Creation of an Explosive Mofo - My Training Journal :)

[Dreambrother]

This second one relates to a diet question someone asked him (Now Pay attention Colin ).

Poliquin Philosophies

rather than get into specifics, charles prescribes a version of the "cave man diet." Charles rule of thumb for the diet "if it doesn't run, swim or fly you don't eat it." Apply the underlying philosophy across the board and you end up with protein (meats and poultry and FISH). He, also, allows for dark green vegetables and berries. It's important to rotate sources of protein as well as rotate carbs. Much like your body adapts to the same workout, so to does you digestive system.

Charles, also, does a lot with supplementation. Proper supplementation can help prevent overtraining, restore adrenal glands, and prevent injuries. He'll tell you the most underappreciated supplement on the market is fish oil.

Charles wants most of his strength athletes under 12% body fat and for many at 10%. For those of you who've ever seen someone at a true 10% bodyfat you know how impressive it is. But it's not just for show. There's a reason for it. Perhaps some of the chemists in here can explain the relationship of testorone, cortizol, insulin, and growth hormone, I can't. Anyway, at the right bodyfat, your body produces the ideal amounts of all four of those chemicals. Thus, you recover faster, sleep better (and probably less), wake up refreshed...all that equals better training and better competiting.

Biggest problem, it's very difficult to reach 10% bodyfat for most people. These diets can be extremely difficult to follow because they require a lot of preparation and a lot of cash. When you begin taking your diet seriously, you will notice major changes in your body within the first two weeks. At some point, you become a finely tuned machine. Like any finely tuned machine without proper maintanence (i.e. following the diet) you won't run well. So, introduce changes slowly. However, if you choose to take the plunge and get serious with your diet, I promise it will change your world.

Adam

 

[coolcolj]

Hi Col

Okay this one has always bothered me, do you continue rotations for unilateral exercises once one side has dropped off or do you stop once you have reached drop off?

Yes,I stop when one side has dropped off. No point in creating more imbalances by working one side more.
But I have found the 2nd side is always harder due to the CNS on a global level still recovering from the first side's set, unless you rest at least 2-3mins between sides

yeah I used to eat like that for a period of time, I got quite lean, but its a lot of work though
But you do feel like a million bucks

 

[Dreambrother]

But I have found the 2nd side is always harder due to the CNS on a global level still recovering from the first side's set, unless you rest at least 2-3mins between sides

Absolutely, I am set to commence (real) training in around 3 weeks, and I have been experimenting with some ISO's i'm looking to incorporate for the first time. Being a shot putter, Side Deadlift iso's (in theory) seem to have a good carryover. I tried them with not too much weight (80k) for about 20 sec at a position that felt like a sticking point. It was very difficult and I took close to a 5 min rest before I went to the next side.

As for the diet, I've made some massive changes over the last few months, alternating periods of extreme (low cal/carb) to moderate (carb cycling) for the sake of a fairly rapid loss (15Kg in 4 months some muscle but plenty of fat). I remember in first week I started thinking 'I can't wait till this is over so I get to some serious indulgence'. But having seen the power of finding optimal carb types, amounts and frequencies as well as regular fish/flax and at least lean bw protein consumption, I cannot in good conscience, go back.Given the volume of my training (Tonnes of Meltdownesque work and O-lifting circuits), my recovery is phenomenal. I guess It's like how you and Ant feel about Areg, not using some form of measurment is taking a big step back. Also, it's not quite as difficult as a lot of people make it out to be. As for cash, I am a poor student, a bit of budgeting goes a long way

 

[coolcolj]

Make sure you don't do the same exercise every session though, alternate, edepending on what template your using. And that you do some reactive work for the same musclegroups used in the exercise
ISO only works on strain and stiffness of the muscle/tendon complex, so you need to do some explosive/reactive work to make the transfer to regular movements

remeber the strength box concept

Well veges are quite cheap
I know someone who lost a ton of fat just eating as much veges as he can eat everyday for 6 meals, and some meat

 

[coolcolj]

Thursday 6th December - Cycle 2 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 24 - Day 1 - Upper 1 - Microcycle 6 - workout 1

Did this workout one day ahead schedule to get back on my usual training days. I wasn't quite sure what to do this session, so I decided to just to keep it simple and see how far I was from hitting 315lbs on CloseGrip bench.
I was also busy watching the Housten Rockets game, which messed up my meal patterns, and so I didn't eat much.

