Thursday, 12.27.12

Back Squat

35x5

95x4

135x3

170x2

200x1

205x0, 1

I need to keep my elbows down and my grip on the bar narrower.  This really helped because it kept me from leaning forward.

Deadlift

95x5

125x4

155x3

175x2

205x1

220x0

Tabata Pull-ups

6, 6, 6, 6, 4, 5, 5, 6 = 44

Tabata Squats

126

Saturday, 09.22.12

Today I visited CrossFit Newport and did the following partner workout:

200 kettle bell swings @ 53#
100 burpees
800 m run
My partner and I alternated doing sets of 10 until we reached the total amount

Time 22:00

Then we did Tabata ball slams with a 20# ball, locked out overhead during the rest

Thursday, 05.31.12

Strength: Front Squat. Find 3rm, drop 10% and do 5 reps, drop another 10% and do max reps
155x3, 165x1, 135x5, 115x10
Conditioning: 
- Tabata Box Jumps (24/20")
Rest 1:00
- Tabata Push Press (95/65#)

This is not a tabata mash up.  Go through all 8 rounds of box jumps, then all 8 rounds of push presses.


Tabata Score
Box Jumps: 10
Push Press @65#: 5

Friday, 02.10.12

Today I did the workout that I missed on Tuesday:

Strength: Barbell Row 5x5 @85#  Either I haven't done these in a long time or I have never done them before. They felt awkward. 

Conditioning: Tabata:
- Kettlebell Swings
- Push Ups
- Row  (for calories)



8 kb swings @53#, 7 hand release push ups, 4 Calories  
This one was really tough and it took forever for me to recover and catch my breath! Rowing always kills me. 

Thursday, 01.12.12

Push Jerk 1-1-1-1-1-1-1
65, 85, 95, 105, 115, 125, 135

As far as I know, 135 is my PR for a push jerk.  The only other record I could find was that I had a 120# 3RM in November.

Metcon: Tabata Squats, followed by 4:00 of chest to bar pull-ups

I totally messed up counting this workout (surprise, surprise!).  On my tabata squats I kept a running tally, rather than counting the least amount of reps obtained in a set.  I had a total of 146 squats.

I also messed up the c2b pull-ups.  I read the board wrong and did just regular pull-ups for the 4 minutes.  I had a total of 31 regular pull-ups.

11.7.11

Help! I need an intervention!

I wasn't able to make it to The Compound today but was able to break away to hit an 8pm Zumba class at Gold's Gym.  After class I decided to hit the treadmill to do a tabata run.  (20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest, repeated 8 times)

I set the incline to 12 and my speed to 8.  By round 6, I was having flashbacks of past Biggest Loser episodes with Jillian hovering over the treadmill, yelling in the contestants's face.  I was sure I was going to be the one to go flying off the treadmill, straight into the wall.  So...I lowered my speed to 7.5 round 6, then 7 and then 6.5 for the last round.   Sure, I probably would have held my 8 mph pace if Jillian had shown up, but Pukie would be following right behind!

I don't think I have ever set the treadmill incline to 12.  I can see why the treadmill is more effective for hill tabata sprints, vs a real hill.  The treadmill forces you to hold your pace, whereas running a real hill enables you to self-adjust your speed without even realizing it.  It was really tough and it took me the whole drive home to recover and shake that puking feeling.  

10.18.11

SWOD:


Today I made up yesterday's SWOD - 3x5 Front Squats @ 85% of 1 RM.  I can't remember the last time I front squatted so I really needed to hit this workout.


My previous 1 RM was 155 but as I did warm up sets, I didn't feel comfortable going up to 85% of my previous 1 RM, so I stuck with 115# which was 75%.  


The 3 sets were pretty difficult and I really concentrated on keeping my elbows up and pushing my knees out as I came up out of the squat.  I will definitely be feeling these tomorrow, and the next day, and the next....


METCON: 


Tabata Mash-up of Sumo Deadlift High Pulls and Abmat Sit-ups


20 sec on of Sit-ups
10 sec rest
20 sec on of SDHP
10 sec rest
 Repeated 4 more times


I was first introduced to the Tabata concept doing Spin class years ago. When I first heard about it, I couldn't believe it and was sure my instructor was misinformed.  So I researched it a bit and was shocked by what I learned. 


The concept was originally used by the Japanese national speed skating team.  When exercise scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata (for whom the protocol was named after), learned about it from the team's coach, he was intrigued. His research efforts focused on the effects of exercise intensity on fitness and he believed that intensity was just as, if not more important than exercise duration. (Hmm...sound familiar?)


So he developed a nifty study using stationary bikes rather than speed skates.  For six weeks, one group biked using the four-minute Tabata protocol five times per week.  The other group biked at a moderate intensity for an hour, five times per week. 


At the end of the six weeks, the moderate intensity group improved their VO2 max (the maximum capacity of a body to transport and use oxygen during a workout) by 9.5%.  Not bad, right?  Well the Tabata group improved their VO2 max by....14%!  


But wait...there's more!


He also measured both group's anaerobic capacity which is basically the amount of power the body can produce without oxygen.  The moderate intensity group increased their anaerobic capacity by ZERO and the Tabata group?  They increased anaerobic capacity by 28%.


As a runner at the time, logging 30+ miles a week, I could hardly wrap my head around the concept that just 4 minutes of exercise (and not really even a full 4 minutes, with rest times) could have such staggering results.


So which would I rather choose - a method that with 5 hours a week yields a 9.5% VO2 Max gain and a 0% anaerobic capacity gain? Or 20 minutes of work in a week for a 14% VO2 Max and 28% anaerobic capacity gain?  It sure doesn't take a super smart Japanese fitness and sports scientist to figure that one out.  Well, actually I guess it did but I've got one word for ya - TABATA!

I'm way behind on my postings so I'm just going to start with yesterday's workout.

To beat the heat, I got up and ran at 6:30 am. To warm up for my Tabata hill sprints workout, I decided to do some hill running up Buck Avenue and around the residential streets up in there. After about a mile of that, I was good and ready to hit the infamous Wykoff.

If you ever want to do Tabata hill sprints, whether for fun or for torture, Wykoff is the perfect outdoor location. At least it is for me - if you're super speedy, you might run out of hill by the 8th round.

I ALMOST made it to the very top, but just like "almost winning" means losing, almost making it to the top connotes defeat. I definitely have more work to do before I can wear that "I conquered Wykoff" t-shirt I've been eyeing.

But let me get back to the why Wykoff is perfect for Tabata:

#1 Wykoff is STEEP.

This photo really doesn't do it justice, but this is the beginning of the uphill grade on the Buck Ave side and it only gets steeper from there.

#2 The View

This part is pretty much a given because if you're going to climb up a steep hill, of course you expect a good view at the top. Duh.

#3 The Facilities

As I was on about my 6th round, I noticed a lady a ways up ahead stopped in front of this curious pillar.

I couldn't tell what she was doing and at this point in my workout, I thought maybe I was hallucinating.

As I got nearer, I was relieved when I realized it wasn't the sacrificial altar that I had first thought (perhaps I really was hallucinating), but rather it was a drinking fountain! One very thoughtful Wykoff Hill resident installed a drinking fountain for, I assume, the poor souls that dared to challenge the hill.

I was even more impressed by the lower bowl they installed for those unable to even stand upright once they hit that part of the hill and are only able to crawl to reach the life saving water. Then I realized it was probably meant for dogs. Impressive nonetheless.