Click here for the tutorial, and enjoy.
Also, here's a fun little photo of a parkour jump in mid-air.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Workout Wednesday: Wanna Learn How to Jump Good?
Workout Wednesday, and this time I'm gonna give you guys a bit of help. Last Wednesday I showed you guys a pretty awesome jump. This week I'm gonna show you a pretty good tutorial video on how to jump good (for you anal grammar people, I know it's 'jump well,' I just felt like being a smartass). The tutorial will show you how to do a precision jump, which is a jump that can not only be applied to distance, but is great for accuracy and landing; after all, who wants to jump an immense distance and impress the ladies only to fall flat on your face?
Click here for the tutorial, and enjoy.
Also, here's a fun little photo of a parkour jump in mid-air.
Click here for the tutorial, and enjoy.
Also, here's a fun little photo of a parkour jump in mid-air.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Day 9, and I Get a Taste of What I'm Getting Into
Day 9, and today I did a bit of a workout to simulate what I would be experiencing in the 300 Workout.
Ready to see what I did? Here we go:
***Density Pull ups: 6 pull ups on the minute for 21 minutes
***Density Deadlifts: 5 deadlifts @ 150 pounds on the minute for 21 minutes
Then I did this circuit 8 times through; 30 seconds per exercise; 10 seconds rest in between each; no rest:
***Decline Pushup
***Jump Tuck
***Leg Thrust
***Kettlebell Floor Press (Right Arm) @ 35 pounds
***Kettlebell Floor Press (Left Arm) @ 35 pounds
Then finish off with:
***Superset: 5 Ab Rollouts with 10 TRX Suspended Crunch: 3 times through
Thoughts:
Density Pull Ups: I decided to keep the same amount of pull ups per minute that I did on day 5 to try and tame that wall some more (for those of you who haven't read about my description of The Wall, click here). That being said, I greeted that wall again, as if you would greet an old friend. I struggled a bit, to be sure, but I took down some of that wall in the process, then did an extra set of pull ups, just to show the wall that It would not conquer me, but that I would conquer It.
Density Deadlift: I kept the 150 pounds and added another repetition from day 5. And let me tell you, it was worth it. The Wall kept creeping in, but each time I lifted that bar of weights, put it down, then came back for more, It just kept creeping away from me. Take that!
Circuit: this was the first real test of whether or not I could handle the 300 Workout. I'm not talking about lifting the weight or completing the repetitions; I'm talking about one of the most important (and often most overlooked) aspect of any sport, or any aspect of life: pacing. The whole point of completing the repetitions are to keep a constant speed, while slowly upping your tempo so that you are able to give it all that you got at the end. That's the key for any marathon race, triathlon, Tour De France...ask anyone who has done one, and they say that the mind is the most important training partner you can have. The mind alone can dictate how much to give in what part of the race. That was my goal; if I have a weakness, it's pacing. Let's see how I did:
Decline Pushup: Doing this for 30 seconds? Really easy. Doing it as part of a circuit? Not too bad. Doing each exercise for 30 seconds with only 10 seconds rest AND 8 times straight through? Now we're talking. The key to keeping form was to slow down the pushups to a pace that I could manage, which I didn't do in the first two circuits. As a result, I suffered through the next six, but managed to pull through with only 2 (very brief) bailouts to catch my breath.
Jump Tuck: Jump up as high as you can, then repeat for 30 seconds, keeping the jumps as fast as possible. Sounds easy right? The most deceptive things are. After finishing 8 jumps as fast as I could, I still had 25 seconds to go. That wasn't going to work. So I decided to sacrifice quantity and go for quality. I took my time, prepped myself for each jump, and focused on a soft landing. Form comes first; everything else will come with persistence and commitment.
Leg Thrust: A great move for the rectus abdominus if done correctly. Lift your legs a few inches off of the ground, then bring them up until your feet are pointing to the sky. Then push up with your hips, and slowly lower them back down. Let your legs come back down. The most important part is to not lift your lower back off of the ground. If you do, you'll risk injuring your lower back. It's a great move, used for some full-range core movement.
Kettlebell Floor Press: Like the dumbbell floor press (click here for a description on the floor press) except for two things: you're using one arm at a time, which taxes your obliques; and I was using my trusty 35 pound kettlebell as the weight. Because the weight is off-center, I had to work my abs even harder. Nice little functional workout.
