Strength

Squat 5, 4, 2, 2, 2, 12X2
Load: 145, 175, 200, 230, 230, 245X2, 240X10
Chinups X 50

Bench: 5, 4, 2, 2, 1, 5X2
Load: 135, 145, 175, 185, 195, 210X5

Dips 3 X 10

Workout comments: My abs are definitely the most sore they have ever been today and yesterday. I could hardly stand up yesterday without wincing. What was it from the Open that did that to me? The workout today was brutal and I think I came to the realization that max gains in any weightlifting program will never coincide with endurance training. There is simply too much muscle soreness following these tougher weight sessions and it makes running miserable for days on end. I know took off last week from heavy weights, but that's just my opinion. I wanted to keep up with this program at least through the 50K and see how my body reacts to the longer distance, so maybe I'll keep it up at least for this cycle.

On the other hand, the bench press was equally as difficult, but I didn't detect any of the early symptoms of soreness as I did with my legs.

Cross-Training

Early afternoon
50K training program calls for cross-training today, so I figure it's a good opportunity to squeeze in some weights.

Squats 5, 4, 2, 2, 6 X 2 (90s rest)
Loads: 145, 175, 200, 215, 230

Chinups 11 X 5
*Supersets

Bench Press 5, 4, 2, 2, 4 X 3
Loads: 135, 150, 175, 185, 195

Situps 8 X 20
*Supersets

Workout comments: Both bench and squat felt pretty strong today, even though there have been marked increases in what I have been lifting. I'm still basing the squat and bench press on my old PRs of 285 and 245, respectively.

Squat, Bench Press

Early afternoon

Squat
5 @ 50%
4 @ 60%
2 @ 70%
8 X 2 @75% 90 s rest
Load: 145, 175, 200, 215

Chinups 11 X 5 between each set of squats, neutral and strict.

Bench Press

5 @ 50%
4 @ 60%
2 @ 70%
4 X 4 @75%
Load: 125, 150, 170, 185

Dips 4 X 10

Workout comments: Nothing new to report. No soreness after the run yesterday, which is good considering I was still using old shoes. Ordered a pair of Mizuno Wave Precisions which should arrive soon for road running.

Squats, Bench, Chins, Dips, Situps, Uphill Walking

Early afternoon

Squats 5 @ 50, 4 @ 60, 10X2 @ 70
Load: 145, 170, 200

Chins 10, 10, 9X2

Bench Press 5 @ 50, 4 @ 60, 5X4 @ 70
Load: 125, 155, 175

Situps
Mix of 10 incline and 20 regular

Dips 3 X 10

Uphill walking
1 mile uphil, 10% grade, 17:02

Comments: Even though the loads are significantly decreased, I was pretty tired this morning and thought it would be much harder than it was. Haven't done dips in a while and they seemed to be a little rough on the shoulders. Everything done in Vibrams. Maybe this was the difference in the leg exercises? Never really lifted with them.

Strength, Aegon loop

Pullups 10, 13, 8, 10 (assisted)

Squats 4 X 5
Load: 195

Dumbbell Presses 4 X 5
Load: 110

Headed out with Paul R. today on an Aegon loop. On the way over to the fitness center it seemed as though the weather was breaking and we would have a dry, 60 degree run. All that changed in the span of 15 minutes. A little drizzle was falling as we walked out the door, which quickly progressed into a downpour. On the way down the GVP and only flat road, the 40+ MPH wind and rain was right in our faces and I quickly learned how to run while staring straight down at my feet. This went on for about a mile, before we turned off Flat Rd. Miraculously, the wind and rain abated and we were left with the puddles and curb streams as the only remnants of the rain.

I've never been through the Aegon corporate park before. It looks like a building from the 70s. Tough to say what actually contributed to that assumption: maybe it was the dark wood siding combined with the dark green pine trees and the soft brown of dead pine needles. The site closed down and the parking lot was empty, but there is nice route that winds all the way around the perimeter. At one point I noticed a few beer cans and Paul mentioned that he had made his way off the trail and into the parking lot only to stumble across a car rocking back and forth on its axles. Seems like Aegon is now the place to party.

My legs were feeling pretty sore from yesterday, having to run in my Asics Cumulus from about 2 years ago (my other pair were soaked in the recent rain). Had to run in them again today, but my legs felt a bit looser than this morning. Hopefully they won't be too sore tonight.

About 4 miles in 32 minutes.

Strength, Uphill walking

Pullups 8, 11, 8, 8, 10
Squats 5 X 3
Load: 195, 215, 225, 225, 235

Cleans 4 X 3
Load: 140
Bench Press 5533
Load: 175, 195, 205, 215

Uphill Walking 20 minutes total
10 min @ 10% grade
5 min @ 12%
5 min @ 14%

Workout comments: Mondays are always a groggy day for me. I started to loosen up as the morning progressed, but still felt sluggish during the workout. Bench press felt tough towards the end and squats were also feeling difficult. I've been noticing some twinge in my left shoulder again. Feels like a tight muscle that might need to be worked out over the course of the next week or so.
Sleep: 7 hours

Early morning

Farmer's Walk 65#
Squats

OH Lunges 35#
Situps

Pullups/Assisted Pullups, Body Rows
Burpees

Workout comments: Each pair of exercises was done in 45s intervals continuously for the 4.5 minutes. Any faults on the Farmer's Walk resulted in 4 negative pushups. No real way to keep track of the reps in each set.

