Velocity's Log (Start at Go) -- Now With Video!

I figure this is probably a good time to start a log. I've been a member here for a little over two months, and have followed (scaled) WODs for most of that time period. However, recently, due to injury and illness, I've had to halt my training altogether so that my body can recover adequately. I'm probably about 90% right now thankfully, and am starting to get back into the swing of things.

The battering ram of illness + injury may have been a blessing in disguise. Whilst the WODs are excellent, I wasn't seeing much measurable progress nor was my pre-WOD program exactly aimed at improving the FSP (BL, FL, PL, etc.). At most I would do a couple of the FSP, and each FSP would be performed only about a couple times per week. So, I figured, this was a perfect time to make a routine change and do something more geared toward a gymnastics beginner.

Enter killroy70's routine. After having seen it mentioned a few times on the forum, I looked it up and have decided to see how well I can improve with it over the foreseeable future. I plan on having a Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday schedule for my training days, with Saturdays for basketball with friends. The fourth day in the rotation will include leg strength after the FSPs, and perhaps a multi-plane press/pull as well if there is adequate time available to me. (I may just sprinkle leg strength sets throughout the week, I've not decided yet. Any advice?)

In any course. Today is my first day of the killroy template:

I began with a very basic program, working out 4 days/week and working four static positions every day, which included:

1) planche variations

2) BL variations

3) FL variations

4) Handstand work

After I finish my static work for a given workout, which generally consisted of 7-10 sets of each movement, the remainder of my workout looked like this:

Day 1 - horizontal plane pushing and pulling FBE

Day 2 - curling (inverted pullup) and dipping variations (RTO dips, etc..) FBE

Day 3 - pullup and HeSPU variation FBE

Day 4 - multiplane pulling variaions + varied pressing work

So, as prescribed, it was the four FSPs and horizontal push/pull FBEs.

1a) PL progression: Frog stand -- 12, 7, 5, 8, 10, 10, 8, 6 sec.

1b) BL progression: Tuck BL -- 8 x 15 sec. [[i'll attempt Flat Tuck BL next time, but I don't have a reliable method of detecting whether I'm truly in a flat tuck. Any help here?]]

Rests 15-30 sec between PL/BL.

2a) FL progression: Tuck FL -- 7, 7, 5, 5, 4, 4, (miss) sec.

2b) HS progression: Wall HS -- 7 x 20+ sec. [[After 20 seconds, eased feet off wall to try and hold freestanding: only after sets 5 and 6 were any measurable holds accomplished -- 2 and 1.5 sec. respectively.]]

Rests 15-30 sec. between FL/HS.

3a) XR Bulgarian Pushup: 5, 4, 5, 4, 4 [[Wrist strength is a bit of an issue, particularly left side with returning rings to RTO after each rep later in each set. Will continue with XR BPU next time.]]

3b) XR Rows: 1x5 (feet about a foot below parallel with rings), 4x5 (feet parallel with rings) [[This was easy, will move up next week. Wanted to start slow.]]

Rests ~45 sec. between PU / Rows.

Day 2 just completed. As soon as I started into the FL work I knew it was going to be a tough finish. Soreness flared in my triceps and in the lat muscles just below the armpit... so I had to scale back on the FL work.

Comments as always are inside the double brackets. Without further ado...

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 6, 10, 10, 8, 8, 15, 13, 8 seconds [[stronger on these this time. My problem with these isn't strength, but balance.]]

1b) BL progression -- tuck BL: 8x15 sec. [[i want to make dead-sure I can hold quality length tuck BL before advancing. Need to see what my max hold here is at some point... and still need advice on how to truly tell if I'm getting into an advanced tuck BL.]]

2a) FL progression -- tuck FL: 5 (elbows bent), 2x3 (elbows straight), miss, 2x3 (hips <90º from vertical), miss sec. [[The pre-training lingering soreness plus the BL work really made this tough to do.]]

2b) HS progression -- wall HS with free-standing attempts after 20 seconds: 8x20+ sec. [[sixth set was the smoothest kick-up, it nearly went straight to a free-standing HS. Unfortunately, no holds after the 20 seconds could be held free-standing for more than a beat or two.]]

3a) Invert chins (hands to mid-thigh): 4, 3, 4, 2 (went too quickly and over-balanced), 3 [[These were tough. Need to work on improving ROM. Will advance once I can do 5x5 with hands coming to the band of my shorts.]]

3b) PB dips, one leg supported behind on couch: 5x5 [[Tried to do full PB dips but couldn't raise myself on the first rep.]]

Day 3. I decided to make today a leg strength day. I'd rather it be today than tomorrow considering that most Saturday mornings are basketball mornings and I don't want to have dead legs...

