New Equipment

The Delivery man has been busy the last few days.

Firstly I got 77.5kg of plates and today my order from Dave.

Wheel converters

And two t-bar collars

They're really nice. Well constructed and built to last. Looking forward to getting out and putting them to good use now.

Alan

Tabata Protocol

So, back in 1996, Dr. Izumi Tabata performed a study in which 2 sets of athletes followed 2 different sets of exercise protocols. Group one performed steady state cardio 5 times per week and group 2 performed 4 mins of intervals and 1 steady state per week. Group 1 finished with a higher average Vo2 Max but Group 2 started lower and gained more overall. The interval protocol that group 2 followed consisted of 8 rounds of 20 seconds of exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. You know the story by now. You should also know that if something sounds too good to be true then it probably is, especially in this case. What most people fail to point out is that the 20 seconds of exercise is performed at 170% of Vo2 Max!!

In Tabata's study, the Vo2 Max was determined by having an athlete exercise while measuring his oxygen uptake and gradually increasing the exercise intensity until the athlete’s oxygen uptake no longer continued to rise. This was considered 100% of their Vo2 Max and it is often associated with complete exhaustion and/or vomiting. The 20 seconds of exercise was then performed at an intensity level 70% above this.

Tabata protocol = MAX effort. You physically cannot achieve this level of intensity with push-ups, star jumps or skipping. You definitely cannot perform 2 sets of Tabatas one after another with different exercises.

Please keep this in mind when referring to interval training. I know I will in future.

Happy Halloween

Alan

11 - 23 October

Monday

Floor Press 4 x 12
Bench Dips 2 x 8
Superset
DB Floor Press 3 x 12
Flys 3 x 12
Superset

Db Shrugs 3 x 6 & Drop Set 1 x 20


Tuesday

Clean 8/6/4
OH Press 8/6/4
Front Squat 8/6/4


Thursday

Inc DB Bench Press 3 x 12 & Drop Set 1 x12
Pullover 3 x 8
Flys 3 x 12

DB Shrugs 3 x 5 & 1 x 12 & 1 x 20


Friday

Dead Lift 5 x 5
Pull ups 5 x 5

____________________________________

Monday

Db Bench Press 4 x 12
Bench Dips 2 x 8
Superset
DB Floor Press 3 x 12
Flys 3 x 12
Superset

Db Shrugs 3 x 6 & Drop Set 1 x 20


Tuesday

Clean 8/6/4
OH Press 5/5/5
Front Squat 12/12/12

Leg Raises 4 x 12

Alternating Jammer Pushes 4 x 12


Thursday

Inc DB Bench Press 3 x 12 & Drop Set 1 x12
Pullover 3 x 12
Flys 3 x 12

DB Shrugs 3 x 5 & 1 x 12 & 1 x 20


Saturday

Dead Lift 5 x 5
Pull ups 3 x 5

The reality of it has been a bit different due to the tools available.

Shrugs have consisted of 4 x 6 heavy and repping out with a drop set on the last

Front squat has been the same weight as the OH Press with high reps

Dips have been bench dips :(

I've added in some skipping this week as a warm-up and then with a tabata protocol after the strength work. Skipping is way better than running :)

Alan

Core Work

A number of people recently have asked me about core work and what they should be doing. Core work has got a lot of press in the last while and there is a lot of misinformation out there about it so I've decided to write this to clear up a few issues.

First, lets define what we're talking about. I will define the core as all the muscles of the torso and mid-section. This includes all the abdominal muscles, the lower back muscles, the gluteal and hamstring* muscles and the hip rotators.

*The hamstrings are included as they work in unison with the glutes to flex the pelvis.

Now, next lets look at what the torso actually does during exercise. Simply put, the torso links upper body strength and lower body strength. It does this in four ways:

• Rotation
• Lateral Flexion
• Felxion
• Stabilization

and stabilization can be broken down to:

• anti-rotation
• anti-lateral flexion
• anti flexion

basically, the opposite of the other function of the torso.

