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Unfinished Tales of G

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godjira1

Level 6 Valued Member
BACKGROUND

I just turned 40 years old, in pretty good shape I reckon at the moment, but it wasn’t always this way.

As a kid I was reasonably athletic and played soccer, badminton and judo (the last competitively). A stint in the military (basic, OCS, unit tour) made me lean and well-conditioned. Then I went to college and the deterioration of my body started - slowly at first and accelerating as I started my career. While I did well career-wise my body was falling apart. One tends to underestimate the destructive effects of alcohol, stress, lack of rest, and no exercise. A health check at 34 years old was full of red flags that simply could not be ignored.

So the dieting, and “exercising” started. I tried all sorts of stuff - pilates, yoga, crossfit, running, you name it, I had a go. Some training was better than none and while I was getting better but clearly it wasn’t efficient work. At some point I discovered BJJ and fell in love with grappling again, and restarted Judo alongside it.

I competed in BJJ as a white and subsequently as a blue belt and did quite well in the regional competitions (eg I won the Pan Pacific in 2016 for my age/belt and went to the Abu Dhabi World Pros in 2017 as well) but my body was getting beaten up by the intense training (mat-time, lots of sparring, crazy kettlebell circuits). I didn't know better then, but balls-to-the-wall beat-your-body-down is a common way of training in the BJJ world. Maybe I was becoming a better grappler but my body was shot to bits and I began to hate training.

A friend introduced me to barbell training thru Stronglifts 5x5 by a friend in June 2016. While maybe the philosophy wasn't as articulate as Pavel's writing, it was the idea of practising strength as a skill that struck me as different.

Of course I started reading the intelligent meathead books… and figured out the kettlebells all over the BJJ gym were pretty useful strength builders too apart from using them as torture devices. Over the last 2 years, I have experimented and tinkered around and trialed and error-ed my way to what seems to work for me.

This log is that story from this point on.

GOALS/CONSTRAINTS

I am aiming to achieve a reasonable standard in multiple physical domains:
  • Continue to improve/maintain Relative Strength & Power.
  • BJJ Skill and Conditioning
  • Healthy body composition
  • Good level of Endurance
  • Be as injury-free as possible!
  • Feel good about my training
  • Prioritise the health zone, and go as far as I can in the performance arena.

CONSTRAINTS/TOOLS

First, the excuses. I have a wonky left shoulder from an old dislocation injury and also missing a right ACL courtesy of my judo career. It limits quite a few things - overhead mobility, stopping ability in sprints, etc but I have learnt to work on what I can, and work around what I can’t. I am not going to put up big numbers on my left sided snatch, or get a huge broad jump…but there will be other things.

As for tools, what is good is that I have a pretty flexible schedule when it comes to work (generally), and I have a rack and a bunch of kettlebells at home. It is also sunny all around the year where I live and I have access to a fancy gym with tyres/sleds as well as a running track.

GENERAL TRAINING IDEAS

So… the books I read from the Pavel series (in order) were Power to the People, Naked Warrior and then Enter the Kettlebell. I also take ideas from Tactical Barbell (I, II, and Ageless Athlete). Justa’s Rock Iron Steel was great too. In addition, I think I have read most of Dan John's stuff - which is always worth re-reading as well!

I tend to train in 6 week blocks, with a focus on Strength OR Power OR Endurance OR Speed/Agility/Quickness.

While I am no longer interested in BJJ competition for now, I do enjoy my mat time and will program 2-3 times a week of varying intensity and do my best to have fun.

STARTING POINT

My PBs/PRs in the following “benchmarks” are listed below. This constitutes a starting point for the log. Obviously I hope to make progress in the long run!

Vitals:
40 years old, 170cm, 70kg.

Weights (Max 1RM equivalent set)
Back Squat 122.5kg x3
Front Squat 97.5kg x3
Bench Press 95kg x2
Overhead Press 65kg x2
Push Press 70kg x2
Deadlift 135kg x2
Sumo Deadlift 150kg x1
TGU 32kg each side.
KB Clean&Press (L=32kgx1, R=32kgx3)

Others:
Pull-ups Max Reps: 15
2.4km/1.5mile Cooper’s Test: 10:22
 
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18 TO 24 JUN 2018

STRENGTH++ (Week 3/5) PLAN
18th. BJJ. SQ. PULL
19th. DL. PUSH. Sprints.
20th. SQ. PULL
21st. SQ. PUSH
22nd. BJJ. SQ. PULL
23rd. REST
24th. SQ. PUSH.


MON: BJJ + 2 LIFTS
am
1) Pull-ups Ladder 5-5-4-3-2.
2) Squat. 4 at 100kg (75pct).

lunchtime
1) BJJ. SLX entries from Shin-on-shin, butterfly and half guard. Leg drag pass variation instead of the more common tech standup. Had a few chill rolls.

TUE: 4 LIFTS + DYNAMIC KNEE REHAB
am
1) Squat. 2@112.5kg (85pct).
2) Push Press. 4@60kg (75pct).
3) Bench Press. 2@90kg (85pct).
4) Sumo Deadlift. Singles at 110kg, 120kg, 130kg, 140kg and 150kg. The last is a PR by almost 6kg. Felt super strong and went for another at 155kg... the bar didn’t budge off the floor. That’s the thing about missing sumo I reckon, you can’t even break the floor whereas when I miss on conventional it is near lockout. So... that’s that for sumo deadlifts for now, will start on a mini block on conventional deadlifts or power cleans.
5) Dynamic Knee Rehab. Sub max sprints, cuts, jumps on/off bosu ball, different landing positions.

WED: 2 LIFTS
lunchtime
1) Pull-ups Ladder 6-5-4-3-2.
2) Squat. 92.5kg (70pct) for 5-3-2 reps.

THU: 2 LIFTS + STATIC KNEE REHAB
am
1) Push Press. 65kg (85pct) x3, x1.

lunchtime
1) Bench Press. 75kg (70pct) for 5-3-2.

FRI: 2 LIFTS + BJJ
am
1) Pullups Ladder 6-5-4-3-3. Felt really strong today on this.
2) Squat. 100kg (75pct) for 4-2.

lunchtime
1) BJJ. Spider Guard to omoplata. Spider Guard to low single/double. Did 3x10min rolls... that was tough.
2) Strength endurance finisher: 2xLR TGU 16kg to warmup the shoulders. 10x10 2H Swings 16kg. 5 sets of L Pistol/HSPU/R Pistol/HSPU.

SAT: REST
HRV Index: 8.1; RHR: 56.4.
RHR has been creeping up from 50 just 4 weeks ago. A combination of zero endurance training, and I am guessing more importantly, lots of drinking and late nights. But! Fifa world cup only comes by once every 4 years.

SUN: 3 LIFTS + STATIC KNEE REHAB
HRV Index: 8.0. RHR: 56.1
Late night World Cup + too much alcohol + little sleep = I felt crap getting out of bed today. But 10 minutes of mindful breathing along to Marconi Union’s Weightless actually made me feel a little better after. “All in the mind”-type nonsense perhaps but I had nothing to lose.

am
1) Back Squat. 107.5kg (80pct) for 3-1.
2) Push Press. 70kg (85pct) for 2. Tried a 3rd rep for a sneaky PR but couldn’t lock it out.
3) Bench Press. 80kg (75pct) for 4-2.

SUMMARY: Pretty good week of training. The perennial knee issue seems under control (touch wood). I might not make any PRs on SQ or PU this block at this rate before I go on holiday, but hopeful that I can nail BP and PP.
 
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Some thoughts on long term standards in the various physical attribute domains that I want to hit/maintain for as long as possible. While these are not great standards by any means, good enough is good enough for me. At the moment, I meet or at least am close for for all of them.

STRENGTH
DL 2x bwt (x2.25 for good)
SQ 1.75x bwt (x2 for good)
FS/BP 1.5x bwt
1h KBP 36kg each side

POWER
PP 1.25x bwt
Broad Jump 2.25m
Box Jump 1.1m

BODYWEIGHT
Pistol Squat (able to)
One Arm Pushup (able to)
Pull-ups 12reps

ENDURANCE
2.4k 10:30
10k 55min
 
25 JUN TO 1 JUL 2018

PLAN: STRENGTH++ (Week 4/5)
25th. BJJ. Squat. Pull-ups.
26th. Deadlifts. Push Press. Bench Press. Sprints.
27th. BJJ Lite (option). Squat. Pull-ups.
28th. Squat. Push Press. Bench Press (max).
29th. BJJ. Pull-ups.
30th. REST.
1st. Squat (max). Push Press (max).


