dumbbell collars in order to maximize the loadable sleeve length.  Outer barbell collars are fine for bars that have more loadable sleeve, but the curl bar only has 6 inches of sleeve and the short collars take 1 inch of that.  Barbell collars could take up to 3 inches each side.  

I am going to use it primarily for barbell curls, pullovers and skull crushers.  I could have got an Olympic curl bar.

This is a good solution and I am certainly more pleased to own a York and will be returning the Marcy Curl Barbell that I purchased from Big 5 Sporting Goods.  My biggest gripe with the Marcy was the spin lock collars, which I have had nothing but negative experiences with in the past.

I must admit that part of my obsession was watching Nick's Strength and Power Strict Curl videos.

Track Thursday

 Thursday, September 3, 2020

RV Track

1230

Warm Up

800 m easy jog

Track Workout

4 x 400 m at honest effort

2:05

2:05

2:08

2:07

I originally went to the track at 0830, but my stomach felt queazy from the Advil I have been taking for my tooth.  This time around was a little better, but not a max effort day.  I usually would opt for 6 x 400 m, but this was good for today.

SLIPS - Metcon

 Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Home Gym

1130

SLIPS

Scales - Front Scale Back Scale Left Leg Right Leg - accumulate 30 seconds in each position

L-Sit - 4 times max effort - 5-10 seconds

Inversions - 

HSPU - from ground!! finally!! PR!!!

HSPU from 1 abmat

HSPU from 2 abmat - 2 reps

HS Hold and rock side to side slightly - 15 seconds

HS Negative

Plank - 2 minute hold on elbows

Stretching - none

Metcon

AMRAP 20

15 Burpees

30 Calorie Row

This was tough, but not as bad as expected.  I managed 4 Rounds + 7 Burpees in the 20 minutes.

Metcon was from Crossfit.com for 200902.  I just wanted to throw in SLIPS as it had been a while.

Sharkk Fitness - RTS I

 Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Sharkk Fitness

1815 - 4 of us including Mike

Indian Club Training

This was the first time training with Indian Clubs and I used the 10# club for all movements.

3 Rounds of

24 Clock Squats - This starts off as a side swing.  Holding the club with straight arms and the right hand on top, swing the club to the left in a half squat and then pop hips to carry club up and to the right, then shoulder the club and perform a squat.

24 Pull Over Front Press - Hold club tucked in on right side with right hand on top, extend over and behind head, pull over and press forward, opening up the grip.

14 Sit Out Swing - Hold club with right hand on top swing forward and drop into a squat.

All of the exercises are mirrored so that half the reps are on the left side.

Finish with a burn out set of 

20 Curl Rotations - Part biceps curl, part rotation.  Hold club out to the side with arm extended, curl to 90 degrees and rotate club 90 degrees, curl to shoulder and press overhead, lower the same way.

This was super fun and actually had me thinking of keeping up my membership.  The class started and ran on time and everyone was engaged.  A lot of fun.

I took a quick look at the Onnit website:  10# Steel Club is $27.95, 15# Steel Club is $39.95, both are in stock.

Tempo Run

 Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Little Dry Creek Trail

0845

2.56 mile run around Pomona Lake Number Two at 10:41/mile pace