Strength unit
A. Deadlift 2 x 6 @ 70%
B. Bench press 2 x 6 @ 70%
Note: I dropped the high pull and will do it in the power unit of my workouts. It just ended up being too much workload for the time I have available.
Strength leaks unit
C. Neck extension isometric hold 3 x 45 seconds
D. Neck flexion isometric hold 3 x 45 seconds
E. Pallof press isometric hold 3 x 45 seconds
Skill-stability unit
F. Hip twist isometric hold 3 x 45 seconds
G. Isochain impact max-effort overcoming isometrics 6 x 4-6 seconds
H1. Backswing hold 3 x 15-20 seconds using a 10-12lbs implement (I need to work up to 45-60 seconds on this)
H2. Backswing loaded stretch, 3 x 15-20 seconds (need to work up to 45-60 seconds on this)
H1 and H2 was done as a complex with 30-45 seconds of rest after H1.
Aesthetic unit
I. Barbell shrugs 3 x 6-10 (increasing weight on each set)
J. Wendler row (essentially a t-bar shrug) 3 x 8-10
Strength unit
A. Deadlift 3 x 3 @ 80%
B. Bench press 3 x 3 @ 80%
Power unit
C. Snatch grip high pull from the hang 4 x 3 (gradually increasing the weight from set to set)
D. Trap bar jump squat (85lb… people go way too heavy on jump squats) 3 x 3
Sport-specific/Transfer unit
E. Explosive hip rotations 3 x 8 (note that this and the next exercises could also be part of the “power unit”, but in my classification, the power category is for general exercises.
F. Explosive full rotations 3 x 8
G. Single-arm radial deviation/wrist adduction 3 x 8-10/side
H. Radial deviation/adduction 3 x 8-10
Aesthetics unit
I1. Rope pressdown 3 x 6-8
I2. Preacher curl 3 x 6-8
Strength unit
A. Deadlift 2 x 6 @ 75%
B. Bench press. 2 x 6 @ 75%
Strength leaks unit
C. Neck extension iso pre-fatigue (15 seconds hold before doing the reps) 3 x 15 sec + 10
D. Neck flexion iso pre-fatigue (15 seconds hold before doing the reps) 3 x 15 sec + 10
E. Wrist extension iso pre-fatigue (15 seconds hold before doing the reps) 3 x 15 sec + 8-10
F. Hammer curl (15 seconds hold before doing the reps) 3 x 15 sec + 6-8
G. Lever isometric hold 3 x 30-45 seconds/arm
Aesthetics unit
H. Barbell shrugs 3 x 6-8
I. Cable upright row 3 x 8-10
Note: I started my day with a 60 minutes walk at 4:30am… my daughter had a really bad night of sleep because of the flu and she was awake at 4:30. So we went for a walk and I did an Instagram live at the same time.
I wore a 30lbs weight vest for the walk.
Strength unit
A. Deadlift 2 x 2 @ 90%
B. Bench press 2 x 2 @ 90%
Strength leaks
C. Neck extension 3 x 8-12
D. Neck flexion 3 x 8-12
E. Pallof press 3 x 10/side Triple set F
F1. Single-arm wrist extension 3 x 10-12
F2. Thors’s hammer 3 x 10-12
F3. Powerball 3 x max time Note: I did F1-F3 for the left arm before doing all three for the right arm
Aesthetics
G. Wendler row/shrugs 2 x 8, 2 x 6 (increasing weight from set to set)
By the way, that is the end of this microcycle (each microcycle has 5 workouts).
The first day of my microcycles is on Sunday, so I will have 2 days before my next micro. This will either mean two days off or probably doing some conditioning work on one of those days.
Because I will often change my strength leaks, specific, skill-stability and aesthetic exercises (both to fit my need for variety and to have a progression in the exercises themselves) I can’t use a double progression model, or even a normal progressive overload one.
So I simply ramp up the weight from set to set. The exception will be if right from the start (or the second set) the load is the most I can use in good form, then I’ll stick with that weight (or increase but decrease the reps).
I’m not gonna lie, the gradual “ramping” from set to set is my default loading scheme. That’s what is the most motivating, natural and effective for me.
And if you are interested in my progression model for the strength unit, it is a strength-skill approach. The load stays the same for the 3 weeks block (of course, it is waved from day to day, but these loads stay the same for 3 microcycles). Then every “zone” is increased by 10lbs and I follow the same scheme and keep doing that until the loads are too demanding to be considered “strength-skill” work.
I am interested in your strength unit progression model.
I was going to wait and see what changes you would make in the next two microcycles. I thought you were either going to keep the same rep scheme and slighty go up in load or remove one rep on each microcycle and increase load.
This model is new to me but it sounds pretty logical. Maintaining and over time increasing strength output by maximizing technical efficiency.
Thanks for the reply CT. It’s awesome to keep learning from you (especially because I learned so much from you already) and to witness your thought processes each time you design and test your training blocks.
Yeah, especially since I did a Wendler and actually reduced my real max by 10%. to calculate the training weights… for example, 85% is really 85% of 90% of my max
Today is an “off” day but last night I came up with a technical drill to improve my swing sequencing and just had to try it this morning.
My main technical issue in the swing, which I mentioned in earlier posts is a matter of sequencing.
To be as powerful as possible, a golf swing (or swinging a baseball bat or throwing a ball) requires the proper sequencing; the order in which various segments of the body produce power.
In an optimal swing you must first start to apply force into the ground, which helps get the hips moving (rotating). The hips then fire and “arrive” at the impact position earlier than the torso. This does two things:
It created a power addition: you produce a power/speed surge with the hips then you add the power surge from the torso (and then the hands).
