Creation of an Explosive Mofo - My Training Journal :)

[coolcolj]

Sunday 23rd November - General Workout - Week 6 - Day 1 - Lower Body 2 - Afternoon

Good workout! I'm finally starting to feel stronger and stronger, session to session. I haven't felt this way in ages. Main changes - training smarter and more sleep!


Workout Rating - 9/10
Workout time - 1hour 15-20mins


WarmupCoreWork + Plyos

Rest - 30secs alternating between each exercise. 1min between pairs.

Back Extensions x8, +15lbs x8
Incline situps x8, +15lbs x8 with Russian twists to each side at the top, arms held outstretched in front with plates.

rest - 45secs
Low ankle jumps - 2x15
Med ankle Jumps - 2x10
rest - 1min
High ankle jumps - 2x5
Bulgarian Splitsquat ISO hold - 30secs each leg
Low Fullsquat Jump on toes 2x10


Olys

Warmups - Powerclean + 5 HangPowercleans 89lbs,
Bar - a few hang powercleans and split jerks
Eye level drop jerks - bar 2x5

Rest - 2 mins

All with hookgrip, holding onto bar when racking.

PowerClean+ SplitJerk - 89lbs x2
PowerClean+ SplitJerk - 109lbs x2
PowerClean+ SplitJerk - 129lbs, 155lbs
rest - 1.5mins
PowerClean+ SplitJerk - 180lbs x 5 singles

I normally rack the bar with an open palm, today I held onto the bar, and it actually felt much easier, especially on the wrists.
In fact on some singles I kept the hookgrip from start to finish - from floor to rack, to top of the jerk and then back to the floor!
But it feels better when I remove the hookgrip after I rack it though.
Powerclean felt pretty easy. Jerks much more stable today, and my upperbody could lower it under better control. Eccentric strength is up.


Full Olympic Squat + Light Bands - RAW - in Chucks

Light Bands kicking in one inch off the bottom - wrapped around 25lb plate on the floor, with another 45 ontop.
Band tension - bottom 0lbs , top 120lbs (?)

Warmup sets
Bar x10, Bar+bandsx5, 95+bands x3, 135+bands x3
Tempo 10X0 rest - 2mins

185+bands x3, 205+bands x3, 225+bands x3, 245+bands x3, 265+bands x3

rest 3mins then
triple cluster set - tempo 20X0
135+bands - 3 reps, rerack/rest 10seconds, 3 reps, rerack/rest 10seconds, 3 reps

Total work tonnage = 4590lbs+bands (up 640lbs from last session - without bands)

I did fullsquats today in chucks, and it shifted the stress to my lower back and glutes - bands probably adds to that as well.
Felt different. Chucks are an inch lower so I hit the safety pins on some reps and that disrupted things a bit - but that tells me I might have rounded a bit. Next setting is 3 inches down, which is not ideal.
Quite a bit of band tension, since they kick in right off the bottom of my fullsquat, and so I probbaly around 385lbs up top on the 265 set, but yet it didn't feel that heavy. In the past I would have freaked out with the load pressing down on me.
I'm surprised I was able to explode 265lbs with bands up, it did slow down at the sticking point on the reps 2 and 3, but I still cranked it up. Top is still quite easy, but the middle was much harder with the bands - around the sticking point.


Bits and Pieces

Alternating sets between each exercise - 1min rest between

12inch Stepups
+12kg in dumbells 2x10 - each leg

Explosive GluteHam Raise on Incline Situp Board
2x5 - using hand to help

Supported Hanging Leg raise curlup extensions
3x8

-----------
then

Reverse Hypers
BW x12

mid torso fried!

 

[coolcolj]

man o man - my whole body is sore, from head to toe!
In particular my traps, small muscles in the back, erectors from neck to lower back, entire mid torso, glutes, hammies and claves.

But there is ache in every single msucle in my body!!
CNS is feeling decent, I think I'm ok to hit my upperbody workout today

 

[coolcolj]

Well I lied I decided to give the upper workout a miss today and do it tommorrow when I'm fresher

One thing - my upper hams are real sore! Must be the slight change is squating angle - more forward lean from the flat shoes (chucks) and bands. which sorta add forward resistance, which adds a GM type effect.
Only thing I don't like about chucks is slight lack of grip and foot arch support. Don't know how some people squat big loads in these...collasped arches?

