Thought that yet another form of tracking my routine was a good idea... Background So I've been lifting for just over a year now, before that just doing the junk you might do in an old school martial arts school, lots of push and sit-ups mainly. I started with something strongly resembling SS, which worked quite well with my lifts. After a while on the same, I made a few modifications to it and squeezed out a bit more progress until about a month ago when I scrapped the old and brought in a slightly mixed periodization program that alternates volume and intensity. It worked well, but I've made some modifications to make it work a bit smoother after I found some days ridiculously hard and some ridiculously easy. And that's where we are now. In terms of martial arts I've been practicing Taekwondo for 13 years now. I've also just started playing soccer again after a 6 year hiatus, before which I played for about 4 years. Goals The main goal at the moment is to get ridiculously strong, specifically my 1RMs in the Squat, Bench and Deadlift and to enter a Powerlifting meet when money and time allows. I'd really like to achieve a high total before I leave the junior division (end of next year). Not much of my training is martial arts specific, although it all helps. The main contribution seems to be any mobility work I'm accumulating. I'd like to start adding more into the program. After my programming settles down a bit, I'm hoping to incorporate some sprint repeat work, with the main idea being to support my soccer. So, let's get into the swing of things with the past couple days.
Monday 01/07/2013 Upper B Bodyweight - 87kg Pull Up - Intensity 1 x 3 x 22.5kg 2 x 2 x 25kg 3 x 1 x 30kg (Straps) Bench Press - Intensity 1 x 3 x 107.5kg 2 x 2 x 110kg 3 x 1 x 115kg Bent Over Row - Volume 4 x 5 x 82.5kg 1 x 9 x 82.5kg (Straps) Press - Volume 4 x 5 x 66kg 1 x 6 x 66kg Dips 2 x 5 x 27.5kg 1 x 8 x 27.5kg
Tuesday 02/07/2013 Squaterday Bodyweight - 86.9kg Squats 1 x 3 x 110kg 2 x 2 x 115kg 2 x 1 x 120kg 1 x 3 x 120kg 2 x 15 x 65kg (lol) High Step Ups (Hip Crease) 2 x 12 x 10kg each Smith Calf Raises 1 x 12 x 130kg 1 x 12 x 130kg 1 x 5 x 120kg (Drop) 1 x 5 x 100kg (Drop)
Wednesday 03/07/2013 Upper A Bodyweight - 86.5kg Bent Over Row - Intensity 1 x 3 x 92.5kg 2 x 2 x 95kg 2 x 1 x 100kg 1 x 2 x 100kg (Straps) Press - Intensity 1 x 3 x 73.5kg 2 x 2 x 76kg 2 x 1 x 81kg 1 x 3 x 81kg Push Press 1 x 3 x 81kg 2 x 2 x 81kg Pull Up - Volume Too lazy to put on the correct weight (18.75) so will repeat next time. 5 x 5 x 20kg Bench Press - Volume Was aiming for 5x5 (comparing last weeks 5x5x102.5kg) but this was bound to happen sooner or later as my 5s were sneaking closer to my triples. 100kg next time with a bit of speed behind them. 1 x 4 x 105kg 4 x 3 x 105kg One Arm DB Rows 1 x 15 x 47.5kg (each) (Straps) 1 x 14 x 47.5kg (each) (Straps)
Thursday 04/07/2013 Backsnaps No heavy deadlifts today, because my knee was all funky junky, also skipped hamstring curls . Bodyweight - 86.6kg Deadlifts 2 x 12 x 110kg (7 DO/5 MG) Pause Squats 3 x 3 x 90kg x 5 sec It ended up being more like 4 sec on the third... need a training partner to keep me honest.
