Good luck in your race buddy.
Interesting to read about your 200m drill 2 days before race day. What are the benefits of this?
*tweet&
Our coach always wanted us to do a 95% session leading up to the race and I struggled doing something like 95% out of blocks or over 80m so with this 200m session I have adjusted target times I can hit. I wouldn’t do it unless you have a good fitness base as it can take a lot out of you.
Aug 10
Race Day
I felt about 7/10 today, perhaps doing a little too much deep tissue massage the night before but in all honesty I have one eye on the race at the end of the month and whatever I do today I hope to improve on by then.
100m - 11.70 SB +1.7
Very nice wind which I feel I didn’t take advantage of. My start was way too tense and I powered it to 25m before relaxing and finishing nicely. It’s a season’s best and the 2nd fastest electronic time i’ve run.
200m - 23.83 PB +2.1
Slightly illegal wind and a mere hundredth off my pb. My only problem with that run from start to finish was perhaps my reaction time and block clearance, other than that I was really pleased with my finishing strength. I’m finishing so well that I might think about putting more into the bend and seeing if I can hold on at the end.
I ran 11.4 and 23.5 in training and this backs up my general calculation of +0.3 secs to get what i’d run in a race. At the start of the season I wrote down target times of 11.2 and 23.0 for training so if I can get nearer to those in the next few weeks it would give me a lot of confidence for the final race of the season.
Aug 11
Weighted Dips (1)
12 x 20kg
12 x 21.25kg
12 x 22.5kg
Explosive Pushups (1)
3 x 8
DB Rows
3 x 8 x 41kg
Good intensity in these, can’t wait for squats tomorrow.
Aug 12
KB Swings
2 x 15 x 16.5kg
Full Squats (1)
8 x 76kg
5 x 86kg
4 x 91kg
4 x 96kg
Drop Jumps (1)
3 x 5
Bird Dogs
2 x 20
Weighted Ab Circuit, 310 reps, 3 mins bridges
I did do 5 reps on 91kg but my form went at the bottom of the lift so I discounted that rep. I’m itching to get to 100kg and should really be taking smaller incrememnts than this. Thought about mixing heavy half squats with full squats to satisfy my need to go heavy.
Aug 14
Track Work
200m, 150m falling. 23.57, 17.11 PB
So pleased to repeat a similar time in the 200m and then to go and take a tenth of a second off my 150m training pb. I set out harder in the 200 and could feel myself fading with 50m to go, and I prefer being strong at the end so i’ll stick with my conservative bend running.
Weighted Dips (1)
3 x 12 x 22.5kg
Explosive Pushups (1)
3 x 8
DB Rows
3 x 8 x 41kg
Ab Circuit, 6 mins
No issues here, dips were perfect as the last few reps were really hard to complete.
Aug 16
Track Work
2 x 2 x 25m Flying.
Blocks 2 x (20, 30, 40m)
Yehhh, mixed that shit up. Flying runs first so I was super-fresh for them, then blocks when i’m a little tired to stop me purely muscling it.
Glute-Ham Raise
3 x 5
Full Squats (box 1 1/2 inch higher)
8 x 78.5kg
5 x 91kg
5 x 101kg
5 x 109kg
Hard Ab Bridges, 2:15
Did circuits yesterday and got a nervy pain on the inside of my right thigh doing backwards lunges. It surfaced again during squats and at the bottom of the lift it was causing internal tightness on the outside of my right calf. Quite worrying but hoping it’ll sort itself out.
Brought my squatting box up a touch as I was finding the very last inch or so very difficult to hold form and any addition in weight made it near impossible. 109kg is all i’d risk with my nerve pain but I think i’m capable of 120kg+ later this week.
Aug 18
Track Work
70, 90, 110m falling - 8.29, 10.49, ??
Blocks 2 x 30, 2 x 40m
Muscle Ups
3 x 6
Dips
3 x 20
Edit: Had a nap and woke up feeling fired up, so…
Hang Power Cleans
4 x 73.5kg
4 x 78.5kg
4 x 83.5kg
4 x 88.5kg PB
Was meant to do them tomorrow followed by squats and kb swings, but I was in the mood to do something explosive so I went to the basement and smashed out 4 x 4 without realising the last set was a pb. Love it.
Full Squats (1)
8 x 108.5kg
2 x 5 x 116kg
6 x 113.5kg
KB Swings (1)
3 x 10 x 16.5kg
Weighted Ab Circuit, 310 reps & 3 mins bridges
Miscalculated my warm up set of 8 but managed to do it anyway. The explosive swings take a lot out of me and working off a rest of 3:30 I wasn’t sure I could do another set at 116kg, but ended up doing an extra rep at the lower weight.