Pretty average workout. I did have a standing long jump contest against a gym instructor 3/4 of the way through. He beat me by about 3 inches, but he's a few inches taller, weighs 30kg less and my legs were cold

Bodyweight at gym - 222.5lbs
Workout time - 1.5 hours
Workout rating - 7/10

Rotating Sets between each exercise

Resting 30secs to 1min on warmup sets and then 3 mins between each exercise.

14 inch Grip bench - no arch or leg drive

Warmups - Bar 2x10, 95lbs 2x5, 135x5, 165x5, 195x4, 225x2, 255x1, 275x1, 315x3 sec support

Rotation 1) 315lbs x 0.5
Rotation 2) 285lbs x 1
Rotation 3) 275lbs x 1
Rotation 4) 275lbs x 1
Rotation 5) 275lbs x 1
Rotation 6) 275lbs x 1
Rotation 7) 275lbs x 0.5

Got stuck halfway up with 315lbs, then barely got up 285lbs after a few minutes rest. Form got better with each single though. Seems my timing has been off, and I haven't been exploding as hard as should on the way up. I was getting better at this each successive single, and so even though I was getting tired, I was powering through the sticking point much easier in later ones. Lowered the bar a bit slower than I normally do, and then bam, exploded up and kept it going. Something to work on in the future


45 degree supported T-Bar row - close parallel grip

warmups - Barx10, 25lbs x10, 45x5, 70x5, 90x5, 115x4, 135x3, 160x1, 180x 3sec support

assuming bar weighs 20lbs

Rotation 1) Bar+180lbs x 2.5

96% of (15%BW+Session max) dropoff
Rotation 2) Bar+170lbs x 2
Rotation 3) Bar+170lbs x 2
Rotation 4) Bar+170lbs x 1.5


Cuff Stuff and ISO Stretches - EQI

Dumbell Elbow supported Cuban Rotations

warmups 4kg x10, 15lbs x6

2 mins rest
22lbs x13 (+1)
22lbs x 8

Getting stronger on these each workout

Free Motion High Pulley 2 handed Lat Stretched ISO hold
120lbs x 1min

Pushup/Dip Stretched ISO hold - Knees on floor
BW x 1min

Shoulder Dislocates pec stretch with wooden staff

 

[coolcolj]

Sunday 9th January - Cycle 2 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 25 - Day 1 - Lower 1 - Microcycle 6 - Workout 1

I didn't get much sleep last night (5 hours) and combined with a 3lb increase in bodyweight, from mostly muscle , I didn't feel confident of any improvements. Plus I hadn't done any jumping or sprinting in almost 2 weeks.
So I sure was surprised by the results!

Left Shin and ankles were giving me aches, will have to get lighter and increase force absorbtion ability there. Dropping off all exercises off the sprints

Bodyweight at home - 221lbs
Workout time - 1.25+ hours in total
Workout rating - 8/10

Warmup

Dynamic warmup at home, then some jumps and RFI hops. Worked up to a maximal Vertical Jump.

Did my usual Vertical jumps against the wall and some depth jumps to comapre, and didn't note much a difference, but I found it hard getting consistant results doing this, so I will drop this. The uneven surface isn't great to begin with...

Then went to the park 2mins from home - some Jumps, practised the RFI hops, and some short sprints increasing in speed.


Rotating between each exercise - 2 mins rest between each


2 step One legged Jumps

2 jumps each leg
Rotation 1) Left x 2 - 1.5 knuckles over roof
Right x 2 - bottom of fingers at bottom of roof

Rotation 2) Left x 2 - 2.5 knuckles over roof New PR!! +0.5 inch
Right x 2 - Middle of hand at bottom of roof -> matches PR

Rotation 3) Left x 2 - 0.5 knuckle over roof
Right x 2 - Middle of hand at bottom of roof

Up a tiny bit. Left shin was aching a bit. Within one inch on my standing vertical Jump at the park!


No arm swing Vertical Jumps in place

1 vertical jump before each set to measure fatigue

on balls of feet, arms by the side, minimal contact time, continous
Rotation 1) 5 jumps
Rotation 2) 5 jumps
Rotation 3) 5 jumps

the VJ before each set was about 0.5 inch higher than last week, and didn't drop each rotation.


