Are Weak Men Allowed To Post Routines!?

[lifesnotfair]

The last workout was on 12.06, messed that up.

14.06.2008

DB push-press, LH only: 10x15, 20x15, 30x12 (plus DB handle, maybe 10-15 pounds?)

DB row, LH only, hard because I didn't want to put too much weight on right arm to support myself: 25x15, 35x15, 45x15 (+DB handle).

Air squats: 3x30.

Some sit-ups with legs raised maybe 75 degrees, anochored on barbell. First time doing these, loved them, super hard. 3 sets of 10.

Single leg RDL, no weight, 3x10 each leg.

Rather low intensity, but don't wanna push it right now. Did lots of stuff with arm, moved it in every direction, using my 1-1/4 lb plates (sometimes two), and my red theraband, then applied some ice on the AC joint just in case. The scar is healing pretty nicely I'd say.

[lifesnotfair]

15.06.2008

10 alternate pistols (5/leg)

10 sit-ups, with bench across my butt, feet anchored on rack, letting myself extend until head almost touched floor.

10 hip extensions using same setup as above, bench across upper thigs.

I set myself to do as many rounds in 20 minutes and I completed 7, and had a little time left, but decided to stop. Better than a few days ago and did not feel like puking this time, just sweaty as hell

Today (monday) I went to PT for the 6th time, now we're gonna start some other stuff, the girl says. I'm rather happy with my progress so far, since tomorrow it will be just 3 weeks after surgery and I have regained flexibility and ROM almost completely. The only move that still hurts a bit is the "pec fly" motion, or wanting to put my right hand behind or above my left shoulder. The flexibility is there because if I gently push with my left arm, I can place my whole hand in the back side of my left shoulder, but I can't get there by myself just yet. It felt funny when she handed me a 1lb weight to move, but 15 reps of some movements had me getting tired! Heh heh. But I even have pretty much the usual strength in some movements, and the others, I guess are coming along decently so far.

[lifesnotfair]

18.06.2008

20 alternate pistols (10 per leg)

20 DB push press, left armonly --- 20lbs, then 25 (+ DB handle)

20 sit-ups, bench across butt, going down below parallel, knees locked at all times.

20 hip extensions

20 DB bent over rows, left arm only --- 30lbs, then 40 (+ DB handle)

Did two rounds of these, with little rest in between... I had planned to do 3 rounds, but I was very wasted and I decided not tu burn myself out, because I don't want to rest so much before my next workout. It was brief, I kept rest periods short enough to keep my breathing very heavy. The weights used were kinda heavy in some exercises.. I had to make brief pauses in pretty much every exercise listed here, at least in round 2, I couldn't do 20 consecutive reps.

I haven't mentioned that in the last few days, sometimes I grab a gripper, cold, and try to close it. I got the #1.5 with both hands the other day, and the next day I got the filed #1.5 with both hands. I can't set well on my left hand, because I can't push hard with my right arm because of the surgery, still. I held that one closed for several seconds. I might have to try the #2 cold like that, and see what happens, maybe after work today when I'm doing the shoulder therapy stuff. On that subject: today was 8th day of therapy, after the 10th session which will be friday, I gotta see the Doc and see if I have to continue with it or not. I have regained mobility very well, I've been able to put my arm overhead for many days now, and I'm now using bands and stuff to exercise it. The only movement that still hurts, it's trying to move it across my body (trying to touch my left shoulder with it, while standing). If I do it while laying, there is no problem. But it's been only 22 days (3wk 1day), so we'll see how it is after 6 or 8 weeks. I am literally DYING to work out, do some chin-ups and push-ups.

[lifesnotfair]

19.06.2008

Yesterday, while at home after work, I was going to do the shoulder therapy exercises, but was gonna rest from any other kind of exercise... but a certain picture I saw inspired me to at least do a light day, so, in between shoulder exercises, I would do a round of:

30 air squats

12 hip extensions

20 modified V-ups (leaving legs in the up possition all the time, just touching the toes in every rep, but it was very difficult to keep legs straight, almost couldn't do it).

I would do a few shoulder movements (with therabands and my small 1-1/4 and 2-1/2 pound plates), then a round of the above. Ended up doing 5 rounds, hopefully it didn't tire me enough, so today I can do some other heavier stuff.

