It's a gas, gas, gas

Same but different stuff today. The first part of the workout consisted of hang clean thrusters: 10 minutes; 3 reps on the minute; 2x24kg dbs + 5kgs in a backpack. I didn't want to use heavier db's because of the touchy shoulders, so the extra weight in a back-pack seemed like the thing to do. If I had a weight vest, I would have used it instead. I think I can add more weight to the back pack next time.

The next thing I did was 500 hundred jumping jacks. I have never in my life done this many jumping jacks but after reading about somebody else incorporating 500 jj's in their training, I thought I'd give it a try too. They're just the thing to build up the soft tissue in my lower legs and feet. Now, 500 jumping jacks did not get me wheezing like 500 burpees might, but I did experience some slight cramping. My calves and quads are just a little tingly now. I'll be using the Stick and lacrosse balls to unglue some bidnez tonight.

Shiju-kata

I spent the weekend working on my shiju-kata. For my karate pals out there, no, it's not a martial dance with hidden deadly technique. Shiju (40) and kata (shoulder) is a Japanese term referring to shoulder immobility characteristic of desk-bound types in their 40's. My shiju-kata presents itself as an inability to touch fingertips of opposite hands when one arm is raised above shoulder level, elbow bent, hand behind the head, while the other arm reaches up from behind. In truth, I had poor shoulder mobility long before I hit my 40's. It's only now that I am trying to address it.

One of the things I'm doing to combat shiju-kata is to raise one forearm behind my back with the aid of nylon webbing. The webbing loops around the wrist and drapes towards the front of the opposite shoulder. Pull down on the free end. You need to do this move while seated in a chair. With the arm raise in this position, lean into the chair back and enjoy the pain.

12-13-10 (more density training)

-15 minutes of squat-clean press and weighted pull-ups

-2 reps of each per minute

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.8. Ouch.

My lower back fatigued before I could get to 20 minutes. I stopped at the 15 minute mark rather than risk injury. You can bet I'll be hitting the lacrosse balls for recovery.

fair trade

I was thinking of the cultural largesse we receive from Japan in the form of Karate, Nintendo, Godzilla and anime, and felt slightly embarrassed with what we gave in return-PlanetHollywood? Pft! Today I can raise my head in pride. Japan, we give you, Hooters!

http://www.slate.com/id/2276982/

Coming off a cold, which put me out of commission for a few days, I wanted to ease back into training. Since one of my goals is to increase my capacity for thrusters and pull-ups (Fran), I thought I'd do a little bit of density training today. You know, ease into it.

12-10-10

-Set the kitchen timer for 20 minutes

-2 Frankensteins(2x24.7 kgs), 2 weighted pull-ups (24 kgs) on the minute

For the first 10 minutes, it looked like I would stick to the pace. I didn't notice a slackening of the pace until I looked at the remaining time and realized I was working at half the previous work rate. Cleaning and squatting the db's seemed to be my sticking point. Pressing the db's hardly was an issue-no leg drive, strict presses. The pull-ups were sloppy but complete. In the end I completed 30 reps of Frankensteins and weighted pull-ups.

Not the ease-back-into-it routine I envisioned, but it's good to be back. The no-mas-ometer reads 3.8. No mas. No mas.

4,954/[217]

Twofer tuesdays

Actually, it's Monday, but I like the alliteration and I've got two workouts to post.

Friday's workout was the original Twofer Tuesday. It comprised 20 minutes of double kick combinations: 2x's hiza; low-high, mid-high, low-mid mawashi; mawashi, ushiro mawashi. You get the idea. Key to this workout was timing and rhythm. Sounds a lot like dancing, especially when done to music. That is what I did.

If you haven't noticed, fighting is a lot like dancing. Both fighting and dancing are partner events which require that you pick up cues and notice patterns of behavior. Get that down, and you are well on your way to predicting your opponent's next move, or better planning his move for him. When you're solo training or shadow boxing, crank up the tunes.

12/06/10

-Frankenstein (10 minutes of db squat-clean, push-press (or thruster) burpees)

I used the sweep second hand on my watch to time my rests (30 secs) between sets of three and completed 27 reps. It doesn't sound like a lot in 10 minutes, but I was well spent. The no-mas-ometer reads 3.6.

4,924/[187]

Going with the flow

The plan today was a date with Hilde (50 burpees; 21,15,9 thrusters and pull-ups). As luck would have it, I got interrupted right after finishing the first set of thrusters and burpees. Dang! Just 50 burpees in and 21 thrusters and pull-ups under my belt and I had to stop.

The interruption lasted about 30 minutes. I didn't want to start over again, so I compromised. It was pretty painful getting that first set of 21 done. Took me 4'55. I decided to do another set of 21 thrusters and 21 pull-ups and call it a day. Finished the second set in 4'15.

That felt like a 3.7 on the no-mas-ometer.

4,897/[160]

Gobble, gobble

Hi folks, this is my first blog since taking off for Thanksgiving. You didn't miss much. I drove, ate some turkey, relaxed a few days and then drove back. It was the driving that squelched any desire to work out. Sitting in the car for hours is enervating.

That meant when I finally got back and rested, there was a significant pent up demand for training. Yesterday, I broke out the Frankenstein monster:

-set the kitchen timer for 10 minutes

-go wild

The few days off did me good. I completed 26 of the db burpees (clean to a thruster instead of the jump), up 2 reps from the last time. I was really spent doing this workout. The no-mas-ometer read 4.0.

11/30/10

-Sound of Wheezing

-10 burpees

-4 kneeling to standing roll-outs

-4 24 kg pull-ups

x10

Again, a few days rest paid off, or was it repetition. SOW time 20'59. Time-off did not help the pull-ups. After the 4th set they got pretty sloppy. I seem to have regressed a bit on the pull-ups. The no-mas-ometer reads 3.5.

4,847/[160]

a few of my favorite things

This past weekend I watched my friend, FredinChina, a guy my age, fight multiple 1 minute non-stop matches against guys half is age and younger. He knocked quite a few down, and held his ground, which is impressive because the fighting style is knockdown karate, ie. no pulled punches or kicks. The experience got me thinking about strength endurance. Yesterday, I did the Fredinator. Today, I introduce the Sound of Wheezing:

-10 burpees

-4 kneeling to standing ab-wheel roll-outs

-4 pull-ups w/24kg kb

x10

The kneeling to standing ab-wheel roll outs start from the kneeling position. Once you hit full extension, you straighten the legs and return to the standing position. The rest should require no further explanation.

The Sound of Wheezing is less intense than the Fredinator, which is a good thing. I definitely tweaked something yesterday which will require the attention of the lacrosse balls. SOW took me 23'05 challenging but not painful minutes.

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.5.

4,721/[134]

Top Gear

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In the case of the American version of Top Gear, the immensely popular British car fan program, the compliment falls just short. It reminded me of children playing grown-up: just because you can put on mom and dad's oversize shoes and clomp around, doesn't mean you can fill their shoes. Such was my feeling as I watched the video of the program while working out today.

You've seen this routine before. It's Frankenstein, only double the duration (20 minutes). I'm calling it the Fredinator, after my pal FredinChina, who this weekend showed me what toughness was all about.

Fredinator:

-set the kitchen timer to 20 minutes

-db burpees (substitute clean and push press (or thruster) for the jump)

What's challenging about doubling the duration of the exercise is your body wants to quit half-way through the workout. I was determined not to quit, but wondered if I would be rewarded for my efforts (42 reps) with a tweaked something. So far so good. I just don't want to sneeze and end up with a crick in my neck.

The no-mas-ometer reads 4.0.

4,621/[134]

I ain't got time to bleed

One of the best lines in film if I ever heard one.

Which brings me to today's workout. Same deal, got cojones (3x15 HPC & burpees). At 6'58, again, there isn't enough time to cue the background music, much less enjoy it. It's just a few minutes of intensity and I'm still feeling it in my back (traps mostly) and quads.

I wasn't feeling too peppy today, and I thought the breaks to shake out the legs and catch my breath slowed me down. I think I can better it next time.