But I think this is cool, varying the squatting angles between my 2 squatting days. Olys shoes gives slightly more leverage though.
And I like the arch support and greater stablity. So Chucks for the lighter of the 2 days. I might even start squatting again in my old BBall shoes for some variation

 

[Lord_Suston]

rest and grow and hit the upperbody nice and hard

 

[coolcolj]

Sundayday 25th November - General Workout - Week 6 - Day 2 - Upper Body 1

Another excellent workout, felt pretty strong. If I continue to gain as this rate I'll be benching 315lbs with a 14inch grip in Februrary

Workout time - 45 to 50 mins
Workout rating - 9/10


BenchPress

Warmups - 14inch grip Bar - 3 static holds for 6 secs each on the way down then x8
Pushups on bench - 3 static holds for 6secs each on the way down then x5,
95x5, 135lbs x5

Tempo - 10X0 - alternating sets with rows 1.5 to 2 mins rest between each

14inch grip - 185lbs x 3, 225lbs x4 New PR!! + 1 rep

Tempo 82X0
175lbs 4x2 - 8 sec down, 2 sec pause with tension, explode up

Tempo X0X0
Plyo Triple Cluster set -
135lbs - 3 reps, rerack/rest 10seconds, 3 reps, rerack/rest 10seconds, 3 reps

Work Tonnage = 3515lbs - up 585lbs from last session
TUT = 117 secs Tonange per sec index = 30 (up 6 from last session, so lower)

First 3 reps with 225lbs were pretty quick, last one slowed down in the top third. On the 4th rep I was really flexing my abs hard!
2 reps away from my goal of 5 explosive reps.
Just made the last rep of the 175lb sets. Try 180lbs next session

Rows
- alternating sets with bench 1.5 to 2mins rest between each

ReverseGrip Single Arm Dumbell Rows
warmup - 6kg - 3 position iso hold for 6 secs each then x5, 30lbs x5, 45x5, 70x1
Tempo 20X0
70lbs 3x5 - didn't feel to hard, stay here another session

Elbows out Single Arm Dumbell Rows
Tempo - 20X0 50lbs 2x7


Bits and Pieces

Rest - 1min

45 degree Incline Dumbell Snatch raises - face down, thumbs up
Tempo - 2010 5kg 2x10 - going up to 6kg next session

Low Pulley Face Pulls to chin
Tempo - 1010 10lbs x20

 

[coolcolj]

14inch grip bench 225lbs x 4 PR clip

Right click and save to avoid errors!

http://www.members.optushome.com.au/coolcolj2/Movies/CCJ_14inchGripBenchPR_225x4_25Nov03.mpg

 

[Lord_Suston]

the vid just has you lying there, good job on the lifts, explosiveness is the key

 

[coolcolj]

Suston - right click and save and it will work properly. C'mon I type that for a reason

Here is the clip of the eccentric paused sets - the clip shows the 2nd set. Seems I went slower than 8 secs on the way down.
And I pause half an inch off the chest, before firing up. Quite tough
In future I'll let it bounch off the chest after the pause and then fire it up off the bounce.

Right click on the link and save to avoid errors etc!
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/coolcolj2/Movies/CCJ_EccentricPausedBench _175x2_25Nov03.mpg

Man my chest is sore! Bodyweight is up to 96kg this morning, straight out of bed, 211lbs. I'm not any fatter as far as I can tell so maybe it's muscle?
Was hovering around 95kg recently.

It's been raining the last 5 days, so that puts a damper on my tempo runs and medball work work

 

[coolcolj]

Tuesday 27th November - General Workout - Week 6 - Day 3 - Lower Body 1 - Midday

In terms of how I felt not the best workout, but decent enough.
In terms of productivity and results, awesome!
I am definitely a lot stronger than I was last week!

if I feel Ok tommorrow, I'll do my Tempo runs then.

