Uhm, yeah, so like I haven’t been posting lately. Why? No reason. The Summer semester at AB Tech has begun, and I’m enjoying teaching Public Speaking and Interpersonal Communication. I’m also getting used to teaching in 1:20 increments.

I binge watched all of “13 Reasons Why” season 2. Wow. What an emotional rollercoaster ride. I think/feel that the 2nd season was even better than the 1st.

Okay, recent workouts. “Murph” the Saturday before Labor Day. The mile run from the house is brutal. Bru. Tal. Burpees & deadlifts. Press 3RM PR. Yada, yada, yada.

I rowed the day after Murph, and it was just the active recovery that I needed. I completed 25 calorie rows for time, adjusting the damper settings. I discovered that, whilst rowing at damper setting 1 is certainly the easiest, rowing with damper setting at 7 allows me to row 25 calories in the fastest time and with the best feedback. Good to know!

I rested Memorial Day, as our good friends Thom, Evelyn, and Tijuana visited. And a lovely visit it was!

Tuesday, September 30

I kept it light. I felt much better after than before the workout.

Every 30 seconds for 20 minutes
PC + FS + PP + BS + behind the neck PP (i.e., “Bear” complex)
Rnds 1-10, 65#; rnds 11-20, 70#; rnds 21-30, 75#; rnds 31-40, 80#

Truly just what the doctor ordered. I should have a medical license.

Wednesday, September 31

7-min AMRAPs

A. 1 strict pull-up + 1 strict T2B + 1 PS + 1 HPS (75#)

I completed 19 rounds and a negative split, having completed just over 8 rounds at the halfway mark.

B. 2 strict K2E + 1 PC + 1 HPC + 1 HPC&J

I completed 17 rounds + 2 reps and, once again, with a negative split.

C. 1 6-count burpee + 1 DL (185#) + 100m sprint

I completed 14 rounds + 2 reps with a few seconds to spare. Yup, negative split.

D. Unbroken & strict ring dips; 1 DL (275#) after each round

I completed 57 ring dips and 11 DLs, completing 10 unbroken ring dips out of the gate and no fewer than 4 reps any rounds. And all were strict.  Deadlifts were heavy.

Luke was with me the entire humid and sweaty time.

 

 

My memory is somewhat foggy, as I spent the last week engaged in debauchery. Not really. I did, however, join Jeff and some of our (and some of really just his, if truth be told) friends at the New Onyx resort in Punta Cana. ‘Twas Jeff’s 50th birthday bash.

I missed Luke, Meg, and Zac terribly. I can’t be away from them for more than a couple of days hours minutes.

The following consists of some of the workout that I did at the New Onyx gym. I’m pleased to say that the resort had a rather nice facility (Abmats, free weights, kettle bells etc.dd). We tended to go at 8 am and that also seemed to be the busiest time of the day. That’s understandable. Start the day with a workout. As the gym was often filled with tourists the asshole count was often high.

I also consistently observed folks doing reps without using full range of motion, particularly pull-ups and pushups.

The following is a description of some of the workouts I completed. Some, but not all, as I didn’t record nor can I recall many.

“Cindy”
20-min AMRAP
5 pull-ups
10 pushups
15 air squats

The biggest challenge was having enough space to work. Oh, and not hitting my head on the low ceiling.

I didn’t have my abacus so I may have forgotten to count a round. I either completed 25 or 26 rounds + 1 pull-up.

8-rounds Tabata (30;15)
1 HSPU
7 DB HPC (25#)
7 sit-ups
7/leg mountain climbers

How many rounds? I can’t recall.

AFAP
100, 90, 80…30, 20, 10/leg steps at 6 mpm pace
10, 9, 8…3, 2, 1 DB burpee deadlifts (45#)

Time = 13:12

I kept the treadmill running, and starting and ending the sprint was often a challenge.

10-min AMRAP (I think it was 10 minutes)
Odd-numbered minutes burpee pull-ups
Even-numbered minutes burpee toes to bar

That was tough! Sixty-three reps.

