Saturday - dirt day... took advantage of nice weather , was outa shap

crazy week at work. no gym time. only real exercise i got i think was that little at home half workout with the TGU/OHS ...

decided because the weather was relatively nice (45 and sunny) i would take to the outdoors instead of doing my heavy lift day (which by the way was rx'd assuming i'd have some warm up lift days earlier in the week).

Pressed for time and feeling sorta ill:

• Ran what "map my run" says is about 1.5 mi, but what MUST be at least 2 (I can tell these things).
• Quick kipping practice on the good bar-- just one set of 10 (kipping sucked - not enough hip... last 3 were reg pull ups)

• Click the stop watch for the 10 burpees/20 DUs x 5 thing -- rope was at gym so subbed 60 jumping jacks for 20 DUs. Only did 2 rounds since i wasn't going for the gusto, just trying to keep cranking till I started to crash and needed good rest, and this was that time. Time on 2 rounds was a bit under 2:4o, burpees were a struggle (aint done em in AGES). Have a feeling 20 DUs would take me forever to complete bc of trips, BUT b/c of that would be much easier - who knows.
  

rested and started the walk back. gave a big 100 yard or so steep hill sprint to finish then caught breath and walked home. Meh. Need to get back in shape STAT.

Came home and still felt crappy - stomach to' up. Maybe weights will make me feel better tomorrow.

Do full Burpee/DU x 5 for time this week on a 'cardio' or interval day or maybe do it right before or after that variation of the bar bear complex. i should crush that. will try it with 115lb I guess since last barbell complex i did was a tougher one I think and i did it with 90 with ease.

WOD for menu

from CF Football:

(basically Bear complex)

Complete 4 rounds of:

Complete the cycle 7 times:
Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Good Morning

*Do Not Drop The Weight. Do Not Set It Down.

*If weight is dropped, count number of drops and perform an equal amount of burpees as a penalty.

*Rest 90 seconds between sets.

Post number of total drops and weight used to comments.

Wednesday: Poached Hells Bells/CFV workout in pieces *plus* ...

Meant to do this on Tuesday but drank beer and ate noodles instead (couldn't get workout in during day thanks to a dr's apt :( )

Morning:

Pull ups to warm (10, 5, 5)

Turkish Get Ups + Overhead Squat x 15 x 45#

(Rx was 5 x 3 but I did one at a time -- same damn thang)

Afternoon

5 rounds for time of:

• 10 Burpees
• 20 Double-unders

Plus something else! (maybe row, maybe track sprints)

Sunday - shoulders/arms (& akbars) ...

All sets basically to failure...

Hang Power Clean and Press

• 1 x 7 x 115
• 1 x 4 x 135
• 1 x 12 x 90

Preacher Curl

• 1 x 5 x 95
• 1 x 2 x 95
• Standing power curls -- 1 x 7 x 95
  
• 1 x 13 x 55

Bodyweight Dips

• 10
• 9
• 5

(These should have been way more but the front of my shoulders were zapped and it was a real strain on them for these.)

Finished up with some heavy tricep press downs and a few sets of DB raises (to finish off the front, lateral and back delts).

Weigh in : 181

NOTE: I log this the next day and boy oh boy are my traps blasted. I LOVE IT. Sore-as-hell akbars are one of my fav feelings for some reason. Anyway, I think this is either b/c I worked through a ridiculous hangover and with the insane amount of booze from the night before, I might have been pumping too much alcohol/toxin into my muscle via this workout, OR b/c Power Cleans are really just the #1 TrapDaddy exercise. The other day when I intentionally honed in on the Akbars I didn't feel anything the next day.

Conclusion: Since Clean/Press is gonna be my main go-to shoulder exercise, do trappies and delts on same days (other trappy movements being upright rows -- or SDLHP -- and shrugs).

Note 2 -- Monday, rest day... that's how cooked the Aks wuz

Friday - it's a trap! ... rest day

Didn't want it, but not worst thing in the world.

