Conditioning

3 circuits; 1 minute's rest in between:

100 skips
15 ball slams
15 kettlebell lateral swings per arm
15 box jumps
15 burpees
20 ball squats (lifting the ball to the top of the punchbag)
10 shuttle runs

Today was another one of those days when I didn't want to do a conditioning routine, but pushed myself anyway. It took me a little while to get going in the first round, but by the second round my mind was in the right place. I started to drag my arse halfway through the third set as fatigue started to kick in. However, a couple of people came into the yoga room to do some stretching, and that seemed to give me some impetus. Nothing like an audience to get me going.

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3 x 20 ab rollouts

3 x 50 bicycle crunches

Conditioning

Post-workout schweddy.

Second pre-soccer season conditioning workout.

4 circuits; 2 minutes rest in between each.

12 parallette jumps
15 burpees
30 mountain climbers
20 kettlebell swings
1 minute skipping

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3 x 20 shuttle runs (1 run = length of yoga room)

Conditioning

I wanted to get started on my conditioning program in preparation for my summer soccer season. It's been several months since I did any conditioning, so I knew this was going to be mentally tough. I'm going to make these more challenging over time, but today was just a mental warm-up.

3 circuits; 90 seconds rest
12 parallette jumps
15 burpees
30 kettlebell swings
10 punchbag shuttle runs

Jesus, I though my chest was going to explode. I knew the shuttle runs would be the hardest, but the burpees were surprisingly tough, too. I haven't done any for months, so it took a while to get any fluidity. Plus, I did some ab work yesterday so my core was nice and sore this morning.

200 x skipping rope skips

Leg extensions (burn)
75lb x 50

Legs

This is only the second time I've had a leg personal training session that left me almost unable to walk and with a spinning head. Ben was brutal!

Preloading: Traveling lunges (2 x no weights, 1 x 25lb dumbbells)

Back squats

Leg curls

Leg press - singles

Leg extensions

Leg press calf raises - both feet and singles

Skipping

Planks and side planks

Conditioning

Four circuits:
Row 500m
30 kettlebell swings
30 box jumps
2 minutes skipping
30 ball slams
10 shuttle runs

This was one of those workouts where, at the halfway point, I wished I hadn't started it.

Conditioning and abs

My legs still feel a little tight after Monday's PT session, so I spent about 10 minutes stretching before I started training.

3 circuits:
12 x parallette jumps
20 x burpees
20 x kettlebell swings
100 x skips
10 x shuttle runs with punch bag

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Weighted sit-ups/Russian twists (2 twists per side)
10, 10, 10

Ab roll-outs - 10, 10, 10

Conditioning and Abs

I had a fun, active morning today. I was cycling to the gym and as I went past Madi's house, she shouted out to me from her bedroom window. When I doubled back, she'd come downstairs, and she asked if I wanted to go for a bike ride with her. So before I even got to ABsolute Fitness, I'd already had a 45 minute warm up! I can't believe how quickly Madi's grown up. She can cycle without supervision now, as long as she doesn't go further than around the block.

4 circuits:
12 x parallette jumps
30 x kettlebell swings
30 x ball slams
2 minutes skipping
10 x sprints (one end of the yoga room and back equals one sprint)

I was one sweaty bastich by the end, and my quads were burning.

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Ab roll-outs - 3 x 10
Decline sit ups - 24, 15, 14
Bicycle crunches - 3 x 50 per leg

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I should be mowing the lawn, but I don't have any energy left.

Conditioning

One sweaty bugger.

Holy crap, this left me as a simpering puddle of sweat!

4 circuits:
30 kettlebell swings
20 box jumps
15 kettlebell lateral swings per side
2 minutes skipping
30 kettlebell crunches

It probably took me 10 minutes to put all the equipment away, just because I was so knackered.

Conditioning

Gave it another shot...

3 circuits:
2 minutes skipping
15 inverted rows off parallettes
15 kettlebell lateral swings per arm
2 minutes lateral jumps over small bench
15 dips off parallettes
20 ball squats (lifting ball to top of punch bag)
25 burpees

Conditioning

Very poor performance in my personal training session today, due to a throbbing headache caused by my sinuses. While I was training, I felt like my left eye was going to explode as the pressure built up in my nose had spread. The discomfort today might have been caused by the humid weather and/or a shitload of water entering my nose while swimming yesterday. I took a decongestant a couple of hours before my workout, but it had no effect whatsoever. Nothing I could do about it, but I'm always disappointed when I can't give 100%, especially in a PT session. That being said, it's been a long time since I've been unable to give it everything.

