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.