Tag: Side Raise

Clear It

Was able to get out golfing yesterday and it turned out to be a beautiful day for it. Out in the garage around 5:30 today.

Bench Press

  • 10×45#
  • 10×95
  • 6×135
  • 3×165
  • 3×185
  • 3×205
  • 3×225
  • 3x3x240

Added an extra warm-up set and increased 5# on working sets from the last time. 240 was rough and I didn’t notice until after my entire workout that I was supposed to do 4 sets of it. Whoops! 99% sure I only did 3 sets, so I guess getting in that extra warm-up set was even better because it ended up being 45# less volume. :-/

Push Press

  • 3×95#
  • 3×135
  • 3×165
  • 3×185
  • 3×200
  • 3x3x215

Increased 10# over last time. Why not?

Accessory

  • 2×30/30 steps 1-arm Farmer Carry (90#)
  • 3×15 DB Side Raises (15-15-20#)
  • 3×15 DB Bent-over Side Raises (15-15-20#)

Got to use my straps for the carries! Programmed with 20 steps, but I went to the end of my driveway, which was 30 and swapped hands there. Should stick to 15# for the raises yet; too much”kipping” with 20 pounds. Bent-over wasn’t so bad.

Conditioning

12 Rounds

  • 5 HSPU
  • 10 H2H Russian KBS (50#)
  • 5 T2B
  • 10 Over the Bench Jumps (18″)

The jumps were all the way over; no landing on the bench. Planned this to be 10 rounds but after 5 I decided I’d do 12 to get in 20+ minutes of breathing. Finished the 6th at 10:30 and then after finishing the 10th at a little over 17:00 I felt like I had a shot to break 20. Pushed it home with fewer steps between stations and quick turns after each jump. Almost! 20:08. So the second half took me 9:38 compared to the 10:30 of the first half. I guess I was cruising too much early on.

That mix of movements allowed me to keep moving. The handstand push-up reps let me work on bringing my legs down at the same time I’m lowering my body so I can get right into the kip. Started to get the hang of it.

Performance Plus

4 Rounds

  • 1:00 Half Turkish Get-ups (left arm, 25#)
  • 1:00 Half Turkish Get-ups (right arm, 25#)
  • No rest!

These are great for the core and shoulder too. I did 14 reps each side for the first 3 rounds and then 16 each side to close it out.

  • 2 Sets of 15/15 Side-lying Thoracic Rotations (video)

Holy shit what a difference from side to side. When reaching my right arm back I could get to the ground. When reaching back with my left arm there was still about a foot of daylight before I’d get to the ground!

That completes week 4 of both the Hybrid Push Only and the Performance Plus programs. I took 5.5 weeks to get through them. Week 5 of Hybrid is a deload and perfect timing since I’m heading to Europe on Tuesday. The next month of PP focuses on core work, so I think I’m going to restart the shoulder stuff after some traveling and save the month of core for later.

Forced

Had to take a forced rest day yesterday after waking up with a headache that was giving me blurred vision and nausea. I went back to bed until 2:30! Got up and was able to work the rest of the day. Meant I had to skip out on golfing today, though it was quite chilly with rain on the way. Out in the garage at 4pm.

Bench Press

  • 10×45#
  • 10×95
  • 8×135
  • 8×165
  • 4x8x185
  • 3x12x195
  • 3x10x165 (Wide Grip)

I hate this fucking day in the program. Took 39 minutes to get through those sets!

Accessory

  • 3×15 Skull Crushers (45-55-65#)
  • 3×15 DB Side Raises (15#)
  • 3×15 DB Bent-over Side Raises (15#)

Used a barbell for the skull crushers. I felt a lot more fatigued after the benching today, which made the raises harder than they have been.

Performance Plus

3 Sets

  • 30s Double DB Overhead Hold (50# DBs)
  • 10 Scap Pull-ups
  • 30s Rest

The double dumbbell overhead was the hardest part of the day and I didn’t even do it walking like it was supposed to. I took a few steps and nearly fell over. The fifties were too heavy for this, but after making it through the first round I didn’t want to bitch out.

The scap pull-ups were actually supposed to be paired up with 20 ring dips for 3 sets, but I moved things around.

