Sunday, December 18, 2011

Two Thirds of a Half-Assed Bench Routine

Bench Press
10 reps @ 50 kgs
6 reps @ 80 kgs
5 reps @ 105 kgs
1 reps @ 120 kgs total FAIL
4 reps @ 110 kgs total FAIL

CGBP
1 reps @ 100 kgs total FAIL
8 reps @ 80 kgs
6 reps @ 80 kgs
8 reps @ 75 kgs
7 reps @ 70 kgs

DB Side Bends
left 15 reps @ 40.5 kgs
right 15 reps @ 40.5 kgs

left 15 reps @ 40.5 kgs
right 15 reps @ 40.5 kgs

I WAS Down on energy and power today, and it really showed. This is what I get for slacking through the week and then trying to squeeze it all into the weekend.


Terrible efforts on bench, and my right elbow was feeling iffy with the switch to close-grips. I thought it best not to do heavy rows as well.

Better than nothing.

Tomorrow night I squat. And later in the week, I will weigh 138 kgs or less.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

SMWA Events Training - Superset Special!

EVENT: Deadlifts superset with Yoke Walk
DL 10 reps @ 50 kgs
YW 50 feet @ 205 kgs
DL 8 reps @ 110 kgs
YW 10 feet*, 40 feet @ 225 kgs *sat the yoke too far back, and it just slipped off!
DL 5 reps @ 150 kgs
YW 5 feet @ 285 kgs

DL 3 reps @ 190 kgs
DL 2 reps @ 200 kgs

ASSISTANCE: Lat Pulls superset with Pull-ups
LP 10 reps @ 60 kgs
PU 3 reps @ BW
LP 10 reps @ 60 kgs
PU 3.5 reps @ BW

AFTER the 285 kg failure on the yoke walk I just picked it up and held it a couple of times for as long as I could while Dan and Dave assessed my form. I believe I just went too heavy too soon; once the yoke was swinging with my momentum, I just couldn't keep moving... it made my core collapse!

And no PRs on the deads today - super-setting them with the yoke was just an energy-sapping combo. I couldn't really max out on either one and ended up dividing my strength between them, and so working at about 75% potential.

It was a great session. Not sure I should be doing it every week though, this was really just an experimental approach I hoped would push my conditioning and also save some time. From that perspective it was a huge success.

Paleo FTW

My bodyweight dropped to 138.5 kgs / 305 lbs as of this morning. 


I officially hit 139 last Friday, but the office xmas party took it's toll (6 UDLs)... 


While I have not been recording my food intake as methodically as I used to, I am eating more methodically (and healthily) than I ever did. Through the day I subsist on 2 litres (approx 1/2 a gallon) of whole milk, a couple of handfuls of nuts and 1 or 2 pieces of fruit. And my evening meal is always the largest meal of the day, consisting mainly of meat.


This week I've been enjoying fatty BBQ lamb ribs, roast turkey and chicken curry, and Macdonald's and Hungry Jack's burgers for dinner, with frozen berries and whipped cream for dessert. 



And I'm still losing weight.


People who state you need 'healthy, high-fibre grains' in your diet to be healthy and happy are idiots, and unwitting stooges of Big Agriculture. They can't really be blamed, I suppose, as the authorities who advise on healthy eating (government agencies and supposedly unbiased independent bodies) advocate all the neolithic grains and cereals that aggravate the gut, are packed full of gluten and cause the insulin spikes which are making people retain fat in larger numbers than ever before.


We are eating gluten-rich wheat, starchy potato, refined sugars and other highly-processed carbohydrates in such quantities nowadays yet the medical industry - and society at large - seems oblivious to the real problem. Doctors are treating Celiac disease (gluten sensitivity), Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Indigestion and heartburn by:


1 suggesting other kinds of grains (or SOY!! another terrible thing to eat)
2 suggesting the avoidance of dairy (which also typically leads to advocating SOY replacements)
3 prescribing anything from ant-acids to the newer, more severe Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs), which stop all production of stomach acid. These meds are potentially very bad things, as they promote a bacterial imbalance in the gut. 


But all of this is missing the point; treating the symptoms and not the problem is almost deliberately counter-productive for the patient. Why aren't more doctors telling people to put down their bread rolls and french fries and noodles and fucking soy lattes?? 


IN OTHER NEWS
I've been slack with training this week, but had a pretty intense session today at SMWA. Details to come.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

SQUAT Monday

Squats
8 reps @ 30 kgs
6 reps @ 70 kgs
5 reps @ 110 kgs
5 reps @ 110 kgs
4 reps @ 130 kgs PR

Good Mornings
8 reps @ 50 kgs
8 reps @ 70 kgs
8 reps @ 90 kgs
7 reps @ 110 kgs

45 Degree Back Raises
3 sets x 10 reps @ BW +20 kgs

MADE some progress on the squat this week, but I'm never going to hit a 200 kilo 1RM this year! It's my weakest lift by far. Hopefully in another 6 months I'll have some more respectable numbers.

