September 22, 2020 Broad Jumping, Sprinting

It was cool out, and there was a breeze going against me so I wasn't sure how broad jumping would go.  I had, by far, the best session of my life.  I do not know if I can get much farther than I did here.  I mean, maybe with a change in body composition and shedding some upper body mass, but I do not like doing that.  Same thing goes with 100 times, 200 times, etc.  I know I could deadlift more if I trained for it to the detriment of other things, bench more if I focused on it, etc.  But for me I'm more interested in all-around performance, and I have a hard time imagining getting much more than the record I set here.  I completely sold out on the thing and any shakier I'd be putting myself at risk for injury.  I always think about the fact that someday a person will run their fastest 100, or deadlift their highest weight, or jump farther than they ever have before, or ever will again. Usually you don't know when those moments are.  I have a strong suspicion that I will never match/beat this record here.  It's actually making a bit nostalgic.  I turned 39 last week, and even though I feel like I'm still getting stronger/faster/ more powerful in a lot of areas, that's because of zeroing in on my training, diet, sleep, etc.  My maximum potential has probably declined quite a bit, it's just that I never actually hit it, and my increased performance now is just bringing me up closer to that reduced maximum.   So I'll keep making record attempts, I'm getting a drone soon and will use it to check my form, maybe there's something in there to improve on.  Also, the 50s after this were slooow, my posterior chain was shot. 

• Broad Jump: 9' 9", 9' 9.5", 10' 6.5", 10' 4.5", 10' 4", 10' 6", 10' 7", 10'9" NEW PR!!
• 50*5

July 6, 2016 Sprinting

• 110m: 1
• 200m: 25.75!! NEW PR!!, 1

whoooo!  Continuing to chip away here...I'm making it further and further at full-speed before I hit that drop at the end.  Hoping for sub 24 once I can go all-out for the full 200.  No wind here, beautiful day.  Took yesterday off to rest up for this and it paid off.  Will do dodgeball tonight as well. 

April 4, 2016 Upper Body

• Bench Press (Superset): 225*3 245*3 265*2 265*2 265*2
• Pendlay Rows (Superset):  185*3 205*3 215*3 225*2 230*2
• Dips: 45*3 90*3 115*2 NEW PR!! 135*1 NEW PR!!
• 1.5 Sternum Pullups: 4, 2
• Waiter Walks: 70*109 75*87

38 minutes

Wanted to add some supersets in and do a time check,  got everything in with more than 7 minutes to spare from my 45 minute time limit.  Also set a record on dips...never really tried that much before...my...clavicular (?) head of my pecs was super tired the next day.  Good times!

December 17, 2015 Upper Body

• BB Incline: 205*8 205*8 205*8
• Pullups: 105*1 NEW PR!! 105*1 105*1
• BTN Press: 115*10 135*6
• 1.5 Pullups: 6, 4
• Dips: 8, 8
• Ab-Wheel: 10, 10

PR on pullups; technically it was same weight as a few weeks ago, but I'm heavier now so overall I pulled-up more weight....Switched to BB incline since I'm maxing out on DBs right now, or close to it, I want to push for a BB incline record now. 

December 10, 2015 Upper Body

• DB Incline: 120*6 NEW PR!! 110*8
• 1.5 Pullups: 6
• Pullups:8
• Neutral-Grip Pullups: 8
• DB unilateral Standing Press: 60*10
• Cable Rows: 130*10 150*8
• Dips: 10, 10
• DB Reverse Flyes: 25*10

Good session; didn't have a ton of time.  Did a tour of pullups.  Might switch to high rep bb incline for a few weeks.  It's nice doing the 120s, that's as high as my gym goes, may be time to build up reps on bb incline, since pretty soon I'll be in the 8-10 range with the 120s. 

November 15, 2015 Sprinting

• 110m: 2
• 200m: 26.91, 26.35 NEW PR!!
• Total: 620m

Was wearing several layers, and this was in to a headwind, but my times keep getting better, so no complaining here! 

November 3, 2015 Lower Body

• Squats: 315*2 335*1 365*1 all these felt weird, hips were tight or something
• Front Squats: 275*1 300*1 320*1 TIES PR
• Front Squat Walk-Outs: 365*10 seconds 385*10 seconds
• BB Calves: 335*10 355*10
• Dead Bugs: 10, 10

Squatting feels really weird here, at least back squatting, maybe hangover from the 200s a couple days ago, but my hips/joints just felt tight, and wouldn't loosen up, didn't press things too hard. Upping weight on BB Calves as well here.  