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 9, 20 (!), 10, 11, 11, 14, 11, 11

1b) BL progression -- flat tuck BL: 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 5, 5, 4 [[i think I was holding the flat tuck BL. Just got into a tuck BL and was straightening out my back to the best of my ability. I think I got to fully straight back on all of them, but without means of taking video at the moment I'm unsure of my form.]]

2a) FL progression -- tuck FL: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 3

2b) HS progression -- wall HS: 8x25

3a) Weighted SLS (25 lb. dumbbell): 5, 4, 4, 4 (per leg of course)

3b) Natural Leg Curls (BW): 5, 4, 5, 4

Needed to start conservatively with the leg work. My hamstrings are still a weak point, so NLC work will have to stay for a while. Later sets involved me getting about 2/3-3/4 of the way down and requiring hand assistance to provide control, and on the upswing it was requiring hand assistance up to at least halfway. It also doesn't help that I've been unable to do much exercise at all for about two weeks (well, ten days; up until this past Sunday), so my leg strength has suffered. I even cramped in my calves on my first rep of NLCs...

Near the end of my time following the WODs, I re-discovered the fact that I tolerate a thrice-per-week lifting schedule better than a four-day schedule. I have decided, after initially stating in my first post that I'd follow a 4/week schedule, to take up the 3/week schedule. It seems to be better for me in terms of avoiding burnout, fatigue, injury in most cases, and preserves some time in my busy graduate student life.

What I've decided to do is follow killroy70's four-day progression (horizontal push/pull, dips/curls, vertical push/pull, multiplane) but also have one day a week aimed at leg strength. So if I number the four-day progression 1-4 in order, a two-week schedule will look like this:

Week 1: Sunday -- 1, Monday off, Tuesday -- 2, Wednesday off, Thursday -- Legs, Friday off, Saturday basketball/sprints/other

Week 2: Sunday -- 3, Monday off, Tuesday -- 4, Wednesday off, Thursday -- Legs, Friday off, Saturday basketball/sprints/other

And then the cycle begins anew on Week 3. Any advice from the long-time regulars? Note that off days aren't me simply bumming around like a lazy man... I walk 3+ miles virtually every day and one of the MWF days will likely be a sprint/conditioning day as I'm aiming to cut a bit of unwanted fat right now.

Anyway, today is vertical push/pull work.

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 5, 12, 7, 7, 8, 23, 17, 18 ... [[The first sets I couldn't find my balance for whatever reason.]]

1b) BL progression -- flat tuck: 6, 5, 6, 6, 5, 5, 5, 5 ... [[This will come along slowly, I can tell.]]

2a) FL progression -- full tuck: 4 x 6, 4 x 5 ... [[i was pleased with this effort. I controlled my desire to go full-bore on every set and did not go to max on the first few sets, and in the final half I was happy I did what I did. Just a mental thing I have to check.]]

2b) HS progression -- wall HS, only one foot on the wall: 8 x 30+ (set 4: ~3 sec. free) ... [[This was more taxing than last time, but I was excited on set four when I moved my leg off the wall and was able to hold a freestanding HS for three counts.]]

3a) HeSPU progression -- wall HeSPU negatives: 5 x 3 ... [[i felt a bit of a twinge in my left shoulder/neck area during the later sets. Will monitor to see if it's recurring, or a recovering strain, or a new strain...]]

3b) Pull-up progression -- single-bar pull-ups: 5 x 3 ... [[Man I feel weak on these... first rep of each set was fine, second and third were grinders. I don't think I can even hit my old single-set max of 6-7 right now.]]

Owing to time constraints, this morning is the FSP work and later this afternoon I'll be doing some form of multi-plane movement or muscle-up work.

1a) BL progression -- flat tuck BL: 5, 5, 5, 6, 7, 5, 4, 4 sec. ...... [[ I think I'm doing an incomplete flat tuck BL. I got a video of one set with my iPhone and I don't think I'm getting my shoulder area straight enough for my whole back to be flat. Video is found below; you'll be able to notice why it's virtually impossible to get a good profile view of my work. ]]

1b) PL progression -- frog stand: 14, 15, 11, 12, 12, 15, 12, 17 sec. ...... [[ Better consistency today. This is finally coming along adequately. ]]

2a) HS progression -- wall HS, one foot on wall: 8 x 30+ sec. ...... [[ Sets 1 and 2 featured a free-standing HS hold, each for a two-count. ]]

2b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 7, 7, 8, 7, 7, 6, 5, 5 sec. ...... [[ My arms still hang at perpendicular to my torso. Definitely not yet strong enough to work toward the 45-degree angle as mentioned in BtGB. However, my hips are in proper position. ]]

