Multiples of Five

WOD

5 - Pull-Ups
10 - Push-Ups
15 - Sit Ups
20 – Minutes total. As many rounds as possible.

I finished this workout with Q right before dinner and it was a little disappointing. My pull up strength has plummeted and by the end I was having a very hard time even getting 3 good reps in before assisting myself by jumping. The gym was very busy and so transitions between the exercises were very difficult and time consuming. We didn't have a good sit up area so we did situps with our feet flat on the floor on a flat bench. I need to improve pull ups, but my overall energy level is high. It's about time to increase work capacity.

MRAPS, Jingle Trucks, and Love Handles, OH MY!

WOD

5K 35:32.

Legs were still kind of tight today so I took a leisurely 3 mile run with R.K. We've both been neglecting our running and the time obviously reflects that. My legs actually feel quite a bit looser after the run and after work I might do a little strength training. The biggest issue with running here is that all the trucks don't have to meet U.S. Emission standard. While I might be improving my leg strength with runs I'm probably getting some lung cancer as a side effect. Hmmmm lung cancer or run on a treadmill? Both sound pretty awful. Running in the afternoons seems to have less traffic, and if my schedule permits, I'll shoot for that in the future.

Pyramids

WOD
Lower Body - 1 Mile run fast pace. Begin run with 20 air squats and stop for 20 air squats every quarter mile.

Pyramids – 150 lbs consisting of 5 and 10 pound plates. Executed maximum reps until weight was racked. Partner dropped one plate from each side. Maximum reps. Repeat until you are only lifting the bar. Once your down to the bar, add one plate at a time until you reach your one rep maximum. Rest between sets should not exceed 10 seconds.

I did this workout with a friend of mine. I feel like there is still a lot of gas in my tank but I already know that since I haven't been active, I'm going to be sore from it. My biggest focus is a gradual increase in work to avoid injury and fatigue. The biggest issue is I don't want to miss missions because I'm overdoing anything. I'll transition to more intense workouts as time and progress allow. During the air squats I could still feel the previous air squat workout. I'm surprised how out of shape I am.

The New Hotness

So I'm deployed again. Once more I've taken "a little time off" and allowed myself to get pretty out of shape. About this time last year I was in peak condition and completed a marathon while still retaining a pretty decent amount of strength. Here on deployment I simply don't have the time or space to get back into distance running. Not to mention when I do go running it either has to be on a treadmill or next to giant army vehicles spewing pollution. It's questionable if running here does more harm or good to my lungs. Shortly after returning from this deployment I have aspirations of joining a different unit, so with that in mind I have very specific fitness goals.

Goals
Bench Press 1.5 X BW
Push Ups (2 Minutes) > 100
Sit Ups (2 Minutes) > 100
2 Mile Run < 13:30
5 Mile Run < 40:00
10 Mile Run < 90:00
12 Mile Ruck with 40 lbs < 2:45
Pull Ups > 20

The biggest issue however is to avoid injury. I don't want to ride the bench because I was reckless with my training. Aside from my fitness goals I have very specific aviation goals for this deployment as well. These goals actually over ride the fitness ones.

With all this in mind I'm trying a new fitness approach. I found a program called SEALfit that is basically crossfit with a greater emphasis on endurance. The first 5 weeks are body weight only and then there are 8 weeks of mixed training following that.



WOD:
Day 1 - Intro to Air Squats
Warm-up: Watch video and practice 25 squats.
Work Capacity: Perform 5-sets of 20-reps with a 200 meter run
after each set. Log your time to track your results.
Cool Down: 1-mile walk and long stretch.
Coaching Notes: The air squat is performed with feet at shoulder
width apart, heels firmly planted into the ground, extend your arms
directly in front of you and pretend someone is pulling on your
wrists. Now push your bottom slightly backward and sit down
without bending your back. Keep your lumbar arch engaged and
tight, keep your heels firmly planted, get your hips below the knee
line. At the bottom wiggle your toes to ensure your weight is on
your heels.
Upon standing, stand up in an explosive movement and push your
hips slightly into hyper-extension. Full depth, open hips at the top,
engaged lumbar arch and firmly planted heels is the key.

This workout only took about 10 minutes, which is good because I woke up late, but it was still tougher than I thought it would be. I tried to keep good form and to run at a good pace. I saved the warmup 25 squats for the end to drive the nail in the coffin. I think this was a little light as a workout but my thighs are still burning so we shall see.

OK seriously this time.

Some stuff came up last week and I didn't work out blah blah blah. I suck. I know. I completed the P90X Chest and Workout today and it kinda kicked my butt. I remember I was getting bored with P90X before I started training for the marathon (Followed by 6 weeks of doing jack shit) but now I've definitely lost strength. I completed 288 Push Ups and 164 Pull ups. That's down from around the 375 Push ups I had been doing. No worries though. I'm not gonna do another full iteration of p90X. Maybe just January. After that I have to go do Army stuff for the entire month of February. I did stumble upon the Cross-fit Endurance program however thanks to Fitbomb. That is definitely worth some consideration.