How best to train the torso? This is where it gets somewhat sports specific. For example, a hockey player, who spends a good deal of time with the torso in a flexed position, should allocate more time to anti flexion work than a say a baseball batsman.

Once you decide which areas your specific sport uses more frequently, then you should allocate more torso training time to that area.

So which exercises work best?

• If your sport involves a lot of rotation then medicine ball work should definitely be looked at.
• Wood chopper exercises should be included in any program to develop anti rotation and anti lateral flexion.
• Planks, bridges and plank progressions should be included to cover basic stability.

Torso work can be done in isolation but small changes to your current workout can help work the required areas. E.g.

• performing a unilateral exercise instead of bilateral
• heavy front squats
• performing upper body exercises on one leg
• performing suitcase dead-lifts instead of normal dead-lifts

When to perform torso training exercise?

Traditionally torso exercises, namely sit-ups and crunches, have been performed at the end of a workout. I believe that proper torso training should be performed after plyo work but before any strength work in any workout.

I hope this helps. If you want any more specific information about your own program or your sport please feel free to contact me.

4-9 October 2010

Here's how this week looked.

Monday

Floor Press 4 x 12
Bench Dips 2 x 8
Superset
DB Floor Press 3 x 12
Flys 3 x 12
Superset

Db Shrugs 4 x 12


Tuesday

Clean 8/6/4
OH Press 8/6/4
Front Squat 8/6/4


Thursday

DB Press 3 x 12
Pullover 3 x 8
Flys 3 x 12

DB Shrugs 3 x 5
1 x 25


Friday

Dead Lift 5 x 5
Pull ups 5 x 5


Heavy Deads on Friday nearly killed me :)
I'll loot at adding 1/2 kettlebell sessions in during the coming weeks.

Off Season

I was asked to write an article for the IFDA newsletter on off season training and injury prevention. I've decided to share it with you here too. Its non specific and doesn't go into too much detail but I feel it gets the message across. Comments greatly appreciated.

____________________________________________________________________

Off Season: a time of year when a particular activity, typically a sport, is not engaged in and as such can be broken down into the following areas:

Complete downtime. This is where no ultimate is played, where the other activities you’ve put aside to play Ultimate can be undertaken and the body can take a well earned break after a hard season. The length of this complete down time is up to the individual but I’d recommend anywhere from two to eight weeks. The benefits of complete downtime are huge. You get to show people you have a life outside Ultimate, your body is allowed time to repair those little niggles (you get a few weeks without ibuprofen) and best of all you’ll end up missing playing Ultimate.

Off Season. This is a great chance to prepare for the coming season. It’s a great time to keep ticking over with 1 or 2 skill/tactical based training sessions per week with the rest of the time spent on the following areas

• Strength Training. The benefits of an increase in strength are twofold: Being a stronger athlete allows you be a more powerful athlete; the energy demands of the top game can mean the body uses muscle tissue as fuel. This atrophy can lead to injury unless the muscle mass is large enough to sustain it.
• Functional Training. Developing proper athletic movement patterns is a great way to avoid potential injury.
• Rehab/Prehab. Whether it’s the tight hammy that needs to be looked at or the glute that has a tendency to go at vital times, now is the time to fix it (rehab) or to ensure it stays fixed (Prehab).
• Flexibility and Mobility. The off season is the perfect time to increase your flexibility and range of motion. An increase in both of these areas will not only help you recover quicker from training it will reduce the risk of picking up an injury.

Pre Season. This is where the fun starts. Conditioning, movement patterns and skills can all be trained hard in pre season with a solid off season base behind you. Lashing into pre season without a solid base is an injury waiting to happen.

Some Dos and Don’ts for off season training.

• Do get into a gym and increase your strength
• Do train like an athlete – get advice from a good gym instructor
• Do train your weaknesses harder than your strengths
• Do Stretch after every session
• Do increase ROM before each session

• Don’t train like a body builder – focus on movements not the gun show
• Don’t run (you’ll run enough during practice) – not even for warm-ups
• Don’t rely on other forms of fitness to carry over to Ultimate e.g. the best swimmers do not make the best runners and visa versa.

