CAST 5.3

0930

1) warmup: spin bike, hamstring rehab, t spine work, ankling work

2) bench press - 6x3x150#

3) 3 rounds:
10 x incline DB bench, 45#
max bar dips (12, 10, 8)
bachar ladder traverse

• Notes: Uppers only today. Going to continue this program doing only the upper body work while my hamstring is healing. When possible I will also continue with R leg work.
• Body: Hamstring feeling a little better each day. Focusing on light stretching and eccentric retraining right now.

CAST 5.2

• Notes: Well, got warmed up for intensity sprints this morning, went down to the field, and pulled my left hamstring on the 3rd 50 yard sprint. I felt adequately warmed up and everything was great, but right when I really tried to hit the gas and accelerate on the 3rd one I felt the hammy pop. Bummer since I was making some good progress on my sprints and feeling faster on the lifts. Expecting this will probably be a 4-6 week thing before I am back to running fast again. 
• Plan: No activity whatsoever in my lower body in the next 2-4 days while I'm acutely healing. Heat, compression, and super light massage every day. After that some light stretches and easy isolation strengthening once it's feeling better. Then back into some compound movements and eccentrics hopefully after 2-3 weeks. In the meantime - still gonna hammer my right leg to get some crossover stimulation and work upper body and core. Been a while since I've had to go through a rehab protocol so this will be good practice.

CAST 5.1

0730

1) warmup: hang cleans, pvc ladder monkey bars, plank pushups

2) plyos: 3 rounds
10 seconds quick feet - over over back back
3 x athletic burpees
10 seconds quick feet - over over back back
3 x see-saw walk to burpee

3) back squat - 6x3 @ 240#

4) rack pull from just below knee - find 7rm (255, 275, 300#)
*no hook grip
*in between each set accumulate 100 total reverse hypers

5) trunk: 5 rounds
10 x russian twists, 8#
10 x med ball situps, 8#

• Notes: Awesome day. Still recovering from hiking La Plata this weekend so I wasn't fully firing today but every felt great. Grip was the limiter on the rack pulls - feel like I could have gone heavier if not for that.
• Body: Legs are very sore from the weekend...mostly quads, glutes, and calves.

CAST 4.4

1600

1) warmup: ring supports, walking lunges, banded tri extensions, band pull aparts, deadbugs

2) upper body plyo med ball circuit w. 6# ball
3 x 30 reps each cycle

3) landmine press - 3x5 @ 50# (90% of 3rm)

4) 3 rounds:
incline DB press, 35#
hammer curls, 35#
bar dips
true pushups
*10 reps at each OR max

5) band dislocates & overhead squats

• Notes: I am enjoying having Fridays as these shorter accessory days, because honestly I am out of gas by friday afternoon. First time doing an incline DB press probably ever. Felt very awkward for me even at this low weight. 
• Body: Legs are very sore in the posterior chain from yesterday. Have definitely noticed some hypertrophy in my upper body since starting this cycle. It seems to include far more upper body and accessory work than I am accustomed to in a given week, even though the volume is still relatively low. Good to get a change of pace though and get out of my comfort zone. 

CAST 4.3

0730

1) warmup: contralateral deadbugs, captain morgans, 4 way deadbugs

2) deadlift - 5x5x225#

3) 5 rounds:
3 x barbell jump squats (65, 85, 95, 105, 95#)
10 x bulgarian split squats (20, 20, 25, 25, 30# DBs) each side

• Notes: Quick one today to hammer the legs. Feeling really good to deadlift normally again...posterior chain is coming back. 
• Body: Still sluggish in the mornings. Everything feels good though.

CAST 4.2

0730

1) warmup: dislocates, plyo pushups, spider man lunges

2) sprint prep - high knee pulls, quad pulls, high kicks, high skips

3) intensity sprints: 6 x half gassers w. hill finish
best time - 15.31s
rest as needed

4) bench press - 5x5 @ 135#

5) 4 rounds:
max handstand hold

• Notes: The sprints really beat me down this morning. Was feeling a little sluggish before but these messed me up for a good while afterwards for whatever reason. Really tried to keep the intensity high.
• Body: Pretty fatigued today. Need to catch up on some sleep.

CAST 4.1

0730

1) warmup: tspine extension, plank pushups, bar front squats, deadbugs

2) clean warmup

3) back squat - 5x5 @ 210#
*3 x 50# dball reverse toss between each set

4) DB clean extensions - 3x10x45#
*3 x MR hamstrings between each set

5) 4 rounds:
10 x hammer curls, 35#
5 x plate pinch toss and catch, 25-35#

6) trunk: 4 rounds
30 seconds side plank R
30 seconds side plank L
60 seconds band supported deadbug

• Notes: Didn't do the power cleans today. Still recovering from a big hike yesterday but it felt good to get moving. 
• Body: Calves are sore. Legs are tired in general.

