27 February 2008 - Grip/Cardio

Stationary Bike Warm-Up
-10mins (medium intensity)

Grippers
RH
-Filed HG150 X 15 PS
-CoC #2 X 10 PS
-HG300N X 5 PS
-CoC #2.5 X 5 PS
-Choked CoC #3 X 5 FR (~ 1/8" out)
-CoC #4 X 5 PS Attempts
-Coc #3 X 5 FR Negs
-CoC #2.5 X 5 FR Negs
-CoC #2 X 8 FR Negs
-Filed HG150 X 11 PS/8 R&P FR Negs/8 R&P FR Negs
LH
-Filed HG150 X 15 PS
-CoC #2 X 6 PS/4 FR
-HG300N X 3 MMS/2 FR
-CoC #2.5 X 6 FR
-CoC #3 X 5 FR Negs
-CoC #4 X 5 PS Attempts
-Coc #3 X 5 FR Negs
-CoC #2.5 X 5 FR Negs
-CoC #2 X 5 FR Negs
-Filed HG150 X 10 PS/8 R&P FR Negs/8 R&P FR Negs

Extensors (L/R)
-Easy Band X 50
-Med Band X 50
-Hard Band X 50

2" Spring Clamp (L/R)
-3 X 10

25lb Plate Curls (L/R)
-3 X 5

Cardio - Rowing Machine (med - high intensity)
-1000m X 2 (~18min)

NOTES: I needed to get some cardio in, and let me tell you - it was rough. I don't do enough cardio. The rowing machine is brutal. I was sucking wind in what felt like a matter of seconds. I stuck it out, and damn near puked. I think I'm going to try and drop a few lbs in body weight in the next few weeks. I'm down 13lbs since, 1 January 2008, just by cleaning up my diet a bit. I'll add a few days of good cardio and we'll see how it goes. Grippers were rough. I felt really weak, especially my left hand. The aggravated wrist is starting to show its ugly face again. This too shall pass.

27 February 2008 - Gym Workout

Deadlifts
-Bar X 20
-135 X 15
-225 X 10
-315 X 5
-405 X 3
-365 X 3
-315 X 3
-225 X 5
-135 X 10

Good Mornings
-135 X 10
-135 X 10
-135 X 10

Hang Cleans
-135 X 10
-135 X 10
-135 X 10

Sumo Romanians
-135 X 12
-135 X 12
-135 X 10

Suitcase Deadlifts (L/R)
-135 X 8
-135 X 8
-135 X 8

Core Circuit (X3)
-Lever Side-Bends (L/R)
-Swiss Ball Crunches
-Roman Sit-Ups

NOTES: Today was rough. I've been struggling with my CPAP at night the last few days due to sinus issues, so I've been sleeping poorly. That alone makes me feel like ass in the morning, and since my schedule dictates a pre-6AM workout...yeah, I'm hurting. But, I drug my shit ass, pounding head out of bed and got to the gym for a deadlift day. It's going to be a long, hard road to get back to a 500lb + deadlift that's for sure. I don't feel too bad about the workout. It is what it is.

I'm glad my head was in a fog this morning. I saw some things in the gym that would drive a guy nuts today. Here's the background: Monday, I saw a guy in the gym who had gloves that matched his clothes. Seriously, dude had blue shorts, a blue shirt, and blue gloves. I laughed and thought nothing of it...until today. Same guy. New outfit. New matching gloves. Yep...today he had all grey attire with grey and black spiderweb gloves. Next to him was a man wearing a woman's shirt. No bullshit. I'm pretty sure my wife sports the same Under Armour T when she hits the gym. It was a V-neck that came half way down his chest. To top it all off, this guy was a yeller. Quarter squats with less than 300lbs and he was friggin' screaming like he had 1000lbs + on his back and his ass on the floor. He yelled all the bloody time. Yelled on the leg press. He yelled on the leg extension machine...are you kidding me? Who does that? I need to find a new gym. Bad.