Friday 05/07/2013 Upper B Bodyweight - 86.6kg Bench Press - Intensity 1 x 3 x 110kg 2 x 2 x 112.5kg 3 x 1 x 117.5kg - The first 2 were smooth sailing, but the third took a few fails before I got my back tight and smashed it out. Pull Up - Intensity 1 x 3 x 23.75kg 2 x 2 x 26.25kg 1 x 1 x 31.25kg 2 x 1 x 31.25kg (Straps) I think something funky happened to my shoulder on one of these pulls as I start feeling next... Press - Volume 5 x 5 x 67.5kg Slow, uneven and my shoulder started feeling way out of sorts. Did some face pulls after and it made my shoulder feel much better. Note to self: do more face pulls as an upper warm-up. Bent Over Row - Volume 4 x 5 x 85kg 1 x 7 x 85kg (Straps) Dips 2 x 5 x 30kg 1 x 7 x 30kg
Saturday - 06/07/2013 Clings and Catch-Up Backsnaps Bodyweight - 86.5kg Cleans Still honing my technique, relatively new addition to my programming. 5 x 3 x 62.5kg With a few power cleans added on top by accident. Deadlifts 1 x 3 x 160kg (Straps) 2 x 2 x 165kg (Straps) 3 x 1 x 170kg (Straps) Front Squats Keeping it light. 5 x 3 x 77.5kg Smith Calf Raises 1 x 10 x 140kg 1 x 8 x 140kg
Monday 08/07/2013 Upper A Bodyweight - 86.5kg Bent Over Row - Intensity I forgot what I was meant to put on, so a touch high for the triple and doubles... 1 x 3 x 97.5kg 2 x 2 x 100kg 2 x 1 x 102.5kg 1 x 2 x 102.5kg (Straps) Press - Intensity 1 x 3 x 75kg 2 x 2 x 77.5kg 3 x 1 x 82.5kg Pull Up - Volume 5 x 5 x 20kg Bench Press - Volume Still a bit sluggish. 5 x 5 x 100kg One Arm DB Rows 1 x 15 x 47.5kg (each) (Straps) 1 x 14 x 47.5kg (each) (Straps)
Tuesday 09/07/2013 Squaterday Bodyweight - 86.8kg Squats 1 x 3 x 112.5kg 2 x 2 x 117.5kg 3 x 1 x 122.5kg 2 x 15 x 70kg (still lol) High Step Ups (Hip Crease) 2 x 12 x 12kg each Smith Calf Raises 1 x 12 x 140kg 1 x 9 x 140kg 1 x 6 x 100kg (Drop) 1 x 12 x BW (Drop)
Wednesday 10/07/2013 Upper B - AKA American Squats and Cliffhangers Bodyweight - 86.7kg Bench Press - Intensity 1 x 3 x 112.5kg 1 x 2 x 115kg - plus plenty of singles and a halfs... 1 x 1 x 120kg - Got one, and that was it, no more tightness, no more drive, was looking for 2 extra singles. Next week is deload and focus on bar speed, bar speed, bar speed. Pull Up - Intensity 1 x 3 x 25kg 2 x 2 x 27.5kg 3 x 1 x 32.5kg Press - Volume 4 x 5 x 68.5kg 1 x 6 x 68.5kg Why is all my pressing so slow?! Bent Over Row - Volume 5 x 5 x 87.5kg Dips 2 x 5 x 32.5kg 1 x 7 x 32.5kg No complaints here, just baby weights... Chin Ups 1 x 14 1 x 13 1 x 12
Thursday 11/07/2013 Just-Pick-It-Ups Just about touching the limits of under-recovery on this one. About four hours sleep, stiff as, and couldn't catch my breath or stop aching on the walk home. Bodyweight - 87.9kg (hahfat) Deadlifts All the warm-ups were double overhand deficit pulls (~3cm). Up to 150. 1 x 3 x 162.5kg (Straps) 2 x 2 x 167.5kg (Straps) - These were a total grind on the second rep for each, and I didn't think I'd get the singles up. 2 x 1 x 172.5kg (Straps) - Rolled my glutes to death between each pull and really focused on a huge breath and staying tight. 