Monthly Challenge Fail

60 deadlifts at 90% bodyweight(couldn't safely pick up 100% of bodyweight) 27 minutes

Indoor Rock Climbing

Indoor rock climbing for an hour. Mad fun

Early-ass Morning Run

Ran 7.7 miles starting at 7am. Surely there's a culture in which 7 is a lucky number? We did 1 loop of the park (clockwise!) and 1 loop of the reservoir, for old time's sake. It was a lovely morning for it!!

Then an hour of stretch yoga to try and deal with this absurd muscle tension.

Catching up

Thursday: 4 mile run
Friday: TRX Suspension class where we did single-legged squats, push-ups into jacknives, and much more. Not as awesome as kettlebells, yet I thoroughly enjoyed the training.
Today: 4 mile race in Prospect Park to be followed by a kettlebell class.

Hotness.

Monthly Challenge

300 deadlifts at 43% of BW, 30:50. Stan, that wasn't fun. But for the record, it burned 340 calories.

Shitty day

Does 30 pushups count as a workout? I think it does, considering the alternative was 30 beers and NO pushups, and with the 30 pushups, I only had 3 beers...

Pilates

Tarik and I went to a Pilates Reformer class last night. Bonus: it was free. Minus: it was EASY. I have 5 more classes that I got through a groupon type deal at a different studio, so at least when I go to those I'll have a basic grasp of how the machine works, but this class only counts as a workout because I walked over a mile each way to the studio. :)

Monthly challenge scheduled for tonight!

AM

3 mile run this morning. So done with winter. So very, very done.

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday: 6 mile run, pain free.
This morning: 5x8 ab-wheel rollouts, 4x50 leg raises, 2x100 crunches, plank for time, eat a bear
This evening: 1 hour of kettlebells, 1 hour of mobility exercises, crap out a moose

AM Lifting

Too lazy to write it all out, but did NRLW 3B3 today. Woohoo not re-injuring my back!!

Two workouts!

Abs class, followed by Cardio Kickboxing. Some of the girls in that class are pansies. (this is not a judgement free zone) and look more like they're dancing than trying to hit something. Me? I had my game face on from minute 1.

Monthly Challenge

300 deadlifts for time, you say? How do I know what "group" (gold, silver, dogshit...) I'm in? Or should I just opt for the highest % BW I think I can DO 300 of?

Yesterday. Today

Yesterday Morning: 3x8 ab-wheel rollouts
Yesterday Afternoon: 9 mile run

This morning: 4x50 knuckle pushups
This evening: Kettlebell class with Coach Fury

Belated again!

Ran 8.4 miles on Saturday, and really wished it wasn't so windy. The trouble was that in two loops of the park (so, hitting each of the 4 cardinal directions twice...) I felt a tailwind for about 90 seconds. Thankfully, it was right at the end. But c'mon, wind! That's absurd!

Belated

Last night: Pilates.


Today: 4 of the most beautiful miles I've run in the park in a looooooong time. Almost makes me excited for spring. Almost.

Tonight: Cardio boot camp!

2/18/11

30 minute run in the beautiful morning sunshine.

To hell with your rest day

Morning: 5x40 knuckle pushups
Evening: 2 hour walk to clear the brain

The more you sweat in practice...

2 milestones tonight.
1- I nearly passed out in class. I haven't done that in a workout in YEARS.
2- I upgraded the weight to 88 lbs. (40kg) That makes me the big dawg in class. None of the instructors go this high. My goal for the end of my membership here, on March 8th is to use the BEAST bell, the > 100 lb. bell which is so shiny and new because no one touches it.

So... Kettlebell class.
Then 10 sets of 3 pull-ups.
Then 4 sets of 7 lat pull-downs at half bodyweight.

DESTROY THE LATS.

(Also what gym do you go to Hannah? That class a few posts down looks fun.)

Running

4.4 miles in the park, and we went CLOCKWISE!!! A very different experience, to be sure.

