Sunday, February 10, 2013

Training.

2/10 - chinups x20, pullups 4x5, burpees 10/9/8/7/6, dips 2x10

P90X+ D84 rest/off - finished this 12 week cycle of P90X+.  Decent enough results.  The goal was to make it through the gluttony months - Thanksgiving/Xmas/New Year's - without turning into an obese sloth and maybe making some slight improvements.

The diet was... loose... and I didn't deny myself much over the holidays, as evidenced by scrolling through the food log posts.  Over twelve weeks my weight stayed the same [well, technically, over the period/the holidays I gained and lost the same 6lbs] and I took an inch off my waistline, so that's a decent sign I might've lost at least a little chub.

My chinup max rep test only got me to 20 [dead hang] which is 6 lower than my all time best last July when I was a chinup machine [Hi Justin!  Hi Katey!]  Not going to get wrapped around the axle around that because 1) I'm about 10lbs heavier than I was seven months ago and 2)the pullup bar I'm using now is configured in such a why that my grip width is slightly wider/narrower than optimal for knocking out max reps chins & tweaks my wrist a bit.  I think from now on I'll switch to a PR pullup test every 12 weeks to track consistency and progress, since the hand spacing for pulls is more amenable than for chins on my uber-awesome pullup station.  [Thanks Spence!]

So, the next few months, taking advantage of my other half's generous combined Valentine's/early Anniversary/early birthday present I'm going to do a 12 to 13 week cycle/round of P90X2.  Like P90X, it's a three phase program [Foundation/Strength/Performance, with a Recovery/Mobility week thrown in as needed] but unlike P90X it let's you play with the length of the phases as you see fit [3-6 weeks.]

Depending on when we depart the States and when our gear is packed out should determine how long the round will go for.  Ideally, I'm looking at 3 weeks Foundation, 1 week of Strength, 1 week of Recovery/Mobility [when I'm anticipating being on the road], 4 more weeks of Strength and then either 3 or 4 weeks of Performance.

My adjustable weights remain in storage somewhere abroad, so still using bands and bodyweight work for the round.  Not going to get ridiculously huge or strong that way, obviously, so continued emphasis on improving strength-to-bodyweight ratio and muscular endurance.  Also try to see how much I can lean out by the end of Spring/May.  Keep watching the diet, ideally one splurge a week,  and on any given day control for either carbs or calories, depending on the circumstances.

Goals for the next round --  dead hang pull-ups 25-30 [anything over 22 would be a new PR, my previous best from, again, last spring/summer], drop 10-20lbs and 1-3 inches off the waistline.  

...not going to win any awards, but not too shabby.  Especially compared to about two years ago when I was 30lbs heavier.  As always, a work in progress.  Onwards...  [Also, I got to play with my camera.]
Motivating/Inspiring
There's nothing so awesome/cool/impressive/attractive/strong as a well developed back, imho.  Makes me wish I had my stuff out of storage so I could do more deadlift and spinal extension work.  But I don't, so more pullups and chinups and bw rows it is...









2 comments:

  1. You can PR next time! For the record, our numbers have gone way down too... I think it's because our three super-sunshine-rings-of-strength-and-drink are out of range...

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  2. Encouraging words, sir. Your reasoning is sound and scientific.

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