1 x 2 x 172.5kg (Straps) - As above, I got tight enough that these were smoother than my earlier doubles. Really pleased. Was going to switch out the speed pulls on Sat for some band work, but with the smoothness of those singles coupled with recovery issues, I'm going to keep on with the speed pulls at least for another week to practice the Suck, Pull, Hump technique . Don't fix what ain't broke, in other words. Deficit Deadlifts 1 x 15 x 110kg @ ~3cm (7 DO/2 MG/6 Straps) 1 x 12 x 115kg @ ~3cm (2 DO/10 Straps) Thought I was meant to do 15 reps per set, grip was already sucking in the first set (time to find room for farmer's walks again!), really disappointed in the second set to only hit twelve, went to record it and I'd just hit my target of twelve in the second, and accidentally did 3 extra in the first... I'm a smart one. Hip Extension Hamstring Curl Tried a new set-up with my heels under the loaded barbell, with plates as stoppers to stop it rolling. Worked very nicely. 1 x 7 x 10kg 1 x 9 x 10kg 1 x 7 x 10kg Holy right under my glute cramps! Pause Squats 3 x 3 x 92.5kg x 5 sec Smith Calf Raises 1 x 12 x 140kg 1 x 9 x 140kg 1 x 4 x 120kg (Drop) 1 x 5 x 100kg (Drop) Should have just hit 2 x 11/10. So tired!
Friday 12/07/2013 Upper A AKA Atlas and Anti Bench Bodyweight - 86.9kg Bent Over Row - Intensity 1 x 3 x 97.5kg (Straps) 2 x 2 x 100kg (Straps) 3 x 1 x 105kg (Straps) Getting weaker off the floor, thinking about some assistance... Snatch Grip? Or is that the wrong way around? Press - Intensity 1 x 3 x 76kg 2 x 2 x 78.5kg 2 x 1 x 83.5kg 1 x 2 x 83.5kg Boom! Pull Up - Volume 4 x 5 x 21.25kg 1 x 5 x 21.25kg 1 x 1 x 21.25kg (Chin Up) (Drop) 1 x 2 x 0 (Drop) 1 x 1 x 0 (Chin Up) (Drop) Really trying to eke out some extra effort here. Bench Press - Volume Feeling faster 4 x 5 x 102.5kg 1 x 6 x 102.5kg One Arm DB Rows 1 x 17 x 47.5kg (each) (Straps)
Saturday - 13/07/2013 No clean day Today marks a not so subtle reminder of some of the best advice I've received: "Listen to your own damn advice!" People who have a little bit of experience under their belt tend to hand out advice, that advice is usually pretty damn good advice. When the people they give it to follow it, good things tend to happen. But for some reason, these same people seem to think they are the exception to their rules... This particular nugget I give out to all my injured clients, athletes and students goes something like this: "Major injuries tend to happen when you stress minor injuries, and minor injuries don't go away when you first stop feeling them, they just hide." So of course when I felt a tiny niggle of an injury a couple of weeks ago after my step ups, I eased off for maybe a total of one workout, rather than a sensible couple of weeks, and then on Wednesday during Taekwondo training when it flared up again, giving me more grief than it had to start with; I just shook it off. And when I was asked to spar some of the new black belt grading applicants, I, of course, said yes. That major injury thing won't happen to me... Very last round of the day, would've been my 10th or so, and the applicant's 12th consecutive 30 second bout. SNAP CITY! Now I can't bend my knee. -- From how it feels now, I reckon I've got about 3-7 days off the leg for anything resembling load, and 4-6 weeks before my lower body is doing anything like my previous form. And that's if I'm lucky with it. So what's the takeaway? "Listen to your own damn advice!" In case you missed it: "Listen to your own damn advice!" You've probably got some solid nuggets of genius you spread around to other people. Take advantage of that wisdom.