10, 9, 8…3, 2, 1
1-armed DB KB thrusters (1 rep = both arms)
Lunges

As the heaviest KB the resort had was 35#, well, that’s the weight I used. That was tough. Time = 7:43

Every 30 seconds for 10 minutes (20 rounds)
DB manmakers, 20#

Tough. I was exhausted.

Tabata Treadmill Sprints

I completed the first tabata at 6 mpm pace. I rested briefly and then began the next tabata at 10.1 mph and finished at 10.8 mph. Uhm, that’s a 5:33 mpm.

The gym was crowded and I used the only available treadmill. I felt sorry for the females on both sides of me, as I did indeed sweat.

And then it happened. Yup, some dude wanted to know what I was doing, if I was a runner, what app I was using, etc. Uhm, same dude did really shitty pushups two days prior. I was on vacation so I was nice. Nice for me, that is.

14-min AMRAP
DB burpee deadlift + HPC&J (25#)

My goal was 50 reps and I got 58. I don’t know how. The power jerks got heavy. 

Tabata
5 deadlifts
20 lateral bar hops

2 reps shy of 7 rounds. What a gasser.

Bench Press
5X5
10 pull-ups immediately after each round

Uhm, the weight was in KGs so I didn’t even bother to attempt to discover what I was lifting. I just knew that the last round was heavy.

And some dude asked, “Are you using that bench?” Uhm, as I was using the bench. Asshole.

Partner WOD
“Marguerita”
50 RFT
Burpee + pushup + jumping jack + sit-up + handstand

