Grippers/Axle

Vulcan @20mm block:
RH, L9x8, L5x7
LH, L9x5, L5x6
After axle deads, Filed HG200, RHx25, LHx21

Axle Sumo Deadlift
90 x2, x2
160 x5 singles

>>> Better workout. Axle is something that I have never done much, but would like to get stronger on that lift, especially because I don't squat these days. The weight felt light, but I wanted to just work on form before I go for much weight.

CHEST/ARMS/2HP

P90X CHEST, SHOULDERS, ARMS
AB RIPPLER

2HP
115# 5X5 @46mm

TTK
15# Burnouts x2

>>> Good P90 workout. Lots of push ups and endurance for these is getting better. I typoed "AB RIPPLER" but I kind of like that. Overall I can do the ab ripper workout better and better each time. Core is getting stronger and tighter. Body fat is getting lower too. Now where's the sun...?

2HP I wanted to just get my hands on the thing. Plates are real slick. The TTK burnouts are something I got from David Horne. It's 10 slow full-range reps, then 10 fast short reps, then 10 full range again, then 10 fast ones again. That is 1 set. BURNS like a...something...how bout fire. Burns like fire.

Plan your work...

...and then shit-can the plan. RIGHT!?

So the thing I forgot about was that I had a plan. The thing about a plan is that it's only useful if you see it through. The plan became like that Reach flossing thing the dentist gave me; I don't use it so it doesn't help me.

So first on the list is to negate the random changes I made on 4/19. Those were not in the plan and I only made those changes due to my crap-workout-induced state of GONZO. (According to my good friend, GONZO is what happens when that little crazy voice has you acting against better judgment.)

Starting tonight, grippers will be back on the plan that was planned and written down. No reason to reinvent the wheel here. And I'm going to go find that floss thing before I forget.

I H8 Grippers

Grr. It just wasn't there tonight.

Grippers
warm up
BBSM x1, BBGM x1
Vulcan L10 x3

Grip Machine
160 x10, x10, x10, x10

So whenever I have a string of bad workouts like this, it has me rethinking what I'm doing. If I was forced to identify my biggest beef with my training, it's that nothing is predictable. I never know if I'm going to be able to close a #3, or miss by 1/4". I just want it to BE THERE.

I need to figure out what direction I want to head.

My Left Foot

No, not that movie. My actual left foot. I've had a whole host of problems stemming from a 2008 back injury which left half my foot mostly numb, and keeps my big toe from working correctly. As a result, the condition of my big toe has been rapidly degrading ever since. Most recently, my left ankle has been sore for about 6 mos, presumably related to all these other problems.

HOWEVER, I realized this morning, for the first time in a while, my ankle feels GREAT. My knees also feel good after yesterday's leg workout, which is promising as well. I think running is helping my joints to wake up and realize there is work to do.

Legs/Back

P90X Legs/Back
Ab Ripper

>>> Holy balls. The first set of chin ups, I just ripped off 16 reps like it was nothing! The most chins I've ever done in one set was 16 about 6 years ago and it was a huge struggle and honestly the last couple of reps were probably cheats. This time, I stopped at 16--for no other reason except this was the first set and I knew what was still coming in the workout. Felt awesome!

Overall I did MANY more total pull ups than ever before on this workout.

Feeling good these days!

Run

20 min run

>>> No walking for the first time! Knees are sore and I really need new shoes. Maybe I can sort that out this weekend. Got rained on and made it back just before the hail started.

Minnesota weather is stupid. Yesterday it snowed, sleeted, rained, sunshined, rained, then hailed.

GRIP!

GRIPPERS
Switched to a 1.25" block.
RH L7x7, LH L7x4
RH #1x10, LH #1x12

GRIP MACHINE
160 x10, x10, x10
Full open and closes with two hands.

>>> Made two big changes here for a while. Switched to a 1.25" block to start getting used to a wider ROM. Also, upped volume on the plate loader. My plan is to get three sets of 10 after my regular workout at all costs. The third set of 10 was I-N-S-A-N-E.

I felt like my forearms were going to explode so I took a picture. I think they are getting close to being twice the size of my wrist, at least when pumped.

Also I had a chance to weigh myself today (we don't have a scale at home). 166 and that was with shoes, jeans, sweater, and immediately after lunch. So I'm probably still around 160 actual bodyweight.

RUN/WALK

30 MINS
Ran 10 mins out, walked 5, ran 10 minutes back, walked 5.

>>> Much better than my previous run. Made it a lot farther and consolidated the running with fewer walking breaks.

Does anyone Geocache? This seems like a cool hobby.

Grip aka crap

Some choker attempts at #3.5, some Vulcan L10 and L4, another crapfest.

I think I just need a couple more days rest. 2" v-bar might trash my hands more than I think.

