Sunday, April 30, 2023

Throwers Clinic

The RMSA will once again have a throwers clinic on April 29 in Brighton, CO. Our coaches this year will be Ryan Stewart and Nathan Burchett. These two amazing athletes have years of experience in both throwing and strength training to help you enhance your throwing ability. There will be two sessions for this clinic. The first session will be from 8 am - 12 pm. This session will be for more experienced throwers that are looking to fine-tune aspects. The second session will take place from 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm. This sessions is for newer throwers. So whether you are brand new, or have competed a couple/practiced a couple times and want to learn more in depth work, this will be the perfect session for you. The clinic is $50 cash only.

16195 Bently St, Brighton, CO 80603-8439, United States

I attended the afternoon session and received great training and feedback.  There were 7 of us in the session.  All with some throwing experience and 3 individuals had participated in a games.  We went through the events in order.  Braemar stone and Open Stone, Weight for distance, Hammer Throw, Weight over bar and Sheaf toss.

Overarching principle is that speed is primary.  Work with lighter weight and keep speed as weight increases.  Training with heavy weights kills speed.

Braemar - Fundamental foot position, facing 3 o'clock with left foot open and right foot forward of left foot.  Press stone into neck and wind up so that stone would fall behind right foot.  Accelerate and open up pushing the stone and keep momentum of left arm.

Open Stone - Start facing 6 o'clock and drive off the left foot to establish the right foot in the fundamental foot position, then pivot and keep momentum to toss exactly like Braemar.  Some athletes tape fingers for stone throws.

Weight for distance - One turn - Start facing 3 o'clock and start weight moving in a "V" in front and a "C" behind and dropping the weight to a low point around 6 o'clock spinning to a high point at 12 o'clock and then spinning and throwing.  Two turn - Start facing 12 o'clock, same "V" and "C", first turn is a tight turn and second turn is more of a step to drive power and keep it moving forward.  Some athletes were taping hands for this.

Hammer throw - Start facing 6 o'clock and hammer on right side and bring around for two turns and then launch over shoulder, opening chest up and finishing with head looking right over left shoulder

Weight for height - Brace left hand on left hip and with implement in right hand bring implement through the legs high and dip down and drive up bringing implement back low and exploding overhead.  Several individuals were wearing support belts and gloves.  One of the coaches was using an Olympic lifting strap.

Sheaf Toss - This is also a dip and drive.  Start motion with a few rocks and then bring sheaf fork through with left arm straight and right arm driving like a Heimlich maneuver and drive up.  Sheaf will launch off of the fork.  Keep head forward until sheaf leaves fork.  Kind of like a golf swing.  Ideally one would practice with their own sheaf fork.  These are not terribly expensive and can be homemade or purchased from folks like Michael Black.

The instructors were great and I did start getting tired.  My shoulder felt like it had been through it on the way home.  I enjoyed it and would attend again.

Highland Games

Friday, April 28, 2023

Support Equipment in Englewood









Stoic Elbow Sleeves- NEW Size Medium $30
Spud Inc Lifting belt - USED $50
Giants Pro Lifting Belt - USED $50 (https://shop.wgefit.com/products/giants-pro-lever-buckle-belt?variant=25291089283)
EXO Knee Wraps - like NEW $20
SBD Elbow Sleeves - like NEW size Small $40

Anitra Sopronyi listed the above items about 5 weeks ago in Englewood.  Per the ad, everything may still be available.  I am not particularly interested in the belts or knee wraps.

Stoic Elbow Sleeves - Retail $45, asking $30, 28-30 cm is Medium, 30-32 cm is Large, I measure right at 30 cm.  7 mm outer thickness, 5 mm inner thickness.

SBD Elbow Sleeves - Retail $65, asking $40, Chart based on Forearm and Lower Biceps.  I measure 28 cm forearm and 30 cm lower biceps which would put me squarely in the size small.  7 mm outer thickness, 5 mm inner thickness.  Manufactured in Great Britain.

Depending on what fits, I would offer $15 for the Stoics and $20 for the SBD and would be willing to go $20 or $30 respectively depending on condition.

UPDATE 5/1/2023:

Anitra ended up getting back to me on Sunday (I contacted her Friday) and we made a plan to meet Monday evening.  The Stoics had been sold, but the SBD's were still available.  They fit well and she even showed me some techniques for putting them on.  We got to talking and it turns out she trained for Strongman and now her primary focus is Highland Games (she even has a coach from New Mexico).  She is competing in the women's lightweight division at the Charity Games in Colorado Springs.  She also trains at Iron Titan gym and really enjoys it.  After talking for a while I was getting ready to pay and head home and she gave them to me free and even sent links on where I could by a kilt.  Very friendly and I am assuming our paths will cross in the future.

Swim - Deadlift

Friday, April 28, 2023

Carmody

1000

Swim

1x400 FR
1x300 FR
1x200 FR
1x100 FR
1x200 BR
--
1200 total (35 minutes)

Finished with treading water for 3 minutes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Garage Gym

1700

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper
Hip Hammy
RDL

Deadlift

4x80% - 260#
3x83% - 270#
3x85% - 275#
2x87% - 285#
2x90% - 295#

Thursday, April 27, 2023

A few Rogue Items on the Secondary Market




Garage gym package!!! Quite a few awesome pieces of equipment to outfit an impressive home set-up. This is all quality gear in great condition from reputable brands like Rep, Rogue, Spud, and Perfect Pull-up. Would love to sell it as a complete package. 200$ and take the whole thing!!! No low ball please.

