Ring pull-ups (leaning), BW x 12, 4s
T-Bar Rows 95 x 15, 4 sets
Snatch Grip High Pulls 145 x 5, 5 sets
BTN Press 65 x 12, 12, 12, 9
Reverse Fly’s 10 x 15, 4 sets
Speed curls 12.5 x 50, 2 sets, 2min each
Notes:
Did ring pull-ups first as a warm-up, pump. Barley hit all T-bar row reps. SGHP felt fine but need to keep it here to work on form. BTN Press I increased reps and am getting stronger but will keep here until I can complete. Speed curls were easier… finished both sets in 2 minutes. When I can do both under 2 minutes will go up to 15 lbs. Total time was 50 minutes but I also was helping my wife.
Front Squats 155 x 10, 4 sets
Leg Curls 50 x 15, 4 sets
Lunge 85 x 10, 4 sets
Good Mornings 115 x 10, 4 sets
Notes:
Reached a weight on Front squats that I want to stay at until I can do crisply with no form or speed breakdown. I continue to see form weakness before leg weakness on fronts. Plan to start pausing the last two reps of each set. Made a video of one set.
I did the leg curls slow and was toast by the second set. Completed all but at increased tempo with form breakdown. Continue here.
Lunges are fine… trying to get the groove. Will go up to 95 next week. Good mornings reached a good weight where I can really feel in the lower back, glutes and hams but not hurting. Will leave here for another cycle.
How are your knees tracking out of interest - do they track over your big toe?
(something I need to focus on now as my left knee drifts in a bit post op)
Also - are you taking all the weight thru your forearms or some support thru chest/delts?[/quote]
Thanks Raven. Yeah, my knees are lined up over the toes. I think they are going out a bit past because I believe that I am not back enough on my heels during the movement (too far forward). The Oly shoes are helping this but I have some habits to adjust. On one rep I really felt the weight on my heels and while foreign, it felt stronger.
Also, while my depth is fine (at or slightly below parallel) I still would like to be able to go deeper on front squats for the rebound effect.
For the bar - yes, I definitely hold most of the weight on my delts/upper chest. I like to refer to fronts as ‘choke squats’ as it is on top of my throat. I try to keep my wrists as relaxed as possible. I think elbows up more than about the wrists. Many times I will only have 2 or 3 fingers on the bar. It definitely is difficult in the beginning but it is getting easier.
Ironically, I cannot even see the video that I posted. I suspect it is actually an older video so I am reposting the one from yesterday here. Sorry if it is a repeat.
DB Bench 45 x 15, 4 sets
Press 65 x 10, 4 sets
2H Overhead Tri 45 x 10, 4 sets
Incline DB Fly 25 x 15, 4 sets paused, 40second rest
Dips BW x 7, 6, 5, 5
Ab roller x 10, 3 sets
Notes: 39 minutes total. Completed all 4 sets of DB bench. Will stay until I can do paused.
Press completed a bit more strongly than last week. Stay.
Will attempt to increase reps on Overhead tri next cycle.
For Incline I reduced rest period to 40 seconds. Will repeat that.
Dips remained the same.
And in other news: Very excited as I found a local Oly coach to take some lessons from. I don’t really plan on trying to be an oly lifter per se. I do want to get some basic training so that I can incorporate some of the lifts correctly. First lesson planned for next week.
Squat 195 x 10, 4 sets
SLDL 175 x 10, 4 sets
Def Deadlift 225 x 10, 4 sets
Calf Raises 185 x 15, 4 sets
Notes:
For next time, increase squat to 205. After that begin increasing reps up to 12 and then 15. Also add in pauses. At 195 I begin to slow at the second half of the 3rd and 4th sets so I am getting into good hypertrophy work range I believe.
Will increase SLDL to 185.
For deficit DL, I only started getting light-headed after the SECOND set so I am making progress. Continue to keep here.
Next time I will do calf raises at the squat weight (205).
Today I had a training session with an Oly coach. I want to learn to correctly train the Olympic lifts. My goal is to help with power development. In addition, they are cool things to do and it is good to learn new things. Finally, my kids may be interested and I would like to know the basics and correct technique/safety.
Coach had me warm up with circuits of jump rope, box jumps and kettlebell swings. Did some band pull aparts and shoulder rotations.
Her cues for the lifts are drive, pop and punch. She stated that there is MUCH more to the lifts but these are the main themes that she works around. She trained me on the basics of both snatch and clean and jerk. While by no means have I accomplished anything, I do have some proper basics to practice. I plan to go back in a week or two to ensure I am still on track.