Tomorrow will be the GO BIG lift day as scheduled. Sunday I will be out of town (rest). Monday, will pick it back up with that deferred Hells Bells workout:

Turkish Get-up + Overhead Squat
3, 3, 3, 3, 3 each arm (prob do with 45lb)

5 rounds for time of:

• 10 Burpees
• 20 Double-unders

I left my rope at the gym, but theoretically I can do this at home with a substitute exercise for those -- high lateral side jumps or something.

For PR attempts, either do ME starters (Deadlift at front of week, TGU at end, Squat in middle) OR do rep/set days up til Tues or Wed and then make Friday a big intensity day.

Thursday Shmursday Bleep Blorp - Akbar, Dips, Chins and Core

What a nightmare. Kickball night at the Y -- people crowding the hell out of 5th floor hall, which meant no dips and lots of frustration... These fuckers at the Y need to get it together. And I need to lodge some complaints.

SUMO DEAD LIGHT HIGH PULL (SDLHP)

• 3 x 5 x 135 -- struggled a bit at the end of each set
• 1 x 12 x 90

DUMBBELL SHRUGS

• 3 x [10,8,8] x 110 (failed on grip, not shrug -- wanted 10-12/set... shoulda used powder)
  

DIPS -- forgot weight belt so go for 4 x F (next week will go for 5RM with belt) -- couldn't do em b/c of kickballers. grrrrr

CHIN UPS

• 3 x [8,8,5] -- not really to "fail" per se... Just cranked em out quick b/c I was just grabbing onto whatever was close to do em..
  

CORE work (sloppier than a clean circuit b/c of crowd -- wanted wood choppers but cable rack was popular and crowded as always)

2 rounds of

• 10 Ball Russian Twists (laying on ball) - 1st round 20#, second 25#
• 5 Dragon Flags
• 10 Back extensions

Russian Twist (on incline sit up bench)

• 2 x 10 x 25 (rusty on these- I FELT it)

Finished

• 1 minute plank (a little more maybe)
• 10 Super Mans
• 15 Hollow Rocks

Weigh in: 181 (but no real lunch)

Wednesday Push-up Party & Adjusted Plan for Week

I'm gonna feel this one tomorrow. This was a strategic workout to loosen up/get blood flow to some of the muscles I am gonna destroy on Saturday with a heavy max-out lift day (more on this below), but it was also a decent MetCon workout.

Warmed up with a *few* kipping attempts. (I gotta keep at it. I dream of kipping. I understand the motion. I'm just having a bitch of a time putting it into practice.)

With 25lb DBs:

• 50 Man Makers
• 50 Push-up -> Double DB Curl (down on DBs, pop-up deadlift-style, and curl... repeat)
• 50 Weighted Sit-ups/50 Push-ups (both DBs)

Did not alternate 1-for-1 on sit ups b/c that was totally impractical -- was more like 10-10. This routine took me about 35 minutes with all breaks. That's too long, but it was still a burner with all the push ups (on the DB is harder than reg I guess too).

Finished up with some cable tricep extensions just to get that muscle group active, and a set of 5/side DB rows with the 80 pounder just to see if it was hard since I don't think I've ever gone that high on workouts that included that movement (was easy on right side, hard on left).

Adjusted plan...

Try to fast til Thursday afternoon, ending with a workout. If this doesn't work for some reason, fast from Thursday afternoon until Friday afternoon. Might be better anyway based on planned workouts.

Thursday:
Akbars, Dips and Core.

