Workout: TBT
alternating sets, 2 x 15, 2:00 rest
lunges, 45s
SLRDLs, 30s
DB press, 45s
DB rows, 50s
DB skulls, 25s
DB curls, 25s
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Log - Sat. 11/29/09
Workout: running
3.37 miles in 29:26. First time I could say I pushed it, and I'm fairly pleased with the time. Already I feel as if I could knock another 1-2 minutes off of that.
3.37 miles in 29:26. First time I could say I pushed it, and I'm fairly pleased with the time. Already I feel as if I could knock another 1-2 minutes off of that.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Log - Wed., 11/25/09
Workout: TBT
alternating sets, 3x8, 1:30 rest
lunges, 55s
SLRDLs, 40s
DB press, 55s
DB rows, 65s
DB skulls, 35s
DB curls, 35s
alternating sets, 3x8, 1:30 rest
lunges, 55s
SLRDLs, 40s
DB press, 55s
DB rows, 65s
DB skulls, 35s
DB curls, 35s
Monday, November 23, 2009
Log - Mon., 11/23/09
Workout: TBT
antagonistic sets, 3x5, 1:00 rest
lunges, 60s
SLRDLs, 45s
DB press, 60s
DB rows, 65s
DB skullcrushers, 40s
DB curls, 40s
This was a much easier workout. Part is that my body is adapting to this program, and part is due to the fact that the rest times are essentially doubled for each exercise. I wish I could adjust the weights accordingly, but I think a 5-lb. increase for each dumbbell would have been too much. It was still a hard workout, just nothing like Saturdays.
antagonistic sets, 3x5, 1:00 rest
lunges, 60s
SLRDLs, 45s
DB press, 60s
DB rows, 65s
DB skullcrushers, 40s
DB curls, 40s
This was a much easier workout. Part is that my body is adapting to this program, and part is due to the fact that the rest times are essentially doubled for each exercise. I wish I could adjust the weights accordingly, but I think a 5-lb. increase for each dumbbell would have been too much. It was still a hard workout, just nothing like Saturdays.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Log - Sun., 11/22/09
Workout: running
3.37 miles in 31:20. That might be the fastest I've done it in - I could be wrong, but I think I've been around 31:30 - and I did push it a little bit more, but only a little. I figure if I run mostly this distance 2-3 times a week through the winter, with occasional longer runs thrown in, then by spring my feet will be ready to add the miles necessary to get to a half-marathon in either August or October. Still loving those Vibrams.
3.37 miles in 31:20. That might be the fastest I've done it in - I could be wrong, but I think I've been around 31:30 - and I did push it a little bit more, but only a little. I figure if I run mostly this distance 2-3 times a week through the winter, with occasional longer runs thrown in, then by spring my feet will be ready to add the miles necessary to get to a half-marathon in either August or October. Still loving those Vibrams.
Log - Sat., 11/21/09
Workout: TBT
all 2x15, 2:00 rest
lunges, 45s - 2 x 15
SLRDLs, 30s - 2 x 15
DB press, 45s - 15, 14
DB rows, 55s - 2 x 15
DB skullcrushers, 25s - 15, 13
DB curls, 25s - 2 x 15
Comment:
I decided to man up and stick with the SLRDLs, just lowering the weight so that I could do them right. My back still hurt a bit, but this time it was clearly all in the muscles, the sort of pain I am doing this to encourage. It's amazing how hard sets of 15 really are if properly loaded - it has been a long time since I worked in that rep range.
all 2x15, 2:00 rest
lunges, 45s - 2 x 15
SLRDLs, 30s - 2 x 15
DB press, 45s - 15, 14
DB rows, 55s - 2 x 15
DB skullcrushers, 25s - 15, 13
DB curls, 25s - 2 x 15
Comment:
I decided to man up and stick with the SLRDLs, just lowering the weight so that I could do them right. My back still hurt a bit, but this time it was clearly all in the muscles, the sort of pain I am doing this to encourage. It's amazing how hard sets of 15 really are if properly loaded - it has been a long time since I worked in that rep range.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Log - Fri., 11/20/09
Workout: running
2 miles in about 17:50. Just working on form. Felt good.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Log - Thurs., 11/19/09
Workout: TBT
all 3x8, 1:30 rest
lunges, 55s
SLRDLs, 55s, 40s, 40s
DB press, 55s
DB rows, 65s
DB skullcrushers, 35s (8, 8, 6)
DB curls, 35s
"tabata" jump rope
Those SLRDLs really hurt and twist my lower back. I think I may have discovered one of the problems with my squat - my lower back feels really weak. Given that, I may sub good mornings going forward. That would take the twist out (as it would not be a single-limb move) until I got a bit more lower back strength, and then move back to this move later. Just an idea.
