Morgan's Grip Log

[lifesnotfair]

You are way more built than any of them cyclists! :P

[maidenfan]

Here's a completely retarded photo I shared with Chris over at the farmstrength board - German velo sprinter Robert Forstemann, aptly named, "Mr. Thigh"

[lifesnotfair]

LOL, I had seen pics of bycicle sprinters before and yes, their quads look retarded.

I wonder if this sport develops the quads too much in proportion to the hamstrings, therefore increasing chances of knee injuries long-term..? Just out of curiosity have you ever heard something like this? It certainly looks much more fun than long-distance cycling (tour the france kindof stuff which I personally find a little boring).

[maidenfan]

I've been pretty bad at keeping track of my workouts - getting stale - back to the grinder. Still training hard - got married - wife is now pregnant. My first kid at 43 - pretty sweet. I can now retire in nine years and be a stay-at-home dad/trainer

Recent highlights (for me): 3:03 1000m C2 row and an 8:31 500m swim - both big PR's.

12/29/12

Concept 2 rowing:

5 mins x no strap rowing - 1253m (1:59.7 avg) - damper @ 2.5

15 min row - 4142m - 1:48.6 avg - damper @ 2

20 min jog w/dog (~10-11 min pace)

Levering/swinging clubs at work.

[maidenfan]

12/30/12

Muscle-up work:

False grip pull-ups and chins (on the wrist) - multiple sets of 1.

False grip ring dips and pull-ups.

Muscle-up transitions with feet on a box.

Some indian club levering at work.

[maidenfan]

01/01/13

Ring work & pullups

1 hour of walking, running, pullups & dips with the wife and dogs.

[lifesnotfair]

Congrats on getting married, the child that's on the way, and everything else Nice to see you back.

[maidenfan]

Thanks man, appreciate it.

Last few days:

Working muscle up progressions, handstands, bodyweight stuff and skipping rope.

[maidenfan]

Last few days:

Swimming, wrestling, jumping rope, bodyweight lifts, walking and some levering and gripping at work.

[honk]

So how's the best shape of your lift thing going?

I think it's awesome that you got a job that fits your active lifestyle.

[maidenfan]

So how's the best shape of your lift thing going?

I think it's awesome that you got a job that fits your active lifestyle.

You know man, I think I've made some good progress...but a lot of disappointment on the bodyweight thing, as I'm still floating in the 240-250 range. In the summer, when I ride a lot it'll get into the 230's, but this winter its back in the 240's again. Dropping from 300 to the current range was relatively easy, but now it isnt. I guess thats where the "how bad do you want it" comes in. The numbers and times have come down and I think I've produced pretty good work for somebody my bodyweight so far, but I just dwell on the weight too much I guess. Some recent PR's for me in the last year or so: ran an 8K race in 39:20 something (7:57 miles), swam 500m in 8:31, C2 rowed a 500m in 1:24, 1000m in 3:03 and a 2000m in 6:35, did a couple good rides (58.5 miles in 3:39 w/3200' of climbing, 44.6 miles in 2:57 w/4045' of climbing), some decent crossfit times, some decent bodyweight stuff, etc. All the numbers except the weight have shown improvement.

Tues 01/15/13

~30 mins of swimming in the morning

Wrestling in the afternoon. Three of us - one min round, get a fresh guy for one more minute, rest a min - repeat for 30 mins

I've finally, sort-of, figured out how to move in the water efficiently - my swim times have come down substantially. Recently PR'd an 8:31 500m swim, which is very good for me. The wrestling....well, you simply cant replicate that with any exercise. I think a person inherently will pace themselves when doing an activity. Hard to do when somebody is constantly on your back kicking your ass. I havent wrestled in a few months, I'm looking forward to doing it once a week or so.

Weds 01/16/13

Day off with the wife. We usually do something active, but I needed the rest. I did about a 45 min walk at the dog park while she ran with the dogs.

Thurs 01/17/13

Met some firefighter buddies at the pool and swam for about 45 mins - 500m, 1 min rest, 250y, then a bunch of random swims and relays - good workout

About a 40 min run/walk (75% running at a jog pace) with the dogs around the neighborhood.

Friday 01/18/13

Warm up jumping rope for a few mins and some light overhead squats - worked up to a single at 165lbs, which is sadly, somewhat challenging for me now - 185 - 205 range is about my max now. Just need more work here.

Did a short crossfit style workout after:

As many burpee pull-ups and 100lb sandbag C&P as I could do in 5 mins - ended up with 20 BP and 15 C&P. Felt weak, but produced good work based on the amount of sweat and oxygen going in and out of the lungs.

500 double unders afterwards to finish (no time limit - just do until finished)

The double unders are a skill I've been working really hard at a few times a week. My big break through came with the purchase of a crossfit style cable rope thats really just made for DU's. My frequency of hits went from 4-5 to 10-50 at a shot with just a rope switch. Its still very, very frustrating for me because when I fatigue the hits to miss ratios go way down. Its a good for me though as it forces me to fight through and finish rather than getting pissed and quitting. Seems like a fantastic GPP tool.

[maidenfan]

01/19/13

Short warm-up

Walk on hands 50 yards in 7 something minutes - Tuff

Three rounds of 500m row, 25 abmat situps, 50 double unders in 12:41

A little gripping at work.

[maidenfan]

01/20/13

Rest day

01/21/13

BW - 252 in gym clothes

Worked out with some buddies tonight - did a couple of circuits

1st - rotate thru five stations once - everybody switches on the stair runner

1 - run down 4 flights of stairs, 5 X burpees, run back up to gym

2 - abmat sit-ups

3 - push-ups

4 - 100lb sandbag c & p

5 - C2 row

5 min rest (or so)

2nd - carry 100lb sandbag down 4 flights of stairs then back up. Everybody else does 10 burpees while they wait their turn

I finished with 300 DU's

[maidenfan]

01/22/13

45 mins of swimming - 500m w/pull buoy in 8:20 and some sprint relays w/a buddy.

