Last Post of 2010

I will be hitting the road tomorrow morning to spend New Year's Eve with some great friends. I will not be training tomorrow, so this is my last post of the year. My last training session of the year was pretty good.

1 Leg Pistol Squats - TRX - 5 minutes
Left - 38 reps, Right - 38 reps
-This was my first time doing these. I've been doing 1 Leg squats with the free leg trailing behind me. We'll see how these play out.

1 Arm Inverted Rows - TRX - 10 minutes
Left - 84 reps, Right - 84 reps = 12,600 lbs.
Volume and Density PR

KB Swing Roundabouts - 28 kg - 10 minutes
Roundabouts - two hand, right hand, two hand, left hand
71 Roundabouts = 284 swings - 17,608 lbs.
Density PR

This session was a great way to end my year. I started 2010 new to Gym Movement protocols. Now it's the only way I train. This training has spilled over into all aspects of my life making every part of it better. I am starting 2011 in a much better place than I did 2010. I intend to go into 2012 better than 2011. The cycle will continue.

I hope you will continue to follow along on my journey of branching out, growing stronger and happier by following my own body.

Happy New Year!!

Tuesday Training Log

Much better training session today. I actually worked up a sweat.

Plate Press - 25 lbs. - 4.5 minutes
Left - 25 reps, Right - 30 reps
-I stopped after 4.5 minutes because I felt excessive tension in my back that wouldn't go away even after trying several different positions.

Then I did a bunch of rolls - side-to-side, log rolls, egg rolls. They eased the tension in my back.

1 Hand KB Swing - 28 kg (62 lbs.) - 15 min.
Left - 210 reps, Right - 210 reps = 420 reps
26,040 lbs. = 1736 lbs./min. = 28 reps/min.
-These got me sweating. I did 10 reps per hand and switched. I did 40 reps total before setting the bell down to rest. I found that a wider stance alleviated the back tweak that started after about the 100th rep.

After that, I put in the TRX video and did the workout that comes with it. I suppose that lasted 15 minutes. I didn't time it. It was fun and I was able to adjust the resistance so that I didn't burn myself out. I was in a fantastic mood after I finished, so that tells me it was good for my state to move in those ways.

I just keep experimenting, and as a result, I just keep learning. I love that I can get rid of my own pain so easily. I wish everyone could do that. *Sigh*

What's a Girl to Do?

I've been taking a serious mental break this past week. I've been able to unwind and relax. In fact, I'd say I've PRed in relaxation. It's been fantastic.

Today I decided it's time to get my body moving a bit. My brain is getting ansy; therefore, my body gets ansy. Off to the gym.

Test.
Test.
Test.
Test.
Inverted Rows - good.
Test.
Test.
Test.
Pushups - good.
Test.
Test.
Test.
Test.
Nothing. Enough already. Just start moving.

What else could I do? Nothing besides inverted rows and pushups tested well. I was shocked. I was sure my body would bust out of its slothy shell and want to work up a sweat. Not.

Okay body. You know best. I did the two drills and set two PRs. Then I tested more drills, but they were still no-goes. I'll give it try again tomorrow. What else is a girl to do?

TRX 1 Arm Inverted Rows - 8 minutes
Left - 64 reps, Right - 64 reps
Feet were 6 inches closer to the point of attachment - Intensity PR.

TRX Pushups - 8 minutes
96 reps
Feet were 6 inches closer to the point of attachment - Intensity PR.

I would guesstimate I moved somewhere between 15,000 - 20,000 lbs. in total.

Now, what's for dinner? Ground bison. I just need to decide what to do with it. Hmmmmmmmm.

I Can't Take the Pressure!

The barometric pressure, that is. My head feels ready to explode. Okay weather. Just snow already and be done with it.

I got in 17 minutes of training before the headache kicked in. That's a win.

I got three PRs with two drills. That's a double win.

Plate Press - 25 lbs. - 10 minutes
Left - 46 reps, Right - 56 reps
2550 lbs. = 255 lbs./min.
11% increase in Density and Volume

Sumo DL - 52 kg - 7 minutes
70 reps = 8050 lbs. =1150 lbs./min.
8.5% increase in Intensity

I'll take it even if I can't take the pressure. :)

For the curious - I tested various positions with the press. Plate press with a split stance and torso rotation during each rep tested best.

For the Sumo DL, I used a 24 kg and 28 kg kettlebell and switched hands each set. It definitely felt better to hold the heavier bell in my left hand. Silly me. I thought I had to switch so that I would be balanced. Have I learned nothing? Blonde moment! (Sorry Mike T, Adam, and Frankie!)

Playing Around

Since I'm on Christmas break, I had extra time for my training today. I tested so many variations of drills, more than I usually have time to test. As a result, I found the perfect positions for each of the three drills I did today.

I also tried out some positions that are not the norm. For example, I tried sumo DL with my torso rotated. It felt awesome. I just did very light weight (20 kg), and it released a lot of tension in my back.

