Industrial Park Chipper

Workout of the Day:

The Industrial Park Chipper:

5 meter spider climb

20 burpees to a 9 foot target

20 overhead lunges (25 kg)

8 step under-stair climb

20 strict toes to bar

20 stone squats

20 handstand pushups

20 KB swings (25 kg)

200 meter weighted run (25 kg)

I went back to the East Seine docks this morning feeling great. My shoulder had no pain, my legs and butt were the right amount of sore from the single leg deadlifts yesterday, and I was well rested. The perfect storm of circumstances to tackle a challenging routine, and Didzis was there to make sure I didn't wimp out (pictured above).

The spider climbs were an exercise that were screaming to be attempted, just from the construction of the staircase down by the river. Hooking my heels on top of the lip of the I-beam running parallel to the ground 8 feet up, I pulled myself up along the 45 degree angle to the top, a distance of about 5 meters. I then reversed course and carefully slid/climbed back to the bottom. This was the most dangerous element of the workout, so it had to be done first while I was fresh, and it was worth it. It was a very cool combination of grip/arm strength, coordination, and lower body stability. Finding a spot to do this type of inverted exercise will do anyone good.

The burpees were tough. A 9 foot target is much higher than I thought it was, and re-emphasized how pathetically I normally jump during burpees. This was a good change of pace in that respect. The overhead lunges weren’t too challenging. 20 steps just isn’t very many, but that was okay considering the rest of the workload still to come.

Heading back to the staircase, I jumped up and grabbed the under side of a step probably 9 ½ feet up (it took me 2 jumps to catch the ledge), and began reverse climbing up the stairs. Going one at a time was the safest play, as my lower body was definitely not keeping itself as steady as I would’ve liked. There were 8 stairs between the cross beams, so that was as far as I could go. Coming down was actually the most challenging part. Controlling momentum and being accurate with the hand placement as the grip starts to fail is a challenge.

And my grip was failing, so the toes to bar were the perfect exercise to follow. I did them strict while gripping either side of the I beam from underneath. These felt great because there was no bar to kick. I actually increased the range of motion by kicking back beyond my hands on most of the repetitions.

Next came the stone squats. Ouch. The parking median weighed around 50 kg if I had to guess, but felt like more. Holding it vertically in both hands and leaning it back against my chest, I squatted down until my hands nearly touched the ground. Doing squats this way really lets you get deep. My legs fatigued quickly, and all over. This exercise was phenomenal. I’m planning on coming back here on a strength day and doing these with a heavier stone because they were so effective. The balance and weight distribution are perfect. Much better than doing barbell squats.

The handstand pushups were next up, and I was a little nervous because of my shoulder. Non-issue. I got 10 in a row the first go, then finish with 5, 3, and 2. Definitely getting better here. The KB swings were much more difficult. Swinging the fence post anchor was really awkward and my hands couldn’t really fit in the handle because of the gloves I was wearing. It took me 3 sets to finish 20… not so impressive. However, much more impressive than the weighted run to finish. I had assumed this would be no problem, but as soon as I took off with the 25 kg weight wrapped to my chest, my posterior chain lit up. Ass, lower back, everything. I dropped for a rest after the first 100 meters, and again with about 60 meters to go.

Finally I was able to finish, stopping the clock at 13:29. Overall, the time wasn’t bad, but certainly could stand improvement in a few areas. The video is posted below. Looking forward to a day of rest and enjoying the impending American gold medal in ice hockey. Let’s hear that anthem…