Friday, September 30, 2011

From under the rubble

After so much summer, a rainy, autumnal day. I headed down to the basement for today's workout. It was such a mess down there, it took me longer to set up for this workout than to do it. After clearing away laundry, crayons, trainset pieces, boxes, balls, etc, and setting up the rower with enough space left for squats, I did this:

Five rounds:
5 squats - 110 lb (will easily up this weight next time)
500 m row - 2:10 min per round (give or take a couple secs)

The advantage of rowing over running is that with the rowing, you can close your eyes when you start to pray for it to be over.
Finished with:
20 squats - 65 lbs
1000 m leisure row (4:50 min)

Later at the park: 3 "real" dips (individuals - not consecutive) on the spiderweb climber. Tim made me hold him and raise him up and down for dips, too. He giggled the whole time.

ninapenda push presses

that is Swahili for I like push presses. They are kind of fun.

push press: 137.5 x3,3,3,3,3
snatch: 102.5 x3,3,3,3,3
curls: 77.5 x8,8,12

I also tried some isometric holds to improve my grip strength. I don't know if that will work. I held 225lbs in the end position of the deadlift with an overhand grip. 3 reps w/ 2 minutes rest between. 17s, 13s, 11s.

Have a great weekend, all. We are off to Edmonton for a fundraiser. Back tomorrow.

btw, the title originally said snatches and not push presses but then I thought 'too much'.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Brought to you by the Yak, the Pig, and the Dancing Bear

In the living room, after nap, watching some Wonder Pets on the "tee-wee":

Four times:
10 push-ups (knees on the couch, hands on the floor)
20 sit-ups
15 hip raises with 25 lbs (shoulders on the couch)

This was not an intense workout; Tim didn't want me anywhere but sitting on the couch, so I had to appease him for a few minutes between every exercise.

Thursday = flat abs and a lot of sweat 2

Modified version of http://www.fitness-training-at-home.com/flat-tummy-exercises.html ( modified by HK)

Thrusts: 15lbs (x2): 15, 10,9
Knee ups: moved onto straight legs and stopped when I couldn't get up to 90 degrees 12,12,12
Deep swings: 30lbs: 10,9,8
Killer twist: 15 lbs: 10/10,10/6,10/4

Tomorrow I'll be in the Caribbean! Woohoo!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Wednesday = zumba

Does that count?

After days of not working out as I've been working late-ish (or drinking wine) I went to my first ever Zumba class. Hmmm..... A little sad I'm signed up for the whole session but if I think of it as making a fool out of myself instead of working out it's not so bad.

wobbly pops

fine. do your xfit. also, hk, one of the funnier jokes on twitter that i've seen was "husband put his dishes on the counter over the dishwasher. i hope my next husband doesn't do this".

bench: 157.5 x5,3,4
deadlift: 255 x5
chins: 7,6,4. i've heard that grip strength is a big factor in chins. i have a more profound understanding of this after doing the deadlifts first and then wobbling all over the place in the chins.
lying tri ext: 57.5 x8,7,8

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Crossfit for your pleasure

I still only do the running Xfits. I'm only a partial fidiot. This is a wonderful workout though.

Did this once before, more than a year ago:

For 20 minutes:

Run 400 meters
Rest precisely the time of the previous run

= 6 runs, with less than a minute left in the 20 minutes.

Last time, I did the runs/rests about a minute faster, completing six full rounds (6 runs AND rests). This time, my first three runs averaged about 1:35 minutes. The last three runs averaged about 1:44.
Then, I did a couple sets of 8 low-bench push-ups. (Actually on the front walk step, about half the height of a bench.)

Yesterday at the park: 3 sets of 10 bench dips and 5 inverted rows, plus 3 chin-ups.

Monday, September 26, 2011

oh, there goes gravity

Just spent five days away in gorgeous country. Now back to reality (though I can still see the gorgeous country from my living room).

Friday - in a hotel in Fernie. Had to make do:
db bench: 35x21,17,14,13
flyes: 20x13,13,12,12

Today
squats: 250x5,5,5
press: 112.5x5,5,7
cleans: 140x3,3,3,3,3

Grandmaster 2x Workout

This weekend in Montreal, 9 games of Frisbee for the North American Grandmasters title. A repeat performance!

Friday, September 23, 2011

1200 hurts the most

16-12-8-4 today. Can't figure out why I like this workout so much -- it hurts so freakin' bad. Like you get that completely done one more step and I'll faint/puke feeling FOUR SEPARATE TIMES in under 25 minutes. Awesome.

