Creation of an Explosive Mofo - My Training Journal :)

[coolcolj]

Ok - well olylifters generally barely leave the ground, hell some like Dimas don't even get up on the toes. This allows them to lift more weight, and get under the bar faster. But I think this won't help a person doing these lifts for athletic reasons as much. Although some Bulgarians definitely jump quite a bit, usually backwards

yeah 80% is usually where max power is for the olys - where you can comfortably do singles with good speed, and not be freaked out by the weight etc. 60-70% is better for reps

I find if I keep my feet planted I lose all my power, or I don't explode maximally. Although it doesn't seem to hurt my pulls as much - interesting

They can help. But I think something better that mimicks the rotatry hip motion of olys is jumping boxsquats, with fairly light loads, like 20-45lbs. You land down and back onto the bench, so its pretty easy on the knees if that is a concern. I find the hip thrust motion on these, allows me to jump a few inches higher than regular jumpsquats! Sort like the double knee rebend on olys.

old clip of me doing em - haven't done them in a while, but will be getting back into in future cycles
right click and save
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/blitzforce/Movies/CCJ_JumpBoxSquats_7May03.mpg

 

[super_rice]

hey, you were really fast even back then... almost 2 years ago. well, a thinner version of yourself

the bulgarians, why are they always the "but" factor.

i tried some of those snatches with a clean grip. somehow, i feel more snappy and explosive with it than doing snatches from hang. but my form is crap on olys haha

 

[coolcolj]

I'd be even faster now, if I got back to that weight
I was 202lbs back then - just after bulking up from a lean 192lbs....so a bit chubbier than that pic I posted before.
See that gym? That's where my current gym used to be - I prefer it
And 2 power racks, well we used to have 3!!!!! Plus the bars weren't bent back then.....

Bulgarians, are just different I guess

Cleangrip is somewhat easier to get the feel for, I find. And safer to do, especially if you miss without bumpers etc. But the bar does swing out forward a bit more on the way up. But harder since you have to get the bar higher, and you can't dip down like in regular snatches, unless you can squat jerk or something
More speed needed since you have to use lighter loads and get it higher

 

[coolcolj]

Sunday 27th February - Cycle 2 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 32 - Day 1 - Upper 1 - Microcycle 8 - workout 1

I look a bit leaner, but my bodyweight isn't really going down that much, nor is my waist. Even the Tanita says 38% down from 42
Oh well. I also left my chin/dip belt at home so boo, no negative chins...
Had a confrontation with an old lady for hogging the power rack! meh

Bodyweight at gym - 224lbs
Workout time - 1.5 hours
Workout rating - 8/10

Rotating Sets between each exercise

Resting 30secs to 1.5min on warmup sets and then 3 mins between each exercise, alternating betwen one bench and back set


14 inch Grip bench - shoulder blades pulled together, no arch or leg drive

Warmups - Bar x 10, x10 (reactive drop/catch style)controlled down, snapped up 95lbs 3x5, 135lbs 2x5, 165x3, 195x3, 225x2, 255x1, 285x1

Eccentric only, lowered as slow as possible
Rotation 1) 335lbs x 6 secs +10lbs + 2sec

96% of (15%BW+Session max) dropoff - Bar x6 before each set to "warmup"
Rotation 2) 320lbs x 4 secs

Nice improvement, up 10lbs and 2 seconds. Not sure if these are making me any stronger, but at least I know I can unrack weights well above my 1RM, and lower them under control. 335lbs didn't feel too heavy at all, and it felt pretty light in the bottom 2 inches, could have held it there for 5 secs or so if I wanted to. Will stay at this weight until I can lower it in 9 secs.
I barely just got that 285lb warmup single, maybe I need to go up in smaller increments like 20lbs above 225lbs


Chins - 12inch grip

warmups - pulldown version - 30kg x10, 40kg x 8, 50kg x 5, chins - BW 2x2

That's all I did since I left my chin belt at home!


