HIIT or HIT

Eating:  a steakhouse salad from Chop't, but with mesclun and extra pepper

Drinking:  water

Listening:  Hammer

 

Run 5' at 9:30 pace

Tabata hillclimb at 6 mph / 10' pace, change to 6.1 mph after 4

4' rest

Run 20' at 10 pace

 

Inspired by Fitness Black Book's ghetto-ass fat loss thing.  Note that I did not fast first, so of course I totally missed the whole point, but I didn't have the nerve to not eat anything all morning and then do a Tabata.  That is something I will work up to for sure.

 

The Tabata was - dare I say it - easy.  It flew by, I did not feel like I was going to go into cardiac arrest, and I got a little skin flush but nothing like in the past.  I must be doing something right!  I just wish I had responded a little more quickly and kicked it up to 6.3 or something.  I guess I was worried about overdoing it.  The 20' run also felt pretty good, a little tightness in my left ankle and continuous clock-watching aside.  What I should say is that it was boring but didn't feel bad, and it was nice to set a goal and not flake out by bailing early or turning the speed down, both things I was strongly tempted to do.  I need to get one of these in a week in order to be finishing half-marathons and marathons in a couple months.

Back in the Saddle

Eating:  just had yet another Chop't harvest cobb

Drinking:  water, thinking about adding some caffeine

Listening:  Orbital

 

WA Pullups 60# 10

Deadlift 115# 10, 125# 12

Bench press 125# 12 unspotted

Pulldown 135# 8 (didn't see the five-pound barbell left on the stack)

Squat 165# 10

OH Press 60# 11

Close grip pulldown 100# 12

Weighted incline situps 35# 10

Backups 12

Dips 8

 

Some thoughts:

• It would not kill me to do some lunges.
• Every so often I should do a dumbbell day, where I do all applicable exercises with dumbbells, and maybe drop ten pounds or so.
• I am still having doubts about whether or not I'm on the right track to doing pullups.  I also think I should be doing at least one of the exercises as a wide-grip.  And maybe I should only be doing one of the exercises each time, and rotating?  Shit. 
• Should I be freaking out if my numbers have dropped a bit from last week?  No, right?
• I feel like I can go a lot heavier on deadlifting, but the squats I am finding very hard. 

Sunday - Climb to the Top

Sunday was the big day.  I was up early and in a scary livery cab for the 6:15 check-in.  I then had an hour to wait around the Rock Center concourse.  I was feeling pretty nervous.  I had received a Facebook message from JM the night before telling me that JP, who was a friend in high school, has MS, and while I was pacing around waiting for the start I checked status updates and saw one of his saying that he was fighting the MonSter.  I found that very motivating.  I wasn't going to race with anyone's name on my back, but after I saw that I went over to the name thing table and wrote out his name. 

 

I got into the start corral early, around 7.  I was mostly keeping to myself and warming up, but the dude in front of me noticed the Five Fingers and asked about them.  We had a nice, nervous conversation.  He said he was going to try for 10 minutes and I tried to hide my incredulousness.  He also told me about the fire fighter test, which made me think a weight vest would be a neat thing to have.  Anyway, we made it to the front of the line.  He was off like a shot and I think that eliminated any lingering concern of mine to have a conservative race.  I beeped in and took off, in the process failing to hit my watch's timer button.  I made it up ten flights or so before noticing this.  At this stage I was alternating double and single steps.  I quickly realized that double steps would cause me to, uh, die, so I went to singles but kept a very sharp pace.  I passed dozens of people.  I skipped the first rest stop, grabbed a cup of water at the second, and basically just kept the pace.  I was feeling very, very motivated.  Some clown in a team t-shirt that I had passed earlier caught up to me in the 60's but I turned it on a bit more and he did not pass me.  The whole way I was thinking "15 minutes might actually be possible," but I ended up on top in light snow after only about 13:30.  I feel very, very good about the whole thing. 

