Cafeteria-style fitness training menu

I describe my fitness training as intuitive fitness training because I don’t follow a specific workout program that’s spelled out for me with specific exercises, weights, sets, reps or times that I follow to the “T”.  My approach, rather, has me never knowing exactly what I’m going to do until I step into the batter’s box ready to swing.

To make what I do legitimate, I’m guessing that 80 to 90 percent of the time what I do will be done with intensity. 

Otherwise, I risk the chance of being a sandbagger playing or working out below my potential.  Sort of like a B-level racquetball player who plays the D-level competition ladder at his local racquetball club.

Intuitive training works for me because I never know how my body is going to feel on any given day.  How my body feels depends on what I may have done the previous day.  For example, as I peck away on my keyboard composing this blog post, I’m very sore in my wheels because yesterday I ran six miles.  If I had some very specific plan to do this or that today, I’d probably not do this or that today because I wouldn’t feel like it.

Therefore, intuitively, today is a rest day but tomorrow will probably be an intense workout day.

This works for me.

So, the way I do things is like going into a cafeteria to have a meal.  As I walk down a cafeteria aisle, there are several foods to choose from: main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and beverages.  I might have a little of this and a little of that. As I approach the end of the aisle, chances are my plate is full and I’m about to begin having what’ll hopefully be a good meal.

This is how my workouts are put together on any given day.  I chose from a menu of fitness activities and exercise selections from my cafeteria-style fitness training menu.

Here are the exercises and activities currently on my menu, in no order of preference or training frequency:  

Pull-ups and chin-ups – Lately, a typical workout consists of about 100 repetitions done greasing the groove style.  I like doing this while at work where I have a pull-up bar.

For example, I might perform 10 sets of 10 repetitions during the morning or throughout my workday depending on how busy I am.  Last summer, I did more weighted pull-ups and chin-ups; lower rep volume of course with a 20kg or 24kg KB hanging from my waist using a lifting belt.

Bar dips – I have a bar dip unit in a spare room in my office and do most of my bar dip work while at work just like pull-ups and chin-ups.  I generally shoot for about 100 bar dips when I do them.  I’ve also done weighted bar dips but not lately.

Slam ball work – A couple months ago, I purchased my first slam ball; it weighs 15 lbs. and I’ve used it for about four workouts.  Honestly, I thought I would have used it more than I have thus far.  Also, honestly, the slam ball workouts I’ve done have spanked me big time in a short amount of time.  I’m looking forward to more slam ball work in the months ahead.

Burpees – I hate and love burpees in the same breath of air, just like everyone else.  I hate how they make me feel and how they keep me humble whenever my head swells thinking what great fitness conditioning shape I’m in, but I love the fitness conditioning results they deliver.  

Lately, I’ve been doing burpees a couple times a week and am chasing a goal of completing 100 of them in ten minutes or less.

Running – I don’t know how many times in the last ten years I’ve retired as a fun runner only to come back out of retirement.  I’m currently out of retirement again and have been so for almost two years.  It was tough coming back and I swear I’m not going to retire again but, rather, ramp up or taper the running I do depending on what else I’m doing.  

Lately, I’ve been running at a slower and steady-state pace only once a week for between 30 and 60 minutes.  During this summer, I’d like to do some more speed work and see how fast I can fun a one-mile distance on a high school all-weather track.

Kettlebell work – I really like kettlebell training and the stuff I do tends to be kettlebell complexes or chains.  I have a limited inventory of kettlebells that I own but enough to get awesome workouts.  I have a couple favorite routines or complexes I like to do so progress doing them comes from completing a certain number of rounds faster than the last time.

Other items that have been on my fitness training menu in the past – Certain menu items in a cafeteria menu might be seasonal and not always available.  This is also the case with my fitness training menu selections.  Things that I enjoy doing, have done in the past but am not now doing include pull-up hang and handstand against the wall holds for time, Heavy Hands workouts using a pair of 5-lbs. dumbbells and higher-repetition step-ups using a 12-inch step.  

I’ll add these exercises to my training when they come "into season" according to my whim.  I may also add new selections to my menu.

As a middle-age man fitness training warrior trying to achieve age-adjusted upper-percentile cardiovascular-respiratory and strength endurance conditioning, I do best with my intuitive fitness training approach and having a diverse selection of activities and exercises to chose from in my cafeteria-style fitness training menu.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Time for another Magic 50

You can judge a challenging and tough workout by how infrequently you perform it.  For me, Ross Enamait’s Magic 50 is near the top of my list.

The Magic 50 is one of many routines contained within Ross Enamait’s book Infinite Intensity, circa 2005.  The prescribed workout is to complete five rounds of the following:

• 5 dumbbell snatches per arm
• 5 dumbbell swings per arm
• 10 burpees
• Rest 60 seconds or less between rounds

I’ve probably done this metabolic conditioning workout 10 times in my middle-aged man fitness training life and only twice thus far in 2019.  I use a 20kg kettlebell instead of the prescribed dumbbell and the swings I do target a chest-level top height.  Here’s my latest effort last Sunday:

Studying the video to assess my effort, several thoughts come to mind:

(   (1)  I did this workout fasted, during the 20^th hour of my fasting period, and the fatigue I exhibit is explained by this.  Next time I do this workout, I’m eating beforehand.

(  (2)  Consequently, I lack textbook hip hinge in my kettlebell movements.  I’ll improve the next time.

(   (3)  My rest times between rounds were 0:39, 0:45, 0:39 and 0:43 so I met the benchmark of resting no more than 60 seconds between rounds.

    (4)  My 5^th round time was 1:29, not bad considering my fatigue.  I completed the last 10 burpees in 0:36; again, not bad according to me.

(   (5)  My overall time to complete the 5 rounds was 10:38 which is the best-known time in my training journals.

It might be a while before I do it again, but one thing is for sure, whenever I need a good test of my cardiovascular conditioning, it’s time for another Magic 50.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum

Another Saturday workout at my office

There’s a time of the year when Pierini Fitness works harder and longer than the rest of the year and that time is now.  Therefore, thanks to an extra spare office room where I have my minimalist fitness training toolbox, I’m able to get some quick fitness action when I’d otherwise be stuck at my desk, staring at a desktop computer, and sitting hour and hour working on a Saturday.

This was my case last Saturday.

But I found time for a quick, less than 20-minutes workout, using my favorite training implement, the kettlebell (KB.)

What I did was one of my favorite KB complexes, The Rdella Power 5 KB Complex.  It’s my “go to” KB complex for measuring cardiovascular conditioning and the ability to work hard at a high level of intensity.  I have a section in my training journal where I recorded my time to complete five rounds of this challenging complex.  This training performance history showcases completion times all over the place depending on my conditioning, or the lack of it, at the time. 

I use a 20kg KB when performing this single KB complex which consists of five reps each of the swing, snatch, clean, rack squat and overhead press.  Five reps of each exercise are done before advancing to the next one.  I first do this series with my right arm and then switch and do my left arm.  One round is finished when I’m completed both arms.  Completing five rounds for time is my workout.

My best time completing this tough KB complex is 12:27 back in November 2014 when had a higher level of cardiovascular conditioning.  Last Saturday, it took me four minutes longer; look here:

   

Viewing this video, I again see more work needing to be done with my technique; it’s a never-ending work in progress.

With about half a dozen more Saturday’s of working this year, this upcoming weekend will include another Saturday workout at my office.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum