Thanks a lot, I’ll keep that in mind. I kinda like those analogies. I want to be like, explosive as a panther, strong as a gorilla, with the punching speed of a hummingbird ^^
Recent workouts:
Monday:
Deadlift:
60 kg 2x5
80 kg x 3
100 kg x3
120 kg x 1
125 kg 8x3
Tuesday:
Front squat:
40 kg 2x5
50 kg x 3
60 kg x 1
65 kg 8x3
Monday I trained with a friend of mine, who is a real beast. He deadlifted 290 kg at 90 kg BW and he also happens to be the guy who introduced me to weight training. Training with him is always a pleasure. When I told him that my weak point on the deadlift is my grip, he told me to take a piece of toilet paper and put it around the bar (gym doesn’t allow chalk). First I thought he was joking, but he was serious and this stuff actually works. Hey, if it helps me pull more, I’ll do it.
I’ve decided to ressurect my log so I can keep track of my training sessions better. A lot has changed inside my training (for the better) and I feel like I’m finally “moving north of vag”, to quote Wendler. I’ve just started my 3rd cycle of 531 yesterday and feeling great so far. My current schedule looks like this (it has evolved a lot in the past two months):
Monday:
Leg swings, hurdle drills, shoulder dislocations
A - 531 Military
B1 - KB bottoms-up press
B2 - Chin-up
Metcon
Tuesday:
Leg swings, hurdle drills, shoulder dislocations
A - 531 Dead
B1 - Snatch-grip DL (with straps)
B2 - Glute bridges
C - KB Snatches (the Viking Warrior 15:15 protocol)
D1 - abzzzz
D2 - bridging (for flexibility and spine decompression
Wednesday:
Dynamic flexibility, easy running
Thursday:
Leg swings, hurdle drills, shoulder dislocations
A - 531 Bench
B1 - Dips
B2 - Chin-ups
C - Kroc rows
Metcon
Friday:
Leg swings, hurdle drills, shoulder dislocations
A - 531 Squat
B1 - Good morning
B2 - Hip thrusts
C - KB Snatches
D1 - abzzzzz
D2 - bridging
Saturday:
Dynamic flexibility, Shinergy practise (martial arts)
Sunday:
Nothing / going for a walk / easy swimming or running
Additionally, I do a 15-20 minute “morning recharge - joint mobility”. I try to foam roll as often as I can and do contrast showers every day to recover from the workload. Also, I’ve finally managed to get my nutrition in order, I eat at least 3-4 clean meals a day (including a big breakfast), drink 4 litres of milk a day (a little more than a gallon). Concerning supplements, I currently take 10 grams of fish oil every day and I’ve started taking Tribulus Terrestris yesterday.
I train pretty hard right now, however my schedule changes according to my lifestyle (damn that sounds stupid), so I may do more or less on any given day. But the basic stuff stays the same.
Monday, 5th April 2010
A - Military press
Warm up:
25 kg x 5
30 kg x 5
Work sets:
37,5 kg x 3
40 kg x 5
45 kg x 5
52,5 kg x 10
B1 - KB bottoms-up press 16 kg
Ladders: 1x(1,2,3,4,5), 1x(1,2,3,4), 1x(1,2,2), 2x(1,2,3)
Total: 42 reps
B2 - Chin-ups
Ladders: 5x(1,2,3,4,5)
Total: 75 reps
Metcon:
3 rounds of the following:
10 Burpees
10 BW squats
10 Pushups
Time: 3:23
Notes:
I’m thinking about doing the ladders for all of my assistance work. It’s boring as hell, but it allows me to get more reps with a heavier weight in less time.
