Get Ripped or Die Trying

Wednesday, May 27, 2015:

HIIT + Strength

0. Insanity Warmup - 12 Minutes HIIT

1. Close Curl + PressUp - 1 x 12 @ 50lbs

2. Reverse Lunge Kick - 1 x 15*

3. Pullups - 1 x 15

4. Squat Jacks - 1 x 25

And then I was just beat. I had a lot of stuff going on at work today, and didn't properly feel myself at the usual times. So, by 3pm, I had only taken in about 500 calories. Usually by then I'm at about the 1300 mark. That's why I had zero energy to get through today's training. Oh well, at least I got through the HIIT part, and managed to work up a decent sweat. I'll eat up and rest up the rest of the night so I can hit it hard tomorrow.

Thursday, May 28, 2015:

Strength + Power (3 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes)

1. Deadlift x 10 @ 200lbs

2. Renegade Row x 12* @ 50lbs

3. Squat Jump x 15

4. Curl & Press x 12 @ 70lbs

5. Angle Lunge x 12* @ 70lbs

6. Incline Skullcrusher x 15 @ 50lbs

Super training today. Really happy to get deadlifts up to 200lbs! Makes me think back to the days were 135 was difficult haha. This was a tough circuit, or maybe it's that I'm still tired from yesterday. Having some eyelid twitching, so that is either from too much caffeine, or stress, or little sleep, or from staring at a computer screen all day. Speaking of... Going to hit the shower and have a nice relaxing evening.

Rest tomorrow. Weights on Saturday.

Saturday, May 30, 2015:

Heavy Day (3 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes)

1. Incline Bench x 12 @ 180lbs

2. Front Squat x 12 @ 130lbs

3. ChinUp x 12

4. Seated Delt Fly x 12 @ 50lbs

5. Reverse Lunge x 12* @ 70lbs

6. Bent Over Row x 20 @ 130lbs

Incline bench felt good today. Probably could have gone heavier and dropped to 10 reps. Front squat just too damn heavy at 130lbs to be tossing up to the shoulders on the EZ bar. Going to have to figure out a different solution for those, or just finally invest in a better squat rack/mirror/pad. Good problem to have, I guess. Otherwise, it just tears up my wrists to be throwing that much weight up just to get in the lift; the lift itself is fine, just to be clear. Amazed at how much cardio is worked on doing the reverse lunges.

In other news, finally got in a new shipment of protein powder from TrueNutrition. This time we did rice/soy/sacha inchi powder protein, along with some coconut oil powder. Chocolate peanut butter flavoring, no sweetener. Fucking awesome flavor, mixes like a dream, and is perfect along with 1/2 of a banana and some almond milk. Nutritional makeup? 120cals, 1.8g fat, 3.5g carb, and 21.9g protein per serving!

Being able to customize your mix is really cool too, since they have a bunch of different supplements to add in; and a pretty decent selection of vegan options. I'd highly recommend giving them a look.

Resting the remainder of the weekend. It's our 6th Anniversary, so I need to get out and do some shopping for a gift; I slacked on that this year.

Have a good weekend!

Tuesday, June 2, 2015:

Strength Circuit (3 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes)

1. Flat Bench x 10 @ 200lbs

2. Bulgarian Split Squat x 15* @ 70lbs

3. Pistol Grip Pullups x 15

4. Hamstring Bridge x 15* @ 70lbs

5. Skull Crusher x 15 @ 60lbs

6. Calf Raises x 25 @ 70lbs

PR on bench today which was pretty fun.. Probably could have gone a little heavier, but that will be even sweeter next week. I've decided to break my big lifts up (bench, squat, deadlift) across three days of the week, and then hit some form of them all on Saturday. Bought a squat pad over the weekend along with a few new plates (10s, 5s) so I can start doing legit squats. Should be pretty fun to see where I'm at. Going to toss those in with my cardio day tomorrow. Hands tired from typing all day. G'night.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015:

HIIT + Strength

0. HIIT Warmup - 12 Minutes HIIT

Circuit (3 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes)

