Cheat 300 Workout, Mostly

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University
Date: 22nd June

Workout: Cheat '300' Workout

25 Chin Ups - 16, 5, 4
50 Deadlifts (Romanian) - 35, 15
50 Push Ups - 35, 10, 5
50 Box Jumps - 50
50 Floor Wipers - 25, 15, 10
25 x 2 Clean and Press with Dumbbell - right arm - 10, 10, 5; left arm - 15, 10
25 Chin Ups - 6, 3... stopped

Total Time: 27:52 (time to last set, 24:30)

Post Workout Nutrition: this, 60 minutes later.

I got through these pretty quickly today, but my chin-ups are still letting me down. I need to do some weighted sets at other times to build a little more strength.

I am still about 7 lbs off what I refer to as my 'fighting weight' - 11 and a half stone. At around that weight, I can bust through these 300s more effectively. Today, once I realised I was dying on that final set, I cut my losses.

My focus is the Skiddaw Fell Race (9 miles and 2700 feet of ascent) on 4th July, which last year I walked, on the basis that long hard races are not 'Paleo'. Since then I've softened my position on endurance exercise a little after reading two inspiring books.

Lightning and I have pledged to run Skiddaw every year from now on. It's a great way to ensure your fitness does not slip by having a benchmark.

In 2005 I ran it in around 1 hour 29 minutes. This will be tough to match but I'll have a go. As my recent training posts have indicated, I am doing some serious fitness training at the moment. So far, I have balanced the pain with overtraining avoidance. I have also been very strict on diet. Very low carb, alternate day fasts, no coffee, no booze - all good stuff. I am dropping about 2 lbs a week.

So by 4th July I should be around 11-10 and pretty fit. Maybe I won't get 1:29, but definitely under 1:40. ... Read more

Savage 300 Workout & Easy Running in Downtown Boston

Downtown, uptown, I never know the difference. There were tall buildings, so there's no doubt about the 'town' part - but beyond that, I haven't a clue. It sounded good in the title, so I sacrificed accuracy for style.

I am staying at the Lenox hotel, in which there is the traditionally 'just adequate' gym. The gyms in big city hotels are so similar, I usually feel like I've been there before. It's nice - like a home from home.

The photo, taken from their website, pretty much tells the story. Out of view, behind the photographer, is a set of 10 - 50lb dumbbells, a pull down machine, a leg raise machine and a wooden bench for sitting on. This came in handy, as it happens.

Tuesday

I improvised a cheat 300 workout using the available equipment. These were the exercises:

25 Machine pull downs @ 120 lbs
50 Press ups
50 Dumbbell deadlifts @ 50lbs each
50 Tuck Jumps
50 Floor wipers with 50 lb dumbbells
25 Dumbbell clean and press @ 30lbs
25 Machine pull downs @ 120 lbs

I deliberately chose lighter weights so I could minimise rest due to muscle failure.

Time: 18.25
Food afterwards: Asparagus and mushroom omelet

The plan worked - I may have been forced to use lighter weights by the available equipment, but by deliberately judging the other weights (such as pull downs) to avoid lots of enforced rests, I made this the toughest session I've had in weeks.

By the end, I was in serious pain. The 'sitting down' bench came in handy. It was a good job it was 4.30am and the gym was empty, because I was making a lot of noise in the closing set.

Back at the room, a brief lie down was required.

Yesterday

I have bought a heart rate monitor that connects with tracking software on my mobile phone. This means I get a map of the route and graphs of altitude, speed and heart rate. Very cool. When I have downloaded the paid-for version of the tracking software I will be able to post the graphs for future runs.

To test it, I ran around Boston 'town' for an hour, over some bridges, along some water and through some car parks when I got lost. Of course it's not possible to actually get lost anymore, since my phone tells me where I am, where the hotel is, and what direction I am moving in.

I did the run in my Vibram Five Finger Mocs - not really designed for outdoor running, but they stood up to the challenge and gave me the closest thing to a truly barefoot running experience I've ever had.

The good news: by running at what felt like about the right pace for easy exercise, I kept my heart rate at an average of 148 bmp, which I think is about right. I didn't monitor it while running - just looked at the graph afterwards.

