A couple days ago I got my copy of Becoming a Supple Leopard and today I started my journey toward becoming a better moving human. If you’re not already familiar with it you should check it out, it really is some fantastic stuff. I’ve been familiar with Kelly Starrett from his work on Mobility WOD for a few years but haven’t been inspired to attack my body until his book came out. Great stuff in a nice, heavy book that covers quite a bit. Check it out on his website or SuppleLeopard.com.
Latest
Mon 5-20-13: 4 Min Squat Test
Every once in a while I get the urge to do a quick workout challenge…
4 Minute Squat Challenge
135 lbs (about 75% of bodyweight)
77 reps
Short, sweet and devastating on the legs and lungs.
Wed 5-15-13: Yard Work
All it takes is a day out in the yard to make you appreciate the amount of work that goes into gardening and landscaping. Chopping, cutting, lifting, carrying, hauling, dumping, throwing and more. Not a single muscle left out and every little movement meant something. Functional fitness at its core. Not only a nice departure from structured exercise but also outdoors in the sun. Doing work to maintain your residence/habitat is about as natural, traditional, primal and universal as you get.
Tues 5-14-13: Limtinov Sprints
Continuing the Litminov series…
Litminov Sprints
10 reps Front Squat @ 135lbs
10 second treadmill sprint @ 12mph, 18 degree incline
5 rounds, 3 minute rest between rounds
Thur 5-9-13: Upper Body
Mantathalon training day. Bodyweight 180.
10 minute warmup.
19 Bench Press 180lb
17 Chin-ups
17 Shoulder Press 90lb
17 Weighted Dips 45lb
12 Bicep Curl 90lb
82 reps. Time: 17 min.
I can see where my weakness lies… 
Tues 5-7-13: Litminov Sprints
Carried a 32k kettlebell to the park for some Litminov conditioning…
Tried to keep to 1 min exertion with 3 minute rest between sets. Total time ~17 minutes.
Litminov Sprints
5 sets, each followed by 120 yard run (~15 seconds)
25 Swings
25 Goblet Squat
25 Stifflegged Deadlift
20 Alternating lunges + 5 squats
25 Swings
Legs never felt so heavy… 😊
The Workout Is The Warmup
One of my favorite workouts is to go through this extended warmup…
Warmup Workout
Overhead squat
Jumping jacks
Arm circles
Arm scissors
Lateral bend
Turkish get up
Breakdancers
Kneehug quad stretch
Shadowboxing
Side kicks alternating
Kicks front back alternating
Handstand
Pushup
Pullup
Muscleup
Lunge with reach rotation
Back lunge with overhead raise
Kneeling lunge out
Switching 90/90 stretch
Elbow to instep
Step back to rotated bar raise
Jumprope/Rope swing
Med ball corkscrew press
Staff twirling
Kayakers
Two foot lateral hops
Zig zags
Ice skaters forward/backward
Supine knee twister
Burpees
Wide stance windmills
Alternating T
Plank
Side plank
Grok squat
Hang
Tipping bird stiffleg deadlift
SL toe touch and reach
SL bent airplane
SL balance eyes closed
Archer
Fencer
Ball work ts ys ws or bent over
Bridge marching
Boat to superman
Overhead squat
Fri 5-3-13: Upper Body
Quick upper body workout at home…
(15lb backpack for first two and last two exercises)
25 Decline Weighted Push-ups
20 Weighted Chin-ups
21 Handstand Push-ups
20 Weighted Dips
25 Bicep Curl (2 body bars and backpack)
3 min rest between each set
Tues 4-30-13: Litminovs
Litminovs
One of the hardest but best workouts I’ve come across. Simple, quick and challenging. The trifecta.
The Basic Idea
Superset a strength (or power move) and a sprint.
The strength/power set can be any type but full body/lower body exercises that can be excited or transitioned from easily and quickly work best (front squat, power clean, kettlebell swings).
The sprint can be variable as well, ranging anywhere from 5 seconds to around a minute (think 40-400 yard dashes being the two extremes).
The Detailed Explanation
The backstory behind Litminovs is kind of cool and has some wrinkles. Here’s Dan John breaking it down in way more detail.
Today, since it has been a while, my version was mild:
3 sets of:
10 jump squats (max effort each rep)
15 second sprint (~120 yards)
3-4 minute rest between sets.
Simple, quick and challenging.
