Category: Gymnastics / Bootcamp

Since the gym is dead, I now refer to the gymnastics club as the gym. This is the bootcamp, the workouts with the kids (which are also mostly crossfit inspired) and other gym related activities

R8D65 – Bootcamp Redux Day 1

Today was the start of the second bootcamp session, we are doing 2 days a week now so I decided to bring in the scale and let the participants get their bodyfat measured before we start and then after we are done. Two days a week of bootcamp should make a difference to them no matter if it is strength gain, weight loss or bodyfat loss. I have decided on a 3 day rotation for the class of bodyweight work, weights work and finally a cardio/plyometric day. That way, if they can only come one day a week they won’t get stuck with the same type of workout each time. So we did the weigh in and got to work. Since it is part of the gymnastics class now, the gym girls were there too which is going to make the class pretty big some days.

Before I list the workout though I want to just pat myself on the back a little if you don’t mind.

Last night when I got on the scale I was 231lbs and 15% bodyfat. Now it’s been a while since I posted any of my goals and even though I consistently tell people that it’s not the weight that is important, it’s the bodyfat, I still wanted to get under 220lbs. However, it seems as though I have somehow, without even realizing it, dropped to my goal percentage while my weight has (at times frustratingly) gone nowhere.

As an update seems appropriate so here we go:

Start:
Weight 295 lbs (I was probably too embarrassed to put 300!)
Bodyfat 30%
Lean Mass 206.5 lbs
Fat Mass 88.5 lbs
Waist 50″

Current:
Weight 231 lbs
Bodyfat 15%
Lean Mass 196 lbs
Fat Mass 35 lbs
Waist 37″

Loss:
Weight 64 lbs
Bodyfat 15% – THAT’S 50% OF MY STARTING FAT PERCENTAGE!!!
Lean Mass 10.5 lbs
Fat Mass 53.5 lbs
Waist 13″

I still can’t believe that I have managed to pull off 15% body fat, the last time I was under 15% was when I was at university!

As for the bootcamp peeps, the range was pretty healthy from 21-27% and to be honest I don’t expect to see much of a change since I think most of the participants could use some strength gains not percentage losses.

The class looked something like this:

Warmup followed by…
Cardio Warmup 3 rounds – slow med fast
jog heels up
jog knees up
jumping jacks
heisman
123`s

Chest and abs 3x60s with 30s rest

Regular pushups
Insanity in and out abs
Military Pushups
vsnaps

Arm support and abs 3×10 reps with 30s rest

ARX in and out
push up single balance
Ski Abs
Plank to elbow and back

Basic static legs – sets of 10×3
Air Squats
lunge walk then lunge kick
squat jacks
mary katherine switch

You Need To Know This – Health and Fitness 101, The Basics

I guess I should expect it given where I came from…

I get asked with great regularity about my exercise, diet and motivation. I consider it a privilege to share my knowledge and in that spirit I have put together a basic list of the things that have influenced how I think. Some are my original thoughts, some are not, but it’s all part and parcel of what made me who I am today.

First, let’s get the diet out of the way.

Most of you already know my diet is paleo. It’s what I do and it is what I recommend. Even for kids I don’t see the value in eating grains that are processed and have very little in the way of nutritional value. Eat whole foods, drink water.

Eat like a predator, not prey
What are my reasons for eating paleo? (Other than losing 65lbs?)
Why I eat paleo (By Fitbomb)
Refined Carbs are Just Plain Bad  – including the part about exorphins, or why your body craves carbs like an addict craves coke
Its Carbs not fat that are the problem
Why Paleo isn’t low carb

Now you know how to eat and why let’s quickly address the darling of the weight loss myth – Cardio.

Kettlebells Vs Cardio - The dishonour of cardio
Forget what you think you know – Why cardio is killing you (especially this: 10 reasons I don’t do aerobics)
Why do HIIT – A special nod to my gym girls

The mental game. Why it’s critical to develop mental focus, strength and have a healthy work ethic. Fear and motivation are two topics that come up a lot with my gym girls, and it’s also something I see in the faces of my bootcamp participants. Fear is good, fear is healthy, fear is there to tell you that you are about to become better.

For the kids – Some things you should know…
Fear – Face it, defeat it. Over the years I have had kids who were afraid. Most aren’t any more because they know better.
A big enough WHY? Find your reason, without it you are lost.
Stop listening to yourself – long but well worth the read. PROTECT THIS HOUSE!

