Military Fitness Brainstorming

[Etype]

Would you welcome the rest of us to post our routines and results, Etype?

Go crazy. I originally wanted to use this thread to do a little free writing/free thinking on how to structure fitness for military demands, and in the case of a few hours I decided to start applying some of my ideas.

 

[SkrewzLoose]

I've created a spreadsheet for my first 4 weeks of 5/3/1... I'm that guy.

 

[Etype]

Some notes from today's workout-

• Running with body armor on = hard
• Double unders with body armor on = harder
• Muscle ups with body armor = hardest

 

[SkrewzLoose]

Some notes from today's workout-

• Running with body armor on = hard OK, I hate running, but I've done it with a weight vest before...
• Double unders with body armor on = harder I'm starting to hate YOU now...
• Muscle ups with body armor = hardest I'm just gonna go sulk in this corner over here now...

Saw a guy doing muscle ups in the gym today. Still amazes me to see people do them.

 

[SkrewzLoose]

First week of 5/3/1 is over. Still a tough mental transition from the high intensity MA & SOFWOD workouts to this. I essentially go to the gym, knock out 3 sets of one exercise and leave. I'm going to start implementing some more exercises on each day though.
Dips on Bench press day
Pull ups on Dead lift day
Rotator cuff/rear deltoid movements on OH shoulder press day
I also do core work on M/W/F and I'll be running and/or swimming on Th/Sat.
I was surprised that I was able to get more reps on the 3rd sets of my upper body movements vice my lower body movements. Maybe due to the lighter weights and the fact that the bench & shoulder presses are not as much of a full body movement as the DL and squat are. Anyhow, here is the spreadsheet I made for my first 4 weeks. I exported it as a PDF so that I could upload it here.
Feel free to nit pick!

 

[CDG]

Yeah, 5/3/1 is intended to have assistance work at a minimum and in your case I would add some conditioning too. When I was doing 5/3/1, I would do a main lift, 1-2 assistance exercises, and then a short conditioning workout 3 days a week, 2 days of just conditioning, and then 2 rest days following a 2 on, 1 off, 3 on, 1 off schedule.

 

[SkrewzLoose]

Easy killer, you're going to cause my brain to explode. Reading the article on T-nation about 5/3/1, Wendler said to keep the assistance lifts to an absolute minimum. The only assistance work I'll be doing is body weight so I don't foresee there being any issues. The rotator cuff/rear deltoid stuff is pre-hab and VERY light weight with the focus more on ROM. I still gotta get my sweat on a few days a week, so I'll probably incorporate SOFWOD calisthenic stuff into my running/swimming on the days I do it.

 

[CDG]

Easy killer, you're going to cause my brain to explode. Reading the article on T-nation about 5/3/1, Wendler said to keep the assistance lifts to an absolute minimum. The only assistance work I'll be doing is body weight so I don't foresee there being any issues. The rotator cuff/rear deltoid stuff is pre-hab and VERY light weight with the focus more on ROM. I still gotta get my sweat on a few days a week, so I'll probably incorporate SOFWOD calisthenic stuff into my running/swimming on the days I do it.

I think you are misinterpreting what Wendler is saying. Assistance work is not the point of the session, but it is still an important piece of it.

 

[SkrewzLoose]

Roger. I went back and re-read the parts of the article about assistance work and you're right. I misread the "if you don't have a good reason for xyz" part. Thanks for pointing that out!

 

[Impulse45]

I personally super-set my 2 or 3 assistance lifts after the main lift. It has a metabolic effect and gets me out of the gym faster. If you want to get your sweat on on lifting days it might be up your alley. I typically use weights that are at least pretty close to what I would normally use if I wasn't super-setting and I take about 30-45 seconds between lifts.

 

[SkrewzLoose]

How do you find a percentage when running? I was doing the SOFWOD for today and it was to run 4x1 mile repeats @ 60%, 70%, 80% & 90% effort. Is there some math involved since you'd be adding time to lower your percentage? Or is it in relation to the feeling you have of losing your lunch?
If you run an 8 minute mile (480 seconds) is 60% effort really an 11:12 mile (672 seconds; 480 x 1.4 [.4 being the difference of 1 - .6])?? I don't think the math can be that easy, so is there some formula or is it just a feel?
Today I did:
8:25
7:52
7:24
Balls out for me would probably be 4 laps in just under 7 minutes.

