Wednesday, 05/28/08
Energy workout
Ran what should have been an easy mile for me. I’m never taking a 3 week break from running again.
Phase 1 : Week 3 (Very High Loading)
Thursday, 05/29/08 5:20 pm - 6:25pm
Bench Press 8x3x165
This was hard by the last 3 sets, I’ll say that much.
One Arm DB Push Press 4x6x45
CG Chinup 4x6xBW
Single Leg RDL 3x6x20s
Balance was definitely an issue. Was going for a 4th set when it felt like I’d done something to my left QL, decided to play it safe.
Pull-through 3x10
Never been a big believer in these, just doesn’t feel like I get any effect from them.
Phase 1 : Week 3 (Very High Loading)
Unfortunately because yesterday my town celebrated Memorial Day (hooah!) The gym was only open for an hour. I made the best of it.
Saturday, 05/31/08 9:25 am - 10:00 am
Front Squat 6x6x165
This was probably one of the hardest sets that I’ve ever done, period.
Speed Deadlifts 5x2x210
Pushup 3x10
Planned:
Front Squat 6x6
Speed Dead 10x2
Pushup 4x10
One Arm DB Row 4x8
Kneeling Cable External Rotation 3x12
Starting my summer bio class tomorrow, ugh. Shouldn’t disrupt my training schedule any, but getting up at 6am will be something that I’m not looking forward to.
Note: Out of respect for Eric and the time and effort that he’s put into the book, I’m going to stop posting the exact rep schemes of every exercise and offer more insight into the program.
Phase 1 : Week 4 (Low Stress)
06/02/8, Monday 5:20 pm - 6:05 pm
Mood : 9/10
Very motivated today, if it weren’t for my lower back still acting up from the Single Leg RDL’s on Thursday I’d be in perfect shape.
For intermediates, deloading volume is enough. Every day of this program is intense! I went balls to the wall with 275 for some triples on the Box Squat, felt reasonably stable. After that were some speed deadlifts with 225 and I decided to do an easy single with 315. It popped up MUCH easier than I was expecting, especially since I haven’t pulled from the floor in over a month. I can say with definite certainty that my max is more than I came in with.
Some lunges and prehab and I was good to go.
[i]Phase 1 : Week 4 (Low Stress)
Tuesday 06/03/08, 5:10 pm - 6:00 pm[/i]
Mood: 5/10
Nothing special, I do obsess over Upper Body Days now because unlike at college where all my close friends are at least as dedicated to training as me, here I don’t have a spot. I need to get over this mental block.
Today it didn’t seem to bother me much as I did 185 for 3x3, the most I’ve ever done in my life. I remember the last month at college when 185 for one triple was an absolute 50/50 shot. Moved onto some low incline, rowing, and activation work for assistance afterwards.
Traps and external rotators were absolutely trashed from last session, but I soldiered on.
[b]Link of the Day: http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-6529481301858251744[/b]
Dan John coaching the Olympic lifts. Some INGENIOUS insight here, especially with the potato sack squat and starting position on the snatch. It’s 50 minutes but worth every second.
Phase 1 : Week 4 (Low Stress)
Thursday 06/05/08, 5:25 pm - 6:00 pm
Mood: 6/10
Was still worried about my back problem- partial regular strain to erector and SI issue. It is healing though.
Broke in the session with a PR on Front Squat, 3 sets of 6 with 185. I was very stoked about this, but at this point my back was acting up enough for me to decide to cut out the Rack Pulls and Pull-throughs. I did some static bar holds in place of the Rack Pulls, I held 315 for 24 sec and 365 for 10 seconds (Double Overhand w/Chalk). I also closed the CoC Sport 12 times on my right and only once full on my left, but from what I understand discrepancies like this are pretty common?
I was much more confident with the split squats and did 2 sets of 6 with 30’s and could definitely have went heavier. I finished up with some Reverse Crunches and called it a day, hopefully this strain will clear itself up soon.
Link of the Day:
http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1959814
5 Things You Need To Know About Every Exercise
This is a great quick look resource for anyone interested in Kinesiology.