Example Timeline (2010/2011)

This is only an example but I believe there are 26 weeks between October and March (inc)

Hypertrophy Program

A few things have changed since I started my 6 week program:

The weather has changed
I've got a job
My long term goal has a date

Because of this I've decided to spend the next 8 weeks putting on some muscle. To do this I'm going to cut my conditioning work to 1/2 sessions per week.

Here's what the next 8 weeks workouts look like on paper.

Day 1.
Bench Press 4 x 8-12
Dips 2 x 8

Db Bench Press|

| Superset 3 x 12

Flys |

Db Shrugs 4 x 12

Prone Incline Shrug 3 x 8

Day 2.

Power Clean x 8/6/4

OH Press x 8/6/4

Front Squat x 8/6/4

Face Pulls 3 x 15

Leg Raises 4 x 12

Day 3.

Inclined DB Press 3 x 12

Pullover 3 x 12

Flys 3 x 12

BB Shrugs 4 x 12

Upright Row 3 x 8

Day 4.

Dead lift 5 x 5

Pull ups 5 x 5

Face Pulls 3 x 15

Leg Raises 4 x 12

Alan

30 September 2010

KB 2 (30 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds between rounds) (AM)

Clean and Push Press x 7
Bent Over Row x 8
Reverse Crunches x 20
Front Lunge x 5
H2H Swing x 12

Resistance 20 kg
Rounds 4
Total Time 28:00

- found presses tough after shoulder work yesterday but flew through the rest. Might up the weight or rounds if I can fit this into my new program.

Fasting

So for the last 6 weeks I've fasted on Monday. Only water, green tea and black coffee.

Here are some observations on the whole experience:

• The first week is the worst; its new and I was in the house most of the day with plenty of available food. I dreamt about food that night and woke up the next day starving.
• Black Coffee, green tea and water are your friends.
• I felt I was able to eat/drink what I wanted on Sunday knowing that I was fasting on Monday, this was good.
• I only managed to exercise twice on the fast day but I would advise exercising in the morning as the energy just isn't there for a productive workout in the evening.
• The feling of self control is uplifting (after the first week obviously)

Would I do it again? Yes.
Is it worth it to eat what you want on Sunday? Undecided. I do believe that a carb-up day is important but maybe better choices and no fast is better.

29 September 2010

Push 2 (AM)

OH Press (Keg) 3 x 11
Step-ups (Large BBag, small BBag and 2x12kg KB~Approx 65kg) 1 x 12

-Step-ups were really tough this morning. Only did one set as I'm short on time.

28 September 2010

KB 1 (30 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds between rounds) (AM)

Clean and Press x 6
Renegade Row x 6
Reverse Crunch x 20
1 Arm Reverse Lunge x 8
1 Arm Swing x 15

Resistance 20 kg
Rounds 4
Total Time 30:52

Felt good this morning, slept like a log. Time for this is close enough to the last time, no worries.


Pull 1 (PM)

Bent Over Row x 9
Clean x 9
Dead lift x 9

Resistance: bar & wheels
Rounds 3

core anti-rotation 3 x 12

Farmers Walk 2 x 80m

Finished with some BBag work.

27 September 2010

Decending Ladder from 7 (84 Reps total)
Pull-ups
Clap Push-ups
1 Arm KB Swing

Time: 43:17

I love these descending Ladders. they're great at hiding reps and controling fatigue. I can't think of many other ways I'd get out 84 pull-ups at one sitting.

Think thats enough for today though.

25 September 2010

Did yesterday's Pull 2

Supine Rows 3 x 10 (+5 kg)
Pull-ups 6/5/5 (+5 kg)

Barbell Complex
Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Front Squat

3 rounds at 6 reps per round.

Modified 1 Arm Explosive Alternating Jammer Press
3 x 24

TIRED!