4,579/[92]

Frankenstein meets Kraftwerk

I was so pleased with my VB50 time from yesterday that I wanted to give Frankenstein another round. This time I pit him against the grand daddy of electronica: Kraftwerk. It just so happens that there is a 10 minute mix on YouTube, several in fact.

Trying to improve on previous workouts keeps the intensity just within my capability, but barely. The no-mas-ometer says 4.0. Mr. Frankenstein 24 reps.

I'm not noticing a performance effect from the background music-too busy wheezing.

4,534/[92]

Take 2 lacrosse balls and call me in the morning

I've got a growing collection of pain relief gadgets to which I've added 2 lacrosse balls and a sock. A sock is an excellent self-massage tool for your back, but only if you drop two lacrosse balls into it and tie off the loose end.

In the balls in sock configuration, you can roll out any tightness from your hips all the way up to your shoulders. The foam roller can also do this, but it is a blunt tool in comparison. Remove one lacrosse ball from the sock, place it on the floor and roll your abdomen on it. Boom, instant pain relief if you've over-done direct ab work like me. With the one lacrosse ball remaining in the sock you've got an improvised medieval weapon/self-flagellation device. Of all my pain relief gadgets accumulated thus far, only the lacrosse balls in a sock get mrs. meguro's back pain relief seal of approval. (She was never a fan of the foam roller.)

11/14/10

-Got cojones (6'58)

random business ungluing

11/15/10

-VB50 (3'20)

-50 knuckle push-ups

The got cojones workout (3x15 db HPC & burpees) isn't getting any easier. It was a little better, but not by much, than the last time. It's still not where I want it to be. However, the effort seems to be paying off. Between gc, Frankenstein, and other routines I am bringing my 50 burpee time down, without focusing on VB50 exclusively. Oh joy.

4,510/[68]

Frankenstein meets the Ramones

More experimentation with background music and performance. This time it's the Frankenstein workout (c&p db burpees) vs. the Ramones. I'd like to say the Ramones won, but let me tell you, Frankenstein is hard to beat. Up to the 7th rep I was convinced that I had the right pace. It fell to pieces after that. At the 14th rep, I caught the db's and rolled onto my keister for a failed rep. It got uglier and uglier. At the 10 minute mark I completed 23 reps.

The no-mas-ometer reads 4.0. No joke.

4,415/[68]

notice and other stuff

I seem to be having some problem with publishing comments-some appear and others do not. I don't know how to fix it, so my apologies if it appears I have ignored you. Your comments are valued.

Anyway, change of pace today. I wanted to give my legs a break and test my core and pull-ups. Now, it's been some time since I did roll-outs, and I was wondering what I may have lost. I did get to the point of squeezing out a few standing roll-outs, but they were really max effort and off-putting. Kneeling roll-outs and weighted kneeling roll-outs, in contrast, were boring.

I came up with something more to my liking. You start with the kneeling roll-out, and at full extension straighten the knees for a one count and then return to the kneeling starting position. You end up training the hardest part of the standing roll-out, full-extension, while doing something manageable, the kneeling roll-out. I'll keep to this roll-out variation or a bit.

11-10-10

-kneeling ab roll-outs.v1 (4x10)

-pull-ups w/Fe (4x7)

I'm noting progress on the pull-ups, with 7 reps per set. Woohoo! That's a lot for me with 24kg on the dip belt.

The no-mas-ometer reads 1.7 and looks like it needs new batteries.

Business ungluing to follow.

Oh man. I did "got cojones" and discovered "no hay cojones." Dang 7'07 (3x15 hpc & burpees), and I thought I was flying. Grip is no longer a problem. It was the burpees that did me in. I was sucking air like the inlet on a jet engine.

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.9.

4,392/[45]

it's alive

The monster returns, for reps (23). Unlike the first outing, I ignored my stop watch, took deep breaths between reps, and rested a bit longer after every five reps. At 10 minutes, I knew it was the right thing to count 22 reps and not 27 previously. With my leisurely approach, I completed 23 in 12'53 and I was done. The left shoulder got twingey, signaling a stop to all festivities.

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.8.

4,347/[45]

Dr. Frankenstein I presume

I've been dreaming about this workout for two days, ever since the idea started an itch in my brain. It's a chimera; a hodgepodge of brutal exercises. Any one of these exercises would give you a nightmare, together it is a Frankenstein monster.

You've got the squat thrust, jump and push-up of the burpee, a shrug and weighted jump courtesy of a db clean, a squat and push press from the thruster, and cardiovascular meltdown from the Tabata protocol style interval work scheme. If I carried this beyond 10 minutes you might include the drama of a visit from emergency services.

This is how you put the monster together. Take two dumbbells (together mine equal .675 bodyweight), push-up from the db's, clean, stand and push press, return db's to floor, thrust legs out to push-up position, count 1st rep, repeat ad nauseum ( literally). Nausea hit at approximately 10 minutes.

My background music was Rammstein, interspersed with Linkin Park, Evanescence, P.O.D and the like.

No-mas-ometer reads 3.8.

4,324/[22]*##

*Frankensteins will count toward total burpees and will also be tallied in brackets

## I lost count. It was either 22 or 27 reps of these monsters.

Blah di blah blah.

Let's see, Sunday I did 30 hang-power-cleans to push-press for time. I got the idea from CrossFit, only their version employed cleans. They caught the bar down low on the clean and then dropped the weight after the jerk. I like that it works the grip, along with the traps as well as the muscle groups involved in getting weight overhead. This was a short bit of work and only took 3'38.

On Monday, I did the "got cojones" routine again. A little slippage here, 6'48. I think it's because I skipped a meal. Yeah that's it. I blame hypoglycemia.

Tuesday, 2x15 dips and pull-ups w/Fe (6,7). Woohoo, 7.

Random business ungluing

Wednesday, the bear, 45 C&P's. I expected misery. Yesterday, I actually made a Fran attempt but stalled at 11 thrusters. Didn't even record it I was so disgusted. This experience confirms that I need more low end power, hence the bear. The weights started on the ground, no hang-power nuthin', with a deep catch in between. I broke this up into three wheezy sets that took about five minutes per set, with plenty of rest between sets. Operator error prevented me from determining the exact time, but the last set took well over 5 minutes. Argh!

Edit: I forgot to mention that I was conducting an experiment with Wednesday's workout. I wanted to see what effect, if any, background music had on my energy level. I set my music system to play easy listening type music: Melody Gardot; Nora Jones; Frank Sinatra, Julie London; Astrud Gilberto; Billie Holiday. You get the idea. Next time I'll try the same workout with everything Rammstein, then classical, and so on.

4,302

the cojones are in the mail

I had to take a break, dear reader, after partying with the MilkManX and J. I'm just as pretty as I was as a youngster but it takes me longer to bounce back from a few pints. Ah well. At least I enjoyed the company and the food (Blue Smoke BBQ).

So before partying it up with my buddies I did a kb breathing ladder: 1-20-1 kb swings, resting one breath per swing. Between reps 10-20 I limited the resting breaths to 10. This workout will put a hurt on your back if you're not prepared and will burn up your forearm flexors. Ay chihuahua! This took 23'12. I rested the next day. My business stayed glued.

10-29-10

-3x15 db hpc/burpees

I'm going to call this the "got cojones" routine, so the next time you hear it you'll know what I'm talking about. Grip is no longer a problem. I held on to the db's throughout every set. The problem is now in my quads. The combination of the cleans and the burpees turns my legs to jelly.

The rate of progress is diminishing. Whereas before I was taking off a minute per, I'm now advancing in fractions of a minute. Today's time was 6'31. I told myself I'll add more weight to the db's when I crack 5'. It might be later than I hoped.

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.7.

4,257

got cojones?

Nothing like some CrossFit women to inspire you to prove you've got cojones. Jury's still out, but here goes.

Lately, I've been doing the 3x15 hang power cleans/burpees workout that I lifted off the CrossFit main site a few days ago. The guys were doing it with 130 lbs barbells and the women with 95 lbs barbells. I'm doing it with my default 2x54lbs db's.

