I’ve decided to post a log of my training and goals. I want to get stronger, faster and get my vertical up. I’m getting over a few seperated ribs, a strained right rotator cuff and sever tendonitis [and accompanying fluid build-up] in my left knee.
My all time bests are bench 285x3,315x1 squat 405x3 and a 35" vert from a standstill and a 41.5" off three steps. The bench and squat were done at a bw of 188-ish, and the vert was done at 175-ish. I took the last three weeks off to let everything regenerate.
I started back tonight with a program by Zach Even-Esh I found on elitefts. I’ll do this [or a variation] for as long as I’m getting stronger and enjoying it. I’m gonna modify it a bit for my goals. It’s a 3 day a week upper/lower/total program, and it looks fun as shit.
Like I said, I’m getting over some gay injuries and am starting back from a gay lay-off.
BW:177
Monday: bench supposed to work up to two heavy sets of 3-5. My grip was pinky 3 or so inches inside of the rings. 135x10,185x5,225x5,245x2,235x3. This sucked my balls. 3 weeks ago I was doing 255 for 5 sets of 3 with this grip. My shoulder and ribs started to ache during this, but I’ve already taken 3 weeks off so I’m just gonna push through.
nuetral grip rows 225x3x8, inc nuetral db’s 90’sx3x5, towel chins 2x12,8, push-ups 2x33,20 curls 35’sx3x8.
I felt weak as shit tonight. Injuries blow my asshole. I was supposed to do to high rep sets of db rows, but I felt nauseous after the push-ups. There’s a huge hurrican warning in effect for tomorrow so most jobs and all schools are shut down. I’m supposed to spend the day with my girl, but I’m hoping the gym’s open so I can sneak out and put some shots up and run a few horses/sprints. I’ll let ya’ll know.
I forgot to mention that my best friend got married on Sat, so I’ve spent the past week drunk off my ass. That probably wasn’t too good for maintaining strength.
If anyone is interested here’s the program: http://www.elitefts.com/documents/complication.htm .
I’m using this as an outline but doing my own thing and am gonna switch the total day from high rep to a power day with a few singles around 80-85% on some olympic and powerlifts and maybe some high rep calisthenics. I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.
Well, because of the hurricane [that never showed] Mon and Tues were cancelled fo school. This is the last week of summer school, so today I have an exam and tomorrow is the final. All of this means I rushed todays workout.
Squat: 135x5,185x5,225x5,275x5,315x2x3,2. I was a little nervous about these with my knee and having not done shit for almost a month. The first set was smooth, and I had a 3rd on the 2nd but decided to rack it. Gotta kinda ease back into things. step ups on box. I don’t know how tall exactly, but it was a bit below my knee:135x3x6. These felt great, I feel my knee’s gonna be fine. did some calves and got out.
On friday I’m thinking I’ll do some singles with snatches, maybe incline or cg bench and then do 2 setsxmax reps of clean and press with 185, resetting the bar after every rep. I haven’t done anything like that, so it should be fun, and I’ll throw in some push-ups and chins for good measure. Off to school I go.
I realized today that I need to do my own thing and get my conditioning way up before I try a reasonablly high volume program. Tonight I did my own thing, and will figure out what I’m doing by Mon.
Bench grip 2" inside rings 135x10,185x5,225x5,235x5x3 wanted to do something reasonablly easy, so I did. This felt good. Inc db 90’sx2x6. Cable rows with a pause 195lbsx3x8 wide grip pull-upsx3x8 db curls 35’sx3x8.
Took everything kinda easy. This kind of setup will be the basis for my heavy upperbody day. My shoulder felt MUCH better, but my ribs are still killing me. Nothing a few cervezas can’t fix. Ya’ll have a good weekend.
Monday
bw-176lbs
Bench-grip 2" inside rings:135x10,185x5,225x5,240x5x3. Had at least 2 in the hole until last set. Gonna add 5lbs a week until I can’t. How’s that for a scientific approach? Inc db 90’sx6,5. Set the incline 2 notches higher, and took less rest than last time. Narrow overhand cable rows-200x3x8, wide grip pull-upsx3x8, db curls 35’sx3x8. Pretty solid workout, gonna slowly add strength and listen to my body.