I found for my inverted TRX rows that my right hand tested best supinated and my left tested best prone. My KB swings tested best with a thumbless grip and wide stance. So much fun to play around with the possibilities.

TRX Inverted Rows - 1 arm - 5 minutes
Left - 40 reps, Right - 40 reps
Intensity PR - my feet were positioned closer to the point of attachment.
Density PR - more reps in the same amount of time, plus I did one-arm instead of two arms.

2 Drill Circuit - 15 minutes
1. TRX Pushups - 100 reps
Intensity PR - feet were closer to the point of attachment

2. Dbl KB Swings - 40 kg - 200 reps

I guesstimate that I moved over 28,000 lbs. during my 15 minute circuit. Add another 4000 lbs. from my rows and that's 32,000 lbs. in 20 minutes of work. Not bad for just playing around!

Over and Out

Ten four, good buddy! My semester is over and I'm outta there. I am ready for a few days away from grading papers. I do have a lot of ideas to work up over my break for my spring semester classes. I'm going to blow my students away!

A professor can dream, can't she?

Seriously, I have so many new activities and assignments I want to try to make my classes better. It's going to be fun!

Know what else is fun? Gym Movement training. I had the best training session today. After gorging myself on Christmas goodies all week, I vowed to work out for three hours today. Luckily it didn't take three hours to get in some quality movements and make myself feel fantastic.

So many drills tested well today. It was insane. I chose the six that tested best and put them in a circuit.

Circuit - 30 minutes - 25,000 lbs. +
1. Plate Press - 25 lbs.
Left - 25 reps, Right - 32 reps
2. ATG Squats - 80 reps
3. TRX Pushups - 48 reps
4. Snatch - 12 kg
Left - 60 reps, Right - 60 reps
5. 1 Arm KB Cleans - 20 kg
Left - 40 reps, Right - 40 reps
6. 1 Arm KB Rows - 16 kg
Left - 32 reps, Right - 32 reps

I did four rounds of drills. Listed above are my total reps for the four rounds. Today was the first time in months that snatches test well. Cleans and swings work essentially the same range of motion in the lower body, but don't put stress between my shoulder blades. Plus, cleans and swings allow me to move a lot more weight. I'm curious to see how my body reacts to the snatches and if my pain will come back. If so, I'm good with leaving snatches out of my regimen.

I smell some sacred cow burning.

Two Sleeps

My friend Sue reminded me today that my semester will be over in two sleeps. I was whining about all the grading I had to do by Friday. Two sleeps. That made me feel better. I now feel like I'll make it through. I'll survive the research essays, the literature essay exams, the advanced comp essays, and the grammar finals. Two sleeps and they'll be a memory. Thank you for the perspective, Sue!

I'm going to miss that. Sue is retiring from teaching at my college. Friday is her last day. I can't believe it! She's been my mentor and go-to gal. She's been like a second mom and a best friend. I know she's still going to be around at work, but it just won't feel the same. She's been there since I started. She has taught me so much. Sue has moxy and I like that! Every young woman should have a mentor with brains, heart, and guts like Sue.

After leaving work, I went to the gym ready to move. I tested a bunch of drills and came up with a great circuit workout.

TRX Circuit - 7 Rounds - 29 minutes

1 Arm Rows - 66 L, 66 R
Hamstring Curls - 80 reps
Pushups - 62 reps
1 Leg Squat - 68 L, 68 R

It's hard to say, but I'd guesstimate that I moved at least 30,000 lbs. today.

I'm really loving the TRX for several reasons. First, it allows me to work in a greater range of motion. I can also tailor my movements for what tests best - anatomy-based movement. As a result, I'm not sore. The other thing I like about it is the adaptability. I can adjust my position to increase or decrease the resistance, and I can do it with every set, even rep. That allows me to move a lot without displaying an element of effort as quickly as I would with a static amount of weight.

I think I also like that using the TRX is a challenge, something different. My brain LOVES different, in every aspect of my life. That's a whole other blogpost. Well, maybe a memoir!

Pain Be Gone!

I only had a short window of time to train today, so I took advantage.

One Leg Squats - TRX - 8 min. 45 seconds
184 reps
Last Tuesday I did 180 reps in 9 min. 45 seconds.
Density PR

Plate Press - 25 lbs. - 10 min.
Left - 42 reps
Right - 50 reps
Density & Volume PR

Today the best position was regular stance and an arched back. While pressing, I twisted my torso. It was so stinking easy! I kept my pace slow and my body tension-free. It took me a few minutes to find the best position, but I know it will pay off, and not just in the short-term.

I am my own guinea pig experimenting on myself. So far, the results are impressive. I was pain-free in my mid-back this weekend. I slept so good and woke up ready to go instead of feeling stiff and achey in my mid-back. Could it really be this easy to relieve my pain? Do a few movements and eliminate the discomfort? Really?

Yes.

The Day After Winter Showed Up

The blizzard left grass and driveways exposed while simultaneously leaving six foot drifts. Crazy!

