Tabata This!
8rounds 20"on 10"off
Squats (118)
Sit-ups (...)
Push-ups (83)
Pull-ups (43)
Total: 311 or something like that
I forgot the exact total of my score but it was decent. The workout was tough and I believe designed to only get tougher as it goes along. I think I could have done more squats but I was pacing myself a bit too much. Those really gas you then you have to do the rest of the workout. Sit-ups were good. I think I got somewhere in the 80/90 range but can't quite remember. The last 2 exercises really killed me. I was stupid on push-ups and went out and got something like 30 in the first round but was unable to get anything CLOSE to that in the following rounds. I realized this during round three when I told myself if I would have done something like 12/round I could get 86 reps. Despite me telling people to pace themselves and a constant pace will win out, sometimes I forget. It is similar to doing a 2k on the erg. Often people go out like they're trying to save the world. Then gas out with 1000-750m left. They end up with a split time that is either at their goal or worse and if they would have shifted into their goal split after the first 100-200m they could have had something left in the last 500m to negative split the piece and set themselves up to do BETTER than their goal split. This is the strategy I used when rowing in college and I PRd all the way up to my senior year where I pulled something like 6:18. Disappointing for me especially because my sophmore year I was on pace to be 6:15 but I injured my back and it put me out for 6months and I never really recovered from that...what a ramble. Point being is that a better strategy when doing these workouts that are sprint-esque (not a word but I mean something that you sprint but it is for a long while) the most effective strategy, I have found and seen first hand, is to set a goal beforehand. This goal should be challenging yet attainable if you are at the top of your game. Hit that goal and stick with it throughout the piece and then towards the end empty the tanks! You should be able to time it such that you are faster than your average split time and in doing so give yourself a chance to beat your goal. I think the strategy works well and for the next Tabata This! workout I will remember.
Cheers!
27 June 2013
24 June 2013
24 June 2013
Crossfit Total
1RM Squat: 260lbs
1RM OHP: 155lbs
IRM DLs: 335lbs
Total: 750lbs
It really felt good to try something heavy for a change. My back has been feeling great! I was really much too conservative in my goal of working toward a 185lbs back squat in a few months from now. I even pulled 335lbs in deadlift! It feels great to say. So to all the haters out there yoga can work if you push yourself while doing it! I have not done anything heavy on back squat or deadlift since last April. That is over 1 year! Here I am still strong and feeling great! I really think I could have got more on both squat and deadlift but didn't want to get too crazy because I had already blown through what I had initially thought I was capable of...rereading this post it is coming off as really self congratulatory, obnoxiously so, but I don't care. I missed lifting weights and so to come back and have a day like this AND not have my back hurting is fantastic.
I think having the intensity of lifting removed but still having the resistance aspect of training in the regimen was a huge help. Throughout the yoga classes we worked on static poses:
Chair pose and variations
Crescent lunge and variations
Tree pose
Warrior 1,2,3
Not only did these movements strengthen my legs but also increased my core strength and flexibility. The fact that I am able to come into the gym over one year after really injuring my lower back and put up weight comparable to what I did before I was injured is awesome to me. It speaks volumes to the training those that focus on just yoga do and the strength that you can build by simply doing yoga. Can't say enough good things about it.
If you are ever in Albuquerque NM head over to Nicole's Yoga Sculpt class at Blissful Spirits.
Cheers!
1RM Squat: 260lbs
1RM OHP: 155lbs
IRM DLs: 335lbs
Total: 750lbs
It really felt good to try something heavy for a change. My back has been feeling great! I was really much too conservative in my goal of working toward a 185lbs back squat in a few months from now. I even pulled 335lbs in deadlift! It feels great to say. So to all the haters out there yoga can work if you push yourself while doing it! I have not done anything heavy on back squat or deadlift since last April. That is over 1 year! Here I am still strong and feeling great! I really think I could have got more on both squat and deadlift but didn't want to get too crazy because I had already blown through what I had initially thought I was capable of...rereading this post it is coming off as really self congratulatory, obnoxiously so, but I don't care. I missed lifting weights and so to come back and have a day like this AND not have my back hurting is fantastic.
