R4 D43 – Rest Day
R4 D42 – P90X Chest and Triceps
I was forced to hurry today but even so without the shoulders part of the chest, triceps and shoulders routine the entire workout is around 30 minutes. I have made a habit of subbing dips for some of the lame tricep stuff since doing endless extensions with 35lbs isn’t going to do much. Since I had made my own dip station during the summer it is getting a real workout these days. I still value push ups as a workout tool, regardless of how often you do them, they are still one of the best overall chest cage workouts out there. Even with the limited variations that Tony provides, he gives you ideas to try and variations to make up on your own that will give almost endless possibilities. The triceps however remain an issue. The problem is that the triceps are far stronger than anyone gives them credit for and doing extensions with dumbbells simply isn’t good enough. You need close grip bench, dips or heavy pushdowns to get a decent tricep workout.
DIY Equipment Update
Since I am committed to saving money as much as I am to getting fit I decided to make as much crossfit equipment as I could. It all started with the original chin up bar in my basement. It was for P90X when I first started out and was just a cheap metal round bar drilled through the door jamb.
It did the job but the door wasn’t ever really wide enough but the convenience couldn’t be beat. When the weather got warmer I decided I may do some of the workouts in the garage so I made a chin up bar out there too. It was made of the same type of metal bar, strung to the rafters high enough so that the garage door would open. That also meant it was high enough that I have to jump to get to it and can’t cheat at all!
As I completed the deck, I managed to work 2 chin up bars into the upper deck meaning the walkout from the basement where my gym is now had 2 built in bars. One was made from a plumbing fixture from Rona, the other was made from a fence railing which is bigger than ideal but means I get a great grip workout at the same time.
Fast forward to the late summer when I started to get into the Crossfit stuff and did some searching online for other DIY equipment. I found a great article on how to build a dip station and rather than build a single unit I built 2 separate stands that I can also use to jump over and do other movements with. In retrospect, they are slightly too tall and wobble a little too much but it’s also my weight that is the issue. Still, dip bars that can handle a 280lb man are pretty good!
Forward again to the latest development and I eventually grew tired of reading WODs with wallball so I decided to get hold of a basketball ($9 from walmart) and a bag of sand ($3 open bag special at Rona) and after fighting with a funnel for an hour ended up with a 26lb wallball. My plan is to buy some gymnastics rings to round out the collection and I should be good to go. Then a second olympic bar for the garage and I should be all set.
The last thing is a whiteboard. I do document everything I do but in the middle of a workout the last thing I want to do is thumb through papers to find what I need.
As a quick update (Dec 2011) I also have another rafter mounted chin up bar again mounted on the deck to the left in the picture. The benefit is that it is more solid, doesn’t move at all and has 3 hand positions so I can do all the hand switching I want without fear.
R4 D41 – Chelsea and iPhone Timers
I realized last night that Cindy and Chelsea are basically the same. I didn’t notice when I was writing up the list of WODs I have done but last night I elected to do my WOD in the garage with the chinup bar I mounted last year. That meant chin ups and push ups and squats. In other words, Cindy or Chelsea. Regardless of which I did, I still got to 21 and couldn’t continue. Doing the one a minute Chelsea version you would think it would be easier but the rest quickly drops from 30 seconds to 5 seconds after about 15 rounds. Eking out those last couple is pure hell. This time was especially difficult since the chin up bar in the garage is about 9 feet off the ground which means I have to jump to get on it, that also means no way I can reach the ground to assist. So full range pullups are the order. That said, I managed 20 rounds which is not great but not bad, especially considering it was about 5 degrees in the garage!
Chelsea:
Each minute on the minute for 30 minutes
5 pullups
10 pushups
15 squats
Result: 20 rounds.
I also downloaded an app for my iPhone to time my intervals. It is called RoundTimer and is pretty much useless for more than 5 rounds. Let’s be honest (although it is the free version) most Crossfit workouts have more than 5 rounds so this timer is useless. I will try to find another and report it’s usefulness. The point is that I need a timer, most things I do require a timed interval plus a rest period so it is critical.
..later…
I downloaded a very good iPhone App for $2 its called WOD Timer and it does indeed do everything I need. I will report more on the useability once I have used it a couple of times but it has all the features I was looking for.
Round 4 Day 40 – Gym Shoulders and Traps (More DIY Equipment)
Last week I made myself a heavy ball.