REALITY

MON: 2 LIFTS + BJJ
<HRV Index: 8.2. RHR: 53.6.>
lunchtime
1) Pull-ups Ladder: 6-5-4-4-3.
2) BJJ. Backtake from Shin-on-shin guard. Backtake from Side Control using far side armwrap. Did a bunch of specific training passer vs guarders and 3x6min rolls to finish. Got 3 blue belts: 2 100+kg guys, and 1 100lb girl! I did well in the first 2, but really struggled with the guard of the young lady.
evening
3) Back Squat. 2 at 112.5kg (85pct). 2 at 107.5kg (80pct).

TUE: 4 LIFTS + SPRINTS
<HRV Index: 7.9, RHR: 55.8>
lunchtime
1) Push Press. 5@57.5 (70pct), 4@60 (75pct).
2) Squat. 5-3-2@95 (70pct).
3) Bench Press. 3@85 (80pct), 3@80 (75pct).
4) Deadlift 5@95 (70pct), 4@102.5 (75pct).
1-4 were done in 47mins.
5) Dynamic Knee Rehab 12mins. Sprints, Cuts, Bosu Ball Jumps, Broad Jumps - i managed >2m for sure for repeats.

Felt really good about today’s session.

WED: 3 LIFTS
<HRV Index: 8.2, RHR: 55.3>
am
1) Push Press. 3@65 (80pct), 3@60 (75pct). Next session will be testing a max.
evening
2) Squat. 4-2-1@102.5 (75pct).
3) Pull-ups. Ladder 6-5-5-4-3. Next session will be testing a rep max.

THU: BJJ + 1 LIFT
<HRV Index: 8.8, RHR: 50>
The wonders of a night of 8.5hrs good sleep.
lunchtime
1) Squat. 3@110 (85pct), 3@102.5 (80pct).
2) BJJ. Wristlocks from standing position. Backtakes from armbar, triangle and omoplata positions. Unusual techniques today! Had 4 rolls today, brown-blue-black-white. Did well against everybody but got utterly smoked against the black belt.

FRI: 1 LIFT
<HRV Index: 8.1, RHR: 60>
Big drinking night with the boys. Messed up the sleep too. This morning I remembered why I try not to do this anymore.

lunchtime
1) Bench Press. 95kg (90pct of TM) for amrap. Managed 3 reps for a new PR E1RM of 100.6kg. Happy with that! It wasn’t particularly grindy on rep 3 either although there was no rep 4 in there. I am taking a break from the bench for a few weeks, or so I say...

SAT: REST
<HRV Index: 8.2, RHR: 53.4>
Ok I think wine does not work as a recovery beverage for me. Sleep though, seems to do wonders. One more rest day before tackling Squats and Push Press test day tomorrow.

SUN: 2 LIFTS
<HRV Index: 7.8, RHR: 55.2>
Not great numbers, not sure why. I thought I slept well and only had a glass of wine at dinner.

am
1) Squat. 4@120. This is a E1RM of 130.9 which makes it a new PR. Was hoping for 5 actually. First 3 reps went well then I struggled to get out of the hole on the 4th and it was an ugly rep. Called it.
2) Push Press. 1@72.5. New PR, barely so. Think the squats fried me a bit. But I’ll take it.

SUMMARY:
Pretty much done with the 4 weeks of Strength++ phase, utilising a Squat Everyday-ish type training. I basically did 1-2 work set at 70-85pct, 2-5 reps - 4x/week for sqt and 3x/week for the rest.

Pros:
+ felt very fresh and form seems better.
+ E1RM changes: Sumo DL 144 to 150, BP 98 to 100, PP 72 to 72.5, SQ 129 to 131. Small improvements but its only 4 weeks of not very hard training.

Cons:
- Seems that my body is very sensitive to not doing any endurance training. RHR definitely crept up after 4 weeks of nada endurance. I think I will add 1 day of endurance next time - will it affect strength gains much, if at all?
- I am not 100pct sure about this but I feel that my work capacity has gone down. Maybe add a short swing session after each BJJ.
- Actually regarding endurance deterioration etc, that might just be how periodisation works? O well!
 
2 TO 8 JUL 2018
9 TO 15 JUL 2018


Will be on vacation mode for the next 2 weeks. No formal training plans, but maybe some fun runs to explore the places, and some good ol’ beerlifting. That said, I have put on a fair bit of weight the last couple months (I maxed out pullups at 13 reps today - not good enough) so I might be lifting sparkling water instead.
 
16 TO 22 JUL 2018

So I am recharged from my holiday and all that, and made daily PRs (almost) on my beerlifting. So I am back in training mode with perhaps a couple more kilos than I like. The next 4-8 weeks will be easy workouts, hitting my mobility and rehab work, and trying to make improvements in my 2 weakest lifts/movements which are push press and deadlifts.

PLAN: STRENGTH+ (1/4~8)
ie. next 4-8 weeks will look approximately like the plan below.
MON: BJJ. TGU or Farmer Walks
TUE: Some sort of DL. Push Press. Dynamic Knee Rehab Work.
WED: Variation/Light Day (BJJ Fundamentals, Light E, etc)
THU: Pullups/Chinups. Push Press. Shoulder Rehab Work.
FRI: BJJ. Bodyweight Work (OAP, Pistols, HSPUs, etc) or Swings
SAT: REST.
SUN: Endurance


MON: BJJ + TGUs
<HRV Index: 9.5. RHR: 49.2>
lunchtime:
1) BJJ. Lasso Guard basic sweep (the one that looks like a pendulum sweep). Lasso Guard + RDLR hook to waiter-ish sweep. Rolled 3x6mins and got my a#@ handed to me hard in the first one against the instructor. Not the best way to make my return after 2 weeks of vacation.
2) TGUs with 12-16-20-24-32kg. I couldn't find the 28kg bell so skipped that one.

TUE: WEIGHTS + SPRINTS
<HRV index: 8.8. RHR: 52.6>
lunchtime
1) Squat 3x5@82.5kg (62.5pct)
2) Push Press 3x5@50kg (70pct). This was meant to be 5x3 but I read it wrong.
3) Trapbar DL 5@147.5kg, 3@167.5kg. The last set was a new e1rm PR at 177.4kg. My grips are the limiting factor in this lift I think.
4) 10 x 10m sprints, alternate sets were skater sprints.

WED: SWIM + KB Swings (variation day)
<HRV index: 7.9, RHR: 54.2>
Put the better part of a bottle of wine in myself after dinner yesterday at a gathering. Feeling it today, not in a good way.
lunchtime
1) 10 x 10 2hS EMOM with 16kg.
evening
1) 40min dip in the pool. A few lazy laps with both front crawl and breaststroke - interestingly the latter caused some knee discomfort.

THU: BJJ + Calisthenics
<HRV index: 7.9, RHR: 50.2>
Still recovering from tuesday’s max trapbar DL and wine binge. I feel fine but HRV app disagrees - I guess we have to agree to disagree.
lunchtime
1) BJJ. Lasso guard to X guard tech stand sweep transition. Rolls: got crushed by a lady purple belt, she is one of the awesome ones but I was hoping to do better. Then did well against another brown and purple.
2) Pistol L/HSPU/Pistol R/HSPU flow x10. Did it with a partner so built in rest.
3) Did some 1H Pushup practice. Went well, work on narrowing base gradually.
4) 10 x 5 2HS EMOM with 20kg KB.

FRI: STRENGTH
<HRV index: 7.9, RHR: 53.0>
Late night yesterday, and the stats reflect it.
am
1) Push Press 7x3@50kg (70pct)
2) Front Squat 3x5@67.5kg (65pct)
3) Pullups - different grips. 8x4 EMOM.
4) 2HS with 20kg KB. 10 x 6 EMOM.
Did not feel like training to be honest. But dragged myself to the rack and did what was programmed.

SAT: REST
<HRV index: 8.0, RHR: 51.2>

SUN: Speed/Agility/Quickness + 1 LIFT + Some Swings
<HRV index: 7.7, RHR: 53.1>
am
1) Various soccer drills with cones for about an hour. Inspired after I watched this german movie Trainer! yesterday on netflix. Anyway it was fun and a change of pace (no pun intended).
2) 10 x 7 2H Swings with 20kg KB.

evening
1) Push Press 5x3 at 55kg (75pct). These felt heavy today somehow. I shall redo this session.
2) 10 x 8 2H Swings with 20kg KB.