Ab Rollout and TRX Crunch: A beautiful combination; you use an ab wheel and keep your abs stationary, then use them to pull yourself back. The crunch? Go into a suspended pushup position; bring your hips up and bring your knees into your chest; go back slowly to the first position.
Ready to see what I did? Here we go:
***Density Pull ups: 6 pull ups on the minute for 21 minutes
***Density Deadlifts: 5 deadlifts @ 150 pounds on the minute for 21 minutes
Then I did this circuit 8 times through; 30 seconds per exercise; 10 seconds rest in between each; no rest:
***Decline Pushup
***Jump Tuck
***Leg Thrust
***Kettlebell Floor Press (Right Arm) @ 35 pounds
***Kettlebell Floor Press (Left Arm) @ 35 pounds
Then finish off with:
***Superset: 5 Ab Rollouts with 10 TRX Suspended Crunch: 3 times through
Thoughts:
Density Pull Ups: I decided to keep the same amount of pull ups per minute that I did on day 5 to try and tame that wall some more (for those of you who haven't read about my description of The Wall, click here). That being said, I greeted that wall again, as if you would greet an old friend. I struggled a bit, to be sure, but I took down some of that wall in the process, then did an extra set of pull ups, just to show the wall that It would not conquer me, but that I would conquer It.
Density Deadlift: I kept the 150 pounds and added another repetition from day 5. And let me tell you, it was worth it. The Wall kept creeping in, but each time I lifted that bar of weights, put it down, then came back for more, It just kept creeping away from me. Take that!
Circuit: this was the first real test of whether or not I could handle the 300 Workout. I'm not talking about lifting the weight or completing the repetitions; I'm talking about one of the most important (and often most overlooked) aspect of any sport, or any aspect of life: pacing. The whole point of completing the repetitions are to keep a constant speed, while slowly upping your tempo so that you are able to give it all that you got at the end. That's the key for any marathon race, triathlon, Tour De France...ask anyone who has done one, and they say that the mind is the most important training partner you can have. The mind alone can dictate how much to give in what part of the race. That was my goal; if I have a weakness, it's pacing. Let's see how I did:
Decline Pushup: Doing this for 30 seconds? Really easy. Doing it as part of a circuit? Not too bad. Doing each exercise for 30 seconds with only 10 seconds rest AND 8 times straight through? Now we're talking. The key to keeping form was to slow down the pushups to a pace that I could manage, which I didn't do in the first two circuits. As a result, I suffered through the next six, but managed to pull through with only 2 (very brief) bailouts to catch my breath.
Jump Tuck: Jump up as high as you can, then repeat for 30 seconds, keeping the jumps as fast as possible. Sounds easy right? The most deceptive things are. After finishing 8 jumps as fast as I could, I still had 25 seconds to go. That wasn't going to work. So I decided to sacrifice quantity and go for quality. I took my time, prepped myself for each jump, and focused on a soft landing. Form comes first; everything else will come with persistence and commitment.
Leg Thrust: A great move for the rectus abdominus if done correctly. Lift your legs a few inches off of the ground, then bring them up until your feet are pointing to the sky. Then push up with your hips, and slowly lower them back down. Let your legs come back down. The most important part is to not lift your lower back off of the ground. If you do, you'll risk injuring your lower back. It's a great move, used for some full-range core movement.
Kettlebell Floor Press: Like the dumbbell floor press (click here for a description on the floor press) except for two things: you're using one arm at a time, which taxes your obliques; and I was using my trusty 35 pound kettlebell as the weight. Because the weight is off-center, I had to work my abs even harder. Nice little functional workout.
Ab Rollout and TRX Crunch: A beautiful combination; you use an ab wheel and keep your abs stationary, then use them to pull yourself back. The crunch? Go into a suspended pushup position; bring your hips up and bring your knees into your chest; go back slowly to the first position.
Remember this bad boy?
Awe yeah, feel that burn!
It was a great workout, and a nice little mid-term before really experiencing the 300 Workout. It ain't gonna be easy. You want proof on how brutal it is? Check out the sweat on my tank top after the workout:
There's the front...
Ew, gross!
Inspirational Tuesday: Be Kind
Today's Inspirational Tuesday is just about being kind to each other. In order to survive in this world, you should try and be kind to others; they may be kind to you in return.
So I found a poem by Patricia Gatto; she shares this poem at the end of her presentation, which talks about bullying. For more of her writings, go here. I know I will. Until then, enjoy.
So I found a poem by Patricia Gatto; she shares this poem at the end of her presentation, which talks about bullying. For more of her writings, go here. I know I will. Until then, enjoy.