1. Squats x 12 @ 200lbs

2. Pushup Jacks x 20

3. Squat Jumps x 12

4. Lo-Hi Woodchopper x 12 @ 35lbs

5. Sprint Lunges x 8

6. Mountain Climber x 50

Really solid training today. Was dripping by the end of the second round. Having a little wrist pain when doing pushups (even bench yesterday) which is probably from my lazy typing form, or just onset of carpal tunnel. Had fun putting up the bar for squats, and probably could have gone heavier on these, but didn't want to blow things out of the water since I haven't done squats like these in over a year. That being said, I kind of miss going to the gym. When we get out of Chicago I swear I'm joining a nice gym that isn't chock full of pinheads just grabassing the whole time. Anyhow, this was a fun session today. Back tomorrow with deadlifts and other stuff . . . probably arms.

Thursday, June 4, 2015:

Strength Circuit (3 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes)

1. Deadlift x 10 @ 200lbs

2. Curls x 15 @ 70lbs

3. Single Leg Squat x 12* @ 70lbs

4. Standing Circus Press x 12* @ 35lbs

5. Belt Kicks x 15*

Well it wasn't til the third round that I realized I only picked five exercises. To be honest, I was pretty tired today, but still managed to get my deadlifts done. Really happy to have the extra weights around I got last weekend. That helped today so I could deadlift and get my curls in. Woke up this morning super exhausted and crazy sore from yesterday's training, so I think I'm in need of a good rest. Can tell my metabolism is fired up as I have lost a lot of the bloat I held onto when eating so many beans. I think maybe I was overdeveloping candida, and it was messing me up. Anyway, clothes fitting looser now, which is nice. Still have some ways to go, but I hope I can hit my goals by the end of summer.

Rest tomorrow. Lift on Saturday.

Saturday, June 5, 2015:

Strength Circuit (3 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes)

1. Close Grip Bench x 12 @ 140lbs

2. Squat/PressUp x 12 @ 70lbs

3. Row x 12 @ 160lbs

4. Straight Leg Deadlift x 12 @ 160lbs

5. ChinUp x 15

6. Tricep Dip x 25

Slept like a brick last night which made it kind of difficult to get around to training today. Even through the third round I felt really tired, and hungry. Must have been a busy week to make me this beat by the weekend. Bench today was tough. I could really feel the squeeze on my chest when putting the weights up. Kind of stacked the training against my grip as well, which is easy enough to do in circuit training I guess. Heading outside after this delicious salad to mow the lawn. Beautiful day out there.

Have a good weekend all!

Tuesday, June 9, 2015:

Strength Circuit

1. Flat Bench - 2 x 12 @ 200lbs

2. Bulgarian Split Squat - 2 x 15* @ 70lbs

3. Pistol Grip Pullups - 2 x 15

4. Hamstring Curl - 1 x 25 @ 35lbs

5. Seated Delt Fly - 1 x 15 @ 70lbs

6. Side Lunge - 1 x 15* @ 70lbs

Today I got home much later than usual, even though I left earlier than usual. The public transit here, while everyone talks about it being convenient, is exactly the opposite. That being said, I didn't start training until around the time I am usually finished on any given day. Of course, this put me off my game mentally, as well as with respect to my diet - meaning that I was hungry for dinner when I started training. Anyhow, I guess it's ok to have an "off day" every now and then. At least I managed to get two rounds on the bench. I'll hit it up again on Saturday. Kept foods clean today, so at least there's a small victory there. Really hope to see our protein powder re-up soon. Placed our order before Memorial Day . . . Tided myself over with some Jarrow Brown Rice Protein, which is just kind of ok. Flavor is pretty crap, and it's a bit grainy.

HIIT + Squats tomorrow!

Wednesday, June 10, 2015:

HIIT + Strength

0. HIIT Warmup x 12 Minutes

Circuit (3 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes)

1. Squat x 12 @ 230lbs

2. Pushup Jacks x 20

3. Football Drills x 6

4. Squat Jumps x 12

5. DB Snatch x 12* @ 35lbs

6. Reverse Lunge Kick x 12*

Downright brutal training today. Noticed a little tenderness in my right rear delt when resting the bar on it for squats. The HIIT at the top really kicks my ass into gear, and I feel a ton of energy after training, which is awesome! Immediately after the warmup, I get this burning sensation across my entire abdomen, like I'm on fire. It's pretty weird. I love combining upper and lower body into a circuit training; it's quite demanding. I feel like it prevents me from adapting too quickly as well. Hard to remember how to go back to plain old supersets.

