Creation of an Explosive Mofo - My Training Journal :)

[coolcolj]

dry swollen lips, been pushing myself pretty hard, will have to deload and change training pretty soon.
pecs, front delts and upper back sore as a bitch. Triceps and biceps less sore.

weighed 93.8kg 206.36lbs straight out of bed in underwear

usual light active recovery work, 25min walk and easy stretching planned for today

 

[coolcolj]

Thursday 13th July - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 3 - Day 3 Tempo Sprints/Energy Work/Movement efficiency etc - Microcycle 9

After a 3 week break from running, I felt my shins have recovered so I decided to get back into it. Keep things easy and the volume low.

Workout Rating - 8/10
Workout time - 45 mins

Warmup

warmup - 20sec ISO holds - quarter squat, on toes, on heels (toes pulled up), hip back wide stance squat at parallel, on side of feet (for ankles), narrow fullsquat at bottom on toes.

dynamic stretches and swings, rocking on side of ankle, standing on one leg with eyes shut, various hops in place in bare feet at home. Massaged foot arch. Did a few barefoot runs - normal, side to side, backward.

Slow Jog - 50m x 5 - 1 mins rest, getting faster each run, mostly flat footed dorsiflexion runs using mostly my feet and ankles

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
25m prime times (stiffed legged runs), 10m straight run, then into lateral run, right side 5m, left side 5m, into backwards run 5m


Tempo Runs + Energy Work

56 metres @ 70% speed - from a rocking standing start

rest = walk back to start - 1min
6 runs

felt pretty good, shins didn't act up. I experimented with different running styles - my usually on balls of feet, on forefoot, and flatfooted with dorsiflexion. The first put a lot more stress on my lower legs and I can feel my lower hams ache, 2nd one felt similar but less stress on shin area and the last one had no ham ache, minimal stress on the shins but felt my glutes fire more. Which one to use? and which is faster that is the question....?

also noticed I'm starting to dig and crunch my toes downwards when I walk and run - habit and strength there is starting to form from me doing this on my weekly walks

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went for a 12min walk after

then did lots of stretches for lower and upper body.

worked up to some shoulder dislocates with a wooden staff which was a bitch with my sore and stiff pecs, but I think it helps em to not tighten up as they recover.
Did a few overheadsquats, getting there, but I will need to do dislocates andvthese more often, as my pecs and shoudlers are still way too tight.

 

[coolcolj]

Good to see my waking pulse back under 60 again. Chest and front delts still freaking sore as hell!! Lower body not feeling to bad, slightly achey.

weighed 94kg 206.8lbs straight out of bed in underwear

 

[coolcolj]

Crap sleep, keep waking up
Pecs and front delts still really sore!! Legs and hips feel pretty good.

weighed 94.2kg 207.24lbs straight out of bed in underwear
carb loading today

I'm going to rearrange things again, going to move my lower body day on Monday onto today. Seeing as my legs feel pretty good I assume they have recovered even if my volume and intensity has been ramping up. Although I am slightly tired out from my part time job on Sat mornings, and the crap sleep from the early start, I figure having all my high intensity days on the same day will free up more rest days etc
All the other days will move up as well.

 

[coolcolj]

Saturday 15th July - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 3 - Day 4 - Lower Strength - Microcycle 9

I figured it's time I did some max effort work and peaked my leg strength out.
Sightly wiped out from my part time job this morning, but a few meals and a nap before had me feeling ok, was even humming tunes on the way to the gym

Turned out into a nice workout, but I left my camera at home!! So no vids, which I really wished I had some now for future reference!
Also the hyper bench was getting new pads so I couldn't use that for my back extension and rev hyper warmups

Body weight at gym - 212+lbs in winter clothing
Workout time - 2 hours
Workout rating - 9/10

General warmup -

20sec ISO holds - quarter squat, on toes, on heels (toes pulled up), hip back wide stance squat at parallel, on side of feet (for ankles), narrow full squat at bottom on toes

1) dynamic stretches and swings, rocking on side of ankle etc
2) situp complex on swissball
3) hammie stretch into back tumbles x 8
4) various hops
6) bar complex with 30lbs - 5 reps each - slow hang clean pull onto toes, military press, explosive GM onto toes, snatch grip press, hang power clean, power jerk


