Tag: Airdyne

Better by 19

I posted an update on my personal blog about my back issues.

Out in the garage this afternoon.

Bench Press

  • 10×45#
  • 10×95
  • 6×135
  • 3×165
  • 3×195
  • 4x3x225

Push Press

  • 10×45#
  • 6×95
  • 3×135
  • 3×155
  • 3x3x175

Both pressing movements felt heavy.

Accessory

  • 3×15/15 Pallof Press (red band, 2s pause)
  • 3×15 DB Side Raises (10#)
  • 3×15 DB Bent-over Side Raises (10#)

I tried to point my thumbs up towards the ceiling for both types of side raises. Interesting angle.

Midline

  • 100 Sit-ups

Flew through in 2:39, which is a 19 second PR! I was using my AbMat pad, but can’t imagine it would make that much of a difference. I’ve had trouble setting just a few second PR on this over the years, so not sure where this came from.

Conditioning

  • 10:00 Airdyne

The plan was to do an aerobic 20 minutes, but after doing 75-76 RPMs for 7:00 I picked it up to see if I could get close to my 300 FY score of 358.  Maybe if I had started a minute earlier. Pretty close at 338 calories (3.99 miles).

 

All done in 65 minutes.

Performance Plus

I’ll get this in tonight…

  • Lat Foam Roller – 30 seconds each side (video)
  • Overhead Opener – 2×30 seconds (video)
  • 3 MAX effort sets of Wall-Walks with 1:00 rest (video)

Holy shit those slow wall walks were hard! I did 3×3 and took about 25 seconds for each rep.

Eval

Today I went to see a PT who knows CrossFit. Did a variety of movements there including air squats, back squats, deadlifts, single-arm kettlebell front rack squats, single-arm one-leg RDLs, and deficit deadlifts. Not high reps of anything. I’m preparing a post for my personal blog with an update about my back, how I recovered, and what I found out at the PT. I’ll link here once it’s published.

Jumped on the Airdyne tonight for a 30 minute aerobic piece. My watch actually worked today, so I was able to track my heart rate. Made it 17.19 km, a best by almost 0.8 km over the last time, which had already been a best. The kicker is I was still aerobic. I did bump up my zones since my back is functioning and didn’t feel I needed to use the 5-10 beats per minute adjustment to the 180-formula.

I did notice it took me about 5 minutes to get up near the bottom of that zone (133) even though I was going at 73-75 RPMs. Then before I hit 14 minutes in I did notice the high alert start going off for the first time. The graph confirms that stuff. I was able to keep the pace at 71-73 for a good length of time before I had to start dropping to 68-ish to keep the HR in zone.

2017-04-06-heart-rate.png

Performance Plus

Traps and neck are sore from yesterday. Legs seem fine from the squats though. Had a last chiro appointment to make sure everything was smooth sailing. Wanted to get in workouts at home, but while I was out figured I might as well just walk over to the gym. I started the Push-Only program for real today.

Bench Press

  • 10×45#
  • 10×95
  • 8×135
  • 4x8x170
  • 3x12x185

It seems weird to do the working sets of 8 and then what seems like should be drop sets (supposed to be to failure in 10-12 reps) have to be heavier. I was too light on them.

Close Grip Bench Press

  • 12×135#
  • 12×150
  • 12×165

These were supposed to be the same failure in 10-12 reps but I wasn’t really sure what I was capable of. When I did sets of 12 with 115 and 120 recently I wouldn’t call it easy. These weights were no issue though.

Accessory

  • DB Tricep Rollback
    • 15 with 20#
    • 15 with 25
    • 15 with 30
  • 3×15 DB Side Raises (10#)
  • 3×15 DB Bent-over Side Raises (10#)

Definitely hit failure on that final set of JM Press! The last 5 were some ugly reps.

Performance Plus

Last week I saw Pamela Gagnon of CrossFit Gymnastics was pairing up with The Barbell Physio to launch a new prehab program. Only being a 10-20 minute time commitment caught my eye.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSRuUPxjfOU/

The program dropped already on The Barbell Physio site! Couldn’t believe it came out so quick, unlike the Brute Gymnastics program which they’ve been promising for about 2 years. They’re giving a 14 day free trial so I’m going to add it in the days I do this Hybrid Push-Only program and see how it goes.

  • Pec Minor Soft Tissue Mobility: 2x 20-30 seconds each side (video)
  • Crab sliders: 3:00 Tabata (video)
  • Overhead Snatch Shrugs: 3x10x45# (video)

Pretty simple stuff and easy to get through. I paused for a quick 2 count in each shrug.

