Last 2 Days

Sunday, I did what I usually do for a warmup with some shoulder work, extra mobility stuff, suicides, and a jog around the field thrown into the mix. My flexibility is getting better and my knee pain is gone. My shoulders are really feeling good, too. And a good side benefit is that my weight has begun to drop even steadier. I'm now weighing in at 232 lbs in the evening even after dinner, so 220s should come in about another week. All without tricks. After that, I played my Sunday volleyball games.

Today, was the end of TBT week 3, 13 weeks to go.
Bench Step Ups: 3x15@BWT
Hammer ISO Row (Elbows in Close)(each arm): 3x15@60 lbs
DB RDL (Total Weight): 3x15@90 lbs
Pushups: 3x18@BWT
DB Preacher Curls: 3x15@15 lbs
Hammer Calf Press: 3x15@160 lbs

TBT Week 3, Session two

I didn't work out at all Wednesday or Thursday, and my diet could have been better (far from a bender but definitely not too sensible.). Today, my reward for that was showing up two pounds lighter in the afternoon than last week. Maybe aside from the new warmup or this routine, this was what I needed.

Warmup

One Leg Sit to bench: 4 sets of 8 (both legs) with bodyweight

Hammer ISO High Rows: 4x8@80 lbs each arm

GHR: 28 reps (sets of 8, 6, 6, 4, 4 reps)

DB Shoulder Presses: 4x8@45 lbs each DB

DB Preacher Curls: 4x8@20 pounds

DB Extensions (Tates): 4x8@20 pounds

Volleyball games for a cool down

TBT Week 3 Day 1

Warmup was different today. Got my care package from home with my copy of Core Performance Endurance, so I tried out some new things when I warmed up. Made the warmup longer but it left me feeling really loose and raring to go.

DB Reverse Lunges (weight is each dumbbell): 35x5, 40x5, 45x5, 50x4

V-Handle Pulldowns: worked up to a 135 lbs single

DB Deadlifts (weight is each dumbbell): 4x5@90 lbs. I'm improving really well with this lift. Maybe because of the single leg work, too: I don't have to rock a little to start the first rep anymore and I'm lifting more weight.

Incline DB Bench: worked up to 4 reps with 75 pounders.

DB Preacher Curls: worked up to a 30 lbs triple.

Single Calf Raises: 6 sets of 5

Because of the warmup, didn't have much left to do the elliptical at the end. So I walked around for twenty minutes.

Walking and Volleyball

Walked with the body armor on for 75 minutes this morning, and was reminded by the sunburn on my shoulders why I need sunscreen here in Africa. Ouch!!!

Then I played volleyball in the evening.

Making Up is Not Always The Best Part

Should have done the weighted vest walking yesterday. But I felt like doing nothing. Ok, I drank some beer and played Nintendo Wii Sports with the office. No guilt here.

So, to make up for it, here was todays workout:

Warmup
Walked with the body armor for an hour
Played some volleyball for another hour
Step Ups (armor on): 2x15@BWT+32 lbs
Wide Grip Pulldowns: 70x15x2
Single Leg RDL: 2x15@BWT
Pushups: 2x15@BWT
Calf Raises: 2x15@BWT
DB Extensions (Tate's): 2x15@15
Walked back to the CLU (Container Living Unit)

TBT Modified: Week 2

The Warmup (Until I write otherwise):
Body squats x 10
Jumping jacks x 15
Seal jumping jacks x 15
Front skips — 20 yards down & back
Stationary side lunge x 8 each leg
Side shuffle, 20 yds. down & back
Stationary leg swings (front & back) x 10 each leg
Stationary leg swings (side to side) x 10 ea. leg
60% Build-up sprint (arm & posture focus) — 30 yds. down and back
Lunge walk x 10 steps down and back
Backpedal x 20 yds. down and back
Squat jumps x 5
75% Build-up sprint — (knee drive focus) — 40 yds. down and back. I did all of this at the soccer field before walking to the gym for the workout. A lot harder than doing 15 minutes on the elliptical for a warmup but more effective. While I'm not trying to do anything intense for aerobics right now, this may help.

