ballet

So Saturday evening the whole family went out to see Amercan Ballet Theatre's production of Giselle. We are not balletomanes, even though we saw the opening gala the week before, but we did enjoy the performance, mostly. My youngest would have preferred to play games on her iTouch, oh well, perhaps when she's older.

What I found fascinating was the athleticism of the dancers, especially when they jump, or should I say sautè. As you may know, I've been trying to keep to a 100x100 burpee challenge. There's nothing graceful about my jumping. In the high reps, they should not even be called jumps-more like hops. These dancers were catching major air, huge leaps, like springbok evading a lion. They did it all gracefully and without the chest heaving and wheezing that usually accompanies my burpees.

5-28-11
-24 bw pull-ups
-10x10 burpees
I tested the pull-ups and came up short. I guess I was a little tired from the day prior.


5-29-11
-10x(10 burpees + 2x5x5 single arm c&p)

With this, I used a single 65 lbs db and alternated arms after every set of burpees. My left wrist is still wobbly, making the press a little sketchy at the top.

8,915/[238]

rollin, rollin, rollin

I wasn't devastated by yesterday's workout. That's a good thing. Just to avoid meltdown, I dialed the intensity back a bit today. I'm still dripping with sweat though.

5-27-11
-11x (10 burpees +10 kneeling ab wheel roll-outs)

Kneeling roll-outs aren't nearly as difficult as standing progressions. All the same, 110 roll-outs is a lot. I hope I don't regret this one.

8,715, [238]

A man's gotta know his limitations

Last Monday's 200 burpee extravaganza was the gift that kept on giving. It wasn't until today, Thursday, that I could even attempt another burpee. Despite the fatigue, I was able to make last night's Sambo class, where we worked on a mash-up of the Judo throws harai goshi and osoto makikomi. Basically you wrap the arm as in osoto makikomi and use your hip as in harai goshi. Unfortunately, I don't know the name of this technique in Russian.

We also worked on tumbling: basic forward rolls; back rolls; back roll to a hand-stand and kip. I felt pretty good throughout the class- no residual signs of fatigue. This gave me the confidence to contemplate burpees again.

5-26-11
-31 bw pull-ups (pr?)
-6x2x10 secs, one-handed, bent arm hangs
-10x(10 burpees + 3 db C&P)*

It was the pull-ups that let me know that my energy levels had come back to almost normal today. I kipped on the last rep, so I'm not sure I can count it as a pr, but call it a sloppy 31. On the bent arm hangs, I felt a little ambitious, so I spiced the isometric with a little concentric. I didn't time the burpees, but it felt no longer than previous attempts.

As Clint Eastwood's Harry Callahan said in Magnum Force , "a man's gotta know his limitations." 200 burpees? just shoot me.

8,605/[238]

* Some folks have criticized this routine as more of a conditioning than strength routine, like skipping rope. Meh, make the db's progressively heavier and you'll be conditioned and strong.

recovery

Let's see, yesterday was the 200 burpee-fest and Sambo. Time to pay the piper. My lower back is tight, left quad is sore, scalenes are sore, same with the traps, left triceps, infraspinatus and rhomboids. I could continue with the 100 burpee day plan, if I want to see my pee turn the color of tea. Better to avoid rhabdo, rehydrate and rest. Also, I'm breaking out the Stick, to loosen up the quads and the trusty lacrosse balls and Indo board cylinder which I use for rolling out the back muscles. I'm using my fingertips to tack and stretch the scalenes.

I'm not suffering from Ibuprofen strength pain. I don't medicate for muscle pain anyway. It's just that I don't think training through this soreness is productive. I'm already losing weight due to the burpee challenge. I don't want to have any injuries from neglecting to rest.

The 200

The 200 burpee workout on judgment day had me a little tired, must have been those 72 virgins. Oh wait a minute. . . So I took a rest day, and today find myself behind the count yet again. How am I going to keep up the pace?

5-23-11
-15 bw chin-ups
-10x (10burpees+5 kneeling ab wheel roll-outs)
-10x (10 burpees +5 kneeling ab-wheel flies)

I started with a narrow grip chin-up test, but only managed 15. I'm thinking my arms are still too tired to perform. I spaced the burpee complexes out over a long period of time. No soreness, despite the volume. We'll see tomorrow.

8,505/[238]

double stuff

So I took a rest day yesterday, sort-of. I rolled my back and triceps over the lacrosse balls. I also worked on some pull-ups.
This left me refreshed for today's burpee extravaganza.

5-20-11
-30 pull-ups (pr)
-6x2x10 sec one-handed, bent-arm hangs

Yeah so the lacrosse ball massage left me feeling a little bit guilty. I tried to beat 28 neutral grip, dead hang pull-ups and got an ugly 30. The grip strength seems up to holding my body weight for one-arm/one handed chin-ups. So far, the elbows are pain free.

5-21-11
-10x(10 burpees+3 db c&p)
-10x(10 burpees+5 kneeling ab wheel roll-outs)

It doesn't look like much; just two lines of text. But man! The first 100 burpee complex came in at 16'39. The second 100 took considerably longer.

8,305/[238]

Attention rich people

May 21st is The Rapture. I'm now accepting worldly goods. Don't get stuck outside the pearly gates because you have too much stuff. If it's fungible, I'll take it.

Training wise, I'm undecided. It's a rainy Friday. Workout or roll-out my back on the lacrosse ball. Decisions, decisions.