Conditioning

  • 20:00 Airdyne

Wore my Garmin to keep an eye on my heart rate and keep it aerobic but it was only reading 101 for some reason. I’ll have to try a software update. I kept the RPMs at about 72-73 based off the pace that worked for my 30 minute “ride” last week. Did 11.59km.

 

Scale to Get More Reps

Warm-up

After realizing the aerobic pace yesterday I better step it up in these warm-ups. Did 5:00 on Airdyne for 1.74 miles 2.8 km.

Strength / Accessory

  • 3×15 Strict Pull-ups (blue band)
  • 3×10 Rack Chins (feet on bench in L position)
  • 3×10 Wide grip pull-ups (blue band)
  • 3×20 DB Curl (8#)
  • 2×20 Shoulder IYTs (Crossover Symmetry – purple)

Wanted to use a band to be able to get in the higher reps but even that wasn’t easy. I don’t have my adjustable dumbbells home yet so my only choice was the really light ones.

Conditioning

12:00 AMRAP

  • 10 HR Push-ups
  • 10 Air Squats
  • 20 Box Step-ups (18”)

Planned on 15 air squats but made the decision during the first set to cut it back to 10. Wasn’t even able to do a single air squat until a few days ago. Loosed up a couple of rounds in and probably would have been fine. Heart rate didn’t get too high but worked up a little sweat even in the cooler garage. Finished 7 rounds plus the push-ups, squats, and 16 of the step-ups. I had to switch it up from only doing Airdyne conditioning and this was a good intro back.

Hoping to be able to pick up a barbell at the end of the week. Feeling much better but I can still feel the tweak here and there throughout the day.

The 180 Formula

A good morning again. Can still feel my back in certain positions and still have a side lean. Out in the garage for some aerobic work before heading to the chiropractor. When I’m doing these 30-40 minute pieces, I might as well do them at a pace that is worth my time. So I’m going to try following Phil Maffetone’s 180 Formula. With my injury, my ideal heart rate for fat burning and aerobic base building should be 128-138 beats per minute. I set high and low alerts on my Garmin watch and jumped on the bike.

30:00 Airdyne

Went pretty well! Usually I’d keep around 60 RPM for recovery work like this and I found that 70 PRM for about the first 20+ minutes kept me in the zone and then I had to gradually slow down a bit to end around 65 PRM. The computer said 711 calories and 16.4 km, which is 0.3 km more than I have ever recorded for 30 minutes on the machine, according to my Beyond The Whiteboard logs. There was no problem holding that pace. Will be interesting to see where this goes. If I keep this up and improve, I should be able to go faster at the same heart rate.

Fresh Moves

My morning was infinitely better today. I got out of bed and got dressed mostly normal. Went to the gym at noon to watch the final Open workouts and do my own thing on the side.

Warm-up

Five minutes on the Airdyne to loosen up the back more.

Bench Press

  • 10×45#
  • 10×95
  • 6×135
  • 3×165
  • 3×195
  • 3×215
  • 3x3x225

Accessory

  • 3×15 Pallof Press (15 reps facing each way, 2s hold at extension, red band)
  • 3×15 DB Side Raises (10#, thumbs up)

The Pallofs are interesting. I had to fight the twisting on my back a little more than probably is normal. Have never done either of these movements.

  • 50 HR Push-ups

Could probably classify these push-ups as conditioning as well and they allowed me to get a little core work. Set a PR by 12 seconds with a time of 1:40!

Conditioning

“Airdyne Hell”
10 Rounds

  • 15s Sprint
  • 1:45 Rest

Never easy but wasn’t as bad as I remember from previous attempts. I got through 252 calories. The last time I did this with Bryan, and the only calories number I have for the AD2, we combined for 512 so I was pretty much on the same pace unless I was doing a lot more calories than he was. No idea. Overall felt pretty good.

I did a few air squats here and there throughout the time in the gym and then I did some bottom squat hold against the wall while the workouts were finishing up.

Suffer Through the AM

I was up late after the beers and could feel the fatigue in my legs from the intervals I did. Mornings are brutal with my back until I’m up and moving for an hour or two. Sitting on the exercise ball definitely helps wake things up sooner.

Warm-up

5:00 Airdyne  – 1.58 miles

Accessory

  • 5×10 Ring Rows  (Laying on bench with feet on it)
  • 2×20 Shoulder I’s
  • 2×20 Shoulder Y’s
  • 2×20 Shoulder T’s

I did the IYTs laying on back on the bench with a 5 pound dumbbell in each hand. I tried to do them standing with the Crossover Symmetry bands but it was too much pull or my midline which aggravated my back.

I even tried and was successful at doing an air squat with my heels staying on the ground!

