I’ve got abit more down time over the next couple months, so seems like as good a time as any to start my log.
I plan on using this space to track my progress, think out loud and throw ideas, questions and insults at anyone who decides to follow this, feel free to do the same.
cycle Focus: Strength + Glute focus
Predetermined warm ups
Upper body warm up:
5mins skipping
Shoulder circles
T-spine mobility
Scap wall slides 2x8
Push up 2x8
Inverted row 2x8
Lower body warm up:
5mins skipping
sagittal/frontal leg swings
knee hugs
pull backs
spidermans
Toy soldiers
Hip external rotator stretch
Day 1 - Bench Focus
A Bench variation. Up to 1RM
Week:
1 8x1
2 2x1, 4x2
3 3x1, 3x3
4 10x1
B Chin up
Week:
1 5x5
2 5x6
3 6x5
4 6x4
C Bench variation. Triceps focus
Week:
1 3x6
2 4x6
3 3x10
4 5x6
D Face pulls 3x15-20
E1 Band Pull aparts 10-15
E2 Supine band external rotations 10-15
F Finisher
Day 2 - Lower 1
A Explosive lower body Movement 3x3
B Front squat
Week
1 6x3 quick
2 5x5 hard
3 6x4 hard
4 4x8 spleen busting
C Deadlifts
Week
1 3x6
2 4x5
3 3x8
4 3x8
D Glute ham raise 3xfailure
E Single leg lunge 3x8-10
F Finisher
Shoulder strength + accessory work
A Push Press
Week
1 6x3
2 8x2
3 10x2
4 8x3
B Wide pullup/med Neutral/close chin 3xmax
C Inc DB flye 3x10-15
D1 DB side raise 3x12-15
D2 Band external rotations 3x10-12
D3 Band no money 3x10-12
E Finisher
Lower strength + glute work
A Squat variation
Week
1 8X1
2 2x1, 4x2
3 3x1, 3x3
4 10x1
B Hip Dominant movement 4x8-10
C Glute Ham raises 3xfailure
D Single leg RDL 3x10
E1 Med ball slams 3x10
E2 Ab wheel Isometric Holds (increase hold by 1-2s per week)
F Finisher
Monday 05/18
Bench focus
A Bench press
worked up to 235x1
225x7x1
B Chin up
40x5x5
C Close grip bench
155x6x1
180x6x2
D Facepulls
80x15x1
90x15x1
100x15x1
E1 Band pull aparts
E2 Supine External rotation w/ band
1x15
F 10minute burpee challange
Pretty happy with how things went, first week of the cycle so things werent too taxing.
Ive been working on bench form lately and its getting there slowly. Im think my problem is in the ascent, as im not abducting my arms enough after the descent which makes for a poor mechanical leverage.
Tuesday 05/19
lower strength
A Pause squats
270x1x8
B Wide Goodmornings
135x8x1
160x8x1
185x6x2
C1 Glute ham raise (done on Pulldown machine)
3x8
C2 Hip flexor stretch
20sec/each side
D Single RDL Db’s
35x10x3
E1 Medball recoil slams
25x10x3
E2 Ab wheel iso holds
5secx5x3
Thursday 05/21
Shoulder strength + accessory
A Push press
145x3x6
B Wide/neutral/close vertical pull
BWx7/2/1
BWx5/1/1
BWx4/2/2
C Inc DB flye
45x12x1
45x10x2
D1 DB side raise
20x12-15x3
D2 Band external rotations
10-12x3
D3 No money w/ band
10-12x3
E1 Dips
BWx17,14,13
E2 Fat DB curls
40x4,5,5
F Finisher
farmers walk, renegade row, overhead plate walk, explosive push ups x3
Had fun today with this session. Listened to classic Rage against the machine and kept rests relatively short.
Lower speed and glute focus
Warm up:
5mins jump rope
Dyanmic flexibility -
Sagittal/frontal leg swings,
Pull backs/knee hugs,
hip flexor stretch,
Foam rolled Hip flexors & IT Band
External rotator stretch
A Power snatch
90x3x1
115x3x2
B Front squat
worked up to 185
185x3x6
C Deadlifts
225x6x3
D Glute ham raise (pull down machine)
8,8,6
E BB lunge
135x10x3
Solid session, The squats were quite quick and the deads pretty speedy too. The lunges had me blowing as I went through all 20 reps (alternating reps on each leg) per set which was a nice end to the workout.
