Clean it up....

12/21

21-15-9

135 lb. Power Clean
GHD Sit Ups

7:16.... I finally got loose after the first round.  I'm going to start substituting squat cleans for power cleans and continue to work on them.  Fun, short, intense WOD this morning.  Completed eight, 25yard sled pulls after the WOD, threw in a few hand stand push ups and hit the showers.

The Mill:  Well the last week has been crazy exciting, sleepless, and absolutely amazing.  We welcomed our new baby boy last week which has been a workout in itself.  I was there for the birth and the intense labor, for lack of a better(worse) term, and my wife is absolutely amazing.  Pretty cool, huh.  We had numerous visitors, phone calls, and texts from the people that matter most and who already play a big part in the little man's life.  So thank you everyone!  Shout out to his wonderful mommy.

In a lot of ways the little guy reminds me of a roommate from college.  Eat, sleep, drink (milk for the baby and beer for for him), and poop.  Don's sleeping habits for about 6 months were up all night, sleep all day, and not just on the weekends.  He would actually sleep through his night class and/or dinner, not to mention the typical hours for lunch and breakfast.  But, Don's pretty cool himself.

Look, little football's....

Also, this weekend I tried to partake in a very important 3-on-3 tournament which went swimmingly.  The organizers did an awesome job.  I was only able to play one game since we were being discharged later on that day, but it was awesome.  The defense, which was my staple back in the day, left me without a jock strap a few times, and my jump shot was questionable at best.  I did however get a block on the first possession of the game.  In my opinion it was a massive, game changing block.  But this tournament was/is much more than blocks, jump shots or lack there of.  People came out, not to play basketball, but to support, and even though a bystander it was awesome to witness first hand.  It was a privilege, honor, to play on the team that asked me; even it was only for one game.  I left them hanging without a sub for the duration of the tournament, which if you're reading this, imagine me tapping my chest with my hand and repeatedly saying, "my bad".  Like I took bad shot after bad shot.  But again, it was a privilege to play in the tournament.  And next year, "we goin' to the 'ship, what, we goin' to the 'ship".

Ready. Set. Sweat.  Oh, wait we haven't even played yet.   

The weight room is nonexistent this time of year.  Everybody is gone for the break which leaves me and only me.  I have to sneak in, grab a bar, some plates and head to the fieldhouse.  No mirrors, people, or obstacles, just me, the bar and a 100 degree gym.  Changing scenery helps shake things up a bit for the workouts, and allows me to get comfortable in different places.  Performing the workouts in the same open area in the weight room week after week can get mundane so it's fun and beneficial to challenge myself in different ways.

Did you improve today?

A Little Crazy Never Hurt Anyone

12/13


3 Rounds for time of:
35lb DB squat snatch, 15 reps, right arm
15 GHD sit ups
35lb DB squat snatch, 15 reps, left arm
15 Toes-2-Bar

13:29.... My main squeeze Pukie was right around the corner.  All snatches were done unbroken mixed with some GHD and T2B made the old stomach churn.


12/12

7 Rounds for Time:

205lb. Clean, 3 reps
Handstand Push Ups, 4 reps

9:38....

The Mill:  The cleans became easier with each round which made it possible to get 2 consecutive and then 3 in a row to finish set.  On the first clean I tried it with a belt, and not a small belt either.  I hit it on the way up and pinched the belt against my cookie covered gut.  Bloody shins soon accompanied the busted gut and leaked onto the new socks.  All but one round of the handstand push ups were done unbroken.  Just keep on polishing.  They're still a work progress as is everything else, but I remember telling my wife that doing a handstand push up was one of my New Year's resolutions.  That's not typical of me to even have one, but I had to set a goal for myself or I wouldn't have done it.  I kept finding excuses not to do them.  The fear of crushing my face was always apparent, but I had to mentally get passed that fear of failure.  When I did I began practicing them as wall climbs at first then slowly progressing to hand stand holds.  And failure after failure of trying to stand upside down on my hands, finally led me to doing them in an actual WOD.  And this one was no different.  I was able to knock out 4 in a row with struggle for sure, but still got them done.

