Akrajen's workout log

Easy cardio-recovery day:

~1h, 20 min on the treadmill

~7.5 minute warmup

1h, 5 minutes brisk walk at 5 m/hr pace

~7.5 minute cooldown

Hill Repeats

Course: ~1/4 mile gravel road on hill with grade up ~20%, ~1/6 mile turnabout at the top.

Work interval is to top of hill, recovery is the turnabout and back down.

8 repeats on course (start at top).

Work intervals as follows:

1 x fairly easy

2 x run

1 x brisk walk

2 x run

1 x brisk walk

1 x easy walk

I ended up doing an additional 1 x moderate pace walk up with a friend later in the evening (starting about 20 meters from the bottom).

What is your schedule like? I notice that you get time to w/o nearly every day. I am interested to know if you have any tips I can learn. Pretty much the only time I can really devote is during lunch or late in the evening.

Blessings,

Stephen

Pt 1: strength -evening

WOD (sort of)

3 x 5 one legged back extensions (5 each leg) + 35 lbs

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3 x 5 SLS; I'm still learning these and I'm more wobbly on the left (camera is pointed at the mirror).

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3 x 5 hip extensions (5 each leg), front, side, circular oven the box I was standing on for SLS

Pt 2: Cardio on the StepMill -late evening

Joint mobilization

5 minute warm-up climb

20 minutes on factory program "aerobic training," level 15, 2.6 miles covered

5:40 cool-down climb

Light stretching

Tight hips or poor balance or a lack of squat strength on one leg (quads?) ? I think you need to go a bit lower in the SLS. Using a counterweight may help or just focus on pushing that butt back.

Counterweight is a good idea. Balance and tight hips I know are an issue. As for a marked strength difference between legs, I haven't noticed it in other single leg exercises, but that doesn't mean there isn't an imbalance somewhere. If it's there, I think it will be clearly revealed as I progress on SLS.

My left leg is noticeably weaker typically in SLS as well as just the balance and coordination of SLS compared to my right. It's not as pathetic as my left cross compared to my right overhand but there is a difference.

hanging stretches

-2 x 45 second sets of straight arm dips on PowerPlate (these are something like shrugs)

-2 x 45 second set of pushups using "Perfect Pushup" rotating handles on PowerPlate (16, 14 reps), feet elevated almost to base of machine

Main workout:

Warm-up including joint mobility, static poses, rubber band exercises and 1 x 10 wrist push-ups from knees

-3 x 5 slow ring pull-ups, rising to where midline of the rings is level with shoulders/clavical at the top of the movement, 2-3 second hold at the top

-3 x 8 slow, deep bulgarian push-ups + semi pseudo maltese, feet elevated on box

-10 x 1 static pseudoplanche holds on parallettes, feet elevated on box (same level as bars)

These were performed by starting in a pseudoplanche position and edging slowly to the far extreme range of balance; hold time determined by when I finally fell forward.

Stretching including

-2 x 10 wall extensions

-1 x 4 (each arm) "archers" on rings, from knees

Short intervals on StepMill

1 hour duration with 7 x 3 minute intervals, all level 13

6.18 miles covered, 296 flights

additional 4 minute cool down

I also walked about 5 miles in town today.

Warm up including rubber-band work, static poses, Body Blade.

3 x 5 tuck FL rows

FL tuck work including several static holds

1 x tuck FL hold (~20 seconds) to invert pike, all the way over, back to invert (straight) back to tuck FL; attempted to lower all the way down (as in skin the cats) and back up to tuck FL, but failed at this point. Total time ~ 53 seconds

7, 6, 5 slow Bulgarian dips, hold static support at top for several seconds

1 x 3 slow rubber-band crosses, 3+ second hold at bottom (cross position)

I'm trying to save some energy for this weekend, which is supposed to be two days of dirt riding at the Cornerspin school http://cornerspeed.net/spin.html. This is basically about how to slide the rear wheel through the turns.

Cornerspin school, Day 1

About 4.5 - 5 hours doing the hokey-pokey and spinning myself around on a 100 cc dirt bike.

