What's Your Workout?

Day 1:
heavy sumo DL’s
decline bench
abs
sets ranging from 8’s to max singles.

72 hours complete rest

Day 2:
heavy back (usually pull-ups)
secondary chest (close grip, flye, etc)
heavy vertical presses
secondary lower body (pull thru’s, single leg squats, etc)
grip work.
sets ranging from 12’s to 5’s.

48 hours complete rest

Day 3:
calves
external shldr rotators
upper back work (PTN’s, etc)
other prehab (low back endurance, etc) grip work
direct arm work if I feel like it
sets range from 15’s to 8’s.

48 hours complete rest

I stick to the same rep range in each workout, but I periodize such that the loading and reps change weekly over an 8-12 week phase. Then one week totally off.

TopSirloin

I’ve been doing Defranco’s WS4SB program pretty much by the book (with the exception of a dynamic lower-body day on saturdays). The strength coach at my college got me set up on it, thank god he actually takes time to research and learn things rather than being another HIT numbskull. I’ve been lifting for almost a year total, but until I got to college I was basically taking programs out of magazines and doing way too much volume at too light a weight and not making any progress. Since I’ve gotten to college I’ve made some great gains. I would definitly reccommend this program to anybody, especially any athlete who really wants to take the next step in their development.

In 6 weeks:
Bench from 135x1 to 165x2 (miss on 3rd)
Deadlift (trap-bar) 255x3 to 315x3
Squat 205x3 to… haven’t squatted in 3 weeks (deadlifts have taken its place) but was 225 last I maxed.

I want to get 175 bench, 350 dead and 275 squat by Jan 1. Being 6’4", 185 with a 6’9" wingspan doesn’t help my bench very much but I’ve discovered I’m a pretty natural deadlifter! Luckily I play a sport so I don’t have to deal with all the idiot squat-rack curlers and “no heavy-lifting” gyms that you guys seem to have to.

Currently week 5 of ABBH II. Before that ABBH I. Before that Quattro Dynamo.

I’ve been doing the Body developer. You can create 100’s of sessions.

Being that I’m a stay at home dad, living on a small farm, my workouts are pretty organic with no real set schedule of M,W,F or whatever. I try to train hard one day, rest for a day or two (sometimes active rest days and lots of “grease the groove” for front levers, planches, iron crosses and other such craziness), train a day, rest one or two, etc. etc.

My focus has been solely bodyweight stuff for many months now, not just because it’s fun and has been very effective for me, but because I can do it anywhere.

I can stop while playing with my son and do a set of pistols, hspu, etc. or if we’re outside I can jump into the rafters of the barn for a quick set of pullups, or chace my son up the hills (I live on about ten acres in the boonies of NH, lot’s of nice “hills” in my neighborhood) doing duck walks or something.

Not to mention the heavy work required sometimes in maintaining my yard (dragging rocks and fallen trees uphill to the garden or burn pile).

But my actual “workouts” change every session. I like doing the whole Deck of Cards thing, 3 or 4 exercises Tabata fashion, jump rope intervals with variations of pushups/pullups/plyometrics, ten minute challenges. Everything is bodyweight.

When an exercise becomes too easy, I pick a more difficult variation of it. I’m really enjoying coming up with a completely different routine each session.

Keeps things fresh, keeps my body guessing, but things aren’t so different that I don’t make improvements or gains. I may use some of the same exercises, but implement them differently or in different orders/supersets (tabata, 5x5, timed rounds).

I’m working on coming up with “katas” (I have a martial arts background) for bodyweight exercises, which I guess would be more akin to a gymnastics floor routine minus all the crazy flips and insane jumps. I also plan on making a sand bag soon that I can throw around or drag around the yard.

As for diet, I’m mostly vegetarian. I don’t eat red meat or fish (though I don’t eat fish simply because I don’t care for it). I’ll eat chicken, but usually only if I’ve raised it myself or it comes from my neighbor’s farm. Same with pork.

I raise ducks for eggs (damn, they’re good) and I try to grow as much of my own produce as I can (at least during the growing seasons). I eat a lot of beans and veggies, a lot of homemade breads (recipies have been tinkered with to be high protein). Basically I try to steer clear of store bought and processed stuff.

One of my staples is actually a whey protein shake with milk, Stoney Field Farms strawberry yogurt, an apple, a banana, some grapes and usually a fourth fruit all blenderized. It’s quite yummy.

My 2 year old loves them (speaking of the boy, I’m putting money down now that he’s going to have some mighty strong legs what with running up and down all these hills and me feeding him protein shakes. He’s been walking up stairs without using his hands, and often carrying something awkward, for many months now).

So that’s my fitness regimen. I’m interested in “functional strength”, and in general just being agile, strong, and quick for life and the martial arts. Sorry for rambling.

Toby

Modified version of ABBH