all 3x8, 1:30 rest
lunges, 55s
SLRDLs, 55s, 40s, 40s
DB press, 55s
DB rows, 65s
DB skullcrushers, 35s (8, 8, 6)
DB curls, 35s
"tabata" jump rope
Those SLRDLs really hurt and twist my lower back. I think I may have discovered one of the problems with my squat - my lower back feels really weak. Given that, I may sub good mornings going forward. That would take the twist out (as it would not be a single-limb move) until I got a bit more lower back strength, and then move back to this move later. Just an idea.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Log - Tues. 11/17/09
Workout: TBT
all 3 x 5, 1:00 rest
lunges, 65s
SLRDLs, 60s
DB press, 60s
DB row, 65s
DB skullcrusher, 40s - 5, 5, 4
DB curl, 40s
The weights are from memory, as I don't have my log with me. I think they're right, though.
all 3 x 5, 1:00 rest
lunges, 65s
SLRDLs, 60s
DB press, 60s
DB row, 65s
DB skullcrusher, 40s - 5, 5, 4
DB curl, 40s
The weights are from memory, as I don't have my log with me. I think they're right, though.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Log - Tues. 11/10/09
Workout: running
2 miles, no watch, great classic rock, in my Vibrams on a cold, dark night. In a word, exhilarating. I could have run for miles.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Monday, November 9, 2009
Log - 11/9/09
Workout: TBT
all 3x5, 1:00 rest
lunges - 55s
single-leg RDLs - 55s, 60s, 60s
DB press - 50s, 55s, 60s
DB rows - 60s, 65s, 65s
lying DB tri extensions - 40s
DB curls - 35s, 40s, 40s
This felt great. It would have been better had I gotten all the weights right the first time, but that's not a huge deal. I was in and out in about half an hour, hit everything, and felt great. And my shoulder isn't giving me any problems at all.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Log - 11/8/09
Workout: Running
About 5 miles in 47:50 on an amazingly-warm and beautiful November day in Michigan.
About 5 miles in 47:50 on an amazingly-warm and beautiful November day in Michigan.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Log - 11/4/09
Workout: modified TBT
All 3x10, 1:00 rest
Lunges - 30s
Single-leg RDLs - 30s
DB press - 35s, 40s, 40s
DB row - 45s
Triceps extensions - 20s
DB curls - 25s
I had very sore glutes and hams from the previous workout on what is intended as a light or deload week. So, I reduced some weights.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Running Naturally
I used to love to run.
I started running in about seventh grade, when I was pressured by my Dad to join the track team. I wasn't fast by any stretch, so I always felt that any chance I had was to be found in the distance events. Over the course of my seventh grade season, until I quit due to injury, I found I wasn't so good at those, either.
However, during the summer before eighth grade, I really wanted to get in some kind of shape for football, and decided to bike down to the track most mornings for a two-mile run. Before I knew it, running two miles in 15:00 was a breeze. From then on, I ran long distances regularly - even as a football player - and it was easy. My stride was natural. I was never injured. By my senior year, when I ran a 5:06 1600m (still stings, as I know had I focused on that event, I'd have broken 5:00) and a 11:03 3200m, running felt effortless and free. I loved that feeling.
Then I lost it.
I went to college. I ran less. I got heavier. My knees started to hurt. My hips started to hurt. So, I bought heavier, more cushioned, more supportive shoes. (I'd always worn lightweight shoes before.) And my knees got worse, and my hips got worse, and it all became a lot less fun.
A few months ago, I read Born to Run, by Chris McDougall. I'd read articles by him and others on these general topics before, but this was the first time I'd seen it all put together. (And in a very fun read, too.)
