Lunchtime:
LifeFitness Treadmill: 3 rounds of 1.5 minutes at 7.7 MPH and 1.5 minutes at 3.8 MPH, at a 1.5 incline. This was definitely tougher: at this speed, 30 extra seconds was long.
Evening:
Incline Bench Press: 75x3, 95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 155x3, 175x2. Not my best bench day, but there's next time.
Assisted Pullups (Monster Mini/Light Band): 5 sets of 5
Close Grip Triceps Death (2, 3, 4, 5 Board Progression): 2 sets with 125 lbs. Basically, 15 reps with the 2-Board, quickly continue to failure with the 3-Board, then keep failing up all the way up to the 5-board.
Superset:
DB Rows (Elbows In): 45x10x4
Band Pullaparts w/Monster Mini: 4 sets to failure (4 sets of 5)
Trap Bar Shrugs: Worked my way up to a 204 triple.
DB Curls: 25x8x4
Monday, November 26, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
ME Lower Body
Lunchtime:
LifeFitness Treadmill: 3 rounds of 1 minute at 7.7 MPH and 2 minutes at 3.8 MPH, at a 1.5 incline.
Evening:
Arched Back Good Morning: 95x5, 120x5, 145x5, 170x5, 195x5, 205x5
22" Step Ups: 4 sets of 10
Cybex Leg Curls: 115x5x5
Ab Circuit (4 sets): Plank, Lying Leg Thrusts, Woodchopper (Downward), Situps, Woodchopper (Upward), 45-degree Hyper.
That was Friday. Next day was spent playing basketball and walking around with 54 lbs for a few laps.
LifeFitness Treadmill: 3 rounds of 1 minute at 7.7 MPH and 2 minutes at 3.8 MPH, at a 1.5 incline.
Evening:
Arched Back Good Morning: 95x5, 120x5, 145x5, 170x5, 195x5, 205x5
22" Step Ups: 4 sets of 10
Cybex Leg Curls: 115x5x5
Ab Circuit (4 sets): Plank, Lying Leg Thrusts, Woodchopper (Downward), Situps, Woodchopper (Upward), 45-degree Hyper.
That was Friday. Next day was spent playing basketball and walking around with 54 lbs for a few laps.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
The New Cardio
I took my son to the gym for two hours so that we can practice basketball. For me, this is a great way to work out without the monotony. I get to run, jump, move laterally, change direction a lot, everything. What I also did today was that every 15 minutes, I jumped rope for 1.5 minutes at a good clip. Then I grabbed two weighted bars like the ones they use for aerobics and walked around for 5 laps around the court holding them behind my back, in front, and overhead: I used a 30 lbs and a 24 lbs bar, for a total of 54 lbs. Then I put down the bars and ran around the court for 3 laps as fast as I could stand. I did 5 of those.
The bars didn't feel heavy, per se. But walking around at a brisk pace with the extra weight really taxed my breathing, and the runs just finished me off. Makes me wonder how much better off I would feel at a much lighter weight. I'll be doing these on my off days when I'm in the gym, maybe even on the track.
I had my son run with a Jump Stretch green ("average")band around his waist, both forward and backward, to improve his running speed and push off. Basically he ran for dear life while I trailed behind him at a much slower rate of speed. He loved that so much (hard as it was) he wanted to see me do it. I thought what's one more killer thing (you should have seen his face turn beet red). Problem was, he couldn't hold me back or the band for long, so I got smacked across the back real good when the band snapped right into me. He wants to try this with the sled, so expect to see me doing those real soon, too.
The bars didn't feel heavy, per se. But walking around at a brisk pace with the extra weight really taxed my breathing, and the runs just finished me off. Makes me wonder how much better off I would feel at a much lighter weight. I'll be doing these on my off days when I'm in the gym, maybe even on the track.
I had my son run with a Jump Stretch green ("average")band around his waist, both forward and backward, to improve his running speed and push off. Basically he ran for dear life while I trailed behind him at a much slower rate of speed. He loved that so much (hard as it was) he wanted to see me do it. I thought what's one more killer thing (you should have seen his face turn beet red). Problem was, he couldn't hold me back or the band for long, so I got smacked across the back real good when the band snapped right into me. He wants to try this with the sled, so expect to see me doing those real soon, too.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
RE Upper Body
Lunchtime:
LifeFitness Elliptical: Hill profile at level 7 for 30 minutes.
