Sheep may safely graze

[Cort]

Sheep's Log: July 30

• Agile 8
• Med ball slam x15 (8#)
• Deadlift (60 sec rest b/n sets)

            155x5

            155x5

            155x5

            155x5

            155x5

• OHP

            Warm up with bar

            50x5

            57.5x5

            65x7

• Curls (15#) 3 sets of 10
• BW back raises 3 sets of 10

 

Dog walk cool down

[Cort]

Sheep's Log: July 31

 

Cardio day - 3 mile walk/jog in 33:10. First 1.5 was in 15:58. I've significantly cut down on the amount of time I spend walking, so hopefully the trend will continue and I'll get back into straight 5K shape in the next month. Or at least wrapping up the 1.5 in less than 15. I'd be happy with either.

 

Tonight was one of those nights where I really didn't want to run, so I talked myself into going for a walk, which turned into a slow jog by the end of the driveway, which turned into a quicker jog as I passed some people I knew in the neighborhood, and before I knew it 27 minutes had passed, I was doing a cool down walk and noticed I was at 2.5 miles - which is when my OCD kicked in, so I picked the pace back up long enough to finish 3 miles.

 

My love/hate relationship with running continues. I hate the before, and the during, but I love the after.

[Cort]

Sheep's Log: August 1 - Holy Cow, it's August already?

 

• Agile 8
• Box jumps 3 sets of 5
• Squat (warmup with 65#)

            115x5

            130x3

            150x7 (bad form on last rep)

• Bench, 60sec rest b/n sets

            80x5

            80x5

            80x5

            80x5

            80x5

• Side bends 2 sets of 25 each side, 10# plate
• Triceps (iso) 3 sets of 15
• Pullups: 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 (rough form on last)

[Cort]

August 2 - Looks like my Saturday cardio turned into my Sunday of rest. Gotta make up for that tonight.

[Cort]

Sheep's Log: August 3

 

Cardio at work - walk/jog intervals for just over 4km in 30 minutes, which after doing the math is about 2.5 miles. Hard to gauge my intervals on the european spec treadmill. Looking back I should have pushed it a little harder. Next time.

[Cort]

August 4 - Week 4 of Beyond 5/3/1

 

• Agile 8
• Overhead med ball throw x15
• Deadlift

            95x5

            115x5

            155x5

            175x3

            200x3

            235x1 (off program)

• OHP (60 sec rest b/n sets)

            55x5

            55x5

            55x5

            55x5

            55x5

• Curls (iso) 15# 3 sets of 10
• BW back raises 3 sets of 10

 

Started at 0100, finished at 0145. The 235 was a PR win, but it felt like a loss. Here's the inner monologue to explain:

 

"Rose (coworker) posted that video on FB doing a PR of 230 the other day. I've done 225 before, I wonder if I can do one better and lift 235..."

 

**Lifts 235** 

 

"Yes! I see your 230 and raise you 235! But then, she is smaller than me... I've got at least 10lbs on her. But she's younger. But not that much younger. 5 years maybe? And she's doing a cut right now because she's going to be competing in that bodybuilding competition next month... Damn. I need to do better than 235."

 

[Wufkar]

Nothing like friendly competition

[Cort]

More like ghosting. She doesn't know we're competing.

 

August 5:

 

Jogged 1.5mi in 15:39, walked a spell, finished 2 miles in 21:08.

[Cort]

Playing catch up: Started my workout yesterday then got called in to work early so I only got halfway through; finished the rest of it today before work then got my cardio time in before starting the shift thanks to a nice colleague who stayed late to cover me.

 

August 6

• Agile 8
• Long jump x5, Side lunges 2 sets of 5
• Squat (60 sec rest b/n sets)

            115x5

            115x5

            115x5

            115x5

            115x5

(Called in to work)

 

August 7

• Bench

            65x5

            75x5

            82.5x5

            95x3

            105x5

• Side bends 2 sets of 25 ea. 10#plate
• Triceps (iso) 3 sets of 10
• Pullups: 3, 3, 3

At work: 2 miles in 20:47 on the treadmill

[Wufkar]

Bleh. I hate when work stops workouts. So inconsiderate

[Cort]

Bleh. I hate when work stops workouts. So inconsiderate

 

No kidding - My OCD was in an uproar. I felt like that old Shel Silverstein poem "The Missing Piece" all. night. long.

