Sunday March 30

Humbling

I was going to be busy today - but I had a window of about an hour in the middle of the day.

So I got busy.

With my "new" sled.

I put it in the van with the two 16 kilo bells and the parts to my old 80 lb sand bag. When I got to where I was training ... I put the sand bag back together and did one start run with it. I put it away and got this done for six rounds:

20 kb cleans
20 kb natches
sled push 20 yards with both 16 kilo bells x 2

Why six rounds? Someone said they were coming to try out the sled and see how it worked, but they were busy doing something and would come as soon as I was done .... riiiiiight ;)

I discovered that the sled is a humbling experience and one which I'll have to adjust into my training for the summer. It's all good, man.

Saturday March 29

I had to get myself going today... I had a big day with my family set up. So, I cleaned and I got stuff ready ... and then realized I had about 35 minutes to get a training session in.

I put the timer on at about 30 minutes on my iPhone and got to work for as many rounds as I could:

10 kb swings
20 step ups
6-8 overhead presses with a 50-70 lbs on a barbell
6-8 deep squats

At the end, I didnt have time to put stuff away, so I left it:

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday March 28

Not going to sugar coat it. I've done nothing these three days.

I hate this time of year at work. It's hard to get any training done.

Tuesday March 25

I don't know about today. I'm glad it's over and I'm at home setting this post up at my dining room table and with my brains still inside my head. There were a few moments there that I wasn't sure that was going to stay that way.

In any case, I recovered from forgetting my laptop at home, recovered from a laptop crash and from several other things that happened today to make it one of "those days". I was also sore from last night's rugby session for most of the day. I should have taken some time to stretch but I had to plow onwards through a mess of a day.

Later on, got a chance to sit with my wife and talk.

After that, she went to bed and I got this done for four rounds:

10 kb cleans

That hole wasn't there before

10 kb snatches
10 step ups on a 12 inch step
10 hanging knee tucks
20 bw squats.

During the workout, I managed to drop a bell on the mats covering my floor. A nice loud thump and then nothing. No screaming children. Yet another reason why I love these puzzle piece mats.

Monday March 24

So ... I was back at rugby training on Monday.

This time I missed the cardio session during the day. Instead I figured to focus on the evening rugby. Well, if that was the plan, it was a stupid plan. I need as much cardio as I can get these days.

I don't thnk I'm out of shape. I'm chubby, but that is a requirement of being a prop in Union rugby. I have to be able to catch the ball - which I can. I have to be able to lift and scrum. My main duties after that are to hit ruck and try and steal ball, if I can. I have to be close to the ruck as often as I can and try to help win possession. For that I need muscular endurance and power.

I also need to be able to keep doing those things over 80 minutes of a game.

In any case, I got a fairly good rugby technical session done in the evening with about 50 other players. The last 40 minutes was specializing in League rugby. I think we'll have a pretty good team this year, if the numbers keep up and the people who are training show up to games...

In any case, it was 2 hours of rugby training.

March 23 and a pause for a shout out.

I can just make out the name of Kanye West on the Cup ... ;)

I don't do these shout outs nearly enough, to be frank. It's usually a chance for me to get a workout done and do some writing about things that work and things that I can see being positive.

What could be better than that?

I got to train today at the Wayne Gretsky Centre in Brantford, Ontario. I was there for an event two of my children was participating in and I had a few hours on my hands, so I brought my stuff to get things done. Well, I brought most of my stuff. I had to buy a tee shirt to work out in at the facility. So now I have an XL tee that says "Synchronized Swimming West Region." I looked awesome in it.

In the end, it was a city run centre, so there was lots to appeal to many people. Hockey arenas, lots of gyms and two pools, and at least two weight rooms. The one I went into, pictured on the right, was a haven, at least for a bit.

It had cardio machines, and a free weight section, along with two or three squat racks and weight machines. A nicely tricked out centre, done with public money. It was clean and well kept and safe. A few older people were in the gym, along with one or two meaheads and a few people who needed a safe place to shed a few pounds. Nothing to really turn me off of the place, but I still like working out at my house the best.

I started on one of the three nice Concept II rowing machines, and got at least a kilometer done in the 5 minutes I'd wanted to use to just get warmed up.