Be kind to others, take a good look around Although we are different, similarities abound. Try not to judge, pick on, or tease. Treat each other fairly, with kindness and ease. Wait until you know, what’s deep down inside, You might find a friend, standing right by your side. |
Monday, September 19, 2011
Day 8: Stats, Photos and Videos...Oh My!
Well gang, here I am with the beginning of week 2. Now that I've gotten into the groove of this, let's check out my stats. Please note that any changes in my measurements will be italicized and bold, and I will also note how much the change was.
Ready? Here we go!
Weight: 162 pounds + 0.50 pounds
Body Fat Percentage: 4.7% - 2.2%
The biggest surprise for me: my body fat percentage. I knew that I was burning a lot of energy due to the high-intensity nature of the workouts, but with me starting out at such a low body percentage, I thought that I wouldn't lose that much, especially in the first week. I was wrong.
Another pleasant surprise: the significant gain in my shoulders. I injured them in high school from swimming, and was diagnosed with Chronic Tendentious. For those of you who don't know, the tendons in my shoulders had become enflamed, causing massive amounts of pain and discomfort. Now usually you can just ice and rest the injured section and it would go away. But when the condition is chronic, that means that it could happen again for the rest of you life. The best cure for it: keep your shoulders strong.
So I tried everything: weights, physical therapy, tubes...I even considered surgery at one point, but nothing. Then a little over a year ago, I was online looking at various exercise tools when I came across a tool called TRX Suspension Training. It is a versatile workout machine that's designed to use your bodyweight in a progressive manner to help build functional strength, especially in people who have injuries. I did research on it for about two months, trying to find any catches with this device, but couldn't find any. So I decided to buy it and use it to help bring back my shoulders.
It was one of the best purchases I've made in a very long time. Since I've started using it (last August), I have gone from bench pressing about 135 pounds (my max at the time I bought this product) to benching 185 (that's 114% of my bodyweight!). As long as I have good form, I've got strong shoulders.
Since then, my TRX has been at the core of many of my workouts, and I will continue to use them today, including showing you a workout that helped bring my shoulders to the point where my they could grow an inch and a half in 1 week.
Let's Go:
***High Pull: 4 sets of 30 seconds/side; 35 pound kettlebell
***2-Handed Kettlebell Swing: 3 sets of 1 minute; 35 pound kettlebell
***Walking Pushup: 5 sets of 30 seconds
***Depth Jump: 3 sets of 8
***Dumbbell Floor Press: 3 sets of 15: 2x50 pounds
***TRX I, Y, T: 3 sets of 7
***Car Lift: 3 sets of 15 followed by: ***3 sets of 10 pushups
Thoughts:
High Pull: A very functional movement combining a classic kettlebell swing with a semi-snatch. You begin with the kettlebell behind you with one hand, then swing it forward by thrusting your butt forward and keeping your core tight. Let the kettlebell swing in between your legs. As soon as the bell is in front of you, pull the weight up towards you by pinching your shoulder blade to your spine (like you were to crush a can in between your shoulder blade and spine). Pull the weight so that your arm makes an "L," with the bell pointed in front of you. Hold it there for a (very brief) pause, then push the kettlebell out away from you (like doing a chest pass in basketball, only with one hand), then let the bell swing back down. Repeat this process for the desired time or repetitions, then switch to the other arm (gotta balance it out you know!).
Here's a video:
A very demanding move on the back and the butt, with a bit of a lung burn just for extra kicks. I decided to up the reps by 1 to give myself that little extra "oomph," you know?
2-Handed Kettlebell Swing: A 2-handed version of what we just did, minus the pull. You swing the kettlebell back and forth and keep a pretty good pace. For all your ladies (or guys! This is the 21st century after all) looking to get a nice toned butt, do this motion; you'll burn tons of calories and really work those muscles. The most important thing about this is you have to initiate the movement from your butt and hips. Keep your core tight and thrust your hips forward, and you'll do fine. I love this exercise so much that I wanted to add some more reps, so I did (3 is better than 1 you know!). I also used my trusty 35 pound kettlebell for this one; hey I bought it for this workout, might as well use it!
Here's a video of a few swings with my 35 pounder:
Walking Pushup: A cool movement that really engages your core because you have to "walk" yourself so that for each pushup, you switch the hand that's on the object (in my case a kettlebell, but really it could be anything).