Today was 10th day of therapy. I will do the exercises tomorrow (sat), and maybe sunday, or maybe I ought to rest sunday and just stretch it out but no resistance exercises.... either way, I'll see the Doc on monday and he'll tell me if I have to continue going to PT or not. I think I will not be going back, because I'm recovering quite nicely, there are still some movements that cause some pain, but at least I've got pretty much full ROM, or close to that. I expected to be out of lifting for 8 weeks at best, but I'm thinking I could start some stuff sooner. For example, in PT they had me do wall-pushups.. but at home, I tried knee-pushups on the floor, just 10 reps, and no pain at all. Also no pain while rowing. Last week I had pain while shrugging but not lately. (Doc says he had to cut through the trap to get to the right place, so that might have to do with it). The only move that hurts is trying to put my right palm in my left upper back, crossing the arm in front of my body like that. Others hurt a bit but this is the most difficult so far. Anyways, since next tuesday (4 days from now) it will be 4 weeks since the surgery, I think I'm on track to begin training well.

Last but not least, I've been eating properly since monday and I'm doing great, plan to keep this up.... I now want abs!!! It's time to get rid of all this fat. I kwow when I say I'm around 172lbs and "fat" some people think it's in my mind, but I really do have a lot of fat around my belly, glutes and upper thigs (outside of thigs). It's what was left from when I was 240-260. I never cared to lose every last bit of fat because I had went down from jean size 42 to 34 and already very happy.. but now I'm back at it, and with a vengance. Time to finish that was started, gonna get fit and, more importantly, strong!! (strong...er-than-your-avg-joe-at-least!).

[lifesnotfair]

20.06.2008

While doing the shoulder rehab exercises after work, I was cranking out sets of 20 alternate pistols in between every 3 or so shoulder movements, and did 5 sets total, so that's 100 alternate pistols (50 each leg). I stood on 2 wooden blocks, tried to do them a bit slower than usual (no bounce at bottom) and trying to straighten that left leg when I do them rightie.

Today (21.06) I did the shoulder stuff in the morning.. When I do it for the second time of the day, I might do some "core" stuff.

I did 15 knee-pushups and there is absolutely no pain whatsoever.

Oh, and although I don't mention it, I do a complete warmup before doing my workouts, even if they're only shoulder stuff like this morning. My warmup consists of two rounds of all of this: neck circles in both directions, knee circles, arm circles, static hip-flexor stretch, 10 hip extensions, 10 situps, 10 pushups (wall pushups at this point), 10 <insert light rowing/pulling movement> and 10 overhead squats holding a band or broomstick. After two rounds I'm already quite sweaty and feel warmed up, it's a great warmup, I modified it a bit from the "Official CrossFit Warmup".

[Griparn]

100 lbs lighter will be a huge acomplishment! Good work!

[lifesnotfair]

Thank you griparn!

Today, after 7pm when I decided to do my second (and last) shoulder rehab cycle of the day, I did many sets of 10 second hold at the top of a hip extension (with arms in front like a "superman"), and many different ab exercises, in between shoulder stuff.

Currently the movement that hurts the most is the opposite of a lateral raise, using a band I extend my arm and try to pull against the band and touch my hand on my side, with the straight arm. It hurts a bit but less than last week. I'm thinking I should rest tomorrow, I've been hitting this rehab stuff pretty hard this whole week, mon-sat, 6 straight days of 2 routines and I do a ton of stuff, that even if light, is tiring.

[lifesnotfair]

23.06.2008

Went to the Doctor, and he says I'm healing fine. I did the shoulder rehab at noon first, and I am up to holding a 5 pound plate for most exercises, so I must be doing fine for only 27 days after surgery. (at the moment I'm writing this, it's tuesday morning, so it's been exactly 4 weeks now).

After work, I decided to take it a little further so after a warmup, I did this:

Pistols, alternate, 20 reps (10/leg).

10 inverted rows (pronated grip).

10 push-ups (regular, on feet).

And I did three rounds of these. The last set of push-ups was tough to finish, but it did not hurt. The rowing doesn't hurt at all. But I didn't continue with upper body stuff, didn't wanna push it. However, I started doing shoulder rehab exercises with bands and a 5lb plate again, but kept doing sets of 20 alt. pistols in between... I must've done maybe 3 or 4 more sets. I also did a couple of ab exercises in between. But finally, I decided to test my pistols with consecutive reps, not alternating.. I got 15 reps leftie, with maybe 2 brief pauses to breathe a couple of extra times, but this is my strong leg... with my right, I really had to fight for 15 reps.. I paused a bunch of times to breathe, but man, it reminded me of a 20-rep squat feeling, LOL.. the only problem is that, trying to balance yourself with a foot that's really lacking balance is very hard, so even if you're in the upright possition, just standing there is making my lower leg muscles work, and they burn big time, since I don't allow my other foot to touch the floor during a set of continuous reps. Finished with some sit-ups. If I anchor my feet really well (ie: my wife standing on them, heh), I could get 30 sit-ups at a "fast" pace I think. Arms crossed over chest though, which might make them easier.

