Friday Jan 30- Hitting it all

A.M.-
Targeted drills, mobility work, KB circuit

P.M.-
Ball/roller work, mobility warm up

1- Deadlift- 5X135,3X185,205,225
275X3,3,3,3

Hex deads- 225X10,10

2a- Swiss bar bench press-barX10,100X8,135X6
165X5,5,5,5,5
2b- 1 arm DB row- 35X10,45X8,65X6
90X5,5,5,5,5

3- DB woodchoppers-5/sideX20,25,30,35,35,35,35,35

Notes: A good one done on the fly. Deadlifts were groove city, smooth and heavy and good.

Thursday Jan 29- Group run

A.M.-
Targeted drills, mobility routine, KB circuit

P.M.-

4+ mile run with several 1 minute pick-ups between 1 minute recovery running, done with the group on snowy streets and sidewalks in the twilight.

Notes: I'm happy with the group and glad I joined, and running feels great. So there!

Wednesday Jan 28- Run

A.M.- Targeted drills, mobility work, KB circuit

P.M.-
4.5 mile run- mobility work before and after

Notes: Snow day. I work at Indiana University and even they closed for the day, a rare thing. All public schools and many businesses are also closed. I was home all day and decided on a run after the plows came through. The roads were really pretty good underfoot, there was literally no traffic and I was warm and enjoyed the peaceful and snowy-scenic wooded surroundings of this hilly rural setting.

Tuesday Jan 27- KB Circuit

A.M.-
targeted drills, mobility work, KB circuit

P.M.-
Ball work, warm up

Various KB movements, I didn't really keep track. 1 and 2 arm swings, cleans, presses, squats, lunges, windmills, high pulls, 3 get ups each side, and more with various size KBs. Pretty much everything I can remember from the workshop.

Finished with 4X20 swings with the big honker.

Notes: Not too much juice today, need to get used to running again. Still, I'm looking forward to the next group run on Thursday.

Monday Jan 26- First group run

A.M.-
targeted drills, mobility work, new KB circuit

P.M.-

With training group- 4 stride-outs
3 mile run
core work

Notes: Looks like this group deal will be fun. About 30+ peeps, most seem about the same ability. We started with some supervised stride-outs, then we all headed around town for a chilly 3 miler, then back to the store for some group exercise. We should be able to use the gym now too, so I'll try that out before long, but for right now I want to use my new kettlebell knowledge, and need to figure out a good program for that.

Saturday Jan 24- Kettlebell Workshop at I-FAST

Went to a kettlebell workshop up in Indy at I-FAST that Bill Robertson put together. It was lead by Brett Jones, RKC Super-Deluxe Dude. He did a great job of presenting a whole lot of information on several basic movements. We covered:
Swing
Get up
Clean
Snatch
Windmill
Squat

All include some variation as well. This was a first for me, going to an all-day workshop. It was interesting and well-presented and i felt like as long as Brett wanted to talk, we would be able to learn from him. I also felt like he could have gone into far more detail on each of the moves than he did, but he gave us more than enough to learn safely and be confident with these moves. Now, to practice and build on them.

Two big lessons I learned was that with proper technique, as taught by Brett, the amount of weight on most moves didn't seem to matter. Heavy weight went up really pretty easily, a pleasant thing to feel.
Also I was pretty shocked at the improvement in the depth and comfort of my squat after just a few minutes of instruction on some simple stretches he showed us. The difference was pretty dramatic.

There's much more to the history and use and benefits of kettlebells than I was aware of, and I plan to keep using them and keep learning more as I can.

As they say, another tool in the toolbox, but this is a pretty dang good addition.

Thanks Brett and Bill!!

Thursday Jan 22- Sprint intervals

A.M.-
targeted drills, KB circuit

P.M.-
Sprints and push ups- lots of them. I didn't keep track but was there at least 30 minutes.
10 push ups, sprint across field, perhaps 50 yards, repeat.

Wednesday Jan 21- Warp Speed Ahead!

