Month: August 2021

Strict Improvement

Yesterday I went down to my brother’s and helped install flooring all day. Didn’t get home until almost midnight and was exhausted! Cut the lawn this morning, made a step for B to get up to the outdoor pull-up bar, and we got to the workout around 1pm I think.

Warm-ups

  • 20 PVC Passes
  • 5 Pendlay Rows (65#)
  • 5 Pendlay Rows (95#)

Back

4 Sets

  • MAX Strict Pull-ups
  • 1:00 Rest

Still rough, but felt better than recent strict work. I didn’t wear grips until the final two sets. Got 10-8-7-6.

4 Sets

  • 10 Pendlay Rows (115#, supinated)
  • 1:00 Rest

3 Sets

  • 10 Underhand Lat Pulldowns (126#)
  • 30s Rest

3 Sets

  • 10 Inverted Bar Rows (wide)
  • 30s Rest

2 Sets

  • 10 Seated Cable Row (107#)
  • 10 Seated Cable Row (96#)
  • 10 Seated Cable Row (85#)
  • 90s Rest

We used the homemade, really wide bar today and I really tried to squeeze my reps and hold for a split second.

Conditioning

5 Rounds

  • 24 Side Crunches
  • 20 Plyo Lunges (20# DBs)
  • 50s Sandbag Hold (100#)
  • 12 Burpees

Didn’t run a clock for this one and kind of ran it as a partner workout, so B started with lunges, I did crunches, and then we switched. Then I held the sandbag while she burpeed and we switched. It was really hot out behind the house and it took a lot out of me.

Turnip Rock

Up early and out in the garage by 7:30.

Warm-up

  • 20 PVC Passes
  • Bench Press
    • 10×45
    • 8×95
    • 6×135
    • 4×160

MAX Bench Press (180/85#)

Felt like I wasn’t awake and ready yet. Got 18 reps and will look to smoke that on Tuesday.

MAX Push-ups

Got 35 the first week of the program and 45 today.

3 Sets

  • 12 Seated DB Shoulder Press (elbows out, 45#)

So much better than week 1 with 40#.

50 DB Bench Press (50/25#)

Last time I was done in 2:26 by going 15-10-10-8-7. The first 10 felt so easy and I was tempted to go for more, but I stuck to my plan and did 5×10 to finish in 1:54.

Headed to Port Austin and kayaked out to Turnip Rock, which was over 6 miles round trip in about two hours and 20 minutes.

Every 3 Minutes of Legs

I’ve had two more green WHOOP recovery days, bringing my streak to 9. Walked 18 holes yesterday and today I worked out during lunch.

30:00 BikeErg
E3M 10 Walking Lunges (40# DBs)

Yes, start with lunges. I wanted something quick and mindless and this was perfect. Laying out all nine puzzle mats was the exact length I needed to do five lunges out and five back, which I did all stepping through. Need to do more walking lunges, because they are just a different beast. I got through a total of 12,242 meters on the bike, though I guess that counts all of the rollover meters from the first nine rounds because I just kept the computer going.

Max Seated Presses

Walked 18 yesterday. I’m sore as fuck from the plyo lunges, yet somehow I’ve on a seven day green recovery streak in WHOOP.

Warm-up

  • 20 PVC Passes
  • Bench Press
    • 10×45
    • 10×95
    • 6×120
    • 4×140

Chest

MAX Bench Press (160/80#)

I got 30 today, which is four more than Saturday.

100 Push-ups

Figured I’d try a different strategy today so I did four and then quick threes. It didn’t work out. I finished in 3:46, which is seven seconds slower than all 5s last week, probably due to it being so many more sets to get through.

Seated Shoulder Press

  • 3 Sets @ 3 Weights
  • MAX Reps
  • 3:00 Rest between sets
  • 16-15-12 @ 95#
  • 18-16-16 @ 75#
  • 22-25-25 @ 55#

I think I messed up the rest period before that 8th set and took an extra minute, which would explain how I got better after that. I was fading after every other set throughout. This is not really very fun with the shoulder press though.

6 Sets

  • 12 Double DB French Press (20# DBs)
  • 1:00 Rest

Mowed both lawns after dinner.

Betty

We did some reorg in the garage and then hit the workout around 11. Brandi’s middle name is Betty, so we put up this sign.

Back

4 Sets

  • MAX Strict Wide Pull-ups
  • 1:00 Rest

I got 8-6-6-6.

4 Sets

  • 10 Pendlay Rows (115#)
  • 1:00 Rest

3 Sets

  • 10 Underhand Lat Pulldowns (126#)
  • 30s Rest

3 Sets

  • 10 Inverted Bar Rows
  • 30s Rest

2 Sets

  • 10 Seated Cable Row (107#)
  • 10 Seated Cable Row (96#)
  • 10 Seated Cable Row (85#)
  • 90s Rest

We used double handles.

Legs / Conditioning

20-18-16-14-12-10-12-14-16-18-20

  • DB Plyo Lunges

B didn’t use any weight. I used 25# dumbbells for 20-18, 15# for 16-14, and then 10# the rest of the way. I was dying! We finished in 7:40.

Midline

3 Rounds

  • 30 Bicycles
  • 30 Hollow Flutter Kicks
  • 15 Leg Lifts
  • 15/15 Side Plank Bounces

Wearing five pound ankle weights, I finished in 5:50, which is 17 seconds faster than Feb.

