TomRocco's Training Journal

Training Training Logs
61

about 7 hours of sleep. pretty tired all day. Landscapers woke me up.

No treadmill again today. i really need to buckle down on both my diet and exercising.

A1) DB Bench

  1. 40 x 6
  2. 50 x 6
  3. 60 x 6
  4. 70 x 5
  5. 75 x 4 + ISO at bottom (more like a failed CON rep)- the first rep with the 75’s was very hard for my right hand. I go the left up fine, but had like 4 seconds of strain with the right.

A2) DB Row

  1. 75 x 3
  2. 90 x 3
  3. 105 x 3
  4. 115 x 3

B1) BB Curls- Emphasis on keeping weight just on biceps

  1. Bar x 12
  2. 55 x 10
  3. 65 x 6?
  4. 65 x 4-5?

B2) V-Bar Cable Rows

  1. 10 x 8
  2. 140 x 8
  3. 140 x 8, 110? x 6

overall decent workout. i was going to do cleans but my hand was reallly bothering me. i dont know whats wrong with it.

62

about 8.5 or 9 hours of sleep? Kinda tired today.

threw shot today. it took me a while to really get into it. Once i got into it i started throwing well. i need to “standardize” my glide. i feel as if im changing my types of glides too much. i think im sticking with standing straight up in the back of the circle, then just shooting down and back to power position.

I found out that i threw about 47+ last throwing session, so im very happy about that.

Today my bests were about 46.5-47 area. its not easy to measure by oneself. i threw the 4K about 52ish.

could someone explain something to me. i dont quite have the physics background yet. When im throwing the shot, does the further the shot ends up AFTER THE ROLL mean the more power im putting into the shot? (i do understand that angle of the throw affects the rolling distance to some extent.) I tend to find that throws where i get psyched up for but i release poorly (ie- too low, off the wrong fingers, etc) tend to roll pretty far.

i also figured out a way to use chalk more to my advantage. I now chalk up my entire hand (from and back), my wrist, and my wrist wrap. dont know why but that seems to help more than what i was doing.

63

~7.5? hours of sleep. probably less actually. Yesterday for 4th i ate a ton of food. I also worked out yesterday. heres what i did:

A1) Lat PllDown

  1. 100 x 8
  2. 140 x 8
  3. 160 x 8
  4. 180 x 8- PR!

A2) DB MIlitary Pres

  1. 25 lbs x 8
  2. 35 lbs x 8
  3. 40 lbs x 8
  4. 40 lbs x 8

B1) BB Row

  1. 135 x 5
  2. 165 x 5
  3. 185 x 4
  4. 185 x 4

B2) BB Shrugs

  1. 135 x 8
  2. 185 x 8
  3. 225 x 8
  4. 225 x 8

1 set 17 DB Shrugs ith 55 lb Db’s.

64

about 7 hours of sleep. probably less. Didnt do anything today.

My lower back is really really bothering me. its incredibly painful to even stand. I dont know why this is happening. It feels like a pain in the lower spine area.

I also want to comment that i keep waking up from dreams about school. im sick of this happening. i dont know why i keep dreaming about this stuff. I dont know how to prevent this. Any suggestions?

65

about 8 hours of sleep. woken up to go to work. lower back was still bothering me today. it is painful to do most things.

my diet has been very poor lately. ive been eating a lot of sweets and other things i normally wouldnt eat 2 family parties the past 2 days.

i havent done any exercise the past 2-3 days. this isnt good. I think im going to take a couple days off. I havent been feeling that great honestly. ive been tired the past few days and my stomach bothers me here and there. I think that these aches and pains ive been having (my hand, my wrist was kinda bothering me, my back, etc) are all signs to take some time off. try to let my joints catch up.

oh yeah i took a 1.5 hour nap today as well.
about 8 hours of sleep. woken up to go to work. lower back was still bothering me today. it is painful to do most things.

my diet has been very poor lately. ive been eating a lot of sweets and other things i normally wouldnt eat 2 family parties the past 2 days.

i havent done any exercise the past 2-3 days. this isnt good. I think im going to take a couple days off. I havent been feeling that great honestly. ive been tired the past few days and my stomach bothers me here and there. I think that these aches and pains ive been having (my hand, my wrist was kinda bothering me, my back, etc) are all signs to take some time off. try to let my joints catch up.

oh yeah i took a 1.5 hour nap today as well.

