Tag: Air squat

Fundraiser #1

Great sleep and recovery, but my arms and back are sore from yesterday! Out in the garage at 4pm.

Warm-up

  • 5:00 Airdyne (103 cals, 2.55km)
  • Monster Walks
  • DB Snatch
    • 5/5 @ 20#
    • 5/5 @ 35#
    • 3/3 @ 50#

Conditioning

10:00 AMRAP – Support Your Local Box Fundraiser #1

  • 10 Air Squats
  • 9 DB Snatches (right, 50#)
  • 10 Push-ups
  • 9 DB Snatches (left, 50#)

I was afraid of so many snatches. That’s a lot of bending over that I haven’t been doing. I purposely started out slow to get a feel for it. When I get past the five minute mark I knew I’d be good and started to pick up the pace. Really should have gone faster on the air squats the entire way. Got through 7+10 (276 reps) and I’m pretty happy with that. My back will be tight tomorrow, but I didn’t have any pain. Took a bit to recover after that one.

Accessory

3 Sets

  • 10/10 Weighted Step Downs (15″, 40# vest)
  • 20 Kossack Squats (alternating, 40# vest)

You don’t realize how much legs actually get used in that AMRAP. This was tough!

Midline

4 Rounds (30s work, 30s rest)

  • 30s V-ups
  • 30s Hollow Body Scissor Kicks
  • 30s Russian Twists
  • 30s Leg Lifts

I got this one out of a recent Kristi Eramo video and it was a dandy. No weight needed for those twists!

Couldn’t Form Words

Out in the garage at 4pm. Was up to about 65° outside!!

Warm-up

  • 10:00 Airdyne (192 cals – 4.94 km)
  • Monster Walks
  • 20 Air Squats

Strength Conditioning

5 Sets

  • 15/12 cal Row
  • 10 DB Lunges (50/35# DBs)
  • 20 Plyo Lunges
  • 30 Walking Lunges
  • 2:00 Rest

This was based on a squatting version from Kristi Eramo, which she gave as a substitute for heavy back squats. I went unbroken and it was fucking brutal. Took a little over 21 minutes. I got a little light headed after and felt pretty wrecked. Wasn’t sure if I was going to continue.

Conditioning

  • 42-30-18 Air Squats
  • 21-15-9 HR Push-ups
  • Rest 4:00 and repeat

I was really slow on the air squats. Took me 4:28 and 4:22 for a total of 12:50 with the rest. I started to have an episode (similar to something in 2017) where I couldn’t come up with words, which was kind of scary. My friends were really concerned and called one of our Doctor friends over. I had a mountain dew right away and then a bunch of other fluids. I started feeling better after about 90 minutes or so and was able to think properly again and come up with words. Maybe it was the warmer day, lack of recent sleep, or not enough carbs (which is sort of what it initially felt like). 🤷🏻‍♂️

Challenge Accepted

Yesterday I took a rest day and fixed the computers on two old Concept2 Model C rowers!

I did my floor PT exercisese and had planned to do the core stability work since I missed it Saturday. Didn’t happen though. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Today at lunch I did the banded PT exercises. Was out in the garage at 4pm.

Warm-up

  • Monster Walks
  • Steamboats

Strength

  • 15 Air Squats
  • 2×15 Goblet Squats (35#)
  • 2×15 Goblet Squats (50#)

Accessory

4 Sets

  • 10 Strict Chin-ups
  • 40 Band Pull Aparts (blue)

Conditioning

15:00 AMRAP

  • 12 Jingle Jangles (21’ across garage)
  • 6/6 Reverse Lunge Knee Drive
  • 12 Push-ups

That was good and the rounds went much faster than I expected. It’s crazy how much more stable I am on those reverse lunges with the knee drive than the first time I did them only 10 days ago. I was flying through them today. I was able to do all of the push-ups unbroken with ease too. Finished 12+2.

Challenge

Knocked out a set of 10 strict deficit handstand push-ups (~4″) for a challenge making the rounds on Instagram.

After trying one I wasn’t sure I’d get through ten, but that turned out pretty good!

Midline

McGill Big 3

  • 9-7-5 Curl-up
  • 9-7-5 Side Plank
  • 9-7-5 Bird Dog

I definitely need to get in these today after skipping them the last two days.

Walk it Out

My hamstrings are still sore! Little sore in my calves. Out in the garage at 11am. I used the hip circle to warm-up with monster walks.

