Lumberjack workout today...but far from the real thing.

2/13/12

“Lumberjack 20”

Did the “lumberjack 20”  WOD this morning.  Hell of a wake up call.

Warmup: Indian Clubs, Stretch bands, Foam roller. 

20 GHD

20 reps Reg BB deadlift(200#).  Then 500 meters rowing on C2

20 reps KB swings 24kg     Then 500 meters rowing on C2

20 Reps Sand bag OH squat. Then 500 meters rowing on C2

20 reps burpees                         Then 500 meters rowing on C2

20 reps pull-ups (No kip)    Then 500 meters rowing on C2

20 reps box jumps (16”)      Then 500 meters rowing on C2

20 reps Squat cleans (35# DB) Then 500 meters rowing on C2

Lumberjack WOD is a very intense and endurance level routine I found at the sites  from the Army engineers and Lumberjack Crossfit . I like it because it uses the whole body and no one body part gets jacked up, as not to recover the next day. It still a bitch regardless of my scaling of some of the benchmark levels, but it’s a great hour including the warm-up and joint mobility. Of all the exercises, it the burpees and DB squat cleans that gas you out each time. Normally you run on this WOD but my doctor advises me not to run too much if I want a few more good years out of my knees. Rowing is a great substitute as it does not impact the joints like running does, even with good technique.  This is not a beginners session but the combination of exercises coupled with the rowing can be split up or taken in sections as you don’t want to brake it off…..as you many want to use it again.

a chalk emergency at Fair Oaks

2/7/12

Fair Oaks training

            Yesterday I was over to the “Fair Oaks” gym which has been in existence for over 20 years, and brought over some chalk (that is an emergency if you run out of chalk!). It’s not a pretty gym(or a box for you crossfitters), “nor it’s not a West Side” but it has all the toys for the boys play heavy. Anyway, the lads were training with the dead lift doing sets of low reps and volume speed training . So one of young guys asked me if he needed something else besides the deadlift to get stronger back to lift more. He just thought that his periodzation training program he was given was not enough. He had only been power training a year, so I it going to take time and endurance to keep up the effort for a few more years to see you goal.

            More is not always better when you want to get stronger: it’s about the technique, the body recovery and how much effort you put into each lift you do week after week are the keys to the kingdom. When you can pull 400lbs for reps, then it’s time to look at a few auxiliary exercises and specialized equipment. However, before that, you should spend quality time in getting the basic lifts efficient and not too much time on attempting to learn 50 other exercises. Besides you may not have the work capacity-recovery down yet and all you will be doing, is smashing you body into staleness.

            One of my ex training partners, trains in his cellar, with a small power rack, lifting platform, lots of 100lbs plates and a few dumbbells. He is a masters champion powers lifter who squats over 600lbs in his 50’s. He only uses the primary squats, dead lifts and bench and maybe throws in some dumbbell work to balance, but only trains the lifts when getting ready for a contest. He built like a human fire plug.

The moral of the story, if you goal is to acquire a strong body, you don’t need a lot of extra work exercises, or the latest machine, as its all about you, the passion to get there and satiability of training.  Sometime the more things you do the less time you have to be successful. Therefore do what maximizes you goals and leave the extras for someone else.

“the mission is sacred”

My training today is the following.

Warm-up: bands for shoulders, hip flexors, Indian clubs, rowing 1000 meters and joint mobility.

3rounds of the following:

10 reps KB side deadlift 36kgs

10 reps “landmine” pressing

10reps KB swings.

10 reps sand bag squat

Finish with 10 min. on heavy bag.