Hello,
Today i have started my new training cycle. I am starting with the strength based mesocycle which was written by strength coach and neurophysiologist Chad Waterbury. If you are interested in this program, you can check it out at the t-nation website.
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/strengthfocused_mesocycle&cr=
When performing this program, i caused me to think; in the gym we can learn more about ourselves than nearly anywhere else.
Think about this for a second. where else can you challenge your physical endurance, strength, mental toughness, determination, motivation, confidence and dedication? It takes a great deal of physical and mental toughness to put 100kg on your back to do a set of squats to muscular failure. It takes confidence and bravery to climb up on the chin up bar to perform a set of chins with the whole gym able to watch you. In the gym, there is no where to hide. The weights do not lie. Either you can lift them or you can't.
These qualities that are developed in the gym can easily transfer over into other areas of life. This is one of the reasons I personally believe every one should do some form of resistance training. It is truly a path to self development that is measurable and refinable. If you are not improving in the gym, you can see easily if you are not working hard enough. The results will speak for themselves. if you are involved in self development and are not training in the gym, please do yourself a favour and hire a quality coach and start training. These qualities that you will learn are not quick fixes and are not transient in nature. rather they will build qualities of character that will truly lead to self improvement and development.
Paul
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Training 10.02.09
Hello
Back Squats - 10 sets of 3 at 100kg - blasted through these 60 secs rest
Bulgarian Dumbbell Squats - 3 sets of 8 at 30 kgs
Split Squats - 3 sets of 10 at 20kg
Today was a leg day with a quad focus. Later this week i will hit the hip extensors.
I will also start my new program go through the details of it next week.
Paul
Back Squats - 10 sets of 3 at 100kg - blasted through these 60 secs rest
Bulgarian Dumbbell Squats - 3 sets of 8 at 30 kgs
Split Squats - 3 sets of 10 at 20kg
Today was a leg day with a quad focus. Later this week i will hit the hip extensors.
I will also start my new program go through the details of it next week.
Paul
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Traing 09.02.09
Hi again
Here is my workout for the day. Big focus on upper body closed chain strength.
A1. Pulls Ups
A2. Swing Dips 10 sets of 3 reps, 30 secs rest between exercises
B1. Inverted Row
B2. Clap Push Up 6 sets of 5 reps, 30 secs rest between exercises
C1. Seated 45 degree trap raise
C2. Hindu Push Ups 4 sets of 6 reps, 30 secs rest between exercises
I then finished with an isometric chin up hold for 45 seconds and a eccentric quasi-isometric for the push up of one minute. A eccentric-quasi isometric is where you place yourself in the fully stretched position of an exercise like a push up or lunge. From here you hold this position and as you fatigue you sink deeper and deeper into a stretch. You generally position yourself on steps so you can go deeper than what is normally allowed. They help with tendon strength and elasticity, lactic acid tolerance, posture, regaining R.O.M and muscle soreness. try them out but prepare to hurt!
Paul
Here is my workout for the day. Big focus on upper body closed chain strength.
A1. Pulls Ups
A2. Swing Dips 10 sets of 3 reps, 30 secs rest between exercises
B1. Inverted Row
B2. Clap Push Up 6 sets of 5 reps, 30 secs rest between exercises
C1. Seated 45 degree trap raise
C2. Hindu Push Ups 4 sets of 6 reps, 30 secs rest between exercises
I then finished with an isometric chin up hold for 45 seconds and a eccentric quasi-isometric for the push up of one minute. A eccentric-quasi isometric is where you place yourself in the fully stretched position of an exercise like a push up or lunge. From here you hold this position and as you fatigue you sink deeper and deeper into a stretch. You generally position yourself on steps so you can go deeper than what is normally allowed. They help with tendon strength and elasticity, lactic acid tolerance, posture, regaining R.O.M and muscle soreness. try them out but prepare to hurt!
Paul
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Training 08.02.09
Hello,
Today's training was another cardio recovery session. 25 mins on the cross trainer to be exact.
Today however I performed the entire training session with water in my mouth. This is a fantastic way to improve your nasal breathing efficiency and prevents your heart rate from going to high. I was working at a pace that was significantly faster than the people around me and my average heart rate was no higher than 116BPM.
Try it and let me know how you go!
Paul
Today's training was another cardio recovery session. 25 mins on the cross trainer to be exact.
Today however I performed the entire training session with water in my mouth. This is a fantastic way to improve your nasal breathing efficiency and prevents your heart rate from going to high. I was working at a pace that was significantly faster than the people around me and my average heart rate was no higher than 116BPM.
Try it and let me know how you go!
Paul
Friday, February 6, 2009
Training 07.02.09
Hello
Today's workout was a conditioning workout with a focus on core strength.
Circuit
Gymnastics L Sit - Max Hold (around 15 seconds, these are hard!)
Handstand Push Ups - 5 reps
Hanging Leg Raises - 8 Reps
Medicine Ball Jump Lunge with Twist - 10 reps, 3kg medicine ball
Cable Woodchop - 8 reps per side weight was 20 kg
Rest 60 seconds repeat 4 times
I followed that with a modified Tabata Protocol 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds rest for 5 minutes.