Full Squats - high bar, medium stance - Oly Shoes - no Belt

rest - 1 to 2mins on earlier warmups, 3 min on heavier sets

warmups - in sneakers, alternating sets with front squats and backsquats up to 225lbs - frontsquats - 95x5, 135x4, 185x3

back squats BWx8, BARx8, 95x5, 135x5, 185x5
oly shoes - 225x4, 255x3, 285x2

Rest - earlier sets 4.5 mins, 6 mins on laser ones
Waveloaded - Controlled down, driven up hard
1) 315lbs x 2
2) 350lbs x 1
3) 335lbs x 2
4) 370lbs x 1
5) 355lbs x 2
6) 390lbs x MISS --> stuck at sticking point
7) 385lbs x 1 --> Smoked!! Matches all time PR at a lighter bodyweight
8) 395lbs x MISS --> buried

Early sets of the waveload didn't feel good, felt cold and heavy, but by the time I hit the money sets, I was jacked up and ready to rock. I guess that's the beauty of waveloading.

Things were going well, then I tried 390lbs and got stuck at the sticking point, felt my strength die out after pushing for 2 secs. Rested 6 mins and then tried 385lbs and absolutely blasted it up in less than 2 secs, zero strain, whole rep probably took no more than 3.5secs if that! How does that work? Just 5lbs less than 390lbs...although my form was a bit different, stance slightly narrower and I didn't bottom out like I tend to do, I kept tight and as soon as I reached the bottom I slammed it up. Better stretch reflex I guess.
Form was perfect, controlled down, no bounce and rock solid and upright on the way up. All my sets were like that pretty much, no GM'ing at all, guess the frontsquats I did in the warmups did the trick.
385 matches my all time PR, but I was 219lbs back then and it was ugly as hell, lots of GM'ing and a long strain.

Another 6 mins of rest, tried 395lbs the same way I did 385, and got buried!
I can't even strain at all, pure hit and miss, seems like I can only strain for 2 secs tops. Funny, because I was straining my reps real well lately for multiple gut busting sets near failure. I guess it maybe time for ISO work, but then again I don't need to be able strain for my power/explosive training goals.
Man I can almost taste 405lbs, but even now I don't think I can hit 385 consistently, everything needs to be perfect judging by today.
I think it would be funny if I can powerclean 265 or more before I hit 405lbs on the fullsquat....

Core was rock solid today, especially when walking out. I've only ever had 395lbs on my back twice in my life so far too
Didn't feel too tired during the workout, especially my hammies, but now they are smoked, and my abs too.


Single Leg Seated Calf Raise Machine

warmups - no plates for a few holds and slow reps

45 secs rest between each side
10secs hold, then a hold at top, middle and bottom
1) 30lbs x 5 (+5lbs)
2) 30lbs x 5

set times are about 55secs, pretty long...

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static stretches for lower body

 

[coolcolj]

Woo, over 10 hours of sleep
Mild drained feeling, not as much as I expected. Slightly achey all over.
Calves, VMO, abs and upper hammies moderately sore. Still I'm nowhere near as sore as I have been.
Heh pecs and frontdelts still a bit sore, they should be ok by tommorow.

weighed 94.2kg 207.24lbs straight out of bed in underwear

active recovery - swings and stuff, 6 inch steup into calfraise x 16 each leg, scapular wall slides 2x5
25 min walk. easy stretching for whole body after

 

[super_rice]

Good job on the squats yesterday. Whether or not you are perfectly tight in the hole makes all the different in the world, as you experienced with the 385! Good job , and you'll have 400 soon - perhaps in sub-200lbs bwt?

 

[coolcolj]

Good job on the squats yesterday. Whether or not you are perfectly tight in the hole makes all the different in the world, as you experienced with the 385! Good job , and you'll have 400 soon - perhaps in sub-200lbs bwt?

thanks, but I am really rate dominant right now, no strain ability, I'm just relying on pure peak power to get me past the sticking point. Not a surprise with the way I'm training right now with all the jumping and running, but you would think the heavy sets of squats would balance that out. But I am naturally speed dominant though

yeah hopefully under 200lbs, 185-190 would be ideal right now, don't think 180 would be realistic, since I've added some muscle.