Whaaaat? A partner WOD? Yes, because Kelli (and Bill) attended the soiree and Kelly often worked out with Jeff and me. I completed odd- and she completed even-numbered rounds. Time = 11:51.

~~~~~

Jeff and I enjoyed a Gator excursion during our visit. Unfortunately, the Gator kept falling out of gear and, well, stopping. About a third of the way through the ride the staff was kind enough to swap and provide us with a much more powerful Gator. And much faster! Jeff and I were both laughing at the top of our lungs as we drove through the rather expansive mud puddles. Jeff drove after our swim but, after driving for just a short amount of time, stopped the Gator and asked me to drive. “Why?” I asked. “Because you enjoying driving a lot more than I do.” True. Very true.

Jeff and I also enjoyed a spectacular zip line excursion. I take that back. I enjoyed the zip line excursion but Jeff did not. It sometimes boggles my mind how little I fear heights and how much of a thrill seeker I am.

We had the most fun at a water park that also include zip lines. I jumped off of the highest deck! And without a care in the world.

I finally got to watch “Black Panther” on the plane ride to the DR and “Lady Bird” on the plane ride home. BP, while enjoyable, didn’t live up to the hype. LB was an extraordinary film.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I most enjoy movies that don’t use the soundtrack to manipulate my emotions, foreshadow the plot, or insist that I listen. I’m not going to explain. Suffice it to say that the soundtrack to “God’s Country” and LB were much better than the soundtrack for BP.

Friday, May 4

I finally went for a bike ride yesterday, and easy ride at the Biltmore. I took the bike into MustAsheville Bikes to have new non-clip pedals installed and discovered that, well, I hadn’t been paying attention to pressure on shock. I’m sure that when I purchased the bike I was told to to this. And forgot.

Luke and I enjoyed a 90-minute walk at the Biltmore and then I worked out. For the first time in a very long time, I felt completely exhausted after doing so.

20 RFT; rest 30 seconds between rounds
1 strict, negative (4″) handstand pushup
5 air squats
5 pull-ups (4 kipping and final butterfly)
5 AS
5 clapping pushups (nose to floor)
5 AS
50 m sprint (25 m up & back)

By about the 10th round the rest between rounds didn’t at all feel like rest, and I was still out of breath when the next round began. I nonetheless started each round after resting exactly 30 seconds.

I had no failed reps.

Times: 1:05, 1:06, 1:05, 1:06, 1:07, 1:05, 1:06, 1:06, 1:04, 1:05, 1:05, 1:06, 1:07, 1:05, 1:05, 1:04, 1:07, 1:09,1:09, 0:57

The HSPU slowed me down a little rounds 18 & 19, but I made up for it by making the last round my fastest round.

Total working time = 21:51

Cinco de Mayo

Jeff and I took Luke for a walk at French Broad and Carrier and then went for a bike ride at The Biltmore. It was my first opportunity to try to new non-clip pedals, and I like them! I feel much more secure know that I don’t have to unclip to put my foot on the ground.

Uhm, my legs felts stiff and tired but it wasn’t from the 300 air squats yesterday but from biking for the first time in months the day before.

Strength
Press
Establish 10, 3, & 2RM

As there is much quantity with working up to and completing 10 RM, I knew not to attempt 5RM or 1RM. I should program this shit. Wait, what?

I completed 10 @ 110, a 5# PR, and then 1# PRs for 3 @ 133 and 2 @ 138.

Conditioning
11 RFT
15-second headstand hold
5 strict & pause at extension and contraction K2E

What made this challenging was that I often felt disoriented after headstand. For headstands, I set up clock on wall at rack so that I could count the 15 seconds (no math involved other than counting). I also brought knees to elbows as I brought my legs down and then rock back to heels.

Time = 8:57

Sunday, May 6

Jeff and I once again began our day by taking Luke for a long walk at The Biltmore. And I’m glad we did, as rain is in the forecast for the rest of the day.

My inner thighs haven’t been this sore since I was a rodeo rider. I focused on skill building today, specifically the hang power clean.

About every 90 seconds
6 HPCs

I began at 100# and had intended to keep the lifts at that weight. I completed 4 or 5 rounds and then began to add 5# a round. I recorded each and every round to ensure:

• I extended my hips
• The barbell landed on my shoulders at the same time as I partially squatted
• Elbows were pointing forward
• Forefoot remained in contact with floor for all 6 reps, i.e., NO JUMPING

One of the most important things I learned when earning Olympic Weightlifting certification that the jump should be minimal IF AT ALL.

My goal was to work up to a set @ 135, just 10 lbs. less than bodyweight, and that’s what I did.

And I didn’t jump once.

I continue to practice speaking Spanish in anticipation of our trip to the DR. I have now taught Luke all of his commands in Spanish. Yes, I know, it use the nonverbal commands as well, so just don’t go there, okay. Luke understands Spanish. You should do so well.

Monday, April 30

I spent most of Sunday drinking beer with my friend Kevin. And eating shitty food, including barbecue, donuts, hamburger, pretzels, and huevos rancheros. And I don’t feel the least bit guilty. Everybody needs a cheat day!

I warmed up by rowing 25 strokes at various damper setting and for watts, calories, meters, and strokes/minute. ‘Twas kind of exhausting. I’ve been using the C2 rower for years and just now discovered options with memory that I didn’t know existed. So there’s that.

