2/26/09

02/25/09: Advanced Corrective Routine

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02/26/09, Day 50:
So, I was up at 2am today - UGH!!! By 4am I was feeling like crap - I felt like I might be coming down with the flu or something. I've been feeling like I've been fighting something off for the last 3 days actually.

Anyway, I ate a big omelet & bacon for breakfast and felt a little better. I was still debating whether I was feeling well enough to workout, especially since the scheduled workout was "Legs - Strength". Anyone lifting for a while knows how demanding the "Heavy" Leg day is

So I make my recover drink just in case, and I go and train 2 clients. After that, I head over to the gym and decide to give it a go. All it took was one warm-up set of super deep squats, and I was feeling good. I just kept adding weight after every set. When it was all said and done, I did 8 sets of 5 reps, and I maxed out at 300lbs on Barbell Squats!!! This is the most weight I have done since November 2007. The funny thing is, I think I could have done a bit more - haha

So instead I went and did Deadlifts - 6 sets of 5 reps of Deadlifts, also ascending to 300lbs...without straps. I found a trap bar in the back storage room, and I find that much more comfortable for Deadlifts, especially on the lower back.

So there it is: I go from feeling dizzy and weak right into my strongest effort in 16 months!

I drank my recovery drink while cooling down and stretching, drove home, sat down for 5 minutes, and fell asleep sitting straight up - hahahaha. Then took a nice 2 hour nap. Did I mention I feel great right now? All the heavy lifting seems to have made my left shoulder happy as well...for now...go figure :D

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I guess the point is, if you are ever in doubt, WORK OUT!

02/20/09

2/19, Day 44: Legs - Power
I got to do something I had not done in nearly 6 months, and I am ecstatic that I was able to it (and my ankles held up) - All-out Sprints!!! I did 6 rounds of 40-50 meter sprints. Then I did Box Jumps, Sumo/Chair, and Plyo lunges - 4 rounds each on the 20/20 interval.

My legs are DESTROYED from the sprints!!! - There is nothing like it, and I am always completely amazed that such a brief amount of work can produce such a profound effect on the legs specifically, the abs as well, and the hormonal effect it has (promoting muscle growth). 2 Days later, and my legs are still shmangled!!!

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2/20, Day 45: Upper Body - Power
Did all kinds of crazy stuff - explosive pull-ups and dips, rows and push-ups on the TRX suspension trainer, upper body plyo, and med ball power throwing from all different angles - done interval 20/20 style.

Great workout

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So after the last 2 days, I feel like I was run over by a Mack truck :D

02/16/09

Ok, let me tell you about Metabolic Pairing, today’s Total Body – Anaerobic beatdown from Hell !!! First off, I did this routine at 7am and only had coffee and a small snack 2 hours prior. I usually like to workout at 10 or 11am when I am at full strength.

Anyway, I did 2 rounds of each of the following combos/pairings:

Combo 1C: Power Clean from Hang/Push Press, and Burpees (Level III)
This is the most advanced version of the combo, and arguably the most effective in terms of body transformations.

A1) Hang Power Clean and Push Press – 5-6 reps @ 135lbs
No rest
A2) Burpees - 15 -17 reps
Rest 75 seconds

Did 6 reps and 17 reps respectively in the first round. 5 and 15 in round 2.

This set the stage for the entire workout – I was already smoked! 75 seconds later I went full steam ahead anyway


My Own Combo: Pull-ups and Jump Squats (Level III)
Pull-ups - 9 reps
No rest
A2) Jump Squats - 20 reps
Rest 75 seconds


Another of my own: Barbell Thrusters, and One-arm KB Swings (Level III)
A1) Barbell Thrusters - 6 reps @ 115lbs
No rest
A2) One-arm KB Swings – 30 reps (15/arm) with a 25lb KB (note: you do not need or even want a heavy KB for this portion - the 2nd part is supposed to be for conditioning)
Rest 75 seconds


Yet another of my own: Deep Barbell Back Squats, and Plyo Push-ups (Level III)
A1) Deep Squats - 6 reps @ 185lbs
No rest
A2) Plyo Push-ups (full launch) – 15 reps
Rest 75 seconds


UNBELIEVABLE Workout!!! :D


For Scalability purposes, I feel that lifts should be done at the following % of Lean Body Mass at a minimum:
Cleans: 75%
Thrusters: 60%
Squats: 100%

My ratios were:
Cleans: 90%
Thrusters: 77%
Squats: 125%

I should have added more to the Thrusters: 80-85%, and Squats should have been at 150% - next time I will