Workout Rating - 8/10
Workout time - just over 1.5 hours


Warmup+ CoreWork+Plyos

Rest - 30secs alternating between each exercise. 1min between pairs.

Back Extensions x8, +10lbs x8
Incline situps with Russian twists to each side at the top - arms held outstretched x8, +10lbs x8

rest 45secs
Low ankle jumps - 2x15
Med ankle Jumps - 2x10


Hang Power Clean from Pause

Warmups - A few sets with the bar doing hang powercleans, and split/power jerks,
Powerclean + 3 HangPowerclean 89lbs, 119lbs
Hnag Powercleans - 155lbs x2

Rest - 1.5 mins

Lower to top of the knee, 3 sec pause, then explode
165lbs 5x2

Felt pretty "light", no problems on all reps, up the weight to 175lbs for my worksets next session. Can't believe how much lighter 165lbs feels from a 3 sec pause as well!!
Feel the power surge

From now on I'm holding onto the bar in the rack. Really does improve my form, since The bar doesn't crash back on me now, and is much easier on the wrists as well. No more bruising too


Full Olympic Back Squats - RAW

Warmup sets - resting 2mins
Bar x8, 95lbs x5, 135lbs x5, 185lbs x5, 225lbs x5

Tempo 10X0 rest - 3.5 to 4 mins.
275lbs x3, 315lbs x4

Rest 2.5mins
Tempo 82X0 - 250lbs 4x2 - 8 sec down, 2 sec pause, explode up


Total work tonnage = 4085 (up 355lbs from last week)
TUT = 102 secs Tonnage/Sec = 40lbs (down 4)

Man all the warmup sets felt so "light".
Last week 315lbs I bagged 3 reps, the first 2 reps were pretty fast, the 3rd stuttered a bit at the sticking point.
Today all reps were pretty fast, the 4th slightly slower, had at least another good rep in me. So I have gained at least 2 reps from last week. 2 reps away from my goal of 5 explosive reps.

Eccentric sets up 5lbs, slower on eccentric as well, felt slightly easier than last week with 245lbs. But still so damn painful!

Only bad thing was the fact my erectors were pumping up! Some weeks I feel nothing in my erectrors and other times like today, they really balloon up.
Mirrors are up in the powerrack area, So I turned around to face away from em to squat. Gym owner made a smart ass remark about this


Bits and Pieces
rest - 1min

Bulgarian Split Squats
Tempo 20X0 +16kg in dumbells 2x10 each leg.

Explosive GluteHam Raise on Incline Situp Board
Tempo 20X0 x5 - using hand to help

Single Leg Back Extensions
Tempo 1010 x12 - 6 reps each leg

Bent Knee Supported Hnaging leg raises
Tempo 1010 x10

Reverse Hypers
Tempo 1010 BW x10

Man erectors were so damn pumped and tight! Had problems walking. Also noticed my flexibility has improved from the slow eccentrics, when I did my usual post stretching. Interesting

 

[coolcolj]

Friday 28th November - General Workout - Week 6 - Day 4 - MedBall Throws+Tempo Runs- Late Afternoon

Session time - 50mins ?
Didn't have my Stopwatch with me
So times are what they normally would be if I had it there

Warmup
Low ankle jumps 2x15
Medium 2x10
High 3x5
12lb Medball Pull-through Swings 2x5
Hip Flexor static stretch - 2x30secs each leg
A few jumps


Overhead MedBall Throws

rest - 2mins
12lb MedBall - 2 sets of 3 throws - 1st set at 50% intensity
12lb MedBall - 1 x 4 throws, 1 x5 Throws
5-10 secs between each rep to gather ball

Form felt good, more vertical. Felt stronger and more powerful.

Plyos
Short Horizontal TuckJumps 3x5


Tempo Sprint Runs
Distance - 100metres
Tempo - 20secs, estimated about 60-70% speed.
Reps - 3, 30 secs rest between each.
Sets - 4, 3 minutes between each

I was feeling it a bit by the 3rd set, I didn't have my stopwatch with me, so I may have been running faster than normal, and maybe resting not as long as I need to.
Form is feeling more fluid however.