Friday, December 26, 2003
12/26/03 DE Squat/Deadlift
Fueled by way too much ham, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, fruit salad, etc. from last night, I hit the gym to do battle with the weights today. This workout was a joy in no small part because I seem to peak physically around mid-morning. In college and grad school, I used to try and arrange my class schedule so I could train around 10 AM. It's when I'm strongest, most energetic, and most enthusiastic. Unfortunately, with a real job, training at 10 AM isn't really an option very often. I try and make the most of the opportunity when it arises, though. Today was one of the days when it arose....
Box Squats - 10x2x225
Speed Deads - 8x2x205, 205x1 (forgot to rack the bar after the final set of two)
Glute-Ham Raises - 4x6
Good Mornings - 5x8x190
Bent-Over Rows - 5x5x190
Front Squats - 3x10x135
Pulldown Abs - 5x15x110
On a more normal day, I wouldn't have done the front squats for my token quad-dominant exercise (my concession to still considering myself somewhat of a physique athlete). After all the preceding leg and lower back work, I would typically do something saner--most likely involving a machine to isolate the quads and take the already taxed areas out of the lift. Today, however, I was training heavily fueled up, at my preferred time of day, and in a gym where the only people there were the type of person who goes to the gym at 10 AM the day after Christmas--the truly dedicated. The atmosphere was perfect for doing something more difficult than I would typically do, and the front squats were a wonderful, nauseating, walk-right-up-to-the-edge-of-potential-overtraining joy. Hope you all had a very merry Christmas!
Fueled by way too much ham, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, fruit salad, etc. from last night, I hit the gym to do battle with the weights today. This workout was a joy in no small part because I seem to peak physically around mid-morning. In college and grad school, I used to try and arrange my class schedule so I could train around 10 AM. It's when I'm strongest, most energetic, and most enthusiastic. Unfortunately, with a real job, training at 10 AM isn't really an option very often. I try and make the most of the opportunity when it arises, though. Today was one of the days when it arose....
Box Squats - 10x2x225
Speed Deads - 8x2x205, 205x1 (forgot to rack the bar after the final set of two)
Glute-Ham Raises - 4x6
Good Mornings - 5x8x190
Bent-Over Rows - 5x5x190
Front Squats - 3x10x135
Pulldown Abs - 5x15x110
On a more normal day, I wouldn't have done the front squats for my token quad-dominant exercise (my concession to still considering myself somewhat of a physique athlete). After all the preceding leg and lower back work, I would typically do something saner--most likely involving a machine to isolate the quads and take the already taxed areas out of the lift. Today, however, I was training heavily fueled up, at my preferred time of day, and in a gym where the only people there were the type of person who goes to the gym at 10 AM the day after Christmas--the truly dedicated. The atmosphere was perfect for doing something more difficult than I would typically do, and the front squats were a wonderful, nauseating, walk-right-up-to-the-edge-of-potential-overtraining joy. Hope you all had a very merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 24, 2003
12/24/03 ME Bench Press
Training has been sporadic and kind of catch-as-catch-can leading up to Christmas. I finally finished my shopping today, though, so I celebrated with a trip to the gym to do some pressing. I've been intrigued by the possibilities of the overhead press as a max effort bench movement lately, so I decided to try it out today. I like the movement because it's full range of motion (I've only benched raw so far), it hammers the triceps and shoulders, it includes a difficult lockout, and it forces you to generate speed right from the bottom. I'm also intrigued by the movement because of the very impressive bench press numbers many of the old Olympic lifters were able to put up without directly training the lift. I weighed the idea of supersetting them with handstand push-ups, but that's an idea for another workout.
Clean and Press - 45x3, 70x3, 95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 160x1, 185x1, 195x1!, 205x1!
JM Press - 45x3, 95x3, 135x3, 185x3, 225x3, 255x3, 255x3
Skullcrushers - 95x10, 5x10x100
Medium Grip Chins - 5x5x25
Lateral/Rear Raise Compound Set - 3x10x25
Incline Curls - 3x10x25
This workout should have ended with ab work--5x10 hanging leg raises would have been appropriate--but I was rushing to see my girlfriend before heading out with my family for dinner and Christmas Eve service at my church.
Merry Christmas to anyone reading this!
