Tag: Side Plank

Moving Better or Better at Moving?

Feeling about the same. I think the drugs helped me sleep a little better. Went to the gym at 3. Am I moving better or getting better at knowing how to move without causing pain? Does it matter?

Warm-up

  • 2:00 Echo Bike (25 cals)
  • 10 Bench Press (45#)

Conditioning

10 Rounds

  • 10 Bench Press (135#)
  • 20s Dead Hang
  • 14 Walking Lunges
  • 1:00 Rest (only after first 4 rounds)

I had my feet up on the bench to take pressure off my back. It made me feet kind of unstable when I lifted the bar off, but I made it work. I wasn’t breaking a sweat or getting my heart rate up, so after my 5th round I went right in to the 6th without the rest. That made the benching get very challenging for the last 2-3 sets since I was doing them all unbroken. I did 7 lunges out, turned around, and then 7 back. Finished in 18:47.

Midline

4 Sets

  • 20s/20s Side Plank
  • 15 Push-ups
  • 1:00 Rest

Probably didn’t need the push-ups after 100 bench press, but had to come up with something to do on the ground.

In Pain

My back is not feeling very good last night and this morning. Was out of bed at 6am again and went to the gym at 10am.

Warm-up

  • 20 cal Echo Bike
  • 20 PVC Passes

Strength

7 Sets

  • 6/6 Bulgarian Split Squats (2×35# KBs)

Had to really concentrate on my positioning to avoid pain.

Midline

6 Sets (each side)

  • 30s Side Plank
  • 30s Single Leg Balance Hold

Took almost 15 minutes to get through this boring shit!

Conditioning

18:00 EMOM (alt)

  • 12 cal Echo Bike
  • 40s Single Arm Front Rack Carry (R – 26#)
  • 40s Single Arm Front Rack Carry (L – 26#)

Averaged about 442 watts on the bike. Was probably walking 150-200 feet on the carries.

I hope I start getting some relief from this back tomorrow and can do some of the rehab stuff.

All I Want is a Night of Sleep!

I went to bed just after 9 last night but woke up around 2 or 3 again. Finally quit trying to sleep around 5:40 I think. Went down for breakfast after 7 and then took an hour nap. Was in the fitness center by 10.

tryp-wyndam-dubai-fitness-center.jpeg

Accessory

4 Sets

  • 8 Lat Pulldowns (70-70-77-84 kg)
  • 12/12 Kroc Rows (20kg)

Used a machine for the pulldowns and I remembered to keep my shoulder blades pulled down for the rows.

Midline

Side Plank

  • 3 x 20 seconds w/ 10 second rests (all 3 on one side, then switch)
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 2 x 20 seconds
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 1 x 20 seconds

Someone was hogging the adjustable bench, so I moved the planks up in the order.

Strength

10:00 EMOM (alt)

  • 10 Incline DB Fly (16kg)
  • 14 HR Push-ups

Conditioning

10:00 Stationary Bike

I set a higher level so I had to use a lot of leg drive and a lower RPM. Did 4.98 km and 148 calories.

Gymnastics

5 Rounds

  • 40s Handstand Hold
  • 50s Rest

Came back to my room for these since there is no spot in the fitness center. Decided to switch it up and give facing the wall a break, which I think has been making my neck tight. When I kick up I can feel how extremely tight my neck and shoulders are. These got really tough.

Lost Capacity

Whatever was bothering the rib in my upper back was pretty much gone by the time I got home last night and no sign of it today. Good night of sleep, but still sore from early in the week. Out in the garage around noon.

Conditioning

30:00 Airdyne

I did 856 cals and 17.89 km and my average was HR 139 with a 161 max. Not good compared to three months ago when I did 950 and 18.79 with an average heart rate of 136 and max of 150! Have I lost that much aerobic capacity since I stopped the Engine Builder workouts? Or did I just not start out at a hard enough pace?

Midline

Side Plank

  • 3 x 20 seconds w/ 10 second rests (all 3 on one side, then switch)
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 2 x 20 seconds
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 1 x 20 seconds

An Odd Mix

I felt wrecked on Tuesday night, which I did not expect from that workout. Can’t say that I ever really go 60 minute straight like that though. My shoulders and neck were beat the fuck up. Glad yesterday was a rest day. Went to the gym at 4pm.

