October 2009
42 posts
5 tags
The Mayor is in!
Got out for my first workout since becoming a dad! Went to Washington Park between feedings and diaper changes for a quickie:
1 Burpee
Sprint 50m
10 Pullups
Jog backwards 50m
2 Burpees
Sprint 50m
9 Pullups
Jog backwards 50m
3 Burpees
Sprint 50m
8 Pullups
Jog backwards 50m
4 Burpees
Sprint 50m
7 Pullups
Jog backwards 50m
5 Burpees
Sprint 50m
6 Pullups
Jog backwards 50m
6...
Effect of Animal Fat on Sleep? →
“Fat tastes good. Which implies we need it.”
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“We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.”
– John Dryden
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“Don’t hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit...”
– Theodore Roosevelt
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“The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally...”
– David Friedman
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“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through....”
– Anais Nin
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“I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces...”
– General George S. Patton
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Hip Action Intervals
Set up three stations here with a 45 sec work interval followed by 15 sec of rest:
Burpees x 45 sec (19, 18, 16, 16, 16)
Med Ball Slams x 45 sec (40, 34, 32, 30, 28)
DB Swings (35lb) x 45 sec (27, 26, 25, 24, 24)
Repeat 5x
Total score: 375. I feel like my huge drop-off on the slams was mostly due to sweat - it got pretty slippery.
The One Hand Snatch - David Willoughby →
“[The] snatch…when performed with one hand rather than with two – call[s] upon general bodily strength to the same degree as when using two hands, and in addition require[s] greater control, agility, grace and balance.” Totes.
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“Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need.”
– Voltaire
Training With a Newborn →
“To those who struggle with less than optimal sleep conditions, keep in mind that it does get better. My son has been sleeping through the night for almost 2 years now. My daughter isn’t far off from doing the same. Yes, the early months can be tough when dealing with limited sleep, but remember that it will get better. Also, keep in mind that it really isn’t that bad. There are far worse...
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Kung Fu class
Took her easy tonight, but worked out along with the first class. After the warmup and some drills we went into form work. Helped out with the second class too, but took it a bit easier.
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“Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood,...”
– Zen proverb (via)
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“My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly...”
– Hank Aaron
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Bike Intervals
Since I tweaked my upper back, I couldn’t do any kind of weight-related conditioning workout like I planned. I tried pullups and pushups and both were right out. I hopped on the bike since it was the only thing I could do comfortably and I wanted to get a sweat going:
2 min bike
30 sec easy, slow pedaling (active rest)
Repeat 6x
I wasn’t even able to hit max intensity here since my...
3 tags
Max Effort Overhead Squat
Very quick warmup to make sure my hands aren’t too sweaty to hold the bar:
Overhead Squats 3 x 95lb
3 x 115lb
3 x 135lb
1 x 155lb
Injured myself bringing that last rep down to the rack. Same thing that I tweaked last week, but a bit worse. I’m gonna cool off on the weights for about a week and see how it feels.
This is how I feel:
Goal-oriented training →
“In order to stay motivated and keep your training focused, I believe that goals should be well-defined, attainable, and short-term - meaning that with dedicated training you should be able to reach your goals within about 3 months.”
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Kung Fu practice
Sloppy, unfocused practice today. Just wasn’t able to focus properly, but went through the motions anyway. Worked on Chun Choi Dai Dao a bit and then some Gung Ji Fuk Fu Kuen. I’ll keep working on these forms this week.
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Cosgrove's Evil 8 Complex
Found this complex here and thought I’d give it a go. I loaded up a barbell with 85lb for the following movements:
Deadlift
Romanian Deadlift
Bentover Row
Hang Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Good Morning
On round one, perform 6 reps of each exercise, moving from one exercise to the next, never letting go of the bar, never resting. I was supposed to rest 90 sec between...
3 tags
Max Effort Dumbbell Snatch
Really quick warmup of pullups, pushups, air squats, and samson stretches, then into the work:
DB Snatch 3 x 50lb
3 x 65lb
3 x 80lb
1 x 90lb
1 x 100lb
1 x 110lb *FAIL*
Well, I got 110 up with my right hand ok, couldn’t hit it on the left despite a few attempts. I was sure I had it in me too.
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Review: The Very Finest Fish Oil (Lemon Flavor),...
Since fish oil is “the most important supplement ever,” I bit the bullet and started taking Triple Strength Fish Oil pills from GNC. Eight pills per day. After about a year of that, I got sick of taking eight pills every day and decided to give the liquid fish oil a try. I’m still shooting for 9.5 grams of EPA/DHA per day based on Robb Wolf’s suggested dosage of 1/2g per 10 lbs...
