SociallyChallenged Workout Journal

[spamsk8r]

I have the same problem with anything the uses my lower back. I can deadlift 395, but my back fatigues after 10 95lb. power cleans, or an 800m run. It just instantly fatigues. That's why the randomness of Crossfit (or CF-style) metcons are a good thing, as they make sure to hit you from all angles.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Yesterday's workout:

Clean and Jerk
3x5xbar
Snatch
3x5xbar

30 min on elliptical

Almost every part of me was a bit too sore to do any real workout - my legs were boned, my traps were dead, my hands were blistery. I figured I should just make it a skill and light cardio day. I practiced my o-lifts and the form was looking alright on them toward the end. I still have quite an inflexibility when catching the bar overhead. Seems I gotta work on my overhead squats.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Today's workout:

Power/Strength

Sumo Deadlift:
10x135
6x185
5x225
3x5x245

Metcon

Half Cindy:
AMRAP in 10 minutes of:
5 Pullups
10 Pushups
15 Squats

Rounds: 9 full rounds

Skill work

Stretching and cooldown today

I was going to do Fran today as my metcon, but my shoulders aren't ready for thrusters, especially with my glutes being so sore. I don't even know what they're sore from, but I've got no explosiveness because of it. Today was a good day for sumo DLs though. My groin and glutes are loosening up and 245 is the highest I've done for them. My form felt great and I was able to maintain a nice flat back the whole time. Methinks sumo DLs are my new DL.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I've been working out, but have been too busy to write everything down. I did heavy front squats (3x5x205) with half angie (13:17) Saturday and heavy deadlifts (2x5x255) with 5 min of 20 burpees, 10 front squats at 95 pounds (was running late, but thought something was better than nothing - got two full rounds). I'll be heading home this weekend so hopefully I'll just do some body weight stuff and some normal cardio.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Hm, when finals come around, I seem to just flat out forget about this journal. I went for a nice jog the other day and seemed to have messed up my foot. It has me out of commission for a lot of stuff, but I'll work on my body weight strength in the mean time. Things always get messed up around Christmas break since I have nowhere to lift. Oh well. I will figure something out. I may try to train body weight and cardio/metcon stuff while I'm home to prep me for the new quarter.

In other news, I've read some research and some articles on how cycling a lifting program's reps every few weeks while on a 10-12 week training course can actually increase gains. Research actually showed that individuals who did three major movements starting with 10 rep sets for three weeks, then moving to 5 rep sets for three weeks, and finally moving to 3 rep sets for three weeks (all while varying volume on lifting days) showed dramatic improvement in all individuals on that program, compared to those on a linear program. I have to research it more, but I may very well build my own program from this. I've been getting very disappointed at my performance since I came back from summer, but after reading some literature, I feel I'm ready to come back on a program with consistent gains. After my foot is better, I'll look for constant progress. Until then, the name of the game is rehab.

 

[brikis98]

In other news, I've read some research and some articles on how cycling a lifting program's reps every few weeks while on a 10-12 week training course can actually increase gains. Research actually showed that individuals who did three major movements starting with 10 rep sets for three weeks, then moving to 5 rep sets for three weeks, and finally moving to 3 rep sets for three weeks (all while varying volume on lifting days) showed dramatic improvement in all individuals on that program, compared to those on a linear program.

What did they show "dramatic improvement" in? How much they were lifting? Hypertrophy? And what were the "linear program" people doing? Sets of 10 the entire time? Were all the subjects beginners to weight training?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

What did they show "dramatic improvement" in? How much they were lifting? Hypertrophy? And what were the "linear program" people doing? Sets of 10 the entire time? Were all the subjects beginners to weight training?

They showed improvement in power (vertical jump) and strength (1RMs in bench and squat). I'm looking for the research articles explaining the particulars of "how much." It's hard to quantify a group in that sort of question though. Each individual was told to challenge their bodies as any normal person would. Those who were on the "standard" program did 3 sets of 6 of three exercises (squat, bench, and one other). All groups progressively increased weight as any other linear program. The subjects were chosen randomly, like any experiment, and I do believe they were all beginners. If you'd like, you can google "the cyclic method" and search for articles/books by Dr. Michael Stone and Dr. Harold O'Bryant. Michael Stone is an Olympic coach and Harold O'Bryant is a researcher, specializing in weightlifting, track and field, gymnastics, etc.

 

[brikis98]

Those who were on the "standard" program did 3 sets of 6 of three exercises (squat, bench, and one other).