Goal setting?  What are your short and long term goals?  I have to be honest sometimes short term goals just kind of happen.  Not planned or practiced for, but rather prepared for at anytime.  Long term goals, like the handstand push ups, sometimes don't challenge you enough.  I practiced them every now and again, but as a weak spot I don't practice them nearly enough.  Have your eyes on something that may be hard to reach, but also have your sights on a goal that will make the untouchable seem more attainable.  A building block to the larger picture.  On your way to the long term goals, short term goals will often pop up and be accomplished.  Sometimes without ever noticing until after the fact.  Go get it!

More Milling:  The weight room is lonely now in the morning.  Just me.  Literally, just me.  The elders of the morning crew have replaced their cold knee aching winters with fresh warm Florida sun.  They'll be back in March with new Florida t-shirts, a little giddy up in their elliptical, and the same workout.  It works for them, though.  Every morning from March thru November the couple comes into the gym together to only part ways to mingle with the others strolling in.  So now, it's just me.  I have the freedom to do whatever the hell I want.  "Judge free" zone according to Planet Fitness.  Really?  Don't get me started on that again.

A little Britt Britt for some throwback to the high school dugout.....Don't ask me why...Brittany Spears was a staple in our dugout for the entire 2002-2003 season

Too much Brittany for one day?

English Class, Anyone?

12/9 

AMRAP in 20 minutes

400M Run
155lb. DL, 21 reps

4 rounds + 400 meter run

I was excited for this WOD all night.  The intensity was there, but after the second round I couldn't get comfortable with my deadlifts.  Gotta strengthen that lower back a bit more.  More Good Mornings, RDL's, back extensions, and anything you can think.  Fun WOD.  Worked up a good lather this morning.  Fell one round shy of my goal.

The Mill:  A couple of thoughts have been running around in my over sized dome in the last few days.  Enthusiasm and passion is what all my thoughts keep coming back to.  My 7th Grade English teacher wrote a quote on the board during our testing week or something that seemed pointless at the time (and really it still does), but it said "If a job is worth doing then it is worth doing properly".  I don't remember who said this, and I could probably Google it to find out, but I don't want to.  The quote has stayed with me to this day.  What's the point in just "going through the motions".  If we're here, working, playing, lifting, being a dad, we might as well do it right.  It makes no sense to just walk through it and claim that you want to get better without any attempt.    What purpose does that serve?  You have to work at it and want to do it.  Whatever it may be. If you have enthusiasm to do something, to be better, to live your life, then you will undoubtedly have passion.  A lot stems from enthusiasm and passion.  A skill set, a mind set, the driving force behind your day, what it is?  Love the fact that the quote from Mrs. Hansen's blackboard has stuck with me.  Without it I know I never would have trimmed the sidewalks at our house when I was 12 or picked up the twigs in the yard for my first paying job.  Or trying to get my brothers couch through the door at his new apartment (it was quite simple once we were told how to do it), but we tried and tried to do it properly.  I wonder if she got her "quote of the day" from the Wishing Well in the Era.

Have a kick ass weekend!  

Take Two Giant Steps Forward

12/7  Wood

5 Rounds:
10 burpee box jumps
95lb. Sumo High Pull Deadlift, 10 reps
95lb. Thruster, 10 reps
Rest 1 minute

Ending times for each round; all started a minute later
2:21, 6:19, 10:21, 14:32, 19:15


The running part wasn't posted until the am so I didn't see it in time.  Either way it was still tough.  Finished this one without shoes.  To be honest, it felt great.  My feet didn't hurt or "hold" me back the rest of the WOD.

12/6 
Back Squat
5x3
245-250-255-260-275

Form is coming along nicely, and so is the soreness.

12/5 
5 Rounds:
Run 800 M
15 DB Swings, 70lbs.
30 Pull Ups

45:55


Misread the WOD.  It was supposed to be 30 swings.  Still pretty tough, but fun.

12/3 
Back Squat
5x4
225-230-235-250

Done with JH who's doing a 12 week program.  Scary what he might be able to do after the 12 weeks.