Start by doing your pushup (let's start with our right hand on your object), then as quickly as you can, walk your hands and feet to the other side of your object (keep hands on the ground!) until you are able to perform a pushup with your left hand on the object. Repeat for the desire amount of repetitions or time. For me, I did time, and instead of doing 3 sets of 30 seconds, I did 5; what's a little more work between friends, right?
Depth Jump: Be on a bench or some kind of raised platform. Fall off of the platform and land. Sink into the landing, then immediately jump up as high as you can. Finish off by sinking down into the landing after the jump. It's extremely demanding on your leg muscles, but man does it feel good.
Check out how to do it:
Pushups: 6x25
Bicycle Crunches: 6x25/side
Pull Ups: 6x5
And it wouldn't be a Monday without some ab work:
1x (Spartan Leg Raise x7, Hanging Knee Raise x5)
1x (Spartan Leg Raise x1, Clockwork Leg Raise x6, Spartan Leg Raise x1, Hanging Knee Raise x5)
1x (Spartan Leg Raise x7, Hanging Knee Raise x5)
2x (Hanging Knee Twist x6, Hanging Knee Raise x5)
Oh yes, and a Reiki treatment will follow shortly after this...but after The Sing Off Premiere...I love that show.
If you have any questions, videos or photos you want me to post, feel free to leave me a message here or email me at jordanmitchelllove@gmail.com.
Until tomorrow!
Ready? Here we go!
Neck Measurement: 16.25” + 0.25 inches
Shoulders at their widest point: 48.5" + 1.50 inches
Chest (measuring tape right across your nipples and under your arms): 40” + 1 inch
Waist 3 inches above your bellybutton: 31” - 1 inch
Waist at your belly button: 32” - 0.50 inches
Waist 3 inches below your belly button: 34.25” - 0.25 inches
Hips at their widest point: 38.75” - 0.50 inches
Thigh 9 inches above the top of your kneecap: 23”
Thigh 6 inches above the top of your kneecap: 20.25”
Thigh 3 inches above the top of your kneecap: 18” + 0.50 inches
Calf at its widest point: 16”
Bicep (flexed) measure the widest point: 14.75”
Forearm (flexed) at its widest point: 12.75” + 0.25 inches
Weight: 162 pounds + 0.50 pounds
Body Fat Percentage: 4.7% - 2.2%
Ooo, look at that!
The biggest surprise for me: my body fat percentage. I knew that I was burning a lot of energy due to the high-intensity nature of the workouts, but with me starting out at such a low body percentage, I thought that I wouldn't lose that much, especially in the first week. I was wrong.
Another pleasant surprise: the significant gain in my shoulders. I injured them in high school from swimming, and was diagnosed with Chronic Tendentious. For those of you who don't know, the tendons in my shoulders had become enflamed, causing massive amounts of pain and discomfort. Now usually you can just ice and rest the injured section and it would go away. But when the condition is chronic, that means that it could happen again for the rest of you life. The best cure for it: keep your shoulders strong.
So I tried everything: weights, physical therapy, tubes...I even considered surgery at one point, but nothing. Then a little over a year ago, I was online looking at various exercise tools when I came across a tool called TRX Suspension Training. It is a versatile workout machine that's designed to use your bodyweight in a progressive manner to help build functional strength, especially in people who have injuries. I did research on it for about two months, trying to find any catches with this device, but couldn't find any. So I decided to buy it and use it to help bring back my shoulders.
It was one of the best purchases I've made in a very long time. Since I've started using it (last August), I have gone from bench pressing about 135 pounds (my max at the time I bought this product) to benching 185 (that's 114% of my bodyweight!). As long as I have good form, I've got strong shoulders.
Since then, my TRX has been at the core of many of my workouts, and I will continue to use them today, including showing you a workout that helped bring my shoulders to the point where my they could grow an inch and a half in 1 week.
Let's Go:
***High Pull: 4 sets of 30 seconds/side; 35 pound kettlebell
***2-Handed Kettlebell Swing: 3 sets of 1 minute; 35 pound kettlebell
***Walking Pushup: 5 sets of 30 seconds
***Depth Jump: 3 sets of 8
***Dumbbell Floor Press: 3 sets of 15: 2x50 pounds
***TRX I, Y, T: 3 sets of 7
***Car Lift: 3 sets of 15 followed by: ***3 sets of 10 pushups
Thoughts:
High Pull: A very functional movement combining a classic kettlebell swing with a semi-snatch. You begin with the kettlebell behind you with one hand, then swing it forward by thrusting your butt forward and keeping your core tight. Let the kettlebell swing in between your legs. As soon as the bell is in front of you, pull the weight up towards you by pinching your shoulder blade to your spine (like you were to crush a can in between your shoulder blade and spine). Pull the weight so that your arm makes an "L," with the bell pointed in front of you. Hold it there for a (very brief) pause, then push the kettlebell out away from you (like doing a chest pass in basketball, only with one hand), then let the bell swing back down. Repeat this process for the desired time or repetitions, then switch to the other arm (gotta balance it out you know!).