Training has been sporadic and kind of catch-as-catch-can leading up to Christmas. I finally finished my shopping today, though, so I celebrated with a trip to the gym to do some pressing. I've been intrigued by the possibilities of the overhead press as a max effort bench movement lately, so I decided to try it out today. I like the movement because it's full range of motion (I've only benched raw so far), it hammers the triceps and shoulders, it includes a difficult lockout, and it forces you to generate speed right from the bottom. I'm also intrigued by the movement because of the very impressive bench press numbers many of the old Olympic lifters were able to put up without directly training the lift. I weighed the idea of supersetting them with handstand push-ups, but that's an idea for another workout.
Clean and Press - 45x3, 70x3, 95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 160x1, 185x1, 195x1!, 205x1!
JM Press - 45x3, 95x3, 135x3, 185x3, 225x3, 255x3, 255x3
Skullcrushers - 95x10, 5x10x100
Medium Grip Chins - 5x5x25
Lateral/Rear Raise Compound Set - 3x10x25
Incline Curls - 3x10x25
This workout should have ended with ab work--5x10 hanging leg raises would have been appropriate--but I was rushing to see my girlfriend before heading out with my family for dinner and Christmas Eve service at my church.
Merry Christmas to anyone reading this!
Saturday, December 13, 2003
12/13/03 DE Bench Press
Bench Press - 10x3x185
Close-Grip Incline Bench - 45x3, 70x3, 95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 160x3, 185x3, 205x3, 205x3
One-Arm Overhead Triceps Extension - 4x10x40
Dips - 10x3x45 (30 seconds rest between sets)
Seated Dumbbell Clean - 4x8x40
Hammer Curl - 3x10x35
Pulldown Abs - 5x10x110
This workout was an absolute joy. It was exactly the right mix of speed, heavy weight, and pumping work for today.
Bench Press - 10x3x185
Close-Grip Incline Bench - 45x3, 70x3, 95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 160x3, 185x3, 205x3, 205x3
One-Arm Overhead Triceps Extension - 4x10x40
Dips - 10x3x45 (30 seconds rest between sets)
Seated Dumbbell Clean - 4x8x40
Hammer Curl - 3x10x35
Pulldown Abs - 5x10x110
This workout was an absolute joy. It was exactly the right mix of speed, heavy weight, and pumping work for today.
Friday, December 12, 2003
Joy in the Gym
I've been devoting a lot of thought to training styles lately. Specifically, I've been spending time questioning what constitutes the ideal way to train. Back when I was competing as a bodybuilder, I was constantly in search of the perfect diet or the perfect training routine that would yield perfect results. Needless to say, I never discovered either because neither exists.
What I did discover is a secret that should be fundamental for everyone but frequently seems hidden even from advanced lifters. The ideal workout is the one that you can't wait to get into the gym to do. This is true even if you run across a study or an article suggesting that another training methodology might produce better results. If you're not eager to get into the gym and do the workout, you're not going to get top results, period. If you find yourself dreading workouts, making excuses to skip certain exercises, or letting life keep you from working out, you're following the wrong workout plan. The one true essential is that you learn to find joy in the gym.
Finding joy in the gym doesn't necessarily mean having fun the whole time you're working out. Sets of heavy squats or good mornings aren't much fun in a conventional sense. They take a lot of focus and energy. They hurt. Most people in commercial gyms don't do them, and they don't understand why you do. Still, most advanced lifters--and many beginners--know how to find a deep and abiding joy in these difficult lifts. It's the joy of strength, of movement, and of accomplishing something that the average person will never will himself to do. This is an important distinction because it explains why so few people who do easy, fun workouts ever find true joy in wrestling with the iron. Joy is something that's earned. It comes once you've paid your dues, taken your lumps, and come to understand yourself in relation to exercise.
I've been devoting a lot of thought to training styles lately. Specifically, I've been spending time questioning what constitutes the ideal way to train. Back when I was competing as a bodybuilder, I was constantly in search of the perfect diet or the perfect training routine that would yield perfect results. Needless to say, I never discovered either because neither exists.
What I did discover is a secret that should be fundamental for everyone but frequently seems hidden even from advanced lifters. The ideal workout is the one that you can't wait to get into the gym to do. This is true even if you run across a study or an article suggesting that another training methodology might produce better results. If you're not eager to get into the gym and do the workout, you're not going to get top results, period. If you find yourself dreading workouts, making excuses to skip certain exercises, or letting life keep you from working out, you're following the wrong workout plan. The one true essential is that you learn to find joy in the gym.