[lifesnotfair]

24.06.2008

Did the shoulder rehab at noon, and also after work. Took it a bit lighter today, since yesterday I hit two upper body exercises with a bit of intensity. During the second session, I decided to do one set of ab work in between every shoulder movement... so it was probably over 10 sets of ab stuff. I set my bench to maybe 30 degrees decline and anchored my feet in my power rack, and my goodness, what a difference with regular sit-ups on the floor!!! Yesterday I was breezing the first 20 and still reaching 30 with a decent pace, but getting 10 like this was not easy even in the first try. I imagine if I work up to more reps with this decline setup, once I do them on the floor again I should do way more reps... I also set myself the other way around in the bench (incline), and did leg lifts, and lifted them a bit and did circles in both directions, this was very demanding for me.

Lower back is STILL sore from doing the 10 second holds (several sets) 3 days ago!! 2 days of rest and still sore, unbelievable... I say this because I had been doing hip extensions in several ocations prior to this, but holding that movement at the top, and with arms extended, seems to have hit me like it were a completely different exercise!

[tja]

Good news doctor saying you're healing fine. Your ab work sounds like fun

[lifesnotfair]

Thanks, tja!

25.06.2008

Abs not sore at all, and I even did some decline sit-ups and they felt a tad easier than yesterday after work, which was like 19 hours ago? It's true what Ivarboneless says, they can be trained daily it seems.

Between shoulder exercises I did sets of 20 overhead squats, holding my two loading pins together overhead.. I'll guesstimate them to weigh a combined total of maybe ~12 pounds? I have no idea, it could be close to 20, but holding them both with both hands they felt very light, but when I held them with one hand it didn't feel so light. I just have never really OHSquatted and I wanna give my shoulder some more time before pushing it very hard, so I didn't wanna use the oly bar. I must've done maybe 10 sets of 20 reps, not sure.. also 3-4 sets of 10 decline sit-ups, they felt easier than yesterday to be honest. I used 15lb per hand to Shrug today, for 15 reps, holding it at the top for ~1.5 seconds, and I felt no pain whatsoever, so it's a sign I'm doing better. The doctor had to cut through the trap to get to the place he worked on, but I think it has healed now, or it's healing nicely, because it used to hurt to do shrugs with 10lbs. I used 5lb for mose movements and a red theraband quite stretched, and I think I can push myself almost to the limit now, just don't want to yet... haven't done a pull-up or chin-up yet, but did 10 push-ups today, with my hands elevated some 5 inches to make them a bit easier as I didn't want to stress the shoulder. Also rowed what seemed like maybe a 30lb dumbell (didn't care for the plates much) x 15 reps, no pain at all. And standing-pressed 10lb per hand 15 times. I'll be slowly increasing poundages.

[lifesnotfair]

26.06.2008 was a complete rest day, even from shoulder stuff. Needed that rest, even took a 2 hour nap and I almost never nap.

27.08.2008

Pistols: About 5 sets of 20 alternate reps... then, on top of that, I did a set of 40 alternate reps, this was very tough.

Push-ups: I think 4 sets of 10.

Inverted rows, pronated grip: 3x10

Negative chin-ups: 10 (just the negative part, they feel great, no pain at all).

Holds at the top of a hip extension, with arms extended in front like Superman: BWx10 secs, +5lb x10s, +10lb x10s. I'm weak at these, my wife can do this with the same amount of weight I can, or close to me, it's laughable. Of course, my upper body must be considerably heavier than her's, she weighs about 100lbs.

I tried hammer curling a DB, I think loaded to around 30lbs, did 5 reps each hand just to test, I felt a slight bothering in the right shoulder. It's still not 100% but it's been less than 5 weeks since the surgery. I'm hoping by 8 weeks or so I'm completely pain free... I can only hope. Applied ice on the shoulder after the workout, always do since the surgery, to avoid swelling of the joint.