I think having the intensity of lifting removed but still having the resistance aspect of training in the regimen was a huge help. Throughout the yoga classes we worked on static poses:
Chair pose and variations
Crescent lunge and variations
Tree pose
Warrior 1,2,3
Not only did these movements strengthen my legs but also increased my core strength and flexibility. The fact that I am able to come into the gym over one year after really injuring my lower back and put up weight comparable to what I did before I was injured is awesome to me. It speaks volumes to the training those that focus on just yoga do and the strength that you can build by simply doing yoga. Can't say enough good things about it.
If you are ever in Albuquerque NM head over to Nicole's Yoga Sculpt class at Blissful Spirits.
Cheers!
21 June 2013
3 rounds for time
400m run
15 wall balls (20lbs)
Something...
5 Ring dips
Time: 00:09:39
I forgot to post the workout from Friday because my family was in town and I didn't get to it. This was a difficult workout. The thing in between wall balls and ring dips I think was burpees but I can't remember. I am going to have to ask Tammy tomorrow.
The run wasn't too bad and I actually felt pretty good until the last one. Burpees really make your heart start pumping. It is thrown in right there where you're feeling OK just to bring you down before you really have to use your muscles. I felt ring dips are getting better. Tammy helped stabilize the rings on the last one because I was going crazy with it but stabilization is coming along and I think I will be able to reach my goal of doing a muscle up on them soon.
Once I figure out what the entire workout was I will edit this post and maybe go into a bit more discussion about it.
Cheers!
400m run
15 wall balls (20lbs)
Something...
5 Ring dips
Time: 00:09:39
I forgot to post the workout from Friday because my family was in town and I didn't get to it. This was a difficult workout. The thing in between wall balls and ring dips I think was burpees but I can't remember. I am going to have to ask Tammy tomorrow.
The run wasn't too bad and I actually felt pretty good until the last one. Burpees really make your heart start pumping. It is thrown in right there where you're feeling OK just to bring you down before you really have to use your muscles. I felt ring dips are getting better. Tammy helped stabilize the rings on the last one because I was going crazy with it but stabilization is coming along and I think I will be able to reach my goal of doing a muscle up on them soon.
Once I figure out what the entire workout was I will edit this post and maybe go into a bit more discussion about it.
Cheers!
20 June 2013
Workout
10 Turkish Get-Ups 35lbs (TGU)
12 Pistols
15 Glute Ham Developer Sit ups (GHDs)
Time: 00:15:32
This workout was not for time in the same sense the other workouts are for time. The thing that took the longest though were the TGUs. Those things just take so much time! I felt good doing them and was really focused on just doing them properly, ensuring that I kept the core engaged throughout.
I did much better with the pistol squat than I expected. The past months of yoga and the constant lunges and one legged poses really showed.
GHDs are extremely tough. The Crossfit way to do them is interesting and I am not quite sure I agree with it. The reason being is that the movement is taught such that you can perform as many as possible in as little time as possible. It is billed as an ab exercise and I have never been a fan of trying to complete as many as you can of whatever ab exercise in as little time as possible. The core stability is there to stabilize, not move any appreciable amount of weight nor to be powerful by themselves. Core work, in my mind, should be done within another movement such as heavy squats, overhead squats, L-sit, planks etc. I can see the use of the GHD as a tool to strengthen the core, because it does a great job of that. You will be hard pressed to find another exercise for your core with the range of motion the GHD offers (the ab wheel comes close). I just don't like when it is mixed in during a "for time" workout. It makes you hurry through and exercise that I feel would be more effective if an athlete focused on performing the movement as an adjunct or a way to strengthen themselves for movements that matter such as squat. Be wary of this exercise if you perform it. It will DESTROY your abs if you do not have experience with it. If you don't just do ab wheel or V-sits. This is an exercise you have to work up to.
