I suck at being consistent

I have been working out...I swear. I just really really really suck at being consistent about writing stuff down, keeping tabs, organizing, etc. You can see how this may be a problem for something as simple as a training log, much less every day life.

Have faith! I have been hitting the gym. In fact, I'm going right now!

Hearty Winter Soup

Last night it was back to the gym for another installment of everyone's favorite workout program: Mountain Athlete!!!!!

I took my workout from their December Hybrid Training block.

HEARTY WINTER SOUP

Obj: Strength

Warm up: 4x Barbell Complex (80lbs, it felt good!)

Training:

(1) Work up to 1RM Squat Clean + Push Press (125lbs)

(2) 5 Rounds
2x Squat Clean + Push Press @ 85% 1RM (105lbs)
10x Slasher to Halo (25lbs)

(3) 5 Rounds
6x Front Squat (Start light, increase load each round until 6x is hard, but doable)
Sled Push (Substituted with leg press @ 280lbs)
5x Shoulder Scarecrow

(4) 5 Rounds
1 minute slosh pipe hold
10x Sandbag Halfmoons (5x each direction) (35lb plate)
10x Weighted Situps (go heavy) (35lb plate x 3, 45lb plate x 2)


Comments:

Although still hard, this workout almost felt too easy. While it still had me churning and burning, it was definitely easier than some of the others I have done. The squat-clean to push-press 1RM was hard, and I'm feeling it in my arms, chest and shoulders today.

This weekend we had a marathon day out in Eagle River. I felt strong and nimble...way better than I have in the past. While still early in the game, I can tell that this workout system is making me stronger.

Cheers to Mountain Athlete!

Kill Me!

After a great weekend of climbing and skiing, it was back to the gym.

Saturday: Climbed PFM Wall (WI5) and Roadside Attraction (WI4)
Sunday: Skied all day at the resort (legs felt way stronger since last time)
Monday: Climbed PFM Wall again, it was harder this time and we had some crampon issues, but got through it and did fine.

Today I modified Mountain Athlete's Girl Farts workout program. The whole time I was gasping for air. There were several times I thought I was going to lose my lunch in the trash can. The whole exercise is timed, as it is about power endurance. My time was 44:00 on the dot. Not bad, and it had me on the verge of passing out.

Taken from Mountain Athlete:

The Renegade Man Maker is an exercise I learned from Gym Jones and is akin to doing a burpee with dumbbells. We start standing with the dumbbells at our sides. Place the dumbbells down at your feet, thrust your feet back, do a push up (hands still on dumbbells), row the right dumbbell to your chest, row the left dumbbell to your chest, snap feet back to your hands, stand and clean the dumbbells to your shoulders, and push press them overhead = 1 rep.

Warm up: Three minutes on the stationary bike and 50 sit-ups

Decreasing number of Renegade Man Makers (with 2x20lb dumbbells), Box Jumps, and Leg Blasters (no decrease on the leg blasters)

Timed.

Workout:

10x Renegade Man Makers
50 Box Jumps
9x Renegade Man Makers
Leg Blasters
8x Renegade Man Makers
40 Box Jumps
7x Renegade Man Makers
Leg Blasters
6x Renegade Man Makers
30 Box Jumps
5x Renegade Man Makers
Leg Blasters
4x Renegade Man Makers
20 Box Jumps
3x Renegade Man Makers
Leg Blasters
2x Renegade Man Makers
10 Box Jumps
1x Renegade Man Maker
Leg Blasters

Pump It Up!

Ugh,
Those leg blasters are rough; they should be called leg bastards! Four days later and I can still feel the burn.

I took a little break from Mountain Athlete since Monday, thinking I was going to go hit up a big mountain. Then, the snow that had been so lacking started to fell. It still falls.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Cody and I just bouldered a lot and ran a bunch of laps on the overhanging wave wall. The idea was to work our forearms as much as possible and just pump the shit out of them. We cruised the 5.9s, got pumped out on the 5.10 and haven't quite finished the 5.11. It is fun as hell climbing completely upside down, and the falls are a good time too.

