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*: 105x13 - 85x3 - 65x7 Deadlift:  205 x 10, 10, 10, 10 Leg press*: 270x23 - 180x20 -

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 finish line.  This gives your hams time to get used to the st

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.