A.M.-
targeted drills, KB circuit


P.M.-
Ball/roller work, warm up


1- Squat- warm up, 10 X bar, 5X195,3X135
6X185, 1X225,6X205,1X255,10X185


2a- RDL-6X185
2b- Plank trio-10 sec plank to 20 sec side to 10 sec plank to other 20 sec side plank
6 rounds in 10 minutes



3a-DB step ups-10 each side w/25's
3b-KB swing- 10 X 70# bell
5 rounds

Airdyne intervals-

60 sec sprint, 120 sec easy X 6

Notes: Holding steady, but feeling it pretty hard. It's the kind of tired that feels real good underneath it.

Tuesday Jan 20- KB swing-a-thon

A.M.-
targeted drills, KB circuit

P.M.-

Warm up,

24K KB breathing ladder.
1 swing- 1 breath, 2 swings -2 breaths, 3 swings-3 breaths etc,
to 20 and back.

Notes: Solid, honest work.

Monday Jan 19- Big Honkin' Change Of Plans!

Hold the deadlift phone- I changed my mind!

I mentioned enjoying running with my sister in North Carolina a lot, and I kept thinking about that. About the same time there was a half-marathon training group announced at our local running store/club which includes group runs, nutrition/etc lectures and 'free' membership to a local gym from next Saturday until April. So before I knew what happened I signed up.

It fits several ways- I've been wanting to get out more than I do, and what I mean when I say that is to get out. And except for my training sessions at I-FAST, I've never gone to a gym regularly. So I'm gonna do it and give it a try. It will be way different, that's for sure. If I like it, great. If it sucks, it's only until April.

So for this week I'm returning to a few Warp Speed Fat loss workouts for fun and conditioning.

Way different!

Monday Jan 19- Deads, circuits and intervals

A.M.-
Targeted drills, KB circuit


P.M.-
Ball/roller work, warm up


1-Deadlift- warm up, 10X135, 4X185
6X225,1X285,6X225,1X285,285,10X225


2-8 reps Push up + prone jackknife/6 reps per side DB (30's)backward lunge- in rounds for 10 minutes
6 rounds



3- 6 reps DB(30's) burpee + 6 inverted rows- in rounds for 10 minutes
6 rounds


4- Airdyne Intervals- 60 sec sprint, 120 sec easy X6



Notes: It was fun. And it sucked. It was sucky fun!

Saturday Jan 17- Hex deads

A.M.-
Targeted drills, KB circuit

P.M.-
Warm up,

Hex bar deadlifts,
10X bar, 135,185,205,225, 225,225,225

Airdyne intervals-
2 min warm up
1 min sprint, 1 min easy
X6
15 sec sprint, 15 sec easy X3
30 sec sprint
2 min cool down

Notes: Hooah! Just because I felt like it.

Friday Jan 16- Deadlift #3

A.M.-
targeted drills, KB circuit

P.M.-

Ball/roller work, warm up

1-Deadlift- warm up 6X135,4X185
3X255,265,265

2a- Squat-warm up, 6Xbar,5X95,135
5X185, 195,195,200,200
2b- Weighted push ups-10X25,10X35,35,35,12X35

Notes: Another weird workout that seemed to get easier as it went along.

Thursday Jan 15- Intervals

A.M.-
Targeted drills, KB circuit.

P.M.-
Warm up,
Airdyne intervals-
5 min warm up
1 min sprint
1 min easy
X6
15 sec sprint, 15 sec easy X 4

Notes: Traditional intervals. Huh!

Wednesday Jan 14- Deadlift #2

A.M.-
Targeted drills, KB circuit.

P.M.-
Ball/roller work, mobility warm up.

1- Elevated sumo dl- warm up, 6X135, 4X185,2X225,3X225
3X275,275,275,275,275

2a- Swiss bar bench press- warm up 10Xbar, 6X100,5X140,2X170
5X190,190,190,190
2b- DB reverse lunge-8X35's,45,45

Notes: I was droopy all afternoon today and after the first set of deads considered bagging it for extra rest. Then I did the next set and bingo-bango-bongo- I felt great! Powered through the rest of it. Gotta love that!

