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Started by George Launchbury, February 29, 2008 · 13 Replies · 2,131 Views
March 2008 Goals
Wall Handstand: 0:60 in single effort
Chin-ups: 1×10 +0kg
L-hang: 0:30 in single effort
Notes: Waiting out a minor injury somewhere around my rhomboids, so avoiding Rows until then (since they seem to aggravate it). Will put Rows and PBar pushups back in as a pair when it’s healed a little. Will assess current strength then, and set goals accordingly.
Monday 25th Feb 2008, 12:00hrs @ gym
Chin-ups: 3,3,3,3,2+1 (3:1:3 tempo) -15kg
Wall Handstands: 4×0:20
L-hang: 3×0:20 (hips:90, knees:45)
Face-pulls: 3×10 with low resistance
Notes: Rushed into the last set of chins without enough rest to complete the set. Stopped HS as wrists feeling like they’d had enough. They are improving a lot, though.
Tuesday 26th Feb 2008, 13:30hrs @ gym
Chin-ups: 3,3,3,3,3 (3:1:3 tempo) -15kg
Wall Handstands: 4×0:30
L-hang: 3×0:20 (hips:90, knees:45)
Face-pulls: 3×10 with low resistance
Bulgarian split squats: 3×5 (3:1:3 tempo) +0kg
Notes: Chins felt better today, managed all sets. There is a big jump now, as 15kg is last setting on assistance machine. I guess I go to bodyweight, and see how I fare. Handstands felt good, although wrists could do with a couple of days off. Was a race between grip and midsection for who would fail first on the L-hangs. I tried some Bulgarian split squats, and will be adding a little weight to those next time.
Friday 29th Feb 2008, 16:00hrs @ home
Wall Handstands: 10×0:20
Chin-ups: 3,3,2+1,1+2,1+2 (3:1:3 tempo) +0kg (where +1 would be making up total with 0:05 negatives)
Face-pulls: 3×10 with low resistance
L-hang: 3×0:20 (hips:90, knees:45)
Notes: Ran out of steam for some reason today, probably lack of quality sleep this week. Surprised by handstands, though. I did 0:20 on the 1:00 mark (0:40 rest), with plan to stop when I felt I should. Think I will cap it at three workouts this week, and rest up until Monday. Did first two facing the wall, but really crashed on rolling out …so reverted to back-to-wall. I will practice my rolls, but at 220-odd lbs I don’t want to be landing on my neck funny!!!
Just remembered that I usually do Handstands second, after chin-ups, which might have something to do with getting more today and chins being so rubbish!? Better do that more often to even things up.
Monday 3rd March 2008, 12:30hrs @ gym
Chin-ups: 3,3,2+1,1+2,0+3 (3:1:3 tempo) +0kg
Wall Handstands: 5×0:30 (1:30 rest)
Hanging leg-raises: 3×3 (3:1:3 tempo) up to 90deg
Stiff-legged deadlift*: 3×3 (3:5:3 tempo) +20kg
Bulgarian split squats: 3×3 (3:1:3 tempo) +20kg
* 0:05 second pause at low point to stretch hamstrings.
Notes: Felt rough today …two days of binge-eating at various Mothers’ Day events has really taken it’s toll. Hoping will recover enough for tomorrow’s workout, but at least is a good reminder of what non-paleo food generally does to me!!!
Tuesday 4th March 2008, 07:00hrs @ gym
Cable holds*: 3×0:20 each for 30kg Planche and 45kg Front-lever
Stiff-legged deadlift: 3×3 (3:5:3 tempo) +32kg
Face-pulls: 3×10 with low resistance
Bulgarian split squats: 3×3 (3:1:3 tempo) +28kg
Lying leg-raises**: to pre-failure (slow tempo)
* Laying on floor, with cable pulley set to 6â€
Thursday 6th March 2008, 12:15hrs @ gym
Wall Handstands: 8×0:20 (0:40 rest)
Chin-ups: 3,3,3,3,2+1 (3:1:3 tempo) +0kg (start set every 2:00)
Notes: Bit of a short one today, as busy at work. Will complete outstanding items later/tomorrow. Middle sets of chins involved knees coming up slightly (and slowly, not kipping) at the top for last rep ...I'm not sure if this counts as cheating, but I would like to manage all reps extended and controlled.
Monday 10 March 2008, 12:30hrs @ gym
Wall Handstands: 9×0:20 (0:40 rest)
Chin-ups: 3,3,3,3,3 (3:1:3 tempo) +0kg
Stiff-legged deadlift: 3×5 (3:5:3 tempo) +38kg
Hanging leg-raises: 3×3 (3:1:3 tempo) up to 90deg
Step-back lunges: 3x5 (3:1:3 tempo) +24kg
Notes: Feeling a lot better for the break! Going to do another set of 5x3 on chin-ups to make sure wasn't a fluke, then probably go to 4x4? Handstands felt good today, although wrists feel a little achey now. Won't do handstands (on floor at least) again 'til thursday now.