I am sore in two places: lateral/medial deltoid and shins. The latter seems odd to me.
DB incline BP 45 x 15, 15, 15, 11
DB incline Press 35 x 12, 10, 10, 12
DB Fly - skipped
CBGP - 115 x 10, 10, 7, 7
Push-ups - skipped
1 hand red band push downs x 15, 4 sets
notes:
Called an audible as my shoulders were fatigued from the Oly training day. Will go back to my regular schedule next week though I may keep the band push-downs.
Ring pull-ups BW x 12, 4 sets paused
T-Bar Row 95 x 15, 4 sets
Snatch:
Bar x 1, 2 sets
65 x 1, 3 sets
85 x 1, 2 sets
105 x 1, 3 sets
115 x 1, 2 sets
Clean+Jerk:
115 x 1, 3 sets
135 x 1, 4 sets
155 x 1, 3 sets (1 miss)
Clean:
175 x 1, 2 sets
185 x 1, 3 misses
Notes:
Did some Oly practice after my first coaching session 2 days back. For the snatch, on my last set I was not getting full extension - I need to practice getting lower. For the C+J, I need to practice pushing myself under the bar quicker. For cleans, I believe that I pulled the bar high enough at 185, I was just not confident or fast enough to get under it.
26 minutes total time. Used 90 second rest between sets. Happy to see that my conditioning still seems decent considering low little of it I do. Grip and forearms feel stronger than in the past. Perhaps the smolov jr deadlift program coupled with the captain of crush grip training is paying off.
[quote]raven78 wrote:
Excited reading this development on the Oly work mate. Great work![/quote]
Thanks Bro. When I was doing the Oly training it felt like I was having an easy day. Then later that night my entire body was exhausted and I just crashed. Decided to do a conditioning day both for recovery and so that I can do legs and chest days over the week-end. I hate taking days off on the weekend as that is when I have the most discretionary time.
Front Squat 155 x 10, 10, 10, 12
Leg Curls 50 x 15, 4 sets
Lunges 95 x 10, 4 sets snatch-start
G Mornings 115 x 10, 10, 12, 12 c+j start
Notes:
Last day of cycle 3. 3 more until Block 2. Going back to hypertrophy I feel less beat up but sometimes feel guilty that the weight is lower. Never sure how hard to push.
Paused 2 reps of each front squat. Will increase to 12 reps next cycle and continue to pause a few.
For leg curls, first 2 sets were slow and the last 2 were less controlled. Will continue to milk this weight/rep/set until I can do all slow.
For lunges, I used the light weight as an opportunity to practice snatch at the beginning of each set. Same with clean and jerk before good mornings. Lunges were a little sloppy for the last set… will leave unchanged. Increasing good mornings to 12 reps for all sets next cycle.
DB Bench Press 45 x 15, 4 sets paused
Press 65 x 10, 4 sets
2hand OH tri ext 45 x 12, 4 sets
Incline Fly… green bands from pegs x 12, 4 sets
Dips BW x 8, 6, 5, 5
Ab roller x 10, 4 sets
Notes:
DB BP finished but want to stay here until it is easier.
Barely hit Press… still. Leave unchanged.
OH tri extension (with DB) was tough… leave unchanged.
For fly’s, switched from dumbbells to bands. Sort of forgot that I had a nice rack with holes in the bottom for pegs. Setup a peg in the 4th hole (from the back) on either side and put a green band on each. Doing fly’s this way seems optimal - it is harder at the end of the movement unlike the beginning with DB’s. In addition, I can cross my hands over each other.
Continue with dips… increased one rep today.
Increased ab roller by one set… keep the same next time.
Pendlay Row 140 x 10, 4 sets
DB Row 50 x 12, 4 sets Paused
Pull-ups BW x 6, 5, 5, 5
Hammer Curls 25 x 12, 3 sets slow
Lateral Raise 10 x 12, 3 sets paused
notes:
Increase DB Row to 15 reps, paused if possible for next time. Leave all other movements unchanged for next cycle. Except do 4 sets of curls/raises. Ran out of time today.
Tomorrow I have Jury Duty. Which coincides with rest day.
DB incline BP 45 x 15, 4 sets slow eccentrics
DB incline Press 35 x 12, 12, 10, 8 slow eccentrics
DB Fly - Green bands x 12, 4 sets
CBGP - 115 x 10, 10, 10, 8
Push-ups - 10, 10, 8, 6
notes:
Used slow eccentrics for probably the first time. Wow. Those work. Will keep DB incline movements (both) the same as this is working me.
DB fly with bands - feel the burn.
Went up on push-ups a few reps. Leave cgbp and push-ups the same.