HIT Basic - weeks 4 and 5 - Less is more... Rowing gains!

Saturday, 31 January 2015 
10 min + 28 min, 228 lbs.
3/3 cadence 

leg curl: 110 x 10c

leg extension: 120 x 11c

leg press: 250 x 9e

Cybex chest flye: 110 x 14c

Cybex chest press: 220 x 2/6c
[Switched machines.]

Cybex MP: 90 x 1/6c
[Switched machines.]

T-row: 125 x 9c

pullover: 90 x 7c

bb curl: 100 x 1c / 90 x 2e / 80 x 5c
[Switched bars to find the right weight.]

cable tricep extension: 70 x 7e

farmer carry: 85 x 70 steps, 23 steps

+ + +

Wednesday, 4 February 2015 
10 min + 24 min + 3 min, 228 lbs. 
3/3 (or 3/4) cadence

leg curl: 110 x 10c

leg extension: 120 x 12c

leg press: 250 x 12c

Cybex chest flye: 120 x 10c

Seated chest press: 220 x 8c
[Lost time on these trying to figure out the Cybex plate weights and then waiting for a guy to finish with the machine that I could make sense of. Probably need to raise the seat a bit next time.]

bb MP (seated): 90 x 6e
[Man, I suck at presses.]

T-row: [oops, forgot to do this, but that worked out on a different level; see notes below] 

pullover: [skipped these, for same reason explained below] 

bb curl: 80 x 6e

cable tricep extension: 80 x 9c

farmer carry: [did not do these either] 

----

Had I done my usual eleven exercises, I surely would have exceeded thirty minutes, but I chose to skip some exercises today for a couple reasons.

First, since I have begun coaching crew, I have been "the fitness coach". As a result, I have been doing jumpies, running, pushups, planking, crunches, rowing, etc., on my off-days, and have felt some soreness in my run-up to tonight's workout. I'm also starting to feel some aching in my lower calves (shin splints... again??).

Second, for the past few days I have felt some achey tension in my upper back, probably due to the pressure on my shoulder blades during pullovers, T-rows, and farmer carries. So even though I had slated T-rows for tonight's workout, it's just as well that I skipped them.

On top of all that, I continue to read as much as I can about High Intensity Training and made an executive decision to implement one of its most central but most neglected principles (which I'll put into my own idiosyncratic words): rest is more important than any one exercise. In terms of frequency, less is more. So I nearly put tonight's workout off another day, but I'm glad I did it. Despite the pains, I could tell that rowing (ergs and calisthenics) has increased my fitness.

Oh, two other things:

1) I had a small epiphany last week: alternate primarily lower-body and primarily upper-body HIT workouts. This will allow even more time for recovery, without succumbing to full-on multiple splits.

2) The programming wars will never end, of course, and ultimately pretty much every program "works", but the reason I am so "into" HIT these days is twofold: first, it achieves what other programs do in less time, and, second, it prevents injury better than other programs. A lot of noise is made about the fact that many, even most, of the bodybuilding greats did not (strictly, or perhaps ever) practice HIT.

Yet the point remains that the greats could have achieved the same results in less time. More than that--my little epiphany--I would be surprised if anyone who ever really committed to HIT ever went back to a different type of training. Apparently, Schwarzenegger did try (one workout of) HIT, with Arthur Jones, but he never dug into true HIT-failure--and then gave up on the method. But I have a feeling that once a serious lifter has seen how effective HIT is--and no, Dan John, with all due respect, HIT does not mean "Nautilus only" training--he would not return to some other method... UNLESS he simply decided HIT is too demanding.

I have seen remarkable progress, both in terms of strength and body composition, since beginning HIT a mere five weeks ago (if not just more than a month), and I have loved how much time I can save with it.

New HIT regimen - Basic Week 2

Wednesday, 14 January 2015 
HIT Basic Week 2.2 
38 minutes, 224 lbs. 

warm-up: elliptical machine, stretching

leg curl: 90 lbs x 16c

leg extension: 90 x 15e

leg press: 200 x 19e

db pullover: 80 x 12e

db BP: 70 x 12e

T-row: 130 x 2 / 115 x 9c

db MP: 35 x 13e

bb curl: 70 x 11e

db tricep extension: 50 x 14e

farmer carry: 80 x 80 steps (left hand), 82 steps (right hand)

standing calf raise: 240 x 13e

+ + +

The "e" and "c" in the above notes refers to when I "failed": c refers to the concentric phase, in which I could no longer overcome the resistance, and e refers to the eccentric phase, in which I could no longer control the resistance "on the way down" (as it were). Also, failing on "e" means that the concentric phase involved a spotter or body English.

I took an average of a minute of rest between each exercise, which made each effort a little less ragged (compared to last time).

I enjoyed the 2c/4e cadence of this workout and the T-row was a nice change.

On Friday I will add a two-handed farmer carry after the unilateral carries. It's such a great exercise. I would love to work in some "trap days" but I don't want to undermine my progress by giving short shrift to rest.

Re-building notes... gains... rest is so important...

Tuesday, 16 December 2014 
Ahnohld Three-Day Split, Day ___
60 min. 

warm-up: stretching, motions, etc.  

SQ: 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 225, 245, 265, 285 lbs. 

leg curl: 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 70, 80, 90, 100 

db floor press (with elevated feet): 12, 10, 8, 10 @ 65, 60, 70, 75
[An old-timer (sort of) saw me doing floor presses and suggested I throw-in leg raises while doing them, to activate my abdomen and destabilize my torso to enhance pectoral control. I like it. He then told me that he had a heart attack recently due, apparently, to a hypertrophic heart, after 36 years of heavy lifting. He said he is giving his doctor until the end of January to get things right, at which time, either way, he'll resume heavy training. Kind of creepy to get advice from a guy who might literally die under the bar in the next few weeks.] 

PU (supinated): 14, 9, 7 @ bdw  

db pullover-press: 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 60, 65, 70, 75  

EZ bar curl: 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 50, 60, 70, 80 

This was an abbreviated and more quickly done workout, which was fun, since I had to get my wife to a teacher function that evening. I drank two 500 mL bottles of Cytomax.

