Allen's Journal

[Allen Yeh]

Originally Posted by Derek Simonds

I must be doing something wrong on the Pendlay Rows or I am not as strong in the pulling department as I thought. I have played with them and am very uncomfortable at the 135 LB weight. I mean struggling uncomfortable. I plan on having them as a major part of my routine the next six weeks so I better get good at them.

Training is looking good.

Hm, take a vid? I think I'm doing them right. This is my setup:

1. I stack 2 rubber mats up to stand on, this was due to trial and error but unless I do this I need a really wide grip, since I have long arms in proportion to my legs.
2. The bar is over my toes and my legs are almost straight but not quite, I can feel a stretch in my lats when I grip the bar.
3. I pull really hard to my sternum, trying not to move my hips at all.
4. The bar hits the ground and I re-grip and do it all over again.

The 205 felt better than the 200 last week, weird. Talking about pulling strength, Dave Van Skike was saying he goes up to like 300+ for reps....not in my range at the moment.

[Allen Yeh]

September 19, 2008
*15 hour fast*

1. Movement Prep/Mobility
Foam rolling ~10 minutes
1-inch bird dog - 10 seconds - 4L/R, 4L/R
elbow to instep - 3L/R
lateral squat - 5L/R
rotational squat - 5L/R
split squat - 5L/R
band walk - 10L/R

2. Core
windmill - 12kg KB - 10L/R, 10L/R
plank - 0:45, 0:45

3. Strength/Elasticity
reverse lunge w/KB - 12kg - 12L/R, 12L/R, 12L/R
plyo pushup - touching chest - 15, 12, 10
(superset with no rest - 0:30 at end)

single leg RDL - 12kg KB - 10L/R, 10L/R, 10L/R
goblet squat - 24kg KB - 10, 10, 10
(superset with no rest - 0:30 at end)

4. Metcon
25 burpees - 1:10 (shaved off 8 seconds from earlier in the week!)
2H swings - 24kg KB - 50 - 1:27

Notes:
-At home workout today, tried to really focus on foam rolling and mobility stuff which I've been somewhat neglecting. I think the combo of the single leg RDL's and set of 50 swings really put a hurting on my hamstrings and glutes. They are still sore on the 22nd.
- 25 burpees - I've really cut the time down, and the set was completely unbroken, time to add some in!

[Allen Yeh]

September 20, 2008
*no fast*

Conquer Chiari Walk Fundraiser - 2 miles

Notes:
-Not a bad walk except that Connor did NOT want to walk at all, he was pretty cranky from being waken up before 7 AM, so I ended up holding him for 99.8% of the 2 miles.

September 21, 2008

Nada, drove back from NY to VA and plenty of crappy food, driving = sucks!

[Derek Simonds]

At least you are back! I hate driving especially because all I do is eat when I am behind the wheel.

I will try the technique you said for the rows.

25 Burpees unbroken in 1:10 looks like a challenge for me this week. Maybe Friday morning.

[Allen Yeh]

I feel like Friday was a forever ago.

[Allen Yeh]

Originally Posted by Eva Claire Synkowski

i thought you were around there. guess i was surprised to hear sleep apnea diagnosis, albeit mild, being that lean. you mentioned dietary connections - i wonder if dr. g has some insight.

I thought this was interesting about sleep apnea and a mouth appliance. I may switch to a different "sleep" doctor to see if I can get an opinion other than the CPAP machine.

http://blog.joerogan.net/archives/215

[Allen Yeh]

September 22, 2008
*no fast*

No workout, just couldn't get myself psyched up enough, that and the lack of sleep and weekend of crappy eating just caught up to me. So I watched this video again this morning http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obdd31Q9PqA and made myself feel like a huge pussy for missing training yesterday.

