Kitchen Timer Training - Page 4

meguro · 08-13-2008, 05:39 PM

Just 10 minutes of compression and traction.
-5 db squats
-5 bw chin-ups

I alternated sets of db squats with chin-ups until the timer rang stop. By the 8th set, the chin-ups started to get sloppy. Fortunately, time was up. The challenge was stabilizing the weight of the db's through out the rom of the squat. Holding the db's at the shoulders provided an iso workout for the delts as well as the whole neck/shoulder area. The chance to hang on the bar for the chin-ups gave welcome relief to the spine in the form of traction.

meguro · 08-14-2008, 04:18 PM

I thought you all might find this interesting. The article describes an 8 minute squat routine that's got some body-building types scratching their heads. What attracted my attention was the time period, go figure, and the buzz word "explosive."

I'm not sure about today's workout. I'm vacillating between a rest-day and explosive/isometric nonsense.

Dent · 08-14-2008, 04:35 PM

Osu!

8 minutes of solid squats???!!!

That's nuts...

Osu!

meguro · 08-19-2008, 05:13 PM

Osu! I don't know about 8 minutes of solid squats. In the article, the wrestler manages 8 squats in 2 minutes- granted this was his warm-up. I did something similar. My modification-keeping with the explosive movement imperative-was to do a db clean/thruster combo. I managed 27 in 8 minutes, probably could squeeze out more reps if I stuck to squats or just cleans without the overhead pressing movement.

Over the weekend I went swimming with the kids. It was their first time swimming in the deepend without flotation devices. This necessitated me treading water for a long time. That was a workout. Much respect for any water sports athlete.

The debacle in the pool and the recent discussion on push-ups in another thread got me focused on more conditioning. Today, I set the kitchen timer for 20 minutes.
-4x500m row
-4x50 push-ups
-3x20 sec bent arm hang
Nothing depletes energy stores like a fast paced row-yeah burpees come close, but just so. A single set of 50 push-ups, fresh, is no problem. After 500 meters on the erg, it is a big challenge. Each successive row and set of push-ups became ever harder tests. With just a couple minutes to catch my breath, I had about a minute to hang on the bar before time ran out. I think I'll try to do two of these work-outs a week. Remind me if I forget.

**MilkManX** · 08-19-2008, 07:29 PM

Yeah I did some similar workouts with Pushups,Pull-ups,Dips and doing my 2 katas for my belt test in 40 minutes. By the tenth run I almost smashed my teeth in on the pushups lol!

meguro · 08-20-2008, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MilkManX

Yeah I did some similar workouts with Pushups,Pull-ups,Dips and doing my 2 katas for my belt test in 40 minutes. By the tenth run I almost smashed my teeth in on the pushups lol!

Next time, don't forget the mouthguard!

OK, if you recall the article on squats, I posted what I believed might be equivalent in effort. Dent. perceptive as ever, reacted in shock. 8 minutes! After yesterday's rowing push-up fest, I noticed some tightness in my chest. I did not have a similar tightness in my legs or back after doing my pseudo 8minute squat routine, so I reconsidered. My prevous try obviously didn't have enough volume.

Doing 8 minutes of non stop squats with no rest is no joke. In the article the wrestler uses 135 pounds, on a barbell I imagine. I set my kitchen timer to 8 minutes and hoisted two 50 lbs db's and started squating. It didn't take me long-about 12 reps- before I had to put the db's down, catch my breath, and resume, rest and repeat.

I completed 62 reps in 8 minutes, but I did not do 8 minutes of squats. I failed after the 12th rep because that's where I had to take a break. Every rep after that was done with the recognition that I am no way up to the challenge. I hang my head in shame. Think I'll start working on 1 minute squats to start.

**MilkManX** · 08-20-2008, 08:46 PM

Great effort though! I can probably do one minute and maybe two at the most but eight would be a challenge.

Today was Ten 3 minute rounds on the speedbag and inbetween each round was my Shiro and Aoi Kata's for Enshin.

meguro · 08-21-2008, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MilkManX

Today was Ten 3 minute rounds on the speedbag and inbetween each round was my Shiro and Aoi Kata's for Enshin.

Osu!MilkMan, my shoulders ache with sympathetic DOMS for you.

Set the kitchen timer for 20 minutes.
-Single arm db press and hold for 1 min in kiba dachi and kokotsu dachi each arm
-weighted dips 5x5
-weighted pull-ups 5x3
-4x500m row

No push-ups today. I wanted to start with something isometric. The single arm overhead press and hold is a great way to find out where all those little core stabilizer muscles are-they're the ones twitching as you try to keep the weight from putting a divot in the flooring or your head. Isometrics is probably better as a finisher than a starter. My shoulders and triceps were blasted before I got to the dips and pull ups, and when it came time for the rowing, my legs were less than fresh. I'll definitely reverse the order next time I rotate through this one.

