Training Log 1

[Plowingthrough]

Welcome to Log 1

Stats:M 31, 1.90/6'3 102kg/225lbs

Background: Been lifting since 18. Bodybuild style at first, 5/3/1 ish programs followed and almost always an upper-lower split. Used to combine lifting with basketball, now it's combined with running with a track club twice a week. I lift 3 times a week. My week now is as follows:

Mo: Lifting
Tue: Off
Wed: Lifting
Thu: Track
Fri: Lifting
Sat: Off
Sun: Track

Before this program I got inspired by Dan John's book Never let go in which there is a concept of 'The warm-up is the workout' which has you do loaded carries, pull-ups, goblet squats, core work, push-ups for quite some time before you actually go do the actual training which is fairly minimal. In my case, this was bench pressing and deadlifts which ended up being 120kg for the bench and 150 for the deadlift.

Since then I bought kettlebells, 24-28-32-36-40-44-48, and I'm ready to play with those. I was inspired by Andy Bolton's swing program of starting out at 5 x 5 going to 10 x 5 and then going to 10 x 10. I also got my inspiration from ROP for doing ladders on presses to accumulate volume while still working on strength principles. I feel the loaded carries from the program before really did something for me. I feel it in my running as well. I'm just more one piece and I seem to be tougher. I'm having a place for them in the new program.

The 10-week Program:

Monday
Warm-up: Goblet squats / 1 arm plank or crawls / lateral band walk x 3 rounds
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1 arm KB clean & press
+
Pullups
W 1-3: 3-5 x 1/2/3 *Ladders @24 kg
W 4-6: 2-4 x 2/3/4
W 7-9: 2-4 x 2/3/5
------------
Swings heavy EMOM
5-10 x 5
W 1-5: 6-10 x 5 @ 40 kg
W 6-10: 6-10 x 5 @ 44/48 (depending on how W 1-5 go)
------------
Suitcase carries
3 sets/side, starting with 32 kg walks walking slowly for about 20 meters
+
Ab band rotation
10 band rotations. Going to increase by feel.
------------
Prehab: Y-raises 3 x 10-15 for lower trap/posture

Wednesday
Warm-up: Goblet squat / Crawls / lateral band walk/medicine ball throw x 3 rounds
------------
Trap bar deadlift
W1: 3 x 5 @ 100 kg
W 2: 1x5 @ 100 / 2 x 5 @ 110
W 3: 1 x 5 @ 100/ 1 x 5 @ 110 / 1 x 5 @ 120
W 4: 2 x 3 @ 130 *At this point I'm going to do warm-ups before by feel
W 5: 2 x 3 @ 140
W 6: 1 x 3 @ 150
W 7: 1 x 2 @ 160
W 8: 1 x 2 @ 170
W 9/10: Depending on feel a sorta-max on either of those weeks with the other week off. 180?

Trap bar farmer walks
3 trips after deadlifting starting out with 100 and adjusting up by feel. Later on in the program going down to 2 trips and perhaps 1
-------------
Overhead carries
3 trips with a homemade thick bar that weighs almost nothing. Starting out with 40 kg going to 50 fairly soon and then we'll see.
+
Pullups
3 x 5 focus on quality and use holds up top when things get easy
-------------
Ab wheel 3 x

Friday
Warm-up: Goblet squat / 1 arm planks or crawls/ lateral band walk x 3 rounds
-------------
1 arm KB press 3 sets more by feel.
W 1: 3 x 5-10* @24kg *just one clean to get the bell set
W 2-?: 1 x 5 @24 / 1 x 5-10 @ 28 / 1 x 5-10 @ 24 When 28 feel solid I go to
W ?-?: 1 x 5 @45 / 1x5 @ 28 / 1x 2-6 @ 32
+
Chin-ups
3 sets 5 x 8
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1 arm KB rack walk 1-3 trips starting at 24 and going up accordingly
-------------
Swings Light EMOM
10 x 5-10
W 1: 5/5/5/10/5/5/5/5/10/5 @32kg
W 2: 5/10/5/10/5/5/10/5/10/5
W 3: 10/5/10/5/10/10/5/10/5/10
W 4: 10/10/10/5/10/10/10/5/10/10
W 5: 10 x 10
W 6-10: Same but now with the 36 or the 40
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Barbell rotations abs 3 x 5-10/side
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Prehab: YTW face down on the floor 1-3 times for midback and posture

