[quote]theBird wrote:
What do you think I should do for my accessory work once the season starts, taking into account I will be training with the team twice a week, playing a game once a week, and probably doing my own individual skill session once a week. Keep it the same? Cut it down to 3 sets of 10, instead of the 5 sets?
I would appreciate your opinion.
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What I’m doing - the aforementioned split with two assistance exercises on lower body days, four on upper body days - would definitely not work if I had to do a lot of running right now. In fact, I wrote a split for this type of situation a while ago:
Monday
bench press - 531, one backoff set
2a. dumbbell bench, 3x10 ish
2b. dumbbell row, 3x10 ish
incline curls, 3x10 ish
Wednesday
box jumps - 3x5
squat - 531, one backoff set
deadlift - 531, no backoff set
split squats - 3x15
Friday
Press - 531, one backoff set
2a. pullups, 3x10 ish
2b. dips, 3x10 ish
3a. glute ham raise, 3x max
3b. barbell curl, 3x10 ish
This is based on a few ideas (and none of them are mine):
train 3x/week
train the big lifts heavy, with an additional set that is 90% of your heaviest one
do a bit of assistance work in moderate rep ranges
do heavy leg training once a week so you can still run a lot; do deadlifts after squat as this works well - the other way around is more difficult to pull off
add hamstring work on another day to get a bit more frequency for them
train the big lifts heavy, with an additional set that is 90% of your heaviest one
do a bit of assistance work in moderate rep ranges
do heavy leg training once a week so you can still run a lot; do deadlifts after squat as this works well - the other way around is more difficult to pull off
add hamstring work on another day to get a bit more frequency for them
Of course, feel free to change it.[/quote]
Looks good, although I would like to get some front squats in there somewhere, even if it is every second week maybe?
Whats the deal with the back off set? Is that to get a little more volume with the main move? How many reps do you aim for in the back off set?
3 rounds of shoulder shocker with a 10 kg plate and 6 kg dB’s. 10 reps for win the first set, 9 reps in the second and 8 in the third.
Press 531
37.5 kg x 5
45 kg x 5
50 kg x 5
Supersetted my accessory work:
dB bench press: 5 sets of 10 with 27.5 kg dBs. (only manage 9 reps on the last set, dam!)
seated rows: 5 sets of 10 with 60 kg.
Incline hammer curls (for the girls): 20 kg x 8, 17.5 kg x 8, 15 kg x 8, (12.5 kg x 8) x 2. (supersetted with 20 swiss ball sit-ups).
Bike ride home.
notes:
Felt a little dizzy/light-headed in my last set of the press. 50 kgs felt heavy but my shoulders feel pretty good. Disappointed I didn’t get 10 reps on the dB bench press. Will try again next week.
[quote]theBird wrote:
Looks good, although I would like to get some front squats in there somewhere, even if it is every second week maybe?
Whats the deal with the back off set? Is that to get a little more volume with the main move? How many reps do you aim for in the back off set?
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You could do the front squats instead of the back squats - they are another exercise that works very well as a 531 lift.
The back off set is an idea I got from Jason Ferruggia. Let’s say you squat 100kg for a set of 5 and follow it up with 90kg for AMAP (you can just use the weight of the second 531 set), you’ll notice that due to the heavy set, the weight feels light yet you can really feel the muscle contracting. So you are doing one heavy set AMAP and then one slightly lighter set, also AMAP. You could go home after that. Chase it with a few sets of assistance to train antagonist muscles and get more blood in and you’re set.
I often try to match the reps of the heaviest set or even do more. The only exercise I don’t do this way is the deadlift as I personally feel that I can really kill myself with a single set of deads if I want to.
Just signed up to T Nation. I’ve read through all your old logs, and I’ll be following this from now on for some more ideas (I’m a soccer player too). Good to see a like minded soul on here
NightHawk: thanks for the info. Ill let you know how I go.
[quote]TheWolfMan wrote:
Hey Bird,
Just signed up to T Nation. I’ve read through all your old logs, and I’ll be following this from now on for some more ideas (I’m a soccer player too). Good to see a like minded soul on here
Keep up the good work buddy.[/quote]
Hi TheWolf,
Great to have another follower of the “cage”. Please feel free to add any input/criticism that you like. As you have probably noticed my training has evolved since the early days, but Im still always looking for ways to improve.
Are you going to start your own training log? How old are you? Where do you live? What position do you play?
Agile 8 etc, bike ride to the gym, explosive jumps: 3,2,1.
