Raptron Knees Weaknesses in the Junk

[raptron]

I've got a workout program pretty well set in stone right now: gymnastics 2-3x per week and my 5/3/1 lifting program 3x per week. I'm comfortable with this workout schedule and it will only become more important to stick with it over the coming months as gymnastics competition season starts to amp up in the beginning of next year. 

 

Last challenge, I dedicated myself to working on known weak spots for me: my lazy hips, my hatred of the C2 rower, my nasty eating habits, and my bad attitude. This format worked really well for me and I saw a lot of progress over the course of six weeks without stressing myself about incorporating these additional goals into my already busy schedule. 

 

I am going to stick with what works, but take a new approach on dealing with my weaknesses:

 

Target #1: Lungs

• High intensity interval training 3x per week 

Low intensity cardio has never really been my thing. Trying to get myself to jog last challenge was a huge chore and instead of addressing that head on, I am going to force myself to take the even suckier route -- intervals. My interval training can take the form of plyometrics, jump rope, sprints, hill sprints, NP stadium stairs, burpees, etc. HIIT has been linked with pretty significant improvements in V02 max and endurance, so if I stick it out for at least the next 6 weeks, I should see some rewards when I start working on floor routine run-throughs. A floor routine is only 90 seconds long, but they are punishing and exhausting -- much like sprints. These HIIT sessions will be post lifting workouts (or Wednesday morning, as needed).

 

Target #2: Mobility and Maintenance

• Foam roll and lax ball 3x per week -- MUST foam roll IT band, quads, and adductors before AND after squatting on Sundays
• Yoga 1x per week

Some creaky spots have crept up on me over the past few weeks. While I preach the gospel of mobility work and foam rolling constantly, I have not been taking care of my own body. I stretch, yes, but I have not been foam rolling or doing nearly as much aggressive pre-treatment for tight areas -- which unsurprisingly includes my hips.

 

Target #3: Fuel

• Gradually increase calories toward maintenance + hit within ~200 calories of goal each day per week
• Stay within 500 calories of target cals every week

Not a deviation from last challenge, but reporting back every day and every week really helped keep me honest here. While I'm not aiming to cut weight this challenge, honesty is still good and I do want to taper up gradually rather than just hurling myself up at what I think should be maintenance and hoping it turns out okay. 

 

Target #4: Style

• Begin the 10 Step Wardrobe Revamp:
  • Be done with my wardrobe detox by Week 2
  • Finish creating my list for my capsule wardrobe by the end of Week 6

I cannot for the life of me remember whose challenge I saw this on originally, but I've had it bookmarked for months and months, waiting for a change of season. I am going to focus mostly on my fall - winter wardrobe and leave my spring - summer wardrobe to be dealt with when it is seasonally appropriate. 

 

Let's gooooo~

 

[Wufkar]

sup flipster.

[sylph]

I really like into-mind. While I can't go as formulaic as she does (I've tried), applying some of the principles of her capsule wardrobe has made my life much easier. All of my clothes generally "go" with each other and I'm much better about buying things to fill a specific need rather than a "oh that's cute!" impulse.

[Raxie]

Oooh a wardrobe revamp.  Totally bookmarking that.

[karinajean]

oooooh wardrobe.

oooooh bad attitude.

oooooh your title made me crack the heck up.

SO SUBBED.

[Nymeria]

Hooray for HIIT buddies!  We can suffer through burpees together!

[raptron]

sup flipster.

SUP

 

 

I really like into-mind. While I can't go as formulaic as she does (I've tried), applying some of the principles of her capsule wardrobe has made my life much easier. All of my clothes generally "go" with each other and I'm much better about buying things to fill a specific need rather than a "oh that's cute!" impulse.

 

Oh, I definitely will not be able to be as formulaic or as minimalistic -- hello, my workout clothes are not going to get revamped, sorry -- but I do like how clearly she outlines these things and I love the idea of shopping more consciously rather than going "oh, hey, this is kind of okay and it's only $15, SOLD!" which is my usual method and has led to an overstuffed dresser and closet of things I don't really like that are falling apart at the seams because they were cheaply made. I'm hoping that if I can wrap my mind around building an actual wardrobe or look, I'll feel comfortable buying nicer things.

