Workout Goals:
Start calisthenics – COMPLETED 4/18/2017
Pistol squat – COMPLETED 7/12/2017
One arm pushup – COMPLETED 7/15/2017
Kipping muscle up – COMPLETED 8/29/17
Back lever – not complete
Front lever – not complete (5 second with 1 leg tucked 9/7/18)
Strict muscle up – COMPLETED 9/3/18 (was very close by 6/16/18)
Bent Arm Planch – not complete (tucked B.A.P. for 5 seconds 10/9/18)
Handstand pushup – not complete
One arm pull up – not complete (chin to bar on 8/27/2018, unable to repeat)
Planch – not complete
Flag – not complete
200 lbs bench – COMPLETED 10/17/2019 (body weight = 165 lbs)
250 lbs bench – not complete
80 lbs shoulder press – not complete
twice bodyweight deadlift (340 lbs?) – not complete
Start cycling – COMPLETED 8/11/2009 (Bikepacked the North Shore)
100 mile bike ride – COMPLETED 7/13/2012
200 mile bike ride – not complete
>300 FTP – not complete (FTP 281 on 5/10/2019)
26.2 mile run – COMPLETED 11/29/2021
2.4 mile swim – not complete
Sprint Triathlon – COMPLETED 6/21/2013
Half Ironman Triathlon – not complete
Ironman Triathlon – not complete
Forward fold palms to floor – not complete
Low bridge rotation – not complete
Handstand – not complete (10 second arching handstand 9/17/18)
Bridge rotation – not complete
Pancake – not complete
Dragon squat – not complete
Mental & Physical Health Regimen
-SLEEP! (follow “Why We Sleep” regimen)
-sunlight every morning for at least 5 minutes
-at least 15 minutes outside daily no matter the weather
-freezing cold shower 5 times a week for 60 seconds
-weight training 3 times a week
-cardio 3 times a week (one sprint day)
-bike commute RAIN, SLEET, SNOW, or 60mph WINDS
-yoga once a week
-24 hour fast once a month
-no meat or dairy (except fish once or twice a month)
-no over-eating for gains (risking an overweight future isn’t worth it)
-no porn EVER
-no cell phone (seriously, I don’t own a phone as of May 2023)
-alcohol less than 5 times a year
-focus breathing through nose
-when stressed? double inhale then exhale
-find a tribe of like-minded friends
-mindfulness when with family
May 27th, 2023
Yikes, my backbridge needs a lot of work!
My wife tried convincing me to do crossfit with her for many years and her hard-work finally paid off. Today was my 3rd(?) Murph: 1mile run, 100pullups, 200pushups, 300squats, 1mile run all with a weight vest on.
2023 Murph time was 46:36
Apparently my pushups were “questionable” so I can’t count this as an official time. Next year I’ll have a person calling no reps and see what I can do! Thumb is feeling good, still looks all weird and I can’t extend it backwards but pullups are great!
Also, fuck Strava. After getting rid of my phone I realized how fucking stupid Strava is. Don’t get me wrong, on 150 mile adventure ride I think it is super cool to see a map with elevation and speed statistics. But seriously, just ride your bike. I quit Strava but left my profile for SEO gains.
February 20th, 2023
Four days ago I wrote: “Injuries NO MORE!” …fuck.