Rep Fitness Pull-up bar (mounting hardware included): 75$ - not interested
+AB hanging straps with Loop D-rings: comes with Pull-up bar - not interested
Rogue Fitness Parallettes: 75$ - have a great set
Spud Inc. Pulley system (Upgraded cable): 75$ - meh
Perfect Push-up & Pull-up: 20$ - no
Rogue 2x3 STRIP 1.0 (mounting hardware included): 20$ - this caught my eye

I have been looking at Rogue Strips to potentially use as plate storage, foot plate for GHD or Matador.  This is a nice price point as the current 2.3 Strip 2.0 (with significantly improved branding and tube construction is currently selling for $70, but could ship with 3 ships free.  $20 is a pretty good value.  The real bonus is that he is close to the house and the listing is on Craigslist.

--

The change plates are being offered by Alex Kay on Facebook Marketplace for $100.  He is 30 minutes away in downtown Denver.  

Retail
1.25s = $31
2.5s = $41
5s = $55
10s = $99
--
$127 retail for the set being offered

bundled, the 37.5# pack is $211 with free shipping and the 35# set is $196 with free shipping.  As I am coveting the 1.25, this is probably priced fairly and will sell within a week?  I would be a buyer if I had not just ordered the Weight It Out plates.

Run - CFA Prep

Thursday, April 27, 2023

Harriman / Garage Gym

1130

Run

2.59 mile (12:33/mile; 32:29 moving time) run around Harriman Lake Park.  Broke out the Salomon Speed Cross and felt clunky but need to start getting some miles in them.

CFA Prep

3 Rounds for Max Reps

Sit-ups - 30-30-25
Push-ups - 20-20-15
Pull-ups - 3-3-2 (maintained good tempo)

20 minute effort including warm-up on the Reverse Hyper

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Ivanko - Centennial


Legendary machined Ivanko plates, made in USA and great condition. Pickup in Centennial.

170lbs total

35lbs x 2
25lbs x 2
10lbs x 4
5lbs x 2

Screaming deal on Ivanko plates.  I would not mind spending the $230, but I really do not need additional plates that are relatively common.  Plus, I hate 35s.  Posted at 7:15 PM 4/26/2023.  Should sell quickly.  I saw it 44 minutes after posting.

Front Squat - Metcon

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Garage Gym

1100

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper
Hip Hammy Flow
Abbreviated Burgener

Strength

Every 3:00 minutes, 4 Sets
4 Rep Front Squat
*From the Floor
Start @ 80% of 1RM Clean and Increase Loads

I have not done much cleaning so I started light and went for 5 sets at 75-95-115-120-125.  Starting at 125 (80% of 155#) would have been a mistake.

“Thriller”

4 Rounds for Time
100 Double Unders
15 Burpee Box Jumps, 24/20”
5 Front Squat 225/155lb

My double unders felt like crap and I wanted a shorter workout so I scaled this to 

40 DU (or max in 90 seconds)
10 BBJ (21")
5 Front Squat (95#)

I did plan on 4 rounds, but after the first round realized that was not a good idea.  I was taking big pauses in transition as these movements are technically tough for me.  I finished 3 rounds in 14:16 and felt good about the effort.

Programming was from Vintage CrossFit 04.26.23

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

DIY Pegboard?

I purchased what I thought was a Yes4All pegboard from Amazon, but it turned out to be just the pegs that measure 1.1 inches in diameter.  I wanted to return them, but Amazon offered a returnless refund.

Now I am considering making my own pegboard from a 2x8 board and drilling holes.  The board would cost me $10 at Lowes and a 1-1/8" spade bit would cost me another $10 from Harbor Freight.  Then the struggle of assembling everything.  It might well be worth the $20.  It would definitely be worth it if I happen to have some scrap lumber for another project.  The bonus for me is that I could custom fabricate it to 22 inches to accommodate 3 holes 6 inches apart and 2 inches of clearance on either end.  This would minimize the footprint as well.

Titan Fitness Angle Multi-Grip Barbell

I purchased this in the secondary market on October 22, 2022 and have used it a handful of times in the past 6 months.  I have used it for bench press and hammer curls and enjoy using it for both.  At $75 not a bad investment, but it certainly sees the least amount of action among my barbells and mostly gets used when I notice that I have not used it in a while.

The stickers have flaked off, but the finish overall is fine.  

Rep Fitness Technique Bar

I purchased this bar along with 5 lb technique plates on December 16, 2016 and never wrote a review.  I originally purchased it as I was learning Olympic weightlifting and was between CrossFit gyms.  I wanted a bar to work on technique as the bars at Oracle were all 45 pound barbells (and they only had one set of bumper plates).

I have used the bar quite a bit not only for technique, but also warm-up and metcons where I want to set up a 45 pound bar (15 pound bar and 15 pound bumper plates).

Over the past 6 years, the bar has held up great.  The finish is in good shape and I have never been worried about damaging it.  I don't drop it from overhead and have never loaded it over 55 pounds.  

I definitely like having the bar in the gym for myself and my wife and kids if they ever want to join me for a workout. 

Back Squat - Metcon

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Home Gym

0930

Warm Up

1000m row
Reverse Hyper
Hip Hammy Flow
Back Squat Warm Up - 45, 95#

Back Squat

5-5-5-3-3-3-1-1-1

5x135
5x145
5x155
3x165
3x175
3x185
1x195
1x205
1x215#

All of the weights felt pretty good.

Metcon

For time:
20-15-10-5
Wall Ball Shots (14# to 10')
Box Jumps (24")

This was much tougher than I expected, but I did nail the time domain ant 10:09

Round 1 - 3:44
Round 2 - 6:46 (3:02)
Round 3 - 8:59 (2:13)
Round 4 - 10:09 (1:10)

The box jumps were the workout.  I moved steadily through both movements with unbroken sets.  Metcon was adapted from main site yesterday which called for 800 m run - 50-40-30-20-10 of the couplet and 800 m run.  That volume would have broke me.  I considered opening with a round of 25, but judiciously took it easy.