**MilkManX** · 08-21-2008, 08:06 PM

Yeah my shoulders are fried.

Today was 10 x 3minute Jumprope with Kicking drills inbetween(1x Mae Giri into 1x Mawashi Giri into 1x Uchiro Giri change side repeat the sometimes change Uchiro Giri for Uchiro Mawashi Giri..although by back spin is severly lacking right now!)

Dent · 08-21-2008, 08:39 PM

Osu!

Quote:

Originally Posted by meguro

OK, if you recall the article on squats, I posted what I believed might be equivalent in effort. Dent. perceptive as ever, reacted in shock. 8 minutes! After yesterday's rowing push-up fest, I noticed some tightness in my chest. I did not have a similar tightness in my legs or back after doing my pseudo 8minute squat routine, so I reconsidered. My prevous try obviously didn't have enough volume.

Doing 8 minutes of non stop squats with no rest is no joke. In the article the wrestler uses 135 pounds, on a barbell I imagine. I set my kitchen timer to 8 minutes and hoisted two 50 lbs db's and started squating. It didn't take me long-about 12 reps- before I had to put the db's down, catch my breath, and resume, rest and repeat.

I completed 62 reps in 8 minutes, but I did not do 8 minutes of squats. I failed after the 12th rep because that's where I had to take a break. Every rep after that was done with the recognition that I am no way up to the challenge. I hang my head in shame. Think I'll start working on 1 minute squats to start.

I think you've set a very tough task for yourself, Meguro. DB's are much tougher to play with than the barbell. With the weight forward, and the strain on the arms, DB's are awkward as much as anything.

Now that I have a rack in-house, I can get back to free-wheeling with the barbell, and it is sooooooo much easier than either DB's or the Smith.

Osu!

meguro · 08-23-2008, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MilkManX

Today was 10 x 3minute Jumprope with Kicking drills inbetween(1x Mae Giri into 1x Mawashi Giri into 1x Uchiro Giri change side repeat the sometimes change Uchiro Giri for Uchiro Mawashi Giri..although by back spin is severly lacking right now!)

Osu! I'd like to get better with the jumprope. Singles are no problem and sprints aren't too bad, but double unders and crisscrossing aren't happening with much grace. I was so jealous of-I forget the actresses name- in Million Dollar Baby skipping rope like a champ. In comparison, I skip rope like a chump.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dent

I think you've set a very tough task for yourself, Meguro. DB's are much tougher to play with than the barbell. With the weight forward, and the strain on the arms, DB's are awkward as much as anything.

Now that I have a rack in-house, I can get back to free-wheeling with the barbell, and it is sooooooo much easier than either DB's or the Smith.

Osu! Dent, DB squats are a handful. The weight is way forward. It puts a huge strain on the lower back. As soon as I noticed the beginnings of debilitating soreness in the back, I broke-out the foam roll and massaged the knots away. It worked like a charm. Everybody should have a foam roll.

Despite the lower back strain, I like the using the db's for squats. Well, besides having no alternative, it gives my grip and shoulders an isometric workout. One day, I'll have a rack and Olympic weight set. One day. . .

**MilkManX** · 08-23-2008, 06:13 PM

I do front DB squats. Its not too bad. You hold the weights on your delts and you can keep proper form. You can even do Deadlifts with Dumbells.

StrongLifts Dumbbell 5×5: Strength Training Using Dumbbells | StrongLifts.com

BigAl · 08-24-2008, 08:17 PM

Doing any full-body exercise for time is a rough task, but with time and patience you can build up to it. I'm working on dumbbell snatches for time myself, it's a puker.

Keep training hard, OSU!

meguro · 08-25-2008, 10:34 PM

So I picked up a cute little gadget to spice up my training. The Nike Chisel is a sports watch that's got an interval timer. I wish my G-Shock had this feature. This Nike, which can be had for 45% off list through some of Amazon's vendors, will replace my G-Shock for training (the kitchen timer, of course, stays.)

Today I put the watch to good use. I set it up for Tabata interval training, and set my kitchen timer for 10 minutes.
-hang power cleans
-roll outs
-push-ups
I had planned on doing thrusters, but had too much weight on the db's so went with the hpc's instead. Started out with 12 reps per 20 sec work period. As I got closer to 50 reps, the number of cleans per work period diminished to a ridiculously low number. By the last set, I was down to 3 reps:48, 49, 50. Then I went into the roll-outs. The watch has a graphic countdown-bar and an audible beep to let you know when to work and when to collapse. The beeps came in handy when it came time it to do push-ups. At this point, I could not see. The sweat seeping into my eyes was blinding.