Break Thru Fitness

Tested out a new class at the gym that advertises as being "for serious athletes and fitness enthusiasts only". WHEW! It includes kettlebells, TRX and medicine ball work, and the TRX KILLED ME. My forearms are dying.

Disappointed

MORNING
3x100 calf raises@30lbs. on each leg, 100 foot inversions

EVENING
Kettlebell class, core dominant 10 straight minutes of Turkish get-ups

NRWL Week 4

Went to the gym before noon, just forgot to post in the whirlwind of apps.

Squat 2/15 - 125

Push Ups - 2/20

Double Crunch - 2/20

Static Lunge 2/15 2x27.5lbs = 55lbs

Dumbell Row 2/15 per arm - 27.5lbs

I am starting to crave the soreness of my muscles. Bring the pain.

How do you accidentally run 3 extra miles?

I set out today to run 7 miles near my parents' house in Cleveland. I had mostly in mind what street I'd turn around on to make the proper distance. Except by the time I got there I sorta forgot which one. So I guessed at it, and found myself pretty badly lost :(. This resulted in running 10 miles instead of 7. Oops!!! But now at least I'm pretty confident in my ability to run the 15k I'm signed up for at the end of March!!

Yesterday I lived

Yesterday I had one of the most peaceful and enjoyable sleeps I've had in a long long while. Now I was never one to really enjoy sleep that much, heck I even find it irritating when I ask someone what are their hobbies or what do they like to do and their response is sleep. But last night I had a really enjoyable nights rest because yesterday I lived.

I awoke in the morning at my cousins apartment in new jersey. We then set off for a 'half a day' of snowboarding(9am-3pm). I was ready to tear up the mountain! I got my new board, my new gear, I felt pro! After coming down the mountain a couple of times on the green slopes and after numerous falls and smashed knees and head in helmets against the icy slopes I finally sustained an injury in which I smashed the back of my head at full speed against the ice (thank God for the invention of helmets) in which I made my way down the mountain, unbuckled my snowboard, and with wobbling legs made my way and toppled down sitting at a table bench. I was tko'ed; I was done for the day.

We left shortly after and we rushed back to new york for I had to create a dish for my friday fellowship's cooking competition I was looking forward 2 all week. We ate the rush hour traffic in the city. And didn't even stop at home and went straight to h-mart to pick up meat and seaweedie weed. Arrived home looked at the clock 6:30pm only 30 minutes to cook up a delicious dish that would win the competition. With some help from a friend we finished and left at 7:10. We went to friday fellowship. I lost the cooking competition and after waiting a while for people to finish talking drove my friend back home.

I believe I had such an good night's rest was because at least for the day I had accomplished my goals, I had succeeded. But how did you succeed Phil? Is that what you call success? You tried snowboarding and failed miserably, not getting any better and falling on your ass and knees constantly. You hurried back to new york to create a dish only to lose the cooking competition, not only that you scored last in every category in the cooking competition. How is that success?

I wanted to go snowboarding and I wanted to compete in the cooking competition. I gave it my all, I tried the best with what I had, I went 'balls to the wall'. And after a warm shower as I laid my head still banging in pain on my pillow, I closed my eyes and was at peace, for enjoying the pleasure of living.

Yesterday I lived. What am I going to do today?

Let there be rest!

Went snowboarding yesterday and with a new sense of fitness I was like, Yeah! lets kick it to the max! And after numerous falls on my head and knees today I wake up in pain. I wonder if this is how a boxer feels the day after a fight. Let there be rest.

100% Forgot

Week 3 Workout 3 NRWL

Squats 2/15 - 125 (less ow than before)

Static Lunges 2/15 -50 (25lb dumbell in each arm)

One hand dumbell row 2/15 - 20lbs

Push ups 2/20

Double Crunches 2/20

Got up @ like 6 AM to do it, came back and totally forgot to poast.

Morning core 2/11/11

3x8 ab-wheel rollouts

That's it. Pressed for time upon waking up. Still making significant gains with less time.