Time: 60 minutes.
Food afterwards: none - fasted until evening. ... Read more

Cheat 300 Workout, Minus Final Chin Ups

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University
Date:29th April

Workout: Cheat '300' Workout

25 Chin Ups - 17, 3, 3, 2
50 Deadlifts (Romanian) - 50
50 Push Ups - 35, 10, 5
50 Box Jumps - 50
50 Floor Wipers - 25, 15, 10
25 x 2 Clean and Press with Dumbbell - right arm - 15, 10; left arm - 15, 10
25 Chin Ups

Total Time: 23:56

Post Workout Nutrition: paleo breakfast of champions with kiwi and cocoa, 30 minutes later.

I didn't fancy that last set this time. It's been a while since my last cheat 300 and chin ups are always the first exercise I get weak on, making that final set a torturous sequence of low or single reps for the last 5 minutes.

However, 24 minutes is not a bad time to get that far, which I attribute to the fewer sets I required overall. I have realised that a narrower grip (shoulder width) is much better for the floor wipers, which reduced the sets to 3. Could even get this to 2 next time.

I will try to throw a few more random chin up sets into my normal activities so that when I come to my periodic 300 tests, that final set does not seem like quite such a mountain to climb. ... Read more

Faster Cheat 300 Workout

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University
Date: 5th March

Workout: Cheat '300' Workout

25 Chin Ups - 17, 6, 2
50 Deadlifts (Romanian) - 50
50 Push Ups - 36, 9, 5
50 Box Jumps - 50
50 Floor Wipers - 15, 12, 10, 8, 5
25 x 2 Clean and Press with Dumbbell - right arm - 15, 10; left arm - 15, 10
25 Chin Ups - 5, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1

Total Time: 32:51

Post Workout Nutrition: paleo breakfast of champions with apple & cinnamon, 15 minutes later.

I have stopped using the emoticons to indicate where I have needed fewer or more sets for a particular exercise, and concentrate on the primary objective - to get all the work done as quickly as possible. Ultimately, the goal is to be able to do each exercise in a single set - but sometimes tactically it can pay to take two smaller rests instead of one long one.

Additionally, the rest between exercises, which I am striving to reduce to a minimum, can affect the number of sets needed for the next one. On this occasion I took very little rest between the chin ups, deadlift and push ups, which led to my needing 3 sets for push ups.

Nevertheless, I was pleased to be able to complete all 50 deadlifts in a single set, which was helped by paying special attention to the right hand wrist strap.

Although my overall time was 32:51 and the previous time was "about 33 minutes", this felt quicker, so I am sure the previous estimate (due to a malfunctioning stopwatch) was generous.

Final thought - this workout is no longer hurting as much. Next time I think I will change it up and do some mixed Tabata circuit intervals. Perhaps 3 rounds, which I know will hurt. ... Read more

300 Workout, Complete at Last

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University
Date: 26th February

Workout: Cheat '300' Workout

25 Chin Ups - 17, 7, 1 (two more on second set - nearly only two sets!)
50 Deadlifts (Romanian) - 30, 20 (less on first set - grip gave way)
50 Push Ups - 38, 12 (one more on first set)
50 Box Jumps - (50) (single set beats two last time)
50 Floor Wipers - 20, 10, 10, 10 (four more on first set)
25 x 2 Clean and Press with Dumbbell - right arm (10, 9, 6) , left arm (15, 10)
25 Chin Ups - 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1 (did not finish last time)

Total Time: about 33 minutes

Post Workout Nutrition: scrambled eggs, pumpkin seeds and cocoa, 25 minutes later.

It was good to finish one of these workouts at last.

On the first set of chin ups I came close to needing only two sets - this would have been a first.

I need to get some better straps so I can stop being limited on the deadlift by the post-chins weakened grip. I am pretty sure I can do the 50 in one go if the grip is taken care of.

My one-rep activities with the barbell earlier in the week seemed to give my press-ups and floor-wipers a little lift, leading to better reps on the first sets of each; and I was especially pleased to do all 50 box jumps consecutively. I slowed down towards the end, but it was still a legitimate 'strike'.