With all this extra time sitting on my bike trainer I’ve built a gameplan for when I heal up. I realized that biking for the purpose of biking doesn’t gain me anything. I no longer race so I don’t need to be fast. I just want to ride relaxed centuries or go exploring on my bike a few times alongside my daily 15 mile commute. I do however yearn for incredible mobility gains and have really been enjoying yoga. So:
My new weekly routine:
Commute to work via bike every day
Consecutive 2 hour bike ride once a week
Forward fold stretches 4 times a week
Hip mobility every calisthenic session
Shoulder mobility every calisthenic session
Calisthenics 2-3 times a week
Sprint workout once a week
February 16th, 2023
Injuries NO MORE! My goals this year are to increase my hip & hamstring mobility to hopefully lower my back & knee injuries. While I’m at it I plan to “bullet proof” my shoulders so I can finally pull off perfect handstands. Here are a few videos that helped inspire me to start doing yoga and mix shit up:
Video 1: “stop doing pushups” (do backwards pushups instead)
https://youtu.be/RdCmHurCBwM
Video 2: Strength Side – hamstrings
https://youtu.be/RCtMzDjL_Bo
Video 3: hilarious video about knee pain
https://youtu.be/WAuPlk_2naI
I’ve also been slacking on my sleep routine and want to improve it before the new baby arrives. I prefer no medicine/supplements but recently found an interesting discussion summed up here: “Huberman’s Sleep Cocktail: Magnesium L-Threonate 300-400mg Apigenin 50mg L-Theanine 100-400mg.” It interests me because Huberman talked about how it affects people with night terrors (something that I have endured since I was a child). He said be careful, it makes dreams more vivid, but he “likes it”. Haha. My awesome job has just one downfall, I work later than I usually go to sleep so it has pushed my ability to fall asleep later into the evening. Perhaps this will help?
September 23rd, 2022
It seems as though I only update my fitness log when I have an injury. Damnit! I hurt my back very bad again (or re-injured my past BJJ injury). The low part of my back has a low throbbing pain that is worse in the morning (especially when sitting) but gets better as the day goes on. If I try to lift anything heavy it feels like my back will snap. I did it during a workout: 10x [three ring muscle ups then two 260lbs deadlifts]. The ironic part is I have recently been training solely to avoid injury… in other words, for long term health. Freezing cold showers every morning, not over-eating to bulk, stretching, etc. But then my ego got the best of me.
May 6th, 2022
I’m going to say this again: fuck you South Dakota. I hate the wind and don’t want to bike anymore. That is all.
February 13th, 2022
Enough of this running crap. I decided to do a marathon in November after I read “Exercised” where the author discussed the Tarahumara runners and the fact that they don’t workout or train for their ultra runs. They just do it.
So how did it go!? HORRIBLE. It was a nightmare. I stopped to urinate like 85 times and around mile 18 my body decided that it no longer wanted to run. I pushed, I pushed, and I pushed some more until I realized that if I didn’t pick up the pace I was gonna be running all night. But I made it. A bit of an injured foot and some knee pain and I can honestly say that I can’t fathom ever doing that to my body again.
So I am back to calisthenics (even popping a bit of creatine). My wife has me dropping into crossfit classes too so I’m seeing some quick gains. However, I have a goal (and many future ideas!) of starting yoga and learning some of the more advance movements. I’m so psyched!
April 19th, 2021
It is now MONTH EIGHT of me enduring tennis elbow!!! Last year I wanted to complete another 1 arm chinup, went too hard, then was stupid enough to try training through it (my job definitely didn’t help the healing process). I spent the ENTIRE winter resting from upper body workouts. But… I become pretty obsessed with cycling.
I yearned for a powermeter to train with TRAINERROAD (again) but I am sooo happy that I didn’t invest in one. In fact, I didn’t use ANY technology during my rides except a timer. Call me a retro grouch but using Rate of Percieved Exertion for all of my training was AWESOME. It was FREEING!!!! I followed the century program from “Time Crunched Cyclist” which gave me something to think about when it was -20*F outside. Oh, did I forget to mention that I didn’t even use an indoor trainer?
Another thing I learned while enduring this retro training program is that fun = faster. My prime cycling fitness in my early 20’s didn’t come from a training regime. I simply rode my bike all week long for many hours at a time because I loved it! I had an incredible cardio base because I was always pedaling my damn bike. So I have reverted to the simplest program possible: just ride. After my 8 week peak I went out and CRUSHED a bunch of my old Strava records and snagged some new KOMs. This proves that you DON’T need to train with power to get faster and DAMN was that fun! I am not going to be chasing prize money in a cat 2 race any time soon so all I do is have fun pedaling while chasing down people on the local bike trail or seeing how fast I can ride into a 30mph headwind (haha, fuck you South Dakota).