Strength

5 Sets

  • 10/10 Step Downs (14″)
  • 5/5 Single Leg Glute Bridges (3s squeeze, 50#)

Conditioning

10 Rounds

  • 3 Rope Pulls
  • 10 Plank Walks
  • 30 Air Squats (w/ depth stop)

There were three of us, so we waterfalled and would start our rope pulls after the person in front got done with their plank walks. Gave us 20-30 seconds of rest. I went first and finished at 20:35. Those squats really started to burn. The eye hook holding the rope snapped in my last round, so I did 8 strict pull-ups.

Then I did my banded PT exercises. Tomorrow is going to be a rest day so will do the core work tomorrow.

Do What You Can

My ass is still sore. Out in the garage just before 1pm.

Warm-up

  • 5:00 Airdyne (97 cals, 2.48 km)
  • Monster Walks
  • 2×15 Steamboats
  • PVC Passes

Conditioning

10:00 EMOM

  • 5 Pull-ups
  • 10 Push-ups
  • 15 Air Squats

I really hate the pull-up bar I have at home. I wore grips and used a regular kip. I debated Cindy, half Cindy, a 20 minute EMOM, and a 30 EMOM (Chelsea). I ended up on the 20, but four rounds in I decided to only do 10. I’m stressed from COVID-19, my grips weren’t feeling good on the bar, and 150 air squats seems more than sufficient in my back recovery process. Some days you just have to do what you can and be ok with it.

Accessory

3 Sets

  • 10/10 Bottoms Up KB Presses (25#)
  • 1:00/1:00 Standing Straight Leg Balance

After lunch I’ll do more of my PT exercises.

Stay Safe

Wow has life changed dramatically in the United States in just a few days and it’s going to change even more in the next week.

I seem to be adjusting to the time change. Yesterday was a rest day and I had PT at 8:30. My pain has been gone, I’m moving well, and I have a ton of exercises to do now, so they did a re-eval. I was much better in all of the tests and my hip range of motion in one of them was around double. I graduated! Glad I finally decided to the Dr and then get PT. I was very impressed and now will continue doing my exercises for the foreseeable future to hopefully fix this issue. I walked 20 minutes on the treadmill in the afternoon for 1.33 miles and did 2×5 on the steamboats. In the evening I did 8-6-4 of the McGill Big 3.

Today I got out in the garage around 4pm. I’ll probably will be avoiding the gym for a long time and I suspect it won’t be allowed to stay open by the end of next week anyway.

Warm-up

  • 5:00 Airdyne (2.58 km – 105 cals)
  • Monster Walks (Hip Circle)
  • 2×15 Steamboats (blue band)
  • 3 Sets
    • 10 Scap Pull-ups
    • 15 Air Squats
  • Incline Bench Press
    • 10×45
    • 5×75
    • 5×95
    • 5×115

Strength

5 Sets

  • 5 Incline Bench Press (135#)
  • 15 Lateral Raises (8#)

Inclines were hard!! I figured I was going to go much heaver than where I ended up. It’s been a long time since I’ve done those.

Conditioning

4 Cycles

  • 3:00 AMRAP
    • 10 Box Jumps (24″)
    • 30 Shoulder Taps (back to wall)
    • MAX 5/5 Reverse Lunge Knee Drive
  • 1:30 Rest

I was looking for a new movement to hit the glutes and found these. The balance was much harder than I expected.

rev-lunge-knee-drive.gif

The box jumps felt good, but the shoulder taps were a real struggle. I was kicking up with my back to the wall, which was part of it, and then it took me a few rounds to get in the groove of shifting my weight from side to side properly. I did 48-53-58-56 on the lunges.

Then I did some of my PT exercises and decided to skip the McGill Big 3 today.

Jing-a-ling

I’m maybe a little sore today from the pull-ups. I did my PT exercises in the morning and then went to the gym for the 4pm class.

Warm-up

  • 400/400′ Side Shuffle Walk
  • Steamboats
  • Backwards Walk
  • 30 cal Echo Bike
  • 2 Rounds
    • 10 Single Leg RDL (no weight)
    • 10 Kip Swings
    • 10 Air Squats
    • 10 PVC Passes

Strength

5 Sets

  • 3x10s RKC Plank w/ 5s rest
  • 10/10 Single Leg Half Squats (12”)

Those half squats are from PT and effectively a heel tap on the ground. Probably more like 1/3 squat. Supposed to be the best exercise for glute activation.