Pistol is a great exercise to help strengthen your legs. Check out the T-Nation link above. It is a great article and it illustrates how useful the movement is.
Turkish get ups take practice to get the sequencing of the movements right.
Cheers!
12 Pistols
15 Glute Ham Developer Sit ups (GHDs)
Time: 00:15:32
This workout was not for time in the same sense the other workouts are for time. The thing that took the longest though were the TGUs. Those things just take so much time! I felt good doing them and was really focused on just doing them properly, ensuring that I kept the core engaged throughout.
I did much better with the pistol squat than I expected. The past months of yoga and the constant lunges and one legged poses really showed.
GHDs are extremely tough. The Crossfit way to do them is interesting and I am not quite sure I agree with it. The reason being is that the movement is taught such that you can perform as many as possible in as little time as possible. It is billed as an ab exercise and I have never been a fan of trying to complete as many as you can of whatever ab exercise in as little time as possible. The core stability is there to stabilize, not move any appreciable amount of weight nor to be powerful by themselves. Core work, in my mind, should be done within another movement such as heavy squats, overhead squats, L-sit, planks etc. I can see the use of the GHD as a tool to strengthen the core, because it does a great job of that. You will be hard pressed to find another exercise for your core with the range of motion the GHD offers (the ab wheel comes close). I just don't like when it is mixed in during a "for time" workout. It makes you hurry through and exercise that I feel would be more effective if an athlete focused on performing the movement as an adjunct or a way to strengthen themselves for movements that matter such as squat. Be wary of this exercise if you perform it. It will DESTROY your abs if you do not have experience with it. If you don't just do ab wheel or V-sits. This is an exercise you have to work up to.
Pistol is a great exercise to help strengthen your legs. Check out the T-Nation link above. It is a great article and it illustrates how useful the movement is.
Turkish get ups take practice to get the sequencing of the movements right.
Cheers!
Morning Vinyasa
1hr Vinyasa flow.
It feels good to get a workout in early. 6am-7am and then off to work. It was a great class because we focused heavily on our core and lower back. Different strength exercises like Superman's. I will come edit the post when I get home to my personal computer to hotlink the movements I am talking about so you won't think I am an idiot with the nomenclature. I love this class with Nicole because she knows so many variations of familiar movements. This little tweaks really make for challenging poses especially if the movements are easy for you. Nicole also instructs the yoga sculpt class I go to. She is a beast and one of the most fit people I have been around. I digress...the entire class had a lower body focus. We hit a lot of lunges and chair poses which I think complimented the lumbar/core poses that I spoke of above. That is most likely not a coincidence.
I will be rehabbing the back today at crossfit post whatever workout they have scheduled. I will post the results after.
Cheers!
18 June 2013
Workout
For Time
10 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (95lbs)
15 Push Press (95lbs)
20 Box jumps (24")
Result: 00:06:27
This was a good workout for me. The weight was light enough that my technique didn't really get too shitty, I was concerned with the dead lifting aspect of the workout, and I was able to bang out the push press pretty effectively. I noticed post workout asymmetry in the fatigue of my arms. Looking back I was not as clean as I could have been during push press. My right arm is much more tired than the left. This is a problem I have had to face throughout my life being right hand dominant and all. I noticed this too during the rehabbing days of the past year that my abdominal engagement is definitely skewed toward the right side. Meaning I can see a definite difference in how my abs engage when I do crunches. To combat this I have taken to doing simple flexing during the day of the left side of my core to try and get some muscle memory. I am just trying to get the feel of what it feels like to have that side of my core engaged. I think this might be an effect of the injury I sustained and me learning to compensate over the past year. Right now my right side feels a pump and the left side doesn't...something to think about.
