40 Day Challenge Done, Time for 6x6x6

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40 Day Challenge Done, Time for 6x6x6

Postby vgpedlr » Thu Jan 04, 2018 2:55 pm

Finished off my 40 day Easy Strength program. Gained some strength, some muscle, and felt great all the time. To recap, I trained:

Pull-up x 10 reps
Military Press x 10 reps
Suitcase Deadlift x 10 reps
Front Squat x 10 reps
Ab wheel x 5 reps
Farmer's Walk

Sometimes I did some KB swings as well. I interspersed some TRX T/Y/I pulls as well. Generally I broke up the reps into 2 sets of 5 or three sets of three, occasionally I would drop the weight and do one set of ten. The front squat got easier as my wrists began to accommodate the rack position. The suitcase deadlift started awkward, and finished, well, a little less awkward. I probably won't program that again for awhile.

Now, 6x6x6, meaning six practices, six days a week for six weeks. Things I've been pretty consistent with, but I want to really lock down and make automatic. The physical practices are:

Endurance (running)
Strength (KB/BW)
Yoga (Ashtanga Primary Sereis)

The running is to build a base and accumulate time on feet for connective tissue adaptation so I can follow a more involved program to train for and run a 50K ultra in July.

The strength is simple kettlebell and bodyweight program to accumulate 5,000 swings. Ten sets of ten or more swings. In between each set of swings: a push-up, a goblet squat, and a row. Learning the Turkish Get-up. It's a mash up of the DMPM, Simple and Sinister, and the 10,000 swing Challenge. Staying clear of the gym while the New Year's Resolvers fill it up.

Little and Often Over the Long Haul . . .

After six weeks, assess, then back to gym based Easy Strength and focused bike and run workouts.

How are progressing your training for 2018?
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Re: 40 Day Challenge Done, Time for 6x6x6

Postby WeeSpeck » Fri Jan 05, 2018 12:43 pm

Hi vgpedlr,

Every time I read your posts, I feel inspired to get out in the gym and exercise. I really love your routine and your enthusiasm is infectious. How long are your exercise sessions?

I am feeling motivated in the New Year to continue with advancing myself with the Easy Strength program. I read through the documentation on Surviving a Spartan and made a spreadsheet of all the different training areas I need. I would love to set up a mini-obstacle course in my backyard complete with walls, ropes, rings, jump boxes, bars and smash balls. It seems rigorous but doable.

I exercise six days a week after a 9.5 hour work day. My workout session lasts about 1 to 1.5 hours. When I am done, I advance to the kitchen and cook a compliant meal from whole foods that will feed me and my husband that night and lunch the next day.

Some days, I just want to say screw it. I want to be able to come home like a "normal" person and sit on the couch with a drink, turn on the game, call in a food delivery and roll into bed at the end of the night.

That is not me though. I tried a week off over the Christmas holidays. By the end of the week, eating far too rich food and getting zero exercise, I felt lethargic, thick, and like a small piece of me was dying off with each passing day. 2018 could not get here fast enough so that I could get back into my routine.

My focus this year is making my body stronger. As I age, I know bone health and density becomes more important. I want to become leaner and develop more upper body strength. I want to be able to lift my body, push my body up, pull my body forward, with the strength I have developed in my upper core. So that is where I am going to focus a portion of my exercise routine each week.

I also find benefit in flexibility and balance routines. I get that through yoga. After I complete my yoga session, I feel like I unfolded my body from some tight little origami structure into a flat piece of paper. I feel like before I started I was all wadded up and after I am done I am supple and elastic.

Additionally, I am continuing with my running. I am increasing the speed and length of my runs, so slowly though it is barely noticeable. Each week, I run one minute longer at the same speed, pushing out the walking break a little bit further. When I can sustain that for 30 minutes straight, I will increase the speed by a minute, and so on. My ultimate goal at this time is to run a 5K in 30 minutes. That is a lofty accomplishment for me and I may not reach it in my lifetime, but I know it can be attained.

I need to remind myself of the principles of Easy Strength. I don’t have to kill myself to attain results. I need to leave some gas in the tank so that I want to come back out the next day and do it all again.

Thanks for continuing to encourage and motivate through example, vgpedlr. Being physically fit and capable is a beautiful thing.

Happy New Year!
--\--@ Nancy @--/--

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Re: 40 Day Challenge Done, Time for 6x6x6

Postby roundcoconut » Fri Jan 05, 2018 1:06 pm

I love these posts on the role of exercise and physical training!

My training routine is probably not impressive to anyone else but me, but it IS a wonderful improvement over what I was doing one year ago!