This time I did genuine clean and press with the shoulder exercise rather than cheating with the snatch version. This meant 5 sets instead of two, but it was less demanding in cardiovascular terms.

Overall, 33 minutes seems quite slow - the biggest contributors were the increased sets required for the correct form on the shoulder exercise and the many sets required to complete the final chin-ups. ... Read more

300 Workout, Nearly Complete

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University
Date: 4th February

Workout: Cheat '300' Workout

25 Chin Ups - 17, 5, 3 (one more on first set)
50 Deadlifts (Romanian) - 35, 15 (two more on first set)
50 Push Ups - 37, 13 (one more on first set)
50 Box Jumps - (30, 20)
50 Floor Wipers - 16, 12, 12, 10
25 x 2 Clean and Press with Dumbbell - right arm (25) , left arm (25)
25 Chin Ups - unfinished: 4, 4, 3, 3 (did not start them last time)

Total Time: 29:31

Post Workout Nutrition: scrambled eggs covered in apple puree, 60 minutes later.

I was able to do the box jumps this time (a big step forward for the knee). This is quicker than doing assisted pistols as I did last week because both legs are done in a single set... so it's difficult to assess progress on the overall time for the session.

I could have done more in the first set of deadlifts - maybe even the full 50 in one go - but my right-hand grip gave way. I moved very swiftly to deadlift from the chins, which do tax the grip. I shall use straps next time.

I still didn't finish the final lot of chin ups. My biceps were pretty wrecked. This is, after all, the first time I've attempted the second lot - but it could also could be the snatches that preceded the attempt. The penultimate exercise is supposed to be dumbbell clean and press, but since the prescribed weight, 16kg, is quite heavy for me, I do more of a snatch movement, which is quite bicep-intensive.

I am looking for ways to bring my '300' more in line with the real deal, and the next target will be trying to do clean and press instead of the snatch. I will start by doing a little 'jerk' to help with the press when I get tired. This will definitely slow down my time on that exercise, but I may get some of it back on the final chin ups because my biceps will be better rested.

My gym partner is back in action next week after his own knee surgery (it must be an infectious condition!) so the fixation with the 300 workout will probably end there and it will be relegated to its more appropriate position as a monthly gauge of fitness and strength. ... Read more

Another 300: Faster and Better but Still not Complete

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University
Date: 26th January

Workout: Cheat '300' Workout

25 Chin Ups - 16, 6, 4 (took 4 sets last time)
50 Deadlifts (Romanian) - 33, 17
50 Push Ups - 36, 14
25 x 2 Assisted Pistols - left leg (15, 10) , right leg (15, 10)
50 Floor Wipers - 15, 15, 11, 9 (took 6 sets last time)
25 x 2 Clean and Press with Dumbbell - right arm (25) , left arm (25)
25 Chins... did not start them!

Total Time: 26:35

Post Workout Nutrition: Primal/Paleo breakfast of champions, 35 minutes later.

I could have finished this time, honest! I was pretty shot by the end of the clean and press, but could have squeezed out the final 25 chins, perhaps in 5 sets of 5.

However, I was late for my train, and as it was I had to speed walk for 15 minutes and jump on as the doors were closing. Nice bit of light cardio to finish off the workout, but I prefer not to arrive at work in a damp shirt!

The first set of chins saw some improvement - I have definitely felt re-adjusted to the exercise (note, I am not saying I have got stronger!) but there was also an element of technique. If you get a bad start to this you can end up fighting against your swinging motion - the trick is to get the right motion going from the start.

Push ups and deadlift on the face of it saw me do fewer reps in the first set. On deadlift I attribute this to leg tiredness after this, but on push ups it was tactical. I knew I could do it in two sets, and wanted to avoid getting too close to failure on the first to preserve my chest and arms for the wipers, where I had previous struggled to support the bar for long.

No change on the assisted pistols - I could have done more on the first sets on each leg, but again, wanted to steer clear of failure. I have physio on Thursday and since I get little sympathy from my physiotherapist when I tell him my legs are recovering from a gym session, I want to be recovered by then.