[Cort]

Sheep's Log: August 8

 

• Agile 8
• Med ball slams 8# x15
• Deadlifts (60 sec rest b/n sets)

            Warmup 95x5, 135x3

            155x5

            155x5

            155x5

            155x5

            155x5

• OHP

            45x3

            45x3

            57.5x5

            65x3

            70x5

• DB Curls 15# 3 sets of 10
• BW back raises 3 sets of 10

 

Almost 2300 here and it is still too hot outside. I am dripping. Bleh.

 

Progress report - I was pretty skeptical that the "agile 8" would do much for my flexibility and agility, but I must say I am seeing some major improvements between now and when I first started 4 weeks ago. That first week I absolutely hated it. Foam rolling sucked. My legs were so hard/tight it felt like being driven over by a tractor. I could barely do 5 mountain climbers before I was winded, and I could hardly do the frog jumps at all. I would do one or two and then have to pause for breath.

 

Now, the foam rolling doesn't hurt as much since I do it at a minimum of every other day before I lift. The stretches and V-sit rolls feel much better. I can do all 20 mtn climbers no problem, and I can do all the frog jumps without stopping. They even feel good! Sometimes I will pause after I get into that crouched/frog-squat position and just stay there stretching out my hips, groin, and adductors. I've never been very flexible, so the improvements are exciting and welcomed. Although to anyone who happens to be passing by, I probably look like I'm practicing to use an Asian squatty potty.

[Wufkar]

[...]

 

Progress report - I was pretty skeptical that the "agile 8" would do much for my flexibility and agility, but I must say I am seeing some major improvements between now and when I first started 4 weeks ago. That first week I absolutely hated it. Foam rolling sucked. My legs were so hard/tight it felt like being driven over by a tractor. I could barely do 5 mountain climbers before I was winded, and I could hardly do the frog jumps at all. I would do one or two and then have to pause for breath.

 

Now, the foam rolling doesn't hurt as much since I do it at a minimum of every other day before I lift. The stretches and V-sit rolls feel much better. I can do all 20 mtn climbers no problem, and I can do all the frog jumps without stopping. They even feel good! Sometimes I will pause after I get into that crouched/frog-squat position and just stay there stretching out my hips, groin, and adductors. I've never been very flexible, so the improvements are exciting and welcomed. Although to anyone who happens to be passing by, I probably look like I'm practicing to use an Asian squatty potty.

 

Thank you for writing this out. I've been debating whether or not to do Agile 8 and I do believe you've just convinced me.

[Cort]

Thank you for writing this out. I've been debating whether or not to do Agile 8 and I do believe you've just convinced me.

 

Yes - give it some time though, I think it took me all 4 weeks before I really noticed significant change.

[Cort]

Sheep's Log: August 11 (having one of those "just-not-feeling-it" days)

 

Week 5 (deload) of Beyond 5/3/1

• Agile 8
• Box jump 3 sets of 5
• Squat (60 sec rest b/n sets)

            115x5

            115x5

            115x5

            115x5

            115x5

• Bench (60 sec rest b/n sets)

            80x5

            80x5

            80x5

            80x5

            80x5

• Side bends 10# plate 2 sets of 25 per side
• BW back raises 3 sets of 10
• Pullups: 3, 3, 3, 2, 1

Accidentally sub'd back raises for triceps, so I guess I'll be doing triceps on Wednesday (oops).  

 

Pullups: the last rep on my third set of 3 was ugly - my "sticking" point seems to be when I get my face/chin right in front of the bar, so I had to throw in a little kick to get the rest of the way over. Same for the last rep on the set of 2. And again on the last set of 1. Obviously, this doesn't really count as a legit pull-up (IMHO) but I'm sticking to a plan of doing as many as I can with good form, then when I get tired - do whatever I need to get over the bar, then lower myself down as slowly as possible. I figure it's better than nothing.

 

***Update: did a 1 for 1 pull-up challenge with an EMT on shift tonight. Sets of singles. He did 5, I did 6. 

[Cort]

Sheep's Log: August 12

 

So my upper back is pretty sore today, definitely feeling those extra pullups.

 

33 minutes jog on the treadmill at work tonight. Was rough due to my arms and shoulders feeling like lead. Plus I accidentally hit the damn emergency shutoff switch somewhere around 19 minutes in and lost all my info. I HATE it when that happens, argh. +25 pushups at the end.

