Metcon Hell

I was a bit sore in the upper body today, and I thought I'd run a 5k. I did a little warm-up run and decided I really didn't want to do the 5k today. I wanted a more intense workout, so I went with this.

Four rounds for time:

Run 400m
Row 500m

No rest between rounds

I finished this in a bit of a disappointing 19:47...but I was wiped by the end of it.

Strength Day

Wow. I'm tired in that really good I worked my ass off way. I raised my weight on both squats and bench press today. The workout went like this:

Squat 3x5 Working sets
Bench press 3x5 Working sets
Chins (Strict form) 3 sets to failure
Overhead Press 3x5 Working sets
Dips: 3 sets of 10, one with no weight, one with 20lbs, one with 25lbs.

I'm pleased with my effort today.

Metcon day

I did this one today in 27:26

Three rounds of:

Jumping Jacks - 60 reps

Spiderman Push-ups - 10 each side

Walking Lunges - 15 each side

Spiderman Climb - 10 each side

Wall Squat Hold - 45 seconds

Plank Hold - 60 seconds

Burpees - 5 reps

Running High Knees - 25 each side

Also walked at the beach for about an hour earlier today.

It was a lot tougher than it sounds. Thankfully tomorrow is a rest day!

Strength Workout today

Squat 3x5 Working sets
Bench press 3x5 Working sets
Pull-ups (Strict form):

With a continuously running clock do one pull-up the first minute, two pull-ups the second minute, three pull-ups the third minute... continuing as long as you are able.

Use as many sets each minute as needed.

I did seven rounds and four pullups in the eighth. That compares pretty miserably with the nine plus four I did last July.

Dips: 3 sets of 10, one with no weight, one with 20lbs, one with 25lbs.

Oh...and the picture is what my shins look like every time I do deadlifts. I'd better come up with a solution for that.

Enjoy your workout!

Every day I go into the gym, the person at the desk says that to me.

"Enjoy your workout."

Today was running day. I most definitely did NOT enjoy my workout. In fact, I rarely do. I mean...I enjoy the sense of accomplishment of bettering my time or volume or raising the weight I'm using. I enjoy the knowledge that I pushed myself through a hard set of squats or deads, or pushed myself through a wall on a metcon workout.

But I really don't enjoy it when I'm going through the hell I put myself through. I assure you....If I did, I'd be doing it wrong.

Today's workout:

I did my own spin on the main site WOD.

After a warmup jog, I ran eight 400m sprints separated by one and a half-two minutes of walking at four mph. Man...did that suck!

I haven't done much running since early November, so I have a way to go to get back to where I was. It was a start, anyway.

Strength Day Today

3 sets of 5 Front Squats
3 sets of 5 Overhead Press
5 sets of 3 Power Clean
1 set of 5 Deadlifts

I tore up my chin doing the cleans and deadlifts. Just like old times.

Goals

I should have goals, shouldn't I?

I have a strength plan in place. I have a metcon plan in place as well.

I'm going to put a lot of focus on my lower body. This has been my weakest area. I read something the other day about how weak the posterior chain is on most Americans. The same can be said for trunk strength. It's true. I'm going to gradually and consistently build strength by performing proper back squats, front squats, overhead squats, deadlifts, and an assortment of Olympic lifts. Yes...I will continue bench press and overhead press and dips and pullups and chins....but I am going to focus quite a bit on getting my core strength and posterior chain where it should be.

I have a core group of exercises, and will raise the weight every one-two weeks while maintaining proper form. This is a bastardized form of Ripptoe's Starting Strength program. I'm curious to see how far I can go. Stay tuned....

Kick me in the ass...please

I've had nearly five months of fits and starts and various ailments that helped to derail my progress. I've worked out when I can, and have been doing reasonably well with that. My eating, on the other hand, has gone to shit. It is showing up both around my waist and on the scale. I know I'm the one that has to motivate myself, but please don't hesitate to kick my backside a time or two if you notice me slipping up.

The time for action is now.