66

Dude you sound depressed, it’s probably from overtraining. I took a week off and I feel a lot better mentally/physically.

67

about 7 hours of sleep. 2 quality workouts today. i decided that in total contradiction to yesterdays post that i am getting fat and should be working out. i am going to keep lower body/lower back work to a bare minimum.

I did about an hour of foam rolling last night getting most if not all of my muscles. i will admit i was semi-achey today upon waking up.

Workout 1

A) Bench Press

  1. 95 x 5
  2. 135 x 5
  3. 165 x 2
  4. 185 x 1
  5. 195 x 1- very easy
  6. 195 x 1
  7. 195 x 1
  8. 195 x 1, 195 x 1, 195 x 1 with some help

-i had run out of time so on my last set i just went for as many singles as i could get with 195. I did 1, racked, 1, racked, then i got some help on the 3rd one of that “set”.

A2) Glute Bridges- supersetted with some sets

A3) DB Bicep Curls- supersetted with some sets

  1. 25 lbs x 8
  2. 30 lbs x 8
  3. 30 lbs x 6 with left, 35 lbs x 5 with right- didnt realize i picked up 2 diff DB’s.

quality workout. will do one more workout with 195 then jump to 205.

Workout 2

A) Single Arm DB Bench

  1. 35 lbs x 8
  2. 45 lbs x 8
  3. 55 lbsx 8
  4. 65 lbs x 8
  5. 65 lbs x 8
  • these were very good. felt my pecs really working.

B1) Single Arm Rope Push down

  1. 15 lbs x 8
  2. 15 lbs x10
  3. 15 lbs x 12ish?
  4. 50 lbs x 15- used upside down V-Bar and both hands

B2) Ez Bar Curls

  1. Bar + 25 each side x 8
  2. Bar + 30 each side x 8
  3. Bar + 35 each side x 5
  4. Bar + 20 each side x 9-10?

C1) Discus Flies

  1. 15 lb Db’s x 12 reps
  2. 25 lb Db’s x 12 reps

C2) Underhand Straight Bar Pulley Row

  1. 110 x 8
  2. 110 x 10?

D) External rotations- 10,8,6 with 7.5 lbs alternating arms after each set (10 with left, 10 with right, 8 with left, etc)

  • some face-down incline bench stuff for external rotation (L’s, Y’s, etc)

2 very good workouts. im going to try to rest my back as said before.

68

about 6 hours of sleep. maybe 7? idk. 2 solid workouts today. also napped on the beach and on the way to the beach.

My lower back is not bothering me any more, though i do not want to push anything.

Today my abs/obliques were pretty sore. more sore than theyve been in a while. this is from the single arm benching. i didnt realize how much my obliques worked on these. Ive never had this soreness from them before. probably because i wasnt doing them right?

workout 1

A1) Bulg Split Squats- done with Db’s in hands- used straps

  1. 40 lb DB’s x 3
  2. 50 x 3
  3. 60 x 3
  4. 70 x 3
  5. 80 x 3- PR!
  6. 80 x 3- PR!

A2) reverse Grip Lat Pull Down (pauses at the top)- Supersetted with some sets

  1. 90 lbs x 8-10?
  2. 100 lbs x 10
  3. 110 lbs x 12
  • did these with emphasis on using the biceps. i sort of did an iso hold towards the top of the movement in order to work my biceps, which are the weak point of my chin up.

Workout 2

A1) Leg Press

  1. 45 each side x 8
  2. 90 x 8
  3. 135 x 8-10?
  4. 135 x 12-15?

A2) Leg Extension

  1. 25 lbs on all 3 pegs x 8
  2. 35 lbs on all 3 x 8
  3. 50 x 8
  4. 50 x 12

quads were really burning after doing all these sets. At the end of the workout going down the stairs was very hard.