So I got a job which will limit the available hours I have. I got through 5 of the 6 weeks and only missed a couple of sessions. I'll see what I can do next week with my morning only sessions. The IFDA are still to pull the finger out so I haven't sorted out a plan for after next week.

Alan

24 September 2010

AM

Kb Swings
8 x 30 24kg (30s between rounds)
1 x 100 16kg

23 September 2010

Push 2 (PM)

OH Press (Keg) 3 x 10
Step-ups (Large BBag, small BBag and 2x12kg KB~Approx 65kg) 3 x 10

22 September 2010

Circuit (30 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds between rounds) (PM)

Sledge Hammer Slams x 25 (Each Side)
Push ups x 12
Wall Ball Substitute x 12 (16kg KB)
BBag Swings x 12 (Each Side)
Dead Lift x 25 (24kg KB)

Rounds x 5
Total Time 32:01

20 September 2010

Decided to do some light conditioning work today - kept the intensity at about 70-80%

Decending Ladder from 6 (56 Reps total)
Pull-ups
Clap Push-ups
1 Arm KB Swing

Time: 22:43

Circuit
Sledge Slams x 50
Jump Thru's x 10

Rounds: 5

Publish Post

Time: 14:29

BB Complex Pyramid reps 1-4
Clean
Front Squat
Push Press

Time: 14:58

Core
Explosive Alternating Jammer Pushes
5 x 40

17 September 2010

Hill Sprints x 12 (100m hill. 16 seconds sprint, 85 seconds recovery)
-Pushed off with my bad leg each time. Found these quite tough this morning. Was really pushing it to get to the end in the allotted time.

Pull 2 (PM)

Inverted Rows 3 x 13
Pull ups 6/6/7

- Did some BBag swings in between sets as active rest.

16 September 2010

KB 2 (30 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds between rounds) (AM)

Clean and Push Press x 7
Bent Over Row x 8
Reverse Crunches x 16
Front Lunge x 5
H2H Swing x 12

Resistance 20 kg
Rounds 4
Total Time 29:16

- 4 Rounds Suck!!!


Hip Rehab

Glute Bridge 10 x 12 seconds
Bird Dog 3 x 14 Each Side
Hip Hitch 3 x 28 Each Side
Psoas recruitment 3 x 10


Push 2 (PM)

OH Press (Keg) 3 x 9
Step-ups (Large BBag and 2x12kg KB~Approx 50kg) 3 x 25

- I really hate high rep step-ups. The bag across my shoulders can make it hard to breath near the end too. Its well doable but tough, quite the mental battle.

15 September 2010

Circuit (30 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds between rounds) (PM)

Sledge Hammer Slams x 25 (Each Side)
Push ups x 12
Wall Ball Substitute x 12 (16kg KB)
BBag Swings x 12 (Each Side)
Dead Lift x 25 (24kg KB)

Rounds x 5
Total Time 35:50

- upped the reps. Really felt it today.

Sandbag Carry (90 seconds between rounds)

Right Shoulder x 30m
Two Arm x 30m
Left Shoulder x 30m
Both Shoulders x 30m

Rounds x 3
Total Time 7:48


Knee Rehab

1 Leg 1/4 squat hold 3 x 60s
Calf raises with heel walks 3 x 16 (single leg)
Terminal knee Extension (from heel raise) 3 x 60
1 Leg 1/2 Squat 3 x 30

14 September 2010

KB 1 (30 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds between rounds) (AM)

Clean and Press x 6
Renegade Row x 6
Reverse Crunch x 20
1 Arm Reverse Lunge x 8
1 Arm Swing x 15

Resistance 20 kg
Rounds 4
Total Time 30:25

Adding an extra round this week. Felt good doing this, tired after tho.


Pull 1 (PM)

Bent Over Row x 8
Clean x 8
Dead lift x 8
(Done Complex Style)
Pull ups x 8/8/8 (done with "rings")


Resistance: bar & wheels
Rounds 3

Farmers Walk 3 x 80m

Finished with some core anti-rotation and some BBag work.



