Creation of an Explosive Mofo - My Training Journal :)

[coolcolj]

Sunday 17th July - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 10 DELOAD - Day 1 - BBALL - Microcycle 2

Been a couple of weeks since I played any BBall, and coupled with my lightest bodyweight so far this year, I was keen to see what I could do. I went to the usual court with the lower rims and sloped surface. Pretty cold today.

Session went ok, but my CNS isn't feeling that fresh, even after a short nap, when It should be since I'm on a tail end of a deload. I really need to get more sleep...
I'm gonna make a concerted push to 200lbs, after that I can slow down a bit. But I wanna be lean and mean 180-190lbs with a 30-31inch waist come summer time, which isn't that far off 4 months or so

Bodyweight at home - 209.5lbs in shorts and t-shirt
Workout time - 1 hour
Workout rating - 7/10

Practised shooting, post moves, easy layups and dribbling for 40mins to warmup. Then did a few dunk attempts, and lots of jumping

Extra upper body muscle mass and high rep work helped on my shooting, didn't feel as tired and I was flipping the ball easily on hooks and flick shots

Overall I did feel a little bit more agile and lighter. Legs did feel a lot better since I didn't do any heavy squats and rep work this week. But my jumping and dunking didn't really seem to be much better at first. I seemed to be scared of falling down or something when jumping against the rim, which shut me down. Except for the dunk attempts which were ok but my technqiue wasn't good, not relaxed, a bit tight.

Jumping up and tapping the backboard went better. I concentrated on dropping deeper and sitting back more, so I could feel my hammies stretch at the bottom. And I did end up jumping 2 inches higher than I ever had here on my one step and running jumps. On one running jump I did it perfectly without doing a jumpstop and I shot up like a rocket, but then I kept reverting to the jump stop method which I'm trying to get away from.
This technique change didn't seem to help my standing jump as much, or maybe it just allows my one step and running jumps to go higher or something. Because there was almost a 4 inch difference between my one step and standing jump using this technique. Then again it feels awkard to sit back when your right under the backboard...

I was also able to maintain my max jump height for quite a while too. And didn't feel as tired afterwards

Anotehr thing I noticed that there is a 4inch difference between my 2 handed and one handed jump reach. Where there used to be only 3 inches back before I did weights. Hmm maybe benching tightening up my shoulders..
Although my ROM is getting better as I lean up, especially when soaping my back in a shower
Will see how it goes as I continue to lean up

I will have to stay away from this court for awhile. The slope of the court, the fear on the jumps etc are messing me up and my technique. Once I can jump a lot higher, so I can dunk on it with ease I will be back!

 

[coolcolj]

Progress all round!
While I only slept for about 7-8 hours of deep sleep, I lay in bed for over 10 hours. And that certainly made a difference, with my waking pulse plummenting from 63 to 54 overnight even after playing BBall yesterday, with lots of hard jumping! Looks like sleep is the key to my recovery problems....

I don't even feel drained. Just some small amount of soreness in my legs. posterior chain and shoulders/upper back.

Woot - fat loss is back on, weighed 94kg 207lbs this morning in underwear, and waist down to 36.75 inches. Maybe I am losing too much bodyweight in ratio to my waist size drop. Still, I'm amazed how much fat I have lost so far, and still how much more I have to lose!

 

[coolcolj]

Tuesday 19th July - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 10 DELOAD - Day 2 - Energy Work - Microcycle 2

Average session, felt a bit sluggish from lack of sleep.
Not sure if I will have time to do my upper body workout today, pretty late and I'm feeling sleepy.

Workout Rating - 7/10
Workout time - 20+ mins

Warmup

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

Slow Jog - 50m the walk back halfway and jog back to start . 1mins rest
Keep doing these until I start to feel loose - 4 sets

Run complex increasing in speed each run to 50% speed - 1.5 mins rest

2 sets - trying to stay as smooth, relaxed and fluid as possible

50m straight run, 5 sec rest
5m accleration into 90 degree right direction change into lateral run,
Right to left 5m, then left to right 5m, rotate into backwards run 5m, walk back to start

then 50m accleration runs to 50% speed x 3 runs - walk back to start = rest


Tempo Runs + Energy Work

about 105+ metres @ 60% speed
walk back to start = rest 1.5+ min

1) 27secs
2) 27secs
3) 24secs

Much slower today, since I didn't gun the start, sped up on the last run.

