Bootcamp Bodyweight Abs With Balls

Once again the abs workout went over time, I think it is the bar work that takes so long, not necessarily the chinups because I know they all cheat and only do a couple but rather the leg raises because it’s just a long slow exercise.

This is a good class, but 2 days later I really feel the rotation work we did in my mid back. My abs are fine, but I think doing the shelf stackers with an already sore back was not the smartest thing to do. It also means that whatever I do today is going to hurt!

This week I also got some disappointing news that one of my girls is no longer going to be training with me. I know this is the peril of working with kids this age, they all move along sooner rather than later but it never softens the blow of losing an athlete that you have been really working well with. It’s going to be tough moving on without her, but all I can do is wish her the very best and hope that she remembers her training time with happy memories and the motivation to keep herself active.

Here’s the Abs with Balls workout:

10 alternating foot touch crunch
10 regular pushups
10 full situp
10 side crunch
10 pullups

10 mb foot touch crunch
10 1 arm mb pushup
10 full situp with mb
20 side crunch
10 roll ups

10 mb foot hold SB situps
10 military pushups
10 side plank hip lowers
10 foot on SB roll ins
10 pullups

20 mb foot hold side crunch
10 mb pushups
10 mb side plank hip lowers
10 sb plank 360s each way
5 roll up hold for 5

x2
10 side plank leg raise / toe touch
10 spider each side / double spider
20 MB shelf stacker 10 per side
10 front lunge to warrior 3 / mb twist lunge
40 side rocker runners each side / plus medball hold

x2
40 running backs each arm
10 clap pushups
10 leg cross under hip touch floor each side
20 wall sit mb side touch
10 pullups alternate hands

x2
10 falling towers mb under butt
10 plyo pushup
30 second superman plank each
20 mb standing running back mb in and out each
10 chest pullups

 

Heavy Weights Day

I’m falling behind here folks, I am trying to find a way to launch a new site for my personal training business and at the same time have a spot for a fintess oriented blog in the same way this has served me so well. I want to use WordPress but I am having issues getting out of the blog headspace into the website attitude.

That said, our last bootcamp was based on this but actually looked nothing like it in the end. In fact it turned out to be a particularly brutal workout that left a lasting leg ache on all the participants.

Heavy Weight day

15 Plate curls
15 Plate shoulder Press
15 free Dips
15 Sumo high pull
10 chin ups

10 Squat plate curls
10 Squat plate press
10 weighted dips
10 squat sumo high pull
10 chin ups

no weight
20 in and out
20 ARX bicycles
20 full situp
20 russian twist

16 lunge walk (hug plate)
10 suitcase with floor touch each side
10 Halo each way
10 kneel downs each leg
10 chin ups

with plate
10 squat 3 calf raise
10 squat half bounce
10 squat knee raise
10 squat hop

20 air squats
10 each proposal squat
10 each lunge front no step
20 each weighted calf raise
10 Scapular Retractions

20 plate air squats
10 each plate proposal squat
10 plate each lunge front no step
20 plate each weighted calf raise
10 Scapular Retractions

10 Laying chest plate press
10 Laying chest plate pullover 2 way
10 Shoulder fly front to overhead
10 Shoulder fly front with high pull
10 halo

Oly update and Bootcamp Agility

Last night was bootcamp agility again, something that I think my participants are growing very fond of. For me, it’s difficult to find extra pieces to put into the cardio day to keep fresh but the agility ladder made of small hula hoops is a hit. This time we worked on some plank agility too, since your arms should be as agile as your feet shouldn’t they?

Hands behind line
10 plank step over and back
20 shoulder touch
5 burpee on floor
sideway in and out both cones

10 plank step over and back with pushup
10 shoulder touch with pushup
5 burpee on floor with sphinx plank
sideway in and out both cones

10 air squat
10 squat jumps
20 ski pole 90s
side jump in and out both cones

10 frog jumps
10 tuck jumps
10 jump 180s
side jump in and out both cones

10 side plank arm balance
10 superman 3 counts
5 burpee star jump
front facing jumping jacks both cones

10 pushup arm balance
10 superman knee to elbow
5 burpee tuck jump
front facing jumping jacks both cones

10 wall sissy squats
10 frog jumps
10 MK switch
front facing in and out both cones

20 wall sissy squats
20 frog jumps
20 MK switch arms up
front facing in and out both cones

10 pushups
10 Military pushups
10 Sphinx to plank
step in and through tap

10 Clapping pushups
10 Plyo pushups
10 heart to heart pushups
step in and through tap

14 long circle punisher

sideways in and out
sideways in and out jump
jumping jack in and out
step in and out
step in and tap through

Any hoop touch you start over
Try 3 times each

WOD, OLY and Bootcamp Bodyweight (Making Stuff Up)

Friday at the end of training we did a 20 round version of Chelsea, however since I have injured shoulders among my athletes there was some modification happening. I did chinups, pushups and squats but my girls (at least some) did VSnaps, handstands and squats. It was a 20 minute one per minute thing and I am happy to say we ALWAYS finish with at least 20 seconds to go. I remember the first few times I tried this and I would run out of time around about round 15 and never managed to get further than round 21. Now I would easily be able to make 30 in 30 although I have yet to try!

