Leg Day - Week 6/8

Really surprised at what I was able to do today. Third day in a row working out, little rest and I kowcked out a session that was better than Tuesday's leg day. Maybe because it was a little cooler or maybe because my body is readjusting to working legs with load. Nevertheless I continue to make progress. 

Time: 7:59

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks
• 40 Squats
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Push Ups
• 10 Burpees

Time: 8:07

Sandbag Circuits with mixed order each time:

• 10 Step Ups
• 5 Front Squats
• 10 Back Squats
• 10 Lunges* 

• 10 Front Squats*
• 10 Step Ups
• 10 Back Squats
• 5 Lunges

• 10 Back Squats
• 6 Lunges
• 10 Front Squats*
• 10 Step Ups

• 5 Lunges
• 10 Back Squats
• 10 Step Ups
• 10 Front Squats*

Time: 8:51

Upper Push/Row, Pike/HS - Week 6/8 - 10#

Nothing too exciting except that I am planning my next periodization phase that will start in October. This will include getting back on the 5/3/1 in the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays while setting up a home gym in my basement with a rubber mat and rings. I am starting to learn a lot about ring training and starting to get excited about it. I will also be incorporating Kung Fu exercises so programming will be fun.

Time: 7:58

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks
• 40 Squats
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Push Ups
• 10 Burpees

Time: 8:10

• 1 Arm Push Ups with 10# vest: 5x5 each side
• Rows with 10# vest: 5x10 with 4 sets varying side to side

• Pike Push Ups: 4, 3, 3, 2, 4
• Handstand against fence: 15 seconds, 22, 18, 25, 13

• Upright hold on Rings: 5 seconds, 4, 5, 6, 3

Time: 8:57

Leg Day - Week 6/8

Got my 4 circuits in. Good day. Need to work on reps for Lunges & Front Squats. At first I thought that it would rain today so I would have 2 rest days in a row but since it didn't rain I got my work in.

Something that Al Kavadlo talks about is not programming deload or rest weeks since life will many times take over and decide that for you. Point here is to work out when I can.

Time: 7:45

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks
• 40 Squats
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Push Ups
• 10 Burpees

Time: 7:54

• 5x5 Pistols / 1 Leg Squats on a bench

Time: 8:07

Sandbag Circuit - 4x, reversed order every other circuit

• Lunges: 5, 5, 5, 5
• Back Squats: 10, 10, 10, 10
• Step Ups: 10, 10, 10, 10
• Front Squats: 5, 5, 5, 5

Time: 8:35

Sunday Upper Body - Week 6/8, 10# Weight Vest

Deload week is over and I was able to get a head start on my week 6. Took my time since it was a Sunday and enjoyed getting my work in.

Time: 7:50

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks
• 40 Squats
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Push Ups
• 10 Burpees

Time: 8:04

Time: 8:08

• Pull Ups: 3 regular, 3 Rope w/ vest, 3 underhand w/ vest, 3 Rope w/ vest, 2 Regular
• Dips: 10 (no vest), 8 vest, 6 vest, 7 vest, 10 vest

• Back Bridge: 20 seconds, 30, 30, 30, 30
• Hanging Raises: 20 Knee, 10 Leg, 5 T2B, 5 T2B, 5 T2B

Time: 8:54

Saturday Hill Run & Sandbag Carry

In preparing for the Vermont Beast I decided to make my endurance workout a sadbag carry at Port Imperial. This includes the set of steps I have done in preparing for the NJ Beast along with a new found set of stairs. Lots of incline and decline with load.

Since much of the Beast is strength after you are exhausted, I did a warm up run up and down hills before my sandbag carry. This stretched out the duration of my workout and upped the challenge.

I don't want to get over confident but I am not nervous about the Vermont Beast. I did it last year and I am noticably stronger with my upper body and up to the challenge when I test my lower body and legs. As long as I run my race I am going to do just fine.

Hill & Stair Run:

• Distance: 4.07 miles
• Time: 50:09
• Pace: 12:20

Sandbag Carry Hill & Stairs:

• Distance: 2.45 miles
• Time: 1:10:57
• Pace: 29 

Total Workout:

• Distance: 6.52 miles
• Total Time: 2 hours

Leg Day Deload - Challenge Accepted - Week 5/8

Something that has been missing in my workouts are challenges. Challenges are things that you know you can do but have to muster up that something extra to do it. It can't be done every day otherwise you burn out or you are not really challenging yourself. Vermont is a challenge. It will test me. I need to practice the #Unstoppable mindset. 

