February 2010
29 posts
2 tags
Kung Fu practice
After my interval training session, my shoulders were so tight that I needed to get some of the evil chi out. Ran through Tiet Sien Kuen with light power and focusing on releasing and relaxing. Felt better afterwards.
4 tags
Jump Rope Intervals
Getting my intervals in:
45 sec jump rope
Repeat 20x, resting 15 sec between sets.
Alternated between high-knee-sprint-in-place skipping and double unders each round. Once fatigue sets in, both become really difficult. Hard work. Finished with 3 x 5 standing wheel rollouts.
4 tags
Explosive Strength Training
I still have the triple clap pushup in my arsenal, but I want to start incorporating more explosive/speed strength training to make sure I stay explosive. I did everything with my trusty sandbag, so 80lbs across the board:
Sandbag getups x 5/side
Sandbag clean & press - 5 x 3
Sandbag sumo deadlift highpulls - 5 x 3
Complex Pair - repeat 4x Sandbag floor press x 10
Plyometric pushups x...
1 tag
“Well done is better than well said.”
– Benjamin Franklin
2 tags
Kung Fu class
I ran the fellas through a warmup today and got the blood pumping. Malcolm took over and went over some great techniques then we worked on Tiet Sien Kuen after the beginners took off. Didn’t get a great sweat, but got the chi moving nicely.
2 tags
Lion Dance Performance
Did a short gig for a local preschool today. We kept the power dialed all the way down so as not to upset the little ones and it went really well. The kids were definitely into it, which makes it more fun. Also did a workshop with the baby lion heads afterwards.
2 tags
100 Burpee Challenge
The quest for 100 burpees in 6 minutes continues.
100 Burpees
Time: 6:42. Chalk this one up to bad strategy. I partitioned this attempt into 4 sets (40, 20, 20, 20) and came out of the gate like a bat out of hell, finishing the first 40 in 1:35. Then I hit the wall. Hard. I’ll try a new strategy next time. I’ll also continue to do this workout just about every week until I get my time...
1 tag
“All you have to do is follow three simple rules. One, never underestimate your...”
– Dalton
2 tags
Kung Fu class
Ran the fellas through a quick, intense warmup, did some skill work, and moved onto some serious power techniques. Pretty good progress and I even got a bit of a sweat going.
2 tags
Lynne-like
Inspired by Crossfit’s Lynne workout, but added some weight:
Weighted Pullups (50lb)
Weighted Dips (50lb)
Repeat 3x for max reps
Total score = 57 (9, 10, 6 / 12, 11, 9). I was shooting for 5 rounds like Lynne, but was short on time. Should’ve pulled more on that last set, but the weight was swinging too much and throwing me off. This was a good one.
3 tags
Max Effort Overhead Press
Headed over to the 5th Ave Gym for the first time in a while for some lifting:
Press 3 x 95lb
3 x 115lb
3 x 135lb
1 x 155lb
1 x 165lb
These weights were tougher than they should’ve been, but I haven’t done much pressing lately. My form broke down on the last set so I didn’t try to go any heavier.
Better athletes sweat more →
“While more elite athletes sweat more, due to operating a more efficient machine, there are other factors involved in this cooling process. Genetics play a huge role, as they do in almost every human trait. High temperatures, humidity, and decreased airflow (wind), all can increase sweat losses.” So I’m just more efficient?
1 tag
“Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be...”
– Sign hanging in Einstein’s office at Princeton
2 tags
Kung Fu class
I ran the guys through a decent circuit warmup to maximize training time, then we drilled stances and worked some conditioning drills before going into techniques. Hung around and did a little Ji Mo work afterwards.
4 tags
Sandbag Murder
Grabbed Larry Storch for a morning basement workout:
Sandbag shouldering x 30 sec
Sandbag ground and pound x 30 sec
Repeat 16x, resting 30 sec between each round.
This was much more murderous with 16 rounds (I did 10 previously). I alternated sides on the shouldering and ended up doing 9 reps for every 30 second interval this time. This was also tough on the hands between grabbing the bag to...