I went into work from midnight until 5am on Sunday morning after having rested all day Saturday in preparation. It didn’t really matter, I was still insanely tired on Sunday but I managed to crank out 100 deadlifts and 100 squats with 95lbs in around 20 minutes.

I am also trying to build a decent ab workout for bootcamp, I have some variations but nothing really bootcamp worthy.

So rather than rely on stuff I could find, I thought I would make some stuff up and see how they handled it.

Here’s the rundown, if you want to know what side rocker runners are, you will just have to email me and ask.

x2
10 full crunch
10 regular pushups
10 curl up to bar
10 pullups
10 side crunch

x2
20 leg up crunch
10 military pushups
10 mb situp double twist
10 pullups
10 hanging leg raise

x2
10 side plank leg raise / toe touch
10 spider each side
20 MB shelf stacker 10 per side
10 front lunge
40 side rocker runners each side

x2
40 running backs each arm
10 clap pushups
10 leg cross under hip touch floor each side
10 pullups alternate hands
20 wall sit mb side touch

x2
10 falling towers mb under butt
10 plyo pushup
30 second superman plank each
10 chest pullups
20 flutters low and middle only

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

 

Bootcamp 5.2.1 Cardio Agility With Blocks

I’m pretty happy with the decision to modify our “cardio” day to be an agility day instead, not only does it seem that the time passes very quickly but it’s far more entertaining and challenging for the participants. It’s well known that agility / fast feet / light steps are the key to effective movement in any sport, and the benefits for my participants are not just sport related but also, as I am finding. applicable to anyone who has small children. The next time you step on a small car, piece of lego or severed Barbie head, you let me know how your agility is!

 

Agility with blocks
OOO[          ]OOO

10 air squats
10 squat jumps
5 burpee on block
Side step + 3 step up x 5 each way

20 air squats
20 squat jumps
5 burpee on block
Side step + 3 step up x 5 each way

10 front lunge foot on block
10 mk switch fot on block
5 burpee pushup on block
side jump + 3 jump up x 5 each way

10 front lunge foot on block
10 mk switch fot on block
5 burpee pushup on block
side jump + 3 jump up x 5 each way

10 single leg squat knee lift
10 super skater jumps
5 burpee star jump
front facing jumping jacks + 3 block jacks x5 each way

10 pistol butt on block or single leg squat
10 super skater jumps
5 burpee 180
front facing jumping jacks + 3 block jacks x5 each way

10 wall sissy squats
10 frog jumps
5 pancake burpee
front facing jumping jacks + 3 block jacks x5 each way

20 wall sissy squats
20 frog jumps
5 pancake burpee
front facing jumping jacks + 3 block jacks x10

10 step back lunge
10 proposal switch
10 in and out plank abs
front facing wide to narrow steps + 3 on block x 10

10 step back lunge
10 proposal switch
10 in and out plank abs
front facing wide to narrow steps + 3 on block x 10

My Olympic Lifting Days

I have been working on my technique in the last few weeks, knowing that I really shouldn’t be trying to achieve higher weights if I want to control my size. I know that now, being a little older, it’s not always better to be or go bigger. That said, I have been trying to work my way into developing a solid clean and press where previously I was using the hang clean to do the movement. It has taken me a while but I am now at a point where I can comfortably do around 10 full cleans with squat and press without feeling like I am going to lose my balance or lose the bar.

I have also managed to work on my rack position so that the bar actually rests on my delts like it should but I am having a tough time with wrist flexibility and arm size. My arms are built in a way that makes it tough to get the forearm and bicep to occupy a similar space and for the wrist to maintain even the most rudimentary grip on the bar. I did notice during the Olympics that the way the pros do it is to take an extra little bump after the rack to get the hands under the bar ready to press. I’m trying to work on that.

Finally, since my squat is pretty solid I thought I would give overhead squats a try. It’s something I have tried in the past with mixed results, and by mixed I mean absolutely zero success. For some reason I can’t get my arms back far enough to balance, that is until I realized that my hands were FAR to close together. Once I slid my hands out to the end of the bar, like one would for a snatch, I found that I could squeeze out a couple of reps. I was pretty happy, but it is a very uncomfortable and strenuous activity, one that will require many many more attempts to become comfortable.

Since I am getting more comfortable I have also started doing multiple movements, specifically going from clean and press to back squat. Not only that, but a 4 movement set of deadlift, clean, clean and press, clean and press with squat. It’s becoming a lot of fun and I can definitely feel the benefit in my legs and my lower back.

