Training Priorities

Getting strong is an important part of my training. It is part of being human and developing ourselves such that we can operate at a level very close to our genetic potential. Getting strong requires sacrifice. Sometimes we must temporarily sacrifice good things to allow another to flourish (conditioning and visible abs for strength in this case). This doesn't mean you have to become a blob in order to get strong you just have take things one step at a time. Nobody ever learns 7 languages at once. Similarly you can't train for a 400 lb squat and a marathon at the same time. Order is important here.

Order of Operations

Training Update June 23, 2012

New training regimen. Lifting twice a week using these two workouts. It is an intermediate type of program and has parts of the texas method integrated in it. It was given to me from Andy Baker of Kingwood Strength and Conditioning.

A

Squat work up to a 5 RM then do a back off set of 10-15 reps
Bench Press work up to a 5RM then do 2 back off sets of 8-12 reps
RDLs or Banded Good Mornings  3 sets of 10 reps
Body-weight Dips super-setted with Barbell rows

B

Squat light 5 sets of 5
Press work up to a 5RM then do 2 back off sets of 8-12 reps
Deadlift work up to a 5RM then do a back off set of 10-15 reps
LTE super-setted with Barbell curls

I will do workout A on Mondays and workout B on Thursdays. I'll be working on chins every week day. Instead of sets across I do sets when commercials are on. Chins respond well to high frequency training so I do them daily at get 15-20 reps in per day. Going to a lower frequency of lifting heavy allows for more recovery time which I need since I am going to be going on a backpacking trip in a few weeks. So to prepare for the backpacking trip I will be doing some conditioning on some of the off days.

This week I did this new program without any conditioning. The extra back off sets are very taxing and the extra upper body work burns and leaves me pumped. It seems appropriate that I get the burn and pump at a University gym amongst a bunch of sweaty guys grunting to cheat curls and doing 1/4 squats with the bar up on their neck. I have been working out at home so long I forgot about this stuff. From my observation weight training can never be blamed for injuries that occur in the gym. That is like blaming drivers ed teachers for killing people in automobile accidents. IT IS THE IDIOTS MOVING THE METAL AROUND THAT ARE TO BLAME!

Anyway I didn't realize the gym closed at 11 pm (last time I was here it was open until like 12:30). Because of this I had to split workout B into two days. I ended up getting a PR on the deadlift so I wasn't too upset.

Tuesday

Squat 305 1x5 PR, then 225 1x11

Bench Press 240 1x5, then 185 1x10 and 1x8

RDL 170 3x10

Dips BW 4x5

BB Row 135 3x5

Friday

Squat 245 5x5

Press 160 for 4, then 1201x8 and 1x9

Saturday

Deadlift 365 1x5 PR, then 250 1x10

LTE 45 3x12

BB Curl 55 10/8/8 I wanted to do 3x10 but I couldn't do it. I was surprised at how hard these were. I guess anything new is usually not easy.

I'll include the conditioning stuff next week.

Training Update June 17, 2012

Between family visiting and laziness on my part I have made a habit of training twice a week rather than thrice a week. Given this habit, I am going to implement a new twice a week training program which I will detail in the next post. 

Thursday

Squat 295 3x5

Press 160 5/4/5 PR

Chins BW 3x5

RDL 165 3x10

Saturday

Squat 300 3/3/2 PR

Bench Press 250 for 3 PR, 245 for 3, and finally 240 for 3. (I was hoping for a good 3x5 but I clearly over-reached)

Deadlift 355 1x5 Last rep didn't quite make it to lock out.

Training Update June 9, 2012

Missed Tuesdays workout because I was helping some neighbors move. Thursday and Saturday went great-ish.

Thursday

Squat 290 1x1 Failed on second rep. I don't think my head was in it at that point.

          285 3x5
Press 157 3x5 PR

Chins BW 3x5

Saturday

Squat 290 3x5 PR

Bench Press 2405/5/4 missed the last rep. My form had deteriorated a little by the last set.

Deadlift 350 1x5 A solid 5 reps! PR

Goals: Moving Targets

The biggest reason people fail to "get in shape" is the rapidly waning motivation. Training is hard and it isn't always fun. Sometimes your tired, lazy, or even legitimately busy. In order to do something hard (easy things rarely produce results) continuously one must have a set of goals. By set I mean short term and long term goals. Fighting to reach those goals and tracking progress towards those goals is often the difference between success and failure.

Training Update June 2, 2012

Not this last week but the week before that I had a lot of things get in the way of training. Tuesday May 22nd was good but I missed the following two sessions due to chores, laziness and other crap. I have been toying with my program for 2-3 weeks now making excuses for not nailing down my squat at 285. I did 290 for 4 but I feel like I have more in me I just need to eat plenty and get after it. So I did. This week I reset my squat to 275 and hit three workouts and I nailed 3 sets of 5 at 285. The last rep was a real grind. But the last time I had a grind like that it was at 280. Sometimes there is no excuse and you just have to get things done. I got stuff done this week.

Tuesday

Squat 275 3x5

Bench Press 230 3x5

Deadlift  345 1x4.8
I got 4 solid reps but the 5th rep didn't get locked out all the way. I'll hit this weight again next week.

Thursday

Squat 280 3x5

Press 155 3x5

Chins BW 3x5

RDL 160 3x10

Saturday

Squat 285 3x5 Oh Ya!!!

Bench Press 235 3x5

Chins BW 3x5

Here is a video of my recent Deadlift and Squat PRs. The deadlift was done in the evening when I can control the music (Dropkick Murphy's). The squat was done on a Saturday afternoon with my daughter watching "Mighty Machines" in the background. I think its great that my kids appreciate the awesomeness of heavy machinery like bulldozers and skid-steers but the "voices" they use for the different pieces of equipment didn't quite capture the moment of my squat PR.Whatever.