Run

1600 m = 6:56 (6:38, 6:57)
rest 3 min
1200 m = 5:23 (5:17, 5:34)
rest 2 min
800 m = 3:23 (3:59, 3:25)
rest 1 min
400 m = 1:35 (1:43, 1:36)

Total -- 23:17 (23:38, 23:32)

In parenthesis are the times from my last two attempts. The times for the individual runs vary from day to day, but my total time seems to be pretty consistent. Because I don't always do the same routes (but I always Googlemaps to plot a route in our grid-like neighbourhood), some of the variability could be chalked up to a few metres here and there.

At any rate, the 1200 metres is by far the biggest bitch of the bunch. Overunder will concur. The 800 feels like a total pussy after that. Relatively speaking.

I also did some back work at the park on the way home from nursery school: 2 x 5 inverted rows (straight legs this time); and 7 individual chin-ups. And a quote from Tim, to show off his sentence-making skills: "Do tin-up on munging bar like Mommy did."

(He was calling chin-ups "mommy up and down" until I taught him the word. He was all over it, but could only pull off a few L-seats.)

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Little bit here, little bit there

I almost never work out at nap time. It's right after lunch and also I'm not great at working out inside my house. (Though I think I could probably risk running a mile from my front door while Tim's down. He always sleeps for at least an hour and a half, and even if he woke up and wandered around the house for 5 minutes, the worst that would happen would he'd end up on the piano. And that's par for the course anyway.)

ANYWAY. The stars aligned somehow, and I threw this down today at naptime:

3 rounds, no breaks:
10/arm dumbbell snatch - 25 lb
20 squats - 45 lb
8 shoulder press - 45 lb

I considered doing a few more rounds, but wanted to fold laundry, make supper and watch an episode of True Blood before Tim woke up...

Hours later, an unplanned stroller run (about 4.5 kms), plus about 25 (10, 10, 5) bench push-ups and a head-stand at the park. (Also a somersault. Those are not as easy as I remember them from 27 years ago.)

Thursday = p90x core synergistics

Can't say I was super impressed with this workout :(

At least I'm sweating. Really missing running but feel it might be close.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

♫ at a mexican bar, somewhere in alberta ♫

later today. for now, gym time and packing because we're going south to Montana.

push press: 135x3,3,3,3,3. first time doing these as a real thing.
chins: 8,7,6
curls: 75x8,8,9

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

P90X upper body #fail

I tried Emma's chest/shoulder/triceps (aka: push-ups from hell) workout, and pretty much failed to complete it as stated. However, it was still a good workout.

The exercises I left out were the few that I couldn't figure out from the description how to do. Then there were a few which I was completely unable to do: plange push-ups, pike press, push-ups with clap. Tried each of these and was unable to do even one. Maybe if I did them at the very beginning?

All the push-ups were from the knees, as I'm still unable to do more than one or two "proper" form push-ups. DB's were 10 lbs, except where noted.

Slo-mo push-ups = 3 sets of 4
Max rep PUs in 20 sec = 10
Front/side (alternating) flys = 2 sets of 8
Chair dips (max rep in 50 secs) = 22
Plange push-up = ZERO (mostly this was a wrist problem)
Pike press = ZERO
Floor flys, alternating arms every 4 (1:30 min) = 16 total
Two speed push-ups (max rep in 1:45 min) = 17
Y press (with DBs) = 2 sets of 12
Lying tri extensions = 15
Arm out rotations (20 fwd+20 back) = 2 sets with 3lb DB (10 lb was too heavy so I did extra reps)
PU with clap = ZERO
PU with arm-up rotation = 12
DB cross body punch max reps = 50 (with 10 lb dbs)

I felt an instinctive urge to balance this out, so I finished with:

sit-ups - 3 sets of 20
bent-over rows (20 lb DB) - 3 sets of 10/arm

And later at the park, I did 5 sets of 5 inverted rows on the spiderweb climber while Tim scooted around above my head. (My shoulders almost on the sand when arms extended, but my legs were a little bit bent.)

Does this count?

Monday: losing a frisbee game to a good team we really wanted to win against? Guess not.

Today: 5K row- 21:04. Bench press: 5x 115. 5x 135, 5x 145. Rounded out with 10 minutes of sauna. For the black lung.