3a) Muscle-up Negatives: 4, 3, 3, 4, 4 ...... [[ Transition is too quick and jerky. I have very little experience with these, so learning the transition will be one of the first things to overcome. Second will be pulling strength... ]]

3b) TOPs pulls -- full tuck: 3, 3, 1.5, 2.5, 2 ...... [[ Since my current set-up does not allow for work on pullovers or naners, I decided to give TOPs pulls a shot. To my pleasant surprise I was able to do decently with them. Pulling strength and endurance is, as mentioned, an issue, which is why sets 3-5 were sub-par. They were fun though! ]]

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Oh, forgot to mention -- Monday and yesterday both saw some sprinting for the first time in a while. Felt good to do so. Today will be my leg-centric training, but it'll probably have to be SLS bodyweight jumping rather than weighted SLS because I have a lingering/nagging inner thigh strain that doesn't respond all that well to weighted stuff right now. And then NLCs.

Right, today was leg strength.

1a) BL progression -- flat tuck BL: 5, 5, 4, 4, 5, 3, 4, 3 ...... [[ I did a couple sets filmed to see just how far off my form was, and it took a bit to tweak my back extension so I was actually in a flat tuck. NOT easy... ]]

1b) PL progression -- frog stand: 20, 17, 18, 13, 13, 15, 20, 15 ...... [[ These are getting solid. ]]

2a) FL: 8, 8, 7, 6, 6, 5, 5, 5 ...... [[ Times per set are slowly creeping up. Happy with the work today. ]]

2b) HS progression -- wall HS, one foot on wall: 8 x 30+ ...... [[ Still not to the point where this is easy. ]]

3a) Single Leg Squat, Jumping, Bodyweight: 5 x 5 per leg ...... [[ I did these for distance. Longest set probably reached 30-35 feet. ]]

3b) Natural Leg Curls: 5 x 5 ...... [[ Still require much assistance in bottom half of repetitions. ]]

No, I have not fallen off the wagon. Spring break was last week and I was relaxing. Didn't have a way to get my rings set up and I wasn't in the mood for structured training anyway. However, I was able to do some running and sprints. Finally back on the program today.

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 15, 18, 19, 13, 16, 14, 19, 16 ...... [[ Not bad for the first day back. ]]

1b) BL progression -- flat tuck BL: 3, 4, 5, 4, 4, 4, 3, 4 ...... [[ Still testing the waters in terms of form. Filmed all but one set on the trusty iPhone. Video of a middle set is below. ]]

2a) HS progression -- wall HS, one foot off wall: 8 x 30 ...... [[ Felt fairly strong here. I want to get up to 8 x 30 with no arm shake. ]]

2b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 6, 6, 5, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4 ...... [[ No worries here, just a bit of drop-off due to it being the first day back. ]]

3a) Bulgarian XR Pushups: 5 x 5 ...... [[ No problem this time with wrists. Will move up next time. ]]

3b) XR Rows: 2 x 5 (regular, feet on level with rings); 2 x 5, 1 x 3+2 (Bulgarian, feet below parallel) ...... [[ I tried to do Bulgarian for all sets, but my first two sets didn't feature enough of an outward pull to warrant being called Bulgarian rows. The middle two sets weren't much better, and the final set was laughable. I need to get my feet far below parallel to start the Bulgarian rows in earnest. Video of set 4 is below.]]

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Hi welcome to the forum, usually I don´t like to give advise due to my poor level of strength and theoretical knowledge but I´ll jump with your log because I see that your strength level is very similar to mine some months ago. (maybe I am wrong, please correct me if necessary) and you are doing the very same mistakes I have been doing for some months...

I´ve been training for 3 year now, first 6months of crossfit (always sore!), then changed to GB with my own template for 1 year and 6 months of Killroys´s. Now this last year I haven´t trained almost for 6 months due to some injuries but mainly because of my growing family.

I would like to ask you how many pullups, pushups or full rom dips are you able to perform.?

This is important because if your are missing this basic strength, focusing in the PL, BL and FL is going to frustrate you due to the lack of improvement(of even injury). The people that I know that have progressed fast through them had very hi level of basic strength which now is skyrocketing.

The main problem I faced with WOD was trying to perform multi plane, pull ups, everything as close to the max difficulty as possible. That is a big mistake, the number of repetitions and the tempo are the most important!, maybe you have to perform kneeling push ups, seating bulgarian XR rows or something as easy as that, just to keep the correct numbers. Well that way I have improved much much faster the last 3 months than the previous two and a half years. Really.