12/2
Clean and Jerk
7x1
135-155-165-175-185-195-210 (PR) 215 as a clean but failed the jerk....get your minds right

12/1 AMRAP 15 Minutes
3 Pull Ups
3 Squats
3 Pull Ups
3 Squats
20 Thrusters, 45lbs.
200 M Run

5 complete rounds


11/29
3 Rounds for time:
Row 500 M
21 Burpees
400M Run

19:35


All caught up.....for now

The Mill:  It's important to keep moving forward.  Think about it for a minute.  What does that mean? Or what do you want it to mean?  The easy way usually never works out for anyone.  Be willing to go through the tough shit to get where you want to go.  Create your own path.  It doesn't have to be straight or flat, but filled with your life experiences on a journey to success.  There is no time frame for success; your path at your pace.  It's that simple.  But it's up to you to move forward.  Not move on; but rather move forward.  To me those two have completely different meanings.  Be observant and recognize new opportunities and ways to improve.  Keep making forward strides, but at the same time do not be afraid to fail.  Failure is all a part of finding our own path.  Without failure it would be hard to learn from your mistakes and life lessons.

Source

Tell someone about your goals.  You may find it easier to stay on track if other people know what you are expecting of yourself.  If it's a true goal then you will do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal.  Those people will keep you moving forward.

If something happens and you take a few steps back or sideways, so what.  Just be willing to take that first step forward.  In today's WOD, I struggled on a few thrusters but it was key to adjust my focus to the thruster and not the previous 3 rounds.  Even though some reps, workouts, movements may suck stay focused on what you can control in the "now".  Remain focused and move forward.  And have a shit ton of fun along the way!

 

Be A Go Getter

11/28

225 lb. Deadlift, 21 reps
21 meter Bear Crawl, pulled 250lbs
225 lb. Deadlift, 15 reps
15 meter Bear Crawl, pulled 250 lbs.
225 lb. Deadlift, 9 reps
9 meter Bear Crawl, pulled 250 lbs.

9:22....I subbed the handstand walks with weighted bear crawls since I am just now getting comfortable with the handstand push ups.  The deadlifts felt really good throughout the WOD.  I broke them into sets of 7, 8 and  7 for 15, and 9 unbroken to finish it off.  I took one extended break in the first set which set me back a few.  No worries, I still managed to get blood from my shins all over the bar.  I tried not to hit my shins, but then I would lean forward on my toes during the lift.

Mile run to finish it off....

I did manage to polish some horse turds last week.  I was able to do 4 consecutive handstand push ups before tipping over and crashing in the dance studio.  

The Mill:  Well, Thanksgiving came and went, and I drank and ate too much (everything in moderation dumb ass).  I felt extremely slow and heavy footed this morning.  Just trying to shake the weight of the holiday.  My wife and I were sitting around watching some TV the other night and this commercial came on. (Don't feel like you have to watch it in it's entirety.)

It's not so much the idea of the cult-like cover all as is the name of the baggy jumper.  "Forever Lazy". The commercial makes it look like people are have some difficulties covering themselves properly with a comfortable blanket.  As soon as my wife can speak after this commercial, she says with a straight face "I don't think Americans need another reason to be lazy."  Granted we were watching TV so technically we were being lazy too.  To our credit we were just on a 3 or 4 hour baby room rampage, and needed a break.  By "rampage" I mean that it needed to be done, and done as soon as possible.  I tried to put the crib together myself but it took me 3 days to figure out which end was the front.

Anyways, laziness can be contagious and a tough funk to get out of.  We don't need any more reasons or excuses to be inactive on a daily basis.  Shake it off.  Challenge your body, challenge your mind, and and continue to improve.

*This is not a product review since I have never zipped myself up in a blanket with matching socks.  

Who you callin' a chicken you turkey

11/23


For Time:

100 Burpee Pull Ups

14:32....  Found myself struggling after #20.  Just struggling mentally because burpees suck.  It's a pretty strong love/hate relationship with burpees.  It helped when I broke the count into 10's.  Made the burpee/pull ups seem a little more manageable.  A newbie was in the weight room today, and seemed a little concerned about the burpees.  Not to worry my friend, I'm not really humping the ground.  It's merely a burpee.  I'm surely thankful for burpees.

11/22


For Time:
10 Handstand push ups
225lb. Deadlift, 15 Reps
25 Box Jumps
50 Pull Ups
100 Thrusters, 25lb. DB
100 Bar Jumps
400 Meter Run

25:18...  Rocked out legit handstand push ups.  I managed to get through the first 5 unbroken.  Improvement is right around the corner.  Might be a new favorite.   Doubt it since I hate being upside down.  It's slightly different then the main site WOD yesterday.  I used what I had handy and could remember.  

