Tuesday workout(s)

I taught a tough endurance-oriented cycling class this morning. At least, it seemed tough to me! There was variable intensity but only one real recovery period--the idea was to try to get the class to find recovery within the interval, which is what you'd have to do if you were actually out on the road doing a long ride. I have several people in class who've got centuries coming up in later in the spring, so that's going to be my focus for the next little bit. It'll be good for all of us.

Later I did a fun little kettlebell workout that I sort of stole from Sandi's blog.

Circuit 1: 4x5 each side x 12 kg

KB snatch
KB floor press
KB overhead rear lunge
Rest up to 75 seconds as needed between circuits ( I think my actual rests were more like 45-60 seconds since I wasn't killing it on the weights)

Circuit 2: 3x6 (each side on the unilateral exercises) x 12 kg (on the weighted exercises)

KB side plank with row
close grip pushup
hanging knees to what should have been my elbows but were more like my armpits, lol!
Rest up to 60 seconds

5 minute finisher:

KB swings, 12 kg. I did 2 armed for 2 minutes, then switched to hand to hand, then did 1-armed for a while, then back to hand to hand, then back to 2 arm until the 5 minutes were up. It sucked as much as you'd think.

I'm sort of thinking of doing a program called "Turbulence Training for Meatheads" just for kicks and grins. It's sort of an old-school upper lower split, with 4 days of lifting each week. 2 on, 1 off 2 on, 2 off, lather rinse repeat. I'll tweak it, of course: I do NOT do shrugs. Not even for Craig will I do a shrug. My upper traps don't need it. No one's upper traps need it. I'll replace the shrugs with an exercise that targets the lower traps and rhomboids, which are the bits that need the extra attention on most people. Or just do a lovely port de bras or something :)

Oh, and the program doesn't include any energy systems training or what have you, so I'll tack on some sort of bodyweight unpleasantness to each workout and do extra metabolic work on two of the non-lifting days.

"666" Barbell Complex

It's Satanic, I tell you :)

Actually, it isn't that bad, but it will seem so to the client for whom I created it:

6 deadlifts
6 bent-over rows
6 front squats
6 military presses
6 static lunges, L
6 static lunges, R

Rest and repeat for a total of 6 rounds.

Then if he's still alive after that we'll do the following:

jump squats, 30 seconds
rest 15 seconds
running pushups, 30 seconds
rest 15 seconds
SB rollouts, 30 seconds.
rest 15 seconds

Repeat 5x :)

Am I awful or what?

Actually, I don't expect him to be able to do the workout exactly as written the first time through. I think 4 times through the complex will be about right, and I think he's going to need more than 15 seconds rest between exercises in the final circuit. But that's okay. With this particular client, what he likes to do is hire me to put together a program for him that he can't quite do at first without modifying. Then when he's able to sail through it as written, he comes back for an upgrade.

I plan to try it out myself later today just to make sure it's not harder than I think. I want my client to feel challenged but not demoralized!

Update: yeah, it'll do. I used 45 lbs--couldn't have gone much heavier because of the militaries. If I'd created this workout for myself I probably would've made them push presses. Complexes are harder to put together than you'd think because the exercises have to flow well and they also have to be appropriate for the individual. Upright rows are a good fit in terms of choreography, for instance, but I almost never include them because most of my clients if anything are overdeveloped in through the upper traps.

The bodyweight finisher was fun :)

What-Was-I-Thinking Saturday

I stole this from a Crossfit site:

5 rounds, 40 sec work, 20 sec. rest:

KB 1-arm rows, L, R
Plank
KB 1-arm swings
KB 1-arm push press
Tuck jumps
Static squats, KB in rack position, L, R

It actually wasn't that bad except for the 40 seconds of tuck jumps. I opted to go for quality over quantity, really trying to get my knees to my chest each rep for max core involvement. Note that I said "trying to get" as opposed to "getting"! I also didn't want to take too long between reps because I didn't want to lose the cardio conditioning effect, so I'm sure my form was compromised on some reps especially toward the end of the 40 seconds.

Yesterday's workout was ripped off from the same site. It was the "Kettlebell 300":

25 v-ups
25 snatches, R
25 snatches, L
25 pushups
50 swings
50 burpees
25 clean & press R
25 clean & press L
50 mountain climbers

I sort of impressed myself with the snatches. I used my 12 kg bell and even on the left side, which is the one that I sometimes have trouble stabilizing, I only had to take one midset break. And my forearms are hardly dinged up at all! I actually struggled more on the clean & press, partly because I was fatigued and partly because when all's said and done 26 pounds is a lot of weight for a rather small female to press overhead 25 times with good form (no help from the legs) and minimal rest.