Monday 17 March 2008, 07:00hrs @ gym
Wall Handstands: 10×0:20 (0:40 rest)
Hanging leg-raises: 3,3,3,3,3 (3:1:3 tempo) up to 90deg
MetCon:
3 rounds (21, 15, 9 each) of: Chins, Squats, Dips and Squats (again).
Notes: During handstands I oddly started getting a few instances where I was stranded with feet away from the wall for a few seconds. Still doing with back to wall, with fingertips probably 8cm away.
MetCon felt great ...even though I literally had to lay down for 5 minutes afterwards. Good start to the day. Chins and dips were -30kg on assistance machine, squats were BW to below 90. Needed small (5-10 secs) rests during chins/dips ...but not squats, or between exercises.
Tuesday 18 March 2008, 12:00hrs @ gym
Wall HSPU: 3,3,3,3,3 (3:1:1 tempo) head down to 1 yoga block (2")
Notes: Was surprised as last time I tried I could only manage down to three blocks. I can only put this down to doing the wall handstands? Just did some light weights afterwards, and had a short swim, since shoulders felt weird afterwards ...and not in a good way. Was a good experience, but will hold off with HSPUs until I have a little more shoulder stability, and continue with wall handstands and other pushing work for now.
Progress: Managed my first March 2008 Goal of completing a 0:60 handstand against wall last night. Probably could have managed more, but since that was the goal, I saw no point in overdoing it. I am now thinking of splitting handstand goals into two parts when I next set my goals:
1) Free handstand balance for 0:10 (consistently)
2) HSPUs at wall for 5 reps (on floor)
Thursday 20 March 2008, 12:30hrs @ gym
Wall Handstands: 6×0:30 (0:40 rest)
Chin-ups: 4,3+1, 3+1,2+2 (3:1:3 tempo) +0kg
Dips: 4,4,4,4 (3:1:3 tempo) +0kg
Hanging leg-raises: 5x3 (3:5:3 tempo) to 90deg
Weighted stretch: 3x0:30 +20kg
Plate squat*: 2x30 + 20kg
Notes: It's 21:00hrs now, and I have felt pretty frazzled all afternoon and evening. Guess it's time to ease off the throttle for a few sessions. Hopefully my thread on overload, load and underload will get some action over the weekend Moving up to 4x4 on the chins is a bridge too far right now.
Overall I'm still pleased with my progress. I need to add a little more MetCon back in, and tighten up on the eating a bit as I've been lax lately, especially as daughter #2 is seeing to it I get little sleep at the moment!
Thursday 27 March 2008, 12:00hrs @ gym
Wall Handstands: 10×0:20 (0:40 rest)
Also, with no real plan:
- Assisted chin-ups, various grips
- Various cable pulls, pushes and levers
- Various core exercises
- General stretching
Notes: Done a few other workouts this week as well that weren't really worth mentioning. I only added this one to track my handstand workouts. As mentioned previously, I am easing off for a week or so, getting some blood through my aching muscles/joints and working some different angles. Hope to be back to normal again next week?
A (very late) summary
March 2008 Goals were:
Wall Handstand: 0:60 in single effort . . . [sUCCESS]
Chin-ups: 1×10 +0kg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [FAIL - 1x7 I think?]
L-hang: 0:30 in single effort . . . . . . . . . . [FAIL - nowhere near]
Overall a pretty good lesson in accurate goal setting. As I have said before to other folk starting out - it takes time to figure out where you are, and what interim goals to set yourelf. Asides from only managing 1/3 of my goals, I have created a problem with my elbows. Looking back at my logs, I see I had very little idea of what I was doing. Amazing what you can learn in a short time if you put your mind to it 
Lessons learned included the importance of:
> proper cycling in training
> realistic goal setting
> getting adequate recovery
> progression and consistency
> good nutrition
I'll be starting a new log (probably at the start of next week) with new goals, and some better planning ...assuming elbows have recovered enough!
Hi George.
Congratutalions on succeeding in one of your goals! To bad for the other 2! Would it be nice for me to to set some limited-time goals? Because now I have 2 long-term goals, the planche and the lever, and two short term, Wall headstand push-ups and muscle up.. Maybe it will be nice to add some goals like yours.
Looking forward to follow your next log, it is very educating to watch how other people train!
Greets, Danny.