Day 19: Embrace the Pain

Back in the saddle, and boy am I enjoying it.  I got myself a good hard workout today.

Nothing beats a good sweat!

Afterwards though, it was quite cold.

Headlights anyone?

Anyways, after a long day at work and a video audition, I've decided to call it an early night.  Let's check out what I did:

***Static Hold: Chin Over Bar: 3 times for as long as possible: 40 seconds; 23 seconds; 26 seconds
***Suitcase Deadlift: 5 sets of 6; 2x 65 pound dumbbells
***Octagon Pushup: 2 sets
***Box Jump: 5 sets of 15
***Low Pushup Pump: 3 sets of 30 seconds
Dead Clean and Press: 4 sets of 15; 35 pound kettlebell
***Weight Drag: 4 sets of 125 feet; dragging 100 pounds
***Burpees: 5 sets of 40 seconds on/20 seconds rest
Thoughts:
Static Hold: You would think that holding the top position of a pull up would be a piece of cake.  The truth is: unless you're Superman or a chimpanzee, it's gonna be a bit of a challenge.  I felt myself hurting after the first 15 seconds, and my biceps were bulging; so much pain, but it was pretty cool to feel "above it all" so to speak.

Hold it...

Suitcase Deadlift: Oye, more of this lifting of heavy weights.  I have to say I'm not a fan of it, but now I'm starting to get used to it, and realizing that it's got a lot of merit to it.  Just gotta keep at it. 

Octagon Pushup: This is a lovely little devil of my own invention (I love doing things like that).  You go into a pushup, and as you go up, you push your entire body (yes, your hands and feet) off of the ground. But that's not all!  You also have to move your position.  I call it the octagon pushup because you take 8 pushups to complete a circle, ideally landing in each point of your personal "octagon" after every one.  Then when you're done, you have to even things out!  So you go back.  

Here's a video of the exercise.  Note how I'm really exhaling while pushing off; it gives you a bit more "oomph" I think.

Insanity anyone?

Box Jump: The box jumps this time around were meant to tire me out, and to think more about pacing.  Mission accomplished.  Rather than go for explosive speed, I was focusing more on finishing each set, each box jump, with the best form as possible.  I really started to get in my own head for this one.

Low Pushup Pump: I love doing the PP, simply because it really makes you focus on the exercise and the form.  It allows you to get really deeply into yourself.  It makes for a very therapeutic experience.

Dead Clean and Press: Oomph, more pain.  I was really struggling by the time reps 14 and 15 came around.  But then I really got into my own head, and started to reach a deeper meaning of that Wall (for more on The Wall, click here).  I started to embrace the pain.  It was hard, and I didn't fully grab onto it, but I got a step closer; and that's all that matters.

Weight Drag: I took a 100 pound dumbbell (yes my gym has those) and pulled it.  It seemed relatively easy until I upped my speed; that evened it out.

Burpees: Every time you do burpees, you think you've got it all figured out.  Then the burpee takes that idea, and quashes it into a million little tiny pieces, then sucks up those pieces into a vacuum cleaner and throws the back into the river.  Burpees aren't nice; you just gotta suck it up and embrace the pain.

Of course, it's a Friday, which means I did extra stuff:

6x30 Pushups
6x30/side Bicycle Crunches
6x6 Pull Ups
And I did my lovely little abdominal set:
(Spartan Leg Raise x7, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x2
(Spartan Leg Raise x1, Clockwork Leg Raise x6, Spartan Leg Raise x1, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x1
(Twisting Knee Raise x6, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x2
Check out that bad boy of a video of just the first set:

Get that six-pack!

Tomorrow, I'm hitting the gym even harder.  And, whether permitting, I'm doing a little acting as well.  More on that tomorrow.  Take care all!  Don't drink too much ;-)

Day 18: This is Why Reese's and I Can't Be Friends...