The Mill:  Gonna get a little sentimental on you today.....so I apologize ahead of time.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and you may not have noticed that because we are being drowned in advertisements for the dreaded black friday.

Give thanks where thanks is due.  Those people that have impacted our lives, no matter how minuscule it may seem, have helped shape us into who we are today.  Those special people past and present who have helped lead you onto your current path deserve a "thank you".  Tell them in a card, in a prayer, on the phone, or over turkey.  

Put on the stretchy pants and enjoy life.
Thanks to everyone who follows!

Shout out to family and friends!  Happy Day for the neighbors to the north. (just in case...I mean Canada)

Source

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!









Enthusiasm and passion....

One of my all time favorites...just for fun

You asked for it...Shout out to TBEK 12+

11/19

Michael (modified)
3 Rounds for Time:

Run 800 M
50 Back Extensions
50 Dips (subbed for back extensions)
50 Sit Ups

27 mins. and some change

11/21

15-12-9
135 Thrusters
45lb. Pull Ups

10:42...
This WOD is like a juiced up Fran.  Less reps, but more weight.  Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.

The Mill:  The only thing or person that creeps me out more than a clown is a car salesman.  They constantly smell like three day old coffee and cheap cigarettes.  Very inviting.  They're all close talkers which makes the combination of caffeine and nicotine that much more potent.  They try to be nice and connect on a personal level asking about family and activities; sometimes really personal questions.  For example, one referring to my whereabouts when our baby is being delivered.  I quickly changed the subject to hunting for some reason.  I don't hunt.  Never have, never want to.  I once shot a 22 at Conservation Camp in the 6th grade, missed the target each time which led me to believe that hunting should be left to others.  However, my archery skills proved to be dominant in the 6th grade because I walked home with the hardware.  The conversation stalled, kind of like the Buick, and the rest of the test drive was extremely uneventful.  I pictured a Kramer-type trip to the dealership, but had to settle for a ride around the block with stale coffee stinking up my potential new ride.  Nonetheless, it was a productive Saturday for the growing clan.  I don't know what's more entertaining, the DMV or the dealership.  He did his job, though.  He made it more enjoyable than it has been.  

Finish.  It's pretty simple word.  My brother, Joe, was talking about it last night.  That got me thinking.  Do I finish?  Finish a workout, assignment, painting?  Take that next step to finish.  In Mortal Combat the last line during the fight would be, Finish Him.  That's obviously the extreme, but when you're that close to completing something then finish it strong.  

Happy belated birthday TBEK!!  Work on that jump shot.....

Movers and Shakers.....

Snatch Balance
1-1-1-1-1-1-1

135-135-145-150-155-165-170

Winter Shawn is not as fun as Summer Shawn, period.  With the changed seasonal work hours the only time to move weight is in the morning.  If I wake up late then I usually only have time for the WOD and not any assistance lifts which is a big reason why I think some of the big lifts have decreased a little.  There's something about the spring, summer, and fall that put a little bounce in my step.  During the summer especially, the weight room isn't as isolated as it is in the winter.  There's 2 or 3 of us that workout in the summer afternoon, and there's plenty of time to go through an intense workout and shoot the shit.  We very seldom did the same thing, but it didn't matter, there was still a different feel to the atmosphere.  Oh Summer Shawn.....Loved the workout though and my form felt really good so I'll take it.

The Mill:  I'm huge fan of It's A Wonderful Life, and sometimes, wait, most of the time, I feel a lot like Uncle Billy Bailey.   If you haven't seen the movie, then go suck an egg (then watch it), but if you have then you know what I'm talking about.  Uncle Billy forgets everything, will talk about George and Henry to anyone who lends an ear.  All you Bradfordians that read this, think about it at night, or just browse through spontaneously, stop at the local Crosby or Co Fair and pick up today's edition of the Bradford Era.  Scrounge your car for 75cents, Potter gave 50cents on the dollar, and buy yourself a evening read.  Particularly, check out 'Round the Square.  Believe me, you will undoubtedly be wanting more from the essay.  If that's the case, then click here (it's amazon.com), look for It's a Wonderful Life, too.

Believe in yourself and go get it.  Your possibilities are limitless.

