Holiday Travels Part 3: Y-M-C-A

I went for a two mile run this morning, or so I thought. At about 1.5 miles my calves and lower back had had it. I alternated walking and running the rest of the way home. kind of disappointing

 

This afternoon we went to the YMCA. I don’t recall all the reps, it was largely a goof off session with my Brother-in-law but we got a good workout in too.

Deadlift
135, 225, 315, 405, 495, 500

Cleans
135 a whole bunch of times. He tried to help me with my clean form. He’s pretty good at them, he trains with Kevin Fulton. I have a long way to go.

Snatches
135, just playing

one arm snatch
65, not much

2″ Dumbell Snatch – some

2″ Dumbell Deadlift – I worked up to 120

Concept II – I got on one of these, the first time in a very long time. The counter in the top right, RPMs or some such, was at about 40 for the first minute and dropped toward 30 in the second minute. I was totally anaerobic when I was done. I’m gonna get me one of these. I’m researching them on the web. It looks like $850 to commit but Laura likes them as much or more than me so I think we can swing it. We’ll just fight over who gets it each night 😉

Now off to eat more, and more, and more :-D. It’s all good, things will change when I get home, I’m just enjoying the holidays. I hope you all are too.

2007 Goals

Well, the hunt for goals has begun. I have seen it on other sites, so I too am beginning to think about them. As they develop, I will place them here.

1. Bodyweight 235 – I’ve agonized many hours over this one. I was running about 255 most of this fall but since Thanksgiving, it has really gotten away from me, I’m back up in the mid 260’s.
2. 2X bodyweight deadlift – I’m not there right now. The goal was originally designed that I wanted to add 20 or so pounds to my pull to get there. Now it’s more of an issue of maintaining mydeadlift so that it stays high enough, hoefully around 500, that I can claim a 2X bodyweight pull.

Targets of opportunity – these are things I had originally come up with but I think conflict to some degree with my primary goal on the year. So they are points of interest but I’m not going to hold myself real accountable for them.

1. 2X Bodyweight squat – this means that even with making I weight loss goal, I would have to tack on 20 or so lbs to my max squat.
2. Bodyweight Clean and Press – Even with the lost weight I would need an extra 15 lbs on my personal best.
3. Bodyweight Sandbag Clean and Jerk – So far 200 is my max. I’m hoping to begin playing with a 250 lb bag this spring. Even with my weight loss goals, I think this is the most doable of these three.

 

The Basic Scheme
Goals are nothing without a plan to achieve them. The basic plan on the primary goal of the year is more cardio. I don’t think it will be reasonable for me to cardio daily but I’m gonna try to do what I can. I’ll include running as before. I’m bring the kettlebells out again. I’m serious considering a Concept II rower. I’ve been thinking about one for a while but they are not cheap and I have some other expensive needs coming up. I’m also gonna try to get more jumping of rope in the mix for that short blast of cardio. I’m also going to go back to controlling my diet better. That has been the biggest factor in my recent gain. I plan to try and be more strict. Less allowing myself to go by some piece of junk just because I’m a little hungry. I also need to reduce my caffiene intake because I take in a lot of calories with my caffiene.
The pulls should take care of themselves. As long as I pull occasionallhy in the gym, it shouldn’t go too far. The Squats will take more. When I go on my sandbag training run, I’m going to need to keep myself in the gym once a week or some just to squat. I believe I ca do the clean and press. It will mostly be a matter of spending time with the clean. If I’m not improving by summer, I may pay for some coachings. I believe I can do the sandbag just by spending time with it.
Some of this runs contrary to different thoughts I have had throughout the year. Some of it goes against guidance I have recieved from good and intelligent people. None of it is meant as an insult. I feel like the first goal is the most important. I’ve wished and waffled and wavered on it but it keeps coming back to me. In the grand scheme of things, squatting 500 or a sandbag pull of 300 means very little if I’m not healthy. I feel like my weight is absolutely above any kind of healthy standard. So that is why it goes number one. The others are less of an issue, just a part of the natural progression of things.