It's a shame that they didn't have multiple "control" groups for each rep range: one group doing sets of 3, one doing sets of 5 and one doing sets of 10. That way, it would be clear if the improvements came from cycling many different ranges of reps or if some rep range in particular produces the best gains in power/strength. In particular, this chart from Rippetoe's Practical Programming suggests that sets of 3 are typically better for maximizing strength/power than sets of 6 or 10, which makes me question the study's results a bit. Still, forcing the body to constantly adapt makes a lot of sense. Most gym goers anecdotally find that "changing things up" works well and I suspect the huge variety of volumes/intensities/reps/sets used in Crossfit is a key part of its effectiveness.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

It's a shame that they didn't have multiple "control" groups for each rep range: one group doing sets of 3, one doing sets of 5 and one doing sets of 10. That way, it would be clear if the improvements came from cycling many different ranges of reps or if some rep range in particular produces the best gains in power/strength. In particular, this chart from Rippetoe's Practical Programming suggests that sets of 3 are typically better for maximizing strength/power than sets of 6 or 10, which makes me question the study's results a bit. Still, forcing the body to constantly adapt makes a lot of sense. Most gym goers anecdotally find that "changing things up" works well and I suspect the huge variety of volumes/intensities/reps/sets used in Crossfit is a key part of its effectiveness.

I imagine it's out there somewhere. I will try to look for it, but it's sad that the research articles are so out of reach of the average public. If they're all on a three set program, it shows that, even if on the maximized set number, improvements can occur through varying volume. Stone calls the first three weeks strength-endurance or preparation, the second three weeks basic strength, and the last three weeks power. As an Olympic coach, he has a lot of experience peaking athletes with these sorts of cycles. I've always been interested why peaking is possible or necessary, but now I'm starting to get some answers. I'm not sure if Stone is a fan of having a heavy, medium, and light workout throughout the week, but many other conditioning coaches are. That varying volume, on top of varying total volume and intensity every few weeks, is what I imagine elicits these responses.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Wow, forgot about this thread while I was trying to get back into the swing of things. I got myself on a cyclic program. The program entails 3 weeks of 3x10, 4 weeks of 3x5, and 3 weeks at 3x3. Each week has a heavy, medium, and light day. I'm doing this because I've read a ton of research on cyclic programs and progress is incredibly fast compared to linear programs.

The first three weeks is for general preparation. It's smart because it gives the body time to adapt by strengthening ligaments and tendons before getting into the heavier weights. Along with that, it gives me a solid strength base and pain tolerance to continue from.

The next seven weeks is straight strength-training with variation of volume and intensity. Especially if I'm looking to compete in an event, a program like this will actually allow me to peak directly beforehand or at the actual event.

I'm going to be starting lighter than I would normally on all upper body movements to see if I can increase proprioception, general strength, flexibility, etc in my shoulders. As I look at the numbers on paper, they seem pretty dinky, but I know when to check my ego and do what's best. I figure that if I'm able to continually increase my 1RM by 10 pounds each week, I'll be back to a place that I can seriously build from. I'm excited about this program and the first week went really well. It'll take me more time to get used to 10 reps, but by Saturday, I was handling the volume no problem.

Oh, I'll also be calculating some values: volume (reps), load (total weight lifted), and intensity (pound per rep). These are good ways to measure the variance of my lifting schedule between heavy, medium, and light days and my progress. I know that, since I'm not limiting myself to three total movements, my values will be a bit hard to understand since load for bench will be very different than that for shoulder press. It'll be difficult to compare within a week, but across weeks, I feel it'll provide some valid info. I look forward to puttin' some numbers down and letting you guys know how the program goes. Thanks for reading.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Tuesday's Workout (1/12/10) - Heavy:
Back Squat
10x45
10x135
8x155
5x175
5x195
3x10x195

Shoulder Press
10x45
8x65
5x75
3x10x75

DB Rows
3x10x25's (was already "warm" and running out of sufficient time)

I didn't realize 10 reps would be so painful for the first time. I had to take "breaks" at rep 4 and 7 and, although the weight didn't feel that heavy, by rep 9 I was regretting my decision to go higher rep for three weeks, haha. It's all for the greater good though.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Thursday's Workout (1/14/10) - Light
Front Squat
10x45
8x95
5x115
5x130
3x10x130

Bench
10x45
10x65
8x85
5x100
3x10x100

Lat Pulldowns (for variation of weight)
10x90
8x110
5x130
3x8x130

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Saturday's Workout (1/16/10) - Medium
Back Squat
10x45
10x135
8x155
5x175
10x175
2x10x180

Shoulder Press
10x45
8x65
5x70
3x10x70

DB Rows
10x25's
3x10x30's

 

[brikis98]

Interesting routine that sounds a little like Wendler's 5-3-1. Keep us updated with how it goes.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

After my heart murmur was found harmless, I got sick from all the stress it caused me. I'll jump back on this program next Tuesday. Until then, I'm rehabbing my Achilles that's still bugging me. I'm gonna do some ring work and biking in my normal day though. I'll update with specifics when I get there.

