Joshua's Primal Blueprint Fitness Challenge

[Darth Yoga]

I'm on week 2 of my first 6-Week Challenge here, and I'm working on the plan described in Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint Fitness ebook. (It's free with an email signup, or there is an older version of it here, but the old version includes the overhead press which has been dropped from his fundamental strength routine.)

 

His fitness plan involves:

• 3-5 hours a week of low-level aerobic activity (55-75%) which I am aiming to mostly to hiking in the woods around my house.
• Two bodyweight-based strength training sessions a week - fairly high-rep progressions of pushups, pullups, squats, and plank.
• One short session of some kind of "sprints" - any maximal cardio exertion, running, biking, rowing, etc. He recommends aiming for anywhere between six 30-second sprints and 8-10 15 second sprints, with 1-2 minutes of rest between. Or a few Tabatas.

 

My 6-week challenge is just to work on all of these, to put the time in, preferably in the woods, This thread is to track my actual progress with the strength training sessions. I've done three sessions so far, and I've gotten the hang of it.

 

Sisson gives easier and harder variants, but his benchmark "Essential Movements" is two circuits of:

• 50 pushups
• 12 pullups (strict hang. chinups in the second circuit)
• 50 bodyweight squats (all the way down)
• 90 sec. plank (on forearms) and 45 sec side plank on each side.

Basically you try to do all on the reps in one set, with a minute or so to rest between. You can break it up if you need to, but if you are doing single reps or taking longer than about three minutes for the set, move on. If you can do the full number without resting in both circuits, you can move on to a harder version. He's got a self-assessment to determine whether you should start out with an easier variant.

 

Currently, I am working on:

• knee pushups. I can do maybe 15 straight through, and around 25 total per circuit. Goal is 50. 
• pullups/chinups - just the negative. Jump to the top, lower slowly. Goal is 7, before moving on to the benchmark.
• "side-to-side" squats - I've got the benchmark and can do 50 "prisoner" squats, so the next step in the progression is keeping the normal-width stance, but shifting the weight over one leg. Goal is 30 each side.
• plank - on forearms. I can do 60 seconds, but I'm not quite at the benchmark yet. (At least not after the pushups and pullups!)

I'm going to give myself a progress bar for this, because I love progress bars. It'll just measure how close I am do the benchmarks. Here is the point breakdown, out of 100pts, for the max I can do in a row:

• pushups: benchmark is 50, so 1/2pt each.
• pullups: benchmark is 12, so 2pts each for strict pullups, and one extra point for the first one.
• squats: benchmark is 50. ALREADY DONE. 25pts.
• plank: benchmarks 90s/45s. 2pts per 10sec of plank. For side plank, 7pts for benchmark, 5pt for 30sec.

 

So currently, that gives me 25pts for squats, 12+5pts for plank, total of 42pts. Not bad for a start.

---

 

UPDATED BENCHMARK PROGRESS: wk5 = 64%

• pushups: 14 of 50. (7pts)
• pullups: 3 of 12. (7pts)
• squats: DONE. 25pts.
• plank: DONE. 25pts.

[Darth Yoga]

Okay, today's workout was mostly outside on the porch. 

Numbers are cumulative count for that circuit. So for example, the first round of knee pushups on this workout, I did 20 straight, then with pauses did 7 more, then 6 more, then 3 more, for a total of 36. The second time through the circuit I only managed 16 knee pushups before pausing.

 

• Knee pushups: 20,27,33,36. 16,22,27.
• Door pullups: These were tricky. No bar here, so I did them over the door. This made jumping up to do negatives real awkward, but I did 7 in both sets. Not straight through, because of awkward fumbling with the door. Both sets overhand grip - can't do an underhand grip on the door.
• Squats: I like these! Did 30 straight through in both circuits on the right side, but on the left (with my bad ankle) took one pause each time to complete the 30. Did 23 straight through on the first circuit, 15 on the second. (Didn't matter whether I started on the right or left.)
• Plank: Did the first round of plank straight through, but took a pause at 60s on the second. (I'm getting close!) I hit the side plank benchmark on both circuits, without too much trouble. (Not easy, but not brutal.) So that is 2 more points to my total!

I felt really good about this one. I am getting the hang of this. This is the first time doing this workout that afterwards I felt like my muscles had a good workout, instead of just feeling exhausted and out of breath. Good. I am starting to acclimate to the higher reps.

[Darth Yoga]

Back home, so I got to do my workout in the woods! (I was travelling for 10 days, and I missed being out in my woods.) It was a little chilly out there today, but I'm going to keep doing these outside for as long as I can manage.

 

Yesterday I put up a pullup bar in the woods, just a wooden pole lashed between two trees. Very high, to get a full hang. I wouldn't want anyone much heavier than me to use it though. 

 

I'm still in that phase where I'm learning the movements, so progress is really fast. I'm probably not getting much stronger, just smoother and more efficient in these movements. 