Phase 1 : Week 4 (Low Stress)
The last session of Phase 1!
Saturday, 06/07/08 9:25 am - 10:00 am
Mood: 3/10
I hate morning sessions. Really, I do.
After I got over the fact that I was the ONLY person in the gym for the entire session (sad eh? lol) I started pushing some weight. One Arm DB Push Presses with 50 lbs for 3x6, and some Neutral Grip Pullups with +10 lbs for 3x6.
After, I alternated some decline pushups with One Arm DB Rows with 50 (trying to get my form perfect as per Mike Robertson’s excellent Row Right article). I then moved onto MY FAVORITE ROTATOR CUFF EXERCISE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD 
which is the Kneeling Cable External Rotation, and finished off with some side planks. I won’t miss them.
I always feel really good after any kind of rotator cuff work and today was no exception. Back is a little better but still not “alright”.
Link of the Day:
8 Essential Mobility Drills
http://www.T-Nation.com/article/performance_training/the_essential_8_mobility_drills&cr=
One of Mike Boyle’s gems, especially the T-Spine mobility and the Scapular Wall Slides. The wall slides are really humbling especially when you realize how bad your external rotation mobility is, in my case anyways.
[b][i]
Phase 1 : Foundation : Completed!
Phase 2 : Build : Beginning![/i]
Overall thoughts: This has been a valuable lesson for me in my training career. Among the things that I’ve learned:
-
Speed deadlifts work for me. This confirms what I suspected after I finished Ed Coan/Philipi.
-
Foam rolling before a session is great. All the little nagging kinks that you had before warming up are suddenly not quite so bad and you’re a lot more focused.
-
(I’m going to leave the Dynamic Flexiblity lessons for another little post here :D)
-
Single leg work is both humbling and valuable.
-
Lower trap activation work is too.
-
External rotations are the best of all (especially KNEELING CABLE EXTERNAL ROTATIONS!!! Yes, I will keep harping about them until you all try them!)
-
Volume cycling works.[/b]
Now as I move into Phase 2, it’s time to learn a little more about myself and how far I can be pushed. The characteristic of Phase 2 is cluster training, which more commonly goes by the name Rest-Pause training. I’m going to be going absolute balls to the wall tomorrow.
Phase 2 : Week 1 (High Stress)
Monday, 06/09/08 5:35 pm - 6:40 pm
Mood: 6/10
Felt good but was really dreading the first taste of cluster training.
Let me tell you, it was for a reason. I have not done a single set of exercises in my entire life. The programming was bx5[/b] for today, which meant do 2 reps with your 5RM, rest 10 sec, do another two, and continue until you’ve done 8 reps. Then do that 4 more times.
I started off way too ambitious on the Front Squat with 225, I got it for 2 mini sets (4 reps). Not bad at all considering that was my max 2 months ago. From there I completed one ball busting 8 rep cluster set with 205, went down to 195 and completed the other 3. I was drenched with sweat and weak all over by the end of it. My grip was giving out on the 30’s I was using for Step Ups after that lol. I did manage to recover however and knock out some quality Barbell Rollouts and Ghetto GHRs. My hamstrings feel like they got gang banged. I finished up with some Single Leg Squats to a bench and went home to collapse.
I highly recommend to everyone running or planning to run the program 5 minute rest periods between cluster sets.
On another note, my back was great today but I had real trouble activating my glutes during the front squat. It felt like my quads and lower back were taking the entire load, it wasn’t a good feeling. I had real trouble with my left glute on the Step Ups as well, but the Single Leg Squats were fine. Lots of soft tissue work for me tonight.
Link of the Day:
How I Made My Own Medicine Ball
Goddamn this thing is heavy, I’ll be christening it for a real GPP session on Wednesday :D.
Phase 2 : Week 1 (High Stress)
Upper Body Workout #1
Tuesday, 06/10/08 5:25 pm -6:50 pm
Mood: 5/10
Very average, wasn’t looking forward to two cluster exercises in one workout.
