Becoming an Athlete

Wow!  5 sets per session.  Daily (except for days off) increase of 1 rep.  So far I have met all my numbers with ease and can tell I'm working above the previous day's capacity, but below my maximum recoverable workload.  What that means is long-term improvement.  The simplicity is genius.  You need to add this to any back work you are currently doing, or make it your sole back work. http://www.strongfirst.com/the-fighter-pullup-program-revisited/

Today was arms / conditioning day.  Since the weather was crummy, I decided to squat before I started my workout.  :) Agile-8 + back bridges Warm-up complex (all exercises for right arm, then all exercises for left arm): a. Turkish get-ups:  45 x 3 b. 1-arm dumbbell snatch:  45 x 3 c. Windmill:  45 x 3 d. 1-arm swing: 45 x 6 Front squat: 135x10; 155x10; 185x5; 205x5; 225x5 Back squat: 225x5; 245x5; 275x5; 295x5; 315x1,1,1 Pullups:  BW x 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 1-arm preacher dumbbell curl: 27.5x6/6; 35x1/1; 30x6/6; 40x1/1; 32.5x6/6; 45x1/1; 35x6/6 EZ-bar reverse preacher curl:  50 x 8,8,8,8 Incline dumbbell curl drop-set:  25x8 - 20x10 - 15x3

AM:  2 mile walk/jog PM: Strength work Agile-8 + back bridges Warm-up complex a. bent row:  45 x 10 b. Straight-leg deadlift: 45 x 10 c. Jump shrug: 45 x 10 d. High pull: 45 x 10 e. Clean: 45 x 10 f. Thruster: 45 x 10 Clean grip high pull: 145 x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 a. Pullup: 5, 5, 4, 3, 2 b. 1-arm db OHP:  45 x 12, 12, 12, 12 TRX fly/row combo:  2 sets of a few Bent row:  135x8 - 115x3 - 95x6 Bench press:  195x8 - 175x8 - 155x8

What a great weekend.  I met up with the local group of Highland Games throwers and practices for 3 hours on Saturday.  My knee held up fine, so now its time to focus on form and technique while I continue to get faster and more explosive. On Sunday I ran more sprints at the park.  I feel huge improvement in the strength of my feet, shins, and calves, and my cardio efficiency is climbing steadily.  Later that day I took my son to the skatepark.  I also took my 80lb kettlebell and played with snatches, 1-arm swings, presses, and hand-to-hand swings.  My lower back feels great.  :)

So that's the basic layout for the next 16 weeks: wks 1-3; 5-7; 9-11, 13-15 Monday:  whole body Tuesday: run and arms Wednesday:  sprints Thursday: whole body Friday: run and arms wks, 4, 8, 12, 16 Monday: MetCon Tuesday: light jog Wednesday: MetCon Thursday: light jog Friday: MetCon Today was run and arms: Noon:   2 mile walk/jog.  I'm running in New Balance Minimus trail shoes, so it'll be a while before my feet and shins are ready for serious mileage Evening lifting: alternating Turkish get-ups:  worked up to a few with a 45lb dumbbell.  No kettlebells at my gym.  :( Agile-8 + back bridges Pullups:  BW x 5, 4, 4, 3, 2 Close grip bench press*:  135x6; 185x1; 155x6; 195x1; 165x6; 225x1; 185x6 Dips:  BW x 8,8,8,8 skull crushers drop-set**:  85x5 - 75x8 - 65x10 a. barbell forearm flexion:  25 x 20, 20, 15 b. barbell forearm extension: 25 x 25, 25, 20

I am so pleased with this current phase of training.  I have found a great balance of volume & intensity; explosiveness & hypertrophy.  I am always a little sore, but not smashed.  I have enough in the tank throughout the week to do my conditioning, practice Highland Games, or just goof around with my kids.  I'm judiciously using tri-sets, and combined drop-set Rest-Pause sets to insure the intensity is high while the volume is low. Agile-8 + back bridges Warm-up complex a. bent row:  45 x 8 b. straight leg deadlift:  45 x 8 c. Jump shrug:  45 x 8 d. High pull:  45 x 8 e. Clean:  45 x 8 f. Thruster:  45 x 8 Snatch grip high pull:  115 x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 a. Pullups:   BW x 5, 4, 3, 3, 2 b. Pushups: BW x 18, 15, 12, 9, 6  Wide grip seated row:  75 x 12, 12, 12, 12, 12 Shoulder tri-set a. front raise:  10s x 10 b. seated lateral raise:  10s x 10 c. prone raise:  10s x 10 Overhead press*: ...

Man it feels to good to be on a track again.  I started this blog when I was competing in jiujitsu and MMA.  Back then it was bodyweight work, ultra-basic barbell work, and tons of time at the track.  I lived next door to a high school track and it was amazing.  I got in some of the best workouts of my life.  Well I'm through the first winter in my new house as a single man, and I live within walking distance of a very VERY large park, Old Settler's in Round Rock.  I made full use of the fields today. 1/2 mile walk to the park Loose skips:  4 x 40yds A skips:    4 x 40 yards Plyo skips:  4 x 40yds Walking football kicks:  2 x 40 yds 100yd accelerations* on 5-10 degree incline x 5 20 yd steep hill sprints x 5 1/2 mile walk to my house *Accelerations: I'm not ready for full tilt sprints yet.  An acceleration is exactly as it sounds.  you start slow and build speed gradually so you are at top speed by the fini...