PaleoHacks.com →
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1 tag
“Pain doesn’t tell you when you ought to stop. Pain is the little voice in...”
– Daryl Furuyama
4 tags
Sandbag Circuit
Grabbed my 80lb buddy Larry Storch for a sandbag strength circuit:
1 Getup (each side)
2 Floor presses
3 Deadlifts
4 Clean & presses
5 Squats
AMRAP in 20 minutes.
Total rounds: 9 even. There was about 20 seconds left on the clock after the 9th trip through, so I didn’t start the 10th. The toughest part of this was the C&P because I have to regrip Storch for every rep. I think...
1 tag
Goals for February and March
A little late on the official post here, but I’ve already put some of these goals into practice:
Remain 90% Paleo compliant, mixing in weekly intermittent fasting
100 burpees in under 6 minutes, for chrissake (and attempt it every week until I get there) (finally got it!)
Plan my workouts for the week better and be sure to include:
3 kung fu workouts
1 strength workout...
2 tags
January's Overdue Paleo Challenge Recap
For the past 30 days, I successfully avoided sugar, flour, dairy, grains, processed foods, legumes, starchy vegetables, and alcohol. I didn’t miss any of these things and I felt great the whole time. Here are some random thoughts.
The standard American diet (SAD) is all about convenience - sandwiches, burgers, pizza, tacos, etc - wrap anything in bread and it’s good to go! Paleo is...
2 tags
100 Burpee Challenge
The quest for 100 burpees in 6 minutes continues.
100 Burpees
Time: 6:14. I went with Coach Keith’s partitioning strategy again (10, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 10) like I did to set my previous PR, but fell short. Aside from the conditioning factor, my abs seem to be the weak link the burpee chain. I’ll try to address that. I’ll also continue to do this workout every single week...
5 tags
Hybrid Tabata Intervals
In honor of Frank’s 20th birthday, ran through the following circuit:
Lateral jumps
Pushups (20, 20, 20, 18, 17, 16, 16, 18)
Squats (20, 20, 20, 20, 19, 18, 20, 20)
Sandbag ground and pound
Plank hold
Repeat circuit 8x for 20 minutes total.
Hybrid tabatas are done in a circuit, rather than focusing on one exercise for 4 minutes before moving on. So each round was 20 sec of each...
2 tags
Kung Fu practice
After performing many forms for her this morning, Mayor told me that I need to work on Fu Hok Seung Ying Kuen, so I did just that. I worked the entire form, but I focused on the ten tigers and crane sections and ran through each one 10x. Felt aight.
4 tags
Storch It Out
Short on time and storchin in the basement again:
6 sandbag deadlift twist (80lb; 3/side)
12 pushups
24 lateral jumps (over sandbag)
Repeat 5x
Total time: 5:44. Spent some time before and after the circuit trying out different exercises with Larry Storch.
Finished with some basics:
3 x 10 zercher sandbag squats
3 x 10 pullups
2 tags
Kung Fu class
Ran the beginners through a standard warmup and some very basic drills tonight. Afterwards Sihing Malcolm taught some more advanced hand and elbow techniques and I sat in on it. Not a very sweaty night.
The Truth About Agave Nectar: It’s All Hype →
“Agave nectar syrup is a triumph of marketing over science. True, it has a low-glycemic index, but so does gasoline- that doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
If you simply must have some sweets once in a while, a small amount of agave nectar every once in a while isn’t going to kill you. Just don’t buy into the idea that it’s any better for you than plain old sugar or HFCS.
In some ways, it...
2 tags
100 Burpee Challenge
Finally cranking this one out to test the goal I set at the beginning of January:
100 Burpees
Time: 6:28. This is the slowest time I’ve had in YEARS. Fucking bullcrap. The dread this workout fills me with is incredible and totally irrational. I psych myself out and set myself up for failure every time before I even hit the timer. In all fairness, I didn’t put enough work in this...
The Whole9 Guide to Eating Dirty →
How to cheat smart on a restrictive diet.