• SDLHP
• DB shrugs
• Dips - either weighted for 5RM or body weight 4 x F
• *maybe* chin ups (my biceps should be fine from the light curling, but might want to let recover anyway b/c of Saturday lift) -- same RX as Dips
  
• Good core circuit

Friday:
Poached Hell's Bells CF Virtuosity workout:

Turkish Get-up + Overhead Squat
3, 3, 3, 3, 3 each arm (prob do with 45lb)

5 rounds for time of:

• 10 Burpees
• 20 Double-unders

Saturday:
Somewhere in between volume and intensity -- max out for 5-8 reps:

• Hang Clean and Press (here's your RX)
  
• Preacher Curls
• Possibly some sort of tricep bar movement (french press or close-grip bench)
• [depending on tricep lift, AND, how chest feels, maybe go big on bench to try to get a 5-rep PR)]
• Time and energy permitting, clean it up with some plate or DB raises to isolate the different delts.
• Also TAEP, go for 6-8RM on barbell row
  

NOTE: All that pressing for heavy weight will count as 'Fran' practice. Throughout rest of week, will keep practicing pull-ups (kipping and otherwise).

Make sure to include -- in core routines or elsewhere -- some back extensions and/or super mans + some good stretching (lower back is sore from this week's routines... maybe in part to slacking on form a little).

Next week, try to go for PRs (1RM maybe) on TGU, DB Snatch, Deadlift and Squat. Also, make sure to swing it out one day at least.

Menu items from CF & CF virtuostity

Hell’s Bells
Turkish Get-up + Overhead Squat
3, 3, 3, 3, 3 each arm

5 rounds for time of:

• 10 Burpees
• 20 Double-unders

-------

"Lynne"

Five rounds for max reps of:

• Body weight bench press
• Pull-ups

Score is # reps.

Tabata Tuesday, attempting the impossible

Not sure how I feel about today's workout, but I know how I feel about the gym: TOO CROWDED! I am starting to get pissed off -- the gym is already not conducive at all to crossfit-style workouts, and with a ton of people in the weight room, it's even worse.

Tried this one but b/c I had to use the smith machine bar, instead of the main pullup handlebars which are in the middle of the cable rack (a popular and crowded apparatus), it didn't work at all.

(from CF football) AMRAP 20 minutes

1 rounds consists of:

1 Deadlift 80% of 5 RM (took a guess and did with 225)
1 Weighted Chin Up 25 lbs
3 Deadlifts 80% of 5 RM
3 Weighted Chin Ups 25 lbs
5 Deadlifts 80% of 5 RM
5 Weighted Chin Ups 25 lbs

After 1 round I realized going back and forth and trying to hold on to 25lb DB with my feet, with a bar that wasn't high enough for me to fully hang from, was awkward to say the least. Also, since moving quickly for time, was kind of roughing myself up -- don't mind that part so much, but it was just not happening in general. Mid-way into 2nd round I grabbed the big chains off the wall -- I think together they probably weigh at least 30lb -- but picking those unwieldy things up and draping on shoulders so they don't slip off was time consuming and didn't work great (they still slipped).

I don't see how this workout is possible without a very special and specific set-up, including some sort 25lb weight you can strap on REALLY quickly before each set of pulls (with sets as low as 1 rep). FUCK BALLS.

Did a couple more sets of deadlifts once i gave this up.

REST OF WORKOUT __________________________

'Stinky 16' Tabata routine:

• Tabata jump rope
• Tabata squats (17, 14, 14, 12, 10, 12, 11, 12)
• Tabata jump rope
• Tabata sit-ups (14, 12, 12, 12, 12, 10, 8, 11)

Squat score was HORRIBLE. My legs were jello afterward too. I was just making sure each round was over 10, which is small potatas -- I've done MUCH better in the past. The sit-ups, however, weren't that terrible. I used a plate on my feet to stabilize and I definitely got the arms involved -- or held 'em out anyway -- in a few sets (cheating sort of), but the overall score was probably better than I've done with Tabata situps. I usually fail on those like pullups and end up limping across the finish line on last few sets.


Rowing machine practice

Did 10 min on the rower kind of interval-style:

• 5 min (about 70-80% effort)
• 1 min rest
• 2 min (a little more - like 80-90% effort)
• 1 min rest
• 1 min (100% effort)

----

Haven't been building the deep sweat I am used to. I think the gym is too cold or something.