Sunday, April 23, 2023

Strongman Support Gear for Sale in Littleton

1. Cerberus Deadlift belt, red/black, size 2XL — $40 (for 41" to 44" waist, I am a 43"), retail $64.99
2. Strongman belt w/silver lever, black, size L — $40 - ($85 Arsenal Athletics)
3. Rehband soft belt, black, size XXL — $30 (for 100-110 cm, I am 110 cm), retail $75
4. Cerberus knee wraps, red/black, size 2.5m — $25, retail $33.99
5. Arsenal Elbow Sleeves, gray/black, size XL — $25, retail $40
6. Spud oly straps, black — $5, retail $15
7. Gym Reaper oly straps, black — $5, retail $14.99











I ended up meeting the seller today (4/25/2023) and all of the items were in good shape.  
  • Rehband Back Support fit perfectly and I was definitely getting that.  
  • Cerberus Deadlift belt was on the large side and if I lose much weight it will not fit
  • Lever belt was actually dialed in perfect.  I have not trained with one of these, but want to give it a whirl
  • Cerberus Knee Wraps - brand new, did not try
  • Arsenal Elbow Sleeves - too big
  • Spud Inc straps - fine
  • Gym Reapers straps - fine
I decided to offer $80 for the three belts and the wraps.  That was 70% of asking ($115) and 33% of retail ($240).  Fortunately the seller accepted.  Getting the items home, I am still pleased with the purchase and hopefully his elbow sleeves, knee wraps and gym reaper straps find a good home.  Before trying things on my intent was $50 for the Rehband and Cerberus belt or $100 for everything.  $80 fell nicely in the sweet spot.

After a lot of internet searching the belt is from Arsenal Athletics and is the American Diamondback Lever Belt that retails for $85.  I am not sure if it is still available, but the Arsenal Athletics website is down.

Listing was by Katherine Masser for her husband who was a beast, with a broad chest and thick arms.  I was slightly embarrassed that we had the same waist size.  He had competed in strongman in the past and recommended the lever belt for axle cleans as it creates a nice shelf.  Despite the items I left behind, everything was marked as sold on Facebook Marketplace.

Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA)

Part of the the application process for a service academy appointment is the CFA.  This is a structured test that is easy to administer and prepare for.  The average scores published by the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) were beyond impressive.  Average & max for men and women:
  • Basketball Throw (Avg 69'/42')(Max 102'/66')
  • Pull-ups (Avg 12/2)(Max 18/7)
  • Shuttle Run (Avg 8.1/9.4 sec)(Max 7.8/8.6)
  • Modified Sit-ups (Avg 81/78)(Max 95/95)
  • Push-ups (Avg 62/41)(Max 75/50)
  • One-mile Run (Avg 6:29/7:30)(Max 5:20/6:00)
The criteria is quite rigorous as well:
  • Basketball throw - 2 minutes for 3 attempts, 3 min rest
  • Cadence Pull-ups - 2 minutes for max, 3 min rest
  • Shuttle Run - 2 minutes for 2 attempts, 3 min rest
  • Modified Sit-ups - 2 minutes for max, 3 min rest
  • Push-ups - 2 minutes for max, 8 min rest
  • One Mile Run - Until completed
I am still up in the air on my scores:
  • Basketball throw - 17 yards - 51' / 51'
  • Cadence Pull-ups - 2
  • Shuttle Run - 11.87 / 11.95
  • Sit-ups - 30
  • Push-ups - 18
  • One Mile Run - 9:44
For a 17 year old with aspirations to enter a service academy, these are certainly a red flag.  However, for a 51 year old man, they are merely disturbing.  I feel like I could improve all of them and certainly want to train towards that end.  

Swim

Sunday, April 23, 2023

Carmody Rec Center

1030

Swim

The pool was packed and I settled for a 50 foot lane.  I did 10 minutes of freestyle, short rest, 5 min of breaststroke and then back and forth for a little over 30 minutes.  I did two efforts underwater swim and only made it about 25 feet each time in 10 seconds and 9 seconds.  I did about 100 feet of side stroke.


Strongman Saturday

Saturday, April 22, 2023

Thor Strength

0930

Movement Test and Prep

Warm Up

Hip Hammy
RDL

18" Deadlift

225 x 10 reps - Belt, straps, mouth guard

Axle Clean and Press

115 x 3 reps - 20 seconds - Belt, Wrist wraps, mouth guard

Farmer's Hold

110 each hand x 40 seconds - Belt, Thumb tape, mouth guard

Yoke & Dumbbell

37 seconds - Belt, mouth guard

Keg Carry

150 feet in 40 seconds - Belt, elbow sleeves, mouth guard

Safety Squat Bar Finisher

As I moved through the tests in about 30 minutes, I added a finisher.  I wanted to give the Safety Squat Bar a try.  It is a nice tool, but certainly not something I would train with on a regular basis.  I did a set empty (65#) and two sets at 115#.

