February 19, 2014 Dodgeball!

• Dodgeball: 95 minutes

WICKED fun time; 90% new people, and we went on for some extended time as well. So much fun. I was head hunting like a mofo.  As long as dodgeball is going on I'm moving sprinting to Wednesdays so I have energy for this in the evening.  For anyone that thinks that's odd; I work out to enhance the rest of my life, not live to workout.  That's actually a large reason I've been as successful as I have been. 

February 18, 2014 Upper Body / Heavy

• Bench Press: 265*1 285*1 305*1
• T-Bar Rows: 170*2 180*2 190*1 New PR!!
• Push Press: 225*1 240*1 260*X
• Pullups: 80*1 80*1 80*1
• Landmine Laterals: 55*7 55*6
• Reverse Laterals: 15*6 10*8

36 minutes

Somehow hadn't maxed on benching in over a month.  

February 17, 2014 Lower / Heavy

• Squats: 315*1 355*1 385*1 415*1 NEW PR!!
• Front Squats: 225*1 265*1 295*1 315*X
• Good Mornings: 225*1 265*1 285*1 TIES PR!

30 minutes!

WHAAAAAAAAAAAGARRRRRRRBL. Felt like a beast here.  Braced, dropped quick and powered out from the bottom on the 415.  I have a tendency to be too tentative when dropping on squats and extending the time under tension on max attempts.  I mean, I didn't drop like a sandbag through a trap door here, but I didn't take my time either.  Also I didn't mess around with lower weights; I mentioned this last week. I go for a sub pr attempt (like 5 lbs below) then 3 minutes later I'm trying for a 5 lbs. pr. Doesn't make sense. This worked much better. Also, thought 315 was my PR on front squats, it's 305. Would have gone for 310 if I had known that.  Tied PR on good mornings. What a great session. Feels so good.  

February 17, 2014 Miscellaneous thoughts on Nutrition, Routine

1. I'm  considering switching things up a tad with breakfast; instead of using dairy milk I'm considering switching to soy milk.  I'm not anti-dairy, necessarily, but the soy milk would probably be easier on my stomach first thing in the morning.  Plus I have no idea where the milk is coming from; there's a company that distributes the milk, and a farm number listed on there, but I can't match it to anything on Google. I may try calling them this week and see if they can tell me what farm it comes from. There's the fact that grass fed & finished beef is much better for you than grain finished beef (all cattle eat grass on the field, it's when they're taking to the slaughtering lots and fattened up on corn & antibiotic laden crap that the quality goes to shit, which is why you should look for grass fed, grass FINISHED beef).  It's similar for milk; what the cows eat goes into the milk you drink.  I'd like to at least be able to see the farm.  With soy milk there's a whole lot fewer issues, since I'm not a stickler for organic vegetables/fruit by any means.    But all this brings up the fact that so many people pay attention to where their meat comes from, but then eggs & dairy kind of slip under the radar.  The stuff you're drinking, or eggs you're eating are JUST as susceptible to the problems that occur with factory raised beef.  Just look at the fact that with eggs you can buy ones specifically higher in Omega-3s, simply based on what the chickens were fed. Just some food for thought. 
2. I'm pondering routines for this upcoming cut, and also for the future if I have a family.  In the latter case there's obviously a lot more demands on time.  I'm considering ideas now that may help in the future as well.  I frequently talk about switching up my split but never really do it.  I probably won't this time either, since I stick with what works.  But if I do switch ever I may go over from doing 4 weighted workouts per week to three, or even two. If it was two, I'd be doing two full body sessions per week, and extending it to maybe an hour and 5 minutes or so. If I did that I would still have one sprint session per week and another conditioning one, possibly a second sprinting day. I would also have a day specifically for yoga/stretching.  Right now I just don't really have any room to fit that stuff in.  I have one sprinting day, and I can barely work my lower body even two days later.  Plus I don't really have time for a yoga class or something.  Just some ideas I'm tossing around. 

February 16, 2014 Conditioning

• Jump Rope: 35, 25
• Broad Jumps: 8' 1", 8' 1", 8' 1", 8' 4", 8' 6", 8' 5.5"
• Stretching: 10 minutes
• Sauna: 20 minutes (180 degrees)

Quick conditioning and then some stretching. Also roasted in the sauna.  I do that a few times per week in the winter but I never remember to post it. Same with stretching, I want to start recording it more though.  It's like with my core work, I never recorded that for years, and then only started a couple years back.  Hopefully I get diligent about it. 

February 14, 2014 Lower / Heavy

• Deadlifting: 405*1 455*1 485*1 505*1
• Hanging Power Snatches: 135*1 145*1 155*1

28 minutes

The deadliting took a lot out of me. I think I need to bump up the jumps in weight....jumping 30 then 20 isn't that much, and by the time I get to 505 I'm starting to get fatigued. If I want to hit 520 I should probably go something like 405 475 520.  Also my try a cluster at 485 next week.   Was pretty tired after all that.  Good tired though. 

February 13, 2014 Upper / Heavy

• Bench Press (Cluster Set): 265*1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1
• T-Bar Rows: 145*4 155*3 165*3
• Push Press: 235*1 255*1 
• Cable Rows: 220*3 220*2
• Standing Front Raises: 30*5 40*4

35 minutes(!)

Good session; took 20-30 seconds between reps on the cluster. Push Press went well, and cable rows too. I just felt like seeing if I could do that, I may try 250 for one before this bulk is over. Not sure what knowing your 1RM on cable rows is, but it could be fun.  Did some anterior delt work as well, since I never do.  

February 12, 2014 Dodgeball!