For whatever reason, the wipers improved significantly this time. Perhaps it was the push up tactics, or perhaps readjustment after the six sets of last week taxed the relevant muscles so much.

The overall time was better by almost 5 minutes for the same set of exercises. I was moving more quickly between exercises, taking less rest, and felt more comfortable with the pain. Next time I will complete the whole 300 in under 30 minutes, trains permitting!
... Read more

Another '300' Workout Defeats Me

Location: Esporta Gym, Wimbledon, London
Date: 20th January

Workout: Cheat '300' Workout

25 Chin Ups - 14, 5, 3, 3
50 Deadlifts (Romanian) - 40, 10
50 Push Ups - 40, 10
25 x 2 Assisted Pistols - left leg (15, 10) , right leg (15, 10, 5)
50 Floor Wipers - 13, 9, 8, 8, 5, 7
25 x 2 Clean and Press with Dumbbell - right arm (25) , left arm (25)
25 Chins... did not start them!

Total Time: 31:02

Post Workout Nutrition: this, 40 minutes later.

I've decided to adopt the emoticon system to represent progress or lack of it on a particular exercise. I think it's better than the colour system I used on the BBS experiment, but would be interested in your thoughts.

This session took place in a gym in Wimbledon, where I am staying on business, so an unfamiliar layout led to more time between exercises than normal. Of course this means more rest, so there were some improvements on the numbers of sets required, in return for a longer total time.

Once again I did not complete the full circuit. I could have finished, but given I had already crossed the half hour mark and this is supposed to be an easy week, I decided to save that challenge for next time.

I did complete the floor wipers this time, which took some doing as you can see. I am puzzled by the inability of my arms and chest to keep the 60kg barbell in place for very long during these. As I recall, I could previously do the 50 reps in 2 or 3 sets.

Overall, the pain of this routine is becoming more tolerable. Some of this will be familiarity, but I hope there is a fitness component too. Given how heavily I find myself breathing during the session, it must be producing at least some fitness improvements.

I've described the gym in more detail here. Not bad for one of those generic leisure places, but with a couple of the usual irritations (nowhere to do proper chins and ceiling too low for dumbbell snatch.) ... Read more

Incomplete 300 Workout Exposes Lost Fitness

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University
Date: 12th January

Workout: Cheat '300' Workout

25 Chin Ups - 13, 6, 4, 2
50 Deadlifts (Romanian) - 36, 14
50 Push Ups - 36, 14
25 x 2 Assisted Pistols - left leg (15, 10), right leg (10, 10, 5)
50 Floor Wipers - 15, 3, gave up....
25 x 2 Clean and Press with Dumbbell - right arm (10, 10, 5), left arm (15, 10, 5)
25 Chins... did not start them!

Total Time: 23:48

Post Workout Nutrition: this, 25 minutes later.

The pistols are instead of the box jumps for now. Jumping is the final frontier for my knee rehab. I can hop, run up stairs and jog for short distances; but jumping is not well received.

As you can see, I gave up halfway through the floor wipers - I simply couldn't support the barbell. I should have dropped the weight, but did not think of that at the time. I did complete the clean and press, though have to confess they were more like cleans. I was feeling pretty shot by this point, having perhaps not recovered from the sudden savagery of Tuesday's Tabata rowing, so I did not do the last set of 25 chins.

Half an hour later, at the physio, I was trying to explain why I could barely do any of the exercises he was setting me, but he seemed indifferent. Bad timing I guess - but I am determined to make this week a tough one so that next week I can chill out, recover, then come back the following week with some improvements under my belt.

I am going to do the cheat 300 workout regularly for a while, so I will note how many rests I need to take during an exercise and aim to reduce both the number of rests and the total time. This session has highlighted that whilst BBS has kept me fit-ish after the knee operation, I am still some way short of the fittest I have been, and would like to be again.

