Swim thang.
1200 yards in 45 minutes, for day 3 not bad, real swimmers of course would laugh. I was really surprised none-the-less by how well that went. Substantially less rest at the end of each 100 yard interval. The strokes feel more natural and more relaxed and breathing is likewise more controlled and relaxed. I wonder if the next step is to lengthen the interval distance to 150 yards? The point of course is to stand less and swim more so increasing distance seems a logical way to do that assuming the extra 50 yards doesn't require excessive recovery.
Squats tomorrow see what gains I can negotiate with the bar.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
10/30/2013
Yoga.
So, I think I've got a good pattern established here, now: Monday and Friday, weight training, Tuesday and Thursday, Swimming, and Wednesday Yoga. If I can get a long walk or another weight training session in one day of the weekend I think I'll call it good and work the pattern for a while.
Swimming represents the most room for growth both in speed and distance. To qualify for the Peaks to Portland swim one has to certify that he/she can swim 1 mile in 45 minutes. Personally I wouldn't consider myself ready at that level -- but, it represents a short term goal. My shoulder is the weak link. I'm unsure how much freestyle it will stand and that is the stroke that gets the speed necessary to make the time. The only way to know is to try.
Yoga was good today I find the teacher to be... vague at times in here direction. But, I can work with that and I came out with a reasonable stretch and a reasonable relaxation. Hips, and particularly flexors and the psoas are rubbish, but again, at least I know where the work is.
So, I think I've got a good pattern established here, now: Monday and Friday, weight training, Tuesday and Thursday, Swimming, and Wednesday Yoga. If I can get a long walk or another weight training session in one day of the weekend I think I'll call it good and work the pattern for a while.
Swimming represents the most room for growth both in speed and distance. To qualify for the Peaks to Portland swim one has to certify that he/she can swim 1 mile in 45 minutes. Personally I wouldn't consider myself ready at that level -- but, it represents a short term goal. My shoulder is the weak link. I'm unsure how much freestyle it will stand and that is the stroke that gets the speed necessary to make the time. The only way to know is to try.
Yoga was good today I find the teacher to be... vague at times in here direction. But, I can work with that and I came out with a reasonable stretch and a reasonable relaxation. Hips, and particularly flexors and the psoas are rubbish, but again, at least I know where the work is.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
10/29/2013
Swimming.
800 yards in 40 minutes, basically 100 yard intervals, 50 yards side stroke, 25 yards breast stroke, and 25 yards crawl.
By the end of the time I was starting to relax and feel the strokes rather than fighting them.
800 yards in 40 minutes, basically 100 yard intervals, 50 yards side stroke, 25 yards breast stroke, and 25 yards crawl.
By the end of the time I was starting to relax and feel the strokes rather than fighting them.
Monday, October 28, 2013
10/28/2013
Weighted vest, fugly barbell, and the fieldhouse.
7 rounds of back rack walk, so almost a mile, barbell movements on the tennis court lines, down and back, down and back, you know the drill
seeing improvement and progress and that feels good. Certainly have a long way to go but to see this much improvement in less that 3 weeks is heartening.
7 rounds of back rack walk, so almost a mile, barbell movements on the tennis court lines, down and back, down and back, you know the drill
seeing improvement and progress and that feels good. Certainly have a long way to go but to see this much improvement in less that 3 weeks is heartening.
Friday, October 25, 2013
10/25/2013
SQUATS! YAH
135lbs, 3x12
185lbs, 3x10
205lbs, 3x8
super-sets with, diagonal plate raises on an inverted bosu ball, 10lbs, 6 reps per side, hanging knee raises with chain, 8-10 reps.
So there time for a weekend. The man-cub has a regional x-country race. I truly wish him the best of luck. Last year was heart breaking with him finishing 1 place from qualifying for the State meet.
135lbs, 3x12
185lbs, 3x10
205lbs, 3x8
super-sets with, diagonal plate raises on an inverted bosu ball, 10lbs, 6 reps per side, hanging knee raises with chain, 8-10 reps.
So there time for a weekend. The man-cub has a regional x-country race. I truly wish him the best of luck. Last year was heart breaking with him finishing 1 place from qualifying for the State meet.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
10/24/2013
Swim.