• Pushups: I know I am jumping the prescribed progression, but I started each circuit with standard pushups, then switched to knees. I might continue that. I managed 10 full pushups in a row, in each circuit, so I'm adding those to my benchmark score. (5pts) Not counting those, my knee pushups were 10, 18, 24. 10, 15.
  
• Negative pullups/chinups: 7 in both sets, no problem. OOPS! I didn't read the description on this one closely enough. It asks for a 2-second hold at the top, and 4 seconds for the negative. I was just doing them at a natural pace. I thought this one seemed too easy, because the next move in the progression is full pullups, and I think I'd be struggling to get even one on the second circuit. Anyway, the bar is nice. Perfect height.
  
• Squats: I did the full 30 "side-to-side" squats straight through on both sides. These are quite hard, and definitely a struggle to make the 30. Next in the progression is 25 "Bulgarian" split squats, which I have done before (in YAYOG). Next time I'll give the split squats a try, but if I can't confidently do at least 10, I'll stick with the side squats.
  
• Plank: I hit both plank benchmarks on both circuits. So, full points for that. Next in the progression is Plank Up-Downs (90 seconds) and Side Plank Up-Downs (45 seconds). (I was wondering how the heck you do "up-downs" in side plank, but it is entirely a different movement. In plank "up-down" means switching back and forth between elbows and hands, but in side plank it means raising and lowering the hips.)
  

Good progress. The squats are definitely doing the job. My quads are quite wobbly afterwards, and sore the next day. The pushups and pullups aren't quite there yet - my form falls apart before I get to that point of can't-lift-my-water-bottle muscle failure. It'll get there.

[Darth Yoga]

Another productive session in the woods - damp, but not at all cold. Having achieved the plank benchmark, I decided to move on to the first exercise in the advanced plank progression. Glad I tried, but I'm going back to regular plank. The up-downs just trashed me for the second circuit. Also, the split squats are awesome - way less awkward on my bad ankle than the "side-to-side" squats - but that means they are super effective at reducing my legs to noodles. So effective that I fell out of side plank. 

 

In the interest of focusing on achieving the benchmarks, I'm going to stay with the benchmark exercises. That'll also let me whip through the planks and squats nice and quick, instead of getting to the end of the first circuit and thinking, "Shit, I've got to do that all AGAIN!?" The high reps are really a grind for me.

 

Also, I learned that lack of a decent breakfast and a good nights sleep really affects my performance. 

• Pushups: 12 / 10, 18. (12 full pushups, ten on knees, then eight more on knees.) 5 / 12, 20. Up-downs killed my pushups for the second circuit, so no more up-downs until I make the pushup benchmark. They are basically half-pushups anyway.
• Pullups/chinups: 1 / 3, 7. 0, 2. I just could not even jump after the squats to do the negatives... However, I counted and 2+4 seconds is not really much slower than I was doing them last time.
• Squats: Romanian split squats! 18, 30; 13, 23, 30. 6, 10; 7, 14. But back to the "prisoner" squats for next time. Once I can knock out the whole circuit at the benchmarks, I'll bump back up to these.
• Plank: Glad I tried them, but the up-downs were a bad idea. I got the 90 seconds of plank up-downs with one rest halfway, and aside from falling over due to split-squat-induced leg wobble, I made the side-plank up downs benchmark. I don't like either of them. The second circuit I did the standard benchmarks. I had to count them, because I didn't have my phone to time them. Rather than extending the duration, I'm going to work on shortening the rest between them. Once I make the pullup benchmark, I'll probably switch from plank to hanging leg raises. I don't like plank. Static holds longer than about 30 seconds really just bore me. Even my yoga practice is Astanga, which is 5 breaths in each pose, a little under 30 seconds.

[Darth Yoga]

Beautiful day out in the woods, Thanksgiving morning. It is so mild for November. I did 12 hours of laying hardwood flooring over the previous two days, and I was pretty beat for this workout, especially my legs. I didn't get anywhere near the squat benchmark.

• Pushups: 12 / 10, 19. 10 / 7, 13. Not bad.
  
• Pullups/chinups: 0 / 6. 0 / 4. Ugh. Not even close.
  
• Squats: 30, 50. 25, 35, 50. These were really tough after all the kneeling and squatting on the previous day.
  
• Plank: RX. Tough, but at least I made it.
  

("RX" is Crossfit jargon, meaning it was completed exactly "as prescribed" to the full standard without modification.)

[Elastigirl]

Do you try and do most of your workouts outdoors?  I try and do at least some outdoors, though lately I've wimped out do to cold. I agree, static holds are way too boring after a certain time.

[Darth Yoga]

Do you try and do most of your workouts outdoors?  I try and do at least some outdoors, though lately I've wimped out do to cold. I agree, static holds are way too boring after a certain time.

