9/28/10 - WOD

No, I haven't forgotten about the RUFIO WOD. I'm recovering from 3-4 months of intense exercising. I'm resting my body and restoring some flexibility to the joints, player.

9/26/10 - WOD

I made it 17 miles before my foot started killing me. I think I'm on the path of an overuse injury should I not rest it. That said, it's time for a recovery week. I'm going to be doing yoga and stretching every day this week. I am not going to be lifting weights, running, or using the elliptical until Friday, should all my little knocks heal up. In addition to my foot, something is up with my groin, which I believe to be a result of too many squat-based exercises. Overall, my flexibility needs to improve, and I'm going to use this week to get that done.

RUFIO

9/21/10 - WOD

I think I have a slightly strained groin... As a result, I'm going to go elliptical it up until the birthday celebration extravaganza.

SO

Elliptical

9/20/10

20 minute elliptical

Then 3 rounds for time of:

800 meter run
10-45lb. clean-squat-thruster
15 clap pushups

9/17/10 - WOD 2x

Threesome workout (if you count me).

Fran and Annie

Morning Fran

3 rounds for time of:

21-15-9 reps of:

95 lb. thruster
pullups

Adjust weight accordingly...

Evening Annie

50-40-30-20-10 reps:

Double-unders

Sit-ups

9/16/10 - WOD

Rest Day

9/16/10 - WOD

Pyramid of Burpees and 45 lb. KB swings:

For burpees
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

For KB swings
2-4-6-8-10-12-14-16-18-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2

9/15/10 - WOD

Five rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
30 Box jump, 24 inch box
20 Decline Clap Push Ups

Show 'em

Rufio

9/14/10 - WOD

15 minutes as many rounds as you can:

20 Double-Unders
20 KB Swings (alternate as needed between two-handed and one-handed)

I am going to put some tennis shoes on - my ankles are SHOT from barefoot shoes. They need a recovery day, but I, sensing the impending storm, do not have the luxury of being able to not take advantage of free time.

9/13/10 - WOD

I am going to go a bit heavy on the Kettlebell exercises. I did recently purchase some new toys.

Here's the set up. I am going to put 2 KB stations 50 yds. apart. One station is going to have a 25 lb. KB and the other is 45 lb.

8-9 rounds:

1 minute 30 seconds 2 armed KB swing at 45 lb.
Run 50 yards
1 minute 30 seconds single armed KB swing at 25 lb.
Run 50 yards

At the end, if you are down, throw in a couple sets of halo's and pistols.

A halo is when you take the KB/weight and rotate it around your head; a pistol is a single leg squat. Make sure you get deep on the single leg squat. That's what she said.

Anyone having problems with flexibility? My hips, hip flexors, and IT Bands grow unbelievably tight as a result of my squat/running heavy workouts (and sitting in a desk chair all day). The solution: a lax ball. It acts like a foam roller on steriods. Use the lax ball to massage out soreness. Place it on the ground and roll your hip around on top of it. Your body weight provides the deep-tissue massage pressure. The pain hurts so good, and afterward you feel the range of motion return to your joints and muscles.

GET IT GET IT

rufio

9/12/10 - WOD

For time:

25 V-ups
50 snatches
25 push ups
50 swings
50 burpees
50 clean and press
50 mountain climbers

Video

9/11/10 - WOD

Yoga day... I think I did six straight workout days, and I am feeling it pretty hard right now.

Tabata This score from yesterday (lowest number of reps and the order):

- 6 pullups
- 20 body squats
- 16 situps
- 14 pushups
- omitted the double-unders b/c I am too freaking sore from my Fivefingers to jump (I did 4 sets of 5 minutes on the elliptical and 5 sets of 200 jumps of rope-jumping). I am still adjusting to them, though the soreness is less severe and shorter in duration. When fresh, I can run over 2 miles; doing sprints, like 18-30's, is so much fun. Something about feeling the earth makes the run more enjoyable, as if one is in communion with Mother Earth... But seriously...

9/10/10 - WOD

"Tabata This!"

In any order:

Tabata Row
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Squat
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Pull-up
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Push-up
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Sit-up

Recommendations:

I think I've forgotten to try to "game" exercises. Believing that sprinting is the best option, I blindly thrust myself into a workout without formulating much of a game plan (besides what I actually am going to do). I think that the Tabata This workout presents a unique challenge: to get the highest score, one must strategize each lift.

What scoring, you ask?

