Creation of an Explosive Mofo - My Training Journal :)

[coolcolj]

CCJ, not sure if it's just me, but in that clip of your clean deads + RDL, you seem to round your back on the way up. It's more pronounced during the second set. That's dangerous, I would think.

back angle changes to keep the weight balanced, because I started with my hips lower than I should have, but it doesn't round.
Look in the mirror reflection, I can't see my back rounding at all. I see a solid arch. Put it on frame by frame advance to see what I mean.
And I know what it feels like when the back rounds too, it freaking hurts.

There is a bit of curve in my upper back, but that's always there, you can see that in my squats too, it's the shape of my back muscles

 

[coolcolj]

Friday 31st March - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 4 - Day 3 - Energy Work - Microcycle 7

Well I only got 4.5 hours sleep last night, thanks to me trying mods for Oblivion (PR RPG game). Damn awesome game, but man do you lose time when playing it, it's like an alternate universe....
Then didn't eat well leading up to this workout, bloated from my carbup yesterday, and muscles were all tight and achey too.

Pretty productive session all things considered though. Lots of people and dogs at the park today too

Bodyweight in shorts and t-shirt - 201.9lbs
Workout Rating - 7/10
Workout time - 50 mins all up for the stuff at the park

Warmup

warmup at home - 20sec ISO holds each - quarter squat, standing 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 and run in place in bare feet at home.


Warmup at park -
Slow Jog - 50m x 5 - 1 mins rest, getting faster on each run

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
25m prime times (stiffed legged runs), 10m straight run, then into lateral run, right side 5m, left side 5m, into backwards run 5m, then three 360 pivots runs

4 dropsquats (hammie to parallel) sitting back, focusing on activating the hammies on ball of feet + 3 point start into 40m acceleration runs to 70% speed - 1min rest

another set as above, but with 2 dropsquats + 2 easy vertical jumps
Did a few more 2 runs with 90% burst accelerations, cost and then another 10m burst

then rest 2 mins

Tempo Runs + Energy Work

56 metres @ 70-80% speed - from 3 point start
rest = walk back to start - 1min
3 runs - high 8 to low 9 secs

310m run - ran one lap around the football field - 51.47 secs NEW PR! -2.27secs
2.5 min rest

56 metres @ 70-80% speed - from casual standing start
rest = walk back to start - 1.5 min
3 runs ---> mid to high 9 secs

Backwards run - 56 metres @ 90% speed
rest = walk back to start - 1 min
2 runs - mid to high 11secs

Zig-Zag and pivot run - 78 metres @ 70% speed
rest = walk back to start - 1 min

1) 45 degree zig zag run, last 2 with with a 360 degree pivot at change of direction
2) All with pivots and a few side steps at the the end

bunch of static stretches for whole body

---

Was breathing and sucking air hard today! Was rather surprised I set a PR on the run around the football field. Just 2 more secs to reach my goal!
Faster on the backward runs too.

Running was hard today, legs really bloated and tight from the carbs. Twinges in both hammies during the early runs. Time to change raining emphasis before something pops me thinks!!

Feet and ankles were good in the zig-zag runs. First time in a while doing these. Last time my ankles, feet and shins hurt when doing em.
Calves are pretty trashed after the workout though.

 

[coolcolj]

not enough sleep, 6.5 hours, but I'm functioning OK
Achey feet and lower legs, spinal erectors, and my hamstrings feel strained. Right side feels really tender. Not the DOMs kind of ache, but a damanged kind of feeling. Need to back off to let em recovery.

weighed 90.9kg 199.98lbs straight out of bed in underwear

 

[coolcolj]

Sunday 2nd April - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 6 - Day 1 - Energy/Prehab/Movement Efficiency work - Microcycle 7

Workout time - 35+ mins not including warmup stuff
Session rating - 8/10

Reach, Roll and Lift move for lats and internal rotors - 2x5 for each side - 3 sec hold on lift part

warmup - 20 sec ISO holds each - 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
- scapular pushups against chair - BW x15, pushups against chair BWx8
- various hop patterns in place in bare feet, 10 reactive squats, and a few easy vertical jumps
- A few practise reps of each of the exercises


Done circuit style - 5 times through
10-20secs rest between each move - however long it takes me to get ready etc