Conditioning

  • 20:00 Airdyne

Looked up my best, which was 7.06 miles with my notes saying 70+ RPM. Challenge accepted! Crushed it by going 7.42 miles (574 calories). Was pretty steady at 72-73 RPMs for the first 12-14 minutes and then slowly started picking up the pace. For about the last 2 minutes I was averaging about 80. Makes me think I should be able to go quite a bit harder on the 10 minute test.

Wobble Wobble

I wasn’t feeling any better yesterday except for when I went back to the chiropractor and for a short time after the adjustment. Needed a rest day from the Airdyne though.

Mornings are especially rough getting out of bed and then for quite some time after. I couldn’t even get a pair of socks on this morning, but when I went to put them on this afternoon I didn’t have a problem.

I’ve been sitting on an exercise ball from time to time yesterday and today, as suggested by my chiro. It’s the same idea as the wobble chairs they have in the waiting room at their office. It does feel much better for me to keep moving around, but my legs get sore after a while even though I have the ball on a couch cushion to higher it.

Super bummed I have to skip out on 17.5 but there is just no way possible I could do it since I still cannot air squat and I don’t want to regress and extend this discomfort longer. Went out to the garage this afternoon for a workout.

Bench Press

  • 10×45#
  • 10×95
  • 5×135
  • 5×160
  • 5×180
  • 5x5x195

I was getting on and off the bench much smoother today and moving around the garage much better. Good sign because I wasn’t feeling much improvement throughout the day. Weight felt a little heavy. Keeping rest at 2-3 minutes between sets.

Accessory – 3 Sets

  • 15 Banded Tricep Press-downs (blue)

Conditioning

4 Sets

  • 3:00 Airdyne
  • 1:30 Rest

My goal was to hold 85+ RPMs. After the 1st round I didn’t think it was going to be sustainable. After nearly the same calories in round 2, I got the confidence to gut through and suffer. Then I got more confidence and pushed harder. Funny how the mind works some days. My calories were 117 – 115 – 119 – 120. My legs were wobbly for quite a while after.

I did another 5 minutes to cool down and went 1.38 miles.

New Best Friend

I was getting worried this morning when my back was feeling worse. I called my chiro and he talked me down, explaining it was a good sign I didn’t have any numbness going up or down from the area. What I was feeling was pretty typical and it could take me 2 weeks to recover from this one. Felt better mentally after talking to him, but definitely not physically. I tried to get some work done but standing and sitting were both uncomfortable, so I took the day off and camped on the floor in front of the TV.

One thing that has actually felt better is when I’m spent time on the Airdyne, so in the afternoon I went out to the garage and did an easy 40 minutes to get some motion going through my back. It ended up being 11.89 miles and 716 calories.

I have a feeling my 2017 CrossFit Games Open is over. With the close of score validations tonight, my rankings for 17.4 were:

  • Open Division: 16,217 / 161,366 (10%)
  • Masters 35-39: 1,915 / 30,720 (6.2%)

Just when 17.3 was my best Open workout, we get a solid repeat for me and now this was my best. Too bad my back gave out or I think I could have went over the 200 rep mark in my redo.

Overall after 4 weeks, my standings sit at:

  • Open Division: 22,032 / 20,1784 (10.9%)
  • Masters 35-39: 2,681 / 38,072 (7%)

Would be my best finish, even for the Open division. Crossing my fingers I’m feeling good enough to do 17.5 by Monday night.

 

It’s Spinal

No change today. Called the chiro and was able to get in this afternoon. Things adjusted well, but were definitely tight and tender. I felt better there and for a bit, but as soon as I got back home and sat to work again it was back to pretty much the same. They told me to keep icing throughout the day and night so I have been. Supposedly should start to feel better tomorrow around the 72 hour mark, like DOMS I guess.

Went out to the garage after I got done with work. Had to pay for 3 months of Hybrid to start off and I have a month left so I switched to their Push Only program so I could start saving the workouts and get more bang for my buck before I cancel once my 3 months are done. Stole some of the bench stuff for today. Might as well get a head start and it’s a movement I can do. Getting down and back off the bench was pretty comical though.

Bench Press

  • 10×45#
  • 10×95
  • 8×135
  • 4x8x165
  • 3x12x135

Close Grip Bench Press

  • 3x12x115#

Thought I was staying on the lighter side with both the sets of 12s with both styles, but that was a lot of accumulation of reps.

Conditioning

10 Rounds

  • 30s Airdyne (Fast)
  • 30s Airdyne (Slow)

More time on the bike! I was keeping RPMs at 95+ for the fast rounds and around 55 for the slow ones. Then with 3 rounds left I stopped looking and tried to push a bit, so I have no idea what my pace was at then. Tallied up 313 total calories.

Did a slow 5 minutes more on the AD to cool off and went 1.39 miles.