Huge Gains Today

I had the entire gym to myself today. That was kind of nice. What's even better is that I set several PRs, one of them pretty significant.

One Arm KB Rows - 12 kg - 8 minutes
Left - 74 reps
Right - 74 reps
3848 lbs.
-That is up 9 reps on the left and 6 on the right and nearly 400 lbs. in 8 minutes since Wednesday, May 26.

Sumo DL - 48 kgs - 10 minutes
106 reps = 11,236 lbs.
-Huge PR for me in density, intensity, and volume. One month ago I deadlifted 36 kg 70 times in 10 minutes for 5530 lbs. I doubled my volume for a 10 minute work session in one month's time.

My body loves doing high rep, mid/low weight drills. Those movements test well and I make fast gains training this way. Once I started tuning in to what my body wanted to do, I started making progress. That makes training fun. I'm not struggling trying to do what I think (or someone else thinks) I SHOULD do. No more "shoulds," only "do."

I finished off my trianing with some head stands - was able to hold those today. Then I did some egg rolls, wheels, and lizards. I'm improving every time I practice these various moves. I feel more coordinated too. Love that!

Wednesday's Training

Another great day at the gym.

One Arm KB Rows - 12 kg - 8 min.
Left - 65 reps
Right - 68 reps
-This set a baseline for me.

I tested pressing today since pressing has tested well almost every training session the past few weeks. Well, not today. But whaddayah know - rows did. Light rows tested fantastic, so that's what I did. I think 133 reps in 8 minutes is pretty good for me.

Swings - 36 kg - 10 minutes
200 reps = 15,800 lbs.
-I had a volume PR, but more importantly I had an intensity PR after doing some pinch block work. On May 8 I did 9 sets of 15 and 3 sets of 17 in 10 minutes. Today I did 5 sets of 20, 2 sets of 18, 2 sets of 17 and 2 sets of 15. My grip is definitely getting stronger!

Get em While You Can!

The re-released, new and improved version of the Grip-n-Rip DVD is available. Adam just notified me that they are getting more copies produced. Click on the link below or in the upper right hand corner of my blog to order.

http://www.grip-rip.com/perpetual-progress/?AFFID=31552

I have been following the biofeedback training protocol since I attended Grip-n-Rip in February. The progress I have made is overwhelming. Want proof? Just read through my posts over the past few months and see how many PRs I've set. Biofeedback works!

To be honest, I'm a little embarrassed watching the DVD. Why? Because I've made huge improvements in my movement patterns since February. I watch some of the training clips in horror as I see myself overextend my hips during deadlifts.

But......

You know what?

I'm better now than I was then. In fact, I'm better today than I was yesterday. Here's a log of my training from today. Notice the PRs I set.

Double KB Clean & Press - 12 kgs - 15 minutes
76 reps = 4028 lbs.
-On Saturday I did 9 sets of 4 reps and 7 sets of 5 reps. Today, I did 12 sets of 5 reps and 5 sets of 4 reps. That's an intensity PR.
-I also had a movement PR. I had less tension than on Saturday and the movement was less arched, closer to straight.

Animal Circuit
Crab Walk
Inchworms
Frog Jumps
Scorpions
Egg Rolls - 5 Left, 5 Right
-Today I did 5 rounds in 12 minutes. That's a density PR. On May 15 I did this same circuit 5 times in 14 minutes.

Better IS Better.

Want to get better, too? Click on the Grip-n-Rip link and order your copy today and found out how.

Saturday's Training

Double Clean & Press - 12 kg bells - 12 minutes
71 reps = 3763 lbs.
*PR in reps and volume. (Last time was April 7 - did 54 reps.)

Superset - 10 minutes
Sumo DL - 40 kgs - 78 reps = 6864 lbs.
Swings - 36 kg - 110 reps = 8800 lbs.
-This was a baseline work set today. I've done a lot of sumo/double clean supersets, but not sumo/swing. A few weeks ago I attempted to do this superset, but I was interrupted 4 minutes in, remember?

Tripod - 2:30 minutes
*PR in time held. (Last time I held for 2 minutes.)

I finished with some somersaults, wheels, and handstands. These just keep improving every time.

I Can't Tell You Why

Note: The following paragraph should be sung to the tune of "I Can't Tell You Why."

Every time I test my workout drills
Something tests well that surprises me.
I can't tell you why.
No, I can't tell you why.

Today (Wednesday), waiter plate presses tested well. They just tested well Monday. Why would they test well again so soon? I can't tell you why. I just went with it. Of course, I set a PR.

Plate Press - 25 lbs - 10 min.
Left - 36 reps
Right - 49 reps
-That's a volume PR and a density PR. (I increased my overall reps, and I did more reps per set than I did on Monday.)

One Arm, One Leg DL - 24 kg (53 lbs) - 10 min.
Left - 43 reps
Right - 43 reps
-This set a baseline for me. I haven't done these for months. I could tell. My glutes had amnesia!

Who You Talkin to Butter Bean?

Me? You talking to me? I'm just picking up some groceries. Why are you calling MY name? What's that? Eat you? Okay fine.

That's just what I did, too. Yum!

This might seem like an odd occurence, but it's actually becoming more common. Food talks to me. I never listened before. It's amazing what can happen when you start listening. I didn't listen yesterday at the graduation parties and ate cake, several pieces. I paid the price. The feedback took about an hour to kick in. Yuck!

Today, nothing that didn't test well, didn't get eaten. (Is that the right number of negatives to say what I mean?)

Anyway.................

I had another good training session. Yay me! Everything tested well today, which really surprised me because I was still feeling queasy from the cake. Because everything tested well, I retested to find what tested best. Here's what I got.