I still practice PL, BL, and FL but mostly as a warm up or WOD.

If your basic strength is not high enough (with good numbers at basic body weight exercises) your best option (always in my opinion of course) is:

- Follow the WOD!really! read Slizzard´s opinion about the WOD. Scale it down as necessary to perform the correct number of sets and repetitions.(maybe forgetting about multi plane and so)

- Don´t work the PL, BL and FL as main goal by now, use them on the WODs though. Go for the prerequisites !(you can search for them at the forum).

- The basic exercises you should focus right now are:

·Handstands , this is THE BASIC position in gymnastics, practice it a lot(also do a search about the best way to correct your position), and once you master the free standing handstand go for walks. You can practice everyday almost!. And it is worth!.

·XR supports (this one is in the prerequisites but very important on its own)

·German hangs (the deeper the better but don´t try to push your self too far too soon) with palms facing down.

·L sit ( floor Lsit, but do it with two chairs if your legs are lagging ) and straddle Lsit.

·At least 2 -3 times a week go for the different prehabs (slizzard and Ido have nice videos on those).

·Flexibility: The bridge, pike and pancake, they are a Must if you want to progress to press to HS or other advanced elements.

And read read read all the stickies, search for Coach and others member´s posts and you will learn quite a lot here!(I´m learning every day). If you keep climbing one step at a time you´ll improve much much faster than if you try to go for the advanced elements (for us :wink: ) and get injured and frustrated!.

Pd .is not clear with the actual view but it seems that you are getting help from your Lats in your BL (try to open the arms a bit and you´ll notice how you fall almost 20degrees)! also the palm of your hands should be looking down for better results.

Today was leg strength! Yay! I'm a fan of leg strength training, but that's partly because if there's one physical characteristic (other than my face) that I can definitively nail down the lineage, it's that I got the lower body build of my dad's side of the family. This is a good thing... except I (still) can't jump very high. Anyway, after reading omegant's response and self-diagnosing my form, I realized (halfway through my BL work) that I was indeed using my arms squeezed into the lats to do the BL work. So, midway through, I went back to full tuck BL to work on not using my arms/lats as much.

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 10, 16, 22, 19, 21, 13, 16, 22 ...... [[ These are getting stronger by the day. Really happy with this. ]]

1b) BL progression -- flat tuck, then tuck BL: 4, 4, neg (flat tuck); 16, 20, 13, 13, 14 (full tuck) ...... [[ See above comments. ]]

2a) HS progression -- wall HS, one foot on wall: 8 x 30+ sec. ...... [[ Set 5 -- short free hold, maybe 2 seconds. Sets 7 and 8 were still tough. ]]

2b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 5, 5, 8, 4, 4, 6, 5, 5 ...... [[ Also ensuring here that no arm/lat squeezing is taking place. ]]

3a) Single leg squat, +25 lbs.: 5, 5, 5, 3+1, 2+2 ...... [[ Right leg is lagging behind left leg a bit overall, but today felt pretty good. ]]

3b) Natural leg curl, BW: 5 x 5 ...... [[ Arm assistance used on upward motion, probably to halfway of ROM. ]]

omegant said:

I would like to ask you how many pullups, pushups or full rom dips are you able to perform.?

This is important because if your are missing this basic strength, focusing in the PL, BL and FL is going to frustrate you due to the lack of improvement(of even injury). The people that I know that have progressed fast through them had very hi level of basic strength which now is skyrocketing.

The main problem I faced with WOD was trying to perform multi plane, pull ups, everything as close to the max difficulty as possible. That is a big mistake, the number of repetitions and the tempo are the most important!, maybe you have to perform kneeling push ups, seating bulgarian XR rows or something as easy as that, just to keep the correct numbers. Well that way I have improved much much faster the last 3 months than the previous two and a half years. Really.

I still practice PL, BL, and FL but mostly as a warm up or WOD.

...

Pd .is not clear with the actual view but it seems that you are getting help from your Lats in your BL (try to open the arms a bit and you´ll notice how you fall almost 20degrees)! also the palm of your hands should be looking down for better results.

omegant, thanks for the reply. As for your questions... Consecutively, I can perform probably ~30 pushups, ~5-6 pull-ups (depending on the day), and a similar number of dips (i.e., in the 5-8 range; when properly warmed up, closer to the higher end because I have a left shoulder kink that needs work before doing dips). I know, rather unbalanced.

