Training Log & Update

Training has been going pretty well.

Tuesday - snatched, worked up to I think 185. Squat, worked up to singles at 295, then did 225x20, followed by light pressing.

Thursday - sumo deadlifts 3x5 at 205 or 225, I don't remember. Push press, worked up to 3 singles at 185, with a very small push. Then 115x15 I believe it was.

Saturday - snatched for over an hour, took about 12 attempts at 215, but never did hit it. Got it overhead multiple times, but due to shitty technique, had it out front a bit and was never able to come up with it. Followed with 1-arm deadlifts, worked up to 225 on each arm. Then DB farmers carry with light sled drags (7 rounds). Finished with Kroc rows, 100x31, and "dip death" 22, 11, 5, 2, 2.

I haven't posted due to being busy with work and simply not making it a priority. And the more I think about it, at this point in time, I need to focus most of my energy on things that will directly improve my business at the moment, which means this will get put on the back burner. I will probably still post training updates, as it makes an easy training log so I don't have to actually write shit down. And I will occasionally write something that may pop in my head. But basically, I'm not going to be spending a lot of time drawing up long posts. I have some in the chamber that I've got the framework for in my head and jotted down, but they need a lot of cleaning up, which I will get to down the road. But at the moment, I've got big shit I need to work on in my business, which has to take precedent. Of course, this decision is made much easier by the fact that nobody reads this blog anyway, but I digress.

Nerves

Ever been inexplicably nervous for something? Something that you know shouldn't be that big of deal, and yet you still get quite nervous beforehand? Fucking sucks. I haven't been nervous for a meeting in quite some time, and yet, here I sit, a bit nervous about a meeting I have in a few hours.
Now, I know at least partially why. I have been quite critical of the school's weight room practices, so there is the potential for this meeting to be quite combative. That said, I also have the very real option of simply walking out if I don't like the direction it goes. The position available is not make or break, but the very real opportunity to impact more kids is always a plus, and as such I would like to "win" so to speak. But, when you have egos involved, I'm sure some will not be particularly excited to hear what I have to say.
One strategy that I've learned in these types of situations is to simply think of the worst case scenario, then realize that the worst case scenario really isn't that bad. Worst case scenario - the coaches don't like what I have to say, I politely reject the position, and go on my way. Simple as that.
Yes, this was more of a rambling, "stream of consciousness" type of post, but I wanted to write something, so here it is.

Training Log

Note to self - no more Casey's breakfast pizza. It caused some, umm, gastric distress. That doesn't always happen, but often enough that it would probably be best to skip it.

Yesterdays session was pretty fun, and I set a PR, which is always fun as well.

Power snatch - worked up to PR of 205. Hoped to hit a couple singles with it, but after hitting it on my first attempt, couldn't do it again. I recorded the successful attempt, but I felt I kicked my feet out wider than I would like and thought it looked like shit, so I deleted it thinking I would have a better one. No dice.

One-arm deadlift - worked up to 205. Not sure how I feel about it. Probably could've pushed a bit harder and gotten more, but I'm really not too disappointed with it, since I didn't really know what I would hit anyway.

Trap bar carry & sled drag - used 240 on the trap bar (actually 290 on my first trip), and 90 pounds on the sled. Did 7 rounds total in 20 minutes.

Kroc rows - 100x25. Not a PR (30 is my best), but not too bad.

"Dip death" - I want to do this with a partner, but since I didn't have one, I just timed my sets and rested as long as the set took. Went 21, 11, 4, 2, 1. 

Training Log

Training yesterday was light squat & heavy pullups, along with conditioning.

Did light, wide stance low bar parallel squats - 185, 3x5
Pullups - 3x3 with 20 extra pounds, then 1 set of 8 with bodyweight
Conditioning - 10x40 yds with 90 pounds on the prowler, 90 seconds between

Feel ridiculously weak on the pullups, but I also feel like I should be doing more work. I'm trying to fight this though, as I have to remember not to judge simply based on how worn out I get. The conditioning wasn't terrible - I did the same thing a few weeks back, only 60 seconds rest, and this was far easier.

Small Workout

Did a "small workout" today -
Face pulls 4x25
Band triceps 4x25
Poundstone curls 50 reps

Added some mobility stuff between my sets on the face pulls and triceps. In the future, I need to add more mobility work and abs.

