Creation of an Explosive Mofo - My Training Journal :)

[coolcolj]

Monday 16th October - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 5 - Day 1 - Lower Strength - Micro cycle 10

Starting a new Block today. Pretty good workout apart from the fact it seems my squats has dropped back down again. I guess that semi-starvation yesterday is the cause....

Body weight at gym - 214.5lbs
Workout time - 2 hours
Workout rating - 8/10

General warm up -

20sec ISO holds - quarter squat, on toes, on heels (toes pulled up), hip back wide stance squat at parallel, on side of feet (for ankles), narrow full squat at bottom on toes

1) dynamic stretches and swings, rocking on side of ankle etc
2) back extension BWx5 + 4 twisting to each alternate side
3) sit up complex on swiss ball
4) reverse hypers - BWx9
5) various hops
6) bar complex with 30lbs - 5 reps each - slow hang clean pull onto toes, military press, explosive GM onto toes, snatch grip press, hang power clean, power jerks

Rotating Sets between each exercise

Resting 2mins on warm ups and 3+ min on work sets


Full Squats - high bar, medium stance - Oly Shoes - no Belt

warm ups - semi explosive in sneakers - BWx8, Bar x 8, 95x8, 135x8, 185x5, 225x5
in oly shoes - 255x3, 295x3, 325x2

Controlled down, driven up hard
Rotation 1) 355lbs x 2 --> very hard

Hold at middle on the way down, pause at bottom, driven up hard
Rotation 2) 295lbs x 3 --> last rep hard strain
Rotation 3) 295lbs x 3
Rotation 4) 295lbs x 2 --> failed on the 3rd rep at the bottom

My squat has gone kaput as I mentioned earlier, no way I could have done 355 2x3 today. Anyway changing things over, with ISO paused reps. 295lbs felt good. I like these, hard, but cool. I couldn't even get out of the bottom on the last set's third rep. Will stay here till I can get 5-6 sets to build up some work capacity, then I'd like to hit at least 335lbs for at least 3 sets like this eventually, 355 would be even better though

video of the 2nd set
right click on link and save first to avoid errors
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/coolcolj3/Movies/CCJ_FullSquat_ISOPaused_295x3_16Oct06.mpg


CleanPull + Eccentric RDL Combo - HookGrip - in Oly Shoes - no belt

did these in between the warm up sets on squats

Powerclean + 2 High Hang Power cleans - 89lbs x 2 sets, 119lbs,
Powerclean + high hang Powerclean - 155lbs
Powerclean x 2 - with a 15 sec reset between each rep - 175lbs, 195lbs, 215lbs

Lowered under control RDL style, 15 sec reset between each rep
Rotation 2) 243lbs x 2
Rotation 3) 243lbs x 2
Rotation 4) 243lbs x 2

Power cleans felt heavy in my hands and shoulders, been a while since I used such weights, but the power and snap was there, and form was good too. 215x2, I haven't doubled that much weight in a long time, had to dip lower for the 2nd rep though. I figure when I get back into groove I should be able to 20lbs more for a double.
Funny the cleanpulls with 243lbs felt good, the groove and technique is still there go figure.


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Rotating Sets between each exercise

minimal rest between each exercise


Standing Calf raise - Body weight - 10 sec stretched hold then 10 reps
10sec hold + 5 reps with a hold at top, mid and bottom - 3 plates, 8 Plates

Lat Machine situp - BW x 12 (progressively lower each rep with hold at bottom)
2sec hold at bottom on each rep - dumbbell on chest - 25lbs x 8, 50lbs x 8 (+2 reps),

Single Leg Seated Calf raise - one set for with just the machine's own weight, 10sec stretched hold then 10 reps,
10sec hold + 5 reps with a hold at top, mid and bottom - 25lbs, 45lbs (+5lbs)

Toe curls on lying leg curl machine - 1 Plate x 12, 2P x 5
with a hold at top, mid and bottom - 3plates x 7 (+1 rep)

Sideways situp on hyper bench - BW x 3 normal, BW x 6 (+1 rep) each side with a hold at top, mid and bottom

--
lower body, and lower back stretches

 

[coolcolj]

better sleep. ZMA is definitely making a difference to how I feel. Must be the extra testosterone, hope it improves my strength and power
Overall mild achey feeling, I did have a slight dry/warm feeling on lips when I woke up, usually get that when I cane my CNS hard, but it was much milder than usual and went within the hour. So I don't feel drained at all.