I did do the WODs for about a month, and each time I scaled them down to where I could perform the required repetition range. I posted most of my adaptations in the WOD topics (substitutions were given blessing by Coach Sommer). However, due to an awkward schedule, limited set-up (for instance, I would have to alter ring height during the middle of a circuit or something), and personal preference (training 4x per week on the WODs is not something my body particularly enjoyed; I was perpetually low on energy), I switched to the killroy template until I have the basic strength available to truly make use of the WODs.

Also, thanks to your final comment, I re-assessed my form on the back levers and found that you are completely right. I was/am still squeezing my arms into my lats for extra support, and now am working to eliminate that from my BLs. As a result, I went back to full tuck BL today, ensuring on each set that I was not squeezing my arms into my lats.

Glad I was of some help . We are pretty close at strength level and definitely you should center your aim in the most basic positions (you don´t have to forget the FL, PL and BL thought ), German hang, XR supports, hand stands, L sit, bridge , etc (plus your killroy template) are the best option right now. You will see how working those, the other movements will improve much much faster .

Some times is difficult to perform the WODs if you don´t have the proper space, It happens to me too.

Good luck with your training!

Today was dips/inverted chin work.

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 15, 22, 19, 20, 18, 16, 18, 22 sec. ...... [[ Feeling more confident on these. A couple sets were touch-and-go sets, one foot touched ground once/twice. ]]

1b) BL progression -- tuck BL: 15, 15, 13, 13, 11, 14, 14, 12 sec. ...... [[ After diagnosing the arm/lat issue, I've gone back to tuck BL until I get it down pat, properly. It's really hard to keep from squeezing my arms into my lats to provide assistance; I have to continually be thinking about it... I guess that changes as strength improves? ]]

2a) HS progression -- wall HS, one foot on wall: 8 x 30+ sec. ...... [[ Third set had a nice free hold of ~3 seconds after the 30 seconds were finished. ]]

2b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 8, 8, 6, 6, 8, 6, 6, 5 sec. ...... [[ Better than Wednesday. ]]

3a) PB Dips: 5, 4, 5, 3, 3 ...... [[ No one-foot assistance today. Full body PB dips. Left shoulder showed itself again, made the final two sets more difficult. ]]

3b) Inverted Chins: 5, 4, 3, 4, 4 ...... [[ Better rep tally than last time I did these. I'll take it. And with better ROM too. ]]

Back again! Saturday morning was basketball as usual, and I sprinted yesterday (10 x 100-110 meters). Have to get my conditioning up to jettison the last few pounds around the midsection.

1a) FS progression -- frog stand: 15, 16, 17, 20, 20, 19, 23, 20 sec. ...... [[ These felt good today. Average hold time was the same as previous session though. ]]

1b) BL progression -- tuck BL: 11, 12, 11, 11, 12, 11, 11, 11 sec. ...... [[ Felt weaker today for some reason. Maybe it's trying to keep the arms from squeezing into the lats that is distracting me. This is one exercise where I could really use the help of a coach actually there to teach proper form... ]]

2a) HS progression -- wall HS, one foot on wall: 8 x 30+ sec. ...... [[ Felt pretty good on most sets. Had a decent ~3 second free hold after third set of 30 sec., and a couple other brief holds of 1-2 sec. ]]

2b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 7, 8, 7, 7, 6, 6, 7, 7 sec. ...... [[ These were pretty good. Average hold time compared to Saturday's session is up by over half a second. ]]

3a) HeSPU progression -- wall HeSPU negatives: 5 x 4 ...... [[ Last rep on sets 3-4 was faster than I'd like, but good progress from last time I did these. ]]

3b) Pull-up progression -- single bar pull-ups: 4, 3+miss, 3, 3, 3 ...... [[ Progress will be slow on these. Pulls/Chins have always been a weak point for me. ]]

Leg strength this morning.

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 15, 20, 22, 18, 16, 17, 20, 20 sec. ...... [[ Didn't really progress from yesterday. ]]

1b) BL progression -- tuck BL: 14, 15, 11, 13, 14, 13, 13, 12 sec. ...... [[ These are really starting to frustrate me, due to the fact that I don't have anyone present to make sure I'm using proper form. Being a perfectionist, that really pisses me the f*** off. ]]

2a) HS progression -- wall HS, one foot on wall (back to wall): 8 x 30+ sec. ...... [[ Set 2 had about a 3-second free hold after the 30 seconds were up. Set 7, I tried to kick up onto the wall but didn't make it... instead I held free for four seconds. Then came back down, kicked back up and did the rest of the 30 seconds against the wall. ]]

2b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 7, 7, 7, 7, 6, 6, 7, 8 sec. ...... [[ No net improvement over yesterday. ]]

3a) SLS, 25-lb. dumbbell: 4 x 5, 1 x 4 ...... [[ Improvement over last week. ]]

3b) NLC, bodyweight: 5 x 5 ...... [[ Range of motion improved, didn't need assistance quite as far into the ROM. ]]

Today is Day 4 of the killroy template, which refers to multi-plane stuff or other practice. I would have done this yesterday, but basketball tired me out and I had other errands to run. I also did 12 sprints of ~70-75 meters on Thursday, and ~5 miles of walking including ~1.5 with groceries in tow on Friday.

