ExRx.net

[pdellorto]

7/15/10

AM: Static stretches

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)

Afternoon: DeFranco's Training, Session 163

Pre-warmup: Foam rolling, lacrosse ball rolling, band work, dynamic stretches

Warmup: 300 rope skips

Bold is a rep or weight PR. 1 minute between sets unless otherwise noted. * denotes a superset.

1) Ab Circuit - 2 rounds of 40 seated twists per side, 30 bicycle crunches, 20 toe touches, 1 minute rest
2) Safety Bar Foam Box Squat - 5 x 65, 5 x 115, 8 x 2 x 155, 1 minute rest
3) Double KB Snatch into Press - 3 x 8 x 16kg KBs, 1 minute rest
4) Weighted Rope Climb (w/10# vest) - 2 trips, 3 minutes rest
5) Turkish Getup - 5 x 3 x 16kg KB, 1-2 minutes rest
6) Sprint Suicide - 3 trips, about 15 yard field, at 13.84, 13.35, and 13.24 seconds, about 2 minutes rest.

***

Ab Circuit - I actually started with the Spongebob squats, but the box I had was too tall with the foam on top. I felt it and my coach spotted it too. So, since I had time, I stopped and waited for the guys doing plyo-pushups to finish up. While I waited, John had me do a bodyweight ab circuit and this is the stuff I picked. Felt pretty good. I didn't want to do planks and wear down my abs too much before squatting.

Spongebob Squats - After my circuit I borrowed a low box for these. Much better. 65 was easy, 115 wasn't so easy, and 155 was pretty hard. But I got all 8 x 2, with only the last set and last rep being slower than the previous sets. Good stuff. I love how lower-body heavy my workouts have become. I really respond well to lots of leg work. 155 is a PR for 8x2, but not for a double. Still, it's worth remembering that's my top sets for sponge squats.

Snatch/Press - had to go light. As I said to my coach, "What I can snatch has no relation to what I can press." This is true. These were hard, and although I locked out all my reps strong I was tired on the last rep of each set. The snatch part was almost trivial.


The Rope - Heh, we all knew this was coming after I scuttled up the rope so fast the first time I tried it. Let me tell you, a 10 pound vest adds a lot more than 10 pounds of suck. I wasn't the only guy doing these weighted, so I got to commiserate with the next guy. I didn't quite make it to the top the second set, and even in the first set it was obvious I didn't have more than 2 trips in me as I slowed down a lot at the top. Getting down with +10# is fun, and I re-opened my torn hand and added a shin burn to my collection. Getting stronger the manly way.

TGUs - My choice, 3 x 5 or 5 x 3. I went 5 x 3 so I wouldn't get sloppy and I could concentrate on the reps. Maybe 3 x 5 would have been better, if only because, man, I was tired of setting up for TGUs by set 4. :)

Sprints - Not that I do these and get timed on them, but all three sets were PR times. I've never been fast and I never pivoted fast. A year or two ago I'd never have managed three of these, in a sweltering gym, in July, with asthma. I knocked all three out and although I was panting and tired, I wasn't even close to an asthma attack. Sweet. Edging that attack threshold up higher and higher.

I'm very pleased with this workout. It felt great, all the way through.

[pdellorto]

7/16/10

Very Early AM: Static stretches

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)

At the gym:

Warmup: Foam rolling, light dynamic movements

* denotes a superset.

1) Half-Kneeling Pallof Press (w/band) - 15 per side
*2) Econo Prowler (on turf) - 4 trips on 20 yard round trip, high handles out, low handles back, @ prowler + 70#
*3) Agility Ladder (double tap per rung) - 4 round trips
4) Half-Kneeling Pallof Press (w/band) - 15 per side

PM: MMA class. Worked my escape with someone coming back into MMA; also worked his sweeps. Finished with 3 x 5 min rounds holding the mits for someone, then another 15 minutes of mit work. Arms very tired.

***

Just got in my Pallof presses plus some quick heart rate work. Got my heart rate up to 140 or so with this.

Prowler/Ladder - basically, push the prowler out and back, then double-tap run the ladder up and back, then repeat. No rest between prowler and ladder or between sets of this superset. Just running until I did all four sets.

Got a nap in the afternoon.