Friday, April 21, 2023

Strict Press Complex - Bench Press Decathlon

Friday, April 21, 2023

Garage/Basement Gym

1300

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper
Bulgarian Bag Swings
Crossover Symmetry
Barbell Warm-up

Strength

Strict Press Complex

Every 2:30 minutes, 5 Sets:
1 Strict Press w/3 second lower
1 Deadstop Strict Press
1 Strict Press
**From the Floor**

I worked with 85, 95, 100, 105, 110# and felt pretty smooth

“Lyon”
5 Rounds for Time
7 Squat Cleans (165/115 lb, (75/50kg)
7 Shoulder-to-Overheads (165/115 lb), (75/50kg)
7 Burpee Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups

2 minutes Rest between rounds

I skipped the metcon as my back was feeling tight and opted for some work with the:

Bench Press Decathlon USAWA

Regular bench press - made 175, 180
Bench press feet in air - made 155, 165, 170
Left-arm bench press - made 45, 50, 55
Right arm bench press - made 45, 50, 55
Reg Park bench press - NO ATTEMPT - lifter is to be handed two barbells
Reverse grip bench press - NO ATTEMPT - wrist mobility
Alternate grip bench press - made 95, 105
Hands-together bench press - made 85, 100, 110
Roman Chair bench press - NO ATTEMPT - no Roman Chair
Rampage - 100 x 16 = 1600#

Completing the 7 events took me over 40 minutes and it was definitely more taxing than I expected.  

Thursday, April 20, 2023

Weight It Out

Weight It Out came on the scene during the pandemic offering steel weight plates.  They were pricey, but available.  As equipment became available again they stayed on the scene due to being Made in the USA, small business, thinnest plates on the market and unique aesthetics which many people enjoy.  Finally customization is relatively cheap at a premium of $10/pair on the change plates.

Shipping is free on orders over $100 (or $14.99).

1.25 lb Golden Grams - $25.99
2.5 lb - $30.99 ($40.99 custom engraved)
5 lb - $45.99 ($45.99 custom engraved? should be $55.99)

Garage Gym Competition has a 5% off discount code.

At any rate, I was going to order the 1.25 lb, but with shipping I was looking at $40 ($16/lb).  When I added the 2.5 lb and 5 lb custom engraved plates, that took me to $100 ($6/lb) given the free shipping.

I am not sure why 1.25 plates are so ridiculously expensive.

The Strength Company - $30
Rogue Fitness - $31
Rep Fitness - $25.99
Titan Fitness - $19.99
Ivanko - $20
LeMaster - $47.99 (2.5)

Given these prices, I expect change plates to increase in value in the future.  Folks who developed home gyms from 2020-2022 will return to commercial gyms and home gym equipment is being released back into the wild.  Stronger folks who have continued to train at home will often buy multiple pairs of 45's but should have no need for a second set of change plates.  Even enthusiasts, who might be willing to pay for 45's, might balk at the price of change plates and then reconsider to complete a matching set.

LeMaster

45's - $225 ($2.5/lb) - blemished often listed at $160/pair
25's - $150 ($3/lb)
10's - $100 ($5/lb)
5's - $65 ($6.50/lb)
2.5's - $48 ($9.60/lb)

The cool design is only on the 45's so I have seen several folks post online about ordering a pair and applying custom paint jobs.  However, I did not see any posts regarding the smaller change plates.

Personally, I would like to collect change plates as they are easier to move and display.


Power Snatch - Metcon

Thursday, April 20, 2023

Garage Gym

1200

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper
Hip Hammy Flow
PVC Pass Through
Abbreviated Burgener
Barbell Warm-up - 35, 55#

Snatch Complex

10 minute EMOM
Min 1: 3 Power Snatches @ 75% - 75#
Min 2: 2 Power Snatches @ 82% - 82.5#
Min 3: 1 Power Snatch @ 85% - 85#

*The last minute will have you finish on the 3 reps @ 75% of your 1rm.

This felt pretty good and I was moving well.  Programming from Vintage CrossFit.

Metcon

5 rounds for time of:
Row 500 meters
15 push-ups

I finished in 16:05 (cumulative row time was 13:05).  First 4 push-up sets were unbroken.  Programming adapted from main site programming yesterday.


Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Run - CFA - Alt DB Curls

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

CDOT Fitness Center

1130

Run

1.72 mile (12:16/mile; 21:12 moving time) run around Lakewood Gulch and Paco Sanchez Park.  Mix of running and walking to get my bearings around the park system.  It extends significantly in both directions if I want to mix in out and backs.

CFA

Crunches - Push-ups

26 - 16
21 - 12
18 - 12

I was pretty disappointed in both measures.  I feel like there is a lot of room for improvement on crunches.

Alt DB Curls

12x20
9x25
6x30
6x25
10x20#

1 minute rest between efforts.  Good little pump.

20 minutes for crunches, push-ups and curls.

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Deadlift - Wall Ball Shots

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Garage Gym

1330

Warm Up

Reverse Hyperextensions
Hip Hammy Flow
RDL
Deadlift Warm-up - 135, 185#

Deadstop Deadlift (Heavy Session)

Every 3:00 minutes , 5 Sets
4 Reps @ 75% - 245
4 Reps @ 80% - 260
4 Reps @ 80% - 260
3 Reps @ 85% - 275
2 Reps @ 87+% - 285#

Felt good and was moving well.

Wall Ball Shots

100 WBS for time (14# to 10' target)

I knew this was going to suck and it did.  It was a good exercise in pacing and mental toughness.  I started with 12-8-6 and then did quick sets of 4.  I reached 50 at about 3:40 and finished 100 at 7:54 (4:14 for the second 50).  I felt like I was moving well and would like to work up to finishing this in 10 sets of 10 reps.


Deadlift - Steinborn

Saturday, April 8, 2023

Garage Gym

noonish?