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 21, 22, 23 sec. ...... [[ Progressing nicely, though today my wrists weren't quite up to par due to having been at the computer most of the day finishing an astrophysics research paper. The average hold time today was 1.5 seconds higher than Wednesday. ]]

1b) BL progression -- tuck BL: 12, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15 sec. ...... [[ I think I have the hang of these in the full tuck now. Differentiating between simple arm tension and squeezing arms into lats is physiologically & mentally known for good now, so I may look into flat tuck BL again next time. ]]

2a) HS progression -- back to wall HS, one foot on wall: 8 x 30+ sec. ...... [[ Held set 2 for ~4 seconds free, after the initial 30 seconds against the wall. Hands 6 inches from wall. ]]

2b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 7, 8, 7, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8 sec. ...... [[ Not much to say progression-wise. Average time was up a quarter-second from Wednesday, 6.875 to 7.125 seconds. ]]

3a) XR Support Position: 10, 13, 13, 13, 12, 10 sec. [[ Tried to do negative MU but just wasn't happening. Got one in before chest started to complain, and my arms were unstable. So, need to work on XR support position. ]]

3b) TOPS pulls -- full tuck: 3, 3, 3, 3, 2.5 ... [[ These are fun. Challenging, but fun. Definite improvement from last time. ]]

Today was a dozen sprints, distance of 50-60 meters with an emphasis on speed/power. Ergo, longer rest periods.

Day 1 of the four day rotation. So, horizontal press/pull!

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 17, 20, 24, 17, 20, 20, 17, 20 ...... [[These felt good today, despite a lower time average than last time.]]

1b) BL progression -- tuck BL: 20, 15, 15, 15, 13, 13, 11, 16 ...... [[Form may have been a bit off on a couple sets, and most likely with regard to hip height in relation to shoulders. But the arm/lat crackdown is good to go.]]

2a) HS progression -- one foot on wall, back to wall, HS: 8 x 30+ sec. ...... [[Not much improvement regarding free holds, but I'm sensing an increase in time per set is in order.]]

2b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 7, 9, 8, 8, 8, 7, 7, 8 ...... [[slight improvement. 7.75 second average hold.]]

3a) XR Pushups: 5 (wanted to make sure of a solid core, no sagging); Ground PPP: 3, 3, 3, 3 ...... [[You should have seen my attempt at an XR PPP. It was hilarious. I think I've found a nice intermediate step, however.]]

3b) XR Bulgarian Row, feet on ground: 5, 5, 5, 4, 4 ...... [[Didn't get enough ROM in sets 4&5 on rep 5 for me to count it.]]

Leg strength day, with improvement!

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 18, 18, 20, 21, 18, 19, 22, 22 sec. ...... [[Oy. I had a tendency to fall backward every blasted set today...]]

1b) BL progression -- tuck BL: 18, 15, 17, 15, 16, 17, 16, 15 sec. ...... [[Not too bad.]]

2a) HS progression -- back to wall, one foot on wall HS: 8 x 30+ sec. ...... [[Had a solid free hold after set 4 that lasted about 5 seconds. A couple other minor free holds (1-2 seconds) on other sets.]]

2b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 9, 9, 8, 8, 7, 6, 8, 6 sec. ...... [[Not bad today.]]

3a) SLS: 5 x 5 ...... [[Last set was a bit of a struggle, but in 3+2 fashion I got my right leg to five reps. Will continue with using 25-pound dumbbell until I can get 5x5 no problem.]]

3b) NLC: 5 x 5 ...... [[Now is the point where I improve range of motion without/with less assistance. Did that well today, ROM was wider and more controlled.]]

Today is inverted chin / dip work. Felt good overall; doing shoulder dislocates with a broomstick between the 3a/3b exercises helps open the shoulder/neck area when doing dips.

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 18, 20, 25, 25, 22, 20, 18, 23 sec. ...... [[These felt fairly strong overall. Average hold of 21 3/8 seconds.]]

1b) BL progression -- tuck BL: 18, 17, 18, 18, 17, 14, 16, 14 sec. ...... [[Last sets trailed off a bit, for reasons I can't quite explain. Ah well. Average hold of 16.5 seconds.]]