Good MMA class, but my upper back was bothering me...very tight.

[pdellorto]

7/17/10

AM: Static stretches

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10


MMA class. Worked my side escape with a very small guy with outstanding skills. Extremely frustrating class. I couldn't manage a single good escape, and I got a few half-assed ones that sort-of worked against minimal resistance. Totally frustrating, and I think I aggravated my upper back and pulled something in my abs in the process of trying to pull this off. Grr.

Afternoon - watched the DeFranco's World's Strongest Athlete competition. Lots of fun, although I'd need a special division for "weak old guys" before I'd be out there.

***

Fun afternoon, but a very frustrating morning. My upper back hurts a lot, my technique didn't get any better, and I don't feel closer to fixing the gap in my ground game that I so desperately need to close. I'm going to try to relax and forgot about it and get back to it next week.

[pdellorto]

7/18/10

AM: Static stretches

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)

***

Rest day.

[pdellorto]

7/19/10

Very Early AM: Static stretches

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)

Afternoon: DeFranco's Training, Session 164

Pre-warmup: Foam rolling, lacrosse ball rolling, band work, dynamic stretches

Warmup: 300 rope skips

Bold is a rep or weight PR. 1 minute between sets unless otherwise noted. * denotes a superset.

1) Tire Flip (400 lb tire) - 5 x 5, 1 minute rest
2) Prowler Bear Crawl - 6 x 30 yard trips @ prowler + 140#, 1 minute rest
3) Pullup (Grappler Grips) - 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 2, 2 = 20 reps, rest as needed
4) Handstand Hold - 3 sets - unkown time, 37 seconds, 38 seconds, rest about 2 minutes between sets
5) Swiss Ball Hanging Leg Raise - 3 x 12 w/swiss ball in open guard, 1 minute rest
6) Rice Dig - 50 digs

And done.

***

Completely awesome workout.

No real PRs today, as everything was either new or stuff I'd done before. But this was the best workout I've done in a long time, in terms of a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of useful exertion, and sheer coolness of the stuff I did.

Tire Flips - 5 x 5, partly uphill (there is a slight tilt to the parking lot outside the bay door). Felt iffy on a few reps in terms of power, but I realized as I went on that it was the biggest "uphill" rep. Otherwise, good and strong.

Prowler bear crawl - I was supposed to do low handles/high handles sprints, but then my coach said, what the hell, get the straps and try to bear crawl it. The first trip was with the straps on my shoulders but I found that put a lot of strain on my neck. The next five trips were with a belt around my waist. These crushed me like no prowler push ever has crushed me. I had rubbery legs after set 2, I was groaning and straining to finish the trips after set 3. I stopped only when I touched the wall, and then I turned the prowler around and backed it up nearly to the wall so I'd get an extra yard or so in.
This is training economy - I couldn't have done a 7th set without a gun to my head. I could barely walk for 5 minutes. My coach said maybe it was too much, but hell no, I think this was awesome and I can't wait to do them again.

Grappler pullups - using these 3" or so thick slick handles hanging from the bar, I did pullups. Another grappler there saw me do 2 and drop off and advised me to grab up higher, which helped. But I go so few it went from "3 sets of max reps" to "15-20 total reps." It was tough; the handles are so thick I couldn't close my grip at all, and they were slick enough that even chalk didn't help much. Very cool!

Handstand holds - I had to walk up the wall just like when I used to do these in Japan. My coach had me try a handstand pushup but seconds after failing to get one I also had to drop off the wall...I couldn't recover to my shoulders packed, elbows locked, abs tight position. The next two sets were better but I had a, ahem, hard dismount off the wall. No worries, I'm used to that. I was pleased I got 38 seconds the last set, especially as tired as I was after the prowler crawls. I'll get these up fast, it's been a while since I did handstands for time.

SB HLRs - Just like I did before Grappler's Quest. Fun but so brutally hard it's hard to describe. A hanging leg raise with straightened legs is hard enough without having to hold a freaking swiss ball in your guard.

Rice digs - because I couldn't move my hands properly.