EVENING EDIT
2 hour walk to work off a horrendous day.

Last night's Pilates

I went to class, and before it started, I consulted my instructor about what modifications I'd have to do to protect my back. She suggested a few things, and I made it through the class, not really pushing myself too much. But I can honestly say I felt better after the class than before, and I feel 100x better this AM than I expected to!

Lifting fail

Started NRLW 3B3, and shortly in, felt a familiar twinge in my lower back. Stopped immediately. Good thing I have Pilates tonight, and hopefully my instructor can help me with some exercises to relax it. Dang, my first fitness-related injury.

(I felt similar pain years ago, while attempting to stand up from a very comfortable couch. At least this injury feels legit?)

2/10/11

4x50 calf lateral raises holding 40 lbs.

4x100 foot inversions with 120 lb. rubber band

I will fix this foot.

NRWL Week 3

Dead-Lift 2/10 - 115

Step Up - 2/15 - 40

One Arm Press - 2/15 - 17.5

Close Grip Lat Pull - 2/15 - 60

Reverse Crunch - 2/20

The Deadlift on the Smith machine is getting harder. I can feel it not being good for my back. I'd probably switch if I could, but I can't afford a better gym. I feel trapped. I might start using dumbbells instead of the machine. Who knows.

Running

4 miles this AM, in weather that was described as "15, feels like 5". I do not regret wearing 3 shirts. Not one bit!!

New morning routine 2/9/11

30 minutes of calf stretching.

Hopefully I get to do another double class tonight.
========================================
Next Day Edit:

No double class tonight.
One night of kettlebells was enough to knock me out.
Came home and slept 10 hours.

Holy cow.

Relentless!

Was again unrelenting. And note to self: Lifting that includes a massive set of lunges/squats needs to NEVER AGAIN OCCUR ON THE SAME DAY I INTEND TO GO TO RELENTLESS!!!!! Ow.

NRLW 3A3

A: One-arm Dumbbell Snatch: 3x6 @ 25
B1: Dumbbell one-leg Romanian Deadlift: 3x6 @ 50
B2: Barbell Bentover Row: 3x6 @ 65
C1: Dumbbell one-arm overhead squat: 3x6 @ 15 (i.e. 5lbs overhead, 10lbs in lowered hand)
C2: Dumbbell incline Bench Press: 3x6 @ 25
D1: Plank: 3x90 secs (made all 3!!)
D2: Reverse Wood Chop: 3x6 @ No. 4 plate + the bumper plate

E: Bodyweight Matrix

24 Squats
24 lunges (12 each side)
24 jump lunge
24 Jump Squats

First set took 3:10, Second set took 3:20.

In Repair

30 minutes of calf stretches this morning after my acupuncturist found some knots in there.
Also, possibly reconstructing my busted-up foot. LINK

==========================================
EVENING EDIT

Double class tonight.
1 kettlebell class
1 total conditioning class
2 hours of mayhem
joy.

NRWL Week 3

Squat: 2/15 - 115lbs

Dumbell Row: 2/15 - 25lbs

Static Lunge: 2/15 - 22.5lbs

Push-Up: 2/15

Double Crunches: 2/20

2.6.11

Also ran the 4 mile race in Central Park today. Weather was a great relief. For the 3rd run of the year, I was pretty pleased with my time (8:04 pace). Though I should be wiser than to push it as hard as I did at the end without having built up a running base for the year yet. Did get to meet a runner with a two-digit bib number. Asked him what he thought it might take to get to that category. Apparently you can get there with  around a 6:50 time. That's going to be my goal this year. Drop another minute off my mile pace.

Going to slowly re-introduce running and swimming into my regimen this month while still working the major muscle groups with kettlebells. Next month, kettlebells are going to get dropped in favor of biking.

Evening workout:
Core work
5x5 ab-wheel rollouts
4x50 leg raises
plank for time

Racing!