Saturday

Ran 2 miles at a comfortably slow pace with The Wife.  Great to see her exercise.  I had planned to take Saturday off completely and relax but I ended up going because I didn't want to miss an opportunity to encourage her.  Had a great time.  Felt nice and loose. 

A Trip to the Gym with BK

Eating:  just had a salad from Chop't

Drinking:  just had an espresso, should drink some water

Listening:  nothing

 

WA Pullups 60# 10

Deadlift 90# 10, 100# 10, 110# 10

Bench press 105# 12

Pulldown 130# 10

Squat 155# 12 ... sick

OH Press 60# 11

Close grip pulldown 100# 10

Weighted incline situps 35# 8

Dips 9

Backups 12

 

Felt great, totally buzzed.  My energy levels were really high and I hate to admit it but I got a kind of sick thrill out of benching more than BK (with no effort).  It is starting to dawn on me that I am making real progress, and there is a lot more progress to be made.  I will be squating body weight soon, and I might even be able to deadlift bodyweight in the next couple months.  If I am lucky enough to have a squatter again, I could bench a lot more.  I even feel pretty upbeat about the possibility of someday doing sets of pullups (although clearly there is a ways to go there).

 

I had intended to do one-armed rows and lunges, but didn't.  By the time I did the second set of pulldowns my forearms were totally pumped, and I felt like I had gotten a pretty good arm / shoulder workout, and I hate lunges.  I will have to get over that some day. 

 

Wow, I feel really good. 

Double Climb

Eating: chocolate

Drinking: nothing, I'm already drunk

Listening: ambient noise from the hallway

 

I did a double climb of the whole building today.  First climb 9:52.  Second climb 7:52 to 28 (total 66, more or less), 11:02 to top.  I was pretty wiped out on the second climb.

 

Meant to do this yesterday but I didn't because wonder of wonders I got staffed on something.  The possibility of fucking it up is stressing me out completely. 

Yesterday

Eating:  leftover jail food

Drinking:  water

Listening:  nothing

 

Yesterday I was feeling a little crappy.  I slept very poorly, in part because I got wasted at the Rangers game with the BIL.  I hit the gym around 4, undercaffinated, and did:

 

WA pullups 50# 8 (felt weak)

Deadlift 70# 10 80# 10 90# 10

Dumbbell press 40# 12

Pulldown 130# 10, I think

Squat 145# 12

OH press 60# 10, I think

WA chinups 50# 8

Lunges 50# 2 per side, way too heavy!

 

Instead of carrying my Blackberry around the gym, like an idiot, I should take a piece of paper and a pen.  Also, I had intended to do situps, backups and pushups, but didn't - too tired and too lazy.  I spent about 15 minutes in the hot tub after that, trying to avoid the next-day tightness in the backs of the legs that comes from deadlifting.  I have to ask: is this enough?  I don't know if I really feel like this routine is going to make me stronger. 

The Stair Master

Eating: nothing

Drinking: nothing

Listening: nothing

 

8 x 30" stair run, 1' rest

 

Intervals were great.  I was supposed to do 10 but I was totally out of juice after 8.  However I feel great now. 

 

I had intended to fast from yesterday lunch today lunch, but after putting the little monster to bed last night I was so hungry, I just had to have a chicken burrito.  Oh well.  Maybe someday.  I love eating.

A Program?

Eating: just had yet another delicious harvest cobb

Drinking: water

Listening: Awungilobolele

 

pulldowns 150# 8

 

At this point in my workout, I was approached by a personal trainer, let's call him "Carlos", who pointed out some faults in my pd technique, specifically that my shoulders were too far up and forward and that my chest was collapsed.  I listened to what he had to say, which was all sensible, and discussed my goal of doing pullups.  He suggested using the weight assist machine.  So, going forward, that's what I'm going to do, use the weight assist machine, assuming a weight of 190 (actually 186!) with an assist of 50#.  He also said he wants to see me do 3 x 5 pullups in two weeks.  Yeah right.  But, eventually.  So, continuing:

 

WA pullups 50# 8

deadlift 50# 10 60# 10 70# 10

dumbbell press 30# 10 35# 10 40# 10

squat 145# 10

OH press 70# 8 (bad form, drop to 60# next time)

dips 5

 

Then a sauna for 10 or 15 minutes.  A lot of arm work, and I am feeling it now.  I may pay Carlos to help me with deadlifting.  My hamstrings, particularly my right one, are very tight.  On the whole thought not a bad half hour workout.  Also I should keep pulldowns in the rotation, just after WA pullups. 