Today was based around cluster sets with Incline Bench Press (45 degrees) and Medium Grip Pullups. I made it through the Incline with 115, totalling something around 40 reps with my 5RM. The same goes for the pullups (which is the most I’ve ever done in a single workout) except the first cluster was done with +10 lbs with a weight belt and the rest with BW. I was using 60’s for 8 on the Dumbbell Bench and then 50’s on the Head Supported DB Row, which is an excellent upper back blaster. I wasn’t able to get any Cable Backhands or Zottman Curls into today though, had to get home.
Just by looking back on what I did, the volume on the cluster training is incredible. But it’s draining and hard as well- I brought a stopwatch with me today and I was clocking it at 4-5 minute rest periods most of the time- just the Incline Bench and Pullup portion of the workout took me about 50 minutes with warmup.
Lower back was acting up after the rows, just got done with a nice long heating pad session. I may deadlift sumo tomorrow to take some pressure off of it.
Link of the Day:
Construction by Adduction
http://www.T-Nation.com/findArticle.do?article=299const2
Why the adductor magnus is the most neglected muscle by weight lifters, and a hell of a lot more besides.
Energy Workout
Tested out Ballsy today, and let’s just say that he’s heavy as hell. I improvised my own little circuit:
Ballsy Ground Slams x length of backyard + 4 sprints
Overhead Ballsy Tosses x length of backyard + 4 sprints
Ballsy Reverse Tosses x length of backyard + 4 sprints
Didn’t take much longer than 10 minutes but I was pretty well smoked. Let’s just say that I’m going to be working up to the volume in these.
My next project is to build my own sled.
Phase 2 : Week 1 (High Stress)
Lower Body Workout #2
Thursday 06/12/08, 5:20 pm - 6:10 pm
Mood: 4/10
Very apprehensive about the DLs.
Broad jumps went fine today, but Chucks aren’t the best shoes to do these in heh. Moved onto the next exercise which called for slightly elevated bar Deadlifts, which I must have spent 20 minutes trying to figure out a way to do with my gym’s limited equipment. Can’t stand on plates or use them to elevate the bar; I’m not sure how I’m going to do it next week. I finally just said fuck it and started warming up on some Sumos from the floor. I got to 225 and decided not to go any farther because my back was tight. Didn’t feel any pain, just felt like something was “wrong”.
DB Reverse Lunges were fine, and I have to sing my praise for the Pallof Press. My obliques and basically the entire sides of my torso are sore from this, excellent exercise.
On another note, is it normal to be able to close a CoC Gripper (Sport) 25 times with your right hand and none on your left? I understand that they’re wound for right hand training, but still you’d think that they would be a little closer. Ah well.
Link of the Day:
The Starting Strength Wiki
http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/Video
Loads of good coaching information and cues here from Rip himself.
Phase 2 : Week 1 (High Stress)
Improvised Workout
Mood: 7/10
Eager to improvise for today.
No gym today because of finals and the Chiropractic College Open House that I went to today; I went into my basement and started assembling a bunch of my old equipment from when I first started lifting.
And yes, I do wish I had that infamous first year back.
I started off with attempting Tabata with regular pushups- which I failed epically at in the third round. Being the stubborn bastard that I am though, I plan on performing it at the beginning of every Energy Workout until can complete all 8. I also did some high volume with cable rows, with until now I had completely forgotten that I had on the shitty workout machine that came with the house.
Link of the Day:
Designer Athletes by Mike Robertson
http://www.T-Nation.com/findArticle.do?article=04-042-training
A quality work by Mike, one of my personal favorites.
Phase 2 : Week 2 (Medium Stress)
Monday, 06/16/08, 5:25 pm - 6:30 pm
Mood: 6/10
Good.
The clusters are slightly more merciful for the rest of the cycle, today was singles instead of doubles. Still, I did a total of 25 reps with 215 on the Front Squat. A couple weren’t pretty but overall I did good- the first set is hard as hell, the 2nd a little less so, the 3rd easy and then it builds back up again. Felt like my lower back was taking more of the load then usual, wasn’t a good feeling- couldn’t get glutes involved at the bottom for shit.
