Parking Garage workout

Workout of the Day

21 L pull ups

Shuttle sprints 50 yds x4

18 L pull ups

Shuttle sprints 50 yds x4

15 L pull ups

Shuttle sprints 50 yds x4

12 L pull ups

Shuttle sprints 50 yds x4

9 L pull ups

Shuttle sprints 50 yds x4

6 L pull ups

Shuttle sprints 50 yds x4

3 L pull ups

Shuttle sprints 50 yds x4

This workout took place on the top level of a parking garage. No joke it was so sunny and warm outside. The top of the parking garage towers above all the other buildings close by so you have great views of the mountains and the plains. This parking garage is directly across the street from my work. On days like today when I only have an hour or so between my shifts I can just walk across the street and get a good workout in.

The pull ups I did on an I beam that covered the stairwell. Flat steel that made me work so much harder to hold on for the pull ups. The shuttle sprints were 50 yds down and back down and back. A great workout and a great day to be outside.

Yesterday I went to the climbing gym. They have a pretty good weight room. So I took advantage of the free weights.

I did Dead lifts 3 X 5 and shoulder press 3 x 5 . Working up to as heavy set as possible for a set of 5. After the shoulder press I did 5 rounds of max distance walking on my hands. Rest as needed. I did manage a couple of yds each time before toppling over. I am getting better at this skill. I would like to be able to walk much farther. With more practice I will be better.

Workout of the Day

Workout of the Day

5 min of ground to shoulder w/ heavy stone

rest 5 min

3 min max double unders

rest 3 min

1 min wall climbs

go back to work

Today was a sunny and beautiful day . I cant really say that it was warm. A good day to be outside getting some fresh air and exercise though. I had to work a lunch shift and a dinner shift today. This workout took place on my break between my shifts. This turned out to be a really fun workout.

For the ground to shoulder work I went back to the stone that I have used in the past. I have never attempted to lift it past my chest before. I thought this would be challenging and it was. I chose to lift the stone to my thighs squat and reset then lift hard and fast to my shoulders. I alternated shoulders for each lift. I ended with 15 lifts in five minutes. The thing that slowed me down the most was the dead weight. I would have to pick it up out of the snow and maneuver the stone back into a lifting position. Still allot of fun. I can see how this type of work can build tremendous strength and power for athletes competing in MMA or grappling.

For the double unders I finished with 227 in 3 mins. I have never done a three minute amrap with double unders before so this is a new record for me I suppose. I did manage 136 with out stopping and that is a new personal best. My previous pr was 109 unbroken. I love doing double unders and I think I will try to get 200 unbroken soon.

The wall climbs are a new exercise I learned from the crossfit main site. Such a fun and effective exercise. I finished with 10 in one minute. Shoulders were blasted at 8, 9 and 10. Below is a video of some tough kids up in Canada doing the wall climbs. This was so much fun it almost did not feel like I was exercising. Needless to say I had tons of energy for work after.

Climbing and squats

2 hours of hard climbing

Squats 3x5

21-15-9 0f

KB swings

Box jumps

toes to bar

I went to the climbing gym with a friend. We both climbed pretty well. I was still a bit hungover after the Superbowl. We put in a few hours of good climbing then called it a day. I wanted to get some leg work in. I worked up to a few heavy sets of 5 with squats. I have not performed heavy squats in some time. I felt a slight pinch in my hamstrings around 275 lbs. I decided not to push it past 275. I am not sure what the reason was for this. Dehydration probably or my hamstrings are weak from not squatting heavy in awhile. With a little more squatting to come in the future my hamstrings will be in better shape.

After the squats I did a quick little cash out wod. 21-15-9 of Kettle bell swings 60lbs. Box jumps 20 " and toes to bar. My grip was totally fried from the hard climbing that we did earlier so the toes to bars were so much harder than they should have been. My grip was the limiting factor.

Before we started climbing I did some external rotations and a few sets of wood choppers.

Great day climbing. Looking forward to more to come. Cant wait for the weather to get warmer so we can be outside.

Workout of the Day

Workout of the Day

5 rounds of

1 min hold plank

20 hand release push ups

20 squats

Rest 5 mins

5 rounds of

25 double unders

10 burpees

Real quick workout before the Superbowl Sunday madness. I didn't time any of these exercises. Honestly I think I will hold of trying to time my workouts for a little while. I just want to focus on great technique through out as opposed to trying to finish as fast as I can. I like these hand release push ups. A little more challenging.

The burpees and double unders definitely got my heart rate up. After this I was ready to cheer on the Packers. I think Clay Matthews is my new favorite NFL player.

Sprint once in a while

Primal law #5

Sprint once in a while.