Strength, Uphill walk

Early afternoon

Pullups 8, 11, 8, 8, 11
Squats 5 X 3
Load: 195, 235, 235, 235, 235

Clean and Jerk 4 X 3
Load: 120, 140, 160, 160
Incline Situps 4 X 15

Uphill treadmill walk 1 mile @ 10% grade
17:22

Workout comments: Again feeling very tired and sluggish. Aspirations of a metcon quickly disintegrated.

Body: My left shoulder has been feeling twinging recently and I can't figure out why. I didn't do much shoulder work last week and don't remember hurting it during basketball or anywhere else. It's not a painful thing, just a weird sensation. The pullups were not a struggle to complete with this issue.

My knee has been feeling much better in the morning, which I think is a pretty good sign. Usually my injuries are pretty stiff in the morning. I'm convinced that this one pair of dress shoes I own has been contributing to both knee and ankle aggravation. Each time I wear them, both injuries tend to flare up. I got rid of them today.

Sleep: About 8 hours.

Strength, Tabatta Bike

Early afternoon

Pullups 7, 10, 6, 6, 10
Squat 5 X 3
Load: 195, 215, 225, 235, 245

Clean and Jerk 8 X 2
Load: 120, 130, 140, 140, 150, 150, 160, 170

Weighted Reverse Lunge 3 X 10
Load: 80, 90, 100
Dumbbell Press 3 X 5
Load: 55, 55, 65

5 minute WU and CD
Tabatta Bike

Workout comments: Cleans felt pretty good today. Starting with lower weight and gradually working up to heavier weights builds confidence in form. Squats felt tough but not overly strenuous. I'm keeping with a lighter lifting regiment at least for another week to make sure my knee is OK.
Body: Some soreness in my knee, otherwise all OK.
Sleep: About 7.5 hours.

Metcon

Early morning

For time:
100 DUs
100 Squats
100 Pushups
100 Situps

10:12

Then: 30 second intervals of running, med ball twists, KB swings

Workout comments: Made it through 70 consecutive double unders before I realized that the workout could be sectioned off however you felt necessary. I pushed through all the double unders and then did 5 rounds of 20 reps of the remaining exercises. I could have made it easily through the squats and situps, but I knew the pushups would give me trouble.

Site Challenge

Early Morning

For Time:

100 DUs
100 Squats
100 Pushups
100 Situps

10:11

Comments: It wasn't until I was finished the double unders that I realized you could break up the workout into smaller sections to help you get through everything faster. Better that I found out the hard way, because I set a PR in consecutive double unders at 70. My forearms really started burning towards the end. The rest of the workout was broken up into 5 sets of 20 reps of each exercise.
Nutrition: Nothing but a glass of water and coffee in the morning.
Body: No real soreness anywhere.
Sleep: About 6 hours.

Strength

Early afternoon

Clean and Jerk 5 X 3
Load: 140, 140, 160, 160, 170

Squats 10 X 2
Load: 165
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 10 X 5
Load: 120
*On the minute

Skills

2 X 10 Reverse Lunges
2 X 20 Calf Raises

Workout comments: Failed the 5th rep of the 9th set of incline dumbbell presses. They started getting to me towards the end. The last set of cleans turned into power cleans. I realize these might be harder than normal cleans, but they feel more comfortable than catching the bar so close to the ground.

I tried running a few miles on the treadmill. I made it half a mile before stopping. No serious pain, but it felt a little odd and I thought it best to stop. Maybe the fact that I was running on the treadmill had a little to do with it.

Body: Chest a little sore today. It has been almost a month since I worked a bench press. Some grogginess upon waking this morning.
Sleep: About 8.5 hours. Started using melatonin supplements for better quality sleep. Seems to work well at helping me dose off, but I still seem to be waking sporadically throughout the night and having trouble waking in the morning. I will try adding protein shakes before bed and see if this helps alleviate some of the muscular soreness.
Nutrition: Whey protein, fish oil, multi-vitamin in the morning, whey protein post-workout. Another whey protein shake just before bed. Combined with steak for dinner, this added up to about 180g protein throughout the day. I've read various articles claiming 0.7-1g per pound of body weight is a good amount depending on physical activity. After today, I realized how hard it is to get the required amount of protein. This is most likely the reason for my chronic soreness each morning.

Strength, Short Metcon

Early afternoon

Pullups 6, 8, 6, 6, 10
Deadlift 5 X 3
Load: 210, 260, 260, 280, 300

Power Clean and Jerk 5 X 3
Load: 140, 160, 160, 160, 160
Incline Weighted Situps 5 X 10
Load: 25

Back Squats 5 X 2 X 235
On the minute

Metcon

3 Rounds for Time:
20 DUs
20 Jumping Lunges
20 Box Jumps 18in

Round 1: 1:28
Round 2: 1:58
Round 3: 1:53

Total: 5:19

Workout comments: I felt extremely sluggish this morning, a combination of a restless night's sleep combined with soreness in upper and lower body. This should not be the case, since all I did yesterday was a light run with short sprinting sets. I'm going to try some supplements over the next few weeks to see if this can alleviate the soreness and aid recovery time. Being sore all the time takes away from the feeling of fitness you're supposed to get from exercise.