Gonna do my Hip rehab watching Utd destroy Rangers

10 September 2010

Didn't get out for a run today. Was a bit lazy about my knee rehab too - boo

Pull 2 (PM)

Inverted Rows 3 x 12
Pull ups 3 x 6

Didn't increase these from last week but did introduce some active rest with BBag work between sets.

Couldn't finish up without messing about with my bar.
Did about 40 clean variation singles with the empty bar (my hang clean needs work) and finished with the following (bar with 2 wheels):

Clean x1
Front Squat x 1
Push Press x 1

I increased the number of front squats by 1 each time till I reached 5. Not a huge amount of work but really got a sweat going.

Off surfing for a few days from tomorrow - Come On!

New Toy

So I eventually forked out for some equipment. I bought a 7' Olympic Bar. Its 500kg rated with internal bearings. Well happy with it.
I rigged up two wheels I found using some 56mm PVC piping. The next spend will be the wheel converter from this dude (nice site btw).
It weighs about 40kg so good for complexes and high rep cleans. The amount of exercises available to me now are huge. Can't wait to get involved.

09 September 2010

KB 2 (30 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds between rounds) (AM)

Clean and Push Press x 7
Bent Over Row x 8
Reverse Crunches x 16
Front Lunge x 5
H2H Swing x 12

Resistance 20 kg
Rounds 3
Total Time 20:27

Was well up for it this morning. beat last weeks time and increased the load - 4 rounds next week I think!


Hip Rehab

Glute Bridge 10 x 12 seconds
Bird Dog 3 x 14 Each Side
Hip Hitch 3 x 28 Each Side
Psoas recruitment 3 x 10

Tennis ball work on TFL & adductor work


Push 2 (PM)

OH Press (Keg) 3 x 8
Step-ups (Large BBag and 2x12kg KB~Approx 50kg) 3 x 24
Modified Jammer - Hand to hand 5 x 16

Messed around with my new toy today too :)

Alan

08 September 2010

AM

Hill Sprints x 12 (100m hill. 16 seconds sprint, 85 seconds recovery)
Pushed off with my bad leg each time

- Reduced the recovery by 5 seconds, felt about right


Circuit (30 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds between rounds) (PM)

Sledge Hammer Slams x 20 (Each Side)
Push ups x 10
Wall Ball Substitute x 10 (16kg KB)
BBag Swings x 10 (Each Side)
Dead Lift x 20 (24kg KB)

Rounds x 5
Total Time 30:07

- took nearly 3 mins off my last time, not sure how. Might up the reps next week.


Knee Rehab

1 Leg 1/4 squat hold 3 x 60s
Calf raises with heel walks 3 x 16 (single leg)
Terminal knee Extension (from heel raise) 3 x 60
1 Leg 1/2 Squat 3 x 30

07 September 2010

KB 1 (30 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds between rounds) (AM)

Clean and Press x 6
Renegade Row x 6
Reverse Crunch x 16
1 Arm Reverse Lunge x 8
1 Arm Swing x 15

Resistance 20 kg
Rounds 3
Total Time 24:22

Felt pretty good this morning, upped the weight and lashed through this.


Hip Rehab

Glute Bridge 10 x 12 seconds
Bird Dog 3 x 14 Each Side
Hip Hitch 3 x 28 Each Side


Pull 1 (PM)

Bent Over Row x 8
Clean x 8
Dead lift x 8
(Done Complex Style)
Pull ups x 8/8/7 (done with "rings")
Just couldn't squeeze the last rep out - boo!!

Resistance Keg
Rounds 3

Farmers Walk 3 x 80m
Shit! I thought the handles for the farmer's walk would make it easier, how wrong was I. The same way the pull ups were harder I suppose; the handles want to rotate so it really works your grip - my forearms are in bits! I bet Popeye used roller grips.