Deadlift

5 at 75% - 245
5 at 75% - 245
4 at 80% - 260
3 at 82% - 265
3 at 82-85% - 275#

Steinborn Lift

45
65
85
85#


Swim

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Carmody Rec Center

0730

Swim

1x400 FR
1x100 Side Stroke
1x100 BA
4x100 FR in 2:30 on 3:00
--
1000 yards total (30 minutes)

finished with 90 seconds tread water and some bobs off the bottom

Monday, April 17, 2023

General

Monday, April 17, 2023

CDOT Fitness Center

1200

Treadmill

2 min walk
12:30 at 4.8 mph
1 min 6.0 mph
1 min walk
1 min 6.0 mph
2 min walk

Calisthenics

Every 2 minutes for 5 rounds

2 neutral grip pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 air squats

Quick core work

30 minutes total workout

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Kabuki Strength Weights


Came across a great looking set of Kabuki change plates.  Kabuki offered steel plates in two different versions and my history is not perfect on these.  Made in USA plates for $1.20/pound is a fair deal and Kabuki is a reputable company.  I am growing more and more interested in smalls and would like to limit purchases of 45s unless they are very cool.  These appear deep dish and would be perfect for my grip set ups.

Per an interesting post on Home Gym Community by Garage Gym Reviews, Kabuki did no R&D on these and just slapped their name on the design.  Forza, Iron Company and SBW are among the companies listed using the recycled military steel.  It is also mentioned that EliteFTS and Kabuki come from the same factory.  

I contacted the seller within a couple of hours of his listing on Craigslist and am looking forward to getting them weighed.  Also curious to see if he has anything else for sale as I have rarely come across these.


Original Retail (without shipping)
45 - $170
25 - $100
10 - $50
5 - $30
2.5 - $20
--
$200 retail and I am paying 50 cents on the dollar and saving shipping (~$80).  I would typically pay $1/pound for iron and can sell at that price as well so this is a $15 premium for some cool plates.  Recycled munitions, carbon neutral factory, American Made in the Pacific Northwest.  Not bad.  

On a final note, they are no longer sold by Kabuki.  The story is that they were pushing plates in the face of the Covid pandemic from 2020-2022.  Weight plates are not a core competency for Kabuki.

The weights were surprisingly accurate:

25's - 24.6/24.6 (-1.6%)
10's - 10/10
5's - 5.1/5.1 - (+2%)
2.5's - 2.6/2.4 (+/-4%)


Highlighting the letters totally made the weights pop.  I am very glad I spent the time to do this.

Strongman Saturday

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Thor Strength

0930

Warm Up

Hip Hammy
RDL

PK notified me that the order of events for the B Division would be
  1. Deadlift (18", 225#, 30 sec)
  2. Axle (75, 95, 115#, 30 sec)
  3. Farmer's Hold (110#/hand, 60 sec)
  4. Yoke (265#/35#, 60 sec)
  5. Keg (100#, 60 sec)
So I decided to practice in that order

Deadlift - 3 sets with 225 - 9, 10, 8 reps in 30 seconds

Axle Clean and Press - 3 reps at 75, 95, 115 in roughly 13-18 seconds

Farmer's Hold - 110# each hand - 3 x 30 seconds

Yoke - A few runs at 265# with 35# dumbbell press in between

Keg - 2 efforts at about 110 feet each time

Grip Work

Friday, April 14, 2023

Basement Gym

1900

Grip Work

Pinch Block

3 x 10# x 10 sec

Hub

2 x 10# x 10 sec
1 x 15# x 1 sec

Ball

15# x 10 sec
20# x 5 sec
25# x 1 sec (Right hand only, Left hand fail)

Jug

25# x 10 sec
45# x 5 sec
60# x 1 sec
75# x 1 sec

Crusher

75# x 1 sec
85# x 1 sec
100# x 1 sec (Left hand only, Right hand fail)

Friday, April 14, 2023

Couple of Conditioning Items



First items is an 11# Suples Bulgarian Bag listed in Lakewood a day ago (4/13/2023) for $25.  Retail is over $100.  Problem is that I already have two bags and have no interest in building out a set.  I did try to contact the seller (Scott Trimbach), but it had already been sold.

The Indian Clubs are 2# each and readily available on Amazon for $35.  This pair is close to my house and is offered for $20 (Matt Mejbel).  I would be a buyer at $10.

Bench Press

Friday, April 14, 2023

Basement Gym

1100

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper
Crossover Symmetry

Bench Press

8x95
8x115
5x135
5x145
3x155
3x160
3x160#

Accessory

Back Extension - 3x8 (unweighted, 15, 15#)
Mutt Bar Curls - 3x8
Titan Multi-Angle Curls - 5x45; 4x55; 3x65#

50 minutes total workout

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Chipper

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Garage Gym

1200

Warm Up - movement prep

Chipper

“Zax”

For Time:
1500m Row
10 x Shuttle Run (25/25ft)
30 Burpee Box Jump Overs, 24/20”
30 Dual Kettlebell Clean and Jerks, 53/35lb, (24/16kg)
30 Burpee Box Jump Overs, 24/20”
10 x Shuttle Run (25/25ft)
1500m Row

This little chipper from Vintage CrossFit gave me pause. and I considered to scaling the distance and reps in the BBJO and KB C&J at the outset.  Instead, I gave myself a 5 minute window for the first set of burpees and was going to play the C&J by ear.

1500m Row - 7:30
Shuttle Run - 2:00 (I lost count and may have done an extra one)
20 BBJO, 24" - these got tough
12 Dual DB C&J, 35# - I managed 4x3 before calling it after struggling for a couple of minutes
20 BBJO, 24"
Shuttle Run - less than 2 min
1500m Row - around 8 min

I finished in 34:21 which is right around where I wanted to be for this one.  I had a soft cap in my head of 30 minutes.  The BBJO were an important movement for me to get going on.  I really need to work on my KB technique.  Overall, I was quite pleased.