Been doing a lot of introspective thinking lately. I've come to realize that I have no motivation for what modern society values: money, a big house, cars, suits, women, etc. I have a lovely wife, which is wonderful. What I really long for is a greater connection with nature. I've been reading a lot about these people who left modern life/civilization to live as hermits or at least in very rural areas. I'm not sure I'd survive like that for long, but I do think I would really love living in a very small town way way out in the woods or mountains. I realized today how little peace I have in my life, and it made me sad that I'm spending the majority of my time in an office doing something that will never end, and will continue long after I've departed; which tends to establish that my contribution is very small, and rather insignificant.

So, my thinking is why would I do something for someone/something else when it amounts to a minuscule contribution when I could focus entirely on myself and my family, and really impact my own life merely by being present and prepared for exactly what I feel in my heart? Why do I continue to spend my life in an environment I feel no connection to, but even depletes my spirit?

When I think about living sustain-ably in the wild, or at least in a much smaller scale (i.e. not in a 6 million + city) I feel this longing, almost like homesickness. It's sort of like feeling lonely for solitude, if that makes sense. Best I can do right now is look up places I'd love to live on Google Image, and just daydream about the possibilities. Not sure I'd ever have the bravery to actually take the first step. I think there'd have to be some kind of event to give me a push...

This is Bend, Oregon, and it's beautiful...

Thursday, June 11, 2015:

Strength Circuit (3 Rounds, Rest 3 Minutes

1. Deadlift x 10 @ 210lbs

2. Curls x 12 @ 80lbs

3. Hamstring Curl x 15 @ 35lbs (only did one set)

4. Tricep Extension x 12 @ 70lbs

5. Calf Raise x 25 @ 70lbs

6. Front Raise x 12 @ 70lbs

Really beat after this. My forearms are shot from typing all day and then pulling so much weight tonight. Really looking forward to a day of rest before Saturday's training. I feel like I'm really going to sleep well tonight. Anyhow, that's about it for today. Took the dog for a nice long walk this evening which is why I'm posting later than usual. Have a good night!

Saturday, June 13, 2015:

TRX Day (3 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes)

1. PressUps x 25

2. Split Squat x 15*

3. Neutral Grip Row x 15

4. Hamstring Curl x 25

5. T's x 15

6. Side Lunge x 15*

7. Curls x 15 (slow movement)

8. Standing Skullcrusher x 15

Volume training on the TRX is an excellent workout. When you're not worried about safely balancing a ton of weight, you can really focus on form and the squeeze. Perfect example is the Split Squats here, as I had my hands free and was able to literally feel my quads engage (as in, with my hands) as I pressed up. Further, with literally next to no transition time, you can keep intensity as high as you like, which is really awesome given how much time I tend to waste on removing/adding weights to hit my numbers. Only drawback is that you have limited resistance up to a certain point, which is why they are predominantly best for volume training for more advanced athletes, I suppose.

Something cool is about to happen on here, and it's that I'm going to hit 50,000 hits on my journal. Never thought I would see that many people reading my life and training. So, if you're reading regularly, thanks! I hope I've inspired you. Maybe you could reach out and let me know who you are? Just curious. Ok - enough self-promotion.

Finally got our re-up from TrueNutrition yesterday, but they seemed to have sent only a soy isolate mix, and not the one I intended on that included rice protein as well. No matter, it's head and shoulders better than the Jarrow brand. Feeling pretty good today. Slept like a rock last night, and still a bit tired but otherwise feeling good. Heading out to mow the lawn here in a bit, which is always fun. Back on Tuesday. Have a good weekend!

No training today, because I'm absolutely exhausted from last night's basement flood. Oh yeah, there was a torrential flooding here last night, and we saw 4" of rain in approximately one hour. Anyhow, I spent most of the night making repeat trips to empty our new 8 gallon wet/dry vac. In short, I'm fucking beat. Spent all day on remediation as well, and had a terrible night of sleep. Woke up from a very stressful dream, and eyelids are twitching. Would be a serious misstep to get under some weights today.