Monday = KFit lower body

All with blue and red bands

Added doggy kicks with red band

Monday, September 19, 2011

back in calgary

there is a lot more snow on the mountains since i left two weeks ago.

bench: 155x5,5,5
snatch: 97.5x3,3,3,3,3
lying tri x: 55x8,8,9

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Sunday = p90x shoulders, chest, and tris

Warmup: jogging on spot, knees up/back, jumping jacks, neck and shoulder stretches etc

Slo-mo 3 in 1 pushup: down slo for 4, up slo for 4: 3 sets of 4, each set move hands closer together (completed with 4th set on knees)

As many push ups as you can in 20 secs: 9

In and out shoulder flys: 2.5lb (easyish) x 2: arms to front then to side. 16 total

Chair tricep dips: as many in 50 secs: 35

Plange pushup = wrist near ribcage (ie back) as many in 1 min: on knees 9

Pike press: downward dog and drop head to floor: max reps: 12

Side tri rise (lie on side, lower hand on shoulder, tricep push up with other arm): 6l, 9r

Floor flys: push up position, slide one arm to side and do push up, slide back. X4 then switch sides. Max reps 1min30: 12

Scarecrows: 2.5lbs x2: arms out to side, 90' bend. Rotate to lift weights up 180' then down, 12-15 reps: 15

Overhead tri extension: 12-15 reps: red band (easy): 15

Two speed push up: 4 fast, 3 slow: max reps 1min45: 7, then 10 on knees

Y press (shoulder press out wide): 12-15 reps: 10lbsx2: 15

Lying tri extension: arms up, bend to ears: 2.5lbs: 12-15 reps: 15

Side to side pushups:(push ups moving arm out to side for wide pushup) max reps: 12

Pour: stand up, lift arms to side, rotate forwards, 12-15: 2.5lbs: 12

Tri extension lean to side sitting: 2lbs x 15

One arm push up: hahaha

Arms to side, small circles: 10 forwards, 10 back x2: 2lb easy, 2.5 hard

Throw the bomb: tri extension with hip twist: R15, l12 2.5 lbs

Pushup with clap: 6 off knees

Slowmo throw: 2lbs easy-ish( hard to describe)

Tri extension to side: front then back: 2.5lbs

Push up and then rotate to side with armmin air: 6? off knees

Fly row press 2.5lbs

Dumbbell cross body punch (lie on back and punch) max reps : 2.5lbs: 100

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Saturday = made up combo

Hamstring curls on ball: 15,15
Knee ups: 25,25 (perhaps time to start trying straight legs?)
Lunges (blue): 16f, 16s; 16f, 16s
Killer twist 15lb: 10/10, 10/9+
doggy kicks: 15,15
push ups: 14,13
50 fast squats: 50,50 (duh!) should time these next time
Ab/ adductor: 16f, 16s; 16f, 16s red band

Golf (comp so in a cart again)

2 more sleeps!

Not usually one to will time away but man am I ever looking forward to heading home. It's been a long haul these last couple of weeks, work-outs have suffered but will be back in a proper gym, climbing majestic mountains and enjoying lots of ab work in a few days :)

for now, one more yoga class by the ocean and daily meditation.

Friday, September 16, 2011

WOD re-dux

Today's CF was 5 rounds 35 double unders, 200m runs. I revamped for the gym and a little less suicidishness.

5 rounds 20 double unders, 10x45lb over head walking lunges. 11:40. I did need to lay down afterward, so I guess I didn't go all out, but I was exploring new parts of my lungs, for certain.

Finished with 2 sets of 15x45lbs presses.

A painful return

You know when you're playing defense in the cup for a really long time and it's awesome and you finally force a turnover, then the handler fucks it up right away so you're back to the cup again and it hurts so much and you want to curse and kick someone in the nuts but you can't because you're exhausted and still playing D?

That's sort of what it's like running a fast mile after three weeks of black lung and a set of tabata squats.

Tabata squats: ouch.*
Mile: 7:34.

Plus two sets of knees-elevated push-ups: 10 and 8. (First try at this progression - a little harder than bench push-ups, as it should be.)

* I had no mechanism for actually timing the tabata, so I just relied on experience: did sets of 20, 19 and 18 reps as fast as I could, with just enough time off in between to mark the set number. It was accurate enough - my quads told me so. They actually yelled at me on those first few steps of the mile.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Thursday = ab ripper

Got guilted into another pyramid selling party tonight so only managed a quick p90x Ab ripper before heading out

File under "active lifestyle"

Seriously, I passed on a second consecutive stroller run today in order to take Tim to the Children's museum. Thanks to some miscalculations about the bus routes, I ended up with a great back/shoulders workout: carried Tim on my shoulders from the Market across the bridge to the museum (further than you'd think); then I carried him on my front (without the aid of a carrier - just my arms) while he slept, from the mall to home.

