Nick Momrik

Downhill Recovery

Was a little tired this morning and my back was tight, but WHOOP said my recovery was only 23%!

I honestly don’t feel that bad. Some days it seems to take the heart rate at a weird time that just throws off the formulas, because it said my resting heart rate was 48, which is much higher than my typical 38-40. Out in the garage at 3:30 today for a session that took 2 hours.

Warm-up

5:00 Airdyne (103 cals, 2.55km)
3:00 SkiErg (656m)
2×15 Steamboats
2 HSPU
5 DB Hang Squat Cleans (25#)
2 Burpee Pull-ups
2 DB Hang Squat Cleans (40#)

Conditioning

12:00 AMRAP Partner

6/6 HSPU
5/5 Burpee Pull-ups
6/6 Box Jumps (24/20″)
5/5 DB Hang Squat Cleans (40/25# DBs)

This was a new idea for a partner workout where the sets are small, so by the time you move to your next spot it’s almost your turn again. The way this one works is each partner does 6 handstand push-ups (one person working at a time), then each does 5 burpee pull-ups, etc. Brandi scaled back her HSPU to do Rx and eventually went to some DB push presses. It worked out pretty well, with the burpee pull-ups taking the most time by far. I originally was going to do 15 minutes, but pulled back to 12 today. Would have been fine with three more minutes. This would be a good one to try solo as well. I started, we got through five rounds and I got all of my burpee pull-ups done in the sixth.

Strength

Bench Press

10×45#
8×125
5×165
5×195
5×215
5×225

Could have went more, but that was good enough for today with a lot of work left.

Accessory

3 Sets

12 DB Chest Fly (35#)
12 Underhand Front Raise (15# DBs)

3 Sets

12/12 Static Bicep Curls (25-30-30# DBs)
12 Standing DB French Press (50# DB)

2 Sets

12 Hammer Curls (30# DBs)
12/12 One Arm OH Tricep Extension (25-20# DB)

1 Set

12 Hammer Curls (30# DBs)
12/12 Tricep Kickbacks (25# DB)

The single arm overhead tricep extensions were really bugging my left shoulder so I did kickbacks for the third set.

Midline

3 Sets

10 Jack Knives (20# DB + 5# ankle weights)
10 Renegade Rows (50# DBs)
20 alt V-ups (5# ankle weights)
10/10 Partner Banded Rotations/Holds (blue)

We should really do more of those renegade rows on back day. I feel like they isolate the back muscles better than a Kroc row, which are easy to rotate and cheat on.

Where Did Time Go?

I finished the flooring on Sunday afternoon, painted the trim throughout the day, and installed the trim yesterday morning. Walked 18 holes on the golf course. I still need to get more sleep, but I’m feeling good today. Worked out at 4pm.

Warm-up

5:00 BikeErg (2,571m)
160′ Lateral Monster walks
160′ Monster walks
5 Devil Presses (25# DBs)
3 Devil Presses (40#)
10 Kip Swings
2 Devil Presses (40#)

Conditioning

4 Rounds

5 Devil Press (25/40# DBs)
20 T2B
5 Devil Press
2:00 Rest

I was hoping to do 12-8 toes to bar every round. I did for three and knew I wouldn’t make the last so I went for three sets and that failed. I had to end up going 8-6 and six quick singles to get through. My times were 1:34, 1:32, 1:33, and 1:46. Faster than I was thinking when I wrote this workout, but glad I did the two minutes of rest because it allowed the T2B to come back some. That was a good one. I did wear my grips through the entire workout and taped my thumbs for the dumbbells.

Strength

4 Sets

12/12 Single Leg RDL w/ foot on wall (70# KB)
12/12 Weighted Single Leg Step Downs (15″, 40# DB)

Will have to remember this superset. It blew up my glutes!

3 Sets

20/20 Landmine Curtsy Lunges (pulses, lighter – 45+30#)
10/10/10 Weighted Calf Raises (3 position – out-neutral-in, 45# DBs)

Another good pairing. Those pulses really burn at the light weight and I didn’t expect them to affect the calf raises as much as they did.