Source

Side Note:  The locker room was a crazy scene this morning.  It's small to begin with, and hot, and usually on the stank side.  Old men were grunting with no towel, the smell in the locker next to mine has reached new limits, and it was almost too much to handle. I actually walked out and almost skipped the shower all together instead I did a little extra on the sled pull and waited for the group locker room clear out.    

Doing Good Things Better....

Three Rounds For Time:

800 Meter Run

Rest 2 Minutes

3:28, 3:17, 3:10...

Running is good thing, right?  Well I can't stand it, but I can tolerate short 800 m runs with a little rest mixed in to stretch and breathe.  Run like there's something chasing you.  That's one way to get through it.  

Get After It.....

Thruster 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 reps

135-140-155-155-165-175-185 (f)-185

Positive. Positive. Positive.  Before the failed rep I had some negatory thoughts find their way in.   What if the bar drops on my head? Ok, that's pretty extreme, but somewhat along those lines.  No worries though, I am thankful I was able to workout this morning.  


The Mill:  This stems a little deeper than a morning workout or blog post.  Really, it's me clearing my mind and re-evaluating the values that help guide me through each day.  Learn to accept the humbling opportunities/events instead of dismissing them all together, and allow them to keep you on an even level.  There are so many "valued" words that it is easy to just use the words to describe how you want to be or act.  Words shouldn't define a person.  Daily actions define a person.  How do I go about my day?  What's important to me?  Live life honest.  It makes everything so much easier.  Better yet; the Golden Rule.  "Treat others how you would want to be treated."  It's easy to tell people who are, but it's another to actually do it. 


My favorite quote of all time:


"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in times of comfort and convenience, but rather where he stands in times of challenge and controversary." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Good old Billy Madison.  Find that f@#$%&!g dog!  Think about it......

One leg at a time my man

11/12/11

For time:
Row 500 meters
20 inch Box jump, 50 reps
Push-ups, 50 reps
Sit-ups, 50 reps
Jumping pull-ups, 50 reps
50 Back extension, 50 reps
Dips, 50 reps
35lb. DB Turkish Get-up, 20 reps, alternating arms

26:49....the Turkish get ups took a solid 10 minutes to get through.  I don't feel comfortable moving quickly through them just yet.  Nice little addition after Murph on Friday.  More pull ups, more push ups, and the box jumps were a nice touch.  Great Saturday workout.

11/14

Box Squat
2x5 @ 135

Back Squat
5x3@ 225
5x2 @ 275

Overhead Squat
5x5 @ 135lbs.

Mile run
Bear Crawl w/ sled @ 250lbs. 4 @ 25 yards

Just a nice relaxing squat day.

The Mill:  Now that travel season is over it will be easier for me to control what I out down the hatch.  Instead of greasy subs or pizza every night, I can freely mix in some vegetables and take out the soggy buns.  I've gained what has become known as "the fall five or ten".  Not the good weight either.  So, now with the new addition to the family on the way it is time to become a little healthier.  I'm not going to do anything crazy because I am a sucker for a cheeseburger, fries, and beer.  A minor adjustment being home and pulling the 9-5 again, but the trimming down has begun.  Sweating in those hotel "weight" rooms magnified the smell of all the meats. cheeses, and booze.  I made the mistake of ordering a Fish Fry, on a Tuesday, at a sketchy bar in a shady city.  So I decided to order some back up for the evening, and it was not a light salad.  I settled on the Irish Burger.  While debating on what to spoil my dinner with, I found myself sitting next to a former college and pro football player who had some interesting stories about being recruited by Penn State in the late 70's/early 80's time frame. (Just think about who was in his living room) I think he was shocked that I didn't have a bigger reaction when he told me he played pro football.  He didn't appreciate that much.  There were not any questions regarding his playing career.  There were actually not any questions asked about anything.  He just kept right on talking.  I enjoyed the conversation, but I wasn't going to jump out of my seat for an autograph

Time to turn the corner in more ways than one.  It feels like a fresh start when all the traveling is wrapped up for the season.  My legs are rejuvenated and my back doesn't hurt quite as much from being in a car for the majority of the day.  It's time to get back to the disciplined mindset and continue to be better than yesterday.

You're probably wondering if that horse turd ever got polished.  Progress will be updated shortly.

Thank You Veterans!