Today I had to do a couple of shorter workouts.
Here was round 1 with minimal rest:
***Single-Arm Row: 2 sets of 8 @ 45 pounds
***TRX Hip Press: 2 sets of 8
***Pushup: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14
***Step Up to 24" Block: 3 sets of 10/leg
Floor Wiper: 3 sets of 15 @ 175 pounds
***Overhead Windmill: 4 sets of 5/side
Then after a snack that went very wrong (hooray for vomiting!  Second time in 4 days), I did this little beauty, 8 times through, with no rest:
***Sprinters Start: 20 seconds on/10 seconds rest
Dead Clean: 20 second per arm/10 seconds rest @ 35 pounds
High Pull: 20 seconds per arm/10 seconds rest @ 35 pounds
The Lesson: I'm noticing that my body is becoming more sensitive to processed foods, to the point where I have to be extremely careful of what I'm eating.  About 2 hours before my first workout, I ate a peanut butter chocolate thing that reminded me of a Reese's Cup.  I noticed that the primary ingredient for this thing was "hydrogenated soybean oil."  I thought to myself "I've been extremely good throughout this whole workout process, why not try one bad thing?"
Big mistake.
Almost immediately I felt my energy being sapped.  To be frank, it sucked.  I realized that because I've cut out pretty much all processed foods, my body is starting to show me its true potential.  Better start giving my body what it really needs.
Thoughts:
Single-Arm Row: I did both sets in a row, with no rest.  It got a lot of the gunk out of my back.
TRX Hip Press: Another "get-the-gunk-out" exercise for my butt and lower back from the deadlift.  Lovely little move.

Relaxing...

Flex that Butt!

Pushup: Trying to do this with minimal is pretty nuts but I did it (maximum of about 5 seconds rest in between each rung).  For those of you doing the math, 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10+11+12+13+14=105 pushup.  Feel that burn.

Step Up: Mostly this was for cardio, I'm assuming, because this was ridiculously easy.  Oh well...with the way I was feeling, maybe this was a blessing in disguise.

Floor Wipers:  Ouch.  This was hurting a bit.  Here's a video to review what a floor wiper is.

Look at that form!

That was 5 reps, with 135 pounds.  Make it 3 sets of 15, then throw on an extra 40 pounds, then you'll know what I was in pain.  And for those of you who think that it's an easy feat, let's do some more math:

I weight 162 pounds.  I was holding up 175 pounds for a prolonged period of time.  For those of you who are handy at math, I'm holding up about 108% of my body weight.  Not an easy feat, believe me.  But when you put that weight down, you feel so awesome.

Overhead Windmill: I don't know about you, but I don't get this exercise.  I didn't feel any work at all, for any of the windmills.  I'll come up with another exercise to kill the obliques, trust me.

Sprinters Start: Normally: fine.  After throwing up: Not so much.  It hurt, but man it felt good when I was done.  Here's a video of the sprinters start:

Power!

Dead Clean: It's getting so much easier!  I hope I'll fly through the dead clean and presses without any issues on the 300 Workout.

High Pull: Same thing as the dead clean.  I guess I should up the intensity; or get a heavier weight.

Here a video of the high pull in case you need a reminder:

Dastardly...I love it!

Ok, I'm heading off to bed.  These past few days I've been performing a bit under par, so I'm gonna get some sleep tonight.  Tomorrow, let's really rock and roll.

Day 17: Back in Gear

I'm back in the saddle, and I've got a nice workout to welcome me back.
Let's check it out.
Workout:
Density Pull Up: 6 pull ups on the minute for 20 minutes
Density Deadlift: 5 deadlifts on the minute for 20 minutes @ 150 pounds
Then this Circuit, 4 times through:
Decline Pushup: 30 seconds on/30 seconds rest
***TRX One-Legged Squat and Crossing Balance Squat: 30 seconds on/30 seconds rest/side
Low Windmill: 30 seconds on/30 seconds rest/side
Dead Clean and Press: 30 seconds on/30 seconds rest/side
***TRX Row: 4 sets of 40 seconds on/20 seconds rest
***Farmers Walk: 4 sets of walking 125 feet, 50 pound dumbbells in each hand
Thoughts:
Pull Up: It's nice and humbling to get back into the saddle by rattling off a hundred or so pull ups.  It makes you feel so alive.
Deadlift: I focused a bit more on form for this one, as I felt it to be slipping.  So I parked the bar next to a mirror and took care in my approach to the bar every time I went to lift it.  It seemed to help significantly.
Decline Pushup: I had an easier time with one; I didn't stop for breaks and I really kept pace pretty well.
TRX One-Legged Squat and Crossing Balance Lunge: This is an insane workout for your legs and core.  Begin ready to go into a squat, put pull up one leg.  Then lower yourself down to the ground until your supporting leg (the one that's on the ground) has made a 90 degree angle.  Then push yourself back up, using the TRX as little as possible.  That's the squat part.  From the top position, lower yourself again on the same leg as you did with the squat, and take your other leg and reach back and behind your base leg. You should feel this in your gluts (your butt) muscle of your base leg.  Then bring yourself back up.  That's one rep.  Tiring right?