Edited June 28, 2008 by Arturo

[lifesnotfair]

28.06.2008

Today, in between shoulder movements, I was doing sets of 15 decline sit-ups, and 20 incline leg raises, and did 6 sets of each. In the shoulder stuff, I'm using a 5lb plate for most things, except shrugs which I'm doing with 15lbs (and will increase because today I did 20 reps, paused at the top, no pain), and standing presses which I'm doing with 10lbs, and a band for several moves. Abs were tired at the end of this.

[lifesnotfair]

I rested 2 full days because I was feeling sick, but I'm better now.

01.06.2008

Pistols: 10 each leg, 10 each leg, 40 alternate reps.

DB rows (not including weight of DB handle): 30x10, 40x10, 40x10.

Push-ups: 12, 12, 12.

The first two sets of pistols were tough on my weak right leg, because I was not allowing myself to breath more than once, just breath in on the way down, and exhale on the way up, with no pauses. I also held my palms against each other in front of me, I have a bit better balance now as I don't need to have my arms moving around like crazy trying to stabilize myself... so I'm slowly getting better. I tried to stop for breathing the least possible on that last set. I tried to keep it not-too-hard on the upper body stuff, didn't wanna burn myself out; the pistols were very tough though. Next session (today) will be a lot of core stuff.

[lifesnotfair]

02.07.2008

Did shoulder rehab stuff, still used 5 pounds for most stuff, and most are feeling easy. Bands for other stuff. Shrugs with 25lbs per hand now, 20 reps with a hold at the top, no pain at all. Pressed my empty DB handles x15 reps, trying to push them as high as I could once elbow was locked, this also gives me no pain. Only a few movements cause some pain, but it's getting better slowly and I can handle a bit more weight. Soon I'll try 6-1/4 pounds. I will continue doing the rehab stuff several times per week at least until it's been 8 weeks... so I'll do them for most of the next 20 days (surgery was a tuesday).

Between sets, I set my Ironmaster Super Bench to a higher degree incline than before, and did 4 sets of 15 sit-ups (wow, way harder now!!), and 4 sets of 20 leg raises (with my head on the higher part of the bench now, holding onto my barbell so I wouldn't slide down). Then I did 4 sets of holds at the top of a hip extension, for the last set I held 15lbs with arms straight in front and that was VERY hard for me. The previous two sets, with 10lbs, were hard but not as much.

Iced the shoulder to finish. This is also something I'll keep doing after "workouts" at least until it's been 8 weeks since the day of surgery.

On another note, my obliques (I think?) or the sides of my abs were sore today, in a weird way. I believe it was from doing DB rows yesterday, which I had not done in a long time.

[lifesnotfair]

03.07.2008

Did shoulder rehab at noon, used 6-1/4 pounds for some exercises and felt just fine. Red band for others. Used 20lb on my dumbells (so at least 30lb) for shrugs, did 20 of them. Pressed the empty dumbells 20 times too. I really hope to be fully recovered by 8th week.

Set the bench and did decline sit-ups: 4x15, very tough at this degree, specially since I have to hold myself with the muscles that dorsiflex the feet, hah!

Then set myself the other way around, on an incline, and did leg raises, 4x20, these were very damn tough and I can't raise them to vertical (inflexibility?), but not even in the same league as raising them to vertical while lying on the floor.

I had not tried a gripper I couldn't close in ages, so I tried the #2.5 rightie and #2 leftie. Off on both obviously, but forced closed and held the #2.5 rightie at maybe 1/4" and the #2 leftie at 1/8" so it's not that bad? I used to not even be able to set the #2 leftie!!! I can still close the #1.5 with both hands from a wide-ish set, but I haven't seriously trained grippers in months. I will of course get back to grip training in a couple of weeks when I begin training seriously!

[lifesnotfair]

04.07.2008

Pistols: 10/leg, 10/leg while holding 15lbs total, 20 alternate reps (10/leg).

Pushups: 10 regular, 10 with feet elevated about a foot.

Negative pull-ups: 10, 10. About 2-3 seconds on the way down each rep.

Inverted rows, pronated grip: 10, 10.

Modified handstand hold (body in "L" possition, feet supported on barbell, so not all weight on my arms): 2 holds, second one of about 30 seconds.

Alternate Hammer curls: 20x8, 20x8 in "supinated curl" style. (+ weight of DB handle). Felt tough but form was good.

Abs felt a bit sore during warmup doing some sit-ups, will hit abs hard tomorrow, and some hip extensions as well.