Gonna do some rolling and tennis ball work while watching Ireland destroy Andorra

03 September 2010

AM

Hill Sprints x 12 (100m hill. ~16 seconds sprint, 90 seconds recovery)
-more of a 80% stride than a sprint today. Lowered the recover time and upped the reps. Felt good. Might just lower the recovery each week from here.


Knee Rehab

1 Leg 1/4 squat hold 3 x 60s
Calf raises with heel walks 3 x 25
Terminal knee Extension (from heel raise) 3 x 50
1 Leg 1/2 Squat 3 x 25


Pull 1 (PM)

Inverted Rows 3 x 12
Pull ups 3 x 6

-Did these with the new pull-up bar. Was really tough as the bar kept wanting to twist so it constantly felt like I was loosing my grip - was really noticeable on the pull-ups. Good for the grip tho.


Gonna do some rolling/stretching while watching Ireland beat Armenia

Alan


Alan

New Equipment

Finished working on some new equipment today.


Most of it comes from an 1 1/2 inch plumbing pipe














I reinforced a length of this pipe with a steel rod















This makes a great pull-up/chin-up bar















When passed through my home-made gym rings















I used the left-over pipe to make handles for my farmers walk




















Looking forward to trying them out :)

Alan

02 September 2010

KB 2 (30 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds between rounds) (AM)

Clean and Push Press x 7
Bent Over Row x 8
Reverse Crunches x 12
Front Lunge x 5
H2H Swing x 12

Resistance 16 kg
Rounds 3
Total Time 20:54


Hip Rehab

Glute Bridge 10 x 12 seconds
Bird Dog 3 x 14 Each Side
Hip Hitch 3 x 24 Each Side

Stretch (3 x 30 seconds)
Hip Flexor
Hamstrings
TFL
+ some tennis ball work on the old TFL & IT Band


Push 2 (PM)

OH Press (Keg) 3 x 7
Step-ups (Large BBag and 2x12kg KB~Approx 50kg) 3 x 22

Alan

01 September 2010

AM

Hill Sprints x 8 (100m hill. 15 seconds sprint, 105 seconds recovery)
Pushed off with my bad leg each time


Knee Rehab

1 Leg 1/4 squat hold 3 x 60s
Calf raises with heel walks 3 x 30
Terminal knee Extension (from heel raise) 3 x 55
1 Leg 1/2 Squat 3 x 30

I also did some stretching, rolling and some hip mobility work.


Circuit (30 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds between rounds) (PM)

Sledge Hammer Slams x 20 (Each Side)
Push ups x 10
Wall Ball Substitute x 10 (16kg KB)
BBag Swings x 10 (Each Side)
Dead Lift x 20 (24kg KB)

Rounds x 5
Total Time 32:55

1 mile run to cool down.


Good day.

Alan

31 August 2010

So its been a few days since posting.
The weekend didn't go 100% according to plan - took Saturday off and Trained on Sunday. Just did knee rehab and a pushup ladder on Monday. Back to normal today:

KB 1 (30 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds between rounds) (AM)

Clean and Press x 6
Renegade Row x 6
Reverse Crunch x 12
1 Arm Reverse Lunge x 8
1 Arm Swing x 15

Resistance 16 kg
Rounds 3
Total Time 25:23


Hip Rehab

Glute Bridge 10 x 10 seconds
Bird Dog 3 x 12 Each Side
Hip Hitch 3 x 22 Each Side

Stretch (3 x 30 seconds)
Hip Flexor
Hamstrings
TFL


Pull 1 (PM)

Bent Over Row x 7
Clean x 7
Dead lift x 7
(Done Complex Style)
Pull ups x 7

Resistance Keg
Rounds 3

Farmers Walk 3 x 80m


Finished up with some rolling. Check out my new favourite website too

Alan

27 August 2010

AM

Hill Sprints x 8 (100m hill. ~15 seconds sprint, 105 seconds recovery)


Knee Rehab

1 Leg 1/4 squat hold 3 x 60s
Calf raises with heel walks 3 x 25
Terminal knee Extension (from heel raise) 3 x 50
1 Leg 1/2 Squat 3 x 25