CAST 3.4

1600

1) warmup: ring supports, deadbugs, captain morgans

2) 3 rounds:

10 x dynamic pushups

20 x ring rows

3) landmine press - work up to heavy 5

25, 45, 50, 55# each arm

4) slight decline DB bench - 4x8x45#

5) tempo sprints - 8 x 100 yds, rest 60 seconds between each

75% intensity

6) volume: 3 rounds

max bar dips, no pause (15, 11, 11)

elevated bar pushups (10, 15, 20)

• Notes: Big upper body day today. I moved the tempo sprints from yesterday into today's workout since I had more time and I was smoked yesterday morning. Whenever programming calls for a vertical barbell movement I am typically substituting with either a unilateral press or handstand progression work for the sake of my shoulder. Seems to be working well.
• Body: Tired. Underfed again. Need to learn my lesson on this...

CAST 3.3

0730

1) warmup: pullups, dips, goblet squat holds, box touches, banded good mornings

2) deadlift - 7x1 @ 285# (95% of 3rm)

3) 3 rounds:
20 x walking lunges, 45# DBs
10 x single arm KB rows, 53#

CAST 3.2

0730

1) warmup: spiderman lunges, cocky walks, high knee lunges, high kicks

2) sprints: 10 rounds
5 x single leg lateral hop over, straight into 20 yd sprint

3) bench press - 7x1 @ 170# (95% of 3rm)

4) 50 x slideboard plank pushups for time - 3:52

5) LATT on spin bike
5 x 30 seconds on / 2 minutes off
*max intensity

6) bonus: 3 rounds
15 x reverse grip barbell curls, 45#
15 x banded triceps extensions

• Notes: Slideboard plank pushups....gnarly gnarly. Was supposed to do the full pushup variation but it tends to bug my shoulder so opted for the planks. Crazy core intensive. Really enjoyed this workout.
• Body: No soreness.

CAST 3.1

0730

1) warmup: plyo skips, strict chinups, pillar to plank

2) back squat - 7x1 @ 265# (95% of 3rm)
*enough rest in between to move the bar maximally fast

3) 5 rounds:
3 x shin hops
12 x DB shrugs, 45#

4) trunk work - 5 rounds:
20 seconds kb supported deadbug legs, 20#
20 seconds kb supported deadbug arms, 20#
10 x med ball situps, 8#

• Notes: Squat looked and felt good. I'm still working on dialing down the exact width that works for me in this wide stance. Really enjoyed the deadbug stuff at the end. The deadbug and all of its variations continue to impress and humble me. It cures everything.
• Body: Feeling good.

CAST - 2.3

1700

1) warmup: leg cradle lunges, pillar to plank, bar front squats, clean warmup

2) back squat - 6x3 @ 240# (85% of 3rm)
max acceleration
*3 x shin hops after each working set

3) power clean - 5x2 to max
175, 185, 195, 205 (x 2nd), 205#
*3 x hamstring resistance + pushup after each working set

4) 5 rounds for time:
10 x slam ball, 50#
20 x low box plyo skiers

time - 7:43

5) seated med ball throws - 4x15x8#

• Notes: Took video of all my lifts today just for reference. I'm still a little unsure of myself doing these wider stance squats, but everything looked good. Power cleans felt like dogshit for some reason today, and I missed the rep at 205 just do to laziness. While they looked OK on video, would like to get these feeling more consistent.
• Body: Pretty tired and beat down this week. Still feeling underfed, trying to fix that. Fun week of training though.

CAST - week 2.2

0730

1) warmup: pillars, hollow rocks, banded good mornings, bar front squats

2) deadlift - 5x3 @ 255#, moving the bar with maximum speed

3) single arm weighted high knee walking lunges w. 53# kb
3 x 10 each arm

4) tempo sprints: 9 x 100 yards @ 75%
60-90s rest between each

5) strict chinups - 3x10

• Notes: The purpose of this current program is to increase speed and power by lifting with a focus on compensatory acceleration. More simply, move the bar with maximal speed throughout the ENTIRE lift. Lighter weight, fast bar speed. I loved the high knee lunges with the kettlebell...awesome way to challenge lateral core stability.
• Body: Feeling underfed. Recently cut out both whole milk and protein supplements from my diet, still adjusting and noting differences. Need to eat more food.

Back in the saddle!

Decided to fire this baby back up again. I have been blogging on another site in the past few years, but it's time to get this original back up and going because it pumps me up.

In the past few years I have moved away from distance running and entered more of the lifting world, all the while learning a ton about both coaching and moving. Right now I have entered programming from Power Athlete with the goal of becoming a faster, stronger, more competent mover through space. No specific competitions coming up, just trying to learn about programming and getting faster.

Here are a few of the events I have done recently:

• GoRuck Heavy in Boulder
• Crossfit Roots Olympic Weightlifting Meet (1st comp for me)
• Weightlifting Club in Boulder
• Crossfit Football Coach's Seminar in Denver
• Lots of hiking, climbing, as well as dabbling in brazilian jiu jitsu

Hopefully lots of posts, pictures, competitions, and tears to come!