Here's a video:
A very demanding move on the back and the butt, with a bit of a lung burn just for extra kicks. I decided to up the reps by 1 to give myself that little extra "oomph," you know?
2-Handed Kettlebell Swing: A 2-handed version of what we just did, minus the pull. You swing the kettlebell back and forth and keep a pretty good pace. For all your ladies (or guys! This is the 21st century after all) looking to get a nice toned butt, do this motion; you'll burn tons of calories and really work those muscles. The most important thing about this is you have to initiate the movement from your butt and hips. Keep your core tight and thrust your hips forward, and you'll do fine. I love this exercise so much that I wanted to add some more reps, so I did (3 is better than 1 you know!). I also used my trusty 35 pound kettlebell for this one; hey I bought it for this workout, might as well use it!
Here's a video of a few swings with my 35 pounder:
Walking Pushup: A cool movement that really engages your core because you have to "walk" yourself so that for each pushup, you switch the hand that's on the object (in my case a kettlebell, but really it could be anything).
Start by doing your pushup (let's start with our right hand on your object), then as quickly as you can, walk your hands and feet to the other side of your object (keep hands on the ground!) until you are able to perform a pushup with your left hand on the object. Repeat for the desire amount of repetitions or time. For me, I did time, and instead of doing 3 sets of 30 seconds, I did 5; what's a little more work between friends, right?
Get down there!
This is the easy part...
Walk those hands over...
Prep yourself...
Do another pushup!
Depth Jump: Be on a bench or some kind of raised platform. Fall off of the platform and land. Sink into the landing, then immediately jump up as high as you can. Finish off by sinking down into the landing after the jump. It's extremely demanding on your leg muscles, but man does it feel good.
Check out how to do it:
TRX I, Y, T: This exercise helped me get my shoulders back into fighting shape. After a few years of trying everything, the TRX was the solution. Obviously it's not the only thing that helped, but boy was is the biggest.
The two biggest factors in using the TRX to its maximum benefit are: 3-D Pushup and form.
The 3-D pushup is a concept I came up with when teaching clients how to use the TRX. If you go down into the high position of a pushup (hand under the shoulders, feet together), what do you notice? Your abs are tight, like you're bracing to get punched in the stomach by the gremlin that lives in the ground (I'm just kidding...or am I?), and you could draw a straight line right from your head to your feet. You want to keep that kind of position whenever you do any TRX exercise, otherwise you won't get the full benefit, and you will risk injury.
Form just means that before you make any exercise easier or harder, you have to make sure your form is correct. Your body has to be stiff as a board the whole time.
To begin the I,Y,T, you must let your arms relax and go to full length. Then pinch your shoulder blades together, keep your arms straight, and bring your whole body through until your arms are even with the rest of your body. If you do an "I" your arms are straight up; "Y" your arms are at 45 degrees; "T" your arms are parallel to the ground.
Relax those arms!
Stick that chest out!
I...
Y...
And T! I can make letters!
Take it from someone who's tried a huge variety of shoulder workouts: this is one of the best exercises for your shoulders...period.
Car Lift and Pushups: Quick little lifts (about half a second) then a drop, followed by 10 full pushups. It was a nice little finisher. I love that kind of stuff.
Oh yeah, and here are some extra things I did today!
Bicycle Crunches: 6x25/side
Pull Ups: 6x5
And it wouldn't be a Monday without some ab work:
1x (Spartan Leg Raise x7, Hanging Knee Raise x5)
1x (Spartan Leg Raise x1, Clockwork Leg Raise x6, Spartan Leg Raise x1, Hanging Knee Raise x5)
1x (Spartan Leg Raise x7, Hanging Knee Raise x5)
2x (Hanging Knee Twist x6, Hanging Knee Raise x5)
Oh yes, and a Reiki treatment will follow shortly after this...but after The Sing Off Premiere...I love that show.