1) 30secs of Burpees - 5 with a jump, rest done with a hop to one side and back, alternating sides each rep. Try to be soft and smooth, jumps at 75% effort

2) 30secs of Shadow Boxing - 75% effort

3) 15 x 12lb MedBall 2 handed Throwdowns - star jump type hop each rep, throwing hard enough to bounce the medball to head height, 75% effort

4) 15 x 12lb MedBall 2 handed Chest Pass into floor - small star jump type hop , 75% effort

5) 30 x 12lb MedBall twists in situp position - touching the floor on each side of the body as fast as possible

7) Giant set - all with 1.25kg 2.75lb plates -
a) 16 x Lunge + cuban press - alternating legs and to 3 directions
b) 15 x 45 degree bent over raises - slight hold at top
c) 20 x supinating plate curls

8) 1.5mins rest

about 32+ mins all up

static stretches for the whole body, including my external rotors
---------------

Good workout, but my left shin started to ache quite a bit
Changed things up, keep it easier than normal, and it sure didn't feel as hard. But the cold weather also made it feel easier too. The swissball pushups I used to do really kill me.

The lunges felt very easy and stable, like pissing in a pool
I can't remeber them ever feeling like that

 

[coolcolj]

Feel pretty tired for some reason. Mild drained feeling, dry and hot/swollen lips
slightly achey in the upper back/traps and posterior chain/quads/calves.

weighed 90.6kg 199.32lbs straight out of bed in underwear

Looking leaner and different. I can see the lumps and faint striations in the shoulders and middle of my pecs. Waist down 1/4 inch to 35 inches finally.
Can't wait to hit 34, that's when I usually stop looking chubby
Upper body is getting pretty scrawny, but my quads and hammies are getting really freaky compared to the rest of me!

 

[super_rice]

damn good progress CCJ. that's ~20lbs now! how has your body responded in terms of strength/speed?

 

[coolcolj]

damn good progress CCJ. that's ~20lbs now! how has your body responded in terms of strength/speed?

Well I'm definitely weaker in most things, except in my posterior chain. It's partly down to what I'm training and how often. Since I spend more time on energy work and less on weights, you expect that. And being athletic is more important to me right now anyway, but I can regain most of my strength pretty quickly once I change focus.

I'm much faster off course, running wise, and can jump at least 7-8 inches higher. I won't know for sure until I deload and switch back to reactive training, but I suspect I can probbaly push it up to a 9 inch gain
Much more co-ordinated. Before doing only weights made me stiff and "muscle bound"

Still have another 20lbs of fat to drop, I'm gonna fly then!!!
I'm confident I'll have a 40inch standing vertical jump at least, but a 42+ inch is possible after some focused work. And will probbaly run the 100m in the mid 10 second range, anything less will be a big bonus! I definitely wasn't born to be fast runner - shows you what proper training and getting lean can do
I'm even better at acceleration in short distances.

I think I'll end up at 80kg 176lbs and pretty shredded...

 

[super_rice]

damn nice CCJ. i agree, working with weights for too long makes me feel un-athletic too. HOWEVER, with oly lifts, the athleticism is always there. i guess that's why PLing is not considered a sport by olympic standards.

CCJ, you're going to cut down to my size? i can't wait, fatty

 

[coolcolj]

Well I was doing some oly lifts as well
They can make you feel explosive in a brutish way
Still you have to muscle the lifts and strain a bit relatively speaking

but the kind of mobility I'm taking about is different, being snappy, supply, agile, reactive etc while being soft and dynamic
You gotta do differnet things and have a different approach for that kind of stuff

If you look at what breakdancers, gymnast etc can do then you know what I mean. No sort of olys will prepare you for that stuff

My natural bodyweight at my leanest was around 155lbs, 29 or so inch waist, 8% bodyfat so I'm getting back to that level and maybe a bit leaner. So that means I will have at least 20+lbs of extra muscle vs then
And I felt really fast back then, I remeber running back home one day when it started to rain. Man I was flying, no warmup and no foot or shin pains too

I used to be 219+lbs with a 39+inch waist, and now 200lbs with a 35inch waist. Final stop is 175-180lbs with a 30inch or less waist. That's like dropping a 45lb plate off your backside when running or jumping! I should feel light....

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Damn, a 40" standing vert, huh? That's pretty wicked. How long have you been training for your VJ specifically?