 

[coolcolj]

Wednesday 12th July - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 10 DELOAD - Day 2 - Upper + Lower - Microcycle 2

Definitely felt sluggish and none too strong from the lack of sleep....
Upper body has dropped off in strength a lot, it's like it's forgotten how to strain as well. Lower body seems to be just fine. Looks like I'll need to add another upper body workout in somewhere. This week is just an interim one, till I start a new microcycle next week. I have some ideas of a new split to try.

Since I intended to do some heavy strength and hypertrophy leg work this week, I tacked em onto this workout, to give me an extra day's rest by Sunday. Squats were not rotated with the upper body work at the start of the session.

Might do my prehab and and other light stuff tommorrow, which should act as a bit of a restorative.

Bodyweight at gym - 215lbs in winter clothing
Workout time - ?
Workout rating - 7/10

General warmup -
1) scapular pushups on bench 2x10, on floor 1x10
2) back extension BWx6 + 6 twisting to each alternate side
3) situp complex on swissball


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 - Bar x15, 95lbs x 10, 135lbs 2x5, 155x3, 185x3, 205x3, 225x2, 245x1

Rotation 1) 265lbs x MISS
Rotation 2) 205lbs x 5
Rotation 3) 205lbs x 5 --> near failure

Well I'm a lot weaker, best 1RM was at least 295lbs. But I didn't bother straining too much on 265lbs.


Bent over Barbell Rows - Index fingers on smooth - Strict

warmups - 45lbs x10, 89x10, 109x10, 129 2x5, 155x3, 175x3, 185x1, 195x1

Rotation 1) 215lbs x 1 just barely made rep
Rotation 2) 175lbs x5
Rotation 3) 175lbs x5 ---> near failure

A little weaker, not as much as bench though. Old 1RM was about 235lbs


Side of neck and trap stretches

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

----------------------

Full Oly Back Squats - in Oly Shoes - RAW

Hip abduction/adduction on Keiser air machine - Level 2/2 x10, level 4/5 x 10

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

controlled down, explode up - resting 3-4 mins
275x3, 315x2, 335x1, 365x1

295lbs 2x5 --> near failure

365lbs was hard, I was swaying a lot walking it out. Core tired from the bent over rows. Overall, not too bad at all, considering the lack of sleep and the stuff I did before hand. Looks like my 1RM is still at 385lbs. If I can keep it here, I'll be at double bodyweight+ when I reach 185-190lbs

The sets with 295lbs were real gut busters. The 1st set was very hard. I didn't think I'd get 5 on the 2nd set, but it actually felt light somehow, but still gut busting, I even grunted on the last rep on both sets, not something I do too often


Cooldown and stretches

reverse back extension - BWx12

static stretches at home after a hot shower.

 

[coolcolj]

thursday

Crap sleep again, a little drained a little sore all over, but not as much as usual interestingly
Went to a funeral today which took just about all day, lucky I did train my legs yesterday. Gonna go and take a nice long nap now...


friday

Deeper sleep last night. Upper hammies still fairly sore, as are my pecs and upper back. Definitely will need the extra days rest by Sunday.

I figure my bench is dropping because I don't work my triceps as much as I used to. Makes sense I guess, especially since I bench with a pretty narrow grip, and my triceps are a lot smaller than before

might do some energy/tempo work today, since I still get a days rest tommorrow

 

[coolcolj]

Friday 22nd July - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 10 DELOAD - Day 4 - Energy Work - Microcycle 2

Warm today for winter at least - 20 degrees or so.
My regular field was hijacked by school kids, so I went a proper rugby field further up the road. Nice to have proper markings. but the field is in pretty bad shape, and is concaved to each end. LOL that has got to give the attacking players an advantage running down a 1-2 degree slope!

Workout Rating - 8/10
Workout time - ?

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

4 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 3 runs - walk back to start = rest


Tempo Runs + Energy Work

100 metres @ 50-60% speed
walk back to start = rest 1.5 min

1) 26 secs
2) 27 secs
3) 24 secs
4) 26 secs

Runs went well. Just ran in my sneakers today and on the edge of the feild which felt nice and soft, but no grip though.
Looks like a proper 100m field is quite a bit shorter than what I have been running....

 

[coolcolj]

Still a bit sore in my posterior chain. In good spirits, but some lingering tiredness.

