Traveling/New Program

I've had a really busy month. Graduated from college, traveled to Dallas, Houston and NYC. For some reason everyone I know has decided to get married this summer so I'm hitting up a lot of wedding as well which really equals out to free BBQ and beer. Luckily I have had the opportunity keep lifting as I traveled. The free week gym memberships is a life saver when there is no other option. Globo-Gyms UNITE!! Anyways, I'm really glad to be back in my gym where the only person criticizing me is my own damn thoughts; instead of the guy doing cable cross overs while flexing in the mirror to see his "swol" while Brittany Spears is playing throughout the gym...... including the bathrooms. Glad that headache is done with!! Alright!! Back to death metal and defeating gravity.

New Program time!! Rest is awesome and I've neglected to tackle the idea because I really didn't know how to approach it or how often. Thanks to Tim Favreau at Hybridfitness.blogspot.com taking a rest week once every 3-4 weeks is needed if you are lifting 3-4 times a week. So, once a month take a week off to recover. I am going to incorporate this with a program I made myself and see how I like it and how it progresses my lifts.

After each month take an active week off using 50% of what your work weight would be or enjoy an activity that you have neglected because you are lifting. Example: Biking, swimming, skateboarding, surfing, rock climbing, etc.

MONTH 1:

Mon:
Squat 5 reps 3 sets
then
Conditioning of Choice (COC)

Tue:
Power Cleans 5X3
then
COC

Wen:
OFF

Thur:
Press 5X3
then
COC

Fri:
Deadlift 5X3


MONTH 2:

Mon:
Squat 3 reps 5 sets
then
COC

Tue:
Power Clean 3X5
then
COC

Wen:
OFF

Thur:
Press 3X5
then
COC

Fri:
Deadlift 3X5

MONTH 3:

Mon:
Squat 2X8
then
COC

Tue:
Power Clean 1X5
then
COC

Wen:
OFF

Thur:
Press 2X8
then
COC

Fri:
Deadlift 1X5

This guys is awesome!! Just listen to his grunts!!

Deadlift

Ah, the end of the week. I always like fridays!! I have successfully accomplished all of my lifts and look forward to 2 days off; Eating some good food and looking forward to increasing my lifts the next week. I was at a wedding last weekend and was sent home with 10lbs. of pulled pork. I did my best to eat over a pound of it a day on top of everything else I take in. This week has been amazing. I have about 4lbs. left which should be polished off by Sunday.

Training:
Deadlift 5x1
then
100 rope turns
15 push ups
6 rounds for time

Natural ability + outstanding coaching = This guy


I love seeing a lifter hit a wall were you know it is taking every ounce of concentration to keep good form and press right through it. In this situation, a lot of people I have seen will start hitching to lock out the lift. This is a good example of how to stay focused and keep good form when you hit the crossroads of dropping the weight or hitching to lock it out.

Food!!

"It is important that the total caloric content of the diet be at least equal to, but preferably greater than, the total caloric expenditure of the training day. Matching intake to expenditure will maintain fitness and strength but will not support maximal fitness gain. A caloric surplus is needed to drive progress. If we simply pay back the energy used during exercise and daily activities, we are not providing the extra energy required to homeostatic recovery and adaptation through muscle mass increase. To get stronger and more fit we need to consume somewhere around 200 to 400 calories more energy than we expend. This is a relatively small caloric excess, and much more than this should be avoided, since a huge caloric surplus can and will be stored as fat." (Rippetoe, Kilgore, Pendlay 2008)

I make sure all of my meals consist primarily of protein, and I try to get in as many vegetables as I can. What calories I miss out on at the end of the day are made up for by a big bowl of ice cream before I go to bed, along with a tall glass of whole milk.

Training:
3x3 Power Clean and Jerk
then
4x400 meter sprints
1 minute rest between each sprint

Progress

I have been taught a lot the last 5 years through really good mentoring and personal experience. Out of all that I have learned the hardest and most challenging ability that I am very slowing picking up is teaching others what I have learned. This is a very fine art. This quote posted by Tim Favreau of Hybrid Fitness says a lot.

Mmmmm, Deadlifts

Everyone that has lifted for any amount of time knows that they are better at some lifts then others. Deadlifts are what I'm naturally better at; so today is something that I look forward to every week. It's also the end of the training week. The weekend offers good rest, food, and other activities that I can't fit into my week of training.

Training:
Deadlift 5x1
then
Conditioning of your choice.

I love this crazy Latvian! Notice his deadlifts are not bounced off the ground. He resets, completely decompressed and then DEADlifts the weight back off the ground. At 837.8lbs. that is incredible!!

Summer Time

This is my first year back in Alabama. The weather is outstanding, which makes me want to stay outside all day. This brings me back to some of the activities that I have abandoned the last couple years. Five Fingers Jogging, Mountain Biking, and yes.... Skateboarding. These are all really great conditioning exercises that I will incorporate into my strength training this summer.

The wrong way.


The right way to run barefoot or in your Vibram Five Fingers

11 Days off

Just got back from my trip. Had a really good time and got some good conditioning done. Yesterday and today I got back into the gym lifting heavy. I started right back up where I left off even though I lost 5 pounds. I'm sticking around a 200 pound body which is where I want to stay. I still have not reached my goal of squatting 315lbs. for sets. This is my current goal along with Power Clean and Jerking 205lbs. I'm on a slow track of accomplishing my squat goal in about 3 months. I made a massive jump in a short amount of time the last couple months. Now that I have had some decompression and recovery time I'm going to go down the same road but at a little slower pace.

Oh, if you've never had beer boiled brats..... go buy a pack of bratwurst , boil them in beer for about 10 min., throw them on the grill, and eat immediately!!!! Accompanied with your favorite beer of course. This will guarantee to increase your squat by about 100lbs.

This video is priceless.