Would like to get a 275x3 bench at 175-180 by the end of the year.
Gonna play ball manana. Do some shooting drills, get some dunks and maybe play a lil’ pick-up if I’m feeling it. Ya’ll will be the first to know. Be easy.
Had the day off. Gave blood and saw the Dark Knight for the third time. Don’t ever give blood and work out in the same day in that order. I felt loopey and weird all day. Was supposed to squat, but everything felt HEAVY. Warmed up to 315 and got it for a duece, racked it and left. Supposed to do rep upper manana, but might chill if I still feel all goofy. I’m pretty irritated at how today went.
After last weeks squat debacle, I didn’t lift until tonight. I did a kind of ws4sb thing, and enjoyed it. Gonna stick with it, and this 3 week block gonna use cg bench and box squat as ME moves. Anway…
CG bench-135x10,185x5,225x3,235x2x3. Was gonna go to 245, but no spot and my shoulder’s buggin’ so I stopped there. DB inc 90’s x3x6,6,5 chest supported rowx2 platesx3x8 nuetral chinsx3x8, seated db curls 30’s3x8.
Damn 5’9 whiteguy dunking, you are my role model.
You ever do any plyo’s to get your vert up or just squat and play ball?
[quote]jdarkraget wrote:
Damn 5’9 whiteguy dunking, you are my role model.
You ever do any plyo’s to get your vert up or just squat and play ball? [/quote]
Honestly man, jumping is something I came out the box with. I caught my first dunk when I was 16 and 5’7" 130-ish lbs. I’ve always been lazy when it comes to training legs, but those days are gone. I will be back to a 405lb squat for at least a duece by the end of this year. I would also like a 275lb clean.
I will say if you’re trying to get your vert up heavy squats and cleans can’t do anything but help. I hear great things about the snatch as well, but I haven’t done them enough to give a personal opinion. Thanks for checking the thread, and if you have any comments/questions let me know.
Tonight was supposed to be ME lower, but a friend of a friend needed a player for his rec league team, so long story short I’m now starting pg for a rec team for the next 10 weeks, not counting the playoffs. I guess I’ll count tuesdays as conditioning. I need it too, 'cause tonight kicked my ass.
They had never seen me play so I didn’t get in 'til around five minutes deep in the first half, but I didn’t come out after that and I’m tired as shit right now.
I’m gonna do ME lower manana, RE upper on Thurs and either do cleans and accessory stuff or sprints on sat. Depending on how I feel I might push ME upper to Monday instead of Sunday. I’m gonna play ball twice a week pretty heavy as well to get my wind and legs back. Gonna have to up the cals to help with this workload. Ya’ll be easy.
ME lower-Box squats 135x10,185x5,225x5,275x5,315x3,335x3,345x2x3 The box was about two inches high of parrallel. It’s the lowest one my gym has. My knee is kinda swollen from playing yesterday, and these kinda hurt to do, but I figure I’ll just push through and ice it down. Step-ups, same box 135x3x6 lifetime leg curls 120x3x8, seated calves 3 platesx3x6 with three second pause on bottom and top positions.
Rode the bike for ten minutes after to get my knee a little blood flow. I’ve seen videos demonstrating the technique, but I’m still not sure I’m doing the box squat right. I feel like I’m rocking forward and kind of “hitching” before I come up. If anyone reading has any tips feel free to educate a brother. I’m off to grub on fajitas, ya’ll be good.
Tonight did Heavy upper with a twist: same exact warm-up and work weights as Monday [gonna push it this coming Monday, just wanted to experiment] and after, did nuetral grip Super incline push-ups off of db’s.
For Heavy upper days, I’m gonna do 2 or 3 near max sets of 3-5, then a really high rep push-up variant. Tonight I got 32,20 & 15. All were a rep or two shy of failure. Cable rows 180x4x10, db skull crusher30x12,35x10,40x8 x db hammer curls30x12,35x10,40x8 [superset].