After the workout I did feel a sensation that was not necessarily unpleasant but it definitely didn't feel right. This was localized on the lower left part of my back. It seems to be emanating from the L5/L4 disk. I am concerned that I may have a bulged disk because I could feel it throughout the lateral part of my leg. It was as if there was a pressure on a nerve...like I said, it didn't hurt but I would much prefer that I didn't feel like that. If I need to I will visit the doctor. Perhaps they could get me an MRI and if they do, that would be an awesome post. I would get to talk about some imaging physics and how MRIs are as close to real magic as humans can attain.
Overall the workout was good. If you are going to attempt it be sure you know how to properly perform the sumo deadlift and are using a weight that you can also do a high pull. The push press is likely where you will start to fatigue and so it is important that you maintain technique and not get lazy. Having 95lbs, or whatever you choose, over your head is dangerous especially if you're not experienced and doing it tired. Box jumps you just need to power through. Good luck. If you do attempt the workout post your results and any questions, comments, thoughts or feelings you might have.
Cheers!
10 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (95lbs)
15 Push Press (95lbs)
20 Box jumps (24")
Result: 00:06:27
This was a good workout for me. The weight was light enough that my technique didn't really get too shitty, I was concerned with the dead lifting aspect of the workout, and I was able to bang out the push press pretty effectively. I noticed post workout asymmetry in the fatigue of my arms. Looking back I was not as clean as I could have been during push press. My right arm is much more tired than the left. This is a problem I have had to face throughout my life being right hand dominant and all. I noticed this too during the rehabbing days of the past year that my abdominal engagement is definitely skewed toward the right side. Meaning I can see a definite difference in how my abs engage when I do crunches. To combat this I have taken to doing simple flexing during the day of the left side of my core to try and get some muscle memory. I am just trying to get the feel of what it feels like to have that side of my core engaged. I think this might be an effect of the injury I sustained and me learning to compensate over the past year. Right now my right side feels a pump and the left side doesn't...something to think about.
After the workout I did feel a sensation that was not necessarily unpleasant but it definitely didn't feel right. This was localized on the lower left part of my back. It seems to be emanating from the L5/L4 disk. I am concerned that I may have a bulged disk because I could feel it throughout the lateral part of my leg. It was as if there was a pressure on a nerve...like I said, it didn't hurt but I would much prefer that I didn't feel like that. If I need to I will visit the doctor. Perhaps they could get me an MRI and if they do, that would be an awesome post. I would get to talk about some imaging physics and how MRIs are as close to real magic as humans can attain.
Overall the workout was good. If you are going to attempt it be sure you know how to properly perform the sumo deadlift and are using a weight that you can also do a high pull. The push press is likely where you will start to fatigue and so it is important that you maintain technique and not get lazy. Having 95lbs, or whatever you choose, over your head is dangerous especially if you're not experienced and doing it tired. Box jumps you just need to power through. Good luck. If you do attempt the workout post your results and any questions, comments, thoughts or feelings you might have.
Cheers!
Yoga Sculpt
My introduction to Yoga Sculpt
The yoga sculpt instructor had subbed for the vinyasa class I had been taking and told me that I would "really love" her sculpt class. So I decided to give it a go despite having never heard of this type of yoga before and assumed it was just a named designed to attract more women who desire the "toned" body. I thought it was going to be gimmicky and that I would be out one of the classes I had paid for. Obviously I was wrong because I go to the class 2/week. It fit perfectly with the challenge I was looking for after the simple hot yoga classes I had done, also my back had been feeling great.
I am going to step back a bit because I need to explain why yoga helped my back out. Yoga has you put your body in challenging poses and positions that can, depending upon the level of the challenge you want, put your limbs at a mechanical disadvantage. The greatest thing for me was that it my own body weight that was being used rather than an external weight. This allows you to push yourself to your personal limits without overestimating your abilities. I think that last part really helps with people such as myself who are not used to taking it easy or who often times make the mistake of thinking they are as strong as they used to be. It slowed me down and forced me to focus on breathing, technique, and the muscles I was using in order to make the pose as perfect as I personally could. At the time it was great for me because it got me back to working out and really help strengthen my body. I can still feel my back especially after certain workouts at the gym but it is not the constant, low level throbbing I had been feeling for months.