Last workout, Tuesday, I said I wanted to do 10 circuits of my leg routine and I only accomplished 6. Today, I challenged myself to complete all 10. Challenge accomplished. 

Tomorrow is an all around upper body workout and I will do 3 rounds instead of the 2 I did last time and Saturday I will challenge myself to a run with a heavy and long sandbag carry at the end. Next week will be back to my progressive overload routine.

Time: 7:59

Warm Up: 

• 50 Jumping Jacks
• 40 Squats
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Push Ups
• 10 Burpees

Time: 8:05

Circuit 30/15 - 10 Rounds with a couple of rests. Straight through this should take 30 minutes. Total time was 36 minutes.

• Squats
• Lunges
• Step ups
• Box Jumps

Time: 8:41

Leg Day Deload - Week 5/8

My hamstring was bothering me last week and then I went for a 10.7 mile run up and down a mountain on Saturday. I was exhausted afterward and one would think that my hamstring would hurt. Funny thing is that it didn't and that pain has gone away. Good test today with leg day although I am not using weight this week. The results will be tomorrow if I am sore.

Time: 7:47

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumpig Jacks
• 40 Squats
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Push Ups
• 10 Burpees

Time: 7:55

6 Circuits with 30 seconds on / 15 seconds rest for each:

• Squats
• Lunges
• Step Ups
• Box Jumps or Burpees

Time: 8:18  ( rested then decided I was not going to go on)

Upper Body Taper - Week 5/8

This week is for tapering so I had fun going through the motions and getting my exercise in. Total time was about 45 minutes and I did a little of everything including trying a Dragon Flag for the first (& 2nd) time.

Time: 7:42

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks
• 40 Burpees
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Push Ups
• 10 Burpees

Time: 7:54

Random Circuit x2

• Dips
• Rows
• Push Ups
• Pull Ups
• Hanging Knee Raises / Hanging Leg Raises
• Handstands
• Pike Push Ups
• Back Bridges
• Dragon Flags

Time: 8:27

Saturday Mountain Trail Distance Run / Hike

Did this again with the full intention of power hiking up the hills and running the rest. Mission accomplished. 

Distance: 10.7 miles
Time: 2:25:30
Pace: 13:36

I did the same run as last time and many other times but last time the pace was better adn the distance was longer. Double checking, I did this week in the same time as last week so I think that last time the distance was off by 1/2 mile which gave me a better pace. 

Legs & 50 Burpees - Week 4/8

Cut the circuits off at two since I was hurting on Monday, woke up with a twinge this morning, and was starting to ache. Its okay, making progress and I will be strong enough for Killington in five weeks.

Time: 7:35

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks
• 40 Squats
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Push Ups
• 10 Burpees

Time: 7:43

5x5 Pistols: Still doing one leg squats on a bench. Need to progress to ground with leg straight out.

Time: 7:54

Sandbag Circuit:

• Step Ups: 10, 10
• Front Squats: 6, 7
• Lunges: 10, 10
• Back Squats: 10, 10

Time: 8:14

50 Burpees in 5:38 - much better time than yesterday. Shaved off a minute.

Time: 8:22

Pike/HS, Row/Push, 50 Burpees - Week 4/8, 8# Weight Vest

Felt great today and really improved upon my numbers. It is due to the rest that I have provided myself. Good to know.

Time: 7:49

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks
• 40 Squats
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Push Ups
• 10 Burpees

Time: 8:01

• Pike Push Ups: 5, 5, 5, 5, 3
• Handstands: 30 seconds, 30, 21, 23, 30 * on the 3rd & 4th set I did more to balance on my own as opposed to holding myself up against a wall.

Time: 8:25

• Row: 10, 10 side to side, 10s, 10s, 10s
• Push Ups: 10 side to side, 5/5, 5/5, 5/5, 5/5

Time: 8:53 (? - working off memory and not my card)

50 burpees in 6:35 - Terrible time but a finisher nonetheless

Time: 9:01

Sandbag Legs - Week 4/8 - Cut short

This weekend I had an 8 mile run planned but did less than 1 mile since my legs did not have any strength. I did swim about 8 laps in an Olympic pool. Sunday was a planned rest day and travel day and I was exhausted. Today I was ready to go but stopped my workout after the first sandbag circuit since I felt an ache in the back of my left leg and right above my left glutes. Better to cut it short than hurt myself. I am now wondering what to do going forward with resting and training for the Killington Beast. We shall see.