Conditioning

  • 30-20-10 Ring Dips
  • 30-20-10 GHD Sit-ups
  • 30-20-10 Pistols 60-40-20 Air Squats

I figured the ring dips would be trouble and planned to start with sets of 5 and quickly switch to 2 or 3s if needed. I was able to continue sets of 5 the whole way. GHD sit-ups were harder than they should have been. I struggled through 12 of the ugliest pistols I’ve done in years. My left quad was not having it today. I probably should have warmed up my lower body some. After 12 pistols, a lot of falling over, and too much wasted time, I changed the workout to double reps of air squats. So I finished the first round with 48 air squats to get to 60. Total time was 12:42.

Ski Drift

Last night my legs started to feel trashed! Not sure if it was from the squat cleans on Saturday, DT yesterday, or 3 hours of outlet mall shopping yesterday. All of the above? Was going to golf today, but too much rain. My legs were still feeling fatigued most of the morning. Out in the garage around 6pm.

Bench Press

  • 10×45#
  • 10×95
  • 6×135
  • 3×165
  • 3×195
  • 3×215
  • 4x3x235

Yeah buddy!

Push Press

  • 6×95#
  • 3×135
  • 3×165
  • 3×185
  • 3×195
  • 3×205

Tender collarbone. Done with the big lifts in 30 minutes with 1:30-2:00 rests between sets.

Accessory

  • 3×15 Pallof Press (CS red)
  • 3×15 DB Side Raises (15#)
  • 3×15 DB Bent-over Side Raises (15#)

Feeling gains on these raises.

Performance Plus – 3 Sets

  • 8 alt Archer Ring Push-ups (video)
  • 1/1 Turkish Get Up (50#)

Exactly an hour at this point. Archers are a lot harder than they look.

Conditioning

  • 2k Ski Erg

I’ve only tried this once for real so it’s hard to know what I’m capable of. Saw my best was 7:53.4 from 2 years ago, so I set a goal pace of 1:55/500m. Once I settled in past the first 500 meters I kept drifting away from the pace so I had a feeling I picked well. I fought to keep it within striking distance and then picked it up in the final 250 and again in the final 150. Was able to pull my average pace back under the 1:55, finishing in 7:39.6.

2017-05-01-2k-ski.jpg

Volume Day

My hands are sore from raking and my legs seem to be feeling those squat movements from yesterday. Out in the garage at 1pm.

I made some Farmer Carry handle straps this weekend. Super cheap and work great.

Bench Press

Moved inside the rack starting today to be safer with the straps that are in place.

  • 10×45#
  • 10×95
  • 8×135
  • 8×165
  • 4x8x180
  • 3x10x200
  • 3x10x165 (close grip)

I think it was during the second set of 8×180 that I thought there was no way I would get through the heavier tens. Did it though. Those close grip reps continue to be a challenge. Feels so different. This volume day is getting nuts even with some rep decreases.

Accessory

  • 3×10 DB Tricep Rollback (30-30-35#)
  • 3×15 DB Side Raises (15#)
  • 3×15 DB Bentover Side Raises (15#)

Had clock running to keep resting on track. Finished at 58:35.

Such pump! Lotta reps!

Changed into some compression shorts, laced up the shoes, and headed out for a run on a beautiful day.

Run

Did a loop I run quite often which is 2.57 miles. Did pretty well keeping it in the aerobic zone. Average heart rate turned out to be 138 and the zone alarms that were going off were triggered on 1-3 beats on the high side. Felt easy running at that pace, but it is quite slow. Took me 28:44 (RunKeeper).

Was Killin’ It

Had been planning to go class yesterday, but was a bit tired during the day so made the call early to make it a rest day. Went to 10am today.

Warm-up

  • 3×15 RH (140#)
  • 2 Sets
    • 5 Inch Worms
    • High kNees
    • 10 Air Squats
    • 10 HR Push-ups

Strength – 4 Sets

  • 10/10 single arm single leg RDL (62#)
  • 5/5 OH walking lunges (62#)

Did my own version since it was programmed to de RDLs and lunges.