The first time around it took me an excruciating 9 minute+. I had to do the HPC's in sets of 5. The second time around, my time was reduced to 8 minutes and change. On Saturday, 7'10 and today 6'43. Each workout had me fearing that my time would be slower than the previous one. Happily, I am progressing. As soon as I break 5 minutes, I'll add some man weight to the db's.

No-mas-ometer reads 3.8 today.

4,212

bag o' rocks

I was all set to do another round of Hilde, when I spied my neglected Bulgarian bag gathering dust in the corner. The bag is a truck tire inner tube filled with 40 pounds of pea gravel and tied of like a humungous sausage link with zip ties. This thing is a beast. Swing it around your head and it will take down passers by and low flying aircraft if you lose your grip.

10-21-10

-5 min burpees (52)

-10 min BB around the worlds (130)

-dips w/Fe (15,16)

-pull-ups w/Fe (2x6)

-1 min bent arm N sit

It's been a while, since before Paradise Island, that I did a 5 minute burpee test and it showed. Bleh. The Bulgarian bag atw's smoked my grip. Lucky thing I built safety straps into it as my left hand grip almost betrayed me. I was hoping for 200 revolutions in 10 minutes, but barely eked out 130 in sets of 10.

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.7.

4,117

familiarity breeds efficient neural pathways

So I revisited the CrossFit wod that had me doing 3x15 hang-power-cleans + burpees, and I improved. This time around I held on to the weight for the first 2 rounds, losing steam in the third round when I had to break up the 15 reps into 8 and 7. The burpees still hurt.

10-20-10:

-3x15 (hang power cleans + burpees), 8'09

-dips w/Fe (15,16)

-pull-ups w/Fe (2x6)

-1 min bent arm N-sit

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.7.

4,065

-Dips w/Fe (14,15)

-Pull-ups w/Fe (2x6)

-10 minutes of thrusters (40)

I wish I had some new revelation, but I don't. Well, I do notice that I am gradually building reps on the dips. Cool, the shoulder is holding up. Thrusters continue to be difficult and the pull-ups are stalled. Otherwise, nothing much to write about.

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.6.

Intermittent gorging

You might have noticed I took a few days off from training and posting. Or maybe you didn't. In fact, I was on Paradise Island in the Bahamas from Saturday until Wednesday with my wife and kids and it was great.

We signed up for the breakfast plan, which comprises an all you can eat buffet. Since lunch and dinner were optional, we opted to gorge ourselves at breakfast and scrounge around for the other meals. A typical breakfast for me on the island included bacon (or corned beef hash), eggs, pineapple, juice, muffin, and coffee. Lunch and dinner were usually the same portions as we would have at home. The end result is I am now 4 pounds heavier. Yeeha!

It's not as bad as it might seem. According to my bathroom scale (one of those electronic thingies with bioelectrical impedance sensors), I did not gain a bit of body fat. . . Hmmn. Of course there is always the likely chance of equipment error. But the lazy, wants-something-for-nothing side of me harbors the hope that my regular, albeit short workouts, and usually meager breakfasts (coffee and 2 slices of almond butter toast) have built up a calorie and protein deficit that was only met this past weekend. 4 lean pounds in 4 nights, could it be possible? If so, I'm putting out a DVD called Intermittent Gorging.

I'm waiting for reality to clothesline me. The scale probably needs new batteries.

Anywho. . .

10-14-10

-5 min burpees (54)

10-15-10

-3x (15 hang power cleans and 15 burpees)

Got this straight off the CrossFit main site. The first set was easy. The second set, not surprisingly, had me wishing I started out slower. I got my second wind during the last set. I'd like to do this workout at least once a week. I finished this one in 9'20.

The no-mas-0meter reads 3.7.

4,020

Here's a blog to follow.

http://mobilitywod.blogspot.com/

I became familiar with Kelly Starrett through the Crossfit main site. Every time Starrett appears he's always got something interesting to say about flexibility and mobility. With so many pain, prehab and rehab issues of my own it's hard not to pay attention to this guy.

row slow

So I dusted off the 'ol C2 and settled in for a 20 minute piece. My aim was to have a steady stroke rate of about 18-19 strokes/min, which I did. The thing about rowing this long for me, actually long for rowers can be 90 minutes of mind-numbing hell, is fighting off the demons in my head that want me to quit. I've got a ways to go from 20 to 90 minutes, but it's a start.

Besides improving my burpee efficiency, I've long had the ambition of getting my 2K time on the C2 down to a respectable number. Something like 7'45 is kinda lame. Tabatas just ain't going to cut it. I figure that by building a decent aerobic base, I'll be able to improve that time as well as the 50 and 100 burpee times.

Now I have to figure out how to program more rowing with the other stuff.

10-5-10:

-20 min row

-pull-ups w/Fe (2x6)

-dips w/Fe (12,13)

The low stroke rate, even though I was pulling explosively and driving with the legs, gets this a 3.3 on the no-mas-ometer. It was boredom I had to fight and not so much toxic fatigue.

10-6-10:

-5 min burpees (59)

-10 minutes of hang squat-cleans (40)

-N sit dead hang (1'15)

I'm going to eat-up anything that resembles a thruster until Fran is mine. Standing up numerous times with db's at the shoulders were on the menu today and they were satisfying. The N sit dead-hang, where you hang from a pull-up bar with thighs to chest, takes the lordosis out of the spine while working the grip and abs.

The no-mas-ometer reads a 3.7.

3,921

Vintage SNL

This is going to date me, but while working out today I remembered a skit from the original Saturday Night Live cast with John Belushi and Dan Akroyd. It took place on the deck of a ship from the days of sail. Belushi was Captain Ned, Akroyd was the first mate, every hand was a masochist, and the ship was called the Raging Queen. Struggling to finish 10 minutes of power hang-clean, push-presses, my mind flashed back to another vessel.

While in college I rowed on the freshman crew. I sometimes took the bow seat on the first boat, but mostly stroked the second boat. As a freshman, a lightweight and an oarsman on the second boat, I was the lowest of the low, a poor relation of the untouchables. My boat, an 8 man coxed sweep, a battered thing of marine plywood that nobody wanted, was also named the Raging Queen.

How this name passed muster with the university's athletic department, we never knew. Either the powers that be didn't stay up past prime time and so couldn't possibly know about SNL, or they did. Whatever the reason, we were party to the joke and butt of it at the same time. Oh the shame, rowing up to the start line to the jeers of the other boats. It would be ironic and sweet revenge if we won some races. But no. Bastards.

Despite the crew's dismal performance, we were in the best shapes of our lives (OK, we were also in our late teens). The training was grueling and always at an intensity that got the inner voices chatty. 'round about the 18th or 19th rep of PHCPP's I remembered Akroyd' s (or was it Belushi's, I forget who played first mate) line, "Discipline me, Captain Ned." Someone in my boat threw it out there one miserable practice session. Gallows humor. It got chuckles from the crew and saved the day.

9/30/10:

-50 burpees (3'50)

-10 minutes of power hang-clean push press (40)

-pull-ups w/Fe (2x6)

-dips w/Fe (11,12)

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.9.

3,862

98/64/74-This is a weird reading from my blood-pressure monitor. I don't know if this is an instrument error, a result of training, biofeedback practice, or because I just finished an Asahi Dry.

9/27/10:

-5 min burpees (61)

-10 minutes of squat-clean-thrusters (25)

-weighted pull-ups (2x6)

-weighted dips (10,12)

I took a short breather between the burpees and the squat-clean-thrusters, and short is not recommended. Tired and unmotivated is how I felt throughout those damned SCT's.

3,756

9/28/10

-5 min burpees (56)

-10 min db front squat (45)

-weighted pull-ups

-weighted dips

Although it looks like I took a hit on the burpee front, maybe so, I think there's some hidden progress as this was a straight set, ie. no rests. The day before, I shook the legs out at the 30 rep mark. Overall, I'm underwhelmed considering I did get below 3 minutes for 50 reps not too long ago. Maybe I'm past my sell by date.