Wanna know what was the only exercise that bothered my shoulder a little bit today??? No, you did not guess it right: holding the mere 15lbs (which I held with BOTH hands, not that weight per arm) while I finished the set of Pistols. Weird, huh? Must be the angle I'm doing force at the bottom of it. I stood on 1 wooden block only this time, had been using 2 for a while. For some reason I can keep my right leg straight while doing them with my left, but when doing them with my right, I struggle to keep the left leg straight, I'm not sure it's flexibility, I feel like I have to do a big hip-flexor effort on that side actually. Odd, I'll keep working on them to see how I adapt. I felt the pistol volume today was low compared to some other days, but that weighted set was a killer, even with that little weight. I *think* I'm losing weight too, I've been eating right for a few days now. I bought some 32 jeans many months ago and I still have not used them. But now my 34 jeans and pants both are a little baggy, but I'm still not comfortable in the 32's, and I wont sacrify the comfort of my nutsack just for looks I just need to get rid of some of this fat around this area, hopefully it will be done if I continue controlling my appetite for "bad" food.

[lifesnotfair]

05.07.2008

Ab work.

For the first time in ages, I went into a handstand possition against a wall, felt pretty good, I even lowered myself a few inches and back up (not claiming a pushup by any means).

06.07.2008

I was out in the field and I decided to do a workout outdoors. There is this very high degree incline, maybe 100 meters long, and that I decided to run. First I tried it backwards, and I could not even finish it... wow, some muscles in my legs begun burning big time. But then I ran it normally 3 times, I finished each time but fatigue was killing me on each. Running on hills is sick!!

Then I found this tree with a branch forming a "V", and even though it's not even been 6 weeks since surgery, I was inspired enough to try and chin-up there.... this grip was always my stringest (hands placed between underhand grip and hammer grip, forming maybe a 105* angle between themselves) ....

Tree Chin-ups: 10, 10, 10. Yay! These were all deadhang. Seems I haven't lost much at all !!!

Push-ups: 12, 16, 16. I have lost a lot of strength in the pressing movements, need to work on this.

[lifesnotfair]

08.07.2008

Yesterday was complete rest, I needed it.

Some light squats... I hate how the bar feels over my shoulder bones, completely hate it.

Push-ups: 15, 15, 15.

Pistols: 5, +25lbx5 x2 sets.

DB rows (plates only): 20x5, 40x8, 50x6 x2 sets. Left side feels stronger than recently-operated right side.

Hanging leg raises: 3 sets of 10, felt stronger than last time.

I tried doing DB bench press with 20lb per DB(+ handle), and it hurt a bit at the bottom of the ROM on my right side, so I immediately quit after rep one.

I've come to the conclusion that I will only do exercises I enjoy performing, nothing else!

[lifesnotfair]

09.07.2008

I don't have a structured routine yet, I'm just doing random stuff right now, I'm so out of shape that it's probably benefitial even in this way though, but soon I will start planning my workouts.

Today after warmup, I did a couple of shoulder rehab exercises, I had been lazy on them, used 7.5lbs and felt fine, no pain really, I must be close to 100%, I should be very close to 100% at the 8 week mark (yesterday was 6 weeks). So I might not go all out on my workouts until then, but who knows, I did some chins 3 days ago so.....

I did hip-extensions, some sets for reps (max was 25 reps), others a 10 sec hold at the top, with arms extended.. last one I used 15lbs and those were some of the toughest 10 secs ever.

For abs, I did several sets of hanging leg raises, with knees locked! Also I did 10 second holds, and for the last one I not only held them, but opened/closed them to the sides 10 times. Also did some sit-ups. I tried doing slow motion sit-ups and my goodness, that is some tuff sh*t, specially after you're only a little bit above the ground, that's the hardest part.

[lifesnotfair]

10.07.2008

Yesterday's session has made me very sore in the hip flexors. I did an exercise I saw in a webpage, you sit on the floor, knees locked, put your hands by your sides, just at the sides of the knees (hands on the floor), and with knees locked, lift both legs as much as you can, and that's a rep.. but don't let them touch the floor between reps (this little detail is a killer). I think I did only one set of 10, combined with many hanging leg raises (in sets of 10), and today I feel both flexors really, really sore. Abs by themselves not that much. Shoulders and upper back are a bit sore also, maybe because of the hanging leg raises?? It's weird, but I don't wanna push myself yet, so I'm taking today off, just did some warmup and stretches rather quickly.

