Barely a Bear in Sight — Until Sunday

Friday, August 25 | Tight Space

I rested yesterday. I didn’t want to, but I did. Luke and I did begin our day with a 6-mile walk at the Biltmore Estates. By the end of the day I had taken over 30,000 steps. Yup, that’s a day of rest for yours truly.

This morning Luke and I went for 7-mile hike/walk beginning and end at the Arboretum and including most of the miles in Pisgah. ‘Twas a cool 60 degrees at the start and the cooler temperatures mean that Luke has a spring to his step. Yup, a spring to his step when Fall approaches. It took us about 2:15 to traverse that distance, and this included stopping for pee breaks (me, not Luke), taking pics (me, not Luke), and conversing with passersby (me, not Luke).

Thursday’s workout was all barbell, so no barbell today.

6 RFT
5 ring burpee + toes to bar
5 ring burpee + chest to bar pull-up
5 ring burpee + toes to bar
5 ring burpee + chest to bar pull-up
Complete 5, 4, 3, 2, & 1 air squat(s) after burpee & before T2B/C2B pull-ups for rounds 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5, respectively

That’s 120 burpee, 60 T2B and C2B pull-ups, and 300 air squats. Yes, 300 air squats.

As air squats decreased in number and became easier to complete the rest time between T2B and C2B pull-ups decreased and those two activities became increasingly difficult. I did mistakenly complete T2B a rep but did, of course, complete C2B pull-up as well.

I counted out loud until 10, with reps 1 through 5 being T2B and 6 through 10 being C2B pull-ups, obviously, and used the abacus to keep track of what amounted to be 12 times, with a different color representing each subsequent round. Makes sense to me even if it doesn’t make sense to all of you.

Time: 26:52
Average heart rate: 117 bpm

Saturday, August 26 | Mah Legs

I didn’t pick up Jeff from the airport until close to midnight last night and then didn’t fall asleep until after 1. I slept until almost 8. Wow! Jeff surprised me by offering to go for a morning walk with Luke and me. As Jeff’s knee is still healing, we only went for a 3-mile walk in Carrier and French Broad parks. We all enjoyed breakfast at Taco Billy and then I retired to the garage for a workout.

Yesterday’s 300 squats left my legs feeling somewhat tired, but I focused on legs today nonetheless. Functional movement, folks. Functional movement.

Strength & Skill
Deadlift & Box Jumps
5 X 10 increasing weight and height

I set up box before beginning deadlift so that I could quickly transition from deadlift to box jumps. I completed deadlifts @ 135, 185, 225, 275, and 305# and box jumps @ 20, 24, 27, 30, & 32″. I stepped down for 20 & 24 but did not rebound for any jumps. In addition, I landed in squat with elbows inside knees and both feet firmly on box.

I set a goal to complete 10 deadlifts @ 300 so was pleased that I was able to complete set @ 305# (a post-surgery PR). I honestly don’t know if I could’ve lifted any heavier, as the last two reps were a struggle.

Conditioning
6 RFT
10 44# alternating arm Russian KB swings (5/arm)
10-second waiter’s hold alternating arms

This was meant to be fast and furious, and it was. I also didn’t place the KB on the ground during workout.

Time = 4:44

Sunday, August 27 | Constantly Varied

I’ve spent numerous hours preparing for the upcoming semester, including updating 19 PowerPoint presentations. It astounds me that a professional publisher (not AB tech) would create such amateurish slides. And anyone who uses text boxes to create bulleted lists doesn’t know what they hell they are doing. And don’t get me started on the slide masters. Or graphics.

Jeff was once again able to join Luke and me (not “me and Luke” or “Luke and I”) for a morning walk, 3 miles on the Biltmore grounds. We then enjoyed a wonderful meal at King Daddy’s where everyone commented on what a good dog Luke is. Don’t I know it. For the second day in a row I worked out on a full stomach. And it matters naught to me!

Strength
Press
Rounds of up to 5 reps
Begin @ 75# increasing weight by 10# each round
7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, & 1 rounds

In other words, 7 rounds of up to 5 reps @ 75#, 6 rounds of up to 5 reps @ 85#, etc. Again, I’d never program this at a box. It’s one of the reasons I’m enjoying working out by myself, i.e., I can complete my own programming! And not have to explain (or justify) it to anyone else.

I completed all 5 reps/round @ 75, 85, 95, & 105#, i.e., 35, 30, 25, & 20 reps, respectively. I completed 3, 1 & 2 @ 115, 1 & 1 @ 125, and 1 @ 130#.

That was 119 strict presses.

Strength/Conditioning
Bear Complex
For load:
5 rounds of 7 reps:
1 power clean
1 front squat
1 push press
1 back squat
1 behind the neck push press

You may not drop the bar between reps but may rest between rounds.

Yup, I’m completing the Bear Complex once a month, only this month I decided to mix things up. And I just ended a sentence with a preposition.

Begin at 75# on barbell and 20# weight vest, increasing weight 5# on barbell and weight vest (10# total) each round; 75 & 20, 80 & 25, 85 & 30, 90 & 35, and 95# & 40#.

Why? Because I had just completed 117 presses, so no need to continue to overly taxi arms. Uhm, but I did focus on legs both Friday and yesterday, so there’s that. I found completing the complex whilst wearing a weight vest to be much more challenging than, well, completing as prescribed.

One of the challenges was keeping the bar close during power clean, as the weight vest protruded and impeded ability to do so. I recorded last round and was surprised to discover that I completed muscle instead of power cleans.

I counted each rep out loud to ensure that I completed the requisite seven each round.

The first round (75 & 20) was relatively easy. The last round was not. Yup, the behind the neck push press was the most difficult of the activities, although both front and back squats were also challenging, you know, because of the added weight. I was in essence squatting almost 190# the last round. No wonder it was tough!