November 24th, 2020
Yikes. I’ve had the worlds worst case of tennis elbow for THREE MONTHS now. I got motivated to work on one arm pullups again after editing some of my old photos and went way too hard. Combine that with 40 hours of working as an electrician every week and I just can’t seem to kick the pain. So after my wife signed the family up for a 5k Halloween run I decided to focus on running until my elbow is fully healed. Check out my son crushing his half mile race:
I went to the cardiologist recently for palpatations (just PVC’s so we are all good!) and they hooked me up to a monitor during a treadmill stress test. I asked if I could find my max heart rate and the PA told me yes. How did it go? I won. I beat the test. After 20 minutes the PA was like, “Um, so the treadmill doesn’t go any faster or steeper so I guess this is the end?” She then says, “We didn’t get your max HR but at least you got a workout in!” I laughed and then went for a run:
STATS FROM THE TEST
21 minutes to 85%
measured blood pressure: 190/78
measured heart rate: 185
estimated max HR: 194-196 per PA
I have this faint desire to try a marathon too. I mean, if I can bike 100 miles I should be able to run 26 right? Running seems so slooooow though. Fortunately I found that running on trails really helps with the transition from two wheels back to two legs and I had one of the most fun days ever last week:
May 9th, 2020
BJJ! Huzza! I just couldn’t stay away. I told myself that I could get severely injured and destroy my ability to lift, or hike, or bike, or all of the other things that I love doing but… I had to. And you know what happened? I fucking got injured the first week at my new gym. I got stacked super hard when I had my teammate in a triangle choke and it pulled something in my back. So I have had no heavy lifting for almost four months now. My goal from this point forward is to roll like I am an old man so that I can keep doing this until I die. It just makes me so damn happy to get choked out, haha.
Even though I am spending 60 hours a week at work I am still doing calisthenics twice a week and bjj twice a week. I have been adding some weird lifts to help protect my knees and back otherwise not much has changed. Oh ya, and we are still under quarantine so this is how we have been rollin:
October 21, 2019
Here is the routine I was using over the past few months:
MONDAY Repeat x4
Warmup
Weighted pullups +35lbs x 8
Ring dips +35lbs x 8
Deadlifts bar+150lbs x 8
Shoulder press 40lbs x 5
BB row 70 lbs x 9
Calf press x 25
FRIDAY
Fun calisthenics at the park
So being properly motivated to get bigger I abandoned my current workout program and rebuilt it to make me HURT. I started eating until I was sick every meal and I am now eating creatine and protein shakes like candy. Here is my new program and I really started to push my own limits.
WEDNESDAY Repeat x5
Warmup
One arm chinup negatives x5 (weighted pullups after 3rd set)
Weighted dips +55 lbs x5
YTL 2.5lbs x 10 each
Tricep extension 55 lbs x 5
Hammer curls 40lbs x 5
Squat bar+50 x 15
GET HEAVY (friday) 5 sets
One arm chinup negatives x 5 (regular chinups +55lbs after 3rd set)
Shoulder Press 50lbs x5
Repeat
Weighted dips +70 lbs x5
Hammer Curls 40 lbs x5
Squat bar+150 x5
REPEAT
Deadlifts bar+170 x5
MID REP (sunday) 4 sets
High Pullups x8
Neutral Grip DB Bench 60×8
REPEAT
Super Wide pullups x7
Ring Dips +35lbs x8
REPEAT
Calf Raises +100lbs x20
Deadlift bar+90 x12
Squat bar+50 x12
Sprint 30seconds
REPEAT no rest between reps
TUESDAY (no gym)
Calisthenics at park with maxwell
Or Crossfit with my wife at her gym
I had a reality check when I was hanging out with my brother and both our children. We were exploring an old gym inside a YMCA (noone was there) and making fun of there lack of equipment. He sat down on a shoulder press machine and put the pin to the highest weight. He hammered out a few presses and said, “this is barely a warm up for me”. I laughed, thinking, wow this equipment sucks. I sat down to give it a few pushes myself and I couldn’t even move it. Not even a little bit. It was like trying to push up against a concrete building. I called bullshit and said that there is no way it was “easy” for him so he sat down and rep’ed out 10 without even warming up. Ouch.