Achey upper back, posterior chain and legs. Pretty sore spinal erectors, and hammies.

weighed 95.9kg 211lbs straight out of bed in underwear

Thats what I weighed this morning, not much differnet to any other day, but a few hours later, I'm lighter after unloading at the toilet, damn I must had big bowel full

 

[coolcolj]

Still pretty sore, in my groin and hammie area. Upper traps as well.
Breaking out with some severe rash on my legs... ZMA..? Very strange as I haven't had something like ever... damn itchy as hell!

 

[coolcolj]

Wednesday 18th October - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 5 - Day 2 - Upper 2 Prehab_Rehab - Microcycle 10

Should have done this workout on Sunday, but a few days late never hurt anyone. Stronger anyway.
2nd rotation was a bitch again, very tiring today. Didn't bother stretching afterwards as a result. Do it tommorrow

Been doing a lot of thoracic extension stretches, and reaching an arm over head and try touch the middle of my back type stretches the last couple of days. Really felt a big difference today, especially on military presses, very easy to hold the bar behind my head etc. If anyone has shoulder impingement issues, these are the ones to do.

Body weight at gym - 215lbs
Workout time - 1.75+ hours
Workout rating - 8/10

General warm up -

1) whole body dynamic stretches and swings
2) scapular push ups - on bench x12


Rotating Sets between each exercise

Resting 1-2 min on warm ups and 3 mins between each exercise on work sets, 4 mins at end of each rotation


16inch grip standing Military Press - pushed behind the head at the top

Warm ups - with slight hold at top - Bar x 8, 65lbs x 5, 95 x5, 115 x4, 135x3

controlled, 3 sec hold at top, 2 sec pause at bottom
Rotation 1) 155lbs x 5 --> medium strain on last rep
Rotation 2) 155lbs x 4 (+1 rep) --> gut busting strain on last rep

first set much easier than last session. 2nd set was a bitch with the pump in my forearms and arms!!

Shoulder width Pull ups

warm ups - Shoulder width Pull downs, 2 sec hold on the last rep - 35kg x 10, 50kg x5, 65kg x5, 80kg x2, Pullup x 2

controlled, 3 sec hold at top, 2 sec pause at bottom
Rotation 1) BW 215.5 + 10lbs x 4 + 1 partial rep, 2-3inches short
Rotation 2) BW 215.5 + 10lbs x 4 (+1 rep) --> hard strain on last rep

making some progress, but it's so damn hard! I must be getting stronger in the movement/muscles though, as the pulldowns in the warmups feel so easy now.


Dumbbell Bench - arms/elbows by side - neutral grip

warm ups - 15lbs x5 --> 30lbs x7, 50x5, 70x5, 90x3,

controlled, 2 sec pause, shoulders pushed off bench at top
Rotation 1) 95lbs x 6 (+5lbs -3 reps) --> medium strain on last rep
Rotation 1) 95lbs x 6 --> hard strain on last rep

Up 5lbs and into the man weights
felt good, but damn my hands are having trouble holding onto the dumbells when carrying em and setting em up. 100lbs will be a bitch. I know I had problems holding onto 105s when I last did dumbell rows with that weight.
Might have to add a hold at the middle on the way down to make em even harder so I can lessen the load..


Dumbbell Curls

warm ups - 3kg x 10, 15lbs x 6, 30x5, 35x3, 40x3

controlled and strict
Rotation 1) 45lbs x 6 --> hard strain on last rep
Rotation 1) 40lbs x 6 --> hard strain on last rep

quite hard, I don't think I'll make much progress here, as the pullups and dumbell bench trash my biceps like nothing. But I need to do em to keep elbow problems away.

