Creation of an Explosive Mofo - My Training Journal :)

[coolcolj]

Tuesday 26th July - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 1 - Day 2 AM - Energy Work - Microcycle 3

Ok session, really windy. Ran at the nearby Rugby field, will do so from now on. Much more consistant surface and with proper markings.
Feet and lower legs were a little achey during the warmups, but fine during the work sets. I overdid it at BBall on Sunday...

Workout Rating - 8/10
Workout time - 30 mins

Warmup

warmup - dynamic stretches and swings, foot massage, various hops in place in bare feet at home.

Slow Jog - 50m x 4 - walk back = rest

Run complex increasing in speed each run to 50% speed - 1 mins rest

3 sets - trying to stay as smooth, relaxed and fluid as possible
50m straight run, then into lateral run, right side 5m, left side 5m, into backwards run 5m

then 40m accleration runs to 50% speed x 2 runs - walk back to start = rest


Tempo Runs + Energy Work

200 metres - 180 degree turn at halfway @ 50-60% speed - from proper standing start

rest = 2 mins

3 runs - all around 55secs

First run was easy, 2nd harder in the last third, and on the 3rd, the entire 2nd half was killer!
Seeing as I reduced the rest time from 3 to 2 mins, not too bad at all. Although the distance is a little less than before.
Work capacity and conditioning is improving. Something I noticed on Sunday at BBall, I was able to string together more jumps and moves in a row without gassing out as much as before.

 

[coolcolj]

Tuessday 26th July - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 1 - Day 2 PM - Upper + Lower - Microcycle 3

Trying a new setup, just major compound moves today. The plan is to do my prehab and accessory stuff later in the week. I think I can actually regain my strength and get stronger like this as I lean down, we will see I guess

Good workout. I was not as tired as I usually am with energy work done earlier in the day. Granted I was in no mood to do explosive squats, but had no problems cranking out some heavy squats and they did not feel to bad at all.
And upper body work felt fine after the heavy squats. In fact the squats helped warm up my upper body nicely. Still had plenty of energy for em as well.

Bodyweight at gym - 214.5lbs with top on
Workout time - 1 hour 20mins
Workout rating - 8/10

General warmup -
1) dynamic swings etc
2) back extension BWx6 + 6 twisting to each alternate side
3) situp complex on swissball
4) Hip abduction/adduction on Keiser air machine - Level 2/2 x10, level 4/5 x 10
5) warmup complex with 30lb bar - RDL onto toes with shrug, military press, explosive good morning onto toes, snatch grip behind the neck partial press, hang powercleans - 10 reps each, except cleans 5 reps
6) BW calf raises x 10
7) Lat machine situps - explosive BW 2x5 - done inbetween warmup sets of squats


Full Oly Back Squats - in Oly Shoes - RAW

Warmups - semi explosive - BWx10, Bar x8, 95x5, 135x5, 185x5, 225x5

controlled - resting 3-4 mins
275x3, 315x1, 335x1

305lbs 2x4 --> near failure on 2nd set

Was a bit wobbly walking out, but not too bad at all, after all the running this morning. Didn't feel too heavy on my back unlike in previous workouts. Interesting....


Rotating Sets between each upper body exercise

Resting 1 min on warmup sets and then 3 mins between each exercise

14 inch Grip bench - shoulder blades tucked - no leg drive

Warmups - controlled down, explode up - Bar x10, 95lbs x 8, 135x7, 165x5, 195x5, 225x3,

controlled down, explode up
Rotation 1) 255lbs x 1
Rotation 2) 215lbs x 4
Rotation 3) 215lbs x 4
Rotation 4) 215lbs x 4

255lbs did not feel all that hard at all, went up quickly, hmmm haven't lost as much strength as I thought...
215lbs was too light! Powered it up on all reps. Should have used 225lbs


Bent over Barbell Rows - Index fingers on smooth - Strict

warmups - explode up, controlled down - 45lbs x10, 89x10, 109x8, 129x7, 155x5, 185x3,

explode up, controlled down
Rotation 1) 205lbs x 1
Rotation 2) 180lbs x 4
Rotation 3) 180lbs x 4
Rotation 4) 180lbs x 4 ---> near failure

180lbs was pretty hard.


Side of neck and trap stretches

10 sec stretches for each type and side between each set of the other exercises


Cooldown and stretches

whole body static stretches at home after a hot shower

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Clip from today

Right click on clip and save to avoid errors

Full olySquats - 305lbs 2x4, looks a lot easier than they felt - don't know why though
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/coolcolj2/Movies/CCJ_FullOlySquat305_2x4_26July05.mpg

 

[coolcolj]

8hours of sleep total, but man do I look tired comapred to when I get 9-10...
Still feel achey all over. The small jump I did this morning felt a bit stiff, a lot of tension/resistance in the muscles. Felt a bit clumsy, but explosive.

Gonna do some light energy work and prehab/restorative stuff in the gym

 

[coolcolj]

Energy Work - Thursday 28th July - Morning

Warmup

warmup - dynamic stretches and swings, foot massage, various hops in place in bare feet at home.