Weigh in: 183.5

From Hulse's site articles on body building, some decent tips re: # of reps AND me precious shoulders

Weed through the nonsense about building "big backs" and stuff -- I am interested in tips on general building principle and rep #'s only:

• Remember, low volume plus high intensity is the exact formula needed to increase muscle mass rapidly.
• The most important thing you can do each and every single time you go to the gym if you want to build muscle is to try to set a PR (personal record) on every lift you do. What this means is that you should always be trying do either do more reps with the same weight (within reason, any sets above 12 on most upper body exercises and 15-20 reps on lower body exercises will do nothing to stimulate muscle growth) or more weight for the same number of reps.
• Even if you start your workout with big exercises like chin ups and military presses and set new eight rep PR’s on those, it doesn’t mean that when you get to the little exercises and the end like hammer curls and pushdowns that should forget the principle and just do whatever it takes to get a pump. On the contrary, you should still be trying to set a new eight, ten or twelve rep PR on both of those exercises as well.
• So how do we go about developing all of the muscles of the back? Firstly we have to address the traps which start at the neck and go all the way down to the mid back. These can be worked most effectively with dead lifts, shrugs and hang cleans. Deadlifts can be done for anywhere between one and twenty reps. Shrugs are best kept at 6-12 reps and cleans should usually be done for six reps or less.
• Lastly we have the erector spinae which is basically the lower back musculature. This area extends from the top of the glutes up to the traps. A well developed set of erector spinae really stands out and lets people know you are way more than all show and no go. There is no better lower back exercise than the deadlift and its variations. Some other great erector spinae builders are good mornings, back extensions and reverse hypers. These exercises should be done for 6-20 reps, while deadlifts can be done for 1-20 reps.
• Next on the list are the smaller muscles around the shoulder blade area which are the infraspinatus, rhomboids, teres major and minor and rear deltoids. These muscles work during all forms of rows. If you are really looking to get the most bang for you buck and to work as many muscles as possible then stick with big compound rowing exercises like dumbbell and barbell rows. These will work most muscles in your back. But if you are more advanced and want to isolate and directly target some of these smaller muscles you can do that with face pulls, bent over lateral raises, scare crows and external rotations. These smaller isolation type exercises are not necessary but can help prevent imbalances and can put the finishing touches on a well muscled back. Unlike other isolation exercises like leg extensions and concentration curls, these exercises actually do serve some purpose and are effective at building size and strength and preventing injury. When utilizing some of these smaller isolation exercises be sure to keep the reps in the 8-12 range as that is what seems to work best for these muscles.
  The lats are next and are the muscles that stick out under your armpits and give you the appearance of width. They make up a great deal of the total back musculature. To really increase the size of your lats and thus the width of your back, focus on all variations of chin ups and the occasional higher rep set of pulldowns.

A good conclusion to draw from all of this is to start trying to set PRs on 5-12 reps on many exercises (less on the bigger muscle groups, more reps on some of the smaller isolating lifts).

Start trying for 5 or 6 rep PRs for most big lifts where you want to actually *grow* muscle.

Start trying for 8 or 10 rep PRs on some of the smaller stuff.
--
http://www.hulsestrength.com/gain-weight-build-huge/.html
http://www.hulsestrength.com/build-crazy-muscle-mind-blowing-rate/.html
http://www.hulsestrength.com/training-failure/.html

=========

SHOULDERS
http://www.hulsestrength.com/build-huge-powerful-shoulders/.html

One of the questions I get asked most frequently is, “how do I big build big powerful shoulders?” I usually answer this question by listing the following two exercises. Firstly, the best all around shoulder building exercise is the barbell hang clean and press. You perform this exercise by bending over with a barbell in your hands and a shoulder width grip. Start with the barbell just above your knees and be sure to maintain perfect posture with your head in line with your spine, chest up and back arched. Initiate the movement by driving your hips forward and shrugging your shoulders. Pull the bar to your upper chest and catch it there by dipping at the knees slightly. Immediately press the bar straight up overhead to lockout.