As a side note, I visited my old high school before heading to the gym. I couldnt find who I needed to talk to but have an interview in a weeks time for a idea Ive got. stay tuned and fingers crossed.
Food so far:
1 1/2 scoops whey, tbs coconut oil, 5g leucine
2 sea bass fillets, 1/2 iceburg lettuce, 2oz cashews
2 scoops whey, 50g dextrose, 5g leucine
1 1/2 scoops whey, 5g luecine, 4oz pineapple
next meal is: 8oz beef, 1/2 pound broccoli, 4oz chickpeas, 2oz walnuts, 10g fish oil
Ad B, things are looking good! I’ll be following, learning, suggesting, etc. . .
So I thought I’d finished college for the year last week. I was wrong. One last presentation yesterday, and I killed it!
I went to a good friends wedding over the weekend, saw some old friends and had an abolsulte blast.
Bench focus
A 2 board press
235x1x2 PR
225x2x4 PR
B Chin ups
40x6x5 PR
C Closegrip Incline Bench
135x6x3 Baseline
D facepulls
70x15x1
95x15x1
115x15x1 PR
E1 Band pull aparts 3x12
E2 supine external rotations 15
Thought I could have moved up in weight more on the bench today but couldnt. Im still playing around with my technique trying to get it right. I’l take a vid next week and get you guys to have a look.
I’ve had an epiphany with the face pulls. I was relying too much on my forearm flexors to pull the weight towards me. I started to conscioulsy upwardly rotate my scapulae, man i could feel a difference straight away. Have a go next time your at the gym:
Set up a bench in front of the cable stack at a 90 degree position and lean your chest against it. grap the rope attactment in your hands so that the rubber ends are at the thumbs. now from a protracted position with the weight stack engaged, actively pull your scapula out, up and back and let your arms follow. About 12-20 reps should light your upper back on fire.
[quote]Flow wrote:
Ad B, things are looking good! I’ll be following, learning, suggesting, etc. . .[/quote]
Thanks man, you know your ripping it up too!!
Weight: 174
Lower strength
5min jump rope
leg swings, knee hugs, pull backs, spidermans
reverse lunge x8 forward lunge x8 free squat x8
static hip flexor stretch
lacrosse ball - piriformis, IT band, hip flexors
A low Box squats
225x2x2
225x1x6
B Goodmornings
160x10x2
185x8x2
C Glute ham raises
10,8,8
D1 recoil med ball slams 3x12
D2 iso abwheel 3x5 (with 7sec hold)
E Shovel lift
Barbell + 25lbs (hands at middle and collar)
2x5
So I made a box lastnight and took it with me to the gym. I needed practice on the technique so did alot more warm up sets than I would normally. I tried to simplify the cues for the lift to concentrate more on the lifts. 1) get tight 2) sit back 3) spread the knees and floor. After the squats and GM my lower back was toast!
Im going to increase my food intake because I have to do something about that BW.
upper accessory
jump rope
Dynamic flexibility + T spine mobility
Pec minor stretch
A BB military press
135x4x2
135x5x3* Basline PR
*last rep of set 4&5 were slight push press
B wide/med neutral/close chin
BWX10/3/1+hold
7/2/2+hold
7/2/1+hold total rep PR
C low Incline DB press
70x10,8,6
D1 Db side raise 20x15x2 PR
D2 Incline Db ext rotation 10x15x2
E1 DB fat grip curl 40x6,5,6 PR
E2 Dips BWx20,18,15 PR
so I changed my peri workout nutrition and i had an awesome session, and the gym was empty which meant LOUD music. evil empire and relapse was being more than invasive toward my senses.
Thoughts
Im going to implementing that peri nutrition every higher volume day (upper accessory and lower speed day).
With the A exercise im going to switch from push presses to military press alternate sessions.
Ive got some vids to put up, so I’l do that asap.
I have my rugby level 1 coaching course all weekend so i’l try and sneak the next session in sunday evening.
