ExRx.net

7/2/08

Bike Riding - approximately 10 miles in a long stretch done fast, plus 3-4 miles in relaxed riding.

No stretching or foam rolling, still hard with my arm/body rash.

7/3/08

AM + Afternoon
7 mile round trip bike ride to work.

PM
Wamup: Foot Drills, a few mobility drills, squats and jumping.

90 seconds between excercises, except 5 minutes between #1 and #2 (mostly measuring time).

1) Long Jump - 8 x 3, 30 seconds rest, max 249.5 cm (on rep 24!)
2) Weighted Chinup - 5 x 0kg, 3 x 5kg, 3 x 10kg, 2 minutes rest, 3 x 15kg, 3 minutes rest, 3 x 20kg, 5 minutes rest, 3 x 22.5kg, 2 minutes rest, 10 x 0kg.
3) Barbell RDL - 3 x 12 x 55kg, 90 seconds rest.
4) DB Floor Press - 23 x (2*20kg), 3 minutes rest, 20 x (2*20kg).
*5) Inverted Row (Feet on Bench) - 3 x 10
*6) Rear Delt Fly - 3 x 12 x (2*10kg), 90 seconds rest between supersets.
7) Ab/Back Circuit - Reverse Crunches, V-Ups, Bicycles, Back Extensions - 3 sets of 15 reps, 90 seconds rest.

5 minutes rest

Plank - 60 seconds, 15 seconds rest.
Side Plank (left) - 30 seconds, 15 seconds rest.
Side Plank (right) - 30 seconds

***

Long Jump - I got mad that I wasn't matching my previous numbers and pushed hard on the last set. I'd set the sets/reps/rest to 8 x 3 with only 30 second rest to change the work while keeping almost the same rest as 5 x 5. I'm surprised I beat my previous numbers. Initially measured 250.5cm and that seemed too perfect so I re-measured 2 times and got 249.5cm the next two times.

Weighted Chinup - Nice, 3 x 22.5 at 85 kg is not quite a PR but it's close. Hurts my hip, though, I feel the edge of the bone pushing from the inside as the weight drags against that hip. Ugh.

RDL - I got deep at 3x12x50 last week, I want to do 3x12x60kg all the way down. I push for a flat back, big chest, and the "x"s behind my knees.

DB Floor Press - hard to get the DBs into position on the floor, but I did it. I'm pleased with my numbers. Next time I'll try heavier, not sure if I'll do 22.5kg DBs or 25kg DBs.

Planks - not great numbers at all. I barely managed these. I blame a) fatigue, b) antihistamines (new, heavier dose ones I'm on now), c) my right elbow being sliced open and still raw, and d) planks being a bad idea after I do back extensions on the floor. Oh well.

7/4/08

Warmup: Foot drills, mobility drills.

Tabata "Bincho Training" - 30s/15s rounds - Dash in place, Squat Jump, 360 degree jump plus one-two, Tuck Jump, Sprawl-Jump, Dash in place.

3 x 3 minute rounds shadowboxing
2 x 3 minutes kicks on the moron bag
2 x 3 minute one-two/hook/jab rounds, bare knuckles.

Stretches: IT band, pec, hip (Warrior), Calf.

7/5/08

Warmups: Thoracic stretching on foam roller, a few mobility drills.

*Single-Leg Arched Bar Good Mornings (with plastic bar) - 3 x 10
*Step-Downs - 3 x 10, 60 seconds rest.

Towel Partial Pullups - 4 x 6 pullups, 60 seconds rest.

Tire Pulls
Forwards - 3 x 90m x 30 kg - 1:08, 1:08, 1:08; 60 seconds rest.
Backwards - 3 x 90m x 30kg - 1:44, 1:50, unknown (forgot to start the clock...); 60 seconds rest.

***

That was harder than it looks on paper. Hot and humid here, too.

7/6/08

OFF

7/7/08

Warmup: Foot drills, mobility drills.

Back to a 5RM week, changed max work to specific reps.

1) Back Squat - 5 x 20kg, 5 x 40kg, 5 x 55kg, 2 minutes rest, 5 x 70kg, 3 minutes rest, 5 x 77.5kg, 5 minutes rest, 5 x 82.5kg, 2 minutes rest, 8 x 70kg.
2) Bench Press - 3 x 12 x 50kg, 90 seconds rest.
3) Step-Ups - 3 x 8 x (2*20kg), 90 seconds rest.
*4) Barbell Shrugs - 3 x 8 x 120kg
*5) Band Pull-Aparts - 3 x 24 x small band (forgot the big band at home), 90 seconds rest between supersets.
6) L-Chinup Holds - 30 seconds - 15 seconds - 15 seconds
7) Dragon Flags - 4 x 10, 60 seconds rest.