[lifesnotfair]

10.07.2008

Rest? Screw it!

I decided after work that I was feeling energetic enough to workout... hip flexors are mega sore, and upper back a little bit, so I wanted to just jump rope, but could not find it. So I ended up doing like 400 crunches total in sets of 30-50 (yes, crunches, because like I said, hip flexors are DEAD), and other different exercises for glutes/hams/lower back, not too hard ones, and I don´t know their names. Like, laying facing the ceiling, knees bent, extend the hip... and do that with one leg on the air also for increased difficulty. I also lifted my 30lb blob many times with both hands, have not touched them in months!

[lifesnotfair]

11.07.2008

10 alternate pistols (5/leg)

5 pull-ups, deadhang

10 push-ups

7 rounds of this in 20 minutes and some seconds (20 minutes came halfway through last round, so I just pushed through it). This was very tough. Pistols were the easier for me, by far actually; the pull-ups (which were chin-ups from round 3 on) were the hardest, followed very closely by the push-ups... I've lost push-up strength/endurance in the last months, since I was not pressing anything of any kind.

I'm going to make myself some handles to hang from my chin-up bar and use them for chin/pull-ups ... it just does not feel right to do them with an underhand grip, and much worse with pronated grip. Parallel might work but I don't have anything to do them like that. I remember the V-shaped handle was best when I used to go to the gym, and last sunday, when I grabbed onto a tree that V-shaped branches I did 3x10 without any sort of pain (I rested a good deal, until today, friday, to chin-up again, and they felt worse today, at least the pull-ups, not so much the chins).

Man, I need some money... the things I want right now are expensive. I want a trap-bar (squats bother my shoulder, and I don't like the feeling of the conventional deadlift) .. I want a glute ham developer (good ones run for at least $450, wow), and would like some rings (I reckon these could somehow be home-made?). Argh, I'll keep working with what I can. Priority is the handles for chin-ups, so the forearm is placed however it feels more comfortable and I don't injure myself again, I do not want that, no way. Also, hip flexors are still pretty sore and I felt it during pushups... and I had to do the pistols standing on 2 wooden blocks so hip flexor of leg in the air wouldn't hurt.

[lifesnotfair]

12.07.2008

Went with the wife outdoors. I had a crossfit workout planned, it consisted of 3 rounds of 800m run, 50 sit-ups and 50 hip extensions. We had nowhere to do hip extensions, but on a low bench we could do reverse leg raises. We also didn´t know what 800m was, so we just jogged 4 minutes. On round 1, I jogged the full 4 minutes, she couldn´t... then sit-ups and then leg lifts, she did 30 of these. On round two, I think I didn´t rest enough so I had to walk a bit after 1:15mins of jogging... walked for 45 secs. but jogged for 2 minutes then. My wife jogged even less. We then did the sit-ups and reverse leg raises, and we were so darned tired we called it a go, after these two rounds. I was soaked in sweat, I had to lay under a tree (for the shadow) for a couple of minutes before leaving. It must´ve been like 34 degrees out there today... but the humidity of the caribbean makes this temperature feel much worse than, for example, the 40+ degrees I have felt while i visited Phoenix (AZ) once, in here 30 degrees can feel much worse because of the humidity, I was exhausted.

[lifesnotfair]

13.07.2008

I trained outdoors again, in the morning, since I was in a house in a hill. The last bit of hill has concrete, maybe 100 meters but a very high degree incline... I tried to "sprint" it up, did 3 sets, I was so out of breath everytime, it was horrible... I loved it. I supersetted it with sets of handstand holds against a wall... I counted very slowly to 30 each time, but it must have been closer to a minute each set. I did not flex the elbows even a bit, just slowly getting used to the possition.

Then, instead of calling that a workout (very tiring by itself), I had the crazy idea of supersetting pistols and chin-ups on that tree that has a v-shaped branch. Again 3 sets of each. On the pistols, I got the first two sets fo 10 per leg, and 10 chin-ups. Some ants fell from the tree and bit my left arm in 3 places, it still itches... argh. I was sooooo wasted at this point, I wanted to call it a day... but I tried to man up and do the third set I had originally planned for both of these... so I cranked out 20 alternate pistols (easier than 10 continous reps a side, like the first two sets), and without much rest, because my breathing was still heavy, I tried the third set of chins and only got 8. Oh well... this workout was very, very tiring, I was wasted by the end of it. Few hours later I ate a bunch of meet, and no sweet stuff !