Waiter Plate Press - 25 lbs. - 10 lbs.
31 reps - Left
43 reps - Right
-This set a baseline for me with the waiter plate press. I haven't done these for months, since before I started biofeedback.

Superset - 10 min.
Dbl KB Cleans - 2 16 kg bells (70 lbs.) - 82 reps
Sumo DL - 2 20 kg bells (88 lbs.) - 70 reps
-PR for intensity and volume on the sumo DL.
-PR for overall superset volume.

Following the weighted training I did some head stands, somersaults, falls, and attempted some wheels. I'm getting better at these every session.

Feeling Animal

And I want. And I need. And I love. Animal.

Nothing weighted tested well, but the animal moves did. I put together a circuit with 5 of them. I went throught the circuit 5 times. It took roughly 14 minutes.

Crab Walk - 15 m
Inchworm - 15 m
Frog Jump - 15 m
Scorpion - 15 m
Egg Roll - 5 L, 5 R

I had a movement quality PR on every element. It was fun to do these moves and have them feel easier.

After the circuit I did some tripods with a press to a headstand. That is my new life move to work on. I'm also working on handstands and cartwheels. These all allow me to practice falling as well. I didn't realize how useful the skills from animal moves and other life moves are. My body awareness keeps increasing. Loving it.

Amy Who?

I haven't disappeared. I've been buried in a pile of papers and I've been traveling. Good news, though. My semester is over and I'm home for a few weeks. Time to catch up on everything.

I did some training today. It felt great. After a week off, I didn't know how my body would perform. Test and Go.

KB Press - 12 kg Left, 16 kg Right - 10 minutes
45 reps left - 1170 lbs.
28 reps right - 980 lbs.
215 lbs./minute
-This is the first time in months I've worked with the 16 kg bell. Intensity PR.

Tripod - 90 seconds and 120 seconds. Time PR.
Egg rolls and hand stands

Superset
Sumo DL - 40 kg - 30 reps
Swing - 36 kg - 45 reps
-I got interrupted at the 4 minute mark and had to stop. Grrrrrrr!

Oh well. It felt good to be back. I'm excited for the next stage of my movement. Now that I am doing less of other stuff, I can do more of what I want to do and get better at it.

Two More

PRs today. I had a little time between grading papers to sneak in a little training.

BU Press - 10 minutes
Left - 20 lbs. - 38 reps
Right - 12 kgs - 36 reps
-Density and volume PR since April 27.

Swings - 36 kg - 10 minutes
186 reps
-Density, intensity, and volume PR since May 4.

I probably won't get much training in this coming week since it is finals and I have to travel. Every free moment will be spent grading papers and in meetings. Lucky me. Then, it's summer break and I can focus on the areas I want to improve in my life. The past few months it's felt like my life isn't mine. I've been on the run trying to fix everything and everyone but me. It's time.

Big Day

I must have put on my big girl panties today cause I had a stellar day of training.

Pullups - band assisted - 10 minutes
35 reps
-Density and volume PR from April 20 when I did 30 reps in 10 minutes.

Tripod - 90 seconds, up from 60 seconds on May 4.

Superset - 10 minutes
Sumo DL - 36 kg (79 lbs)
74 reps
Double Cleans - 16 kgs (70 lbs.)
84 reps
-On April 28 I did 70 sumo DL and 58 double cleans in 10 minutes, which is 9590 lbs. Today I moved 11,726 lbs. in 10 minutes. Big day. Better day.

Better Is Better

Press - 12 kg - 12 minutes
Left - 54 reps
Right - 60 reps
-Hmmmm. Pretty much the same number of reps as on Friday. They tested well post set and pre-set. I did have an intensity PR with several sets having more reps. Better is better.

After pressing, I decided to change gears and work on more life movements. I did cartwheels (are those a life movement?), handstands (held them longer than on Friday), side-to-side rolls, and somersaults both front and back (both made me dizzy), bear crawls and regular crawls.

Then I did egg rolls, both ways. Definitely a movement PR - I rolled much faster and more smoothly today than Friday.

Before the egg rolls, I did a tripod for a count of 22. I did another one after the egg rolls and held for a count of 60. The second time was so much easier and more balanced. My wrists were the only reason I quit.

Swings - 36 kg (79 pounds) - 10 minutes
176 reps = 13,904 lbs.
-Volume and intensity PR since Friday.

Power of Prediction

My powers of prediction are getting more fine tuned. I tested two drills that I predicted would test well and they did. From there, I tested physics variations and then the weight to use. I put together the perfect training for me on Friday.

Press - 12 kg - 12 minutes
Left - 52 reps
Right - 60 reps
-2912 lbs. in 12 min.
*PR from April 21 when I did 41 and 56 reps.*
-I tested post set and found I had predicted accurately when to end each set. I also PRed in movement w/ my presses.

Swings - 32 kg - 10 minutes
182 reps = 12,740 lbs. moved in 10 min.
-Not a volume PR, but I now realize that previously I had been going two-three reps beyond what I should for each set. I also hadn't tested the weight in my past swing sessions. As a result, I did PR in prediction.

I also practiced several life movements Friday. I did some falling patterns and rolling. I did handstands and sommersaults, which made me dizzy. I never thought that would happen to me. Good thing I'm working on these!

I also did a bunch of egg rolls. I don't know how to describe what those are. You sit with the soles of your feet touching and your hands pushing your feet together. Then you roll to the side and then onto your back and then back to a sitting position. I just rolled all over the TKD room. That was fun.

I also threw in a drill where you put your hands down on the floor, bend your elbows, and prop your knees on your elbows and hold that. Does anyone know what that's called?

Practicing those life movements was a lot of fun. I'm definitely going to do those more regularly. I felt young and agile. I can't wait to get better at each one.