Seated Pulley Rows - close V Grip

warmups - 30kg x 5, one armed eccentrics each side - 40x2, 50kg 2x1

Pulled up with 2 arms, Eccentric only with one arm, lowered as slow as possible. Left first
Rotation 1) 70kg x 5 secs
Rotation 2) 65kg x 5 secs
Rotation 2) 65kg x 4 secs

Up 10kg from last time, but down 5 secs. The first 3inches dropped pretty quickly, so I will stay here until i can control it fully.


Cuff Stuff and ISO Stretches - EQI

Cuff circuit

no rest between each exercise - 2 mins between each circuit

Dumbell Cuban rotation raises - warmup 3kg x 5
A1) ballistic up, controlled down - 5kg x 10
B1) 5kg x 10

Single Arm Face Pulls - warmup 30lb x 6
A2) controlled - 50lbs x 10
B2) 50lbs x 10

One Arm low pulley L-Flyes - warmup 10lb x 6
A3) controlled - 20lbs x 8
B3) 20lbs x 8 --> close to failure


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]

bench clip

Right click on clip and save to avoid errors

335lbs x 6secs
http://www.members.optushome.com.au...14inchGripBench_Eccentric335x6sec_27Feb05.mpg

 

[coolcolj]

here is a breakdown of exercises I plan to use in the new few microcycles on lower body, to help fix up some of my weaknesses, both muscular and motor pattern/recruitment wise.

Just a rough division between my 2 sessions. I can't obviously do all of em at once, so I will have to program them over a few session in a logical order, hopefully.
My head hurts....!

Session 1 - Gym

1 - Reactive squat - light bands
2 - Reactive GHR - BWx5
3 - Low Lateral depth Jump back onto box - alternating sides - 12inch x 6
4 - Stiffed legged backward Altitude Drop - heels off ground - 12 to 18inch x 5
5 - Single leg backwards Atitude drop (at full extension) - 6inch x 3 each side
6 - Jumping Box Squat - hammies at parallel - 25lbs x 3
7 - Oly variants
8 - Stiffed legged depth jump - 6 to 12inch x 3

Session 2 - at home/Park

1 - Agility type drills
2 - straight leg sprints (prime times)
3 - 200m Tempo type runs (for fat loss)
4 - Flying runs
5 - accleration short sprints
6 - Bounding drills
7 - Single Leg triple jumps
8 - Single Leg hops on and off a 6inch step for max reps in 10secs

 

[coolcolj]

Tuesday 1st March - Cycle 2 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 33 - Day 2 - Lower 1 - Microcycle 8 - workout 1

Turned out to be a pretty long workout, but a good one. Aiming to target my calves and hammie recruitment at high velocities
It's interesting that without the heavier divebomb squats I normally do to waveload, with the reactive squats, I was able to do a lot more sets.
I also arranged the exercises to add a bit of intra session waveloading.
1) stiffed leg altitude drop - high velocity absorbtion
2) reactive squat - higher load absorbtion
3) jumping box squat - high speed concentric
4) on inch dip hang power cleans - higher load concentric
although, maybe the order should be flipped, with high velocity following load.

I ended up doing a lot of jumps, since I did a vertical jump before every exercise to measure fatigue. Which allowed to me to play around with my form a bit, when I dip down fast and relaxed, I snapped up much easier and higher.

After I warmed up, my Jump was just bad. I have lost 3+ inches on Vertical jump! It got a little better during the workout, though, the snap starting getting better. Since 2 weeks ago, my jump has been going down. The only significant variable has been more walks, and increasing the duration from 13 to 20-20mins. I guess the walks have to go, or get cut back to what I did before. Its making me slow twitch or not allowing recovery!

Bodyweight at the gym - 223lbs
Workout Rating - 8/10
Workout time - 2 hours

Warmup

1) Reverse hypers - BWx8
2) Twisting Back Extensions - BWx5 normal, and 4 twisted to each alternating sides.
3) AB Complex on swissball
4) Ankle Hops - 3x15
5) Some altitude drops off 6 inches
6) Bar complex with 25lbs
7) Farmers walk with two 65lb dumbells to and from powerrack for bands
8) Vertical jumps - worked up to a maximal vertical jump - 3+ inches lower normal.
9) some single leg triple jumps - low intensity, these really work the hams, gonna take a lot of work to get these to 3 times my standing long jump!