+ + +

Wednesday, 17 December 2014 
walking with double stroller 
2 miles, 30 min.

+ + + 

Thursday, 18 December 2014 
walking with double stroller
2.6 miles, 40 min.

+ + + 

Friday, 19 December 2014 
Ahnohld Three-Day Split, Day ___
80 min. 

SQ: 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 230, 250, 270, 295 lbs.  

leg curl: 10, 9, 8 @ 90, 100, 110  

calf press: 18, 16, 15 @ 255 (?)
[I'm never really sure how to tally a leg press machine. I guess you don't count the board itself.]  

db floor press (with elevated feet): 12, 10, 8, 8 @ 70, 75, 80, 85  

[PU (supinated): 15, 9, 8 @ bdw
[and
[db MP: 12, 9, 6 @ 45, 50, 55 

[In order to save time, I "intermeshed" one set of each exercise after the other.] 

[EZ bar curl (narrowish grip): 12, 10, 8, 9 @ 50, 60, 70, 80
[and
[db tricep press (supine, two hands on one db): 12, 10, 10 @ 70, 75, 80
[Ditto.]

I ended up talking for a few minutes with a couple guys about new exercises and programs they can try. I mentioned that I'll be doing a "high-intensity program" in the new year, and they said they wanted to try the same, "like Crossfit." Let's just say, though, that the HIT method I will be doing is much different from Crossfit/Insanity/PX-90-style intensity workouts. With my HIT goals, the maxim is, "Less is more", while those other intensity programs are driven by the idea that "more is never enough."

In any case, I felt much stronger on squats, and I was pleased to see my pullups and floor press improved. I once again drank two bottles of Cytomax. Originally I had planned to return on Thursday, but I wisely decided to give myself one more day of rest (and walking), which was a boon.

Next week I am partial to idea of going to the gym simply to do a baseline workout to prepare for my HIT program. That is, I will run through the exercises I'll be doing to establish roughly my 1RM for each, and then use a 75-80% "inroad" of that amount for the workouts themselves.

Then again, I realize that after a few days off, especially with the holidays looming, I may want to go for one more solid full-body workout and then use the first two weeks of the the HIT program to establish weights, rhythms, stations, etc. (which is kind of what Darden intends for the first two weeks, anyway).

I'm really itching to work in some grip training days again. Walking/Jogging with the kids will generally be my off-day activity for the foreseeable future.

Rebuilding program notes...

Ahnohld Three-Day Split - Day 9 
5 December 2014 - 65 min.

warm-up: motions, stretching, scorpions

SQ: 10, 8, 6, 4 @ 225, 255, 285, 315 lbs.
[I'm pretty sure I could have gotten a 5th rep. But slow and steady and all that.] 

leg curl: 10 x 3 @ 90

calf press: 15 x 4 @ 225

db BP: 10, 8, 6, 6 @ 70, 75, 80, 85

PU (supinated): 12, 7, 7 (?) @ bdw

[I forgot to do the db press. Meh.] 

EZ bar skull crusher: 10, 8, 6 @ 70, 80, 90

EZ bar curl: 6, 8, 10, 12 @ 90, 80, 70, 60
[This is the way I should train my biceps and pecs! Start strong and work down to more volume.] 

+ + +

I believe I shall take next Monday off. I am feeling incipient "overtraining", which is easy to do on a full-body, three-day split... with little kids and night-owl tendencies.

Truth be told, I'm tempted to finish out the year with my own Even Keel regimen, but I figure it builds character, or something, if I just stick to the original program until the new year, as I originally planned.

AYCE notes... (The plot thickens)

Friday, 11 April 2014 
43 min., 227 lbs. 
MOOD: felt very fun, felt energized, wore pants and hoodie 

Warm-up (3 min.) - movements, stretching

FSQ: 7, 5, 3, 3, 3, 2 @ 135, 155, 205, 225, 245, 265 lbs.

CLP: 5, 5, 5 @ 115, 125, 135 lbs.

HSN (hang snatch): 5, 4, 3* @ 115, 125, 135 lbs.
[Rule of thumb: if you're not sure that you're being explosive enough on Oly lifts, then you're not being explosive enough, especially compared to this beast. Not only did I not pull myself under the bar, at least not once I passed 115 lbs., but I also didn't really drop into a squat. Plus, my feet were kind of all over the place, rather like a flying squirrel. The * indicates that I only pulled off the last rep of the final set. Humble pie is quite tasty! Still, it was a fun lift.]

PNF: 5 min.

+ + + 

I've learned this much:

- Squatting every day is not only not impossible, but almost a given for strength and power athletes. 

- I believe in majoring on The Big Three (SQ, DL, BP) and using everything else for adding volume (esp. for myofibrillar synthesis), honing technique, and training assistance lifts for The Big Three. 

- I enjoy "hobby strength training" (i.e. neck, grip, hand balancing, tires-and-sledge-hammers, plyometrics, boxing, kettlebell, keg conditioning, mace, etc.) too much to commit my entire week to "mainstream" weightlifting.  

- The above axioms have been percolating in this blog for years; my constant fiddling with my regimen--without, I maintain, trying "a whole new program" every week or two--is my attempt to articulate and synthesize them. 

My biggest discovery of late is that Matt Perryman is correct that avoiding "overtraining" is more often than not an excuse to settle for mediocrity. I would, however, restate Perryman's thesis to read, "squat in every workout." Perryman himself admits in the introduction to Squat Every Day that the title is not meant to be taken literally; even three days a week of heavy squatting would just barely qualify as "squatting every day," as he uses the phrase.

Having said that, whilst reading McCallum's The Complete Keys to Progress last night, I was faced with the reality that, while the past few weeks of almost daily training have not "done me in," by any means, I do not currently practice a lifestyle which affords me adequate rest on a daily basis to see the benefits of such frequent training. Having a day off, plus a light weekend, is probably something I need, unless I discipline myself to get a full eight or more hours of sleep every night. That would be nice, but for now, between nightly feedings, bathings, prayers, and a rising time of 5:30 AM, it's really hard for this night owl to be asleep by 9:30 PM.