 

 

Bootcamp 5 Day 2 – Weights, Blocks and Med Balls, Oh My!

Weights session 5 day 2

10 Clean
10 Swings
10 Clean and Press
10 Swings
10 Curl and press
10 Swings

Sitting on blocks Sets of 10 each

x2
Overhead pullover
Laying Fly face up
Sitting press
Sitting curl
tricep dips legs up on med ball
15 Wallball

x2
Plank row
Floor laying chest fly
Low kneel shoulder press
kneeling single arm curl
tricep dips legs up on med ball
15 Wallball

10 Clean
10 Swings
10 Clean and Press
10 Swings
10 Curl and press
10 Swings

x2
Overhead pullover alternating
face up overhead fly alternating
alternating shoulder press
alternating bicep curl
Military pushup feet on block
15 wallball

x2
High Pull
hero fly
Halo
Hammer double curls
Diamond Pushups
15 wallball

Bootcamp 5 Day 1

It’s time to start over again with the bootcamp. I just realised that I have been doing this bootcamp class for almost a year now, oh how time flies! I have to say that some of the people who have been here since the start have really come along. We are seeing better pushup numbers, some people actually able to do pullups unassisted and everyone without exception is getting compliments from their friends and family about how much they have changed. Mission accomplished…. so far!

D1 – 5.1.1 – Bodyweight

x2
10 regular pushups
10 military pushups
10 sphinx to plank step or drop
10 pushup side hold
10 pullups

x2
20 shoulder crunch
20 leg up crunch
10 full situp double twist
10 side crunch
10 hanging leg raise

x2
20 Air squats
20 step back lunge front kick
20 belt kicks
20 front lunge
10 pullups

x2
20 shoulder touch
20 hip touch
10 spider each side
10 knee to elbow each
10 knee to opposite elbow each

x2
20 single leg knee raise
20 super skaters
30 second chair pose
20 side lunge
10 pullups

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

10.90 – Rounds Are Over, 3 Years Later.

After almost 3 years and 3 months of sticking to my 90 day regimen I think it’s about time to give it up. It all started with P90X day 1 back in June of 2009 (actually, the first introduction to Tony was back in 2005) and since then I have gradually inched further away from the 90 day DVD approach and into my own brand of Bootcamp, Olympic lifting, Russian Kettlebells and so on. It has been a great system, especially the 90 day method of sticking to a workout and seeing it through but now I think I am too flexible in my approach to gain any more benefit from that structure. Of course, I still need some way of monitoring my rest weeks and downtime versus my activity and some way to vary the body parts and duration of my workouts. But for now, cycling through another 90 day “program” isn’t going to be of any value to me. I think what I need to do is to plan some goals and map my progress towards those goals, relying more on my experience and physical indicators to gauge my activity rather than the imposition of “rest week” of which I am oh so fond.

That said, it’s back to school and that means back to basics at gymnastics, a new bootcamp season Monday and Wednesday and an as yet unplanned revision to the warmup schedule. Add that to my renewed fondness for Olympic lifting, my passion for Kettlebell training and my promise that I will try to include one day of cardio / hills (translate that to running outside!) and one day of Yoga and you have 6 days already filled. Looks like I won’t have to plan that much after all!

I really want to get started on the new approach to this blog also, not having to account for each day of the 90, watching the numbers rise and stressing about what happens next. It’s not that I don’t like the framework, in fact the numbers for a long time were what kept me coming back but I think it’s time for more life to creep in and the sterility of the workouts to make room on the couch.

Watch this space.

10.85&6 – WOD and Bootcamp Cardio Agility

After the resounding success of Bootcamp Agility last time out, I thought what better way to end the bootcamp session than by two of our favourite workouts. Agility was a breeze, although this time I only used 6 hoops and 5 cones each side and the run back was half backwards, half sprint.

10 air squats
10 squat jumps
5 burpee
4 side facing in and back

20 air squats
20 squat jumps
5 burpee
4 side facing in and back

10 front lunge
10 mk switch
5 burpee pushup
4 side facing 2 foot in and through

20 front lunge
20 mk switch
5 burpee pushup
4 side facing 2 foot in and through

10 single leg squat knee lift
10 run stance double squat with switch
5 burpee star jump
4 front facing step in and across

20 single leg squat knee lift
20 run stance double squat with switch
5 burpee star jump
4 front facing step in and across

10 wall sissy squats
10 frog jumps
5 pancake burpee
4 front facing wide to narrow

20 wall sissy squats
20 frog jumps
5 pancake burpee
4 front facing wide to narrow steps

10 step back lunge
10 proposal switch
10 in and out plank abs
4 front facing wide to narrow both feet

10 step back lunge
10 proposal switch
10 in and out plank abs
4 front facing wide to narrow both feet