============================================================================================================

I'm going to do this program and then make any judgments about too much or too little and if it worked or not. The Bold printed numbers are goal numbers. If I can't make them fine I'll go with a lower option. I have some doubts about the linear deadlift progression as it's 30 kg's over my last pulled deadlift but I generally do better on trapbar deadlifts and I have done 200 kg x 3 in the past so it's not like I never been there. If things go too quickly I'll slow down and stay for another week at a certain weight. If things go well in the clean & presses on Monday I will do 30 total reps in 3 sets in W8 compared to 30 reps in 5 sets in W3. The volume is conservative considering all the other stuff I'm doing as well like the loaded carries and the sprints two days a week.

Tag request: @Decathlete @Coyotl

 

[Plowingthrough]

Monday 18/1

X-band walk / 10 goblet squats @ 24 / 1 arm plank 5-5 switching slowly focussing on tension and not twisting x 3 rounds

1 arm KB CP 3 x 1/2/3 @ 24
Pullups 3 x 1/2/3

Swings EMOM 6 x 5 @ 40

Suitcase carries 3 trips per hand @ 32 walking slowly and thinking about a moving plank coupled with 3 x 10 band rotations staying between the shoulders with the rotations.

Y-raises with empty DB handles 3 x 10 leaning forward

 

[John K]

Looking forward to watching your progress!

 

[Decathlete]

Keep up the good work! Excited to hear how the results turn out.

 

[Whosonfirst]

Welcome. Your program looks pretty comprehensive.

 

[Plowingthrough]

Tuesday 19/1
Decided to do some ab work. I'm going to give myself the option to do the ab work on the off/sprint day to keep the regular training days more focussed. It might not always turn out this way but since I have some mild lower back issues and ab work in the past did help I figured I might be better off doing it on the off days as opposed towards the end of a workout. Especially when the main workout progresses there will be less and less energy and focus left near the end.

Hanging knee raise to the side 5/5
Russian twist 10/10 @ 10 kg plate
Plank with knee in 6/6
X 3 rounds

Wednesday 20/1
Warm-up: X-band walk, 10 goblet squats, crawls, 5 medicine ball throws X 3 rounds
Trapbar deadlift: 3 x 5 @ 100kg
Farmer walk: 3 trips down and back (50 ish meters) @ 100kg
Overhead walk fatbar: 3 trips of 3 presses + down and back
+
Pullups: 3 x 5
pushup position plank with 3 pushups every 10 seconds for 60 sec = 18 pushups
Face pull double band 3 x 10

Thursday 21/1
Track 500 m run > 1 minute rest > 200 meter sprint > 4 min rest X 3

Ab wheel knees x 5
Knee raises x 8
Twisting plank 5/5
X 3 rounds

 

[Plowingthrough]

Friday 22/1
warm-up: band walk/ goblet squat @ 24/ crawls x 2 (did two rounds because my right knee hurt a bit, I stopped the crawls after the 1st round and did deadbugs instead)

1 arm KB press 3 x 8 @ 24kg
+
Chin-ups 3 x 6
Rack carry 2 trips of about 20 meters each side with the 24

Swings: 5-5-5-10-5-5-5-5-10-5 EMOM @ 32kg
Facedown handcuffs 3 x 8

Saturday 23/1
Slow ab circuit
Barbell rotation x 10 @ 10kg
deadbug x 5/5
Stir the pot x 6/6
X 3 rounds

 

[Plowingthrough]

Monday 25/1
Warm-up: Band walk/ goblet squats @24/crawls x 3
KB C+P 4 x 1/2/3 @ 24 kg
Pullups 4 x 1/2/3

Swings 7 x 5 EMOM @ 40 kg
3 trips each side about 25 meters suitcase carry @ 40 kg

Tuesday 26/1
hanging knee raise side to side 5/5
Russian twist 10/10 @ 10kg plate
Plank 1 minute
X 3 rounds