Well, let me give you the workout I did:

5 minutes on the rowing machine

then for four rounds:
 8-10 seated bench overhead presses 35lb x 2 db used
lying flies 35 x 2 db used
bench row 35 lb db used
seated knee tucks

then did four rounds of
6-8 deep squats - about 90 lbs on the bar. Nothing special.
10 hanging knee tucks with the odd hanging leg raise to mix things up.

In any case, I liked the place. I had about 50 minutes to get this done, and in that time, had no one cop an attitude or act like an idiot in front of me. It would have been better with a few more squat racks and few less cardio machines, but I was there on a Sunday morning. Perhaps on a Saturday morning, there are a lot more people. Still, a community centre that has staff that cares is always a positive.

I'd go back for sure.

Friday and Saturday March 22

Friday was too sore to do much beyond stretching and recovery work. I did manage to pick up a rather cool sled on Kijiji. It retailed for 500, on sale for 300, but I paid 160. I also did a back up of this Macbook, as it is not working very well at the moment, suggesting something awful is about to happen. I'm looking for a replacement as I type this.

Saturday I had my boy for the day, and so we went to train, he had a great idea for us to try, as pictured on the right.

We got this done together for 4 rounds:

20 kb swings
30 step ups
10 hanging knee tucks
20 bw squats
5 sled push and drags with 40 lb sand bag and 30 lb boy

The rest of the day was also active - he is little boy, after all. Lots of sprinting after him, puling him out of harm's way and generally being a guardian angel. That, my friends is exhausting.

Thursday March 20

My hip recovered nicely today. I made it to rugby training that night. Lots of ball handling, I'm happy to report. Not much sprinting.

I did make one point, during a drill of 4 on 7. I made  a horrible left handed pass, going forward and missing the target by about 3 meters. A few rounds later, I made the same pass, but this time, made sure I got enough power behind it and put it right into the guy's hands.

Yes, I got made fun of, but at least I made that damn pass.From now on, short passes, man.

Tuesday and Wednesday March 19

I was off work on Tuesday. I really didn't get out of bed; I found standing on my leg kind of painful.

Wednesday I went to work, hobbling along. I got stuff done. At the end of the day, I got it moving ... Advil, yoga and red wine was the trick.

Monday March 17

I really hate St Patrick's Day.

This particular SPD was a reminder of how stuff just happens that really shouldn't. But, it does and we have to deal with it.

I got my boxing workout done in the afternoon. Ten rounds of:

2 minutes hitting the heavy bag
1:30 kettlebell cleans - usually got to 20 each side.

Later on that same night, I went to Rugby League training in Oakville. I really hate turf and ended up hurting my hip. Badly.

Saturday and Sunday March 16

Squats

Saturday was a quick day. I saw a rugby specific website and chatted with the guy running it. He's the S&C coach of the NRL Sydney Roosters ... and so knows a bit about training for rugby.

I took a light weight on a training bar, 50 pounds I believe. I did a deep pause at the bottom squat in this day's training. My knee did not protest at all. I wanted to note that I did these lifts barefoot, as I do most of my gym training.

In any case, got this done for 4 rounds while my three year old training partner was around and about. He likes to sit on the big tire and watch while I do the potentially dangerous lifts.

4-6 deep squats with pause at the bottom. 50 lbs on the bar.
6-8 overhead presses with the same bar.
30 step ups onto a 12 inch step
20 seated knee tucks

Saturday night was a practise session for St Patricks Day on Monday. I have to keep my brain focused on things rugby, not idiotic parties. There was a reason I never went to these events for the last few years, all of which came back to me during this night. Nice music, though. Tough to be happy, though.

Sunday was a day of family events and getting ready for Monday, which is back to work for me.

Thursday and Friday March 14

Thursday was a tough day. I woke up really early and so ... got into my gym and did my own session. One of the greatest reasons to own your own workout space is that you can to to train at any time. I used to not go all the time ... now I go as much as I can.

In any case, I got a light workout done as my back was sore from all the shoveling yesterday. I got four rounds of this done before the rest of the house woke up.