02/13/09 - 02/15/09

02/13: Blasted Legs - Strength

1 Warm-up set Deep Bodyweight Squats, and then some Jump Squats
1 Warm-up Set of 10 with 155lb practically all the way to the ground
1 Set of 8 Really Deep Squats with 205lb
5 Sets of 5-6 Deep Squats with 250lbs
1 Set of 8 Really Deep Squats with 205lb
1 Cool Down Set of 10 with 155lb practically all the way to the ground

Did 3 sets of Deadlifts with 250, but I cannot hold it - I need to buy straps - ugh

Then just for fun, I did a conditioning exercise I found that I could not wait to try:

Goblet Squat, Bootstrapper, Deck Squat Combo with a Kettlebell. I used a 25lb KB (the heaviest we have at the gym - lame), and I did 3 sets of 10. Really cool exercise, and harder than it looks.

For the video demo Google "Kettlebell Workouts- Bootstrapper - Troy M Anderson"

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2/14: Upper Body - Strength

I Did Bench Press - I still suck on this lift!!!
Warmup set 135lbs x10
185lbs for 1 rep - ugh. I'll be over 200 again soon enough...
I did 5 sets of 3 reps @ 175lbs

Then I did Hang Cleans with Push Presses. I tied not to get my legs involved, but that is simply impossible, however, I did not go down and do the full front squat. 5 Sets of 5 combo moves @ 135lbs

5 Supersets of Pull-ups & Dips - 6 reps each (both weighted @ 25lbs)

3 Sets of 5 on Freemotion Lat machine @ 160 lbs

Good, solid workout!


Day 40, 2/15: Yoga X - most of the movement sequences, the ab section and stretching - 50 min

Namasté

02/4/09 - 02/10/09

02/04/09, Total Body - Anaerobic HIIT

I went with "Dumbbell Bear Complexes" - it was every bit as bad as I remembered it. Actually I had to take 1 extra minute break, because I almost passed out. I survived!!!

I had several people come up to me and ask me just WTF was that??? – hahahaha

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02/06/09, Day 31) Advanced Corrective Routine

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02/07/09, Legs - Power

Did some moderately heavy squats & deadlifts to kick start the neuroendocrine system, and then did some lunges, box jumps, KB swings and a bunch of additional plyometrics. Great workout!

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02/08/09, Upper Body - Power

Done Explosively:
Pull-ups and dips - 5 supersets
Hang Power Cleans & Presses with heavy weight - 5 sets
Alternating Pike / Divebomber push-ups - 2 sets

Isometrics:
O Crunch Push-ups - 2 sets
Iso Inverted/Hanging Rows - 4 sets (supersets with the other 2 exercises)
Combat Push-ups - 2 sets

Plyo:
Plyo Push-ups (total body launch) - 2 sets

Clearly the Olympic Lifts were the key, but the entire workout was great!

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02/09/09, REST, well not really - It was supposed to be Yoga, but I did a bunch of things while training clients

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02/10/09, Day 35) Total Body - Anaerobic HIIT

It was going to be all Tabata Intervals with Barbell exercises, but I selected weights that were too heavy (45% of my Lean Body Mass), so it ended up being a 20/20 interval

*Concept 2 Rower: Tabata Intervals for 4 rounds (2 minutes) - Hit a wattage # of 496!!!
*Cleans: 4 rounds (2 min 40 sec)
*Press (A single Clean to lift the weight 1st): 4 rounds (2 min 40 sec)
*Snatch: 4 rounds (2 min 40 sec)
*Thrusters: 4 rounds (2 min 40 sec)

Took approx 30-60 seconds extra in between the different exercises

This is not a "timed" routine, but I did it in 15 min 30 sec

Two words for this routine: WOW!!!

THEN, I ended up doing about 30 minutes of boxing with a client later on in the day, and right after that I did about 75% of Kenpo Cardio X with 2 other clients. Needless to say, I'm sore as Hell today, and I need a REST day in a big way!

02/01/09

Exercise:
01/31/09 (Day25): Legs - Strength
Added extra weight to the squat today - getting stronger!

02/01/09 I did Upper Body - Strength
Man I felt strong today!!! I added 5-10lbs to everything and got my clean pull-ups over 10 again (got 12 on the 1st set)

Diet:
My Morning Coffee

Primal Pancakes with berries

Nuts & Seeds
Blueberries
Animal Pack

Post Workout Drink (Whey protein, 4 oz milk, water, almond butter)

Big Ass Salad

Chicken Breast
Kale

Aside from the sugar in my coffee, VERY primal!