11/11

Murph:

For Time:

Run 1 Mile

100 Pull Ups

200 Push Ups

300 Squats

Run 1 Mile

35:00....set PR by 7:30 minutes.  Crazy WOD and a lot of fun

http://www.navyseals.com/michael-p-murphy

Source

11/9

Ran 2.5 miles 20 some odd minutes

"Grace"
For time:
135 pound Clean and Jerk, 30 reps

5:33....


The Mill:  Keep improving and enjoy the day!

Thank you Veterans!

S**K IT FRAN

Fran
21-15-9
95 LB Thrusters
Pull Ups


6:45.....Two minutes slower than last time.  Thrusters were more legit this time around.  Each one was below parallel and locked out overhead.  Mechanics-consistency-intensity.  Just because it was two minutes slower doesn't mean it that it didn't suck.  Oh it still sucked.  It was crazy intense the whole way through.  As soon as I finished I was a little pissed with the time but pleased with the form.  I'll take it. Love me a good challenege in the AM.  Get after it!

Baseline
500m Row
40 Squats
30 Sit Ups
20 Push Ups
10 Pull Ups

4:05....Just a little additional sweat for the Friday morning workout...This was a good test for me to see if I could bounce back after Fran. 

The Mill:  Just a thought.  During Fran today I thought of the Brisk Iced Tea commercials that featured Rocky.  You know right around the time when Celebrity Death Match was "fun" to watch.  I was thinking around thruster #9 in the second set that this ain't over.  All I need is a drink.  But there was not any iced tea.  That's Brisk baby! 

Challenge yourself to be great! 

1 Snatch, 2 Snatch, 3 Snatch, Floor

Seven rounds of:
35 Double-unders
1 Snatch

Make one snatch attempt per round.

14:59 @ 115lbs for a total of 805lbs.....weak, lame, and all those other words....lets face it I gotta get my mind right.  Since the back injury I have been reluctant to load up the bar.  So I warmed up with 95lbs. and knew that 115lbs. would work and still be somewhat challenging. Because of the "one snatch" maximum per round there was still a little self pressure to get each one. The double unders are becoming more consistent and easier to handle.  I did manage to slash the back of my head a few times with the rope, and not to my surprise they hurt like a b***h.

Had to workout in the dungeon this morning.  One of our teams were practicing in the crap gym that I use, and with the double unders I didn't want to be in the weight room.  I was blocked in by large high school-like dividers  

The Mill:  These workouts, as well as most other types, have a way of humbling me every time.  There's never enough time to be too high or too low because the next thing you know it's time to move some weight or go on to the next movement.  It keeps you pretty even keel despite the fact that you get fired up to do the WOD.  My dad once wrote something on a pizza box after a shalacking of a game. Where my good friend, our pitcher, gave up an 800ft. home run that dented the concrete, just a good old fashion ass kicking.  I'm talking like football score bad.  He wrote in blue pen on the front of that pizza box, "You're never as good as your best day, and you're never as bad as your worst."  Now I'm sure that's a famous quote from some scholar, but nevertheless that has stuck with me ever since.  Improving every day!  

The whole being a dad thing has really been sinking in as of late.  Especially since my wife and I are condensing all of our clothes and whatnot into one room.  We each had separate rooms before, but with a lot of moving around we were able to get everything into one closet so the little guy can have his own room.  Come to find out there is much more that a baby needs than just a crib and diapers.  I hope he's a better reader than daddy.    

Energy and Enjoyment!

Strike That; Reverse It

11/1

4 Rounds for time:
400m run
45lb DB's thruster, 5 reps
45lb DB's Front Squat, 5 reps

14:00 on the nose.....I felt pretty good this morning.  Got the eyes from someone in the weight room for bouncing back and forth. I felt like Pukie was going to make a return to the gym during the run.  

10/31

Three rounds for time of:
95 pound Overhead squat, 15 reps
15 L Pull-ups
95 pound Split-jerk, 15 reps
15 Knees to elbows
95 pound Hang clean, 15 reps
15 Back extensions, with 25 pounds

19:38....had a lot of fun with this one, but I was unaware of the 25lbs for the back extensions.  Must have read it too quick.  Still a pretty gutsy WOD.  My forearms were all kinds of cramped up at the end of round 3.  Squats and jerks were all unbroken, but the hang cleans gave me some problems in all 3 rounds.  K2E became surprisingly easier each round. 