Last Week

I spent last week in Cali for work. Jet-lag aside it was a decent trip. I've been on the other side of the globe with little-to-no jet-lag. I was a mess last week. Waking up everyday at 2:30AM, trying to keep my damn eyes open in afternoon meetings. Not too good. I held up in my hotel room with a CoC #2 and #2.5 and just banged 'em out for TONS of reps. No rhyme or reason, just reps...as many as I could get in a set, and as many as I could get before passing out. By the end of the week my hands were twice as tired as I was! It was the hotel classic: push-ups, sit-ups, and grippers. I need some jumpstretch bands.

16 February 2008 - Kettlebell Workout

50lb. KB 2-Arm Swings
-2 min. (nonstop)

50lb. KB Clean/Press (alt. arms)
-3 X 10

50lb. KB 1-Arm Snatch (L/R)
-1 X 8

60lb. KB 1-Arm Snatch (L/R)
-1 X 6

70lb. KB 1-Arm Snatch (L/R)
-2 X 5

KB Push-Ups
-3 X 12 (hands on 50lb. KBs, feet on a 1/2 stabilizer ball)

Lever Side Bends (oly bar, no weight)
-3 X 12

Swiss Ball Crunches
-3 X 25

NOTES: Went to my wife's yuppy gym again this morning. I can't really complain, but I still will. They only have KBs in the personal trainers' room. Which is all well and good, until a trainer comes in with a client and you get the boot. Sweet. I didn't get a chance to toss the 80lb. KB around for snatches today...major bummer, that's pretty much the only reason I go to that gym. It's nice to workout with the wifey...don't get me wrong, but come on! On a better note, my wife is getting into KBs, she was swinging and pressing away. I think they're going to make their way into her routine at least two days/week as supplimental lifts.

14 February 2008 - Gym Workout

Standing 2-Arm Dumbbell Push-Press
-60's X 5
-70's X 5
-75's X 3

Bent-Over 1-Arm Dumbbell Row (L/R)
-90 X 5
-120 X 5
-140 X 5

70lb. Dumbbell Seated Shoulder Press
-3 X 5

Wide-Grip Lat Pull-Downs
-200 X 5
-230 X 5
-250 X 5

Standing 1-Arm Dumbbell Press (L/R)
-65 X 5
-75 X 5
-75 X 5

NOTES: Working toward my goal of 100lb. dumbbell clean and press (one in each hand). It's going to be a long row to hoe. Way to fill my head with stupid thoughts, Eaton. By "stupid thoughts" I really mean, "motivation to do something I've never tried". HAHA! I had to cut the workout short yesterday, because I was running a little late. I only had time for a few crunches, post workout. No time for pinch, I'll try to get some grip work in tonight.

12 February 2008 - Gym Workout

Ab Circuit (3 runs, no rest between movements, 1 minute rest between sets)
-Barbell Lever Side Bends X 10
-Swiss Ball Crunches X 20
-Flat-Leg Sit-Ups X 10

Roman Sit-Ups
-3 X 15

Stress Ball Warm-Up (L/R)
-3 X 50

Grippers
RH
-Filed HG150 X 20 CCS
-CoC #2 X 10 MMS
-HG300N X 5 MMS
-CoC #2.5 X 2 MMS
-Choked CoC #3 X 5 FR (~1/16" - 1/8" out)
-CoC #4 X 5 Set Attempts (past parallel)
-CoC #3 X 2 FR
-CoC #2.5 X 2 MMS, 5 FR
-CoC #2 X 2 MMS, 5 FR
-Filed HG150 X 1 OC (~45 sec.)
LH
-Filed HG150 X 20 CCS
-CoC #2 X 7 MMS
-HG300N X 2 MMS, 3 FR
-CoC #2.5 X 3 FR
-Choked CoC #3 X 5 FR (~1/4" - 3/8" out)
-CoC #4 X 5 Set Attempts (to a parallel set)
-CoC #3 X 2 FR-CoC #2.5 X 2 FR
-CoC #2 X 3 FR
-Filed HG150 X 1 OC (~20 sec.)