Evening:
Incline Close Grip Pushup (Feet Raised 12"): Failure at 9, 8, 7 reps.
Superset:
Hoist Neutral Grip Chinup (Bwt 240 lbs): 80x12x2, 80x10x2
T-Bar Rows: 80x12x2, 80x10x2
DB Lateral Raises: 10x10x4
Superset:
DB Shrugs: 55x10x3
Hammer Curls: 25x10x3
Wrist Roller: 3 sets of 3
5-Board Press: 145x3, 170x3, 195x3, 220x3.
LifeFitness Elliptical: Hill profile at level 7 for 30 minutes.
Evening:
Incline Close Grip Pushup (Feet Raised 12"): Failure at 9, 8, 7 reps.
Superset:
Hoist Neutral Grip Chinup (Bwt 240 lbs): 80x12x2, 80x10x2
T-Bar Rows: 80x12x2, 80x10x2
DB Lateral Raises: 10x10x4
Superset:
DB Shrugs: 55x10x3
Hammer Curls: 25x10x3
Wrist Roller: 3 sets of 3
5-Board Press: 145x3, 170x3, 195x3, 220x3.
Monday, November 19, 2007
RE/DE Lower Body
Lunchtime:
Treadmill: 3 3-minute rounds of 1 minute at 7.7 MPH and 2 minutes at 3.8 MPH.
Evening:
14" SSB Box Squats: 75x5, 105x5, 135x5, 165x5, 195x5, 225x5, 255x1. I was going to stop at 225 but just had to know how close was the formula to actual 1RM. The predicted max (Brzycki) was 253 and I got 255.
16" Lateral Step Ups: BWTx10x3
Sumo DL: 175x1x10. Strictly speed work.
GHR: 31 reps in 4 sets (10, 10, 6, 5 reps)
DB Side Raises: 35x10x4
Treadmill: 3 3-minute rounds of 1 minute at 7.7 MPH and 2 minutes at 3.8 MPH.
Evening:
14" SSB Box Squats: 75x5, 105x5, 135x5, 165x5, 195x5, 225x5, 255x1. I was going to stop at 225 but just had to know how close was the formula to actual 1RM. The predicted max (Brzycki) was 253 and I got 255.
16" Lateral Step Ups: BWTx10x3
Sumo DL: 175x1x10. Strictly speed work.
GHR: 31 reps in 4 sets (10, 10, 6, 5 reps)
DB Side Raises: 35x10x4
Saturday, November 17, 2007
The Best Laid Plans
Lest anyone think that I have been lazy, It's been quite the few weeks.
I got my synthesizer back repaired after a long time of not using it and I've been messing around with a program made by Steinberg called Sequel (A loop based music program that can also record MIDI and instrument sounds). I feel like a music hobbyist again.
The biggest thing for me right now is that I am being recalled to the Middle East next year for a while. This alters some plans. About a month of that is to be spent in South Carolina training Army style which means a lot of running and moving around with an extra 50-60 lbs of gear. I've been messing around with the Westside for Skinny Bastards 3 program, Afterburn for fat loss (I'm at 236 lbs right now, so I've dropped some weight from the last PRT) but now, aside from March's Virtual Meet and PRT 3 weks later, I have to prepare my body for that, too (a lot of people come back from the Middle East with shoulder or knee problems because of the added weight of bulletproof gear, weapons, and other flotsam). Lastly, I have to get things in order so my family has little to worry about while I'm gone - - - my to-do list is being drafted.
But since this is a training blog, not a life blog, let's talk training. I love this template and plan to keep it but since I've changed a few things in it, I'll just blog the workout with no name for the template. The Elite Beginners Manual and WS4SB3 are so similar that I've been using a bit of both, essentially bastardizing them.
The first thing to go will be any sort of speed days. I feel that I've done speed work for so long but my squat and bench should be bigger than it is. I think I've gotten as fast as I could get at my existing level of strength that more speed won't make me stronger. So I will be doing more repetition work on those days.
