[shark]

11.1-4 (Average down 1.1 lb on last week)

M. Foundry. Furnace being reset so no autobelay. Worked more on wasp and black right of centre. Some progress Fingerboard 12mm edge best hangs +12.5kg drag x 12secs and +7.5kg half crimped x 9secs

T. Late eve. Active rest – short autobelay session L1

W. Woodys damp - possibly dryable but not that keen so went to office board AnCap 3sets of 4. Got thru throw move 9x Held the pinch twice and failed to launch on last go. Fingerboard later. Good session best scores on 12mm edge full crimp +7.5kg x 13secs and drag +15kg x 11secs. 130kg Deadlift. Failed at 145kg

T. Cha-cha-cha with Mrs Shark

F. Anston. Nice day at last. Leisurely afternoon mainly trying to nail third move on Soul Crusher. Involves holding a slot with right hand and manoeuvring body and feet in roof to snatch for a sharp flake with left hand. Best go I held it for half a second, maybe quarter.

S. Rubbish weather. Systems board. Pushed for time so did 2xAnCap sets and got through the throw move every time. Fingerboard 12mm edge best hangs +17.5kg drag x 12secs and +10kg half crimped x 9secs.Eve In laws. Resisting urge to drink

S. Rubbish weather. Dog walking. In laws.

Good week again. Some progress on weight front. Hope I’ve not undone all the good work today with a belated xmas feast with in-laws. Making great gains on the fingerboard. Come to the conclusion that doing fingerboard sessions rested followed by recovery day/s isn’t required for decent gains

[duncan]

Oak Thy Nu.

STG - Rehab. finger. Shoulder stretches and strength work 3x weekly.
MTG - V4 on the Westway steep board by (mid) March. 7b in Siurana / Arboli in March.
LTG - A classic Pembroke E5; a proper 7b+; a long free route somewhere interesting I’ve not visited before.

M - Pull-ups, general shoulder strengthening.
T - Stretches.
W - Westway: 400m to 6b. ‘Aerocap’ / rehab. on the autobelay. Stretches.
T - Stretches.
F - Pull-ups, aborted due to tweakiness and generally feeling fed-up and knackered. Stretches.
S - Westway: bouldering to ‘~V2/3’. Stretches.
S - Pull-ups, general shoulder strengthening, stretches.

Very difficult week at work so a bit light on training. Still maintaining 30 mins. of something daily since August. Finger improving slowly but still needs buddy tape and doesn’t tolerate lateral forces: open-handing is fine but finger-jamming is some way off. First time ‘bouldering’, felt quite good, pull-ups will help if you can only do one. Now managing 7, first goal for 2018 ticked!

Plan: a 500m/1000 move aerocap session, weighted* pull-ups, ease into bouldering.

*In theory I'm about to loose my natural weight-belt.

[nai]

coming week
massage
1/2 strength/bouldering day/s
HI & LI AeroCap
2/3x conditioning program

coming month
more bouldering - garage/wave/outside
4 x Anston 7As
Start AnCap

season targets
8a RPs, 7b OSs, regular E4s, build up to E5.

M - warmed up at home then headed to Anston. Bit of a gamble and it wasn't perfect with 2 of 3 targets out of action.  Rewarmed up doing the up section of Beretta a couple of times then got it second go from the start. Gift at the grade.
Tried Blind Bat and Last Stand, got close but didn't quite do the difficult start moves, possibility of success fresher and armed with better beta than I was using.
Had a bit of gip from right shoulder in the evening but it came and went so reasoned impingement rather than damage.

T - conditioning program workout
     LI AeroCap

W - conditioning program recovery day

Th - perfect connies as forecast, plan all week had been Anston but nipper ended up off school ill so had to stay home all day.
Tried to boulder in garage but shoulder was still complaining so just did some Max hangs and conditioning program workout.

Fri - decided against Anston, conditions unlikley to be great and shoulder still twingey warming up:

Foot on campus HI AeroCap
conditioning program recovery day

S rest

Sun -
conditioning program workout
max hangs, shoulder ok in static position, rubbish scores possibly due to lack of dynamic warmup

Encouraging start to the week then it fizzled out somewhat.  Low load week coming up. Luckily have a massge bpooked for Tuesday so can get shoulder sorted.