The upshot of all these musings is the following proposal:

Monday & Thursday: FSQ + BP + MP + PNF  

Tuesday & Friday: DL + HSQ + PU + PNF 

Wednesday or Saturday: hobby training [i.e. tongue press, neck bridging, mace, farmer walks, CoC]

Sunday: REST 

[NB: Warm-up: prone & supine scorpions + neck bridging + movements] 

As always, the above exercises can be swapped with other, related lifts. ZSQ or OHS instead of HSQ, guillotine or dips for MP, SDL or CL or SN instead of DL, rows instead of PU, etc.

It's a basic "squat every workout + push/pull" split. (As I've said before, I'm not going to use SQ until I can FSQ 285 lbs x 4.)

I'm not interested in parsing the rep scheme in great detail right now, but, following McCallum, I'll go for something like [UPDATE: Stupid me! Stick with 5x5!]:

a 12, 10, 5x5 scheme for FSQ, SQ, BP; 

a 10, 5, 3x3 scheme for DL; and 

a 12, 10, 5x5 scheme for MP and PU. 

The first two sets will be with light, warmup weight, and the final sets will be at roughly 70%, 80%, 90% 1RM. I will only add weight when I can complete all the reps with clean, slow form. I will start modestly next week and go from there.

Of course...

if I do finally decide to spring for Kelso's Shrug Book and Kubik's Dinosaur Training, ...

revisit and read Strossen's Super Squats in full, ...

and as I keep reading McCallum's Keys, Pavel's Power to the People, Zinchenko's Rough Strength, ...

don't be surprised to see yet more adjustments. [grin]

As long as I keep having fun, staying humble, and making gains, I figure I'm on the right track.

Stay tuned.

AYCE notes...

Wednesday, 9 April 2014 
48 min., 227 lbs.
MOOD: a little distracted, drained feeling 

Warm-up (8 min.) - OHS, movements, stretching

FSQ: 5x5 @ 225 lbs

Guillotine: 14, 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 115, 125, 135, 155, 165 lbs

Pendlay row: 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 135, 155, 145, 165 lbs 

PNF: [forgot! did this at home in the evening]

+ + +

My prediction turned out to be correct. Yesterday's workout felt great, and I realized that one reason for that is because I worked out later than I normally do. I try to get to the gym by 3 or 3:30 after work, but yesterday, due to some errands, I started my workout closer to 6. This gave me a couple extra hours of recovery from the previous workout. As for today, I began a little after 3:30, which meant I did a second workout in less than 24 hours. Not a crisis, of course, but it was interesting to feel that adjustment. I only thought of it because Perryman noted the timing issue in Squat Every Day.

Of course, lest I seem too clever by half, another factor in today's less than "amped" workout is that I received some very good news yesterday, and decided to celebrate with some tasty beverages and a documentary. I woke up feeling less rested than usual, but, hey, "how you feel is a lie," and today's workout came out Oh-Kay.

Except for one snag.

A "big guy" (I believe he's a trucker) was using the power rack for seated bb presses, and when I returned to the squat rack for my rows, he introduced himself with a handshake. "Elliot, huh? You must be one of those genius types, right?" (Apparently, genius is mimed by waving your fingers around your forehead and rolling your eyes to the ceiling, mouth agape.) I endured a chat, during which he told me that he sees a lot of "young guys" doing stuff, and he just exhaled and shook his head. I grimaced ever so slightly, since, one, I'm a young(ish) guy, and, two, one of the motions he shook his head at was "bending over to, just, pick up the weight."

Did I mention I was about to do Pendlay rows?

Yeah. Awkward. And annoying.

Then, when I finished my third set, he asked me, "Elliot, why don't you wear a belt?" I said I felt no need, whereupon I then learned "a little secret" about how this fellow had lost three lower vertebral discs in a car accident at the age of 18. Yada yada yada. I told him I've got a belt in my car I've been thinking about bringing in, mainly for military presses. "And that's another thing. I see some guys doing military presses standing up!" Did I mention that I do standing presses?

Thing is, I'm not opposed to a belt, and I guess it's time for me to wear one for my big lifts. At the same time, I know that weak spots only get stronger is you strengthen them, like how the Pendlay row, good mornings, RDL's, back extensions, and the like strengthen the infamous lower back. So now I'm dreading running into this guy when I'm doing verboten maneuvers. A big guy with a big mouth. I appreciate his help, but he's pretty clearly projecting his decades of back problems onto others.

P.S. I think I need to add in some grip training.

P.P.S. To remind myself:

Monday: heavy DL (5x5) + Guillotine (15, 12, 9, 6) + ZSQ (15, 10, 9, 6)
Tuesday: heavy BP (5x5) + HSQ (15, 12, 9, 6) + PU (slow reps)
Wednesday: heavy FSQ (5x5) + dips/guillotine/db press/pullover-press/flye-aways (15, 12, 9, 6) + PU/row (15, 12, 9, 6) 
Thursday: BP (5x4) + SQ (7, 5, 3, 3, 3) + PU/row (slow reps)
Friday: FSQ (7, 5, 3, 3, 3) + CLP (5x4) 

That was fun... (UPDATE)

I'm back from my "free day" workout. It turned out to be exactly the workout I was hoping for. I didn't train lackadaisically, but I also didn't feel rushed in the least. It's nice to know that a workout I thunk up pretty much spontaneously turned out to fit my intensity and time parameters like a glove. That shows me that I've accrued enough instincts to know what ingredients should go into a solid workout. This is not a boast, mind you, but rather a reminder, to myself: Confidence, Persistence, Patience, Humility. The key is to stick with what works... and to keep on sticking:

A natural-law argument for the virtue of weightlifting? HT to Elliott H. via Elliot B.

Since I'm sure you're dying to know, here's what I did:

17 March, 2014
"Carpe Ferrum" workout
230 lbs., < 60 min.

Overhead Squat:
8 @ 45 lbs.
8 @ 95 lbs.
7 @ 115 lbs.