This was the first “metcon” workout I’ve ever done, inspired by Alpha (even though I’m not quite sure if he would call the wimpy 3 minutes of calisthenics I did “metcon” lol, it smoked me pretty good however)
I’d also like to point to the blog of my Shinergy instructor Lukas Pezenka, lots of interesting stuff about martial arts and other cool things, so make sure to check it out: http://www.lukaspezenka.blogspot.com
My post from yesterday didn’t show up, so guess I’ll have to write it down again …
Tuesday, 6th April 2010
A - Deadlift
Warm up:
60 kg x 5
75 kg x 5
90 kg x 3
Work sets:
97,5 kg x 5
112,5 kg x 5
127,5 kg x 20
B - Snatch-girp DL (with straps)
60 kg 5x10
C - KB Snatches VWC 15:15 protocol
Work:rest - 15:15
Reps per set - 7
Sets - 32
Time - 16:00
This was pretty fucking hard. The 20 rep deadlift death march, the snatch-grip deads and the 16 minutes of KB snatches were a test of my will power. Deads were a huge PR, exactly one month ago I did 125 kg x 17. Previous best on KB snatches were 30 sets.
I suspect that there is a direct correlation between how uncomfortable an exercise makes you feel and how effective it is …
Wednesday, 7th April 2010
Easy recovery day
Dynamic stretching
30 minutes footwork/shadowboxing
3 km run
Thursday, 8th April 2010 - Triumvirate
A - Bench press
Warm-up:
35 kg x 5
45 kg x 5
52,5 kg x 3
Work sets:
57,5 kg x 5
65 kg x 5
75 kg x 20
B1 - Dips + 10 kg
10x(2,3,5)
Total: 100 reps
B2 - Chin-ups
10x(2,3,5)
Total: 100 reps
Notes:
Bench felt very strong. Also, I’m in love with ladders, it took me maybe 50 minutes to do 100 chins and 100 dips. I plan on progressing this way:
- Work up to 5x(1,2,3,4,5), 75 reps
- Work up to 10x(2,3,5), 100 reps
- Work up to 5x(2,3,5,10), 100 reps
- Add weight, rinse and repeat
Friday, 9th April 2010
Power squat (below parallel):
Warm-up:
42,5 kg x 5
52,5 kg x 5
62,5 kg x 3
Work sets:
70 kg x 5
80 kg x 5
90 kg x 16 + 4 rest-pause reps without racking the bar
B1 - Good morning 62,5 kg
5x10
B2 - Hip thrust 40 kg
5x10
Metcon - “The Big 55” variation:
16 kg KB
-) 10 swings, 10 goblet squats, 9 Swings, 9 Goblet squats, 8 Swings, 8 Goblet squats, 7 Swings, 7 Goblet squats, all the way down to 1
-) Drop KB and sprint 100 m
-) Walk back to KB
-) Swing/squat superset starting at 6 reps
-) Sprint 100 m, walk back
-) Swing/squat superset starting at 3 reps
-) Sprint, walk back
Saturday, 10th April 2010
Shinergy training
We did a lot of punching drills, padworks and combinations. Kicks were total shit after Friday’s training session however.
Monday, 12th April 2010
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given, than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
(I don’t know the source of this, but it’s just an awesome quote)
A - Military press
Warm-up:
25 kg x 5
30 kg x 5
37,5 kg x 3
Work sets:
42,5 kg x 3
47,5 kg x 3
55 kg x 7
B1 - KB bottoms-up press 16 kg
4x(1,2,3,4,5), 1x(1,2,3)
Total: 66 reps
B2 - Chin-ups
2x(2,3,5,10), 6x(2,3,5)
Total: 100 reps
Total time for B: 54:25
MetCon:
5 Rounds of the following:
30 seconds rope skipping
15 seconds round kicks, alternating legs against punching bag
15 wing-tsun style chain punches against punching bag
no rest between rounds and exercises
Notes:
This is an awesome day for a few reasons. First, military press was a one rep PR and bottoms-up presses were a huge volume PR. Secondly, I’m gonna order Martin Rooneys book today, “Ultimate Warrior Workouts”.
The MetCon part was easier than expected, next time I’m gonna replace the alternating round kicks with jumping round kicks, alternating legs and immediately jumping into the next kick, don’t know how these are called.