Squat 531
60 kg x 3
70 kg x 3
77.5 kg x 3 (+4) (calculated 1 rep max: 95 kg)
Supersetted my accessory work:
BSS, 5 sets of 8 with a 20 kg dB
RDLs: 5 sets of 10 with 60 kg.
Finished off with some face pulls, and then my bike ride home.
notes:
Really happy with todays session. Before I left for the gym I watched the video I have posted below which explains the basics of “bracing”. 77.5 kg did feel heavy but I feel squats are feeling more natural and easier, although I still feel I have improvements in from to make and strength to gain!
Next week for the accessory work I will increase my reps to 10 for the BSS and increase the RDLs to 65 kg’s.
We pretty much did the same thing as last time, a 2 km run, a 800 meter run and then 3 laps of the oval sprinting the straights and walking the bends. We finished off with some small sided games which were pretty low key as we were all tired from the running.
notes:
Feeling that Im slowly regaining my football fitness. Slowly, but surely.
[quote]theBird wrote:
NightHawk: thanks for the info. Ill let you know how I go.
[quote]TheWolfMan wrote:
Hey Bird,
Just signed up to T Nation. I’ve read through all your old logs, and I’ll be following this from now on for some more ideas (I’m a soccer player too). Good to see a like minded soul on here
Keep up the good work buddy.[/quote]
Hi TheWolf,
Great to have another follower of the “cage”. Please feel free to add any input/criticism that you like. As you have probably noticed my training has evolved since the early days, but Im still always looking for ways to improve.
Are you going to start your own training log? How old are you? Where do you live? What position do you play?
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I may start a log on here when I get around to it. Then again I’m a slow typer and I’m embarrassed about my numbers. So we’ll see. I turned 20 a month back, and the shock still hasn’t worn off. I grew up in Wellington, and I’m back there now, but I kicked around in Dunedin for a bit.
I’m comfortable playing pretty much anywhere on the field, but I do better up the back on the right or centre. I can play up front though speed has always been my weak point and it’s even worse at the moment because I’m still coming back from a foot injury.
When I was about 13 I discovered completely by accident that I had some talent as a goalie, but I definitely prefer playing in the field.
[quote]Ironwarrior25 wrote:
Hey man you decided to play football again for definite?
Also how you finding Squats and Deadlifts now you have been on 531 a decent amount of time.[/quote]
Not 100% definite, but I am pretty keen as we have a really good coach this year. We now just need a few more players and I think we will have a pretty competitive team.
I feel my squats and deadlifts have come a long way since I started 531, and I feel now I can start pushing the heavier weights and hoping for some notable improvements in my strength. I suppose my gains will be limited by the running I am now doing, but for someone my size I think I can gain strength without putting on that much extra bodyweight.
[quote]TheWolfMan wrote:
I may start a log on here when I get around to it. Then again I’m a slow typer and I’m embarrassed about my numbers. So we’ll see. I turned 20 a month back, and the shock still hasn’t worn off. I grew up in Wellington, and I’m back there now, but I kicked around in Dunedin for a bit.
I’m comfortable playing pretty much anywhere on the field, but I do better up the back on the right or centre. I can play up front though speed has always been my weak point and it’s even worse at the moment because I’m still coming back from a foot injury.
When I was about 13 I discovered completely by accident that I had some talent as a goalie, but I definitely prefer playing in the field.
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Hey wolfMan,
Don’t be embarrassed by your numbers, as you can see for someone my height and weight I should be deadlifting and squatting double the numbers that I am currently managing. At the end of the day as long as you are trying to improve week in and week out, thats all that counts.
I prefer playing in the middle and the back sometimes, also on the right. I don’t mind playing up front, but I don’t like the pressure of having the team relying on you to score.
Agile 8, bike ride to the gym, explosive push-ups (3x3).
Bench 531
70 kg x 3
82.5 kg x 3
92.5 kg x 3 (+5) (calculated 1 rep max: 116 kg)
Supersetted my accessory work:
weighted dips with 10 kg’s: 4 sets of 9, and then one more set of 7.
dB rows: 5 sets of 10 reps with 32.5 kg.
BB curls (for the girls): (12 x 30kg) x 2, (10 x 30 kg) x 1, (8 x 30 kg) x 1. (Biceps blew up like balloons!)
Bike ride home.
notes:
Have noticed my bench strength has slightly dropped, but I suppose that is to be expected with the recent increase of running on the track I have been doing. I would still like to one day manage bodyweight x 10. Next week I will keep the dips the same and increase the dB rows to 35 kg.