B1) Leg Curl

  1. 25 each peg x 8
  2. 35 x 8
  3. 25 x 8

B2) Cuban Press

  1. 7.5 lb DB’s x 12
  2. 7.5 x 12
  3. 12.5 x 15?

Overall another good workout. i really felt my legs burn on the 2nd workout.

im deciphering doing standing or seated military press due to my back tomorrow for my shoulder day. any suggestions?

69

i dont know how much sleep ive gotten the past 2 days. i think i got about 5 hours last night.

I went to the gym yesterday but never posted my workout. I took today off. overall im not sore in my upper body, but my legs are still sore, in particular my quads.

Yesterdays workout:

A) Military Press

  1. bar x 5
  2. 75 x 3
  3. 95 x 3
  4. 115 x 3
  5. 125 x 2- bent lower back on second rep so stopped with this weight
  6. 115 x 3

Went pretty well. hoping to be hitting 135 pretty soon.

B1) Single Arm DB overhead press

  1. 25 lb DB’s x 8
  2. 35 lbs x 8
  3. 40 lbs x 8
  4. 40 x 8

B2) Seated cable Rope Pulls

  1. 40 x 8-12?
  2. 50 x 8-12?
    3)60 x 8-12?
  3. 60 x 8-1

C1) Pro-Sup Extensions- 2x10 with 15 lb DB’s, 1x12 with 15

C2) EZ bar Reverse Curls- 3x10 (35,50,50/55?)

D) Reverse Lateral Raises/ Lateral Raises (super set)

  1. 7.5 lb x 12
  2. 12.5 lbs x 12, 12
  3. 12.5 lbs x 12, 12

Overall a good workout. I weighed myself recently right after getting out of bed and going to the bathroom and was 160.8. i ordered some creatine that should come soon so im going to start taking that.

70

Solid night sleep last night i think. around 8 hours +. Hit the gym 2x today. 2 quality sessions

Workout 1

A) Chin Ups

  1. bw x 3
  2. BW + 45 x 2
  3. BW + 70 x 1
  4. BW + 90 x 1
  5. BW + 105 x 1
  6. BW + 115 x .5+ long long iso strain, though failed- got about 1/2 way up and then strained. really felt my biceps firing. i think i found my weak point- my biceps. im trying to fix that.
  7. BW + 115 x .5- failed again, strained, but not as long

Workout 2

A1) Low Incline DB Bench (1 notch up from parallel bench)

  1. 40 lb DB’s x 5
  2. 50 x 5
  3. 60 x 5
  4. 70 x 5
  5. 75 x 5
  6. 75 x 5- PR?

That might be a PR for me? i dont really know. i felt strong doing these today.

A2) Pull Ups

  1. BW x 5
  2. BW + 25 x 5
    3-5) BW + 45 x 5
  • really really felt mainly the lats working on these. i dont think ive ever felt them as “isolated” as i felt them today.

B1) Single Arm DB Row

  1. 75 lb Db x 3
  2. 100 lbs x 3
  3. 110 lbs x 3
  4. 120 lbs x 3

2nd workout got cut short. thats okay though i think i really hammered my back well today.

Protein/Creatine should be coming tomorrow. cant wait to start using it.

71

about 7 hours or so of sleep. went to the beach today then threw at like 830-930.

good throwing session. i pretty much only worked on the rotation opposed to the glide. i threw 1 bomb with the 4K that missed the track by like 2 inches. I think it went around 54ish if i remember correctly. it was hard to see exactly where it landed because it was dark, not to mention i didnt really measure. if i decide to stick with the glide i need to remember to throw the shot UP opposed to out.

The glides that i did do were not very good. i only did about 4 with the 4K and the only went about 47ish i think. i think i may have thrown one pretty far one about 46ish with the 12, but i dont remember.

also want to note that i didnt really do any stand throws today due to time.