Jim Wendler was once asked what he would do if he were 30% body fat. His response? "Push the Prowler until I wasn't." Simple and appropriate.
It's easy to get caught up in what we should be doing, when the fact is that if we are that far from a finished product, you gotta just start going at it. It's probably not even what you "should" be doing. But it's also better than the alternative of nothing. As you chip away and start to get closer, then there is time to start formulating a more refined plan of attack. But when that time is so far in the distance as to be a speck, there is no reason to waste any time worrying. Doing will always trump planning at first. And as I've said before, I write this stuff as much for myself as anything. To be a constant reminder, because I sure as shit need it, too.

Training Log

First day of my new setup. Definitely took some talking myself into it to really get going.

Deadlift - worked up to 3 singles at 365, then 275x15
Incline Bench - 3x5 @ 135, superset with band pull-aparts
Prowler - 1 plate per handle, 6 roughly 40 yard sprints, didn't time rest, took my time though

I was very tempted to just take the day off and really pour some time into work things, of which there is a never-ending list. I was trying to convince myself that I've been pushing pretty hard for 6 weeks or so, with sleep being pretty spotty, and perhaps I should use the week to recharge. But much like the saying "before you go diagnosing yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure you are not, in fact, surrounded by assholes," I reminded myself "before you go diagnosing yourself with underrecovery or low desire to train, first make sure you are not, in fact, being a flaming vagina." While I didn't necessarily feel any better about myself, it did get me moving to at least lift something. 
The bottom line is, until I'm stringing together weeks of 4 hour nights of sleep combined with teaching and working long days, I probably don't have a valid excuse for not training, and neither do most people. I used to be a staunch supporter of the deload every 3 or 4 weeks, but I've really taken to Paul Carter's idea of simply taking time off once you really feel like you don't even want to touch a weight. Not just "I don't feel like pushing real hard today," like "I really think I'll lose my shit if I even touch a bar." And to be honest, I don't know the last time I felt that. In other words, the note to myself is, even if it's a shit session, it's better than nothing most of the time. And if a few shit sessions start getting strung together, then yes, it's time to back off. But again, not many people reach that point, and I sure haven't, either, at least not right now.

Training Log

Finished up the Juggernaut Method yesterday. Last few days of training:

Friday - Deadlift - only 375x2, needed 3
Saturday - Military - 165x5

Overall, it's a solid program, which you would expect. It adheres to the principles of slow, incremental progress, and big exercises. I think it would have worked a lot better for me if I had done a better job with recovery and I had done a better job with assistance work - definitely need to spend more time on abs/low back. None of these are the fault of the program - they are the fault of the user. In any event, my squat poundages are back, everything else seems to be right about where they were probably a year ago, which, on the one hand is pretty sad, but on the other, I can deal with, considering where I was.
I'm excited to try my new "program." It's rooted in a lot of different things that I've picked up in the past year or so, with the goal of eventually trying out a "Chaos & Pain" type setup. We'll just have to see how everything goes and how long I can keep running this. The setup is this:

Warmups will be "movement" based - I want to maintain, if not improve athletic ability and explosiveness, so I will center the warmups around animal walks, lunge variations, sprint prep, sprints, jumps, and whatever else I feel like throwing in.

Tuesday:
Lower body main - this will rotate between deadlift and squat every week
Work up to a training max, using plates, 25s, and 10s. I have an extended warmup I use when I do this - barx10, 65x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x3, 155x3, 185x3, then all singles after that up to my training max.
Plan on hitting 3 singles at the training max
Then dropping ~100 pounds and doing a balls-out set
Upper - on deadlift day, this will be a press variation, squat day will be a pull variation
Generally plan on keeping it fairly light, 3-4x5-10. If I feel real frisky I may push the poundages a bit, but the set and rep range will still be the same
Conditioning - I play basketball Tuesday nights

Thursday:
Lower  body light - will be a squat or deadlift variation - opposite of Tuesday
Sets/reps same as Tuesday's upper body
Upper - will rotate between press and pull every week - pull will be a pullup variation
On press, will be similar to Tuesday's lower body setup
Pull will work up to heavy set of 3, then back off and do body weight xAMRAP
Conditioning - whatever, probably Prowler, maybe sledgehammer on tires