Back from Canada; Sick; Another Stairclimb

Eating: nothing

Drinking: nothing, and jesus I need some coffee

Listening: Thank You for Sending Me an Angel

 

So, I'm back from Canada.  The new skis were great in the soft snow.  I was widestancing more than I should have, but I guess that's bound to happen if you only ski six days per year.  The hiking was very slow going, especially for the first two days, but not agonizing at all (except for the rubbing from my boots).  So I can say that, while I could have gone harder and would have benefitted from doing so, the exercise was an incredible help and enabled me to enjoy much more of the skiing than I would have otherwise. 

 

I got incredibly sick the last two days I was there.  I'm still trying to determine what the cause was.  N does not heat his house, but that may have had only a psychological effect.  I drank a lot of alcohol, and I went to the hot springs with infected holes in my feet.  The hot springs were amazing, by the way - I did six cold plunges!  BM hangs out in the cold until the gasp reflex stops, which I will try next time I'm near a plunge pool.  I read somewhere else yesterday that some guy who is 100 attributes his longevity to cold showers, and that he stays in to a count of 100, but then I pussed out in the shower this morning.  Still feeling slightly sick.

 

Despite so feeling, I did a climb of the full building yesterday in 10:29.  I was pushing semi-hard on the pace and was pretty winded by the top.  It took me I think 4:11 to walk to the bottom from 23, so I could do two or more 30' laps next time. 

A Hard Effort

Eating:  almonds, just had an apple

Drinking:  water - delicious

Listening:  Seldin, honkyoku

 

HIT portion:

OHP 70# 9

Pulldown 150# 10

 

Cardio:

3 x 7' climb, 3' walking rest; 3.8, 3.8, 3.7

 

What a great workout.  I had a bowl of matcha before and I don't think that hurt.  I also had maybe more carbs than I usually do today, a bowl of cereal for breakfast (still standard, alas) and ramen (with extra wontons) for lunch.  Actually what I think is making the biggest difference is that I meditated this morning, as well as last night.  I am not going to achieve the falling away of body and mind meditating for ten minutes twice per day, but it sure does help me focus.  Way less clockwatching than usual on the treadmill.  I am also pretty jazzed because I had my first shakuhachi lesson yesterday.  On some level I probably knew that not being able to reliably produce any sound at all after a week is normal, but it was encouraging to hear that from an expert, and good to know that the track I am on (continued plugging away) is the right one.  Honkyoku is starting to really get a grip on me, and I get excited thinking about having that kind of control. 

 

I also registered yesterday for the Rockefeller Center stair climb, March 1.  66 floors.  It's nice because I'll have something to sustain my post trip momentum. 

A Productive Morning

When the Little Monster took her morning nap, the wife did a Pilates video.  I puttered around for a bit, practiced shakuhachi, and did 12 pushups with my feet on a chair.  When she was done, I got her up on my back and did a squat Tabata.  I only managed 5 (10, 11, 11, 10, 10, *3) before my form went to total shit and I was gasping for air, but I feel great now.  I think she weighs around 125. 

What A Killer

Eating: apple

Drinking: Gatorade

Listening: Risky Business

 

40' hill climb, with weights.  2.7 the entire time.  I grabbed a Gatorade at the 20' weight switch break. 

 

Just read this.  Makes a lot of sense.  I think I'll do that on Monday, with a nice circuit workout and a hill climb, maybe without weights for once.  The plan for the weekend is to do Tabata squats using the wife as weight tonight, then maybe some pushups and jumping tomorrow or Sunday. 