If you have any questions, videos or photos you want me to post, feel free to leave me a message here or email me at jordanmitchelllove@gmail.com.
Until tomorrow!
Motivational Monday: Push Through
So today, in a very interesting M and M, I've decided to talk about hitting "The Wall."
If you are active or if any of your friends are active (especially runners) then you may have heard about this. Even if you're not an athlete, you've probably experienced it at some point in your life. It's where you've felt under so much pressure, or you're taxing yourself to the point where you're not sure you can go on.
One of the best examples I can think of is with marathon runners. Usually when you hear about them talk about "The Wall," it's usually around mile 18, where they feel their limbs starting to give way, or that they feel like they can't go on. When that happens, there are two options: go big or go home. Those who can't get over the wall, who can't find it in themselves to just find a way around it, turn around a go home, many times kicking themselves later saying that they could have done it.
Those who do go through the wall, who grab a sledgehammer from the depths of their soul and uses it to strike down the wall...those are who we call champions. Whether in athletics or in life, those are the kind of people that say "where there's a will, there's always a way."
So when you find something that is in your path: a co-worker, a friend, even a family member who is preventing you from your goal, whatever that may be...find another way around. Who knows? They may end up turning around and supporting you in your decision.
For more of an idea of what "The Wall" is, check out a recent blog post of mine about my 30 day workout challenge. In my case, I pushed through the wall and made it crumble.
What will you do?
Until the next time.
If you are active or if any of your friends are active (especially runners) then you may have heard about this. Even if you're not an athlete, you've probably experienced it at some point in your life. It's where you've felt under so much pressure, or you're taxing yourself to the point where you're not sure you can go on.
One of the best examples I can think of is with marathon runners. Usually when you hear about them talk about "The Wall," it's usually around mile 18, where they feel their limbs starting to give way, or that they feel like they can't go on. When that happens, there are two options: go big or go home. Those who can't get over the wall, who can't find it in themselves to just find a way around it, turn around a go home, many times kicking themselves later saying that they could have done it.
Those who do go through the wall, who grab a sledgehammer from the depths of their soul and uses it to strike down the wall...those are who we call champions. Whether in athletics or in life, those are the kind of people that say "where there's a will, there's always a way."
So when you find something that is in your path: a co-worker, a friend, even a family member who is preventing you from your goal, whatever that may be...find another way around. Who knows? They may end up turning around and supporting you in your decision.
For more of an idea of what "The Wall" is, check out a recent blog post of mine about my 30 day workout challenge. In my case, I pushed through the wall and made it crumble.
What will you do?
Until the next time.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Day 7: No Lazy Sunday, and Re-Cap for the Week!
Sunday is a day to relax, watch the game, have a BBQ...and have a really kickass workout.
Let's check it out:
***Static Hold on Pull Up Bar: 5 rounds of 60 seconds
***Suitcase Deadlift: 5 rounds of 30 seconds with 2x 55 pound dumbbells
***Half-Moon Pushup (Swinging Plank): 4 rounds of 4/side
***Box Jump: 5 sets of 12
***Dumbbel Bench Press: 12 reps at 40 pounds; 15 reps at 45 pounds; 20 reps at 25 pounds
***Dead Clean and Press: 5 sets of 11 with 35 lbs. kettlebell
***TRX Axe Chop: 5 rounds of 30 seconds/side with 30 seconds rest after second side
Thoughts:
Static Hold on Pull Up Bar: Go to the end of the pull up (when you're chin is over the bar) and hold it there. This was a lot easier said that done. Eventually I was holding myself up there for about 15-17 seconds, coming down really fast, then getting right back up there. Interesting note though; my biceps BULGED when I did this exercise.
Suitcase Deadlift: Imagine that you're picking up your bag to move through the check-in line at the airport. Then imagine the bag weighs 55 pounds. Now imagine there are two of them and you have to pick them up, only to be stopped after 2 feet. Continue this pattern for a while and you've got a pretty good idea of what I went through. You feel your butt, I'll tell you that much.
Half-Moon Pushup: A great little full-body exercise that puts an emphasis on the obliques, chest and shoulders. You simply start like you were in Child's Pose in yoga, with your knees to one side, arms stretched out straight. Then you shoot your head forward towards your hands, eventually going down into a low position push up. Finally, you push yourself back to the beginning position, making sure your knees are on the other side of your body. It's such a functional exercise that I had to throw it in here.
Box Jump: I decided to add more box jumps per set, to sculpt more functional, durable leg muscles. It did feel really good to push my body like that.