For 2018, I’d like everyone to keep an eye on me and see if I can maintain my walking habits. I’ve got two solid months of daily walking under my belt, and so there’s no logical reason for me to quit or abandon the path. Most days I am getting five miles in on the treadmill, before I go in to work. But on a crappy day, I am still knocking out four miles of walking before work.

This is actually my first year of being able to exercise through the winter, because last year, I just didn’t run or walk outdoors once it got cold. I just don’t do well in the cold! My last workout of the 2016-2017 winter, was in December of that season, and so last winter around this time, I was creeping up in weight and had to dig out of THAT behavior in the month of February. Yick!

As far as THIS winter is concerned, I may consider doing a bit of light calesthenics as we get toward late January or early February. (Is calesthenics a hopelessly dated word for the idea of using your own body weight in movements like lunges and such? I can see myself doing ballet-barre-type-exercises, which appeals to me, but I don’t think I’m inclined toward picking up dumbbells.)

That’s my trajectory for early 2018! :)
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Re: 40 Day Challenge Done, Time for 6x6x6

Postby ImHere » Fri Jan 05, 2018 6:06 pm

HI Vegpdlr,

Thank you so much for posting re: easy strength. Your repost came right after my son signed us up for a month at the indoor rock climbing gym. As much as I enjoyed the rock climbing it was apparent that I would need a lot of additional strength in order to continue. I also followed your interactions with WeeSpeck with interest as I too am a 57 year old female with a desk job. (WeeSpeck, great job on the Spartan Run)

After reading about Easy Strength, I read some of Dan John's works. His book, Can You Go, led me to Brett Turley's book, The Minimalism Effect. Goggling the exercises in his book lead me to the StrongFirst, Inc. web site, which is a wealth of information.

After a few times attempting to start an easy strength routine, I realized I needed to take a step back and do some Rehab work before adding weights.

So to start off I am doing Indian Clubs to help with shoulder issues, these have the added benefits of increasing grip and forearm strength. I will also be doing exercises for ankle dorsiflexion as my flexibility is very poor. I am also following the progression on StrongFirst for doing my first tactical pull-up. I am taking a class next weekend on how to properly use foam rollers etc. to help facilitate my flexibility. I am also continuing to go rock climbing once or twice a week. I can do a little bit more each week even without a strength building routine in place.

My plan is to have a "Functional Movement Screening" within the next month or so and follow the exercise recommendations to correct my movement issues.

For me 2018 will be the year of getting my body moving properly, after that I can revisit the Easy Strength ideas.

Thanks
Sharon
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Re: 40 Day Challenge Done, Time for 6x6x6

Postby vgpedlr » Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:01 pm

WeeSpeck wrote:Hi vgpedlr,

Every time I read your posts, I feel inspired to get out in the gym and exercise. I really love your routine and your enthusiasm is infectious. How long are your exercise sessions?

Depends on the type of session and time of year. For Easy Strength in the gym, about 20 min. Maybe a bit more. I think most people can do all they need to in 30-45 min. The kettlebell DMPM takes about 10 min. Plus the walk to and from the park, if that's where I do it. My current KB routine is a bit longer.

I don't think there is any reason for most people to ever train more than an hour at a time. Really only two reasons I can think of:

1) It's lots of fun, it's a hobby, and you want to do more
2) You have a specific performance goal, and you need more volume to achieve it. Such a goal should also have a time limit.

In the warmer months, my bike volume is much greater, 1-4 hrs at a time for both of the above reasons. This year I will run more so I can do the 50k.

I exercise six days a week after a 9.5 hour work day. My workout session lasts about 1 to 1.5 hours. When I am done, I advance to the kitchen and cook a compliant meal from whole foods that will feed me and my husband that night and lunch the next day.

Well done! If that volume feels like too much, break it up in smaller pieces. It doesn't all have to be done at once. Do half in the morning and half later. This works really well when separating strength from aerobic exercise. Or tackle a smaller chunk each day. A split that's stood the test of time is alternating three strength days and three aerobic days each week. Example: strength on M-W-F run T-Th and a longer session on the weekend. Blend them by finishing the aerobic days with some core work, and getting a good walk on strength days.

Some days, I just want to say screw it. I want to be able to come home like a "normal" person and sit on the couch with a drink, turn on the game, call in a food delivery and roll into bed at the end of the night.

Don't we all! If you're feeling cooked, cut it all in half and come back another day. Or just warm up. My rule of thumb is to warm up for ten minutes and decide whether to go on. Usually by the time I'm warmed up, I feel pretty good and I take an easy day. If after warming up I still feel really off, I bag it.