2a) HS progression -- back to wall HS, one foot on wall: 8 x 35+ sec. ...... [[Last set was quite difficult. Will stay with 35 seconds for a while. No attempts at free-standing HS today due to the time-per-set increase.]]

2b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 10, 8, 7, 8, 7, 7, 9, 8 sec. ...... [[These could've been better, but the upper back/shoulder region was worked over from the PL/BL/HS stuff. Average hold of 8.0 seconds.]]

3a) Inverted Chins, full tuck: 5, 5, 3.5, 4, 4 ...... [[improved total rep number from last time. Slow progression but it's progression!]]

3b) Parallel Bar Dips, full ROM: 4.5, 5, 4, 3.5, 4 ...... [[better total rep number (if only by one) than last time. Still difficult for me though!]]

This is a post regarding yesterday's training (4/12/11).......

So, Monday was conditioning sprints, 10 x ~100 meters. Friday wasn't any real training day, but I had my doorway pull-up bar set up and did sets of 2-6 of a variety of grips (pull-up grip, chin-up grip, and neutral - palms facing one another) throughout the day. That may become my Friday routine, since it's a day off reserved for walking as well as grocery shopping (I carry my shopping home, ~1.5 miles, so don't want to be over-tired by the end of the day when I go). It'll at least help my pulling strength/endurance, which is a weakness right now.

1a) HS progression -- back-to-wall HS, one foot on wall: 8 x 35+ sec. ...... [[Left wrist was pained for first set but it was okay from there on out... don't know why.]]

1b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 10, 7, 9, 8, 8, 8, 6, 8 sec. ...... [[Average hold - eight seconds.]]

2a) PL progression -- frog stand: 20, 20, 20, 25, 25, 20, 21, 17 sec. ...... [[Average hold: 21 seconds. Some sets could have been held for longer had I not over-balanced backward.]]

2b) BL progression -- tuck BL: 18, 18, 15, 15, 15, 13, 16, 22 sec. ...... [[These felt good today. Average hold of 16.5 seconds, definitely know I can handle up in the 20-second regime now too.]]

3a) HeSPU progression -- wall HeSPU negatives: 5 x 5 ...... [[stronger and more controlled this time around. May be ready to try wall HeSPU ascents.]]

3b) Pull-up progression -- single bar pull-ups: 5 x 4 ...... [[Felt good on these this week.]]

Today's training is leg strength.

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 22, 22, 23, 21, 16, 19, 20, 24 sec. ...... [[Average hold ~20.9 seconds. The two sets in the teens were a result of over-balancing backward and being unable to correct. Otherwise, these felt good today.]]

1b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 9, 7, 8, 6, 7, 5, 7, 6 sec. ...... [[Really weak on these today for some reason. My triceps were wearing down VERY quickly. Perhaps it's a hangover from the HeSPU yesterday. Average hold ~6.9 seconds.]]

2a) HS progression -- back-to-wall HS, one foot on wall: _ x 35+ sec. ...... [[More confident on these, though arms still get shaky near the end.]]

2b) BL progression -- tuck BL: 18, 25, 20, 20, 20, 21, 20, 21 sec. ...... [[These are feeling stronger by the day. Ready to try flat tuck BL again. I'll see how it goes with my strength test this weekend (testing max holds). Average hold today of ~20.6 seconds.]]

3a) SLS weighted, 25 lb.: 5 x 5 ...... [[Focusing on balancing more effectively and increasing height of balancing leg.]]

3b) NLC, bodyweight: 5 x 5 ...... [[Focusing on keeping hips open, not allowing piking during downswing and upswing.]]

Thursday: Conditioning sprints, 10 x 100m.

Friday: Rest day.

Saturday: Basketball for about two hours.

Sunday morning: Went over to the basketball court and shot around for about an hour, fifteen minutes.

Sunday evening was Day 4 of the killroy template. So, for me, that ends up being XR support work and tuck TOPS pulls. Ended up doing this starting at about 7:40 PM.

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 22, 22, 22, 25, 18, 21, 21, 21 sec. …… [[Not bad today. Average hold time of 21.5 seconds.]]

1b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 10, 9, 8, 8, 9, 8, 8, 7 sec. …… [[Averaged 8 3/8 sec. Last sets were tough.]]

2a) HS progression -- wall HS: _ x 35+ sec. [[back to wall, one foot on wall. Not very strong on these today. Set 5 had a kick-up misfire, and one or two sets only lasted 30 seconds.]]

2b) BL progression -- tuck BL: 20, 18, 21, 19, 20, 20, 19, 18 sec. …… [[Adequate performance this time around. Average hold of 19 3/8 seconds.]]