Rotating between each exercise

rest - 30secs to 1 min for warmups. 2 mins between each exercise after warmups. One vertical Jump before each set of exercise to measure fatigue, once it drops an inch, I stop everything

Backward Single leg Altitude Drop at full extension onto toes

Alternating legs
Rotation 1) 8 inches x 8
Rotation 2) 8 inches x 8
Rotation 3) 8 inches x 8
Rotation 4) 8 inches x 8
Rotation 5) 8 inches x 8 --> shins starting to ache

Basicly a stiff legged drop onto toes, like a ballerina.
These were hard and scary at first, but after a while my body started to relax. I shut my eyes as well on some sets while doing em. I did bend my knees, slightly, body was reluctant to be locked there.


Overspeed (LightBands) Reactive Squat - in Sneakers

Using Light bands, cinched around a 65lb dumbell, just in the top third adding about 40-50lbs resistance to slingshot down the bar

Warmup sets - BWx5, Barx5, With bands Barx5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x1

about 55% of (85%BW+1RM) - Relax and Drop down, pull feet up a bit, and then brake hard and explode up. On balls of feet
Rotation 1) Light Bands + 135lbs x 3
Rotation 2) Light Bands + 135lbs x 3
Rotation 3) Light Bands + 135lbs x 3
Rotation 4) Light Bands + 135lbs x 3
Rotation 5) Light Bands + 135lbs x 3 --> shins aching a bit

Did em in my sneakers this time, made it bit harder as my ankles lack flexibility. Had to use a slightly wider stance as a result and turn my feet out a bit.

Jumping Box Squats

Situp back onto bench and jump - hammies at parallel
Rotation 1) 25lbs x 3
Rotation 2) 25lbs x 3
Rotation 3) 25lbs x 3
Rotation 4) 25lbs x 3
Rotation 5) --> Vertical Jump dropped an inch, and felt slow/hard

These felt good, but need a bit of work. Certainly made my calves work hard, and hammies, but didn't feel it as much.

Inch Dip Hang Powercleans

warmups - bar 2x5, 89lb 2x3, 109x3, 133x1

just dip one inch before exploding up.
Rotation 1) 133lbs x 4
Rotation 2) 133lbs x 3
Rotation 3) 133lbs x 3
Rotation 4) 133lbs x 3

Very short ROM dip on these, really forces you to extend fully to get the bar up, more speed etc. 2 years ago, I would snap these for sets of 5, really easily, and my calves would get pumped up. Today I was struggling with sets of 3, just didn't feel right, and my claves didn't feel it that much too. Even though I'm bigger and stronger now, I don't have the short range power and reactivity I used to have! Need to get it back.

Reactive GHR - on incline situp board

warmups - single leg curl - 3plates x 5, 5p x3, 7P x 3, 9p x3

using hand to help
Rotation 1) BW x 4
Rotation 2) BW x 4
Rotation 3) BW x 4
Rotation 4) BW x 4 --> started to muscle it up.


Cooldown

Reactive Toe Curls on lying leg curl machine
warmup - 1plate x 10 - controlled

1plate 2x10

I finally figured out a way to work my tibs properly - use a lying leg curl machine! I just sit on it, hook my toes under the roller pads, and point my toes, get a good stretch on the front of my low leg, and then explode up, bouncing the roller with my feet. Work really well!

 

[coolcolj]

Right click on clip and save to avoid errors

2nd rotation of workout
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/coolcolj2/Movies/CCJ_2ndRotation_of_Workout_1March05.mpg

 

[coolcolj]

I reset the Tanita scale, and it turns out I had it set to female, no wonder it said my bodyfat % was 42.5 before!
After I fixed that, it read 100.2kg and 28.5% bodyfat this morning straight out of bed. So that sounds a bit closer to where I am. Now to get it down to 20%....

 

[d-dub]

So at 20% you would weigh 92 kg - correct?

How much did you weigh when you were a lean machine?

Nice workout BTW.