Weighed 95.7kg 210.5lbs this morning straight out of bed, waist still at 36.75inches. So bodyweight has climbed back up, without getting fatter. I have been eating more the last few days. Face looks leaner actually.
I have definitely gained quite a bit of muscle mass in my legs and hips.
This is back more inline with what I expected to weigh with a 36.75 inch waist, well slightly heavier actually

 

[coolcolj]

Better sleep, and more of it, but I still feel a bit tired. Still some soreness left in my posterior chain. Waking pulse is back down though.
Forecast is a warm 21 degrees for winter today!

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One thing I've noticed in the last few weeks is that I have become pretty hamstring dominant. I think due to all the running I have been doing, and proper running at that, ie snapping the legs downwards rather than than pushing em back using the quads, glutes and erectors.
Just standing, walking up stairs and everyday activities fries my hamstrings! When I walk up stairs I snap my legs downwards the same way I sprint, I feel no quads at all.

A big change from before where I was quad, glute and erector dominant. Thanks to all the squats and olys I did and general everday ingrained movement patterns.
I guess this is a good thing from a athletic performance point of view. And my hamstrings have come up in size a lot, they are finally more in proportion to my glutes and quads now, which are naturally big.

Goes to show how adaptable the body is, form follow function. So you do have to think about every exercise and activity, and how you do em to make sure your going the right way.

---

Which then leads me to this - I was looking at some old jumpsquat videos of mine and noticed how different they looked to my recent clip.

Take a look - right click and save each clip to avoid errors

9th November 2002 - 192lbs 33inch waist Training had a few jumps, lots of olys, repetition squats, explosive squats. And BBall. FullSquat max = 345lbs
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/blitzforce/Movies/CCJ_JumpSquats_19Nov2002.mpg

7th Decemeber 2004 - 219lbs 39+inch waist Mixture of max effort sprints, jumps, plyos, heavy and explosive squats. FullSquat max = 385lbs
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/blitzforce/Movies/CCJ_JumpSquats_25x3_7Dec04.mpg


14th July 2005 - 214lbs (in gym) 36.75inch waist. Dieting, lots of sub-maximal sprints, jumping and some BBall, explosive squats, a few heavy squats. FullSquat max = 385lbs
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/blitzforce/Movies/CCJ_JumpSquat25x5_14July05.mpg

note the difference in jumpheight, spring/reactivity, ground contact time and expecially form, relative to bodyweight and bodyfat %.
Granted in the first clip I'm using a little more weight than the 25lb barbell in the other clips, but the total bodyweight in the jumps is more or less the same across the board, 232, 244, and 240lbs respectively
My jump now is a hell of a lot faster and snappier! I figure the running and rate work in general obviously helps a lot.

I'm looking forward to see what I can do when I hit 185lbs, with a 25lb barbell that would be like me jumping now without any weight. I should be able to hit my head on the ceiling when doing jumpsquats with 25lbs

 

[coolcolj]

interesting discussion -

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do;jsessionid=8ABCF014AF5C32B0930961ED70ECFD4D.hydra?id=693473

pretty much sums it all up!

 

[coolcolj]

Sunday 24th July - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 1 - Day 1 - BBALL - Microcycle 3

Starting a new microcycle this week. So I wanted to get a good baseline on my jump. Went to another outdoor BBall court with a flat surface...
Bodyweight was up 2lbs over last week, thanks to extra muscle mass, because waist is still the same. No matter my jump was as good if not better than last week. The 4 days of rest, one extra day from usual, from heavy squats certainly helped.

Bodyweight at home - 211.5lbs in shorts and t-shirt
Workout time - 1 hour
Workout rating - 8/10

Pretty warm today, 21 degrees, for winter! So I warmed up pretty quick and did a mixture of shooting, post up moves, layups and a bunch of jumping for an hour. By the end of the sesssion my jump was 3 inches lower.

Felt pretty strong overall, good power in my jump, but did not feel all that reactive. Just felt explosive due to the heavy squats and hypertrophy work I guess.

As far as my vertical jump goes for the last microcycle

Standing Vertical jump - +2 inches
One step VJ - 3 inches higher than standing

so far I've dropped about 9lbs in bodyweight
+5 inches on the standing VJ and +6inches on the one step VJ.
most of it is from fat loss, some of it is from better technique and power gains.

I hope it keeps up, cause I have another 25-30lbs of fat to drop. If it does I'll be eyeing a 40+ inch standing VJ at 185lbs