Going to try a flat out 400m on Sunday as a training run, my fitness is at its peak and it’d be nice to know what I can do.
Aug 21
Track Work
150m, 90m (2 mins) 90m, falling. 17.11 =PB, 10.51, 10.50
There was a track meet on so I couldn’t do a 400 with everyone there, managed a sneaky 150 though.
DB Rows (1)
3 x 8 x 41kg
Explosive Pushups (1)
3 x 8
Dips
25, 20, 20
Last races of the season on this bank holiday Monday (29th), then a wind down week before two weeks off. I was trying to put pressure on myself to pb but now that the end of the season is in sight i’m going there to have fun and run for the pure enjoyment of competing.
Aug 24
Track Work
2 x 25m Flying runs
PULLED HAMSTRING. Gay. It’s not serious at all as I could feel it starting to go during the build up to the third run, but it’ll be enough to put me out for 3-5 days and consequently hinder/ruin my chances of competing in the final race of my season.
I’ve iced it already and will do 10 mins on/50 mins off with ice for the next few hours, should have a better estimate of how bad it is tomorrow morning.
Think it’s a mild strain/grade 1. I can’t walk without limping and i’m resigned to the fact my season is over.
Aug 25
Done as a circuit with 1 min between each exercise and 2 mins at the end of each set
Shoulder Press
4 x 9 x 16kg
Dips
4 x 15
Bicep Curl
4 x 9 x 38kg
Lat/Front Raises
4 x 10 x 5kg
Press Ups
4 x 15
Then
Ab Twists, 3 x 30 x 10kg
Ab Marching, 3 x 30 x 10kg
Press up hand walks, 3 x 10
Got a little burn during that session but it was more of a baseline test to see where I can up the weight and where I struggle. Shoulder press was easy but as the fatigue accumulates it’s a lot harder for the final set.
Did a lower body session to see what weight I should start on after my time off, will do it again in two days and then take a break until mid-september.
Aug 27
Hang Clean
4 x 81kg
6 x 81kg
SLDL
4 x 10 x 16kg
Barbell Reverse Lunges
8 x 28.5kg
8 x 44.5kg
8 x 49.5kg
8 x 54.5kg
Lunge Jumps
4 x 8
SL Hops w DB in hand
20 x 5kg
20 x 11kg
2 x 20 x 16kg
Didn’t do anything too intensely as my hamstring hasn’t healed yet, hate being injured. SLDL, lunges and lunge jumps were done in a mini circuit with short rest periods and that worked well for me.
Aug 28
Shoulder Press
4 x 10 x 17kg
Dips
4 x 18
Bicep Curl
4 x 10 x 39kg
Lat/Front Raises
4 x 10 x 5kg/7.5kg
Press Ups
4 x 18
Then
Ab Twists, 3 x 30 x 10kg
Ab Marching, 3 x 40 x 10kg
That was nearly spot on. Press ups were the easiest exercise closely followed by the bicep curl, which I cruise to the 7th rep in. I couldn’t really feel my arms in the last set and they just kind of moved while I rattled off the reps.
I did this circuit style when I was 15-18 yrs old and although I had next to no knowledge about planning a workout/diet/recovery it got me results and I feel good about doing an upper/lower split twice a week with a 3rd workout of maybe squats/bench.
Aug 29
Hang Clean
4 x 83.5kg
6 x 83.5kg
1 x 91.5kg
SLDL
1 x 10 x 17kg
3 x 10 x 18.5kg
Barbell Reverse Lunges
8 x 58.5kg
Lunge Jumps
4 x 8
SL Hops w DB in hand
4 x 20 x 17kg
Ab Wheel Kneeling
3 x 15
Hang cleans were so comfortable I had to see what a heavier weight would be like, and wasn’t too troubled by 91.5kg. Meant to start reverse lunges where I left off at 54.5kg but it’s really easy to put my 25 plates on and start with 58.5kg, which was enough for all the sets. Can go heavier again in SLDL once my hammie is healed although it didn’t trouble me today.
NB: My notation for single leg and straight leg is the same, so to clarify those are single leg hops and single leg RDL’s.
Wasn’t meant to train but i’m having women problems and needed to vent plus my mate wanted to try my workout so boshed it out this evening.
Aug 30
Shoulder Press
4 x 9 x 18.5kg
Dips
4 x 20
Bicep Curl
4 x 9 x 41.5kg
Lat/Front Raises
4 x 10 x 5kg/7.5kg
Press Ups
4 x 20
Marching
3 x 40 x 10kg
Twists
3 x 30 x 10kg
Upped a few exercises to challenge myself, ended up doing 7+2 on the last set of shoulder press but everything else I got through without a break. Arms are killing now, love it. Abs were quite intense, did them side by side with my mate and got them done in record time.