72

good night sleep. about 9 hours. threw shot put and a little discus. i threw 54 in shot with the 4K which i think is a PR. i only threw like 43 with the 12 lbs shot. i dont know why im not throwing well with the 12 lbs. i was throwing the 4k so great. maybe i need to give my body some time to adjust. ive been switching up the way i throw the past 2 sessions. ive been throwing only the 4k for like 10 throws, then id switch to the 12 and throw it for like 10. I used to do 1 12, 1 4K, retrieve, repeat.

ive also been working on my spin for the shot. i think i threw 1 4k pretty far like 48ish, but with the 12 i only throw like 40. not bad considering ive been only gliding 43 lately.

Also want to note that i did succeed in getting th 4K to roll all the way to the track. ironically it was by using the rotation opposed to the glide. i dont think i threw it that far either.

i feel like the spin has a ton of potential, but the glide is what i have been using and right now im stuck in a major decision.

The discus i threw wasnt too bad. there was a brutal wind so it went far right every single throw. maybe i was just releasing to the right. i wasnt expecting it to be great since ive taken so long off.

73

not much sleep. 6 hours at best. woke up tired and drained.

2 solid workouts.

workout 1
A1) Bench Press

  1. 95 x 5
  2. 135 x 5
  3. 165 x 2
  4. 185 x 1
  5. 195 x 1
  6. 205 x 1- slight help due to spotter lifting too early, i probably wouldnt have needed the help.
  7. 205 x 1- good rep
  8. 205 x 1- long strained

I get the bar off my chest fine. i have trouble with the top half of the lift.

A2) DB Piston Curls supersetted with some sets

  1. 25 x 9
  2. 35 x 6
  3. 40 x 4

Workout 2

A) Single Arm DB Bench

  1. 40 lbs DB x 8 each arm
  2. 50 x 8
  3. 60 x 8
  4. 70 x 8

B1) Tricep Long Rope Single Arm Push Down

  1. 25 lbs x 8
  2. 20 lbs x 8
  3. 20 lbs x 8

B2) DB Discus Flies
1)15 lbs x 10
2) 20 lbs x 10- slight iso at bottom
3) 20 lbs x 10- slight iso at bottom

C1) Hanging Leg Raises

  1. BW x 16
  2. BW x 12 from PU Bar
  3. BW x 8-10? with 7.5 DB in knees

C2) BB Row

  1. 95 x 8
  2. 145 x 8

my protein came, but not my creatine. im trying to drink water now to get ready for it.

74

good night sleep. 8.5 hours. still was woken up for drivers ed. i wasnt feeling well last night so i tried to get into bed early.

2 excellent workouts today

Workout 1

A) Hang Cleans

  1. bar x a few
  2. 95 x a few
  • also did a couple SLDL’s to warm up the hammies.
  1. 115 x 3
  2. 145 x 3
  3. 165 x 3
  4. 195 x 3 high pulls- (sorta)- went for cleans but failed
  5. 145 x 3

B) Power Cleans (from floor)

  1. 135 x 3
  2. 155 x 3
  3. 175 x 3

from the floor makes the lifts much easier. get it up with much more force. this weight wasnt even that challenging.

C) Power Shrugs- 135 x 5

Workout 2

A) Deadlifts

  1. 135 x 3
  2. 185 x 3
  3. 225 x 3
  4. 275 x 3
  5. 315 x 2
  6. 335 x 2
  7. 365 x 2
  8. 405 x 2- PR! - first rep was excellent. 2nd rep was all right. kinda pulled my lower back a bit on it (in particular my left spinal erector- its still kinda sore right now)

B) Decline Weighted Sit Ups

  1. 30 lbs x 8
  2. 40 lbs x 8
  3. 50 lbs x 8

Felt the abs working hard.

Awesome workout. hit a PR on the deads. I used straps on all sets above 275. I cant believe i hit this weight here at this gym. i usually lift about 50-60 more at my school gym, so next year i should be beasting deadlifts.

also want to mention i went to the mall and was walking all day.

76

July 16th post

lower back/spinal erectors sore. Traps sore as well.

Worked out only 1 time due to busy schedule.

