My computer is still ill, no time for love Dr. Jones.

Push Ups: Sets of 10-12-14-28 continuous throughout the day.

Snatch 16kg x 15lr, x 20lr
24kg x 20lr

Run hard for 21:00

More Push Ups.

Beef broth for dinner.

Sick

My PC has a virus I will be off-line for several days following this post.

Saturday's workout
4.1 mile uphill bike ride (nasty)
5 sets of 10 double military press 16kg

Today's workout
Snatch 20kg
10l, 10r
15, 15r
25l, 25r
rested 1:30 between all sets
5 sets of 10 each arm, continuous, finished in 4:28
Run for 16:00
29 degrees and freezing rain.

Unforgiving

Today I cleaned my house. Today I inhaled many noxious chemicals. Today I make fun clean of house.

When I took a break, I suited up and ran. It was around 39 degrees and very sunny, but no warmth was cast upon me. I hit the 1.75 mile mark and my lung tissue was seared. For real I was quashed. I walked for 3:45 and then ran the last bit, totaling my "run" time at 26:02.

I am visually leaner. And the one pair of jeans I wear are getting looser, without question. In the past, when trying to rapidly lose weight, I always lost strength as well. However this time, as my strength is a skill, and is becoming "internalized", I will not suffer greatly. In the past, working with free weights in a rep scheme typically 10 and above and then embarking upon an 8 week aerobic training bonanza, I would return to the weights feeling small and soft. This time, knowing that I must avoid anything heavier than a 24kg to keep my neck free of snakebites, and knowing even better to stay away from double kettlebell overhead work where anything bigger than a 16kg is in play, the resistance workouts I am using to maintain will not leave me feeling sick and wasted. Good stuff. I also turned in the van today. That was a weird feeling. Like I was finishing a movie and it was the extended director's cut special edition. This shit was real. I took all my stickers off of the rear window, and removed my maps, iPod gear, and any other equipment shortly before driving it one last time (listening to Bjork and with an expressionless, bearded face) to Sarah's house. She has a buyer set up, and as the rightful owner of Mobile One, it was her call. Also, I couldn't secure financing at a rate that would allow MLK to function properly, so it was the best for everyone. And if you haven't tuned in for awhile, no worries. MLK is moving to the West Coast, and I am through with classes until i arrive at my next stop, but will be holding two workshops in December to keep hope alive. Click over to the TRAINING BLOG OF MLK to feed the hunger for details. . .

Interesting take on Pull Ups from a young Mother

Mission: failed

I went for another Man Maker today around 0930. If you heard a loud sucking noise at that time it was I, on the track, struggling to survive. This workout was interrupted twice and it was my fault both times.

I set out for a Snatch based MM and when I got to the track, it was cold and windy. Really windy. So I performed my mobility drills, hammered out 25 snatches each arm with a 16kg, and when I set out to hit my first lap, the wind picked up hard core. So I went back to my house (only .5 mile away) and picked up some gloves and my face warmer. I forgot that high rep snatching in cold weather gloves is a total goat rope, so I defaulted to a Spec Ops Man Maker. I set out for 8 laps and seven sets of drills, and what I got was bust.

Lap 1 2:13 10 Push Ups, 10 swings each arm
Lap 2 2:05 15 Push Ups, 15 swings each arm
Lap 3 2:10 20 Push Ups, 20 swings each arm
Lap 4 1:51, followed by 1:30 rest
Lap 5 1:56 10 Push Ups, 10 swings each arm
Lap 6 2:03 15 Push Ups, 15 swings each arm
And then I crapped out. I ran a 5k yesterday and when I was through with round 6 I was feeling yesterday's run. Feeling it everywhere. My lungs were searing and I could feel my hammies getting tight like piano wires. It was one of those moments where I said to myself "Push it, PUSH IT!" in the voice of fictional television character Detective Elliot Stabler, yet then my inner Pavel voiced it's concern "Comrade, be fresh for tomorrow's workout. Do not be afraid to call it early". And with those two voices dueling in my ears I finished the final lap, and then cooled down. And it may have been a good idea. As I am amending this post here the morning after at 0610, my neck and back are a wee bit too tight to lift right now. Mobility yes but a lift, no. Maybe some aerobics? Maybe an On Demand pilates workout? My inner Pavelian just lit a torch and is about to lynch my inner cheerleader.

Super Five

Before the Eagles shock the world tonight by defeating the insuperable New England Patriots 27-24 (mark my words, it is now 1930, kick off in one hour), I would like to take some time to list the five workouts I have been cycling in and out of my Advanced S&C Class over the last 6 weeks.