Cornerspin school, Day 2

More sliding in the dirt including some short flat track work. I rode about 6 hours today, maybe more; most rode longer but I it cut short due to a dinner engagement. This really is quite the workout for the quadriceps, the inner thighs and the hip flexors. I may have a few pictures before too long if anyone is interested in that sort of thing. If anyone here is a racer, does track days or just wants to ride better, I recommend it.

WOD with slight modifications:

Warm-up including 10 minutes (5 forward, 5 backwards) on the eliptical trainer, static poses, rubber band work, external rotations with small plates, all kinds of push-ups and rows.

4 sets each of:

Invert pike (substitute for BL, with a partial back lever inserted in the middle) + 5 Bulgarian rows with a 10 pound plate

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Static pseudoplanche on parallettes + 5 Bulgarian push-ups with a 10-pound plate

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Front lever (open tuck position) + 4 non-hanging circular leg raises on XR (I did not do hanging because I did not want to lengthen transition times by readjusting the rings or running over to another part of the gym). [edit] Obviously, I can't do a full circle yet, so I modified the exercise and counted a full sweeping rotation in both directions as one rep. I think next time, I'll try it just with the knees up. Though this is not a full variant, it was difficult enough for me at this point :shock: BTW, I did not count that first sweep to my right in this video as a rep. :wink: Also, I was not even attempting to hold a proper support. Next time I should. [end edit]

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2 bridge wall walks at the gym, 8 more when I got back home

I did 4 sets instead of three for two reasons: one, because after we recorded the first set, I discovered the camara had been set to low resolution so we had to re-record everything. All sets shown here are during either the 3rd or 4th set. The second reason was that some of the rest intervals between sets were longer due to the fact I had to find assistants (people who weren't busy at the time) and then explain to them what I was trying to do. Also, the sets are out of order during the last two rounds.

Today I decided to see what I could do of the WOD. Some of these exercises I had never tried before, and others I'm still trying to progress to proper execution. I treated this as a skills day and worked each component of the WOD, or some variant on it, separately.

Warm-up with 10 minutes on eliptical trainer (5 forwards, 5 backwards) and static poses, as well as playing on my makeshift strap apparatus.

I spent probably a good 35-45 minutes just trying to figure out bucket circles.

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I'm far better to the right than to the left.

Second, I tried Agwalks, but these I've previously only been able to do marginally going backwards with a slightly dropped butt, so I decided to hold the propre static Agwalk pose for counts of around ten. I probably did this 4-5 times.

Third, I worked PPP 3 x 5 for technique. I took videoclips of two sets and in each I notice that on reps 1 and 2, I don't round out correctly. I could see myself in the mirror and corrected this on reps 3-5.

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I did one set of hoppers (demonstrated previously) with a push-up in between each one.

Finished with 2 x 10 wrist pushups, light stretching, 1 x 10 cat tilts and 1 downward facing dog.

Active recovery day:

Due to the very nice weather, I decided to take it outside

7-mile brisk trail walk

6 miles on the (single speed) bike each way to get to the trail (12 miles total)

an extra 4 miles or so just commuting by bike

Typical warm-up, including some invert pike to partial back lever (BL is getting closer! )

3 rounds of:

- 5 front pulls - half. These are performed in an open tuck position (finish in candlestick upside-down, then back down to FL).

- 5 PPP on the floor.

~30-40 seconds between each set and each round.

- 7, 7, 5.5 XR Bulgarian dips. I'm working on slowing these down and holding a solid support for a few seconds at the top of each rep. For the first two sets, finish in a 45 degree or so cross before falling through.

- 8, 6, 6 XR basic pull-ups.

about 2-3 minutes interset interval.

[edit] forgot to put this earlier: stretching, 2 x 10 wrist pushups, 1x 10 cat tilt, down dog. [end edit]

Pt 1: WOD from Thu April 16 (modified)

warm-up, 10 minutes on eliptical trainer (5 forward, 5 backwards)

-3 x 5 graduated SLS + 5 lbs counterweight (there was not a suitable stable oject on which to do box jumps).

Here I tried to work on form. Blairbob was right in that the counterweight helps and that there is a disparity in leg strength. My right leg is definitely stronger than the left so I'll have to work on that!

-3 x 5 GHR - half.

-4 x 15 seconds low L-sit on paralelletes (I decided to stick with L-sits for the time being).