So there you have it for now. Some stuff I have written, some links to very good information out there on the web and some stuff I admit I stole because I think it will help you. It’s all important, come back again and again to take what you need and as you do, learn how to coach yourself through life and be the best that you can be for you, your family and those with whom you can share the knowledge.

R8D61/3 – It’s All About The Fun From Here.

After my bout with a sick stomach and my Firstbeat Athlete telling me I am a slacker I am proud to report that after today I will have participated in 10 of the last 11 days. I have a busy weekend coming that will mean some heavy Kettlebell work which should put me in a great position for the start of Bootcamp Doubles next week. I also noted that Courage Wolf at left is correct, I don’t even want to have to say I will drop that last 10 lbs on Jan 1st, I want to be done with the goal I set! It’s kind of like buying Christmas presents… Why wait until the last second to get it done when you can start 30 days early and coast across the line basking in your own little pool of glory!

Christmas of course is diet season for most. Not diet in the healthy lifestyle type way either, it’s the time of year for overindulgence followed by guilt fasting. It’s funny how if someone offered you a plate of blondies and a pie or two in the summer out on the patio while you are in your bikini / shorts you would turn your head away but since it’s snowy and cold and nobody can see your muffin top you are fine with it. Do yourself a favour and just remember that while nobody can see is when you can set them up for the big surprise come the spring. I don’t know why, I always seemed to be better at staying on track and getting results during the winter months. Maybe it was a throwback to my university days, starting in September it was a non stop war on your body until Christmas with the rugby season and then after the Christmas break it was time for intramural sports and teaching aerobics. Summer always seemed like time off to me back then, maybe that’s what affected me. Either way, winter for me was a cake walk, for most others it seems to be a cake fest…

Disturbing quote of the day: “How much more do I have left?”. Got me thinking about the long loooong road ahead. It’s nice that I have come so far, and to know I am on the right road, going in the right direction, but it’s a lifelong journey so I say don’t sweat it. It’s time to switch from the goal oriented, pressure cooker situation of weight loss and base fitness development and time to move into the sheer enjoyment and exhilaration of being in shape, doing sports or workouts you enjoy and using your body for the fun things in life not just as a vehicle to make you feel better about yourself. I see people falling off the wagon all around me and it used to bother me, to stress me out thinking I was next and that always marked the beginning of the slippery slope for me. No more, I can handle it now, it’s not part of my lifestyle any more to worry about my food.

Food is fuel, not love, not companionship, not reward.

The winds of change are blowing. It’s time for floor and beam routines for the gymnastics girls, time to get down to the real work of being a competitive gymnast and for me, to crack down on the slacking and get some results. Also it’s bootcamp doubles for me and a fundamental shift in my workout philosophy starting with my participation in P90X2 once I get my hands on it as an indication not of my need to stick to a planned system, but allowing myself to do something I know I am going to enjoy.

It’s all about the fun from here.

As a matter of record, I did olympic lifting practice on Thursday after bootcamp Wednesday and for Friday I did a 6k run even though I hate running with a passion. Maybe that can be my new year’s resolution in place of weight loss. Give up on trying to make myself enjoy running. It’s stupid, boring, pointless and I hate it and I am just not going to do it any more.

R8D53 – Bootcamp 10

I can’t believe it’s been 10 weeks of bootcamp already!

I wanted to do a quick synopsis to get an idea of what to do tonight…

Week 1 – Intro mostly chest and legs
Week 2 –  Tabata, arms, abs, mobility and plyo/legs
Week 3 –  Abs and leg agility with boxes
Week 4 –  Chest and arms plus cardio. Basic plyo
Week 5 –  Weights intro. Chest, shoulders, arms, abs
Week 6 –  Weights and Cardio. Bonus Abs
Week 7 –  Weighted Legs and Abs
Week 8 – Boxes! Cardio Shoulders and Arms
Week 9 – 20-14-8 All around weights with agility fast feet
Week 10 –  True Interval Cardio 120s/30s. Bonus Abs.

So that means today being week 10 it’s time for true interval training. That means timed intervals, no cheating, no overworking (or over resting).