[Cort]

Sheep's Log: August 13

• Agile 8
• Med ball overhead throws 8# x15
• Deadlift (60 sec rest b/n sets)

            95x5

            160x3

            160x3

            160x3

            160x3

            160x3

• OHP (60 sec rest b/n sets)

            45x3

            57.5x5

            57.5x5

            57.5x5

            57.5x5

            57.5x5

• Curls 15# 3 sets of 10
• Triceps (iso) 3 sets of 15

[Wufkar]

Totally thought 160 was your OHP for a second. I was like "holy shit! She took off!"

Curlz <3

[Cort]

Ha! Not even close.

 

So today was supposed to be my running day, but a friend at work talked me into going hiking on Mount Etna. So we drive two hours to the trail head and then embarked upon what was easily the most miserable hiking experience I have ever endured. The entire trail was composed of volcanic ash. When I say ash - don't think about campfire ash - think black fine sand consistency. It was a grueling 90 minutes of climbing a black sand dune uphill. At the top we ended up at an overlook where you can look across one of the volcano's craters and see the lava trailing down the side of the mountain. Every now and then she would rumble with activity that sounds a lot like thunder. 

 

A bunch of hikers set up shop to watch the show, as she's been erupting pretty much every night this week. Personally, our group didn't feel like hiking back down the active volcano in the dark, so we headed back to the car before sundown. Took another hour to get back down, no thanks to accidentally taking the wrong trail once and having to back track up the slope to course correct.

 

It was full dark by the time we got back to the car, and she was indeed lighting up like a giant roman candle

 

I stole this from the internet, but the view as we were driving back down

the mountain looked very similar to this:

 

 

 

[ManicSpider]

I know you say it was horrible, but I'm so jealous! That's some fantastic scenery you've got there. I live in a city filled with small hills so nothing looks particularly impressive

[Cort]

I know you say it was horrible, but I'm so jealous! That's some fantastic scenery you've got there. I live in a city filled with small hills so nothing looks particularly impressive

 

Thanks - yeah, I'm glad to have done it once. But I will not be repeating that experience anytime soon. I had to foam roll every muscle in my body today, haha.

[Cort]

Sheep's Log: August 15

• Agile 8 (plus extra foam rolling and stretches to work out Mount Doom)
• 3 alternating sets of 5 box jumps and 5 side lunges
• Squat (60 sec rest b/n sets)

            65x5

            115x5

            115x5

            115x5

            115x5

            115x5

• Bench (60 sec rest b/n sets)

            45x5

            80x5

            80x5

            80x5

            80x5

            80x5

• Side bends 10# plate 2 sets of 25
• Triceps 3 sets of 15
• Pullups: 3, 3, 3

[Cort]

Sheep's Log: August 17

 

I seem to be trending towards a Saturday rest day instead of a Sunday rest day. Never managed to run last night, but I did do 14 chin-ups during a friendly coworker competition during my shift.

 

Today I finally broke through my 10 minute mile pace and ran the first mile in 9:53 and completed 2 miles in 19:45. Interestingly, I didn't even run the whole time. I reset my MapMyRun app to notify me every time I'd gone a quarter mile and then gave myself a 30sec walk every time I hit the next quarter (exception of the last half mile). So my average pace was more in the 7.3mph category than my usual 6. Now if I can just sustain that pace without the gaps...

[Cort]

 

Last week marked the end of my first round with Beyond 5/3/1 and I have every intention

of moving forward with this program. So, here goes week 1 of Level 2...

 

Sheep's Log: August 18

• Agile 8
• Box jumps 3 sets of 6
• Squats

            65x5

            95x5

            115x3

            130x3

            145x5

• Bench (60 sec b/n sets)

            65x3

            85x5

            85x5

            85x5

            85x5

            85x5

• Side bends: 2 sets of 15 with 25# plate
• Triceps (iso) 3 sets of 12 with 10# DB
• Pullups: 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1 (19 total) PR

 

This is the same workout I started with 5 weeks ago with the following (mostly small) adjustments:

 - Increased reps on box jumps by 1

 - Increased each squat working set by 5#

 - Increased my 60sec bench sets by 5#

 - Decreased reps but increased weight on side bends from the previous 10# plate x25reps 

 - Increased isolated triceps from 5# to 10# DB but decreased reps to 12 (I know it's small, it's just accessory work)

 - Big gains on my AMRAP pullups. During this same workout 5 weeks ago I did 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1 (10 total)

 

 

[Cort]

Sheep's Log: August 19

 

Today was a birthday feast - after which my stomach was too full to run, but I did manage to go out for a 2 mile dog walk.