Ugh...sigh. Four of us showed for the inaugural swim thang. JW is doing the cheer-leading thing for the Peaks to Portland, 2.4 mile open water swim, in July, as the motivating force.... I swam today -- right now that seems too big of a bite. The fashion of goggles and swim cap leave a lot to be desired; I'm reminded of Woody Allen playing a sperm.
I took it in hundred yard intervals, breast, crawl, and the left and right side stroke. I'm fairly confident I got a half mile in, but, I did a fair bit of standing at the ends to regulate breathing and heart rate. I kept it up for 40 minutes. I'm fairly nervous about my shoulder the crawl seems to put a lot of strain on it.
Try again on Tuesday.
Looking forward to Squats tomorrow.
Ugh...sigh. Four of us showed for the inaugural swim thang. JW is doing the cheer-leading thing for the Peaks to Portland, 2.4 mile open water swim, in July, as the motivating force.... I swam today -- right now that seems too big of a bite. The fashion of goggles and swim cap leave a lot to be desired; I'm reminded of Woody Allen playing a sperm.
I took it in hundred yard intervals, breast, crawl, and the left and right side stroke. I'm fairly confident I got a half mile in, but, I did a fair bit of standing at the ends to regulate breathing and heart rate. I kept it up for 40 minutes. I'm fairly nervous about my shoulder the crawl seems to put a lot of strain on it.
Try again on Tuesday.
Looking forward to Squats tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
10/23/2013
Yoga.
Not swimming after all I'll try again tomorrow. I have to work out the details of goggles and stuff.
Not swimming after all I'll try again tomorrow. I have to work out the details of goggles and stuff.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
10/22/2013
Weighted vest
5 rounds
.25 miles on the dreadmill, 5 squat cleans, 10 hanging knee raises with chain resistence
2 rounds
Standing cable crunches, 150lbs, 15, 10
diagonal plate raises on an inverted bosu ball, 10lbs, and 6 per side
5 rounds
.25 miles on the dreadmill, 5 squat cleans, 10 hanging knee raises with chain resistence
2 rounds
Standing cable crunches, 150lbs, 15, 10
diagonal plate raises on an inverted bosu ball, 10lbs, and 6 per side
Monday, October 21, 2013
10/21/2013
Fugly barbell, weighted vest, and the Field House
By now you know the drill.
I will say that Squat Friday put a crimp in my weekend. I was one sore old fart on Sunday. So today was as much about loosening things up as it was about work. I went a little longer then last week so that was good. I'm toying with swimming on Wednesday -- that should kill me. It has been years since I swam. But, I've got to get as much variety into this as I can since some of my lack of motivation is boredom. Obviously a lack of goals is one kind of boredom, but, the more familiar doing the same thing over and expecting different results, needs to be changed up as well.
By now you know the drill.
I will say that Squat Friday put a crimp in my weekend. I was one sore old fart on Sunday. So today was as much about loosening things up as it was about work. I went a little longer then last week so that was good. I'm toying with swimming on Wednesday -- that should kill me. It has been years since I swam. But, I've got to get as much variety into this as I can since some of my lack of motivation is boredom. Obviously a lack of goals is one kind of boredom, but, the more familiar doing the same thing over and expecting different results, needs to be changed up as well.
Friday, October 18, 2013
10/18/2013
SQUATS!
3x12, 135lbs, 3x8, 185lbs, 2x6, 205lbs
supersetted with box ups and inverted bosu ball air squats
standing cable crunches, and hanging knee raises with chain
3x12, 135lbs, 3x8, 185lbs, 2x6, 205lbs
supersetted with box ups and inverted bosu ball air squats
standing cable crunches, and hanging knee raises with chain
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
10/16/2013
Weighted vest.
1/4 mile on the dreadmill
4 pull ups, 6 band assisted bardips, 12 inverted bosu ball squats, 12 hanging knee raises with chain.
repeated 4 times.
4 sets of 5 reps, 89lbs, squat cleans
1/4 mile on the dreadmill
4 pull ups, 6 band assisted bardips, 12 inverted bosu ball squats, 12 hanging knee raises with chain.
repeated 4 times.
4 sets of 5 reps, 89lbs, squat cleans
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
10/15/2013
Fun with the fugly barbell, in the field-house, or back in the saddle again.
Barbell movements on the base, service, net, service, and baselines, down and back, then back rack the barbell and walk a lap on the 1/8 mile track, lather, rinse, repeat, I think I got a mile in.