Exercises - Cycled between front squat (40 kg), back squat (40kg) and push ups.
This is a very challenging protocol and was great fun!
Keep training hard
Paul
Today's workout was a conditioning workout with a focus on core strength.
Circuit
Gymnastics L Sit - Max Hold (around 15 seconds, these are hard!)
Handstand Push Ups - 5 reps
Hanging Leg Raises - 8 Reps
Medicine Ball Jump Lunge with Twist - 10 reps, 3kg medicine ball
Cable Woodchop - 8 reps per side weight was 20 kg
Rest 60 seconds repeat 4 times
I followed that with a modified Tabata Protocol 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds rest for 5 minutes.
Exercises - Cycled between front squat (40 kg), back squat (40kg) and push ups.
This is a very challenging protocol and was great fun!
Keep training hard
Paul
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Training 06.02.09
Hello,
Today's workout was a simple slow and steady cardio training session on the cross trainer. Many people (including myself) have written off cardio training in the past. There are many arguments against cardio training such as it burns muscle, increases cortisol, leads to the conversion of intermmediate twitch muscle fibres to type I endurance fibres and causes muscle imbalance syndromes due to the repetitive motion.. Another reason I have heard and I have personally used is that we are not designed to do cardio from an evolutionary perspective. We were designed to throw the rock at the rabbit, not chase it.
I believe that in the fitness industry there is a tendency to over react to any new idea or concept. It either gets hailed as the greatest revolution in training (unstable training) or a total waste of time (the ab roller and thigh blaster). What we need to do is come back to the middle and understand that there is a place for everything. An example of this is a number of strength coaches refuse to use the swiss ball for conditioning labelling it as a 'wimpy' tool. Yet as they say that there are 100's of trainers who are successfully using the swiss ball to train athletes and clients to new levels of excellence.
My personal reasons for aerobic training are three fold:
1. Promote recovery: Aerobic exercise is known for increasing blood flow. ANY exercise promotes blood flow. Increased blood flow facilitates the removal of metabolic waste products and can also improve insulin sensitivity. As I performed a leg session yesterday, I wanted to help my legs recover.
2. Improve heart and lung health: These are important! If they stop working you will be pushing up daisies in no time. Cardio can be damaging to both these vital organs when you push too hard. When I perform cardio I limit my respiration to NASAL BREATHING ONLY and do not deviate. If I cannot maintain nasal breathing I slow down. I have talked about the importance of nasal breathing in other posts and I and sure i will do it again. The key thing to remember is that nasal breathing will prevent over activation of the sympathetic nervous system and will hence negate the release of excessive amounts of cortisol.
3. Relaxation: This type of training is easy on the brain, it allows you to zone out and relax. Considering I am lecturing for 16 days straight in two weeks and have to go over every manual and am in the process of writing 5 more manuals and 2 books it is nice to relax your brain every now and then!
Training Session
25 minutes cardio on cross trainer - nasal breathing intensity ( I did not record the calories burnt; it does not worry me at all and the measurements are totally inaccurate)
Finished with slow wave stretching - a system of stretching that integrates the stretch with the breath for greater range of motion and nervous system synchronisation. See the book Stretch to Win for more information,
Paul
Today's workout was a simple slow and steady cardio training session on the cross trainer. Many people (including myself) have written off cardio training in the past. There are many arguments against cardio training such as it burns muscle, increases cortisol, leads to the conversion of intermmediate twitch muscle fibres to type I endurance fibres and causes muscle imbalance syndromes due to the repetitive motion.. Another reason I have heard and I have personally used is that we are not designed to do cardio from an evolutionary perspective. We were designed to throw the rock at the rabbit, not chase it.
I believe that in the fitness industry there is a tendency to over react to any new idea or concept. It either gets hailed as the greatest revolution in training (unstable training) or a total waste of time (the ab roller and thigh blaster). What we need to do is come back to the middle and understand that there is a place for everything. An example of this is a number of strength coaches refuse to use the swiss ball for conditioning labelling it as a 'wimpy' tool. Yet as they say that there are 100's of trainers who are successfully using the swiss ball to train athletes and clients to new levels of excellence.
My personal reasons for aerobic training are three fold:
1. Promote recovery: Aerobic exercise is known for increasing blood flow. ANY exercise promotes blood flow. Increased blood flow facilitates the removal of metabolic waste products and can also improve insulin sensitivity. As I performed a leg session yesterday, I wanted to help my legs recover.
2. Improve heart and lung health: These are important! If they stop working you will be pushing up daisies in no time. Cardio can be damaging to both these vital organs when you push too hard. When I perform cardio I limit my respiration to NASAL BREATHING ONLY and do not deviate. If I cannot maintain nasal breathing I slow down. I have talked about the importance of nasal breathing in other posts and I and sure i will do it again. The key thing to remember is that nasal breathing will prevent over activation of the sympathetic nervous system and will hence negate the release of excessive amounts of cortisol.