Tomorrow: Ice Climbing
Sunday: Skiing
Monday: Iced/mixed????

We'll throw in a Mountain Athlete workout somewhere in there too!

Sweatin' It Out With Richard Simmons

Warm Up:
5x Barbell Complex @ 85lbs

Work Out Objective
Strength/Strength Endurance

5x Leg Blasters

5x Typewriters
5x Slosh Pipe Hold @ 30 seconds each set

5x Half Moons @ 35lbs (5 each set)
5x Kettlebell Swings @ 30lbs (10 each set)

One 5.9 route on wave wall
One V1 on overhanging bouldering wall
One lap on the campus board

5x Lat Pull Downs @ 70lbs
10,6,7,6,6

5x Weighted Sit-Ups @35lbs (10 each set)


Comments:

We added an additional 5lbs to the Barbell Complex for this workout. I could tell it was a little harder. Also, I realized I had been doing it wrong the past few times by forgetting to include the squat clean. Those little bastards hurt, but we got through it all! After the "warm up," it was time to sweat.

Wow...my legs burned, literally were on fire...after the third set of leg blasters. I honestly don't know how I got through them. It's going to be hard to walk tomorrow.

I chose to include typewriters with the idea that they help lock off on your lower arm when ice climbing. It's just super intense tricep strength in a quick moving exercise. The fifth set had me hurting.

The Slosh Pipe was a good active rest that worked little micro muscles in my stomach and lower back.

The Half Moons and the Kettlebell Swing worked my abs hard and the fifth set of both was painful.

My goal had been to do several laps on the wave wall, but by the time I got to it, the gym was closing so I had to settle for one if I wanted to finish my other exercises.

The weighted sit ups ended me. The 35lb weight was rough...


All in all, this was the best Mountain Athlete workout I've completed so far. Things are really starting to come together and the momentum is rolling. We'll do one more work out on Wednesday then chill out and hopefully do an overnight climbing trip this weekend.

Exhausted, time for bed.

Yep, sore legs!

After work we crammed into the Ram-Beck-mobile and and headed due south towards Girdwood. The mission: a little late night skiing at the resort.

My legs were hammered from the day before. We got in four runs before the tram closed and that was basically fine by me. Short and sweet, but still fun.

Not really a workout, but it got my legs screaming.

Chuck Norris' Pinky Warm-Up

My buddies called and invited me to a party where there would undoubtedly be lots of late night shenanigans. Hard as it was, I declined...I was going to the gym.

I have come up with a mentality that really seems to help me. Every time I go to the gym, I am making a move up that unclimbed mountain, getting one step closer to achieving my goal.
Every time I stay up late drinking beer, eating like shit, or skipping out on a work-out, I am taking a step down the mountain and putting my goals farther out of reach.
It seems to be working!

5x Barbell Complex @ 75lbs - I really struggled with the hanging cleans and didn't think I was going to be able to finish the last set of them. Luckily I grunted and pushed my way through and ended up feeling really good.

Ankle to Bar (dead hang from bar, then bring feet up to bar...like a pike)
Set 1 - 7
Set 2 - 8
Set 3 - 6

5x Box Jump (15 each set)

5x Kettlebell Floor Press - I substituted a 20/25lb dumbbell since there was no kettlebell available.
4x 20lb (10 each set)
1x 25lb (10)

5x Half Moons @ 35lbs (5 each set)

5x One Arm Sit-up (5x each side each set, active rest)

5x Leg Blasters (10 each set) - These started working me on the fourth set. By the fifth set I saw why they call them leg blasters. Ouch!

5x Dumbbell Row @ 55lbs (10 reps each set, each arm)


This was a really good workout. I left feeling exhausted, my legs were wrecked. Undoubtedly I will be sore tomorrow, and that's the plan. I should be doing well for Sunday, when (weather and conditions permitting) I will go ice climbing and hiking.