Reflexive Firing 2 legged Hops Quadrant - Anti-clockwise

Rotation 1) ? rotations in 10secs -> forgot to start timer, went longer than 10 secs
Rotation 2) ? rotations in 10secs --> lost count...
Rotation 3) 9 rotations in 10secs --> felt slower

changed the direction from last session


Maximum Speed Sprints - width of park, about 105+ metres

From standing start - with stopwatch
Rotation 1) 12.54 secs --> timing error
Rotation 2) 12.78 secs New PR!! -0.69 secs
Rotation 3) 13.35 secs

Stopped the run about 5m earlier in the first run. 2nd run was smoking!
On the 3rd run I even paused to check if the stopwatch was running, and still went 0.1 faster than last week's slowest time! Plus my left shin and ankles were aching quite a bit so I wasn't running as well as I could have.

Well I measured the area I run with footsteps and I got 110 steps. Back home I measured each step to be about 95-98cm each. Using the lowest figure I got 105+metres. So this distance I run is between 105-107m long!
Shave another 2 secs off that and I'll be extremely happy, and I'm pretty fat and heavy!!!!! On uneven grass from a standing start....can't imagine how fast I'll run if I can get myself under 200lbs

 

[d-dub]

nice PR's on the speed work.
You gotta hate when you are heavier if its muscle

Did you get your bands from elitefts?
If you did, what sort of timing do they have on sending stuff over here?

 

[coolcolj]

I love to be 190lbs right now, damn

I got the bands a year and half ago, didn't take long, 2 weeks at the most

 

[coolcolj]

Tuesday 11th January - Cycle 2 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 25 - Day 2 - Upper 2 - Microcycle 6 - Workout 2


Good workout today, but I left my Whey+Gatorade drink at home, so I bought a Powerade drink as a subsitute...


Bodyweight at gym - 222lbs
Workout time - 1.5 hours
Workout rating - 8/10

Rotating sets between each exercise, 30sec to 1 min between each during warmups and earlier sets and then 2 mins later on


Standing Military Press - in Oly Shoes

Warmups - 45lbs 2x8, 70x8, 95x8, 115x6, 135x5, 155x2

controlled for max reps
Rotation 1) 155lbs x 9 New PR!! +1 rep

96% of (15%BW+Session Max) dropoff
Rotation 2) 145lbs x 8 ---> did 8 reps instead of 9
Rotation 3) 145lbs x 7.5

Haven't done presses in a few weeks, and they felt hard and wobbly during the warmups, but once I started the worksets they felt OK.


Reactive Chins - 12 inch grip

Warmups - pulldown version 25kg x10, 35x8, 45x5, 55x5, 65x3, then BWx2

Explode up, release grip and recatch just before full extension
Rotation 1) BW x 3
Rotation 2) BW x 3
Rotation 3) BW x 3 --> starting to strain up


Force Drop Absorbtion/Reactive Pushups on Padded Mat

warmups - few sets of pushups and plyo pushups on the leg press set

I explode up, hold for a sec, then drop down, while pulling up hands off the floor and brake myself just an inch above the floor, stablise for a sec and then repeat

Rotation 1) BW x 5
Rotation 2) BW x 5
Rotation 3) BW x 5 --> starting to strain up


Force Drop Absorbtion Dumbell Curls

warmups - normal 3kg x10, 5kg x8, FDA style 15lbs x5, 20x5, 25x5, 30x3

I explode up, hold for a sec, then relax, abruptly braking just before full extension, stablise and repeat

Rotation 1) 35lbs x 5
Rotation 2) 35lbs x 5
Rotation 3) 35lbs x 5 --> starting to strain up

Force Drop Absorbtion Rope Tricep Pushdowns

warmups - normal 15kg x8, FDA style 15x5, 20x5, 25x3

I explode up, hold for a sec, then relax, abruptly braking just above 90 degrees, stablise and repeat

Rotation 1) 25kg x 5
Rotation 2) 30kg x 4 --> starting to strain up
Rotation 3) 25kg x 5 --> starting to strain up


Cuff Circuit

Roatting between each exercise - 1.5 mins rest

Free Motion pulley standing L-Flyes - arms by side
Warmup - 10lbs x 6

1) 20lbs x 15 2) 15lbs x 15

30 degree face down laterals, Arms angled down slightly
Warmup - 3kg x 10

1) 5kg x 15

 

[ChinkNasty]

hey man, where in australia are you? I'm thinking of studying abroad over there maybe at the university of melbourne or south wales (in sydney) and was wondering if we could meet up or somethin' bro..

peace,
CN