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“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what...”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Kung Fu class
Worked out with the first class today and assisted with forms. After class I worked myself on Chun Choi Dai Dao a bit - working with the various kwan daos in the school from the big boy to the bendy one. It’s nice to swing the heavy one around, but it’s not very balanced. Didn’t feel great tonight, so I’ll focus on this for the rest of the week.
You Don't Know Squat →
“This is one exercise [squats] that can benefit almost every muscle in your body if you do them correctly and safely. So good, in fact, that you MUST do them. I don’t care if you’re a power lifter, bodybuilder, or a ballerina. You gotta do them!”
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“Without passion man is a mere latent force and possibility, like the flint which...”
– Frederic Amiel
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“You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.”
– Charles Buxton
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Sprint Intervals
At the turf field in Washington Park on a breezy autumn day:
Sprint 50m
Jog backwards 50m
Repeat 12x
Felt pretty good, but I’m not too sure about the distance of the width of that field.
3 tags
Max Effort Overhead Press
Warmed up with some light squats and worked up to 2 x 5x 225lb to keep my form tight.
Press 5 x 95lb
5 x 95lb
5 x 115lb
3 x 135lb
3 x 155lb
Smooth sailing until the last rep on the last set. I almost stalled, but pushed through it (sort of lopsided) and tweaked my neck a little. Nothing serious, but I opted out of the last set for the day.
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Kung Fu class
Got stuck at the office, so I got to class late and couldn’t stay very long (more work awaits!). After warming myself up I helped out with some forms and did a bit of work on Ng Lung Ba Gwa Gwan myself.
1 tag
“I worked hard, and if you work hard you get the goodies.”
– Steve McQueen (via)
Fostering An Active Lifestyle →
“All too often parents look elsewhere for solutions, rather than taking a moment to ponder their own responsibilities. No one is more responsible for a child than the parents. It isn’t the responsibility of the school or government to develop a healthy child. Parents must take it upon themselves.”
Sitting is Unhealthy (and What to Do About It) →
“The occasional dalliance with a straight-backed office chair probably isn’t a problem, but when we spend most of our waking life sitting (or, even worse, slumping over) in a chair, we invite disaster.” Shit.
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Kung Fu practice
Made the most of my time locked outside and got some extra practice in. Ran through Tiet Sien Kuen to get going then worked on Ng Ying Kuen for a while. Did the snake section a few times, then ran through the leopard section 20x. Felt leopardy.
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Wrecktangle
I meant to go push some weight today, but I accidentally locked myself out of my apartment. Headed over to Washington Park instead and designed a workout around running around the perimeter of the park:
10 Box Jumps
Run ~50m
10 Situps
Run ~150m
10 Pullups
Run ~50m
10 Pushups
Run ~150m
Repeat 4x
Total time: ~14 min. Hey, I didn’t have my gymboss, so I timed it on my cell phone. I...
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Kung Fu class
Sweated it out alongside the first class of the evening and then we had the promotions ceremony for the guys who tested a few weeks ago. After that I worked on Hang Yuet Darn Dao for a while and then ran through Tiet Sien Kuen with the fellas.
2 tags
Kung Fu practice
Hid in the shade by the Old Stone House after bear crawling all over the field and worked on Ng Ying Kuen for a while. Took it pretty slow and focused on the opening section for the most part because I was feeling pretty run down from the little conditioning workout I just finished.
5 tags
Walk Like a Crab
What’s this — a beautiful Sunday afternoon and there are no park-closing events at the turf field on Washington Park? Look out kids!
Sprint 50m
Bear Crawl 25m
Crab Walk 25m
AMRAP in 15 minutes
Score: 11 rounds. The timer actually beeped before I finished my last round, but I finished a few seconds later. This one always sucks and leaves me with some nice blisters on the heel of...
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Kung Fu practice
I headed outside between bouts of rain and worked on Ng Ying Kuen a bit. Focused on the dragon and snake sections today - did each 10x on each side, varying power and speed. Felt good.
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Max Effort Overhead Squats
Started with the official TWBS warmup, then got to work:
Overhead Squats 5 x 85lb
5 x 105lb
5 x 125lb
3 x 145lb
3 x 155lb (PR)
I feel like I’m getting more solid with these, but I could probably be more ambitious with the weight if my gym had bumper plates. Knowing that I need to control whatever weight I get overhead, even if I need to bail, gets a little intimidating. I was also...
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“Greatness is never a given. It must be earned.”
– President Obama (via)
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Kung Fu class
I got in early so I could work myself out on the spear before class. Got a few run throughs of Ng Lung Ba Gwa Cheung and then ran the first class. After they took off we did Tiet Sien Kuen as a group and then worked on a bunch of sections from Ng Ying Kuen.
A Post for Russ… - Dutch Lowy →
“I recommend no more than 15-20% of your workouts go over 20 minutes.”