Second, I feel like my squat should be a lot bigger than it is and even with a big deadlift, my back got humbled with 340 at the bottom. So I'm putting more effort into GMs and front squats and sled work. The repetition days for squats will be done exclusively with 14-inch SSB Squats with a different rep scheme each week, some high and some low. I will do speed work for deadlift, like the Elite manual, but using the sumo, which is my weakest deadlift. Historically, 14" has been best for my overall squats - - - thus the choice.
In the bench, and in particular my shoulders, I'll keep a 3 weeks bench variation/3 weeks shoulder press rotation. The past few weeks, I've been using a DB shoulder press/assisted pullup superset along with some trap work and incline benching on rep days and my shoulders have gotten thicker and been pain free. I will also be using pushup variations on rep days.
As for the fat loss, I'm going to keep NROL's Afterburn setup but will use running instead. I had planned on that 5 days a week using an elliptical AND running in the evenings but I could see where that was headed. I'll just start gradually. If I'm in shape, running at at my usual pace wouldn't be my biggest worry, it's when I start turning to my lactic acid system. I found that a 1.5 incline, and 7.6 MPH speed was a good beginning challenge for me, as was dropping the rest period and increasing the running period each week. On days where I don't run, I'll probably do the elliptical for 30 minutes or go for a long walk. I'll also keep using the heavy bag and jump rope for any other GPP work.
As for milestones or goals, we'll see:)
I got my synthesizer back repaired after a long time of not using it and I've been messing around with a program made by Steinberg called Sequel (A loop based music program that can also record MIDI and instrument sounds). I feel like a music hobbyist again.
The biggest thing for me right now is that I am being recalled to the Middle East next year for a while. This alters some plans. About a month of that is to be spent in South Carolina training Army style which means a lot of running and moving around with an extra 50-60 lbs of gear. I've been messing around with the Westside for Skinny Bastards 3 program, Afterburn for fat loss (I'm at 236 lbs right now, so I've dropped some weight from the last PRT) but now, aside from March's Virtual Meet and PRT 3 weks later, I have to prepare my body for that, too (a lot of people come back from the Middle East with shoulder or knee problems because of the added weight of bulletproof gear, weapons, and other flotsam). Lastly, I have to get things in order so my family has little to worry about while I'm gone - - - my to-do list is being drafted.
But since this is a training blog, not a life blog, let's talk training. I love this template and plan to keep it but since I've changed a few things in it, I'll just blog the workout with no name for the template. The Elite Beginners Manual and WS4SB3 are so similar that I've been using a bit of both, essentially bastardizing them.
The first thing to go will be any sort of speed days. I feel that I've done speed work for so long but my squat and bench should be bigger than it is. I think I've gotten as fast as I could get at my existing level of strength that more speed won't make me stronger. So I will be doing more repetition work on those days.
Second, I feel like my squat should be a lot bigger than it is and even with a big deadlift, my back got humbled with 340 at the bottom. So I'm putting more effort into GMs and front squats and sled work. The repetition days for squats will be done exclusively with 14-inch SSB Squats with a different rep scheme each week, some high and some low. I will do speed work for deadlift, like the Elite manual, but using the sumo, which is my weakest deadlift. Historically, 14" has been best for my overall squats - - - thus the choice.
In the bench, and in particular my shoulders, I'll keep a 3 weeks bench variation/3 weeks shoulder press rotation. The past few weeks, I've been using a DB shoulder press/assisted pullup superset along with some trap work and incline benching on rep days and my shoulders have gotten thicker and been pain free. I will also be using pushup variations on rep days.
As for the fat loss, I'm going to keep NROL's Afterburn setup but will use running instead. I had planned on that 5 days a week using an elliptical AND running in the evenings but I could see where that was headed. I'll just start gradually. If I'm in shape, running at at my usual pace wouldn't be my biggest worry, it's when I start turning to my lactic acid system. I found that a 1.5 incline, and 7.6 MPH speed was a good beginning challenge for me, as was dropping the rest period and increasing the running period each week. On days where I don't run, I'll probably do the elliptical for 30 minutes or go for a long walk. I'll also keep using the heavy bag and jump rope for any other GPP work.
As for milestones or goals, we'll see:)
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