The general theme of the book is that homo sapiens are designed to be distance runners, and our biomechanics are such that do that distance running best in as natural an environment as possible. Really, the only unnatural part of our current running environment is the shoes we wear. (As a side note, it's not concrete or asphalt, as we've been running on much harder granite trails for millennia, apparently.) Modern running shoes are a very recent invention; prior to the last fifty years or so, we ran in light leather slippers, basically, or barefoot. And we didn't have nearly the number or severity of running injuries we see today. Part of this book explores the reasons for this, and comes back to largely blaming the shoes.
These shoes were largely the product of a desire to change our natural running gait by allowing us to "stride out." The proponent of the jogging boom (Lydiard?) thought that if people could land on their heels, they could take longer strides and run more efficiently. The first modern running shoes were designed to allow this heel strike, which you could never do in leather slippers. The problem, we now know, is that this heel strike takes us outside the way our body is designed to run. The cushioned shoes, which make it more difficult for our sensitive feet to sense the ground, actually force us to step down harder, sending more force up through our joints, joints that are now in an unnatural and dangerous position due to this new running form incorporating heel strikes. When your body acts in an unnatural way, the risk and incidence of injury increases dramatically.
I was hooked. It made too much sense. I am, after all, an aerospace engineer by training - operating the human running machine within the confines of its intended use seemed logical. However, I was not about to start running barefoot. It takes a long time to get your feet conditioned for such abuse (or reconditioned - if we never put on shoes in the first place, we'd probably be fine). It seemed somewhat dangerous, particularly as I do most of my running on concrete or asphalt (and broken Michigan roads, at that) to be running around barefoot.
One of the people discussed in the book - Barefoot Ted McDonald - often runs in Vibram FiveFingers. I'd seen these crazy shoes before, and thought they were nuts. They looked like something aimed at hippies with $100 burning a hole in their pocket. They are basically a thin rubber slipper for the bottom of your foot - no padding, no arch support. There's enough rubber to make sure you won't cut your foot, and it's designed to flex where your foot flexes. There are five separate pockets, one for each toe. They're weird. The idea of using them as running shoes seemed ludicrous, whatever Barefoot Ted might say. Nevertheless, after reading Born to Run, I was intrigued enough to experiment.
So, I started running the 1.25 miles to the high school track, which surrounds a nice artificial football field. Once there, I'd strip off my shoes and socks, and at normal running pace, run 100-yard repeats on the field. As I did this, the strangest thing happened.
My form changed. My hips came forward. My stride shortened, but became lighter and quicker. I started landing, first without my heels touching at all, and then as I relaxed into the form that came naturally, with a rolling ball-to-heel landing that left my entire foot on the ground ready to propel me forward, but without the shock of a heel strike. My knees stopped hurting. My hips stopped hurting.
Even when I ran back afterwards, I tried to maintain that naked running form. It took more of a concious effort, but when I did it, it felt wonderful.
I bought my own Vibrams, some black KSOs, shortly thereafter. I started out running to the track in regular shoes, running a mile in the Vibrams, and then running home. Before long, though, I was out running two, three, or even five miles on my neighborhood's broken streets in the Vibrams. And my knees don't hurt, my hips don't hurt, and I haven't looked back.
Do I think that switching to Vibrams is the answer for everyone? No, not necessarily. Nor do I think running shoes are a problem for everyone. But this experiment made running fun, natural, and easy for me again, and if you have any curiosity about this at all, I recommend you go find a nice grassy field, and go for a run.
I started running in about seventh grade, when I was pressured by my Dad to join the track team. I wasn't fast by any stretch, so I always felt that any chance I had was to be found in the distance events. Over the course of my seventh grade season, until I quit due to injury, I found I wasn't so good at those, either.
However, during the summer before eighth grade, I really wanted to get in some kind of shape for football, and decided to bike down to the track most mornings for a two-mile run. Before I knew it, running two miles in 15:00 was a breeze. From then on, I ran long distances regularly - even as a football player - and it was easy. My stride was natural. I was never injured. By my senior year, when I ran a 5:06 1600m (still stings, as I know had I focused on that event, I'd have broken 5:00) and a 11:03 3200m, running felt effortless and free. I loved that feeling.