5 minutes rest talking to one of the pros about my workout routine, and then:

Plank - 60 seconds, 40 seconds of alternatively lifting one leg at a time. 30 seconds rest.
Side Plank (left) - 60 seconds, 30 seconds rest.
Side Plank (right) - 60 seconds.

Stretches: Calf, Pec, Lat, Warrior, IT band.

***

Good workout today.

Back Squat - another new 5RM, above my predicted 5RM by 2.5kg. Slight good morning on the last reps. Clearly my back is my weak point. Sam with the last 2 reps of my 8 x 70kg.

Bench Press - I chose the reps and weight perfectly. The goal was to do just under my real 12 RM for three sets as a break from two weeks of pushing to failure, but to up the weight slightly as well. I'm hoping all of this high-rep and variable weight bench pressing work, plus floor presses, will help my max bench press.

Step-Ups - barely managed these reps well, but they felt good.

Barbell Shrugs - Ugh, my grip fails quickly, and I always get dizzy doing these after leg work.

L-Chinup Holds - I'm pleased with my rapid progress on these. Same with Dragon Flags - hard work, but I'm getting better steadily.

Went home really tired...my workouts reliably take 90 minutes from start to finish, including mobility drills and stretches and rest and setup (always a nice gap between my warmup drills and my first lifts). That's long but I'm making very good progress, so clearly it's not too much for me.

Also, got a job interview set up for next week. If I get the job, I stay in Japan. If I don't, I go back the USA. We'll see what happens.

7/8/08

Warmup: Wall squats, short, moderate pace bike ride.

Squats - 4 x 20, 10 seconds rest.

1 minute rest

Pushups - 4 x 10, 10 seconds rest.

1 minute rest

Towel Pullups (Slight jump assist for speed) - 4 x 5, 10 seconds rest.


Then I biked to the nearby sports center, plunked down 500 yen, and swam for 45 minutes.

***

Workout theme today was Tabata Style. I didn't want to time my workouts per se, but I wanted the same training effect. So I set my reps to something doable in 20 seconds of work and went to it with a 10 second break. Short but hard, and I paid for it in the pool with tired legs.

Swimming was pretty fun, though, except I've got a mark on my forehead from the loaner swim cap.

Checked out the weight training facilities again. No better than two years before when I checked. LOTS of heavy dumbbells (I saw some over 35kg), but otherwise, just bikes, a smith machine, assisted pullup unit, an EZ-Curl bar/preacher curl station, and machines for every possible way you could isolate your legs.

I bike-sprinted home ASAP. If they'd had a cable station it would be worth 300 yen for a visit once a week to do woodchops and pallof presses and scarecrows and such, but they don't, so it's pool time.

7/9/08

Long bike ride to work - 6.5 miles round trip.

Swam for 30 minutes.

7/10/08

AM and afternoon - 8 mile round trip to work - 3.2 in the am, rest in the afternoon.

PM at the gym

Warmup: Foot drills, mobility drills (especially including all the hip stuff I could think of plus warrior lunge walks).

1) Long Jump - 5 x 5, 1 minute rest. Got 250cm standing, got 255cm but lost balance and fell backwards afterwards.
2) Weighted Chinup - 5 x 0kg, 5 x 5kg, 5 x 10kg, 2 minutes rest, 5 x 15kg, 3 minutes rest, 5 x 20kg, 5 minutes rest, 4 x 21.25kg, 2 minutes rest, 9+1 x 0kg.
3) Barbell RDL - 3 x 12 x 60kg, 90 seconds rest.
4) DB Floor Press - 4 x 12 x (2*20kg), 90 seconds rest.
*5) Inverted Rows (Feet on Bench) - 10, 10, 8
*6) Rear Delt Fly - 3 x 12 x (2*7kg), 60 seconds rest between supersets.
7) Ab/Back Circuit - 3 x 20 per exercise, 90 seconds rest - Reverse Crunches, V-Ups, Bicycles, Back Extensions.

5 minutes rest, then:

Handstand practice (feet on wall) - 30s, 1 minute rest, 30s.

Came home and stretched, because I forgot to stretch before I left the gym. No idea why.

***

Long Jump - not sure how to count that. By legitimate testing, if you fall backwards it's counted from where you land. Discourages sticking your feet out further than you can handle. In this case, I got the jump, but couldn't stay upright, I didn't compress far enough down on my landing and tottered over. Slightly better balance and I've have stayed up. So I'll note it with a *. 250 is a PR, 255 is a PR with a *.