[csl]

this week

• do 75% of the reds in a session - tick
• max hangs: 7.5 seconds on right @ 74kg, 5 seconds on left @ 73.5kg - not done!

this month

• lose christmas weight belt (1 ~ 1.5kg) - tick
• hang 1 pad edge for 7.5secs @ 74kg - not done
• do 75% of the red circuit at the arch in a session - tick

this year

• 7C
• hands flat on floor with legs straight + various flexibility benchmarks

Weight: 74.2 -> 73.5
Injuries: better warm ups made the shoulder feel ok this week

Mon

Arch B1

• did 75% of the red circuit, close on another couple
• did Matching 7B (7A+?) 2nd go on the moonboard, swung off from finish hold on the flash.
• 20 minutes stretching

Tue

foam roller

Wednesday

Arch B1 - Distracted session

• a few V4-6 problems
• a few goes on Power Cat on the moonboard
• some stretching

Thursday

Arch B1

• lots of easy problems i hadn't done
• flashed a few of the v5-7 circuit
• nearly did one of the v6-8 circuit
• did Power Cat 7B+ on the moonboard, first try of the day. Probably a softy as the holds were big.

Friday

nothing

Saturday

hungover

Sunday

shit session at the arch, never really got into it

Overall a good month of training, weight came off quickly and I'm definitely feeling stronger than I have for a while.

New goals for February are

• 5 Greens (v6-8) at The Arch
• 2 days on rock
• 7.5 seconds strict half crimp on max hangs

next week

• find a few green projects
• 1 proper max hangs session
• at least 1 font 7 in the Peak on the weekend

[yetix]

STG: Get back into training
MTG: Picnic Sarcastic SS, Suavito, Simple Simon
LTG: 7C

62.5kg

M: Depot 30 board session very productive session sent two projects 5x3/6/9s 1 arm hangs
T: Boulder UK 55 board 5x5second 1 arm hangs
W: Double gym session, Deadlifts+KB work in the first session. Bench+Shoulder press in the second. Spanked.
T: Rest
F: Boulder UK, worked through everything upto v6, did 5x3/6/9s 1 arm hangs and then got on the 55 board. Surprisingly productive session
S: Boulder UK 55 board. Got spanked too many days on this week
S: Rockover, cleared through most of the comp wall and worked through some benchmarks on the Moonboard.


Way too many sessions on the board since getting back to the UK probably because I'm too easily persuaded to do another session. I'm blaming you Jack for taking advantage of this! Next week I'm definitely gonna tone it down a little...

[Murph]

Good title Shark

M-20k commute, 16kg simple kettlebells, 5 minute abs
T-5k run, pinkle (3?) circuit at works, max hangs (best session of the year, 2 sets of 10 seconds at + 40kgs on the BM1k smalls and a third set went to 7 seconds)
W-20k commute, 16kg simple, 5MA
T-20k commute, did half of new wasp circuit at works (6B?). I love the works. We are so lucky to have it. New problems all the time, good crowd.
F-24kg swing and 16kg get ups simple, 5MA. Tried, again, to go through the beginner yoga studio app. Hard AF. I can get into hardly any of the poses. I need to go to the very basics but not sure where to start. I can’t see myself making the time to commit to a class but I would like to downward dog one day.
S-10k run, 24/16kg simple, 5MA. Another yoga attempt. Honestly, forward back bend. Mine looks nothing like yoga studio lady!
S-15k run, max hangs but only managed up to 7 seconds on the normal hold. It’s all about the warm up.

66.8->65.9kg

[Murph]

• hands flat on floor with legs straight + various flexibility benchmarks

Are you following any particular protocol to achieve this? It’s on my bucket list too.

[tomtom]

Away in Australia for my annual/18 month sojourn to Darwin...

Normally I go in the dry season and cycle from the friends house where I'm staying and to work (20 min ride) which keeps me moving.. this time of year its Monsoon - so it rained every day - so I was driven in and out from work. And it rained periodically (very heavily).

So - no excercise... managed to do 2 small fingerboard sessions (bought my crusher board with me) but deadhanging in 30 degrees and high ish humidity was not especially pleasant (my skin did strange things!).

Got back just after midnight last night after a 14.5 hour flight back.. zzzzz

[measles23]

67.2kg (but been sick so prob just dehydrated etc)

M- nul
T- 4.5 hours driving around Peak District failing to find a single dry limestone hold
    Finally gave in - 2.5hrs Stoke AW probs up to V7, session with new moonboard set up..
W- nul
T- DL lovely session 11sets up to 220 (possibly a body weight PB at 3.27bw) - so chuffed to be lifting 5 plates again, despite being ‘defocused’ on DL to spare more energy for climbing... also lifted 240 off 3” blocks - felt mighty!!!
F- nul
S- nul
S- nul Trying to rest fucked left middle MCP joint..