Then I lost it.
I went to college. I ran less. I got heavier. My knees started to hurt. My hips started to hurt. So, I bought heavier, more cushioned, more supportive shoes. (I'd always worn lightweight shoes before.) And my knees got worse, and my hips got worse, and it all became a lot less fun.
A few months ago, I read Born to Run, by Chris McDougall. I'd read articles by him and others on these general topics before, but this was the first time I'd seen it all put together. (And in a very fun read, too.)
The general theme of the book is that homo sapiens are designed to be distance runners, and our biomechanics are such that do that distance running best in as natural an environment as possible. Really, the only unnatural part of our current running environment is the shoes we wear. (As a side note, it's not concrete or asphalt, as we've been running on much harder granite trails for millennia, apparently.) Modern running shoes are a very recent invention; prior to the last fifty years or so, we ran in light leather slippers, basically, or barefoot. And we didn't have nearly the number or severity of running injuries we see today. Part of this book explores the reasons for this, and comes back to largely blaming the shoes.
These shoes were largely the product of a desire to change our natural running gait by allowing us to "stride out." The proponent of the jogging boom (Lydiard?) thought that if people could land on their heels, they could take longer strides and run more efficiently. The first modern running shoes were designed to allow this heel strike, which you could never do in leather slippers. The problem, we now know, is that this heel strike takes us outside the way our body is designed to run. The cushioned shoes, which make it more difficult for our sensitive feet to sense the ground, actually force us to step down harder, sending more force up through our joints, joints that are now in an unnatural and dangerous position due to this new running form incorporating heel strikes. When your body acts in an unnatural way, the risk and incidence of injury increases dramatically.
I was hooked. It made too much sense. I am, after all, an aerospace engineer by training - operating the human running machine within the confines of its intended use seemed logical. However, I was not about to start running barefoot. It takes a long time to get your feet conditioned for such abuse (or reconditioned - if we never put on shoes in the first place, we'd probably be fine). It seemed somewhat dangerous, particularly as I do most of my running on concrete or asphalt (and broken Michigan roads, at that) to be running around barefoot.
One of the people discussed in the book - Barefoot Ted McDonald - often runs in Vibram FiveFingers. I'd seen these crazy shoes before, and thought they were nuts. They looked like something aimed at hippies with $100 burning a hole in their pocket. They are basically a thin rubber slipper for the bottom of your foot - no padding, no arch support. There's enough rubber to make sure you won't cut your foot, and it's designed to flex where your foot flexes. There are five separate pockets, one for each toe. They're weird. The idea of using them as running shoes seemed ludicrous, whatever Barefoot Ted might say. Nevertheless, after reading Born to Run, I was intrigued enough to experiment.
So, I started running the 1.25 miles to the high school track, which surrounds a nice artificial football field. Once there, I'd strip off my shoes and socks, and at normal running pace, run 100-yard repeats on the field. As I did this, the strangest thing happened.
My form changed. My hips came forward. My stride shortened, but became lighter and quicker. I started landing, first without my heels touching at all, and then as I relaxed into the form that came naturally, with a rolling ball-to-heel landing that left my entire foot on the ground ready to propel me forward, but without the shock of a heel strike. My knees stopped hurting. My hips stopped hurting.
Even when I ran back afterwards, I tried to maintain that naked running form. It took more of a concious effort, but when I did it, it felt wonderful.
I bought my own Vibrams, some black KSOs, shortly thereafter. I started out running to the track in regular shoes, running a mile in the Vibrams, and then running home. Before long, though, I was out running two, three, or even five miles on my neighborhood's broken streets in the Vibrams. And my knees don't hurt, my hips don't hurt, and I haven't looked back.
Do I think that switching to Vibrams is the answer for everyone? No, not necessarily. Nor do I think running shoes are a problem for everyone. But this experiment made running fun, natural, and easy for me again, and if you have any curiosity about this at all, I recommend you go find a nice grassy field, and go for a run.
Log - 11/3/09
Workout: running
3.37 miles, about 33:00.
Since this was only about ten hours after some lifting, this was easy, slow active recovery.