Oops. Sorry to hear about your woes. And I wish you a speedy recovery. I like reading your log. I also like the formatting! Listen to your own damn advice? Sorry...I'll get me coat...:Angel:
Thanks, SoKKlab. Your log is awesome, love the musings. And damn strong! I'm sure there are some other bits of advice I routinely ignore too. Whoops. How about you? Any advice you like to give that you just ignore?
Monday 15/07/2013 Push B Bodyweight - 85.4kg So, because of my non functioning knee, I'm taking this opportunity to have every day be upper body day! So I'm doing a more of a push/pull split. Without the squats and deads, obviously. The challenge is that I don't want to put too much load on the knee, or have the possibility of me trying to adjust quickly under a load, so all the standing options of exercises are out. This is a really good opportunity for me to explore a few different options for my pushing and pulling, and see what works for me. I guess there's a silver lining to every cloud. Bench Press - Intensity No leg drive. 1 x 3 x 105kg 2 x 2 x 110kg 3 x 1 x 112.5kg Was actually better than I had hoped, apparently leg drive is worth about 5kg at this point, I did feel a little less tight, but it was much easier to bench to my chest without it getting a lot harder. Bench from Pins (Touching the Chest) I've actually been trying to find room for this to get my pressing off my chest strong and fast, so this was a great opportunity. 2 x 8 x 80kg Wow, my triceps! These felt great, I reckon there will be a huge carryover to my bench. I also want to try a bit of a wider grip on these, but I bench in quite close, so it may be a waste. Savickas Press - Volume If you haven't heard of this odd press, it's just sitting down in the power rack, without any back support, and doing your overhead press. 5 x 5 x 60kg This was actually really hard, especially trying to get into position under the bar, without toppling over when I picked it up. I tried 65kg, and almost fell backwards. I also really felt it in my back more than usual trying to keep the weight steady at the top of the lift. I really like this lift, and it may stick around after the knee is better, as I feel most people's (mine included) weakness with the press is the core and back, more so than their prime movers. Dips 3 x 5 x 35kg These stayed the same, as I don't need legs for them! But loading the belt was a bit of a hassle. Tricep Rope Push-Downs Ooh, I get to play with the arm isolations! Weights were a range finder today, gonna aim for 12 before I up the weight. 1 x 10 x 50kg 1 x 9 x 50kg
Thank you. I have so many pieces of my own advice that I've previously ignored...I could write a book called 'My Wrongs and Other Disasters'... Most of the reason I write a log is so I can pay some attention to my own blatherings...And therefore save myself from 'self-compression'. I mean how many ties do you have to say to yourself 'Go up through the gears smoothly'. 'Pay attention to every rep' etc...And still Good Luck
Tuesday 16/07/2013 Pull B Pull Up - Intensity 1 x 3 x 23.75kg 2 x 2 x 28.75kg 1 x 1 x 33.75kg No issues here. Cable Rows 2 x 5 x 75kg 1 x 7 x 75kg Single Arm Cable Rows 2 x 11 x 35kg Chin-Ups 14 14 12 Not much to say about today, just pretty tired overall. I want to add some lever work next time.
Wednesday 17/07/2013 Push A Bodyweight - 84.7kg So, because of my non functioning knee, I'm taking this opportunity to have every day be upper body day! So I'm doing a more of a push/pull split. Without the squats and deads, obviously. The challenge is that I don't want to put too much load on the knee, or have the possibility of me trying to adjust quickly under a load, so all the standing options of exercises are out. This is a really good opportunity for me to explore a few different options for my pushing and pulling, and see what works for me. I guess there's a silver lining to every cloud. Savickas Press - Intensity 1 x 3 x 65kg 2 x 2 x 67.5kg 3 x 1 x 72.5kg Bit easier now that I'm used to it, but unracking the top weights was still a bit difficult. Bench - Volume 4 x 5 x 100kg 1 x 6 x 100kg Getting tight and no legs wasn't as much of an issue at this weight. Dips 2 x 5 x 37.5kg 1 x 7 x 37.5kg Tricep Rope Push-Downs 2 x 12 x 50kg I wanna press the entire stack!