The db front squat is my weak point when it comes to thrusters; the presses, not so much. I thought 5 reps per minute was a pace I should shoot for, but did not make it. Oh well.

3,812

102/67/72

2nd date with Hilde

You remember Hilde, Fran's nice friend. I had my second outing with her and it went pretty much the same as the first date. It was embarrassing for me, not that she would ever say anything about it.

Hilde part II:

-50 burpees

-21-15-9 thrusters (2x25 kgs) and pull-ups

Got my time down to 11'47"74, a modest improvement; this after 2 somewhat intense days of training immediately prior. I am tired.

The no-mas-ometer reads 4.0, but just barely. Trying to beat the previous time provided the extra bit of intensity.

3,695

x2

I did the same routine as yesterday, well almost the same. The difference today was I did not use the kitchen timer for the burpees. That's right! Alert the media!

Thursday's workout:
-50 burpees ( no time limit)
-10 minutes of db squat-clean-thrusters (27)

Later on in the day, I'll do a couple sets of weighted pull-ups (same as yesterday, although not noted). Nothing to get excited about here, just six reps per set. The aim is to increase the reps of the squat-clean-thrusters and weighted pull-ups without burning out or getting injured. All of this for a girl named Fran.

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.9. I'm looking for some no-tears, perspiration. So far, I've only got the kind that stings.

3,645

108/69/66

squat-clean-thrusters

At first I didn't know what to call this exercise, but I finally ran across a video. Apparently, it's called a squat clean thruster. It's got everything you need: clean; squat; overhead press. I like the explosive hip element of the clean; the core stability element of catching and standing up with the weight; the glute, quad and ham activation of the squat; and my heart likes it for the 10 minutes of fun with a capital FU.

Wednesday's workout:
-5 min burpees (60)
-10 min multivitamin (23)

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.9.

3,595

106/69/57

a Tabata finisher

puts the jalapeno in the salsa. Without it, I'm left with something vague and mushy.

Today's workout comprised:
-5 minutes burpees (62)
-10 minutes of weighted (24 kg) pull-ups (9x3) and handstand push-ups (9x3)
-Tabata row

It's been a while since I did weighted pull-ups or handstand push-up so I threw them in the mix today. That I ignored them for a long time was apparent. OK, so only 27 pull-ups and HSPU's. Pft. I had to include a Tabata row or the workout would have been almost like an active recovery day activity.

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.6.

3,535

if it looks like a tornado

and acts like a tornado, then it probably is a tornado. Last night a storm passed through New York City and it's environs uprooting tress, knocking over tractor trailers, downing power lines and making a greater hassle of the evening commute. There was one fatality.

I was caught out in the storm with my eldest daughter. Overhead, a large ominous cloud settled over the city like an alien mother ship. Thunder rumbled like distant kettledrums and then we were pelted with hailstones, larger than Chicklets but smaller than M&M's. I mentioned to my daughter how hailstones usually precede tornados. But not to worry, I reassured her, we hardly ever get those. Hah! Luckily, the worst we experienced was a few hailstone beanings and a little drizzle. Other areas got hit hard. News sources seem reluctant to use the "T" word (click the title and see), preferring the ambiguous "tornado-like." Whatever.

if it looks like an ass-kicker:
-5 min burpees
-10 minutes 2x25kg db squats
-Tabata row (Concept 2)

I haven't done this workout. I'm about to, and it has all the characteristics of an ass-kicking workout. I predict pain. I'll edit with my verdict.
-----------
OK, it was an ass-kicker:
-5 min burpees (only 57)
-10 minutes squats (only 8 minutes and 40 squats)
-Tabata row, sucked before and sucked again

I tried something new with the burpees-landing in the down position of the squat instead of catching myself half-standing. I thought I'd give myself a good stretch doing this but the effect was negative. With the squats, I employed the interval timer (30 sec work/rest) but couldn't sustain that pace past the 8 minute mark. I quit before I pulled something or tweaked my back. After a short breather I mounted the rower anticipating a painful 4 minutes. Surprise-only the last 3 minutes hurt.

The no-mas-ometer reads 4.0.

Before I forget.
Yesterday:

-5 min burpees (62)
-10 minutes of single-arm c&p (90)

Wasn't feeling it today doing the c&p. The left arm was balky-weak grip.

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.5

3,416

110/65/59

3,473

she's got a nice personality

Some of you may have heard of Fran, one of Crossfit's most notorious "girls." I'll bet a couple know her personally. Frankly, much as I lust after Fran, she's out of my league. I just don't have the goods: barbell; sturdy pull-up bar; not to mention quads, hammies, erector spinae, rectus abdominus, etc. Fortunately I know a girl just my speed. She looks exactly like Fran, from a certain angle and if the lighting is just so. More importantly, my 2x25 kg dumbbells and doorway pull-up bar (which won't accommodate kipping pull-ups) don't elicit a raised eyebrow of disdain. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Hilde, a nice girl.

Hilde:
-5 minute burpee test (60)
-21-15-9 reps of thrusters and pull-ups (12'42"48)

What can I say? This was a feeble attempt. Thrusters are not my forte. I had to break it up into sets of 5, with lots of heavy breathing. All smoke and no fire, as it were. Same with the pull-ups, but I got those out of the way pretty quickly, even without kipping. With a time of 12'42", it looks like Hilde and I are destined for a long relationship. I bet she'll even give me pointers on Fran, she's that nice.

No mas-ometer says 3.9.

3,354

the first circle of bell

is reserved for the unmotivated. Today's workout is a repeat of the killer workouts from bell, only nastier. Why the the extra bit of nastiness? Call it penance for two days of rest.

It went like this:
-5 minute burpee test (60)
-10 minutes of 2x25 kg db push press (70)
-10 minutes kb squats (106)

The first 15 minutes were not so bad. Sure it's a bit of a struggle to get through the burpees, but that's nothing new. The push presses weren't so bad either. I used my interval timer set to 30 secs work and rest periods and got to 70 reps still feeling a little fresh. It was at this point that I decided to turn up the heat: ten minutes of kb squats.

I don't know what I was whining about before. What did I do that first time? 80 kb squats? Pft.

After this work out, I didn't want just a glass of water. I wanted something to fill my empty tank. I needed the devil's brew- almond milk, hemp protein powder, chocolate syrup, a dash of chili pepper, and crushed ice. That hit the spot.

The no-mas-ometer read 3.8.

108/68/56

3,294

still hurts like bell

I revisited the workout that partially wrecked my weekend: 10 minute kb squats. The second time around was as painful as I remembered it to be; however, I did get in more reps. I cheated.

First things first: 5 minute burpee test. A not so inspiring 58 has me wondering why I'm not progressing. And now for the squats. At the 30th rep, when my back was screaming for some relief a lightbulb went off. Why cradle the kb when I can shoulder it? And so I did. Without releasing the bell I hoisted it to my shoulder and continued squatting. By alternating shoulders I was able to complete 106 reps.

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.2.

112/68/55

3,234

to rest or not to rest

The Labor Day weekend was nothing but rest. I just couldn't muster the energy to workout. There's no doubt that the split-squat routine and the workout from bell contributed to the soreness which made the idea of training unappealing. But, I also decided to make it a caffeine free weekend. This, the lack of java mojo goodness, I suspect partly explains why I wanted to lay in a bean-bag chair all weekend. The readings on my blood pressure monitor reveal my general state of relaxation over the past three days: 112/63/58; 113/60/52; 114/58/55. And here's a reading taken today, after some coffee and a workout: 111/59/80.

Today's workout comprised:
-5 min burpee test (60)
-10 minute, single-arm db c&p (94)

I've hit a wall with the burpees. The db c&p, otoh, still has plenty of room for improvement.

3,176

hurts like 'bell'

This workout comes direct to you from the depths of bell. What you do is grasp a kettlebell and squat for 10 minutes. During that time you may not release the kb at all. That baby is yours-mine is 24 kgs-for the duration. It presses down on you. It saps your strength. It bleeds your will.