[Coops_13]

M:
T: Arch, Biscuit. Volume/problems
W:
T: Arch, B1. Moonboard - 3 6B+, 1 6C, 2 7A, 2 7A+. Short session bc anniversary...
F:
S: Arch, B1. Moonboard - 7 6B+, 1 6C, 1 6C+, 4 7A, 1 7A+, 1 7B, 1 7B+ (6C more like)
S:

[shark]

• hands flat on floor with legs straight + various flexibility benchmarks

Are you following any particular protocol to achieve this? It’s on my bucket list too.

There is a trick to gain an extra couple of inches. Flap your outstretched arms up and down and go up and down on your legs like you are trying to fly then try it....

[Yossarian]

• hands flat on floor with legs straight + various flexibility benchmarks

Are you following any particular protocol to achieve this? It’s on my bucket list too.

There is a trick to gain an extra couple of inches. Flap your outstretched arms up and down and go up and down on your legs like you are trying to fly then try it....

I’m having fun with some of the stuff on here - http://antranik.org/antraniks-splits-routine/ - and there are some good suggestions about toe touching and beyond. I’ve not actually used the trick (block between thighs, feet inclined, etc) but have gone from not quite toes 10 days ago to knuckles on the floor for 30secs.

[sdm]

Tried, again, to go through the beginner yoga studio app. Hard AF. I can get into hardly any of the poses. I need to go to the very basics but not sure where to start. I can’t see myself making the time to commit to a class but I would like to downward dog one day.

Another yoga attempt. Honestly, forward back bend. Mine looks nothing like yoga studio lady!

Make the effort to go to some classes. A good teacher will correct all of the things you are doing wrong and will be able to give you progressions for all of the poses you can't get in to yet.

Going it alone will hold back your progress and risk doing more harm than good.

You don't have to go to a class every time. Go to a couple at the beginning to soak up as much knowledge as possible. Then, practice at home for a few weeks concentrating on the advice the teacher gave you. Then go back to a class maybe once a month as a refresher/to pick up on any bad habits you have fallen in to.

[nai]

Tried, again, to go through the beginner yoga studio app. Hard AF. I can get into hardly any of the poses. I need to go to the very basics but not sure where to start.

Have you looked into any of the bodyweight /calisthenics movement type stuff?
E.g.
https://gmb.io/programs/
https://www.animalflow.com/ (global bodyweight training)
https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/gb-courses/stepone/

You can get free workouts doing the usual stuff - sign up to a mailing list and giving away your first-born - and there's plenty of examples on youtube.  Basically you spend a lot of time moving around in, and in and out of, squat (frog and monkey) and downward dog (bear) positions.

I've been doing the GMB program which has been ok for my hip and leg mobility but hasn't addressed the issue with my shoulders as I'd hoped. Maybe should have gone with Animal Flow which seems to have an extra (crab) position which might have addressed that.

Couple of weeks ago (about 5 weeks in I guess) I was doing a circuit moving between DD/bear and squat movemements and having started with feet following about 50cm behind hands, after 4 x 2:30 minute sets they were coming to meet them, and at the end I was able to stand and just put my hands flat on the floor.

Maybe worth a shot if yoga isn't working for you, I'm finding the movement aspect suits me more than holding static positions for long periods.

[sdm]

F. Anston. Nice day at last. Leisurely afternoon mainly trying to nail third move on Soul Crusher. Involves holding a slot with right hand and manoeuvring body and feet in roof to snatch for a sharp flake with left hand. Best go I held it for half a second, maybe quarter.

Are you doing it with a dropped left knee? I also held it for about half a second a couple of times but no more.

I had my right foot on the furthest right foothold, my left foot on the large, closeish foothold and then twisted my left hip right in to the roof.

It's the best method I've found but not sure if there's another way.

[shark]

F. Anston. Nice day at last. Leisurely afternoon mainly trying to nail third move on Soul Crusher. Involves holding a slot with right hand and manoeuvring body and feet in roof to snatch for a sharp flake with left hand. Best go I held it for half a second, maybe quarter.

Are you doing it with a dropped left knee? I also held it for about half a second a couple of times but no more.

I had my right foot on the furthest right foothold, my left foot on the large, closeish foothold and then twisted my left hip right in to the roof.

It's the best method I've found but not sure if there's another way.

Tried that way but couldn't make it work. I have my RF in obvious incut hold in roof then left leg flagging dramatically underneath turn right side of hip and tension to minimise swing out LH out to small sharp flake in roof to cut swing again and then again to rail

[Murph]

Shark - appreciate the tip. I will give it a bash. It sounds a bit like the hack that I’ve used to touch toes before (something between knees, touch toes with bent legs, then do it for real). It works but the next day I’m as inflexible as before.

