Burpees & Sandbag Carry

Was traveling yesterday so I did yoga instead of a workout. This meant having to get something in before Tumbling Toddlers with Brooklyn. Pressed for time I did my burpees and the short sandbag carry. I added 10 pounds to the bag and I felt it toward the end. 

130 burpees in 15:50

1.36 mile sandbag carry in 29:56. .92 miles total elevation change.

+5 Mile Run & Burpees

Today was a conditioning day and since I need to be able to run faster, I decided that I should run. Also need to keep up on my burpees so I ran from Lincoln Harbor to Hoboken Beach where I stopped for burpees and then returned. It was really cold. 

Run: 5.27 miles in 50:53. Good pace. Better than 10 minute mile. Need to work up to 9:30. This is a shade less.

Burpees: 128 in 16:17 - terrible pace. Need to keep on 10 burpee per minute pace. I could't see the timer well outside but I need to correct that to see where I stop to drop off the pace. I need burpee splits. 

Deadlift & OH Press 5/3/1 Cycle 2, Week 1

Not much to report besides getting into the gym and getting my work done. Since I am traveling and won't make my gym on Friday, I wrapped up this week's 5/3/1 on Wednesday. The rest of the week through the weekend is up to me to be creative. I am sure that it will be fun.

Warm Up: 5 minutes rowing

Deadlift: 5@120, 5@140, 3@165, 5@200, 5@235, 7@260
OH Press: 5@45, 5@55, 3@60, 5@75, 5@85, 8@95

Assistance Super Sets:
Pull Ups: 5s, 5u, 4r, 4r, 3 wide
Dips: 10, 9(+5)*, 8*, 10*, 10*

Time: 50 minutes
Weight: 206

Burpees & Sandbag Hill Carry - New Personal Bests

Was tired this morning but got out and did my burpees and sandbag carry. I guess that I am due to increase load on the sandbag but am staying put since my overall volume of workouts is increasing. 

126 burpees in 13:30 **did better timing myself and this is the best pace I have ever had. The goal is to get to 10 burpees per minute for an extended time. So, 100 burpees in 10 minutes, 120 in 12 minutes, 150 burpees in 15 minutes. For max conditioning I need to get to 80 burpees in 5 minutes. 

Sandbag Hill Carry: 
28:15, new PR
1.41 miles & .96 miles up & down

Total workout time: 50 minutes

Bench & Squats 5/3/1 Cycle 2, Week 1 with KB Tabata

Got into the conditioning mode a week earlier than expected only because I am going to need to be in top form for the Beast in April. I substituted one of my assistance exercises with Kettlebell Tabata. Also, I did bench and squats since I will be traveling in Friday and can't get to the gym. This means I have to double up Monday and Wednesday.

Warm Up: 5 minutes rowing

Bench: 5@65, 5@75, 3@90, 5@105, 5@120, 10@135
Squats: 5@75, 5@90, 3@105, 5@125, 5@145, 10@160

Assistance:
DB Rows: 10@60, 10@65, 10@70, 10@75, 6@80
30 Second DB Holds: 80, 85, 90, 95@25, 95@20

KB Tabata: 20kg Swings, 8kg 1 Arm Thrusters

Time: 70 minutes
Weight: 206

Burpees & Snow Shoveling

Did my 124 burpees in the snow. Due to the bad weather I decided against walking up and down icy street hills with a sandbag so I shoveled snow for about 2 hours.

Beginning of Burpee Challenge and Sandbag Hill

It is not yet arch but I realize that if I am going to run the Beast with Primal FitLife then I really need to step up my conditioning game. This group is light and fast. 

So, I joined their Burpee challenge. Add the date to 24 to age and get the number of burpees you are supposed to do that day. So: 2+21+20+15+24+41=123

My goal is to get to 150 burpees in 15 minutes. Then get to 80 burpees in 5 minutes. 

Conditioning base line numbers:

Total workout time: 50 minutes

Weight: 206 - goal is to get to 195 by NJ Beast, 190 by VT Beast while gaining strength.
123 burpees in 16:38

Sandbag Hill Carry: Dirt +20 
Time: 29:09
Distance: 1.42 miles
Total Elevation change: .92 miles

Deadlifts & OH Press - Cycle 1, Deload

It is fun using this deload week to do each rep very slowly, with pauses, while keeping my eyes closed and feeling the muscle and movement. I got into the gym, I did my work, I went home and am ready for Week 1 of Cycle 2 that starts on Monday

Warm Up: 5 minutes rowing

• Deadlift: 5@115, 5@145, 5@175
• OH Press: 5@bar, 5@55, 5@65

Assistance Super Sets:

• DB Rows: 10@60, 10@65, 10@70
• 30 Second DB Holds: 80, 85/25, 85/25

• Pull Ups: 5, 5, 3
• Dips: 10, 10, 8

Time: 50 minutes
Weight: 206

Squats & Bench - 5/3/1 Cycle 1, Deload

This is my first time on a programmed deload week. I took advantage of using light weight and did slow movements and long pauses at the bottom or my bench and squats. Fun. Good stuff.

Warm Up: 5 minutes rowing

• Bench: 5@60, 5@75, 5@90
• Squats: 5@70, 5@90, 5@110

Assistance Super Sets: 

• Row: 10@60, 10@65, 10@70
• Holds: 80, 85, 90@25

• Pull Ups: 3R, 3R, 5U
• Dips: 6, 6, 10 **the two sixes were slow movement with long holds at the bottom

Time: 55 minutes
Weight: 206

Sunday Sandbag Stairs

I don't know what happened to my tracker but I guess it turned off when I put it in my pocket and started to work out. It doesn't matter since the raw stats are good enough.