May 10th, 2019
These last seven months have been insane. I really underestimated how much of my life I would need to sacrifice to get my business up and running. My workouts have suffered but I never once stopped completely. I couldn’t. I was too afraid that if I stopped I would not start up again.
I went back to the basics and focused a lot on form. Perfect pullups, handstand training, and cycling. In October 2018 I could rep out 3 strict muscleups no problem but now it is hard for me to complete 3 kipping muscleups. That is how quickly gainz disappear!
But with that said I have been KILLING it on the bike. I started out doing super fucking cold and windy outdoor rides until I got fed up with the SD blizzards stealing my training days. I bought a trainer and a subscription to TrainerRoad.
In 8 weeks I increased my FTP from 259 to 281!
Yup. I truly couldn’t say enough good things about the TrainerRoad app. If you want to train with power and absolutely crush your workouts EVERY time this is the way to do it. The app helps you measure your FTP and then builds an entire workout around your specific needs. It is the best investment I have made in years. I completed a 110 mile gravel race (“Gold Rush Gravel Grinder”, SD) that was only possible due to my training with this app.
BBBUUUTTT
Like I said before, I have visually lost mass and all of my calisthenic “tricks” have dwindled so I am cutting back on the cardio and focusing on reaching my list of goals at the beginning of this article. (You will notice that I have started to incorporate some weight training too, just mixing it up to keep it fun!) My current plan:
MONDAY
-Pullups x10
-Chinups x10
-Dips x20
-JumpSquats x25
-Pushups x20
-Crunches x50
-Up Downs x10
Repeat 3 times. 30 second rest. 3 min between sets
-30min Sprint or VO2 Max intervals on the bike trainer
TUESDAY
Rest
WENDESDAY
-Row machine 5min warmup
-Weighted pullups 30 lbs x8
-Weighted ring dips 20 lbs x8
-Deadlifts BAR+130 lbs x8
-Dumbbell military press 35 lbs x8
-Dumbbell row 65 lbs x 8
-Calf press 200 lbs x 8
Repeat 4 sets
THURSDAY
30min Sprint or VO2 max intervals on bike trainer
FRIDAY
rest
SATURDAY
-Row machine 5min warmpu
-One arm chinup negatives x5
-Weighted dips 50 lbs x5
-YTL 5lbs x5 each
-Tricep extension 40lbs x5
-Hammer curls 40 lbs x5
Repeat 5 sets
Group ride with Central Plains Cycling Team or threshold intervals.
December 19th, 2018
The video explains it all:
October 12th, 2018
HOLY MOTHER OF NATURE! Um… so last month I pulled off a one arm pullup. That shit came out of nowhere. In July one of the kids at my local park asked if I could do a one arm pullup so I gave it a try. To my surprise I was able to move from a dead hang up about 30 degrees. So I started incorporating OAP work into my program then out of nowhere I pulled one off! You can see it in the video below (last scene). HOWEVER! Since then I haven’t been able to get higher than my forehead and oddly I can pull higher in my non dominant arm (even though negatives are a lot harder with that arm).
My handstands are getting a lot better but after I read this article:
The Most Comprehensive Handstand Tutorial (antranik.org)
I decided to go back to the very beginning and start working on the basics such as wrist strength and the hollow hold. I want perfection in my movements and right now my handstand looks like crap, even if I can hold it for 7-8 seconds. But my ADHD took over when I read this article:
http://www.barbrothersgroningen.com/planche-calisthenics/.
I had never considered trying a bent arm planch but I tried the tucked version this week for the first time and I was able to hold it! I felt like superman So I have lost interest in the handstand for right now and am working towards a straddle planch instead. This goes against all current wisdom by the way. Popular opinion online says I should have my handstand dialed before working on the planch but I am too excited now!
I also wanted to post up this very helpful resource: http://stevenlow.org/the-fundamentals-of-bodyweight-strength-training/ The author on that website goes into great detail about callisthenic progressions, reps vs sets, etc. If you like to fine tune everything about your workout that link is the place to go.
My usual meals go like this: oats, soymilk, nuts, and raisins for breakfast, hummus sandwich with extra beans for morning lunch, sweet potatoes and beans for main lunch, protein smoothie after my workout, and family meal for supper.