Conditioning

18:00 AMRAP

  • 6-8-10… Jingle Jangles (30’)
  • 20-30-40… Double Unders
  • 6-8-10… Air Squats (sit to MB on plate set at parallel)

I was planning on doing bike calories for the first movement, like the programmed workout, but got the idea to do the jingle jangles when I got to the gym. Didn’t miss a dub until 67/80 and then missed again right away. I think I missed 4x in the set of 90. Finished the round of 20-90-20 and then got three more runs. I looked at the clock just after four minutes in and thought, “Oh boy!” I kept up a solid pace throughout though, as evidenced by my double unders. I really concentrated on my air squats to keep a good back position. Felt really good!

Midline

McGill Big 3

  • 7-5-3 Curl-up
  • 7-5-3 Side Plank
  • 7-5-3 Bird Dog

I Started Physical Therapy

Yesterday I started PT and had the evaluation. He thinks my big muscles around the spine are doing too much of the work and the smaller stabilizer muscles aren’t firing. Since I wanted to go with a Monday and Thursday schedule he gave me a few things to get started.

pt-kegels

Yesterday I did those twice, did the McGill Big 3 and power walked a mile on the treadmill at about 3.8 mph. Before lunch today I walked 20 minutes and did the PT exercises. Then went to the 4pm class.

Warm-up

  • 30 cal Echo Bike
  • 2 Rounds
    • 10 Scap Pull-ups
    • 10 PVC Passes
    • 10 Air Squats
    • 10 Push-ups

Air squats were a little iffy, so I held on to the rig for the second set.

Strength

5 Sets

  • 12 Seated DB Shoulder Press (30#)
  • 12 DB Lateral Raises (10#)

I used a slight incline on the bench so that it wouldn’t be sitting at a straight 90 degrees and I put an AbMat at my low back. Class was doing shoulder presses. The raises were becoming a challenge after a few sets.

Conditioning

8 Rounds

  • 8 cal Echo Bike
  • 8 Step-ups (22″)
  • 2×50’ Sled Push (90#)
  • 8 Bench Press (135#)

All subbed movements for cal row, high box jumps, burpees, and dumbbell snatches. The sled push was a good idea from Casey and today was the first time I’d done some step-ups since the injury. Felt more like myself today, though I still didn’t get my heart rate up that high. Finished in 15:16.

Midline

McGill Big 3

  • 6-4-2 Curl-up (10s hold)
  • 6-4-2 Side Planks (10s hold)
  • 6-4-2 Bird Dogs (10s hold)

I’ll do another round of the PT exercises tonight.

Hi From Dubai

Landed in Dubai around 11:30pm last night, got to my Airbnb, showered, and went to sleep around 1:30. I closed my eyes a bit on the Detroit to Paris flight, but didn’t really fall asleep, so all of the sleep I had was the hour nap in the afternoon on Thursday. Long travel “days.” I only got 6 hours in bed last night, but woke up on local time, which is a key to beating jet lag. Went out for breakfast and walked around the marina a lot. Took a 90 minute nap, chilled in my room, and then hit the fitness center at 4.

Warm-up

5:00 Stationary Bike

Did 72 cals and 2.89 km, though I don’t really know if it’s km or miles.

Warmed up seated shoulder presses with ten reps each using 20, 35, and 45 pound dumbbells. Not really sure on the weight of the DBs; each plate is marked and I’m assuming it’s pounds because of the feel, but I guessed another five pounds for the handle.

Strength

  • 4:00 EMOM (alt)
    • 15 HR Push-ups
    • 10 DB Seated Shoulder Presses (45#)
  • 6:00 EMOM (alt)
    • 12 HR Push-ups
    • 10 DB Seated Shoulder Presses (35#)

Planned on doing all ten minutes the way I started. I thought the push-ups might be too many, but I did not expect the presses to get so hard that early.

Posterior Chain

Death March

  • 2×20 Steps (25# DBs)
  • 3×20 Steps (30# DBs)

Molly did a ton of these a few days ago and said it lit up her hamstrings. We figured they’d be good for my back issues.

Accessory Conditioning

10:00 EMOM (alt)

  • 35s Handstand Hold (facing wall)
  • 25 Air Squats

I’m really trying to push through my shoulders with these holds. Everything except my hands are right up touching the wall (even my nose). With my hands a bit back I’m hoping it’ll improve my mobility. This got my heart rate up.