Time: 2 hours.

Distance: I did the hill and the stairs 3x.

Weight: I used 10 pounds more than I did last week. 

Great workout today. It was cold. Like single digit with wind cold. I felt better on my 3rd loop than my second. Increased duration. Increased load. Awesome. 

Deadlift 5/3/1 Cycle 1 Week 3

All this week I have done better on my last set as compared to last week. I am now ready to deload next week which will be new for me. Can't wait to start Cycle 2 in 10 days.

Warm Up: 5 minutes rowing

Deadlift: 5@115, 5@145, 3@ 175, 5@220, 3@250, 8@280

Assistance Super Sets:

• Dumbbell Rows: 10@60, 10@65, 7@70, 5@75, 6@75
• Dumbbell Holds: 80@30, 85@30, 90@15, 90@25, 90@20

5 sets of Pull Ups. Just messing around and nothing to brag about.

• Time: 55 minutes
• Weight: 207 - This is getting close to my highest but I am convinced that most, if not all of my weight gain is lean muscle mass. We shall see how everything shakes out when I start conditioning in March.

Thursday Sandbag Carry

Added 10 pounds to the sandbag and thought about doing my neighborhood hill twice instead of once. I only did it once since I did add load and this is a weekday cardio workout and I need to save energy for deadlifts tomorrow and the big hill and staircase sandbag carry on Sunday. Sunday's goal is to use the increased weight and do my routine 3x as opposed to 2. 

Time: 31 minutes
Distance: ~1.5 miles
Total Elevation: ~1 mile

Squats & OH 5/3/1 Cycle 1, Week 3

Did my Squats (that I didn't do Monday) and OH Press today setting the stage for Deadlifts on Friday. 

I was not happy with my squat performance last week but was much happier today as I made sure to tighten my core. The result was 10 reps on the heaviest set. Not all perfect but a great improvement. I think that the sandbag carry is really paying off in core strength.

Warm Up: 5 minutes rowing

Squats: 5@70, 5@90, 3@110, 5@135, 3@145, 10@170

OH Press: 5@45, 5@55, 3@65, 5@80, 3@90, 3@105

Assistance Super Sets:

• Pull Ups: 5, 4R, 5U, 3Wide, 3R
• Dips: 10, 10@5, 7@5, 7@5, 6@5

Time: 55 minutes
Weight: 203

Bench 5/3/1 Cycle 1, Week 3

The sandbag stairs workout yesterday really took a lot out of me and made me feel like I should have rested today. Instead, I took the advice of the 5/3/1 program designer and just did my 1 lift before going home. If this program works, I am really going to enjoy its flexibility. 

I read up on developing explosive power and instead of doing extra exercises like box jumps and clap push ups, I decided that I could use the lighter weights that the 5/3/1 program builds itself around to do the big lifts explosively. Specifically in the 1st 2 work sets since the last set is for AMRAP.

The success of my week needs to be determined by my workouts on Wednesday and Friday. I need to hit my big lifts and do full assistance work.

Warm Up: 5 minutes rowing, 10 push ups 

Bench: 5@60. 5@75, 3@90, 5@115, 3@130, 7@145

Time: 20 minutes
Weight: 205

Sunday Sandbag Stairs

I should have posted about this last week since it was the first time that I did it but I didn't so here we go. 

Really simple workout. The purpose is to train going up hill while carrying load. I put potting soil and 2 10 pound bags in an army duffle bag and walked up a half mile hill and then up and down a huge staircase. Pictures below. Results here:

2/8

Time: 1:22

Distance: 3.1 miles

Total Elevation: 2.2 miles

Notes: 2 rounds, 2x stairs on 1st round.

2/1

Time: 1:07

Distance: 2.7 miles

Total Elevation: 2 miles

Notes: 1st time doing it.  

DL & OH 5/3/1 Cycle 1, Week 2

I forgot to write down what I was supposed to lift for the OH so I didn't know what to do. I took a look at the bench press and extrapolated from that. When I got home and checked what I was supposed to do I am proud to say that I guessed correctly.

Warm Up: 5 minutes rowing

Deadlift: 5@115, 5@145, 3@175, 3@205, 3@235, 7@265

OH Press: 5@45, 5@55, 3@65, 3@75, 3@85, 7@95

Assistance Super Sets: 

• DB Rows: 10@60, 10@65, 10@70, 5@75, 6@75
• DB Holds: 80 for 30 seconds, 85@30, 90@15, 90@15, 90@20

• Pull Ups: 3, 4, 3
• Dips: 6, 7, 6

Time: ?? - stopped at 8
Weight: 206

Squat & Bench 5/3/1 Cycle 1, Week 2

After poor weather conditions prevented me from getting to the gym on Monday, I doubled up today on the squats and bench. To keep things under an hour I cut back on my assistance doing only the pull ups & dips. Taking a few days off felt good although I was not happy with my squat performance since I could only pump out 5 reps on the last set when I am supposed to go AMAP.

I like the flexibility that I am applying to this program. For example, I a thinking about always doing 2 of the lifts every time and only doing 1 assistance superset. On a 3x to the gym week this would leave Friday open to do whatever. This week I would do 5x10 squats since I think that it is something I need to work on.

Warm Up: 5 minutes rowing

Bench: 5@60, 5@75, 3@90, 3@105, 3@120, 10@140

Squats: 5@70, 5@90, 3@110, 3@125, 3@135, 5@160

Assistance Super Sets:

• Pull Ups: 5, 4, 5, 4, 3
• Dips: 10. 10, 8+5, 6+5, 6+5

Time: 55 minutes
Weight: 205