Tuesday, 13th April 2010
“I’m the first one to say I love new stuff when it’s fun, but nothing cuts in on my deads and presses”
- Adam T. Glass
A - Deadlift
Warm up:
60 kg x 5
75 kg x 5
90 kg x 3
Work sets:
105 kg x 3
120 kg x 3
135 kg x 13
B1 - Snatch-grip DL (with straps)
62,5 kg 5x10
B2 - Glute bridge
62,5 kg 5x10
MetCon:
Walk into forest with 16 kg KB in my rucksack ( ~ 10 min)
-) 10 swings, 10 goblet squats, 9 Swings, 9 Goblet squats, 8 Swings, 8 Goblet squats, 7 Swings, 7 Goblet squats, all the way down to 1 - 55 reps of each
-) Drop KB and sprint 100 m
-) Walk back to KB
-) Swing/squat superset: 10/10-9/9-8/8 - 27 reps of each
-) Sprint 100 m, walk back
-) Swing/squat superset: 6/6-5/5-4/4-3/3-2/2-1/1 - 21 reps of each
-) Sprint, walk back
Walk back home
Notes:
Deads were a big PR (one month ago I did 132,5 x 12), but I could’ve gotten 2-3 reps more if it wasn’t for my grip giving out, the 66 bottoms-up presses the day before were taking their toll.
Wednesday, 15th April 2010
Easy recovery day
Foam rolling, dynamic stretching
run 3 k
contrast shower
eat
Thursday, 16th April 2010
A - Bench press
Warm up:
35 kg x 5
45 kg x 5
52,5 kg x 3
Work sets:
62,5 kg x 3
70 kg x 3
77,5 kg x 17
B1 - Dips + 10 kg
5x(2,3,5,10)
Total: 100 reps
B2 - Chin-ups
1x(2,3,5,10), 8x(2,3,5)
Total: 100 reps
Time for B: 53:39
C - Kroc row
32 kg x 15
Metcon:
3 rounds of:
10 Burpees
10 Squats
BW: 75 kg
Notes:
Overall a good session, just the metcon part was laughable, but it was all I had left energy-wise after 1 1/2 hours of strength training. Unfortunately, I can’t dedicate as much time to my training as I’d like at the moment, because I’m doing my “maturity examination” at the moment, so I have to learn lots and lots of dull, mind-numbing useless BS for school. I can’t wait until summer vacation, when all I’m gonna do is train, drink and chase pussy before I go to the military in October.
Friday, 16th April 2010, yesterday was the 15th, got that messed up, oh well
“Sometimes using excuses can be fun, but the problem is that, by choosing not to adapt to our situation, what we have really done is just mentally set ourselves up for failure, not only now but also in the future.
By essentially rewarding yourself for coming up with such a great excuse, rather than coming up with such a great solution, you are laying down neurological pathways that make skipping your hill sprints, slouching on those last two reps, or choosing the leg press over front squats seem completely rational. And in doing such, you build a positive association rather than creating a negative one. This, in turn, will make it more likely that you will repeat said pansy behavior.”
- Alpha
A - Back squat
Warm up:
42,5 kg x 5
52,5 kg x 5
62,5 kg x 3
Work sets:
75 kg x 3
85 kg x 3
95 kg x 12 + 8 rest-pause reps without racking the bar
B - Good mornings (deep)
Weight ladders
5 reps with 30 kg, 5 reps with 45 kg, 5 reps with 60 kg
5x(5,5,5)
rest between rungs of ladder: minimal, as long as changing the weight takes
rest between ladders: 2-3 minutes
C1 - Lunges
8 kg DBs 3x10 each leg
C2 - Hip thrusts
40 kg 3x10
MetCon:
10 hill sprints
Notes:
The squat set was pretty hard. I trained with a good friend of mine today, most people would call him huge, but he’s pretty big even by T-Nation standards. Dude is absolutely crazy. He told me it’s now he’s been puking every leg training day for the last 4 weeks lol. I haven’t met many people with his kind of work ethic. Anyways, I asked him to spot me on the squats today. At rep 13, he yelled at me: “If I were you and I’d quit now, I sure as hell couldn’t sleep tonight. Keep going!”. At rep 16, I heard him shouting in my ear: “This one’s for glory!”. At rep 17, he yelled: “And this one’s for honor!”. At rep 19, I heard him scream: “And this one’s just for the pain!” In English this probably sounds stupid lol, but the whole point of that little story is that I think you’re always performing better when you surroud yourself with like-minded individuals that are in some way better than you. If one had the opportunity to always train with strong guys, one would get strong a lot faster.