Strength, Metcon

Afternoon

Strength

Max Pullup Test: 12

Squats 5 x 5
Load: 215

Cleans 5 x 3
Loads: 120, 140, 140, 140, 140

Metcon

3 Rounds for Time

20 DUs
30 Walking Lunges
25 Burpees
20 KB swings 44#
15 Push Press 35# DBs
10 Pushups
20 Box Jumps

Round 1: 6:37
Round 2: 8:43
Round 3: 8:58

Total: 24:18

Workout comments: I'm going to attempt a pullup program laid out by 50pullups.com. A few months ago I tried the Military Pull Program and it helped significantly with the number of strict pullups I could do. I believe in the course of 10 days I progressed from 8-10 max pullups to 15 pullups. I'm still average around 10-12 pullups over multiple sets, but I thought this seemed like a nice long term program that could easily fit into a normal workout schedule. I'm also going to be incorporating much more running into my schedule as the Spring rolls around, and with the numerous parks around my neighborhood, incorporating this into my routine shouldn't be too hard.

Strength, Vertical Jump

Squats 555333
Load: 215, 225, 235, 245, 250, 255

Weighted Incline Situps
Load: 25

DB Calf Raises
Load: 40
*Supersets

Bench Press 4 X 5
Load: 205

Depth Jumps
Load: 10
*Supersets

Workout comments: Trying some new workouts to increase vertical jump. Most websites say the majority of people who can dunk a basketball are a) over six feet tall, b) have less than 10% body fat, and c) can palm a basketball. I am 0/3 in this department, so I guess I'm going to have to work on leg strength.

Going back to the old strength gains program. Three weeks of 555333, and then the fourth week 333111 to continually assess 1RM. I forgot how much more taxing this is then continuously attempting the same load over several sets.

Strength/Short Run

Late afternoon

Squats 4 X 3
Load: 195, 215, 225, 225,

Strict Chinups (Neutral grip) 4 X 10
*Supersets

3 mile run, stopping each mile to perform max HSPUs.
29 minute run
HSPU: 12, 8, 11, 9

Workout comments: New PR on max HSPUs. Squats felt decent, not like the first time I tried them again a few weeks ago. No soreness afterwards. Almost all of the pain and stiffness in my ankle has vanished, leaving me with what I think is a fresh start to start training for something. Now the only soreness I have to look forward to is after a long weekend run.

Strength

Early Afternoon

Bench Press 4, 5, 5, 5
Loads: 205, 195, 195, 195

Situps 4 X 20
*Supersets

Front Squat: 4 X 5
Load: 155, 165, 165, 175

Strict Chinups 4 X 10
*Supersets

Deadlift 4 X 3
Load: 260

Dumbbell Press 4 X 5
Load: 130
*Supersets

Metcon

100 Back Squats for Time
Load: 135

9:05

Workout comments: Long strength day followed by short metcon. Broke up the squats into sets of 10.

Strength, Short Metcon

Early afternoon

Bench Press 5 X 5
Load: 195, 195, 195, 195, 205

Situps 5 X 20
*Superset

Squats 4 X 3
Load: 225

Pullups 4 X 8 (Neutral grip)
*Supersets

Metcon
Revised Annie

50, 40, 30, 20, 10

Double Unders
Burpees

12:45

I think my PR in the regular version of Annie is somewhere around 7 minutes. This was definitely a much tougher version, but I was dogging it during the burpees. I figured I need to make HSPUs, box jumps, and burpees a much more regular block of my workouts. They are the aspect of any workout I hate the most.

The bench press is getting better and better, while I'm continuing to make up lost ground on the squats.

Strength

Strength

Deadlift 4 X 3
Load 260

Situps 4 X 20
*Superset

Metcon

AMRAP in 3 minutes
3 Power Cleans (140)
6 Pushups
9 Air Squats
*9 Dips

*Alternate dips and air squats between each round.

Repeat this 3 minute attempt 4 times, with 1 minute rest between rounds.

3 rounds + 3 reps
3 rounds + 9 reps
3 rounds + 8 reps
3 rounds + 7 reps

Workout comments: Deadlifts are progressing well, yet another exercise that has lost ground since I haven't done it in over 2 months. The dips killed me during the metcon, killing my heartrate and making the subsequent rounds so much tougher to finish.

Bench Press, Wood Chop, Squats, Pullups

Early afternoon

Bench Press 5 X 5
Load: 205

Wood Chop 5 X 10
Load: 245
*Supersets

Squats 10 X 2
Load: 195

Pullups 10 X 4
Mix between regular and neutral grip

Workout comments: Nothing to report. Nothing felt too sore after yesterday, but I did sleep for about 9.5 hours.