Now for yoga sculpt which is by no means a beginner exercise class. It is done in the hot-room, about 105°F or 40.6°C, and weights are used to enhance the postures of the vinyasa flow. I could do without the heat because it adds a level of difficulty that I find hinders my own abilities. I think that the heat can not only get in the way of an individual's athletic gains but also enjoying the class itself. That's my own humble opinion because I think the reasons for the heat are not supported by evidence. Sweating toxins out of your body isn't how your body gets rid of toxins and besides, what toxins are are never defined. Our sweat is composed of mostly water with different minerals getting in the mix. This composition does not fit the definition of toxin.
Toxin: a poisonous substance that is a specific product of the metabolic activities of a living organism and is usually very unstable, notably toxic when introduced into the tissues, and typically capable of inducing antibody formation
Getting through the heat often times proves to be the most difficult aspect of the class. Some individuals handle it with ease but I find that it can sometimes get the best of me. I do like the fact I drink a lot more water than I used to because I know that I will be sweating like crazy. I would like to conduct an experiment where I weigh myself before and after the class to get an estimate of how much water I sweat out. Maybe get a few different people to do it with me and see if it is similar for men and women.
Overall I find yoga sculpt to be a great class and challenging. It was perfect for what I needed at the time and the addition of weights to the yoga really helped add more strength to my body that simple yoga was just not able to do. I plan on continuing to do the classes and to work on my balance and core strength. This will only help me get stronger in the other physical goals that I have...maybe it won't but it will be cool to see if it does.
P.S. The women are some of the most fit and attractive I have been around. The vast majority have fitness as a central component in their lives. So if you are attracted to extremely fit, beautiful girls this class would be the place for you to go, I am engaged but it is still great scenery to be around :)
Cheers!
The yoga sculpt instructor had subbed for the vinyasa class I had been taking and told me that I would "really love" her sculpt class. So I decided to give it a go despite having never heard of this type of yoga before and assumed it was just a named designed to attract more women who desire the "toned" body. I thought it was going to be gimmicky and that I would be out one of the classes I had paid for. Obviously I was wrong because I go to the class 2/week. It fit perfectly with the challenge I was looking for after the simple hot yoga classes I had done, also my back had been feeling great.
I am going to step back a bit because I need to explain why yoga helped my back out. Yoga has you put your body in challenging poses and positions that can, depending upon the level of the challenge you want, put your limbs at a mechanical disadvantage. The greatest thing for me was that it my own body weight that was being used rather than an external weight. This allows you to push yourself to your personal limits without overestimating your abilities. I think that last part really helps with people such as myself who are not used to taking it easy or who often times make the mistake of thinking they are as strong as they used to be. It slowed me down and forced me to focus on breathing, technique, and the muscles I was using in order to make the pose as perfect as I personally could. At the time it was great for me because it got me back to working out and really help strengthen my body. I can still feel my back especially after certain workouts at the gym but it is not the constant, low level throbbing I had been feeling for months.
Now for yoga sculpt which is by no means a beginner exercise class. It is done in the hot-room, about 105°F or 40.6°C, and weights are used to enhance the postures of the vinyasa flow. I could do without the heat because it adds a level of difficulty that I find hinders my own abilities. I think that the heat can not only get in the way of an individual's athletic gains but also enjoying the class itself. That's my own humble opinion because I think the reasons for the heat are not supported by evidence. Sweating toxins out of your body isn't how your body gets rid of toxins and besides, what toxins are are never defined. Our sweat is composed of mostly water with different minerals getting in the mix. This composition does not fit the definition of toxin.