For the first thirty reps I was going up and down like clock work-squat, exhale, stand, inhale. Then fatigue threw a wrench in the works-squat, exhale, gasp, sputter, curse, stand, gasp, gasp, cough. By the fiftieth rep I shut my eyes to keep the sweat, flowing in rivulets, from searing my peepers. Now I'm squatting in the dark. WTF!

I stopped at 93 reps, looked at the timer registering zero, and for a moment panicked. Did I set it for 10 seconds? Did it go off minutes before and I missed the alarm? What? And then it beeped letting me know I did complete the exercise.

117/68/54

I am sore. I knew the split squats were going to be murder from my glutes down. I didn't realize my traps would be feeling it too. Ouch. The foam roller, high bounce balls and other implements of muscle pain management beckon.

117/72/60

My resting heart rate is a little elevated today. I wonder if this slight increase is related to the muscle soreness or if it's merely coincidence. If the former, the blood-pressure monitor would very useful for scheduling exercise and recovery days.

that which can be measured can be improved

To help keep track of my progress, my brother in law (BIL) gave me a blood pressure monitor over the weekend. I gave my old one to my dad a while ago, and have been training without an instrument to measure my heart health. I have been making do with an indirect method, the no-mas-ometer, but something more precise was called for. BIL to the rescue.

So what's it say? The Omron digital blood pressure monitor reads 117/68 and a resting heart rate of 56 bpm. Considering my workouts are 15 minutes or less, I'm somewhat satisfied. I'd like to get my resting heart rate much lower and will be tinkering with different exercises and intensity levels to see how much I can get out of the kitchen timer concept.

Tues:
-5 min burpee test (56)
-10 minute db c&p (84)

Wed:
-10 min, 50 kg db split squat (70)
-5 min db test (50)

After a lazy but enjoyable three day weekend these workouts were challenging. The no-mas-ometer averaged 3.3 for the two days.

3,116

VB efficacy

The efficacy of Vitamin B (burpee) depends greatly on keeping to a regular schedule. Miss a few doses and you find yourself regressing. That has been my experience.

Today's workout consisted of a 5 minute burpee session followed by a 10 minute single-arm db c&p set. Now, the last time I did this routine, I got 64 burpees and 60 db c&P's. I had not done any burpees since and today's number is telling:59. Surprisingly, I improved my c&p work capacity: 80 reps.

Yesterday, I tested myself on db snatches and completed an appallingly low 50 reps in 10 minutes. Lot's of room for improvement there.

I'l rate today's workout a 3.2 on the no-mas-ometer.

3,010

TGWTDT

After two failed attempts, my wife and I were finally able to watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, starring Noomi Rapace as the girl. At 2 1/2 hours, it was good that we watched the movie on DVD and from the comfort of our sofa, as opposed in a movie theater. Besides, it has recently been reported that bedbugs have infested NYC movie theaters and clothing stores. Gaaa! Anyway, the film hews closely to the novel. If you enjoyed the book, you won't be disappointed by the movie.

For today's workout, I set the kitchen timer for 10 minutes and executed 94 single-arm c&p's. The no-mas-ometer reads 3.0.

Karate Kata's Rosetta Stone

I'm a karate guy. For years I've been obsessed with kata, the dance like moves performed solo. I believe these "dances" are a teaching syllabus of striking, wrestling and joint locking technique and not an imaginary stand-up fight against four or more opponents, or something only to be performed for the sake of choreographed movement. I was convinced there was something beneath the surface, something hiding in plain sight.

Our understanding of kata today is similar to what the last guy understands of a message in the game of telephone. As each person receives the message it mutates, gets edited or embellished and is then passed on. After many repetitions, the message contains some bits of the original but also nonsense. This situation is fine if kata were only a performance dance, but no so good for teaching practical fighting applications or simply for historical accuracy.

If the phone message were in a foreign language, accurate message taking and transferring becomes nearly impossible. At best we can relay the shapes and sounds, but lose the meaning. Knowledge of foreign languages, or other martial arts, can help in the interpretation of the fragments that are knowable. In the past I've used my limited experience in Judo and joint locking to understand bits of kata. There is so much more to learn.

The learning of it won't come from frequent repetition. No, I needed something to break the code; something to unlock the frequent patterns of seemingly arbitrary movement found in many martial arts. I needed a Rosetta Stone of kata, a key to unlock its mysteries.

If there were such a key, the likeliest place to find it would be where the message originated: for arguments sake, China. In other words, by understanding White Crane Kung Fu and Taijiquan, for example, our understanding of kata is greatly improved. In the telephone game, this is like skipping all the middlemen and receiving the message directly from the source.

Click the title of this post for a link to what I believe to be a key to understanding kata. On my first viewing, it made sense of karate technique such as manji uke, morote uke, mawashi uke and mawashi uchi, zenkutsu dachi, nekko and kokotsu dachi and more. For your reading pleasure, I recommend Analysis of Shaolin Chin Na by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming.

the scenic route

I ran along the river today at a pace with which you could hold a conversation. My youngest daughter came along riding her scooter and we chatted along the way. She pointed out a runner that needed to increase her caloric intake, a little girl who could reduce hers, and a shirtless runner who could use a shirt. She asked about our destination; if we were there yet; what we would do once we got there.

My daughter called it a playground and I conceded that our destination did look like a playground. The equipment consisted of parallel bars, high bars, rings and a decline-bench for sit-ups and leg-raises. I kept to the high-bars for some front levers and ice-cream makers, leaving the rest to several younger fellows sporting do rags. As I worked the high-bar (front levers (3x3), ice-cream makers (3x7)), my daughter noticed the same under-fed runner burning up the nearby track. I thought, sometimes it's better not to "just do it" and sit down for a sandwich instead.

On the run back we watched some sea-planes landing and taking off and wondered if the fishermen on the riverbank would eat their catch.

The no-mas-ometer barely registered a 2.0 but it was nice to be out with my little girl.

2x25kgs db push press for 10 minutes. I was good for 65 reps. No-mas-ometer says 3.0.

Throughout the day, random sets of ice cream makers.

vroom

Same workout today: 25kg single-arm c&p. Same result too: 87 in 10 minutes. I thought I was flying. Bleh, just my mind playing tricks.

My little sister calls me up today to see if I want to ride shotgun. The lease is up on her sedan and she's looking for something sporty in 4 wheel drive. Cool. Maybe a Porsche Carrera 4S, says I. Nah. We'll be test driving an Audi TT on Saturday.

lock and load

I posted this workout on K4L.

After a day off, I set the kitchen timer for a 5 minutes burpee test: 64. That I can continue to make improvements tells me how much I let it slip away from me.

After a five minute rest, I re-set the kitchen timer for 10 minutes and attempted single-arm db c&p (25 kgs). Alternating arms every 10 reps, I completed 60 in 10 minutes. I was hoping for 100, but could not sustain the pace. Hmmn. Something to shoot for.

No-mas-ometer:3.5

2,951

I repeated the workout yesterday, without the burpees, and completed 87 single-arm db c&p. I thought that without the additional work required by the burpees, 100 db c&p's in 10 minutes were within grasp. Nope. The target is out of reach at the moment, but not for long. Now it's in my sights.

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.3.

grrier

I did this workout a few days ago. I think I miscounted the sets last time, because this iteration was nastier than I remembered it could be. Anyway, I warmed up with a 5 min burpee test: 61 reps. Creeping up there.

So, set the kitchen timer for 10 minute and do 3 weighted pull-ups (24 kgs)/3 db front squats (60 kgs) until time runs out. Time ran out as I was just about to start on the 9th set ( 24 pull-ups and 24 squats). Previously, I think I was just starting the last half of the 8th set, the squats, when the timer buzzed.

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.7 due to the copious amounts of sweat and uncontrolled breathing and heart rate.