 

Oooh a wardrobe revamp.  Totally bookmarking that.

She's great!

 

oooooh wardrobe.

oooooh bad attitude.

oooooh your title made me crack the heck up.

SO SUBBED.

Hahah, hi!

 

Hooray for HIIT buddies!  We can suffer through burpees together!

 

Ughhh, yes. Solidarity, sister!

[chammy]

Hiiii! I love you!

 

We get to hug in a week!

[Trembriele]

Woot! I'm subbed here and can't wait to see the awesomeness!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SymphonicDan]

So that fox in socks costume is getting revamped? But I'mma add myself to the list of people who might be stealing this at some point. I've worn the same style of clothes nonstop for about 7 years so maybe no-one will recognise me if I change

 

Sub'ing for gymnastics awesomeness and vicarious fitness work which will guilt-trip me into action, if nothing else.

[SugarRay]

Excellent challenge! I'm all for kneeing weakness in the junk.

 

Really good stuff with the HIIT. I usually do all my running in the early mornings; HIIT with an empty stomach is hell. However, don't let that stop you! Power your way through it, like a train!

 

 

Yeah. That kind of train.

 

Either way, good luck with your challenge and of course, the gymnastics competition!

[Wolverine]

Great challenge!  Looking forward to following along!

 

What's your gymnastics/lifting split actually consist of and on which days do you do which exercises (if you don't mind sharing)?  I'm really interested in doing something similar.  I've done gymnastics stuff, and I've done heavy lifting stuff, but I've never been able to put all the stuffs together.

[Paradigm]

Awesome challenge and I'm so happy to see last challenge's things helped! 

 

You'll have to let us know how you get on with HIIT as I've been contemplating integrating that and am not sure it's worth the wanting to vomit if you do it right haha. 

 

When do the gymnastic competitions start? Very excited to follow this. Also pics of the new wardrobe!

[raptron]

Hiiii! I love you!

 

We get to hug in a week!

Seven sleeps. :3

 

Woot! I'm subbed here and can't wait to see the awesomeness!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I WILL DO MY BEST TO BE AWESOME EVERY DAY.

 

So that fox in socks costume is getting revamped? But I'mma add myself to the list of people who might be stealing this at some point. I've worn the same style of clothes nonstop for about 7 years so maybe no-one will recognise me if I change

 

Sub'ing for gymnastics awesomeness and vicarious fitness work which will guilt-trip me into action, if nothing else.

Fox in socks is safe, though that particular combination of clothes is not likely to be put together again. ;P

 

I haven't really had a style but I haven't consciously looked at my closet in a long, long time. I realized the other day that I was wearing a sweater from eight years ago and had kind of a "yeeesh" moment. 

 

Excellent challenge! I'm all for kneeing weakness in the junk.

 

Really good stuff with the HIIT. I usually do all my running in the early mornings; HIIT with an empty stomach is hell. However, don't let that stop you! Power your way through it, like a train!

 

 

Yeah. That kind of train.

 

Either way, good luck with your challenge and of course, the gymnastics competition!

The Little Engine That Bitched and Cursed the Whole Way Up the Mountain but Eventually Could.

 

I'm gonna make that face the whole time.

 

Great challenge!  Looking forward to following along!

 

What's your gymnastics/lifting split actually consist of and on which days do you which exercises (if you don't mind sharing)?  I'm really interested in doing something similar.  I've done gymnastics stuff, and I've done heavy lifting stuff, but I've never been able to put all the stuffs together.

Welcome back and helllooooo again.

