theBird,
For me, when I press, I get my back and shoulders “tight” under the bar, get it off the hooks, get my feet//legs/knees all tight together and squeeze my glutes really hard. As hard as possible. Then my form is so much better, the lift is easier and more fluid. Makes a big difference for me. I feel like I’m “leaking power” if I don’t do this.
[quote]strangemeadow wrote:
theBird,
For me, when I press, I get my back and shoulders “tight” under the bar, get it off the hooks, get my feet//legs/knees all tight together and squeeze my glutes really hard. As hard as possible. Then my form is so much better, the lift is easier and more fluid. Makes a big difference for me. I feel like I’m “leaking power” if I don’t do this.[/quote]
MrStrange,
Thanks for the advice. I will use it next time I lift. Although I find it hard to tense my glutes and inhale and hold my core at the same time. When I tense my glutes I can still activate my core, but it feels more like Im sucking my stomach in, rather than out. Does that make sense?
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Tuesday, 12th February 2013.
TRAINING
AM
Planned to go for a group bike ride, but I slept in and missed it. Disappoint!
PM
team soccer training
My first session back with the team and new coach. Was a decent session with some running drills, skill work and then some small sided games. Going to have to ease myself back into it, but so far so good. Left achilles is a little sore, but besides that the groins held up well.
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[quote]theBird wrote:
[quote]strangemeadow wrote:
theBird,
For me, when I press, I get my back and shoulders “tight” under the bar, get it off the hooks, get my feet//legs/knees all tight together and squeeze my glutes really hard. As hard as possible. Then my form is so much better, the lift is easier and more fluid. Makes a big difference for me. I feel like I’m “leaking power” if I don’t do this.[/quote]
MrStrange,
Thanks for the advice. I will use it next time I lift. Although I find it hard to tense my glutes and inhale and hold my core at the same time. When I tense my glutes I can still activate my core, but it feels more like Im sucking my stomach in, rather than out. Does that make sense?
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It does make sense. For whatever reason, when I contract my glutes, I also contract my abs, like getting ready to be punched in the stomach. I never think about my breathing on that exercise, but I do on others.
Hmm…
[quote]strangemeadow wrote:
[quote]theBird wrote:
[quote]strangemeadow wrote:
theBird,
For me, when I press, I get my back and shoulders “tight” under the bar, get it off the hooks, get my feet//legs/knees all tight together and squeeze my glutes really hard. As hard as possible. Then my form is so much better, the lift is easier and more fluid. Makes a big difference for me. I feel like I’m “leaking power” if I don’t do this.[/quote]
MrStrange,
Thanks for the advice. I will use it next time I lift. Although I find it hard to tense my glutes and inhale and hold my core at the same time. When I tense my glutes I can still activate my core, but it feels more like Im sucking my stomach in, rather than out. Does that make sense?
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It does make sense. For whatever reason, when I contract my glutes, I also contract my abs, like getting ready to be punched in the stomach. I never think about my breathing on that exercise, but I do on others.
Hmm…[/quote]
Well, Im glad that makes sense to you as well.
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Wednesday, 13th February 2013.
TRAINING
AM
solo bike ride
Since I missed yesterdays ride I decided to make up the K’s by myself with a morning ride. Aimed for about 75% intensity. Feeling strong.
Time: 1:01:02
Distance: 28.50 km
Average speed: 28.0 km/hr
Maximum speed: 41.9 km/hr
Total climb: 64m
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Thursday, 14th February 2013.
TRAINING
AM
group bike ride
Time: 1:04:18
Distance: 33.72 km
Average speed: 31.5 km/hr
Maximum speed: 46.3 km/hr
Total climb: 96 m
Wasn’t feeling it this morning. Managed to do one rotation in the pace-line before I got dropped.
PM
team soccer training
A couple of the lads were missing… they had their balls in a vice with Valentines day. Decent session, started off with some skill work, some bodyweight exercises and finished off with some small sided games. Feeling good. Rest, diet and recovery will all be vital this season.
I feel like taking a rest day tomorrow, but since I have an old friend coming to town to visit me on the weekend, I will have to move rest day to Saturday.
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Seems like your doing a lot of biking.
[quote]jtownlax wrote:
Seems like your doing a lot of biking. [/quote]
Im trying to bike for a total of about 100 km’s a week, spread out in 3 sessions. Really thats not a lot, compared to some of the guys I ride with who can do up to 350 km a week.
I know its not sport-specific, but I like biking and its doing wonders for my cardio/stamina, and of-course its pretty much impact free. The years of playing soccer has had an impact on my joints and I cant just go out for a run without considering the impact on my ankles and knees. I have to be smart about it.