 

[Invictus]

How do you find a percentage when running? I was doing the SOFWOD for today and it was to run 4x1 mile repeats @ 60%, 70%, 80% & 90% effort. Is there some math involved since you'd be adding time to lower your percentage? Or is it in relation to the feeling you have of losing your lunch?
If you run an 8 minute mile (480 seconds) is 60% effort really an 11:12 mile (672 seconds; 480 x 1.4 [.4 being the difference of 1 - .6])?? I don't think the math can be that easy, so is there some formula or is it just a feel?
Today I did:
8:25
7:52
7:24
Balls out for me would probably be 4 laps in just under 7 minutes.

Typically, percentages of running (in my experience) are based on heart rate. There are rough ways to estimate it without equipment.

 

[CDG]

How do you find a percentage when running? I was doing the SOFWOD for today and it was to run 4x1 mile repeats @ 60%, 70%, 80% & 90% effort. Is there some math involved since you'd be adding time to lower your percentage? Or is it in relation to the feeling you have of losing your lunch?
If you run an 8 minute mile (480 seconds) is 60% effort really an 11:12 mile (672 seconds; 480 x 1.4 [.4 being the difference of 1 - .6])?? I don't think the math can be that easy, so is there some formula or is it just a feel?
Today I did:
8:25
7:52
7:24
Balls out for me would probably be 4 laps in just under 7 minutes.

I just go off perceived effort. Depending on a lot of factors, your 80% one day may be your 90% another.

 

[SkrewzLoose]

I figured it would be more of a feeling thing. Plus, as you do the 1 mile repeats, wouldn't your percentage of max effort decrease? 90% fresh is not the same as 90% after already running 3 miles. My brain works/understands numbers better than feeling, so I was hoping there'd be some quick math. C'ést la vie.
Invictus , how rough are the estimates and how easy are they to do on the track with noting but my iPod and a watch?

 

[Invictus]

One thing you can do is borrow a HR monitor, or do a couple training sessions on a treadmill with a HR monitor and use actual numbers to generate a perceived exertion in your target heart rate ranges. After that, you are familiar with how each percentage feels and can hopefully recreate it. Otherwise, you can use something along the lines of at 60% I can speak fairly easily/slightly out of breath, 70% I have to catch my breath constantly while speaking, 80% I am incredibly strained to make conversation/nearly impossible, 90% is nearly balls to the wall. There are most likely better means, but I have not been exposed to them.

ETA: There are accurate equations for calculating target heart rates all over the internet. I have them saved on my computer/in textbooks too if you have trouble finding them.

 

[SkrewzLoose]

So, did this SOFWOD today, without the DL and the sled work.

I had on a 25lb weight vest for the weighted cal work.
My push ups I was able to do:
10-10
10-5-5
5-5-5-5
5-5-5-5

Sit ups I got unbroken
Chin ups were all
2-2-2

Flutter kicks were unbroken

My 200m runs were all 37-39 seconds
400m runs were 1:45 & 1:50
800m run was 4:03

 

[Etype]

I've been on the range everyday for the last 4 weeks, so my legs and back have been pretty smoked. I thought about what I could as a good arm/upper body smoker to try to show them some love, so I came up with this
- 3 pull ups on the minute alternated pronated grip close, med, wide then sup grip close, med, wide
- 3 handstand push ups on the :30's
- Then 10 push ups on the minute, 10 band pull aparts on the :30 to failure.

Made it to 21 minutes and failed on handstand push ups. Then did 60 push ups, my shoulders were done. I think next time I am going to start out doing 5 of each, then when I fail I will bump down to 4, then 3, etc. My diet has been screwy and I've lost about 7 pounds in the last 2 weeks, I need to get it under control.

 

[SkrewzLoose]

So evidently I run better/faster sans watch. I guess I should try not being so bound by trying to meet ## time every 1/2 mile and focus more on feel. Whodathunkit?

 

[SkrewzLoose]

76 minute Murph today.
Both miles were run with a 25# weight vest.

31 Heroes on Saturday.

 

[Etype]

Murph is a good one. How are your kipping pull ups? The thing that kills me on weighted kipping pulls is my grip going out and my lungs, I end up snapping my hips super hard to get the momentum and my grip becomes the single point of failure.