November 1, 2015 Sprinting

• 200m: 27.94 NEW PR!!, 26.84 NEW PR!!
• 110m: 1

 So I realized today I wasn't running my 200s right. I never did them from the starting point on the track, I would just start where I would for 100s, and then go to the start line on the opposite side of the track...but I wasn't accounting for the curve, I go from lane 5 usually, so I was basically doing 215m or so every time.  Set times here for a record; fairly bad headwind too, can't wait to try without one. 

Making this even better is that today is the first day of standard time so my sleep was thrown off, and I was up until 4AM on account of a Halloween movie marathon....I was so tired for this I was actually nauseous. 

August 27, 2015 Sprinting

• 60m: 2
• 100m: 12.31, 11.97 (slipped at 30m), 11.87 NEW PR!!, 11.88!!, 12.04
• Broad Jump: 8' 7", 9' 2", 9' 5", 9' 6"

Honestly, I felt slow on the 11.87, I think I can do better.  The 11.88 followup was pretty nice too.  Not going to lie, I'm pretty beat. 11.97 was nice, I stumbled a bit at 30m though. 

August 22, 2015 Sprinting (first track spike session!)

• 60m: 2

First thoughts: Felt...cool, it's like you're almost instantly at your top speed, there's no slip back or anything on the start.  I'm surprised how much I felt a boost past the first 20m or so, it was definitely helping me push off harder with each step.

• 100m:  12.44

First 100 with them...I actually tailed off for the past 20m since it was supposed to just be a warmup run, and came within .12 of a PR....this is going to be fun.

• 100m: 12.13 NEW PR!! 

I actually stumbled a bit at 20m, simply because I got such a huge push at the start, I'm not used to it. 

• 100m: 12.06 NEW PR!! 

 It's going to take at least a few sessions before I'm used to this push at the start, I almost feel like I'm going to face-plant on my starts...Still, PR! I definitely feel like 11s are coming, as soon as I start getting used to these things.

 

•  100m: 11.92 NEW PR!!

Or I'll just get into the 11s right now....whoah. Honestly I have faster in me....I feel like once I get used to this 11.6 or better is possible.  

 

 So yeah.....HUGE help at the start, which contributed the most to besting my previous PR by .4, but honestly the help further down the track was amazing, I've never hit the top speeds I was hitting before. Once I get used to those first 30 meters and can kind of 'cage' the huge speed at the starts I should be able to knock down PRs.  I officially feel like a sprinter now....just need to start from a crouch, which is the next task after I master the spikes.  

 

• 100m: 12.35,  12.44

Finished with a couple more but I was pretty tired at this point...still the 12.35 would've almost been a PR about an hour ago. 

Total: 720m 

August 15, 2015 Sprinting

• 110m: 2
• 100m: 12.75, 12.56 (shitty start), 12.50, 12.32 NEW PR!!, 12.56

yesssssssss back on track.  After a few crappy weeks worth of times things started to turn around about 10 days ago.  Set myself a record here.  Honestly I think it's time to get some track spikes, not sure how much faster I can get in cross trainers. My starts are what is holding me back. 

June 27, 2015 Sprinting

• 100m: 1, 12.62, 12.41 NEW PR!!, 12.50
• 200m: 1
• 100m:1
• Total: 700m

On that 12.62 I was PISSED, I felt like right before that run I had a PR in me, I FELT that shit.  I went flat-footed at like 80m and I am 100% positive I was on track for about 12.3.  So next time I came back and did a 12.41!  Still happy with the PR, it feels GREAT.   

 

June 13, 2015 Sprinting

• 100m: 1, 12.47 TIES PR!!, 12.53, 12.78
• 110m: 2

June 1, 2015 Lower Body

Energy: 10

• Squats: 315*1 355*1 385*1 400*1
• Front Squats: 275*1 300*1 320*1 Ties PR...No actually new PR!!
• BB Calves: 320*10 335*10 
• Heavy Bag Carries: 3.5 3.5

Had a TON of energy here, hit 400 on squats, and tied my PR on front squats, at about 193.5 lbs. body weight. 

edit: 11/15/2015 I was catching up for the past couple weeks and noted that on 11/3/15 I hit 320 on front squatting...was going to put it in my records page as a tie of my record, but for some reason only 310 was listed....went back and checked and sure enough that was my record, so 320 here is a new PR.  Kind of crazy considering I was about 195 here

May 25, 2015 AM Sprinting

Energy:7

• 100m: 1, 12.44 NEW PR!!, 12.47!, 12.56

THERE we go. 