Conditioning

“Wall Ball Kalsu”

  • EMOM Buy-in: 5 Burpees
  • Accumulate 100 Wall Balls (20#, 10′)

I made the call today that we were starting with burpees like it should be. I got 24-20-19 and then on the 15th rep of the 4th set I felt something and on #16 I got a minor back tweak. Clock was at 3:49 through 79 reps when I finished. I was killing it! Would have gotten a few more reps there and then could have finished in the next minute. I’ve done 4:50 in the version that doesn’t do the 5 burpees during that initial minute, so this would have been a nice improvement.

So I skipped out on the medicine ball sit-ups they did and figured I might as well get in my Push Only work for the weekend.

Bench Press

  • 10×45#
  • 10×95
  • 6×135
  • 3×165
  • 3×195
  • 3×215
  • 4x3x230

Felt easy!!

Seated Shoulder Press

  • 10×45#
  • 10×75
  • 6×95
  • 3×115
  • 3×125
  • 3×135
  • 2x3x145

Subbed these instead of push press due to my back. Different.

Accessory

bench-on-boxes

  • 3×24 Seated alt DB Shoulder Press (40#)
  • 3×15/15 Pallof Press (red band)
  • 3×12 DB Side Raises (15#)
  • 3×12 DB Front Raises (15#)
  • 3 Sets
    • 20 Shoulder Ts (prone on elevated bench hanging over the edge, 5#)
    • 3x30s Overhead Opener

I’m so used to having the combination of side raises and then bent-over side raises I didn’t realize there were front raises. There were supposed to be first, but I was already 2 sets through the side raises when I realized the program difference. I decided to superset in the overhead openers from the Performance Plus program.

Performance Plus

  • Handstand Shifts (video)
    • 2×2
    • 3×8 Scaled with feet on plate stack
  • 3 Sets
    • 1:00 HS Hold (facing)
    • 1:00 Rest

😂 I tried doing the sponge shifts up on the wall but wow! I was using the eraser from the whiteboard. After 2 attempts I went for scaled, which was no walk in the park either. Instead of doing 3 max sets of handstand hold I did the intervals since I’d already worked my shoulders so much. Barely made it through the last 2 sets.

Wonder What My Push Jerk Is

Walked my first 18 holes of the year yesterday. Wasn’t really tired, though did feel some pulling in my left hamstring over the last 4 holes. Still really wet and soggy out there. Went in for the 10am class today.

Warm-up

  • 3×15 Reverse Hyper (90#)
  • 2x
    • Couch Stretch
    • Wrist Stretch
  • 3 Sets
    • 10 Weighted Lunge (45#)
    • 10 Shoulder Press (45#)
    • 10 Front Squat (45#)

Weightlifting

1 Squat Clean + 2 Front Squats + 1 Push Jerk

  • 135#
  • 185#
  • 205#
  • 225#
  • 240#
  • 250#

Alex lifted with me. Wasn’t planning on going too heavy, but it was feeling ok. The squats did feel a little heavy. I haven’t maxed out push jerk in years, but the most I’ve done is 255# back in September of 2014. I think it’s a lot higher now.

Conditioning

30:00 EMOM (alt)

  • Row calories
  • H2H KBS (44#)
  • Bicycle Crunches
  • Jump Rope (singles)
  • Side Plank

Worked for 40 seconds of each minute. This was a nice little sweat. Alternated sides for the plank every round so that they were longer holds.

Out in the garage in the evening to kick of week 2 of the Push Only program.

Bench Press

  • 10×45#
  • 10×95
  • 8×135
  • 4x8x175
  • 3x12x190

Increased 5# on both the sets of 8 and the sets of 12.

Close Grip Bench Press

  • 3x12x155#

Not knowing what I could do, I tried 135-150-165 last week, which was an average of 150, so a 5# increase over that seemed right for today and it sure was! High rep day is much harder with “strict” rests. I was doing about two minutes.

Accessory

  • 3×12 Clapping Push-ups
  • 3×12 DB Side Raises (15#)
  • 3×12 DB Bent-over Side Raises (15#)

Performance Plus

  • 3×15 PVC Lift Offs (video)
  • 3×10 Banded Arm Circles – 10 in all 3 positions and also in both directions (video)
  • Rolling Teres Muscles – 30 seconds / side (video)

Also did some psoas release and the entire second session only took 70 minutes.

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.

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.

 

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.