Week 7: The Workout

10 minutes: As Many Rounds as Possible (AMRAP)
5 Barbell Thrusters at 65 pounds
5 Pullups

4 Rounds of:
500 meter Row
10 Reps of Dumbbell Bench Press
Weight: 50, 60, 70, 80

Lessons Learned: This exercise was definitely for endurance considering I had to do as many as possible within the 10 minute time frame. I wound up completing 7 rounds within the given time parameter. The barbell thrusters were a barbell with a 10 on each side making it 65 lbs. I absolutely could have done much higher weight but the key here was endurance. The pullups are getting better since I have been using the band for minor assistance. My grip has been incredible as of late because of all of the training I have underwent during the course of the last 8 months. The barbell thruster is an exercises where one takes the barbell squats and then explodes upward to press it overhead. After the fourth round with minimal rest, you can definitely feel fatigue setting in a bit but not to the point of pure exhaustion. This overall wasn’t that bad. The pullups have always been a struggle because I am not very light and getting up there is tough but I have put on a lot of muscle so it has become easier as I mentioned prior. Since I have been bulking up and cutting weight at the same time, it slows down the pace of progress since I am doing both simultaneously and not independent of each other. Nothing happens overnight, you just really have to want it to see the results that you desire in the mirror.

The row is well within my wheelhouse due to my strength in my legs and upper body. I got through the row with ease and really was impressed by my progress here because at one time this was a struggle for me. The key to the row is use your legs simultaneously with each stroke to maximize your distance. There is definitely endurance required here. I did more of a sprint at 500 meters but we kept it a little shorter due to the next exercise which was there for endurance purposes as well.

The dumbbell bench press is probably my best exercise period out of all of the training we have done. The 50lb dumbbell press at 10 reps was very easy for me so we increased quite a bit for the next 3 sets. After round 2 of the row machine we went up to 60lb dumbbells then 70lb an 80 lbs respectively after each row to end the workout. I put up the 80s without issue at the end and I honestly wasn’t’ too shocked because I have been using the 90 and 100lb dumbbells quite often. Once again one may ask why I just didn’t use those and the reason is because then I would be too wiped out to do the rest of the rounds within the exercise. You do not want to max out when doing a circuit. I was impressed that I did what I did because 50-80lbs is not to be taken lightly especially in such a short time frame. I was very proud of my results here.

The biggest lesson here honestly was the pullups and how I still need some work to get them done on my own. I am cutting weight slowly and probably within the next 2 months I will be doing this on my own without the band. I am training a lot with the upper-body to get over these Spartan walls which are comprised of 5, 7 and 8 foot walls. The key to this is all upper body strength but I do have great flexibility so that I can swing my leg up and over the wall. I have good upper body strength in bursts and this will carry me well into the race coming up June 2. The rest of the exercises that I did were a great success today and the lesson here is that hard work certainly pays off in the long run.

Going Into the Final Stretch: After this upcoming week on Wednesday, it will be my final training session preparing for my first Spartan ever the 5 mile Tuxedo Sprint. I have quite a bit of technical gear going into this race with peak performance.

WEEK 8: The Workout

3 Rounds of
Agility Ladder Drills
10 Romanian Deadlift with a Kettlebell
Bosy Ball Single Leg Balance
Band Ankle Dorsiflexion/Plantar Flexion
Single Leg Forward Hops

1 Mille Treadmill Jog

2 Rounds: 40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest
Bucket Carry
Drop Squat and Row
Army Crawl
Forward/Reverse Lunge
Downward Dog Triceps Dip

Gear List:
Long Sleeve compression Spartan shirt
Compression Pants and jogger shorts

Camel Bak water pack
Inov-8 X-Talon 230s OCR racing shoes
C4 Extreme
Ultra-Grip Gloves
Race Gel

1ST TIME SPARTAN MINDSET

I am ready to prove that grit is the only way to get through life and quitting is never an option. I have always known to do extreme things and this is no exception. From here I am doing the super on July 12. I am not here to finish one and say I am done. I am here to push my limits and never look back and be the best I can possibly be. This is where I create my story and be a part of something bigger than myself. I have always made other people feel like they are part of something bigger in this game called life being a teacher all these years. Now, it is my turn. I want to be taught for once instead of always being the teacher.

We all have special gifts in life and mine was certainly the gift of knowledge and spirituality. Athleticism was not one of them so I am changing that and working extra hard to obtain just a piece of the glory that we all work so hard for. Some people who have natural talent in this sport may not understand where I am coming from but I am speaking from the heart when I say that there are people like myself who are going for glory who came from nothing. There are going to be obstacles that I know are going to be wickedly difficult but I am going to overcome most of them and if I can’t I will do the burpees with pride. I will finish this race. No excuses, no mercy, we are Spartans. AROO!