a_welch503 WORKOUT JOURNAL

[Klinger]

Originally Posted by pierini

Here's my belated congrats on your pullup/burpee torture challenge performance. Hope we do these little fun challenges periodically for fun. I think the "Tim" WOD would be a fun one to do next.

Have a great day!

Perhaps I'll start a WOD challenge thread. Folks can post ideas and decide if/when they want to square off.

[.V.]

04-26-2006

Back
Powershrug.....265x2x5

DL with a shrug after locking out at the top. I used to do it that way then separated them. Interesting idea - too bad I'm a miserable workout failure this week.

I don't know what is wrong. Totally un-motivated and under-performing. Two of the last 5 weeks have been off. Nice progress for 3 weeks then just totally hit a wall - again. Today, after hitting the wall, it fell on me.

Got the first two sets, dreaded each of them, but totally enjoyed them while doing them. Weight going up smoothly and felt great. Then on the third set I got 1/2 way up on the first rep, felt myself getting dizzy, vision went black, saw stars, dropped the bar. Perhaps this plan isn't right for me, perhaps I'm overdoing it with the triathalon training with the weight training, maybe something is wrong with my nutritional approach - but this approach has worked well for me before and I'm including more carbs and calories than when using similar plans in the past. Maybe I need to add more morning carbs every workout day, a nice big bowl of oatmeal or something. But damn, after all the carbs I ate yesterday my GI system is all tore up. I though I was going to crap my self on the last successful pull.

OK, piss and moan session over. Tomorrow I work, next day - back at it looking for better results.

Hi Andy, I know what you mean by being "off". The last two of my Crossfit WODs have been sub-par performance.

I'm spending a few workouts toning the intensity down. Also, don't underestimate the post WOD fatigue of the pullup/burpee challenge. You may need a couple of days to get back to your normal self.

[.V.]

I thought that might be it yesterday. It was a terrible workout too. But I've had 4 days to recover - other than the lats feeling sore, I don't really feel anything from it now. Then last night I went riding - for 20 miles and added a big hill climb 4 times...only felt it in my calves a bit this morning. I've boosted my calories quite a bit over the last few days. I'm cycling my carbs - low carb days, lots of green veggies, lots of chicken, lots of beef. Having dextrose before protein after EVERY workout - cardio and weights for good recovery. Eating enough fat for sustained energy. Two higher carb days each week. I'm talking about in addition to my usual greenies and my PWO dextrose having a huge sweet potato with my 2nd PWO feeding about an hour after working out.

I don't know, I'm just feeling old, weak, and not very motivated. It may be simply because my legs are getting the old fatigue sensations again and after a few months of feeling normal I'm not used to it. Other stuff going on too that goes with the leg symptoms are bothering me too. Doc want's to check my test levels, but right now I can't afford the lab work...too much lab work done routinely and too many other things to pay for right now.

I've been looking at the bottle of DHEA I was given a while back and thinking, "what the heck"...then I figure, "why bother - it won't work anyway". Maybe all the miles I've put on my body over the last few months are catching up to me. I don't know though - the extra cardio did seem to be helping for a while.

Ahh well, I'll figure it out and make a way to get through it. I usually do...and it'll likely be something weird and unconventional.

[Klinger]

How many days a week do you take completely off from lifting/biking/running?

I took a two-day break last week and felt great when I came back. You might be on the cusp of overtraining.

How's your temperament? Your concentration level? When I'm overtrained I feel rundown, short-fused and confused.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by Klinger

How many days a week do you take completely off from lifting/biking/running?

I took a two-day break last week and felt great when I came back. You might be on the cusp of overtraining.

How's your temperament? Your concentration level? When I'm overtrained I feel rundown, short-fused and confused.

Every 4th day completely off. Then train for 3 days. However in the last 5 weeks - I've had 2 weeks completely off - well not completely - last week I did occasional cardio.

Temperament - my usual sweet self if you ask me. I'm an 87 year old postmenopausal old lady if you ask my wife. Concentration? Don't know really, just not motivated.

[.V.]

foul up, partial post followed by complete post.

edited out.

[.V.]

Well, today pretty much settles it - OLAD must have been going to work well, just like pushing hard and making excellent gains with Max OT. Everytime something starts to go well, my CNS get trashed.

I was making the best progress EVER with the last cycle of Max OT. Then CRASH. Then making good strength improvements with OLAD - lifting doubles that were better than or equal to my best ever ORM within 3 weeks (except DL and it was damn close). Once again - CRASH.

Today I've had vertigo episodes several times, I'm still severely unmotivated, my legs still feel "wrong". I need to get out and run now that the rain has stopped. I decided to eat dinner early instead - with a refined white flour biscuit and margarine. I'll probably smoke a turd in hell for that one.

I guess instead of pushing for excellent results all the time, I need to re-evaluate once again. I like the suggestions made during the break for OLAD lifts, getting the whole body over the course of the week, using less lifts, more compound movements - and concentrating on one lift each day. Now to find a way to make it work with my F*ed up CNS system.

I'm thinking do OLAD, but do it max ot style. 3 sets of 4-6 reps increasing reps each week until I own the weight for 3x6. Then and only then increasing the weight - but still just one lift to keep from totally taxing my body to it's limit.

Or perhaps doing a "backwards" thing - do 3 sets each week. This week do 3x6, next week do 3x5 with more weight, then after that do 3x4 with more weight still, maybe a 4th week with 3x2 even heavier. After that, get some rest, drop the weight back down to slightly heavier than week one and repeat. Like OLAD but with less volume.

