Becoming an Athlete

10 rounds of level 0 intervals:  3 mins walk / 30 sec run.

A lot has been written on how to get stronger, from the very basic to the incomprehensibly complex.  There are a handful of coaches / authors and their methods that I've turned to time and time again.  I don't need to read 95% of the books or articles out there, but I do anyway, and it just confirms that these few coaches have cut through the crap and left what is productive.  It's the Bruce Lee approach to building strength -  Adopt what is useful.  Reject what is useless.  Below is a stripped-to-the-essentials summary of the authors, in no particular order, who have influenced how I train. Jim Wendler :  5/3/1 template Jim's 5/3/1 e-book is well worth the $20.  It will clarify what is most important in getting stronger: basic compound movements Find your TRUE 1 rep max, and start light, lighter than your ego is comfortable with make progress every session for as long as you can don't overthink it I don't follow his training templates a...

I got sloppy and ended up taking 2 weeks off of training.  This week I am punishing myself with solid conditioning work all week.  I'll write a follow-up explaining what complexes and combinations are, but for, now just know that I'm up-ing the conditioning side of my workout and will get back to my strength template after I feel I am sufficiently re-educated on the benefits of consistent hard work. Jump rope:  4 x 2min / 1 min Reverse cable woodchop:  100 x 5/5, 5/5, 5/5 - did these explosively, as Highland Games are approaching.  Should help with stone put and hammer throw Conditioning work (using 2-3-5 ladders) a. Clean:            115 x 2-3-5, 2-3-5, 2-3-5 b. Front Squat:  115 x 2-3-5, 2-3-5, 2-3-5 c. Push Press:    115 x 2-3-5, 2-3-5, 2-3-5 d. Neutral grip pullup: BW x 2-3-5, 2-3-5, 2-3-1 e. Burpees:  x 5-5-5, 5-5-5, 5-5-5 Deadlift:  225 x 5; 275 x 7; 315 x 1; 365 x 1; 405 x 1 ...

I've been shooting my longbow for about 9 months.  It is an old Byron Ferguson "Hunter".  At my 30.5 inch draw length, it pulls 64lbs.  My dad got this for himself when I was 15 or 16, and he gave it to me in my 20s. I hadn't shot much since high school, but started shooting again after my hernia, just for something to do since I couldn't train for or compete in Highland Games. My dad was always a compound bow hunter, and longbow was just for dinking around.  I have to say, compound never enthralled me the way traditional shooting does.  I hated messing with my sights, the tension in my arrow rest, and all the other mechanical gizmos you had to fiddle with to shoot well. So I got a new string for my longbow, bare-shaft tuned some new arrows, and am shooting like never before.  Like I said before, I'm a reader, so I also got a couple of books to become a better shooter and to know my arm-gaurd from a hole in the ground.  :) This is a great b...

Swimming: I'm a reader.  I love to read everything I can to get better at whatever I enjoy.  I got my wife a book on swimming, but she didn't take to it right away, so I dove in (pun?) and read it.  Total Immersion Swimming is an incredible book and has taken me from an already strong swimmer to a fantastic swimmer.  I covered 20 laps in about half the time, and half the effort.  Climbing: I wasn't really climbing.  I did some handy-man work for my mother.  She bought a chandelier and filled it with solar powered lights instead of candles.  I hung it from a large tree in her back yard.  She wanted the ability to raise and lower it, so I ran a cable through a series of eye-bolts up the tree to the top branch, and anchored a small plastic boat cleat to the trunk to secure the cable.  The eye-bolts work great as cable guides, but getting them up set was a challenge. I climbed up and down that tree carrying my drill, the cable, and a...

Another great day!  I skipped bicep/tricep work, but was rewarded with some more PRs! Jump rope:  4 x 2min /1min (calves were tired.  will stay here for a few weeks till it's easy) Russian twist:  15 x 10/10, 10/10 Bench press:  190 x 5; 200 x 5; 210 x 10 (another post-op PR!!!) Bent row: 150 x 5; 165 x 5; 180 x 6 (all-time PR!) Vertical superset: a. upright row: 75 x 10, 10, 10, 10 b. v-grip pulldown: 115 x 10, 10, 10, 10 Squat:  (warm-up: 45x5; 135x5; 185x5; 225x3) work sets: 235 x 5; 255 x 5; 275 x 10 (another post-op PR!) Pistols:  1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3 less than before, but squats really took it out of me today.

Subtle changes are working wonders!!!  The weights I use on arms are pathetic, but that is after all my push / pull work, so it is entirely expected. AND my elbows feel better this way. jump rope:  4 x 2min / 30 sec.  4th round was tough! weighted overhead situp:  20 x 10, 10 pullup:  bw x 5; +10 x 5; +20 x 5; +25 x 5 (Personal Record!) overhead press:  135 x 5; 145 x 5; 155 x 5 (another PR!) horizontal push / pull: a. 1-arm row: 70 x 10/10, 10/10, 10/10 b. pushup:  bw x 14, 12, 12 bicep triset: a. zottman curl:  15 x 10/10 b. concentration curl: 15 x 10 c. cross-body hammer curl:  15 x 10 skipped tricep work deadlift:  (warm-up: 135 x 10; 185 x 5; 225 x 5) work sets: 275 x 5; 315 x 5; 335 x 7 (post-hernia op PR!) T-bell swings:  73 x 15, 10, 15, 10

I took Friday off for a number of real reasons and got a whole lot of life handled.  I don't feel the least bit guilty as I took care of my family and my finances that day.  Lifting can wait.  :) On to Monday's results: treadmill:  0.64 miles in 10 mins; 3.5 degree incline Reverse woodchopper:  70 x 10/10, 10/10 (very explosive) Arm strength (lighter weight to give my elbows a chance to catch up) a. barbell curl:  70 x 10, 10, 10 b. skull crusher:  70 x 10, 10, 10 Horizontal strength: a. Bent row:  155 x 5; 165 x 5; 175 x 7 b. bench press: 185 x 5; 195 x 5; 205 x 7 Vertical endurance: a. v-grip (neutral) pulldown: 100 x 10, 10, 10, 10 (super easy) b. upright row:  65 x 10, 10, 10, 10 (not so easy) Front squat: (warm-up 45x5, 95x5, 135x5, 185x5) 195 x 5; 205 x 5; 215 x 9 skipped pistols due to time constraints.

Well, I've hit my wall.  Time to take a couple steps back in order to make a few dozen steps forward.  My vertical pushing and pulling strength is stalling out.  I'm going to make the following changes to revitalize my progress. On vertical pull endurance work, I'm going to start using pull-downs to get lighter weight and higher volume.  I'm also going to switch my vertical pull endurance work to upright rows.  This should be enough variety that I don't stagnate one overhead press strength days, with a nice side-benefit of building some nice traps.  :) On vertical push / pull strength days, I'm going to do my bicep and tricep work AFTER the overhead presses and pullups. All else is still making steady progress.  Today's results: Treadmill:  0.65 miles in mins at 3.5 degree incline leg raise off bench:  20, 20, 20 Bicep superset: a. alternating dumbbell curl:  30s x 10, 10 b. EZ-bar curl: 75 x 6, 6 Tricep superset: a. rope grip...

Today was nice.  My wife had a couple ours free this evening, so we went swimming together.  I swam 25 laps.  I'm have no illusions of becoming Michael Phelps, but I love the workout and how good my joints feel afterwards.