EMOM

Tuesday, April 12, 2023

Garage Gym

1600

Warm Up

Hip Hammy Flow
Crossover Symmetry

EMOMish

Every 48 seconds for 20 minutes (5 rounds)
4 dips
10 sit-ups
2 pull-ups
4 one arm burpee
1 rope climb

I was looking for a 20 minute workout with some skills and core work.  I tried doing dips on the walker and that worked out surprisingly well.  Much better footprint than a full on dip station.  The one arm burpee was inspired by La Sierra Phys Ed and was a tricky movement requiring more core strength than I expected.  Rope climbs were fun.  It was good to get the rope down.

I like this timing and rep scheme.  It worked out to be a 1:2 (work:rest) ratio for the most part.  Pull-ups were fast and sit-ups were slow.

Monday, April 10, 2023

Wish I was a Flipper



"All in great condition. Includes thick rubber gym floor mats (covers half a two car garage), rogue squat rack with power half rack conversion, pull up bar. Two rogue fitness bar bells, one an Ohio bar. Adidas bench. Rubber rogue fitness weights, can be dropped! Rogue fitness matador dip add on for the rack. Rogue ab may, some tension bands, two twenty five pound dumbbells, two thirty five bound dumbbells, rogue bar bell gun rack, rack safety pins. Rogue fitness Olympic Rings too! Awesome Home gym conversion!"

6 stall mats = $240
Squat rack with half rack conversion - $900
2 Bar Bells = $400
Bench = $50
Weights (280#?) = $420
Ab Mat = $10
Bands = $10
Dumbbells (120#) = $120
Barbell Rack = $30
Rings = $50
--
Total secondary market prices = $2230.  Asking price from seller is $700.  That is a pretty significant flip.  I need to buy a truck because transporting all of this in my Cherokee would be nearly impossible and painful.  Especially with this guy located in Westminster.  I do love the gym overall with the paneling and mirrors.

With a truck, I am looking at a three hour round trip.  An hour unloading and taking individual pictures at home.  An hour listing and then a couple of hours fielding calls and Look-E-Lous.  Even at a total of 7 hours, I am looking at a net of $1400 or $200/hour.

La Sierra High School Physical Education

I had heard the stories about the La Sierra program and knew that it was rigorous, championed by JFK as part of the President's Council of Physical Fitness, and that graduates maintained lifelong fitness.

A recent article on "Art of Manliness" provided a deeper insight with a link to the Concepts & Philosophy handbook and the incredible physical standards.

As a background, all Freshman start with white trunks and once meeting the standards, move on to red, blue and for the elite few gold trunks.  It is important to train in peer groups at similar fitness levels and also be competitive.  I believe CrossFit encourages this as well with the white board.

I would not pass the white minimum standards:
  • pull-ups - 2
  • push-ups - 16
  • bar dips - 4
  • sit-ups (2 min) - 30
  • standing broad jump - 6'
  • shuttle run (200 yards) - 38 seconds - (50 yards down and back twice)
  • rope climb (18' Stand Start) - Hands/Feet
  • 880 yard run - 3:30
  • Mile Run - 7:30
  • Man Lift and Carry - 440 yards - hoist man on shoulders, can switch to piggyback
  • Pegboard (vertical) - 2 holes
  • Swim 50 yard (freestyle) - 40 seconds

Currently I would fail the half mile, mile, man lift and carry, pegboard, swim and probably the shuttle run as well.

The maximum blue standards are awe inspiring:
  • bar dips (parallel bar) - 52
  • pull-ups (horizontal bar) - 34
  • handstand push-ups - 50
  • alt 1 arm burpee (30 seconds) - 26 (no push)
  • 300 yard shuttle run - 47.5 seconds
  • rope climb - 20' hands only, sitting - 2 trips
  • agility run III - 17 seconds - (?down and back 30 feet, through evenly spaced cones, down and back 30 feet)
  • Extension Press-up - 8 inches - 100 - brutally difficult, starting with modified press-up
  • Vertical Pegboard - 5 trips - 
  • Handstand - 45 seconds
  • Man Lift and Carry - 5 miles
  • Mile Run - 5:15
  • Five Mile Jog - finish
  • Obstacle Course - complete
  • Swim - Front Prone Position - 1 mile
  • Swim - Underwater - 50 yards
  • Swim - Any combination of strokes - 2 miles
  • Execute front hanging float w/arms and ankles tied - deep water - 6 minutes
  • Stay afloat in deep water in vertical position - use of arms or legs permitted within 8 foot circle - 2 hours
I might be able to swim a mile and jog 5 miles.  Some of the items are remind me of Navy Seal drownproofing.  I need to look up some of the movements just to give them a try.

Treadmill - General

Monday, April 10, 2023

CDOT Fitness Center

1200

Treadmill

2 min walk
12:30 at 4.8 mph (1 mile)
2 min walk

Arm Blast

DB Seated Strict Press

12x25
10x30
8x35
6x40
4x45#

Standing Alt DB Curl

12x20
10x25
5x30
5x30

Seated DB OH triceps extension

12x35
10x40
8x45

30 minutes total workout

Friday, April 7, 2023

Swim

Friday, April 7, 2023

Carmody Rec Center

1130

Swim

600 FR
100 BR
100 BA
200 FR
100 BR
100 FR
--
1200 total
35 minutes

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Seth Walker - Garage Gym






Seth Walker is a local flipper and moderator of Home Gym Community by Garage Gym Reviews Facebook Group.  He has put together an amazing gym that he estimates at $28K-$30K retail, but is a net $0 thanks to buying and selling equipment since 2019.  For those playing at home, that amounts to turning an average profit of $675/month.  If one considers a decent flip to be doubling or tripling your money, that still works out to buying, cleaning up and selling an investment of $10,000 to sell for $40,000 and then buying what you want to keep.  A very impressive undertaking for the Lone Stag Strength Co.