Quick PM workout - 500 DU's in 11:23

[maidenfan]

01/23/13

Rest day

Walked about an hour with the wife and dogs.

[honk]

How's the oly lifting thing going?

I got a used berg-oly bar (training-bar) deffo build to last.

Used oly bars were very cheap before crossfit came along, that might have changed.

I used to train at a club where they had bars in use form pre WWII days.

[maidenfan]

01/24/13

No time for a long workout so I decided to try and break my best 1000m C2 row time. My previous best was 3:03, which came from a too fast start 2000m effort. Got 2:56.9 today (1:28 pace), which put me #2 on Concept2's world rankings for 40-49, heavyweight, 2013 season. The time put me #6 for the 2012 season. It was an extremely hard effort for me and I sorta "bonked" out with 300-400 left. My lungs are still hacking up flem and its been several hours. I'm very happy and should spend more time rowing. The American record for the 1000m is 2:46. Even more impressive is the world 2000m record of 5:38 (1:24 pace!).

[maidenfan]

How's the oly lifting thing going?

I got a used berg-oly bar (training-bar) deffo build to last.

Used oly bars were very cheap before crossfit came along, that might have changed.

I used to train at a club where they had bars in use form pre WWII days.

No, Crossfit has pretty much destroyed the olympic bar and C2 rower second hand market. Unfortunately, good bars are only appreciated by those who use them, hence the bars never being on the used market. The only exception to that rule is me I had a really nice Pendlay elite bar and sold it when the "next" hobby came along. I'll keep the Eleiko bar I have and call it a lesson learned. I've taken a few lessons from a local coach, but have not had the discipline to practice. I dabble from time to time. Its very hard for me to focus on one discipline for any length of time - cycling and swimming have been the two I've stuck with for a while now. I've been loosely trying to get my bodyweight down for a few years now, and the summer cycling/swimming makes it happen (to a point), but as soon as I touch a bar (maybe a beer or two ) my weight starts floating back up again. Chris tried helping me with it a while back, but I'm sure he got a little frustrated with my ADD.

[maidenfan]

01/25/13

Did the crossfit wod: 75 HSPU, start off each min with 20DU's.

Took me 20 mins - only the first 25 or so HSPU's were legit, the rest were negatives only. It sucks as its hard to pump out HSPU's at 250. The increased amount of DU's compounds the problem. I really didn't want to do this workout because of the HSPU's, but I also need to not be a wuss and get stronger. Two of my fancy DU ropes broke in the process.

[maidenfan]

01/26/13

I enjoyed yesterday's format - changed up the exercises and did it again

The plan: 100 pull-ups (kipping), 100 BW squats, 100 abmat sit-ups, 100 burpees. 20 DU's at the start of ea minute.

At 14:20, I wussed out and stopped. What I got done: 50 pull-ups, 50 squats, 75 sit-ups, 10 burpees and 280 DU's.

The format gets frustrating as when I get tired, the amount of time it takes to get the DU's done dramatically reduces the time to get everything else done.

Took the dogs for a 40 min run/walk to the park and ran a few stairs while there.

[maidenfan]

01/27/13

Rest day

01/28/13

25 DU's
Run down four flights of stairs & across parking lot
225 C&P (jerk) x 1
10 kipping pullups
Run back up to upstairs gym

x 5 rounds in 16:00 flat

Finished with a few rounds of wrestling with the boys

30 min walk w/wife and dogs when I got home.

Awesome workout tonight - felt strong and the wrestling always makes me feel like a man.

[maidenfan]

01/29/13

45 mins of swimming. 500m pull in 8:25, lots of 50y and 25y sprints. Shoulders are tired today.

~1 hr of walking the dogs w/the wife.

[maidenfan]

01/30/13

Rest day

I did do some light swimming for about 30 mins. Kicking only - flutter, dolphin, etc.

01/31/13

About 35 mins of swimming. Did an 1100 yard pull in 18:20. Finished with some kicking and treading water.

Wrestled with some buddies for about 30 mins or so.

About 30 mins of walking with the dog.

Breakfast: 2 eggs/3 whites, 1 slice of Daves Killer Bread, 1 tbsp of almond butter

Lunch (after workout): Large bowl of homemade beef/veggie stew (root veggies, kale, 5% grass fed burger, etc), 1 can of sardines in olive oil, 32oz water w/mulit vita/fish oil/calcium/vita D

Havent figured the rest out yet. My HUGE problem is binging at night, especially when I sit in front of the TV. I rarely watch TV, but when I do at night, I tend to get hungry and eat. I also will drink a beer or a glass of red wine on a fairly regular basis (5 out of 7 nights). I've been trying to read more or walk at nights and it has helped a lot.

[lifesnotfair]

A beer (if it's really "a" beer) or a glass of red wine is NOT going to drastically hinder your progress even if daily.

But eating while watching TV is disastrous. Just don't eat while watching TV. Eat at your table and don't eat anything watching TV. When you watch TV, do just that, but don't eat. It's the simplest solution

[maidenfan]

A beer (if it's really "a" beer) or a glass of red wine is NOT going to drastically hinder your progress even if daily.

But eating while watching TV is disastrous. Just don't eat while watching TV. Eat at your table and don't eat anything watching TV. When you watch TV, do just that, but don't eat. It's the simplest solution

You are absolutely correct. Its rather funny with me as when I do anything other than watch TV I dont have the urge to eat - definate Pavlovian response in my case. Thanks for the reality check on both.