SUMMARY: Not a bad week of training in that I punched the clock and showed up, and the SAQ substitute for Endurance at the end was extremely fun. I survived all the cuts, hurdles, etc so I think a 4km run won't take too much out of my knee. Aiming to test this theory out next wed or sun.
 
23 TO 29 JUL 2018

Keep training reasonable, and a lil’ stricter on the diet this week.

PLAN: STRENGTH+ (Week 2/4~8)
ie. next 4-8 weeks will look approximately like the plan below.
MON: BJJ. TGU/Farmer Walks
TUE: Deadlift. Press. Knee Rehab.
WED: Variation/Light Day
THU: Pullups. Press. Shoulder Rehab.
FRI: BJJ. Calisthenics. KB Swings.
SAT: REST.
SUN: Endurance. Pullups.


MON: BJJ + TGU
<HRV index: 7.8, RHR: 52.2>
Also tested the blood pressure this morning, at 108/68 I cannot complain.

lunchtime
1) BJJ. Various BnA choke troubleshoots from different back configurations. I used to do this a lot but have forgotten/failed to implement many of the details. Good class. Had 4x5min rolls against tough folks today. Did ok generally.
2) TGUs at 16-20-24-28-32kg.

TUE: STRENGTH + POWER
<HRV index: 7.3, RHR: 56.4>
So it seems I should take it easy.
lunchtime
1) Front Squat 3x5 62.5kg (60pct)
2) Push Press 5x3 55kg (75pct)
3) Trapbar DL 3x5 130kg (72.5pct)
4) 5x 10/20/30/40m shuttle sprints. Woah this was super tough to maintain the speed thru the rounds. Might add more rest.

WED: LIGHT/VARIATION DAY
<HRV Index: 8.0, RHR: 53.5>
am
1) Pullups 8x4.5(ie 4x5, 4x4) EMOM. Different grips each set.
2) 10x9 2HS EMOM with 20kg KB.

THU: BJJ + 1 LIFT + CALISTHENICS
<HRV index: 8.0, RHR 52.6>
lunchtime
1) BJJ fundamentals. Side control escapes and an armbar paired with the escape. It’s good fun to rework the basics sometimes.
2) Front Squat 62x5, 67.5x4, 72.5x3, 77.5x2, 82.5x1. It was meant to be 3x5 62.5, but I have decided sets across are really not my thing! Much preferred this.
3) 10 x EMOM - 2 HSPU alternating with 1h pushup L and R. I did the HSPU off 10kg dumbbells, and it was MUCH harder.

evening
1) 10x10 2HS EMOM with 20kg KB.

FRI: 3 LIFTS + ENDURANCE
<HRV index: 8.1, RHR: 53.7>
am
1) Push Press 3x3@60kg (82.5%). Wasn’t that heavy but didn’t feel particularly light either. I am struggling a little with the boredom of sets across tbh but will finish the program.
2) Pullups 8x5 EMOM, various grips. Didn’t get full reps on 7th and 8th sets. Rebuild from 8x3. I like the EMOM style of pullups!
3) 5s x 5r 2HS EMOM with 24kg KB.

evening
1) 4km loaded carries: 5 rds of 200m jog, 200m with 13kg backpack, 200m with 13kg backpack + 18kg slamball shoulder carry, 200m with 13kg backpack, 18kg slamball, 12kg KB suitcase carry.

It ended up being a pretty fun session, it took me 51:57 to finish at avg HR of 126 (max 161).

SAT: ENDURANCE
<HRV index 8.4, RHR 52.1>
evening
1) 100 x 10m farmer walk. 16kg + 20kg kettlebells. This was embarrassing because I thought it would be a piece of cake - turned out NOT to be an endurance session but rather grip strength training session instead as I needed to take breaks after about 20 reps in. Took 39mins to finish this. Perhaps I will just baby-step this one with 2x12kg to see how I do.

SUN: REST
<HRV index 8.6, RHR 48.4>
evening
1) Did 3x5, 10x1 at 70kg (70%) for Bench Press just for fun. Not really training this lift during this period.

SUMMARY:
Generally pretty nice week of training except for the knee acting up again. I suspect it might have been the shuttle runs on Tuesday but oh well. I tried out a bunch of light weight carries (aiming between 30-40kg) for a good distance as an Endurance training replacement and they were really fun and humbling at the same time, so aiming for more of the same next week. Will play it safe with the knee and call off the sprints or squats if there is any doubt at all.
 
30 JUL TO 5 AUG 2018

Keep training reasonable, and a lil’ stricter on the diet this week.

PLAN: STRENGTH+ (Week 3/8)
ie. next 5/8 weeks will look approximately like the plan below.
MON: BJJ. TGU/Farmer Walks
TUE: Deadlift. Press. Knee Rehab.
WED: Variation/Light Day
THU: Pullups. Press. Shoulder Rehab.
FRI: BJJ. Calisthenics. KB Swings.
SAT: REST.
SUN: Endurance. Pullups.


MON: PROGRAM MINIMUM
<HRV Index 8.2, RHR 51.1>
lunchtime
1) Day started brightly enough but as I was getting out of the car to head out for BJJ class, a hugely dangerous activity obviously, I planted my right foot on the floor and somehow twisted around it. It got painful quickly and I fear I have strained/tore my MCL. Really &**^ing pissed with myself.

evening
1) The pain/discomfort was managed by a single Celebrex pill but it's definitely not out of the woods.
2) 5x6, 5x7 2HS EMOM with the 24kg KB. Most dangerous part was picking up the bell.
3) Palloff presses with green band, 2 x 10 each side.
4) Quarter TGUs (Up to bridge, no lunge, for obvious reasons). 3x24kg, 2x32kg.

It looks like there will be no BJJ, no sprinting, no jumping this week at least. Man, even jumping up to the pullup bar seems a bit daunting. It's time to just bro out and do bench press I guess (just kidding).

TUE: STRENGTH + CONDITIONING
<HRV Index: 7.6, RHR 53.6>
am
1) 3 x Quarter TGU (up to bridge) with 32kg KB.
2) 10 x 8.5 (ie 5x8, 5x9) 2HS with 24kg KB.

lunchtime
1) Bench Press 72.5kg (72.5%) for 3x5, then 5x2 EMOM. I am ditching the push press cycle as the forceful extension of the knees after the dip is a little scary for now.
2) Goblet Squats 20kg KB 3x10. Slow, pause at bottom, make sure the knees track well.
3) Pallof Press 2x10 each side, green band.
4) 25kg Sandbag Bearhug Walk for total of 1km. I took a mini break every 50m. Man, these are hard.
5) 2km Concept 2 Rower in 10:10, damper setting 10. I did this relaxed. OK this was fun, and I found quite a bit of literature online about the rowing tests. To approximate my Cooper's test VO2 max I need to be rowing sub 7:34 according to the official website. I have a GOAL.

WED: PULLUPS + ROWING
<HRV Index 7.8, RHR 51.5>
am
1) 8 x 3 Pullups (vary grips) EMOM.

lunchtime
1) Some light work to get things going. 5x10 Zercher Squats with 22.5kg DB. 5x10 OHP 20kg. 3x10 each side pallof press.
2) 2k C2 rower time trial (D5). 8:40.2. Truth is: I am not good at this.
3) 5k C2 rower easy work (D3). 26:28.3.

THU: 1 LIFT + OTHERS
<HRV Index 8.3, RHR 52.0>
evening
1) Bench Press 75kg (75%) for 3x5, then 5x2 EMOM.
2) 10 x 5 2HS EMOM with 24kg KB.
3) Some 1h Pushup practice.
Called it!

FRI: ENDURANCE
<HRV Index 8.4, RHR 50.8>
lunchtime
1) Knee Rehab static. Included 3x10 FSQ 40kg (40pct), 3x10 BSQ 60kg (45pct).
2) OHP 5x10 25kg (37.5pct)
3) 30min Elliptical Easy. 126 avg HR.

SAT: REST
<HRV index 7.9, RHR 53.3>

SUN: 3 LIFTS
<HRV index 7.7, RHR 54.2>
am
1) Pullups (varied grips) 8 x 3.5 (4x4, 4x3) EMOM.
2) Bench Press 77.5kg (77.5pct) for 3x5, then 5x2 EMOM. The EMOM sets felt hard near the end today.
3) 10 x 6 2HS EMOM with 24kg.