 

So, I switched from a linear lifting progression with multiple big lifts per day (Starting Strength style) to a plan structured around the concepts of Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 -- there are a TON of variations of this routine, some suggested by Wendler himself in Beyond 5/3/1, so it's very flexible and adaptable to different motives. Because it focuses on just one (in theory) lift per workout, there is a big focus on making sure you choose accessory work that works for you and your goals -- I use a very bodyweight-conditioning focused set of accessory exercises plus a few weighted ones to address some weaknesses (mostly just deadlift variations that focus more on glutes/hams). It sounds a bit complicated, but I use this calculator every 3 weeks to calculate my workouts, write them down, and then just follow the plan for the next three weeks -- 0 thinking required.

 

One of the biggest perks of the 5/3/1 plan is that your goal is to be in and out of the gym in UNDER AN HOUR -- even with warm-ups and stretching. Sometimes I flirt with the hour limit when I want to do lots of extra accessory work or cardio, but generally it's under 60 minutes for me. Also because I am not doing three big compound lifts every workout, I actually have energy for gymnastics. 

 

While my lifting plan is very structured, my gymnastics is decidedly not. I go to open gym twice a week and our team practice on Saturday mornings. The first 20 minutes is always just a light cardio warm-up and heavy duty stretching. Then I usually do floor warm-ups which include handstands, handstand variations such as pirouettes/walking/shoulder blocks and then cartwheels, aerials, walkovers, handsprings, round-offs, eventually into basic tumbling passes. I'll either stick around on floor for another hour to focus on tumbling or move to another event such as uneven bars or beam to focus on skills there. Basically, I just do whatever feels good and I know needs to be worked on -- one of the problems with adult gymnastics is that something on your body is ALWAYS nagging you, so practice becomes an art of dancing around and doing whatever hurts the least. 

 

For me, my week looks like this:

 

Monday: 2 hours gymnastics practice

Tuesday: Deadlifts + Overhead Press

Wednesday: [rest usually]

Thursday: 2 hours gymnastics practice

Friday: Bench 

Saturday: 1.5 - 3.5 hours gymnastics practice

Sunday: Squat

 

If you want more specifics including my accessories and reps/weights, I think I logged most of my workouts in the previous challenge -- http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/54120-raptron-hits-where-it-hurts/?p=1213616

 

Awesome challenge and I'm so happy to see last challenge's things helped! 

 

You'll have to let us know how you get on with HIIT as I've been contemplating integrating that and am not sure it's worth the wanting to vomit if you do it right haha. 

 

When do the gymnastic competitions start? Very excited to follow this. Also pics of the new wardrobe!

Oh, I'm sure I'll bitch and moan in here something fierce. I'm not sure how well I will be able to see any rewards until I start doing runthroughs or other forms of cardio to evaluate it. Maybe I should make myself run a mile or two at the start and at the end of the challenge as a benchmark to see how much if any impact the HIIT. 

 

First meet isn't until February, but we have an in-house practice meet January 3rd and routine run-throughs on December 6th.

 

And pics of course! I'll probably need a bit of help in the elimination stages, so pics will definitely follow.

[Raxie]

That 5/3/1 program is interesting.  I'll likely be getting into real lifting next year and have been poking around for programs.  I'll probably end up doing starting strength but am really interested in reading about other alternatives.  It's great that it leaves room for energy for other stuff!

[Wolverine]

Welcome back and helllooooo again.

 

So, I switched from a linear lifting progression with multiple big lifts per day (Starting Strength style) to a plan structured around the concepts of Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 -- there are a TON of variations of this routine, some suggested by Wendler himself in Beyond 5/3/1, so it's very flexible and adaptable to different motives. Because it focuses on just one (in theory) lift per workout, there is a big focus on making sure you choose accessory work that works for you and your goals -- I use a very bodyweight-conditioning focused set of accessory exercises plus a few weighted ones to address some weaknesses (mostly just deadlift variations that focus more on glutes/hams). It sounds a bit complicated, but I use this calculator every 3 weeks to calculate my workouts, write them down, and then just follow the plan for the next three weeks -- 0 thinking required.

