Bottom to Bottom Air Squat – Nick Momrik's Fitness Logs

A Leg Up

Last night I played a quick 18 holes (riding in a cart) in less than 2.5 hours. I wish every round of golf could be that fast.

Open gym at 10am…

Conditioning

30:00 AMRAP

2 Legless Rope Climbs (13′)
25/25m walking Sled Push (180#)
10 Decline Push-ups (feet on curb)
50/50m Single Arm Farmer Carry (70# KB)

Originally written as 10 rounds, but I put a 30 minute cap on it and nobody finished. I got through 9 rounds and the rope climbs. Wore a glove on my left hand to protect my ripped palm and my right hand just aches now from the rope. Since we only have two ropes and two sleds I knew there would be some rest built in to this workout, otherwise I would have been able to finish. I was getting real close to failure on those rope climbs, so 20 legless in a long workout seems to be my limit. Started out with only one 45# plate on the sled, but it was really easy so added a second one.

Tabata

Bottom-to-Bottom Air Squats

Started out hot, faded in the middle, and pushed at the end to hit 100 reps. Didn’t know it until I recorded my score on BTWB, but that ties my best from three years ago when I last did this.

Midline

150 Sit-ups

I’ve done 100 many times but never 150 in a row. It’s not fun. Went unbroken in 5:41. I’m going to feel those for a few days.

Year of the Engine – Polarized

24:00 Airdyne

** Endurance pace with 7s sprints @ 5, 10, 15, 20.

I expected week five to keep progressing, but it takes a slight step back on the first polarized and endurance workouts. I got 707 cals and 14.46 km.

Might be a light week for workouts as long as golf doesn’t get rained out (looks like it’s going to rain tomorrow), since I’m also going to watch a pro tournament this week.

How Many?

I had some plans to workout yesterday since one of my 4 workout days in a row was an easy recovery day. Got busy around the house so I rested. My legs started getting tight later in the day, but I’m surprised my shoulders weren’t feeling anything from the overhead carry and thruster combination.

Warm-up

Bottom Squat Hold
Air Squats
Bar Taps

Conditioning

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Pull-ups
Box Jumps (24″)

Got some new grips from Bear Komplex and they’ve really improved the design since my last pair. They didn’t eat into my fingers at all, but will take a bit of use to get roughed up and be able to hold chalk.

I was able to do all of the pull-ups unbroken and did jumps with a step-down. I was having the hardest time keeping track of what round I was on though. It started when I did 8 jumps in the round of 7 and then I repeated the sets of 3. Extra credit I guess. Finished in 6:04.

Active Life – Back Max

3 Rounds

12 Alternating Single Leg Deadlift (115#)
12 Romanian Deadlift (115#)
12/12 Kroc Row (53#)
12 Evil Wheels
30s Double KB Overhead Hold (44# KBs)

Bumping up to 12 evil wheels was a challenge after everything has been sets of 5 or 8 so far. The double kettlebell hold was a challenge.

Skill / Conditioning

2 Cycles

4 Rounds
- 20s T2B
- 10s Rest
20s Rest
4 Rounds
- 10s Bottom Squat Hold
- 20s Bottom-to-bottom Squats
40s Rest

I’ve done sets of 6 for a straight 8 round Tabata of T2B so I figured 7 was a good number. Turned out perfect. After 7 unbroken rounds I hit failure in the very last round and had to do 4 plus 3 singles. I did sets of 14 squats in the first cycle and in the second cycle I did 3 sets of 12 with 13 to finish. I forgot how much these squats burn.

Tired in D.C.

On Tuesday my legs were pretty sore from Monday squats and my traps are still sore from DT. We walked about 9.5 miles around the monuments and stuff. Yesterday I didn’t really do shit. Was pretty tired. Figured I’d better do something this morning though, so came up with the following in my apartment.

10:00 AMRAP

20 Walking Lunges
15 Push-ups
10 V-ups

Did 6 rounds plus 9 push-ups. Everything was unbroken. Didn’t put on any shoes or socks for the entire workout though.

8 Rounds (Tabata)

20s Handstand Hold
10s Rest

Yuck!

8 Rounds (Tabata)

20s Bottom-to-bottom squats
10s Rest

Didn’t try to game it today and went out 14-14 to start. Then the burn started! Went 12-12-11-10 and pushed it to finish 12-15 for an even 100 total, beating my previous best of 93.

Be a “Nancy”

Worked last week so went with the pancakes again for breakfast topped with almond butter and maple syrup. These Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes are the bomb!

Warm-up

Crossover Symmetry Activation
2 Sets
- 5s of StrongFit Tricep & Bicep Openers (10#)
- 10 Wall Squats

Conditioning

“Nancy”
5 Rounds

400m Run
15 OHS (95#)

Exactly 2 years ago, to the day, I did 16:58. At the time I hadn’t done any overhead squats in months when I was coming back from a shoulder impingement. I lost the bar on the 12th rep in the final set too.

Tried to start out fast on the run to buy some time and still push the other runs too. They did slow down though and then I picked it up in the final 200 meters. Didn’t want to have any drops with the bar that was for sure. I went right into a squat snatch on the first rep of every set. OHS felt really good, which I think has a lot to do with all of the shoulder and upper back work I’m doing. If I could improve my cycle time on the squats that’s where I could make up some more time. Wish I had worn my Garmin to be able to know round splits. Final time was 13:35, a PR by 3:23!! Run, run, run, run, run! Another monster running WOD PR.