Mercifully Brief

Eating: almonds and chocolate

Drinking: I promise I will get up and refill my water bottle as soon as I am done typing

Listening:  MBEK

 

Just did a modification of yesterday's WOD, which was thrusters 1-1-1-1-1-1-1.  Weights were barbells 25 - 30 - 35 - 40 - *45 - 40 - 40 - 40.  Left arm failed on 45.  My OHP is so weak that I'm not sure it makes sense to do thrusters for weight - it's as though there is no squat component at all. 

 

I also read a bit today about Drew's personal program, which led me to the HIT FAQ on his site.  He recommends 8-12 reps of a single weight.  I would like to progress to being able to do lots of pullups, so I did 150# pulldowns and managed 9, and dips and did 10. 

 

All in all, a very short program.  I feel pretty good though.  Buzzed, you might say.  When I got back to the office I was craving sugar, like a brownie or something, so I gave myself a double ration of dark chocolate.

 

Yesterday I went out to lunch at La G. with JM and others and had a lot to drink.  Not enough that I couldn't work but certainly enough to make going to the gym totally out of the question.  J's friend J came over for dinner last night and we had a lot more wine.  He was kind of a douche but it rolled right off of me.  The meditation must be working.  Also, I have practiced shakuhachi for ten minutes each night this week.  I still can't reliably make a sound, but that can't be too far off at this point. 

Mission Accomplished

Eating:  salad from Chop't and some chocolate

Drinking:  water

Listening:  Honkyoko again

 

40' hillclimb with weights.  I noticed that the weights were leaking the little plastic chips that make them heavy, and that they were probably different weights, so I stopped after 20' and switched them.  That gym.  Jesus.  Speed was 2.7 to start with, dropped to 2.6 and then to 2.5.  I was trying to keep my HR under 140.  I don't totally understand why my stamina is so poor - that is, I can do 15-20' of 2.7 mph climbing at like 125 but 5 minutes later I'm gasping for air. 

 

135# squats 10, 10, 10.  I could have upped the weight, if I had dropped the number of reps, but I felt like the third 10 was pretty close to failure (although still clearly doable). 

 

Thinking of something to do tomorrow will not be easy.  I've hit all the major groups these two days.  I would do some jumping but I don't really want to attract that kind of attention. 

Ugly Like Orangutans

Eating: going to break into some full fat Fage when my stomach settles; also some brazil and macadamia nuts

Drinking: water

Listening: Bamboo-In sample honryoku

 

I did repeats of two previous exercises today, all together: 5 6 7 8s and a hillclimb tabata.  For the 5 6 7 8s, I was only able to match my previous count of 8, despite the fact that it was 3:30 PM and the gym was empty.  Two things could explain this: one, I could have messed up the count last time, or two, it has been so long since I've done any kind of pulldown or pullup that those slowed me down significantly.  I did feel like the pulldowns were the weak link, although the pushups weren't great either.  The good news is that (if I remember my multiplication tables correctly) that is 40 back extensions, 48 pulldowns, 56 pushups and 64 situps. 

 

The tabata was also pretty rough, and I did lose count, but erred on the side of an extra rep.  I did it at a 6 mph / 10 minute mile pace, just like in November, and completed it easily although I wouldn't say that it felt great. 

 

So, what does this all mean?  I am at least as fit as I was in December, maybe?  I take some solace from the fact that I've put in the hours on the Pema Hillclimb Machine lately.  Also, I remember trying to get in shape for a BC trip a couple of years ago (maybe last year) and blowing all my gains by drinking and smoking immediately prior, and I clearly haven't done that. 

Stuffed and Light Headed

Eating: some chocolate

Drinking: some water

Listening: Fahey

 

I feel kind of light headed.  I just did a very light workout: 3 x 10 50# dumbbell walking lunges, 10 burpees minus jump, 10 incline situps.  Just didn't have much energy.  Talking it easy is permissible, I think, because I went to WLY and stuffed myself today, courtesy of my original benefactor YC.  I am trying with no success to write her a nice thank-you email.  On the other hand, I had to get something in, because the parents are here and I likely won't get any exercise to speak of this weekend.  

