Half way there,

but where is there? When I started this program, i really just wanted a break from my normal training routine. And I thought this would be a good break. But, you're supposed to have a goal! So my goal was just to get stronger; i would like to tame the beast one day AND I would like to have a decent dead lift as I believe it would help me athletically. So, having said that, here is DAY 20...


10/21/10 - Day 20, body weight = 160 lbs - braces...
Warm up with goblet squat @ 32kg x 5, 5
Dead Lift
   225 lb x 2
   245 lb x 2
   275 lb x 2
   285 lb x 2
   295 lb x 2
KB Press
   32 kg x 3
   36 kg x 3
   40 kg x 1, 1, 1 - hmmm....
Pull-up w/ 16kg x 5, 5
Dbl Cleans w/ 2-24s x 15, 15
Rack Carry w/ 32kg x 100 steps each arm
Suit Case Carry w/ 32kg x 100 steps each arm
DBL OH Cary w/ 2-24kgs x 80 steps
Cross body hanging leg raise x 5, 5, 5


I thought I'd test the waters a bit today since it will be about 5 days before I can continue with Day 21. Life schedule will not allow me to continue until Wednesday...


Have a great weekend. 

Almost half way.

I started this week a day early as my upcoming weekend is going to throw my schedule off a bit. Things seem to be going well except for my sneaky way of upping the weights more than I should while I lie to myself and say it's still "easy."
Which is probably okay as long as I remember that the Intensity range for Dan John's 40 day workout is 40-80% and not 80-80%. Know what I mean? So, with that in mind, today was a really good "practice session."


10/20/10 - Day 19!
warm-up with Goblet Squat @24kg x 5, 5
Dead Lift w/ 205 lbs x 2, 2, 2, 2, 2
KB Press w/ 24kg x 3, 2, 3, 2
Pull-up w/ 16kg x 3, 4, 3
Dbl Cleans w/ 2-24kgs x 2, 3, 5, 10 x 3
Alternating Hanging Leg Raise x 5, 5, 5, 5
Farmers Walk w/ 2-32kgs x 100 step x 3 trips each arm


10/19/10 - Day 18

Dbl Front Squat w/ 2-24kg x 5, 5

Dead Lift w/ 205 lbs x 5, 5

KB Press w/ 32kg x 3, 4, 3 each arm

Pull-up w/ BW x 5, 5

Dbl Cleans w/ 2-24kgs x 30

Alternating Hanging Leg Raise x 5, 5 w/ 3 second holds

DBL Overhead Carry 2-24kgs x 100 step

Single OH Carry w/ 24kg x 50 steps each

Suitcase carry w/ 36kg x 100 steps each

10/18/10 - Day 17

warm-up with Zercher Squat w/ 115 lbs x 5, 5

Dead Lift w/ 275 lbs x 3, 3, 3 - double overhand, thumbless grip

BB Military Press w/ 135 lbs x 3, 4, 3

Pull-up w/ 16kg x 5, 5

Cleans w/ 32kgs x 2, 3, 5 x 3 rounds

Alternating Hanging Leg Raise x 5, 5

Suitcase carry w/ 32kgs x 100 step x 3 trips each arm

10/17/10 - Day 16

warm-up with Front Squat w/ 2-24kgs x 5, 5

Dead Lift w/ 225 lbs x 5, 5

KB Press w/ 28kg x 5, 5 each arm

Pull-up w/ 24kg x 3, 4, 3

Dbl Cleans w/ 2-24kgs x 15, 15, 15

Alternating Hanging Leg Raise x 5, 5, 5

Farmers Walk w/ 2-32kgs x 100 step x 3 trips each arm

That's the week so far!

Day 15 is ova

and done. Still plugging away at the 40 day. All but half way through. I think everything is going okay. I'm getting random with my loads, hopefully i'm doing it right. 


Day 13 - 10/13/10
Zercher Squat w/ 115 lbs x 5, 5
Dead Lift w/ 225 lbs x 5, 5
Dbl KB press w/ 2-32kgs x 3, 3, 3 - totally different groove from BB press
Pull-ups w/ BW x 5, 5
DBL Clean w/ 2-24kgs x 35! - Smoka!
HLR x 5, Handstand Wall Walk to a superman plank x 3, 2
OH Carries w/ 2-24kgs x 50 steps for 3 trips each arm


Day 14 - 10/14/10
Zerchers w/ 115 lbs x 5, 125 lbs x 5
Dead Lifts w/ 205 lbs x 5, 5
BB Military Press w/ 115 lbs x 5, 5
Pull-ups w/ 16kg x 5, 5
Cleans w/ 32kg x 2, 3, 5 x 3 rounds each arm
HLR x 5, Handstand Wall Walk to a superman plank x 3, 2
Suitcase carries w/ 32kg: 100 steps x 2 trips each arm
Rack Walk w/ 32kg: 50 steps each arm