Arms/Shoulders

P90X Arms/Shoulders
Ab Ripper

Weights or reps were up on almost every exercise. Also killed ab ripper in a way I have not before.

Tomorrow should be a grip workout and running. I'll do my best not to sabatage the grip workout (again) but can't promise anything if my 2HP plates arrive.

Walk/Run

Cardio
20mins walk/run outside. Probably 15 minutes total running, including the last 10 minutes solid with a 'sprint for the finish' at the end.

So, I've signed up for a 5k in May, and I figured I better do at least a little running beforehand. I need to be able to keep up with my wife!

Grrrrrrip

2" V-BAR
166 x1
191 x1
216 x1 (R only)
226 x0 x0 xMovement
221 x1 xMovement
191 x1 (L only)
166 x6 (R and L)

VULCAN
L7 x11

Grippers where a shit show after wasting my hands on 2" v-bar. I've sabotaged my last couple of grip workouts this way. Whoops!

221 on the V-BAR is a PR! Forearms and hands are sore today.

Chest/Back

P90X Chest and Back
Ab Ripper

Brought it. Pullups are WAY up overall. I was still doing 8-10 on the last sets which puts me on par or over where I ended last round in January.

Grippers I'm going to give one more day to rest because working in the yard yesterday really trashed my hands.

Green thumb grip

Sunday should have been P90X Legs/Back to finish out the week, but instead I rebuilt our vegatable gardens. They are two 4'x8' beds made from green-treated lumber. I had to dig them in to the side of our South hill so they kind of step down or terrace, whatever you would say. LOTS OF WORK. Ripping up sod, digging, grunting, fun. A real world workout.

One thing is that the ripping up sod bothered my right bicep a little so I'll watch that.

Now we can plant some veggies!

Grippers, Shoulders & Arms

P90X Shoulders & Arms
Ab Ripper

Grippers:
warm up
BBSM x2 singles
BBGM x2 singles (155#)

Vulcan:
RH, L10x6, L5x11
LH, L10x1, L5x10

>>> Don't know what happened to L10 on my left. It was totally cashed.

THINKING ABOUT MY BUDDY BEN! Good vibes, man. I hope you closed the MM3!

Grip and Cardio

P90X
Plyometrics

V-BAR
warm up
166 x2
191 x1
216 xAir, x0, x1 (PR!)
221 xAir, x0 (VIDEO)
191 x3

Grip
3.5 attempts x2, both misses around 1/4"
Vulcan, Right L10x4, L7x5
Vulcan, Left L10x5, L7x5
Grip Machine, 160 x10, x10

>>> P90 Plyo felt easy. Usually my legs feel pretty heavy about 15mins in, but I was still rockin at the end.

V-bar I got a PR with 216. It was a nice high pull. Of course it was about the only attempt I didn't video because I got air the first time, then nothing on the 2nd attempt so I wasn't expecting much. But I adjusted my grip to get more behind the bar to start and it came right up!

Grippers could have been better if I didn't do v-bar first. I am okay with the 1/4" miss on the #3.5. Mostly because I was able to set and sweep it just fine. The crush will get there. 1/4" is a big gap, though. Nothing hard work can't close!

CHEST AND BACK

Week 2
P90X Chest and Back
Ab Ripper

Good workout. I'm almost back to the same numbers as where I left off at the end of January. I got super-sonic sore last week.

Rated some grippers for Adam Glass.

I really hope to get my #3.5 in the mail tomorrow! If so I will attempt that and get a video prior to my grip workout. I don't expect to close it by any means, but the video will establish a starting point.

Hello Again!

I've decided to reopen this blog so I can post my training, both grip and otherwise. Any comments from anyone are welcome!

I updated my PRs on the right. Finally got that 164# BBE closed and next stop is my #3.5. RGC rating on that is 169-170. It will be a tough gap to close. I will post a status-quo on that as soon as it arrives back in the mail from my buddy Luke.

Up to 160# on the 2HP, but no progress on that for a long time. I am in the process of making an official 2HP device and hope to PR right away just by pinching at the proper width. 2x35s are way too wide for me to be ideal. I should be around 45mm and the 2x35s are about 53mm.

Also new PR listings for 20mm Vulcan and 2" v-bar. I will post videos on those for subsequent PRs. If I could set the Vulcan better, my PR would go way up. I'll have to work on that!

Currently I'm training grippers pretty heavily, about twice per week. For general fitness, I am doing modified P90X workouts. I did the program as written from Nov 2010 to Jan 2011. I got pretty good results. I have since modified the workouts to be a little shorter and also cut out two workouts. The end result is four 1-hour workouts per week. If you follow the program exactly it's six workouts and most are about 1-1/2 hour. I think when I finish this round (I'm only in week 2) I will finally have a responsibly built foundation to try and work with heavier weights and try to add a little more power.

So here we go.