9/15/2008
“Rest Dayâ€
30:00 Yoga
9/16/2008
“Strength 1- Alt†10# SG
Giant Wrench x6
0:45s rest
Grave Digger x6
0:45s rest
4 Rounds
1:30 rest
Jump Squat x6
0:45s rest
Pump Water x6
0:45s rest
4 Rounds
1:30 rest
*BONUS*
Levered Curl x6
1:00 rest
4 Rounds
Comments: Nice workout really. I feel it all over, but taking proper rest breaks for water and a little stretching/mobility work definitely helped take the edge off. I’m not concerned with how long this workout took to complete, so I didn’t even check the start/stop times. I want to try to remove those thoughts from my head.
In general, I dislike curling motions, and I’m using them as a bonus move exactly for that reason. I have some weird tendon thing in my elbow and teeny biceps, making this move especially weak for me. I’m hoping to change that.
“Grave Digger†is a macebell move, btw. It’s sort of a “Levered Deadliftâ€, from what I can tell in the youtube vids, so that’s how I treated it.
Jump squats might not be the best exercise for what I’m doing here, but I’m not sure what else to use in their place yet.
9/17/2008
“Non-Intensiveâ€
Workout: 6# SG
Up-Slash x 7
Fireman x 7
Down-Slash/Thrust x 7
Quarter Getup x 7 (1st progression)
Repeat ~16:00
Cool Down:
Meditation/Stretch
Comments: An old favorite that I’ve been neglecting. This is really an explosive power workout, because each move should be done with the emphasis on using the whole body to accelerate the hammer as quickly as possible – hence the low reps and small hammer. When reps get too high, it’s difficult to generate max power, so it becomes more of an endurance exercise. This also leads to a moderate intensity level, because it makes you pause before each rep to coordinate all of your muscles for the move. Good call for the day.
I did 4 or 5 rounds, including a gentler “warm-up set†before the timer started.
My hamstrings are little sore from yesterday still, but in general I’m feeling pretty good.
9/18/2008
“Restâ€
Of the official “relaxation†type.
9/19/2008
“Restâ€
This one was circumstantial, rather than intentional, on account of work-related considerations.
9/20/2008
“Stength 2 - Alt†10# SG
One-leg Squat x6
0:45s rest
Levered OH Press x6
0:45s rest
4 Rounds
1:30 rest
SG Pull Over x6
0:45s rest
BW Leg Curl x6
0:45s rest
4 Rounds
1:30 rest
111
*BONUS*
Levered Tri-Ext x6
1:00
4 Rounds
1:30 rest
Comments: This workout was a lot harder than I expected, particularly the pull overs, but I really enjoyed it. I’ve been walking around like Superman ever since I finished – something about those pullovers really pushes the shoulders back and the chest out!
The One-legged squats aren’t
pistols, which I need a little assist to do full ROM with, but something I’ve seen called “one-legged deadlift squatsâ€. The main difference is that the “free†leg is bent at the knee and tucked behind, rather than extended in front. I also used the SG to add some resistance by holding it like a barbell (business end on the same side as the working leg). This made for an interesting balance challenge.
A pull over looks
like this, though obviously with the SG I made it into a unilateral exercise and used leverage to add challenge. Also, I don’t have a bench, so I laid across a chair (though I tried doing a few on the floor instead of the chair, because holding my head up in that position was getting difficult). This does strange and amazing things to your core.
I tried several variations:
-Elbows at 90 degrees, holding SG like a barbell in two hands (non-working hand just stabilized)
-Elbow straight, holding SG like . . . well, like a hammer of all things (non-working hand stabilized head)
-Elbow straight, SG held like you’re doing and overhead chop, so it pointed straight up at the top of the movement (free hand stabilizes the bottom of the handle)
I liked this last version best because I felt like it offered the best combination of challenge and variability. The first variation was definitely the easiest, but I think it would be hard to add challenge as you go. The second option was frickin’ hard, and likely dangerous.
***Thoughts on the Week***
Generally speaking, I’m pretty happy with this. I think I’m going to re-order the exercises so that the harder stuff is first (because I’ve read that it’s advisable to do so, and agree). Next week I’m going to try playing with my other alternate series, which uses bands and body weight more.