Time: 7:42

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks
• 40 Squats
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Push Ups
• 10 Burpees

Time: 7:49

• 5x5 Pistols - Getting better with this doing one leg squats on a bench. Balance is improving. Kept a good pace. Did all 5 sets on one leg.

Time: 8

Sandbag Circuit:

• Step Ups: 10
• Good Morning: 10
• Lunges: 10
• RDL: 10/5

Time: 8:11

Push/Row & HS/Pike - Week 3/8 - 6#

Disappointed that my main work sets took an entire hour. I need to speed things up and make the time for conditioning.

Time: 8:01

Warm Up:

• 50 Jumping Jacks
• 40 Squats
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Push Ups
• 10 Burpees

Time: 8:12

• Push Ups: 5x5 working toward 1 arm push up
• Rows: 5x10 alternating between sides - like Archer Rows

Time: 8:34

• Fence Handstands: 20 seconds, 14, 28, 17. 27
• Pike Push Ups: 3, 4, 3, 3, 3

Time: 9:00

Sandbag Leg Day - Week 3/8

Yesterday was supposed to be leg day but due to thunderstorms, became a yoga day which was good for me since I think that I needed the rest. Friday is supposed to rain and then I am supposed to run on Saturday morning in St. Michaels but since I am seriously reconsidering the importance of running for the Killington Beast I may do a leg day on Friday (assuming no rain) and still follow through with the run on Saturday but not kill myself if it isn't all that I planned. 

When I woke up I was feeling sore in my legs but if you look at teh results you will see that this is my best leg day ever with this routine. 

Kept a good time today since I needed to be in the office a little earlier than usual. Was planning on a 50 burpee finisher but didn't wan't to push things.

Time; 7:15

Warm Up: 

• 50 Jumping Jacks
• 40 Squats
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Push Ups
• 10 Burpees

Time: 7:34

Sandbag Circuit x4:

• Step Ups: 10, 10, 10, 10
• Front Squats: 5, 6, 7, 8
• Lunges: 5, 10, 10, 10
• Back Squats: 10, 10, 10, 10

Times for Circuit: 7:34, 7:41, 7:49, 7:58

Finish Time: 8:08

Upper Body - BB/HLR, Pull/Row - Week 3/8, 6#

I really didn't feel like working out today since I had another exhausting weekend. I did it and I did the whole thing. I really considered skipping the 30 burpees at the end but manned up since I really do need some kind of conditioning. 

I need to stop listening to my head and start just doing. 

Time: 7:30

Warm Up

• 50 Jumping Jacks
• 40 Squats
• 30 Sit Ups
• 20 Push Ups
• 10 Burpees

Time: 7:40

Back Bridge / Hanging Leg Raises

• BB: 10 seconds, 3 BB Push Ups +10 seconds, 2 BB Push ups + 13 seconds, 3 BB Push Ups + 20 seconds, 3 BB Push Ups (foot slipped & I fell).
• 18 Hanging Knee Raises, 10 HLRs, 10 HLRs, 5 Toes to Bar, 6 T2B

Time: 8:12

Pull Ups & Dips w/ #6 weight vest

• Rope Pull Ups: 4 (no vest), 3, 3, 2, 2
• Dips: 7 side, 3f, 5f, 8s, 8s

Time: 8:28

30 Burpees in 3:07

Time: 8:32

Mountain Trail Long Run - Week 2 of 8

Great workout. I changed my mindset this week when I read an article about preparing for the Beast and the guy plainly said that there really isn't a lot of running but rather power hiking up the mountain. This adjusted my approach so that I focused on distance and endurance and not time. I disciplined myself not to run hills and the result is that I did the same as the last time when I was trying to attack the hills.

I also had a lot of gas left in the tank so I really feel that I will be able to handle the distance in 7 weeks. Great confidence booster. 

Distance: 11.19 Miles
Time: 2:24
Pace: 12:52

Last Time:
Distance: 10.63 miles
Time: 2:16
Pace: 12:53

First Time (there were many pauses of Run Keeper for rest periods)
Distance: 10:81
Time: 2:15
Pace: 12:33