achey traps and progress on the tuck planche

Greetings faithful readers.  Sorry for the dearth of posts, I've been distracted by life's little events.  Anywho, a reader asked how my wrist injury had healed and whether the Wristwidget had helped.  Well, I've regained a lot of the lost function in the injured wrist, so I believe the Wristwidget did good.  However, it's my impression that my wrist will always be the weak link, always prone to re-injury.  Lots of tape or some sort of brace will be forever in my future.

I have been able to hold a tuck planche for a few more seconds now;  20 versus 10 at a shot.  That's a positive development.  With the longer tuck planche holds, my shoulders have been taking a beating.  I decided to make it a shoulder mobility day.

Sledge hammer pendulum swings-  Grasp a sledge hammer by the handle and let it hangover the shoulder and behind your back.  Your elbow points straight upwards.  Now sway from side to side.  The sledge hammer head will oscillate.

Sledge hammer casts and swings- I took these from Indian Club exercises.  Look them up.

Sledge hammer trap fixer- Take your sledge hammer and sling it over your shoulder.  Allow the handle to see-saw over the tight spots in your upper trapezius.  My wife wears out her thumbs trying to massage my traps.  The sledge hammer handle works with no effort.

Today's workout:
-HSPU (3x10+10 sec bent arm hand stand holds)
-weighted chin-ups (5, 6, 5; 24 kgs)
-weighted bent arm hangs (3x10 secs, 24 kgs)
-advanced tuck, front lever bodyrows (3x20)

Maltese on the floor

I have for some time thought about mastering the planche. Since earlier in the year, however, my left wrist has proven so unstable, and lets face it, weak, that there's no way a planche is possible. If I reverse my hand position and use push-up handles, there's no wrist pain. Hello Maltese. Thus begins another long term project.

10-6-11
-Reverse push-ups (3x20)
-Pseudo Maltese holds (35,35,25 secs)

So today was devoted to working the Maltese project which began on 10-4-11. The push-ups and holds will require the use of the push-up handles, which I received as a gift a couple years ago but never found a use for until now. Reverse push-ups are done with my shoulders well forward of my hands, which are gripping the p-u handles underhand fashion. The Pseudo Maltese holds mean my feet are elevated by a bench, arms are straights, hands are gripping the p-u handles, chest off the floor. Much improved on these since the first try two days ago.

10-5-11
-200 kb swings
-6x6 weighted chin-ups w/off-set negs (24 kgs)

My brain wasn't engaged when I started the weighted chin-ups and I did the first set circular fashion. The weighted off-set concentric of the circular pull-ups were barely manageable with 24 kgs on the belt. It felt much better going back to weighted chin-up with off-set negs, but now there's a little soreness in my back and elbow. A little rest and judicious application of the lacrosse ball on the trigger points should do.

10-4-11
-goblet squats (30, 24 kgs, 1 min hold)
-db push press (2x24kgsx35)
-Pseudo Maltese holds (5x10 secs)

10-3-11
-20 bw pull-ups

The day before, I was watching a Marine Corps 20 pull-up test on YouTube.

10-2-11
-20 bw chin-ups
-100 goblet squats
-2x1 min shiko dachi holds

10-1-11
-200 kb swings
-went to rifle range and shot 650 rds of .22 through a Ruger 1022

9-30-11
-5x10 circular pull-ups
These felt a little tough.

9-29-11
-C2 rower, 10 minutes of seeing how the knee holds p to varying levels of intensity. The knee was OK.

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Pull-up Project:
750 bw
157 weighted (24 kgs)
25 weighted (26.5 kgs)
25 weighted (25.2 kgs)
44 weighted (40.8 kgs)
40 weighted (42 kgs)

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Maltese Project (10-4-11)

145 secs Pseudo Maltese holds
_________________

New thoughts on the pull-up project

9-19-11
-hang-power cleans (6x10)
-roll-outs (5x10)

If I were limited to one workout this might be it, just 10 minutes.

9-18-11
-weighted chin-ups (40.8 kgs)

I struggled a bit trying to hang on more plates to the dip belt. It just got too unwieldy. I decided to back off the weight just a little and go for doubles instead of singles. Seven sets of doubles felt tougher than ten sets of singles.

9-16-11
-100 goblet squats
-circular pull-ups (7x10)

Circular pull-ups are not to be underestimated. I wonder if instead of going to heavier, conventional weighted pull-ups to achieve the OACU, I instead use moderately weighted circular pull-ups. Hmmnn. Better to start with weighted, off-set negs.


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Pull-up Project:
580 bw
68 weighted (24 kgs)
25 weighted (26.5 kgs)
25 weighted (25.2 kgs)
44 weighted (40.8 kgs)
40 weighted (42 kgs)

Recovery

So the orthopedist says that my MCL tear is healing well. I'm not to do anything but keep the knees parallel. That means no Sambo for at least 2 months, and then no contact for a little while longer. Argh!