Saturday:
Olympic lift or variation - work up to training max, 3 singles
Odd lift - work up to training max. This can be any odd lift - Jefferson, Steinborn, Zercher, 1-arm deadlift, the possibilities are many
Carries/sled drags - Some sort of carry, superset with moderate-to-light sled drags. If the carries are grip-intensive, the sled drag will be done using a belt
Dips - I'd like to have a training partner for this, as here's the setup I want to do:
     1 person goes to failure
     Next person goes to failure
     First person jumps back in, goes to failure
     Second jumps in, same thing
     Back and forth you go, until one of you can go no more - probably
     determine "winner" by most reps, not necessarily who's left standing
Kroc Rows - again, if carries were grip-intensive, use straps

Other days will be small workouts, centered around bodyweight, or things like band pull-aparts, face pulls, single-leg work, and rehab type stuff. I'll also try to get long walks in at least a few times a week (something I haven't been doing a very good job of). These won't be planned out in any way, they will simply sort of happen. Abs will also probably be done every day, ab wheel on the heavy days, some lighter body weight stuff on small days.
Who knows, maybe this will turn me into a beast and I can sell the program for millions of dollars. Or better yet, it allows me to make continual progress, and I can be happier with myself than my current standing of mediocre. As always, it will depend as much on what I'm doing outside of training as in it. Sleep, food, all of it needs to be dialed in much better than it has been to hope to see progress.

Training Log

First failure of the training cycle on bench Wednesday

275x2 - needed to get 3 or more.

Goddamn bicep is all kinds of fucked up. I think I'll keep trying to ice/rehab and stick to push presses, jerks, and floor presses for pressing for the near future. Not sure what I'm going to do for pulling, I'll just have to play that by feel. I've got a few things in mind for what I want to start up doing after tomorrow's military press day, but I haven't definitively decided yet. If I can get my shit together and know that I'll spend my recovery time the way I need to (namely, sleeping), then I know I can push a bit harder. Unfortunately, that's been a bit hard to come by lately.

Motivation has been waning a bit lately, both for the gym and work, but that's to be expected. It's the natural course of things, you're never going to be 100% "into" it. BUT, what truly separates people is those who truly want to achieve push through it anyway. Sure, maybe take a little time off or away, but not too much. And then you get right back to plugging away. For instance, the whole waking up early thing was going great, but lately, it's seemed like such a chore. But, I've got to get over that.
The theme that you see smart people talk about, and granted, this is often about training but applies everywhere, is that motivation is bullshit. The people who are constantly looking to external cues, videos, quotes, etc. for motivation are simply not going to make it. That doesn't mean those things aren't useful sometimes. They absolutely are. And they sometimes serve well as a bedrock, something to always come back to when absolutely necessary. But to rely on them all the time is an exercise in futility, because you're constantly trying to light a match. At some point, it's going to be raining.
But if you're in it for the long haul, be it training, your career, business, family, relationships, whatever, there's an eternal flame. Sometimes, it will be raging hot as all hell, and others, it will be more subdued. But it will be there. You might throw some more gas on it every once in a while, but it's not necessary to do all the time.

Training Log

Last week of the Juggernaut Method

Squat - 300x6 (did a 7th rep, but got a little help from spotter, so I don't count it)
Power Snatch - worked up to 175. Wanted to hit 205, but it just wasn't going to happen, considering I failed miserably at 195 twice

It felt good to hit a PR at 300, particularly with the high-bar, Olympic style. My previous best of 5 was done with a low bar, wider stance squat. I think it really helped reinforce the "ignore your body" idea, since my knees have been feeling a bit shitty lately, mostly due to just feeling really tight around the joint (quads mostly). But, come the heaviest set, I've been able to do a good job of shutting it out and focusing on doing what I need to do. I think this also makes the compelling point for pain being largely a function of the mind. It certainly has physiological bases - there is no debate about that. But, I think it's also worth noting that the vast number of people who are able to put aside pain or ignore it completely lends a lot of credence to Noakes' Central Governor theory - that is, that the shutting down of our body really comes from the brain, not the muscles themselves. Which is really a long-winded way of saying, it's all in your fucking head, most likely. John Broz has said "the way you feel is a lie." Your body will often be capable of PR performances despite feeling like shit. Other days, when you feel like a million bucks, you may have a terrible performance. It's an important lesson, but one that takes a long time to learn.
It's also a reminder to me to push my athletes a bit harder. Some have no problem doing this. They are constantly pushing to set PRs and pushing themselves as hard as they can. Others, however, are constantly looking for reasons they can't do something, and honestly, I go along with it. Part of that is the fact that I realize my role in the sport training process. My job is to make athletes big (if needed), strong, fast, and mobile, with as little risk of injury as possible. As such, if an athlete says they have something that is bothering them, while it may seem prudent to tell them to push through it, I may be exposing them to unnecessary risk of injury. Of course, the mark of a good coach is figuring out which ones are "faking" and which ones need to be dialed back. Still working on that one, but probably most are the former. Of course, I don't really think they're faking, I'm sure they really do think they're hurt/sore/tired/whatever. But I need to remind them that doesn't give them an excuse to be a bleeding vagina. And I need to continually remind myself of it, too. Yesterday was a good start.

