The workout evolves
Although I'm still inspired by Convict Conditioning, I haven't really been following the program as written. I still like the idea of focusing on bodyweight exercises, I think there's a lot to be gained from that. I also really like the progressions in Convict Conditioning. The idea of going from easier to progressively harder exercises seems obvious but is often neglected. There are a few things that make it hard for me to follow the program exactly as written though.
First, I'm an American and I'm impatient. I admit it. After spending a month on wall pushups and kitchen counter pushups, I found that my pushup strength actually went down. I realize that, if I stay with the progression, I will eventually regain and surpass my old pushup strength but I decided to just do pushups.
Going back to being impatient, I also get frustrated working on an exercise only once per week, and when I do work on it, I want to get everything I can out of it. Which brought me to the realization that, just because you can do more reps, doesn't always mean that you should. Especially with easier exercises because there's a longer period of time where you can still get "just one more rep", and then you're so sore that you can't walk for the rest of the week. It's much easier for me to take it slow when I know I'm doing the same exercise again in two days. I prefer Pavel's method that sees strength as a skill and, like any skill, you improve faster if you practice more often.
What's cool is that I can do a lot of my strength training at work during my lunch break. I even brought in a dumbbell to do rows with because there isn't a place for pullups or body rows. The exact workout schedule is still evolving but right now it's looking something like this:
Mon, Wed, Fri - At work: Three sets of pistols and pushups followed by three sets of airborne lunges and down dog presses.
Tues, Thurs - At work: Three sets of knee tuckes and bridges followed by 3-4 sets of one arm rows.
Tues - At home - some pullups.
Sat: Body rows, knee tucks, and bridges. Some pullups.
Right now I'm just trying to find the level that leaves me not only not sore but also feeling strong and refreshed at the end. Then I plan to add just a rep at a time. I'm quite happy to take it slow as long as I don't have to wait an entire week to only do two sets of knee pushups.
One thing I've neglected lately is conditioning. I'm getting back into kettlebell swings and am considering maybe working on Scott Sonnon's FlowFit program or maybe kicking the bag or some circuits. It will evolve as I figure out what fits with my schedule and recovery abilities.