Workout of the day

30 sec max effort sprints x 8

The weather has been pretty good lately. Today was sunny and warm. I felt like today was a great day to run some sprints and just be outside. My house is on a pretty quite street as far as not having tons of traffic. I just sprinted in the street. I could get about a block and a half in 30 secs. I would rest for about 90 secs before sprinting again. I did not jog I just walked and rested. Your body needs long periods of rest after short intense sprinting.

Benefits of sprinting:

It is natural. The human body has evolved over time to cover short distances as fast as possible. This evolution helped our ancestors catch their food and escape from possibly being food. Civilization has evolved so that humans do not have to sprint. That does not mean we shouldn't.

Sprinting will reduce body fat. Sprinting requires maximum recruitment of muscles. More muscle requires more energy. Thus burning more fat for longer periods of time.

Sprinting naturally increases Human Growth Hormone. Human growth hormone increases muscle mass, enhances the immune system, promotes weight loss through fat loss and increases stamina.

Sprinting strengthens your cardiovascular system. We strengthen our muscles by doing heavy, low repetition sets with long rests. We should strengthen our hearts the same way.

Sprinting can be fun. Especially when we are playing a game or competing with friends.

I am not saying you need to sprint all the time. Just once in a while. Your body will need plenty of rest after sprints so you should wait about 72 hours before sprinting again.

Can you carry it home?

I have been reading this terrific book called The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan. This book is opening my mind up to a world that is purposeful hidden from the everyday consumer. So many issues that we are blinded from. Issues everyone should be conscious of. Mono cultures of food crops. What does organic really mean? Why is there so much corn in all the items we eat? How much fossil fuel energy does it cost us to grow crops and have crops shipped all around the world? So that we can eat asparagus and blueberries all year around. What is the difference between Industrial agriculture and local agriculture economies. How do you justify the steak house? Should we as humans be eating meat and so much of it? Would you eat that steak tonight if you knew where is was slaughtered and how it was raised? So many issues concerning the omnivore's dilemma.

In the latest chapter that I have read, the author talks about the omnivore's dilemma concerning hunter gatherer. Can you kill your own food and eat it. There is a larger debate in this chapter. The one thought that got me motivated for today's workout was about moments after the kill. Once you kill your prey you still need to get meat to your home so that you can dress the kill and get the meat ready for cooking and storing. I thought this point is perfect for the primal way of exercising. In this chapter the author has just killed a 190 lbs wild pig. He and his hunting companion have to drag and carry the thing all the way back to their starting spot. Plus hoist the thing from a sturdy oak tree branch to dress it.

I wanted to put together a fun workout that simulates this situation.

2 rounds

Push my car 100 meters

50 double under

Pull my car 100 meters

25 burpees

I attached some straps to the rear bumper of the car so I could pull it. After pushing the car 100 meters my quads were blown. this made the double unders so difficult. The pulling was not as hard as I expected it to be. I was able to get a pretty good rhythm and focus on the breathing and go. The burpees just keep getting easier and easier for me. Not sure why. I think it has to do with fear. I was so afraid of them in the beginning. Now that I have a few thousand under my belt they are not that big of a deal any longer. I did both sets unbroken. A fun workout that has some of the primal blueprint. Pushing a car for exercise is really interesting. Mostly because so many people will stop and try to help you thinking that you are having car trouble or something. I always enjoy the look on their faces when I tell them I am just training. Check the ego and go get primal.

Lunch break

Workout of the day

Lunch break stairs

5 rounds with heavy back pack

10 jump squats

run stairs to top of parking garage

10 clapping push ups

I had to work a double shift today. The restaurant I work at is across the street from a 5 story parking garage. This place has stairs all the way to the top. On my lunch break I decided to get a quick workout in. I grabbed my back pack full with my climbing gear. I alternated the stairs. One run I would go every other the next hitting every step. Keeping my backpack on for the jumping squats and the clapping push ups. This workout went pretty quick. I finished just under 12 minutes.

Workout of the Day

Workout of the Day

15 minute amrap of

5 sandbag clean and jerks (over a tree branch)

5 shuttle sprints ( 10 yrds down and back x5)

I think I finished with 8 rounds and 4 of SB clean and jerks over the tree branch. I lost count early and just rounded down. the weather was a little warmer today and the sun was out. All of the ice and snow has melted off of the sidewalks. The shuttle sprints were just ten yards down and back five times. A hundred yards total. I started to suck wind after the 4th. This made the sandbag c&j's harder.