Train to be Awesome

Take the time to write yourself a “train to be awesome” list. This is something Jim Wendler has written about quite a bit. You don't have to post it, you don't even have to share it with anybody. But, while having it in your head is great, writing it down just does something to make it real. Says Wendler:

Write a Training Manifesto – I have a “Train to be Awesome” list that I refer to when I feel like I’m losing track of where I’m going/where I’ve been. Refer to this when you’re “lost.” Everyone needs to have their own Training Manifesto and it’s all based on what you need and want from training. You don’t have to share this with anyone – just hold yourself accountable.

Jim has his "train to be awesome" list, Jamie Lewis has his 10 Commandments of Chaos and Pain, Paul Carter has his Lifer Series, and I'm sure others have their own variations of it. It doesn't have to be long, and you can call it whatever you want, but having a sort of credo that you adhere to will be invaluable when it comes time to figuring out how you're going to train. Does it fall in line with your rules? If not, leave it out. These don’t have to be specifics (though they can be), just a list of principles you will adhere to. It also keeps you from getting sucked into gimmicks and quick fixes, and keeps you focused on what you truly should be: a long-term outcome.

I've started writing mine, but while I'm at it, I also plan to write a "live to be awesome" list as well. Again, it's all stuff I have in my head, and I tell myself all the time, but writing it down just changes things. If you need to, write it down in various places, so you're always confronted with it. As Jim said, it keeps us centered. When you're stumbling around, not sure what to do next, what choices to make, always refer to the list. If you're not holding yourself to the standard you think you should, regroup and start doing so. But if you don't have such a list, how do you know if you're getting off track? How do you know you are on the path to your goals? You don't. So make a plan, and most importantly, follow it.

Training Log

Military Press - 150 - 4x3, 1x8


Did some heavy shrugs, sledgehammer swings, and tricep pushdowns for assistance work.


Last week of the program starts tomorrow. Looking forward to doing things a bit different.

Didn’t get to watch the UFC event last night, and I forgot to DVR it, so I can only go off results that I have seen and what I have read about how the fights went down. First and foremost, I still think it’s ridiculous that Dana felt the need to set up the next LHW title shot based on last night. I realize those 4 guys probably are the top of the heap (after Hendo and Rashad), but I would like to see Glover Teixeira get consideration too. The guy’s a beast, and I think he’s something like 34, so he’s not getting any younger. I understand him needing to get a win or 2, but he’s fighting Rampage sometime soon, and UFC could build him off that.

Another thing that struck me recently is, holy fuck, what happened to that division?! Some will say it just looks bad because Jones has cleaned it out. While this is true to an extent, the fact is that division has fallen hard. Partly due to guys aging, partly due to guys just not being as good as previously thought. But man, around 06-08ish (something like that), the division was the glory division of MMA, no 2 ways about it. Wanderlei, Chuck, Rampage, Shogun, Hendo, Lil Nog, and Forrest and Rashad were just starting to work their way into the top 10. Jardine was a tough out for anyone. Randy was still sorta hanging around, though he may have been a heavyweight around then, I don’t really remember. Vitor was still doing his thing, though not as frequently (but as a Vitor lover, I will always throw his name in there). Ricardo Arona! Not sure what the hell ever happened with that guy, but he was a top-notch guy too. Nowadays, there are so few “top guys” that Jones is probably going to be saddled with rematches for the near future, with the exception of Gustaffson and Davis, whenever they feel those guys are ready.

The rest of the card sounded like it was pretty entertaining, which was sorely needed considering how badly the last couple PPV’s were. Not sure how many title implications there were in any of the other matches, but sometimes you just need entertaining fights, regardless of their impact on the title picture.