Straight Leg Sprints in place with arm swing
on balls of feet - going at comfortable relaxed rate - barefoot on 2 layers of carpet

30secs x 6 - with 1 min 45sec rest

Feeling much stronger in my feet since I last did these. Last 5 secs of each set are a killer though, form was getting sloppy on 6th set.
Killer pump in my tibs!

 

[d-dub]

Keep posting the updates ccj. Its good motivation even if I cant always respond.
It sounds like you are leaning up nicely without losing strength. Slow is good.

 

[coolcolj]

Thursday 28th July - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 1 - Day 3 PM - Upper + Lower 2 - Microcycle 3

Excellent workout. A bit of an experiment for me. While I was a bit sore and stiff, I felt much better after this workout. Nothing felt too hard except the Military presses, but they always feel hard to me no matter heavy or light.

Bodyweight at gym - 215lbs with top on - lots of food and water in me
Workout time - 1 hour 20mins
Workout rating - 9/10

General warmup -
1) dynamic swings etc
2) back extension BWx6 + 6 twisting to each alternate side
3) Seated calf raise stretched ISO hold - right ankle only - 10lbs 1min x 4
done inbetween the warmup sets of upper body work. My right ankle ROM is quite poor vs the left side. I can get my left knee 6 inches in front of my toes, whereas the right side, only 2inches and then it starts to hurt...time to fix it once and for all!
4) Scapular pushups - on bench BWx12, on floor BWx12

Rotating Sets between each upper body exercise

Resting 1 min on warmup sets and then 1 min 40secs between each exercise

Military Press - in Oly Shoes

Warmups - 30lbs x10, 45x10, 70x10, 95x5, 115x5

rhythmic
Rotation 1) 115lbs x 10 - with split leg stance, swapped legs at halfway
Rotation 2) 115lbs x 8 - normal stance

115lbs was a bit too heavy, stopped at 8 on the 2nd set, didn't want to strain too much. Tried a split leg staggered stance and it sure makes everything a lot more stable!


High Angle Standing DumbellRows to ribcage - thumbs facing

warmups - 20lbs x 10

rhythmic
Rotation 1) 35lbs x 10
Rotation 2) 35lbs x 10

sorta like bent over upright row, using mid/lower traps and delts to pull the weight up.

Low angle Dumbell decline Tricep Extensions - palms facing

warmups - 2kg x 10, 15lbs x 10, 20lbs x 10

rhythmic
Rotation 1) 25lbs x 10
Rotation 2) 25lbs x 10

Standing Dumbell Curls

warmups - 2kg x 10, 15lbs x 10, 20lbs x 8

rhythmic
Rotation 1) 22lbs x 10
Rotation 2) 22lbs x 10


Prehab - rotated sets between each exercise in no particular order

Toe curls on lying leg curl machine - 1plate x 10, 2Px10, 3Plate 2x10
haven't done these in a few weeks yet I'm a bit stronger. I guess running and jumping does strength my tibs. When I started doing these 1 plate was hard for a set of 8, and I had shin splints when running and jumping. Now I way stronger on em and no shin splints

Hip abduction/adduction on Keiser air machine - Level 2/2 x10, level 5/6 2x10

Wide mulit-direction lunge - 5 ways each leg, 3 reps each direction
getting easy, time to add weight

Medium stance lateral steup on a 12inch box - 12 reps each leg

Dip Shrugs - bench dip style BWx15. On dip bars - lockout hold BWx12secs, BWx5, BWx20, BWx15 - failed

Single Arm low pulley L-Flyes - 10lb x 6, 15lbs 2x12


ISO Stretches - EQI

subscap stretched ISO hold - 6kg dumbell x 1min
lie on bench face up, dumbells held in top of cuban raise position, and let the dumbells pull the arms back. Nice pec stretch! Pecs were a bit sore but felt good during these, weight about right. This move goes a long way to prevent shoulder impingment and rounded shoulder posture

side of neck/trap stretched ISO hold - 25lb dumbell x 1min
dumbell held in one arm, bend head to the opposite side with other arm forcing it down. Stretches the delts a bit too.

 

[coolcolj]

8hours of sleep total, but man do I look tired comapred to when I get 9-10...
Still feel achey all over. The small jump I did this morning felt a bit stiff, a lot of tension/resistance in the muscles. Felt a bit clumsy, but explosive.

Gonna do some light energy work and prehab/restorative stuff in the gym

only in my lower body though

 

[BiggT]

Great looking squat video. Although you said they were tough, they looked like a million dollars, very fast.

One question: When you say "explosive squats", do you mean jump squats or do you mean squats done fast for speed, or squats done slow down and fast up, or none of the above?, lol

 

[coolcolj]

Great looking squat video. Although you said they were tough, they looked like a million dollars, very fast.

One question: When you say "explosive squats", do you mean jump squats or do you mean squats done fast for speed, or squats done slow down and fast up, or none of the above?, lol

Thanks, but not as fast as when I'm really pushing em, I was just going at a regular speed for me

They are just regular squats - pushed up as hard and fast as I can. But can be lowered fast, dive bombed or under control, depending on my goal and mood on the day. I will usually describe how I do em.

 

[coolcolj]

Achey all over, especially my abs and serratus from military presses and dip shrugs. Need to lay off the adductor work, they are getting too big...major inner thigh bulge and thigh rubbing....!

Might go for a short walk today, with the girlfriend, nice bit of active recovery