The Sand bag has been sitting out in the snow and is now wet and a bit heavier. I found a tree in the park that had a low branch. The branch was just out of full reach. So in order to get the sandbag over the branch i really had to commit to throwing this bag up and over. Pretty much like a wall ball but not as high and a little more effort because of the weight of the sand bag.

The Shuttles definitely got me winded. The Sand bag c&j's were kind of a rest but not really.

I have really enjoyed being outside training besides the cold and the snow. Honestly I can't wait for the summer. This photo is my goal for the summer.

For core work I did six rounds of one minute plank hold variations with one minute rest between rounds. The first minute I held plank for one minute. After one minute rest I held plank for one minute with the left leg up. Rest one minute. Hold plank for one minute with the right arm up. Rest one minute. Hold plank for one minute with the right leg up. Rest one minute. Hold plank for one minute with the left arm up. Rest one minute. Hold Plank for one minute.

Run, Climb, Repeat

Workout of the Day

With 25 lb. back pack

Run 800 meters

3 rope climbs 15 ft

Run 600 meters

2 rope climbs 15 ft

Run 400 meters

1 rope climb 15 ft

I stuffed a bunch of my climbing gear into my small back pack. Weighed about 25 lbs. Jogged up to the park with my Rope. I found a nice high branch on a solid tree in the center of the park.

I felt great this whole workout. Legs felt strong and I felt light and fast. I have never attempted to do weighted rope climbs before. Definitely challenging but I felt strong. There is about a foot of snow on the ground from the last couple of days. Was a little bit more fun with this added element.

I live on a hill with the park on the top half. For the runs I always had to go down the hill and then back up. With the snow on the ground this made going up the hill more challenging. My feet could not really get a solid purchase in the snow and I would slip requiring so much more effort. I was so excited leading up to this workout I didn't even think to bring a watch. I don't know what my time was but I felt strong during the runs and the climbs and that is all that matters. Felt great to get outdoors and have some fun.

Workout of the Day

Five rounds for a time of :

10 wall climbs

10 toes to bar

20 box jumps

This is a main site crossfit wod posted a few days ago. I thought it looked like fun. I couldn't wait to give it a try. Wasn't sure what the wall climbs were all about until I watched a couple of videos of the rock stars of crossfit cruising through this workout.

I finished in just under 16 mins. I had fun the whole time. This was a real creative and fun workout that was still challenging.

To see a video of this workout click here.

On a side note. I have been reading this great book called The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Incredible book! Please check this book out.

Workout of the Day

3 rounds for a time

50 double unders

30 kettle bell swings

15 GHD sit ups

Finished in 11 mins 07 secs

I was so stupid sore today. Legs and arms are toast. As well as energy. I tried to get as much sleep as possible last night. Somewhere around 9 hours. Even so I had a hard time getting primed for this workout. I spent a good 15 minutes on a solid dynamic warm up. I wasn't feeling it today so I backed off a little.

I don't actually have a kettle bell. I took my straps from my gymnastic rings and cinched it up tight around the middle of my sandbag. The bag weighs about 40 lbs. This worked pretty well.

I used the other strap to put around a picnic table in the park. I could just put my feet under the strap and lower off the end of the table to do the sit ups. Not a great performance today. This was a nice evening to be outside at the park getting a little workout in. I hope that with more rest I will feel better.

"Murph"

"Murph"

Run 1 mile

100 pull ups

200 push ups

300 squats

Run 1 mile

I have avoided this crossfit wod like it was the plague. Something about it just scared the hell out of me. Fortunately for me I have some seriously bad ass friends. One of whom had an impressive day with this wod. My friends fearlessness and impressive performance motivated me to give this wod a shot. What a way to start the new years off. Facing my fears and conquering Murph. Actually I am not at all sure who conquered who here. I finished in 57 min and 24 secs. After finishing I felt like I got hit by a Mack truck. I am going to be sore as hell tomorrow.

The first mile was ok for me. I finished in 8 min 04 sec. I decided to do this workout Angie style. Finishing each exercise before moving on to the next. The pull ups I did in five sets. 35/25/20/13/7 . My arms were toast after this. I decided to just plug away at the push ups 25 at a time until I finished. This took so much longer than I had anticipated. The squats were just insane. I did 80 on the first set hoping to get to 100. Just enough doubt creeped into my head to stop me at 80. I broke the rest up like this 50/50/40/30/25/25. The last mile was arguable one of the most difficult miles I have ever attempted to run. Nothing seemed to work on my body. Save for my brain just kept screaming at me to stop this nonsense. I finally finished with a 10 minute mile.

I am glad to have finally sucked it up a little and completed this workout. Next time I might try this with 20 rounds of cindy or 10 rounds of double cindy.