[I had to get out from under the bar on rep 8 of the last set. Interestingly (right?), I set the bar from a hang clean, rather than from a back squat. I didn't use the Smith machine, but it is an option, "if you must."]

Farmer walk:
30 sec. @ 90 lbs. x 3

FSQ:
135, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185, 195, 205, 215, 225 lbs. x 3

[The idea here was to do triplets until my form started to deteriorate. In my earlier post about this workout, I said that I can front-squat about 65% of my back-squat, but apparently that was a low calculation. I based it on the fact that I most recently back-squatted 315 lbs x 4, and a few days later front-squatted 205 x 4. But, as I mentioned in my notes about that latter workout, I was feeling fatigued, and, what's more, ended a tough workout with FSQ. I was pleased, but not "stoked", to realize that I capped off a set of 30 front squats at 225 lbs. My guess is that I could crank out four good FSQ at 250 lbs. or so, which means I can actually front-squat about 80% of my back squat. Granted, if I went for a four-rep max on the back squat, I could probably do 350 lbs. or more, so the ratios are still pretty tentative. (I just don't like 1RM's for some reason.) In any case, I will continue with FSQ until I can do 90% of my 315x4 back squat (285 lbs. x 4). In udda woids, a ways to go!]

EZ-bar curls:
8, 8, 8 @ 70, 80, 90 lbs.

db pullovers:
10, 10, 10 @ 50, 60, 70 lbs.

+ + +

Today wasn't too intense, and I have a feeling that I'll be back in the gym for Even Keel B on Wednesday. Fun times. Now I'm going to drink it up for St. Patrick's Day with a range of fine micro-brews, and, despite a twinge in my conscience, some obligatory Guinness.

Gym regimen - March 2014

Tuesday, 11 March 2014
231 lbs, 55 min.

Warm-up

(I)
DBP: 2-3-5, 5-5*-5* @ 235 lbs
(My spotter on the penultimate set surprised me by helping/exhorting me to go for 5 reps, and then I got the same treatment on the last set, for which I was more prepared. I dislike "grabby" spotters, but my pecs need forced reps, so it's all good.) 
(II)
CX: 8-6-4 @ 115, 125, 135 lbs (CL/MP/FSQ)
(I didn't feel as "amped" on these as last time. But at least I got them done.)
(III)
SQ: 10, 6, 4 # 225, 275, 315 lbs
(I decided to "take it easy" by not adding any weight over against my last workout, but getting one more final rep was victory enough.)
(IV)
PU: 10, 8, 6 # bdw
db-P: 10, 9, 7 @ 65, 70, 75 lbs
(My arms straight-up dropped at (what thus became) the end of my penultimate and ultimate sets. Good stuff. I should get a spotter next time. FORCED REPS!)

+ + +

Having finally gotten my hands, or, feet, on a reliable scale, it seems that my initial weight measurements were heavy by a few pounds, which skewed my projected goals, as well as my measured weight gains along the way. The good news is that I have gained the same amount of lean-body mass since early January, but the bad news is, my gym's scale sucks.

As for some truly good news, my family is back from Taiwan! It was a wonderful reunion and, boy howdy, are my kids adorable. Of course, I'm now back on "active duty" as a husband and La Casa Bougis is a tornado of cleaning and furniture juggling. It's taken me some time to get used to having an infant and a toddler around again, so, between the cleaning, the projected costs we have for bringing the house into order, and the heightened awareness of my kids almost-tumbling-and-dropping-or-eating-things-left-and-right, my stress levels were pretty high when I headed to the gym this afternoon. As such, I decided to stick with my previous workout, so as to spare myself the mental irritation of having to think about a new workout scheme. I'll have to go for the deadlift next time.

Despite having gotten an unusually ample amount of sleep in the past few days except for one very late night, I could have gone for another day of rest: today's workout was very "mental" and I will not be back in the gym until I feel fully recovered (which allows for residual muscle soreness, by the way--it's the hormones and nervous system that you need to assess most carefully). 

Mass Made Simple - Time to reassess...

Week 7 of Mass Made Simple is for assessing one's progress and recalibrating one's goals and methods going forward. By the end of MMS (Mass Made Simple), my immune system and sleep were getting a little buggy, Lenten fasting threw my nutrition routine off, and then I mildly strained my knee Thursday night doing some double-KB "recharge" work. (In fact, I had been doing KB drills since Tuesday. KB bench press rocks!) Basically, I hit a wall, and it's time to restrategize.

From early January till now I've been hitting the weights pretty hard and have put on a good 20 lbs of lean body mass, so the quest has hardly been a failure. Did I reach 240 lbs? No, but I am not done bulking. I am simply releasing myself from the accelerated pace at which I've been bulking for almost two months. Weight training itself (as opposed to "augmenting athletic training with weight resistance") is a mega-marathon type sport. Some of the savvier gurus on YouTube, for example, have been weight-training-itself for 15-20 years. I've been doing weight training for less than four years, with a fairly significant hiatus in year three. I've learned a lot and I've gained 50 lbs since I began, and have enjoyed very satisfying gains in the major lifts (MMS helped my otherwise always lousy bench press quite a lot). Now it is simply a time to learn more, and build on a plateau.

I know what movements I want to train, so it's just a question (as always) of effective programming. Each person must adapt successful principles to his own needs. For me, for instance, I need a lot of volume for my chest, whereas I need a lot of power for my back and legs. I also do not enjoy losing whole-body mobility and agility by letting weight training crowd out calisthenic and gymnastic training.

OHS: overhead squat
FSQ: front squat
SQ: (back) squat
DL: deadlift
SDL: snatch deadlift
CX: complexes
MP: military press
OAP: one-arm press
DBP/db-P: decline bench press OR flat dumbbell press
DIP: dips
PU: pullups
CL/SQ: clean/into-front-squat

The above are the motions I prefer and which I believe research will bear out as the most efficient. However, given the demands of the DL, I will only do it every other workout.