Extensors
-Easy Band X 50
-Med Band X 50
-Hard Band X 50

NOTES: My body has been destroyed the last few days for getting back into the weights. It's been way too long and I'm paying for it. That's what I get. Today was as a quick core and grip workout. The barbell lever side bends are from a Rick Walker article entitled, "Combat Hard: Surviving the Moment of Impact". I read this article last year, but it was just brought back to memory from an Adam Glass post on Straight to the Bar. It's a great movement, that'll kick your ass. I did these with zero additional weight on the bar.
The grippers felt horrible today. My crush was shit today, plain and simple. I'll hit pinch tomorrow and get back to the grippers in a few days. I've been tossing the idea of a serious volume program around in my head. Although it's a very high volume program, it's tiered for strength and gripper levels. A few guys on the Gripboard have had great success with it, but I'm still not 100% sold.

11 February 2008 - Gym Workout

Standing Push-Presses
-135lbs. - 3 X 10

Bent-Over Barbell Rows
-135lbs. - 3 X 10

Incline Dumbbell Flies (45's)
-45lb. DB's - 3 X 10

Wide-Grip Lat Pull-Downs
-150lbs. - 1 X 10

Close-Grip Lat Pull-Downs
-200lbs. - 2 X 10

Peck Deck
-135lbs. - 3 X 10
-100lbs. - 2 X 15

25lb. Plate Wrist Curls (L/R)
-2 X 5
-1 X 5 Negatives

45lb. Plate 2-Handed Finger Curls
-2 X 10

NOTES: Trying to hit some stuff I didn't have time to take care of yesterday with the KBs. Really light, trying to get the blood flowing. This was my first morning workout in a LONG time. I'll be trying to get morning lifts in all week. I'm in Cali next week, so it'll be push-ups, pull-ups, and sit-ups in the hotel gym. UGH...

10 February 2008 - Kettlebell Workout

50lb. KB 2-Handed Swings
-3 X 50

50lb. KB 1-Handed Swings (L/R)
-2 X 25 (alternating, switching on the top of the swing)

50lb. KB 1-Arm Snatches (L/R)
-2 X 5

60lb. KB 1-Arm Snatches (L/R)
-1 X 5

70lb. KB 1-Arm Snatches (L/R)
-1 X 5

80lb. KB 1-Arm Snatches (L/R)
-1 X 5

50lb. KB Bottoms-Up Presses
-2 X 10 (R)
-2 X 8 (L)

Push-Ups (Hands on 2 50lb. KBs, feet on a half stability ball)
-3 X 15

NOTES: Now I know why the Ruskies and Polanders are so damn strong. KBs kick your ass! I've only worked with them on occasion, but they're great. I was sucking wind after 30 sec of 50lb. swings, but I pushed through. I went to my wife's gym...it's a total yuppy palace, but they have KBs and a short 2" bar. Nothing else worth mentioning. The snatches felt great, and I was happy to get the 80lb. KB for 5 reps. I would have gone higher, but that's the biggest KB they've got.

Working for a living is a drag...especially when you're pulling 12+ hour days and you're too tired to sit down and update your blog. What is this world coming to?

The truth of the matter is I don't mind putting in a hard day's work. I never have. However, I made a commitment to myself that I'd keep this blog going and the last two weeks I've been unable to do so. I've been training with some semblance of regularity, but I have nothing new to report. I'm still not consistent with closing my choked CoC #3. Some days I get it, some days I'm not even close.

I think I've infected all of my brother-in-laws with the grip bug. It's great to see some true enthusiasm from guys just getting into grip.

On another note...word on the street is John Eaton is now training. That's right, John...the secret is out! John and his brother are tossing around some weight and I think it's safe to say the brothers Eaton will be doing more crazy shit than ever. Keep me posted on your training, bro. I'd love to hear how you're doing.

Next week is looking a little slower, so watch for workout reports, etc.

FYI - I just added Rick Walker's blog to my links section. If you read this and find it remotely entertaining and slightly motivational, you'll love his ramblings. CHECK IT OUT!