Ready?

Get nice and low

Reach back!

Oh yeah, and here's a video of me doing the standing only version of this movement and then adding a plyo element to it by jumping...a lot.

Oh the sweet pain...

Low Windmill: I decided to use a slightly lighter weight for this one to keep up a pretty good pace.  The thing is: I think this is a rather ineffective exercise for me, only because I have a very long body and torso and I just seem to be falling all over myself when doing this exercise.  I'll do something different next time.

Dead Clean and Press: These felt so easy!!!  Why didn't they feel like it my first day doing this program?

TRX Row: Oldie but a goodie; easy to do, but hard to master.  I was finding all kinds of new little nuances about this movement.  As far as strengthening the back, this is one of the best exercises, period.

How low can you go?

Dude, check out the whiteness.

Farmer's Walk: Grab two heavy dumbbells and walk with them, all the while keeping good posture: shoulders back, core slightly engaged, chest out.  Easier than it sounds.  My forearms were screaming after this, especially after the row.

Extras:

As always, there's room for more.

6x30 Pushups

6x30/Side Bicycle Crunches

6x6 Pull Up

And Abs!  Show off that sexy six-pack!

(Spartan Leg Raise x7, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x2

(Spartan Leg Raise x1, Clockwork Leg Raise x4, Spartan Leg Raise x1, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x1
(Twisting Knee Raise x4, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x2

Well, that's all I've got.  Tune in tomorrow when I kick things up a notch.

Workout Wednesday: Want a Six-Pack?

Hey there guys, another Workout Wednesday coming at ya!
This time I decided to give you guys a little taste of what I do for my workouts.  I decided to focus on the core, since people seem to think that you have to work that for hours on end, and you have to do tons and tons of crunches.
The thing is, you don't have to do any of that!
Having a strong core (and a great six-pack) comes down to three things:
1.) Nutrition; eating the right stuff.
2.) Lift weights and do total body workouts (that does not mean just work on your chest and your guns)
3.) Train for "Go," not for "Show."  That means train your muscles to be strong, and the rest will follow (including looking good with your shirt off).
To help explain this, I'm going to demonstrate a core workout for you guys.  It's quick, it's simple to do, but it's very challenging; I had to work up a couple of months to do this one.
Here is the setup: a few times a week you should do this set:

(Spartan Leg Raise x7, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x2

(Spartan Leg Raise x1, Clockwork Leg Raise x4, Spartan Leg Raise x1, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x1
(Twisting Knee Raise x4, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x2

Here's a video of me doing the first set (Spartan Leg Raise x7, Hanging Knee Raise x5).  A couple of things to note when doing this:

1.) I am NOT using momentum; every movement I do is very controlled and precise.

2.) I am NOT initiating my movement with my legs; I'm beginning the sequence by keeping my torso straight and looking backwards.

3.) I am PROTECTING MY LOWER BACK.  If you do this, please make sure that your lower back does not hurt.  You do this by bracing your core (like someone was about to punch you in the gut).  If you don't, you could end up hurting yourself very badly.

4.) The most important rule: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!  I can't emphasize this enough; if your lower back is in pain from this, then re-do your form and try again.  If the pain still persists, come off; you're done for the day.  Too often we neglect to listen to our bodies; so if your body is telling you it's in pain, then listen to it, and back off.  Remember, it took me a couple of months to be able to do this, and a couple more to be able to do it well.

Enjoy!

Six-Pack, here I come!