Finding joy in the gym doesn't necessarily mean having fun the whole time you're working out. Sets of heavy squats or good mornings aren't much fun in a conventional sense. They take a lot of focus and energy. They hurt. Most people in commercial gyms don't do them, and they don't understand why you do. Still, most advanced lifters--and many beginners--know how to find a deep and abiding joy in these difficult lifts. It's the joy of strength, of movement, and of accomplishing something that the average person will never will himself to do. This is an important distinction because it explains why so few people who do easy, fun workouts ever find true joy in wrestling with the iron. Joy is something that's earned. It comes once you've paid your dues, taken your lumps, and come to understand yourself in relation to exercise.
Thursday, December 11, 2003
12/11/03 DE Squat/Deadlift
I think I'm officially a Westside convert. I just wasn't having as much fun with other training methods during my hiatus from Westside, so I'm back. I'll likely be lifting Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday and updating accordingly. It was good to get back into the gym and do a dynamic effort workout again.
Box Squats - 10x2x225
Speed Deads - 8x2x205
GHRs - 4x6xBW
Good Mornings - 5x8x185
Bent-Over Rows - 4x5x185
Hanging Leg Raises - 5x10xBW
Leg Extensions - 3x10x150
The leg extensions don't exactly fit into the Westside protocol, but this is an area where my bodybuilding roots come to the forefront. Westsiders try to take the emphasis off the quads in the squat because the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back will move more weight than the quads. I'm all in favor of moving more weight, but I want to keep up the appearance of my quads as well.
I think I'm officially a Westside convert. I just wasn't having as much fun with other training methods during my hiatus from Westside, so I'm back. I'll likely be lifting Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday and updating accordingly. It was good to get back into the gym and do a dynamic effort workout again.
Box Squats - 10x2x225
Speed Deads - 8x2x205
GHRs - 4x6xBW
Good Mornings - 5x8x185
Bent-Over Rows - 4x5x185
Hanging Leg Raises - 5x10xBW
Leg Extensions - 3x10x150
The leg extensions don't exactly fit into the Westside protocol, but this is an area where my bodybuilding roots come to the forefront. Westsiders try to take the emphasis off the quads in the squat because the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back will move more weight than the quads. I'm all in favor of moving more weight, but I want to keep up the appearance of my quads as well.
Wednesday, December 03, 2003
12/2/03 Donning the White Belt
I went to my first session at Maguilla's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy & Combat Club last night. I've wanted to take up a martial art for a while now and finally overcame my inertia on the subject last night. I generally consider myself a pretty fit guy. I can bench over 300, squat and deadlift over 400, and see my abs. Last night was a humbling experience, though.
We started off running to warm up our bodies. We did a few laps of the gym just jogging, then started to add arm circles, reaches for the sky, high knees, butt kickers, etc. Back when I wrestled in high school (a mere nine years ago), I set the pace for these warm-ups. Now I found myself glad when we stopped. We did some stretching (which was relaxing), some calisthenics (which weren't relaxing), and some hip mobility drills (which were embarrassing). I discovered that I'm a little tight through my right hip and very tight through my left. This tightness in the left hip would come back to frustrate me later in the evening. More frustrating was discovering that my strength endurance in my neck and abs is all but gone. I couldn't hold my neck bridges for the full amount of time, and I had to take short rests to complete my full sit-ups (done after my crunches). Clearly, I need to make conditioning and hip flexibility top priorities.
After our warm-up, we hit the mats to roll. I was partnered with a guy about my size who had been training BJJ for about two and a half years. Coincidentally, he was also named Chris. For the next hour, he would serve as my teacher and tormentor. We started out with a quick drill: throw two jabs and one roundhouse kick at a circling opponent, then have your opponent do the same with you. Chris had to correct my form on both the jabs and the kick, but I eventually got it. We then switched to two jabs and an elbow strike. Again, it took some instruction, but I got it down. Troublingly, though, I was already breathing hard by the time we were done with this, and we had yet to roll.
When we hit the mats, I started out on my back in the position made famous in the UFC and Pride competitions. Chris was on his knees with one hand on my throat, and he was to stand up as if to punch me. I was supposed to trap the arm he was using to grasp my throat, then use my legs to keep him off-balance and attack. There's no denying that this defense is effective, but the idea that being on my back is a good thing is going to take some getting used to. I also found that keeping my head up in that position really tired my neck out. That's an area where I'm going to need some real work. When we switched positions, I got an even better idea of how effective this defensive position could be. Chris told me to make an earnest effort to get into position to attack him, and he effortlessly kept me off-balance and exposed, forcing me to tap out a couple of times.
