Gymnastics / Bootcamp – Page 9 – Something Beats Nothing Every Time

Just to be clear

I wanted to post a little something about my recent foray back into what most would consider weight training. That is to say good old fashioned bench press! I really just wanted to make sure I had documented the type and the volume of workouts that I have been doing. Let’s take this week for an example. On Monday I had a short bootcamp which was mainly just abs since I had decided I would use march break as a rest week of sorts. However on Tuesday I decided to go with bench press and close grip bench. Bench was first and since it’s been a LOOOONG time since I did any benching I was only able to get up to 265lbs but I started at 95 which was, well, rather embarrassing actually. I did the following:

4×10 95
3×10 115
2×10 135
2×10 165
2×10 185
2×10 225
2×5 265

I calculated the total out to be a shade under 20,000lbs which is a little light compared to the 30K I used to do for major bodyparts. Since I was pretty happy with myself and I knew I realized that I needed some bicep work I figured I would do some straight bar curls the next day to get a solid workout done. I made out the same calculations and got to a total of around 10Klbs which isn’t bad however I only managed to get up to 115lbs. Not too impressive. I guess I am a little restless because I haven’t been planning or recording like I used to. The Olympic lifting is great but I find I am often sore across the low back and have to make up a workout to keep it safe. Whatever it is, I have found myself back on the bench and enjoying it, I still feel that no matter how fit I am, there is nothing like feeling that raw beast strength.

On The Rebound?

It’s no coincidence that my ongoing struggle with this mysterious 8lbs I have gained is going hand in hand with my inability to keep up to date here. My focus is on work and family rather than on my fitness at this point and I need to redress the balance.

Last week was a strange one, I was on training all week and so after bootcamp monday I did a workout on tuesday but I can’t remember what it was. I think it was probably Tapout XT and tehn another bootcamp on Wednesday. Thursday was olympic lifting, Friday I was off and Saturday I think was a P90X2 workout. Sunday my wife and I went to the new gym up the street for a laugh and I did some push press work and some chinups. It’s now Monday and we are back to bootcamp which should look something like this:

Decending ascending

15 Curls
10 Curl and press
5 Burpee curl and press

15 high pull
10 high pull front raise
5 high pull front raise side raise

15 crunch
10 crunch vsnap
5 crunch vsnap bicycle

15 flat leg lift
10 leg lift vsnap
5 leg lift vsnap full situp

15 squat
10 squat mk
5 squat mk front lunge

15 curls
15 high pull
15 crunch
15 vsnap
15 squat

5 burpee curl
5 burpee curl and press
10 military
10 military row
15 pushup
15 pushup in and out

isolation
10 knee curls
10 laying tri cross extension
10 laying pullovers
10 laying fly

Bootcamps Wednesday Cardio

This was the first time in a long time we have done cardio of any kind. I didn’t like it but at least it gave us a chance to hit the events hard afterwards.

Cardio Legs and Agility over foam rollers

10 Air Squat
10 Jump squat
10 step over fwd and back with tap
10 jump over fwd turn and fwd

20 air squat
10 horse stance jacks
10 over and run around back
10 jump over and run back
walk stairs 10 times

Sideways
10 pop squats
10 super skater elbows each side
10 toe touch knee raise
20 frog squats no jump
walk stairs 10 times

10 squat jump over
10 super skater cardio jump over
10 single leg squat jump over
10 frog jump over
10 Sissy squats against wall

10 double squat jump over
10 super skater doubles with elbow touch
10 double single leg squat jump over
10 frog jump followed by jump over
10 sissy squats against wall
Walk stairs 10 times

Adding skills

5 jacks then jump over x10
5 MK switch then jump over x10
20 side to side jump
5 pushups 5 jumps x5

10 single burpee with jump over
5 jacks 5 jumps x5
10 single burpee with 5 jumps
5 sphinx to plank 5 jumps x5

Any time left?

25 in and out
10 roll to boat hold
25 in and out arms up
50 crunches
25 side crunch each side
25 floor leg lifts butt up

Longest Bootcamp Ever

Bodyweight Last Week

STABILITY BALL
5 SB burpee with ball
20 SB plank run
5 SB pushup boing
20 SB elbow plank run
10 SB plank jacks

10 SB burpee with ball
40 SB plank run
10 SB pushup boing
40 SB elbow plank run
20 SB plank jacks

20 shoulder crunch
20 leg up crunch
10 full situp double twist
10 side crunch arm up
10 hanging curl up

10 pullups
10 regular pushups
10 military pushups
10 sphinx to plank step or drop
10 pushup side hold

20 shoulder crunch
20 leg up crunch
10 full situp double twist
10 side crunch
10 hanging leg raise