Workout Wednesday: Work Your Core

Hey there guys, another Workout Wednesday coming at ya!
This time I decided to give you guys a little taste of what I do for my workouts.  I decided to focus on the core, since people seem to think that you have to work that for hours on end, and you have to do tons and tons of crunches.
The thing is, you don't have to do any of that!
Having a strong core (and a great six-pack) comes down to three things:
1.) Nutrition; eating the right stuff.
2.) Lift weights and do total body workouts (that does not mean just work on your chest and your guns)
3.) Train for "Go," not for "Show."  That means train your muscles to be strong, and the rest will follow (including looking good with your shirt off).
To help explain this, I'm going to demonstrate a core workout for you guys.  It's quick, it's simple to do, but it's very challenging; I had to work up a couple of months to do this one.
Here is the setup: a few times a week you should do this set:

(Spartan Leg Raise x7, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x2

(Spartan Leg Raise x1, Clockwork Leg Raise x4, Spartan Leg Raise x1, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x1
(Twisting Knee Raise x4, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x2

Here's a video of me doing the first set (Spartan Leg Raise x7, Hanging Knee Raise x5).  A couple of things to note when doing this:

1.) I am NOT using momentum; every movement I do is very controlled and precise.

2.) I am NOT initiating my movement with my legs; I'm beginning the sequence by keeping my torso straight and looking backwards.

3.) I am PROTECTING MY LOWER BACK.  If you do this, please make sure that your lower back does not hurt.  You do this by bracing your core (like someone was about to punch you in the gut).  If you don't, you could end up hurting yourself very badly.

4.) The most important rule: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!  I can't emphasize this enough; if your lower back is in pain from this, then re-do your form and try again.  If the pain still persists, come off; you're done for the day.  Too often we neglect to listen to our bodies; so if your body is telling you it's in pain, then listen to it, and back off.  Remember, it took me a couple of months to be able to do this, and a couple more to be able to do it well.

Enjoy!

Six-Pack, here I come!

Day 16: The Value of Listening

Well gang, I've hit a bit of snag, in the form of food poisoning.
Last night I ate something that didn't agree with me (personally I think it was the cottage cheese) and was up for a large part of the night throwing up and generally not feeling well.  So I decided that, in order to finish the Spartan Warrior Workout Program on a high note, I'd have to take today.  Don't worry, I'm still going to accomplish the workout in 30 days; when I wrote the workout, I said 30 days; really though, this program can be done in 29 days.

See?  Only 29

This way, I get to rest and recover from this unexpected turn of events to end on a really high note.
And actually, this is a great lesson.  Too often in life we push ourselves to the point of collapse, only to give our bodies and minds insufficient amounts of rest and relaxation before doing it all over again.  What's worse is that our bodies give us the warning signs.  If our shins start to hurt while we run, rather than stop and take care of our injured legs, we buy expensive orthotics and run more.  If we hurt our backs while lifting equipment, we take two aspirin and "suck it up."
We need to listen to our bodies more; they are our best teachers.

To help out more with this, I've made this video to talk about my experiences with listening to my body. Enjoy.  Tomorrow, I'm gonna hit it hard; assuming my body will let me.

Inspirational Tuesday: Find the Bright Side of Life

So after a very interesting evening with some food poisoning (nice way to ring in fall), I decided to leave everyone with a couple of funny quote about life.  You've got to always look on the bright side of things, no matter what the situation; otherwise life will drive you crazy.
Enjoy!
"If at first you don't succeed, think how many people you've made happy."
-- H. Duane Black
"When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened."
-- Winston Churchill
"A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks."
-- Charles Gordy
"Don't wait for a light to appear at the end of the tunnel, stride down there and light the bloody thing yourself."
-- Sara Henderson

Day 15, Easy? Eh...Oh Yeah, and Stats!

So it's the beginning of week 3, and you know what that means?  Stat time!
As before, any changes from last week will be bold, italicized as well as the change.  Ready?  Here we go!

Neck Measurement: 16.25”

Shoulders at their widest point: 48.5"

Chest: 40"

Waist 3 inches above your bellybutton: 31”

Waist at your belly button: 31.75 -0.25 inches

Waist 3 inches below your belly button: 34.25”

Hips at their widest point: 38.5” -0.25 inches

Thigh 9 inches above the top of your kneecap: 23.5"

Thigh 6 inches above the top of your kneecap: 20.5” +0.25 inches

Thigh 3 inches above the top of your kneecap: 18.25 +0.25 inches

Calf at its widest point: 15.5 -0.50 inches

Bicep (flexed) measure the widest point: 15 +0.25 inches

Forearm (flexed) at its widest point: 13 +0.25 inches

Weight: 162 pounds

Body Fat Percentage: 4.2% -0.5%

Photo in a towel?  Scandalous!