Circuits:
2 minutes skipping
15 inverted rows off parallettes
15 kettlebell lateral swings per arm
2 minutes lateral jumps over small bench
15 dips off parallettes
20 ball squats (lifting ball to top of punch bag)
25 burpees

I'm not sure how many sets Cosmo wanted me to do, but I was only able to finish two. The burpees were a bit of a challenge because I kept slipping in my own sweat!

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2 sets:
20 barbell twists @ 80lb
20 leg raises

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2 sets:
20 sit-ups/ball throws (straight sit-ups and alternate sides)

Conditioning

4 circuits:
12 x parallette jumps
15 x clapping push-ups
20 x figure of 8 shuttle runs
30 x kettlebell swings
90 seconds skipping

Tried to do some snatches to finish off, but I simply had no energy left. This is probably due to the conditioning routine today, as well as all the shoulder work yesterday.

Conditioning and upper body

Christie Phillips

Another ass-kicking conditioning session to start the workout. Cosmo reckons I probably burned about 700 calories. Only 700?!

Circuit x 3; 60 seconds rest in between each
15 x inverted rows off parallettes
90 seconds skipping
10 x kettlebell swings per arm (alternating each rep)
12 x box jumps
2 x lengths of the yoga room, traveling lunges with 75lb barbell
2 minutes shuttle runs, starting from push up position

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Pyramid bench presses:
2 sets of 10 x 115lb, 8 x 125lb, 6 x 135lb, 10 x push-ups
30 seconds rest between each weight change; 1 minute rest between sets.

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Pyramid dips: 10, 8, 6
30 seconds rest between each round.

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Cosmo gave me a body fat test after today's session, and mine came out at 15.3%. That places me in the "Fitness" category, so I need to drop another 1.3% to sneak into "Athlete". That's a little bit higher than I expected, based on previous measurements and my regular "mirror test". I don't think I've put on any unwanted fat, so perhaps the discrepancy might be due to different measuring techniques (like weighing yourself on different scales). I'm not too bothered, as I feel great and I definitely feel like I'm getting stronger and fitter.

Conditioning

I haven't used a picture of a male athlete for nearly a month.
Oh, well...

For time:
50 skips (x 2)
50 burpees
50 thrusters @ 20s
50 sit-ups
50 push presses @ 20s
50 leg raises/hip raises
50 traveling lunges (50 steps)
50 dumbbell swings @ 30
50 dumbbell snatches @ 25
50 jump squats

Time = 32:41

Real life got in the way of my planned pushing workout today and I didn't have time to go to ABsolute Fitness this morning. It wasn't until 6:00pm that I was able to take a break from work, but I was only able to get to the Stonecroft gym. I spent a good 15 minutes stretching and warming up, especially as my right calf is still hurting from my cramp spasm after Saturday's PT session.

I adapted today's main site WOD by substituting some movements for the RXed ones; for example, thrusters with dumbbells instead of wall balls, and leg/hip raises instead of knees to elbows. Some of the changes were due to the equipment that was available, and some were because I don't have the skills (100 single skips instead of 50 double-unders).

Perhaps because it was later in the day, but I felt pretty lethargic at the start of this routine. However, I gradually felt mentally more energized as I progressed, although I was obviously becoming more fatigued. I was alone in the gym until the dumbbell swings, and I think I scared the crap out of the geezer who came in to use the machines. I was grunting and sweating my ass off, then I managed to gasp "Enjoy your evening" when I left. I'm probably the first person at Stonecroft who's done metcon training!

Conditioning

Goddamn box jumps. I had a great night's sleep that left me feeling fully rested and ready to work my ass off at the gym. I hadn't actually planned my session and was just going to wing it when I got there, making up something on the spot for my first routine.

3 rft
25 burpees
50 supported lateral hops @ 24"
100 single skips
Time = 18:37

Okay, that might not look too bad, but I had actually set up the risers and step so I could do box jumps (over by the squat rack in the corner). However, while I was warming up, I started to get that same damn mental block I've had the past few times I wanted to do box jumps. I've no idea why this has suddenly become a problem, but every time I started to crouch down to jump, I couldn't get my feet off the ground! I kept staring at the bloody thing and froze. Rather than stand there for half an hour and not doing anything, I decided to at least get moving, swapping in the lateral hops instead.