Yesterday, I said I was going to do ice cream makers while preparing dinner. I did 3 or 4 sets (3 slow reps) while I had a one-pot chicken dish (chicken, onions, haricot verts) simmering on the stove. Tonight I'm thinking HSPU's and handstands. The menu has not been decided. Throughout the day, starting yesterday, I'll be doing random 15 rep sets of 10 lbs. plate curls.

2,887

flexibility routine

My preferred method of stretching is to sit with the legs spread out as wide as possible and bend forward so as to touch the chest to the floor. The key to this flexibility routine is to have Top Gear running on the tv. With multiple episodes recorded, you can get a nice stretch.:D

Today's short workout consisted of 5 minutes of burpees followed by 4x5 weighted pull-ups. In the evening I plan on doing sets of ice cream makers while I prepare the evening meal.

2,826

20 minutes

The kitchen timer saw a little action today. First, I set the timer for 5 minutes and did a straight set of burpees. Without stopping for a rest or taking an opportunity to shake out the legs, I completed 57 reps before the timer sounded off. I re-set the timer for another 5 minutes to see how many HSPU's I could do in that time period:20. Pft. Wish it were more. Finally, I set the timer for 10 minutes of db squat, db deadlift, power cleans and squat cleans. Reps and sets? I don't know. I just kept on going until time was up.

The no-mas-ometer says 2.9 because my heart stayed beating within my chest cavity.

2,767

Grrr

So I warmed up with VB50, then set the kitchen timer for 10 minutes of weighted pull-ups (3x24 kgs)/db squats (3x60kgs). I was hoping to do 1 round of pull-ups and squats per minute, but could only sustain that pace to the half-way point. I completed 8 and 1/2 rounds or 24 pull-ups and 21 squats in 10 minutes; paltry numbers that had me heaving and dripping with sweat.

The no-mas-ometer reads 3.5.

2,710

no-mas-ometer

When I started my training journal on K4L the idea was to squeeze as much strength and conditioning training in 10-20 minutes. The no-mas-ometer, which functioned as a measure of my perceived effort, kept me honest and on track. Overtime, I drifted away from the no-mas-ometer as I focused on strength and skills that required more time. The result was a decline in conditioning and arbitrary gains in strength and skills. No more.

Today, I reintroduce the no-mas-ometer.
Warm up with VB50. That's right, burpees, baby!
Set the kitchen timer for 10 minutes and go for as many rounds of:
- 3 cleans/4 HSPU

I copied this workout right off the Crossfit main site. What's not to like? It's got two of my favorite exercises.

no-mas-ometer: 3/5
I was right on the verge of tweaking my shoulder so the intensity was not as high as I'd have liked; nevertheless, a good workout considering I've been paddling in the shallow end for a while.

2,660

I scream, you scream

we all scream for ice cream makers. . .


I've fallen off the weighted pull-ups program. Actually, I haven't done weighted anything for a while it seems. I think it's the summer heat. I have no interest. I didn't lose my taste for bodyweight exercises though. I'm still doing headstands and handstands. I'm running. And on the pull-up bar, I've been doing these ice cream makers, but not as quickly as in the video. I go for slower reps and try to hold the horizontal position for a beat. Check 'em out.

default workout

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.

departing shots

Tomorrow I'll be flying off to visit the in-laws so this page will be quiet for a while. Before I go, I just wanted to log this workout:
-handstand (2'44")
-HSPU (3x5)
-26.5 kg pull-ups (5x4, 6x3, 2)
-100 single arm kb swings

I'll be back on the scene July 5th. Aloha!

on the waterfront

There was a time when New York City was one of the busiest commercial shipping ports in the world. These are some pilings that jut into the Hudson River. Atop them would sit piers, which would line the riverbank like so many teeth on a comb. Not anymore.

-Handstand (2'31")
-HSPU (5,3,3)
-25.25 kg weighted pull-ups (10x4)
-Tabata row

sprinting is a pain in the butt (heel)

After last week's sprinting in the park with Mario, my plantar fasciitis flared up again! Argh. Stretching the gastroc and soleus helps reduce the soreness, as does rolling my foot over a dowel or golf ball. But, dang, I hate when the plantar fasciitis comes around.

Yesterday was too nice not to run out to the park again, so I did, slowly. Each step felt like treading on sharp pebbles under my heel so there was no sprinting, just shuffling. I shuffled a mile out to the park. I shuffled one turn around the track and then I hit the parallel and high bars. Even though I did weighted pull the day before, the lure of the exercise equipment was hard to resist.

-lever pull ups (3x6)
-dips (3x10)
-assisted single arm negs

In the evening, I took my dad out to see the Karate (Kung-Fu) Kid. I went in with some reservations, but ended up enjoying the film. Ralph Macchio, the original Karate Kid, always elicited an urge in me to punch him out. And Pat Morita's fakey Japanglish made my eye's roll. Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan fit the parts of protege and mentor much better, I thought. I ended up liking the film.

hell hath no fury

like a Concept 2 rowing ergometer scorned. It has been such a while since I used my rower, that a nice fat layer of dust formed on top of it. What a perfect time to use the erg for a finisher.

Today's workout comprised:
-wall supported handstands (2'13")
-HSPU (5x3)
-25.25 kg weighted pull-ups (10x4)
-Tabata row

Not so much progress on the handstand, however I did start incorporating HSPU in the routine. Watching Crossfit ladies bang-out HSPU's shamed me into it. Also, watching this guy perform bodyweight exercises with more than 20 years on me really has me sparked-up about improving my list of bodyweight party tricks.


Back to my workout, the weighted pull-ups are becoming easier, first time hitting 10 sets. Admittedly, the last 2 sets were less than ideal. The row was as painful as I remembered. I really shouldn't leave it out of the rotation too long.

saturday in the park with Mario

I met up with Mario, one of the dads I know from my children's school, for a run in the park. We warmed up with an easy run (about a mile) to the park, then did a circuit of pull-ups, dips, and front lever progressions on the high and parallel bars. Around us folks were swinging kettlebells or doing some type of boot-camp training. Some army reservists, they looked a little old and flabby to be active army, ran by silently. I was disappointed they weren't chanting cadences.

After the calisthenics, Mario and I hit the track for some 400 m sprints. Actually, it was one warm up lap, one actual sprint, and two cool down laps. I'll be heading back to this park regularly, especially now that I discovered where the exercise apparatus are. I might even find some training partners there. A few boxers and martial artists had brought mitts and were going through their pad work.

got a cramp? pucker up

This article (click title) claims that you can stop a muscle from cramping by drinking pickle juice or straight vinegar. It has something to do with the sourness resetting the contraction mechanism in the muscle. Whatever. I decided to test it out.

As you recall, I've been working on the handstand. Ultimately, my goal is handstand push-ups, but for now, it's trying to hold a continuous wall-supported handstand for as long as I can. When I first started, 12 seconds was the max. Eventually, 40 secs. Today, 50 seconds. Previously, the 40 seconds mark was when severe cramping would hit my mid to upper back. Not today. I splashed some apple cider vinegar in a shot glass and diluted it with a little water. Then I popped the hand stand.

The workout:
-handstand (50 secs, 40, 40)
-25.25 kg weighted pull-ups (7x4,2x3,3x2)
-fat grip hang power clean & press (4 on the minute for 10 minutes)

While I don't think my little experiment validated the article, it left the door open for more study. Whether I broke through the 40 sec wall because of the vinegar shots or simple progression, I don't know. The placebo effect can't be discounted either. I'll be experimenting with apple cider vinegar and maybe throwing some sour candies in the gym bag.

The pull-up plateau has been busted. I struggled for a while with the set/rep scheme and couldn't make any improvement. I was stymied. Then it occurred to me that there's more than one way to progress. I added a 1.25 kg plate to the dip belt. The set/rep scheme is almost identical, but now I'm pulling more weight.

The finisher was a grip masher. Anybody wanting to rehab a thumb injury should consider fat grip db hang power cleans.

japan day

New York City celebrated Japan Day, June 6, with live music, a samurai parade and other activities in Central Park's East meadow. I met up with fellow K4L member, JC and his son, in hopes of catching a Kyokushin Karate demonstration. It turned out that this year's demo was severely truncated: 10 mae geri.

karma

The first time it happened, we chalked it up to plain ol' bad luck. Just as I whipped out my credit card and asked for two tickets to see "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", the ticket vendor tells me that she'd just sold the last two tickets to the couple before me. Bastards! Better luck next time.

