Dan's Alpinist Training Log

[Daniel Labuz]

If anyone doesn't know what an alpinist is then one thing I can tell you is that they climb mountains, without oxygen or sherpa support, technical rock/ice routes, stocked camps, and without fixed lines. This is my definition, the term Alpinist is very subjective I've come to realize.

Notable Alpinists: Alex Lowe, Reinhold Messner, Mark Twight (www.gymjones.com founder), Jeff Lowe, Yvon Chouinard, Steve House, Colin Hayes, Barry Blanchard, and my favorite Jerzy "Jurek" Kukuczka (I'm Polish after all!).

Some back history as nobody knows me (20 years old, 6'2", 159lbs):

I started training to become an alpinist after watching Man vs. Wild (About year and half ago) and seeing Bear Grylls climbing over outcrops and such without ropes or anything (at least that's what it looked like). I then read his book about climbing Mount Everest, and I was hooked all I could think about was to climb mountains (and still do, it's an addiction at this point).

Started training seriously last winter by running a lot and pull ups. Terrible training I know! But since built a pretty nice gym in my garage read up on a lot of different types of training and read up on nutrition like a fiend.

These days I make up my own training schedule and it's based very similar to workouts done on www.gymjones.com and www.mtnathlete.com, two sites I have the daily schedule read multiple times. In fact, I get almost all my ideas from them, so I have to give an infinite amount of credit to Mark Twight and Rob Shaul who own Gym Jones and MtnAthlete respectively.

Well enough of that let's get to today's training that was done!

October 8, 2008 – Core Strength, SMMF (Single Movement Mind F---(not sure if you can swear but you get the idea)

Warm Up: 2 Rounds: Row 500m <2:00 (1:56, 1:54.9), 10x 50# KB Swing, 10x 50# KB Goblet Squat, 10x Back Extension, 5x GHD Sit-up

Workout:

(1) Work Up to 1RM Turkish Get-Up (KB or Barbell)
Stats: 1RM effort – 4x30# KB, 3x35# DB, 2x45# DB, 1x45# BB, 1x50# BB (Couldn’t Press, weak 1 arm press!)

(2) 50 Get-ups with each arm (100 total) with 20# DB.
Finished at 29:20

Cooldown: 50 Calories Airdyne


Thanks, hopefully someone takes an interest in these workouts. Most of them take an hour to and hour and half long depending if I overshot my abilities or not. This one took just under an hour I believe so it worked out good today.

[Derek Simonds]

Welcome to the forum. I will enjoy reading your workout log. The SMMF is an interesting concept.

I think you will find that most of swear on this forum we just try and keep it a little under control. So I would say great start.

[Daniel Labuz]

Well that's good because I'm not one to refrain from swearing, haha!

Anyways, Thursday is always a Rest day for me regardless how it falls in my schedule due to the fact I have class from 10am-9pm with only a few hour breaks here and there.

Type - Recovery, Rest, WEIGHT 159lbs.

Workout: Rowing at school

Stats: 20 Minutes, 2:36/500m, 205 calories, 145 AHR, 21 s/m, 3846m

Anyways, I guess this wasn't the best time to start a training log due to the fact that I'm leaving until Tuesday to the Adirondacks to get some hiking in.

Mountains I plan to hike: Marcy, Whiteface, PitchOff, and Maybe another depending on time.

I will keep track of various statistics, AHR, MHR, elevation, mileage, and weight in pack (I plan to put between 30-40# in pack while going up the mountains so I can get some pack experience in).

See you Tuesday!

[Daniel Labuz]

Great weather up in the Adirondacks, but unfortunately had some trouble. Did get to go up Mt. Marcy on Saturday, and came back yesterday. Bummer but, not much you can do about a broken toe!

October 11, 2008 – Mt. Marcy, Endurance

Hiked up Mt. Marcy in about 3 hours it was 3h:10m on my watch but I had a few delays in the beginning so really don't know how long, also I got lost on a ski trail for 30 minutes. I was moving really fast good thing I didn't get lost haha., 167 AHR, 193 MHR observed, 7.4 miles to summit, about 3300ft elevation, 15 miles overall round trip.

Started at 8:45am (I think) and got back at 3:50pm. I barely remember going up, but I do remember my toes being numb 95% of the time (Due to it being 45-50 degrees and my feet soaked the whole time from wearing VFF). Only took a 3 minute break for a candy bar at 1 hour because I had no breakfast at all and didn't eat anything since 4pm the day before.

Stayed at top for about an hour and 30 minutes. Descent was slow due to the fact that I had Vibram Five Fingers on, so it hurt a little going down. Didn't time descent as I wasn't worried about that, just making sure I didn't get hurt. Which of course I didn't, but ironically back at camp I was looking for fire wood and smashed my foot off a rock and ended up messing up my right big toe. I can go 15 miles up and down a mountain but get laid out by a rock at camp! Awesome!