Wednesday 27/1
Warm-up: band pull through x 10/ quats with 10 kg plate x 10/ med ball 5 throws/ crawls X 3 rounds
Trap bar deadlift: 100 x 5/ 110 x 2 x 5
Farmer walk: 3 trips @ 110kg

Overhead walk: 3 press walk 40ish meters @ 40/ 3 press walk 40 ish meters @ 50 X 2
+
Pullups: 3 x 5 with hold up top

Pushups 1 minute while in plank: 23
Double band face pull: 3 x 10

 

[Plowingthrough]

Thursday 28/1
Igloi intervals at the track club
3 x 200m easy/medium/hard 42/40/38 sec > Rest cross the track brisk walk
4 x 150m really easy in 35 sec > Rest 50m walk
6 x 100m easyx2 19/mediumx2 17/hardx2 15 sec > Rest 100 m walk
4 x 150m really easy in 35 sec > Rest 50m walk
1 x 300m hard, about 50 sec

Note: Hard doesn't mean max effort in this case but a speed that's hard with the idea in mind you have to go for a longer distance.

Abs circuit

Ab wheel x 5
Hanging knee raise x 8
Plank 1 minute *
X 3 rounds

*I find doing planks for one minute after two exercises quite miserable and I feel it working really deep into my "core". I don't know the value of doing this but it seems right. A simple minute plank is the general fitness gold standard for hard work, which it obviously isn't. But doing it after two exercises really has you digging a lot deeper. So I'm going to go with it for a little while and see how it goes. Doing the stuff before as a pre-fatigue technique so to speak while still hitting the basic standard of a 60 sec plank.

Friday 29/1

Warm-up: Band pullthrough, goblet squat 24/28/24 x 1, crawls X 3 rounds

KB press 24 x 5, 24 x 5, 32 x 5*, 24 x 10
+
Chin-up 6/7/6

* I ended up bringing the wrong bell to the field. It should've been the 28. Since I had it there anyway I took it as fate and just went with it. Got 5 reps while could have done 6. There weren't too pretty and had a bit of a grinding start before popping up at about halfway. Definitely "testing" moreso than "training" so next week I'm going to get the 28.

Swings
5/10/5/10/5/5/10/5/10/5 @ 32
Y-raises
3 x 10

Knee felt a bit cranky on the swings. I might have to keep an eye on that. I think it might be a good idea to get some lunges in my morning routine as my knee held up fine over the years while I was doing more lunges and split squats. I have pretty long femurs and I think there is something about the 90 degree angle of a lunge while my leg is in front of my body that does something for me.

 

[Whosonfirst]

Thursday 28/1
Igloi intervals at the track club
3 x 200m easy/medium/hard 42/40/38 sec > Rest cross the track brisk walk
4 x 150m really easy in 35 sec > Rest 50m walk
6 x 100m easyx2 19/mediumx2 17/hardx2 15 sec > Rest 100 m walk
4 x 150m really easy in 35 sec > Rest 50m walk
1 x 300m hard, about 50 sec

Note: Hard doesn't mean max effort in this case but a speed that's hard with the idea in mind you have to go for a longer distance.

Abs circuit

Ab wheel x 5
Hanging knee raise x 8
Plank 1 minute *
X 3 rounds

*I find doing planks for one minute after two exercises quite miserable and I feel it working really deep into my "core". I don't know the value of doing this but it seems right. A simple minute plank is the general fitness gold standard for hard work, which it obviously isn't. But doing it after two exercises really has you digging a lot deeper. So I'm going to go with it for a little while and see how it goes. Doing the stuff before as a pre-fatigue technique so to speak while still hitting the basic standard of a 60 sec plank.

Friday 29/1

Warm-up: Band pullthrough, goblet squat 24/28/24 x 1, crawls X 3 rounds

KB press 24 x 5, 24 x 5, 32 x 5*, 24 x 10
+
Chin-up 6/7/6

* I ended up bringing the wrong bell to the field. It should've been the 28. Since I had it there anyway I took it as fate and just went with it. Got 5 reps while could have done 6. There weren't too pretty and had a bit of a grinding start before popping up at about halfway. Definitely "testing" moreso than "training" so next week I'm going to get the 28.