We were already at almost 90 minutes and needed to drop off my truck so we skipped the ab work today.

Stormy Ride

Turned out I didn’t have pink eye. Must have been some type of irritation after mowing the lawn in the morning yesterday. It was all good later in the day. My entire body hurt last night, through the night, and this morning from laying laminate flooring for almost 6 hours. I slept like shit because I couldn’t get comfortable. After my coffee and doing more work on the new office flooring this morning I actually felt much better. Out in the garage at 9:30 for the workout, in the middle of a big storm, which cooled things down and gave us a nice breeze. The humidity kicked in later.

Warm-up

30:00 BikeErg

I was feeling even better as I got in to this and kept increasing my pace. Went 15,383 meters.

Back

4 Sets

12 Straight Arm Lat Pulldowns (55#)

I’m still doing these with an open palm, but I feel like my hands are going to slip sooner or later since my homemade lat bar rotates.

4 Sets

12 Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs (85#)
12 Behind Neck Lat Pull Downs (85#)
12 Close Grip Lat Pull Downs (85#)

These are terrible every fucking time. The pulleys on my system seem to be failing. Maybe I need something that can handle more volume, because this is the second different type I’ve tried.

4 Sets

12 Seated Cable Row (double handle, 85#)
12 Seated Bent Over Back Fly (2@35, 2@30# DBs)

I was losing form and cheating too much so I dropped to lighter dumbbells for the last two sets.

4 Sets

10/10 Single Arm Landmine Rows (45 + 40-45-50-55#)

I kneeled on a bench with one leg and arm again to help give my back some support. Felt better with the movement this week.

Midline

3 Sets

16 OH Crunches (w/ pause, 50# DBs)
40 Weighted Bicycles (5# ankle weights)
8/8 Hip Abducted Evil Wheels
100m Front Rack Carry (155#)

I kept the ankle weights on for everything again. I really don’t even notice them on the carries anymore. This was one of the worst weighted ab workouts we’ve done, especially since it was only three sets. The front rack carries suck for that distance, but I got through them without a problem. Don’t get me wrong, I was breathing like I just ran a 7:00 mile after each set.

All Balls

I think I woke up with pink eye. Mowed the lawn this morning and ran some errands before heading to the track at 10am.

Warm-up

800m Run

Speed

E5M – 4 Sets

400m Run

My plan was to get a feel in the first one, go for it in the second, and then hold on for the third and fourth. My times were 1:23, 1:07, 1:21, and 1:21. Not really happy with the 1:07 considering I ran a 1:02 in 2016, but I was doing a running program back then too. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Walked a lap to cool down a little.

Conditioning

20:00 AMRAP

15 Wall Balls (20#, 10′)
10 MB V-ups (20#)
10 MB Push-ups
15 Ball Slams (30#)

I was not feeling this one from the start. Was being very cautious with my back on the ball slams after feeling tightness during the sprints. Picked up the pace in the last 2.5 rounds and finally started catching the slams on the bounce for the final round. Finished with exactly 8 rounds.

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Now it’s time to install flooring in the new office.

Like “The Chief”

Yesterday I walked 9 holes in the rain before we called it quits. My body was feeling pretty good and I think getting more sleep again is helping with my recovery this week. Out in the garage at 3:30 today.

Warm-up

3:00 Row (771m)
160’ Monster Walks
160’ Lateral Monster Walks
5 Muscle Snatches (45#)
5 Muscle Snatches (75#)
8 Power Cleans (80#)

Weightlifting

5:00 EMOM
- 2 Power Snatch (95-105-115-125-135)
5:00 EMOM
- 1 Power Snatch (155-175-195-195-195)

Originally I planned on going up 10# every set with the singles and still ending at 195#. It felt solid with 155 so I jumped and then jumped again. This way I got to 195 two sets early, with the option to go heavier if I was feeling it. I wasn’t. My legs were super wide in the catch at 195 so I stayed there.