It's Tuesday night, and one of my trainees has left just from his session. My legs are good and sore, but this isn't the debilitating DOMS I remember from my early days of training... and nothing at all like the DOMS in my sternum I felt after my first 120 kg p/hand Farmer's Walk. That was amazing.

Dan's injury is healing as well as can be expected, and SMWA is open for business as usual, for everyone who can still train. Dan will be using the cambered bar to squat in a couple of weeks, which is good news. We all hope he is in prime condition for the events coming up early next year.

And I am trying to get myself in top condition for the Fitness Expo in Melbourne next March. I have entered the open division bench press comp. By then I intend to weigh significantly less and be benching significantly more! I weighed in at 139 kgs last Friday - the first time I've been under 140 for some years - and a sure sign my diet is working! No to mention, I've had no loss of strength thus far... milk is a miraculous food.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Strongman Style Training Template Draft 1

MONDAY 
- yet to be finalised, I will know from this coming Monday November 14th exactly how it will run... but for now you can be guaranteed it will involve a shit load of squats!

WEDNESDAY



FRIDAY




SATURDAY


Thursday, November 10, 2011

"Ultimate" Ryan Trains Solo

Tonight my assistance was needed by a mate south of the city, so Ryan trained by himself (and hit a great new bench PR with the missus spotting him) but I will have to make up for my missed session tomorrow.


Ryan is an excellent trainee, and soon I will post up some more info on him and his training... in fact now might be a good time to take some progress pics.


I will be focussing on OHP tomorrow, and deadlifts (and events training) on saturday. I will also be accommodating Jared on friday, who has recently healed up from surgery to repair a hernia and so is just using baby weights at present. He will be shaping into a project early in the new year, I expect

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Tuesday: Half a Training Session - Bench and Row

Bench Press
10 reps @ 50 kgs
6 reps @ 80 kgs
5 reps @ 100 kgs
3 reps @ 110 kgs / 242 lbs
3 reps @ 120 kgs / 265 lbs
2 reps @ 125 kgs / 275 lbs - Technical Personal Best (at home)

Kroc Rows
LEFT
10 reps @ 70 kgs / 154 lbs
6 reps @ 70 kgs
5 reps @ 70 kgs
RIGHT
8 reps @ 70 kgs
6 reps @ 70 kgs
4 reps @ 70 kgs

That was it. Was working around the fellas tonight, which wasn't a problem... I actually enjoyed the company. My numbers were all pretty good - and every set of Krocs was a Personal Best.

This was my previous best effort on Kroc rows.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4zQmFMseuE




On the subject of PBs, I need to put down my records as they presently stand. Might as well do it here.


AXLE CLEAN PRESS
105 kgs / 231 lbs


BENCH PRESS
135 kgs / 298 lbs *First Powerlifting meet, October 16th 2011


DEADLIFT
225 kgs / 496 lbs (Hexbar)
200 kgs / 441 lbs


FARMERS WALK
240 kgs / 530 lbs, for 50 feet



FRONT SQUAT
100 kgs / 220 lbs



LOG CLEAN-PRESS
105 kgs / 231 lbs


STANDING OHP
90 kgs / 198 lbs


TYRE FLIP
260 kgs / 573 lbs, for 100 feet

Monday, November 7, 2011

Saturday @ Strongman WA

Deadlifts
5 reps @ 60 kgs
5 reps @ 100 kgs
5 reps @ 140 kgs
2 reps @ 170 kgs
1 reps @ 200 kgs / 441 lbs
0 reps @ 210 kgs / 463 lbs - just couldn't get it more than a few inches off the floor. Next week for sure
1 reps @ 170 kgs
5 reps @ 140 kgs
5 reps @ 140 kgs

45 Degree Slant Board Body Raises
10 reps X 3 sets @ BW

Really enjoyed the concentration on deads today. One of the boys took a video of my new best lift (with a barbell) and I will be posting it up as soon as it becomes available.

I want to bench. I reckon I'll get some work done tomorrow night while Jared and Ryan are doing their routine. Hopefully my elbows will stay strong.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Friday - Too Much OHP Volume

Log CLean-Press
3 reps @ 70 kgs (154 lbs)
3 reps @ 90 kgs (198 lbs)
1 reps @ 90 kgs
3 reps @ 80 kgs (176 lbs)

Kroc Rows
left
5 reps @ 70 kgs
5 reps @ 70 kgs
5 reps @ 70 kgs
right
5 reps @ 70 kgs
5 reps @ 70 kgs
.5 reps @ 70 kgs

Close Grip Bench Press
10 reps @ 60 kgs
10 reps @ 70 kgs
10 reps @ 80 kgs
5 reps @ 90 kgs

I called an end to it here, as just moving around the plates was causing my elbows a lot of distress. The log work was sub-par, but I hit some Personal Records with the rows and CGBP (my numbers are shit coz I only started close grip benching very, very recently).

