Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Brief Kettlebell Conditioning Taper Work Out - Still Recovering from Cold

Felt good going into the gym but ran out of gas early. Made the excuse that I am tapering but I am really still getting over a cold. I need to keep positive and be fully rested for Sunday. I am starting to worry that this Tough Mudder is going to be my most challenging - which it shouldn't.


Reviewing Burpee form I am changing from doing a very point to point push up to a more fluid get your chest to the floor and get up style.


This Kettlebell workout came from http://kettlebellsworkouts.com/ I pulled all of the videos from this trainer’s YouTube Channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/GBpersonaltraining
He has several different types of workouts on his site along with downloadable programs. Please visit his site. This is listed as his “Best Kettlebell Workouts” so I thought that would be fine for me but he has other ones including strength, beginner, etc. I have adjusted the number of reps and set to fit me but are using his exercises.
Warm Up:
Circuit with sets of 10. At the end of each circuit did 10 burpees.


Notes / Results:
  • Time: 35 minutes - only did two circuits
  • Weight: 198 pounds
** All weight in KGs** - not sure how heavy the Grey or Green Kettlebells are but they are heavier than the 18 KG and Green is heavier than Grey

  • Turkish Get Ups: Sets: 10, 10
  • 1 Arm Kettlebell Swings: 14, 14
  • Reverse Lunges: 14, 14
  • High Pulls: 14, 14
  • Squats: 14, 14

Monday, October 27, 2014

Saturday Run - Monday Bodyweight

Still getting over my cold a little bit and really fell of the diet wagon this weekend. Need to clean up the diet for the remainder of the week, get through my last Tough Mudder and be 100% for the next five months of strength training.

Saturday I did a long run but it was the short half of my l0ong run and I didn’t time it. Good enough to get outside and move around. By the end of the day, before 8 pm I was exhausted and had to go to sleep. Rested Sunday.

Skipped the Rows and the Monkey Bars today but did get in 3 sets of each exercise. Thursday is the last day of training before Housto Tough Mudder and I will make sure to start with those exercises.
Warm Up:

Supersets - Each Set is 5 reps of the first exercise with a slow negative and explosive concentric. Quickly follow that up with 6 - 12 reps done normally. 3 sets for each pairing.

  • Legs
    • Pistol Squats
    • Box Jumps
  • Core
    • V-Ups
    • Toes to Bar
  • Military Press
    • Military Press
    • Pull Ups
  • Dips
    • Regular
    • Seated
  • Push Ups
    • Clap
    • Diamond
Notes / Results:

  • Time: 55 minutes
  • Weight: 198

Friday, October 24, 2014

Bodyweight 5 & 6 - Still getting over being sick

Not the best day for me since I have been sick over the past several days. I should have worked out yesterday but took it as a rest day. I woke up feeling better today but as soon as the workout began I realized that i was far from 100%.

Bottom line is that the most important thing that I can do is to be rested and ready for my Houston Tough Mudder next Sunday so today only doing one superset of four out of the six exercises wasn’t the worst thing in the world.
Warm Up:

Supersets - Each Set is 5 reps of the first exercise with a slow negative and explosive concentric. Quickly follow that up with 6 - 12 reps done normally. 3 sets for each pairing.

  • Push Ups
    • Clap
    • Diamond
  • Rows
    • Elevated Feet
    • Towel
  • Military Press
    • Military Press
    • Pull Ups
  • Dips
    • Regular
    • Seated
Notes / Results:

  • Time: 20 minutes
  • Weight: 196

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Strength Day - Need to Try Squat Negatives

I made today a good day. I most probably should have rested since I was tired and my right leg is aching, especially my knee. I got in there and did my best and may have even made a discovery that will help me in the long term.

I noticed that on my squats that my ROM decreases as I hit higher weights. I am not sure how deep I should regularly go but I think that starting in the hole and exploding up, then slowly lowering the bar to the hole will help with that. I did get to 175 today which was a new PR and on course to accomplish my strength goal but I don’t want to sacrifice ROM for load. Going forward I may still increase the weight but then do drop sets with full RM. The next two weeks I am going to concentrate on starting from the hole.

I also did bench and continue to have problems at 145 for the fifth rep. I was able to do two at 155 with a spotter helping me finish my third rep.

The plan was also to Deadlift but due to me bieng tired, pain in my right leg & knee and with someone else in the traditional Deadlift space (I could have found another) I skipped it today.