Rested all day Sunday and drove back home last night. Going to see how my toe feels and will make up something to do so I don't feel guilty taking Friday (Pretty much) and Sunday off!

[Daniel Labuz]

October 13, 2008 – Recovery, Core/Upper Body Strength

Warm Up: Stretch A LOT

Workout:

(1) C2 for 30 minutes @ 75-80% MHR. Stats: 2:17.3/500m, 6556m rowed,382 calories, 158 AHR, 21s/m

(2) 3 Rounds of: 5x 30# KB GHD Press each hand, 5x 105# Bench Press, 10x Dips, Rest 1 minute

Total time: 47:15

Legs still stiff, but better after the rowing!

[Daniel Labuz]

October 14, 2008 – Power Endurance, Metcon

Warm Up: 5 minutes easy pace (<2:10/500m) row

Workout:
Wall Ball/Ball Slam:
50-40-30-20-10 reps of each
1st round looks like: 50x Wall Ball @ 20# @ 10ft target followed by 50x Ball Slam @ 20# etc.
Time: 16:53

Had to do a short workout today due to school work due tomorrow, gave me a hard time for sure! Got this from www.gymjones.com (http://www.gymjones.com/schedule.php?date=20080916)

[Daniel Labuz]

October 15, 2008 – Strength

Warm Up: 45# 55# 65# 75# sets of:

6-Way BB Complex courtesy of Gym Jones (Don’t let go of the bar, rest between each sets as needed):

6x Hang Snatch +
6x OHS (Last set Front Squat @ 75#) +
6x Back Squat +
6x Good Morning +
6x Bent-over Row +
6x Deadlift

Workout:

(1) 5x3 Back Squat with 1 minute active rest in between sets
Loads: 135x3, 155x3, 160x3, 165x3, 135x3

(2) Active Rest:
1. Sit-ups:26
2. Ring Pull Ups:13
3. Push-Ups on Push-Up Board:21
4. 50# KB Swings:10

(3) Total time: 36 minutes

Cooldown: CHOCOLATE MILK!

Didn't feel the squat today, almost bailed on the 165# 3rd rep, but stuck it and was pretty much beat after it, could barely get the KB moving. Much needed recovery due tomorrow.

[Daniel Labuz]

October 16, 2008 – Recovery, Flexibility. Weight 164lbs.

20 Minutes on a Plyo ball doing various exercises for flexibility.
Stats: 23 minutes, 126 AHR.

[Daniel Labuz]

October 17, 2008 – Strength

Warm-Up: 2 rounds: 500m row <2:05 (1:54.1,1:55.7), 5x Rotator Scarecrow @ 5# plates

Workout:

(1) 3x10 Shoulder Dislocates @ 3” diameter, 10’ PVC
(2) Work up to 100% 1RM OHS
Loads: 10x45,7x55,5x60,5x65,3x75,2x85,1x95
(3) 5x3 OHS @ 80% 1RM (75#), rest 60 seconds between sets

Cooldown: 50 Calories Airdyne

Total time: 1:01

I got the Rotator Scarecrows from Mtnathlete (http://mtnathlete.com/id254.html) and shoulder dislocates from Gym Jones (http://www.gymjones.com/schedule.php?date=20081015)

All in all was a good session, wrists and shoulders are a little painful but nothing too bad, wish I could've done 100# with the OHS but was afraid I was going to rip my left forearm in half trying to keep the barbell above my head while squatting, haha.

[Daniel Labuz]

October 18, 2008 – Power Endurance

Warm Up: 3 Rounds – Row 250m, 5x 35#x2 DB Overhead Press, 10x 50# KB Swing

Workout: 1 Lap = 110ft

(1) 4 laps of renegade man jumpers @ 2x20# DB
(2) Rest 3 Minutes
(3) 4 laps of walking lunge @ 45# BB
(4) Rest 3 Minutes
(5) 10 laps of 2x30# KB Rack Carry

Time: 34:05

Cooldown: Carry all the equipment back into the garage!

I got the renegade man jumpers from Gym Jones (I think, I know he does man makers but I believe I saw man jumpers on there) anyways here's how to do a man maker: http://www.gymjones.com/schedule.php?date=20051123. To do a renegade man jumper after you clean both DBs you take a step and then jump as far as you can and repeat. Walking lunge and KB Rack Carry are self explanatory.

Try not to put the Barbell or KB's down when doing the walking lunges or rack carry. I set the Barbell down twice unfortunately, but managed to keep the KB's up the entire time.