June 8th 2018
As most of you know I lived in my van for a few months and traveled the country with my family early this year. The awesome thing about calisthenics is they can be done ANYWHERE! Most of my exercising during #vanlife was focused on maintaining instead of progression. In other words, I didn’t try very hard ;).
BUT my family and I have finished moving into an apartment in Hartford, SD. Now that I am no longer a paramedic I can get normal human sleep and I can actually workout more! My workouts are usually accomplished at the playground where my son play’s across the street and I have just finished building a four foot wide chinup station in our garage. I am able to pulloff a kipping muscleup where ever and whenever I want. I am currently working on the strict muscleup but most of my focus is obtaining a handstand.
I have avoided the handstand and many types of shoulder exercises because I used to get severe shoulder pain. But now that I have gotten so much stronger I NO LONGER GET THE PAIN!!!! I am so excited about this
Here is a photo of the workout routine that I have been using for the past 2 months.
My current workout plan
Monday: Run
Tuesday: Offset chinups, Handstand walk up to wall, Wide chin-ups, Elevated pike pushups
Wednesday: Run
Thursday: Muscleups, Crossbow pushups, Leg raises, Lever practice, Wall handstands
Friday: Run or family stuff
Saturday: Muscleup x1, Handstand wall walk x5, Crossbow pullups x8, Elevated pike pushups x 10, Upside down deadlifts x7, Highpullups x4, Explosive straightbar dips x10, Lever practice
Sunday: 30+ bike ride
January 22th 2018
I learned that I am just not getting enough sleep to effectively workout three times a week. I stopped looking forward to workouts and I was never able to finish strong. So instead of doing three half-assed workouts each week I reverted back to two workouts per week. I am back to being motivated and focused.
My wife and I decided to sell everything we own and travel the country in our van all summer so most of my workouts have been a mishmash of the BarBrothers “Muscle-Up Hunt” workout routine along with some focused shoulder exercises. A lot of my workouts have been shorter than 45 minutes simply because I don’t have enough time in the day with all of my other current responsibilities. But those 45 minutes are always hellishly difficult. I can now do multiple muscleups in a row even though I got physically injured in December:
NOVEMBER 7th 2017
If you didn’t notice in the video above, my muscle up doesn’t look very pretty. That is why I am going to start focusing on perfect movements this month. The most important goal is to build my shoulder strength so that I stop getting shoulder injuries. The trainer at this website is hilarious and appears to know a lot about shoulder injuries so I will be incorporating these into the new workout I am building:
My Favourite 5 Shoulder Health Exercises – DeanSomerset.com
The bulk of my workout will come from Bar Brothers. I attempted to use one of their infograph workouts in the past but after reading the details of the following article I realized I was doing it very wrong!
The Essential 6 Month Calisthenics Workout Plan | Bar Brothers Groningen For Calisthenics Workout
So I will be starting at the Bar Brothers Month 4 routine with a few modifications for shoulder strength. Again, my focus will be perfect movements because I am tired of sloppy pullups! Here is my proposed routine:
—-MONDAY—-
“MUSCLEUP HUNT”
3 cycles, 2 min rest between cycles
minimum rest between sets
Chest High Pullups 5
Straight Bar Dips 5
Clapping Pushups 5
Head Bangers 5
Type Writers 5
Jump Muscle Ups 5
Clapping Pullups 5
“SHOULDER ROUTINE”
5 cycles, 2 min rest between cycles
30 seconds between each set
Dips 6
Decline Pushups (high) 4
Pushups 6
Assisted 45* Pullup 10
Hindu Pushups 8
Pike Pushups 8
Side Plank 15 sec
—-THURSDAY—-
“MUSCLEUP HUNT”
3 cycles, 2 min rest between cycles
minimum rest between sets