SUMMARY: Knee went from feeling pretty crap on Monday to “should I roll tomorrow” good on Sunday. I am going to err on the conservative side and sit another week out of BJJ. Otherwise, good fun week of training and I really enjoyed the indoor rower.
 
6 TO 12 AUG 2018

Keep training reasonable, no BJJ this week as a final tune up for the knee, and a lil’ stricter on the diet this week.

PLAN: STRENGTH+ (Week 4 of 8)
MON: TGU. Swings. Endurance Lite.
TUE: Deadlift. Press. Speed/Power work. Knee/Shoulder Rehab.
WED: Pullups + Variation (Light Day)
THU: Press. Swings. Knee/Shoulder Rehab.
FRI: Pullups + Calisthenics practice
SAT: REST.
SUN: Endurance. Press. Swings.


MON: TGU + SWINGS + ENDURANCE
<HRV index 7.9, RHR 49.6>
am
1) 10 x 6 2HS EMOM with 24kg.
2) 3 LR TGU with 32kg, 1m rest between each rep.

evening
1) 100 x 10m 18kg slamball shoulder walk. Have to re-clean/shoulder every 10m. Took me 26min, avg HR 124.

TUE: MONSTER DAY
<HRV index 7.4, RHR 53.4>
Feelin’ a little itch in the throat, maybe coming down with something...so hammering the hydration. However being unwise as well, I pinned the throttle down at my lunchtime training.

lunchtime
1) 2k C2 Rower Time trial 8:26.2. New PR.
2) Bench Press 80kg (80pct) 3x5, then 5x2 EMOM... the EMOM sets weren’t easy.
3) Trapbar Deadlift 140kg (80pct) 2x5.
4) 2 x 500m C2 interval, 2min rest. 1:51 and 1:56.

WED: ENDURANCE + REHAB
Woke up a lil’ late so didn’t do the HRV readings.
am
1) 10 x 7 2HS EMOM with 24kg.

lunchtime
1) 30min knee rehab work. Introducing some dynamic and pistol work. No pain but some loss of motor skills.
2) Fluff and buff: OHP 5x10 27.5kg. 1min rest interval.
3) 5k C2 easy row. 24:48.

THU: 2 LIFTS
<HRV index 7.9, RHR 56.2>
I am actually really hungover argh. It is a holiday here though so that is a positive.

am
1) Bench Press 85kgx5, 92.5kgx1, 97.5kgx1. Not bad, weights felt light.

lunchtime
1) Boring but Big, or Fluff and Buff work. Squat 4x8 62.5kg, Front Squat 1x8 42.5kg.

FRI: BJJ + CALISTHENICS + SWINGS
<HRV index 8.3, RHR 55.6>
lunchtime
1) BJJ class. Half Guard top to back takes. a) Ninja roll from HQ position. b) Ninja roll from 3/4 Mount, similar to backtake from twister side control. 2x7m roll with the instructor - got dominated as he crushed my A game. Then 2 easy rolls for me to lick my wounds.
2) Ring Pullups 8x4 EMOM.
3) Gymnastics Flow - 4 sets of 2 HSPU alternating with 1h Pushup left and right.
4) 10 x 8 EMOM 2h Swings with 24kg KB.
5) Slamball "clean" and shoulder followed by 10m walks. 2x with 40kg slamball. 2x with 60kg slamball. The latter was really really hard. You cannot really do a clean because you can't get a good grip. So you have to roll up to your knees atlas ball style. Getting it to the shoulder... I kinda just muscled it.

SAT: REST
<HRV Index 8.2, RHR 55)

SUN: ENDURANCE
<HRV index 8.2, RHR 57)
am
1) 50 x 20m Ruck walk with 17kg pack. Between each set, 1 lunge + 1 pushup + 1 single hand 32kg deadlift. Took me 33mins, avg HR 112. Could increase the tempo some!
2) 10 x 9 EMOM 2h Swings with 24kg.

lunchtime
1) 10 x 10 EMOM 2h swings with 24kg.
2) 3 x LR TGU with 32kg. No rest between L/R reps, 2min in between sets.

evening
1) 4k MAF run. 27:54, 144 avg HR. I thought my cardio was fine actually but my running gait is all screwed up. I tense my body before striking the right foot and it is almost as if I forgotten how to do this. I felt ok post run but let’s see how tomorrow feels.

SUMMARY: managed to put in quite a bit of work this week so very pleased with that. NOT TO JINX IT, but knee situation seems under control as long as I don’t pound it with runs/sprints or hard rolling. So of course I had to do a run to find out.
 
13 TO 19 AUG 2018

Keep training reasonable. Famous last words. Well I will be travelling 2nd half of the week, so will drift off plan then. If I can get in a tonic session in the gym paired with some endurance work I will call it a win.

PLAN: STRENGTH+ (Week 5 of 8)
MON: BJJ. Swings/TGUs.
TUE: Deadlift. Press. Speed/Power work. Knee/Shoulder Rehab.
WED: Pullups + Variation (Light Day)
THU: Press. Swings. Knee/Shoulder Rehab.
FRI: BJJ + Calisthenics practice
SAT: REST.
SUN: Endurance. Press. Swings.


MON: BJJ + SWINGS
<HRV index 7.7, RHR 58.3> Seems that yesterday's multiple sessions have caused me to over-reach a little perhaps. Knee was a bit sore from the run last night too, but I am judging it to be a minor issue.

lunchtime
1) 5 x 5 2HS EMOM with 32kg.
2) BJJ 1.5 hours. Spider+RDLR hybrid to low single leg, and a variation to SLX instead. Had 7x7min rolls against really hard opposition, so I am completely wiped out. Will head to bed early tonight.

TUE: TEST DAY
<HRV index 7.7, RHR 56.3>
lunchtime
1) Bench Press. 97.5kg (97.5%) x 3 for a new PR at E1RM of 103.3kg. Last rep was RPE 11, so I definitely don’t own this weight. Did 100kg x1 for good measure.
2) Trapbar DL. 147.5kg (82.5%) x5. Then 167.5kg (95%) x5 for a new PR at E1RM of 188.4kg. I probably had 1 more rep in me but decided not to kill myself.
3) 2 x 500m C2 rower intervals, 2m rest. 1:56, 1:50.
That was a pretty mentally draining session. I haven’t quite decided what to do for the next cluster of strength exercises, maybe 1h KB Presses and continue with Trapbar Deadlifts.

WED: BJJ + VARIOUS
<HRV index 8.3, RHR 53.2>
Good sleep makes all the difference. Will be travelling Thursday onwards so re-arranged the schedule some.

lunchtime
1) BJJ. Closed Guard with arm wrap - bolt cutter armbar variation. Omoplata/triangle attack. Armbar when pendulum sweep fails. I was awesome at specific trg today from CG as I figured out a little movement/detail that I never noticed before, so happy with that. Free rolls - no tough guys today so I chilled thru most of the rolls.
2) 5 x 6 EMOM 2h swing with 32kg. Not as snappy as I would like tbh.
3) 8 x 4.5 (4x5, 4x4) EMOM pullups. On rings today. Not easy.
4) 2x40kg, 2x60kg slamball shoulder and walk 10m. Ok this was really hard.

THU: PROG MIN MIN
Early am flight, but good news is: hotel actually has a gym with some space and equipment.

mid PM
1) Program Min Min
5 rds of:
10 x 1h DB Press each side
20 x DB Swing
10 x 1h DB Row each side
10 x Fixed Weight Front Squat
Played around with dumbbells from 12-20kg, and 25-30-35-40-45kg fixed weights. Nice tonic workout.

FRI: PROGRAM MIN MIN
<HRV index 8.6, RHR 53.5>
am
1) Program Min Min. 5rds of: 20x Pushups, 10xLR KB Swing 20kg, 20x TRX TYI Rows, 20x Goblet Squat or Lunges with 20kg. Another good tonic workout.

SAT: REST/TRAVELLING

SUN: ENDURANCE
<HRV index 10.1, RHR 52.8>
Odd HRV reading.

am
1) 30min walk/run barefeet. Just to try something different to see if my knee responds better to this.
2) 10 x 1min on/1min off on the trampoline. Quite fun really.

mid-pm
1) GTGed in 3s and 4s Pullups (Total: 21)
2) 5 x 7 EMOM 2HS with 32kg.
This was my netflix workout.