Conditioning

5 Rounds

3:00 AMRAP
- 4 Power Cleans (115/80#)
- 8 Push-ups
- 12 Plyo Lunges
1:00 Rest

*Restart every AMRAP at the top

I designed this one based on “The Chief” since I wanted to ease in to high rep lifting with a little lighter weight. I got halfway through round one and time seemed to be crawling so I knew I was in for a world of hurt even though I purposely started a little slow. Then I went a little too fast and shit really hit me in round four. My scores were 4+12, 4+17, 4+14, 4+9, 4+4. Really hot and humid today. Would like to retest this one in cooler weather.

On the shorter side for our session today, but that was pretty brutal. I went down in to the back reset position a couple of times after the workout just to help myself recover and hopefully not lead to a tweak.

Hold It

I’m starting to sleep in a little later again. Out in the garage for a 3pm workout today.

Warm-up

5:00 BikeErg (2,550m)
2 sets of 15 Steamboats in each position

Strength

4 Sets

8/8 Single Arm Bench Press w/ OH Hold (50#)
MAX Dumbbell Bench Press (50#)

The single arm presses were done with the dumbbells in a line similar to a barbell and then the max set was with the DBs pulled in, parallel to each other. I did 16-12-10-20 for the max sets. It would be nice to have a set of 60s for dumbbell bench press.

3 Sets

12/12 Static Bicep Curls (25#)
12 Standing DB French Press (50#)

3 Sets

12 Hammer Curls (25# DBs)
12/12 Tricep Kickbacks (25# DB)

Those were some good supersets.

Conditioning

4 Rounds w/ Partner

10 Burpees / Plank
15 Pull-ups / Band Pull Down Hold
15 DB Push Press (35#) / HS Hold
30 Air Squats / Bottom Squat Hold

**One person does the hold while the other does their reps then switch places. Same thing with each movement pairing. Each round alternate your starting movement so you experience both orders for each pairing.

I haven’t done a partner workout with holds like this in years. After the strict handstand push-ups yesterday I didn’t want to get too heavy on the push presses, so I went with the 35 pounders and they were perfect because the last five reps got pretty slow each round. You don’t always have to go heavy to get in solid work. Did all pull-ups unbroken and they felt really good. Even my air squats were fast today. We finished in 18:46.

Not Going Faster in this Repeater

My upper body was pretty sore yesterday and my upper back definitely still is. My hands just ached this morning. Yesterday was the last day of my four day weekend and I walked 18 holes of golf. Worked on the new office a little in the morning and then for a few hours after I got home. It was a busy four days and my weight was under 193 this morning, so I need to build back up to the 195-198 zone. Today we worked out at 4pm.

Warm-up

5:00 SkiErg (1,113m)
5:00 BikeErg (2,510m)
160′ Lateral Monster Walks
160′ Monster Walks
8 Kossack Squats

Strength

E4M – 4 Sets

1:30 Banded March (green, 30# MB, 1x bear hug, 3x front rack)
16 Goblet Kossack Squats (40# DB in front rack)

4 Sets

10/10 Landmine Curtsy Lunges (1@115, 3@125#)
10/10/10 Three Position Calf Raises (40# DBs, out-neutral-in)

These were both good supersets!

Conditioning

15-12-9

Over the Box Jumps (24″)
Strict HSPU

5:00 Rest & Repeat

I was hoping to get through in three sets and I did the first time by doing 6-5-4, 5-4-3, 4-3-2 to finish in 5:19. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sustain that a second time so during the rest I came up with a four set plan. I went 4-4-4-3, 3-3-3-3, 3-2-2-2 and I was on the brink of failure a lot. Finished in 6:17. Just not a #repeater workout you’re going to get faster on after the first cycle through. Happy with the way that turned out though.

Midline

3 Sets

20 Jack Knife DB Pullover (25#)
12/12 Plank w/ Tricep Kickback (20#)
24 alt DB Leg Drops (25#)
12/12 Banded Partner Rotations/Holds (2x red, 1x blue)

Some new stuff that was rough. Those banded rotations/holds are still the worst movement though.

