Creation of an Explosive Mofo - My Training Journal :)

[coolcolj]

Feeling pretty good mood wise, but a bit beat up from my part time job, upper body wise, lower body is not too bad, but not feeling that snappy.
Speed workout today. Damn cold though, so not sure how things will go.

weighed 90.1kg 198.22lbs straight out of bed in underwear

Carbed up yesterday, wasn't in the mood to eat a lot, so got in some calorie dense foods like pizza and chocolate...funny thing is I actually look tighter and leaner!

 

[coolcolj]

Sunday 14th May - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 3 - Day 1 - Speed - Microcycle 8

Not a bad workout, 2.5lbs heavier than last week thanks to all the carbs in me. The new diet plan seems to be working I felt stronger, so much so I was really trying too hard on the sprints...
Not bad considering how beat up I was earlier in the day, but chilling out in bed turned that around

Bodyweight in shorts and t-shirt - 200lbs
Workout Rating - 8/10
Workout time - around 1+ hour

General 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. Massaged bottom of feet and arches against side of bathtub

Warmup at park -
Slow Jog - 56m x 4 - 1.5 mins rest, getting faster on each run

Run complex increasing in speed each run to 70% 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


Rotating sets between each exercise

1.5 mins in warmups and 3.5mins rest between each on worksets


Sprints on Grass Rugby Field in spikes - hand timed

warmups - a few sets of 2 acceleration runs, slow buildups and later on 90% effort runs from a 3 point start.

Did a short burst of fast running on the spot and one vertical jump before each sprint

Rotation 1 a) 30m sprint from 3 point start - 3.87secs

Rotation 2 a) 30m sprint from 3 point start - standing start - 4 secs --> ran tight
rest 3.5 mins
b) 30m sprint from 3 point start - 4.1 secs --> ran tight
rest 3.5 mins
c) Flying 30m sprint from 60m out - stuffed up and ended up timing a 60m instead got 7.5+ secs

Rotation 3 a) 30m sprint from 3 point start - 3.85 secs
rest 3.5 mins
b) 30m sprint from 3 point start - 4.15 secs --> ran tight
rest 3.5 mins
c) 56m sprint from 3 point start - 6.88 secs
rest 3.5 mins
d) 40m sprint from 3 point start - 5.5+ secs --> pretty tired now

Pretty pleased when I do things right, but on the 4+ sec runs, I tried too hard and ran them all tight, trying to put effort into pushing off each feet, I even grunted off the line and bit down on my lip, with tensed shoulders, like your powercleanig or something, thinking you run faster, but the stop watch don't lie....

I did a few other longer runs to get an idea of where I was, but any run after the first one in each rotation is pretty slow, as even 3.5 mins just doesn't seem to be enough recovery. When I do that rapid fire running in the spot drill after the first run my legs still feel like jelly even after 3.5 mins rest. Should limit sprints to 2 runs per rotation in the future.
PR in 56m run is 6.64 secs, so a bit slower today. 60m is a PR by default as I have never run one before. Should not have done the 40m sprint at the end, as I was pretty tired by then, no power or pop left. Still it's faster than the 5.81sec run I did a few weeks back when fresh

Clip of the 2 fastest 30m sprints today 3.87 and 3.85secs. I seem to slow down in the last 3m, getting ready to stop the timer....
And 6.88sec 56m sprint, shows better view of the start. Didn't jump out of the start this week like I have before. I don't quite fully extend my my 2nd step off the line.
Right click on link and save as to avoid errors
http://www.members.optushome.com.au...rint30m_3.87_3.85sec_56m_6.88secs_14May06.mpg

Alttitude drops/Depth Jumps off steps landing on concrete

Warmup - altitude drops - 12 inch x 2, 18inch x 2
submaximal depthjumps - 12 inch x 2, 18 inch x 2, 26 inch x 1

Rotation 1) Altitude drop - 26 inch x 1, rest 10secs, 34 inch x 1
rest 1min - DepthJump 26 inches x 3

Rotation 2) Altitude drop - 26 inch x 1, rest 10secs, 34 inch x 1
rest 1min - DepthJump 26 inches x 3

Went up on the depth jumps this week from 18 inches. felt good, very shallow dip phase


RFI Hops on/off a 12 inch step - 2 mins after the above

Warmup - 6 inch step x 5, x10, 12 inch step x 5

5 on 6inch step and 3 on 12 to warmup before each
Rotation 1) 12 inch x 10 secs - messed up timer...

Only did one set today

 

[ChinkNasty]

hey colin, are you running to help you slim down orrr for growth in your legs/post. chain?

 

[coolcolj]

hey colin, are you running to help you slim down orrr for growth in your legs/post. chain?

I guess it helps you lean up a bit, but not the way I'm doing em with long rest periods. Yesterday was my speed day - helps with power, force absorbtion and getting the CNS to fire quickly to help my speed, reactivity and jumping

just like how WSB powerlifters have a speed day, except mine is on the faster side of the curve. Each foot step in sprints has like 5 times your bodyweight in force acting on your body in a 0.1 secs or less, that's gotta do something

Yeah they help blow up my hammies and calves too, but my legs are already pretty big for me anyway

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Woah 69 bpm waking pulse! Highest in the last year, 15 above average, but I actually feel ok, zero drained feeling after maximal sprints too! Dunno what that means...
Body is not feeling too bad too, just sore feet, ankles and calves. Some aches in posterior chain and upper back, but hammies don't seem to be that sore.

weighed 90.5kg 199.1lbs straight out of bed in underwear
Bodyweight is up which is unexpected. Waist size is much the same.

