Thur 5-23-13: A Rope & A Tree
Today I took a rope over to the park, found a big tree and played around a bit. I used my imagination and had fun trying to throw the rope over just the right branch, climbing the tree when I screwed up and got it caught, swinging, climbing the rope, using it like a TRX and just messing around in general. Some fun, some sun, some fresh air, some activity and some things I had never done before. Pretty cool.
Wed 5-22-13: Upper Body
A simple workout based on the Mantathalon setup…
Incline Bench 145 x 20
Body Row x 25
DB Shoulder Press 40 x 19
Dips x 25
DB Bicep Curl 40 x
3 minute rest between sets
Total time = 17:30 min
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.
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… 
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.
Mon 4-29-13: Upper Body
Upper Body
Bench Press
45×20, 95×10, 135×10 (followed by Cable Reverse Flys)
185×19 (followed by Cable Reverse Flys and 20 push-ups)
3 sets of 185×5
135×14
Dual Cable Lat Pulldown (alternated sets between neutral and wide pull)
70×15,90×12,105×10,120×8,135×6,150×4,165×2,90×20
3 compound sets of 12 reps each with 45lb DBs:
DB Pullover
DB Anchored Leg Raise
DB Crunch to Toes
3 compound sets of 10 reps each:
TRX Fly
TRX Reverse Fly
Ab Wheel Rollouts
Some New Videos: April 2013, Part 2
Continued from Part 1 a couple days ago…
Core work:
Pullover on Ball (video)
Core Combo: Pullover, Crunch, Plank (video)
DB Pullover (video)
Leg Raise with Medicine Ball (video)
Incline Bench variations:
Incline Bench Barbell Row (video)
Incline Bench Dumbbell Row (video)
Incline Bench Reverse Fly (video)
Dumbbell Spider Curl (video)
TRX:
TRX Atomic Push-up (video)
TRX Suspended Push-up (video)
TRX Knee Tuck (video)
Side Plank/Plank Combos:
Side Plank Cable Row (video)
Side Plank Cable Pulldown (video)
Plank Cable Pulldown (video)
Side Plank Cable Shoulder Press (video)
Side Plank Cable Bicep Curl (video)
Side Plank Cable Curl & Press (video)
Plank Cable Shoulder Press (video)
Finally, for those studs out there, here a couple good challenges:
Leg Crank (video)
Parting The Black Sea (video)
Super Arms (video)
Post Super Arms…
Some New Videos: April 2013, Part 1
Added a bunch of videos today…
Back Lunge Single Leg Good Morning Combo (video)
Squat Back Lunge Single Leg Good Morning Combo (video)
Overhead Back Lunge (video)
Side Plank with Side Crunch (video)
Reach Through Windmill (video)
Alligator Push-up (video)
Seated Ab Curl Up (video)
Plank Depth Reach (video)
Did about 20 more, will add those later…
Fri 4-19-13: Squat, Deadlift, Chin
More simplicity…
Squat
10 reps: 45,95
5 reps: 135
3 reps: 185
1 rep: 225,275,315,345,365
Deadlift
5 reps: 135
3 reps: 225
1 rep: 275,315
Was going to do a few heavier singles but back twinged a bit so I decided to move on.
Weighted Chin-up
5 reps: BW
3 reps: +10,+20
1 rep: +30,+40,+50,+60,+70,+80,+90,+100
5 reps: +50
12 reps: BW
Wed 4-17-13: Bench Press
Simple day again…
Bench Press
**Used 15 reps of moderate weight Cable Reverse Flys between each set of bench press to reinforce posture.
Bench Press
15 reps: 45
10 reps: 95,135
5 reps: 185
1 rep: 225,245,255,265,275
15 reps: 135
Sat 4-13-13: Upper Body Randomness
Took a page from Art Devany’s book: Complex Task Exercise.