When I got to the end, I felt really pissed at myself. I decided I wasn't going to leave the gym until I'd completed 50 box jumps at 24". There's something about attempting these with lots of clear space in front of me that puts me off, as if I think the whole set up is going to collapse and I'm going to fall over, knocking out all my teeth. Yeah, I know that's bloody stupid; I'm not saying I was being rational! Anyway, I moved the setup to the corner by Chris's office, about a foot in front of the cupboard door. I figured if I misjudged my jump I could steady myself by putting my hand on the door. That seemed to calm me down mentally, although I'm sure it must have pissed off Chris with the constant "thump, thump, thump" of me landing on the box. Anyway...

50 box jumps @ 24"
Time = 4:24

Ironically, I did actually trip attempting the 47th rep, and hit my hand on the top step!

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300 single skips
10 push ups whenever I fail a rep or rest
Time = 8:13, with 80 push ups (8 fails)

Conditioning

A quick session at the Stonecroft gym.

50-40-30-20-10 rft:
Burpees
Skips (single unders)
Time = 19:45

I. Hate. Burpees. Bloody hell. I was totally alone in the gym, with no noise from a tv nor any music. I never realised how loudly I breathe when I'm doing a fast-paced routine like this! 150 burpees - what was I thinking.

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Sit-ups

I did the same sit-up routine I did with Paul a couple of weeks ago. It felt easier today, and all sets of 10 reps were unbroken, perhaps because I did more of a workout beforehand last time.

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200m rowing sprints x 3 (Concept 2 at maximum resistance)
52 seconds, 51, 50

I dropped a second each time! My arms felt like shit at the end.

I don't know if it was due to the heavy breathing or the unusually warm weather, but when I got back home my sinuses flared up. My whole head was throbbing and I thought I was going to heave. Not pleasant.

Conditioning

My workouts this week have been a bit half-assed, so I wanted to throw in a quick conditioning routine in the Stonecroft gym on what would usually be a rest day. Well, it was supposed to be quick...

4 rft:
40 strokes on the rowing machine @ 10 resistance
40 hand-release push ups
40 skips
40 sit ups
Time = 28:14

I don't know if this is particularly slow, but I expected my time to be quicker.

Conditioning

Lucas Parker: The Man. The Beard.

I had no idea what I was going to do today, even when I got to the gym. I didn't even think I'd have time, as this morning I'll be attending the funeral of a friend and neighbour who died suddenly at the weekend. However, I woke up quite early, showered, then cycled to the gym. I warmed up, then made this up on the fly.

5 rft:
10 power snatches @ 75lb
15 push presses @ 75lb
25 sit-ups
40 single skips
Time = 26:52

Upper body

Alternate sets

Bench press:
95 x 10
105 x 10
115 x 8
125 x 4
130 x 3

Cable row:
100 x 10
110 x 10
115 x 10
120 x 10
125 x 8

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Hang power snatch 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
65, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95

This is the main site WOD from a couple of months ago. I videoed all the sets - shown below - and some of them are repeated in slow motion to show how my form changes as the weight increases. 

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Supersets: Military press/push press, max reps @75lb
4/7, 4/6, 2/4, 2/4

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Amrap 5 - single skips
Score = 289

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Barbell curls
55 x 10, 60 x 6, 4, 3

Full body

Personal training with Paul

5 rft:
1 deadlift @ 285 (90% of 1rm)
10 military presses @ 65
40 single skips
Time = 13:08

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For time:
50 dips
50 push-ups (close-ish hand position)
Time = 12:56

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For time:
50 kipping pull-ups
Time = 5:53

Chest, arms and stuff

My mind was all over the place today. I got up 20 minutes later than usual, and that threw off my whole morning. 20 minutes! I rushed my breakfast, rushed my shower (not as disgusting as it sounds) and found it difficult to focus. Plus my rushed oatmeal wasn't sitting right. And that is as disgusting as it sounds.

I did a light chest and arms workout today; nothing too fancy.

Superset:
Incline bench press - 35s x 10, 40s x 7, 6, 6, 6
Push-ups - 12, 8, 7, 7, 7

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Dips to parallel, relative max - 11, 6, 5, 5, 6

A few reps broke parallel and I didn't feel any discomfort. Still, I'm not prepared to risk quick dips in a metcon yet.

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Alternate sets:
Straight bar curls - 55 x 10, 60 x 8, 65 x 6, 65 x5
Dumbbell skull crushers - 25s x 11, 27s x 7, 30s x 4, 30s x 5

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Barbell preacher curls @ 60 - 9, 6, 8

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Skipping - 3 x 100 singles

My first round was unbroken - a new PR! :-)