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Perhaps you've been wondering what happened to my training. Yes, I haven't been posting workouts, but it doesn't mean that I have not been training. Things are a little bit crazy right now. OK, a lot crazy. I remain active by running-a light to moderate aerobic workout- as well has pull-ups, front lever sets and handstands. When things calm down a bit, I'll get back to the random acts of madness (classic version with the no-mas-ometer).

My favorite wall

My favorite wall is on the north side of Houston St. in NYC. It's a canvas for graffiti artists.

I have a love hate relationship with burpees. Today's workout contained a burpee finisher which had me feeling midway that my legs had been substituted with wooden pegs the night before. I'm hatin'. Argh.
-handstand (2'29")
-headstand (1'33")
-HSPU (5x5)
-30kg pull-ups (5,4,3,3,2,2 + 10 sec holds)
-VB50

I'm stalling on the handstands. My left delt feels funny from the previous workout so I wasn't expecting a record handstand. The HSPU are coming together so I plan on increasing the reps/set. Big surprise on the headstand, a 1min+ hold instead of three little ones. It's surprising how much the triceps work to keep you stabile in the headstand position. The 50 burpees were under 5 minutes but sheer agony.

2,560/11,xxx

Shibuya

This is a typical street scene in the trendy Tokyo neighborhood of Shibuya. The area is filled with lots of great places for shopping and eating. Recession? Never heard of it!

Sunday:
-handstand (2'34")
-HSPU (5x5)
-bent-arm L-sit (1'19")

Monday:
-db deadlift (10 minutes)

My hamstrings were excruciatingly tight from the previous kb breathing ladder fiesta. I spent most of the weekend loosening them up on the foam roller. Then I smacked them around with the deadlift for time workout yesterday. Good as new.

Not just sushi

What would visiting Japan be like without the obligatory sushi ( and also tekka don)? This combination here, shared with my wife, cost about $25 altogether. Tipping is not customary, so I'd call that a bargain.



This steak, about $13.50 US, was a steal and could not have been more tasty. Surprising what bargains you can find in Marunouchi, Tokyo's financial district.

I'm still not as recovered as I'd like from jet-lag, which makes it doubly harder in recovering between training sessions. I tried handstands yesterday and only managed 2'24". Weighted pull-ups weren't happening either. Today I kept the workout simple: KB single-arm swing breathing ladder (1-20).

More castle shots

Inuyama-jo, not quite intact, is one of the smallest castles I've visited over the years. Here is a shot of the keep from the castle grounds and another taken from inside the tower. The caption on the interior shot says that this window is where castle defenders would drop stones on attackers. I think that by the time the outer defenses were breached, dropping stones is pretty much the equivalent of assuming the crash position, desperate times for all.

Yesterday's workout:
-knees to the bar (3x10)
-front levers (3x10)
-VB50

I haven't done any core or conditioning in a while. This workout made me quite aware of the lack of training in these areas. Curse you, burpees!
2,510/11,xxx

A castle with a view

Realtors and samurai will acknowledge that your castle ain't nuthin' if it hasn't got a commanding view. The night shot is of Inuyama-jo, a castle in the town of Inuyama, about a 30 minute train ride from Nagoya, Japan. It is one of the oldest standing castles in the country. Actually, most of the caste works were destroyed during the Meiji restoration. What remains are some of the inner walls and the keep. The day shot was taken from the top of the castle keep. Beneath the castle and along the riverbank is the onsen my family and I stayed at.

I planned on doing some training during this trip, but after a few feeble handstand attempts, I thought of better ways to enjoy the vacation. Yesterday was my first full day back. This was yesterday's workout:
-handstand (2'34")
-HSPU (5x5)
-26.5 kg pull-ups (8x4,3,3,2)
-11 rounds of 5 push-press/5 max effort pulls on the erg

I've got a few more pics left, which I'll share in later posts.