Upper Body
Walked into my local Crunch Fitness and just did whatever upper body exercise that was before me. Used the randomness of Devany’s nature, using whatever weight was on the machine, barbell or dumbbell and pumped out reps, with no real number or outcome in mind. Just like a kid, did the exercise until it got hard or I got tired of it and them moved on to something else. Refreshing approach that I do every once in a while for a nice change of pace. Great workout that almost always leaves me sore as well…
Thur 4-11-13: Lower Body Volume
Some lower body volume to match Tuesday’s upper body volume day…
Lower Body Volume
10 supersets of 10 reps each:
Lying Hamstring Ball Curl
Squat (135 lbs)
5 supersets of 10 reps each:
Deep Step Up (10 each leg)
Leg Raise and Crunch Combo
5 supersets of 10 reps each:
Side Lunge (10 each leg)
Leg Raise and Crunch Combo
Tues 4-9-13: Upper Body Volume
Very simple today. Volume without too much stress…
Upper Body Volume
10 sets of 10 of each:
Overhead Press (65 lbs)
Dual Cable Lat Pulldown (90 lbs)
15 Degree Incline Bench Press (115 lbs)
Fri 4-5-13: Full Body
Full Body
Alternating DB Curl & Press
One Arm DB Bench (half off bench)
Overhead Squat
Cable Push Pull 2 sets (video)
One Arm Cable Press 5 sets (video)
Uneven Depth Push-up to Balance (video)
Giant set of:
20 Overhead Squats
25 Overhead Presses
30 Hang Cleans
35 Back Squats
40 Push-ups
45 Cable Reverse Flys
50 Jump Squats
Wed 4-3-13: Core
My wife is doing an April Ab Challenge hosted by a friend of ours, so today I joined her…
Core
2 circuits of:
Jackknife 20 reps (10 each, alternate)
Burpees 30 sec
Ab Iso Squeeze 1 min
Mountain Climbers 30 sec
Russian Twists 20 each side
High Knees 30 sec
Plank 30 sec
Squat Thrust 30 sec
Crunches 20 reps
Jumping Jacks 30 sec
Rest 2 minutes between circuits.
Tues 3-26-13: Upper Body Push
Upper Body Push
Incline Bench Press
45×10, 95×10, 135×5, 155×10,9,8,8
DB Alternating Bench Press
65 lb DBs: 2 sets of 12 reps (6 each side), 1 set of 20 reps
Arnold Press
4 sets: 10 reps at 30 lbs (alternated arms on 2nd and 4th sets)
Dips
3 sets of 10
Superset of 10 reps @ 25 lbs:
DB Fly
DB Lying Tricep Extension
Feeling a bit run down from poor sleep and coughing kids the last few nights so called it a day. Probably time for a few days off…
Fri 3-22-13: Back, Shoulders & Arms
Back, Shoulders & Arms
45 Degree Lat Pulldown
10 sets of 10
30,45,60,75,90,105,120,135,150,150
3 supersets of:
DB Arc Row 10 reps @ 40,45,50
DB Bent Reverse Fly 12 reps @ 10
3 supersets of:
Cable Iso Alternating Row 10 reps @ 90
DB Bent Reverse Fly 12 reps @ 10 (not a typo, did this again)
4 supersets of 15 reps:
DB Curl w/ Fat Gripz 15,20,20,20
Dual Cable Shrug 100lbs
DB Hammer Curl, Press, Tricep Extension Combo
3 sets with 20lb DBs
1st set: alternate arms for 8 reps
2nd set: one side count up 1-5
3rd set: one side count down 5-1
Thur 3-21-13: Leg Challenge
Lower Body
2 mile hike down and back up a local gully trail.
Leg Challenge: 10 reps of each in a row, 50 reps total.
Step Up (10 each leg)
Lunge (same)
Squat
Set 1: Bodyweight
Set 2: +25% of BW (45 lbs for me)
Set 3: +50% of BW (90 lbs)
Set 4: +75% of BW (135 lbs)
This is where I stopped…
BONUS for the freaks:
Set 5: +100% of BW
Or
BONUS for the gluttons for punishment:
Work your way back down- 50%, 25%, BW.
You can use any apparatus to add the weight, I chose a barbell for convenience. You can also modify it for different percentages of BW (10%, 20%, 30%, etc.).
10 Ten Minute Full Body Workouts
Came across a great article at Marks Daily Apple called 10 Full Body Workouts You Can Do In 10 Minutes Flat. Some great stuff in here, bookmark this if you ever need quick and effective ways to move a challenge your body, including some gym workouts but mostly outdoor natural movement challenges.
