Voltron: Training log 2011
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Cheers for the tip Bartman.<br />
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My weight has been fairly consistent for about 6 months now, so i'm not eating more or less than i'm burning. But you're saying that if i change the type of food i'm eating (ie cut out the carbs and fat, more protein) it will be more effective? So i can stay the same weight (ish) but lose a bit of fat and gain a bit of muscle? -
[quote name='Voltron']No leg drive on the OHP, strictly straight legs. I've even started doing it seated to ensure correct form.<br />
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I agree on powerclean. Ive only been doing this about 3 months and the increases are blowing away the other exercises. This is to do with strength gain of course but heaps of it is just getting used to the movement and refining your technique. Also the same on the inconsistency, some days great other days very poor, every now and then i think ive got it sussed and then the next workout its all back to square one. Only time and practice will get me there i think.<br />
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As for diet thats a toughy. At 95kg i think i have a satisfactory weight, if you look at olympic lifters in this weight class they are beasts (although obviously in not aiming for that level). Ive still plenty of fat to loose, so i would be quite happy to lose some weight or stay the same and just increase muscle to fat ratio. But every thing ive read about strength training says eat eat eat, gain weight, gain muscle. But if i do this i'll certainly not lose fat, and may even gain some, and i'm not sure i'm prepared to accept that for some extra muscle. Still dont know how to approach that side of things i think i change my mind from week to week at the moment. Probably depends on how hungry i am![/QUOTE]<br />
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Good work on that dude, not that I've actually done them for ages but I find I prefer push presses as you lift more and it is more of a "power" type exercise. May try some seated ones though now you've planted the seed in my mind ! -
[quote name='BartMan']volty- if you lose fat and gain muscle, you'll gain weight, good weight though!- but best bet is a nutritionalist - and if you can find a trainer / nutritionalist type dude, you've won the battle![/QUOTE]<br />
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Yeah dead right. Certain foods don't agree with different body/blood types aye Bart. Also a bit of weight ( coming from MN5 in the very late 90s ) is ok if you have a bit of height ! -
Good workout yesterday, thought i'd post how my training program at the moment works.<br />
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Its basically based on 5 sets of 5 reps, 3 exercises per session, 3 sessions per week. The top or working weight increases each week (this is the final set for each exercise). The remaining 4 sets are ramped up to the top weight. Squats, bench press and power clean are the main 3 exercises, forming the basis of 2 workouts each week; the remaining workout is a lighter squat session plus deadlifts and overhead press. So based on that the below is a typical week (what i did last week) All sets are 5 reps unless otherwise stated:<br />
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[B]Monday[/B]<br />
<br />
Squats <br />
<br />
80<br />
95<br />
107.5<br />
122.5<br />
135<br />
<br />
Bench<br />
<br />
52.5<br />
62.5<br />
70<br />
80<br />
87.5<br />
<br />
Power clean<br />
<br />
47.5<br />
52.5<br />
62.5<br />
70<br />
77.5<br />
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[B]Wednesday[/B]<br />
<br />
Squat<br />
<br />
80<br />
95<br />
107.5<br />
107.5 (these are the first 3 weights from Mondays session)<br />
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Overhead press (seated)<br />
<br />
40<br />
45<br />
52.5<br />
57.5<br />
<br />
Deadlift<br />
<br />
102<br />
115<br />
130<br />
145<br />
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[B]Friday[/B]<br />
<br />
Squat <br />
<br />
80<br />
95<br />
107.5<br />
122.5<br />
137.5 (3 reps)<br />
107.5 (8reps)<br />
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Bench<br />
<br />
52.5<br />
62.5<br />
70<br />
80<br />
90 (3 reps)<br />
70 (8 reps)<br />
<br />