For time and reps:
5 push presses + 5 bent over rows + 1 hang power clean @ 100#
5 strokes for calories

Time = 8:27
Calories = 45

This was just what I needed, you know, to sweat off some of the alcohol. Ha! I completed all rounds in unbroken reps. Duh. I rowed an average of .9 calories/stroke.

Tuesday, May 1

Strength
OHS
Establish 5RM

I completed sets @ 65, 75, 85, 95, 105, & 116#, a mere 1# PR. But I’ll take it. I put 121# on the barbell, got it overhead, and felt pain in right wrist. So I bailed, you know, because it’s just not worth it.

The semester is coming to a close. I couldn’t stop thinking about the eight speeches that I needed to grade, so I did just that. I ate breakfast and returned to the garage. I wanted (and needed) to sweat. And sweat I did!

I was going to practice HSPUs but as soon as I placed the mat on the floor Luke claimed it as his own. As it was cooler in the garage than outside. He’s smart. Like me. So I didn’t practice HSPUs.

Every 10 seconds for 51 rounds
Parallette pass through + hop & twist

This was truly more like an AFAP, as it usually took me about 8 seconds to complete a rep. I had the timer set so that when my backed was turned to the clock I would hear it sound and know to start.

1. Hands on parallettes
2. Jump feet back to strict plank
3. Chest to shoulders and push up
4. Jump feet through to plank
5. Dip
6. Jump feet back through to strict plank

Every 10 seconds for 36 rounds
Strict K2E + parallette hop over + PHO w/ 180 twist to right + PHO + PHO w/ 180 twist to left

Much like the previous workout, this felt more like an AMRAP for (once again) a round took about eight seconds. I was duhn (misspelling intentional).

I just watched the season finale of Homeland. I love Claire Danes, and have since “My So Called Life.”

Wednesday, May 2

NFT
50 bodyweight bench presses
Max rep strict/unbroken/no rest ring rows

Push and pull, push and pull. As it was inconvenient to move both the bench and the barbell after doing presses, ring rows were more than adequate exercise. Particularly strict ring rows.

I recall many a workout where “competitors” (basically people wanted to beat my score) didn’t keep a tight core for ring rows and instead, well, “kipped.” What does that accomplish? You can use momentum instead of strength to complete ring rows. And of course you can complete reps at a faster pace. And you could possibly beat me. Ha! That’s funny.

Oh, and no good can come from shitty form.

I completed bench presses in rounds of 10, 9, 9, 8, 6, 5, & 5. Yup, that’s 52, as I didn’t stop after completing the 3 required reps the last round. Because. I completed ring rows in reps of 20, 20, 18, 18, 16, 14, & 16 for a total of 122 reps. It’s no wonder that my upper body is a wee bit sore.

I made a “Fruity Pebble” cake from scratch today. I was going to use meringue frosting but Jeff requested buttercream. ‘Twas the first time I made buttercream frosting, and it (along with the cake) is delicious! I may have a piece of cake for breakfast tomorrow morning. Fruity Pebbles are cereal so it seems only right to do so.

Monday, March 5

I took Luke for a walk around the neighborhood and then graded public speaking outlines and speeches. I next took Jeff to the airport to pick up his rental car. I got home at 11 and thought, “It’s a rest day, but I’m feeling out of sorts. Just work on skills.” So that’s kinda sorta what I did.

Strict HSPUs

Guilty as charged. Huh? In the past I’ve posted that I completed strict HSPU when in fact the only thing that made them strict was that I didn’t kip. I set up the gym mat by the wall and marked 20″ deep and 36″ wide. I then stood against wall, marked location of wrists, measured 3″ below that mark, and placed red tape on wall. For a rep to be counted as strict not only does the rep need to begin with elbows locked, head touches the mat, and elbows lock at finish, but hands have to be placed within box and ankles have to cross red line. I’m not good at math, but even I know that the wider the hands the harder it is to have ankles cross the red line. I experimented with hands placed 24″ apart. Ankles easily passed the mark but shoulders felt uncomfortable. Hands spread 36″ apart, while comfortable on shoulders, made in nearly impossible to have ankles cross red line. The sweet spot is with hands spread about 26″ apart, as shoulders are comfortable and ankles cross the red line. I practiced a few reps at a time, always reviewing recording to ensure proper form and execution. I finished with 4 unbroken reps.

Power Snatches @ 75#
Practice Form

That’s what I did.

DUs
1 attempt at maximum reps

Seventy. I completed 70.

EMOM 30
1 strict (see above) HSPU
3 pull-ups
5 hand release and cheek to floor pushups
7 air squats

This was exhausting, and the strict HSPUs got continually more difficult as time passed. As I do my own programming I feel comfortable and confident modifying as needed. I was but 5 rounds into the workout when I decided 10 rounds would be enough. I then convinced myself to at least do 15 rounds. The 15th round felt okay so I decided to do 20 rounds. I then thought it’d be interesting to do 21 rounds. Twenty-one then became 25. If I could do 25 rounds without failing a rep, I was confident that I could do 30 rounds.

All good reps, people. All. Good. Reps.

Rounds ranged in time from 37 (3rd round) to 29 (last round) seconds and accumulated time was 16:45. 

Luke positioned himself on the blanket just outside of the garage door and napped whilst I worked out.