Since I have read Alpha’s stuff, I have a different point of view on training. To me, it’s not merely about training the body, but also about training the mind and building character, and laying down neural pathways for awesomeness and not being a pussy.
Saturday, 17th April 2010
Shinergy training - we’ve been doing lots of punching drills / combinations / padwork and stuff lately, the stuff that’s most important IMO. I like kicking, kicks are awesome and they look cool and are brutally effective when done right, but if you can’t punch, you’re not a fighter in my book. That’s why I’m always eager to improve my punches and footwork. I will dedicate a lot more time to that stuff when school’s over.
Monday, 19th April 2010
BW: 77 kg (in the morning)
A - Military press
Warm-up:
25 kg x 5
30 kg x 5
37,5 kg x 3
Work sets:
45 kg x 5
52,5 kg x 3
57,5 kg x 6
B1 - Chin-up
10x(2,3,5)
Total: 100 reps
B2 - KB bottoms-up press 16 kg
5x(1,2,3,4,5)
Total: 75 reps
Metcon:
5 hill sprints
Tuesday, 20th April 2010
"Stranger than the sunrise
Darker than the night
Fiercer than a rainstorm
This is man’s delight
Weaker than a moment
And hot as any fire
Blinder than the blind eye
This is man’s desire"
Uriah Heep - “Blind Eye”
A - Deadlift
Warm up:
60 kg x 5
75 kg x 5
90 kg x 3
Work sets:
112,5 kg x 5
127,5 kg x 3
142,5 kg x 10
BBB Deadlift:
80 kg 5x10 (overhand grip, touch and go)
B1 - Glute brige
65 kg 3x10
B2 - Split squat
8 kg DBs 3x10
Later in the day:
some ab work and bridging
static stretching
Notes:
I’ve got a good chance of getting the 200 kg DL in a month or two, especially when you take into consideration that my legs were sore from the hill sprints, my grip was sore from the bottoms-up presses and the bar in my gym is smooth and bent and I’m not allowed to use chalk. So when I get to a gym with straight bar that doesn’t look like the buffalo bar from elitefts and can use chalk I’ll pull like 10 kg more.
Thursday, 22th April 2010 - I’m Not Doing Jack Shit
Bench press
Warm up:
35 kg x 5
45 kg x 5
52,5 kg x 3
Work sets:
65 kg x 5
75 kg x 3
82,5 kg x 15 ← huge PR
Friday 23rd April 2010
A - Squat
Warm up:
42,5 kg x 5
52,5 kg x 5
62,5 kg x 3
Work sets:
80 kg x 5
90 kg x 3
100 kg x 8 + 4
B - Good mornings
60 kg x 10
65 kg x 2 x 10
70 kg x 10
75 kg x 10
C1 - Lunge
10 kg DBs x 10
12 kg DBs x 2 x 10
C2 - Hip thrust
60 kg x 10
65 kg x 10
70 kg x 10
D - Squat
80 kg 5x10
Notes:
My squat is weak as shit. I really need to bring that up. I will switch it to Tuesday next cycle and I make it a priority in order to up these puny poundages.
I have set some goals for myself for my 19th birthday on August 19th. I’ll post them tomorrow.
Tuesday, 27th April 2010
Military press deload
25 kg x 5
30 kg x 5
37,5 kg x 5
Dynamic stretching n shit