Legless

Not like I don't have stuff I want to write after each workout -- and I have been working out every day, according to schedule. It's just that I'm too used to Twitter- and Facebook-length posts; the blog is too much effort!

Been a good week since my last post. Finished this two-week cycle of undulating periodisation with lower and upper-body workouts on Tuesday and Wednesday. Did six sets of three reps for two exercises each day, and was really feeling it. Tuesday I revisited pistol squats, my old nemesis. I know I've got the leg strength to do a one-legged squat, but for whatever reason I can't get low without falling back on my behind. I suspect that I'm just not flexible enough in the ankles to get my center of gravity forward enough. In the past, I've compensated by either doing rockup pistols, where you intentionally roll backward to your shoulders, then roll forward and swing up on the plant leg. But today I was happy to see that I could get through the sets by holding a 25-pound plate in front of me. It moves my center of gravity enough to save my balance, but also adds 25 pounds to the squat and looks tougher. God knows how that guy on beastskills.com does it with two kettlebells over his shoulders!

The other leg exercise Tuesday was King Deadlifts with the 20-pound vest and the 30-pound DBs. Meh. I do it to hit the other leg muscles, whether you call it Hamstrings or Knee-Dominant or Hip-Dominant I forget. I'm just not thrilled with most bodyweight exercises for legs. Not with only a 20-pound vest, anyway, but more about that below.

Wednesday I did legless climbs, followed by one-arm pushups. My arms are still sore from the climbs, but the soreness only confirms that they're a fantastic exercise, and that I really need to do more challenging rope exercises to prepare for ANW. The limit of my garage ceiling meant that for each rep I'd start sitting on the floor, then raise my feet and pull myself off the floor with just my hands. Then I'd get five hand-over-hand reaches before I reached the top of the rope, then I'd just drop down; doubt I had the strength to climb down as well. Blistered up my hands, even with the invaluable receiver gloves.

Felt great to get back into one-arm pushups, too. I'd laid off them for a long time after a nagging shoulder injury, but aside from some negligible tweaks I felt great afterwards. And sure, I did them with my legs spread wide apart, but for the first time through the workout I'll take that.

Speaking of which, where do I go from here? I liked the exercises I did in this cycle, and feel that another go-round could show some improvement. But I just purchased a 40-pound weight vest, so I could start a cycle of intensification, where you do the same sets and reps as last go-round but with increasing weight each set.

Or I could train for the FitBrawl Online competition. Basically, they post a bunch of challenges, like most pushups in two minutes or fastest time for 50 thrusters with 30-pound DBs, and you record yourself doing them and post them, thus virtually competing with other fitness freaks around the 'Net. I think that I might take the next two days off, then on Sunday spend a week doing the FitBrawl challenges, then return to the periodisation workouts.

Running's been going well, too. Did five miles on Monday and three miles today. Sunday I'll probably try to do six or seven. Would've done five today, but it's so tough getting up for the fourth day in the row to workout in the dark I compromised.

BTW, my new secret weapon for pre-dawn workouts is 16 ounces of iced coffee with two scoops of whey protein. Thirty minutes later I'm ready to wrestle an alligator.