I'll hit it up tomorrow.

Good call to take the day off training, sounds like you got some unplanned training in anyway. Sounds awful! Hope it didn't end up causing too much damage?

On a plus side, great to see so many people logging in to read your journal ~ that's awesome !! MF

Good call to take the day off training, sounds like you got some unplanned training in anyway. Sounds awful! Hope it didn't end up causing too much damage?

 

On a plus side, great to see so many people logging in to read your journal ~ that's awesome !! MF

Thanks man. Yeah, the flooding is a serious hassle, and emotionally damaging given there's literally nothing to be done during the event. Jury's out on cost of repairs, but I'm going to try to take care of as much of it myself as possible. One of my coworkers said I did some crossfit training carrying all that water around! haha

Wednesday, June 17, 2015:

Mini TRX Circuit - 2 Rounds, Rest Too Long

1. Chest Fly x 12

2. Single Leg Press x 12*

3. Single Arm Row x 12*

4. Hamstring Curl x 20

5. Tricep Extension x 20

6. Pistol Grip Pullups x 15

Thursday, June 18, 2015:

Mini TRX Circuit - 2 Rounds, Rest Too Long

1. Chest Press x 15

2. Bulgarian Split Squat x 15*

3. TRX T's x 15

4. Side Lunge x 15*

5. Curls x 15

Well this week has kind of been a bust. I've either been to tired to train really, or too stressed, or just preoccupied mentally with fixing the house from Monday's storm. My gym and basement are still in disarray, and will need to be completely cleaned before I can really get back to training on a serious level. I guess that's some motivation for the weekend. Anyhow, I hope I feel better soon, as I hate losing progress on training. Plus, I just feel all around lazy. Maybe I'll move stuff around temporarily and hit it hard on Saturday. Have a good night.

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Strength Circuit (3 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes)

1. Incline Bench x 12 @ 185lbs

2. Single Leg Deadlift x 12* @ 90lbs

3. ChinUps x 15

4. Reverse Lunge x 15* @ 70lbs

5. Hammer Curls x 12 @ 70lbs

6. Calf Raises x 20 @ 90lbs

Well back in black today after doing some demo-work on our basement. Just took out some carpeting, pad, and baseboards. Still took a couple hours though - longer than expected. Moved a little bit slow during training today as I still feel tired from the week. Left index finger is really giving me grief right now. It's been messed up for the better part of a couple years. I popped the main knuckle pretty hard a long time ago, and it's been sensitive ever since. Any kind of slight sideways pressure will really set it off. Anyhow, it's swollen as hell today, and touchy. I'm sure typing on a computer all day doesn't help, and I've noticed my other finger joints are tight in the mornings. Hopefully it's not an early sign of rheumatoid arthritis. That would really suck.

Having a couple beers with dinner tonight to celebrate the end of this difficult week. Happy father's day to all you dads out there, and single mothers since you're pulling double-duty. Have a good weekend!

Tuesday, June 23, 2015:

Strength Circuit (3 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes)

1. Flat Bench x 10 @ 205lbs

2. Side Lunge x 12* @ 90lbs

3. TRX Aussie Pullups x 15

4. Single Leg Deadlift x 12* @ 90lbs

5. Standing Circus Press x 12* @ 35lbs

6. Single Leg StepUp x 12* @ 70lbs

Good training today, though I definitely lacked some motivation after I got started. Just kind of drained overall. Had some good news on the house today; much less repairs than expected = much lower cost. Otherwise, it's nice out, and I worked really hard today, so I'm going to have some clean food and get out for a walk with my pup.

Back tomorrow with some HIIT.

HIIT and beers raised. Winning combination !!

HIIT and beers raised. Winning combination !!

I believe this to be true! However, I haven't been drinking much lately. Time for a change?

Yes I think so mate, change is good so they say ?!