Warm-up

  • 31 cal Row
  • 15 PVC Passes

Conditioning

  • 12 Ski Erg Calories
  • 14 Goblet Squats (53#)
  • 12 Echo Bike Calories
  • 20 AbMat Sit-ups
  • 12 Assault Bike Calories
  • 14 Goblet Lunges (53#)
  • 12 Ski Erg Calories
  • 1:00 Plank
  • 12 Echo Bike Calories
  • 10 Hand-to-Hand Kettlebell Swings (53#)
  • 12 Assault Bike Calories
  • 4x10s Star Planks
  • 12 Ski Erg Calories
  • 25 Air Squats
  • 12 Echo Bike Calories
  • 20 Lying Leg Lifts
  • Rest 5 mins
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 14 Goblet Squats (53#)
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 20 AbMat Sit-ups
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 14 Goblet Lunges (53#)
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 1:00 Plank
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 10 Hand-to-Hand Kettlebell Swings (53#)
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 30/30s Side Planks
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 25 Air Squats
  • 12 Row Calories
  • 20 Lying Leg Lifts

Pretty weird workout with a random assortment of movements, none of which fatigued any muscle group. It was really an E2M workout with a machine being the buy-in each minute, complete the other movement, and then rest. So depending on the movement you got about a minute of rest (KBS) or almost no rest (planks).

Another Calf Strain

I took another nap yesterday and got a lot of sleep last night. Still popping drugs to keep this cold under control. My holiday break is over, so it’s back to work today. Out in the garage at noon.

Warm-up

5:00 Airdyne

Did 109 calories and 2.63 km.

Planned on doing 18.1, but my back is way too tight for those movements and didn’t feel like I had the energy for a solid effort.

Conditioning

Flight Simulator

  • 5-10…45-50-45…10-5 Unbroken Double Unders

Didn’t miss until 49/50 (before the clock was even at 4:00) and then it was a fucking shitshow!! My right calf strained (like it did over the summer) at 10:30 on the clock trying to get through 20 so that was the end of my workout. My PR is 9:30, so that tells you how bad I did coming back down from 50. Estimated that I did 580 dubs (which is probably low), so I logged it as an AMRAP in BTWB.

Accessory

5 Sets

  • 10/10 DB Hammer Curls (alternating, 25#)
  • 8/8 Kroc Rows (70#)
  • 1:30 Rest

I focused on not shrugging my shoulders up for the curls. With the rows I focused on keeping my shoulder blades down and back.

Midline

Side Plank

  • 3 x 20 seconds w/ 10 second rests (all 3 on one side, then switch)
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 2 x 20 seconds
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 1 x 20 seconds

Was able to do these on a elbow by using two layers of soft thick mats.

The gym finally opens back up tomorrow with limited functionality, but I might make it a rest day.

40!!

I took a couple of rest days and ate everything! Got up this morning and drove home. Was out in the garage around 4pm.

Today is my 40th, so I came up with this gem of a workout.

Conditioning

40:00 AMRAP

  • 40 cal Row
  • 40 Russian KBS (70/53#)
  • 40 Deadlifts (115/80#)
  • 40 cal Ski
  • 40 Box Jumps (24/20″)
  • 40 Hand Release Push-ups

This went by faster than I expected, but I should have realized how much of a low back pump it would be. Got through 2+151.

Midline

Side Plank

  • 3x 20/20s w/ 10s Rests
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 2x 20/20s w/ 10s Rests
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 1x 20/20s w/ 10s Rests

2 Sets

  • 10 Pallof Presses + 10 Rotations (per side)

Used the small blue band which was much harder.

4 Sets

  • 30s/30s Side Bends (53#)
  • 30s Hollow Hold
  • 1:00 Rest

Accessory Sunday

My upper back and shoulders are really sore. It’s tough putting on a jacket. Went to check out the new location for the gym this morning and then in for 10am open gym.

Warm-up

  • 30 cal Echo Bike
  • PVC Passes
  • HS Hold
  • HS Walking

Gymnastics Strength

5 Rounds

  • 15s Strict HSPU
  • 45s Rest
  • 15s Hand Release Push-ups
  • 45s Rest

I had planned on strict ring dips, but when I tried a few out, they were rough after those Friday muscle-ups. I don’t really need to be rubbing on the straps either because my arms are pretty raw and scabbing up. So I subbed in the HR push-ups. My handstand push-ups were even a struggle, getting 11-9-7-6-6. I did 12-11-11-10-11 on the hand releases.