Do one or two heavy set of 5-8 reps, rest 90-120 seconds and then, if you really want to fry your shoulders, do a backoff set with a lighter weight for 10-20 reps. This will smoke your shoulders and build them up better than just about anything else.

The other best shoulder exercise you can do if you want to build cannon ball sized delts is a handstand pushup. This is as difficult as it sounds but can be modified for novice or intermediate lifters. The easiest way to work up to a handstand pushup is to start by simply holding the position for time while you keep your feet up against the wall. Work to increase your time each week and eventually you will be able to start doing partial reps. Allow your feet to slide up and down the wall and aim to increase the range of motion each week. Eventually you will be strong enough to do a single full range rep, going down until the top of your head lightly touches the floor. From there you will work up to doing a set of 5-8 reps.

After you can do that you will need to add greater range to increase the difficulty of the exercise. To increase your range of motion place your hands on two boxes and lower your head down between them. Once you can do a set of 5-8 reps like that, with your head going all the way down between the boxes, you will have powerful shoulders that would make the Hulk turn the other way if he saw you coming. Do 2-3 sets once per week with 90-120 seconds rest on a different workout day than the one in which you do the hang clean and press.

Train hard,

Jason Ferruggia

UPDATE (2/23): Find a rear delt/fly machine to use to clean up the rear delts if ever actual shoulder isolation workouts follow clean and press day...

Week of 1/11 Rough Plan

Here's the general plan for the week NOT including core or cardio/interval training, which will be scattered in there.

I have a wicked strain in my forearm, maybe from bowling? (I hate getting old), so planning accordingly... sorta. So here's the order, trying to account for that. This is 3 or 4 workouts over 5 days -- M-F (exact day of workout flexible).

Tuesday
(from CF football) AMRAP 20 minutes

1 rounds consists of:

1 Deadlift 80% of 5 RM
1 Weighted Chin Up 25 lbs
3 Deadlifts 80% of 5 RM
3 Weighted Chin Ups 25 lbs
5 Deadlifts 80% of 5 RM
5 Weighted Chin Ups 25 lbs

Try this with 225 on DLs.

Since no Dip/Pull-up station in weight room anymore, do chin-ups with top rack position on smith machine maybe...

Wednesday
Push-up Insanity!!!
Alternating 1 push up with every rep of a few different exercises - a few possible variations. Do everything with 25lb DBs. (time it)

• [1 push up, 1 pull up (maybe burpee-pullups) x 25]
  
• 1 push up, 1 double DB press or man maker x 50
• 1 push up, 1 double DB curl x 50
• 1 push up, 1 weighted (double DB) sit up x 50
• [1 push up, 1 pull up (maybe burpee-pullups) x 25]

Not sure yet if I am committed to the pull-up bookends or the man makers over straight presses -- this workout in a short form -- 150 total push-ups (300 total reps) with presses, curls, sit-ups -- will be MUCH shorter than its longest form -- 200 total push ups (400 total reps) with pullups, manmakers, curls and sit ups.

Thursday -- Saturday (2 options)
Option 1 (one workout):
AMRAP in 20 WOD:

• Thrusters x 5 x 95
• Hang Power Cleans x 7 x 95
• SDLHP x 10 x 95

(Finish up with some akbar DB shrugs)

Option 2 (two workouts):
A: Fran practice -- Thrusters, building to heavier weight (pyramid up to 120 or so maybe) and kipping practice

B: Akbar festival -- SDLHP and Power Clean (MAYBE super sets, maybe aiming for for PR reps) pyramiding weight increases ... (Finish up with some akbar DB shrugs)

-------------------------

Do dips twice this week -- 1st time: unweighted x 3 x F; weighted: MEBB-style

For intervals, throw in somewhere Sweet 16 variation with rope instead of bag and maybe sit ups instead of push ups...

