Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Warming up

I have always been the slowest guy in the world to warmup. By that I mean getting all systems to go so that I could really step on the pedal when I needed to. We always stretched out for 45 minutes before we started our 5 hour gymnastics practice and I needed every minute.Most of the time we bounced tramp for another 15-20 minutes if we could.
You couldnt just walk in the gym and start throwing yourself around like that. Things had to be ready; muscles, tendons. ligaments, cardio system, the mind , etc.
When I ran it was the same thing. I was a negative split racer. That means I always ran the second half of the race faster than the first half.Always.I was warming up the first half.
Same thing when I cycled only it was worse because cycling is much more anaerobic and that system really takes me awhile to start humming.The problem with warming up with cycling is that the races are so long you can really cut into your overall work capacity and be one hurting unit at the end of the race.
Powerlifting was bad too and I needed multiple small jumps to really get things going.Of course kettlebells are about the same but with one distinction: if I take too much time off or slack on work loads the comeback workouts are torture! If I can keep the momentum going and build off of that nice wave it seems I can jump into workouts much quicker than the aforementioned activities.
Of course this week coming back from the back off with kbs is not so much fun/ today was no exception it being the first Max Vo2 day back. Oh joy.
I had done the 16 kg for 40 sets of 8 on Saturday so I decided ( I ain't that smart) to do the 20 kg for some lower reps(6's). Then redecided to do 7's. Just to see if I could. Well, it was ugly. I just be tired and will have to rebuild back up slowly, as usual.
Man I can stay off upper body for a long time and still be relatively strong but my hips and legs just fall off the map asap. Groovy.getting those big areas back up when they decondition hurts so good :))


Snatch Vo2 15:15
16 kg x5/5x3

20 kg x 7x 15 sets
20 kg x6x15 sets

30 sets 195 reps
3960 lbs

man I gassed early and that damn thing felt heavy trying to go fast. just didnt feel strong or fast and the 6's at the end weren't that much easier than the 7's ,lol. Oh well, this is one of those character building days.Since I failed I had to punish myself.

Transfer swings
20 kg x20 x 10 sets
200 reps
8800 lbs

this just shows how LONG it takes me to 'warmup'. I started to feel GOOD with some kind of groove and open lungs after the first 100 reps!I felt like I had some legs and hips again! It didnt matter it was only 20 kg bell my hips had lost some size and strength and it took a bunch to bring them alive again.
Endurance falls off so much faster than strength for me.not my natural strong suit.

Two Handed Overhead casts
15 lbs cb x 30/30
25/25
20/20

these went well. much easier on the elbow.wnat to stay aways from the presses and barbarians, messing up my overhead yoga postures with too much pec and front delt tension.the rotational stuff is ok
AND I still have to get rack walks back in. they work even though they suck.

datsit.

6 comments:

Iron Tamer said...

Interesting Rif. I find that I rarely ever need a long warmup. I'll loosen up with a little JM (or not) and go right into it.

WIth feats of strength like tearing books or bending, I am usually a little stronger after the first one, but on KB stuff, even grinds, I am pretty much boom & go.

Why you spoze that is?

Mark Reifkind said...

I learned to warm up slowly with gymnastics I think, and that set the stage.Most explosive competitive athletes warm up though: football, baseball,track and field etc.You must be bettah than us ,lol.

Fuzz said...

Mark, good stuff as always. I believe the warm-up is one of the most personal aspects of training especially for sports.

I'm in Michigan w/ most of my clients being baseball players. Their games start in April in 40 degree weather. 'nuff said.

Please check e-mail @ girya for vid and follow up.

. thanks

Andy Whitney

Mark Reifkind said...

good to hear from you Andy. and yes warming up is individual especially for the type of activitie. cops firemen and soldiers dont get warmup time before they have to leap into action whereas most athletes have to warmup to varying degree.
its how I was started and seemed to continue thoughout my athletic life til now.

Cecilia Tom said...

My warm-up routine is doing a bunch of sun salutations. I'd do them even if I'm not working out afterwards, but lately I feel that I don't need to do as many as before. After the Z Health NWU1, my body only needs a couple of downward dogs to feel ready. I don't even stretch any more. I know you dig the bikram stuff, but I think one day Dr. Cobb will put all the yoga teachers out of business :-)

Mark Reifkind said...

cecilia,

while I agree that the more z I do the less warming up I have to do, the yoga practice is about so much more than just stretching.I have really changed my POV aobut it since really spending more time in class.
even with the z and the yoga I still have to make sure to work my weak points( ankle, knee ,shoulder) in order to make sure everything stays lined up as well as it can.

Fast walk PR 6 miles in 1:32!

 Really soggy out there today and decided to just fast walk it instead of ruck WOW! Things took off like a flash and continued all throughou...