Strength

E2M – 5 Sets

6 Pendlay Rows (145#, normal grip)
6 Good Mornings (145#)

Gymnastics

4 Tabata Rounds
- 20s L-hang
- 10s Rest
1:00 Rest
4 Tabata Rounds
- 20s HS Hold (facing)
- 10s Rest

Was on the rings for a L-sit in the first round but it was hurting my shoulder so switched to L-hangs. All done with bent knees up. Cart-wheeled up to the handstand holds since I did them facing the wall. Not much rest other than to quickly shake out the arms, but it kept me feeling fresh. I felt really solid in the hollow with just my toes on the wall an my nose right up close.

Murph Training Bonus

8 Round Tabata

20s Bottom to Bottom Air Squats
10s Rest

I did 11 reps for the first 6 rounds and took the extra rest, which wasn’t much extra by the 6th time through. Then went faster with 13 and 14 reps in the final 2 rounds. 93 total for a 6 rep PR. I don’t know of anything else that gives this kind of burn in the legs. This little 4 minute grind is starting to grow on me.

Finished with Crossover Symmetry Iron Scap since I had skipped it a couple of times this week already.

Run

With golf tomorrow and feeling good, I ran in the evening with a single goal of going at least 30 minutes and keeping it close to a 10 minute per mile pace. When I finished up, it was 3.26 miles in 32:37, which Runkeper says is exactly a 10:00/mile pace! I never got much slower than that overall either, so maybe I’m starting to get the hang of run pacing for once in my life. Doubt it though.

Will ROMWOD yet tonight.

Burnin’

When I woke up and started moving in bed I was feeling some pretty good pain in my shoulder. Or maybe that was a dream because I seemed to be fine after actually getting out of bed. Legs feeling a little fatigued.

Warm-up

Crossover Symmetry Activation
2 Sets
- 5s of StrongFit Tricep & Bicep Openers (10#)
- 10 Wall Squats
- 10 Reverse Hyper (210#)
10 Close Grip Bench Press (45#)
12 OH Walking Lunges (55#)
10 Close Grip Bench Press (95#)
12 OH Walking Lunges (55#)

Strength

E3M – 5 Sets

10 Close Grip Bench Press (135#)
12 OH Walking Lunge (55# plate)

Accessory & Midline

5 Sets

5 Pendlay Rows (155#, supinated)
5 Evil Wheels

Conditioning

10:00 AMRAP

5 Bar-facing Burpees
5 Power Cleans (95#)
5 Push Press (95#)

Some similarities to 16.5, but felt much better without the big sets and without the squat part of thrusters. Was holding steady at under a minute per round pace and picked it up at the end to finish exactly 11 rounds with a second to spare. Everything unbroken and was able to stick with push presses all the way.

Bonus!

Tabata

Bottom to Bottom Squats

Did sets of 10 for the first 6 rounds and took the extra “rest” in the bottom position. Then kept moving in the final 2 rounds to get 13 and 14. Finished with 87 for a 9 rep PR. Coming out of that bottom hold for the final 4 rounds really is a hell of a burn.

Finished with Crossover Symmetry Plyo and will do ROMWOD at some point.

Fight the Burn

Made it to the 4:30 class.

Warm-up

Crossover Symmetry Activation
Bottom Squat Hold
Random assortment of movements

Strength – Shoulder Press

6×45#
6×75
3×95
3×115
3×135
3×150
3×160
3×165 (PR?)
3×170 (PR)

I had done 170 pounds for a double at some point, seems like about a year ago. Gives me an estimated max around 180, which would be a 5# PR. The most I had done for a triple since using BTWB was a week or two ago with 162.5, so not sure if the 165 was really a PR or not.

Conditioning

7 Rounds

30 Double Unders
8 Power Cleans (95#)
8 Push Presses (95#)

My goal by choosing 95# was not to put the bar down. My cycle times got a lot slower from the first round to the end, but mission accomplished. I missed 3 dubs; once in one set and twice in another. First two rounds were done in under 2 minutes, but the pace of cycling really slowed down and I had to take some extra breaths moving from the rope to the bar and vice versa. Took me 8:51.

Burn Baby Burn

8 Rounds (Tabata)

20s Bottom to Bottom Air Squats
10s “Rest” in a Bottom Squat Hold

Paced out of the gate much better knowing what was in store. Was getting 9 per round early on and was able to pick up the pace in the last few rounds even though my quads were burning something fierce coming out of the hole for those first reps of a set. Finished with 78 reps which is a +15.

Did some back mobility before I left.

Burning Quads

Late night at the movies. Didn’t feel like leaving home to go to the gym this morning.

Warm-up

Crossover Symmetry Activation
Bottom Squat Hold
Bar Hang
Thrusters (45#)

Conditioning

E3M 15:00

10 Thrusters (95#)
10 Burpees Over Bar

Originally thought 115# but changed last minute. Was a good call because it allowed us to keep intensity high. I was flying trying to keep pace with Bryan no the thrusters and was rep-for-rep the whole way. Right on his heels with the burpees too. Was taking us about 38-40 seconds to finish.

Gymnastics

10:00 EMOM (alt)

8 Pike HSPU (30″ box for feet, 2″ deficit)
12 T2B

Not difficult but it’s good to do some lighter reps instead of strict against the wall. Toes to bar felt good and were all unbroken. Getting better at the re-grip in the middle of bigger sets.

More Conditioning

25 Box Jump Overs
25 V-ups
50 Plyo Lunges
25 V-ups
25 Box Jump Overs

Went with side-to-side jumps to start. I think I took 3 sets for the first V-ups, 4 sets for the lunges, 2 sets for the last V-ups, and then did the last 25 jumps turning and facing the box so I wouldn’t trip over it. Finished in 6:26.

Tabata

Bottom-to-bottom air squats

Looks innocent enough right? Had never tried this before. It was horrible about 3 rounds in. I even sat down on my ass for a little bit in round 6 because the burn was so bad. I think I got 63 reps. Talk about pumped up quads!