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talk about a bad night of sleep! Went to bed late, then dog decided to go postal...turned out some loud bang freaked him out and he tired to scratch a wooden board to get into the veranda, which woke me up, then he managed to worm his way into the side of the yard, but couldn't get back out, so he starting freaking out and barking...and another dog decided joined in....grrr

pecs and front delts still a bit sore
legs and hips are a bit stiff/achey too from a long day of sitting on my ass...

weighed 93.5kg 205.7lbs straight out of bed in underwear
didn't eat for much of the day yesterday, but total cals and protein were ok by the time I got to bed

 

[coolcolj]

Monday 17th July - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 4 - Day 1 - Upper 2 Prehab_Rehab - Microcycle 9

Even with the crap diet yesterday and sleep last night, I could tell I would have a good workout by how crisp I felt during the warm up drills, and while the warm up sets didn't feel any lighter than usual, there was this solid feeling.
And I wasn't wrong, stronger across the board! Would have rated a 10/10 for the workout had I not felt tired and sleepy

The walking really does recharge me. Before the walk yesterday I felt drained, right after it, zero drained feeling. It works that fast!
Serratus were aching during the warm ups though, scap pushups nailed em a bit too much

Bodyweight at gym - 212lbs in winter clothing
Workout time - 2 hours including the stretching
Workout rating - 9/10

General warm up -

1) whole body dynamic stretches and swings
2) back extensions x6 + 6 twisting toe each side
3) situp complex on swiss ball
4) bar complex with 30lbs - slow hang clean pulls, press, GM onto toes, snatch grip press, and hang power clean
3) scapular pushups - on bench x 15, on floor x15


Rotating Sets between each exercise

Resting 1min on warm ups and 3 mins between each exercise on work sets, 3.5 mins at end of each rotation


16inch grip standing Military Press - pushed behind the head at the top

Warm ups - Bar x 8, 65lbs x 5, 95 x5, 115 x4

controlled, 3 sec hold at top, 2 sec pause at bottom
Rotation 1) 135lbs x 6 (+1 rep) --> moderate strain on last rep
Rotation 2) 135lbs x 5 --> hard strain on last rep

Up 1 rep on both sets, and the last rep on the first set wasn't strained anywhere near as much as last week. Really felt lighter.
2nd set was a bitch with the pump in my biceps...

I thought my bench going up in set count was a placebo effect because it didn't feel like I could get 5 reps with 225lbs, but my press never lies, when it goes up so does my bench! 3 weeks ago I did 2x7 with 135lbs normally, now I can almost get that paused, controlled and with a hold at the top! Pausing used to feel like a bitch, that first rep from a dead stop etc, but now it doesn't feel any harder to me
Once I can get 2 comfortable sets of 6 I'll up the weight I think


Shoulder width Pulldowns

warm ups - 2 sec hold on the last rep - 35kg x 10, 50kg x5, 65kg x5, 75kg x2

controlled, 3 sec hold at chest, 2 sec pause at top
Rotation 1) 80kg x 6 (+1rep)
Rotation 2) 80kg x 6 --> hard strain on last rep

time to go up in weight. Crazy, this weight used to feel heavy when I did it normally, now it's not so bad even with the hold and pause
35kg feels ridiculously light now, it never felt like that last year.

Dumbbell Bench - arms/elbows by side - neutral grip

warm ups - 15lbs x10, 35x8, 50x8, 65x5,

controlled, 2 sec pause, shoulders pushed off bench at top
Rotation 1) 80lbs x 8
Rotation 1) 80lbs x 7

Not near failure, 1-2 reps in the tank on both sets, felt way lighter than last week, didn't strain too much. Will stay here till it gets even easier.


Dumbbell Curls

warm ups - 3kg x 10, 15lbs x 8, 30x5, 40x3

controlled and strict
Rotation 1) 45lbs x 8 (+2 reps)
Rotation 2) 45lbs x 6

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Cooldown - Restorative - ISO stretches

single arm Face Pulls - with slight hold - 60lbs x 22 (+2reps) each side
Low pulley External rotation - with slight hold - 15lbs x 15 (+3reps) each side

Face down dumbell subscap rotation with hold at top - 3kg x 17 (+2reps)
Subscap raises 4kg x 15 + 30secs Pec/Subscap stretched ISO hold
Push up/Dip stretched ISO hold - knee supported x 1 min
Overhead Pullover/lat stretched ISO hold on dip bar x 1 min

static stretches for upper body/cuffs and some lower body

Shoulder dislocates with wooden staff + few overhead squats - lots - I can swing a grip 2 inches less than my snatch grip around behind me with straight arms and do a overhead squats with it. Another 2 inches less feels almost impossible though, will keep pushing these until I can do overhead squats with my 20 inch jerk grip.

palms away and palms facing single arm, stretch/traction on chin bar, feet on floor

 

[super_rice]

i think that we are more alike than either of us know.

thanks, but I am really rate dominnat right now, no strain ability, I'm just relying on power peak power to get me past the sticking point. Not a surprise with the way I'm training right now with all the jumping and running, but you would think the heavy sets of squats would balance that out. But I am naturally speed dominant though