Warm-up:
push-ups
reverse crunches
5x5 bench press
KL (2x135, 135[f5], 3x115)
GF (5x135)
5x5 weighted pullup
KL (20, 25, 30[f5], 25[f5], 20)
GF (20, 25, 30, 25, 20)
Trying to get back into a morning routine. Haven't benched in forever, felt a lot of weakness/tightness in my shoulders. Managed to drag G out for the morning, he held up quite well...
Kenway, Brian, and I met at MPHC yesterday for a bouldering session. Kenway and I arrived first. We first did two V1s. This was followed by three V2s. Brian arrived as we worked on the third one, and thus that what he started on.
The more serious stuff started next, when we tackled the V3s. We did 3 of those, and although they were not easy, they didn't feel too hard.
Next we moved to the 4s. Brian picked a black vertical V4 which involved a difficult move to a big piece (slopper), where you would put your right hand to the top and left hand to the left before rocking over your right foot (which is on a tiny piece) and extend to a piece far out right. Then after a bit of footwork, you go high to a slopper and explode to the final hold. We worked that problem for a while. After that we kept working on V4s, and in the end we must have tried between 5 and 7 of them (not sure exactly). We also put our hands on a few V5s but with no luck.
My plan was to work on the less fingery stuff to protect the fingers of my left hand which are in constant pain these days, and I think it worked (I also had done quite a good tape job).
Finally, on our way back, I think I have figured out why Kenway is having problems with his starts. It all dates back to when he started climbing in jeans. I think they are limiting his movements and that's why he has a hard time getting his feet in position. There you go, one problem solved!
Saturday
Warm-up:
tennis strokes
good mornings
jumprope singles
3x1 push press + push jerk + split jerk (2x95,105)
6x1 push jerk + split jerk (115,125,4x135)
~10 48" box jumps between lifts (missed about half)
15-10-10 pullups
Sunday
Warm-up:
good mornings
jumprope singles
2-2-2-1 hang power snatch (75,95,115,125)
2x1 hang snatch (135)
4x1 snatch (135 [f2])
3x1 power clean (135,2x155 [c2])
~10 48" box jumps between lifts (missed about half)
A couple of quick workouts this weekend. Felt a bit flat on everything; it was a long week. Really tough time with lumbar arch on first pull. More dedicated lower back stretching needed.
I'm really liking doing tall box jumps between O-lifts. I find that box jumps loosen me up, and encourage explosiveness and precision. Basketball players have the vertical jump and football players have the broad jump, both of which are good benchmarks for raw leg power. What does the box jump add? Well, a high box jump is a mixture of power, flexibility and precision. Sure, you have to jump high (explosive extension of the hips, knees and ankles), but you also need to close your hips rapidly (which if you jump high enough requires serious flexibility) and you need place your feet carefully (as anyone who has failed a high box jump can attest to). Sounds like O-lifting, huh?
warmup:
good mornings
back squat
deadlift to 185
5-3-3-3-2-1 deadlift
(185, 225, 255, 275, 295, 315)
cool-down:
2x5 OHS, pause at bottom (45, 65)
2x5 weighted pullup (20)
Deadlifts felt reasonable today, I focused on a clean smooth transition between first applying power to the bar and getting it movin goff the ground. Threw in a little technique work on the OHS, pausing at the bottom of each rep to both get the feel of weight overhead and to reinforce propoer body position.
New study (Colman et al, 2009) in this week's issue of Science on the effect of calorie restriction over a 20 year period in rhesus macaques. Researchers at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center examined monkeys under 30% CR and controls matched for baseline intake, age, and weight. According to the abstract:
Caloric restriction (CR), without malnutrition, delays aging and extends life span in diverse species; however, its effect on resistance to illness and mortality in primates has not been clearly established. We report findings of a 20-year longitudinal adult-onset CR study in rhesus monkeys aimed at filling this critical gap in aging research. In a population of rhesus macaques maintained at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, moderate CR lowered the incidence of aging-related deaths. At the time point reported, 50% of control fed animals survived as compared with 80% of the CR animals. Furthermore, CR delayed the onset of age-associated pathologies. Specifically, CR reduced the incidence of diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and brain atrophy. These data demonstrate that CR slows aging in a primate species.Their general findings indicate a clear quantifiable effect of CR in reducing both mortality and age-related morbidities (cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic derangements) as well as age-associated loss of gray matter:
Food for thought, though confounding issues such as frequency of eating rather than total amount of caloric intake are not directly addressed.
Warm-up:
jumprope singles
overhead squat
good mornings
5-5-5-3-3-3-10 overhead squat (95,115,135,155,170,175,145)
~5 bar muscle-up attempts (no dice)
Quick workout. I did high box jumps (~46 inches) and double-unders (well, attempted) in between squat sets. Managed to get a few double-unders from a standstill, but not while transitioning from singles.
Weighed in around 143# today, so 15 X bodyweight OHS seems within striking distance. Pretty sure if I did that first today I would have gotten it (and hopefully it would have looked a bit smoother!).
After almost zero deliberation, we have hit upon a new strategy to climb in the gym (see below). Nothing revolutionary, but Brian, Guillaume, and I commuted to TRC last night and decided to only yo-yo climb: any fall or hang on lead meant lowering to the ground, no hang-dogging or resting. With a three man rotation, we decided that next person ties in right away and that we would work a given climb until climbed through clean (or given up on).
With the zealotry of the newly converted, we worked a 9+, 10, 11, and 12. The 9+ (purple, Mad Russian column) was a tough choice for a warm-up, slightly overhanging but with pinches, odd holds, and big moves - took us each more than one try to nail it. The 10 (black) is a bit of an odd climb: easy 7/8ish climbing up to the arch roof, then a crux sequence involving a horizontal 180 degree turnaround and a single pad sidepull crossover to get out from under the roof. We worked this thing to death, but the seqeunce of the turnaround is tricky. Managed to pull the roof once but was too tired to clip. The 11 (purple) was good technical climbing, but G was the only one who made it past an awful lefthanded red crimp step up move, for which he was rewarded with a death-defying sidepull stretched out clip above. The 12 (red) was ridiculous balancey moves on tiny crimps; B wisely pulled a mat over, as we all managed to hit the deck from either the first or second bolt.
This strategy might be a keeper: we got a lot of climbing in, with no hanging or resting someone was pretty much always heading upward. There are a few advantages of this strategy that may prove beneficial:
Warm-up:
jumprope singles
back squat (to 3x225#)
5-5-5-5-4 back squat (low-bar, belt; 245,250,255,260,260)
~10 deadhang muscle-ups (sets of 2-3)
4x10 ring pushups
Squats felt strong; video showed that I am about 3 inches deeper than I need to be for this style of squat.
Last set of sorta strict muscle-ups:
Hope for it to one day look like this:
