Week 18 - He's feeling AWESOME!

Monday: 3 rounds:
              - 20 Dead lifts w/ 50 lbs DB's
              - 10 Ground to Shoulder w/ 120 lbs Sandbag
              - 10 Strict press w/ 50 lbs DB's
             then...
             2 hours of Baseball and Volleyball
Tuesday: 5X5 Back squat w/ 275 (smithson Machine)
               Then...
               5 rounds:
                             - 20 reps Db bench press w/ 50 lbs
                             - Max rep Strict Pull ups
Wednesday: 10 down to 1
                     Thrusters w/ 50 pound DB's
                    1 up to 10
                     Inverted Rows
Thursday: 12 Minute AMRAP
                3 Double DB Snatch
                3 HSPU's
                6....
                6....
                9....
                9...
                ......
Friday: 3X5 Back Squat w/ 285 (smithson Machine)
           30 reps for time
           Ground to shoulder w/ 120 lbs Sandbag
Saturday: 3 Rounds:
               400 meter run (treadmill)
               20 Burpees
               then....
               Same ab workout from last week.


This past week was an AWESOME week of work outs. Now I know I know, using a Smithson Machine for squats is pretty lame. But a missionary I serve with made a good point that 300 pounds on a Smithson Machine probably does more that two 50 pound dumbbells. I thought about what he said and I decided to try it. Even though its diferent and easier, just because I don't need to focus on using as much core as apposed to a regular barbell. Its finally allowing me to Isolate my legs and get stronger in my legs which makes me happy. I am sure at some point while I am out here I will get my hands on a good, old- fashioned barbell. Otherwise, this week was awesome! Nutrition has been pretty crappy though.  

Week 17 - Sand Bag full of rocks

Monday: 20 minute AMRAP
              - 5 swing to lunge (per leg) w/ 26 kg KB
              - 10 arm rolls
              - 10 bear squats
              - 10 tripod touches
              5 rounds
Tuesday: 5 rounds:
                            - 5 shin box squats w/ 26 kg KB (per side)
                            - 10 Bridge Spins (per side)
                            - 10 WTB's
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 15 minute AMRAP
                - 5 KB Snatches (per arm)
                - 10 push ups
                   16 rounds + 5 reps
                   (ended up doing 20 total rounds just to do it, got 18:35)
Friday: 5 rounds
           3 Ground to Shoulder w/ 120 lbs Sandbag
           6 Squats w/ SB
           9 Hand Stand Push ups
           6: 35
           then..
           Decline bench, ab burnout sit ups
           10 reps w/ 45 plate
            5 with out
            10 w/ 35 plate
             5 with out
             10 w/ 25 plate
             5 with out
             10 w/ 10 plate
             5 with out
             10 w/ 5 plate
              5 with out
              10 w/ 2.5
               5 with out
               10 w/ 45 plate
               5 with out
               all in one set... owwww!!!
Saturday: 10 minute AMRAP
                - 10 lunges w/ 120 lbs Sandbag
                - 10 burpee's
                7 rounds

This week I finally filled my sand bag back up w/ rocks. So I am happy to be lifting some awkward weight again. I definitely feel a difference when I lift objects like that. A lot of these work outs were fun and great to do. The WOD's on Monday and Tuesday incorporated Circular Strength Training. If you don't know what it is look it up. Its great stuff. But other than that, I am happy I have access to some heavier loads again. Marry Christmas!

Week 16 - New Address

2222 N. Mcqueen Rd. #1064
Chandler AZ
85225

Monday: 5 rounds:
                          5 Turkish Getups w/ Kb (per arm)
                          10 OH KB Squats (per arm)
                          20 KB swings
               then...
                        an hour of Basketball
               then...
                        5 minute AMRAP
                        Burpee Box jump (36 inch box)
                       
Tuesday: For time:
                           1 mile run (on treadmill) 6:06
                            3 rounds:
                            50 Push ups
                            50 KB Tater Squats
                           1 mile run (on Treadmill) 6:09
                            32:07
Wednesday: Rest.... but a lot of biking

Thursday: "Fight gone weird" (altered version)
                3 rounds of 5 one minute stations (rest 30 seconds b/t stations)
                1. Double unders
                2. Lunges (in place)
                3. Sit ups
                4. One arm KB thrusters w/ 26 KG (switch at 5 per arm)
                5. Ring Rows
Friday: 21-15-9
           Ring dips
           KB swings
           3:07
           rest 2 minutes
           21-15-9
           KB Tater Squats
           Burpee's
           6:~
           rest 2 minutes
           21-15-9
           Hand stand push ups
           pistol Squats
           6 or 7 ~
Saturday: Prasara Yoga

This past week has been a whirlwind. A lot of changes have happened to the area I am serving. And I am in a new place. And I am biking again... I can already see the difference 5 days have played to the size and definition in my legs. I don't know why, but biking does wonder's for my lower body, more so than a lot of other things such as squats. (Even though I need to do a lot of squats)

Other than that I am happy with how this weeks workouts played out. They were all very challenging, and I noticed improvement. 

Week 15 - Nutrition was crappy >:(

Monday: 3 7 minute AMRAPS (back to back)

             1. 10 KB Squat Snatches (5 per arm)

                 10 HSPU's

             2. 14 KB Push jerks (7 per arm)

                 14 burpees

             3. 20 KB swings

                 20 air squats

                AWESOME!

             

Tuesday: 21-15-9

              DB thrusters w/ 45 pound dumbbells

              lateral jumps over 18 inch object
Wednesday: 3 rounds:

                                 30 KB swings

                                 30 burpees

                                 30 deck squats

                     Later:

                             10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

                              Muscle ups

                              1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

                               KB snatch (per arm)

                               18:54

                                HAPPY!

Thursday: 3 hours of football

                then...

                an hour of baseball

                then....

                an hour of basket ball

Friday: 3 rounds:

                        100 double unders

                         50 push ups

                         50 hollow rocks

                         then...

                          mile run on treadmill 

                          6:06

Saturday: 12 minute AMRAP

                5 Squat cleans w/ 2 45 pound dumbbells (bumped it up to 10 after round 4)

                5 HSPU's with dumbells to increase distance

                later...

                20 minute AMRAP

                10 Pistol Squats (total)

                 10 burpees

                  20 Sit ups

                  9 rounds and some situps

                  continued after time cut off and went to 11 rounds

Remember how I said I would be working out at a high school gym this week... yeah that didn't happen. Which is a good thing too because I found out that I'm moving to a different area this week. 

Over all, very good week of training. I am feeling BETTER! Everything is running smoothly and I feel as though I am improving. The Muscle- up, KB snatch work out on Wednesday was a test. It came from the blog from 5th place 2011 Games finisher Blair Morrison. I wanted to compare and see what my time would be next to his. He got 17:46 at I'm guessing around 6'1 and 185 lbs. I got it done in 18:54 at about 6'2 and 210 lbs. At a bigger frame and a heavier weight, I am happy with that time, but of course I still need to improve. But after completing the 55 muscle up workout, I was satisfied and my wrists absolutely mangled from the false- grip. But I am happy!

Great week! But the nutrition was crappy >:(

Week 14 - Happy Thanksgiving!

OK so I don't really have an entry today, because this last week was a lot of experimenting to the point that it would be too much of a hassle to write down what I did. Lets just say that this week involved a lot of body weight strengthening  movements. I am improving there; however, I am getting burnt out with the same old thing. I want to lift weight, heavy weight, and I will probably get approval to workout at a high school weight room, I am excited for that. 

One of the biggest lessons I have been learning since I have been here is that it really doesn't matter what type of training you do, just as long as you hit it with intensity, just go balls to the wall, and improvements will occur. When I do start working out at the high school weight room, I will start basing my programming off of CrossFit Football. Why? Because I have done it in the past and have seen huge improvements then. Plus its simple, easy to follow, and manageable. 

Week 13 - He's feeling a little burnt out

1.       Monday: 3 x 10 Bulgarian Squat w/ 45 pound dumbbells (each side)

                 12 minute AMRAP

                 20 Renegade row with 45 pound dumbbells

                 20 push ups

                 Then…

                  2 hours of basketball and football

                Then…

                5 rounds

                20 pull ups

                10 windmills (per side) w/ 26kg KB

Tuesday: 5 rounds

                 5 box jumps 36 inches

                Lateral depth jumps

                One suicide run

                Then…

               3 suicide runs (for speed)

               20 box jumps 36 inches

Wednesday: 9-7-5

                        Muscle ups

                        Squat snatch w/ 26 KG KB (per side)

                      6:50

                        Then…

                         4 rounds

                        10 HSPU’s

                        10 burpee lateral hops 18 inches

                        10 pistol squats

Thursday : 3x 5 minute AMRAPS

                      KB snatch w/ 26 KG

                     KB tater squats

                     KB Clean and jerks

                     2 min rest in between

                     (5 burpee drop penalty, one switch allowed)

Friday: Two mile run on treadmill

             Sub 12 minutes

            10 rounds

            20 goblet squats w/ 26 kg KB

            10 strict pull ups

Saturday: 4 rounds

                  10 one arm over head sit ups w/ 30 pounds (per side)

                  20 burpees

                  40 double unders

Sunday: rest

This last week was rough. I really like Wednesday and Friday’s workouts. However, I feel my joints aching from doing all of these straight metcons. And I am also feeling a little burnt out. So I will be throwing a wrench in the mix, I will be focusing on a lot of gymnastic and Kettlebell specific strength work outs, and twice to maybe three times a week I will do traditional CrossFit Metcons. My routine needs a change.  

Week 12 - Got sick but still he pressed on

Monday: 3X3 floor sitting pistol squats w/ 26 kg KB (per leg)

              21-15-9

              HSPU's

              KB Swings

              5:00

              later...

              Power Snatch and Power Clean work

              Back Squats

              later...

              10-8-6-4-2

               Muscle Ups

              KB Tater Squats

              (50-40-30-20-10)

               Double Unders

               10 min something

Tuesday: Quick ladder Agility Drills

              later...

              Get sick

Wednesday Recover from sickness

                  later...

                  7 minutes of KB complex's w/ 26 KG (Burpee, SDLHP, KB Swing)

                  40 something

                  3X10 KB windmills (per side)  

                  KB flip work

Thursday: 10 sets:

                20 Push ups (any variation)

                10 Strict pull ups (any variation)

                 later...

                 10 rounds:

                                10 jump squats w/ 35 pound dumbbells

                                20 burpees

Friday: "Tabata Something Else"

            KB Swings w/ 26 KG

            Lateral Jumps over 18 inch bench

            Lunges (in place) w/ KB

            WTF's

Saturday: 2X 1 mile run on Treadmill

               1st: 6:26

               2nd: 6:06

               then...

               7 minute AMRAP accending ladder 3,3,6,6,9,9....

                DB thrusters w/ 35 pound dumbbells

                Clapping push ups

Sunday: rest

This last week was really interesting... I got sick in the middle of the week so that made all of the other workouts for the rest of the week that much harder. However, I did get a chance to swing by a Recreation Center with some other missionaries last Monday and used the barbells there. What I noticed was very eye opening. As far as Olympic lifts go, I have not lost much, really I haven't lost any explosiveness or strength in the Olympic lifts, if anything I actually felt better about my form because my body finally got the rest it deserved from the constant beating that it got before from the Olympic lifts. 

Squats were a much different story.... leg strength has always been a weakness of mine, and it showed. What was light before felt heavier, plus because of all the walking and tightening of muscle that I have been exposed to since I have been out hear, squatting with a weight just didn't feel all that comfortable. 

I realized that I am improving, with my own body weight, which originally was the goal. If that means sacrificing some strength with heavy weight, I'll take it. 

On the flip side. Running, Biking, Gymnastic movements, everything is feeling great. I'm feeling myself get better with my 200 pound + frame and I am also gaining mass. (Good Mass ;) I am loving life!