When the hips arrive first at the impact position, it creates a stretch of the lats, rhomboids, rear delts, which builds up even more energy (creating a coil if you want).
Look at the most powerful hitter in golf, baseball or the best hardest throwers in baseball, javelin and shot put; their hips all arrive much faster than the torso.
Anyway, that is my issue: my torso is too fast and my hips are too slow.
So I designed a motor learning drill to change that sequencing:
I’m wearing a weight vest to slow down the torso and set up a strap in such a way that it speeds up hip rotation toward the impact position.
Kinda like this:
I didn’t do a “workout” but I did something like 10-12 sets of 5-10 reps (first slow, then fast) to see how this drill workd.
CT, are you still training in the early morning? I also have young kids, busy career/schedule and waking up early(around 5) is the only way to assure getting in a session. Hard part is it takes so much more warmup, preparing, patience in order to lift. Just curious as morning training is tough! Thanks for all you do to share and give back, we are trying to stay in this game as long as we can, stay strong.
I wake up at 4:00 - 4:30 and typically start my workout 30 minutes later.
I start with low intensity airdyne/assault bike and actually don’t really need any stretching work myself. Although what I do is start my workouts with the neck/forearms or core exercises it seems to wake me up and put me in a better state to perform.
Me being me, I started my new microcycle this morning rather than tomorrow. So only got 1 day of rest rather than two. However, I will justify it by saying that this upcoming week there are more days where I won’t be able to train (business meetings and getting work done on my tattoo) so it will even itself out.
I will decrease specific work this week. My right hip flexor is irritated from decelerating all the rotational work I’m doing (and the swing practices) and it needs a break. So I will do more conditioning work instead.
These previous three points are the reason why I don’t like posting my journal: I actually have to pre-emptively explain why things will change otherwise I will have many questions asking me to justify or explain myself. Because I’m an “expert” people expect me to be extremely structured and everything perfectly thought out. And yeah, that’s how I am with my clients. But with myself, I need to keep room for experimentation otherwise I lose motivation. So what I’m doing is not always optimal (on paper) but in the grand scheme of things, it works for me.
I started the workout with a 5 minutes warm-up on the Airdyne/Assault bike
Strength unit
Note: two changes here too:
I added a continuous clean and press to my strength unit. A continuous clean and press is essentially a clean-grip muscle snatch.
I did my (now) 3 strength exercises as a circuit with around 30-45 seconds of rest between exercises and 2-3 minutes between sets.
A1. Bench press 3 x 4 @ 85%
A2. Deadlift 3 x 4 @ 85%
A3. Continuous clean & press/clean muscle snatch 3 x 4 @ 75%
Strength leaks (this was actually done at the beginning of the workout)
B1. Neck extension 3 x 12-15
B2. Wrist extensions 3 x 8-10
C1. Neck flexion 3 x 12-15
C2. Hammer curls 3 x 8-10
Conditioning
20 minutes walk with 30lbs weight vest and 50lbs sandbag
40 minutes walk with 30lbs weight vest and pushing my kid (who woke up earlier than usual) in the stroller to the convenience store (I needed some stuff for breakfast)
Note: I have breakfast AFTER my workout. Pre and intra I use Surge Workout Fuel.
Does the 3 & 7 hour post wake up timeframe still count as the gold standard in strength/performance as you mentioned in the past? Curious if you got boxed in like the rest of us with kids and a wife that says get out of the gym!
Is it still true? Well, understand where it came from.
It’s from Russian weightlifters. They took grip strength measurements every hour from the moment of awakening and drew a chart of grip strength throughout the day and found that, on average, there were two peaks: 3 and 11 hours (on average) after waking up.
HOWEVER there is another well-established thing in high-level athletics: if you always train at the same time (or roughly), the body becomes its most efficient at that time (it might take a while though). That’s why a lot of athletes train at the planned time they are gonna be competing.
So yeah, in theory, 3 or 11 hours after waking up are the initial best times to perform. But your body can become efficient at any time if you consistently train in that period.
I appreciate you getting back into this, Coach! I was one who was waiting for part two of your “hardcore golf” article series on the Thibarmy site a while back. Lifelong golfer, seemingly eternally hovering around a 10 and looking to inch it lower. I’ll keep checking back to watch your progress.
Do you use the clubbells at other times during the year except for golf-specific training? Do you find that they contribute to your grip strength?
I (finally) bought a pair of 15 lb clubbells after one of my friends kept extolling the virtues of clubbells. So far, I’ve been using them during my warmups and am enjoying the variety they bring.
Not as much as I probably should. My problem is that I have so many tools I want to play and experiment with that sometimes things get neglected. I don’t use my clubbells or kettlebells much, unless I have a very specific reason to use them
Strength unit
*Still done as a circuit
A1. Bench press 3 x 5 @ 70%
A2. Deadlift 3 x 5 @ 70%
A3. Continuous clean and press/clean muscle snatch from the hang 3 x 5 @ 65%
Strength leaks (actually done at the beginning of the session)
B1. Neck extension 3 x 10-12
B2. Wrist extension 3 x 8-10
C1. Neck flexion 3 x 10-12
C2. Thor’s hammer 3 x 8-10
D1. Pallof press 3 x 10
D2. Wendler row/shrugs 3 x 6-8
Note: The videos are not from my training session, they were shot on separate days as demos for an upcoming article.
Aesthetic/Assistance unit
E1. Dips (30lbs weight vest) 3 x 15-20
E2. Preacher curl 3 x 6-8
Conditioning
35 minutes walk with 30lbs weight vest + 50lbs sandbag
