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!