As the season gets on the way and the weather gets colder I will most probably decrease my biking and possible not even cycle at all for a period of about 3 months.
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Friday, 15th February 2013.
TRAINING
AM
Agile 8 and shoulder warm-up.
5/3/1- Week one, cycle 2
Bench Press
65 kg x 5
75 kg x 5
80 kg x 5 (+5)
I did 4 sets of 7 reps pull-ups between working sets. I finished at the gym with 3 rounds of super-setting 8 reps of dips with 5 reps of trx push-ups.
I then walked to the hill, where I did 12 reps of hill runs. Running up the hill (about 250 m long) and walked back down to the start. After the hill runs, I walked home and finished off with some static stretching.
notes:
- bench was feeling strong.
- didn’t feel like running, but I pushed through and made some impressive times. Ran under 50 seconds on 3 occasions. Would Like to get under 50 seconds for all of the 12 runs.
- I have a friend coming up for the weekend so I will be taking a rest day tomorrow and probably will be consuming alcohol and foods I don’t usually eat. Oh well, I will be treating it as a cheat day for my diet and also a mental break from my schedule.
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Sunday, 17th February 2013.
TRAINING
PM
solo bike ride
With 48 km/hr winds and 61 km/hr gusts, it felt like this ride was a waste of time. If anything it was an exercise of human will as I almost came to stand still even when going down hill.
Time: 1:07:06
Distance: 28.53 km
Average speed: 25.5km/hr
Maximum speed: 44.2 km/hr
Total climb: 91 m
“You can kill 10 of our men for every one we will yours. But even at those odds, you will lose and we will win”.
- Ho Chi Minh
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Nice on the bench, will you be upping your training max for it (or have you already?) ?
[quote]DSSG wrote:
Nice on the bench, will you be upping your training max for it (or have you already?) ?[/quote]
Yes. I increased the max by 2.5 kg. I was tempted to increase by 5 kg, but thought I would do the right thing and do as Im told.
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Monday, 18th February 2013.
TRAINING
AM
Agile 8 and shoulder warm-up
5/3/1- Week 2, cycle 2
Military Press
40 kg x 3
45 kg x 3
52.5 kg x 3 (+4)
I did 3 sets of 7 reps of pull-ups in between working sets.
I then did 3 rounds of: 10 reps of rear delt raises, 5 reps of trx push-ups, 10 reps of overhead squats with broomstick(trying to get my mobility right before I reintroduce back squats again).
13 reps of hill runs. Most of my runs were under 51 seconds. Going to try and work up to about 15 reps, and then I will have to find a steeper/longer hill.
PM
Spent 20 minutes in the ocean.
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Orite mate, how’s the training?. When did you drop the GVT and what made you pick up 5/3/1?
[quote]Jaice wrote:
Orite mate, how’s the training?. When did you drop the GVT and what made you pick up 5/3/1?[/quote]
Hey buddy,
I only did GVT for about 8 weeks just for something different, mentally and physically. I was never going to run it for too long. 5/3/1 is more suitable in achieving my goal of maintaining/increasing strength while improve my conditioning for the up-coming season.
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Tuesday, 19th February 2013.
TRAINING
AM
group bike ride
We had a few new riders with the group this morning. They were triathletes who were fit, but didn’t understand how to ride in a group with lots of “surging” which upsets the tempo of the peloton, causing the peloton to ride faster than normal. I got dropped off half way, but soon passed the “triathletes” who burned themselves out with all of their surging.
Time: 1:02:29
Distance: 33.74 km
Average speed: 32.4 km/hr
Maximum speed: 46.2 km/hr
Total climb: 94 m
PM
team soccer training
Good session. Started off with some fast feet, skill work and we finished off with some small sided games. Looks like we might be playing with a “back 3” this year, and I may be playing the centre back. Not really my natural position. I might have to do some research on how to approach playing as centre back in a back three. In the small sided games I let the striker slip in behind me a few times and score. I need to be more alert and aware of dangerous attacking runs. Also I need to be more vocal and demanding of my fellow defenders.
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Wednesday, 20th February 2013.
TRAINING
PM
Back feeling a little angry today, so I hd a rest day. Spent 20 minutes in the ocean.
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Not that i know shit about soccer but i used to play at a pretty high level for my age. I alternated between striker and center back depending on the skill level i was playing at.
At center back i always tried to be the last line of defense. Nothing gets behind you. When moving up make sure your team is moving up with you. Control the defense at all times.
[quote]jtownlax wrote:
At center back i always tried to be the last line of defense. Nothing gets behind you. When moving up make sure your team is moving up with you. Control the defense at all times.[/quote]
Thanks for the tips.
Controlling/communication is what I need to work on.
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