4 miles in central park - the start was a clusterfuck, since the paths between the bag check and the race start were COMPLETELY iced over and people were slipping all over the place. I would not be shocked if there was at least one racer who didn't get to race because they'd broken a bone before they even got to the corrals. Official time is pending, but it looks like I hit a new PR!

Dreadmill

Perhaps I'm a wuss, but I sure hate running in the rain. So today's run occurred on a treadmill, and serendipitously started just at the same time as an old episode of NCIS. WIN! I only did 5 miles instead of the planned 7, but considering I came DAMN close to skipping a workout altogether today, I feel pretty good about it.

Still in recovery 2/4/11

Walked for 90 minutes today.

I can finally fully extend my arms again. No kettlebell class tonight. Going to give my arms a rest this weekend and prepare to launch into February with intensity.

Bootcamp Again

Again well-booted. There is very little as nice as a shower after a good sweat, and then putting on soooooft pj's.

Yes. I'm in Pj's at 8pm on a Friday night. Sue me.

Yesterday 2/3/11

Walked for an hour around town in the morning, and then spent 4 hours dancing at the 2am Club concert.

I'm astonished how beat-up my body was after Monday. Still so sore that I couldn't fully extend my arms out even this morning.

Nonetheless, I think I'll do a kettlebell class tonight with a baby weight and that should fix it right up.

NRLW

Stage 3, Workout B, Instance 2

A: Romanian deadlift with bentover row; 3x6 @ 60
B1: Partial one-legged squat; 3x6 @ 20, 20, 30
B2: Wide Grip Lat pulldown 3x6 @ 70
C1: Back extension, 3x6 @ 20
C2: YTWL; 3x6 @ 5
D1: Swiss Ball Crunch, 3x6
D2: Hip Flexion, 3x6
D3: Lateral Flexion, 3x6
E1: Prone Cobra, 3x90s

Intervals have been rescheduled for this afternoon as I ran out of time, and the only functioning treadmill was in use.

Also, caught myself being a man and admiring my own muscles in the mirror. Awwwww yeah!

Pilates

50 minutes burned 88 calories. That's just sad. But I really find that when I skip Pilates, EVERYTHING becomes harder - running, lifting, kickboxing, all of it. So go I must!!

Runnin!

With my new heart rate monitor!!! 5 miles, 487 calories burned. 19 minutes in the "fat burn" zone and 46 in the "cardio" zone (which includes the walk to/from the park, so 5 miles didn't really take me over an hour...

I love my new toy!!!

Tonight, we find out how many calories Pilates burns!!

2/2/11

5x40 leg raises

That's it.
This is the first time that I've been so out of commission from a workout.
Monday's combination of Angie and a kettlebell class decimated my upper body. This might be the first time, I've felt extreme soreness at both the origin and insertion of a muscle. Forearms are also shot. It's probably slowing the recovery of my transverse and rectus abdominus muscles. What a great feeling.

I'm so going to kill the kettlebells tomorrow morning, but for today, more recovery.

Relentless!

75 minute boot-camp style class called "Relentless!". It was, as usual, unrelenting.

But the bonus is that the instructor is the same guy who does my Friday evening boot camp class, and he spoke to me before we started and said I'm looking really good! AMG!!!! Compliment from one of the fittest people I know?! SQUEEE!!!!!!

NRWL

Squats 2/15 - 120

Dumbell Row 2/15per arm - 20lb dumbell

Static lunge - 2/15 2, 20lb dumbells

Push Ups - 2/15

Double Crunches (as I have no swiss ball) 2/20

Hurts less than it did 3 days ago.

Triple Workout Yesterday

AM:
Ab-wheel rollouts 5x8, no rest at bottom (much easier this way)

PM:
ANGIE (24:13, Phil, your tears taste delicious, I'll retrieve those 10 points. Thanks)
and then
Kettlebell class. Kept it light, going back down to the 50 lb. bell.

Cry, Phil. Cry many tears.