SUMMARY: good work of training. The program min min was almost like active recovery so am ending the week feeling very good.
 
20 to 26 AUG 2018

PLAN: STRENGTH+ (Week 6 of 8)
MON: BJJ. Swings/TGUs.
TUE: Deadlift. Press. Speed/Power work. Knee/Shoulder Rehab.
WED: Pullups + Variation (Light Day)
THU: Press. Swings. Knee/Shoulder Rehab.
FRI: BJJ + Calisthenics practice
SAT: REST.
SUN: Endurance. Press. Swings.


MON: BJJ + TGU
<HRV index 7.4, RHR 50.2>

lunchtime
1) BJJ. Techniques: Front headlock with a gi grip vs turtles, spin to back knee jam. A modified peruvian necktie? to finish, plus a transition to crucifix if you start to struggle. Did 4 x 6min rolls today, I did well/ok in the first 2, and was just plain bad in the last 2 and got wiped. Was trying to experiment with a new type of guard retention (i blame youtube) and it will be bad for a while at least.
2) TGU with 32kg. I did 4xLR, with 3mins between sets. The first set is always the hardest! I am going to experiment with a warmup at 20kg next time.

TUE: STRENGTH DAY
<HRV index 7.2, RHR 56>
Not sure. Maybe work stress? Thought I slept fine.

lunchtime
1) Warm up: 3 x 3min skipping + 2 min mobility work.
2) Bench Press 15x2 EMOM 70kg. Trying a cluster training protocol for the first time.
3) Trapbar Deadlift 5s at 137.5, 147.5, 157.5kg.
4) 2 x 500m C2 row intervals. 1:54, 1:53. A little off today.

WED: BJJ + PULLUPS
<HRV index 8.3, RHR 53.4>

lunchtime
1) BJJ. T1: backtake vs peterson roll. Brake the turn and beat the roll. T2: when too late to stop the Peterson, don’t let the legs get trapped. Get parallel then belly down. Take the back by maintain seatbelt pressure. Rolls: a couple of easy rolls - while I dominated I realise I am a lot less sharp with my subs and my rolling endurance isn’t great. Will up BJJ sessions to 3x a week at some point.

2) Pullups in GTG fashion thru the day in sets of 5. Did 7x for a daily total of 35. Elbows are a little sore for some reason.

THU: S&S + 2 LIFTS
<HRV index 8.1, RHR 52.2>

am
1) S&S: 2h KB Swings with 32kg. 5x8 EMOM and 5x9 EMOM, rested a few mins in between.

evening
1) Bench Press 82.5kg (80%). 10x2 EMOM.
2) Pistol Squats. Left = 5 x 2. Right = Box Pistols x2 at 50cm, 30cm, 25cm, 25cm, 25cm. Still some discomfort at the bottom position (ie full knee flexion)
3) Skipping. 4 x 3min skip/2m mobility.

FRI: BJJ + ENDURANCE
<HRV index 8.1, RHR 55.2>
am
1) BJJ. Randori. Just 2 guys in class today! So we rolled for 4 x 6min from standing. He was a good wrestler but I am no slouch either... I won the first roll but it went downhill from there. Great fun.
2) Skipping (Endurance): 4 x 3min on/2 min off.

Others: GTG Box Pistols Doubles thru the day. Managed 7 sets Left + Right.

SAT: REST
<HRV index 8.3, RHR 53.2>

SUN: ENDURANCE + S&S + 1 LIFT
<HRV index 7.6, RHR 55.2>
Had 6 drinks last night at dinner and it showed up in the stats.

am
1) Skipping 5x3m/2m on/off.
2) S&S: 2H Swings 10x5 EMOM 32kg.

evening
1) Skipping 5x3m/1.5m on/off.
2) Snatch grip Deadlifts 15x1 EMOM 87.5kg (65%)

SUMMARY:
Good week of training in terms of hitting the plan. But something isn't right with my recovery as RHR is creeping up slightly. I am dropping running for now as the last few times I did it ended up with a sore knee, so experimenting with some skipping. I have done plenty of skipping before and it worked wonders for me, but going to be conservative with the initial volume to make sure it's not buggering up my knee as well.
 
27 AUG TO 2 SEP 2018

Freestyle week: I am not going to get very much training in at all this week as in the midst of a home move but let's see what I can jury rig up.

MON: S&S + GTG
<HRV Index 8.0, RHR 54.0>

evening
Was busy all thru the day and frankly quite tired.
1) S&S: 3 x LR TGU at 32kg, 1 min between each rep. I warmed up with the 24kg and did something to my left wrist, and it got steadily worse... so called it after 3 reps each side. A bit disappointed by that.

others
1) GTG Pistol Squats LR. I managed to get in 5 sets of proper LR pistols thru the day. It's not much, but I held at the bottom position, and it felt pretty comfortable on both sides (maybe a lil' tight on the right side). Very pleased with this.

TUE: 2 LIFTS
<HRV index 8.5, RHR 50.5>
am
1) Deadlift 15x1 EMOM 95kg (70pct) from 1” deficit.
evening
1) Bench Press 15x2 EMOM 72.5kg (70pct).

WED: GTG only
<HRV Index 7.6, RHR 52.1>
1) Pistols 10 sets of LR thru the day. One arm pushups. 5 sets of LR thru the day.

THU: REST-ISH
Moving day!

FRI: 2 LIFTS + LIGHT ENDURANCE
<HRV index 9.7, RHR 51>
Slept super well.
am
1) BP 10x2 85kg EMOM.
2) DL clean grip 12x1 102.5kg EMOM.

evening
1) Relaxed swim. 20 laps in a 30m pool, i alternated between breast stroke and front crawl. It’s been a while since I hit the pool.

SAT: S&S + ENDURANCE
<HRV index 8.4, RHR 50.1>
am
1) S&S: 10 x 6 2h Swings EMOM 32kg.
2) 30 laps in 30m pool. It's strange but while front crawl is a difficult motion for my right arm, it seems to loosen it up quite a bit.

SUN: S&S + GTG
<HRV index 7.5, RHR 59.2>
Friend’s birthday dinner degenerated into a late night with way too many shots of random stuff. Just going to chill and drink lots of water today.

mid-pm
1) S&S: 10 x 7 2h Swings with 32kg.
2) GTG: A couple of pistols LR. Also did a bunch of pushups (40-30-30), and air squats (40-30-30) while watching netflix.

SUMMARY: the house move meant a fair amount of physical labor if little formal exercise. That said, GTG 1h pushups, handstand pushups and pistol squats + short SS sessions were a handy way of getting some progress.
 
3 TO 9 SEP 2018

Last week of Strength+. A bit of change in timings for the foreseeable future (will be harder for me to work out at lunch, and lunchtime bjj will be almost impossible), and equipment (no more deadlifts at home as I have moved into an apartment). Maybe early morning or evenings for BJJ then.

STRENGTH+ (Week 8/8)
MON: BJJ Lite + TGU + FS
TUE: BJJ + FS + Swing/Pull
WED: BP + Recovery Work
THU: BJJ + FS + Swing/Pull
FRI: BP + FS + Swing/Pull
SAT: ENDURANCE
SUN: REST


MON: BJJ + 2 LIFTS
<HRV index 8.0, RHR 53.2>
AM
1) BJJ fundamentals. Did a bit of takedown drills. Then closed guard basics. Had some fun with a couple of enthusiastic white belts.
2) 1h KB Press. Singles at 24, 28, 32, 32, 32 for both sides. Right wrist felt odd and decided not to chance TGUs.
EVENING
1) Front Squat 72.5kg (70pct) for a single set of 5.

TUE: 2 LIFTS + BJJ
<HRV Index 9.1, RHR 48.5>
AM
1) Front Squat 77.5kg (75pct) for a set of 5.
2) 10 x 8 EMOM 2h Swing with 32kg.
at least even if I don't get anything else done in the day, I've got some decent training in.
EVENING
1) BJJ. Side control Brabo X-choke variations. Did 5x6min rolls against people very close in ability to me... so it was really tiring!

WED: 1 LIFT + RECOVERY
<HRV 7.6, RHR 55.7>
Hmm thought I slept well, but results from yesterday were wonky too.
AM
1) Bench Press 75kg (72.5pct) 10 x 2 EMOM.
EVENING
1) Swim: 30x30m laps. Alternate breast stroke/front crawl. 31:52. I don’t really push swimming E work, it’s more like active recovery.
GTG:
1) 7 sets of Pullup Triples for a total of 21. Did them slowly to avoid irritating the elbows.