Last night, my wife and I bought two tickets an hour and a half early, plenty of time to assure us of two seats. A few blocks away was a reasonably uncrowded (for a Saturday night in NYC's Soho) bistro, Jacques. We asked for a banquette table inside; outside was too balmy to enjoy a meal. So far so good. I noticed a reserved notice on the table to my left, but thought nothing of it. We ordered, got our drinks, and started our date night conversation. The subject was "Gee, this is going to be an interesting evening." At this point, I became aware that the reserved table next to us was now occupied. A quick glance tells me the patron, single middle aged guy, craggy features, dark hair, is a well known actor. I switch into Japanese and inform my wife, that way we can converse without betraying our interest; we are jaded New Yorkers after all, actors are a dime a dozen.

So far, the evening is a success. We have our movie tickets in hand. We are well fed. We are glowing in the halo of celebrity. Our waiter suggests a blueberry cheesecake, that night's dessert special, but we decline. On a different night, it might have been interesting to dally over dessert and eavesdrop on the conversation taking place nearby, a beautiful dinner companion had joined the actor, but we had tickets to a show. Next time, definitely.

With ample time to spare we arrive at the theater, where we find drama.
theater manager-We dropped the film.
me-You can't drop the film, we paid.
theater manager-No, we really dropped the film. The reel, it hit the floor.
me- So, pick it up.
theater manager-The reel unwound and got tangled. There's no way to show the film this evening.
me- Doh! (not really,more like You bastards!)

Have a nice day.

last week, this week

June 1
-handstand (2 mins)
-24 kg weighted pull-ups (5,4,10x3,1)
-60 kg squat cleans (10 mins)

June7
-handstand (2 mins)
-24 kg weighted pull-ups (7x4, 4x3)
-50 kg c&p (3 on the minute for 10 mins)

Not a whole lot happened between last week and this week, training-wise. The only exercise worth mentioning is the occasional assisted, one-armed negative on the pull-up bar. The way this works is you pull up with both arms, then release all but the ring and pinky fingers of the support hand from the bar as you lower yourself with most of your weight borne by one arm.

pain

Pain is a dashboard warning light blinking. Usually it signals something is wrong. My elbow hurts. It's been sore for about two weeks. I expected soreness. A combination of high rep burpees, weighted pull-ups and dips is bound to elicit pain eventually. Massage is an active way to deal with the pain.

The photo shows my favorite anti-pain medication: self massage gadgets all. At the extreme left are the two most frequently used tools: a hard plastic Indo Board cylinder and the Stick. Whenever I refer to the foam roller, I am actually talking about the Indo Board cylinder. The cylinder has proven useful in treating my back pain and plantar fasciitis. Runners should be familiar with the Stick. It's great for shin splints, calf and IT band issues, and elbow tendinitis. I've been using the Stick on my triceps. It greatly reduces the soreness in my elbow.

Further right are various sized balls. A ball placed between a trigger point and a wall or the floor brings almost instantaneous relief. I recovered from a whiplash injury using a golfball in this manner. The Knobble (mushroom shaped device) and the blue caltrop looking thingy are handy trigger point release tools. I am currently using these for massaging the extensor and supinator muscles in my forearms.

Friday's workout:
-27 squat cleans

Saturday:
-10 minutes of burpees
-1 minute tuck front lever (4x15 secs)
-12 sec hand stand
-10 minutes of kb high pulls

2,550/11,xxx

summer doldrums

I've been lazy the past few days; no work-outs, nuthin. A couple times I stood right in front of the dumbbells psyching myself to pick them up, only to walk away defeated. There's this annoying pain behind my right hip-it feels as if someone were digging a knuckle in my back. It makes it hard to sleep and saps me of any will to train. Bleh.

Enough already:
-weighted pull-ups (8x4, 3x9)
-bent arm hang (6x10 secs)
-24 squat cleans

Knocking off a weighted pull-up session from the week has not yielded any discernible results. I am still struggling with 4 reps per set. The next progression on the squat clean plan was 8x3 on the minute. For variety, I tried to complete 24 reps before 8 minutes and finished in 7'08".

wisdom from Bas

When I grow up, I want to have the presence of mind of Bas Rutten.

summer of love

It's Friday and I'm rockin' my Capezios. Not really, but I love the remix of this Donna Summer classic.

Today's workout:
-VB51
-squat cleans on the minute (7x3)
-push press on the minute (5x5)
-Tabata row!

I started out with a leisurely 51 burpees-no timer and lots of rest. I then added a set to the squat cleans and push-presses and finished with a Tabata row. As with all of the exercises, I used nasal breathing to recover and get the heart rate down quickly. Following the row, which again sent up a small cloud of dust, I got a little congested, which made nasal breathing very difficult; almost sent me into a panic attack (danger, danger, no oxygen).

2,460/11,xxx

spicy hot

Today's workout went like this:
-squat cleans on the minute (6x2,2x3)
-VB50 (3'53")
-25 lbs windmills (2x5)

One of my long term objectives is to build up the strength to do Crossfit's Fran with 2x30kg dbs. The squat cleans and push presses are stepping stones. I didn't do any push-press today though. The burpees weren't easier today, but I expected that as I'd just finished the squat cleans. While I was a little too tired for heavy shoulder work, I wanted to do something. Windmills, like a shot of chili pepper, were just the thing.

2,459/11,xxx

no pain, no gain

You've heard this mentioned before. I thought I'd bring it up to remind you with an example. In my quest to build up my burpee numbers, I've taken to doing burpee breathing ladders. The ladders enable me to crank out more than 100 reps, in relative ease. Therein lies the problem. A 1-15 breathing ladder is strenuous, but is not as painful as 50 burpees for time.

The price of low cost burpee ladders is decreased anaerobic efficiency. I know this because I just clocked 50 burpees at 3'50". Before the burpee breathing ladders, I was closing in on 3 minutes flat. I felt out of condition.

Today's workout:
-day 14 of the weighted density pull-up plan (7x4, 4x3)
-3x10 sec bent arm hangs
-5x10 weighted dips
-VB50 (3'50")

I feel like I'm stuck at this level (7x4, 4x3) on the pull-ups. I'm incorporating bent-arm hangs to bust through this resistance level.

2,409/11,xxx

wnba

Sunday was a day of firsts for my family. We attended a WNBA game between the New York Liberty and Chicago Sky at Madison Square Garden (click the title for a report of the basketball game). The last time I was at the Garden, New York's other basketball team, the Knicks, got smoked by the Utah Jazz. This time around, the ladies' team did New York proud by winning the match-up against Chicago.

Unlike the ill-fated Knicks game, which took place on a school night, this WNBA game started at 4:00PM on a Sunday afternoon and ended while it was still light out. The arena was filled, it seemed to me, with families. Young girls were in abundance. This was a perfect event for my daughters, who took great pleasure in watching the big girls play hoops.

Today's workout:
-20 burpees
-squat cleans on the minute (6x3)
-push-press on the minute (4x5)

2,359/11,xxx

saturday's workout

Here we go:
-day 13 of the weighted pull-up plan (7x4, 4x3)
-Tabata thrusters (2x20kg db's)
-burpee breathing ladders (1-15, 1-7)

Apart from diminished soreness in my triceps, it's hard for me to tell if I'm making progress with the density pull-up plan. Less pain, is gain I suppose as it's a sign of some kind of adaption. The Tabata thrusters were a bear. The amount of reps per set made it look like a max strength workout on paper; however, the 10 seconds of rest between sets definitely puts it in another class of hell. After a five minute rest, I plunged into the burpee ladders. They weren't lung searing so much as quad burning.