The Workout:
One Leg Sit to Bench (Pistols): 3x8@BWT
Incline Laterals: 6x8@10
DB RDL: 3x8@140 (70 pounds in each arm)
Incline Pause Pushups w/Pushup Bars: 3x8@BWT
DB Curls: 3x8@25
Assisted Dips: 3x8@117 (120 lbs of assist)

15 minutes cooldown (Elliptical) and mobility work

The Last Couple-A Days

Yesterday:
15Minutes on the elliptical plus the Parisi Warmup.
Reverse DB Deficit Lunges: worked up to 70 (35x2) for 5 reps, then 2 more sets
Hammer ISO High Rows: 90x5x3
DB Deadlifts: Worked up to 170x5 (85 in each arm).
DB Push Press: 55x5x3
DB Hammer Curls: 35x5x3
Hammer Calf Press:290x5x3
20 minutes on the elliptical to finish


Today:
1 hour walk with the body armor on.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Just about everyone today had the day off. Not sure why, I don't read as much official e-mail as I should, I guess.

So, I woke up at 2:30PM (12+ hours of sleep), got my PT gear on, then my body armor, then my sunglasses. Then I stepped outside. It was nice and quiet, with a good sea breeze. I walked for an hour at a good pace, on sidewalk, gravel, and 3 laps around the soccer field (artificial turf). After that I took a shower and shaved and brushed my teeth and when I got back to the room, I felt so blissfully tired and relaxed that I almost took a nap. Then on to dinner. That was my PT for the Day.

BTW, here's my weight workouts from last week. Since I don't like backblogging, I'll keep it simple:

Monday:
Reverse DB Deficit Lunges (Basically, front foot is elevated): worked up to 50 (25x2) for 5 reps.
Hammer ISO High Rows: Worked up to 100x1 per movement arm, then 90x5 back off.
DB Deadlifts: Worked up to 140x5 (70 in each arm).
DB Push Press: 50x5x3
DB Hammer Curls: 35x5x3
Hammer Calf Press:290x5x3

Wednesday:
One Leg Sit to Bench (Pistols): 3 sets of 8 with bodyweight
DB Upright Rows: 20x8x3
DB RDL: 120x8x3 (60 pounds in each arm)
Incline Pause Pushups w/Pushup Bars: BWTx8x3
DB Curls: 25x8x3
Assisted Dips: 3 sets of 8 with 120 lbs of assist

Friday:
Step Ups: BWTx15x2
Wide Grip Pulldowns: 60x15x2
Single Leg RDL: BWTx15x2
Pushups: BWTx15x2 (gradual cadence, medium grip)
Calf Raises: BWTx15x2
DB Extensions (Tate's): 15x15x2

Each session begins with 15 minutes of elliptical, then the Parisi Warmup, then 20 minutes on the elliptical to finish. Except Friday: warmup was 4 games of volleyball. So week one is done, 15 more to go.

Back in The Habit

It's been a bit hard to get in a habit of working out here in Djibouti. Not because of the heat. Mostly, it's a lack of motivation (I'm even getting emotionally adjusted now being away from my wife and child). Last week, it was injuries. The day after walking around for an hour with my body armor on, I was doing jump training and a jump that I had made the week before, I missed and skinned my left shin. After that, I just decided to squat and since I hadn't done so in a long time, I pulled muscles on the inside of both thighs. Day after that, I was playing basketball when I tried to stop on a dime at full speed and I pulled both calves, then a glute later on. Some would say that I'm getting old. But after much thought, I thought that I've never been a big stretching person. And I've never put in the amount or regularity of mobility work that I should.

Three articles really got me thinking. One was Eric Cressey suggesting 3 days of single leg work a week for 2 months. Another was Cardiovascular System Training Principles, Part 2 by Joel Jamieson on the Elite FTS site. Another was an article on Sports Illustrated about how the Phoenix Suns are fixing up Shaquille O'Neill (I think the Suns have the most injury free team in the NBA).

Then this week, I started Chad Waterbury's Total Body Training but substituted the single leg work for the squats, dumbbell work for barbell work. I'm doing the body armor walking sometimes but have found myself playing a lot of volleyball at night and some basketball. Aerobically, I've been keeping it low intensity. And I've started to do the Parisi Warmups every time I go to the gym. Probably after 2-4 months of this, aside from being in pretty good shape, I'll start to slowly ramp things up. The single leg work is humbling, especially the pistols - - - I can't squat up, and going down is hard. The DB Deadlifts were a real eye opener: 70 lbs dumbbells for 5 reps, and my core was tiring out right when my glutes and low back were. Give me a few weeks and I'll say if this workout is effective. But so far, I don't feel really beat up and I'm having fun with the volleyball habit. Don't know how this will affect my lifts but right now, that's not on my mind.

Stay Tuned.