Additionally, I am continuing with my running. I am increasing the speed and length of my runs, so slowly though it is barely noticeable. Each week, I run one minute longer at the same speed, pushing out the walking break a little bit further. When I can sustain that for 30 minutes straight, I will increase the speed by a minute, and so on. My ultimate goal at this time is to run a 5K in 30 minutes. That is a lofty accomplishment for me and I may not reach it in my lifetime, but I know it can be attained.

A 30 minute 5k is a very realistic goal.

I need to remind myself of the principles of Easy Strength. I don’t have to kill myself to attain results. I need to leave some gas in the tank so that I want to come back out the next day and do it all again.

Just like with this WOE, the results come from repetition. Do a little every day and the results will come. Like the Star McDougallers say,"Time and adherence." Workouts need to be repeatable. You should feel energized by a session, not drained. At least most of the time. Hungry for more.

Little and often, over the long haul.
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Re: 40 Day Challenge Done, Time for 6x6x6

Postby vgpedlr » Fri Jan 05, 2018 11:09 pm

ImHere wrote:HI Vegpdlr,

Thank you so much for posting re: easy strength. Your repost came right after my son signed us up for a month at the indoor rock climbing gym. As much as I enjoyed the rock climbing it was apparent that I would need a lot of additional strength in order to continue. I also followed your interactions with WeeSpeck with interest as I too am a 57 year old female with a desk job. (WeeSpeck, great job on the Spartan Run)

After reading about Easy Strength, I read some of Dan John's works. His book, Can You Go, led me to Brett Turley's book, The Minimalism Effect. Goggling the exercises in his book lead me to the StrongFirst, Inc. web site, which is a wealth of information.

After a few times attempting to start an easy strength routine, I realized I needed to take a step back and do some Rehab work before adding weights.

So to start off I am doing Indian Clubs to help with shoulder issues, these have the added benefits of increasing grip and forearm strength. I will also be doing exercises for ankle dorsiflexion as my flexibility is very poor. I am also following the progression on StrongFirst for doing my first tactical pull-up. I am taking a class next weekend on how to properly use foam rollers etc. to help facilitate my flexibility. I am also continuing to go rock climbing once or twice a week. I can do a little bit more each week even without a strength building routine in place.

My plan is to have a "Functional Movement Screening" within the next month or so and follow the exercise recommendations to correct my movement issues.

For me 2018 will be the year of getting my body moving properly, after that I can revisit the Easy Strength ideas.

Thanks
Sharon

Sounds like a plan'

If rock climbing is the goal, don't underestimate the value of using it to develop the strength you want and need. Don't be afraid to ask for advice and guidance on appropriate progressions to work on.

Easy Strength is simply covering the basic human movements evenly before any specialization. There are options within each movement pattern for everyone. The Intervention book goes into the most detail.

Best of luck, and please come back and share your results so we can all learn!
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Re: 40 Day Challenge Done, Time for 6x6x6

Postby WeeSpeck » Sat Jan 06, 2018 12:49 pm

Hi roundcoconut. I know what you mean about getting in that 5-mile walk each day. When I first started tracking my steps, it seemed like 10,000 steps in a day was unattainable. Now I easily surpass and often nearly double those steps in a single day. Fitbit is my friend and serves to motivate me. I am a numbers person and love tracking and recording tedious minutia. So there is that. :lol:

When I first decided that I was going to be a strong and capable woman, I could not lift a two-pound weight from behind my back. Now, I am hoisting a 25-pound kettlebell. I couldn’t hold my body in a plank or even lift my body up from a prone position on the floor. Now I can do real pushups.

When I decided I wanted to be a runner, I couldn’t run 30 seconds without feeling like I was going to die. Now, I can run 30 minutes without stopping. I am not fast, but I have stamina and endurance I never thought possible.

It didn’t happen overnight. I have been plugging away at this for over 4 years to get to this spot. I have goals to bring myself even further. I don’t want to be the oldest female body builder or anything like that, but I do want to be lean and strong and be able to bounce back up if I fall without breaking a hip. I want to be the opposite of an aging woman with brittle bones.

When I first started, I would jump out of bed in the morning and do 3 jumping jacks. That is it. I did that for the first week. The next week, I did 4. I did that every week until I was able to do 100 jumping jacks at one time without a break. I would go to work and every hour I would stand up and do 3 squats, then 4, then 5 until one week I could do 25 easily. I would go up one flight of stairs to use the bathroom, then then next week another, until now I am daily putting in 30 flights of stairs in my normal work day.