The biggest surprise: Once again, my body fat.  Seriously, I don't have any to lose.  I was also surprised at my forearms; they seem to be getting progressively bigger, which I don't mind.  The biceps are nice too.

Now according to the Spartan Warrior Workout, I should be resting today.  But...this is not their challenge.  This is mine.  So I decided to do a light weight workout.  Wanna see what I did?

First I did my extras:

6x30 Pushups

6x30/side Bicycle Crunches

6x6 Pull Ups

And then (after I almost decided not to) I did this what I call a Power Workout.  Basically, you work your butt off for a very short amount of time (30 minutes of less).  Here's what I did:

Bench Press: 5 sets of 5 repetitions @ 155 pounds

24" Box Jumps: 5 sets of 10

Power Clean: 5 sets of 5 @ 105 pounds

Pull Ups: 2 sets of 10

Dips: 2 sets of 15

Thoughts:

Bench Press: I like the bench press and I haven't done it very much recently, so it was nice to be able to get back to that.  I was struggling a bit towards the last couple of sets, but it was great.

Box Jumps: Really nice; I just love these so much more than squats.

Pull Ups: You want humility?  Do 50 pull ups, then the next day, do another 50 or so.  Man these burned towards the end.

Dips: A brilliant move that works your chest and triceps, but also shoulder and core stability to a certain extent.  Go onto a pair of bars that are parallel to the ground.  Look straight down, cross and bend your legs.  Lower yourself down by bending your elbows.  Once your elbows make a 90 degree angle, push yourself back up.  This is another move that I don't use very often; but when I do them, I'm always humbled.

Here's a video of me doing power cleans.

Feel the Power!

Oh yeah, and what's Monday without some ab work?

(Spartan Leg Raise x7, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x2

(Spartan Leg Raise x1, Clockwork Leg Raise x4, Spartan Leg Raise x1, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x1
(Twisting Knee Raise x4, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x2
If you missed the video on Spartan Leg Raises, check it out here:

Abs of Steel!

Until tomorrow everybody!

Motivational Monday: Get Up, Get Moving!

For today's Motivational Monday, I'd like to share a story.
Up until I was 12 years old, I sat on my butt all the time, watched television, drank multiple sodas a day, and was usually really lazy in the summers.  Oh I was very active to be sure; I was in many camps, plays, I played instruments...I even did the summer swim team.  But athletically speaking, I was pretty lazy.
That fall, in 7th grade, I decided to pick up sports in a whole new way; with practically no training whatsoever, I had managed to get third place at state championships for the 50 yard breaststroke.  After almost winning it, I felt a sense of competition.  So when I moved back down to North Carolina for the school year, I decided to do year-round swim team.  But it didn't end there; I also did soccer at the same time.  So every school day for the next three months, I would finish school, go to a 2 hour soccer practice, have about a half hour break to eat and change, then an hour and a half of swim team.  It was exhausting; I was by far the slowest person in the pool, and I had no endurance for soccer.
About a week after soccer ended (swimming was still going), I was in P.E. (remember when we still had that?!) and we did the same thing we always had to do for a warm up: run.  I hated running; I was always one of the slowest people and I usually walked after the first minute or so.  So I swallowed my pride, and took off with the rest of the group.  As I kept running, I made a promise to myself; that this time I would run the entire thing.  I didn't care how slow I was gonna be; I was gonna run the whole time.
So I kept going.  As I was running, I noticed flying by a couple of people.  No big deal, I thought; they were usually at the back with me, walking.  Then another couple of people.  Ok, this is a little odd; I usually don't pass them.  Then more and more.  Finally, I had passed everyone in my class.  Not only that, but I still had gas in me.  So I kept going.
Then I found myself lapping people.  First the people that I had always hung back with; then more and more.  Finally, I had lapped everyone else in the class.  I was so overwhelmed that I jumped up and down with joy.  I was NEVER the fastest kid, and now I was.
The moral of this story; get up, get moving, and eventually you will fly.