THU: 1 LIFT + BJJ
<HRV 7.7, RHR 50.0>
AM
1) Front Squat 82.5kg (80pct) for 5/3/2.
EVENING
1) BJJ. Kimura variation when opponent tries to underhook you from under Side Control. Did a round of specific training, and 3x6min rolls. I tried to channel the Mendes brothers by doing all sorts of leg drags and armbars from top, but my DLR guard is garbage. Nonetheless wasn't a particularly taxing session.

FRI: 1 LIFT + S&S
<HRV 8.1, RHR 55.2>
Do NOT drink 2x Pepsi Lights at dinner at dinner again. Struggled to go to sleep and had seriously weird dreams too.
AM
1) S&S: 10 x 9 2h Swings EMOM with 32kg.
2) Front Squat 87.5kg (85pct) for 3/2/1. Repeat the 4 session block (70-75-80pct for 5/3/2, 85pct for 3/2/1, ideally within a week) to regain the groove with the front squat, especially the rack position, as I seem to have lost a little wrist mobility after not front squatting or power/hang cleaning for a while.
EVENING:
1) E: Skip 5 x 3/1 min on/off.
2) S: 5 sets of Pistol squats (8kg DB) super set with 1h Pushups.

SAT: REST
<HRV 8.0, RHR 54.2>

SUN: 1 LIFT + ENDURANCE
<HRVI 7.4, RHR 57.2>
Not sure what happened there, but I didn't sleep well for sure.
AM
1) MS: Bench Press 10 x 2 EMOM 87.5kg (85pct). These went up well today, am very pleased with it.
MID-PM
2) E: 6 x 3min/1min on/off skipping. Avg HR 128, max 144.

SUMMARY
Need to work on sleep a little. I haven't really performed a sleep hygiene test (ie. block out all the little blinking lights, etc) at the new place and the stats say that I need to do that sooner rather than later! Otherwise, training went well.
 
10 TO 16 SEP 2018

Continuation/Evergreen or Goldilocks block. Testing the scheduling to see if it sticks.

CONTINUATION
MON: BJJ Lite + TGU + FS
TUE: BJJ + FS + Swing/Pull
WED: BP + Recovery Work
THU: BJJ + FS + Swing/Pull
FRI: BP + FS + Swing/Pull
SAT: ENDURANCE
SUN: REST


MON: BJJ + TGU + FS
<HRV 7.8, RHR 50.4>
AM
1) BJJ fundamentals. Meant for it to be a light session but another tough guy showed up and instructor made us roll with each other all the way.
2) S&S: was absolutely wiped out after BJJ so just did a couple left/right with 24, 28, 32kg and called it a day.
EV
1) STR: Front Squat 72.5kg (70pct) for 5/3/2.

TUE: BJJ + FS + S&S
<HRV 8.0, RHR 50.2>
AM
1) BJJ. 50/50 kick sweep (still in 50/50) and backtake variation. Unfortunately I am not good at this particular aspect of the game. Then I had 3 hard but fun rolls. Did very well today and managed to work in some stuff I learnt from Professor Youtube.
EV
1) STR: Front Squat 77.5kg (75pct) for 5/3/2. Right wrist still weird.
2) S&S: 10x10 2h Swing EMOM 32kg. Not easy but not that hard either. Going to slot in some 1h work from here.

WED: BP + S&S
<HRV 8.0, RHR 52.4>
EV:
1) STR: Bench Press working up to single at 97.5kg (95pct). Wasn't as hard as I expected so that's progress!
2) S&S: 10 x 10 EMOM 1h Swing with 12kg. Easy start to the 1h Swings.

THU: S&S + BJJ
<HRV 8.2, RHR 55.4>
I think I am really sensitive to lack of cardio/aerobic/endurance trg - my RHR has definitely trended up over the last few weeks/months.
AM:
1) S&S: 10 x 10 EMOM 1h Swing 16kg.
EV:
1) BJJ. DLR ball and chain sweep. Transition to Shin on Shin. Single leg from DLR. Then 4x5min rolls. Got a bunch of tough dudes today but super fun. Though one of my ribs feel a bit off after being stuck at the bottom of S Mount for awhile.
2) STR: Overhead Press. 5@20, 4@30, 3@40, 2@50, 1@60kg. Wasn’t hard at all! I do believe this is my first BB OHP session of the year. This was just for fun, I am still going to stick to BP for main programming.

FRI: FS + ENDURANCE
<HRV 7.7, RHR 54.1>
AM
1) STR: Front Squat 82.5kg for 5/3/2.
EV:
1) E: Skipping 7 x 3min/1min on/off. 121 avg HR, 141 max HR.
2) STR: Overhead Press (again). 5@20, 4@30, 3@40, 2@50, 1@60kg. Felt really good.

SAT: REST
<HRV 8.1, RHR 56.3>

SUN: 1 LIFT + S&S + ENDURANCE
<HRV 7.7, RHR 55.4>
AM:
1) STR: Front Squat 87.5kg (85pct) for 3/2/1. Felt easy today. Move up TM.
2) S&S: 6 x 10 1h Swing EMOM 20kg.
EV:
1) E: Skipping 8 x 3min/1min on/off. Avg HR 121, Max HR 142.
2) STR: Overhead Press (AGAIN): 5/4/3/2/1 @ 20/30/40/50/60kg. Felt a bit harder today somehow.

SUMMARY:
Another good week of training, but I have decided I don't like my RHR to be >55 if I can help it. I seem to lose aerobic fitness quite a bit more quickly than strength when reducing load, so will try to keep E sessions to at least 2x a week unless I am on a strength building focussed block.
 
17 TO 23 SEP 2018

Continuation/Evergreen/Goldilocks block. Rejigging to add more Endurance work.

CONTINUATION
MON: BJJ Lite + S&S + FS
TUE: BJJ + FS
WED: BP + S&S + Option Lite Endurance
THU: BJJ + FS
FRI: FS + S&S + Lite Endurance
SAT: REST
SUN: BP + Endurance


MON: BJJ + S&S + FS
<HRV 8.2, RHR 50.9>
AM
1) BJJ fundamentals. Arm wrap Closed Guard to "punch choke" and/or triangle. Had a long fun roll with a big ex wrestler - it was good to do some standup work.
2) S&S: TGUs 3xLR at 32kg, 1-2 mins between reps. Really focussed on getting full body tension right from the start so I didn't do any warmups. Felt good today.
EV
1) STR: Front Squat 75kg (70pct) for 5/3/2.
2) STR: OHP 5/4/3/2/1 @ 20/30/40/50/60kg. Ok feels good, try going up 2.5kg for all sets now.

TUE: FS + BJJ
<HRV 7.6, RHR 53.6>
AM
1) STR: Front Squat 80kg (75pct) for 5/3/2.
EV
1) BJJ: 3 backtakes vs turtles. 1 with a front cross grip, and 2 with seat belts. All are variations of the front knee jam (last one was more of a block). BONUS Technique: Quarter Stomp recovery vs knee-slide to Plan B sweep (10th Planet stuff). Had different kinds of specific training for the balance of the session... was fun! My passing has improved tremendously somehow, but my weak side bottom half guard is still garbage.

WED: BP + S&S + ENDURANCE
<HRV 8.2, RHR 54.9>
AM
1) STR: BP 10x2 EMOM at 72.5kg (70pct).
EV
1) S&S: 10x10 EMOM 2H Swings with 32kg.
2) E: 2 x 2km Treadmill Run at 9.5kph, 8min rest in between. 140bpm average HR for both legs. Have lost a combination of aerobic fitness & running efficiency as I was doing 5k at 10.7kph with a 138 avg HR back in May18. Fingers crossed that my right knee wakes up just fine tomorrow!!!

THU: FS + BJJ
<HRV 8.3, RHR 53.6>
Right knee felt just fine this morning after yesterday's run, a win in my book.
AM
1) STR: Front Squat 85kg (80pct) for 5/3/2.
EV
1) BJJ. Backtake vs turtle, Peterson roll. Peruvian necktie vs turtle. 4x6min rolls, really hard ones. I did well but super wiped out.