Step Ups, Barbell Rollouts and GHRs all went great though. The rollouts are great, and nothing tears my hamstrings to pieces like GHRs. Single Leg Squats went good as well.
Not sure what to go for on Incline Barbell tomorrow, but the weighted Pullups will be done with +10 lbs for sure.
Link of the Day:
Thib’s Favorite Heavy Loading Techniques
http://www.T-Nation.com/article/bodybuilding/lets_get_nasty&cr=
Some real sadistic stuff in here, can’t wait to try some of this with my buddies back at college.
In other news, the gym was closed today because of “Faculty conflicts”. Ughh.
Still haven’t made it through the 3rd round of Pushup Tabata, got a little closer today.
Phase 2 : Week 2 (Medium Stress)
Wednesday, 06/18/08 5:20 pm - 6:45 pm
Mood: 8/10
Felt great today.
These double clusters are ridiculous. I wasn’t done with the two until 6:15 rolled around. It was Incline Barbell Press and Medium Grip Pullups today; managed 25 total reps with 120 and 38 with BW on the pullups. I did 50 total, but the last 2 were cheated pullups and I decided to go with chinups for the final cluster set.
DB Bench and the Head Supported Row went good, although I discovered to my vast annoyance that after the 50’s the DBs go up by 10s- wtf? I’m seriously considering getting some microplates. Some Cable Backhands (which is an interesting movement, but I can’t say I like it very much) and some regular DB Curls (not a big fan of Zottman’s).
After a week of my back feeling so good, I just HAD to go and find out that lateral flexion to the right side with some forward lean is what causes pain. Ugghh, time for a real evaluation.
Link of the Day:
Gym Jones
Some real quality material here, I wonder why it’s taken me so long to find it. The insight on training the actors for 300 is great. Now I have something to shoot down everyone who says they were on the juice with.
Little late on this one I know lol
Phase 2 : Week 2 (Medium Stress)
Thursday, 06/19/08 5:30 pm - 6:05 pm
Mood: 5/10
Fairly average today, had my back looked at again and feel better but still don’t have a straight answer as to what it could be.
Today was Broad Jumps and 6x6 with Reverse Lunges; I doubled the volume on the single leg work after I realized that conventional pulls were aggravating.
Phase 2 : Week 2 (Medium Stress)
Saturday, 06/21/08 10:00 am - 10:59 am
Mood: 7/10
Actually was looking forward to a Saturday morning workout here; in the past Saturday has always been a Lower Body day, which combined with the above tends always tended to cause a knee jerk reaction in me :D.
Started off this workout with a high volume of Speed Bench @95, followed by 2x3 heavy with 185 and 190. I went on to Close Grip (which from now on I’m deciding to do all reps paused) and some heavy Rows. All this felt absolutely great, and then I proceeded to destroy my ego with the Inverted Rows. I might have gotten 3 clean reps on each set of 10. Wow, and all this after I felt like a spring while benching.
Link of the Day
Strong Lifts
www.stronglifts.com
An immense resource on all aspects of strength training here.
Phase 2 : Week 3 (Very High Stress)
Lower Body #1
Monday 06/23/08, 5:20 pm - 6:45 pm
Mood: 6/10
Oh nos, another Very High week!
Felt pretty decent today; did 3 clusters sets with 225 on the Front Squat, the 12th rep was a real grinder. Even after moving down to 215 I barely made the last set. I think I’ve earned myself a little break from regular Front Squats, it’s Front Box Squats in the next cycle!
I’ve also worked up to 45s for 8 on the DB Step Up with minimal push off from the ground leg, and I still love Barbell Rollouts. I think next week I’ll get a picture of my awesome improvised GHR :D. Also felt a lot more stable on the Single Leg Squat today, but I’m still sitting down onto a bench.
One week of Bio left!
Link of the Day:
The Beast Rants, You Learn
http://www.T-Nation.com/article/bodybuilding/the_beast_rants_you_learn&cr=
Some great rants on why bodybuilders shouldn’t train like athletes and training progressions by Christian Thib