9-14-11
-200 kb swings

9-13-11
-5x5 weighted chin-ups (26.5 kgs)
-5x10 db hang power cleans
-5x10 kneeling ab roll-outs

I haven't done hang power cleans in a while. I remember how they helped out my wrist when I injured it years ago. I'm putting the hang power cleans back in rotation. Maybe they'll work the same magic on my wrist. The pull-up project proceeds steadily.

9-10-11
-4x10 db hang power cleans
-4x10 kneeling ab-roll-outs

How many sets of hang power cleans and ab-roll outs can I do in 10 minutes? The sad answer was only 4. The next time, 5. I think up to 8 is doable.

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Pull-up Project:
510 bw
68 weighted (24 kgs)
25 weighted (26.5 kgs)
25 weighted (25.2 kgs)
30 weighted (40.8 kgs)
40 weighted (42 kgs)

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]

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]

ramming speed

4-19-11
-db hang power cleans (2x65lbs, 30, 6'45)
-weighted chin-ups (80 lbs, 3x3, 3x5 sec bent arm hangs)
-weighted bent arm hangs (80 lbs, 3x10 secs)
-Tabata row
-sledgehammer swipes and swings

So I added a 10 lbs plate to the dip belt for a grand total of 80 lbs. It was a struggle to do three proper reps per set of chin-ups with this weight. Working sets of 100 lbs, here I come! The Tabata row was a nice finisher. I felt better than last time, and pulled strongly for each work period.

2-18-11

-weighted close-grip chin-ups (10, 24 kg, pb)

-3x3 (35 kg, + 10 sec hold /set)

2-19-11

-60 db snatches

-kneeling to standing ab-roll outs (2x10)

I made some modest progress on the weighted chin-ups. I would like to think that it was due to the weighted bent arm hangs, but who knows. I'm pulling more with no elbow pain, so it's steady as she goes.

It took me about 12 minutes snatch the 24 kg dumbbell 60 times over head. Like in the sport of kettlebell lifting, I did not put the weight down-what a bastard. You don't realize how much rest you derive from letting go of the weight until you hold on for time.

That which doesn't kill me

makes me older.

Today I revisited the db reverse lunge burpees. The first time I did this, my hamstrings were not pleased with the experience. I neglected to mention that the following day, my back wasn't so happy either. I was sloppy with the form and leaned forward in order to speed up that which should not be rushed. Well, I just about recovered from that. Time for round two.

1-27-11

-40 db reverse lunge burpees (9'17)

-4x10 dips

-4x2 close grip chin-ups w/Fe

This workout took approximately 15 minutes. After the burpees, I hopped right into the dips and chins, alternating without rest. Throughout the routine, I watched out for any hint of strain. Nothing. The plan is to stay within my limits and not push it.

The no-mas-ometer read 3.4.

5,255/[238]

Answers a question I never thought to ask, "What if a comic strip character was an insomniac with daddy issues?" Makes me feel like I was asleep in the back of the class.

1-12-11

-50 burpees (3'13)

-30-26 kb swing breathing ladder (step ladder, really)

-2 mins of frog stands

1-13-11

-1st Frankensteins of the year (21, 6'43)

-GTG weighted 2x chins (69lbs)

There was a reason I'd been putting these off. Aargh. I set up the speedbag interval timer to 30 secs of work/rest intervals for the burpees, with squat clean and press. When you look at it, 3 reps per minute, and 30 secs of rests, doesn't seem so difficult. Bahahahaha.

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.8.

5,025/[238]

chinny, chin, chin

Yesterday I followed a Crossfit WOD which comprised singles of weighted pull-ups. I did close-grip chin-ups and started with 69 lbs on the dip belt, increasing 10 pounds for each rep up to 99lbs, and did doubles back down to 69, where I completed 3 sets of doubles. It was relatively stress free.

1-10-11

-30-24 kb swing breathing ladder

-squat cleans (5x5, 30 secs work, 30 secs rest)

Today's workout took just about 10 minutes and left me beaten. I completed 24 more swings than last time with the breathing ladder. Oh joy!

dense enough for you

This week, I started a density training protocol with a goal to accomplish 20 chin-ups augmented with 24 kgs of weight attached to a dip belt. Why you might ask? I have found that grip and pulling strength are extremely valuable when ground fighting a heavier opponent and are advantageous when against an opponent of equal size and skill. Density training is briefly described here.

Part of Tuesday's workout included 40 weighted chin-ups (20x2 for 20 minutes.) I did 2 reps on the minute and rested about 55 seconds between sets. I felt fine, despite all that volume, except for a little tightness in the traps. That was fixed with the foam roller. Today, Thursday, I went with 12x3 + 4x1 in roughly 16 minutes. It was a bit tougher today. My form deteriorated towards the end, necessitating sets of singles.