As promised

So an easy day, as promised.

5-18-11
-28 neutral grip chin-ups
-6x2x10 sec one-handed, bent arm hang
-15x10 burpees

Without really trying, I busted out of a psychological barrier on the pull-ups since cracking 20. Today's 28 is a pr, but then Monday's 26 was also a pr.

I didn't time the burpees and had an easy time of it. The entire workout was still less than half an hour. Not bad for recovery, I guess.

I'm checking out a new fight gym tonight. The limited schedules of the two judo dojo nearby turned me off.

8,105/[238]

slow is fast

I was feeling a little wrecked from yesterday's workout, so the plan today was not to time the workout; remove the stress factor and just go easy. Nah.

5-17-11
-10 x (10 burpees+ 5 db cleans) 13'45
-50 burpees
-sledgehammer swipes and levers

Yeah, I said I wouldn't time it, but the stop watch was right there so I figured I'd go easy and just check the time at the end. I guess I wasn't so wrecked, because I improved on the last burpee/clean complex.

Easy day tomorrow, I promise.

7,955/[238]

Rather than work on increasing one-handed chin-up reps, I thought I'd focus on hangs. First I warmed-up with pull-ups, then the actual bent-arm hangs. I'm looking for pain in the wrist or elbow-if there is any, I'll back off from the OACU progressions and go back to weighted chin-ups.

-pull-ups (26)
-6x2x10sec, one-handed, bent-arm hang
-10 x (10 burpees + 5 single arm, db pp)
-50 burpees

7,805/[238]

Groundhog Day

Remember the movie where Bill Murray's character keeps reliving the same day? This 100 day, 100 burpees a day challenge is kinda feeling like that. The challenge is keeping each day fresh and interesting without burning out.

5-10-11
-100 burpees & 50 pull-ups
-sledgehammer levers and swipes
Didn't time this one, but just looking at the wall clock it took around 12 minutes.

5-11-11
-10x10 burpees
Didn't time this one either.

5-12-11
-25 neutral grip pull-ups
A little burnt out, but I'm happy with 25 consecutive dead hang pull-ups.

5-13-11
-12x (10 burpees +(2x1 one handed chin-ups))
-sledgehammer levers and swipes
This was a test of hand strength. My main concern was holding on to the bar with one hand. The free arm offered assistance by pulling on the opposing wrist. This workout left my biceps more sore than usual.

5-14-11
-10x(10 burpees+5 db HPC) 14'46
-20 burpees

Here, I was concentrating on good form. I got a little sloppy as fatigue set in.

7,655/[238}

It's not so bad. . .

So I went off track a little bit on the 100 burpees a day plan. Friday was an easy 10 x10 without the clock. Saturday, I slept in, which kinda screwed things up-only put in 50 burpees. Sunday, I knocked out 125 before I put the kettle on. Today looked like this:
5-9-11
-100 burpees and 30 db C&P (16'12) + 25 burpees

I shaved off 14 seconds on this routine, took a breather and knocked off another 25 burpees in order to bet back on track. Whew. It was nice to have a half day on Saturday. Not timing the burpees eliminates a huge psychological burden. It helped me recover and allowed me to put in a good time today.

7,255/[238]

burpee fatigue sets in

Man, this is getting old fast. I haven't gotten to the point where I dread burpees yet, but my time is deteriorating.
-100 burpees and 50 chin-ups (11'11)

That's almost 2 minutes longer than the last time I. Argh! Tomorrow is Judo. I wonder if I should do burpees before or after class. I think a leisurely 10x10 before is the way to go.

6,855/[238]

5-3-11
-100 burpees (8'26)
-chin-ups (80 lbs, 3x3+4 sec holds; 23 bw)
-dips (bw 20, 20 lbs 2x10)

I was hoping for a sub 8 min time, but my legs were feeling sluggish from the get go.

5-4-11
-10 burpees and 3 db clean & push-press
x10

I did this in 16'46, almost the same time as a similar workout (50 burpees, 25 db c&pp, 50 burpees). The difference is the set rep scheme and the addition of 5 reps of db c&pp.

As a point of reference I took my resting hearts rate (53 bpm) and bp (108/59). I wonder if there will be any change as a result of the 100 burpees a day plan I embarked on.

6,755/[238]

mojo

I'm starting to feel almost like my old self, at least my old self from a month or two ago. My wrist is still weak-doing a proper push-up strains the tricep of the other arm, but I was able to talk myself through 100 burpees and 50 pull-ups.

5-2-11
-100 burpees and 50 pull-ups (9'32"13)
-sledgehammer swipes and swings

Not a record time on the burpee/pull-up routine, but I finished it. I feared that I had lost the mental fortitude to see it through, maybe I just misplaced it.

6,555/[238]

Iron Chef and the iron game

You might be familiar with the television program birthed in Japan where prominent and not so prominent chefs vie for the title of Iron Chef by preparing dishes centered around a common ingredient. The idea is to challenge the chefs' creativity, to stand out in a sea of uniformity. This is the similar to the challenge I am facing with 100 burpees for 100 days. How do I make progress, avoid injury and remain motivated, when everyday for 100 days I am faced with 100 burpees?

5-1-11
-50 burpees
-hang power clean & push press ( 100 lbs, 5x5)
-50 burpees

This workout took a little over 15 minutes. Doing blocks of 50 burpees is clearly not the strategy that will render the fastest times. Oh well. I'll have 99 days to figure it out.

6,455/[238]