So, what will I try today, mainly to get my mind back in the game and climb over the wall of stalled motivation that I ran into last week? Depending how my knee responds....

DBP: 2-3-5 x 2 @ 235 lbs
CX: 8-6-4 [CL/MP/FSQ] @ 115 lbs
PU: bdw for reps
SQ: [will report after workout]
db-P: 10 x 3 @ 70 lbs

For now I’m in a free-flow mode, discerning which program I want to pursue next. I’ve been interested in the 5-3-1 program for a while, so we’ll see. One thing that I do want to restore, is my grip training regimen, with a strong bodyweight dimension to all my training. This video was very "moving" ;) to me when I watched it last night. Enjoy!

Mass Made Simple - Day 11

Sunday, 23 February 2014   
230 lbs, 60 min

Warm-up
-
BP : Max Double: 2*, 2* @ 255, 245 lbs 
          [First rep of each set was solid, but I needed help for the second reps. I'm supposed to do five doubles at 20 lbs below today's max double, so I'll shoot for five doubles at 235 lbs. I can already tell that will be fun.]
One/arm press : 2-3-5 x 2 @ 60 lbs
          [I switched arms for each sub-set (2/2, 3/3, etc.), mistakenly thinking Dan John had prescribed doing so for a change.]
Bat wings : 5 x 10 sec @ 70 lbs
         [Actually challenging, as/but I kept good form, really felt those rhomboids!]
[Bird-dog : 20 sec, 20 sec x 2 (tighter form)?]
-
Complex : 5 x 3 @ 115, 125, 135 lbs
          [These kicked my ass today! There's a real difference between doing five sets of two reps (last week) and three sets of five reps. My cleans at 135 lbs felt ragged, and by the time I got into front squats, my forearms were fried, so much so that I released them and went into the alternative hand posture... which was... ill advised, since I then had no way to get my hands back in place for the press without racking the bar. So... I broke the key rule of complexes and racked it before all the motions were complete. Then I also used a little body English for my presses at 135 lbs.]
-
SQ : 10, 3, 10, 16/12 @ 155, 185, 205, 225 lbs
          [In an otherwise very demoralizing workout, these were a source of some pride. Or, rather, a much needed proof of progress. Actually, only the complexes and bench press were demoralizing, and even with complexes I aimed rather high. Anyway, for squats today I totally concentrated on a tense core and posterior chain, and I hitched the bar lower on my traps than I've been doing the past few workouts. That really helped and I think it will prevent the neck strain I've felt. The last set was to-fifty, but you'll notice that not only did I do a set of 16, but I also ended with 12, just to push myself to 51!]

+ + +

A friend asked me why I'm going heavier for some exercises than Dan John technically advises in Mass Made Simple. The only reply I could think of was that standby, "Go big or go home." Will I reach 240 lbs by March 18? With only 3+ weeks left, it will be very, very tough. But it will be fun!

As for today's workout, while it was prudent of me to take an extra day off, it turns out that a single day of great sleep does not recoup three days of inadequate sleep. I got 16-18 hours of sleep from Wednesday night to Saturday morning, but then went to bed at 6 PM Saturday and woke up at 7:30 Sunday morning. It doesn't help, I guess, that I went kayak fishing with a buddy from 6 AM till noon on Saturday. It didn't leave me sore, but the paddling, exposure and general busyness of the outing left me a bit taxed for my workout today. Whatevs, it was a good time and a passable workout.

Patience, perseverance, humility, prayer.... Stay tuned.

Mass Made Simple - Day 10

Wednesday, 19 February 2014   
229 lbs, 60+ min

Warm-up
-
BP : 2-3-5, 2-3-5 @ 230, 225 lbs 
          [Had a little spotter help on the last reps of the first set, and not a little help {forced reps} on the last reps of the second set.]
One/arm press : 2-3-5 x 2 @ 60, 55 lbs
Bat wings : 5 x 10 sec @ 70 lbs
[Bird-dog : 20 sec, 20 sec x 2 (tighter form)?]
-
Complex : 2 x 5 @ 135 lbs
-
SQ : 10, 2, 10, 12, 12, 4 @ 155, 185, 205, 225 lbs

+ + +

Tonight was hard. I took a nap after work, so by the time I got to the gym, I was not really amped. I did not drink any coffee or Red Bull, but I did have a Cytomax during the workout, which seems to be some truly worthwhile stuff. It took me a while to get my head in the game. I felt a bit defeated, since over the past few days I've felt a little run down. Nonetheless, taking an extra day off was a smart move, since, while I didn't go quite as heavy on the bench, it did feel pretty good. It just takes time.

I was pleased to go heavier on the complexes, but by the time I got to the squats, I was really digging deep. My legs didn't want to give out, but erector spinae got the worst of it. Not "pain" as much as intense cranky tightening. Had to stretch it out! I need to activate my core more. The past couple days I did some KB drills, with not a few swings. Feels good in the obliques. My neck is no longer so strained but there is a slight resistance when I turn my head right and up. Riveting stuff, I know.

At the end of the day, all I can say is, I pushed through, my numbers keep going up, and even one of the main trainers tonight gave me The Nod, saying, "You're bulkin' up pretty good, man."

Good night.

Gym regimen - January 2014

Thursday, 16 January 2014 
218 lbs, 50 min
Even Keel B

Warm-up
-
FSQ : 175 lbs @ 5x5
Chin-ups : 8, 7, 7, 5, 5,
-
SDL : 205 lbs @ 3x5
db flyes : 60 lbs @ 5x4, 8x1
-
db pullover-press : 60 lbs @ 10, 9, 8
Goblet SQ : 100 lbs @ 8x3

A very "mental" workout. I think I was a bit dehydrated, and I wanted to give up at several points. FSQ felt very good; my posterior chain seemed very locked-in. I always think my flye form is off, so maybe I'll stick with dips, decline press, and military press. Sleep is good. Night, night. Have to get up early to enter the rest of my grades for students. Pray for me.