3a) XR Support: 15, 10, 11, 10, 12 sec. …… [[Left side was a bit shaky this evening. Average hold of 11.6 seconds.]]

3b) TOPS pulls -- full tuck: 4, 3, 2.5, 3, 3 …… [[Total rep count: 15.5. Not as good as last time. I was growing tired, however.]]

Monday noon: Conditioning sprints, 10 x ~100 meters.

Tuesday morning: Day 1 of killroy set.

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 19, 21, 26, 21, 22, 24, 21, 23 sec. …… [[Average hold of 22 1/8 seconds. Should've been better but was having issues overbalancing backward again.]]

1b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 9, 10, 9, 9, 8, 8, 8, 9 sec. …… [[Average hold of 8 3/4 seconds. Really feel this in my triceps for whatever reason… the influence on my back that I'm supposed to feel, I don't know if I'm really feeling.]]

2a) HS progression -- wall HS: 8 x 35+ sec. …… [[back to wall, one foot on wall, hands still ~6 in. from wall. Set 2 had a small free hold of two seconds. However, the balance needed for free-standing consistency is still far beyond me right now. When should I be going to stomach-to-wall HS?]]

2b) BL progression -- tuck BL: 20, 20, 19, 20, 18, 20, 15, 19 sec. …… [[Average hold of 18 7/8 seconds. Lost 3/4 sec/hold compared to Sunday, so meh.]]

3a) PU progression -- Ground PPP: 3, 4, 3.5, 4, 3 …… [[Hands aren't at the hips, but probably a bit above the waist, when doing these. Have to move them back slowly… I'm just not stable/strong enough there yet. ]]

3b) Row progression -- XR Bulgarian Row: 5, 4, 4, 4, 4 …… [[Feet on ground, about a 30-35 degree angle from horizontal by rough estimation. Otherwise I can hardly get any outward pulling action.]]

Wednesday: A bunch o' walking but no training.

Thursday: Leg strength! Also a bunch of walking today.

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 24, 21, 22, 25, 24, 26, 20, 28 sec. …… [[Average hold of 23 3/4 seconds. Felt really good with these today.]]

1b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 9, 9, 10, 8, 10, 9, 8, 10 sec. …… [[Average hold of 9 1/8 seconds. Good outing today.]]

2a) HS progression -- wall HS: 8 x 35+ sec. …… [[back to wall, one foot on wall. Very average performance today, and no free holds to boot.]]

2b) BL progression -- tuck BL: 19, 21, 20, 18, 20, 20, 19, 19 sec. …… [[Average hold 19.5 seconds. Not bad, am growing consistent with these.]]

3a) SLS -- bodyweight, jumping for distance: 18, 18, 17.5, 18, 18 ft. …… [[Each set is total feet jumped for one leg's set of five consecutive jumps. So for the first set, I went forward 18' with one leg for five reps, stopped, turned around, and went back with the other leg for five reps and also got 18'.]]

3b) NLC -- bodyweight: 5, 5*, 5**, 5, 5 …… [[still going for ROM and no pike in hips. *Fifth rep was too quick. **Reps were a bit quick, hamstrings getting tired already from the tempo of the first couple sets (fairly slow).]]

Friday: A baker's dozen of ~50 meter sprints, aimed at max power/speed.

Saturday: Basketball for about two hours.

Sunday: Some walking, but primarily a rest day.

Today: Day 2 of killroy template, so inverted chins and dips.

1a) PL progression -- frog stand: 20, 22, 20, 24, 25, 22, 24, 25 sec. …… [[Average hold of 22.75 seconds… some problems with tipping backward today.]]

1b) FL progression -- tuck FL: 8, 9, 9, 9, 9, 8, 9, 9 sec. …… [[Average hold 8.75 seconds. I won't complain; this day's work was pretty consistent.]]

2a) HS progression -- wall HS: 8 x 35+ sec. …… [[back to wall, one foot on wall, hands ~6 in. from wall. Not too bad today, had a couple freestanding holds but not more than a couple seconds.]]

2b) BL progression -- tuck BL: 23, 22, 21, 20, 20, 19, 18, 17 sec. …… [[interesting sliding scale of holds today. Average hold time turns out to be 20 seconds even.]]

3a) PB Dips: 4, 4.5, 4, 4, 3.5 …… [[As close to full ROM as possible. Total reps: 20. Not as good as last time.]]

3b) Inverted Chins: 4, 4*, 4, 4, 4.5 …… [[set 2: Reps were complete shyte (not full, not controlled). Otherwise, adequate results. Total reps 20.5, also not as many as last time but it is what it is...]]