300 Workout: First Go Around and Re-Cap!

Well gang, first attempt at the 300 Workout.  Let's review what I did.
Workout (done as fast as possible for time):
25 Pull Ups
50 Deadlifts @ 135 Pounds
50 Pushups
50 24-inch Box Jumps
50 Floor Wipers
50 Kettlebell Clean and Presses (25 for each arm) with a 35 pound kettlebell
25 Pull Ups
Thoughts:
System: As I've mentioned before, my biggest enemy was going to be pacing.  So rather than kill myself by going as fast as possible, I decided to go at a moderate-fast speed to see what I was getting myself into as well as figure out the flow of the workout.
Pull Ups: what surprised me the most about this was that I was able to bang off 12 no problem.  I had to break it up into about three sets, which wasn't that bad. And I thought the pull ups were gonna be an issue.
Deadlift: I did 5 sets of 10 with these.  It seemed to work ok; I wish I had done more per set, but I was trying to get a feel for how the workout went.
Pushups: Surprisingly these were a lot more difficult than I expected.  I thought I was gonna breeze through these; instead I had to stop 3 times, which for me is unacceptable.  Those are definitely gonna improve.
Box Jumps: Here's where I started to get a little winded.  I kept the box jumps at a very controlled pace, keeping my breathing nice and slow.  That helped a lot.
Floor Wipers: Here's where I started to fade.  Rather than do 5 sets of 10, I stopped about 8 times.  While this is a first draft, I am not entirely pleased about it.  I'm gonna have to get these down better before I do the 300 Workout again.
Clean and Press: After the floor wipers, the clean and presses weren't that bad.  Sure I had to stop several times, but I thought I was really going to be struggling with them.  And yet, here I was, throwing a 35 pound kettlebell around like it was nothing.  Great success.
Pull Ups: I did 5 sets of 5, which worked really well.
Time: 24:50
Overall: Not bad, for going at a moderate speed.
Here are some thing that worked well:
Pull Ups were awesome
Box Jumps are great, you just have to know your timing on them
Pacing was good, but could have been better
Great choice to not go all out and instead focus on form and flow through the workout
Things that could use improvement:
Floor Wipers
Clean and Presses
Pushups!
Spacing; keep the exercises all in one area if possible.
I felt good after doing the workout though.  I even did some leg raises.  Overall I like the workout; it's a great thing to do if you're pressed for time.
Wanna check out my thoughts on this week?  Then check out this video.  Until tomorrow gang; I'm beat.

Day 13: Sprints and Yoga? Easy Day.

Today was an easy day, in preparation for my first 300 Workout.  "Easy day" to me, though, translates into something that I've known well for many years: running.  It's a great way to relieve stress; it allows us to get back to nature; and it puts your mind at easy.
This time I decided to do a bit of hill sprints.  I call it my 10x10.  You warm up with a 5-10 minute jog, and then you find a hill (mine was a pretty steep one, perhaps a 25 degree angle).  Then you sprint up it as fast as you can.  When you reach the top, immediately turn around and walk down the hill, regaining your breath (recover on the go as it were).  Then as soon as you hit the bottom, you race up the hill again.  Keep doing this until you've sprinted up the hill 10 times.  A deceptively simple workout, but a great one nonetheless; I was sweating after the first 3.
Then I did a nice, lovely yoga routine of my own design by putting different poses together that have helped me over the past couple of years since I discovered the discipline.  For to truly experience all that life has to offer, you have to know when to be strong and when to bend.
Until tomorrow my friends, when I give the 300 Workout a run for its money.

Day 12: Timing, Timing, Timing

Day 12 and I decided to up the ante a bit by working for time as opposed to repetitions; if I'm gonna do the 300 workout, I'd better get used to working for time.