A) MIlitary Press

  1. bar x a few
  2. 75 x a few
  3. 95 x 3
  4. 115 x 2
  5. 130 x 2-3? about 1/4 or 1/2 reps. tried to get it off my shoulders but failed about half way up.
  6. 115 x 2-3? - kinda tough. was after little rest.

B1) DB Overhead Press

  1. 40 lbs x 5
  2. 45 lbs x 5
  3. 45 lbs x 5

B2) EZ Bar Curls

  1. 25’s each side x 5
  2. 30 x 5
  3. 35 x 5
  4. 35 x 4-5?

C) Reverse lateral raise/lateral raise/front raise triple set

  1. 12.5 lb Db’s x 8,8,8
  2. 15 lbs DB’s x 8, 12.5 lb DB’s x 8,8?
  3. 15 lb DB’s x 12, 12.5 x3-4, 1-2

Went to pretty much failure.

Overall a good workout. i go on vacation this sunday so im probably going to have a week off from working out. maybe ill bring a shot put and find a school to throw at.

77

July 18th

i dont remember my sleeping situation for the night before last. i think i got a good night sleep. this is a post for yesterday.

i threw discus and it went pretty bad if i remember correctly. it was extremely hot/humid out so that could be a reason why. I threw like 1-2 good ones but the rest werent great. it could also be that i havent thrown discus in like 2 weeks.

I also had a solid workout yesterday. trained back.

A) Chin Ups

  1. bw x 3
  2. bw + 25 x 3
  3. bw + 45 x 3
  4. bw + 70 x 1
  5. bw + 90 x 1
  6. bw + 105 x 1
  7. bw + 105 x 1
  8. bw + 105 x 1
  9. bw + 105 x 1, .5- wanted to do a rest pause but only got 1.

B) DB Rows

  1. 90 x 3
  2. 105 x 3
  3. 115 x 3
  4. 115/120? x 3
  5. 70 x 8- did these at an angle

pretty sure thats all i did.

78

~7.5 hours of sleep. still tired. went to bed too late. I go on vacation tomorrow.

I threw shot put today. it went bad. i was extremely frustrated. i was incredibly angry at my poor performance. not one throw felt good with either the 4k or the 12. I was only throwing about 40 tops. maybe a little bit more like 41-42. I was throwing the 4k about 49-50.

It was very hot again today, so maybe that had something to do with another poor performance. i also used a different shot- my yellow steel turned one. i dislike this one very much compared to my iron one. Maybe its good to practice with, but i dont think i will be using it in competition.

im being upfront and honest here. im losing all motivation to throw shot put. i work incredibly hard at it and not only am i not getting better, im actually getting significantly worse. the amount of anger i built up during todays session was my highest yet. i actually needed to take a slow walk around the track to calm myself down. i couldnt keep throwing in a state like that. im only standing about 40 feet too.

if anyone reads this and can offer some help it would be greatly appreciated. how come im throwing so much worse than i should be/used to be throwing. how can i gain my motivation back?

i am going on vacation for a week tomorrow. i think i need the time off. I will try to work on a bit of mobility. maybe i just need some rest.

80

back from vacation. did throw discus on saturday just forgot to post that here.

John, thanks for the advice. i took 5 days off, and today when i hit the weights i was very focused and refreshed.

pretty tired today. about 7 hours of sleep. hit 2 pretty good sessions today.

Workout 1: gym

A) Power Cleans- not much knee dip

  1. bar x 5 overhead press
  2. 75 x 3
  3. 95 x 2-3
  4. 135 x 2-3
  5. 165 x 2-3
  6. 175 x 2
  7. 185 x 2
  8. 195 x 0,1- some reason missed the first one
  9. 185 x 2

B) Bench Press

  1. 95 x 5
  2. 135 x 5
  3. 155 x 4
  4. 175 x 3
  5. 175 x 2 + a little help that i didnt need
  6. 175 x 3
  • i worked with another gym member who ive talked to before. im going to do this rep scheme he introduced me to for the next couple of weeks (6,5,3x3- no big deal i know). i rested very little between sets- maybe a minute at most. Instead of upping weight, im going to stick with this until i can do 3x5 with the weight relatively quickly.