Dumbbell Bench Press: This was meant to compliment the floor wiper, as holding a barbell in the end position is part of the movement. I decided to up the weights and reps for the first round to start taxing the chest, then dropped the weights and added more reps to stimulate the fast-twitch muscle fibers to grow in strength (fast-twitch muscle fibers are the ones in us that allow us to sprint really fast or lift very heavy weights; they also have the greatest potential for growth).
My chest was burning quite a bit by the end of this; proof that even a simple exercise can be great if used correctly.
Dead Clean and Press: They're becoming a bit easier! Finally, I seem to be finding my stride with these. Later this week I'll post photos of how to do a clean and press. Just like everything in life, the more you do something the easier it gets.
TRX Axe Chop: I got to use my TRX Rip Trainer again. This is an exercise used to help benefit functional core stability for athletes to help develop rotational power, whether that be in the hips or the shoulder. It functions by taking the bar in your arms and attaching your resistance band to a fixed point. Each resistance band simulates a different weight (the weight I was using was the equivalent to 28, the heaviest available). It's a very great device for building functional power and endurance, and a valuable tool for your collection; but for those who didn't get what I just said, think of the TRX Rip Trainer this way:
Let's check it out:
***Static Hold on Pull Up Bar: 5 rounds of 60 seconds
***Suitcase Deadlift: 5 rounds of 30 seconds with 2x 55 pound dumbbells
***Half-Moon Pushup (Swinging Plank): 4 rounds of 4/side
***Box Jump: 5 sets of 12
***Dumbbel Bench Press: 12 reps at 40 pounds; 15 reps at 45 pounds; 20 reps at 25 pounds
***Dead Clean and Press: 5 sets of 11 with 35 lbs. kettlebell
***TRX Axe Chop: 5 rounds of 30 seconds/side with 30 seconds rest after second side
Thoughts:
Static Hold on Pull Up Bar: Go to the end of the pull up (when you're chin is over the bar) and hold it there. This was a lot easier said that done. Eventually I was holding myself up there for about 15-17 seconds, coming down really fast, then getting right back up there. Interesting note though; my biceps BULGED when I did this exercise.
Suitcase Deadlift: Imagine that you're picking up your bag to move through the check-in line at the airport. Then imagine the bag weighs 55 pounds. Now imagine there are two of them and you have to pick them up, only to be stopped after 2 feet. Continue this pattern for a while and you've got a pretty good idea of what I went through. You feel your butt, I'll tell you that much.
Half-Moon Pushup: A great little full-body exercise that puts an emphasis on the obliques, chest and shoulders. You simply start like you were in Child's Pose in yoga, with your knees to one side, arms stretched out straight. Then you shoot your head forward towards your hands, eventually going down into a low position push up. Finally, you push yourself back to the beginning position, making sure your knees are on the other side of your body. It's such a functional exercise that I had to throw it in here.
Ahh, doesn't that feel good?
Get low
Resting again!
Expect to see more of this bad boy.
Dumbbell Bench Press: This was meant to compliment the floor wiper, as holding a barbell in the end position is part of the movement. I decided to up the weights and reps for the first round to start taxing the chest, then dropped the weights and added more reps to stimulate the fast-twitch muscle fibers to grow in strength (fast-twitch muscle fibers are the ones in us that allow us to sprint really fast or lift very heavy weights; they also have the greatest potential for growth).
My chest was burning quite a bit by the end of this; proof that even a simple exercise can be great if used correctly.
Dead Clean and Press: They're becoming a bit easier! Finally, I seem to be finding my stride with these. Later this week I'll post photos of how to do a clean and press. Just like everything in life, the more you do something the easier it gets.
TRX Axe Chop: I got to use my TRX Rip Trainer again. This is an exercise used to help benefit functional core stability for athletes to help develop rotational power, whether that be in the hips or the shoulder. It functions by taking the bar in your arms and attaching your resistance band to a fixed point. Each resistance band simulates a different weight (the weight I was using was the equivalent to 28, the heaviest available). It's a very great device for building functional power and endurance, and a valuable tool for your collection; but for those who didn't get what I just said, think of the TRX Rip Trainer this way:
Stick with a bungee cord!
But seriously, great piece of equipment. The axe chop requires you to let the cord end begin behind you, then push it forward using that same arm. Think of it like an overhead sword strike.
I got something on the line!
I got 'em!
That's a keeper!
