One arm one second

Mar13
by Duf on March 13, 2014 at 5:31 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts

OACstart[1]Part of what I tried today was an OAC (one arm chin up) hold.  I used to work this hold pretty regularly and got to the point where I could hold it with my right hand for 15-20 seconds.  Well I don’t work it routinely now and I am probably tipping the scales 5-7 pounds heavier nowadays.  I was only able to hold it with my right hand for a second or two, it was pretty pathetic.

The only mitigating factor is I tried the hold at the end of my workout after fatiguing my upper body pretty thoroughly.  Still, I need to do better with this type of hold as it is indicative of your overall pulling power, endurance and strength.

 

 

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

10 high pull ups (upper chest to bar)

40 push ups (no pause)

60 second wall handstand standard hand placement

5 high pull ups

60 second wall handstand Y position

5 high pull ups

60 second wall handstand hands together

20 dip bar shrugs

60 second wall handstand fingers facing each other

Brief one arm chin hang training

8 minutes of static A2G holds mixed in between

 

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Today at the gym, deep and fast

Mar12
by Duf on March 12, 2014 at 5:30 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Today at the Gym

dbrow[1]Today at the Gym – the inappropriate dumbbell (no pun intended) rack bystander.  This is the guy that for some reason decides the best place to do his reps is right in front of the dumbbell rack, where other people need to get weights from.

When you indicate to the bystander that he is blocking the way for others to get stuff his reaction can vary from surprise, to disdain or even aggression depending on where he is in his steroid cycle.

Today’s offender added another layer of obliviousness (is that word?) to the equation by wearing headphones blaring loud music.  Don’t be that guy.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

Fat gripz seated dumbbell curls – 25lbs x 12, 45lbs x 6, 55lbs x 2

Standing fat grips one handed preacher curls on incline bench – 25lbs x 10, 30lbs x 8

Total of 100 bodyweight dips with focus on depth, speed and power broken into sets of 20,20,20,15,15,10

5 minutes of A2G hold time

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Today at the Gym, Squats squashed

Mar11
by Duf on March 11, 2014 at 5:51 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Today at the Gym

old_man[1]Today at the gym I saw whom I am am pretty sure is the oldest current gym member.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he is scraping his 90’s.  His workout gear is always very similar, a long sleeve, button down oxford (normally striped), a belt, dungarees (jeans to you and me), dark socks, loafers and a gold analog watch.  He carries a portion of the current days newspaper with him during the entire session.  He is short and has a permanent forward lean to his posture.

His workout routine as you can imagine is pretty mild.  It normally starts with some time on the recline bike.  He then will do a few of the Cybex machines typically at the lowest weight setting.  When he is finished with a machine he gives it the most thorough cleaning of anyone in the gym, using the cleaning wipes that are available.  He gets every nook and cranny.

The sweetest thing of all is each session he is accompanied by his red headed wife who looks to be close in age.  She doesn’t actually work out, she just sits at one of the tables and patiently waits, sometimes watching tv, sometimes reading a book or magazine.  When the old guy finally finishes up they walk out together, holding hands. Awww.

I missed my lunchtime gym session so I made up for it at home after work doing a Ray’s Way in my backyard barpark at the 15-10-20 level.  I later did an additional 10 reps of pull ups, chin ups and close grip pull ups for good measure.

66452_10152837122477841_854637981_n[1]Today I had plans to do a squat/deadlift session.  Unfortunately this morning I woke up with a tweaked lower back that I can’t attribute to anything but an odd sleep position.  It still felt tweaked just doing my prisoner squats so I stuck to an all Cybex lower body workout (mostly) with a generous helping of ass 2 grass holds thrown in.

Even if my back wasn’t hurting the squat rack was being utilized by someone doing T-bar rows, yes, t-bar rows.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

15 prisoner squats

Cybex leg press – 210lbs x 12, 270lbs x 10, 310lbs x 8

Cybex leg extension – 110lbs x 12, 130lbs x 10

Cybex prone leg curl – 90lbs x 12, 110lbs x 10

One leg standing calf raises 10 reps x 2 sets (both legs)

A2G squat holds – total of 10 minutes including 2+ minute hold at end

 

 

 

 

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For Sparta!

Mar07
by Duf on March 7, 2014 at 6:38 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts

trailer4Some of you may be excited that this weekend the sequel to 300 is out in theaters.  300 is one of my favorite movies of all time.  It actually was the catalyst behind me totally rethinking my fitness routine that was pretty much the same for the prior 20 years.

It got me into circuit training, bodyweight movements, and working through what I used to consider acceptable discomfort levels when exercising.  The 300 workout that supposedly some of the actors in the movie would do for time became a staple of my workout routine.  This page describes the routine, this page is my log of my workouts when I was doing the routine.  I was really into it. The workout was the first time I noticed a big physical transformation from a fitness routine.

Today I decided to pay tribute to 300, doing one of the more brutal movements, floor wipers.  A floor wiper, at least when used in the 300 workout, consists of laying on the floor while holding a 135 pound barbell overhead in top bench press position with your legs straight and flat on the floor.  You then raise your feet up to touch the 45 pound plate on the left side, bring your feet back to the center on the floor and then back up to touch the weight plate on the right side before returning your feet to the floor.  That is ONE rep.  Yes they are not fun.

Good form for this movement would include keeping your legs as straight as possible during the lifting portions of the movement.  Because of my dimensions, my form isn’t very good with these, I need to bend my knees a bit, increasingly so as fatigue sets in.

To get to the 50 reps required as part of the 300 workout I had to break my sets into 25, 10, 5, 5, .  My abs were screaming by the end of it and my legs shook as I tried to get my feet to touch the plate the last few reps.  I am sure I will be feeling it all weekend.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

With minimal rest in between 30 dips – 15 pull ups – 30 push ups

50 floor wipers with 135 pounds

Ab wheel knee roll outs, nose to ground – 10 reps x 2 sets

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In the dark

Mar06
by Duf on March 6, 2014 at 7:39 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts

Due to a pretty amazing 5 day outage from my webhosting provider, there have obviously been no workout updates.  Despite not being able to share my workouts with the world, I still have managed to find the motivation to continue putting the work in. 🙂

lights-out[1]Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

30 dips

15 pull ups

30 push ups

60 second wall handstand hold

5 skin the cat reversals

1 hand wall hand stand – 30 seconds each hand

Back lever negatives

Total of 6 minutes A2G holds mixed in including a 2 minute plus hold at the end

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