Yossarian & Nai - that sounds like you’ve both made great progress in a short period of time! I guess what you’re saying is find something and stick with it! I tend to get bogged down “researching” what to do and the endless ways in which I’m inflexible, but not enough on committing to a practice. You know how far the YouTube rabbit hole can go. I’d heard of all of them before, antranick off reddit, gmb and gymnastic, but not heard of animal flow.

Nai - do which actual one are you recommending? Your 50cm -> hands flat sounds great, but you are saying you wish you had done animal flow instead of gmb?

There’s some encouragement to do *something* here which is heartening.

Csl - I think ultimately you’re right. I’m going to have to get schooled. It’s a one off investment into a daily practice. Ultimately I see it as being part of a better bedtime routine to help with sleep and stuff. Yoga’s not just about flexibility, though that’s the initial draw.

Nice one guys thanks.

[Dolly]

Not much to report as I was ill all week.


M
T felt not completely shit so went to Foundry to do all L1s. Mistake really as it knackered me. Should have listened to Nai who told me it would take a week
W
T
F
S did 5 very easy routes autobelay at gym. Found it very hard
S nice hour walk and stream foraging in Eccy Woods


Hoping to go out tomorrow to do an easy/mileage circuit somewhere

[nai]

Nai - do which actual one are you recommending? Your 50cm -> hands flat sounds great, but you are saying you wish you had done animal flow instead of gmb?

I was torn about to which to go for and in the end went for GMB as it's a structured program that you receive week by week, whereas Animal Flow you just get the whole program available to start and can just dip in wherever you wish.  Knowing I'd just skip straight to a point that I found challenging rather than take time to nail the basics I decided on GMB.  I never really considered Gymnastic Bodies too deeply despite it being Christopher Somner's podcast that put me on to this style of training, not sure why, could have been as it's most expensive and the shortest program.

I had a couple of aims: to loosen up tight hips & hamstrings; and free up my often-impinged shoulder. I'd reached a point that I had accululated so many stretches and short exercises to do during a day that were it was becoming so time consuming and I was looking for an alternative.

It's helped with the former but not with the latter and now I've nearly completed it I'm wondering if the other option might have been better.  Maybe it wouldn't and it's just hindsight making the grass seem greener elsewhere but AF does have the extra (crab) position which would target the shoulders more. Also, since the discussion about Margo and hips into the wall, the crab would strengthen and mobilise the muscles that help with that.

Difficult to make a recommendation having only done one, I went with the approach that suited me but it turms out GMB does start off very easy, especially if you've tried the freebies they swap you in return for your email address or had any sort of yoga/pilates classes that prompt good form previously and with that hindsight I might have made a different choice.

[nai]

Guess the other thing is there's nothing new about this, just new packaging. You can probably find YouTube callisthenicsb teachers like you can you can yoga and Pilates.

[Murph]

Hey Nai thanks a lot for that. I’ll look up these two and get cracking.

I heard the Coach Somner (Tim Ferris?) podcast too and looked at the YouTube vid showing what he was going on about. Jefferson Curls look terrifying! It was enough to put me off even getting started which probably wasn’t the right attitude.




But the gmb guys - I like their free stuff and my 5 Minute Abs is actually just my trying hollow body holds which they make out to be the fundamental position.

Enough with the procrastination - the only wrong choice is no choice! I basically am starting at the bottom.

And Sdm - sorry for calling you csl. I’m always getting you two mixed up.

Thanks again

[Nibile]

Power Club

Mon - weights, dynamic and static. Snatch complex. Full snatch.
Tue - rest.
Wed - cleans 5-3-1, second week, third cycle. 64 x 10. Bad form, must check my ego and fix it even though I will lose a few reps. It's not a sprint, it's marathon.
Thu - rest.
Fri - a ton of power cleans technique drills.
Sat - boxing bag. Right toe still not healed.
Sun - rest.

[nai]

There's none of the core stuff or press up variations that you get in the freebie in the program actually, had forgotten all about them.

I did try Jefferson curls, just with light weights, they're not as bad as you think, hard to tell if you're doing them right though, need to film yourself so you can check your form. 

[Nibile]

Wed - cleans 5-3-1, second week

Nope, first week of third cycle. Upon re-reading the Bible (5-3-1) I just decided to make a step back and proceed by 3 kg increases, instead of 5 kg increases. Check Ego, fix form, think long term.

[rginns]

STG - get back to 7A
MTG - 7B
LTG - 7C

Preferably all lancs problems

M - BUK, lots up to and including 2 x V5s
T - naught
W - BUK, another V5, lots of attempts at V6s
T - naught
F - in the Borough... diy
S - Nowt, absolutely fucked, DMFF
S - 3rd girls birthday

Not too bad bearing in mind I was away on Friday, still got a couple of sessions in, but need to make up for it this week...