 

Yep. For my six-week challenge I give myself more points for doing my workouts in the woods, or at least outside. We live in a semi-rural area, and own 18 acres of mostly woods/swamp, up against some state conservation land. I love being out in the woods, and it is good for me mentally, but without the 6-week challenge to motivate me, often I just decide it is too much hassle to go out in the cold/damp/etc. But I bring the dog, and she gets to crash around in the bushes while I work out. 

 

I'll see how long I can keep it up. November has been blessedly mild. I've only had one morning run that was below freezing, and it isn't unusual for us to have snow by the end of October.

 

The thing is, my workout space at home is currently unheated and uninsulated (our house is under construction) so I don't have a great alternative anyway.

 

Although now that I think of it, I can drive down to my yoga studio after-hours. I hadn't been considering that as an option because there is no chin-up bar, but I've got one of those bars that slips around the top of a door frame. I don't need it at home. I can just leave it there. Yay!

[Elastigirl]

How cool that you have that land. We just have a little backyard with a small wooded greenbelt of cedar trees. Even that I find recharges me more than doing it inside. Your workouts inspired me, today I bundled up and went outside for my workout.

[Darth Yoga]

Forgot to post the last one - it was done in my room, Sunday night (11/29) due to massive procrastination. To be fair, I was still pretty beat from all the other stuff this week, and hoping I'd feel a little better. I didn't, but I did the workout anyway. It was really hard in that condition.

• Pushups: 12, 20, 26, plus 7 on knees. 12, plus 7 knees.
• Pullups/chinups: Negatives only. 3, 5, 7. 5. Not great.
• Squats: 39, 50. 36, 50. Clearly I was pretty tired. I should not have put it off.
• Plank: RX.

Today, I went out into the woods around noon. I didn't manage to finish out there, because the chinup bar was threatening to break after the first set. I wasn't expecting to use it for this long. I'll see about lashing up something sturdier.

• Pushups: 12, 20, 26, plus 7 on knees. 12, plus 7 knees.
• Pullups/chinups: I keep forgetting that the second circuit is chinups. Negatives only for the pullups - 4, 5. Chinups I did 3 straight, then 4 negatives. Though they are a little easier indoors, because the bar isn't high enough for a full dead hang. It is close though.
• Squats: RX, but tough. I'm ready to quit around 35, and I've really got to push to make 50.
• Plank: RX. First round I didn't have a timer so I counted, but afterwards, I realized I was counting way too fast. I'm used to counting breaths in yoga, nice and slow, around 5 seconds per breath. So 18 breaths would be 90 seconds. But by the end of this workout, I'm pretty winded. I timed it for the second round, and it is more like 30 breaths for 90 seconds. Big difference.

I'm really not liking this workout any better, but I've only got to do it three more times. After that I'll switch it up.

[Darth Yoga]

Okay, massive procrastination again. Last workout for week 5 was at 11pm Sunday night. (This is not sustainable.) I was not in great form here. 

• Pushups: 14, 19. 14, 17. 
• Pullups/chinups: 3, 5. 4, 6. It might partly be the slightly lower bar, but I think mostly I was psyching myself out. I CAN do a couple of pullups! These don't start from a dead hang - more like flat feet, but they are good hollow-body pullups nearly full range of motion. I'll give them a try on an outdoor high bar, just to compare.
• Squats: RX. Took these a little easier, with occasional 1-second pauses. 
• Plank: RX. Timed. Done, but plenty of rest in between.

I like these as benchmarks, but I'll be moving on to a different routine as soon as I finish this challenge. If I wasn't such a weasel, and I hadn't made this 6-week commitment, I'd just switch it up now, but that sets a bad precedent. I can't let myself use "I'm sick of this" as a valid reason for quitting.

 

However, I am going a little easier on myself on these last few, because I really need to be ready to do moderate-to-strenuous physical labor at any time. I can't do a workout that leaves me trashed the next day. I kind of like the wobbly-legs - it feels like an accomplishment - but I've got a career that requires physical activity and two physically disabled family members that rely on me to be able to do stuff for them. If none of us can make it up the stairs, we've got a problem. So I've got to scale back. Next challenge will be based on Pavel & Dan John's "Even Easier Strength" which is the same lower-intensity workout five times a week. It is intended to always leave you "fresh". I think that is a better fit for my life.

[Darth Yoga]

Only one workout last week. I was so flattened by work over the weekend. I tried to do the final workout last night, did eight pushups, and nearly fell over. So I decided I'll wait a day or so, and do it one last time as a final benchmark, when I'm feeling like I can give it a decent performance.

 

I didn't post my workout from last Wednesday. I wasn't feeling great for that one either, and I got interrupted to run an errand between the two circuits.

• Pushups: 16, 22, 24. 13, 17.
• Pullups/chinups: 3, 5. 3, 2.
• Squats: RX. These were at a good pace, straight through.
• Plank: RX. Done, though I got interrupted in the middle of the first set.