Day 15 - 10/15/10
DBL Front Squats w/ 2-24kgs x 5, 5 (warm-up)
Dead Lift w/ 275 lbs x 3, 295 lbs x 3, 3 - feeling the weight now...
BB Military Press w/ 135 lbs x 3, 155 lbs x 3, 3 - last set was heavy - not too EZ..
Pull-up w/ BW x 5, 5
DBL Cleans w/ 2-24kgs x 2, 3, 5, 10 = 20
Cross Body Hanging Leg Raise w/ 3 second pauses x 5, 5, 5
NO Carries - a little tired...


That is all. Have a good Weekend.

Day 12 - 100% intuition

12th day of my 40 day Dan John Easy Strength program. Today was a bit different for me. Not too different as I've found that this program allows me to relax and "keep it easy". But today was a totally intuitive session for me as I just went with the flow of how I felt and how the sets felt. Not trying to impress anyone, especially myself. Kind of new for me....

10/12/10
Warm up including Zercher Squats w/ 125 lbs x 5,5
Thick Bar Dead Lifts w/ 135 lbs x 3, 155 lbs x 4, 3 - very tough on grip
BB Military Press w/ 115 lbs x 3, 4, 3
Pull-ups w/ 32kg x 2, 2, 2 - way cool, 16kg x 4
DBL Cleans w/ 2-32kgs x 10, 10, 10
HLR w/ 7 second hold x 3, 3
       --> Handstand Wall Walk to extended plank x 3, 2 - found my hard ab exercise!

Farmer's Walk w/ 24kgs x 200 steps.

I may try to run later today as my wife has signed me up for a 5k in November. Totally does not fit my training plan or my goals, but i'm doing Easy Strength. Now is a good time as any to do it.

That's it.

Day 11

still trying to find my groove....

Today's Stats look like this:

10/11/10
Bodyweight = 160 lbs - I blame the braces...
Warm up with undisclosed movement choices along with the Zerchers. ;)
Zercher Squat w/ 115 lbs x 5, 5
Dead Lift w/ 225 lbs x 3, 245 lbs x 4, 275 lbs x 3
BB Military Press! w/ 135 lbs x 3, 4, 145 lbs x 3
Pull-ups w/ 16kg x 5, 5
Dbl KB Cleans w/ 2-24kgs x 10, 10, 10
Hanging Leg Raises x 3, 3, 3 all with 7 second hold - that made it tougher...

Suitcase carries w/ 32kg x 100 steps each arm x 2 trips
Farmers Walk w/ 2-32kgs x 100 steps

Got some fat gripz to try with my dead lifts. They will have to be for lighter days as they are really, well fat. I have small hands...

Happy Monday.

10 and fin

For this week anyway. But a good day it was.

10/8/10
Overhead squats w/ 95 lbs x 3,4,3
Dead lifts w/ 205 lbs x 3,4,3
Kb press w/ 28 kg x 5,5
Pull-up w/ 24 kg x 3,4,3 - super easy!!
Dbl cleans w/ 2-32 kg x 10,10
Hanging leg raise x 5,5

Farmers walks with 2-32 kg x 100 steps x 3 trips

Thats all!

Day 9

and I feel fine... Easier workout today. Mostly because I only had access to my two kettlebells. Although I did build a pull-up stand.


10/7/10
Warm up
Dbl Front Squat w/ 2-24kgs: 5, 5
SLDL w/ 2-24kgs: 5/5, 5/5
Dbl  Presses w/ 2-24kgs: 5, 5
Pull-ups w/ BW: 5, 5
Dbl Cleans w/ 2-24kgs: 30 - oh my, they make me love air
Hanging Leg Raise: 5, 5


Farmers Carry w/ 2-24kgs: 200 steps
Dbl Over Head Carry w/ 2-24kgs: 80 steps, 80 steps
Bottoms Up Carry w/ 24kg: 50 steps right, 50 steps left


Later, I ran some sprints on the beach.
Life is hard sometimes...

Days 7 and 8. They were great...

Still plugging along on my 40 day Journey thanks to Dan John and Pavel. I think I have it down now but my history would suggest that I probably don't. At any rate, I think I have my core exercises in place. Especially since I decided to use squat variations as part of my warm up. 