Here was my workout; now keep in mind, I did each of these things 6 times in a row, with minimal rest.  Ready?  Here we go:

***Renegade Row: 6 sets of 40 seconds on/20 seconds rest @ 35 pounds
***1 Leg Deadlift: 6 sets of 40 seconds right/40 seconds left/20 seconds rest @ 55 pounds
***Diamond Pushup (Triangle Pushup): 6 sets of 40 seconds on/20 seconds rest
***Split Jump: 6 sets of 40 seconds on/20 seconds rest
***Unicycle: 6 sets of 40 seconds right/40 seconds left/20 seconds rest
***TRX I,Y,T: 6 sets of 40 seconds on/20 seconds rest
***Weight Alternating Shoulder: 6 sets of 40 seconds on/20 seconds rest @ 45 pounds
For all of these exercises, I added one additional set, plus the Split Jump and TRX shoulder circuit.
Renegade Row: A lovely little move, back for some more.  This time, time was the game.  Works the core and the back, but yet still works the entire body something fierce.
Here's a video of me doing the renegade row; with only 20 pound weights; I didn't want to go TOO crazy for y'all :-)

Deadly little move

To quote Borat: Great Success!

1-Leg Deadlift: Same concept, only this time I was going for depth to work flexibility and unilateral strength (that means I was working each leg on its own) for all the deadlifts I have to do Sunday.  Lovely little move; let's keep at it.

Diamond Pushup: Awe yeah, feel those triceps!  This was always my favorite version of the pushup, which is probably why my chest isn't as finely developed as my triceps.

Seriously, gross!

Split Jump: A great leg and cardiovascular movement.  This seemed easier than previous times that I had done it.  Perhaps I was just in the mood to really rip it up, I don't know.  When I needed to, I did reverse lunges.  If you get tired, take a step back; just keep moving.  Everyone starts somewhere.

Unicycle: Oh my god, this move!  It's like walking through fire: you feel so accomplished when you're through the fire, but before and during you're thinking "what the hell is wrong with me?!" and also "ow, ow, OW!!!"  

Legs go up...

...and they stay there.

TRX I, Y,T: I did two set of each, to really emphasize the muscles worked.  A great burn.

Who remembers their alphabet?

Very good

This message brought to you by the letter "I."

Weight Alternating Shoulder: I had to get a bit creative with this one, since I didn't have a sandbag (this exercise called for a sandbag).  So instead, I grabbed a 45 pound weight and went at it.  Just make sure you keep your core tight; don't use your back; and thrust those hips forward (as in a deadlift).  

Here's a video of that:

Love the color combo!

Overall: I could've used a lot more weight.  A LOT more.

Tomorrow is a bit of an easy day (no weights) in preparation for round 1 of the 300 Workout, but that doesn't mean that I won't push myself.  Tune in tomorrow to see what I do!

Day 11: Put On The Weight!

Ok, so today I was a bit of a bad boy; I had some ice cream, peanut butter and bread, and a pop tart (bad, bad boy).  So today I decided to really pound myself into submission.
Here was my workout for the day:
***TRX Row: 4 sets of 15
2-Handed Kettlebell Swing: 5 sets of 50 seconds on/10 seconds; with a 35 pound kettlebell
***TRX Pushup: 2 sets of 8
***TRX Atomic Pushup: 1 set of 8
Box Jump: 5 sets of 12
***Bench Press: 1x10 @135 pounds; 1x3 @ 155 pounds; 1x10 @ 115 pounds
Dead and Clean: 5 sets of 12/side; with a 35 pound kettlebell
***Wall Push: 4 sets of 20 seconds
Mountain Climbers: 5 sets of 30 seconds on/30 seconds rest
I upped the challenge though: the whole time I wore a 20 pound weight vest.

Yeah, this son of a...

TRX Row: With the weight vest, I had to adjust the angle considerably.  Yet it still provided a great workout for my back.

2-Handed Kettlebell Swing: I wouldn't hate this exercise so much, except that I had that weight vest on.  All I can say is my heart was a pumping after that.

TRX Pushup: Because of the suspended and elevated feet it put more weight on my chest, forcing me to work harder.  Add a weight vest to that and it's even harder.

Here's a video of me doing it.  Also, enjoy the cameo by my cameraman :-)

Check out those arms!

TRX Atomic Pushup: Throw in a suspended crunch, and you've got a deadly little move.  Start the suspended crunch with your hips going up.  Check it out (with my trusty weight vest).

Burn it up!

Bench Press: Doing this with a weight vest was a bit uncomfortable...but I managed through it.

Dead Clean: I really started to find my rhythm with it...with the weight vest it proved an extra, very lovely challenge.