Warmup x3 increasing 30s each
jog
jumping jacks
log jumps
123
heels
knees
vertical jumps

Workout
30s each with 30s rest X3

power jumps
belt kicks
hit the floor
v pushups
BONUS – Floor dips

Log Jumps
Frog jumps
step out pushups
floor sprints
BONUS – 8 hop squats 8 squat push back (then 4/2/1)

Abs

In and out
crunchy frog
reach triple 10s – thighs, knees, feet
cross reach triple 10s – thighs, knees, feet
arx bicycles 25 fwd and back
laying bicycles 4×10 on count
bridge reach triples – shoulder bridge after each one

 

R8D51 – Pick A Poison

Last night with the girls I gave them the option of doing one of 4 items. They were supposed to do 10 of each for a total of 20 in 20 minutes. I later decided that choice was not something you give a teenager so I made them do 5 of each. In fact they only made 11 total not 20 which was not impressive at all. However… I only made 15 so I guess my expectations were a little high!

The choices they didn’t get to make were:
Pick a poison

5x each one

5 chin up
10 push up
15 air squat

5 hip pullover
10 beam jumps
15 lunge switch

5 skin cat recover
10 leg lifts
15 vsnaps

5 ring inversions
10 dips
15 handstand shoulder touch

Tuesday I really, REALLY didn’t want to work out but I thought I would just go grab a random Insanity DVD and see how I felt. I picked Cardio power and resistance and in under 40 minutes I was done, grateful and relieved I had actually done something. I don’t do enough Insanity, in fact, I don’t really do enough DVD work at all any more but I suppose that will change as the weather gets colder and I refuse to go out on the deck or even into the garage to work out. This insanity DVD is good, it’s actually one of my favourites but I think I may say that about all of them now that I don’t have to do one every day!

R8D48 – Bootcamp 9

Bootcamp 9

20-14-8

curls
presses
weighted squat
AGILITY
hammer curl
reverse press
military pushup
AGILITY
push ups
laying fly
laying pullover
AGILITY
walking lunge
weighted pistol with knee lift
air squat
AGILITY
plank hold 60s
elbow plank hold 60s
plank walk in 10x
plank walk side 5x each
plank hold 60s
elbow plank hold 60s

AGILITY SECTION

2 foot jumps over line full length forwards and back
over and tap along full line x2
ski jumps 90* turns 20x

R8D45/7 – Head Down, Blinkers On, Legs Pumping

I feel like a racehorse during a long race. I remember when I was young we used to live by a horse racing course which was quite a large circuit, I would guess 4 miles or so. There was a big stand at the far side of the Knavesmire in Dringhouses that lined the start / finish line but the course itself went around the whole area, at one point coming close to the woods where my mates and I used to play on our bikes. I remember on occasion when the races were on that we would peek out from the woods, hanging off the railings watching these magnificent animals screaming past as the jockeys shouted at each other to make room, or occasionally, laughing with each other at full tilt. Because we were at the very back of the course, it was a lull in the race, the jockeys obviously relaxed, the animals well out of ear shot of the grandstands but there they were, heads down, blinkers on, legs furiously pumping as they carried their tiny payloads towards the finish. That’s exactly how I feel during the dog days of a 90 day program, it’s more than half over, but you are in that 60-80% range where the end seems too far away and the start is a distant memory. It’s the time when you need to cruise on autopilot for a while, stick to the plan and keep your head down.

My days 45-48 looked like this:

RKC 34555 plus extra presses – With a 45lb bell, but extra 45 presses per arm
100 pullups 300 pushups – sets of 30+10 with some active rest (jacks or jog)
2k+3k runs – Yes, I actually did 2 2k runs, in fact, the second one was slightly over 3k if I remember accurately.
Bootcamp 9 – 20-14-8 –  As outlined on the next post.

Day 49 should include some pullups at the gym with the girls and then a weekend of Beachbody specials, Insanity and P90X!

 

R8D43 – Bootcamp 8, The Blocks

Bootcamp this week was a good one, but a weird one. On completing the workout I wondered if it was enough, if it was difficult or interesting enough and for the first time during this bootcamp I was a little nervous about it. Turns out though that this was a hit! We used the blocks that the athletes use, they are about 5 feet long, 18 inches wide and maybe 10 inches high. They are good for jump ups, step ups and even for dips although higher boxes would have been better for the dips. I was pretty much putting all my eggs in one basket because if we had seen enough participants we would have run out of boxes! Anyway, it worked out fine and we did the following:

For sets of either 10 or 20:

Section 1:

step up
step switch
jump up
box jacks

10 incline pushup
10 decline pushup
10 uneven pushup – 5 per
10 step up push up or sphinx

Section 2:

jump up and down run back
Clear jump run back
side to side step down jump down
end jump up jack down jack up jump down

10 dips
10 stack foot dips 5 per
10 leg up dips – 5 per
10 alt shoulder touch dip

Section 3:

shoulder bridge hold 30s
10 per alt reach to vertical
10 per alt heel touch
10 per alt leg lift

 

The shoulder bridge is hard to imagine but it’s kind of like pilates, but difficult… In stabilizing the shoulders off the floor you are able to prevent the participant form using their arms to stabilize themselves and therefore they are forced to use their core.

 

R8D34-36 – Empty House

My parents who were here for the last 2 weeks leave today which is sad in many ways, yet a relief in one way. I made a deal with myself that I wouldn’t stress about my workouts or my diet while they were here and I managed to do just that. In fact, my relaxed attitude enabled me to enjoy their company even more and although it seems illogical, I think I worked out just as much as I normally would have. The visit was a great break from work, I did a couple of 2 day weeks back to back which in itself is just as good as a rest! I am happy to report that the visit was a resounding success! It is a relief though to get back to the comfort of my usual schedule. Here is a brief list of what I did the last few days including the bootcamp class on Wednesday.

D34 – Bootcamp

Week 6 – Weights and Cardio

5 moves repeat 3x with 10’s at least.

curls
press
military push
double dumbbell jump
double dumbbell agility apart

high pull
alternate press
pushup and db pull
circle run
dumbbell jump back to front

curl and press
in and out shoulders
plank dumbell walk (one line to next fwd/back)
lunge walk
suicides

4xburpee
4xpushup burpee
4xpushup run burpee
4xpushup run in and out burpee

abs work for last 15
for 10’s
in and out
arx bicycles
scissors
jack and jill 1-5
leg up toe touch (half vsnap)
triple flat bicycle
Full rainbow
jack and jill 5-10

D35 – Abs with gym girls and single run through of above bootcamp (instead of 3x)

D36 – Olympic Lift compound move

Start with loaded barbell
Deadlift to standing
Clean to shoulder
Push press to extend
Lower to back of neck
Back Squat push press to extend
Lower weight to shoulder
Lower to thigh
Lower to ground

I planned on doing the same as I do for RKC, that is to say do 1 rep, do 1 chinup, 2 reps, 2 chinups and so on to 3 then 4 then 5 then 4 then 3.

That gave me a total of 6,10,15,10,6 reps plus pullups for a grand total of 47 reps with 115lbs. It was not tough all over, but it was hard on my back and the next day I was quite sore. However, it is a great compound workout for doing basically everything you need (especially once you add in the pullups to hit the biceps). It is also a good benchmark of my strength and something I can work towards as a whole body conditioning indicator. Maybe I should try and get back to 155 on the bar and try it again, but it’s not something I relish doing.

I think this week it’s time for an Insanity workout, seems like weeks since I saw Shaun T.

R8D31-33 – Variety Or Laziness?

Day 31 was Friday, as in the past weeks I took Thursday after bootcamp as a rest day. Friday I did a mini Fran with the girls at gym but instead of just thrusters and chinups they did:

10-15-10-15-5

Thrusters
Chin Ups
Push Ups
V Snaps

Saturday we were at a hotel out of town so I took my trusty 45lb kettlebell and did the following:

1 clean and press per side
1 snatch per side
10 swings

then followed with 2 plus 20, 3 plus 30, 4 plus 40 and finally 5 plus 50. I did the whole thing twice which netted me:
30 clean and press each side
30 snatch each side
300 swings

I had designed it to revisit my ability to do longer term swings. It was just as tough as I recall doing 40 then 50 swings and having my grip almost fail towards the end.

Sunday – off

Monday I decided I would run a 5k so with a pace that would probably make an arthritic dog feel fit I ran the treadmill to try and give my upper body a break. I didn’t even work out with the girls at gym Monday night, which I have to say I felt a little guilty about.

I am going to try and get back on track somewhat, it seems like forever since I actually put a DVD in the player and followed along. I feel like I am being lazy not following a program and improvising what I am doing. That and I also feel like I am not rotating the workouts properly either. I feel like my weight is going up, something that I am too scared even to confirm on the scale, but I know I am not wrong.

Time to get back to basics I guess.