Herein begins my on-line training log.
Training background
I’ve been in the iron game since the 6th grade, and am currently 35. This doesn’t mean I’ve had a ton of good mentors or coaches, though I’ve had some. While in school, I hit the gym hard (how could you not when its free?). Two ACL reconstructions, and a lack of knowledge on effective training prohibited extensive gains. During that time, I learned to love the Olympic lifts and the squat. After school, inconsistent access to facilities and changing professional obligations further hindered gains.
Current status
I currently train in my basement, which isn’t state-of-the-art by any means. I lack a platform, bumper plates, a full rack (the front only goes up half way), and most significantly a large area in which to do loaded carries or sled work. Oh, and my ceiling is low enough to make the push press and strict press difficult to do without hitting the rafters. I have makeshift chains (probably 10 lbs each side, not much, but hey).
On equipment purchases, the issue is twofold: money and space. Thus, I have to prioritize my equipment purchases. I use the following criteria to prioritize: necessity (can I get by without it), prospect of use (how much use can I get out of it?), purpose (is the main function something that is part of my goals/philosophy?), and price. Using these criteria, I have evaluated the following prospective purchases:
-Deadsquat bar–not entire necessary, as I can get by without it, but extraordinarily useful, as it could supplant many straight-bar lifts and then some. However, the fact that is not necessary does not justify the spending of close to $700. For me, its not worth the money (which is in short supply).
-Prowler–definitely necessary for the meeting of my goals, as this is the type of conditioning I enjoy (and I need more conditioning, period). In terms of usefulness, that is hindered by the lack of facilities to use it within my timeframe. Price: the econo-Prowler at EFTS is a decent price–if I could ensure I’d use it frequently, I’d get it in a heartbeat.
-medicine balls–for certain applications and drills, you can’t substitute a med ball, and they are rather flexible in their purpose. I can, however, choose to do alternative drills that don’t require a med ball. Further, I lack the facilities to use them efficiently, so they’d not get much use. It follows that they aren’t high on my priority list at all.
Timeframe
I’ve got about 45 to 90 minutes a day, M-F in which to train, and that must be done before 7am. The issue is that with professional and family obligations, getting adequate sleep is tough. I average 5.5-6.5 hours a night Sunday night to Thursday. Oh, having a newborn doesn’t help that either.
Diet and Nutrition
I’m not out to look like a Greek god, but being relatively lean and somewhat large is certainly cool. Plus, I’d like to have a decent health profile. Hence, while I’m not afraid of wheat or sugar, and won’t shy from pizza, I’m not about to eat those everyday. My diet centers around clean foods.
In terms of peri-workout nutrition, funds being what they are, I take what I can get. MAG-10 (or even Metabolic Drive) are out the picture (for now). When I save enough, I get generic hydrolyzed casein, mix it with some dextrose and some potato starch, and some Kool-aid mix (sans sugar). It serves.
Philosophy and Goals
I like simple things, like the big lifts. I like low-moderate rep ranges. I don’t like doing alot of assistance work. Hence, I’ve been doing CT’s layer system since late October…trying to keep abreast of his iterations.
I want to be larger than I am, stronger than I am, and most of all, I want to live long and healthy. I have a theory, based on my wife’s hypothesis during her last pregnancy (she felt horrible the whole 9 months), that if I maintain a strong and healthy body, I’ll be able to resist, somewhat, the ravages of illness. We shall see.