Log - 11/2/09
Workout: modified TBT
all 3x10, 1:00 rest
lunges, 40s
single-leg RDLs, 40
DB bench, 40s
one-arm rows, 40
DB press, 25s, 30s, 35s
curls, 20s
The lunges felt great - I'm still feeling them. I can weight almost everything else heavier, probably much heavier. However, I need to skip the bench going forward for awhile, and learned very quickly (after about two reps) that I have to do the same on even the pulldowns. So, I'll likely try a few dips to see how that treats my shoulder, and otherwise will move toward isolation bicep and tricep work for the short term.
all 3x10, 1:00 rest
lunges, 40s
single-leg RDLs, 40
DB bench, 40s
one-arm rows, 40
DB press, 25s, 30s, 35s
curls, 20s
The lunges felt great - I'm still feeling them. I can weight almost everything else heavier, probably much heavier. However, I need to skip the bench going forward for awhile, and learned very quickly (after about two reps) that I have to do the same on even the pulldowns. So, I'll likely try a few dips to see how that treats my shoulder, and otherwise will move toward isolation bicep and tricep work for the short term.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Goals
I have been spending some time thinking about it means to be in shape, to be the sort of athlete I want to be at this stage in my life. What should a 32-year old trial lawyer and father of three be able to do in order to call himself fit and strong, while also having a well-balanced life? This is what I've come up with so far.
- I need to be reasonably strong. This means I need to be able to be able to bench press 225 lbs., squat 315 lbs., and deadlift 405 lbs. (I'm well above the bench, not there on the squat, and probably approaching that on the deadlift - I might even be able to do it.)
- I need to be reasonably fast. Not in a sprint, but over the course of a mile. I'm trying to figure out a good goal for me to run a 1600m in - 6:30?
- I need to be able to go forever. For this, I think I need to run a half-marathon in a reasonable amount of time. Again, what does that mean - 9:00 pace?
Update
It has been quite awhile since my last post. This has been due to two things; the happy arrival of my third son (currently a 4 1/2 month old bruiser!) and uncertainty. I'll address these in turn.
Working Out Since My Last Post
First, it has been a challenge working out since my third son was born, but one I have largely met with success. I originally lifted twice or even once a week, as time permitted, but moved up to consistently getting three days in. Most recently, I've been doing Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength program to get my strength back up, with mixed results but a lot of fun. Generally, I'm pleased with where I'm at in the strength department, with my squat (with less-than-perfect form) at 220 for 3x5, my deadlift at 320 for 5, my bench at 230 or 235 for 3x5 and my press at 130 for 3x5. I've also finally graduated to power cleans, as I've reached the point where I'm working out with 135 (my gym does not have bumper plates, so I had to do hang cleans until I got to that weight). Finally, I've been hitting the chins and pullups hard, with good progress in that embarrassing department. I'm pleased.
The only downer is a hurt shoulder. My right shoulder is really acting up, and bench and chins - chins in particular - seem to really aggravate things. A narrower grip helped some on the bench, but I need to give my shoulder a rest.
The other big development has been my purchase of some Vibram FiveFingers KSOs for running. I admit to being very skeptical when I first heard about them as a running shoe, but reading up on barefoot running, I became very itnerested in trying it. I started running to the local high school football field and running barefoot on the turf there. Something weird happened.
My feet no longer hurt. My knees no longer hurt. My hips no longer hurt.
I've now been running for a few months in the Vibrams, distances up to five miles, and almost entirely on concrete or asphalt. And my knees and hips feel great. My feet are adjusting, but all I am getting are muscular soreness and adjustments - the rest feels terrific.
So, that's where I am now, physically. Mentally . . .
Where Do I Go From Here?
I feel as if I'm at a crossroads in my lifting. I have always had a "performance" approach to lifting. I wanted to get stronger so I could play football better - if it didn't help me be a better quarterback, I didn't do it. (Granted, I made poor choices in making those selections based on a horrible lack of knowledge, but that's another issue.) Even mor recently, now that sports are done, I have continued to lift for performance - to bench more, to squat more, to press more. I have done this because there has seemed something "right" in that mentality, and something "wrong" about the mentality of those who lift in order to look good naked.