Warm Up:

Strength Exercises

Notes / Results:
  • Time: 50 minutes
  • Weight: 198

  • Bench Press
    • Previous high: 3@155
    • Sets: 12@120*, 10@130*, 8@135*, 4@145, 2@155
  • Squats
    • Previous High:3@175
    • 12@120*, 10@140*, 8@155*, 5@165, 3@175

Monday, October 20, 2014

Tri-State Tough Mudder 2014

A week late but here we go. Had a great day to run with cool temps but not too cool. I am starting to get used to these events so no major workout commentary aside for two things:


  • Muscle Ups. I had the most problems with the Berlin Walls (although I need to make more of an effort to extend my arms and get my feet underneath me) and the Glory Blades. Both of these problems will be solved by learning to do muscle ups.
  • Be mindful at the obstacles. For the Funky Monkey I made an extra effort to get my hands as dry as possible. This included rubbing them in grass and trying to get dry dirt on them. Once ready to go I made sure that I focused on getting from rung to rung without any distractions. I was successful. On Hanging Tough + on the Legionnaires Loop, I started before the second ring had stopped swinging. This meant that when I reached for it, it wasn't where I needed it to be so I missed it and failed the obstacle. This could have been prevented by going in another lane or just waiting. If I want to complete courses without missing obstacles I need to take a minute and be mindful of how I am going to accomplish every one. 



Pumped up and ready to go!

Course map. A preview of what is to come.


First person video of all of the obstacles. This was from Saturday which was muddier and done in the rain.


Arctic Enema was cold. As expected.


Right after this was Balls to the Wall. A high wall with a rope to get you over it. Glad to see that obstacle. I made it over it with ease. I saw others struggling in addition to a woman just walking away and around it. I guess that my experience and hard work is paying off.

I nailed the Funky Monkey by concentrating on one rung at a time. Thinking back there were very few people who made it across. I am guessing this is due to lack of practice. There were some guys who looked like they should be able to make it across that didn't and some of them were grabbing the outside of the rungs. I didn't understand that.



Since I was separated from my group very early in the event and had to find someone to pair up with for the Warrior Carry. As much as he looks like he was in pain carrying me, let me say that I carried him just as far and did not have the problems that it looks like he is having. 





Next came the Pyramid Scheme. This obstacle is built for teamwork and there is no way you can get up it yourself since they have a mud ditch directly in front of it. The mud ditch eliminates any chance for a running start. 

I started by laying down at the bottom and letting people climb up me to people who were at the top pulling people up. Once I got up I spent about 10 - 15 minutes pulling people up. It was my payback for help on the Berlin Walls and, later, Everest where I needed a helping hand.

Everest was next. Much earlier in the course as opposed to earlier years. This was due to the fact that they basically reversed the course route from previous years. I had a good run, caught a hand and was able to quickly hook my leg on the top of the ramp and get myself up. There was no open areas to lay down and help others so I kept on moving.

Fire in Your Hole. Long wait for this "obstacle" that didn't last that long. I am not going to complain but I don't think that it really lived up to the hype. I would have liked to see something more challenging. What I did like was Hanging Tough + which was two rings to rope to two more rings cross over water. 





We had the option of skipping the Electro Shock Therapy and I almost did but then that would not be in true Mudder spirit. No need to wuss out. And I paid for it receiving a couple of zaps. Good times.



A well earned beer at the finish area. We have this group together plus one for the Poconos Tough Mudder in April of 2015. Can't wait.


Saturday LSD Run - Monday Bodyweight Weeks 5&6

Did a good LSD (Long, Slow, Duration) run on Saturday for two hours. My ultimate goal is to get it to three but there is no urgency to do that. I will be fine for my last event of the year, the Houston Tough Mudder, in two weeks.

Today I got in my bodyweight routine with supersets. I a only supposed to do two weeks of this routine but I will stretch it to three and probably miss it once I move on to the next level. I am stretching it to three weeks since I am not changing things up the week before the Houston Tough Mudder just to have a new cycle interrupted.

Starting in November, the focus is going more to strength training and that means more barbell work. I will find ways to keep up the conditioning and the bodyweight routine. Don’t ask me how but I like it too much to give it up.
Warm Up:

Supersets - Each Set is 5 reps of the first exercise with a slow negative and explosive concentric. Quickly follow that up with 6 - 12 reps done normally. 3 sets for each pairing.

  • Push Ups
    • Clap
    • Diamond
  • Military Press
    • Military Press
    • Pull Ups
  • Legs
    • Pistol Squats
    • Box Jumps
  • Rows
    • Elevated Feet
    • Towel
  • Dips
    • Regular
    • Seated
  • Core
    • V-Ups
    • Toes to Bar

Notes / Results:

  • Time: 75 minutes
  • Weight: 197