Altitude

Nov05
by Duf on November 5, 2013 at 6:16 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts

hoodyFor the second day in a row stretching my quads/hamstrings felt more hurtful than helpful due to the swelling in my right knee.  I walked away from the stretching with a limp.  I think I will just lay off the leg stretching until the knee is a little less plump.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/painful stretching

10 high pull ups

Seated Fat Gripz dumbell curls 25lb x 12 (each arm)

20 dips

8 high pull ups

Seated Fat Gripz dumbell curls 40lb x 8 (each arm)

20 dips

8 high pull ups

Seated Fat Gripz dumbell curls 50lb x 2 (each arm)

20 dips

6 high pull ups

Standing narrow grip Fat Gripz straight barbell curls 50lb x 10

20 dips

6 high pull ups

 

 

Comments Off on Altitude

Easing back from the mud

Nov04
by Duf on November 4, 2013 at 7:00 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Endurance activities, Injuries

969174_10152571163907841_305221855_n[1]So I had the Tough Mudder on Saturday.  You can read a full recap of the event on my regular blog here.  Let me just say it was tough but more wet than muddy.  I almost escaped injury free but managed to f up my knee coming off the Everest 1/4 pipe like a dummy.  I don’t think the injury is super serious but a slight limp will be around for at least a few days I think.

Cindy did great with the course as well, she is a real trooper. Her never say die attitude is very inspiring.

Today at the gym I wanted to ease back into things.  When I did my post cardio stretching I had the difficulty I would expect doing the quad stretch on my right leg but what I didn’t expect was equal amounts of discomfort trying to do the hamstring stretch.  I gave up trying to touch my toes, my right knee was just not going to allow it.

I burned a lot of time talking to/comparing notes with a few gym buddies that also did the Mudder.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/painful stretching

20 pull ups

25 push ups

20 dips

10 pull ups

25 push ups

15 dips

10 pull ups

25 push ups

15 dips

 

 

Comments Off on Easing back from the mud

Tapering

Oct31
by Duf on October 31, 2013 at 5:39 pm
Posted In: Bar-barian Forum Monthly Challenges, Daily Workouts

Not much to report.  I missed the gym yesterday due to a problem at work and today, as part of my calm before the storm Tough Mudder plan I just did 30 minutes of moderately hard cardio on a cross trainer.

Last night I did make one last attempt at this month’s BB challenges.  I thought I had a good shot at increasing my normal mode hang by using a different technique, a closer grip.

hhangbothThe thought process was if my hands are closer together it will allow me to pull my elbows lower and tighter to my body.  Well when that theory was put into use it fell flat.  My body was at an odd angle for most of the attempt and the closer hand position didn’t allow me to recruit the full use of my back muscles to keep me up there.  I wound up dropping off 10 seconds sooner than my first attempt.

With hardly any break I moved right onto the one hand dead hang, hoping anger about my first attempt would help me do better with another.  I dropped off around 57 seconds and thought I smashed my old time.  For some reason I had it in my head the first time I tried the one hand hang I held for 40 some seconds.  Nope, 1:09.

So both attempts were significantly off my first go around.  At least my costume provided some degree of entertainment.

 

Comments Off on Tapering

Hit for the cycle

Oct29
by Duf on October 29, 2013 at 5:17 pm
Posted In: Bar-barian Forum Monthly Challenges, Daily Workouts

Last night I tried the last two modes of this month’s BB challenge so I at least did them all this month.  First up was Bar-baric mode which is a static one hand chin hold for time.  I have not trained this hold for quite awhile.  I managed to hold myself up there for a fraction over 10 seconds which is about what I did last year I think.  However since I haven’t been doing much one arm training, my tendons and forearm felt like they were pulled apart afterwards.

After maybe a 5 minute rest I tried the consecutive bar over challenge.  I managed 8 reps, I was hoping for 10.

Today at the gym bicep work was out because of a very sore right arm from the hanging.  I stuck to pushing movements and not that many of them.

Today’s Workout

5 minutes cardio/stretching

5 sets of 8 slow bar dips supersetted with 5 sets of 20 C2G push ups

Overhead one arm tricep extensions – 20lbs x 10, 25lbs x 8 (each arm)

That’s all folks…

Comments Off on Hit for the cycle

Plus one and done

Oct28
by Duf on October 28, 2013 at 5:31 pm
Posted In: Daily Workouts, Ray's Way

So today I took my first shot at a +1 version of the Ray’s Way I successfully completed two weeks in a row.  That meant I needed to do 5 sets of 16 dips, 9 pull ups and 21 push ups.  Well, I failed.

I am not quite sure where the lion share of blame should be put on me stepping off the dip bars at rep 8 of set four.  I think mentally I was defeated when I started single repping the push ups in set 3 after only 13 or 14 reps.  I just felt like I didn’t have it in me. Of course once your mind tells you that, your body has little to no chance of success.

Maybe if I had a larger amount of sleep the past few nights I would have felt more energetic but hell, I didn’t even do any running, biking or swimming this weekend. (did do some drinking though)

So although I opted out at rep 8 I did at least have enough pride to finish out the remaining reps for the full 5 sets off the clock.   It was a bummer effort.

Today’s Workout

Ray’s Way – FIVE sets 16 dips, 9 pull ups, 21 push ups – FAILED continuous rep parameter after dip rep 8 in set 4.

Comments Off on Plus one and done