In other news, I have decided to make a slight adjustment to my diet. As many of you know I intermittent fast from about 8pm at night to about 12 at lunch the next day, although I usually allow a small snack of 30 grams of nuts or some PB on celery at about 10:30am. I have decided to make Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nut -free days, as I often over-do the nuts, and the 30 grams of nuts Im meant to eat often is really 40-50 grams of nuts. Hopefully with this slight adjustment I will see a some drop in body fat percentage.
notes:
Have noticed my bench strength has slightly dropped, but I suppose that is to be expected with the recent increase of running on the track I have been doing. I would still like to one day manage bodyweight x 10. Next week I will keep the dips the same and increase the dB rows to 35 kg.
In other news, I have decided to make a slight adjustment to my diet. As many of you know I intermittent fast from about 8pm at night to about 12 at lunch the next day, although I usually allow a small snack of 30 grams of nuts or some PB on celery at about 10:30am. I have decided to make Monday, Wednesday and Saturday nut -free days, as I often over-do the nuts, and the 30 grams of nuts Im meant to eat often is really 40-50 grams of nuts. Hopefully with this slight adjustment I will see a some drop in body fat percentage.
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Just a thought, I wonder if you are one of the body types that cannot chase two goals at once, i.e., cannot eat in a targeted deficit to obtain optimal fat loss while also pursuing strength gains on core lifts like the bench? Have you done anything else different besides more running on the track, e.g., changed creatine dosages, etc.?
I don’t normally see strength decreases simply from added cardio, but you could be different, or there could be another variable or two at play, related more to diet, rest and/or supplementation changes - just a thought.
Just a thought, I wonder if you are one of the body types that cannot chase two goals at once, i.e., cannot eat in a targeted deficit to obtain optimal fat loss while also pursuing strength gains on core lifts like the bench? Have you done anything else different besides more running on the track, e.g., changed creatine dosages, etc.?
I don’t normally see strength decreases simply from added cardio, but you could be different, or there could be another variable or two at play, related more to diet, rest and/or supplementation changes - just a thought.
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Hi JR,
Thanks for your input. You bring up some interesting points.
I have actually stopped my creatine supplementation, which I was usually supplementing with 4-5 times a week. Im not sure why I stopped itâ?¦ I think because I cut down from 2 shakes a day to 1 shake, and I usually added it to my first shake of the day which I no longer have. Do you suggest I take it up again?
I have also decrease my caloric intake by about 200-300 calories a day in the attempt to lose some body fat which I think has happened. Total calories is probably at abut 3000.
I have noted that my bench strength is very sensitive to bodyweight changes, so maybe I am of a body type that can not “chase 2 goals at once”. Im not too fussed about my bench, although ideally I would like to maintain at least and maybe even improve if I can.
Thanks for your input. You bring up some interesting points.
I have actually stopped my creatine supplementation, which I was usually supplementing with 4-5 times a week. Im not sure why I stopped itâ?¦ I think because I cut down from 2 shakes a day to 1 shake, and I usually added it to my first shake of the day which I no longer have. Do you suggest I take it up again?
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I’d say it can’t hurt to return to the previous dosage and monitor your bench progress for something like 4-6 weeks. I’ve never gone off the maintenance dosage since I started using it last year, so I can’t testify to having firsthand observational data from personal experience on a maintenance versus no creatine comparison.
[quote]JR249 wrote:
I’d say it can’t hurt to return to the previous dosage and monitor your bench progress for something like 4-6 weeks. I’ve never gone off the maintenance dosage since I started using it last year, so I can’t testify to having firsthand observational data from personal experience on a maintenance versus no creatine comparison.[/quote]
Today I will start creatine again. Probably mixed in with my 10am black coffee.
We started off with some running to warm up, and then some more running agility drills. Moved on to some passing drills and some 1vs.1 short sprinting drills. Finished off with some possession and shutting down drills. By the end of the session we had covered lots of ground and had down lots of cutting and turning.
notes:
Feeling that foot speed isn’t at the level I would like. Hopefully in the next few weeks I find my feet.
notes: Happy with everything. Deadlift are still relatively easy, although things are getting a little heavier. Accessory work was good, and will probably keep the same weights for next week.
Yo Bird! Good stuff in here! Haven’t lurked lately but have you injured yourself recently? I noticed you’re going really light on the deads but I know you’re stronger than that!!