Wall Push: God these just burned!  I loved them so!

Sprinters Start: A deceptively hard move.  You start like you would in a pushup, but you bring one foot forward so that it's in between your hands.  Then in one movement, you tense your abdominals and switch feet, bringing your opposite foot in between your legs.  This also has the added benefit of stretching your hips.

If you can't do a sprinters start, do a mountain climber; same process as the sprinters start, but just shorten the distance.

Here's a video of the mountain climber:

Quick Feet!

And the Sprinters Start:

Be fast!

Day 10, with Videos!

Well guys, here's day 10.  After yesterday's workout, I wasn't sure how much I had left in me.  As I got into the workout, it turns out that I have a lot.

Here's the workout:
***TRX Row: 3 sets of 12
***TRX Hip Press: 3 sets of 12
***Pushup Descending Ladder: 15/14/13/12/11/10/9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1 with minimal rest
***TRX Suspended Lunge: 5 sets of 40 seconds/20 seconds for transition
***Floor Wiper: 4 sets of 12 @ 155 pounds
***Dead Clean: 5 sets of 40 seconds/side, 20 seconds rest; 3 sets @35 pounds, 1 set @ 40 pounds, 1 set @45 pounds
***Sprint: 10 times
***Burpees: 5 sets of 40 seconds/20 seconds rest

Thoughts:
TRX Row: This was a nice move to just get the gunk out of my back from the pull ups yesterday.  I went up to 3 sets of 12 to "tone out" a bit more.  Nice and easy.
TRX Hip Press: A very functional move for the hamstrings and glutes, as well as a great exercise for core stability.  It's very similar to a stability ball hip press: you place your heels into the TRX foot cradle (those things hanging below the handles) and push your toes into the handles.  Make a 90 degree angle with your legs, with your knee being the joint.  From there, keep your knees bent and push your butt up to the sky until you make a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
Pushup Descending Ladder: Oh yeah, now we're talking.  If you add up all the pushups, it totaled 120, done as quickly as possible.  Damn it felt good.
TRX Suspended Lunge: I decided to change to this movement instead of what the book had because it was more functional (for me), and I wanted to do a movement that really worked the flexibility of my hips.  Plus I also did 40 seconds as opposed to 30.  Damn it felt good.

Stay straight!

Get low!

Just make sure to not go too far down, or risk pulling something.

Floor Wiper: This is such a lovely exercise, combining a bench press and an oblique leg lift.  You start by going going to the highest position of your barbell, on the ground.  You lift your legs a few inches off the ground; this is your starting point.  Then you bring your (hopefully straight) legs to the right barbell and tap it; bring your legs down to the ground; then bring your straight legs to the left barbell and tap it; then bring your legs down.  With me so far?  That's one rep.  I decided to do an extra set of 12 because I'm that evil.
***IMPORTANT NOTE: Don't let your lower back arch!  If you do, you will risk injury to it!
Here is a video of me performing 5 floor wipers at the weight that I'm supposed to for the 300 Workout (135 pounds).  Enjoy the commentary:

Awe yeah, that's a badass move!

Dead Clean: I upped the weight after the third set, and added 10 seconds to the movement and took away 10 seconds from my rest time.  All in all, a very good time.
Sprint: Nothing really to report, except maybe 5 seconds of rest after I did two in a row.  I ran down this hallway...

Yeah, you remember

Burpees: Added 10 seconds to the move and took 10 off of my rest time.  And boy did that make a difference!  Again, pacing was key...a fact I overlooked while doing it.  Ouch.  Great burn though!
And what would a Wednesday be without extras!
Extras:
6x25 Pushups
6x25 Bicycle Crunches/side
6x5 Pull Ups
And let's not forget abdominal work:
(Spartan Leg Raise x7, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x2
(Spartan Leg Raise x1, Clockwork Leg Raise x4, Spartan Leg Raise x1, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x1
(Twisting Knee Raise x6, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x1
(Twisting Knee Raise x4, Hanging Knee Raise x5) x1
And you're in luck!  I just so happened to have a friend of mine record me doing a set of 7 Spartan Leg Raises and 5 Hanging Knee raises.  Until tomorrow!
P.S. If you haven't been keeping up with my 30 day workout challenge, check out my insanity here.