• Dodgeball: 80 minutes

Good times...good times

February 10, 2014 Lower / Heavy

• Squats: 365*1 385*1 405*1 415*X
• Front Squats: 225*1 245*1 275*1 290*1
• Good Mornings: 225*1 245*1 265*1
• Pull-Throughs: 150*4 150*4

38 minutes

Blargh.  I just keep getting stuck at the bottom on the squats, it's not my lower back not having the strength, or not good bracing, I just don't have the push to get out of the hole.  Rest of session went well, including some killer pull-throughs. 

February 7, 2014

Sled Push & Pull (3 mins): 90*14.5
Seated Press: 135*6 155*4
Neutral Grip Pullups: 7

Last day of the games, so I did the push & pull, came in 2nd this time, although my all-time record from last time still stands.  I was just gassed by the end of this, my lungs feel torched, awful really afterward.  I couldn't quite rip the rope as hard as I wanted on account of the grip strength, but I doubt that cost me very much, if anything, it was more the fact that I'm carrying around all the extra weight right now. 

February 6, 2014 Lower / Light..ish

• Hanging Power Snatches: 135*3 145*3 155*1 165*X
• Power Cleans: 185*2 185*1 185*1 185*2
• Deadlifts: 365*1 415*1 415*1
• Paloff Iso Holds: 100*2

36 minutes

Good session, since I was going lighter on deads I moved them back in the rotation.  Missed 165 on HPS, just didn't have enough bar speed.  

February 5, 2014 Dodgeball!

• Dodgeball: 90 minutes

Good times, hand is feeling better (apparently it's not broken, not sure if I had ever posted that). 

February 4, 2014

• Farmer Walks: 25 lbs. bumper, 22.5 trips
• DB Flat (3 minutes): 50*58
• Squats (Cluster): 365*1,1,1,1,1

The winter games at my gym are wrapping up; threw my hat in the ring in a few comps to see how I'd do.  Was pretty gassed after, just did a quick cluster of squats and then bounced. 

February 2, 2014 Conditioning

• Jump Rope: 30, 60
• Broad Jump: 8' 4", 8' 4.5", 8' 10", 8' 6", 8' 6", 8' 5"
• Parallel Battling Ropes: 30
• Battling Ropes: 40

Quick conditioning session here, surprised I did as well on the jumps as I did.  Good stuff considering I'm probably like 218 right now. 

January 31, 2014 Lower / Heavy

• Deadlifts (Cluster): 455*1,1,1,1,1
• Hanging Power Snatches: 145*1 155*1 165*X
• Power Cleans: 185*1 205*1 225*1 185*1
• Reverse Hypers: 50*10 50*10

37 minutes

I'm not sure how good an idea cluster sets on deadlifts are.  I love cluster sets, as I've noted before, it's just that deadlifts require a massive CNS output, and doing them at 90% of your max is still a shit ton of stress on it.   On HPS just didn't have enough bar speed. On the power cleans on the 225, I caught my right pinky and caught the bar awkwardly on my right shoulder...it was ugly.  My right pinky hurts now, hopefully that doesn't set back the healing. It's sore as heck after this...I think it's bruised. I also woke up Saturday with a huge bruise on my right shoulder...but it doesn't hurt..maybe a blood blister? 

January 30, 2014 Upper / Heavy

• Incline Bench Press: 225*1 245*1 265*1 275*1
• Pullups: 90*1 90*1 90*1
• Seated Press: 135*5 155*5 165*2
• Unilateral BB T-Bar Rows: 155*5 165*5
• Landmine Laterals: 65*3 70*3

38 minutes

Good session, incline benching went well, pullups too.  On the seated press I brought over one of the 'chair' style benches, with the short back, and set it in a rack, and then did them. I actually liked it better, may do that from now on.  Rest of session went great, good times! 

January 29, 2014 Dodgeball!

• Dodgeball: 90 minutes

Hand felt much better this time, starting to get some zip on my throws again. 

January 27, 2014 Lower / Heavy

• Olympic Squat: 315*1
• Squatting: 365*1 390*1 405*1
• Front Squats: 225*3 250*3 265*2
• Good Mornings: 225*3 245*2
• Wide-Stance Anti-Rotational Chop: 60*10 80*10

31 minutes

Alright, so on squatting, I put 405 on the bar, went to grab a drink, came back literally 40 seconds later...and some guy and his gf had somehow managed to strip the bar entirely and reset the pins.  Then I told them to put the weight back on, and went to get another drink. I came back and the guy was still just standing there, so I chew him out and told him to do it, again, which he finally did. Then when I went to squat, he 'forgot' to put one of the 45s on the side so it was unbalanced. So fucking pissed; the guy was gone, and to this day (Feb. 6th) I haven't seen him again. Was pissed off rest of the session, but it went well I'd say. 

January 26, 2014 Conditioning

• Broad Jumps: 8' 1", 8' 2", 8' 3", 8' 5.5", 8' 6.5", 8' 5", 8' 3", 8' 5.5", 8' 6", 8' 7.5"
• Plyo Bench Clap Pushups: 5, 5

14 mins

More broad jumps.  I'm not going to do them every week when I'm at this weight.  I'm probably about 25 lbs. heavier than I was over the summer, at this point.  Nice quick session here though. 

January 24, 2014 Upper / Heavy?

• Incline Bench Press: 225*5 235*4 225*5
• Pullups: 80*2 80*2 80*1
• Seated Press: 135*7 145*4 135*6
• Cable Rows: 200*5 200*5
• Landmine Laterals: 45*10

35 minutes

Medium weight session, everything went well!  No complaints. 

January 23, 2014 Lower / Light

• Deadlifts: 315*1 335*1 355*1
• Hanging Power Snathches: 150*1 160*1
• Ab-Wheel: 10

Hand hurts. Swelling is still going down, but it's pretty tender today. Still no cleans yet, the pinky isn't moving quite like I need it to in order to catch the weight proper.