Qualified Rugby coach, priority is now to find a coaching role that I can fulfil. Hasnt changed anything in terms of goals towards lifting and learning, just something else I need to persue simultaneously.
anyway, couple days behind on training due to assesments etc. but…
Lower Speed
A Power snatch
3x3
B Front squat
190x2x8 PR
C Deadlifts (speed)
225x5x5 PR
D glute ham raise w/ 5lb plate
2x5 PR
E BB lunge onto 6" box
105x8x3
Liked This session. squats were grinding abit, but i think thats from a weekend of sprints and lineouts from rugby.
well rested now and lots of food. next session Im blasting!
Side note: Slight twinge in my left lat at the insertion on the ribs and my right piriformis or glute medius.
Bench Focus
Jump rope
Dynamic flexibility
A Bench press
225x1x3
215x3x3
B Chin up
45lbs x 30 reps (5,5,5,3,3,3,3,3)
C 3 board bench
225x3
235x3
260x1
225x6
D face pulls
90x15
115x15
135x15
E Band pull aparts
3x10-15
F DB Flye/Inverted row/push up
My bench set up felt better today, I made sure i focused more on technique throughout the lift than just lifting. Its not enough to just be able to lift that weight. Your movement needs to become a skill. thats when you can focus on nothing but getting that weight up. untill then, you’ll never be as strong as you can be because of the mental effort of performing the lift correctly.
Ice massage to left lat and right glute.
Lower strength
Warm up & Mobility work
A Box squat (slightly below parallel)
275x1x2
290x1x1 PR
240x3x3
B Medium stance Goodmornings
135x6x1
160x6x2
C Glute ham raise (pulldown machine)
10,10,8
D One leg RDL
35’sx8x3
E1 recoil slams 3x12
E2 Isometric Ab wheel rolls (8s Hold) 3x5x8s
So there seems to be a trend of NO people in the gym everytime I go in to squat. Come to think of it, theres pretty much no one left on campus so the gym is always empty! Pretty sweet of you ask me.
Im pleased on the squats, The weight is going up steadily.
Thoughts:
Weight is still not moving!
Upper accessory
Warm up & mobility
A Push press
155x3x3 PR
145x4x3
B Wide/neutral/close vertical pull
BW 12/3/2 PR
7/2/1
6/1*/1*
(*hold)
C1 DB Bench 72x10x3
C2 DB curls 38x6x3
D1 DB Side raise 22x12x2
D2 Band no money 12,12
What can I say, Good and bad in this session, Push presses were… ok, thought I would have got 155 for all sets, but just wasnt happening. Vertical pull PR was pretty big, which I was happy about.
Lower 2
A Snatch from hang
90x3x3
100x3x1
B front squat
175x4,4,4,6(PR)
200x3
C Deadlift (triples)
225, 245, 245, 255
D Glute ham raise (puldown machine)
10lb (on eccentric) 4x5
Upper Bench focus
A Bench press
200x3
225x3
230x1
230x1
230x1
210x5
210x5
210x3
210x2
B Weighted Chin ups (med)
45lbs, 35 reps
5,5,5,4,4,3,3,3,3
C Triceps death (no board, 1b, 2b, 3b, 2b, 1b, no b)
with 135lbs, 5,5,5,5,5,5,3/2
D1 DB Flye 50lbs 2x8
D2 Inverted row 2x8
Lower squat
A Band box squat (1"below)
mini band
240x3
240x3
240x2
240x2
240x1
240x1
B Wide GM
90lbs + mini x10, 10
135x12,10
C glute ham raise
10,10 6
D Single RDL 40x10x3
E1 Medball recoil slams 12,12,12
E2 Iso Abwheel holds (5s)x7x3
Received my bands today. I purchased the mini, monster mini and average band. Played around with it on some exercises (added them to my GM’s). Kept the band tension pretty conservative on the squats today just to get a feel for them.
I have two more sessions untill my deload week, then changing the program slightly, still working some things out.
I like your program- you’re doing some original stuff with the weekly sets/reps and intensity changes.
What’s new?
[quote]Flow wrote:
I like your program- you’re doing some original stuff with the weekly sets/reps and intensity changes.
What’s new?[/quote]
Thanks man, I got some good results from it, its definatelya progression model that I’ll go back to.
Unfortunately… I got sick last week during the end of my deload week, and Im a bitch when I get sick.
I still managed to hit PR’s a day or so after, so im hoping having all that time not being able to eat properly didnt screw me too hard.