Tuesday Jan 13- EST

A.M.-
Targeted drills, KB circuit

P.M.-

Warm up,

1a- KB swings- 20 X 24K kettlebell
1b- DB Step ups- 10X30's, per side

2a-Swiss ball pike + push up- 10
2b- Inverted rows- 10

3- Bodyweight circuit- 10 each
Burpees /jumping jacks/ split jacks/ mountain climbers

Notes: A routine I just invented. 4 times through each alternating set. Killa!

Week recap

Despite the reason I was in North Carolina, I did manage to get in some workouts. Actually, now that I think about it, I did something each day from Tuesday to Friday. There is a little gym there, and two days I did some work with the machines and dumbbells for a full body workout, and two days i did a superset of pressing and pulling, then ran with my sister, which was really fun to do.

There is a little lake there with a nice path around it, and benches also. I made up a 'found fitness' routine; sprinted up a sharp hill 10 times, then around the lake stopping at each bench to do 10 push ups with feet on the bench, then another lap of just running, and finished with a fast run up the longer hill to the buildings.

Ten hill sprints, about 1.5 mile run, 100 push ups, and a tough uphill sprint as a finisher. Not bad!

Take it where you can find it.

Monday Jan 12- Deadlift program, workout 1-

A.M.-

targeted drills



P.M.-



Ball/roller work, mobility warm up



1-Rack pulls- warm up 5X135,185, 3X205,2X225

6X255,265,265



2a-Squat-warm up, 5Xbar,90,135,

5X185,185,185,185,185



2b-Weighted push ups-warm up, 5Xbodyweight,5X25,

10X25,25,25,25,25



Notes: Deads ahead! Starting the 7 week program Bill wrote. He left the squat and pressing up to me, and with little time lately to figure it out, I am going with heavy squat mon and fri, and heavy press on wed, reverse next week. After basically a week off it feels great to heft the iron again.

Sunday Jan 11- Last week

Not the week I had planned. My Mother has been in the ending stages of Alzheimer's disease for the last few years and passed away last Sunday. I drove to North Carolina on Monday and spent the week with family, to visit, attend to details and the memorial service.

This is a fitness oriented blog and it isn't appropriate to elaborate here, but she was a wonderful Mother, wife and friend and we will miss her every day.

Rest in peace, Mom.

Sunday Jan 4- Retesting 1 Rep Max

Warm up,



Squat- 8Xbar,4X95,2X155,
1X185,225,275, 300

Bench press- 8Xbar,6X130,2X160
1X190,210, missX240, 1X240, 245

Deadlift- 4X135,
1X185,225,295,345, missX370,370,365,355


Notes: Compared to Dec 5, Squat up from 275, bench up from 220, DL the same. Old total 840, new total 890. The 345 went up much easier this time and I really wanted a bigger dead but I was spent. Crap! Next time...

Friday Jan 2- Workout B

A.M.-
targeted drills, KB circuit

P.M.-
Ball/roller work, mobility warm up

1- BB Floor press-warm up 10Xbar,100,4X140,2X190
3X210,210,210

2a- Front squat-warm up, 5Xbar,3X95,1X135
6X145,145,145,145
2b-Swiss ball push up-8,8,8,8

3a-Incline prone Y-10X10,10
3b-Side bridge w/leg raise-12,12

Notes: Another good one, though I still say side bridges with leg raise are the penitence of the damned. What have I done to deserve them? }:-( This is the last workout of this program, and next I start a 7-week deadlifting program that Bill generously included. It leaves pressing and squatting schemes to me, but provides a pattern of several deadlifting variations that I'm eager to follow. I will retest my 1RM of Dead, squat and bench soon and go from there, retesting yet again in 7 weeks.

Thursday January 1, 2009- Intervals

A.M.-
Targeted drills, KB circuit

P.M.-

Sprints & push ups.
Did 10 push ups, sprinted across field (70 yards?) 10 more push ups, sprint back, repeat 5 times

Finished with 5 sets of 10 jumps on a wall, a little over knee height.

Notes: Short and sweet. Got the heart rate racing! Done at the local elementary school yard. Had planned to do pull ups also but the playground was locked up tight (??) so I was confined to the yard behind the school.