I have personally purchased a York 50# Roundhead from him that he doubled his money on and it was a fair transaction for me.  I have also seen him grab a full set of Ivanko dumbbells for $400 and sell for $2,400.  The man is dedicated.

Most recently, I saw him pick up a Bandbell Bamboo Bar (retail $289) and Shorty Bar (retail $159) from Colorado Springs that were listed for $150.  It appears he is keeping the shorty and listed the Earthquake for $240.  I would assume he would take $200 for a nice $50 flip and a free Shorty Bar.

Moving on to the actual gym.  I am beyond impressed by the open space and organization.  Of note is a cable crossover built into a storage rack.  Very cool.  He has a Concept2 bike erg and another cardio piece.  (9) barbells are on display.  A set of fixed handle Titan barbells.  A very cool Eleiko platform.  Rack with built in belt squat.  Revolver weights (Hudson 7 hole rubber coated).  Medballs, Kettlebells, plyo boxes, hex dumbbells, gym mirror and television, climbing rope, gymnastics rings, medballs, storage lockers, flat bench, adjustable bench, Rogue ballistic blocks, bikes hung from the ceiling and even some strongman goodies.

I would certainly enjoy working out in this space.  He has some great banners and stall mat flooring in a two car garage.  I also really like the institutional blue paint job.  It is soothing for lack of a better word.

I am not sure what kind of training Seth does, but it seems to be functional fitness and bodybuilding.  He could certainly powerlift or doing anything else in this space.

My personal needs are not much different.  I like having a rower and a reverse hyperextension.  It appears he has owned these pieces and sold them in the past.  He has owned fatbells, other cardio equipment (ski erg, row erg, echo bike, stairmaster) and Boulder Bells.  Everything else I keep in my home gym that Seth does not is rarely used.

Very Impressed!

Snatch Complex - Metcon

Thursday, April 6, 2023

Garage Gym

1130

Warm Up

Reverse Hyperextension
Hip Hammy Flow
Crossover Symmetry
Movement Prep

Weightlifting: Snatch Complex

Every 2:00 minutes, 6 Sets
1 Power Snatch + 2 Squat Snatches + 1 Overhead Squat

starting at 70% of power snatch 1rm and building. Do not exceed 85% today

I worked up from 55-60-60-60-65-65 pounds and felt good about the effort.  Moved well.

“Everton”

For Time
30 Toe to Bar
30 Overhead Squats 95/65lb, (43/30kg)
30 Hang Power Snatch 95/65lb, (43/30kg)
30 Wall Balls 20/14lb, (9/6kg)

Time Domain: 6:00-9:00
Time Cap: 12:00

Given the time domain and cap, I scaled this to a AMRAP 9 with:
15 T2B
15 OHS (55#)
15 HPS (55#)
15 WBS (14#)

I ended up at 1 round + 11 reps which was very much in line with my expectations.

T2B (singles) - 2:40
OHS in two sets 9/6
HPS in three sets 6/5/4
WBS (unbroken) in - 7:40
T2B - 11 reps in the final 1:20

Finisher - Reverse Hyperextensions

Treadmill - General

Wednesday, April 6, 2023

CDOT Fitness

1300

Treadmill

2 min walk
12:30 min at 4.8 mph (1 mile)
2 min walk

Foam Roll

Water Rower

5 min (1000m) this had a pretty interesting feel and was quite different from the Concept2.  The water sound was peaceful compared to an air fan and for a steady state workout, it was quite difficult.

Calisthenics

EMOM 10
1 pull-up
5 push-up
5 air squats

This was about a 1:1 work to rest ratio

30 minutes total workout


Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Back Squat

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Basement Gym

1630

Warm Up

Reverse Hyper 3x12x30#
Hip Hammy
Back Squat - 45, 95#

Back Squat

Build to 4Rep Heavy

135
165
185
195#

30 minutes total workout

General

Monday, April 3, 2023

CDOT Fitness Center

1130

Treadmill

2 min walk
12:30 min at 4.8 mph (1 mile)
2 min walk

For Quality

3 rounds of:
5 inch worm
10 walking lunges

Shoulder warm up

DB halos, DB scare crows

Seated Row

3x10x75#

Chest Cable Crossover

1x10x5#
2x10x10#

45 minutes total workout

Monday, April 3, 2023

Marjorie Taylor Greene

On the list of random topics that take up mindshare, I did not think Marjorie Taylor Greene (MJT) would be making the list.  For the uninitiated, the Republican Congresswoman from Georgia's 14th District is a rising star and a source of constant fodder for left leaning news outlets.

Her conservative business woman official bio reads pretty well.  Small business owner in construction and a CrossFit gym.  College graduate from University of Georgia with a business degree.  Strong Christian faith.

Critics point out her claims of fraud in the 2020 election (she is certainly not alone there), claiming Democrats are pedophiles (backed up with her logic that Democrats support transgender care for individuals below 18 years of age and therefore support sexualizing children, her definition of pedophilia) and finally that the claim that the Parkland shooting was staged (harder to parse, she wants safe schools, but thinks arming good guys is the way to get there).

My own curiosity stems from a recent 60 Minutes interview.  It is a left leaning news outlet to be sure, but closer to center than most news outlets whether they lean left or right.  She had a chance to speak her truth, confirm or deny criticisms and came across very polished compared to the crazy rantings I had previously been exposed to in clips.  My political views do not align with hers.

However, she is a CrossFitter and a pretty good one.  She entered the Open from 2012-2017 and was an affiliate owner.  In 2016 she did all of the workouts Rx.  I did all of the workouts scaled that year.

