Have been feeling much more energetic over the last month or so. Training has been more consistent and I am enjoying the powerlifting focus.
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6 March 2009
16 January 2009
Powerlifting beckons...
I'm going to start gearing my training toward strength gains.
This is because I'm going to enter a Virtual Meet competition at some point this year. Not sure when yet, depends on how the training goes.
First ever session of multiple singles tonight (deadlift)...
Just realised that this kind of negates much of my first post of 2009... never mind... let's see if I can stick to it.
This is because I'm going to enter a Virtual Meet competition at some point this year. Not sure when yet, depends on how the training goes.
First ever session of multiple singles tonight (deadlift)...
Just realised that this kind of negates much of my first post of 2009... never mind... let's see if I can stick to it.
9 January 2009
Box squats on the horizon...
Due to a combination of gym closure and the tiredness of returning to work after Christmas, I have still not begun training for 2009. Not good...
The good news, however, is that I have decided to try box squats. Today I purchased 3.6m (nearly 12 feet) of 2x4 wood and a bag of nails. I intend to construct my own box.
Watch this space...
The good news, however, is that I have decided to try box squats. Today I purchased 3.6m (nearly 12 feet) of 2x4 wood and a bag of nails. I intend to construct my own box.
Watch this space...
2 January 2009
2009
After suffering with a virus for most of November and December, I have been resting for the last couple of weeks, and am planning my return to the weights for Saturday 3 January with a series of break-in workouts.
I am going to continue with my classic full-body workout, every four days, but with the addition of a set of pull-ups.
I am also going to persevere with the double progression method, whereby weight is only increased once a set rep range is satisfactorily completed. For instance, if an exercise calls for 50kg to be used across a range of 5 to 10 reps, the first workout will be 50 x 5, increasing by a rep each time until 50 x 10 is achieved. The next workout will then be 52.5 x 5.
Two training goals for 2009:
1. Consistently maintain an element of cardiovascular exercise in my routine to improve conditioning and fitness, control fat buildup and assist general recovery. Run every four days.
2. Continue to prioritise the overhead press as the main upper body exercise in my routine.
I am going to continue with my classic full-body workout, every four days, but with the addition of a set of pull-ups.
I am also going to persevere with the double progression method, whereby weight is only increased once a set rep range is satisfactorily completed. For instance, if an exercise calls for 50kg to be used across a range of 5 to 10 reps, the first workout will be 50 x 5, increasing by a rep each time until 50 x 10 is achieved. The next workout will then be 52.5 x 5.
Two training goals for 2009:
1. Consistently maintain an element of cardiovascular exercise in my routine to improve conditioning and fitness, control fat buildup and assist general recovery. Run every four days.
2. Continue to prioritise the overhead press as the main upper body exercise in my routine.
4 November 2008
Night time, garden, workout
Could not face going to the gym tonight, so went into my wet, grassy garden and did continuous deadlifts, power cleans, shrugs, rows and a few other exercises until I could not move.
13 October 2008
Training rejig
Have rearranged my training a bit. After trying to repeat the same cycle as detailed below, but not really making good gains (mainly down to poor diet and stress), I decided to change things up.
Three main changes. For a start I am going to give 20 rep squats a rest. Secondly, I am going to prioritse gains in the regular deadlift for this cycle. Thirdly, I am going to prioritise the overhead press over the bench press.
Stuart McRobert writes that your overhead press should be around 66 per cent of your bench (for the same cadence and rep range). With that in mind, my overhead press is currently around 59 per cent of my bench. I'm hoping that this will impact my bench positively.
Further changes: I am going to use the EZ bar for bentover rows, instead of a straight bar, and not use a fixed rep target each time but a range. Some refer to this as double progression. I am introducing this to add a further level of conservatism to my training, hopefully aiding regular incremental gains.
I did the first workout yesterday and it went well. I was particularly pleased with how much better the EZ bar seemed for bentover rows. I got a much better grip on the bar and a fuller range of motion at the top of the movement.
In other news, I have begun using chalk and am already pleased with its advantages.
Three main changes. For a start I am going to give 20 rep squats a rest. Secondly, I am going to prioritse gains in the regular deadlift for this cycle. Thirdly, I am going to prioritise the overhead press over the bench press.
Stuart McRobert writes that your overhead press should be around 66 per cent of your bench (for the same cadence and rep range). With that in mind, my overhead press is currently around 59 per cent of my bench. I'm hoping that this will impact my bench positively.
Further changes: I am going to use the EZ bar for bentover rows, instead of a straight bar, and not use a fixed rep target each time but a range. Some refer to this as double progression. I am introducing this to add a further level of conservatism to my training, hopefully aiding regular incremental gains.
I did the first workout yesterday and it went well. I was particularly pleased with how much better the EZ bar seemed for bentover rows. I got a much better grip on the bar and a fuller range of motion at the top of the movement.
In other news, I have begun using chalk and am already pleased with its advantages.
21 September 2008
Exercise form - control
For me, proper form when performing difficult work sets is all about control. If you are not in control of the weight, how can you train with it in a productive manner? When I say control I mean not shaking to balance the weight, not lifting it unevenly or too speedily. Not letting it crash down in between reps. Lifting the weight smoothly and in a measured fashion. Lifting it strictly, respectfully, aesthetically. To the onlooker, movement should look precise and deliberate. Please do not take this to mean that the load must not be taxing: quite the opposite.
The challenge does not solely lie in lifting the weight. Not simply getting it from start to finish. It is the way that the weight is lifted. It must be dominated. Not in a reckless fashion, thrown up and down, but with the same care that a craftsman uses a tool. This is where the difficulty lies. It takes a great deal of focus and effort to lift a weight that is heavy in this way for a handful of work reps in the bench press, or complete a set of 20 rep squats. Just like the swan analogy: it may appear close to effortless, but actually the lifter is straining to ensure that the correct form is maintained in the lift.
This level of control requires total focus and enough proficiency in the correct performance of the exercise so that weight follows the correct path almost automatically. Stuart McRobert talks of the pause test, where a lifter should be able to stop at any point and hold the weight briefly and then continue. He advocates this as a test of form and control.
The challenge does not solely lie in lifting the weight. Not simply getting it from start to finish. It is the way that the weight is lifted. It must be dominated. Not in a reckless fashion, thrown up and down, but with the same care that a craftsman uses a tool. This is where the difficulty lies. It takes a great deal of focus and effort to lift a weight that is heavy in this way for a handful of work reps in the bench press, or complete a set of 20 rep squats. Just like the swan analogy: it may appear close to effortless, but actually the lifter is straining to ensure that the correct form is maintained in the lift.
This level of control requires total focus and enough proficiency in the correct performance of the exercise so that weight follows the correct path almost automatically. Stuart McRobert talks of the pause test, where a lifter should be able to stop at any point and hold the weight briefly and then continue. He advocates this as a test of form and control.
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