Back At It

Eating: a nice apple from the usually shitty selection at the gym

Drinking: water

Listening: a BBC Hard Talk interview of Geert Wilders - totally unbearable (the BBC, not Wilders)

 

Did 40' of hillclimb with weights at 2.4 with the last five minutes at 2.5.  Felt pretty good.  My heartrate was between 120 and 130.  Still taking it pretty easy. 

Post-Illness Weakness

Eating: chocolate and nuts

Drinking: water

Listening: Nyoraku (the free shit from his website)

 

5 x 1' heavy bag with BK, with some mobility and jumpropesque hopping in between, then 10' climb (no weights) at 3.0, followed by Tabata climb at 4.2-4.5.  I was ultra sick on Monday, and spent all of yesterday recovering, so I didn't feel especially strong today.  On Saturday and Sunday, I did do some light workouts, including (on Saturday) 10 x fake burpees (no jumping) which completely laid me out.  So, I think I'm still in kind of shitty shape.  Oh well.  The way to remedy that is by working out, right?  The heavy bag was kind of hard, I felt slow and weak.  On the Tabata, I deliberately took it easy on myself, and came out of it feeling worked but not killed. 

 

I just looked at the last hillclimb Tabata I did and I did that fucker at 6 mph, to put me taking it easy on myself in perspective.  Boy. 

Punching Below My Weight

Eating:  Chop't harvest cobb and a piece of dark chocolate

Drinking:  water

Listening:  I Zimbra

 

This morning BK asked if I wanted to hit the heavy bag.  We've been talking about it for a while.  I have a lot of stuff to do, but I figured I could squeeze in some time this morning given that everyone else on my team is otherwise occupied.  I did 5 1' rounds.  It felt pretty good.  I think we're going to make it a once-a-week thing.  Did some pushups as a warmup and in between rounds too.  Then I got on the treadmill and did 40' with the weights.  Started out at 2.7, then down to 2.5-2.6, then up to 3.0 for the last 5 minutes.  Also felt good.  I then tried to do an easy version of the WOD, which is overhead squats 3-3-3-3-3.  I picked 30#, easily pressed it, and started to go down.  About 1/4 of the way down I stopped.  I had to push myself into the rest of the squat, and it kind of threw out my back!  What the hell?  I need to watch a video of someone doing that.  It never occurred to me that it would be that much harder than regular squats. 

Quick Note

Forgot to type this up earlier. 

 

Warmup: 10 pushups, 10 situps, 10 130# pulldowns.

 

15 70# power cleans

8 dips

12 60# power cleans

6 dips

9 60# power cleans

5 dips

6 60# power cleans

3 dips

3 60# power cleans

3 dips

 

10 45# squats

8 95# squats

6 115# squats

4 135# squats

 

My wrists hurt from the power cleans, but I felt like my technique was getting there at the end.  The squats were easy. 

Snatched From the Jaws of Sloth

Eating:  nuts, chocolate, a Granny Smith

Drinking:  water

Listening:  Secret Chiefs

 

Just did 40' with the 10# anklets.  I then did only 40 bosu tucks.  What can I say, I did them in one set, and work is kind of intense right now.  The climb was good, as I managed to fight through a period of dullness (look at something and bring it in to sharp focus) and a period of tenseness (let yourself relax completely).  Pema is helping.  The last two techniques are from her.  She is getting in to the be like a log teaching, so I'm excited for Wednesday. 

 

Yesterday and the day before I took pretty long walks (yesterday's was especially long) with the little chomper on my back.  We were up at Castle Greyskull and just came back yesterday afternoon.  I had planned to run or jump last night but the Wife prevailed and got me to cook the bacon fried rice, bean shoots and mixed mushrooms instead.  I did douse, and I also meditated for 15 minutes.  On Friday I hung out with DC, AL and AL's friend from GZ, who was kind of a disappointment.  I had huge quantities of green (kiseru method was a resounding success), two beers (one of which was a Six Point and absolutely delicious) and two cigarettes.  I also had two glasses of prosecco on Saturday night.  I still feel like my +/- abstinence is a good thing - I would have had four times that much alcohol on a typical weekend.  If not more.  I had a very late night at work on Thursday (5 AM) but doused and meditated in the morning. 

