Feeling Good... again

After I took the weekend off from a little hamstring strain, I played around with some wods the last couple days.  Yesterday AM i did a light jog and it felt fine.  So in the afternoon I did some upperbody:

5 sets:

push press x 3  rest 20 sec @ 185/195/205/210/215

25 unbroken pullups rest 4 min

This all felt fine.  In the PM i wanted to test my hammie some.  I warmed up on the rower and it felt good so I rowed harder and it still felt fine.  I started with:

3 sets of amrap ring handstand pushups rest 4 min - 13/12/12

This is the best I felt with these.  Afterward I did a 2k row and pushed it just about 100%.  I PR'ed with a 6:50 and laid on the floor for about 10 min, I haven't felt that much burn in a long time.  My hamstring felt great and actually even felt better.  I think this shows I just needed to work some junk out of there.  I've been mysofascial massaging and icing non stop and I think this is all I needed to do to get it feeling good.  It just needed some love.  

Today I tested it even more with SDHP.  I did

5 rounds at 95% of:

15 SDHP 75lb 

15 burpees - only push last 15 burpees

See video of this is below.  It felt great.  In the PM I did some light deads, some squat cleans and split jerks.  I finished with a mile run at 90% and finished in 6 min flat.  Felt kind of slow here but it was late and still testing the hammie.

I think the hamstring is good to go now, now its time to pick up the intensity and make up for the time I missed.  Moral of this is give some love to my hamstrings.  I need to spend more time stretching, warming up, and doing some mysofascial release.

5 Rounds of 15 SDHP/15 burpees from Joseph Warren on Vimeo.

Ben Shanker Meets OPT at Cadence!!!

Well I have a slight hamstring strain that has been bugging me for the last couple days, not horribly, but enough for me to sit today out.  I was supposed to do 3 workouts but all were demanding on the hamstring including Sumo Deadlift Highpulls, hang power cleans, and running.  

So I had my friend, Ben Shanker, substitute in for me.  He did my workout that I was supposed to do in the morning.  I always believed in improvement from visualization, and he gave me some good positive visualization while I took the day off.  Here he is grunting and pushing through the workout with everything he has.  This is how you push hard.  So while he makes me unhealthier when he in town by making me drink beer and be his wingman, today he made me healthier while I was sitting out by "killing" this workout.  Thanks Ben!

Ben Shanker Meets OPT from Joseph Warren on Vimeo.

A short Oly-lifting sesion

I felt slow today.  It was the end of the day and I haven't done any Olympic lifting in a month.  Definitely felt slow and NOT strong.... Here we go!!!

Oly Lifting session from Joseph Warren on Vimeo.

Triple Day #1

50 Muscle Ups 

Broken up into all singles

I had more push in me...

50 Muscle Ups from Joseph Warren on Vimeo.

Tough Thanksgiving

Instead of over indulging this Thanksgiving, I will be getting down to business with some tough workouts.  I have a lot of parties planned to go to but having my weeks wods planned ahead of me which will keep me in check with the over-eating and desserts.  I will probably dig into a couple but will not be too bad.  I have 3 triple days and a couple double days the next 9 days and it culminates with good old "Fight Gone Bad."  

I will post some vids plus updates with some fun wods over the holidays!

New Toy!!!

Here is a new piece of equipment I got over the weekend.  Yes, it was only $30, and yes, it is from the 70's.  But it is just a new way to destroy me.  I always say that anything is only as hard as you make it.  Go 100% on this thing and you will be laying on the floor, or even mix in some burpees, it doesn't matter just go hard.  I like it because its not as demanding on your back like rowing and doesnt quite destroy you hammies like hill sprints. 

It is humorous because I can just see old ladies just cruising on it.  And when Im pushing it, I'm over the reading of the speedometer, it max's out pretty easily.  Pretty crummy engineering!  But it does not matter what exercise form you choose, you just need to go hard.  Thats why I find this ironic, everyone laughs at me as I look pretty silly... until they get a go at it. 

People always are looking for the easy way out.  There is no easy way to get fit, you have to put in the hard work.  It reminds me of a quote I read form Mark's Daily Apple, and it applies to fitness when you should stick to the basics and just get work done!  Here is the quote:

Don't dig a ditch, to install a ladder, to wash the basement windows!

New toy - 1970's airdyne from Joseph Warren on Vimeo.

New Program

Im following a new program temporarily designed by OPT specifically for my needs.  We will see how it goes the next month and go from there.  I'll have a little more time to post on here so will try to write more often!