A 2.3 km variation of the farmers' walk. The "mommy walk", I guess.

The black lung is as good as gone, Tim's back to nursery school tomorrow (3x/week as of next week), and I'm back to serious. Squats and miles from now til Thanksgiving...

Runny-run-run-runs

1600,1200,800,400 m runs, 3,2 &1 minutes rest respectively in between.
Times: 6:01, 4:56 (this is the hardest run by far), 2:56 (surprise!) and 1:24. Windy and a little cold today and the sun was shining like it does in autumn; brightly, but in relieved acquiescence of the long, dark months to come.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Wednesday = golf

It was in a cart. It was with Wingates. I assume that doesn't = calorie deficit.

It WAS for charity thou - must count for something.

The heaviest thing I lifted was a too small wine glass :(

gravity wins!

Today, I didn't blow the doors off with volume (the reset with the press was pretty heavy, don't know what is up with that but will likely not hit the gym until back in YYC next week).

press: 110x5,5,6
barbell rows: 145x8,8,8
curls (again, the chins were not light & bouncy): 72.5 x8,8,12

Links I've been checking out lately:
Dan John
Mark Rippetoe
The world's strongest librarian (esp. his review of Convict Conditioning)

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Tuesday = flat abs and a lot of sweat

Modified version of http://www.fitness-training-at-home.com/flat-tummy-exercises.html ( modified by HK)

Thrusts: 1st set I used too light a weight (10 and got to 34 and got bored so stopped!). Then: 15lbs (x2): 10,9
Knee ups: 1st set trying to figure it out and realized I can't do it with straight legs. Then: 20,21
Deep swings: 30lbs: 10,7,7
Killer twist: 15 lbs: 12/8, 10/10, 10/6

Ok, HK, tell me where I am pansying out and need to get my butt in gear.

Enjoying this site for exercise idea combinations. Any others you'd recommend?

Squatty-squat-squat-squats

Today's crossfit WOD: 1x1x1x1x1 reps of overhead squats, front squats, back squats (3 sets, 15 total).

Warmed up with a 65lb barbell: 10 deadlifts, 10 squats, 10 hang cleans, 10 squat cleans, 10 sumo-high-pull deadlifts, 10 presses, 10 overhead squats.

Weights:
Overhead squats- 75,85,95,105,115. Clearly shoulder strength is the gating item here. And man it would be nice to throw the bar down rather than manage it to the ground.
Front squats- 135, 155, 175, 185 failed x3 (arms need to be higher), 175, 155.
Back squats- 225, 245, 265, 265, 265.

Finished with 135 bench press x 10 and a stretch.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Bikini butt

Worked on the bikini butt tonight

http://www.fitness-training-at-home.com/glute-building-exercises.html

12 reps; 2 sets

Killer twist is a great one. Did it with 15lbs.

ontario

there are lakes, hills, trees. i went fishing saturday, i caught a wall-eye. i also was able to bait my own hook with a live minnow and take my own fish off the line. like a big boy. houseboating on sunday.

Sep 8 (back in regina)
press: 122x2,2,2 (reset to 110)
snatch: 95x3x5
chins: 8,7,4
bb curls - 72.5x8,8,5 (yeah, i did curls, but only to improve my chins and not out of vanity - though my arms are awesome when holding a walleye for the camera ;-)

Sep 12 (dryden - pretty good gym, pleasantly surprised, old-shooley)
bench: 152.5x5,5,5
lying try x: 52.5x8,8,10
I was going to do snatches or chins but high school ended, the gym filled, and i felt old. have to remember that for wednesday.

Week 1 with the Glee Club

I feel so privileged to be a member . . . I am coming out of the comments . . .

Sunday: p90x chest, shoulders, and tris workout (ouch!)
Saturday: KFit lower body + ab ripper
Thursday: Dog walk with 90 lunges; rail push ups (2x 30); tricip dips (2x 25); squats (a few sets of random amounts - I was walking the dog and not so focused on the workout!). Also did the stuff Sarah gets me doing on the ball upright while walking (Pete was quick to remind me he lives in this neighbourhood too and can I refrain from this silliness . . .)
Wednesday: KFit upper body
Tuesday: Sarah's #2 workout (minus lunges because of ankle but added some squats)
Monday: p90x yoga

Sunday, September 11, 2011

A dietary aside

I've been seven days off the wheat, but have witnessed no miracles. (The one I was hoping for was the miraculous disappearance of five pounds.)