Gym regimen - 8 January 2014 - Quasi Even Keel C

Based on a perusal of Perryman's book, Squat Every Day, and a couple related articles, I rustled myself up and went for another workout tonight. I am not going to pursue Perryman's method (or "the Bulgarian method" on which it is largely based), for a number of reasons. I'm still just getting back into the swing of things, I haven't mastered the conventional Olympic lifts, and because I simply do not get enough sleep. That's my Achilles heel. Babies, writing, cleaning, praying... I let sleep get the short end of the stick. I'll be trying to work on that, though.

As for tonight...

8 Jan 2014 
45 min, 214 lbs
Even Keel C (i.e. a tweaked version of my Even Keel routine)

Warm-up

-

SQ : 190 lbs @ 5x5 

Bent row : 135 lbs @ 6x5 

- 

bb press : 105 lbs @ 5x5 

calf shrugs : 270 @ 8x5 

- 

Decline db press : 60 lbs @ 5x5 

I kept a very tight posterior chain and traps for the squat, and they felt wonderful. I knew I could have gone heavier, but... in time. It felt great to get back in the gym, and knowing me, I'll go again tomorrow night... unless CURSED LAUNDRY traps me!

Stupid mop, stupid injuries…

The first clause is a reference to Pearl Jam's final 'song' on Vitalogy. #ftw.

The second is more mundane: my shoulder/elbow injuries, induced by a stupid arm-wrestling challenge a couple weeks ago, and my (medial) shin splints, induced by too much jump roping and jogging––together they finally caused me just to "give up" for the last few days and REST.  After a jaunt to the beach for some body-boarding, which had my right arm aching all the way home, I was reduced to saying, "Damn it, it's always up or down, always either my ankles or my arm!" So I simply stopped doing any exercise for a few days.

So these notes are pretty off-hand, from memory.

I think on Sunday, May 5, I did…

20 minutes of conditioning, roughly like so…
3 min. jump rope
3 min. jog 
3 min. kb x 2

I think on Monday, May 6, I did…

15 minutes of conditioning, like so…
3 min. jump rope
3 min. double end bag
3 min. kb
x 2

But by the end of the workout on Monday, my shins hurt so badly, I could only
walk my second jog circuit. Crippling pain.

So the past few days I've been reading and chilling with my family. And flipping out, now and then, about fulfilling/handing in my first-year-teacher certifications/documentations.

Today, though, I did the following, with little pain…

Saturday, May 11, 2013
20 min., 214 lbs.

3 min. medicine ball (30 wall ball, 30 bucket pass, 20/20 twist-catch)
3 min. double end bag
3 min. kb (30 swings, 10/10/10/10 jerks, 5/5 high-pull-snatch)
3 min. speed bag
REST
3 min. medicine ball, kb (30 wall ball, 30 swings, 10/10 jerks)
3 min. double end bag
2 min. speed bag  

Fitness update – April 2013

Friday, 12 April 2013
60 min.

Coached a student on how to squat and deadlift. Helped me focus on and improve my own technique. He's coachable; only thing that matters.

warm-up: motions, stretching

SQ: 5 x 5 @ 205 lbs.

db slight-incline press-and-squeeze: 5 x 5 @ 55, 65, 65, 70, 65
[Felt pain in right posterior shoulder, hence I dropped back to 65 lbs.]

DL: 5 x 1 @ 305 lbs.
[Felt great!]

EZ bb standing curl: 5 x 5 @ 80 lbs.


Saturday, 13 April 2013
20 min.

3 min. mace drills (10-and-2's, 360's, King Arthurs)

kb swings: 30

kb shotput swings: 10/10

kb high pull / snatch: 5/5

3 min. speed bag 
REPEAT 


Monday, 15 April 2013 
40 min.

mowed lawn…

3 min. speed bag

3 min. kb drills

3 min. speed bag

3 min. kb drills

3 min. speed bag

Fitness update - April 2013

Thursday, 4 April 2013
30 min., 215 lbs. 

speed bag – 3 min. x 3
kb swings – 30, 35, 40
pull-ups – 5, 8, 11
dips – 5, 8, 11

[I lost a lot of time dealing with the tire-made heavy-bag––I'm still working on how to hang it––and trying to eradicate the stench that's been coming from two giant dead rats that my neighbor tossed in his back yard next to my garage. I used gasoline, fire, and then bleach. Win!]


Friday, 5 April 2013
25 min., 215 lbs.  

warm-up: mace drills ––> 5–10 min.

speed bag – one round for as long as I could keep up cadence ––> 5'26"
[Actually, I could have gone longer, but I was distracted by the pain in my right hand. I had an intense speed bag session yesterday, and the bones feel a bit bruised. So I'll be icing my hands, or at least my right hand, laying off the speed bag for a while, and maybe not even filming my progress video this weekend.]

kb swings: 20, 20

kb shotput swing: 10/10, 10/10

kb hoist and shove: 10/10, 10/10

[I also did some raking under the back tree to make the ground more level. Getting ready to hang my tire-made heavy bag...! I've already got two friends "on board" for training at my "gym laboratory" once or twice a week this summer, and on the way home from Home Depot today I saw a guy running backwards in the street and I immediately knew, "This guy needs to train with me." His name is James and he lives maybe a mile away. We exchanged numbers and hope to hang out when he gets back from a visit home to Michigan in a couple weeks. He's got a degree in sports science, also motivates/trains his wife, and is way more cut than I am heheh!

Why did I go to Home Depot, you ask? I try to limit myself to one DIY project a month, if it costs me money, so this month I decided to make a mace. I made one in Taiwan, and I've been missing it lately. My mace in Taiwan was about 3' of 1/2" steel pipe, a cap to stop the weights, and some rubber gaskets and a U-bolt to lock the weights up at the top. My new mace is much more ambitious: 3' of 1.5" steel pipe for the weight plates, a bushing to join a 1' long handle of 3/4" pipe, a cap for the top and a U-bolt to lock down the weights. I added a modest 6 lbs. of plates to the head, but, honestly, the mace by itself, even without weights, is quite a challenge after a hiatus, so for now I may just use it as a massive Indian club. For a shorter homemade mace bell, I could try this awesome DIY method. Here's another ingeniously simple method for a homemade mace bell/gada. ;p

Tomorrow I will be back in the gym. I originally wanted to cancel my membership, but they talked me into a 25% lower monthly fee and I'm staying. I figure I need a gym for 1) squatting, 2) deadlifting, 3) db shrugs, flyes, and presses (the Big Three, basically), and 4) farmer walking. Otherwise, I'll stick with my kettlebell, mace, boxing, jump rope, medicine ball, bodyweight conditioning.] 