However, in my two recent shoulder injuries (my left shoulder also gave me problems earlier this year), and in other ways, I am starting to see signs that my approach is flawed. Oh, it's not flawed if I want to really see how strong I can get, but I realized something the other day.
I don't.
I want to be strong, and I want to be stronger than I am, but I also want to be healthy. By healthy, I mean I want to be in balance (symmetrically strong, if you will). I want to be flexible. And I don't want my joints to hurt. I am not in this for competition, so I do not want to be injured (to the extent I can avoid it). Pushing as hard as I have on strength, particularly in the upper body, has to lead to some injuries that are simply unacceptable to be me with my life and my goals where they are.
And, dammit, I want to look good naked.
I do not yet know where this leads me. I am going to take a week and think about it. I need to rehab some, anyway, so I'm going to do three full-body workouts this week. Each exercise will be done for three sets of ten reps, moderate weight, with about 1:30 rest in between sets. If the DB bench press hurts my shoulder, I'll skip it entirely. The exercises will be:
Working Out Since My Last Post
First, it has been a challenge working out since my third son was born, but one I have largely met with success. I originally lifted twice or even once a week, as time permitted, but moved up to consistently getting three days in. Most recently, I've been doing Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength program to get my strength back up, with mixed results but a lot of fun. Generally, I'm pleased with where I'm at in the strength department, with my squat (with less-than-perfect form) at 220 for 3x5, my deadlift at 320 for 5, my bench at 230 or 235 for 3x5 and my press at 130 for 3x5. I've also finally graduated to power cleans, as I've reached the point where I'm working out with 135 (my gym does not have bumper plates, so I had to do hang cleans until I got to that weight). Finally, I've been hitting the chins and pullups hard, with good progress in that embarrassing department. I'm pleased.
The only downer is a hurt shoulder. My right shoulder is really acting up, and bench and chins - chins in particular - seem to really aggravate things. A narrower grip helped some on the bench, but I need to give my shoulder a rest.
The other big development has been my purchase of some Vibram FiveFingers KSOs for running. I admit to being very skeptical when I first heard about them as a running shoe, but reading up on barefoot running, I became very itnerested in trying it. I started running to the local high school football field and running barefoot on the turf there. Something weird happened.
My feet no longer hurt. My knees no longer hurt. My hips no longer hurt.
I've now been running for a few months in the Vibrams, distances up to five miles, and almost entirely on concrete or asphalt. And my knees and hips feel great. My feet are adjusting, but all I am getting are muscular soreness and adjustments - the rest feels terrific.
So, that's where I am now, physically. Mentally . . .
Where Do I Go From Here?
I feel as if I'm at a crossroads in my lifting. I have always had a "performance" approach to lifting. I wanted to get stronger so I could play football better - if it didn't help me be a better quarterback, I didn't do it. (Granted, I made poor choices in making those selections based on a horrible lack of knowledge, but that's another issue.) Even mor recently, now that sports are done, I have continued to lift for performance - to bench more, to squat more, to press more. I have done this because there has seemed something "right" in that mentality, and something "wrong" about the mentality of those who lift in order to look good naked.
However, in my two recent shoulder injuries (my left shoulder also gave me problems earlier this year), and in other ways, I am starting to see signs that my approach is flawed. Oh, it's not flawed if I want to really see how strong I can get, but I realized something the other day.
I don't.
I want to be strong, and I want to be stronger than I am, but I also want to be healthy. By healthy, I mean I want to be in balance (symmetrically strong, if you will). I want to be flexible. And I don't want my joints to hurt. I am not in this for competition, so I do not want to be injured (to the extent I can avoid it). Pushing as hard as I have on strength, particularly in the upper body, has to lead to some injuries that are simply unacceptable to be me with my life and my goals where they are.
And, dammit, I want to look good naked.
I do not yet know where this leads me. I am going to take a week and think about it. I need to rehab some, anyway, so I'm going to do three full-body workouts this week. Each exercise will be done for three sets of ten reps, moderate weight, with about 1:30 rest in between sets. If the DB bench press hurts my shoulder, I'll skip it entirely. The exercises will be:
- lunges
- single-legged RDLs
- DB bench press
- DB one-arm row
- DB press
- pullups/lat pulldowns
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