Starting Chest Week 4

Warm-up

  • 20 PVC Passes
  • Bench Press
    • 10×45
    • 10×95
    • 6×120
    • 4×140

Chest

MAX Bench Press (160/80#)

Felt good and got 26 reps.

MAX Perfect Push-ups

I don’t think I’ve ever used something like these, but B brought them over, so might as well try. I didn’t rotate them much, but it is several inches deeper. I got 32 reps

3 Sets

  • 14 Seated DB Shoulder Press (elbows out, 40#)

These felt much better than the 12×40 I was doing in the first week.

40 DB Bench Press (60/30#)

My game plan was all fives and I stuck too it, though the last two sets were hard! Finished in 2:06.

Conditioning

2 Rounds

  • 700m Run
  • 30 Single Arm DB Thruster (25#)

Did 15 unbroken on each arm. Finished in 9:29.

Great Partner Chipper

Conditioning

Partner Chipper

  • 40 Burpee Box Get Overs (42”)
  • 100 Wall Balls (20#, 10′)
  • 10 Sled Drag (128′, 25 + 100/55#)
  • 100 Wall Balls
  • 40 Burpee Box Get Overs

Went split the burpees 6 for me and 4 for B since we were using the same height. Then we each did 30-20 wall balls to do some larger sets. For the sled drag we did 2 trips each, 2 trips each, and then 1. Split up the wall balls and burpees the same on the way back. Finished in 26:26

Midline

4 Rounds

  • 1:00 Sandbag Hold (100#)
  • 10 Strict T2B
  • 30s Rest

When this started I was worried it was going to be terrible, but it was actually really good. I used an old pair of grips and split the T2B 7-3 each round. Finished in 8:48.

Push Off the Side

Warm-up

  • 80′ Lateral Monster Walks
  • 80′ Monster Walks
  • 10 Monster Squats
  • 10 Monster Toe touches
  • 10 RDL (45#)
  • 10 RDL (85#)

Legs

  • 12-10-8-6 Lateral Step-ups (L, 40-45-50-60#, 20”)
  • 15 Side Lunge with knee up
  • 12-10-8-6 Lateral Step-ups (R, 40-45-50-60#, 20”)
  • 15 Side Lunge with knee up

The side lunge with knee up was something new to try for this superset. Wasn’t sure how it would go, so I didn’t increase weight.

4 Sets

  • 10 RDLs (2×135, 2×155#)
  • 1:00 Rest

Went up 10 pounds on each.

Conditioning

9:00 AMRAP – 2-4-6…

  • Devil Press (35# DBs)
  • C2B Pull-ups

B had found this on the ‘gram several weeks ago and we saved it. Two of my least favorite movements. I pulled out an old pair of grips I hadn’t used in years and they weren’t the greatest. I did all double kipping chest-to-bar pull-ups because that movement seems to get me for some reason. Finished the 10s and then picked up the pace to finish the 12 devil presses.

Midline

4 Rounds

  • 10 Hollow Rocks
  • 10 V-ups
  • 10 Tuck-ups
  • 10s Hollow Hold
  • 1:00 Rest

She keeps bringing this workout back out and sucks every time. I decided not to try going unbroken even from the start, so I took a quick break between movements. Finished in 6:42.

Breaking Bench

Warm-up

  • 20 PVC Passes
  • Bench Press
    • 10×45
    • 10×95
    • 5×120
  • Decline Bench Press
    • 5×65
    • 5×80

Chest

MAX Bench Press (140#)

Managed three more than Saturday for 36 reps.

100 Push-ups

I was able to go all fives for a big improvement over last week’s 4:16. Took me 3:39 today.

Decline Bench Press

3 Sets

  • MAX Decline Bench Press (175#)
  • 3:00 Rest

I did 15-15-10. On the first set I hit the j-cups like three times, so had to move the bench further away after that. Then on the final set, the bench kind of broke for declines. That was the end of that! Too bad because we really liked the decline, with the different feel.

Bench Press

  • 3 Sets
    • MAX Bench Press (145#)
    • 3:00 Rest
  • 3 Sets
    • MAX Bench Press (125#)
    • 3:00 Rest

I got 14 each time with 145 and 20 each time with 125. The first few reps my body kept trying to go through the decline range of motion. Very weird!!

6 Sets

  • 12 EZ Bar Skull Crushers (51#)
  • 1:00 Rest

Poor Pull-ups

I could feel my back several times through the night and my upper body is pretty sore from the muscle-ups and chest work. After cleaning up water in the basement, got to work in the garage around 9:30.

Back

4 Sets

  • MAX Strict Pull-ups
  • 1:00 Rest

Did I mention my upper body is shot? Only got 6-3-6-5.

4 Sets

  • 10 Seated DB Bent Over Row (40#)
  • 1:00 Rest

3 Sets

  • 10 Lat Pulldowns (115#)
  • 30s Rest

3 Sets

  • 10 Ring Rows
  • 30s Rest

2 Sets

  • 10 Seated Cable Row (104#)
  • 10 Seated Cable Row (93#)
  • 10 Seated Cable Row (82#)
  • 90s Rest

Did these with the wide bar.

Conditioning

5 Rounds

  • 1:00 Sandbag Hold (100#)
  • 300m TrueForm Run
  • 1:00 Plank
  • 1,000m BikeErg

We kind of alternated on the machines while the other was doing the hold and would get some rest, though B was skipping a lot of the rest and getting on the next machine since she went first. Took us 35:25.