There Will Be Sweat

Explosive Sandbag Training

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:47:08 -0500

Basement explosive strength training with my old friend Larry Storch. 80lbs for all exercises:

Sandbag power clean - 4 x 5
4 x Circuit A
- Sandbag push press x 5
- Sandbag jump squat x 5
4 x Circuit B
- Sandbag explosive floor press x 5
- Plyometric pullups x 5
Sandbag shouldering - 3 x 10/side

Minimal rest (45-60 sec between exercises). Didn’t feel too much fatigue or sweat until the high-rep shouldering for a finisher. Not sure if this is the best method for speed strength/explosivity.

"GPP is very important if you want to reach the top, If you are unfit and can’t do the proper..."

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:33:40 -0500

“GPP is very important if you want to reach the top, If you are unfit and can’t do the proper exercises or do sled pulling, treadmill work or kettlebell work, you will undoubtedly fail… GPP raises your ability to do more work by special means. GPP is very common in track and field overseas but is still very much overlooked in the United States.”

- Louie Simmons (via)

Kung Fu practice

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:50:00 -0500

Trying to settle my mind and push out the evil chi from my body. Ran through Tiet Sien Kuen focusing on relaxing and calming my energy. I already feel better and more clear headed.

GPP Circuit

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:49:29 -0500

Chinnies x 30 sec
Grasshoppers x 30 sec
Jumping Jacks x 30 sec
Burps x 30 sec
Burpees x 30 sec (10)

Repeat 5x, resting 30 sec between rounds.

Man, it really makes a difference where you place the exercise in the circuit. Those burpees were rough right after the burps.

Sprint Intervals

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:45:24 -0500

Sunny, 40 degree morning at Washington field. Perfect for sprint work:

Sprint 50m

Repeat 20x

I rested as needed between sprints and didn’t time anything. Experimented with different start positions: standing, lying on my stomach, lying on my back. I got there at about 10am, which is apparently when the whole world shows up. For future reference, get there before 10 on weekends.

Kung Fu class

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:46:15 -0500

I made the class do a burpee-based warmup today, since I just did 100 before class and then got into the regular stance and technique work. We built on some stuff we were working on and partnered up with it. After class I worked a little Ji Mo Seung Do and Ng Lung Ba Gwa Cheung.

100 Burpee Challenge

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:44:41 -0500

The quest for 100 burpees in 6 minutes continues.

100 Burpees

Time: 5:58. Feels good to finally hit this. I tried a different strategy this time. I set my gymboss for 6:00 and decided to take short, measured breaks throughout. I took 5 breaths after my first 25, then partitioned the rest 15, 10, 15, 10, 10, 15. There was one minute on the clock when I got to my last set and I was absolutely not going to miss the mark this time. My motivation for toughing it out was simple - I didn’t want to have to keep doing this!

Previously: 6:42 on 2/23/10; 6:14 on 2/10/10; 6:28 on 2/2/10; 6:14 on 2/24/09; 6:06 on 10/26/08.

No Excuses

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:19:41 -0500

One of my least favorite workouts from Ross today:

Burpees
Pullups
Pushups
Squats

Repeat circuit 4x, starting with 60 second rounds and cutting the time spent on each exercise by 15 seconds each time through (60 sec, 45 sec, 30 sec, 15 sec). Total time: 10 minutes. No rest allowed!

I agree with my sentiments from the last time - this doesn’t look so bad on paper, but it’s just awful. Thought about counting reps but I had to use all my brain power to keep myself moving. I think I averaged about 5 reps/15 seconds for everything but the squats.

Kung Fu class

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:34:07 -0500

Decent size class tonight. Ran them through a standard calisthenics/stance/bridge training warmup before going into forms. Helped a few of the intermediate guys on ji mos after class and did a little Ji Mo Seung Do work myself.

"Big isn’t strong. Strong is strong."

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:29:49 -0500

“Big isn’t strong. Strong is strong.”

- Louie Simmons (via)

Kung Fu practice

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:27:05 -0500

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.

Jump Rope Intervals

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:25:47 -0500

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.

Explosive Strength Training

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:28:00 -0500

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 8
- Sandbag lunges x 5/side
- Lunge jumps x 8/side
Finisher: Sandbag shouldering - 2 x 10/side

High-rep shouldering is a great finisher. I was originally planning on doing a quick conditioning circuit after this session, but the finisher lived up to its name and I had nothing left in the tank. Also worth noting: the lunge jumps super-set is always torturous.

"Well done is better than well said."

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 00:48:46 -0500

“Well done is better than well said.”

- Benjamin Franklin

Kung Fu class

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:21:49 -0500

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.

Lion Dance Performance

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:17:59 -0500

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.

100 Burpee Challenge

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:28:00 -0500

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 under 6 minutes.

Previously: 6:14 on 2/10/10; 6:28 on 2/2/10; 6:14 on 2/24/09; 6:06 on 10/26/08.

"All you have to do is follow three simple rules. One, never underestimate your opponent. Expect the..."

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:31:17 -0500

“All you have to do is follow three simple rules. One, never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected. Two, take it outside. Never start anything inside the bar unless it’s absolutely necessary. And three, be nice.”

- Dalton

Kung Fu class

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:08:46 -0500

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.

Lynne-like

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:52:00 -0500

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.