Thursday: Humble Pie.... (would like to foget this one ever happened)

Warmed up with some squats since I ain't done em in a long time. Nothing much - just warm up...
10 front bar; 5 backx135; 3 backx225; 1 OHSx135

FLIRTED with Fran. Didn't think I had the pull ups in me anyway, but wanted to try it out. I just got a peek in the window and realized how goddamn out of shape I am, and how much ability I have lost since the summer. It took me almost/about 3 min just to complete 21 thrusters (10,4,4,3) and then tried some kipping pull ups - failing, and flailing, miserably on the kip - only to like 5.

What a disaster!!!

I think working from the rack on the thrusters was part of problem -- picking up from floor to clean, and then dropping weight after is probably much faster than having to set the bar on - and remove it from - the rack every time, but still -- I SUCK.

This shit got in my head and ruined my work out.

Did a stupid shoulder workout with OHPs, DB presses, plate raises and shit -- threw a few sets of incline bench in there...

Finished workout on the elliptical just to get some more sweat out, the heart rate up and some heavy breathing....

weigh in: 182

Worst!

NEW #1 TOP PRIORITY BENCHMARK GOAL: FRANNNNN

FRAN!

This is a weak goal for a weak man: COMPLETE FRAN IN LESS THAN 8 MINUTES BY MARCH.

8 minutes is a terrible time from what I understand. If I can do this is less than 6 I will be thrilled and feel far more respectable. But from where I am now - virtually unable to complete the damn thing I would think - even 8 would be an accomplishment and great overall fitness/capability benchmark.

A few good WODs to work in over next few weeks

(everything for time)

15, 12, 9 reps of:

Overhead Squat 135 lbs
Burpee Pull Ups

from CF football

-----

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:

1 rounds consists of:

1 Deadlift 80% of 5 RM
1 Weighted Chin Up 25 lbs
3 Deadlifts 80% of 5 RM
3 Weighted Chin Ups 25 lbs
5 Deadlifts 80% of 5 RM
5 Weighted Chin Ups 25 lbs

from CF football -- this will be a good one for Monday, 1/11
------

Wednesay: Fuck you, mang, I do this shit for fun -- scrappin gym workout for some homework

First was gonna do squats and then try some rower/combo intervals... then I was gonna try that whore Fran to see how she played -- maybe practice some kipping in the process...

Eh, I'll just do some sort of at-home workout instead since I have the tools and I have a bunch of shit to do around the house anyway.

It will be logged.... here:

core crazy or core lazy? eh... s'ok

3 rounds of:

• russian twists x 10 (15lb, arms out)
  
• v-ups x 10
• weighted side bends x 10/side (45lb)
• knees-to-elbows x 10

5 standing roll-outs to fin (not flat to the ground -- at my range)

Tuesday: Poach Eggs

Had to be pretty quick today.

Warm up -- 3 rounds of:

• 5 pull ups
• 10 push ups
• 15 squats

Poach Eggs-- 3 rounds for time:

• 2 Turkish Get Ups (each side)
• 4 DB Snatches (each side)
• 6 DB Rows (each side)
• 8 DB Swings

Did this in about 16 minutes. 1st round with 60lb, 2 & 3 with 50lb. 60 was just too heavy for me to keep repeating the TGUs (was fine on other stuff).

This had me huffing and puffing for life -- was definitely on the "intense" side -- but it was a quicker work out than I am used to and, as such, I ended up hitting the locker room with a pretty dry shirt. An extreme rarity, if not a first, pour moi.

Weigh in: 181

A Note re: January -- Goals and Gifts (EDITED)

For all the working out and eating right I'll be doing this month, I also want to be a little selfish. The conditioning workouts, diets and strength training are gifts to my body and my health. But as a birthday gift for me -- big arms and shoulders -- I will allow for 2 serious arm workouts a week and 1 intense shoulder day a week. These can happen with other workouts too (arms more than shoulders since that's a killer). Although the paleo diet probably won't be optimal for big growth in muscle mass (no protein supplements or anything), at least it's a very high protein diet (for me anyway) so we'll see...