I plan to live for a lot more years and so I will continue to set goals and approach them in baby steps and small increments. I am just amazed how far I have come when I look back to where I started. I approach my health on all levels like this. It works the same way with the foods I choose. I have a vision of who I want to be and I set the next goal today on how I can get one step closer to that vision.

Hi Sharon. I love that we are two 57-year old females embarking on this journey. What a wonderful gift your son purchased for you. My son has also been inspirational and instrumental in getting me motivated and continuing down this path. How fun to be able to rock climb.

I love your approach and your enthusiasm to educate yourself and rehab the areas you need to strengthen before attempting to take on the world. That feels so right and sane and like you are setting yourself up for success. I look forward to hearing more about your adventures and progress. How fun!

vegpdlr,

The strength is simple kettlebell and bodyweight program to accumulate 5,000 swings. Ten sets of ten or more swings. In between each set of swings: a push-up, a goblet squat, and a row. Learning the Turkish Get-up. It's a mash up of the DMPM, Simple and Sinister, and the 10,000 swing Challenge. Staying clear of the gym while the New Year's Resolvers fill it up.


Remind me again what is a DMPM? What is a Simple and Sinister? Do you track and record your exercise sessions? How do you keep track of your accomplishments and where you need to start the next day? Do you compare and contrast to years past to see how far you’ve come?

I have a DVD that came with my kettlebell purchase that demonstrated the Turkish Get-up. I have tried it once or twice. It looks simple, but it is a butt-kicker for me. It immediately fatigues me after a couple of reps.

I crack up every year when the New Year’s Resolvers fill up the parking lot at the gym near a restaurant we go to sometimes. There is no spot to park for blocks. Each year this phenomenon begins the first week of January and peters out somewhere mid-February. It was a head-scratcher at first, but we figured it out and now we just chuckle and stay clear of the area for the first 6 weeks of the year.

Fun stuff. Thanks for the conversation.
--\--@ Nancy @--/--

I am but a wee speck in the big picture of the universe.
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Re: 40 Day Challenge Done, Time for 6x6x6

Postby vgpedlr » Sat Jan 06, 2018 3:35 pm

I leave some things for google, but since you ask, and the DMPM is 't actually world famous (though it should be.)

DMPM aka the Dan Martin Program Minimum aka the Humane Burpee
10-15 KB swings
Push-up
Goblet squat
Row

Do as a circuit, each set descending the strength move reps 5,4,3,2,1. Altogether you get 50-75 swings and 15 each of push-ups, squats and rows. Finish with a suitcase carry. All basic movements are covered.

Simple and Sinister is Pavel Tsatsouline, the guy who popularized KB training, current intro program. It consists of daily practice in swings and get ups, with the goal of meeting a standard in each, first "simple" then "Sinister."

I record my workouts but not in great detail. Things I might forget, I record.
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Re: 40 Day Challenge Done, Time for 6x6x6

Postby vgpedlr » Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:09 am

The point of the 6x6x6 is like a Mary's Mini. A bit of monotony by keeping things the same. No decision fatigue. Decisions have already been made. Just do it. No thinking, planning, or assessing until the six weeks is up. Overthinking is a recreational sport for me, but not this time. Runs are 30-60 min. Less than 30 is OK, but not too often. Over an hour is OK too, just not too often. The goal is accumulate volume through frequency. Getting my body used to the impact by fiving it small daily doses, rather than a few harder runs per week. Same thing with the strength. Easy Strength style frequency to accumulate 5000 swings. About 20-30 min. a day. Ashtanga yoga is a set system. No effort given towards choosing or sequencing asanas. Just start and keep going as far as I can. Periodically it might be time to add the next one.

This week the exercise portion went well this week. I got my runs, did my swings, did the yoga. The other three practices lagged a bit. So, since today is a recovery day from the physical stuff, time to catch up a bit.
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Re: 40 Day Challenge Done, Time for 6x6x6

Postby viv » Wed Jan 10, 2018 9:58 pm

Happy new Year and continued good health to you this year!

A Planet Fitness has just opened near me so I'm starting this week going 3x week after work. I currently walk a mile every day on my lunch break (I like getting outside even when it's below freezing, only time I don't walk is when it gets icy). I do the Canadian Royal Air Force calisthenic exercises most days for flexibility plus push ups and sit ups. I also have light weights that I use a few times a week. I'm looking forward to a more structured strength training routine at Planet Fitness. I'll get on the bike for 30 mins and strength train for 30 minutes, so that will be it. BTW the exercises didn't help me with weight loss because I used to exercise 60 pounds ago, so yes, it's the food!

Viv
5'8", Started March 2013
Starting weight: 217
Current weight: 157
60lbs gone--for good!
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