Obviously neither way is going to get me optimal results. But sustainable, steady progress with sub-optimal results is better than good, better, crash.

I dunno - I know my CNS can't handle high volume. And it can only handle heavy weights for so long before it craps out on me. By the time I've had time to really recover - my strength improvements are gone.

One day I'll learn to actually listen to those who have gone before me. Dave warned me with my PL program I half ass came up with last year - it was too much. I made such good progress though that I figured - yeah right, anything this good can only get better. I was wrong, he was right.

MM warned me that TLAD was a bad idea. But hell, I was getting stronger/faster than I'd hoped. Guess what - he was right...dammit.

Just rambling thoughts in the evening after a bad day. Got to do something different and better and rambling thoughts are a way to make new, better plans. Besides it's my journal to keep track of my successes/failures/good plans/bad plans. That's what I made it for.

[.V.]

Well, hit a wall with Max OT, hit another wall with OLAD. Seems I do that when something starts working really well. So I took a few days, re-evaluated, decided that 5 day a week lifting was simply too much for my body at this time. So I'm going to lift 2 days a week and see where this takes me.

Here is my new schedule
Day 1.....Cardio/GC work or just rest if I need it
Day 2.....Cardio/triathalon work
Day 3.....Lifting day A
Day 4.....Go to work/no exercise
Day 5.....Cardio/GC work or just rest if I need it
Day 6.....Cardio/triathalon work
Day 7.....Lifting day B

Lifting Days will be
A: Bench Press, DB Bench press (until dip station is built), Mil Press, Rear Delt Row, Squats, Good morning or SLDL, Decline weighted Crunches, Standing Calf Raise

B: Dead Lift, GM or SLDL, Cable Crunch, Weighted pullup OR BOR, BB curls, DB curls. Lifting day will be on Day 3 and 7.

This is a big change for a 5 day a week lifter.

Nutrition Plan
My base caloric need is around 2700 calories for ADL, work, workouts, recovery, and controlled growth.

Macronutrient profile: Cal-2600-2800, P300g (45%), C-115g (15%), F-104g (45%).

I cycle carbs so off days will have less, just meats/green veggies. Cardio/GC/Triathalon days are meats/green veggies/extra carbs in the form of postworkout dextrose. Lifting Days are meats/green veggies/postworkout dextrose/with complex carbs at breakfast (oatmeal) and in my postworkout whole food meal (sweet potato or brown rice most often). Meat choices are usually chicken, beef, fish, pork.

I have a protein shake preworkout, a dextrose shake postworkout, a protein shake 10 minutes later, and a whole food meal 1 - 1.5 hours after that. I'll generally eat 4-5 whole food meals each day.

Cardio is still to be fed just like lifting. I'm not working on an empty tank.

Suppliments
Whey, Dextrose/Creatine blend, Psyllium Husk fiber, Fish Oil, Flax Oil, CLA (cutting only), glutamine, glucosamine.

It will be interesting to see how this plan actually works for you.

What I noticed is that the lifting days come right after triathalon/general conditioning days. I assume those days will be demanding days. Therefore, I wonder how rested you will be for the lifting days. Guess you'll have to play it by ear and make further adjustments as necessary.

[.V.]

yeah, definitely going to be in interesting experiment. However, if it leaves me sapped for lifting, I can change the order after the triathalon. Even cut the bike rides down from 20 or so miles to 10, run less, don't swim...all kinds of different options.

pierini, klinger, tim, I just want to gripe at you guys for inviting me to play in the challenge. Today is the first pain free day I've had. It showed me just how "unconditioned" I really am. Going to have to be some of that kind of stuff in my GC day now. Gee thanks a lot.

[tim_mcf]

Pshaw. You liked it.

I would be very interested to see what you come up with for a dip station; I hope you post pics and maybe even plans. In the meanwhile, you could use a pair of sawhorses.

[Klinger]

Originally Posted by tim_mcf

...In the meanwhile, you could use a pair of sawhorses.

I've been reading your other posts on the site. This is your answer to everything. That plus sand and duct tape.

Andy: That kind of workout we did is tough, but it's a great addition to any fitness regimen you go with because of the demands it places on your physical and mental endurance.

[tim_mcf]

Sawhorses, sand, and duct tape IS the answer to everthing!

[.V.]

04-28-2006

Cardio/GC
Burpee/Pushup/Jumprope.....3 rounds - 10 min
75 M uphill sprints........8 rounds - 10 min
Heavy bag workout.....................15 min
Cardioglide.................wussed out today

Comments
A round of burpee/pushup/jumprope means 10 burpees/10pushups/then jumprope for 1 minute, pant, drip, wheeze until breathing is regular then repeat.

A round of uphill sprints means walk 75 meters down my driveway then run as hard as I can back up, pant, drip, wheeze until breathing is possible, then repeat.

My heavy bag workout was 10 full force, well aimed strikes using both hands and both feet for 10 each side - with front kick, round kick, side kick, reverse punch, KF circle strikes, ridgehand strikes, palm strike, knifehand strike, knee strike, jab, backfist strike. Then I just do mixed combinations of all of these aiming at the various strike points on the bag's "body" at full speed, full power until I can't breathe. Then I pant, drip, wheeze until I can breathe again and keep going.

You guys are right, I did enjoy the challenge - notice I've included something like it today - just much less so I don't die.

Nutrition
Cal-2578, P-287g (45%), F-131g (46%), C-57g (9%)
Fat higher, protein lower than planned. Happens on BBQ Rib night. Still, pretty close.