Want to know my thoughts about how this week went? Then check out this video! In the meantime, I've got to get ready for tomorrow's brutal workout. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them below. Until tomorrow everybody!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Day 6: Saturday is a Good Day!
Day 6 required me to be at a different gym to get my workout in and get all of my things out there (met friends for coffee, drove down to Worcester, MA and I'm in a show tonight). Just because it's a different gym doesn't mean the workout should be altered!
Here it is:
***Inverted Row (Rack Row): 3 sets of 10
***Single-Leg Straight Leg Deadlift: 3 sets of 10/side @ 30 pounds
***Weighted Pushup: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12
***Goblet Squat: 5 sets of 30 seconds @ 55 pounds
***Floor Wiper: 3 sets of 12
***Press: 5 sets of 15 @ 20 pounds
***Weight Vest Shoulder: 5 sets of 30 seconds/side
Thoughts:
Inverted Row: similar to a TRX row. It was pretty nice to work some of the gunk out of my back after yesterday's pull ups.
Single-Leg Straight Leg Deadlift: it's just as it sounds. It's a great full body movement that also puts an emphasis on your core and your glutes. It's also really hard because you have to balance as well. Not my favorite exercise, but that just means I need to work on it.
Weighted Pushup: Not much to say about this. Pushup work is all about grit and determination, not ego and big muscles. It's not a flashy move, but man does it build character.
Goblet Squat: Do a squat with a weight. It doesn't get much simpler than that. I altered the weight slightly and did squats for time. Ow; this one was a killer.
Floor Wiper: I upped the weight slightly and decided to do 12 reps instead of 10. You always have to give a little bit more.
Press: Light and fast baby! It started to really hurt after a while because I didn't rest my shoulders at all. I still hate these things, but I'm slowly getting better at them.
Weight Vest Shoulder: This is a functional movement based off of the sandbag clean and press. I had to alter it because I don't have a sandbag. Having a moving weight makes things much more difficult; you have to engage your core a bit more. A great functional movement; I just need to use more weight.
More ab work!
3 sets of: 5x Spartan Leg Raises; 5 Hanging Knee Raises
I'm not writing a whole lot simply because I started hitting that wall that I found yesterday. That encounter just humbled me a lot. I'm still feeling the emotional backlash from it.
Week 1 is almost done; I'm starting to feel the pain and fatigue. However, if this program can produce things like this in 6 days (with very bad lighting mind you):
Here it is:
***Inverted Row (Rack Row): 3 sets of 10
***Single-Leg Straight Leg Deadlift: 3 sets of 10/side @ 30 pounds
***Weighted Pushup: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12
***Goblet Squat: 5 sets of 30 seconds @ 55 pounds
***Floor Wiper: 3 sets of 12
***Press: 5 sets of 15 @ 20 pounds
***Weight Vest Shoulder: 5 sets of 30 seconds/side
Thoughts:
Inverted Row: similar to a TRX row. It was pretty nice to work some of the gunk out of my back after yesterday's pull ups.
Single-Leg Straight Leg Deadlift: it's just as it sounds. It's a great full body movement that also puts an emphasis on your core and your glutes. It's also really hard because you have to balance as well. Not my favorite exercise, but that just means I need to work on it.
Weighted Pushup: Not much to say about this. Pushup work is all about grit and determination, not ego and big muscles. It's not a flashy move, but man does it build character.
Goblet Squat: Do a squat with a weight. It doesn't get much simpler than that. I altered the weight slightly and did squats for time. Ow; this one was a killer.
Floor Wiper: I upped the weight slightly and decided to do 12 reps instead of 10. You always have to give a little bit more.
Press: Light and fast baby! It started to really hurt after a while because I didn't rest my shoulders at all. I still hate these things, but I'm slowly getting better at them.
Weight Vest Shoulder: This is a functional movement based off of the sandbag clean and press. I had to alter it because I don't have a sandbag. Having a moving weight makes things much more difficult; you have to engage your core a bit more. A great functional movement; I just need to use more weight.
More ab work!
3 sets of: 5x Spartan Leg Raises; 5 Hanging Knee Raises
I'm not writing a whole lot simply because I started hitting that wall that I found yesterday. That encounter just humbled me a lot. I'm still feeling the emotional backlash from it.
Week 1 is almost done; I'm starting to feel the pain and fatigue. However, if this program can produce things like this in 6 days (with very bad lighting mind you):
No photoshop required!
Then I can't wait for day 30.
Day 7 and first video, here I come!
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