Heroes is back so now I know I'll get at least 1 good foam rolling session a week!
~45 minutes on the foam roller with a focus on:
-calves
-hamstrings
-quads
-it bands
-upper back
-lats

[Allen Yeh]

September 23, 2008
*no fast*

1. Warmup
row 500m @5 - 1:31 tied my old PR that I set in October 2006! (see notes on why I'm a moron!!)

2. Mobility/Movement Prep warmup
DROM WU - 10 all

3. Strength
Burgener WU - 45 x 1
Trying a to start the bar over the base of my toes today
muscle clean + tall clean + push jerk - 45 x 2, 95 x 2
muscle clean - 95 x 5
power clean - 135 x 3, 155 x 3 (see notes)

CFT 4 minutes between work sets
deadlift - 275 x 1, 335 x 1, 365 x 1(medium effort), 385 x 1 (tied old PR!! BW was 195 then from Nov. 2006 it was hard but not max), 400 x 0(couldn't even get it off the ground), 395 x 0
standing barbell press - 45 x 5, 95 x 3, 145 x 1, 175 x 0, 160 x 1
low bar squat - 160 x 3, 235 x 2, 325 x 0, 265 x 1, 295 x 1

4. KB stuff
OALC - 35#KB - left arm felt strained from the DL and pressing so I stopped

For time: w/35#KB
30 KB swings each hand
30 hand to hand KB swings
30 2H KB swings
Time: 3:53

Notes:
-500m Row - I am an idiot! While on one hand I'm happy with my time, on the other hand I'm a moron! This ties the PR I set back in October 2006, I was supposed to do just a warmup but after a few pulls decided to go for it and I was WASTED after this, my quads and biceps were cramping slightly. This pretty much ruined the rest of my workout, it was supposed to be a 5 x 5 day of power cleans but I was nauseous for a good 30 minutes after this row.
-power cleans - I wasn't feeling these today at ALL, even with these light sets I was feeling lightheaded and nauseous so I cut it short but didn't want to leave the gym...which brought me to the CFT
-Crossfit Total - I honestly can't remember the last time I did a CFT. It was originally just going to be DL's but I decided to see where I stood on the other lifts after I was psyched up with my DL.
-Deadlift - 365 felt EASY so I went to 385 which ties my old PR from November 2006! I was also 196#'s at the time while right now I'm running 187!!! I was so happy I decided to go for 400 but I think I psyched myself out a little by the time I got to it. I couldn't even break it off the ground, so I thought maybe I just added too much, 395 was pretty much the same.
-standing barbell press - Too aggressive with weight choices, 175 wouldn't even budge, 160 is ok, I'm not happy with this one.
low bar squat - I can't even remember the last time I did a low bar squat, I should have thrown in some more warmup sets, the 325 was a mistake on my part of adding and reading. I was supposed to put 25#'s on each side so I was supposed to be doing 285#'s OOPS! 295 felt medium but I had used up all my attempts
-KB stuff - Let arm feeling strained from the DL and press so I just cut out the OALC today and subbed in a madeup kb swing circuit.

Later:
Before bed my wife took pity on me and massaged my lower back for 30+ minutes.

[Allen Yeh]

September 24, 2008
*fasted workout*
*16 hour fast*

1. Warmup
muscle up practice - false grip killing my wrists
double under practice - 2 minute (~35 just not feeling the groove today)


2. Warmup
handstand hold - 0:11 hurting my wrist
chest-up - 6, 7, 4

2. Mobility/Movement Prep warmup
good morning - pvc x 75
back extensions - 10, 10
DC#4:
incline db retraction - 30 x 15
prone y - 5 x 12
prone internal rotation - 5 x 12

elbow to instep - 4L/R
inverted hamstring - backward - 10L/R
lateral lunge w/ drop lunge - 8L/R
lateral squat - 8L/R
rotational squat - 6L/R

3. Strength
incline DB piston press - 40 x 10, 45 x 10
t-bar row - 45 x 10, 45 x 7
(superset with full rest - 0:15)

4. Metcon
row 1000m @ 5 - 3:42
Rest 3:00
row 500m @ 5 - 1:53

KB farmers walk - 2 x 24kg - 3 laps around the basketball court in 4:53

Notes:
-My back was hurting today, so I didn't really have anythign set just a lot of trying to get my back to feeling better.

[Allen Yeh]

September 24, 2008
*16 hour fast*

My back is in a world of hurt today, waaay worse than yesterday. Maybe later I'll try to do some band good mornings or broomstick good mornings.

Took a walk to the grocery store with Connor ~20 minutes round trip.