 

[zebano]

A Heart Murmur is a scary thing, glad to hear you're ok. How have you been rehabbing your Achilles? I have a similar problem and just backing off of running has helped a lot but hasn't completely healed it.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Tues 2/16/10 Workout - Heavy

Back Squat
10x45
8x135
5x165
5x190
3x10x190

Bench Press (Still in rehab phase)
10x45
5x95
5x115
3x10x115

L-Pullups (later in the day)
3x8xBW

I also played around with some front level, pike, and back level stretches. Did strict form with the L-pullups.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Today's Workout - Light

Front Squat
10x45
8x75
5x95
5x125
3x10x125

Military Press/Push Press
10x45 (MP)
8x65 (MP)
5x85 (MP)
10x85 (MP)
2x5(MP)+5(PP)x85

Pullups
3x8xBW

I also played with L-sits and other core strength stuff. I need to work on my shoulders' endurance so I wanted to stress them to adapt. I figured fatiguing them (although not typically optimal for strength gain) would help condition pathways that have been unused for a while. It was also nice to work on opening my hips explosively. Still, it was only 85 pounds. I'm glad to be back in the gym though and will continue to strive toward proress. I've also done some cardio the past few days (fairly intense bike riding). I'll start recording time/distance and include it in workout summaries.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Yesterday's Workout - Medium

Back Squat
10x45
8x95
5x135
5x155
5x175
3x10x175

Bench Press
10x45
8x95
5x105
3x10x105

(Starting light to prevent shoulder injury. Should still gain quite a bit on my bench by the end of the program)

Lat Pulldowns (to scale pullups for now)
10x70
8x90
5x110
5x130
3x10x130

(This machine is actually heavier than it says. I was having trouble getting it down with my body weight alone and I weighed in at 154 yesterday.)

I'm just glad to be back in the gym doin' my thing. The numbers aren't very impressive now, but I respond well to consistent lifting. I'll get my 1RM squat back up to 330 at least by the end. I'm trying to up the weight 15 pounds each week on my squat (or deadlift, which I'll start this week), 10 pounds on all my other lifts. I'm also working on my cardio so I'll probably be posting some times for things like mile repeats, leisurely 5k, etc.

 

[MotF Bane]

After my heart murmur was found harmless,

I just looked in here, wondering what you were doing for a routine after your thread about the heart problem. Glad to hear it turned out to not be a problem.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I just looked in here, wondering what you were doing for a routine after your thread about the heart problem. Glad to hear it turned out to not be a problem.

Yeah, it actually was a concentric hypertrophy in response to lifting - perfectly healthy. The contraction just creates some turbulent flow. I'm not sure if I'd have it if I weren't active. It's a clean bill of health though and I'm not taking it for granted

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Today's Workout - Heavy

Front Squat
10x45
5x95
5x135
5x150
10x150
2x10x155

Good Mornings
10x45
10x65

Military Press
10x45
5x75
5x85
5x90
9(MP) + 1(PP)x90
10(PP)x90

DB Rows
10x20
5x32.5
5x40
3x10x40

I also worked on some shoulder rehab exercises. My hamstring flexibility hasn't been great as of late so I added the good mornings. They helped a ton. I think I'll include them twice a week for that reason. I'm feeling pretty good lately. I look forward to actually putting weight on the bar during the 3x5 and 3x3 sessions

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I ran for 30 minutes today. I meant to only go out for a 15 min run, but didn't realize the road I was on took so long to whip around. My achilles is tender, but I've taken some ibuprofen and will be sure to baby it with some ice and elevation tomorrow.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Today's Workout - Light

Back Squat
10x45
5x135
5x165
3x10x165

Bench
10x45
8x75
5x95
3x10x95

Chinup Stage-Isometrics
3x3

L-sits
Set 1: 35s
Set 2: 25s

Handstand
I did 5-6 holds of a free-standing handstand near a wall. My third one was quite good - tight core, toes pointed. I had a good straight line going. I think I'll work on these whenever my shoulders feel good enough to do so. It only took 5ish extra minutes.

The chinup isometrics are as follows: pull yourself up to a high position, hold for 5 seconds, lower yourself to a 90 degree angle in the biceps, hold for 5 seconds, lower yourself to about a 150 degree angle, hold for 5 seconds. I'm doing these as part of a way to mix up my routine and work on some different strengths. These are suggested as part of a program for the one-armed chinups. In working on my L-sits, they've gotten dramatically better in a short time. Once I hit a one-minute L-sit, I'll start doing more L-pullups or work on something else (maybe the handstand or back lever).

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Yesterday's Workout
5 round of 1 min on, 2 min "off"
Round 1: 2 min 8mph on level 4 grade (was figuring out if the treadmill program was alright - it wasn't)
Round 2: 10mph (break 5.0mph)
Round 3: 10.5mph (break 5.0, then 3.5mph)
Round 4: 11mph (break 3.0mph)
Round 5: 11.5mph (cool down)

I did this as a quick workout to get some good conditioning in before my girlfriend and I went out. It took me about 20 minutes and I felt pretty good. I didn't have any trouble completing the rounds. Oh, also, I ran in my socks since I'm sick of running with shoes on. It was refreshing.