Vacation training

The wife and I are taking our kids to Vienna, Austria for a few days. We'll be feeding on sacher torte, strudel, and schnitzel and that's just the first day. Since we'll be staying with family and not a hotel with a gym, training will be a little compromised, but hopefully not abandoned. Who am I kidding? I have the worst record when it comes to training on holiday.

Before I go, I thought I'd log my last couple workouts before I forget.

6/18/11
-weighted pull-ups (80 lbs, 5x3 with a 5 sec hold)
-12 (x(10 burpees + 5 roll-outs)

6/20/11
-push press (R 80 lbs, 5x5; L 5x3 75lbs)
-120 burpees

Maybe it's because of the shoulder and wrist injury, or maybe it's just lateral dimorphism, but it was a bitch trying to lift as much with my left as with my right hand. I was push pressing 80 lbs with the sensation that I could have done more. With my left hand, not so much. Any minute, I felt that I might drop the weight on my foot, or worse, head.

Not training relate, but a social note. Had a picnic in the park, me and my family with sandman and his lovely family, yesterday. We spread a blanket on Strawberry Fields and dined on Gray's Papaya recession specials then strolled over to the bandshell to listen to a little classical music. Later, when the wives tucked the kids into bed, the sandman and I hoisted a couple pints of Guinness. It was a perfect summer evening in the big bad city.
10, 535/[[238]

rule number 1

There are certain rules to live by that will get you past all that life may throw at you. Take this one.


Whether you are living in a world infested with flesh eating undead or living on a 5th floor walk-up, a little bit of cardio will save your life. Lately, my cardio comprises burpees and related nastiness.

6-16-11
-single arm db push press (2x5x5, L 70lbs, R 75lbs)
-6x20 burpees
-10 bw pull-ups

My wife likes a tidy house. She is really keen on rule number 12.




10.295/[238]

Rilly Big Shew

This weekend New York hosts the America's Cup, an annual international knockdown karate tournament. Some of my favorite fighters will be there including Alejandro Navarro, Lechi Kurbanov, Eduardo Tanaka, not to mention Ewerton Texiera. This promises to be an exciting event.

6-14-11
-db push press, 5x5 (L, 65 lbs, R 70 lbs)
-110 burpees

I'm finding a little more stability pressing and holding the db with the left hand, but the wrist still will not accommodate cleaning the db into position.

6-15-11
-weighted chin-ups (80 lbs, 5x3)
-12x(10 burpees + 5 kneeling roll-outs)

I loaded up the dip belt again for some chinning. The first two reps of every set were virtually indistinguishable from chinning with 54 lbs on the belt. The last ones. . .

10,175/[238]

Tight hip flexors

This burpee challenge is winding up my hip flexors and lower back like banjo strings. Move closer and I'll play you a tune. It goes like this,"ow, ow, ow." Lucky for me I've got balls (lacrosse, golf, rubber band).

6-11-11
-weighted pull-ups (23 kgs, 12, 8, 8)
-13x (10 burpees + 5 kneeling roll-outs)

I eked out one more weighted pull-up than the last time. Woopty doo.

9,855/[238]

The ol' homestead

My wife just happened upon a real estate listing featuring our former home in Tokyo. Interestingly enough, the video was taken while we still lived there, oh about 4 years ago. That's out Honda Fit parked out front and my mountain bike under wraps on the side. Natsukashii.




Yesterday was a rest day. I cranked out 22 pull-ups and I was done. I did work on some stretching though.

6-8-10
-10x(10 burpees+ 5 pull-ups)

Throwing class at Sambo. We worked on a hip throw with an over the back grip that ended up looking a lot like osoto makikomi and another which was pretty much uchi mata. From the throws we transitioned into straight and bent arm locks. With the crash pad, you can really slam your partner into the ground without worry. Good stuff.

6-10-11
-3x20 shrugs & heel raises
-2x3x5 db push press (65lbs L, 70 lbs R)
-14x10 burpees

OK, so I got off my fanny and worked out a little bit today. I was planning on doing some db power cleans, but my wrist won't allow it. I went with the shrugs/heel raises followed by push presses. The shrugs offered a little mini grip endurance challenge.

9,725/[238]

6-6-11
-11x(10 burpees +3 weighted dips, 20 lbs)

I'd like to be dipping as much weight as I can chin, but ever since my shoulder troubles, it looks, for the moment, unlikely. I hope the shoulder improves down the road.

6-7-11
-10x(10 burpees+5 kneeling roll-outs)

Last night I dreamt I'd started my kids on a regimen of planks. Roll-outs are more hard-core so I incorporated them in today's workout.

9,485/[238]

heart

Last week was a bust as far as the 100x100 burpee challenge. I was lacking energy and especially motivation. While transferring files from my pc to Mac, I found a video clip of when I was training Kyokushin Karate in Japan. This clip shows the recital of the dojo kun, call them the 10 commandments of karate, though there aren't 10 commandments in the dojo kun. The first, roughly translated goes,"We will train our hearts and bodies for a firm unshaken spirit." There are others about humility, refraining from violence and otherwise being an upstanding guy, but I like the first one because it addresses confronting adversity in training and in life.



6-3-11
-24 pull-ups (ugh)
-100 burpees
-50 kneeling ab-roll-outs

I banged-up my left shoulder at Sambo; landed on it. It now clicks and makes popping sounds. Sambo class was a good one though. We worked on throwing from over the back grips (Georgian) and counters.

6-4-11
-weighted pull-ups (23 kg, 11,8,8)
-one-handed bent arm hang (L 3x5sec, R 3x10sec)
-single arm db clean & press (70 lbs, 2x3x5)
-120 burpees

I wanted to see if I could do 20 pull-ups with 23kg on the dip belt. I fell short. Left wrist is still troubling me. Couldn't perform on the hangs and the presses on the left side were a touch alarming at the top. For the burpees, I found a use for the Perfect Pushup handles I received as a gift. The handles are easy on my injured wrist and make the push-ups pain free. I was formerly of the opinion that the Perfect Pushup was just a gimmick-not anymore.

I bumped up the weight on the db to 70lbs (actually 71).

6-5-11
-3 mile jog
-4x100m sprints
-20 pull-ups
-150 burpees

My oldest daughter informed us that she was slated to run a 100 m leg of a relay race for school field day. It was a tad short notice to prepare her, so we took a jog over to the track to at least get her familiar with the distance. It was quite fun racing with my girl. Her speed surprised me. If she put in some regular practice, I'm sure she'd be able to dust her old man. . . but not just yet. I attempted muscle-ups at some nearby high-bars, but failed. It's the technique, I'm sure. It still eludes me.

9,285/[238]

standin' around

I am tired. I couldn't quite put my finger on the cause of my fatigue. I thought it was the burpees, but now I believe it is because I raised the height of my desktop. That's right, I now stand all day. Ugh.