FRI: FS + S&S + ENDURANCE
<HRV 8.3, RHR 51.7>
Hmm, my daughter has some concert thing tonight and it will be unwise for me to miss it just for a run. I will try to make up for it tomorrow if possible.
AM
1) STR: Front Squat 90kg (85pct) for 3/2/1. Felt good. Move up TM.
PM
1) S&S: 8x10 EMOM 1h Swing 20kg. Easy and snappy swings.
2) E: 5km walk.

SAT: REST(ISH) + BP
<HRV 8.1, RHR 53.0>
EV
1) Bench Press 10x2 EMOM 82.5kg. These were really moving today.

SUN: ENDURANCE + MOBILITY
<HRV 8.1, 50.4>
AM
1) 4km Treadmill Run 9.5kph. 136 avg HR. Already improving!
2) 15min Mobility Work.

SUMMARY: So this week had the following components:
BJJ 3x, with 1 being a easy basics class;
Endurance 3x, all 3 pretty light to start;
S&S 3x, 1 TGU and 2 Swing sessions;
STR: 4 PTTP-type sessions with Front Squats, 2 heavier volume days with Bench Press.
That’s a decent amount of work to get in and I actually feel really fresh. The strength and S&S sessions are really short and I like them that way. Will stick with this format as a template for at least 7 more weeks and see if it sticks.
 
24 TO 30 SEP 2018

Continuation/Evergreen/Goldilocks block Wk 2/8

CONTINUATION
MON: BJJ Lite + S&S + FS
TUE: BJJ + FS
WED: BP + S&S + Option Lite Endurance
THU: BJJ + FS
FRI: FS + S&S + Lite Endurance
SAT: REST
SUN: BP + Endurance


MON: BJJ + S&S + FS
<HRV 7.5, RHR 52.0>
AM
1) BJJ fundamentals. Closed Guard break and Double Under Stack pass. Backtake if opponent turtles. Had a couple of free rolls with the other blue belts in class. Worked gullotines, hip bumps, omoplatas.
2) S&S: TGUs 5xLR at 32kg in 15mins. Was not pushing hard but I was feeling pretty good.
3) STR: 1h KB Press 32kg. For the right hand I managed 3 reps and probably had a 4th in me. For the left side, managed 2 singles. There is a sticking point at lift off but I managed to work thru it today.

TUE: FS + BJJ + SS
<HRV 7.1, RHR 52.8>
AM
1) STR: Front Squat 82.5kg (75pct) 5/3/2.
EV
1) BJJ. Passes vs DLR: Step over non DLR leg to sprawl smash pass. Also a close in to semi stack to smash pass. These passes were natural for me and I hit them during specific training so very pleased. Had a couple of rolls and I finally beat one of my nemesis opponents!
2) S&S: 10x10 1h Swing 20kg. Did them basically with just a few breaths between sets.
3) STR: erm. random messing around. TGU LR with 32kg. 1h KBP LR with 32kg.

WED: BP + LIGHT E
<HRV 8.0, RHR 52.9>
AM
1) STR: Bench Press 75kg 4x5, 1-2min between sets. All reps were crisp and quick, happy with that.
EV
1) Warmup: 5 x LR Pistol Squats, super set with 5 x LR 1h Pushups.
2) E: 5k Treadmill Run at 9.5kph. Avg HR 141bpm. I am going to take it as a "barely pass" to up the speed the next session.

THU: FS + BJJ
<HRV 8.3, RHR 53.5>
AM
1) STR: Front Squat 87.5kg 5/3/2. Very crisp reps today.
EV
1) BJJ. Lots of specific training and rolls today. Great fun and I played quite a bit of lasso/spider, omoplatas which is not my normal game.

FRI: REST
Inserting a rest day meant for Sat. Had a dinner gathering til late last night and waaaay too many drinks.

SAT: 2 LIFTS + S&S
<HRV 8.0, RHR 54.1>
AM
1) STR: Front Squat 92.5kg for 3/2/1. Went well today, move up TM.
2) STR: Bench Press 85kg 5x4.
PM
1) S&S: 6x6 1h Swing EMOM 24kg.

SUN: ENDURANCE
<HRV 8.2, RHR 53.1>
Strictly speaking there was no formal E session, but took the kids out to the amusement park and somehow clocked 20k+ steps. So that is going to have to count!

SUMMARY:
Good week of training. I feel strong, and my BJJ skill and conditioning is coming together. However bodyfat % is creeping up some, will have to take a long hard look at some dietary habits again - am definitely over-doing it on carbs and overall calories I think.
 
1 TO 7 OCT 2018

Continuation/Evergreen/Goldilocks block Wk 3/8

CONTINUATION
MON: BJJ Lite + S&S + FS
TUE: BJJ + FS
WED: BP + S&S + Option Lite Endurance
THU: BJJ + FS
FRI: FS + S&S + Lite Endurance
SAT: REST
SUN: BP + Endurance


MON: BJJ + S&S + FS
<HRV 8.1, RHR 54.9>
AM
1) BJJ fundamentals. Well, turned out to be all specific training so great fun! I did generally quite well but got caught with a tight estima lock by a little female blue belt, ouch.
2) S&S: TGUs 3xLR at 32kg in 8mins.
EV
1) Front Squat 77.5kg 2x5.

TUE: FS + BJJ
<HRV 7.8, RHR 53.7>
AM
1) STR: Front Squat 82.5kg 2x5.
EV
1) BJJ. Side control attacks - far side lapel trap to modified arm triangle, and a triangle from knee on belly. Then 4x7min rolls, all vs very tough dudes. Having said that, I just didn't roll well either, missing a bit of sharpness and focus...just one of those days. On the bright side, I am going to sleep well tonight.

WED: BP + E
<HRV 7.1, RHR 55.8>
Looks like yesterday's super hard rolls took a lot out of me. I will skip the S&S session and do a recovery run.
AM
1) STR: Bench Press 4x5 77.5kg.
EV
1) E: 4km Treadmill at 9.6kph. Avg HR 140. By the numbers it looked like a recovery run but I just didn't feel great today.

THU: FS + BJJ + S&S
AM
1) STR: Front Squat 90kg for 5/3/2. I am struggling with my wrists a little on the heavier sets esp after the first couple reps. Elbows forward!!
EV
1) BJJ. Side Control attacks again, omoplata from failed armbar position and triangle/omoplata variations from knee on belly. A couple of fun rolls. I kept it chill today.
2) S&S: 10 x 10 2h Swings 32kg. Not exactly EMOM but I finished the bunch in about 8mins.

FRI: FS
AM
1) STR: Front Squats 95kg 3/2/1.

SAT: BP + E
<HRV 7.5, RHR 53.5>
EV:
1) STR: Bench Press 5x4 (complete in 8mins) at 87.5kg. The last set was pretty hard! Next up I have an intensity deload where I work up to a single at 97.5 OR 100 OR 102.5 depending on how I feel. Then end of next week I will try for a new PR on BP (102.5x2, 100x3 or 97.5x4... that last one sounds daunting).
2) E: no formal session but got in >23k steps which will do.

SUN: ACTIVE REST
(HRV 7.9, RHR 53.2)
Just shy of 18k steps.

SUMMARY: Not a bad week of training, and sleep where needed. Had a minor twinge in the right knee so skipped the run in the latter half of the week and just walked a lot instead.
 
8 TO 14 OCT 2018

Continuation/Goldilocks block Wk 4/8

CONTINUATION
MON: BJJ Lite + S&S + FS
TUE: BJJ + FS
WED: BP + S&S + Option Lite Endurance
THU: BJJ + FS
FRI: FS + S&S + Lite Endurance
SAT: REST
SUN: BP + Endurance


MON: BJJ Lite + S&S + FS + BJJ
<HRV 8.6, RHR 52.3>
Hit the deck early and slept super well and it shows in the stats.
AM
1) BJJ fundamentals. Bow&Arrow choke. 2 escapes from the back (ol’ school stuff). Then a bunch of free rolls - i practiced my Khabib style wrestling with a lil’ bit of success.
2) S&S: 5xLR TGU 32kg in 10mins. This is the Simple standard for the TGU portion - am really happy to nail this. It did not feel that hard either. Now just to catch up on the swings.
EV
3) STR: Front Squats 80kg for 5/3/2.
4) BJJ. Pant+Sleeve guard. Various sweeps from this position that I almost never play, but fun to mess around with some out-of-genre stuff. Had time for only some quick specific training and 1 chill roll.
Turned out to be a super Monday! Tomorrow will be light.