 

One of the biggest perks of the 5/3/1 plan is that your goal is to be in and out of the gym in UNDER AN HOUR -- even with warm-ups and stretching. Sometimes I flirt with the hour limit when I want to do lots of extra accessory work or cardio, but generally it's under 60 minutes for me. Also because I am not doing three big compound lifts every workout, I actually have energy for gymnastics. 

 

While my lifting plan is very structured, my gymnastics is decidedly not. I go to open gym twice a week and our team practice on Saturday mornings. The first 20 minutes is always just a light cardio warm-up and heavy duty stretching. Then I usually do floor warm-ups which include handstands, handstand variations such as pirouettes/walking/shoulder blocks and then cartwheels, aerials, walkovers, handsprings, round-offs, eventually into basic tumbling passes. I'll either stick around on floor for another hour to focus on tumbling or move to another event such as uneven bars or beam to focus on skills there. Basically, I just do whatever feels good and I know needs to be worked on -- one of the problems with adult gymnastics is that something on your body is ALWAYS nagging you, so practice becomes an art of dancing around and doing whatever hurts the least. 

 

For me, my week looks like this:

 

Monday: 2 hours gymnastics practice

Tuesday: Deadlifts + Overhead Press

Wednesday: [rest usually]

Thursday: 2 hours gymnastics practice

Friday: Bench 

Saturday: 1.5 - 3.5 hours gymnastics practice

Sunday: Squat

 

If you want more specifics including my accessories and reps/weights, I think I logged most of my workouts in the previous challenge -- http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/54120-raptron-hits-where-it-hurts/?p=1213616

 

Awesome!  Thanks!

 

I've run a couple of 5/3/1 cycles and a bunch of gymnastics/bodyweight cycles, but never together.  You've given me ideas of where to focus my routine when I'm back in full fighting force in a couple of weeks.  The rings are dusty and the squat rack is dusty... I'm stoked about the possibility of not having to choose one over the other.

[raptron]

Gotcha, They CAN be combined, definitely!

 

I'm limited with the arrangement of my workouts because the gymnastics gym is only open certain days. If you've got more freedom, I'd put deadlift day after a rest day if possible.

 

Doing squats -> gymnastics (which has a lot of legs on tumbling days especially) -> deadlift day is less than ideal. My posterior chain is a bit toast by the time DL day rolls around, unfortunately, but this is just the schedule that winds up working the best logistically. 

[AgentsSka]

Hiiii! I love you!

 

We get to hug in a week!

 

chammy is coming back out?  How did I miss this?

[Shukar]

Subscribing for awesome syncretization of training. Also because we're both working on Junk this challenge.

[chammy]

chammy is coming back out?  How did I miss this?

You don't hang out in chat. But yes, I'll be in your city from the 13th-18th!

[AgentsSka]

You don't hang out in chat. But yes, I'll be in your city from the 13th-18th!

Sweet!!

[raptron]

Yeah, Ska! We're gonna have small wings, PR pixies, monk kickers, sturdy cat feet, giants from the great white north, monkey-armed freaks, chi city biffles, heavylifting wizards, evening comfort lights, and MOREEEEEEE. NF madness incoming.

 

Also hiii Shu.

[RisenPhoenix]

Oh hey.  You wrote stuff.

 

chammy is coming back out?  How did I miss this?

You don't hang out in chat. But yes, I'll be in your city from the 13th-18th!

 

Wait, I thought I TOLD you that Chammy was coming out.  Maybe the coffee just didn't hit my brain enough for me to actually speak the words in my brain.  That is a very high probability.

 

 

Yeah, Ska! We're gonna have small wings, PR pixies, monk kickers, sturdy cat feet, giants from the great white north, monkey-armed freaks, chi city biffles, heavylifting wizards, evening comfort lights, and MOREEEEEEE. NF madness incoming.

 

Also hiii Shu.

 

And I love this as a descriptor for everyone coming.

[chammy]

And I love this as a descriptor for everyone coming.

I think evening comfort lights is my favorite.

[nightlight]

*poke*