I jogged 1 mile in the afternoon.  I know that isn't much, but I only had a pair of Vans, so it started hurting my feet, shins, and calves at a half mile.  After my evening session at the gym, I went and bought a pair of running shoes, and ran another 1.5 miles Tuesday night.  So the day looked like this: Noon: 1 mile jog Evening: Dumbbell warm-up complex: a. Turkish get-up: 40 x 3/3, 3/3 b. 1-leg deadlift:  40 x 5/5, 5/5 c. 1-arm snatch: 40 x 5/5, 5/5 d. Windmill:  40 x 5/5, 5/5 Agile-8 + back bridges Pullups:  BW x 5,4,3,2,2 1-arm db preacher curl:  25x6/6; 30x1/1; 27.5x6/6; 35x1/1; 30x6/6; 40x1/1; 32.5x6/6 EZ-bar reverse grip preacher curl:  45x8,8,8,8 Incline db curl drop-set: 30s x 8 - 20s x 5* - 10s x 12 a. barbell forearm extension:  25 x 15,15,15 b. barbell forearm flexion: 25 x 20, 15, 20 Dynamic side plank:  10,10,10 plank:  20sec, 20sec Night: 1.5 mile jog

I got 3 hours of sleep going into Monday morning, so my Monday evening workout was off.  The plan is solid, and I can't wait to hit it again next Monday. 3 minutes on treadmill Agile-8 and back bridges (I feel great, BTW!!!!) Warm-up complex a. Bent row: 45 x 6 b. Straight leg deadlift: 45 x 6 c. Jump shrug: 45 x 6 d. High pull: 45 x 6 e. Hang clean: 45 x 6 f. Thruster: 45 x 6 Hang clean: 115 x 3; 135 x 3, 3, 3, 3 Push / Pull superset a. Pullup:  BW x 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 b. 1-arm db press:  40 x 12, 12, 12, 12, 12 a. TRX row / prone fly combo:  BW x 5+5; 7+7 b. 1-arm t-bar row:  25 x 8, 6 bent row:  did not do bench press:  did not do front squat: did not do leg press: did not do

I'm following this plan for the next 30 days: http://www.t-nation.com/training/how-i-finally-got-muscle-to-grow Tuesday was day 2.  My right pec is still recovering, so I went light on every exercise and just focused on stretching.  I feel it today, Thursday.

Agile-8 + back bridges Oly complex: a. snatch grip RDL:  95 x 3, 3, 3 b. snatch grip power shrug: 95 x 3, 3, 3 c. snatch grip high pull: 95 x 3, 3, 3 d. muscle snatch: 95 x 3, 3, 3 deadlift: 185x10; 205x6; 215x6; 225x4; 245x4; 275x3; 295x3; 315x1; 335x1; 365x1, 1 seated leg curl:  110x8, 8, 8, 8, 8 barbell lunge:  80 x 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 lying leg curl: 95 x 10, 10, 10, 10 flat back boodmorning:  95 x 10, 10, 10, 10

Since I am taking a deload week (maybe 2), I decided to just focus on technique and conditioning.  Oh man!!!  Systemic shock. Agile-8 and back bridges Warm-up complex: a. bent row:  45x10 b. RDL: 45x10 c. Jump shrug: 45x10 d. High pull: 45x10 e. Muscle snatch: 45x10 f. Snatch balance: 45x10 Muscle snatch:  95 x 3, 3, 3, 3 High pull: 95 x 3, 3, 3, 3 Power shrug: 95 x 3, 3, 3, 3 Full snatch from ground: 95 x 1, 1, 1, 1 Conditioning work:  3 rounds of a. 1 min run @ 6mph / 5degree incline b. EZ-bar curl: 60lb x 5 c. EZ-bar overhead extension: 60lb x 5 I wanted to get more conditioning work but my feet were cramping bad. I was tired enough anyway.

Dammit!!!!!  Damn damn dammit!!  I am getting stronger at a rate faster than I can support.  I hit 225 x 5, 5, 5 on bench press today, and my right pec feels tweaked.  It isn't torn; just strained.  I tried a few pushups to see how it felt, and yeah - my body wants a couple of deload weeks.  Time to start running and jumping.  Thankfully the winter weather is finally letting up, so it'll be a great chance to get out in the sun and get some color. I have been slamming my shakes, taking my fish oils, and eating regularly and clean 5 days a week, with weekend crap.  Nice to see that even at 38 I can still outpace myself. I'll still do some Olympic lifting and lots of core work, but everything else is going to be bodyweight / conditioning focused.

Day 1 of the next phase of training.  This phase will be characterized by more of the same, but with a slight dose of Oly supplemental lifts to build my proficiency with snatches and cleans. recumbent bike:  1 mile in 3:00 minutes Agile-8 + back bridges Snatch grip power complex a. RDL:  95 x 3, 3, 3 b. Power shrug: 95 x 3, 3, 3 c. High pull: 95 x 3, 3, 3 d. Muscle snatch: 95 x 3, 3, 3 Front squat: 95x5;115x5;135x5; 155x5; 185x5, 5, 5 Back squat: 155 x 20 (skipped 2nd and 3rd sets because lower back was spent) Unilateral leg press:  180 x 10/10, 10/10, 10/10 Unilateral leg extension:  80 x 8/8, 8/8, 8/8 Abduction: 110 x 12, 12, 12 calves machine was busted

One of the better throwers in our area hosted an Olympic lifting clinic.  He and a former Olympic weightlifter who represented Samoa in the 2000 games taught us for 4 hours.  It was fantastic.  Even though we never used more than 95 pounds, My traps and calves were a little sore on Sunday.  I'm incorporating some simple progressions into my daily training as of today.  It'll be some months before I start building my daily sessions entirely around the snatch or clean.