All together, I did about 50 reps of each exercise. From a conditioning perspective, I would rate this at around a 4 on a scale of 1-10. I didn't feel as though my heart was about to explode. The thing is, as easy as it seems now, I could not squeeze another rep out of myself at the time. The watch kept on beeping and I found myself asking for more time to rest.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MilkManX

I do front DB squats. Its not too bad. You hold the weights on your delts and you can keep proper form. You can even do Deadlifts with Dumbells.

StrongLifts Dumbbell 5×5: Strength Training Using Dumbbells | StrongLifts.com

Osu! Thanks for the link, MilkManX. StrongLifts is a good source of info. I've referred to it in the past. It's the first time I saw that article though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigAl

Doing any full-body exercise for time is a rough task, but with time and patience you can build up to it. I'm working on dumbbell snatches for time myself, it's a puker.

Osu! BigAl, DB snatches are cool. I prefer them to KB snatches, as I'm not confident with my ability to catch the KB, especially as fatigue sets in. I do like KB's for swings.

BigAl · 08-25-2008, 11:57 PM

Tabata intervals can be tough, nice training. I don't think anyone can say that sounded easy.

As for KBs, you can always do snatches first then once it gets heavy enough to start affecting your form switch to regular swings instead. Snatches are good for forearm conditioning too and keeping your wrist straight, can't beat that.

meguro · 08-26-2008, 06:16 PM

Osu! BigAl, I'll work on the catch.

Since I wasn't satisfied with yesterday's conditioning, I decided to kick it up a notch. I set the kitchen timer for 20 minutes and configured the Nike for Tabata's, again.
-DB Thrusters 5x5
-weighted dips 5x5
-roll-outs (7 or 8 sets, I lost count)
-chin-ups (5x5)
-Tabata row
I started out slow with the thrusters, finishing 5 reps easily within 20 seconds. Even with the conservative pace, it was a struggle to finish 5 clean ones at the end. The dips, with my arms already medium rare, were a dicey affair. The last set of 5 had me doing negatives. The roll-outs were a relief for the arms, so I got lost doing those. I chose chin-ups because those are the easiest grip to use on the bar when you're tired. On the last set, there was no pulling-just 2 ten sec holds. I threw in the Tabata row for the coup de grace. I was pretty surprised that even after all the warming up, I was able to pull decent 500m splits throughout. I even had 2 minutes on the kitchen timer left over for cooling down.

In case anyone reading this is bothered by the irregularity of my training, don't be. The irregularity is intentional. I'm not trying to get good at any one particular exercise, eg. bench or deadlifts, but get my body to respond well to varying work loads & stresses. I'll note progress if and when I see decreases in resting heart rate, bp, timed rows, and increases in weight (for the body and DB's/dip belt). So far, I'm noticing progress.

**MilkManX** · 08-26-2008, 08:30 PM

Irregularity is good. Keeps the body guessing so it doesnt get use to a routine.

meguro · 08-27-2008, 06:18 PM

Osu!Actually, I fight against irregularity by eating half-a dozen prunes every night!

This one hurts. Set the kitchen timer for 20 mins and the interval timer for Tabatas.
-DB iso hold (8x20 secs)
-Knees to elbows (5x5)
-Pull-ups (5,4,3,2,1)
-push-ups (10,9,8,5,5)
-wall squats (5 mins)

At first I thought I would hold the DB's at the shoulders for 20 secs, keeping a pelvic tilt, and then rest by doing a few thrusters for 10 secs. This worked for the first three sets. Then I had to put the DB's down for each following 10 sec rest interval. The knees to elbows felt good for my lower back but killed my abs, which were still a little sore from 2 consecutive days of Tabata roll-outs. I tried to do 5x5 pull ups, but declining sets were all I could manage. Same with the push-ups;tried 5x10 but could only manage declining sets. I closed my eyes for the wall squats-to prevent perspiration from stinging my eyes and to keep focus. I hoped to do a solid 5 minutes but had to break it up into two, two minutes sets and a single one min.

The themes for today were isometric contraction, pelvic tilt, and pain. I think I ticked off all the boxes.

*I really enjoy training with my sports watch set to a Tabata interval. Not every exercise I do follows the Tabata protocol, but I like to have the periodic beeps anyway. When you're working out in a short period of time, the beeps keep you hustling.

meguro · 08-28-2008, 07:34 PM

I thought I'd post a pic of my home gym to help you visualize the equipment and space involved in the workouts I'm writing about. The rower is a gift that appreciates in value everytime I use it. The Perfect Pushup, also a gift, is somewhat limited in value. High value/low cost tools include the db's, dip belt, dip stand, puzzle mat, pu-bar and time keeping devices. The Indo Board, although I don't write about it much, is great for balance training and rehab. I use it often. I don't use the COC grippers (T & 1) as much as I used too. The no. 2 makes an interesting paper weight-I can't yet close it, but maybe one day. . .

Today I sat on the rower and did 10x1min pieces with 15 sec rest intervals.

Sponsored Links