[quote]furo wrote:
No improvement on the chin-ups in a long time. This goal is beginning to look a little unattainable.[/quote]
Have you tried a GTG approach, just doing a few here and there throughout the day?[/quote]
I tried that with pistol squats, when I first cracked one shakey rep and it helped a lot but I’ve never tried with chins. The problem is having access to a chin-up bar. That is a good idea though, I might try it over a weekend.
[/quote]
You can always throw a towel over a door and practice that way.
I tried yet another variation on the single leg squat today, in my never-ending quest to find the ultimate exercise. This time I did the free-standing pistol squat, but went to parallel instead of full “ass to grass” depth.
It is by far the most difficult variation in terms of balance: on full depth and box pistols the bottom position helps to stabilise me, but I don’t have that on these ones. It is also the most difficult variation in terms of having to lower myself in a controlled manner. In box and full-depth versions I can sort of just drop to the bottom position, which I can’t do with this one. Another difficulty comes with judging depth.
Despite all of these difficulties, I think this might be the best variation. It will just take longer to make the form smooth.
Hey guys, sorry for the absence and thanks for the kind words. I just need to stop lurking in PWI and grow thicker skin.
My training has changed a little in the time away. I’ve still got the same 20-rep goals, but I’ve decided I need to get better at running too: I feel that it is a pretty basic human skill and I should stop sucking so much.
I’ve been reading “Born to Run” which is a book about the author’s experiences running with the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico and about why they are the best runners in the world. It covers quite a lot of different aspects about running such as how humans evolved to be so well adapted to long-distance running and it talks about persistence hunting which I find extremely interesting.
Anyway, the main reason I got the book is because my knees have always hurt when I run and the author is a big proponent of bare-foot running, so I’ve been trying that (with very thin-soled shoes) and my knees have been feeling great. However, the technique change means that you use your calves a lot more than normal running and I’ve been having the most incredible calf DOMS every day since I started so I’ve been limiting myself to short distances.
I’ve changed my routine to free up time for running and have been doing full body days, but I’m going to switch to a one-lift-a-day style of training to keep my sessions very short. The six exercises I’m going to do will be: kettlebell swing, chin-up, flat kettlebell press, kettlebell row, handstand push-up and a new exercise I’ve invented which is basically a bodyweight Turkish get-up into a pistol squat. I’ll refer to it as a pistol get-up.
Sorry for the essay, I hope everyone is doing well.
It’s never a bad thing wanting to improve at something you suck at. Having a good ability to sprint and run in addition to being strong is part of being a badass imo. I could use a lot more improvement at running as well. And humans were obviously designed to be barefoot lol.
That being said… Don’t get TOO carried away with the things McDougall says in his book. He makes a convincing case for humanity being evolutionarily designed as distance runners, but there are equally good cases (better cases imo) to the exact contrary.
Anyway, I know you’re not the type of guy to get all wrapped up in distance running lol. Keep running and keep lifting. Glad to see a good log stick around.
[quote]csulli wrote:
It’s never a bad thing wanting to improve at something you suck at. Having a good ability to sprint and run in addition to being strong is part of being a badass imo. I could use a lot more improvement at running as well. And humans were obviously designed to be barefoot lol.[/quote]
Thanks a lot for the input. I completely agree about being a badass - I don’t think you can truly be called a badass if you have a glaring weakness in any physical domain lol.
[quote]csulli wrote:
That being said… Don’t get TOO carried away with the things McDougall says in his book. He makes a convincing case for humanity being evolutionarily designed as distance runners, but there are equally good cases (better cases imo) to the exact contrary.[/quote]
Yeah I’m definitely taking it with a pinch of salt - for one thing I don’t agree with his nutrition recommendations (basically a ton of grain and beans, along with fruit and veg). I’d be really interested in hearing more about the evidence against humans being designed as distance runners. I’m fascinated by paleolithic man and what his capabilities were, and I like to train with that stuff in mind. That’s why I do intermittent fasting too, and I’d follow the paleolithic diet if I wasn’t so weak willed lol.
[quote]csulli wrote:
Anyway, I know you’re not the type of guy to get all wrapped up in distance running lol. Keep running and keep lifting.[/quote]
Haha you’re right, it’s definitely not going to ever become an obsession of mine. I just want to get to an acceptable standard and maybe enter a 10k or half marathon at some point, just to have a new training goal to work towards.
[quote]csulli wrote:
Glad to see a good log stick around.[/quote]
How are you planning on progressing the runs (ie. increasing distance, cutting time, etc)? Or are you just using them without any preplanned progression scheme to increase overall fitness?
[quote]CMdad wrote:
How are you planning on progressing the runs (ie. increasing distance, cutting time, etc)? Or are you just using them without any preplanned progression scheme to increase overall fitness?[/quote]
Running is really something I know nothing about I’m afraid. I have my finals in January and I was planning on using the time between now and then just to do short 1 or 2 mile runs most days to build up a baseline. I don’t plan on monitoring progression at this stage, I just want to put the work in.
After January I really don’t know how I’ll structure it. I’d like to work up to doing a 10k in a decent time. Do you have any suggestions on how to go about it?
[quote]furo wrote:
I’ve taken today off from running. I think 2 days on and 1 day off might be a good way to structure it.[/quote]
Monday: Long run
Tuesday: Short “recovery” run
Wednesday: Intervals
Thursday: Medium run
Friday: Short “recovery-ish” run
Saturday: Competition
Sunday: Medium “recovery” run
Long = 2-3x race length
Medium = 1-1.5x race length
The Long run was a little slower than race pace. The Medium run was right about race pace. The “recovery” runs were still timed, but quite a bit slower than race pace. Interval lengths were varied week-to-week, but each interval session used the same length. So, a day of 400s, 600s, or 800s, and these were quite a bit faster than race pace. There wasn’t a whole lot of rest, as the point was to also push the cardio system.
It was something like that for our high school cross country team during in-season where we raced every weekend. This was a pretty effective program.
You may want to adapt something like that, but ease yourself into it.
[quote]CMdad wrote:
How are you planning on progressing the runs (ie. increasing distance, cutting time, etc)? Or are you just using them without any preplanned progression scheme to increase overall fitness?[/quote]
Running is really something I know nothing about I’m afraid. I have my finals in January and I was planning on using the time between now and then just to do short 1 or 2 mile runs most days to build up a baseline. I don’t plan on monitoring progression at this stage, I just want to put the work in.
After January I really don’t know how I’ll structure it. I’d like to work up to doing a 10k in a decent time. Do you have any suggestions on how to go about it?
Thanks
[/quote]
Sorry, I know even less about running than you do, I’m sure. I’ve just recently been doing more"cardio" type work myself as I realized my cardio capacity was crap. I haven’t really been training it per se, just trying to get my heart rate up a little more frequently for overall GPP purposes. LoRez seems like he has a good handle on it though. Good luck!
I didn’t go for a run today and I kept the volume low because I felt rough. Hopefully I’ll be back at it full speed tomorrow!
Thanks for the routine LoRez! I’ll definitely use that as a template in the new year. I couldn’t do it now because I wouldn’t manage any of the longer runs haha! How were the intervals structured? How long did you rest between each “sprint”? What was the advantage to mixing it up between 400m, 600m and 800m instead of just sticking with one? And what sort of pace did you have for the recovery runs? Sorry for all of the questions!
Thanks CMdad. How have you been going about getting your heart rate up? Have you been shortening rest periods etc or adding in specific conditioning work? Good luck with it!