Toxin: a poisonous substance that is a specific product of the metabolic activities of a living organism and is usually very unstable, notably toxic when introduced into the tissues, and typically capable of inducing antibody formation
Getting through the heat often times proves to be the most difficult aspect of the class. Some individuals handle it with ease but I find that it can sometimes get the best of me. I do like the fact I drink a lot more water than I used to because I know that I will be sweating like crazy. I would like to conduct an experiment where I weigh myself before and after the class to get an estimate of how much water I sweat out. Maybe get a few different people to do it with me and see if it is similar for men and women.
Overall I find yoga sculpt to be a great class and challenging. It was perfect for what I needed at the time and the addition of weights to the yoga really helped add more strength to my body that simple yoga was just not able to do. I plan on continuing to do the classes and to work on my balance and core strength. This will only help me get stronger in the other physical goals that I have...maybe it won't but it will be cool to see if it does.
P.S. The women are some of the most fit and attractive I have been around. The vast majority have fitness as a central component in their lives. So if you are attracted to extremely fit, beautiful girls this class would be the place for you to go, I am engaged but it is still great scenery to be around :)
Cheers!
13 June 2013
HOORAY FOR BEING BACK!
Finally back in the full swing of getting fit and stuff. After a long hiatus, nearly 9 months of not doing much besides stretching and light work on the erg, I am finally back in the game.
It had dawned on me that I should have kept track of everything I did to make my back get better but people would never be satisfied or want to believe what it was that I did which was nothing. I did nothing for months and it killed me!
I hurt myself in late April 2012 and didn't start doing anything strenuous until an intro yoga class in December 2012.
I will tell you that yoga, and different "classes" at the yoga studio, offered me the perfect environment for rehabbing the back. The instructors didn't push you. It was all at my own pace, they like to say it is "your practice", and it worked great. I gradually moved into doing yoga sculpt. This is yoga with weights and is much more difficult than you're imagining.
I recently, as in 10 days ago, lifted for the first time since I hurt my back and I feel great! Granted I only did 95lbs on back squat but it felt wonderful. In the meanwhile Tammy has opened a Crossfit gym and I am hoping to get back into shape to where I can join in on training folk and helping her gym grow.
In addition I hope to jump back on the blogging about the workouts I am doing and to keep record of how the back is doing.
So my first post I am setting a goal to be able to do 185lbs back squat in 3months and to do a muscle up.
I will be doing a write up on yoga and more specifically yoga sculpt to try and explain why it helped me out so much.
Much love to everyone out there working on getting fit and stuff and best of luck to you all in your efforts. I hope that you can draw from my experiences and accelerate your progress in your own fitness journey.
Cheers!
It had dawned on me that I should have kept track of everything I did to make my back get better but people would never be satisfied or want to believe what it was that I did which was nothing. I did nothing for months and it killed me!
I hurt myself in late April 2012 and didn't start doing anything strenuous until an intro yoga class in December 2012.
I will tell you that yoga, and different "classes" at the yoga studio, offered me the perfect environment for rehabbing the back. The instructors didn't push you. It was all at my own pace, they like to say it is "your practice", and it worked great. I gradually moved into doing yoga sculpt. This is yoga with weights and is much more difficult than you're imagining.
I recently, as in 10 days ago, lifted for the first time since I hurt my back and I feel great! Granted I only did 95lbs on back squat but it felt wonderful. In the meanwhile Tammy has opened a Crossfit gym and I am hoping to get back into shape to where I can join in on training folk and helping her gym grow.
In addition I hope to jump back on the blogging about the workouts I am doing and to keep record of how the back is doing.
So my first post I am setting a goal to be able to do 185lbs back squat in 3months and to do a muscle up.
I will be doing a write up on yoga and more specifically yoga sculpt to try and explain why it helped me out so much.
Much love to everyone out there working on getting fit and stuff and best of luck to you all in your efforts. I hope that you can draw from my experiences and accelerate your progress in your own fitness journey.
Cheers!
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