Sept 7
Reallly wasn’t meant to gym today, but I did. I’m doing a lifeguard course mid-october and I figured what better time to practice swimming than when i’m not doing weights. My friend joined me for swimming but had to wait an hour in the fitness centre so I popped in the gym and did a real pick n mix session to kill time.
Morning Session (Pool)
40 lengths (1000m), lots of breaks, mostly breast stroke
PM Session (Gym)
Pullups
11,11
Squats
5 x 70kg
Hang Power Clean
4 x 60kg
2 x 4 x 75kg
SL Hop
2 x 20 x 16kg
DB Rows
8 x 40kg
Bench Press
8 x 70kg
6 x 80kg
5 x 85kg
Hanging Leg Raise
2 x 10
Captain’s Chair (?) ab crunch thing
12 x 35kg
Like I said… a mix.
Pool Session
About 20 lengths, isolation work and breathing, not using legs etc., all front crawl.
Deltoids are killing me, and my upper back was horrendous this morning. Just put four eggs and 250g of beef in a frying pan and my mum gave me a weird look, love being home.
I promise I won’t do any more gym until after my time off, which ends on Sept 14th.
like I said, no lower body gym work until after the 14th 
Sept 11
Pullups (1)
3 x 10
DB Z Press (1)
3 x 9 x 18.5kg
DB Rows (2)
3 x 8 x 41kg
BB Shrugs (2)
3 x 8 x 58.5kg
Rotator Cuff, two movements
2 x 8 x 5kg
Abs:
Hanging Leg Raise 3 x 10
Toe Touchers 3 x 12
Toes to Sky 3 x 12
Wipers 3 x 10
Sitting Tucks 3 x 15
Ab Wheel 10
Upper body and core work today. I can increase shoulder press but everything else was good. I’ve not exactly packed in the full time sprint training but i’m going to have a few weeks off to play around, been busy at work and it’ll be nice to not HAVE to pack 15 hours of training in the next week but hit the gym when I want to.
Sept 13
Javelin Throws
~50 throws, best of 33.18m (~109ft)
Shoulder Press
3 x 9 x 18.5kg
Dips
3 x 20
Bicep Curls
3 x 9 x 43.5kg
Res. Band Pullovers
3 x 12
Press Ups
3 x 20
Abs:
Marching 3 x 50 x 10kg
Twists 3 x 30 x 10kg
Had a crack at javelin, was quite fun. I had 5 training sessions dedicated to it a few years ago where I ended with 29.40m as my best (which I almost surpassed from standing today) so will work on technique not brute force. I’ve got a friend who wants to learn it so I went along with him today to practice as coaching doesn’t start until next month.
The circuit was changed slightly to incorporate the overhead pull action, tired me out nicely though I forgot to up shoulder press and breezed that. I can barely move my dominant arm now, it’s a real effort to type.
Sept 15
Pullups (1)
3 x 10
DB Z Press (1)
3 x 8 x 20kg
Dips (2)
3 x 20
BB Shrugs (2)
3 x 8 x 58.5kg
Rotator Cuff, two movements
2 x 8 x 5kg
Abs:
Hanging Leg Raise 3 x 10
Toe Touchers 3 x 12
Toes to Sky 3 x 12
Wipers 3 x 10
Sitting Tucks 3 x 15
Ab Wheel 10
Need to increase my shrug reps and weight, and maybe an extra rep on the Z press. Doing a bit of javelin on sunday and then my first lower body weights early next week.
--------------- NEW TRAINING YEAR ---------------
Goals (rough draft)
40m javelin by Nov, 45m by Jan 2012 - currently 33.18m in first session
sub 7.30 seconds indoors 60m - 7.43 pb
Squat 2x BW for 6-8 reps - best was maybe 4 reps last winter
Reverse Lunge 100kg - round numbers sound good, no idea on this one
Power Clean 110kg - more aware of this goal, pb is 100kg
Hang Power Clean 100kg - pb is 91kg i think
50 inch Box Jump - done this before in summer but would like to recapture that explosiveness
Sept 17
Back Squats
20 x 71kg
SL Hops
2 x 20 x 17kg
Ab Bridges, 2 mins
Starting properly from Monday, just wanted a mini-session to get some of the inevitable first session doms out the way. I’m not doing 20 rep squats long term but i’d never done them and was intrigued. The weight wasn’t challenging enough but I could definitely see a max effort set crippling me for many days.