5 Weeks to Beast - Thursday Light Run & Burpees

Notes of significance include:

1 - My quads were aching when I woke up due to leg day yesterday but I made it out and did it. I almost took today off. Glad that I didn't.

2 - Even with the aches and me telling myself to just get out there and do it, I had a much improved pace time telling me that the more I do this and get used to it, the better I become.

3 - Burpee pace is still terrible. Need to work on being able to bang out sets of 10 burpees easily. Not there yet. More like 5 and then rest. Not good if I am going to be doing the NJ Beast with a team.

5 Weeks to Beast Wednesday

Don't even know what to call this post but the good news is that I was supposed to do conditioning at the end of my workout but the power rack opened up so I was able to Press and Squat. I kept a good pace so I don't feel bad since I kept my heart rate up.

Time: 50 minutes

DBDL: 12@70, 10@75, 8@80, 5@85, 6@90 *working to get to 100 DB and then build reps on early sets

Pull: 3, 3, 2, 2, 3
Dip: 7, 5, 4, 5, 6

Press: 8@22.5, 5@22.5, 6@22.5, 5@25, 3@30

Squats: 12@15, 10@20, 10@25, 10@30, 10@35

Light Run & Burpees

This is my new routine for active rest days. Short run with some burpees and run home. I think that doing this frequently will accomplish a couple of things. 

1 - Get me back into the rythm of running without killing myself. My body will be used to the movement pattern since I will be doing it frequently but due to the low intensity/volume I won't be hurting myself.

2 - Always good to have burpee practice for the NJ Beast and the burpees are a good conditioning tool to help metabolism. 

Run is about 2.25 miles (1.1 there, 1.1 back)

I did some sets of 10 burpees but more sets of 5. Need to work on this.

5 Weeks to NJ Beast Monday

4 if you don't count tapering the week before.

I am maing sure that I get y conditioning in. I can always get stronger but i am most probably strong enough and I need to get my conditioning game in gear. The strategy now is to cut back on some of the exercises and get in a conditioner at the end. I will also do light runs on Tuesday and Thursday with burpees at the park in the middle.

Time: 1 hour
Weight: 221

DB DL: 12@65, 10@70, 10@75, 10@80, 5@85

Row: 12@100, 6@110, 6@110, 7@110, 5@120

Bench: 12@40, 10@45, 8@47.4, 5@50, 3@55

KB Swing & Push Up finisher: 20 KB Swings with #45, then 10 push ups, 20 sings & 9 Push ups, etc. Did not do 20 swings every time. Worst was 11 and many were 15. 

Rest Week - Saturday Workout

Real easy. Ran to the park, 5 supersets of Pull Ups/Dips & Rows/Push Ups. Did not worry about number of reps but rather minimal rest time. Need to get back into a conditioning state of mind for this next month. Finished with 10 burpees. Not in a row so I need to work on that. 

Rest Week Run

This may be longer than needs to be since I am catching up for the week.

1 - Stevens gym is on spring break which means no lifting.

2 - I am using this time to rest and recover with my ankle and leg

3 - Since I do need to get out and around, I bought an ankle wrap so that I can get back in the groove of running to the park to do exercises.

4 - Did upper body super sets of pulls/dips & rows/push ups.

5 - Did not concentrate on number of reps but more on going to failure on a set and then limiting my rest time before the next set. 

6 - Going forward, I think that a light run to the park, 50 burpees (or 5 sets of 10) and a light run home are good for cardio/rest days (Tuesday and Thursday).

7 - I will rest tomorrow, do this again on Saturday and then hit the gym on Monday.

8 - Starting Monday I need at least 15 minutes of HIIT at the end of my weight lifting sessions. The NJ Beast is a month away.

Wednesday and Friday, Week 4

Catching up here since I forgot to post on Wednesday. Biggest t\takeaways from the week are that I am slowly but surely recovering from my foot injury and that I am continuing to make progress on all of my lifts. I am making sure to progress slowly so that I don't get hurt.

What I am seeing is that I can hit a rut in the middle level rep ranges. I need to earn my reps and earn my growth but I also think that I should still push the bigger weights if I hit them previously. 