I was literally shaking when I tried to walk, and had to keep my knees locked for a while. My thighs got so pumped up after the crawls they were visibly much larger, almost swollen. Amazing. I loved those. And because I was so messed up, I basically got to do cool stuff afterward for a while. Yay! I love being a test dummy for exercises (I was the first bear crawler, as demonstrated by having to figure out the best way to rig it up...), and as a fighter I love being challenged to do weird but effective stuff.

Came home and ate a huge meal followed by a smaller meal. Around 4300 or so kcals, although I may sneak in some extra before bed.

[pdellorto]

7/20/10

AM: Static stretches

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)


PM: MMA class. Worked my side escape, and rolled with two guys starting from side control. Escaped and submitted them repeatedly. Felt like I had the technique tonight; not as much of a struggle as Saturday.

[pdellorto]

7/21/10

AM: Static stretches

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)

Early Afternoon: Extensive trigger point/ART session on my back.

***

My MMA buddy Jody-Lynn of Fine Tuning Therapy (plug, plug!) did a session on me today. During, it was excruciatingly painful at times, and after, I'm as sore as I am after a very heavy back workout session. But my neck ROM and my shoulder ROM are fine, she gave me some self-myofascial release exercises to do on my own, and she really released a lot of pressure and tightness I couldn't do on my own.

Best part is that I was sitting in her office and saw that not only had she snagged a bunch of my business cards for her office, but she had business cards for the gym I work at! Small world, we didn't realize we had my boss in common as a link.

And let me just say it's handy to have the person healing you also be someone you train with, and who has cornered you in matches. It saves a lot of explanation of the how and why of injuries.


Diet notes: I got the grill going today and ate two meals in one...a pound of beef (burgers!), some grilled chicken (just to, you know, check if it was okay), and half a head of cauliflower. I didn't want to overdo it. ;)
Still keeping the calories up but the carbs down low, but I'm being less militant on the carbs. If they come from veggies and I don't exceed a reasonable maximum, I'm fine with that. I'd like to get my bodyweight up a smidgen anyway.

[pdellorto]

7/22/10

AM: Static stretches

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)

Afternoon: DeFranco's Training, Session 165

Pre-warmup: Foam rolling, lacrosse ball rolling, band work, dynamic stretches

Warmup: 300 rope skips

Bold is a rep or weight PR. 1 minute between sets unless otherwise noted. * denotes a superset.

1) Sled Drag (w/10# vest) - 1/4 mile @ sled + 115 pounds
2) Weighted Rope Climb (w/10# vest) - 4 trips up and down the rope, 3-4 minutes rest
3) Double Kettlebell Swing - 5 x 10 x 24kg KBs, 2 mins rest
4) Reverse Hyper - 3 x 12 x 140, 1 min rest
5) Bent-Over Sled Walk - 2 round trips x 60 yards @ sled+115 pounds, 1 round trip x 60 yards @ sled+135 pounds, 1 minute rest every round trip.
*6) Blackburns - 3 sets of 10s per position, 5# plates
*7) Seated External Rotation - 3 x 12 x 15# DB, no rest before next superset

***

Had an Italian funeral today, so I ate a lot of good food...kept it light pre-workout but I wonder if the food filled me up too much. Eating post-workout, normally a joy, was a chore...had to make myself eat, I felt so full. Weird. Still ate though. Had I lifted before the repast I'd have stuffed myself silly, so it's probably for the better I had to practice some actual restraint.

Workout - because I had my back so extensively trigger-pointed and ARTed yesterday, we didn't load it at all today. Not that my workout was any easier.

Sled Drag - once around the building, long strides, with a lot of weight on the sled, not so much on the back. Instead of a 50# vest and a plate and a quarter, it was a 10# vest and 2 plates and a quarter. Heh. This was easier.

Rope Climb - Rapid improvement here. I went from 4 climbs to 2 climbs with a vest to 4 climbs with a vest in three weeks. Grip is the main problem; when my hands get tired the climb is over. I felt like I didn't get all the way up on the last trip but my coach seemed satisfied.

KB swings - whee! A new PR, actually, although at the time I thought I was going light. Heh. Previous best was 5 x 8 with those bells.

Reverse Hyper - because that makes my back feel good and floods it with blood. I kept it light because why overdo it?