16.1 - 208 reps (heavy overhead walking lunges)
16.2 - 259 reps (heavy squat cleans)
16.3 - 63 reps (including a bar muscle up)
16.4 - 188 reps (23 handstand push-ups)
16.5 - 13:37 (thrusters and burpees)

Her listed Back Squat (285#), Clean and Jerk (175#) and Snatch (137#) all exceed my best numbers (235, 155 and 95# respectively).  My 325# deadlift is not that impressive relative to her 300#.

I am certainly impressed by her fitness and I believe that is a good core value for everybody.  I do not agree with intolerance, racism and hate.  CrossFit HQ spoke out against Greene in February 2021 mentioning her history of calling for violence against political enemies, support for QAnon, attempts to undermine the 2020 presidential election, and amplification of other dangerous and deceptive nonsense per BuzzFeed News.  The official statement was “CrossFit supports respectful fact-based political dialogue to address our common challenges, and we strongly oppose the loathsome and dangerous lies attributed to Ms. Greene."

CrossFit certainly needs to work at rebuilding the brand and is not shy about entering the fray.  The egregious comments of the founder Greg Glassman forced him to sell the company.  CrossFit has shown there is a middle ground where a company can support military, first responders, law enforcement, teacher, the LGBTQ+ community, minorities and women.

Another politician I respect as an athlete, but do not agree with is Herschel Walker.  Must be something in the water down in Georgia.  Georgia was 36th on the list of healthiest states, but in the South, it is beating its peers except for Florida (South Carolina 41st, Florida 27th, Alabama 46th, Mississippi 49th, Tennessee 44th and Louisiana 50th)

Fitness Most Wanted Awards

I watched Garage Gym Reviews 2023 list of Fitness Most Wanted Awards and wanted to copy it based on equipment that I have and use.
  • 0:00 - Best Home Gym Equipment 2023 - Fitness Most Wanted Awards!
  • 1:19 - Overview
  • 2:06 - Most Innovative Adjustable Dumbbell - My only adjustable dumbbells are spin lock gold handles, my training preference are Iron Grips
  • 3:03 - Best Bench - Rogue Flat Bench
  • 4:10 - Best Trap Bar - do not own, no plans to purchase
  • 4:34 - Most Innovative Trap Bar - do not own, no plans to purchase
  • 5:25 - Most Innovative Multigrip bar - Titan Multi-Angle, kind of meh
  • 5:50 - Best Multigrip Bar - Titan Multi-Angle, kind of meh
  • 6:56 - Most Innovative Barbell - Eleiko Hybrid
  • 7:29 - Most Innovative Squat Rack - Rogue Monster Lite Squat Stands
  • 8:41 - Most Innovative Cable Machine - do not own, no room
  • 9:42 - Most Innovative Lat Pulldown - do not own, considering
  • 10:49 - Most Innovative Rack Attachment - Safety Spotter Arms
  • 13:43 - Most Innovative Smart Home Gym - do not own
  • 14:22 - Most Innovative Pull-Up Bar - Rogue P-4 System
  • 14:46 - Most Innovative Weight Vest - knock off, rarely use
  • 15:22 - Most Innovative Plyobox - First Place soft plyo boxes, love these, but huge
  • 16:11 - Most Innovative Storage Solution - Titan Mass Storage System
  • 16:59 - Most Innovative Nordic Board - Hoist Ab Bench
  • 17:35 - Most Innovative Band System - Crossover Symmetry
  • 18:04 - Most Innovative Kettlebell - just own standards
  • 18:52 - The Most Surprising Piece of Equipment - Quicklee collars - These are a joy to own
  • 19:39 - The Best Neck Attachment - do not own, researching
  • 20:08 - Most Innovative "Crème De La Gym" Product - Eleiko change plates
  • 20:48 - Most Innovative Rowing Machine - Concept 2
  • 21:10 - Most Innovative Exercise Bike - Road bike on stationary trainer
  • 21:34 - Most Innovative Sled - Rage sled
Honorable Mentions
  • Texas Power Bar
  • Rogue Home Timer
I own a lot of other fun stuff that is used less frequently and take up too much space relative to fitness imparted.  Primarily strongman equipment, DC blocks, Incline Bench, Ab Bench, First Place plyo boxes, Set of fixed dumbbells, 

Strongman & Track

Saturday, April 1, 2023

Thor Strength

0930

Warm Up

Hip Hammy
Cat Cow
Barbell warm-up Deadlift 5x135

18" Deadlift

30 seconds at 135 - 12
30 seconds at 185 - 10
30 seconds at 225 - 8
30 seconds at 255 - 8

Keg Carry

4 efforts at 70# ~ 75 feet each time

Farmer' Hold

110# - 3x30 seconds

York Carry

165# - 3x60 feet

Saturday, April 1, 2023

D'Evelyn Track

1300

Track Workout

Warm Up

Line drills - butt kick, high knee, A-drill, prime times, bounding

Sprints

8x200 meters with 100 meter recovery walk (going every 2:30)

First 6 were great finishing in 51-55 seconds.  Then I felt my groin start to tighten up and I jogged the last 2 at around 66 seconds.


Sunday, April 2, 2023

"Vintage" BFCO Dumbbells



Picture 1 is from Facebook Marketplace (Kyle Ryan (11/17/2022).  Listed at a very reasonable $125 for $146 pounds of dumbbells.

Picture 2 is from Facebook Marketplace (Keeno Munoz post on 4/1/2023).  Listed at a very reasonable $120 for 130 pounds of dumbbells.  I recognized them, but the paint job did throw me.

When it was first listed and sold within days, I was kicking myself for not grabbing these sooner.  When relisted, I had a chance to purchase, but fortunately did some digging on Vintage Weights & Physical Culture Facebook group and come to find out that BFCO buns with the inset marking were made overseas and the raised letters were Made in USA.

This was an important distinction as I was buying primarily for a trade pile to pick up other vintage items.