Accessory

4 Sets

  • 12 Banded KBS (35-35-44-44, red)
  • 8/8 Lateral Step-ups (30”)

4 Sets

  • 8 Barbell Curls (70#)
  • 8 DB Skull Crushers (35#)

Midline

Side Plank

  • 3 x 20 seconds w/ 10 second rests (all 3 on one side, then switch)
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 2 x 20 seconds w/ 10 second rests
  • 1:00 Rest
  • 1 x 20 seconds w/ 10 second rests

2 Sets

  • 10 Pallof Presses + 10 Rotations (per side)

3 Sets

  • 20s RKC Plank
  • 1:00 Rest

Did a little more handstand walking practice and I just wasn’t getting that forward lean going enough. Need to start working on it once a week.

No metcon today, which was nice. I definitely need a rest day tomorrow.

Good Day for a Ski…Erg

On Friday my forearms were sore from all of the swings. I really needed the rest day yesterday after doing some kind of workout 12 days straight. Last night I drove home late from up north because of storms rolling in overnight. No heading to the gym today due to the ice storm and then snow on top of it. Went out to the garage around 11am.

Conditioning

15 Rounds

  • 30s Ski Erg
  • 1:00 Rest

It was snowing, so I might as well ski, right? I didn’t bother to heat up the garage, so wore a hat, gloves, and bundled up. Was stripping things off by the end though. You can really see the effect of no warm-up, where I thought I wouldn’t be able to hold the pace I went at for the first interval. I’m also not used to the ski erg, which I haven’t used in months and it’s easy to forget how much tougher it is to get up to speed compared to the rower. Settled in on a pretty solid pace.

Accessory

5 Rounds

  • 25 Band Pull Aparts (red)
  • 20 Diamond Push-ups
  • 2:00 Rest

Was controlled on the pull aparts and kept tension on the band. Did 2×10 push-ups every round, though the second ten got tough in round 3. Finished in 13:15.

Midline

Might as well start on some of the back isolation/stability stuff.

3 Sets

  • 10 Curl-ups w/ 2s hold

3 Sets, 2 Sets, 1 Set

  • 20s Side Plank
  • 10s Rest

Do three sets on one side and then three on the other side, rest 1:00, then do two sets per side, rest 1:00, and finally one set per side.

5 Sets

  • 20s RKC Plank
  • 1:00 Rest

During an RKC plank you are trying to create as much tension through the midline and posterior chain as you can be contracting all of those muscles. These get really hard.

My Upper Body is Smoked

Another shitty night of sleep even getting to bed by 11. My entire upper body is sore and tired. So let’s hit it some more! Went to open gym at 10am.

Warm-up

  • 3:00 Echo Bike (34 cals)
  • 8 Reverse Grip Bench Press (45#)
  • 8 Skull Crushers (45#)
  • 8 Reverse Grip Bench Press (115#)
  • 8 Skull Crushers (55#)

Accessory

5 Sets

  • 8 Reverse Grip Bench Press (160#)
  • 8 Skull Crushers (75#)

Why 160 pounds? Well, as I was putting the bar away I realized the left side had a 35-15-10 pound plates instead of 35-10-10. I never even felt the difference when doing my reps! Too bad it wasn’t on my right side, which tends to be the weaker one when I start struggling with a bench press rep.

Conditioning

  • 80 T2B
  • Every break – 4 Burpee Box Get Overs (48/40″)

It’s good to get out of your comfort zone with something that forces big sets every now and again. I decided to try a rep scheme that scared me. The plan was 18+16+14+12+10+10 and I felt good in that first set, even thinking about going for 20 plus. Good thing I decided against it because every set after that was a struggle and I had to rest after the BBGOs. Made it through my plan though and it took 9:14.

Midline

40-30-20

  • Russian Twists (45# plate)
  • Side Plank (seconds each side)

Took me 4:50.

For The Girls

3 Sets

  • Dumbbell Curl 21s (30#)

A lot of cheater reps! My upper body is so blown up from the last three days.

I’m not doing a Year of the Engine workout again. My body needs a break.