We then worked on throwing a leg over the trapped arm for a submission hold. This was where my hip inflexibility reared its ugly head again. Going to my right was fairly fluid, but going to my left, I had real difficulty opening up my hips enough to clear his head with my leg. This is basic stuff, but I've got to get my hip flexibility way up before it feels comfortable. Having it done against me, I got a good feeling for how fast, fluid, and effective it can be. For learning some of the basics, it was great being paired up with someone who has considerable experience.
We next moved into having the person on his back defend while the person on top tried to hit his face. Chris had a pretty easy time neutralizing me from the bottom, while I had a much tougher time tying up his head and arm. It was here that my lack of conditioning really started catching up with me. I was having trouble catching my breath, as well as struggling to keep my head up while on the bottom. From this point on, I was fighting total exhaustion.
We then worked on a switch from the bottom: pin one arm, then lever over the opposite leg. Here, too, my lack of hip mobility caused real problems. I just wasn't flexible enough to easily get my leg into position. I understand it conceptually, but I'd be lying if I told you I ever got it down to where it was smooth.
Finally, we free-rolled. When you're a beginner, free-rolling is synonymous with "resisting ineffectually until your partner forces you to tap out." Any time it took him more than 20 seconds to tap me out, I felt quite proud.
Overall, it was a humbling experience, but it was a hell of a lot of fun. I'm going back tonight to take my lumps and start improving my conditioning.
I'll be starting back up with the Westside-style workouts this week--I've become a heavy weights convert. Traditional hypertrophy training just isn't as much fun as it used to be.
I went to my first session at Maguilla's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy & Combat Club last night. I've wanted to take up a martial art for a while now and finally overcame my inertia on the subject last night. I generally consider myself a pretty fit guy. I can bench over 300, squat and deadlift over 400, and see my abs. Last night was a humbling experience, though.
We started off running to warm up our bodies. We did a few laps of the gym just jogging, then started to add arm circles, reaches for the sky, high knees, butt kickers, etc. Back when I wrestled in high school (a mere nine years ago), I set the pace for these warm-ups. Now I found myself glad when we stopped. We did some stretching (which was relaxing), some calisthenics (which weren't relaxing), and some hip mobility drills (which were embarrassing). I discovered that I'm a little tight through my right hip and very tight through my left. This tightness in the left hip would come back to frustrate me later in the evening. More frustrating was discovering that my strength endurance in my neck and abs is all but gone. I couldn't hold my neck bridges for the full amount of time, and I had to take short rests to complete my full sit-ups (done after my crunches). Clearly, I need to make conditioning and hip flexibility top priorities.
After our warm-up, we hit the mats to roll. I was partnered with a guy about my size who had been training BJJ for about two and a half years. Coincidentally, he was also named Chris. For the next hour, he would serve as my teacher and tormentor. We started out with a quick drill: throw two jabs and one roundhouse kick at a circling opponent, then have your opponent do the same with you. Chris had to correct my form on both the jabs and the kick, but I eventually got it. We then switched to two jabs and an elbow strike. Again, it took some instruction, but I got it down. Troublingly, though, I was already breathing hard by the time we were done with this, and we had yet to roll.
When we hit the mats, I started out on my back in the position made famous in the UFC and Pride competitions. Chris was on his knees with one hand on my throat, and he was to stand up as if to punch me. I was supposed to trap the arm he was using to grasp my throat, then use my legs to keep him off-balance and attack. There's no denying that this defense is effective, but the idea that being on my back is a good thing is going to take some getting used to. I also found that keeping my head up in that position really tired my neck out. That's an area where I'm going to need some real work. When we switched positions, I got an even better idea of how effective this defensive position could be. Chris told me to make an earnest effort to get into position to attack him, and he effortlessly kept me off-balance and exposed, forcing me to tap out a couple of times.
We then worked on throwing a leg over the trapped arm for a submission hold. This was where my hip inflexibility reared its ugly head again. Going to my right was fairly fluid, but going to my left, I had real difficulty opening up my hips enough to clear his head with my leg. This is basic stuff, but I've got to get my hip flexibility way up before it feels comfortable. Having it done against me, I got a good feeling for how fast, fluid, and effective it can be. For learning some of the basics, it was great being paired up with someone who has considerable experience.
We next moved into having the person on his back defend while the person on top tried to hit his face. Chris had a pretty easy time neutralizing me from the bottom, while I had a much tougher time tying up his head and arm. It was here that my lack of conditioning really started catching up with me. I was having trouble catching my breath, as well as struggling to keep my head up while on the bottom. From this point on, I was fighting total exhaustion.