Those of you who train with me know that I improv 90% of my workouts. Holiday classes and rep busting 10 minute snatch tests aside, I rarely concoct a workout until i see who is there, and what I am working with. recently, however, I have taken a new approach. I needed to become opportunistic with my workouts, much like I was in my early days as a trainer, when I was swamped with work at LA Fitness and knew that the end of the day would see me rushing home to shower and then "get my club on", leaving no time for a workout. What I came up with is this: If I get to my Advanced Class, and there isn't anyone in attendance who needs to be baby-sat, I will produce a manifest detailing the night's workout and send them off into the wild. All but one time in the last 2 weeks this has worked. And in creating these ready made workouts I have refined some of them to the point of beauty. Here are my Super Five, named in honor of fallen hero Donovan McNabb.

The Centurion
Double Jerk x 10-15-20-10-15-20-10
Run 100m (use incline if possible)
Swings x 10-15-20-10-15-20-10

Run through the drills circuitously (jerk-run-swing rest 1:00)
You may use long cycle C&J if you like, and you may perform any style of swing you prefer, so long as your hip extensions total out to the preset number (e.g. 5 swings each arm for your sets of 10).

The Spec Ops Man Maker
1 arm swings x 10/10-15/15-20/20-10/10-15/15-20/20-10/10
Push Ups x 10-15-20-10-15-20-10
8 laps around a 400m track.

Also performed as a circuit. In order to balance the 8 laps with the 7 sets of drills, you must bookend the Push Ups and Swings with laps. What I have done is use the initial lap as a means to get loose and establish a time to beat. When you become proficient at this workout, make an attempt to come in earlier each round. Two weeks ago I finished my workout with a final lap[ at 1:37, better than any lap that night. There are no other guidelines to this workout other than to PACE yourself.

Executioner Style
Max Pull Ups, rest 2:00
50% max set, rest 1:00
Get Ups for 5 Minutes, HEAVY KETTLEBELL* switching hands every rep. rest 1:00
Tabata 1 arm Swing, rest 1:00
10 sets of 10 Push Ups, resting :45 between, rest 1:00 when done.
Fast 100 Snatches (20/20-15/15-10/10-5/5 without resting the bell), rest 1:00.
Deck Squat to Pull Up (1 for 1) Max Reps in 3:00 (if you get more than 50 reps call me and I'll buy you a steak).
This workout was modified from the original version as the OG version took too long.
When I say heavy kettlebell, I mean heavy. Women should use this as a chance to work with a 16KG kettlebell, and men should work with the standard issue 24KG or higher.


Black Jack
21 Jumping Pull Ups*
21 Snatches each arm
21 Scorpion Push Ups on each leg (21 left 21 right)
21 Tactical lunges each leg (1 set)
21 Alternating Jerks
21 Deck squat thrusts
Use this workout as a 1 round, short and sweet metabolic boost, or run through it for rounds in, you guessed in, 21:00.
*The Jumping Pull Up is not for everyone. And when I say jumping pull ups, i mean that you get under the bar, go into a half squat, jump to the bar and, here is the important part, GRAB THE BAR WITH BENT ELBOWS AND PULL RIGHT AWAY! When you get to working in High Rep with the JPU, you have to use as much of the jump as you can to aid in the pull. Otherwise, you are going to get burnt before the set even starts.
How you dismount is up to you. I recommend dropping off the bar into your squat and developing some momentum for your set.

And finally, the most evil and sinister workout I know.
The following drills will be performed for 15 seconds at the top of every minute. You will rest only for the remainder of the minute. Oh yeah, keep the bells in your hands, or racked, for the entire set.

Full Metal Straight Jacket
Double Swing (rack them and hold)
Double Push Press (rack them)
Double Squat (keep them racked!)
Double Snatch (hold them overhead on the last one)
Single leg dead-lift (weak side leg, hang the bells and rest)
Single leg dead-lift (strong side leg, rest the bells and then rest yourself for 1:00).

Repeat for 45 minutes.

The pain of healing

Posting from the future about the past. I am not actually here.

Today, Saturday 071124
Run 5K

Friday REST

Thursday REST

Wednesday 071121
1530 Bikram Yoga
1800 Run 2.5 (with class)

Monday 071119
Executioner Style workout (with Advanced S&C Class)
Get Ups for 5 min. switching hands all reps.
Tabata 1 arm swings (:20 work :10 rest x 4:00)
Snatch 20l,r 15l,r 10l,r 5l,r (without putting the bell down)
Rest 1:30
10 sets of 10 push ups resting :45 between
Rest 1:30
40 swings/30 squats/20 swings/10 squats (100 Hip Extensions)
Rest 2:30
Pull Ups x5 x5 x5 x5 x10

Saturday 071107
Participate in AM Advanced S&C Class

Swing x 10, run 100M uphill, Double Long Cycle x 10
Swing x 15, run 100M uphill, Double Long Cycle x 15
Swing x 20, run 100M uphill, Double Long Cycle x 20
Swing x 10, run 100M uphill, Double Long Cycle x 10
Swing x 15, run 100M uphill, Double Long Cycle x 15
Swing x 20, run 100M uphill, Double Long Cycle x 20

I just found this on YouTube. This was from the Level II training in June. See if you can spot me. If you'd like a hint, I am the jackass shuffling around the field like I can actually shake away the pain. Ridiculous.