Bent over sled walk - picture a sled pull-through starting position, only with the strap handles just a bit in front of your crotch instead of between your legs. Now, walk 30 yards without coming out of that position. These sucked...hard, hard, hard. While I was doing them a powerlifter did them unweighted next to me and commiserated with the suckiness of having to do them. I went up on the last round trip because I could...I only did 2 and a quarter for the first sets because I already had the sled set up, and my coach said "like 3 plates." So I figured on working up.
I felt this in my abs and my hamstrings, and a bit in my glutes after a while. But my abs felt it like I couldn't believe.

Blackburns/ExtRots - just blew through these because I felt like my workout was hellaciously long. It was long, actually, because of long rests and long sets. But these felt good to do, especially since they mimic some of the positions I needed to extend in during the ART work yesterday.

I was very nervous about my back in the swings, but it felt better than it had in a long time. Maybe Jody nailed the scar tissue? I hope so.

[pdellorto]

7/23/10

Very Early AM: Static stretches

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)

At the gym:

Warmup: Foam rolling, light dynamic movements

* denotes a superset.

*1) Econo Prowler (on turf) - 4 trips on 20 yard round trip, high handles out, low handles back, @ prowler + 90#
*2) Agility Ladder (high knees) - 4 round trips
3) Half-Kneeling Pallof Press - 20 x 32 lbs per side


Afternoon:

Warmup: Dynamic stretches

*1) Blast Strap Pushup (feet elevated, 12" box) - 26, 17, 13, 10
*2) Floor Fly - 4 x 20 x 10# DBs, 1 minute rest between supersets
+3) Blast Strap Row (feet elevated, 12" box) - 15, 10, 9
+4) Blast Strap Scarecrow - 3 x 10
5) Blast Strap Hanging Plank - 60 seconds

***

Playing hooky from MMA class to watch the New Breed Fighters amateur fights tonight. My buddy Rob is fighting tonight and I don't want to miss it. So I did an extra workout instead.

BS Pushup/Fly - did these before, 4 x 20 x 10# is my heaviest for 4 sets on the fly. 26 is an all-time rep record on the blast straps, feet elevated or not. Nice! My chest really feels it from the dead-stop floor fly, and I feel like it's helping me get that "hug a tree" motion I need for one of my escapes.

BS Row/scarecrow - this time feet elevated. Felt good. Did one less set than pushes to annoy KPj and because I am so lopsidedly strong and worked less on my back/pulling muscles. I can't bench 2 plates but I can rope climb with extra weight on me for multiple trips. Scarecrows felt fine.

Abs - just curious how this would feel. Pulled just enough to be off the floor, and held there for a minute. My grip and shoulders felt this too, but my abs and lower back really felt the tension, which was the whole point. Couldn't relax them for a second and stay in position.

Diet was fine - around 3K kcals, low-carb except for some fruit and simple carbs post-workout.

[pdellorto]

7/24/10

AM: Static stretches

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)


MMA class. Worked with two different partners, mostly escaping side and then free rolling. I took my MMA pill today - everything I tried worked, even bizarre stuff like an upside down triangle from back mount. Crazy. Great workout, though.

After class I learned two new exercises I can do to help my lower back and help my guard game.

[pdellorto]

7/25/10

AM: Static stretches

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)

***

Rest day.

[pdellorto]

7/26/10

Very Early AM: Static stretches

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)

Recumbant Bike: Level 15, 6 minutes (30 seconds easy, 30 seconds hard), up to 110 bpm heart rate.

Afternoon: DeFranco's Training, Session 166

Pre-warmup: Foam rolling, lacrosse ball rolling, band work, dynamic stretches

Warmup: 300 rope skips

1) Forward Sled Drag - 15 second drags (approximately 25-26 yards), 3 @ sled + 6 plates, 3 @ sled + 7 plates, 14 @ sled + 8 plates, rest from 15s (after first trip) to 2 minutes (before last trip). Rest until heart rate returned to <130 bpm.
2 minutes rest after 20th trip, heart rate dropped to 105 bpm.
2) Ab Circuit - 2 rounds of 20 rowers, 20 toe touches, 20 rocking guard holds, 30s side plank per side. 1 minute rest between rounds.

and done.