3. Relaxation: This type of training is easy on the brain, it allows you to zone out and relax. Considering I am lecturing for 16 days straight in two weeks and have to go over every manual and am in the process of writing 5 more manuals and 2 books it is nice to relax your brain every now and then!
Training Session
25 minutes cardio on cross trainer - nasal breathing intensity ( I did not record the calories burnt; it does not worry me at all and the measurements are totally inaccurate)
Finished with slow wave stretching - a system of stretching that integrates the stretch with the breath for greater range of motion and nervous system synchronisation. See the book Stretch to Win for more information,
Paul
Today's Workout
Hey Everyone
From now on I will be posting my workouts. This is so you guys can have an idea of what I am doing and make sure I'm not slacking! I'm also notoriously bad at recording my own training so this should help nicely. Each month I will also outline my goals fot the month and some of my ideas for why I am doing the exercises I am doing. It always helps to understand the rationale behind a training system because quite often, there is no rational at all!
At the moment I am focusing on gymnastics style training. I personally believe bodyweight training is the best form of training and gymnasts are the perfect example of the physical potential of the human body. My current goal for this month is to familiarize myself with the basic moves and improve my single leg conditioning with pistol squats. Throughout the year I will be aiming to improve my current PB's some of which are:
Back Squat: 180kg
Front Squat: 130kg
Dead Lift: 160kg
Dip: BW + 50kg
Chin Up: BW + 25kg
One Arm Push Up: BW + 40kg
Pistol Squat: BW + 45kg
Barbell Push Press: 85kg
I like this list as it shows a good balance of bodyweight skills, a balance between pushing and pulling exercises and some great leg exercises. What it does reveal to me however is that I need to get stronger in the posterior chain. My front squat should be around 153kg to match my back squat and show strength balance in the legs and torso. I also need to improve my pull up and rowing strength to match my pushing strength and help improve shoulder stability. You will also notice their is no bench press on the list. For the record, I do not perform bench presses as a maximal lift. I much prefer Dumbbell Presses as they are healthier for most peoples shoulders.
Todays program focused on bodyweight leg exercises with some supplemental isometric gymnastic holds and some front squats and step ups. The front squats and step ups were performed with a fairly easy weight (60kgs) with the focus on honing the technique and getting better depth. I truly believe you can never refine your technique enough on certain lifts and every improvement you make will eventually lead to more weight on the bar and better performance.
Exercises
A1. L Pistol Squat - 5 reps x 5 sets
A2. Back Lever Support Hang - 5 sets of 15 second holds
A3. Handstands - Held for max tim
B1. Glute Ham Raise - 5 reps x 5 sets 60 secs rest
C1. Front Squat 5 x 5 60 kgs
C2. Bench Step Up 5 x 5 60kgs
I began the workout with foam rolling and a series of dynamic mobility drills and will stretch tonight.
Soon I will write about my health goal for February and how I am planning to achieve it.
Until next time
Paul
From now on I will be posting my workouts. This is so you guys can have an idea of what I am doing and make sure I'm not slacking! I'm also notoriously bad at recording my own training so this should help nicely. Each month I will also outline my goals fot the month and some of my ideas for why I am doing the exercises I am doing. It always helps to understand the rationale behind a training system because quite often, there is no rational at all!
At the moment I am focusing on gymnastics style training. I personally believe bodyweight training is the best form of training and gymnasts are the perfect example of the physical potential of the human body. My current goal for this month is to familiarize myself with the basic moves and improve my single leg conditioning with pistol squats. Throughout the year I will be aiming to improve my current PB's some of which are:
Back Squat: 180kg
Front Squat: 130kg
Dead Lift: 160kg
Dip: BW + 50kg
Chin Up: BW + 25kg
One Arm Push Up: BW + 40kg
Pistol Squat: BW + 45kg
Barbell Push Press: 85kg
I like this list as it shows a good balance of bodyweight skills, a balance between pushing and pulling exercises and some great leg exercises. What it does reveal to me however is that I need to get stronger in the posterior chain. My front squat should be around 153kg to match my back squat and show strength balance in the legs and torso. I also need to improve my pull up and rowing strength to match my pushing strength and help improve shoulder stability. You will also notice their is no bench press on the list. For the record, I do not perform bench presses as a maximal lift. I much prefer Dumbbell Presses as they are healthier for most peoples shoulders.
Todays program focused on bodyweight leg exercises with some supplemental isometric gymnastic holds and some front squats and step ups. The front squats and step ups were performed with a fairly easy weight (60kgs) with the focus on honing the technique and getting better depth. I truly believe you can never refine your technique enough on certain lifts and every improvement you make will eventually lead to more weight on the bar and better performance.
Exercises
A1. L Pistol Squat - 5 reps x 5 sets
A2. Back Lever Support Hang - 5 sets of 15 second holds
A3. Handstands - Held for max tim
B1. Glute Ham Raise - 5 reps x 5 sets 60 secs rest
C1. Front Squat 5 x 5 60 kgs
C2. Bench Step Up 5 x 5 60kgs
I began the workout with foam rolling and a series of dynamic mobility drills and will stretch tonight.
Soon I will write about my health goal for February and how I am planning to achieve it.
Until next time
Paul
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