12min walk today, light active recovery work and easy stretching

 

[silver_shadow]

well if you were active before and kept on running as you got heavier then it shouldn't be a problem. But if you were like me who was inactive and a gym rat that decided to start running when he was a fat 219lbs then yeah you will have problems. For a whole year my chins and ankles were trashed every time a ran in a bad way, but it got better as I leaned up and my body started to get used to it. I did a lot of barefoot drills to strengthen my foot muscles and lots of tib work too, but they only go so far.
Knees shouldn't be a problem if your run properly, there is hardly any knee bend, unless your try and "push" run with quads which a lot of gym rats do when they start running. Run on the balls of your feet and use your calves and posterior chain to propel yourself. off course doing that will mean your feet and calves better be up to the task

just keep the volume and frequency low and listen to your body

thanks bro. much appreciated. i used to play soccer and sprinted 100m & 200m when i was in school. in college, i continued the soccer but switched to middle distance running. so i guess, i'll have to try to remember how to run from back then LOL

 

[coolcolj]

thanks bro. much appreciated. i used to play soccer and sprinted 100m & 200m when i was in school. in college, i continued the soccer but switched to middle distance running. so i guess, i'll have to try to remember how to run from back then LOL

let me suggest you start doing fast hops on/off a 6 inch step to start off with. max reps in 10secs. Help you get the timing of firing and relaxing the posterior chain and hip flexors. IF you've been doing weights a while, you will feel really clunky and muscle bound when you try and do it, I know I did
But I got better and so did my running form. When you hit the 16-18 reps area then your good to go.

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Damn late night, only 5 hours sleep. Funny I don't feel or look all that tired!
A bit stiff and tight though - hammies a bit sore in that deep down strained way, more on the right side.

weighed 89.7kg 197.34lbs straight out of bed in underwear
Back on lowish carbs, but protein levels have been upped a bit. Also bigger gaps betwen meals, 3 to 3.5 hours, which seems to improve my insulin sensitivity

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Would you count a hop as up and down, or just up, and then the hop down counts as another rep?

 

[coolcolj]

Tuesday 16th April - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 3 - Day 2 - Upper 1 - Microcycle 8

Surprisingly decent workout given the 5 hours of sleep. Rows didn't kill me like last week. Diet change is probably the reason, better recovery etc.
Veins on forearms and biceps were sticking out more and bigger

Bodyweight at gym - 202lbs in winter clothing
Workout time - 1 hour
Workout rating - 8/10

General warmup -

1) dynamic stretches and swings
2) bar complex with 30lbs - RDL+shrug onto toes, military press and hang powerclean
3) scapular pushups - on bench x 15, on floor x 15

4) Stretched side of neck, traps, quad/hip flexor and external hip rotor on the warmup sets - 15secs each

Rotating Sets between each exercise

Resting 1min on warmups and 3.5 mins between each exercise on work sets
and then 4 mins when I dropped some exercises out

Chest Supported 45 degree T-Bar Rows - Overhand grip

warmups - semi explosive and 3 sec ISO hold at top on last rep of each set - Bar+25lbs x5, +45 x4, +70 x4, +90 x3, +115 x3, +135x1 (no iso)

controlled, 3sec ISO hold at the top
Rotation 1) Bar + 135lbs x 4 --> hard
Rotation 2) Bar + 135lbs x 4 --> easier
Rotation 3) Bar + 135lbs x 4 (+1 extra full set)
Rotation 4) Bar + 135lbs x 3 --> last rep pretty hard

Felt much easier this week vs last week. But ISO holds still always make you work real hard, you can't just heave it up. Posterior chain was tensed up too. Work capacity is on the up and up. Will stay here another week I think.
These 2 guys I see each week saw me do the 3rd set from behind, and joked about me only do 4 reps and thought I only had a plate there, but when they saw 3 plates that made em think a bit
I haven't seen too many people at my gym can do 3 or more plates for a few honest sets...

Dip Shrugs

Warmups - lockout hold x 10sec + 4 reps, BW 3x4, 10lbs x4

3 sec ISO at top and bottom
Rotation 1) BW+20lbs x 8 (+5lbs)
Rotation 2) BW+20lbs x 6

Even though my triceps are only contracting staticly, the outer part is getter bigger from em

Elbow On knee External rotation

warmups - 1kg x 8, 3kg x5, 4kg x 5, 5kg x5, 15lbs x2

3 sec Hold at parallel - 1min rest between each arm
Rotation 1) 20lbs x 5

really hard so only did one set. Will back off next time.

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various static stretches for whole upper body and some lower body

 

[coolcolj]

Would you count a hop as up and down, or just up, and then the hop down counts as another rep?

up as one rep, then down part as part of the next rep

 

[silver_shadow]

up as one rep, then down part as part of the next rep

so you'd alternate legs... 10 secs one leg and 10 secs the other? you are refering to doing single leg at a time right? i didn't get this: " down part as part of the next rep". does this mean that the down part with the next up part is a rep or down one rep, up one rep? 16-18 in 10 secs sounds alot either way.