 

January 25, 2015 Conditioning

• Sled Pushes: 90*4
• Battling Rope - Rope Slam S.S: 50-10 50-15
• Broad Jumps: 9' 0.5", 9' 0", 8' 10", 9' 1", 9' 3" NEW PR!!, 9' 0", 9' 5.5" NEW PR!!, 9' 4", 9' 3", 9' 3", 9' 3", 9' 5"!!, 9' 3.5", 9' 6.5" NEW PR!!, 9' 1", 9' 2", 9' 3.5"
• DB Farmers walks: 105*66 105*67

Great jumping session.  What really made the difference is not worrying about swinging my arms so much.  You're supposed to swing them forward right as you're launching, but I was over-thinking it, and it came off more mechanical than fluid.  I tried just sitting back deep and exploding up out of that; really focusing on that part.  The arm swing felt more complementary, as it should, and was less of the focus than it was prior.  

January 9, 2015 Upper / Lower

• Incline Bench Press: 230*3,3,3,3,3,2,3,3,2,3
• Hexbar Deadlifts: 405*1 455*1 495*1 520*1 535*1 TIES PR 545*1 NEW PR!! 555*1 NEW PR!!

On the incline benching my left pec actually started to cramp on those two sets where I only got 2.  Then I decided to do some hexbar deadlifting just for fun.  Probably not the best idea as I was getting fatigued after 10 sets of benching.  But I figured what the hey.  I was surprised at how easily I got 520, so tried 535 which was pretty easy too.  So I got a video of an attempt at 545 (I'll post it later), and then figured I'd go for 555, see the video below.  Before any of you bosu ball single-leg pink dumbbell curling motherfuckers start commenting on my form: 

1) This was an absolute max attempt, my back isn't rounded on any other reps I do over the course of a year, aside from when I go all out. This was also my 17th set of the day. But yes, you should NOT mimic the form I use here for everyday lifting. 

2) With a rounded back you run into trouble if you sheer your spine back and forth to sort of 'shimmy' the weight up. If you're rounded at the start and rounded at the end of the lift there's not nearly as much sheering. Watch most of the guys deadlifting 800+ on here, and all of them are rounding somewhat. Having said that, again, this was ONLY for this attempt, if your back is constantly rounded like that on every pull you do, you almost certainly will run into trouble.

Having said all that, I was exhausted, I didn't even attempt to get into neutral spine alignment before the pull, I didn't really on the 545 either. NOT going to let that happen again, mainly because I can't imagine going for a PR on a compound lift as a 16th and 17th set of a workout ever again.  

January 4, 2015 Upper / Conditioning

• Incline Bench: 195*6,6,6,6,6,6
• Broad Jumps: 8' 3", 8' 7.5", 9' 0.5", 8' 8", 9' 1.5", 9' 0", 9' 0", 9' 2" Tied PR?, 9' 1.5", 9' 1", 9' 2.5" NEW PR?? YUP! NEW PR!!

Alright, week 2 of smolov begins, we'll see how it goes.  More importantly though, I for some reason got away from doing broad jumps, I think because I was so gassed after sprinting when I was setting my records in sep/oct that I never had the energy, and then they just faded from my repertoire. Kind of like landmine laterals (note to self: do these again).  So today after inclining I decided to try some more. First few didn't feel that good, and I gave myself some shin splints from landing too heavy.  I actually had no idea what my PR was, but as I entered them here I just realized I tied, and then broke it.  Not too bad for a couple months off from them, and being about 203 lbs.  I guess all the squatting has been paying off. 

October 19, 2014 Sprinting

• 110m: 2
• 100m: 12.65 NEW PR!! 12.88
• 110m: 3
• Total: 750m

Well that went well.  Friday I didn't do regular squats; I was trying to save my posterior chain for a sprint session and a record attempt. It worked!  Feels awesome.  Although I will say I'm absolutely gassed after this. 

September 1, 2014 Sprinting!

So this happened: 

and I was pretty happy. Then this happened: 

and I was ridiculously happy

So every year I usually take some time off right around now in my training, and this year was no different, I hadn't done a thing for 6 days, besides MBA stuff. I'm really starting to see how when you're training hard time off can benefit you. I've always been skeptical about that because the weights I push never seem to go up when I'm coming back off a rest week.  However I'm noticing huge jumps in my speed when I take a few days off beforehand.  

I did the usual 110s, and then got ready for that first run, I had a pretty good start, and felt like I kept up a good pace throughout, but when I got the time I was shocked.  My first sub 13 ever!  I waited around and then did the 2nd one and thought I was about the same speed, I didn't feel a ton faster, but AGAIN I was shocked.  Seriously over the moon with this.  For someone that's my age, not going off blocks, not even down in a crouch, and only doing this once or twice per week....I may consider having two set sessions per week and see if I can get into the 11s.  Right after that 12.75 I turned a 12.85 in that would've been a PR about 6 minutes earlier. Just a great day, my 3 fastest runs ever!

110m:2

100m: 12.88 NEW PR!!  12.75 NEW PR!!!! 12.85! 13.22