Pt 2: StepMill

5 minute warm-up, level 5.

20.02 minute "Aerobic Training" program, level 15. One hundred twentyfive flights and 2.61 miles covered.

5 minute cool-down, level 4.

stretching

(Take 2: The first time one of the cats ran by and unplugged the computer power chord while I was typing.)

Warmup: 10 minutes eliptical (5 forward, 5 backwards), rubber band work, static poses. Pseudoplanch support replaces plank pose (pushup support).

Pullover variant: this is the closest I have done to a Naner. The first time I recorded this was about 1 month ago and I was able to do 3 unspotted. I did not complete the fourth rep. Today, I did 8 in a row unspotted in the first set, and 6 in the second where I did not complete the seventh rep. the second set is shown here.

3X6D5-JL2Iw This was sort of a dangerous place to do this so I did only 2 sets.

The previosu exercise was alternated with 2 sets of 8 rope pullups (towel pullups except with a rope). Truncated range of motion at the bottom of the movement due to the fact I'm not used to such a narrow grip.

Worked back lever, starting in invert pike or similar position and easing back a little each time. In one set I actually managed to roll far enough to where my feet touched the ground (that was my dismount).

Worked front lever, first from bent elbow hang to FL to inverted hang (candlestick, I think) back to FL and back to bent arm hang. When working FL by itself, I usually don't have a problem bending my elbows, but I discovered that when I link it with other movements a bend starts to creep in, I think because of the transition. In the last set, I worked only the negative, lowering into an FL from in inverted hang while trying to keep the arms straight.

5, 4 cross negatives.

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2 x 1 single cross negatives (trying for a slow decent)

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Finished with some stretching, 1 x 10 wrist pushups from knees and 1 x 10 wall extensions.

Thanks for your compliment and well wishes! Your Naners are amazing! I just recently learned how to do a pullover, and can't even do two Naners in a row without a bit of a hip spot. Very impressive

~Laney

Warmup: eliptical trainer (5 min forward, 5 min backwards), lots of rubber band work, some static poses

5 x >=20-second static support holds (counting).

4 x 5 PPP, the last rep on the last set was really bad and I'm not really sure I should count it.

3 static Pseudoplanche holds. Planche is the exercise I need the most work on.

15, 14, 10, 10, 10, 13-second L-sit low on paralellettes (facing clock).

In between L-sit sets, messed around with static box cross. This is okay to get into, but I haven't yet figured out how to get back out very easily.

1 x 7 Bulgarian Pushups, first 6 with a wide support hold at the top.

1 x 10 standing Maltese flies.

stretching, finish with 2 x 10 wall extensions.

I seem to have gotten whatever has been going around and will probably take a short training hiatus.

[edit in] This should give me some time to think up a steady state cycle. I have put off starting one while I tried out different things and acquired new skills. I will probably post up some ideas in the next couple of days for some tips and advice. [end edit in]

Thanks Laney for the encouragement on the Naners!

I'm not sure what this Mr. Green character is supposed to represent, but it has a nice smile.

Hopefully tomorrow I can start back up again, meanwhile, I got some pictures from the Cornerspin (motorcycle) class I took two weeks ago. What a blast! GB training carries over.

I've decided to give it one more day before starting back.

First day back

Warmup: 8 minutes on the treadmill, rubber band work, static poses

3 x 7 Bulgarian pushups with feet elevated on a box, going a little deeper, slower, holding longer and wider at the top.

3 x 5 FL rows in a tuck.

1 x 5 FL pulls (tuck).

1.5 band-assisted crosses with about 3/4 to 4/5 the previous resistance.

A couple of static support holds and cross negatives.

Stretching

Before I was feeling a bit slugish, now I feel better.

Warmup: 7 minutes eliptical (3.5 each way) and rubber bands

1 x 20+ seconds basic support.

3 x 7 Bulgarian dips, slow, come out to about 40 degrees at the top and hold a second or two.

1 x 5 cross nagatives, can now hold 45 degrees for several seconds.

8, 8, 7 pullups, went relatively slowly on these.

I want to start increasing volume through split wourkouts and had planned to do a second workout based on Bulgarian pushups and FL rows, but didn't get back home in time. I hope to continue with that workout tomorrow.