***

Sled drag - this was the whole workout. Much easier indoors, because I can't seem to slip on the turf. Pulled sled+270 so easily I'd go end to end in the gym in 11-12 seconds, sled+315 I'd go end to end in 12-13 seconds, and with sled+360 I'd go end to end in 14.5-15.5 seconds...perfect!
Really, all I did was all-out run with the sled, rest until my heart rate dropped from 140-150 down to 129, and then ran again. Over and over. 8 plates fills the sled. I got a bunch of nice comments from guys there, ranging from "What is John doing to you now?" to "Save some plates for the rest of us" to a young kid coming over and fist-bumping me. Heh. I was a sopping wet mess after this.

I only needed 2 minutes rest (and downing a liter of water with protein and carbs in it) to be ready for abs.

Abs - all my choice. The rocking guard holds are a new one my friend Jody taught me. I basically sit in guard and rock to the side, halt myself with my elbows on the floor and push back up. If your abs and lower back aren't tight, you'll just collapse, not push back over to the other side. 10 each side (20 total) was really hard!

That was the whole workout, and I had nothing left. I coached someone after and had to help him push the prowler back into the gym...and it was almost more than I could manage. Nice.

[pdellorto]

7/28/10

AM: Static stretches

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)

PM: MMA class. Rolled the whole class with someone getting ready for a competition. I'm a bit smaller than his weight class (by 10 lbs) but I'm probably more skilled than the people he'll face in Beginner. We worked on his transitioning a lot.

[pdellorto]

7/29/10

AM: Static stretches

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)

Afternoon: DeFranco's Training, Session 167

Pre-warmup: Foam rolling, lacrosse ball rolling, band work, dynamic stretches

Warmup: 300 rope skips

1) Bench Press - 5 x 45, 5 x 95, 5 x 115, 5 x 125, 10 x 155, 3 mins rest between last two sets
2) Barbell Reverse Lunge - 8 x 95, 8 x 105, 8 x 125, 2 mins rest
3) KB Snatch (5 mins, 16 kg) - Did 15/15, 15/15, 15/15, 10/10 in 5:34, no rest
4) Reverse Hyper - 12 x 140, 12 x 160, 12 x 180
5) Ab Circuit - 2 rounds of 15 V-ups, 60 bicycle crunches, 30s per position plank/side plank/side plank

***

Bench Press - been a long time. I can't even remember the last time I benched. Months ago? 10 x 155 is good, but my PR for 155 is 11 reps. Maybe, just maybe, I could have gotten it, but the 10th rep was slow and my coach pulled the bar back into the rack after I locked it out. Fair enough. At least I haven't really diminished in strength on this exercise.

Lunge - 125 was my old 6RM. It was a relatively easy 8RM, even after two earlier sets. My glutes were smoked after this.

Snatch test - basically, a 5-min pseudo snatch test. More like EDT snatches. Max reps in 5 minutes, with a goal of matching reps on either side and no limit on hand switches. I went light - 16 kg - but it was still hard. I felt kind of nauseous somewhere around the 4 minute mark (based on reps). Went long to finish my matching reps. Next time I'll go heavier or longer, whichever.

Reverse hyper - Good stuff. 185 is my 10RM, 180 is a new PR for 12 reps.

Abs - My choice of stuff, so I did v-ups (everyone else was too, so why not?), bicycle crunches (because they smoke my abs every time), and the plank set. It was tough. I didn't have three rounds in me, my abs were just this side of cramping up.

Good workout. Those snatches took a lot out of me. I have much respect for those guys who do the SSST, which is 10 minutes of snatches with a 24kg KB. I got a mere 55 per hand in just over five and a half minutes with a much smaller KB. I could have kept going but I sure didn't want to.

[pdellorto]

7/30/10

Very Early AM: Static stretches

New Pushup Plus x 10
Pushup x 10

Pullups 2 x 5 (mixed grip, alternated)


At the gym:

1) Standing Pallof Press - 30 per side
2) Econo Prowler - 5 30 yard round trips, high handles only, prowler+90#, no rest
3) Standing Pallof Press - 3 x 10 per side, no rest
4) Pullup (Neutral Grip) - 10

***

Just banged out a quick combination this morning - some conditioning and some ab work, plus some pullups to see if neutral grip will nag my injured elbow. Yes, it will.