The 50 burpees were hideous, but you really didn't need me to tell you that :)

Anyway, I got through the whole thing in a little less than 20 minutes. Next time I do it I'll shoot for 18-19 minutes.

I sort of like this whole concept of making workouts harder by increasing density (more reps in the same time, or the same number of reps in less time) as opposed to just grabbing heavier weights, although of course that has its place too and I probably need to be doing that more regularly.

Triple Fat Loss Matrix

This actually looks like it'd be a nice little add-on to a workout:

http://howtogetsixpackabs.com/Triple-Fat-Loss-Matrix.html

But--and I feel like an utter bitch saying this--but I sort of think this dude's physique detracts from his credibility. I really kinda hate myself for even thinking along those lines, because maybe he has an underactive thyroid or has been taking steroids for an injury, or maybe he just doesn't personally care about having a body fat percentage in the single digits. My point is that just because a trainer isn't all ripped and buff doesn't mean s/he doesn't know what s/he's doing, and in my head I know that. But viscerally I'm more inclined to accept guidance from someone who looks the part, if you know what I mean.

What do you all think?

PS If you don't want to watch the video, the matrix consists of 8 1-arm squat presses each side, 50 jumping jacks, and 8 lunge presses (you do a front lunge then kinda explode into a push press on the return, almost like a split jerk in reverse.) You then rest 20 seconds, and repeat 6-15 times.

Vegetarian-friendly protein sources

Craig Ballantyne interviews John Alvino on the best protein foods for fat loss:

http://instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=6417651

I haven't listened to the interview yet, so I have no idea whether it's crap or not. But I'm guessing there will be at least a little useful information in there. Supposedly protein powders are addressed as well.

Escalating Density Monday

The idea with EDT is, you pick 3 compound exercises and do a mini circuit of 10 reps of each exercise using your 15RM. (Well, that's one way you can do it anyway.) You then try to complete as many circuits as you can in a given period of time. The way you make it progressive is by doing more reps in that same time period each time you do the workout. It's a tremendous metabolic stimulus and also great for people who're short on time.

The three exercises I have in mind are band-assisted pullups, high-decline pushups, and 18" box jumps. My ultimate goal is 10 rounds in 15 minutes, but I think I'll need to work up to that. Today I'm expecting to get more like 7-8.

Will be back later with an update!

Update: I got 9 rounds in just under 15 minutes, but don't be impressed because many of my pullups were not worthy of the name. I don't like to count them unless my chin is over the bar, but that was so not happening toward the end. Because I like even numbers I went ahead and did a 10th round, so all told I got in 300 reps in 16.5 minutes.

Turbulence Training March Madness

This month's Turbulence Training routine consists of 3 circuit workouts to be performed on nonconsecutive days.

I gave Workout A a shot yesterday:

bodyweight circuit to warm up, then:

power circuit 3x:

6 jump squats, hands in prisoner position
pull-ups, max reps
8 jump lunges per leg
8 spiderman pushups per side
8 1-leg stability ball curls
band assisted pull-ups, max reps
6 burpees

core circuit 3x:

plank, 45 sec.
15 SB jackknifes
side plank, 30 sec. each side
SB mountain climbers, feet on ball (!), 8 per side.

bodyweight squats, 5 min., AMRAP

The bodyweight squat thing was interesting. I was able to work continuously for the entire 5 minutes, but I did find myself slowing down very slightly toward the end. In minute 1 I completed 36 squats, and if I'd kept working at that pace throughout the interval I'd have gotten 180 total, but in fact I got 160-something. The idea with this one is to try to get more squats each workout, but I think I might want to do something else. Maybe 20 seconds of jump squats, 20 seconds of bodyweight squats, and then a 20 second squat hold, 5x. If I can. I certainly can do it 3 times, and probably 4. If I make it through 5 times I'll have to give myself a handicap. Pointe shoes, maybe.

Another option would be to stick in something like a 5 minute snatch test, though not on a day when I'm worried about my shoulders.

BTW, Craig Ballantyne is offering a couple of deals right now. For $1.oo you can purchase a basic Turbulence Training membership that'll give you access to the March Madness workout and a few others as well, in addition to the member forums, for a week. You need to cancel within 7 days or your credit card will be charged $19.95 yadda yadda yadda.

Alternatively, for $9.95 apiece you can purchase quite a few "back issue" 4-week Turbulence Training workouts. If fat loss is your goal any of the January workouts are highly recommended. I also like the bodyweight workouts with some reservations. In Craigspeak, "bodyweight" does not mean "no equipment needed." You'll likely need a stability ball, a pull-up bar, a step or bench, and a lower bar you can use for inverted rows. So, if you're looking for something you can do on vacation these workouts may not fit the bill unless you happen to own a TRX trainer you can throw in your carry-on.

(Apparently I'm all about the product placement today. Should I be charging?)