 

I think I'll go to Tea Box for lunch. 

Nice Girls

Eating: a Granny Smith and some nuts

Drinking: water

Listening: A Clean Break

 

Just repeated a workout I did in December (I think): 3 x [50 45# squats, 5 pullups, 5 dips, 10 45# power cleans], plus a warm up of 2 x [10 pushups, 10 situps].  The only difference is that I used the big bar instead of a 40# soft bar, and that I didn't sub in any chinups.  Anyway.  It was hard.  I said apropos of squats last time that they got easier as I went on, and that was certainly true this time, but they were very hard at first, and I had real misgivings about doing them after the tucks yesterday.  Still, I made it through, and by the end it didn't seem like much of an effort at all.  The pullups were horrible.  By the end I was doing them one at a time and kind of halfassing it.  I need to do more pulldowns at a lighter weight.  Pushups were very hard too.  The power cleans seem kind of pointless at that weight.

RTFO

Eating:  nothing, going to go up to the caf after typing

Drinking:  I just had, if you can believe it, a bottle of Gatorade (Frost flavor); other than that, nothing, certainly not enough water

Listening:  "Cargo Culte", thanks to Youtube, the A Feng pick for best song of all time

 

Just had a very good and even redemptive trip to the gym.  I had planned to go earlier this morning, and in fact went, even though work was intruding, but got down there to realize I had forgotten my shoes.  So, I went back down just now and did 45' on the incline and 100 bosu tucks.  I did the first 25' around 2.6 to 2.7 with 5# weights, but they kept sliding down and falling off - the velcro was worn out.  I went to replace them and the 4#s were missing so I used the 10#.  Jackpot.  Exactly like skinning.  I could slow down to 2.1 / 2.2 and still keep my HR around 140.  Doing the bosu tucks was also very affirming because it's exactly the sort of thing I typically plan to do and then don't.  I did 50, my legs were burning, and I kept at it and finished.  A really good feeling. 

 

On Sunday night I did a tabata of box jumps in the apartment and then tried to do a 13' Pilates video with the Wife.  I made it 6' in.  Oh well.  The tabata was actually pretty easy, probably because I'm not coordinated enough to do the jumps fast.  Maybe next time I'll do 10 rounds?

 

So, the plan for the next couple of days is: if I did a hike on the day before, I'll do Crossfit, but if I didn't, I'll do a hike.  Hikes should be followed or supplemented by some other ski-specific move such as bosu tucks, bosu squats, balance board versions, box jumps, whatever. 

Play / Work

Eating:  just had a salad from Chopt

Drinking:  water

Listening:  conference call

 

Just did a very watered down, but still brutal, to me anyway, version of Murph.  .5 mile hill climb, 50 pulldowns (120, 110, 100, 90 chin, 90), 30 pushups, 50 15# bosu squats (although the first and last ten were on a wobble board), .5 mile hill climb.  Should have done more pushups and squats, but I was running out of time.  I went totally lactic on the pulldowns and the pushups and it felt awful.  I am still in pretty bad shape.  Did the hill climbs in just over 9 min, just under 9 min, speed between 3 and 3.5.  I just can't believe that anyone can do 100 pullups and 200 pushups.  I could do 300 squats, maybe, but it would be a max effort.  I guess that's the point.

 

I also spun the Monstermobile around the park yesterday in about 42 minutes (rough estimate).  That was great fun.  I watched her by myself all yesterday, what a joy.  She is such a sweetie.  The running part felt great too, although I was slapping a bit.  Based on something from the Pose website that I bumped into today, I think my mid/forefoot landing is ok, but it should be under my hips.  That is currently the missing link.