Wednesday, June 24, 2015:

HIIT + Strength Circuit

0. Warmup - 8 Minutes HIIT

Circuit (2 Rounds, Rest 1 Minute)

1. Squat x 12 @ 240lbs

2. Pushup Jacks x 20

3. Football Drill + Burpees x 6

4. Lo-Hi Woodchopper x 12* @ 35lbs

5. Squat Jumps x 15

6. Mountain Climbers x 50

This really kicked my ass and I was done by the end of Round 2. Maybe I didn't take in enough carbs yesterday, or I've been working too hard, because I felt really exhausted. Anyway, back at work now, so not much time to post. I'll post after tonight's training.

Thursday, June 25, 2015:

Strength Circuit (3 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes)

1. Deadlift x 10 @ 205lbs

2. Delt Fly x 15 @ 70lbs

3. Lunge Jumps x 12 @ 50lbs

4. Curls x 12 @ 80lbs

5. Calf Raise x 20 @ 70lbs

6. TRX Tricep Extension x 15

Fun training today. Deadlifts felt great even if a little tight in the hamstring. Surprised that 205 didn't feel overwhelming like it did last time, even as I didn't get to these last week. Overall a good day but found myself very unfocused at the end of work. Perhaps I need a bit of caffeine to help me coast through the evening and into my training. Actually, I really need to start drinking more water, given that I'm nearly exclusively relying on greens and watermelon for my H2O intake. Anyhow, I'm pooped and tired of typing for the day. Off to watch some youtube vids while I put down this mega salad w/ tempeh. Resting tomorrow and volume on Saturday.

Saturday, June 27, 2015:

TRX Circuit (3 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes)

1. Army Pushups x 20

2. Bulgarian Split Squat x 15*

3. Single Arm Row x 15*

4. Side Lunge x 15*

5. Curls x 15

6. Hamstring Curl x 20

Man these things are awesome. Bodyweight training is such a cool thing, and really good for building strength as well as cardio. I was dripping by the end of this session, and I wasn't even pushing at a great intensity. Double protein shake for lunch today as I don't feel like spending any time cooking while it is so beautiful outside today. Speaking of, I'm going to head out now to mow the lawn. Already got a nice long walk in for Penny this morning, and she's on to her first big nap of the day.

Have a good weekend all!

Wednesday, July 1, 2015:

Strength Circuit (3 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes)

1. Incline Bench x 12 @ 190lbs

2. Lateral StepUp x 12* @ 70lbs

3. Pistol Pullups x 15

4. Single Leg Deadlift x 12* @ 90lbs

5. Curl & Press x 15 @ 50lbs

6. Calf Raise x 25 @ 90lbs

Lots of activity this week, which kept me from training yesterday. Got an offer for an interview late yesterday, and that pretty much bulldozed my training plans; had to prep. Interview went well, got a call back later today for next week . . . Plus another interview on Tuesday which requires some travel to Madison. I hope that one goes well and develops into something serious. It was nice and chilly here today, which I really love. Not sure why people would ever like weather to be hot and humid. Otherwise, training was fun. Took pretty much everything I had to get through the third round. The pullups really did me in this time. I don't think I'm getting enough sleep, and certainly I'm under quite a bit of stress. Need to rest up and make sure I'm eating properly.

Squats and HIIT tomorrow, then DL and arms Friday. Shifting things forward this week.

Thursday, July 2, 2015:

TRX Circuit - 3 Rounds, Rest 90 Seconds

1. ATG Squats x 20

2. T's x 15

3. Side Lunge x 15*

4. Tricep Extension x 25

5. Hamstring Curl x 25 @ 35lbs

6. Curls x 15

Had a long/stressful/pain in the ass of a day and when I got home I just didn't feel like moving a bunch of weights around to even set up to lift. So, I figured I'm either doing nothing, or I'm hitting up the TRX bands. I'm glad I did, because I got a decent workout in under 30 minutes, and I feel less stressed. That being said, I need some serious rest. I guess I haven't been sleeping well, or am under a lot of work pressure since I haven't felt very motivated to train lately. It's been a few months since I've really taken an extended amount of time off, so maybe that's due. What to do about the guilt felt for not training? Maybe I'd do good with a couple de-load weeks to refresh my stamina. It could be time to change things up a bit. Perhaps more bodyweight and hiit training is in order. I'll give it some thought and make a decision sooner than later.

Otherwise, it's beautiful out, and I want to take Penny for a walk. It's her birthday on Saturday!