Today I experienced what it feels like to overtrain. I haven't done this for many years, and it took me by surprise because I didn't think I was doing all that much. I forgot to factor in that, as the weight goes up, the stress goes up too. I was push-pressing at least 90% of my maximum on Wednesday, and I hit a new PR with the log (105 kgs / 231 lbs) the day before. It was my one and only clean-press, just to see if I could... probably might have benefitted from a warmup set or two, in retrospect.

My elbows were painful and weak for hours after I cut training short tonight. I rubbed in some voltaren and took some nurofen plus, and it's not nearly so bad right now, but I am hoping I can focus on lower body work at SM training tomorrow. Maybe some power stairs, if the weather holds.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Thursday - Trainees AWOL

The guys didn't show tonight - I was not notified and can only assume (hope) they have decided on a schedule. One that didn't include tonight for some reason...
Not much to report for today, other than I weighed 2 kilos less on the scale this morning and everything at work is going great.
I must train tomorrow night, and then again saturday at SMWA.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Wednesday - Session Interrupted

Today at my new job I decided to take advantage of the gym facilities.

Push Press
5 reps @ 80 kgs
3 reps @ 90 kgs
3 reps @ 80 kgs

Bench Press
7 reps @ 100 kgs
4 reps @ 110 kgs
1 reps @ 120 kgs

Deadlifts
3 reps @ 160 kgs
3 reps @ 170 kgs

...and here is where I stopped.

It was lunch time, which is when employees like myself can use the gym as it doesn't conflict with any classes being conducted. But there were still 2 or 3 students workingout in front of the mirrors. I was minding my own business for the most part - one of the students asked me if I wanted a spot while benching, and some time later he and I also discussed oblique abs training and related shit.

But the minor drama occurred while I was deadlifting.

The same student saw me lifting the 170 and remarked "I could do that but my grip isn't strong enough". I suggested he look into static holds to improve grip strength. I find this generally goes down better than telling someone the grip for lifting heavy fucking weight comes from lifting heavy fucking weight... not that 170 kgs is at all heavy, but I digress.

It was at this moment that one of the PTs working there walked in the room. "Hey big fella, we don't have a lifting platform. Put it down gently."

Put it down gently. Has the guy ever even deadlifted before?

Since I couldn't continue going heavier I cut the session short and hit the shower. After lunch, I asked my boss about the possibility of getting us a weightlifting platform.

Put it down gently. Jezuz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxXnum6xV98
^Found this vid while looking for a platform supplier. Of course, there are none over here in WA. I will ask the SMWA crew this weekend, but a big fat interstate
freight bill seems inevitable... unless I build it myself.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

New Plans

TODAY was day 2 of my new job, and it also marked the first day I felt summer beating down on me. It's going to be a long, dry, hot one. I can tell.

I also trained my two regulars, Jared and Ryan, in the evening. But it wasn't a rigid session tonight - instead I took them both through a couple of new exercises (hexbar deadlifts and log clean-press) and talked to them about their training timetable and how it was going to have to change in order to fit around my own. Now that I'm working full time, I cannot train whenever I wish (at least, not at home... my work has a gym, but barely enough plates to challenge me) and I intend to keep Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights free for myself. Also, I am relinquishing the reigns here, as I really don't have the inclination to keep pushing them and reminding them to train instead of chat. If they want to train, then they will agree on times and help each other out. I have written them a new routine that will see them remain indoors when it's really hot in the coming months, and I will make sure they have refrigerated water available at all times... the rest is out of my hands now.

A NOTE ON DIET:
I am no longer recording what I eat each and every day as I don't have the time to waste on such a frivolous activity, and I am now regimented enough in my daily diet to not need reminding what to eat and when, and how much, etc etc. But I will give a basic outline here.

8-9 AM 1 litre of milk, often but not always mildly flavoured with nesquick or something similar
10-11 AM a couple of pieces of fruit, and maybe some more milk
12-1 PM Lunch will vary, but will always be high protein and will NOT be wrapped in bread. Dinner leftovers, cheese singles and ham slices, boiled eggs, etc etc
2-3 PM 1 litre of milk
5-6 PM Pre-workout most days, fruit or whatever I can find in the fridge
Training should start around 6 PM
8-9 PM Dinner, which is always a large amount of meat, and some vegetables

The important elements to my diet are what is NOT there:
No processed carbs, breads, cereals, grains, no white anything (rice, sugar, bread), a bare minimum of sweetener for my milk is the only aberration. And absolutely NO alcohol.