20 kb overhead presses
30 step ups
10 hanging knee tucks
20 bw squats

Thursday night was a rugby night, too. Lots of ball handling and sprinting being done. I stretched and stretched after, but my legs ended up stiff anyways. I also shot myself in the foot by going home and eating a big meal before going to bed. I shouldn't have done that, but what ever.

Friday was a rest day. I needed to not do anything, except stretch. I got that done early, but I was still pretty stiff for most of the day.

Wednesday March 12

Today was supposed to be a rest day. I didn't go very far and I didn't train.

I did, however do three sessions of shoveling, each about a half hour long.

So yeah no "training" but I was still active today

Tuesday March 11

Spent the day recovering from Monday. Man, I was kind of sore, but I've had worse.

I got the youngest in bed asleep then did this for four rounds:

20 kbs swings

30 step ups

10 hanging knee tucks

20 body weight squats

Got that done in under a half hour; now watching a DVD I borrowed off of someone at the rugby club "bigger and blacker" by Chris Rock. 

Kinda dated, but some funny lines.

Monday March 10

Well, quite frankly ... This was a rugby training session. In and with Oakville.

40-50 people showed up, some from each senior team / level of the club. Some bad players from their fourths team and some first team Xv players.

In any case, it was a lot of fitness ges and ball handling, with about 20 minutes if League focus at the end.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Friday was a disaster ... off for the day and too sore to do anything serious.

Saturday was an unusual workout. I had a 40 lb boy in a plastic car. I had to push him through slushy sidewalks for two kilometers. It was a real effort, man.

Sunday I got back to a more traditional training session: Got this done for four rounds:
10 kb cleans
10 kb snatches
30 step ups
10 hanging knee tucks
20 bw squats

Just had to get something done. It's done. There you go. Frustrated.

Wed and Thursday March 6

Ah, yes.

Wednesday ... I did do some very good work on Wednesday, it just wasn't applicable to this blog. I did speak to CK, a semi-loyal reader of this blog about getting more dead lifts into my workout. I did take a screen shot of his advice, but then ... stuff just happened. I had to go and be a dad rather than a guy who trains a lot.

Was supposed to be a selfie, but I missed

Thursday ... was back to normal and the last day before a well deserved week break. I'm still not in the mood to live and work in community with people around me; I just don't think I want to surround myself with people with whom I have basic disagreements. In any case, I digress.

I did the boxing session again today. Ten rounds of:

2:00 minutes hitting the heavy bag
1:30 of kettlebell swings.

It was pretty epic.

Later on will be the first indoor rugby training session for 2014. The Dome League my club ran was over last week. Now ... it's time "to get fit" .... yeah, I'll try to get a workout or two done.

Monday and Tuesday March 4

Monday was a write off. Just too much stuff coming out of my lungs

Tuesday was a back of a lot better. I got this done for five rounds before having to go and be a grown up again:

20 kb swings / movements using the 20 kilo bell
30 step ups
10 hanging knee tucks
20 bw squats

I got it done after showing up to the team training at a private gym an hour late. Meh, got the wrong time. What evs. I'm good with my own training anyways. Better tunes, too.

Sunday March 2

So ... I'm bored at home, with my youngest attached to me like a shadow. I say ... what do we want to do, man? My kids says ... "Daddy, steps please."

I'll translate that for my readers ... he wanted to go into the gym and do some step ups.

In any case, I did some rounds of double kettlebell clean and presses and some rounds of single snatches, too.

I used the blue 12 kilo bells for all the rounds, did this:

4 rounds of 45 seconds double clean and presses
2 rounds of 45 seconds snatches
2 rounds of 45 seconds snatches
4 rounds of 45 second double clean and presses

Saturday March 1

This particular March is coming in like a lion. I am so sick of this winter; ready for the crap to melt. Seriously.

Pic is unrelated

Lots of stress around here today - the usual things ... money, kids, ... money ... lolz.

In any case, I got this done four rounds before I had to go and be a grown up. I hate when that happens.

20 swings (depended on the round, but cleans, snatches, combos...)
30 step ups with a 16 inch step.
10 hanging knee tucks
8-10 dead lifts about 100 lbs on the bar. Nothing huge, just for fun
20 push ups, usually weighted. My son likes to jump on me when I get ready to do push ups.

I do have a few pics of this workout, but they aren't handy as I'm writing this.