Power clean<br />
<br />
47.5<br />
52.5<br />
62.5<br />
70<br />
80 (3 reps)<br />
62.5 (8 reps)<br />
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So the Friday workout is essentially the same as Monday, except the top weight increases by 2.5, and the reps decrease to 3. You do a final set of 8 reps at the 3rd weight to kick your ass. The following Monday the top set is the same as Friday but back to 5 reps, whilst all the other weights increase by 2.5. This gives you a continuous but (hopefully) achievable progression, at least for several weeks. <br />
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As i mentioned in my first post, i have deloaded by a bit from my previous maxes, so i'm looking to get back to my 5 rep max weights by about week 4 to 5 - this is where it gets intense - setting a new 5RM record every week for a s long as the body can handle it.<br />
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Right now my focus is squats, as this by far the easiest to cheat and lose form when the weight starts to get heavy. I'm really trying hard to make sure every rep goes well below parallel, so my quads are screaming today. -
[quote name='Voltron']Right now my focus is squats, as this by far the easiest to cheat and lose form when the weight starts to get heavy. I'm really trying hard to make sure every rep goes well below parallel, [B]so my quads are screaming today[/B].[/QUOTE]<br />
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That's when you know you are on the money bro! that is a mean looking programme, fully intense! I know what you mean about taking the time to ensure form is still good. Nothing worse that loading up on weight and having poor form as you struggle with it, sometimes it is a balancing act as you might have good form on reps 1-5 and on the 6th it all goes pie.<br />
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Good to see a new (returning) face on the fitness threads! -
[quote name='Paekakboyz']That's when you know you are on the money bro! that is a mean looking programme, fully intense! I know what you mean about taking the time to ensure form is still good. Nothing worse that loading up on weight and having poor form as you struggle with it, sometimes it is a balancing act as you might have good form on reps 1-5 and on the 6th it all goes pie.<br />
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Good to see a new (returning) face on the fitness threads![/QUOTE]<br />
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Yep Form is the word of the day. Its all about strength, not pushing the biggest weight you can. Well it is about pushing the biggest weight you can, but doing it properly! The big weights will come with time and strength. -
Well i officially am hating squats. I had to bail on the 4th rep of my top set (137.5kg) yesterday. Theres something about failing a rep ot squats that is so much worse than any other exercise. I'm starting to have nightmares now.<br />
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On the plus side i felt good at 90kg on bench press so i decided to do a second set. So 2 sets of 5 at my top weight yesterday. -
I posted this on another thread a little while ago but i thought id repeat it here. Its called the Bear and is my favourite ass-kicking 5 minute workout:<br />
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[video=youtube;0WOP9J7QPwI]
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The movement starts with the bar on the ground, power clean, front squat, overhead press (lower to the back), back squat, overhead press (lower to the chest), lower to the ground.<br />
Squats must be below parallel, elbows locked out on the press.<br />
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I managed a set of 7 reps (1 rep is a complete movement from floor to floor) of this at 70kg the other day, which i was bloody impressed with (just for MN5, all the presses were push-press. No strict form at this weight i'm afraid!). So the reason i'm posting this: keen to see if anyone else wants to have a go, would be great motivation if someone was pushing me to go a bit higher.<br />
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So to all the gym guys out there i lay down the challenge! Post your results -
man their faces from 4min onward show just how gnarley that is!! excellent effort Voltron, you matched Freddy's last set weight!!