These longer endurance workouts are my Nemesis. I hate them but I know they are necessary. I feel so much better for having just finished something like this. Confidence is soaring starting the new year off right.

Read Lt. Michael Murphy's incredible story here.

A deck of cards goes a long way

I hope every one had a wonderful Christmas. So much food and candy was consumed at my family's home. During Christmas I just ate and ate and ate. My family and I played card games most of the day while drinking coffee to stay awake. After awhile I felt uncomfortable and needed to burn some energy. I used the Deck of cards that we were playing with and put together a little workout.

Spades were weighted squats, Clubs were air squats, Hearts were sit ups and Diamonds were push ups. Face cards are worth ten. I just grabbed random family members for the weighted squats. I picked them up Fireman style. In Front of the fireplace I just flipped a card over and did what ever the required exercise and rep was. Keep going until the deck is finished. The heaviest I squatted was my brother the lightest my sister. A total of 95 reps per exercise. Sometimes you get a couple of spades back to back. Fun and easy to do in my living room with my family chipping in on the. A deck of cards can go a long ways.

1 minute on 1 minute off + playing in a tree wod

1 minute on 1 minute off for ten minutes. For 1 minute 30 kettlebell swings , then rest one minute. If you do not get 30 swings in 1 minute add 100 double unders at the end.

This is a wod I got off of the crossfitfootball website. Except that they are using so much more weight than I can handle. I just used this cinder block near my house. I actually found a stone that I could stuff into the bottom hole to make it heavier. I think the weight was about right. I finished the first and second rounds with just 2 seconds left. The third and fourth with one second left. The fifth actually got me. I was about to swing my last rep when my timer went off.

I rested for about five minutes before I had a go at my 100 double unders. I managed all 100 double unders unbroken. I was happy with that. My max before was 109 unbroken. I actually felt like I could have beat that today.

When I finished with the double unders I was doing some light stretching by a tree. This tree has a large branch about a full reach off the ground. I pulled my feet and legs up around it and locked them so I could hang upside down and do sit ups. Touch the ground then touch my toes. This felt pretty good so I made up a little workout to add to the day.

As many rounds in 10 minutes of

5 hanging upside down sit ups ( touch your toes)

1 muscle up to the top of the branch

5 dips on the branch

I did manage 9. Towards the end the sit ups were getting really hard. The muscle up was the hardest. I could just barely get my chest up on the branch. Then I would have to fight to get the rest of the way up. Once on top of the branch I would do 5 dips. These are harder than they seem. A fun workout in a tree that got me several stares from people walking by.

Max effort hill sprints

A couple of weeks ago I went on a beautiful hike. My friend and I hiked to the top of Bear peak. Along the way I noticed this large hill with a steep trail going towards the summit. My friend and I talked about coming back and running up that steep trail for a workout. Today I set out to do just that. This steep hill is about a half mile from the trail head. So I spent that half mile getting warmed up with shorter sprints and drills. I had on plenty of clothes so my core temperature was up and I was ready to go when I got to the start of the steep trail.

3 x max effort sprints up a steep hill. When I say steep I mean really steep. Like you sometimes have to use your hands to help you along. After a warm up lap I knew I was not going to be able to run to the top of this thing. So I figured I would just go full tilt boogie until I had to stop. That is what I did. 3 full effort sprints until I hit failure. My efforts got me close to the summit but not quite. I would end up in just about the same spot each time. between 1 min 10 secs sprinting and 1 min 14 secs. I wanted to throw up every time. Even though I couldn't run to the top I would still walk or crawl my way to the top. My legs were like Jello after this.

I cooled down for a bit on the walk back to the trail head with some light stretching. As I returned to the trail head I was starting to feel better.

I added a little progression ladder at the trail head. 10 air squats + 1 to 10 of handstand push ups. So 10 squats 1 hspu, 10 squats 2 hspu, 10 squats 3 hspu's and so on until I got to ten. I found a couple of stones to use to help make the handstand push ups elevated. I used a tree for balance. This lasted about 12 minutes. I was totally wrecked after this workout. Ready for food and football.

The snow has arrived

I had plans to run the flat irons trail again this morning. However, a winter storm has showed up. The streets are covered in snow and there are no signs of it stopping soon. I am pretty much a wuss when it comes to being outside in the cold and snow. So, I scrapped my plans to run the flat irons trail today. Instead I improvised a little and ran the stairs in my apt building. I live in a four story apt building that has 52 stairs from bottom to top.

For 20 minutes I would run to the top hitting every step on the way. When I am back at the bottom I would then sprint to the top skipping a step. I found out during my warm up that I could just barely get two trips to the top in under a minute. So that is what I set out to do. 40 trips to the top in 20 minutes. I didn't make it. I finished with 37 in 20 minutes.