10 Sissy Squats
20 Air squats
20 step back lunge front kick
20 belt kicks
20 front lunge

10 SB regular pushups
10 SB military pushups
10 SB sphinx to plank step or drop
10 SB pushup side hold
10 pullups

10 SB decline regular pushups
10 SB decline military pushups
10 SB decline sphinx to plank step or drop
10 SB decline pushup side hold
10 pullups

20 Air squats
20 step back lunge front kick
20 belt kicks
20 front lunge
10 assisted squats half distance (Sissy Squats)

10 pullups
20 single leg knee raise
20 super skaters
30 second chair pose
10 front kick back kick each side

20 shoulder touch
20 hip touch
10 spider each side
10 knee to elbow each
10 knee to opposite elbow each

10 pullups
20 single leg knee raise
20 super skaters
30 second chair pose
10 assisted squats full distance (Sissy Squats)

10 pushup step out
10 clap pushup
10 plyo pushup
10 pushup side raise leg raise
5 Worlds slowest burpee with clap

Calm Down

So the back issue passed apparently without incident however I was unable to really push myself as hard as I wanted this week. After Family Day off coaching I did a tuesday workout that I can’t really remember but I think was a P90X2 whole body affair. Wednesday was bootcamp and we did a cardio abs session similar to the last one but with variations I will have to embellish on next time. Thursday I did another P90X2 workout of PAP Lower, a workout I had never done before and which I enjoyed but it made my already sore ITB even worse. Today I took off, partly because I was sore but also because there were really no kids to do gymnastics conditioning with. It’s been a tough week with the threat of back spasms or a lengthy downtime hanging over my head but I hope starting tomorrow I can turn up the wick and get back to the serious work of keeping myself in shape.

Bootcamps This Week. Double Down!

First time ever, here are both bootcamp workouts from this week. Bodyweight on Monday and weights last night.

7.5.1 Bodyweight

10 regular pushups
10 military pushups
10 sphinx to plank step or drop
10 pushup side raise
10 pullups

10 air squats reg
10 2 way lunge front and side
10 1 leg squat knee raise
10 air squats half bounce
10 pullups

20 in and out row
20 roll to boat hold
20 bicycle with leg extension
20 arms up in and out
20 pullups

10 pushup
10 clap pushup
10 plyo pushup
10 pushup side raise toe touch
10 pullups

ONTO BOXES AGAINST WALL

10 dips legs bent
10 dips legs straight
10 dips one leg raised
10 leg lifts

regular pushups 10 decline 10 incline
military pushups 10 decline 10 incline
sphinx to plank step or drop 10 decline 10 incline
pushup side raise 10 decline 10 incline

20 Crunchy Frog
20 superman banana with vsnap
20 laying triple bicycles
20 full situps

7.5.2 Weights – The Mixup

10 curls
10 press
10 tri ext
10 high pull
10 squat

Drop sets
10 + 10 curls
10 + 10 press
10 + 10 tri ext
10 + 10 high pull
10 + 10 squat

10 lunge squats each leg
10 Thruster
10 squats
10 curl and press

x2
10 chest press
10 fly
10 pullover
10 pushups
10 military
10 Half hindu

25 crunch
20 full rainbow
15 vsnap
10 full situp

4+4+4×3
Shoulder press + squat + thruster
row + shoulder fly + clean and press
(Military pushup + kneeling extension + overhead ext) – Skipped
Curl + press + arnold curl and press

Cruelty Bonus

Burpee curl and press

Bootcamp Wednesday

We did another cardio abs type workout today, nothing too strenuous unless you actually did the whole thing!

Crunch section

25 shoulder crunch
25 crunchy frog
25 side crunch each side
25 pulse crunch – no shoulders down
10 in and out
10 ski abs
20 dog raise each side
20 kneeling lunge lift each side

5 burpee
5 burpee with 8 run
5 burpee with 8 run and 4 in and out
5 burpee with tuck jump

Bicycle section

40 laying bicycle no switch
40 ab ripper bicycles fwd and back
40 laying bicycle with switch
20 plank knees to elbow
20 plank knees cross
10 falling towers
20 kneeling half circles

Combo section x2

10 vsnap crunch vsnap
10 crunch crunch full
10 4bicycles 2 vsnaps
10 level 1 drill 4 run 2 in and out
10 roll to boat hold

20 plank jacks
10 plank jacks with in and out
10 plank jacks with in and out and knee cross
10 in and out crunches knees to elbows
10 vsnaps

5 burpee
5 burpee with 8 run
5 burpee with 8 run and 4 in and out
5 burpee with tuck jump

40 side knee raise
20 swing kicks
20 side knee with itb lift no alternating

Bonus

Up dog to down dog lift leg knee to elbow and back
Hindu pushups

Keep Up

Since the infamous Body Beast on Wednesday I managed to squeeze in an RKC workout at work on Friday, an Insanity cardio workout on Saturday and a Deadlift workout on Sunday. Add that to the Bootcamp from last night and I seem to be almost on a roll of sorts.