Turns out, I didn't each much wheat anyway. I only had to make two changes to may usual diet: 1) don't eat Tim's lefties, and 2) pizza crust made of chickpea flour instead of pita. Other than that, wheat didn't come up. And Tim only had wheat like two or three times during the week: a bowl of cereal one day, and a peanut butter sandwich on another day. Maybe a couple of cookies.

So, I guess we're not suffering from wheat over-exposure, so I don't think there will be any miraculous cures in my future either. I like it though: I'm going to stick with it as a general (but not hard and fast) rule.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Crossfidiot

Did this today:
25 Walking lunge steps

20 Pull-ups
50 Box jumps, 20 inch box
20 Double-unders
25 Ring dips
20 Knees to elbows
30 Kettlebell swings, 55 lbs dumbell
30 Sit-ups
20 Hang squat cleans, 30 pound dumbbells
25 Back extensions
30 25 lb thrusters (for wall ball)
500m row (for 3 Rope climb ascents)

Did it all in 27:57. Now I feel a little dumber. Dumb-ish. Stupider.

Running with the black lung

Awkward and slow. But geez it's a beautiful summer day here. Yes, summer! Officially, for another couple of weeks, and the 27 degree sun today is showing it off. Plus, mother nature owes us a few weeks since spring was such gunk this year.

Anyway.

About 6 slow-ish, hacking kilometres, with some "proper" bench push-ups along the way. (10, 5, 8, 5. Some benches were lower than others; some were closer together than others -- ie. less recovery time between sets!)

Starting tomorrow, three consecutive days of frisbee games. That should clean out the old lung

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

regina

road trip to Regina. I checked out the U of R athletic centre. The campus was beautiful and about 30 degrees. I'm sure it's that nice in January.

Sep 6 - bench 152.5 x 4,4,3; cleans 137.5 x3x5; lying tri x 50x8x3.
Sep 7 - LSD in the 'hood. 6.1km/44:27

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Its true,

She's got the black lung.

Today, a watch-less 5k (for sure it was sub-20, Tim...) and then 7 x 4 pullups, 4 dips, 10 back extensions, no rest in between.

I've got the Black Lung

'Nuff said?

No pneumonia, but jeezus I'd sure like a good night's sleep sometime soon. I'm down to viewing "active lifestyle" as a successful workout. Like today: mowing the lawn with Tim in the backpack. (Not bad doing your yardwork listening to "Go Mommy, Go Mommy!" in your ear. Dude is serious about lawnmowing.)

Last time I took the child for his "well baby check-up" was at the 18-month mark, and he weighed about 27 lbs. Given that he's grown about about 8 inches in height since then -- seriously, the stepmoms measured him in July and this weekend and he's grown a full inch -- things like trips to the market (wherein Tim rides in the backpack), and stroller runs actually involve pushing a lot of weight.

Also, the kid is a sucker and still wants to be carried around all the time. This activity, I figure, contributes to my push-up training, in terms of biceps lower back work. Which is why I'm posting this on our workout blog. I can't work out like I used to, but motherhood has its quiet ways of paying you back.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Crossfidiots

Can't wait 'til you guys stop doing Crossfit so I can start using this term. I made it up. Like when I was 5 and invented PB&J. I'm kidding about the name but I do like the sound of it.

Here's what I've been up to:
Aug-30: press - 120*5,5,5; chins - 6,5,3 (big drop off here)
Sep-1: bench - 150*5,5,5 (last rep was pretty exciting); snatch - 85x3x5 (can't wait to upgrade to split snatches - just wanted to say that)
Sep-3: press - 122*5,2,3☆; chins - 7,6,5

<some time later>
squats - 245x5,5,5; lying tri ext 47.5x8,8,10

I've also been doing some rope skipping. not hard, just trying not to be a knob at it.

The ☆ means a Personal Record (for 5RM).

cooler here!

at least as the sun sets (much nicer than when daddy-o and i were here earlier this year). took advantage with a lovely 5k run along the back roads. 30 minutes (felt faster but i was reveling in being outdoors).

have been doing daily sets of 4x10 knees on bench push-ups, each followed by 1 x 10 sec plank, 10 sec eccentric push-up, 10 sec plank push-up hold.

fun, but am now having left shoulder/back/trap pain and swelling (this typing on my lap and at the kitchen table all day ain't helping either). going to take it easy for a while, don't want to end up playing ulti with a sock in my fist. that being said, lovely kayak around the peninsula this am, and leaving soon to go join the canadians for 'sports afternoon'.

Happy labour day les amis!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Last Summer Sprints

So hot out!

5 x 200M sprints, 400M recovery run. Exhausting. Forty pushups on the way back.