C) Hanging leg raises- 3x8 (BW, 7.5, 7.5)

Overall a good workout. my next workout im going to do some chin ups, split squats, and incline dumbbell bench

Session 2: Throwing

Threw 2 shot, then 3 discus for each round. threw the shot in the discus circle.

Best throws of the day- 125 for discus, 44 for shot

i got much more used to the throwing shoes today. it felt much better. my form in general is a little hectic due to the week off, so im hoping this pans out over time.

i want to note that my lower calves were quite sore yesterday and today. im assuming this is from the different position the shoes put me in.

also, i am taking dream brothers advice and plan on throwing much more frequently, while taking less time in the gym. I plan on focusing on my weaknesses in the gym (bench, clean) and maintaining my strengths (squat, DL).

Today was a discus emphasis workout. i am hoping the shot put circle clears up so i can have a shot-emphasis workout tomorrow. it was flooded today.

since im going to be throwing so often, i think i need to change up the routine a bit. im thinking of having a discus emphasis day (yesterday), a day in which both are thrown (today), a shot emphasis day, and then 1 day of primarily shot from the stand (ill use the 16 this day as well), and another day of discus with the 2k disc.

heres my meal lay out for today

Breakfast (8): actuvia, oatmeal, protein
11:45 (1 hour before workout): chicken, meat ball, some pasta
Lunch (3?):fiber 1 bar, weight watchers chicken parm, weight watchers dragon shrimp, protein shake (cottage cheese, 1 scoop md, rap/blue/straw berries, 1 cup actuvia, pumpkin)
After throwing (730): 2 pork chops, some sauerkraut, 3-4 yam circles
Before bed (11): salad with turkey and bbq chicken (cold cuts)

81

tired again today. about 7.5 hours of sleep.

Chest and back are both sore. everything else isnt bad.

had a quality shot session today. my first throw was an effortless 43. i didnt give 100% on many of my throws today. i wanted to get a feel for my new shoes in shot. my best for the day was 46. i threw 2 12’s today instead of the usual 4k/12.

feel kinda bad about an incident after my last throw of the day. i totally messed up the throw, so it went about 20 feet and was about 4 feet high. i dropped a loud f-bomb, only to look over to see a lady watching me throw in her car, with her window open. i said i was sorry but those were the only words exchanged.

i feel bad when stuff like this happens because i truthfully am i good kid. i get very serious when im training and throwing. i get mad when i do not succeed. this onlooker probably thinks im a typical teenager, which i am not. i guess im gonna have to let this go. im really hoping the onlooker wasnt someone who i know, because with my luck this is a possibility.

Food for the day:

8: actuvia, oatmeal, 1 scoop md
1145: some chicken and pasta, fiber 1 bar, some almonds
345: 2 pork chops, 2 yam rings, protein shake (1 Metabolic Drive, blue/rasp/straw berries, cottage cheese, 1 actuvia yogurt, pumpkin)

82

tired again. about 7 hours of sleep. maybe it was 6. drivers ed is a killer.

we watched a movie in it and i got extremely light headed and dizzty from it. i had to kneel over. i dont like thinking about it. its weird because i usually dont have a light stomach.

THrew discus today. it went pretty well. i think im getting a hang of my new throwing shoes. my last 2 were excellent, but the wind picked up and took them no where. today was a good day to throw because there was no wind.

i threw 1 2K for every 3 1.6K discs. I only did a couple from the full spin with the 2k, the rest were stand throws. my bests for the day were about 130.

with the shoes, i need to remember to get my right knee down to the ground as low as i can, and to start from the back slowly.

Food for the day

8: fat free yogurt with oatmeal/protein
1130:1 chicken breast, 1//4 big sweet potatoe, some sauteed onions

  • during worK 4 oz seafood salad
  • after discus: some chicken wings, some grilled chicken breast
    before bed (1220): 1.5 turkey burgers, fiber 1 bar