I appreciate that any exercise or routine, if not done regularly, will be harder and that this performance could reflect unfamiliarity rather than the loss of any base fitness, so let me put it another way: I want to get back to a place where there is a broad portfolio of movements, exercises and protocols my body can comfortably engage in. This may only give the illusion of greater fitness, but it's certainly a lot more fun and makes me think I'm fitter even if I'm not. ... Read more

A Taxing 300 Workout

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University

Cheat 300 Workout - I have updated the post on this to reflect that I now do dumbbell snatch instead of clean and press, and why.

Time: 24:56

This was 30 seconds slower than the last time, in spite of the easier snatch exercise. This was partly because I took longer setting up for the floor wipers than usual, but partly because I was very tired - I was up late burning the midnight oil working on Paleo/Primal in a Nutshell Part 2!

Perhaps because I was tired, it felt like one of the most taxing workouts I have done for a while. I was out of my comfort zone most of the time - which Rusty at Fitness Black Book suggests is the way forward for fat burning.

I am going on holiday, walking in the Lake District for the next 4 days, so I will be taking a break from resistance exercise of any kind. After reading Natural Messiah's recent post, this seems like a good idea, especially given how hard today felt. I am also inspired by Chris at Conditioning Research's recent photos to come back with some of my own to share. I only hope we get the same kind of weather. ... Read more

Conditioning Week Day 3: Improvised Cheat 300 Workout

Location: Millenium UN Plaza Hotel New York

Cheat 300 Workout

Since I was training in this joke gym, I had to improvise as follows.

- Instead of chin ups I did reverse-grip pull downs, selecting a weight I felt equated to bodyweight.
- Instead of stiff-legged deadlift with a 60kg barbell, I used the heaviest dumbbells, which were 50lbs.
- For the box jumps, I took my shoes off and jumped onto the seat of one of the machines.
- For the floor-wipers, I held the heaviest dumbbells instead of the 60kg barbell.

It was arguably more taxing than usual because the lighter weights meant muscle fatigue did not force me to rest as often mid-set, so my cardiovascular system was forced to work harder. ... Read more

My Monthly 300 Workout Progress Test

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University

'Cheat' 300 Workout - 24:25

I try to do this regularly to chart progress. This time I beat my previous best by about 30 seconds.

I definately have more strength on the chin ups than before, which I expect is thanks to the weighted chin ups I have been doing - I was able to complete the first set of 25 in 3 goes (17, 6, 2) instead of last time's 4. I also managed 45 press ups before needing a break instead of 40 last time. ... Read more

The '300' Workout

Full Version

25 Pull Ups
50 Deadlifts @ 60kg
50 Press Ups
50 Box Jumps (24” box)
50 Floor Wipers @ 60kg - each rep is requires left and right movement, so amounts to 2!
50 Clean and Press with Dumbbell @ 16kg (dumbbell must touch floor between reps)
25 Pull Ups

Cheat Version

25 Chin Ups
50 Deadlifts @ 60kg
50 Press Ups
50 Box Jumps (18” box)
50 Floor Wipers @ 60kg - each time you bring your legs up, this counts as one rep
50 Clean and Press with Dumbbell @ 16kg (dumbbell must touch floor between reps)
25 Chin Ups

300 Workouts: from workout diary

N.B. As of 22.04.09 I am doing Dumbell Snatch with 16kg instead of the clean and press - I am finding the clean and press just too hard after all the other exercises that hit the triceps.

This is one of the most punishing circuits I have done. It was designed by Gym Jones as a test for the cast and crew of the film '300'. For the background and detail, see this article on their website.

You simply have to complete the required reps in the required order as quickly as possible, moving from exercise to exercise immediately. If you have to take breaks because you cannot complete all 50 in one go, then these must be as short as possible.

There are no rests in this circuit. The idea is that it is a test, not a regular workout. I think it's way too demanding to be done regularly. I like to use it as an index of progress. Every month or so, I throw one in - each time, trying to reduce the number of breaks I need, and therefore reducing the overall time. The great thing about it is the emphasis on body weight. You are rewarded both for building strength and improving body composition.

I have only ever done the cheat version - my main weakness is pull-ups. I am happy with the 24" box jumps but our gym does not have that easily available. I have some ideas on how to improvise. ... Read more