These pictures were all taken at our George, IA funeral home. There is an 8 foot drift along the east side of the building, but the pavement there is completely snow free. There was a five foot drift across the south and west side of the parking lot that blocked the street as well. Pretty cool to see.

Hello Winter

12 inches of snow + 40 mph wind = BLIZZARD

I can't see across the street. The only way we dare venture out is in the snowblower. We are snuggled in for the day and night!

Send warm thoughts my way!

Oh What a Relief It Is

I've had a nagging ache in my mid-back for several weeks. I'm working my way through several movement options to find what alleviates it. I've been plate pressing in a split stance with my torso rotated. That has made it better, but it hasn't eliminated it.

Mike T Nelson suggested I arch my back when pressing. That's what I did today. Presses tested well, so I tested various positions. I'll be danged if arching my back while in a split stance didn't test the best. Plate press tested better than KB. I also had to turn my head while pressing to eliminate tension from my neck. I tested for speed, and wound up with a slower pace than I've been using the past few weeks.

Plate Press - 25 lbs. - 10 min.
Left - 30 reps
Right - 35 reps
Movement PR - no tension in my mid-back.

Dbl KB Swings - 48 kgs (106 lbs.) - 9 min. 30 secs
200 reps = 21,200 lbs. - 2232 lbs./min.
Density & Volume PR - Last time I did 195 in 10 min.

I finished with TRX rows. Those felt amazing! They really allowed me to open up my chest in the top of the row. I did 50 of those in 5 min. I'm having fun with the TRX!

Tomorrow I get to spend my afternoon in a meeting. Yippee!! We're supposed to get hit with a blizzard, so it's a good thing I decided to call in to the meeting instead of driving 4 hours to it. Maybe I'll get Christmas cookies made and presents wrapped.

Now THAT would be a relief!

And the New Training I Tried Was........

Did you guess it?

If not, here's some hints.

It's black and yellow.

It's adjustable.

It doesn't have any weights.

Yes. It's a TRX suspension trainer.

The gym where I train got one last week and got it mounted on Monday. So naturally I had to try it on Tuesday when I had some time to mess around with it. Here's what I did for my workout.

2 Drill Circuit - 10 minutes
1. Pushup - 101 reps
2. Hamstring Curl - 70 reps
That was fun. I went for max speed on my reps and stopped a set when my speed slowed.

One Leg Squat - 10 min. - 180 reps
Those felt incredible and tested well throughout the entire 10 minutes.

I'm pretty excited to have access to another tool for training. It will challenge my brain and my body - a great combination for me.

Amy's Big Adventure

I tried something new today for my training. It's something I've wanted to try for awhile. I didn't even pick up a kettlebell today! Shocked even me.

What did I try?

Guess! I'll post the answer and my workout later.

Pull Me Through

Training today, however quick, pulled me through the day. It also helped pull me through this sinus/chest congestion gunk I can't seem to shake. I just read that Iowa has been hit with three different flu strains. Great. Don't you just love winter?!?

Pulls tested well today - deadlift and pull downs. I haven't done pull downs for years, literally. I figured they would allow me more speed than band-assisted pullups, and I was right.

Sumo DL - 48 kg
100 reps in 8:27
10,600 lbs. total - 1247 lbs./min.

Lat Pull Downs - 105 lbs.
45 reps in 7:00
4725 lbs. total - 675 lbs./min.

Now I have a baseline for both drills with my speed work. As long as fast tests well, I will move fast. Doing so makes it easy to detect the first element of effort (slowing down). Duh! I'm also experimenting to see what it does for my body composition and strength. There are many theories, but I'm only interested in how my body responds. I'll keep you posted.

Pick up the Pace

I've been conscientiously working on the speed of my movements. Specifically, I've been moving weight as quickly as I can. I'm curious how my body will respond. I can say that even though I moved relatively light weights today, I had a great training session.

1 Arm KB Rows - 12 kg - 8 min.
Left - 79 reps, Right - 75 reps
154 reps = 4004 lbs. - 500.5 lbs./min.

Dbl KB Clean - 24 kg - 8 min.
121 reps = 6413 lbs. - 801.63 lbs./min.

16 minutes of fast work. My heart was pumping! I never forced reps. I stopped a set the second I slowed down. As a result, I didn't need to rest much between sets.

It's strange that this week I am back to doing single drills instead of circuits. That's what tests best and suits my brain. I don't fight it.

In and Out - Two PRs

18 minutes of work time.
23,045 lbs. moved.

What will I do when I have more time to devote to each training session?
Kill it, of course.

Waiter Plate Press - 25 lbs. - 8 min.
Left - 43 reps, Right - 52 reps
95 reps total = 2375 lbs. = 296.88 lbs./min.
Density and Volume PR

Dbl KB Swings - 48 kgs (106 lbs.) - 10 min.
195 reps = 20,670 lbs. = 2067 lbs./min.
Intensity PR