10/5/10
Warm up which included kettlebell front squats w/ 24s: 3, 4, 3
SLDL (i had no access to a bar today) 2-24kgs: 3, 4, 3 - way easy
Dbl Press w/ 2-24kgs: 3, 4, 3
Pull-ups w/ BW: 5, 5
Dbl Cleans w/ 2-24kgs: 30 reps - okay, i'm breathing now. oh my, oh my
Hanging Leg Raise: 5, 5


Ended this session with some carries
Dbl Over Head Carry w/ 2-24kgs: 80 steps x 2
Dbl Farmers Carry w/ 2-24kgs: 250 steps
Dbl Rack Carry w/ 2-24kgs: 100 steps


I should probably put these in the warm up but I'm trying to figure them out and learn how I want to use them right now. I think I like them afterwards. 


10/6/10
Warm up which included Overhead Squats 75 lbs x 3, 105 lbs x 4, 3
Dead Lifts w/ 225 lb x 3, 255 lb x 4, 3 - starting to feel like i'm picking up weight
Kb press w/ 32kg: 3, 4, 3 each arm
Pull-up w/ 16kg: 5, 5 - again, way easy
Dbl Cleans w/ 2-24kgs: 15, 15, 15
Hanging Leg Raise: 5, 5 - these are so easy it is hard to count them as one of my 5 exercises. May need to look for an ab alternative or play with ways to make them harder.


Suitcase carries w/ 32kg: 100 steps each arm x 3 walks


That is all for now.

Crash

Thats what I did, I crashed. 2 weeks prior to renewing my RKC 1 and 2, I got nervous. Don't know why, but if it was as if I was getting ready for a big competition. In a way, I was. I was competing against myself and I wanted to nail all the tests. So I had this nervous anticipation for 2 weeks before the Dan John / Pavel workshop and I wasn't sleeping good at all. On the weekend of the workshop, I was in a hotel and the nerves were still high. NO sleep for me. I nailed my tests. At least I was satisfied with how I performed anyway. 


The night I got home I suddenly remembered I was supposed to get braces put on my teeth the next day. Again, no sleep for me. So I got braces. Guess what, I couldn't sleep all week because I grind my teeth when I sleep and they are very sore from the braces. So I kept waking up all through the night every night and then on Saturday I crashed. My body was not my own. It felt like crap; I felt like crap. All I wanted to do was crawl in a bed. So on Saturday evening, in the middle of a huge family gathering, I went to bed. And I stayed there for over 12 hours. (i normally only sleep 7 hours at night) Sunday, I was still sluggish and laid around most of the day. But then, Sunday evening I started to feel like me again. 


Today, I am back baby! What have I learned from this? There is no substitute for sleep and rest. You can run from sleep only so long, eventually you will pay a price. The lesson is learned, but I still have sore teeth! Don't know how much quality sleep I will get. 


Anyway, today I feel good again.


Today's workout:
10/4/2010
Overhead Squat practice: 85 lbs x 4, 95 lbs x 4, 4
Dead Lift w/ 225 lbs x 3, 2, 3, 2 - getting the groove...
KB Press w/ 24kg: 5/5, 5/5
Pull-up w/ 16kg: 3, 4, 3 - super easy!
Dbl Cleans w/ 24kgs: 10 x 4 sets
Hanging Leg Raise x 3, 4, 3 - really easy too.
Suitcase walks w/ 32kgs: 100 steps per side x 3 sets


Again, feeling good...

Easy Training

So we will see how it goes... I'm kind of excited about this and kind of scared but I'm going to see it through for 8 weeks. Whoa. I think I can make it!


9/30/10
Dead Lift 185 lbs: 3, 4, 3
KB Press w/ 24kg: 5/5, 5/5
Pull-ups w/ BW: 5, 5
Dbl Cleans w/ 24s: 15, 15
Hanging Leg Raise: 3, 4, 3
Suitcase carries w/ 32kg: 80 to 90 steps x 3 trips


10/1/10
Dbl Front Squat w/ 24s: 5, 3, 2
Dead Lift 165 lbs: 5, 5
KB Press w/ 32kg: 3, 2, 3, 2
Pull-ups w/ 16kg: 3, 4, 3
Dbl Cleans w/ 24s: 25! 
Hanging Leg Raise: 5, 5
Farmers walk w/ 24s: 200 steps
Bottoms up carries w/ 24kg: 50 steps each side x 2 trips
Dbl Overhead Carries w/ 24s: 50 steps x 2


So far, the hardest thing i've done is the carries. All the lifts feel really easy and pretty good. I guess they should. They are all pretty light. I am still trying to figure out what exercises I want to keep and which ones i want to kick to the curb. Hopefully this weekend i'll have that ironed out....