Ivan Drago (Back-squat count-up)
A revisit to the count-up style workout:
Warmup -
6 minutes of light to moderate cardio
10 squats w/bar
5 squats @ 95#
Workout -
The Drago is a count-up style workout. Set up a stopwatch somewhere near the rack where you can see it. Load the bar with 135#. Start the watch, when it gets to 1:00, do one squat. Rest. When it gets to 2:00, do two squats. Rest. Etc. Obviously, the higher the time, the more squats you do, the less rest you get. It gets tough fast, you'll truly feel like a Soviet killing machine when you're done. Or you'll feel like you just got your ass whooped by a puny American capitalist. Either way, it does the trick.
Nick's Effort: 9 (one better than last time, woo hoo!) I didn't even think about trying for ten. I basically ripped off 17 135# squats in a row, which is a lot of effort for my skinny legs.
Showing posts with label Count-up. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Count-up. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Today's Agenda: Count-Up (Back Squat)
I'm going with another count-up again today; yesterday I actually did nothing, the deadlift workout was a post from last Friday's torture. I really enjoyed the count-up method though, so I am going to apply it to a different compound movement today: the back squat. Back squats tax every system in the body, so it should be a lot of fun!
To explain the count-up again: Start your watch and let the timer run to 1 minute. Once it hits the 1:00 mark, do 1 back squat. Rest until the timer hits 2:00, then do 2 back squats. Rest until the timer hits 3:00, then do 3 back squats, rest until the timer hits 4:00. Continue this pattern until your squat reps fail to match your minute count (say between 12:00 and 13:00 you only get ten squats in). Obviously, the more reps you do, the lest time you have to rest in between. Record the last minute that you were able to get all the reps in, that is your score for the workout.
I'm doing these at 135#, if you get to the 20:00 mark, end the workout. Next time, increase your weight.
Nick's # of Successful 135# Rounds: 8
Again, this gets brutal fast. Apparently I haven't been doing my squats lately. When I finished the 8 minute 8 reps, looked at the clock, and saw I had about ten seconds of rest before it got to 9:00, I knew I was in trouble. I got 6 reps in before the clock hit 10:00. I was wiped, except I went for a twenty minute run after that. Going to hurt tomorrow.
To explain the count-up again: Start your watch and let the timer run to 1 minute. Once it hits the 1:00 mark, do 1 back squat. Rest until the timer hits 2:00, then do 2 back squats. Rest until the timer hits 3:00, then do 3 back squats, rest until the timer hits 4:00. Continue this pattern until your squat reps fail to match your minute count (say between 12:00 and 13:00 you only get ten squats in). Obviously, the more reps you do, the lest time you have to rest in between. Record the last minute that you were able to get all the reps in, that is your score for the workout.
I'm doing these at 135#, if you get to the 20:00 mark, end the workout. Next time, increase your weight.
Nick's # of Successful 135# Rounds: 8
Again, this gets brutal fast. Apparently I haven't been doing my squats lately. When I finished the 8 minute 8 reps, looked at the clock, and saw I had about ten seconds of rest before it got to 9:00, I knew I was in trouble. I got 6 reps in before the clock hit 10:00. I was wiped, except I went for a twenty minute run after that. Going to hurt tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Today's Menu: Count-up
Today is actually a rest day, but I wanted to throw in a workout I did last Friday so that it can be remembered for posterity, and so that I may kick the crap out of it next time I need an idea for a workout to do.
A count-up is another simple but sadistic (the theme of my program) workout. All you need is one stopwatch and a compound exercise. A compound exercise is one that works the body across multiple joints. A bench press is a compound exercise because it works the muscles across the shoulders (pecs, delts,) and across the elbow (tri's and bi's), plus you use your legs and abs for stability. A bicep curl is a simple exercise in that you are only working one muscle group across one joint. Quite frankly, unless you're starring in the latest rendition of Pumping Iron, doing simple exercises are a waste of your time. A Pull-up or a heavy bent over row will do more for your biceps than isolation curls.
I digress. To run the count-up, pick a compound movement (I choose my favorite, the deadlift, for this round). Take a stopwatch and hang it where you can see it. After warming up, start the stopwatch. When it gets to the one minute mark, do one rep of your compound movement. Rest. When it gets to the two minute mark, do two reps. Rest. When it gets to three minutes, do three reps, rest, etc. As the minutes go up, the reps go up and the rest goes down. It sounds easy, but by the twelve minute mark with the deadlifts I was almost crying, and failed to complete the 12th round, so I scored at an 11.
Score: 11
A count-up is another simple but sadistic (the theme of my program) workout. All you need is one stopwatch and a compound exercise. A compound exercise is one that works the body across multiple joints. A bench press is a compound exercise because it works the muscles across the shoulders (pecs, delts,) and across the elbow (tri's and bi's), plus you use your legs and abs for stability. A bicep curl is a simple exercise in that you are only working one muscle group across one joint. Quite frankly, unless you're starring in the latest rendition of Pumping Iron, doing simple exercises are a waste of your time. A Pull-up or a heavy bent over row will do more for your biceps than isolation curls.
I digress. To run the count-up, pick a compound movement (I choose my favorite, the deadlift, for this round). Take a stopwatch and hang it where you can see it. After warming up, start the stopwatch. When it gets to the one minute mark, do one rep of your compound movement. Rest. When it gets to the two minute mark, do two reps. Rest. When it gets to three minutes, do three reps, rest, etc. As the minutes go up, the reps go up and the rest goes down. It sounds easy, but by the twelve minute mark with the deadlifts I was almost crying, and failed to complete the 12th round, so I scored at an 11.
Score: 11
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