2,339/11,xxx

there's no "e" in spuds

If your knowledge of farm produce is based on what's available at the typical supermarket, you might think there are only two kinds of potatoes: Yukon Gold and Idaho. I'm no expert, but I'm certain there's more variety than that! Lucky for me, there's a farmers' market at Union Square. We bought a bag of peanut shaped spuds yesterday. I'm not sure how I'm going to prepare them this evening, but I'm leaning towards a treatment with olive oil and garlic.

Before hitting the farmers' market, I put 2 k on my Concept 2 rower. I have not touched the rower since I embarked on the now 11,000 plus burpee challenge. As soon as I pulled on the handle, the rotor sent up a cloud of dust that almost initiated an asthma attack. My time was 7'44"1, not exceptionally fast, but not disappointing. It seems that the burpees, while not making me a stellar oarsman, kept me physically prepared for something. That's gpp.

Where in the hell is Beeks?

If you've been following the soaring stock market, you might have been wondering, as I have, when Wall Street will align with the realities of Main Street. Just yesterday, my wife came home with a shopping bag full of goodies from a store on Fifth Avenue that was going out of business. Shoppers picked over the deeply discounted merchandise like vultures over carrion. Once this store goes, what enterprise will take over the lease? How many manicure and pedicure boutiques will it take to pick up the slack left by the companies that have gone under? I don't think there will be any fingernails left to shape and buff. They'll all have been chewed down to the cuticle.

Any who, I didn't like the way the stock market looked over the past couple days so I closed some long positions this morning and went short. This was a fortuitous move. Had I had my doctor's appointment today instead of yesterday, I might still have been long when the market fell off a cliff. If you look at the chart, it looks just like the trajectory of a rock pushed off a precipice: straight down. That's program trading for you.

The market closed right around where I thought it would. I suppose the market might find support and continue the upward trend, or maybe not. Buckle up, we're in for a bumpy ride.

old school dinosaur

I recently attended a gathering of old and current members of my alma mater's Tae Kwon Do Club. As one of the original members, I was curious to see what changes had taken place since I'd moved on. A lot has changed.

The TKD club was founded in the mid 1980's. If you remember that far back, MTV still played music videos. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor, plays a killer robot from the future. And I was practicing ITF TKD, as taught by Master BM Lee. ITF TKD resembles Shotokan karate more than it does the Olympic style (WTF). I didn't expect to see anyone I knew, but was more than ready to meet the folks who've come after me.

Well, there were two familiar faces: Kenji, who was pursuing a doctorate in linguistics; Master Michael Lee, son of Master BM Lee. Turns out Kenji never got his doctorate in linguistics, but he did get his 2nd dan in TKD. Master Michael Lee was in high school the last time I saw him. Since then he became a grand champion in a major TKD tournament, a senior instructor, and a family man. The rest of the faces were all too young, not even born by the time I graduated. I could only relate to them as a relic from the old school days. "Don't stop training," I told them, "it's a way of life."

Today's workout:
-day 10 of the weighted pull up program (5,5,5,4,4,4,3,3,3,3,1)
-dips (12,12,12,12,12)
-1 to 15 burpee breathing ladder

I feel like I'm rushing the sets of 5 in the pull-ups. I'll turn it down a notch so that I can get some clean sets in. My arms are medium-well to well-done. Some massaging with the stick and high bounce ball are in order.

2,040/10,xxx

on the metaphysics of martial arts: sex, chimps, and complex human behaviour

The article (linked in the title) cleared up some confusion that arose over a discussion I participated in on fighting. Some women involved in the discussion wanted the opportunity to fight against males under full-contact rules. The men active in the discussion were unanimously opposed to the idea of fighting women as if they were men. Some men felt that rules should be established prohibiting such match-ups. While notions of chivalry, equal rights, oppression and declining masculinity were tossed about, the crux of the problem, I see now, is sex, no not gender, the nasty.

Chimps have long been observed using sticks and blades of grass to extract termites from their burrows. Recently, some scientists have documented male chimps using dry leaves to entice females to mate. This is fascinating, complex behavior for the purpose of getting down with the ladies. Should we be surprised?

Martial arts, as distinguished from killing, I would argue is an activity to establish hierarchy and mating rights. If it were about self-defense and killing, martial artists would be training with the latest weapons and technology available. Instead, martial arts is all non-lethal fun. Tournaments, cage matches, kumite, along with rams butting heads or peacocks in display mode are primarily male pursuits, whose object, we might not realize, is to get the girl.

Getting back to the discussion of full-contact matches between men and women, perhaps the males' reluctance to hit women is not because of chivalry, but because deep in our simian brain we are simply programmed to hit "on" women. Hitting is reserved for the competition, the other guy.

Today's workout:
-weighted chin-ups (5, 4, 4, 4, 4, )
-1 to 15 burpee breathing ladder

curious george saves the day

There's truth in the title of the exhibit, "Curious George Saves the Day." We learned, while visiting the Jewish Museum on Manhattan's Museum Mile with our children, that the drawings and manuscripts for the beloved book series helped the authors and illustrators, Margaret and H. A. Rey, escape Nazi occupied France.

The exhibit sheds light on how the peripatetic life of H.A and Margaret inspired the little monkey's adventures. As a child reading the book series, and as a parent reading the books to my children, I wasn't aware of the back story. That the little monkey and the man in the yellow hat emerge from their scrapes with their optimism intact makes the stories all the more poignant.

'snot all cultcha:
- 1-15 burpee breathing ladder

1,780/10,xxx

day 8

Thursday is day 8 of the pull-up density training plan:
-24 kg weighted pull-ups (10x4)
-Bent arm L-sit hold (17 secs)
-50 burpees


1,660/10,xxx

hide from frickin aliens

If one of the smartest men alive today says hide from space aliens, who am I to argue. Actually, I've always thought the search for extra terrestrial life was a waste of time and money, and if we found any intelligent life out there we'd be in big trouble. Now if someone disagrees I can say, "FU, Stephen Hawking thinks so too."

the reservoir

This is a shot looking west across the reservoir in Central Park. It's a little over a mile and a half in circumference. If you time it just right, you can almost have the path all to yourself; almost, because it's nearly impossible to have this little slice of runner's heaven all to yourself. In the fall, the view is spectacular. Here's a shot facing south.



If the res is too short a distance for you, you'll want to run the loop: that's Central Park Drive, which if you take the long way is just a smidge over 6 miles. Unlike the res, the loop offers hills, flats and a great opportunity for people watching. Beware of cyclists, roller-bladers (yes, they still exist), and parents pushing speeding baby carriages.



Today's workout:
-100 KB high-pulls
-DB thrusters (8x2)
-dips (6x10)

irony

While vacationing in Hawaii a few years ago, I picked up a ukulele-not one of those cheesy instruments you get at the souvenir shop along with T-shirts and Mauna Loa macadamia nuts. I actually made the purchase at shop specializing in ukuleles. I liked that the instrument is small and has only for strings. I had the impression that it would be easy to master. Ironically, a violin is roughly the same size and has the same number of strings. No one would call the violin an easy instrument to play. The irony does not stop there. Consider the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. The UOGB has taken the humble ukulele to a place so out there, you can't not respect the instrument nor not be entertained by this wacky ensemble of artists.

More iron-y. Today was day 6 of the weighted chin-up density program. I added more sets of 4: (7x4) + (4x3). I was planning on doing the same with thrusters, but didn't have the energy for it today-rough night.

day 5 of the weighted chin-ups program

It's day 5 of my weighted chin-ups density training program. Before I worked up to the weight of the 24 kg kettlebell, I used a combination of iron plates. It is so much easier to attach a 24 kg kettlebell to the dip-belt, compared to a stack of iron plates. In the past, the plates would abrade the nylon strap or make an annoying ruckus. Now, silence except for the sound of me grunting and wheezing.

It went like this, (5x4's) + (7x3's) for a total of 41 reps in 12 minutes. I used a mix of supinated and neutral grips. The rest of the workout consisted of shrugs & squats (3x12) and overhead presses (10, 11, 12). I like the simplicity of density training, so it's likely that I'll use it for the pressing and squats. Stay tuned.