Wednesday: 1 hour

Dumbbell Deadlift: 12@65, 10@70, 10@75, 10@80, 5@85

Pull Ups: 3, 2, 3, 4, 2
Dips: 6, 6, 6, 6, 6

Bench: 12@37.5, 10@42.5, 8@45, 5@47.5, 3@50

Row: 12@100, 9@110, 6@115, 5@115, 3@120

****

Friday: 1:25

Squats: 10@15, 10@20, 10@25, 10@30, 10@35

Press: 12@22.5, 10@25, 6@27.5, 5@27.5, 3@30

Pull Ups: 3, 2, 3, 3, 2 (counted 1, 2, 3 on the way down)
Dips: 7, 7, 5, 7, 7

Row: 12@100, 10@110, 8@115, 5@120, 3@125

Bench: 12@40, 10@42.5, 8@45, 5@50, 3@55

Monday, Week 4

Still taking it easy since my foot and leg are still hurting. I will be okay but just need to get past this. The guy who bench presses in the power rack was not there today so I got to do my Press and Squats. I did them first.

Time: 1:25
Weight: 221

Press: 12@20, 10@22.5, 8@25, 5@27.5, 3@30

Squats: 10@10, 10@15, 10@20, 10@25, 10@30

Pull Ups: 4, 3, 3, 4, 3
Dips: 6, 6, 6, 6, 5

Row: 12@100, 7@110, 8@110, 5@120, 3@130

Bench: 12@37.5, 10@40, 8@45, 5@47.5, 3@50

Friday Week 3

There are 2 guys that dominate the deadlift platform and power rack which makes it difficult for me to squat, deadlift and press. Everything is about improvising. My foot is feeling better but my legs are hurting a little bit so when I was supposed to squat today since one guy hasn't been there on Fridays, I chose to do a kettlebell swing/squat tabata as a finisher. Used 35 pounds to start so I will move up in weight the next time I do it.

Was not able to press today which is disappointing since I only pressed once this week. Was going to take off bench / row but did that since I could. Prioritized Pull Ups and Dips since I skipped them Wednesday.

Time: 55 minutes

Pull Ups: 4, 4, 3, 2, 3
Dips: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Bench: 12@37.5, 10@42.5, 7@47.5, 5@47.5, 3@50

Row: 12@90, 10@100, 8@110, 5@120, 3@130

Kettlebell Swing/Squat Tabata @ 35 pounds

Wednesday Week 3

So, I missed Monday's post but nothing too spectacular. I continue to progress. I have progressed to a point on the bench and the press whereby I am into the 12/10/8/5/3 mode. With this, I have defined weight and reps and the goal is to progress on the high side. For the bench I actually scaled things back a little bit to be able to hit my numbers. I will progress on Friday - maybe. I left our presses on Monday and due to time left out pulls & dips today. Bench & Row are the next ones due for a day off.

Still dealing with foot pain and my self diagnosis thinks that it is a stress fracture. It may be some other things but the cure for all of the different afflictions is rest so it doesn't matter why I am hurting.

Time: 1 hour

Dumbbell Deadlift: 12@60, 10@65. 10@70, 10@75, 10@80

Rows: 12@80, 10@90, 10@100, 6@110, 5@120

Press: 12@17.5, 10@20, 8@22.5, 6@25, 5@27.5

Bench: 12@35, 10@40, 8@45, 5@47.5, 3@50

Wrapping Up Week 2

The squat rack was open so I did squats instead of dumbbell deadlifts. I felt it in my left quad. I need to make sure that my knees push out.

Time: 1:25

Squats: 10@10, 10@15, 10@20, 10@25, 10@30

Press: 12@15, 10@17.5, 10@20, 8@22.5, 5@25

Rows: 12@60, 10@70, 10@80, 10@90, 9@100

Bench: 12@35, 10@40, 10@45, 7@50, 4@52.5

Pull Ups: 3, 3, 3, 3, 2
Dips: 5, 5, 6, 5, 5

Just Tracking Progress

Nothing new to comment on. Just grinding it out.

Time: 1:05

Dumbbell Deadlift: 10@50, 10@55, 10@60, 10@65, 10@70

Row: 12@60, 10@70, 10@80, 7@90, 8@100

Bench: 12@30, 10@35, 10@40, 8@45, 6@50

Press: 12@10, 10@15, 9@20, 7@22.5, 4@25

Pull Ups: 4, 4, 2, 3, 3
Dips: 5, 5, 5, 5, 4