If I had chosen to buy one I could have spent $120, yeah, not kidding but since I am committed to making as much of my own equipment as I can I thought I would give it a shot.
Basketball from Walmart – $9.96
Sand from Rona (open bag sale) – $3
Duct tape – $0
There you have it. A basketball full of sand weighing in at 26lbs. I cut out the valve and inserted a funnel and after about an hour I was done. If I had super dry California sand I am sure it would have been a few minutes but since it was slightly wet Canadian sand it was stoutly uncooperative. Still, lots of money saved and a wall ball to use.
Today was shoulders and traps so I made up the following:
With 25lb dumbbells 5 rounds for time with a 2 minute rest
Side raise x 10
Front raise x 10
High Pull (Upright Row) x 10
Wall ball (26lb) x 10
Plus 50 shrugs with a 135lb barbell without putting the bar down.
It was enough, but not really that difficult. Maybe 8-10 rounds would have been better.
Round 4 Day 39 – Cardio, Power and Resistance
Today was a piece of cake. It was supposed to be Pure Cardio but since I did that last time I thought I would change it up and do CPR instead. This is a pretty easy workout as far as insanity goes, I am not sure why. Maybe because some of it is bodyweight work and I can do that all day. Anyway, I felt good, it went by in a flash and that is always good news. Of course, I wore my VFF’s and even though my big toenail is sore it didn’t feel sore in the shoes.
My FitDay process is also still going strong but I seem to really lack behind in my calorie count. I am down 15lbs in about 4 weeks though so I guess that is why. My strength isn’t down, neither is my cardio so I guess everything is still OK. I do have a lot to burn still, being 265 isn’t exactly borderline supermodel so I am not going to start worrying just yet.
Round 4 Day 38 – Rest Day
Round 4 Day 37 – Gym Back and Biceps
All I had was a chin up bar and a pair of 35lb dumbbells but I still managed to wear myself out. 30 min of pullups double biceps pullups concentration curls.
No frills, just pullups outside in the dark and dumbbells in the basement. Still, it’s better than spending $70 a month for a gym membership.
Keeping up with the plan, the next workouts are:
39 Pure Cardio
40 GYM Shoulders Traps and Ab Ripper X
41 WOD with Pullups
42 OFF
43 P90X Chest & Triceps, Ab Ripper X
44 Pure Cardio
45 P90X Back & Biceps, Ab Ripper X
46 WOD with Pullups
47 GYM Shoulders Traps and Ab Ripper X
48 Max Interval Plyo
Then rest week #2
Round 4 Day 36 – Barbara
Barbara
Five rounds, each for time of:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats
I only managed 4 rounds after which I was incapable of doing another pull up. My round times were:
4:45
4:30
3:15
4:40
Pretty sad, actually. It also brought into glaring clarity the need for me to add some abs to my workouts since I gave up Ab Ripper long ago. My core is strong, but not strong enough to endure lengthy isolated movements. The push ups and squats were no problem. Hopefully as the weight continues to fall, the pullups will rise…
WOD’s I Have Done
Here is a list which will be expanded as I do more. In addition, there is a great list of the descriptions of the “Nasty Girls” workouts here:
(Thanks to Colin McNulty for the hard work)
Fran:
21 Thrusters 95lbs
21 Pull Ups
15 Thrusters 95lbs
15 Pull Ups
9 Thrusters 95lbs
9 Pull Ups
Chelsea:
Each minute on the minute for 30 minutes
5 pullups
10 pushups
15 squats
Cindy:
AMRAP in 20 minutes:
5 pull-ups
10 Push Ups
15 Squats (Air Squats)
Fight Gone Bad:
- Wall ball: 20 pound ball, 10 foot target. Each rep is scored as 1 point.
- Sumo deadlift high pull: 75 pounds. Each rep is scored as 1 point.
- Box Jump: 20 box. Each rep is scored as 1 point.
- Barbell push-press: 75 pounds. Each rep is scored as 1 point.
- Row: Your butt off. Each calorie burned (according to the monitor) is scored as 1 point.
Barbara:
Five rounds, each for time of:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats
Elizabeth
21 15 9 Reps
135lb Clean
Ring Dips
Elizabeth:
21 15 9 Reps
135lb Clean
Ring Dips
Sally:
For time, x 5, 2 minute rest between sets
30 wide push ups + 10 wide pull ups
30 regular push ups + 10 reverse pull ups
30 military push ups + 10 narrow pull ups