Becoming an Athlete

I finished the full week, but I'm only going to dig up Day 1 to describe how it address the 4 pillars (Stability, Mobility, Endurance, Strength): Monday 23 JAN 2017 Side/Front/Side plank: 2 x 20sec/20sec/20sec Stability.  Front planks are easy for me, Left side is really hard.  Right is OK.  Progressing to 3 straight minutes (60/60/60sec) will be a massive improvement in stability and endurance Parallel bar pike (aka leg raises) 3 x 10reps Doing these from parallel bars requires so much more total body stability that with your back supported against something.  This is incredibly difficult 1-arm dumbbell snatch: 60# x 3 x 2reps per arm Mobility and Strength.  Next week I'll hit 3x3ea arm, then 3x4ea on wk3.  After that, I move to 70#. Dumbbell snatches require a ton of stability and mobility Bench press: 185# x 4 x 6reps; 155x12,10,10 (will stick with 155# till I hit a total of 50  reps in 3 sets. This is  called the 3-50 method) Incline ...

I can't say this is an all-encompassing model of health, wellness, or even fitness, but it is a great model for healthy and efficient athletic movement: Stability Mobility Endurance Strength Stability is the foundation on which you build the rest.  if your core can't be tight and strong, injuries will manifest in bizarre ways. Knees, ankles, lower back, hip flexors, shoulders, you name it.  You need a solid platform to support heavy loads without injury. Mobility serves the same purpose, but also allows for efficient movement without wasted effort or over-reliance on some joints to make up for immobility in others. Endurance is pretty damn clear. Without it, you're just a 3-rep Hercules who can't hike a mountain or run a few miles.  Plenty has been written about the various forms of endurance.  I'm not going to rehash anything. Same for strength.  We all know there are various ways to express strength and innumerable ways to train for it. Ge...

My finger is still broken and still in a plastic cast, but I'm starting to use my grip again, with an outstretched middle finger.  I have to be honest, I really like curls now, because it looks like I'm flipping off myself in the mirror, or passersby. Now that I can hold a barbell again, I'm on an undulating periodization for the forseeable future for the big lifts: squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press.  Accessory work will change every 3 weeks So current phase for 2017 looks like this: Monday: 1. bench press: wk1-4x6 wk2-4x4 wk3-4,3,2,1 2. bench press: 3-50 method 3. incline dumbbell press: 1 dropset of 12-10-8-max 4. Hammer Strength row: wk1-4x6 wk2-4x4 wk3-4,3,2,1 5. Hammer Strength row: 3-50 method 6. Wide grip cable row: 1 dropset of 12-10-8-max 7. Squat: wk1-4x6 wk2-4x4 wk3-4,3,2,1 8. Squat: 3-50 method 9. Leg extension: 1 dropset of 12-10-8-max Tuesday: 1. Turkish getup: 5mins 2. Windmill: 5 mins 3. Parallel bar pikes: 5 x max (add reps ev...

I always said that a person's perspective is what sets them apart.  Champions from participants. Warriors from ordinary.  Whatever comparison you want to use, really.  Its not about what cards you are dealt.  Its how you play them.... I'm no champion and I'm no warrior, but I strive to always press forward toward my goal, even when I have setbacks.  This time it is a broken finger, and this time the setback has been pretty freaking awesome. I broke my finger on Thanksgiving morning playing flag football.  At first  I was aggravated that I'd likely miss 8 weeks of training. After taking a weekend to let the swelling and pain subside, I went online and bought some hook grips.  As long as I keep my hands open and disengage my finger flexion, I can do whatever I want.  The wrist straps have their limits, but this is proving to be a great boost to my mass phase. I can't deadlift because these straps won't support that much weight.  Pull...

I've never invented any original training concepts. I've never been or coached a world champion. I have no degrees or certifications to impress anyone with. All I have is a  passion to push myself to be the most exceptional that I'm capable of becoming, and a passion to learn the best route to achieve same. Right now I have a broken finger, but I have purchased a pair of wrist strap hooks that will enable my to keep rowing while my finger heals.  I'll also have to use machines for all my pressing, but that is still better than not making progress. The thing is, I'm still making more rapid gains in size, strength, and work capacity than at any other point in my life, and I'm about to turn 41.  I can only imagine if I'd run a few volume accumulation phases when I was in my 20s and 30s. It all goes back to Charles Poliquin and his popularization of the 10 Sets method, which he dubbed German Volume Training.  Before Mr. Poliquin's article in the 90s, V...

This is the fastest I have ever built muscle and strength. And I'm doing at almost 41 years old, with a recently torn left bicep.  I have eliminated ego from my training and am taking a rational, simple, but extremely difficult path to increasing my training volume. My training partner and I are lifting 4 days per week.  Two days are the real result producing days. This is our Volume Accumulation program: Using the same weight for weeks 1  - 3 Week 1: Tuesday:     Deadlift & Dips: 10 x 5 Friday:       Deadlift & Dips: 10 x 6 Week 2: Tuesday:     Deadlift & Dips: 10 x 7 Friday:       Deadlift & Dips: 10 x 8 Week 3: Tuesday:     Deadlift & Dips: 10 x 9 Friday:       Deadlift & Dips: 10 x 10 Week 4: M,W,F: playing with heavy loads, low volume on bench press, overhead press, squat, cleans, rows Week 5 - 7 Add +40lbs to deadlift and repeat Add +25lbs to dip...

I've been rehabbing my torn bicep for a solid 3 week now.   I still can't do any pullups or heavy rows, but my strength in the left bicep is slowly returning as the tear continues to heal. I trained for a solid 2 hours on Sunday and noticed a small divot at the base of my bicep right where it meets the tendon. The good news is the swelling is finally down enough, and my ability to engage my bicep (flex) is finally high enough that I can see the tear. It looks a little weird, but oh well.  I'll eventually be stronger than I was before the tear.  I just have to keep adding reps, then slowly adding weight.   Nothing magical about the process. But that brings me to my point for today.  I've done some stupid shit in my life and have a litany of injuries that my friends can't wrap their heads around.  I'm not a pro athlete, and I'd argue I'm not much of a real athlete in general.  I'm closing in on 41 and I can tell you, I don't have a stash of tro...