So for example: dead lift, bent-over-rows, high pulls, push press, 3 reps each, advance to the next line and repeat, on the return trip, 3 overhead squats on each line, then walk the track. The next jumble, 5 barbell burpees, 4, 3, 2, 1, and then 3 good-mornings on each line returning, then walk the track.
Barbell movements on the base, service, net, service, and baselines, down and back, then back rack the barbell and walk a lap on the 1/8 mile track, lather, rinse, repeat, I think I got a mile in.
So for example: dead lift, bent-over-rows, high pulls, push press, 3 reps each, advance to the next line and repeat, on the return trip, 3 overhead squats on each line, then walk the track. The next jumble, 5 barbell burpees, 4, 3, 2, 1, and then 3 good-mornings on each line returning, then walk the track.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Motivation: A truly Sisyphean issue
The Sisyphus entry addressing motivation resonates, with any honest person. And, I think finding motivation requires even the most earnest solo traveler to relate to his fellows. I think about the Sales Administrator in my office who inspires us to work hard on our lunch walk/runs. Then there is my wife's classmate who fought back from removal of a 10 pound cancerous tumor to build her daily walks from 3 steps to 3 miles a day, only to have the cancer return. She is meeting this new challenge with a courage that can only inspire. I am familiar with the motivation issue. I don't have an answer for why we ought to remain committed to a healthy lifestyle and to fitness. But I know the people I love and respect the most in life, somehow remain committed, in the face of worse obstacles than I have ever faced. I don't exactly know why. But I want to take life seriously. I want to be like them.
10/14/2013
Yoga. This is the beginner class, good thing.
Life is throwing workouts at me, at home, we've got 4 cords of wood to stack, just over a cord done. At work, 12 shelving units moved from the main floor to the third floor.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
10/10/2013
Yoga.
My hips are rubbish. Comes, I suspect, from sitting down most of the day.
I'm struggling with motivation. In the bad old days recovering from injury and trying to get conditioned for martial arts were motivating. A side effect was that I could do the outdoor activities, canoeing, hiking, and so on that I wanted to do. As I mentioned work has kind of consumed me of late, but in a perverse inversion of priorities. What am I training for is a nagging question.
As RAM pointed out his participation in conditioning activities has taken on a social quality. For many of us this is new. We might have a work out partner or a spotter in the gym but workouts were largely solo events. In the past a core group of us motivated each other to get to the gym during the noon hour but that tradition has eroded. For a while I was quite active with group workouts. Those were a mixed bag in some ways. The commitment, camaraderie, the encouragement all had value, but sometimes, the imagination and fun was lost to routine, and when I was in good shape sometimes the intensity was too low. Don't get my wrong I like all those people it is just that group work outs like individual work outs have limits as well.
I'm not sure that I'm making a point, but rather, marking the inertia, marking the crisis of motivation.
My hips are rubbish. Comes, I suspect, from sitting down most of the day.
I'm struggling with motivation. In the bad old days recovering from injury and trying to get conditioned for martial arts were motivating. A side effect was that I could do the outdoor activities, canoeing, hiking, and so on that I wanted to do. As I mentioned work has kind of consumed me of late, but in a perverse inversion of priorities. What am I training for is a nagging question.
As RAM pointed out his participation in conditioning activities has taken on a social quality. For many of us this is new. We might have a work out partner or a spotter in the gym but workouts were largely solo events. In the past a core group of us motivated each other to get to the gym during the noon hour but that tradition has eroded. For a while I was quite active with group workouts. Those were a mixed bag in some ways. The commitment, camaraderie, the encouragement all had value, but sometimes, the imagination and fun was lost to routine, and when I was in good shape sometimes the intensity was too low. Don't get my wrong I like all those people it is just that group work outs like individual work outs have limits as well.
I'm not sure that I'm making a point, but rather, marking the inertia, marking the crisis of motivation.
Monday, October 7, 2013
10/7/2013
Yoga.
Last two weeks have been hectic at work, the irony of course, is that is precisely when I should be working out. Instead I get things out of order. Anyway see if I can gentle my way into some more regular workouts.
Last two weeks have been hectic at work, the irony of course, is that is precisely when I should be working out. Instead I get things out of order. Anyway see if I can gentle my way into some more regular workouts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