10/28

"Tabata Something Else"
Complete 32 intervals of 20 seconds of work followed by ten seconds of rest where the first 8 intervals are pull-ups, the second 8 are push-ups, the third 8 intervals are sit-ups, and finally, the last 8 intervals are squats. There is no rest between exercises.
Post total reps from all 32 intervals to comments.

341 total reps....gotta shake it.  

The Mill:  I usually wear a v-neck everyday under the most uncomfortable shirts and ties.  It gives me a little breathing room in the neck area.  The v-neck I wear doesn't have gold stupid ass writing on it or a sword stretching across the chest.  Why the hell would I want a  sword on my chest?  I'm not fighting for my queen in the middle ages.  It's a plain white Hanes v-neck.  Just a straight up comfortable white v-neck.  Well, I decided to use it as my workout shirt for the Tabata WOD with a little reassurance from JH that I didn't look any worse with it on.  It's a big adjustment (small step) for me.  I usually wear t's with sleeves, long sleeves, and/or sweatpants.  But the v-neck was liberating.  In the words of Kramer, "I'm out there and I'm lovin' every minute of it".   My wife hates them and I am convinced that if she could get her hands on them they would all be in the trash.  I try to explain that the "dressy" type of v-neck has almost ruined the experience for everyone else.  It's good name is being dragged through mud with all the crazy designs and colors.  If it ain't broke don't fix it.

The last 3 WOD's have been crazy fast paced and a little hellish to be honest.  Loved every minute of them.

Continue to move forward!

Work Hard + Play Hard

10/25

10 Rounds for time of:

3 Handstand Push Ups

135lb. Deadlift, 6 reps

12 Push Ups

24 Double Unders

27:52….I subbed push ups for pull ups and only used 135lbs.  My back still isn’t ready for heavy loading so the 225lbs. would have probably set me back a few more weeks.  It’s the first deadlift that I have done since the 9-11 Throwdown. Push ups were done so I could do everything in one place since I had to leave the gym to do everything else.  It made it more efficient so I was able to get a lot more reps in.  *Notice how I didn't use "easier" because they both suck equally.  

10/26

AMRAP 20 minutes

3 Wall Climbs

10 Up Downs

5 Pass Throughs

10 Grasshoppers

5 Rounds+ 3 Wall Climbs

The demo for this WOD is on the main site and I highly recommend that you watch it.  It is a lot harder than it looks.  My shoulders and core were toast after this one.   I did the Pass Throughs on the boxes instead of the prescribed WOD.  But that was the only change and it still didn’t change the movement.  Luckily I was in the weight room alone during this WOD because I can only imagine the “WTF” looks I would have gotten. 

 

Video For WOD Demo

10/27

Jerk Press

2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2

145-155-160-165-175-185-195-200-210-215(PR)

I had to switch to the afternoon workout, and there were just too many people to be bouncing around for the Tabata.  I'm going to hit the Tabata today so I hope that people stay in out of the cold.   PR though.  Next time I'm going to start higher to finish higher.  The bar slipped on my back on the last rep so I didn't try to extend anything higher.

The Mill: 

Accountability.  What is it?  If you don’t touch shin to forearm on the grasshoppers then it is a missed rep.  If you don’t extend your hips on the pass throughs then it is a missed rep.  I made a much more legit effort to redo missed reps.  Which I did, and it sucked.  A missed rep is like misspelling your name on the SAT’s.  You did it, but you sucked at it.  So try again.  If you hold yourself accountable in even the smallest of priorities like a workout then you will be accountable in the larger more important issues.  As a part of a family, team, employer, if you are not accountable then you are in return not only letting yourself down but the “team” as well.      

Side note:  Have you ever stopped to think about how dirty those block of wood restroom passes are for high school students?  One person goes to the bathroom takes care of business and doesn’t wash their hands.  Now what?  You’re next line to grab that germ infested should be door stop.  Think about that one.  I once had a teacher who used a dead beaver as his hall pass.  Needless to say everyone squeezed their cheeks till the next class. 

 

keithlaw

I'm picturing Seinfeld talking to Ron Washington: "Oh you know how to TAKE the lead. You just don't know how to HOLD the lead."

Your best is required each day!  

Have a kick ass weekend