TUE: S&S + FS + Lite E
<HRV 8.1, 52.1>
AM
1) S&S: 6 x 8 EMOM 1h Swings at 24kg.
EV
2) STR: Front Squats 85kg for 5/3/2.
3) Lite E: 4km Treadmill WALK at 5kph, I slowly increased inclines till I finished at 4.5%. I was reading this new fantasy story on the kindle so well...

WED: BP + Calisthenics + Lite E
<HRV 7.8, RHR 50.6>
AM
1) Bench Press singles up to 100kg. Felt easy today. Finished with 72.5kgx5.
EV
2) Calisthenics: 3x2 Handstand Pushups, 3xLR 1h Pushups, 6xLR Pistols, resting a few breaths between sets. Then finished calisthenics practice with Pullup Ladders 1x(1-5)... good news is, my elbow seems completely ok with pullups again.
3) Lite E: 4km Treadmill WALK at 5.2kph, start: 1% incline (+0.5% per 500m). This speed/incline seems a bit too light with avg HR at 93bpm, max 105bpm, so will continue to edge it up.

THU: BJJ + S&S
AM
1) BJJ. Well I was expecting a typical class but ended up being specific training and free rolls. What a way to start the day!
2) S&S: 10 x 6 1h Swings 24kg EMOM.

FRI: FS + Pullups + Lite E
<HRV 7.5, RHR 54.9>
Had a few too many whiskeys last night at a friend's place..
EV
1) STR: Front Squats. 90kg for 5/3. 100kg for 2x1. The 100kg singles felt really easy today - which is awesome because my previous PR is 100x2.
2) SE: Pullups Ladder 1x(1-5), 1x(1-3). I supersetted the pullups with pushups in various forms (1h Pushups, clapping pushups, normal pushups).
3) Lite E: 4km Treadmill walk @ 5.5kph; start: +1% incline (+0.5%/500m). 112bpm average HR.

SAT: S&S + Lite E
<HRV 7.8, RHR 51.4>
AM
1) S&S: 10 x 7 EMOM 1h Swings 24kg.
Others
2) Lite E: no structured session, but did >23k steps.

SUN: FS + BP + Lite E
LUNCHTIME
1) STR: Bench Press: 102.5kg x 2 for a new PR E1RM of 105.4kg. It was RPE 9, ie it was hard but not terrible, but definitely no more reps.
2) STR: Front Squat: 102.5 x 3 for a new PR E1RM of 108.5kg. It was RPE 10 here... so a big sorta max on this.
I am super chuffed with these PRs! High Frequency training + Cluster sets both make a huge diff for me it seems - I have been stalling on bench press especially for a while and today was an easy breakthrough.
EV
3) Lite E: Farmer Walk 2x25m each weight: 12, 16, 20, 24, 32, 12+12, 12+16, 16+20, 20+24, 24+32.

SUMMARY:
Max strength training - extremely pleased with progress in front squats + bench press. For front squats I went from 90kg x 5 to 102.5 x 3, and for bench press I went from 90kg x 3 to 102.5kg x2 (in this year for both lifts). I will take that as a win for the year, and see if I can improve my back squat + push press before I go back to basebuild mode in December.
Endurance training - the incline treadmill walks feel great and my RHR has already dropped a notch. Needless to say it is far easy on my knees compared to running, so I will stick with this until I stop seeing improvements.
 
Last edited:
15 TO 21 OCT 2018

Continuation/Goldilocks block Wk 5/8
BJJ Gym is closed Mon-Tue, so a bit of a break from BJJ. My fingers won't mind.

CONTINUATION
MON: REST
TUE: BS + TGU
WED: PP + S&S + Option Lite Endurance
THU: BJJ + BS
FRI: BS + S&S + Lite Endurance
SAT: REST
SUN: PP + Endurance


MON: REST-ish + PP
<HRV 7.7, RHR 53.3>
EV
1) STR: Push Press 5/4/3/2/1 up to a single at 60kg.

TUE: SQ + S&S: TGU
<HRV 7.1, RHR 50.7>
EV
1) STR: Squats 82.5kg for 5/3/2. Shoulder mobility sucks a little but it's been a while since I did back squats.
2) S&S: TGU 3x32kg each side, 6min total. Today was an easy-ish day. Focussed in getting tight from the get go and it makes a huge difference.

WED: PP + S&S + Lite E
<HRV 7.8, RHR 53.3>
Not bad despite having 3 glasses of wine at dinner last night.
AM
1) STR: Push Press 5/4/3/2/1 up to a single at 58.9kg. This was a bit of a balls-up as I intended to do 61.4kg actually... but my math deserted me.
EV:
2) S&S: 10x10 EMOM 2hS with 32kg.
3) Not a formal E session, but I bounced on the trampoline, alternating with my daughter, while we tried to learn the songs to A Star is Born.

THU: BS + BJJ
<HRV 8.3, RHR 52.1>
AM
1) STR: Squat 90kg 2x5.
EV
2) BJJ: Reverse omoplata vs turtle position. 4 rolls, there is a big blue belt who was trying to wrestle-smesh me but I managed to get him a couple times. Gas tank was a bit low today though somehow.

FRI: PP + S&S
<HRV 9.7, RHR 53.3>
Wonky HRV reading surely.
AM
1) STR: Push Press 5/4/3/2/1 up to a single at 61.4kg.
EV
2) S&S: 10x8 2h Swings 24kg EMOM.

SAT: LITE E
1) E: Scatter thru the day, Trampoline jumps: 15 x 2min, 4 x 2.5min, 5 x 3min.

SUN: BS
<HRV 7.9, RHR 51.7>
AM
1) STR: Squat 95kg 2x5.

SUMMARY:
Training volume for the week was quite light, but I think my fingers appreciate it (BJJ-itis). I'll call it a mini deload week of sorts. On the E front - the little 4 ft diameter trampoline I bought for the kids actually is really handy. I would take a little timeout every 15mins while watching netflix and go bounce for a few minutes, which brings the HR straight up and gives the eyes a break at the same time.
 
22 TO 28 OCT 2018

Continuation/Goldilocks block Wk 6/8

CONTINUATION
MON: BJJ Lite + TGU + PP
TUE: BJJ + BS
WED: PP + S&S + Lite E
THU: BJJ + BS
FRI: BS + S&S + Lite E
SAT: REST
SUN: PP + Endurance


MON: BJJ Lite + TGU
AM
1) BJJ Lite: Well, didn't turn out too well. I got cranked by a somewhat over enthusiastic partner during bow&arrow choke practice today and my neck has gone a bit pear-shaped. I did well in rolls though I think the neck will put me out of commission for a couple days.
2) TGU 3xLR 32kg. Rest as needed.
EV
The push press is not going to happen today. Neck is all stiff, bah.

TUE: BS + PP + S&S + E
<HRV 7.4, RHR 52.4>
Neck is better but not BJJ ready. Should be fine if I give it a couple of days.
EV
1) STR: Back Squat 102.5kg 2x3. Easy Peasy.
2) STR: Push Press working up to a triple at 62.5kg.
3) S&S: 10 x 9 1h Swing EMOM 24kg.
4) E: 8 x 3min on/1min off trampoline jumps. 138 avg HR, 156 max HR.

WED: PP + E
<HRV 8.4, RHR 54.1>
EV
1) STR: Push Press working up to a triple at 63.9kg.
OTHERS
2) E: no formal E but clocked 20k steps today!

THU: BJJ + S&S + PP
<HRV 8.1, RHR 56.8>
High RHR, late night with a few beers was the culprit probably.
EV
1) BJJ. Almost 30min of guard passing drills had me beat. Then 3 pretty tough rolls. But I was in good form today.
2) S&S: 10x10 1h Swings EMOM 24kg.
3) STR: Kettlebells. Press: 32kg single LR. Push Press: 32kgx2 L, 32kgx3 R. Could definitely do more on the right side but left side was done.

FRI: BS + E
<HRV 7.6, RHR 56.9>
EV
1) STR: Squats 85kg 2x5.
2) E: 10 x 3min on/1min off Trampoline jumps. Avg HR was 146, but honestly it felt easier than that.

SAT: REST
Unfortunately I feel a man-flu coming on, which would explain the elevated RHR.

SUN: BS
<HRV 7.4, RHR 57.2>
AM
1) STR: Back Squat 90kg 2x5.
Man flu is here with a bad sore throat, blocked ear, the works. It is going to be a diet of netflix and water today.

SUMMARY:
Decent week of training, pity about the flu/cold whateveryoucallit at the end.
 
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