Chest High Pullups 5
Straight Bar Dips 5
Clapping Pushups 5
Head Bangers 5
Type Writers 5
Jump Muscle Ups 5
Clapping Pullups 5
“FULL BODY”
3 cycles, 4 min rest between cycles
minimal rest between sets
Chinups x 3
Wallsit x 30 sec
Dips on chair 12
Squats 8
Pushups 8
Pullups 2
Leg raises 3
Decline pushups 7
—-SATURDAY—-
“TRAPEZIUS ROUTINE”
5 cycles, 2 min rest between cycles
45 seconds between each set
Pullups 6
Hindu Pushups 8
Contralateral Limb Raises 13
High Decline Pushups 6
Hand Stand Pushups (wall assist) 5
Pike Pushups 8
AUGUST 29th 2017
WOW! I was more focused on my goal of attaining a muscleup than a hawk on a rabbit. I imagined myself doing it every day. I hit my workout no matter how tired I was, where I was, or how much time I had. I practiced my kip repeatedly. I watched multiple YouTube tutorials and read tons of blogs on how to complete one. Focus! Unfortunately I can’t even attempt the muscle up in my house or at most of the parks that I take Maxwell to so when Michelle said we were going to the outdoor pullup bars for a picnic I fucking psyched myself up. I didn’t even care that I had literally just finished a workout and my arms were dead. Today was the day. After a quick warmup with some kips I false-gripped the shit out of the bar, lifted my feet off the ground, looked forward and went for it. Suddenly I found myself on top of the bar. DAMN THAT SHIT FELT AMAZING! WOOT!
MID AUGUST 2017
I found a very detailed program which explains some important aspects of the muscle-up such as training your hand position and what defines a “real” pull up (hint: going to the chin isn’t good enough). I will be switching to this routine once I finish building my in-home pullup bar: https://urbanevo.com/training-blog/12-weeks-to-a-muscle-up/
I tested my pull up max in preparation for this new training regimen. Requirements: no kipping, the bar must pass my clavicle, and I must return to dead hang between each pull or the pull-up doesn’t count. After recruiting my wife as the judge (so that I couldn’t lie to myself!) I maxed out at 11 “perfect” pull-ups.
JULY-AUGUST 2017
I am focusing on building muscle/technique for a muscle up. I am staying pretty strict to the following workout which I got from MadBarz.com called the “Muscleup Hunt”.
WARM UP
Pull ups 2×5
Pushups 3×10
Jumping Jacks 30
WORK OUT (REPEAT 3 TIMES)
High Strict Pull ups – 10
Straight Bar Dips – 12
Clapping Pushups – 10
Head Bangers – 10
Typewriter Pull-ups – 10 (happy if I get 8!)
Jump Muscle Ups – 12
Clapping Pull Ups – 10
Leg workout on bike
JUNE-JULY 2017
My workouts were very unique (AND FUN!) over these past two months. My son and I have visited many parks in the area which allowed me to try new crazy ideas. At my wife’s volleyball tournament I completed 120 pull ups over a ~5 hour period just to see if I could!
WARM UP
Pull ups 2×5
Pushups 3×15
Jumping Jacks 30
WORK OUT
Pull ups to chest – 3 sets to failure (around 6-7)
Wide grip / Diamond grip pushups – 3 x 24
Offset towel pull ups – 3 x 8 (switch hands at 4)
Straight Bar Dips – 3 x 10
Climbing ladder without my legs – 3 x 4
One arm pushups – 3×3 each arm
Pull ups to failure
Pushups to 40
Leg workout on bike
Pistol squats 2×5 each leg
APRIL-JUNE 2017
My program consists of two rest days between each workout. I chose this length of recovery time due to the fact that I am only getting 5-6 hours of sleep each night. Humans are supposed to be getting between 9.5 and 10 hours of sleep every night according to Dr Stanley Coren author of “Sleep Thieves” so you can see why I have concerns about my current recovery periods!
WARM UP
Climbing Rope Ladder x5
Pushups 3×10
Jumping Jacks 30
WORK OUT
Weighted Pull ups – 3 sets to failure (around 5)
Weighted Pushups – 3 x 20
Offset towel pull ups – 3 x 8 (switch hands at 4)
Dips (if bar is available) – 3 x 12
Climbing ladder without my legs – 3 x 4
Pushups (one arm extended to side) – 3×10
Pull ups to failure
Pushups to 40
Leg workout on bike
Logan Spader 