During each exercise, the least amount of repetitions you do in 20 seconds is your score for that exercise. So if you do 15 pullups in one go around but get only 2 by your last set: unlucky. You scored a two.

If you can't do pullups, substitute with jumping pullups. And if you do not have a rowing machine lying around your apartment, replace it with Double Unders.

Here is my order as it stands now: push-up, squat, pull-up, sit-ups, Double Unders.

Get fit,

Rufio

9/8/10 - WOD

30 minute eliptical

9/7/10 - WOD

5 sets for time:

50 yd. sprint, cut and come back
35 lb. clean into squat into thruster
20 walking push ups

RUFIO

9/5/10 - WOD

As many rounds in fifteen minutes:

55 lb. farmer's walk 20 yards there and back 2x
5 pullups
30 lb. 1 arm overhead lunges
20 second treadmill sprint (11 mph. and 6 plus incline)

RUFIO

9/3/10 - WOD

Rest Day

9/2/10 - WOD

4 sets of:

25 squats
25 pullups
25 pushups
25 situps

--------------------------

A funny and awkward comment on a nytimes.com article about stretching (especially the part about showering. I see the writer's point, but I don't think he understands our point:

Walk.
Just walk.
It’s that simple.
Walking is surely our most natural motion — the stand-up version of crawling that is often accompanied by parental celebration as baby takes first steps toward independence and travel. Maybe someday a gold medal. Or not.
“Static stretching” before running is what this study tested and apparently that at least does no harm for the 84% who were told to use it. Poor pity the 30% who got talked into NOT using it after it was part of their natural habit.
The truth is that running is what you might call an “elite” exercise that seems a natural extension of walking — and a sport that is stressfully intense enough that 1) it is a frequent cause of injuries 2) a sport that seems to have a limited “life span” given pounding our muscles and bones take in the process. Surely the thrill running is hard to duplicate and appeals to those who’s bodies can withstand the stress.
The 50,000 entrants who show up for the NY Marathon in a fall can give one the impression that running it is wildly popular. Seems like the whole world is doing it when the race is on, but of course3 it’s still an “elite” drop in the bucket considering that that entrants drawn from our US population (350 million) comprise to less than 1% — or barely a smidgen if you consider the global universe of 6 billion. Those magnificent 50K runners that are at the extreme end of the sport can/must train vigorously for the grueling task. Their preparation is surely as varied as the bodies that must survive the mega-stresses of the event. Static stretching does not seem to be one that is very helpful — except for those for which it IS helpful. Kinda duh.
The common sense warm-up for these old bones starts from a natural morning stretches getting out of bed. Then comes a hot shower which evokes a natural loosening of the joints and muscles as I bend and extend. First small motions gradually working into larger motions. By the end you’ve had dynamic water massage with your body in motion. I follow that with rubbing in arnica gel or Topricin into areas where I can feel the stress of exertion that’s settled in the bones.
Then comes a three-mile walk from calm to brisk that takes about an hour. Along the way I work my upper body with a squeeze-ball (I use an old tennis ball) and and gradual extensions so that by the end of all this I’m worked out and ready to rock, sit, stairclimb and whatever else life requires of these 58-year vintage bag of bones. I always take along music along to pace myself and beat back the boredom.
This routine might sound painfully dull to an elite athlete striving for ongoing “persona bests” like a 4-minute mile or a marathon. On the other hand I haven’t missed a training day for nearly a decade because of injuries. How many runners can claim that? On the other hand, I claim no medals for winning the race. BUT my routine is likely one that could be adapted to nearly anybody who can walk.
The ongoing measurement of exercise wisdom as applied to “elite athletes” is useful because it shows how (some) bodies perform under the extreme duress of races and competition. It’s what makes the marathon — or Ultimate Fighting — fascinating to watch.
But the development of an exercise routine that will keep you going for 82 years — or however long your fate affords you — is worth the investment of time and habit. Learning what foods healthfully sustain your body and what exercise routine keeps your body limber and fit is the challenge of a lifetime.
Any activity where you challenge your natural range of motions — yoga, weight-lifting, parachuting — includes a risk of stress or injury — which means recovery and healing. ‘No pain, no gain” in my experience is also a pretty good marker of “no brain.” [I’m not talking about the natural “discomfort” of exertion, but the “pain” that is the body’s signal of damage — meaning “Stop!”
Finally “dynamic” is a pretty good word to keep in mind as it comes from the Greek dynasthai “be able to have power,” which we have been using at least since 1856. It’s what we need at the training table of life.
Ready. Steady. Go.