Getting Kicked in the Nuts

Paul Carter is one of my favorite bloggers to read. Now, certainly it helps that he's a big, strong dude, doles out great training and nutrition info, clearly walks the walk, and shares many of the same political views as me. All that definitely endears him to me. But he's also a fantastic writer. He clearly puts a lot of passion and sincerity into what he writes. He has also remarked on several occasions that much of what he writes, he writes as a reminder to himself. These two points, I think, cannot be separated. Because he clearly is passionate about what he's writing, it comes through in what he writes. It also doesn't come across as overly "preachy." He truly doesn't care if anyone reads it.
All this is to say, that's my goal with this here blog. I don't necessarily even intend for anyone to read it. If they do - great. If they can glean some sort of beneficial insight from it - even better. But if I can send myself daily reminders to not be a bleeding vagina and become a better, stronger person both physically and mentally, then I'm achieving my goal.
I'm also using this excursion into daily writing to find my "voice," if you will. I think writing from the heart, but almost talking to one's self might be the easiest way to do that. Because you talk in the way you understand. You're not worried about watering it down so others can read it. If they need clarification, they can ask for it.
To bring it all full circle, today's post is definitely written as a reminder to myself.
Life is going to hit you in the nuts every once in a while. Sometimes you'll see it coming. Sometimes it will completely blindside you. Sometimes it's more like a peter-tap, something seemingly insignificant, and yet it hurts possibly worse than getting hit straight on. Sometimes, because you see it coming, you're able to brace for it and it doesn't affect you as badly.
But what matters is knowing that it's going to happen. Whether you know it immediately beforehand or just know in general, the important thing is that you do something about it. Not sitting there whining like a bitch about what a "meanie" life is. About how you're "always" it's target of anger. Fuck that. People get kicked in the nuts every damn day. And probably a lot harder than you. And most of them probably man the fuck up and get over it. So the next time it happens, realize that it happens, acknowledge it, then look for life so you can punch it in the balls and let it know that you're not gonna lay in the fetal position crying about it.

Training Log & the Starbucks Effect

Bench today
245 - 4x3, 1x5


Scapular Rows superset with
Band Pushdowns - 5x10 each


Bicep is all kinds of jacked up - I need to stay on top of icing and start taking either ibuprofen or megadosing the fish oil. I'm sure the wife would prefer the ibuprofen - my stomach, heart, and brain would prefer the fish oil. We'll see. Either way, operation ice the hell out of it needs to go into full effect. Unfortunately, the pain is influencing my excitement to train, as I just don't feel like pushing that hard through it at the moment. This is for a variety of reasons, but chief among them is likely that I am, in fact, a giant vag.


So what the fuck is the Starbucks Effect? I ran across it while reading The Automatic Millionaire (a book I still haven't made it very far into). The gist of it goes like this - many people will go to Starbucks on a daily basis and spend $5 on a coffee that they could just as easily get for $1 or less at a gas station. Hell, even cheaper if they just make some at home. These same people will often lament their lack of money, and often don't save much because they are constantly strapped for money. However, the authors posit that by saving this daily $5 that would otherwise be spent on Starbucks, these people would be putting away ~$100 per month (which, of course adds up over time, plus the interest it would accrue in a savings or other account, etc.). The moral of the story, then, is not "don't go to Starbucks," (because I'm sure some dipshit would take it that way). The lesson to be learned is - find something that you are wasting resources on that could easily be replaced and allocated elsewhere. For some, especially myself, this is time, not so much money. Do I really need to check email/Facebook/ESPN/SBNation as often as I do? No, it acts as nothing but a time waster. But because
A) I have conditioned myself to do it so frequently, and
B) I am generally looking for something other than work to do,
I wind up wasting way more time than I should.
Figure out what your Starbucks is. Hell, sometimes for me it's training articles. I excuse it by saying I'm educating myself, but really I'm just wasting time so I don't have to do real work. Maybe it's internet porn. Yup, been guilty of that, too. Then, at the end of the day, I lament the time that I don't have, because I need to make sure I'm getting sleep, and getting up early, and the cycle continues. But once you identify your Starbucks, you can start the process of re-training yourself.
Hell, maybe for you it really is Starbucks. Or it's stopping and getting breakfast at McD's every day. Either way, you can start saving yourself money and making yourself healthier by buying groceries, making breakfast at home, and investing the money you would otherwise spend.
In the end, my point is, the time/money/energy that you claim you don't have, is likely there somewhere. It is simply allocated somewhere else. What you have to decide for yourself is, is it worth it to reallocate those resources? If you deem the answer no, that is fine. But don't bitch. Just realize you have decided where to spend your resources, and be comfortable with that choice.