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[quote name='Paekakboyz']man their faces from 4min onward show just how gnarley that is!! excellent effort Voltron, you matched Freddy's last set weight!![/QUOTE]<br />
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Yeah only difference is he did the first 4 sets and i only did one. Still, the first 4 were lighter so they dont mean anything, right?<img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> Freddies got nothing on me -
[quote name='Voltron']I posted this on another thread a little while ago but i thought id repeat it here. Its called the Bear and is my favourite ass-kicking 5 minute workout:<br />
<br />
<br />
[video=youtube;0WOP9J7QPwI]
<br />
<br />
The movement starts with the bar on the ground, power clean, front squat, overhead press (lower to the back), back squat, overhead press (lower to the chest), lower to the ground.<br />
Squats must be below parallel, elbows locked out on the press.<br />
<br />
I managed a set of 7 reps (1 rep is a complete movement from floor to floor) of this at 70kg the other day, which i was bloody impressed with (just for MN5, all the presses were push-press. No strict form at this weight i'm afraid!). So the reason i'm posting this: keen to see if anyone else wants to have a go, would be great motivation if someone was pushing me to go a bit higher.<br />
<br />
So to all the gym guys out there i lay down the challenge! Post your results[/QUOTE]<br />
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Shit I'm rooted just looking at that ! Those guys must be using those plastic weights cos they look a hell of a lot more than what they are lifting. I'm sure I'll ache all over after trying this, can't wait ! -
ouch.<br />
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4 sets. reps went 7,4,5,4. Weight 55 throughout.<br />
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instead of lowering bar behind neck bought it to the front again to protect dodgy shoulder, but still 2 squats and 2 presses.<br />
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Found it too hard to go up from the squat to the press in one movement, so was squatting, re setting sort of thing, and then driving into the shoulder press.<br />
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But wow and kapow, loved it!! -
Talk about make it double hard! The back squat is heaps easier than the front one and on the shoulders is the best place to have a rest. That said the worst part for me is lowering to the shoulders from the press, the front not too bad but onto the back i'm virtually dropping the bar on myself which gives the old shoulders a hammering! You dont want to be doing that if your shoulders crook.<br />
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I try my best to drive out of the squat into the press as thats less effort overall but i'm the same as you, after a few reps i have to break it into 2 movements. But pressing 55kg 40 times is no mean feat any way you do it! -
it is a great drill though - second lot is Monday. last week rounded out 'the bear' with 4 sets of Smith squats and 4 sets of smith shoulder press too, just to smash myself properly.<br />
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I expect the more reps i do in the bear, the less I will be inclicned to do extras at the end!<br />
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As I said on my thread, i think once i can't do the double press and souble squat, I will just do one so i can get to 7 reps, or no doubt, 4 full and 3 half etc.<br />
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But I'll say it again, superb drill!! -
Hell of a good session today, deserves a post!<br />
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Have fine tuned my routine a bit as i felt that although it was very high intensity i wasnt getting enough work at the top weights. SO now its 5 sets (the same) a couple of warm up ones (any weight and reps, just enough to build into it) then 3 x 5 at top weight. So today i managed 3 x 5 @ 135kg and 95kg for squat and bench press respectively and 3 x 3 @ 85kg for power clean (only doing sets of 3 on PC as technique suffers with fatigue onrep 4 and 5. Technically should be doing extra sets to keep the volume the same but i'm making nice progress like this so i'm happy). All of these represent personal records for multiple sets of 5 (or 3) so i'm super stoked. Followed it up with 3 sets to fail of wide grip pull ups (8,6,5) and even a set of curls. Yeah!<br />
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Also have taken Barts advice (sort of) and started a super high protein diet including egg-white protein powder (foul) and have gained 1.5 kg in about 2 weeks. Yeah! -
Bit of a change of pace for the next couple of weeks, having a break from the weights and taking the chance to see if i can drop a bit of the flab.<br />
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My current numbers are (3 x 5 reps): Squat 137.5, Bench 97.5, overhead press 62.5, deadlift 165 (1 x 3 reps), power clean 87.5 (3 x 3 reps). Reasonable progress so far this year. Pretty close to a couple of goals (140 for squat and 100 for bench) so will have a bit of a rest to keep me mentally sharp and hopefully will get to both of those marks by sometime in April.<br />
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Doing cardio only every day at the moment. Tough start since i havent done much for ages. First run, about 3 ks, and my knees dont like it, feel really heavy. Funny how i can work out a muscle group 3 times a week (quads), but when asked to do something a bit different like run they hurt like a bastard the next day. Weight on sunday 94.9 kgs do we'll see how much i can drop in 2 weeks.