Paint, Workout, Paint

Didn’t sleep great, but WHOOP has me in the green for the first time in over a week. My body feels pretty beat from the last two days. My hands probably feel the worse, from 50 muscle-ups and then moving the pool table. More painting today. Out in the garage at 3pm.

Back

After a few weeks of mostly heavy work, we’re going back to higher rep supersets and we’ll go heavy on the stuff we were doing drop sets with.

4 Sets

10 Straight Arm Lat Pulldowns (55#)

4 Sets

10 Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs (85#)
10 Behind Neck Lat Pull Downs (85#)
10 Close Grip Lat Pull Downs (85#)

4 Sets

10 Seated Cable Row (double handle, 80#)
MAX Ring Rows (13-10-8-8)

4 Sets

10 Inverted Bar Row
10 Seated Bent Over Back Fly (35# DBs)

3 Sets

8/8 Single Arm Landmine Rows (45+40#, 45+50#, 45+55#)

Midline

3 Sets

12/12 Oblique Knee Raise (5# ankle weights, hands on bench)
12 Yoga Ball Crunch (30# DB)
8/8 Standing DB Windmill (30# DB)
100m Sandbag Bear Hug Carry (100/65#)

Wore my 5# ankle weights for every movement of the three sets.

Straight back to more painting after the workout!

2x5s

What a day yesterday. I hit a PR for WHOOP strain.

Went to bed late (for my new normal) and didn’t even wake up to piss through the night. Would have liked to sleep in, so I’m feeling a bit tired this morning. Tried to take a half hour nap just before 9. Loaded up and headed to the park at 10am.

Warm-up

5 Ring Swings
200m Run
16 Walking Lunges
10 Air Squats

Conditioning

5 Rounds – (each, I Go You Go)

10 Muscle-ups
8/8 Single Arm OH Walking Lunges (50 DB)
20 Squat Jumps

I went in hoping to be able to do two sets of five muscle-ups each round and I made it! That’s big for me it a workout with 50 muscle-ups. After the first round I did walk around the swing set for a quick rest between each set of five. I finished my rounds at 2:15, 6:40, 11:05, 15:35, and 20:10. Brandi was doing ten unbroken ring pull-ups so her rounds were much quicker than mine and our total time for the workout was 22:03.

5 Rounds

140m Hill Sled (25# + 2×55, 3×90#, 70m backward up, 70m forward down)
20 Push-ups
70m Hill Sprint & Walk Down

I did not bend over and put the straps between my legs for the forward sled drags this time. Stood more upright with the straps coming around the sides of me to save my back. Had a 55# plate (80 total) on the sled for 2 rounds and then 55+35 (115 total) for 3 rounds.

Mom came down and we started painting what will be my new office. Then I had a “break” when some people came and bought my pool table and ping pong stuff. That was a bitch to get up the stairs!

As I finish typing this up at 10pm my WHOOP strain says 18.5, so another big day.

Machine Madness

Yesterday I worked on the room for my office in the early morning before work, walked 18 holes in the last day of the heat wave, and worked on the room again late at night. Today I had a vacation day, so again I worked on the room in the morning and walked 18 holes. Worked out at 4pm.

Skill

Practiced some handstands with feet off the wall.

Accessory

3 Sets

12 Seated Incline DB Curl (30#)
12 Cable Hammer Curl (rope, 40#)

3 Sets

DB Curl 21s

I used 25-30-30#. Looks like I was up to three sets with 30# late last year, so not bad considering we haven’t been focusing on biceps.

Conditioning

3 Rounds

2:00 SkiErg
1:00 Rest
2:00 Burpee Pull-ups
1:00 Rest
3:00 400m Run + Rest
2:00 BikeErg
1:00 Rest
2:00 Row
1:00 Rest

This was really good. A battle, but a good one. I went out too hot on the bike, not really knowing my pace yet, otherwise improved on every other movement through the workout. Running felt really good too and I was not expecting to be able to run that fast. For the machines, the numbers below are distances in meters.

An hour and a half later I’m feeling rocked from today so far. I still need to do some work on that room though, so things dry before painting tomorrow afternoon. I should sleep well tonight!