Swings
5/10/5/10/5/5/10/5/10/5 @ 32
Y-raises
3 x 10

Knee felt a bit cranky on the swings. I might have to keep an eye on that. I think it might be a good idea to get some lunges in my morning routine as my knee held up fine over the years while I was doing more lunges and split squats. I have pretty long femurs and I think there is something about the 90 degree angle of a lunge while my leg is in front of my body that does something for me.

Been doing side planks as part of the McGill Big 3, and roll right into a front plank to finish. Normally don't do front planks, since I do lots of pushups. I watched Diamond Dallas Page do a 6 minute plank a while back. He's the ex-pro wrestler who's now a yoga guru for regular guys.

 

[Plowingthrough]

Been doing side planks as part of the McGill Big 3, and roll right into a front plank to finish. Normally don't do front planks, since I do lots of pushups. I watched Diamond Dallas Page do a 6 minute plank a while back. He's the ex-pro wrestler who's now a yoga guru for regular guys.

6 minutes is brutal. I know the world record is something like 8 hours but those guys must be able to relax somewhat. Still an incredible feat. I liked to do a self invented non stop plank routine which was 60/60 side plank rolling into a one arm plank for 15/15/15/15 popping up into a side plank this time on the hand for 30/30 and finish off with a 60 second plank. This totals 5 minutes. It's pretty doable but a quick way to get it in. Also mentally it worked out fine as the switching feels like a break and gives you a new buffer so to speak. A 5 minute normal plank would be way harder.

 

[Whosonfirst]

6 minutes is brutal. I know the world record is something like 8 hours but those guys must be able to relax somewhat. Still an incredible feat. I liked to do a self invented non stop plank routine which was 60/60 side plank rolling into a one arm plank for 15/15/15/15 popping up into a side plank this time on the hand for 30/30 and finish off with a 60 second plank. This totals 5 minutes. It's pretty doable but a quick way to get it in. Also mentally it worked out fine as the switching feels like a break and gives you a new buffer so to speak. A 5 minute normal plank would be way harder.

I do something similar, slde planks 10L/10R X 3, then roll into a front plank for only 20 seconds right now, I know how rolling side to side feels like a break. I will occasionally do my pushups in a slow sequence 3 sec's down, 3 sec's bottom, 3 sec's up, like we did in Shotokan. The first night we did them like that(my very first night) I made it to 7 reps only, with a puddle of sweat on the floor. Naturally doing them on knuckles adds to the misery. Prior to that night, I often did 35-40 pushups as a finisher to my bb w/o's. Slo-mo pushups on your knuckles are HARD.

 

[Plowingthrough]

I do something similar, slde planks 10L/10R X 3, then roll into a front plank for only 20 seconds right now, I know how rolling side to side feels like a break. I will occasionally do my pushups in a slow sequence 3 sec's down, 3 sec's bottom, 3 sec's up, like we did in Shotokan. The first night we did them like that(my very first night) I made it to 7 reps only, with a puddle of sweat on the floor. Naturally doing them on knuckles adds to the misery. Prior to that night, I often did 35-40 pushups as a finisher to my bb w/o's. Slo-mo pushups on your knuckles are HARD.

Awesome, good stuff. I think there is good value in doing pushups. I'm doing them now only once a week as I'm on a KB-pressing focussed bout. I do them on Wednesday as a finisher as a minute plank with as many good pushups into the minute. I'm going to expand the time to 75 sec and then 90 sec to progress the volume before trying to get as many in a minute. I read a Dan John article where 45 in 1 minute was a standard. Not sure if I'll reach that with just one set a week but we'll see. The focus lies with the KB press atm.

 

[Whosonfirst]

Awesome, good stuff. I think there is good value in doing pushups. I'm doing them now only once a week as I'm on a KB-pressing focussed bout. I do them on Wednesday as a finisher as a minute plank with as many good pushups into the minute. I'm going to expand the time to 75 sec and then 90 sec to progress the volume before trying to get as many in a minute. I read a Dan John article where 45 in 1 minute was a standard. Not sure if I'll reach that with just one set a week but we'll see. The focus lies with the KB press atm.

I mostly use them as an accessory move, since high volumes aren't good for my elbows. 2-3 times a week, some weeks only once. Mark Reifkind has been using p/u's to suppliment his barbell press program, good enough for me.