I picked Pure Cardio for my insanity workout mostly because I had soreness in my shoulder and didn’t want to do too much of the plank or burpee action. My deadlifting is still sadly lacking and I am barely squeaking over 205lbs all the while being careful not to shatter my spine. I am going to try and get up to at least 225lbs in the next month and from there, who knows.

My RKC workout that used to be just ladders of clean and press with pullups is now changing into a more challenging and varied kettlebell workout. I have started to incorporate much more squat, high pull, snatch and swings into the workout to keep it more interesting. I have also managed to get my hands on another Art Of Strength workout titled Providence which I am hoping will add more fuel to the fire. Here’s the latest bootcamp, feel free to tell me if you find it challenging…

7.4.1 – Weights and stability ball

Chest Press
Chest Fly
Chest pullover
Single arm hammer tricep
Kneeling press
Kneeling curl
10 Wallball with pushup

Plank row
Plank row with pushup
Military on db
Kneeling press
Kneeling tricep extension
Kneeling bicep curl against knee
10 wallball with in and out abs

Med ball crunch
mb foot hold in and out
Side crunch hold mb high
mb knee hold crunchy frog
foot to hand vsnap passes
mb chest hold full situp

Chest press alternating
face up overhead fly alternating
Overhead pullover alternating
alternating shoulder press
alternating bicep curl
Single tricep extension overhead
10 wallball with military

High Pull
Halo
Ribbon (extended halo)
Hammer double curls
Military clap
Regular Clap
Plyo Pushup with clap

cooldown
Twisting half moon both sides
warrior 1-3 both sides

Body Beast – Finally, Victims.

I have done this workout twice, both times with the same person, the only one I can count on to work hard every day. It was about time to put someone else to the test so I waited until I knew most people would be here and I hit them with this:

7.3.1 Body Beast

10 regular pushups
10 military pushups
10 sphinx to plank step or drop
10 pushup side hold
10 pullups

10 Pushup with Military alternating
10 sphinx to plank with side hold
10 pushup with in and out
10 military with groiner step in

20 shoulder crunch
20 leg up crunch
10 full situp double twist
10 side crunch
10 hanging leg raise

10x 2 shoulder 1 full
10x 2 shoulder 1 vsnap
10x full with 2 side crunch

20 Air squats
20 step back lunge front kick
20 belt kicks
20 front lunge
10 pullups

20 air squat with pop squat
20 front lunge back lunge
20 belt kick tuck jump
10 chest pullups

20 shoulder touch
20 hip touch
10 spider each side
10 knee to elbow each
10 knee to opposite elbow each

20 shoulder touch with pushup
20 hip touch with military
10 spider each with cross knees to elbows

20 single leg knee raise
20 super skaters
30 second chair pose
20 side lunge
60s squat hold with 10 half reps

20 super skater knee to elbow
20 side lunge leg raise (outside leg plus squat)
20 side lunge leg raise – inside leg
30 second chair twist each
10 pullups alternate hands

Bootcamp Abs and Momentum!

Last Wednesday we did an abs workout for bootcamp, I was sore for days after since we really went after our weakness, the hip flexor. Once the Wednesday was done I had swimming with the toddlers on Thursday so decided to take that day off too. The problem with doing that is I end up with having to face 4 days in a row in order to hit my 6 day quota. Anyway, this week I did OK, for the rest of my 4 days I did an RKC workout at work including 100 pullups and sprints on the treadmill. The weekend I did a Tapout XT workout with the heavy bag despite still having a sore index finger from a blister last time. I also did a short but brutal Olympic lift workout with deadlifts, cleans, power shrugs and power cleans while the power was out at our house. Today is another bootcamp and then maybe, just maybe a day of rest on tuesday.

Here’s the abs bootcamp:

7.2.2 Abs / Cardio Abs

x2
20 Pulse crunch
20 In and Out
20 straight leg toe touch alternate
20 Crunchy Frog
20 Side Crunch each side

5 burpee
5 burpee with 8 run
5 burpee with 8 run and 4 in and out

x2
20 plank jacks
10 plank jacks with in and out
10 plank jacks with in and out and knee cross
10 in and out crunches knees to elbows
10 vsnaps

5 burpee
5 burpee with pushup
5 burpee with pushup and tuck jump

x2
20 standing Knee raise to side
20 alternating high kicks
20 lunge to knee cross to elbow alternate
20 each hip flexor burner (knee, ext, lift)
20 side ITB lift each
20 sitting flex leg cross and back

Bonus

Falling Tower hold 5x10s
Roll to boat hold 5s
Side plank hold 10s alternate
10 spider each side
10 vsnap / pushup roll