On the RE upper days I’m gonna do some db presses in the 6-8 range. I’ll try this for 2 or 3 weeks and see how I like it. Tonight was awesome. If it’s not raining I’m gonna hit the track and run some ladders on Sat.Gotta get my legs and wind back. Ya’ll be good.
As I was walking in the gym tonight to put some shots up, T.J. Ford was walking out. I challenged him to a dunk contest and he laughed. He was pretty cool. He’s also ALOT taller than he’s listed. He’s listed at 5’11-ish, but he was at least 6’1". I’m a shade under 5’11" in shoes and he was a good 2-3" taller than me. I’ve seen/played with a few pro ball players and aside from most of 'em being pretty cool, they’re generally a bit shorter than listed.
Anthony Goldwire is the coolest, Shawn Kemp is pretty cool but full of shit [He said he had a 56" vertical in his prime. HAHAHAHAHAHA]and Bob Sura is cool. He also has one of the finest girls I’ve ever seen. That’s all I got.
Damn I need to goto your gym. Closest I’ve been to playing ball with a pro was… when I saw Caron Butler get out of his Bently and go into McDonalds so i still got a ways to go.
[quote]jdarkraget wrote:
Damn I need to goto your gym. Closest I’ve been to playing ball with a pro was… when I saw Caron Butler get out of his Bently and go into McDonalds so i still got a ways to go.[/quote]
This is at the 24 off of Voss and San Felipe. I’ve played with Donovan [sp?] McNabb there too. He was cool as shit. Now that I think about it, I’ve played with a few NBA and NFL players there. There’s also tons of pro’s and ex-pro’s that go to Fonde rec, but it’s been awhile since I’ve been there and I’m in no kind of shape to be runnin’ with those dudes right now.
I didn’t play with Bob Sura, I’ve just bullshitted with him a few times. He frequents a club an ex bartends at. He’s actually pretty cool.
Tonight’s ME upper. I’ll holler.
I’m gonna view my current training as “in-season” as I have two league games a week and am playing pick-up once or twice as well. With that, I’m gonna be in the weightroom 3 times a week to hold on to size/strength [increase if I can] for the next two or three months.
Total body, low rep nothing to failure stuff with some higher rep BB stuff if time allows.Mon- CG bench-135x10,185x5,225x3,245x5x1 this was fun. It was heavier than I thought it’d be, but smooth. Hang cleans off pins [right above knee] 185x5x3. This was smooth and easy like George Benson. Db rows 80’sx3x10, db curls 35’sx3x8, leg raises 3x15.
My motivation and energy have been way down as of late. I think I’ve been pushing too hard for too long, on top of having nagging injurys. Doing what I plan on doing should be just what I need to have fun and hopefully get stronger while progressing in other areas, namely speed and vertical.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
pretty cool, they’re generally a bit shorter than listed.
Shawn Kemp is pretty cool but full of shit [He said he had a 56" vertical in his prime. HAHAHAHAHAHA] [/quote]
Higher number…Shawn Kemp vertical in his prime or number of illegitimate child he fathered???
Sorry couldn’t resist. But man that guy could GET UP before he got lazy and fat.
[quote]The Bambino wrote:
WhiteFlash wrote:
pretty cool, they’re generally a bit shorter than listed.
Shawn Kemp is pretty cool but full of shit [He said he had a 56" vertical in his prime. HAHAHAHAHAHA]
Higher number…Shawn Kemp vertical in his prime or number of illegitimate child he fathered???
Sorry couldn’t resist. But man that guy could GET UP before he got lazy and fat.
[/quote]
Is it bad that I almost made the same joke??.. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could get close to a 40" off the run in his prime. When I played with him [two or so years ago] he was at least 320lbs, but still covered alot of ground QUICKLY and was raining 25 footers like they were free throws in an empty gym. The game some of these dudes have is truly astounding.
Yeah I guess he’s playing in Italy this year. Same league where Brandon Jennings signed. Anyway sorry to hijack your log.