Weighted Chinups - I felt weak. I couldn't get a 5th rep on 21.25kg, so it's just shy of a real PR. Bodyweight was 85.5kg though so that's a good chin - 4 x 106.75kg, but I wanted 5. I only got 9 kipping chins at the end before I lost my grip on the bar. Did another rep, but that's 9+1, not 10.

RDL - I couldn't get 3 x 12 x 60kg before, so I backed off to 50kg and worked back up, and today I sailed through 3 x 12 x 60kg. Nice. Felt the "Xs" behind my knees, thanks again Dan John.

DB Floor Press - went for 4 x 12 today, to get more total reps than I did last week. It was easy. I could have kept going on the last set, but "to failure" was absolutely off the menu today. I love floor pressing for my triceps, my chest does nothing.

Superset - Dropped the weight to 7kg because I was too lazy to unload the DBs, and so I dropped the rest times to compensate. Hard stuff, those inverted rows. If I do them explosively I can touch my chest, otherwise it's close but no contact.

Handstands - My goal is 60 seconds in one set, feet touching the wall. Eventually I want to do a free-standing handstand.

7/11/08

Rest day. Ran around filling out forms, no time to train.

Stretches and a little foam rolling before bed.

7/12/08

Warmup: Foot drills, mobility drills.

Front Squats - 5 x 20kg, 5 x 40kg, 7 x 3 x 60kg with 2 1/2 minute rests, 10 x 40kg.

Gripper @ 45kg - 4 x 10 per hand, 15 seconds rest.

Speed Deadlift - 5 x 2 x 70kg, 60 second rest.

Barbell Snatch - max reps in 2 minutes - 34 x 20kg. All reps muscle snatches from below the knee.

Warmdown - helped a fellow fighter work getting past a long left jab.

Went home, then when swimming.

***

Notes: Yes, I know I did the workout in a totally stupid layout. I should have done the speed deadlifts first (explosive), then front squats (ME), then gripper (assistance), then metcon. I'm lucky I had the brains to warmup first, not afterwards. I blame it on originally planning only the front squats.

Front Squat - Clean grip. New PR, but I really didn't feel it in my quad. I felt it in my torso the most. I think that's my weak link. I stayed upright (as close to upright as I could, anyway) but it was keeping my core tight that was the difficult part.

Barbell Snatches - 2 minutes is a long time, sometimes. At least I wasn't doing tabata sprints mixed with jumps like the folks in beginning kickboxing class. They finished just as I finished, so I helped clean up and called it an end to my workout.

7/13/08

AM - Stretches

Afternoon - Swimming in the Sea of Japan for about 2 hours.

7/14/08

AM: Stretches - Pec, Quad, IT band, Hip (Warrior), Calf.

PM:

At home before gym - Foam rolling (thoracic area, hips).

Warmup: Foot drills, mobility drills, band drills.

Deload week. 50-60% of volume. End of my bulk-up attempt.

1) Back Squat - 5 x 20kg, 3 x 40kg, 3 x 55kg, 3 x 70kg, 2 minutes rest, 3 x 77.5kg, 3 minutes rest, 3 x 82.5kg.
2) Bench Press - 3 x 8 x 50kg, 90 seconds rest.
3) Step-Ups - 3 x 5 x (2*20kg), 90 seconds rest.
*4) Barbell Shrugs - 3 x 4 x 120kg
*5) Band Pull-Aparts - 3 x 12 x long band doubled up, 90 seconds rest between supersets.
6) L-Chinup Hold - 30 seconds
7) Dragon Flags - 4 x 6, 60 seconds rest.

Stretches - same as morning + warrior lunge from a 3" step.

***

Weird day today. Went to a job interview that went strangely. So I was distracted. Until rep one of my squats. That'll focus you right up.

Otherwise my deload went well.

I think I'm tossing shrugs, or going lighter for higher reps. Probably tossing them. I'm not feeling any gains, and my deadlifts have now exceeded my shrugs, so what's the point? Clearly my traps can handle the load, I just can't seem to grip it long enough to matter. Plus they make me dizzy after leg work.

Next time around, I'm going to include more gymnastics progressions.

7/15/08

Towel Partial Pullups - a few sets, didn't count reps as some of my JHS joined in. I can out-rep them though.

Tire Drags - backwards 1 x 90m x 30kg
Forwards - 4 x 90m x 20kg

No times kept, just like work after a day of swimming and a day of training. Plus it's a deload week.

7/16/08

AM
Stretches - Calf, Pec, Quad, IT band, Hip (Warrior).

Biked 7 miles round trip to work.

At work my right hip started to hurt, walked with a hitch in my step. If I push really hard into the right hip flexor, it stops hurting and my step is normal. My right knee hurts, too, thanks to the hip being out of alignment. Not sure if I hurt it stretching, or hurt it pulling tires yesterday.