We then worked on a switch from the bottom: pin one arm, then lever over the opposite leg. Here, too, my lack of hip mobility caused real problems. I just wasn't flexible enough to easily get my leg into position. I understand it conceptually, but I'd be lying if I told you I ever got it down to where it was smooth.
Finally, we free-rolled. When you're a beginner, free-rolling is synonymous with "resisting ineffectually until your partner forces you to tap out." Any time it took him more than 20 seconds to tap me out, I felt quite proud.
Overall, it was a humbling experience, but it was a hell of a lot of fun. I'm going back tonight to take my lumps and start improving my conditioning.
I'll be starting back up with the Westside-style workouts this week--I've become a heavy weights convert. Traditional hypertrophy training just isn't as much fun as it used to be.
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
11/19/03 Back to Basics, Continued
I want to start this off with a comment on my results from my Westside experiment. I hit PRs in all three powerlifts, and I definitely feel as though my speed, form, and stability improved. Just as exciting, I had three people in the gym today imply that I must be using steroids. For someone whose primary goal is still physique--and who vividly remembers wrestling at 125 pounds--it's impossible to overstate how cool such comments are. My decision to move away from Westside-style training right now had nothing to do with the protocol's ineffectiveness and everything to do with the fact that it's not a good fit for a time when I'm both sick and busy. I'm definitely planning on returning to Westside after a cycle or two of back-to-basics training.
I'm still tweaking how I'm going to cycle intensity with my back-to-basics training. I'm doing whole-body training 2-3 times a week, and I don't want to go with the simplistic easy day, medium day, hard day. The easy days would be too easy, and the hard days would be absolute killers. What I'm looking at right now is something like this:
Monday: Hard upper, easy lower
Wednesday: Easy upper, moderate lower
Friday: Moderate upper, hard lower
Friday will be the toughest day of the week, but I'll have the most time to recover from it. I'm still feeling this one out, though, so all of this may be scrapped without warning. Caveat lector. :-)
On to today's workout:
Press behind neck - 2x12x75
Bent-over row - 3x15x115
Bench press - 3x12x165
Curl - 1x10x75
Breathing squat* - 2x15x225
Dumbbell pullover** - 2x20x30
Stiff-legged deadlift - 1x15x185
* On the breathing squats, take three deep breaths between reps. This will feel awkward on the first few reps and necessary on the last few. These should be done ass to grass. A set of 15 breathing squats with 225 feels more difficult--at least to me--than a normal set of 15 with 225.
** The dumbbell pullovers are supersetted with the breathing squats. A short period of sitting on the floor trying not to gag may be necessary between the first and second set.
I want to start this off with a comment on my results from my Westside experiment. I hit PRs in all three powerlifts, and I definitely feel as though my speed, form, and stability improved. Just as exciting, I had three people in the gym today imply that I must be using steroids. For someone whose primary goal is still physique--and who vividly remembers wrestling at 125 pounds--it's impossible to overstate how cool such comments are. My decision to move away from Westside-style training right now had nothing to do with the protocol's ineffectiveness and everything to do with the fact that it's not a good fit for a time when I'm both sick and busy. I'm definitely planning on returning to Westside after a cycle or two of back-to-basics training.
I'm still tweaking how I'm going to cycle intensity with my back-to-basics training. I'm doing whole-body training 2-3 times a week, and I don't want to go with the simplistic easy day, medium day, hard day. The easy days would be too easy, and the hard days would be absolute killers. What I'm looking at right now is something like this:
Monday: Hard upper, easy lower
Wednesday: Easy upper, moderate lower
Friday: Moderate upper, hard lower
Friday will be the toughest day of the week, but I'll have the most time to recover from it. I'm still feeling this one out, though, so all of this may be scrapped without warning. Caveat lector. :-)
On to today's workout:
Press behind neck - 2x12x75
Bent-over row - 3x15x115
Bench press - 3x12x165
Curl - 1x10x75
Breathing squat* - 2x15x225
Dumbbell pullover** - 2x20x30
Stiff-legged deadlift - 1x15x185
* On the breathing squats, take three deep breaths between reps. This will feel awkward on the first few reps and necessary on the last few. These should be done ass to grass. A set of 15 breathing squats with 225 feels more difficult--at least to me--than a normal set of 15 with 225.
** The dumbbell pullovers are supersetted with the breathing squats. A short period of sitting on the floor trying not to gag may be necessary between the first and second set.