For arms - try to do 1 day DBs and 1 day barbell. Maybe aim for Mondays and Thursdays...

For shoulders - after the serious blast, wait 4 days or so and go for PR OHP or PP. Then wait 2-4 days until next intense shoulder day.

Another regiment goal: at MINIMUM 2 intense core training routines every week; aim for 3-4. This will be easy as long as I keep working out 5 days a week or so. Start up the checklist chart again.

Started off the first workout of the month by hitting PR on deadlift. More of this. It is ambitious, but by month's end I want to hit 400 if I can.

(Ambitious) 1 RM Personal Record Goals for Month:

• Deadlift: 400 (current: 375)
  
• Squat: 300 (current best: 285; current ability: prob closer to 275 or less)
• Turkish Get Up: 80lb (current: 70)
  
• Overhead Press: 150 (current: 125)
  

Other 2-3 Month Goals:

• Not gonna do much benching in January, but within next 2-3 months I want to Bench over 200 (1RM) and do my body weight (180 let's say) for at least 5 reps. (current 1RM is 195 and I'm sure I am weaker than that now.)
• Muscle Up!!!! -- Problem here is I don't have anywhere to practice these really. Doorway bar doesn't work, pull up handles at gym don't work, and it may be too cold to be doing stuff like this on a bar outside unless I get good gloves and prob some other gear I don't want to buy.
• Handstand pushups -- just work on em and be able to do a few. Never tried 'em, so like the muscle up, the goal here is to just add it to the vocabulary/repetoir.
• Double Unders (same)
  
• Power Clean 150 or more, and get more comfy with it altogether. Most I've done is 135 but never tried for more. Although, when I am a little fatigued I have trouble with 135.
• Start F'ing with the rower in circuit-style interval workouts... Figure out how to measure 'calories/watts' or 'meters' or whatever the unit of measurement is... use this Crossfit guide to get started.
• Complete 'Fran' -- 21- 15- and 9 reps, for time, alternating between sets of 95lb barbell thrusters and pull-ups.

Also, find some timed challenges and go for new goals (burpees, other circuits). And revisit the warrior challenges & GPP menu and some good metcon WODs...and chow down.

New Month, New Year, New Attitude. Monday -- ME Deadlift + shenanigans

Would normally poop on today's workout but with the solid max effort to start, it's understandable that my plan didn't come together (should have planned differently).

1. Max Effort Deadlift:

• 5 x 135
• 3 x 225
• 3 x 315
• 1 x 365 (PR)
• 1 x 375 (PR)

Good. Used the powder (xmas gift from brother) and maybe it made a difference. I came in with close to no warm up tho ready to get it so that contributed too maybe. It's possible I could have kept increasing since 375 was strong but I was feeling a tiny bit of tension in the back and since I didn't stretch or anything, I opted to stop there and not tempt fate.


2. Bi's and Tri's with DBs - Plan was to poach eggs, but after unsuccessfully attempting a few practice power cleans with 135 I realized that after the come-down of deloading the DL bar I was probably too tired to rock out that circuit (will do with 60lb when I get to it). Wanted to save shoulders and felt like I earned the right to do some isolation work so eh.

3. Light sit-up and back extension finisher to be kind to the back post deadlift- just fell into this once I started doing back extensions and the blood started moving again...

• 10 back extensions
• 35 incline sit ups
• 20 back extensions
• 20 incline sit ups
• 10 back extensions
• 5 deadlift twists with 110lb DB

Did everything pretty continuously/fast...

Weigh in: just under 182

Rest of week:
Tuesday - poach eggs
Wednesday - squats n' more
Thursday - Shoulders
Friday - hard core conditioning

(work in intervals and some fat burners in there too with other stuff)