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Cooldown - Restorative - ISO stretches

Subscap raises 5kg x 15 + 1 min Pec/Subscap stretched ISO hold

single arm Face Pulls - 40lbs x 6, 50lbs x 16

Low pulley external rotation - 10lbs x 6

 

[coolcolj]

squat vid I posted above, was deleted for some reason, I re-upped it. Should work now

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Crap sleep, not my fault though, some noisey people's...
Don't feel too bad otherwise.
I did manage to stretch a little later yesterday, but will will do some more today. Upper body is a bit sore and stiff off course, but not too bad.

rash is still quite bad

weighed 96.7kg 212.7lbs straight out of bed in underwear

12min walk, easy active recovery work and stretching planned

 

[super_rice]

Jeez good job on those paused squats, strong like a bull.

A really cool story that you may or may not have heard. I train near the UTM campus in Toronto, where recently Dursun Sevinc (85kg Silver Medalist.. dunno year) is training some athletes in Toronto. This is the same guy that is in one of the Ironmind tapes that did a 280kg front squat days before competiton!

Anyway the story goes, Buck Ramsay, one of the best 85s in Canada, is getting ready to do a heavy backsquat at the end of his workout - 220kg @ probably 86-88kg. He makes his attempt and gets pinned in a goodmorning like position, and lost the arch in his back. Dursun comes over, seeing this from the sidelines, and informs Buck that the reason why he couldn't spring out of the hole was because his back wasn't tight and straight. So, WITHOUT a wamup, in tennis shoes and a pair of jeans, Dursun gets under the bar, takes the 220kg to parallel, stops and says "see, back tight", takes it into the hole, "see, back tight", and racks the bar again.

 

[coolcolj]

ahh, it's not that hard

I wonder how they can do that without warmup, I would pull something for sure!

 

[coolcolj]

I was interrupted by the dog barking last night, but I went back to sleep quicly - so deep. I wanted to sleep in, but had to get up early, alarm woke me up
Had 2 dreams as well, pretty weird ones at that, the 2nd one I could actually control it.... I've had more dreams this week than the last 12 months put together! This ZMA sure does work. Much deeper sleep. If only I could sleep in, which I will be able to do tommorrow and the next 3 days

felt strong today.
Rash on my legs is still pretty bad. Hard to pinpoint what is causing it, becuase I'm taking a few different things, and made diet changes the last week when it flared up

weighed 96.6kg 212.5lbs straight out of bed in underwear

 

[super_rice]

ahh, it's not that hard

I wonder how they can do that without warmup, I would pull something for sure!

Yeah, without a warmup is very risky... unless you enjoy surgery.

 

[coolcolj]

Sleep was really fractured - when I was able to sleep it was good, but with hoons ripping out burnouts, and drunken f*cks yelling as they walk down the street, made it hard to sleep... must have been a dance party nearby...cause I could hear some distant doof doof all night...

Waking pulse is back down below 60 though, nice. Feeling semi loose.

weighed 95.5kg 210lbs straight out of bed in underwear

woah down 2lbs from my morning average!
I usually eat quite a lot at dinner so combined with the fact I have to get up early most of the time, my bodyweight has been artifically high.
Today I was able to sleep in much later. So the drop in weight is probbaly a real bodyweight drop since I changed my diet by dropping out cereal+oat milk (still have it there after training though).
I have noticed my face looked leaner, but I wasn't sure, since my scale wasn't backing me here, well it finally does
I'm eating normally, with lots of carbs, and averaging at least 2000 calories, well over what I was taking in when I was dieting properly. So it can't be water weight, and my muscle seems to be all there, as my strength is rising.
ZMA has got be helping too, stopping my testosterone from dropping or restoring to where it should be
Better nutrient partitioning, plus deeper sleep is supposed to help the body process carbs better too...

haven't been drinking as much water these days. So I should get back on it, the ice cold water thing, which will help the fatloss even more