Even though the weather got in the way of my plans. I still managed to get something done today and I feel a whole lot better for it. Christmas is a week away and I am excited. Happy Holidays everyone.

Spartan "300" home workout challenge

Spartan 300 challenge

25 pull ups

50 pistol squats (25 each leg)

50 push ups

50 split jumps (L/R=1 )

50 toes to bar

50 reverse burpees

25 chin ups

I came across this link today for a race called the Spartan death race. A crazy 3 mile or 8 mile gauntlet type of race. Looked really interesting. I found some interesting videos on youtube about the race as well. After checking out those videos I came across some old videos of the "300" workout. A workout put together by Mark Twight at Gym Jones in Salt Lake City. Gym Jones is the place where the cast of the movie "300" trained to get ripped for the movie. The "300" workout is no joke. I have done it once or twice before a long time ago and I remembered how brutal it was. Well I decided to put together a little home workout version of this workout as described above.

I finished this version in 30 min and 44 secs. The first set of pull ups I managed unbroken. The pistol squats or single leg squats were brutal. I decided to do a full set of 25 on each leg before moving on to the next instead of alternating each leg. The left leg was a real struggle for me. Hard to do them and keep my heel on the ground. I kept loosing my balance on the way up as well. Not sure what the issue was there. I need more practice with these. The right side was much better. Faster and better technique. Push ups were unbroken. Then came the split jumps. Basically in a lunge position jump and switch your legs and land back in the lunge position. Left side then right side equaled 1 rep. The lactic acid built up really fast in my quads on these. I managed 17 then 15,10 and 8 before finishing. The toes to bar were not bad. I finished them in three sets. I think it was 25, 15, 10. The reverse burpees were awesome. I have never attempted a reverse burpee before. I loved them. Fun and challenging. This slowed me down more than I had expected. From lying on your back position you rock a hard sit up so you can come up to your feet. Stand up then do a hand stand. When you come back down just go to your feet and then back down tell you are lying on your back again. I really enjoyed them. I finished the chin ups in two sets.

A great home workout. I would really like to see someone finish this faster. 20 mins maybe. Try this "300" workout if you think you are spartan tough.

Here is a video explaining the actual 300 workout. Which you should also try if you are familiar with these lifts.

Here is a video of a couple of guys doing the reverse burpees. Fun exercise. Give them a try.

Here is a cool video of Mark Twight training the crew for the movie

Nothing tastes as good as being lean feels

I came across this article on marksdailyapple.com about the psychology of giving up your favorite foods to look and feel better in life. I thought the article was really interesting and I wanted to share it. You can read the article here.

Maximum rounds in 12 mins

Maximum rounds in 12 min of:

50 meter sprints

10 squat jumps

10 hand stand push ups

I finished with 7 rounds + 4 squat jumps. I got this workout from Marksdailyapple.com's workout of the week. I just tweaked it a bit with the Handstand push ups instead of regular push ups. This afternoon after climbing I jogged up to the park in my neighborhood to get some sprinting going on. Going into this wod I thought 10 rounds was possible. I think it certainly is for most. However I got slowed down on the hand stand push ups. The first 2 rounds were unbroken at 10 a piece. Then I could only manage 5 on the first go and a few more after that. I did feel pretty strong through out the 12 minutes. The sprints and the squat jumps were a great combination.

Core work

50 full sit ups ( touch top of feet)

20 of the following lower complex ( 1 leg lever, then raise your feet back up and do 2 hip raises=1 rep)

50 full sit ups ( touch the top of feet)

My abs will be sore tomorrow for sure.

I had a great day today. Got up kind of early and went climbing in the Flat Irons. Had a great hike to the base of the climb and a great climb. The temperature was amazing today. For climbing and working out in the park. Great day indeed!

Renegade Man Makers

5 rounds of:

10 renegade man makers

45 walking lunges with 10 push ups ever 15th, 30th and 45th lunge

1 sit start rope climb 15'

Another beautiful sunny day here in Boulder. When I got off from work I asked a co worker if they were interested in training at a park nearby. He mentioned that he had a couple of 30lb dumbbells lying around. I suggested he bring them to the park and I would bring my rope and we came up with this wod.

I have never attempted a man maker before and I like them. I Love them! The lunges kicked my ass as well as the push ups. Doing the push ups made the rope climb so much harder. I messed up my timer on my wrist watch some time around the 15 minute mark so I don't really know how fast we finished this workout. I really enjoyed this workout. Being outside at the park in the sun. Getting a new friend involved was also a plus. Great day ! Great workout!