Fitness update -- March 2013

I've been under the weather the past week, so I haven't had anything worth reporting fitness-wise. I was outside too much last weekend whilst sweaty in the cool evenings, and daylight savings time threw me off. My left eyelid was twitching for nearly three days, as I was simply fatigued. To stand in for exercise, I mostly just did some yard work, took a couple walks, did a little speed bag, and rested. One nice thing about cutting weight, versus bulking up as I've been doing the past two or three years, is that getting sick helps you achieve your goal for once!

Since the diocesan Eucharistic Congress last weekend, I've been digging in deeper spiritually and reading St. Francis de Sales' Introduction to the Devout Life. I have tried to read the Introduction before, of course, but this time things lined up nicely enough that I felt the confession I made at the Congress satisfied St. Francis' counsel to make a general confession to begin the devout life as he guides the devotee in it. St. Francis is my patron saint, so, even though Bergoglio took the name Francis for the saint of Assisi, I think it's a win for all Catholic Francises! In fact, the Pope may have tipped my hand and I might name our son Francis!

Anyway, today was a quintessentially "spring in Florida" day, and I was able to sleep in at last (Saturday, hooray!), so I had the impetus to get back on track.

(Oh, and it turns out my scale at home was/is quite inaccurate, so I'm actually closer to 220 lbs. than to 210 lbs. But I can tell I've lost a few pounds this week.) 

16 March 2013
30 min., 215 lbs.
[I did three circuits of the below exercises, with about 30 seconds of rest between each exercise and 1 minute of rest between circuits.]

Wall ball (14 lbs. med ball) : 1 min. 

Med ball twist toss : 1 min. 

Med ball bucket toss : 1 min. 

Jump rope : 1 min. 

Double end bag : 1 min.

Heavy bag : 1 min.

Tire drag : run and then bear crawl x 2 
------------------------

"Cool down" - Speed bag : 3 min. x 3
[I hit bare-handed today, which turned out to be an improvement. I was wailing on the bag my third round! Hopefully I can do just as well tomorrow for my weekly video update.]

Everlast Training Camp (modified) Week 2

Monday, 11 Feb 2013 
26 min., 220 lbs. 
heart - 140-170 bpm

Warm up 
3 min. speed bag 
2-3 min. jump rope 
1 min. double end bag

Squats x 20
Lunges x 20
Push ups x 25
Pull ups x 11
Sit ups x 25
Leg raises x 20
Rotations x 20
Ab wheel x 15
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2

Enjoyed another lovely nap yesterday. Just what Sunday is for. Felt much better rested today and my speed bag is getting better, slowly but somewhat surely. This video was very helpful. 

Everlast Training Camp... and reality

The tail end of this post shows what I did Monday for this week.

Tuesday, 5 Feb 2013
24 min., 220 lbs.
heart - 160-180 bpm  

Stretching warm up

Jump rope - 45 sec.
Jumping jacks - 45 sec.
Burpees - 45 sec.
Jump rope - 45 sec.
Hill climbers - 45 sec.
Squat jumps - 45 sec.
Jump rope - 45 sec.
Knee highs - 45 sec.
Shadow boxing - 45 sec.
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2

Wednesday, 6 Feb 2013
 I came home and almost immediately fell asleep for two hours. Then I decided to take the day off and took the family out for dinner. 

Thursday, 7 Feb 2013
25 min., 219 lbs.
heart - 160-180 bpm  

Stretching & 45 sec./45 sec. jump rope warm up

Jump rope - 45 sec.
Jumping jacks - 45 sec.
Burpees - 45 sec.
Jump rope - 45 sec.
Hill climbers - 45 sec.
Squat jumps - 45 sec.
Jump rope - 45 sec.
Knee highs - 45 sec.
Shadow boxing - 45 sec.
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2

Now I want to post something I wrote on Facebook asking friends for advice. 

Need some input on my fitness regimen, specifically what the line should be between pushing through the pain and resting by doing other exercises for a little while. For the past couple weeks I've been doing the Everlast "Training Camp" workout. M, W, F is a strength building circuit of 8 exercises twice. Tu, Th, Sa are aerobic conditioning along the same lines. The first week involves 30 second intervals for the conditioning exercises, with no rest between them until the one minute break between the first and second circuits (strength circuit allows for 30 second tests between exercises). Each week adds 15-30 second to the intervals.

Now, as it is a boxing program, jump rope is a big part of it. For the past few years I've primarily trained weight and plyometrics, and have terribly neglected the cardio side of things, at least as far as loss of lower body IMPACT exercises go. Every time I try to make jump rope a regular thing (this is the third or fourth time in as many years), I suffer shin splints, but this time I'm determined to overcome them. I've had relative success by using the golf ball under the foot massage, a massage cylinder, NSAIDs, ice, stretching, and rest. Even so, when I go for a quick sprint (upstairs or to my classroom, for example), my soleus and inner lower shin really ache for a while. Yesterday I got home and pretty much immediately took a two hour nap, and then decided to take the day off from training (given my training the past few years, I knew I could afford a missed day of strength training). Well, I got back on track today with the conditioning circuit and holy cow I felt like a bag of rusted bolts. Plus, once I got inside, I lay on the floor for a few minutes, stunned at how badly my lower legs ached. I know I'm getting fitter, since I'm technically doing more effort each time, but I still basically feel like I'm never fully rested or recovered. Today for example I felt a slight shortness of breath after a burst of teaching activity. The training is making FEEL weaker, even though I know objectively and rationally that it's making me stronger. Another issue is that this regimen is partially aimed at losing weight, so I'm reducing my Celtic intake.

Anyway, I'm thinking of taking tomorrow off (though I'm sure I'll work up a sweat breaking in my new heavy bag/speed bag stand), going for a walk or bike ride, doing a strength circuit Saturday, taking Sunday today off, and getting back to it in full swing Monday. However, my quandary is whether I should even progress to the next time bracket until I can do the circuits strictly as advised by the training pamphlet. I won't lie; those breaks have a way of stretching past 30 seconds and I have a way of pausing for air during some conditioning exercises. On the other hand, maybe it's designed just to be hell week after week, and is to be scaled by whatever means as long as you stick with it. It's hard to believe I'm THAT out of shape compared to the average purchaser of the jump rope that includes the Training Camp booklet, but this is a humbling endeavour any way you cut it. Perhaps I should do the exercises at a little lower intensity?

Friday I drove to pick up my Everlast dual bag stand, got a double end bag while I was at it, and had a little fun with the heavy bag and speed bag once I got everything set up.

 

Heavy bag, jump ropes, and power tower -- what else do you need?

 I got the swivel you see for free (the one included in the stand is, apparently, dumpy), but it didn't match the holes on the stand's board, so I installed it in my garage ceiling. Meh.

 Enough space, not hit too hard by the sun but also not in the breezeless back of the garage. 

 My advanced jump rope station: a long rectangle of carpet folded in half, stacked on top of a plywood board on another rectangle of carpet on the ground.

 My Lifeline Jungle Gym XT does well on this branch. I also attach my double end bag here (anchored by two 20 lb. dumbbells I place in that nearest tire). Again, not without breeze but also with shade.

 This is my main neck trainer, and also how I 'invented' "Necker lunges."  It's a Lifeline cable expander thingie, with the handles latched onto a large hook I screwed into the wood over the doorjamb. For a while I did suspension pushups, rows, and pistol squats with another suspension trainer I have, but then decided that was too much strain on the wood, so now I only do neck exercises from it. Each red cord is about 30 lbs of resistance, and doubled through the carabiner, I can get a total of 180 lbs of resistance. What's that blue thing? Why, it's a large dog harness I bought a couple years ago in Taiwan. I place it on my head and the cords provide the resistance from any angle I like. 

Saturday, 9 Feb 2013 

30 min., 219 lbs. 
(I woke up Friday with a wicked little kink in the left side of my neck. I did the following workout after a couple hours of yard work.)

A. Jump rope 45 sec. THEN double end bag sparring 45 sec. x 5
THEN 
B. Three-round Everlast heavy bag workout
Round 1: 5 hits, squat, 5 hits, rest, repeat x 3 min.
Round 2: 15 sec. on the bag, 15 sec. rest, repeat x 3 min.
Round 3: 5 squats, parry left, 5 squats, parry right, 15 sec. on the bag, repeat x 3 min.

My shins didn't hurt too bad.

+++

So, I hit a wall and need to re-strategize. Where do things stand with the Everlast Training Camp? I think I'll space out the workouts like so:

Monday: Strength circuit
Tuesday: swim or bike or jog or bag training 
Wednesday: Conditioning circuit
Thursday: swim or bike or jog or bag training
Friday: Strength circuit
Saturday: Conditioning circuit
Sunday: total rest

I'll do this until I can do each 45-sec. interval without cheating or pausing, before moving to a longer interval. As I say, rest is the key exercise in any exercise plan.

Everlast Training Camp - Week 1 and 2

This blog post has a nice summarized presentation of the Training Camp, which I'll reproduce here. 

Training occurs every day except for Sunday.

Week 2:    0:45 seconds per activity
Week 3:    1:00 per activity
Week 4:    1:30 per activity
Week 5:    2:00 per activity
Week 6:    3:00 per activity

Week 2:    15 reps
Week 3:    20 reps
Week 4:    25 reps
Week 5:    30 reps
Week 6:    35 reps

*** Chin-up bar is an alternative for Resistance bands.


Wednesday, 30 Jan 2013
24 min., 220 lbs. 
heart - 150-170 bpm

Skipping warm up - 2 min.

Squats x 20
Lunges x 20
Push ups x 25
Pull ups x 11
Sit ups x 20
Leg raises x 15
Rotations x 20
Ab wheel x 10
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2

Thursday, 31 Jan 2013
24 min., 222 lbs.
heart - 160-180 bpm  

Stretching warm up

Jump rope - 30 sec.
Jumping jacks - 30 sec.
Burpees - 30 sec.
Jump rope - 30 sec.
Hill climbers - 30 sec.
Squat jumps - 30 sec.
Jump rope - 30 sec.
Knee highs - 30 sec.
Shadow boxing - 30 sec.
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2

Friday, 1 Feb 2013 
24 min., 221 lbs. 
heart - 150-170 bpm

Skipping warm up - 2 min.

Squats x 20
Lunges x 20
Push ups x 25
Pull ups x 11
Sit ups x 20
Leg raises x 20
Rotations x 20
Ab wheel x 10
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2
Saturday, 2 Feb 2013
24 min., 222 lbs.
heart - 160-180 bpm  

Stretching warm up

Jump rope - 30 sec.
Jumping jacks - 30 sec.
Burpees - 30 sec.
Jump rope - 30 sec.
Hill climbers - 30 sec.
Squat jumps - 30 sec.
Jump rope - 30 sec.
Knee highs - 30 sec.
Shadow boxing - 30 sec.
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2

I finished up with neck extensions: 12/12/12 @ ////, 10/10/10 @ ////, 6/6/6 @ //////

Monday, 4 Feb 2013
25 min., 222 lbs. 
heart - 140-160 bpm

Skipping warm up - 2 min.

Squats x 20
Lunges x 20
Push ups x 26
Pull ups x 12
Sit ups x 25
Leg raises x 15
Rotations x 20
Ab wheel x 15
-------------------
CIRCUIT x 2
On my day "off", I did a few sets  of neck extensions: 10/10/10 @ ////, 6/6/6 @ //////, 6/6/6 @ //////