Pull 1 (PM)

Inverted Rows 3 x 12
Pull ups 3 x 6

Did some stretching and foam rolling this afternoon too

Alan

26 August 2010

KB 2 (30 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds between rounds) (AM)

Clean and Push Press x 7
Bent Over Row x 8
Windmills x 5
Front Squat x 5
H2H Swing x 12

Resistance 16 kg
Rounds 3
Total Time 28:31


Hip Rehab

Glute Bridge 10 x 10 seconds
Bird Dog 3 x 10 Each Side
Hip Hitch 3 x 20 Each Side

Stretch (3 x 30 seconds)
Hip Flexor
Hamstrings
TFL


Push 2 (PM)

OH Press (Keg) 3 x 6
Step-ups (Large BBag and 2x12kg KB~Approx 50kg) 3 x 20

Sand filled tyre (BBag), 2x12kg KB and step

The Step-ups are a pain. I'm gonna feel that on Saturday.
Got Season 3 of The Wire so gonna finish with some foam rolling while getting into that. I'm looking forward to Sunday already!

25 August 2010

Up nice and early again this morning without an alarm. Didn't dream about food last night tho.

AM

Sand Dune Sprints x 8 (12-14 seconds sprint w/ 60-80 seconds recovery)


Knee Rehab

1 Leg 1/4 squat hold 3 x 60s
Calf raises with heel walks 3 x 25
Terminal knee Extension (from heel raise) 3 x 50
1 Leg 1/2 Squat 3 x 25


PM

Front Plank x 60 seconds
Side Plank L x 60 seconds
Side Plank R x 60 seconds

15 seconds between exercises
75 seconds between rounds
Rounds 3

Finished with about 30 Min's of foam rolling


Planks are tough when you haven't been doing them, really struggled with the side planks for 60 seconds.

Alan

24 August 2010

Up early this morning. Had breakfast by 06:30

KB 1 (30 seconds between exercises, 90 seconds between rounds) (AM)

Clean and Press x 6
Renegade Row x 6
TGU x 3
1 Arm Squat x 8
1 Arm Swing x 15

Resistance 16 kg
Rounds 3
Total Time 34:08


Hip Rehab

Glute Bridge 10 x 10 seconds
Bird Dog 3 x 10 Each Side
Hip Hitch 3 x 20 Each Side

Stretch (3 x 30 seconds)
Hip Flexor
Hamstrings
TFL

Found that I had to do the Hip Hitch in front of a mirror to get it right - really felt it tho when I did.

Pull 1 (PM)

Bent Over Row x 6
Hang Clean x 6
Dead lift x 6
(Done Complex Style)
Pull ups x 6

Resistance Keg
Rounds 3

Farmers Walk 2 x 80m

The Next 6 Weeks

So after a month or so faffing its time to get back into some training. Below is the template I'm going to follow for the next 6 weeks (till the end of September). Hopefully by that stage the IFDA/WFDF will have sorted their shit out and I'll have a clearer idea of the time available to be fit enough to compete at EUC 2011 (If I make the squad!!!)

I realise that this is quite general but I'll include more specifics at the end of each day.
Laura is keen to do some plank work maybe 3 times a week so I'll probably do that with her too.

I plan on eating whatever I like on Sundays, to increase Leptin levels and keep me sane, and have a fast day on Monday. I'll let you know how that goes. Its only 6 weeks and I've one out of the way already.

Alan

12 August 2010

Just a quick workout today. I beat the shit out the tractor tyre with the sledge hammer.

Sledge Slams (Alternating left and right)
60s on 30s off x 8

Bul Bag Swings (Alternating left and right)
3 x 10

Alan

11 August 2010

So,

Haven't been up to too much fitness wise since I came back from Florence. The emotional comedown after the tournament hit me quite hard and i seemed to have done some damage to my neck/back (maybe left trap or lev scap) during a drunken pool party. Seems to be somewhat better now tho.

So, tonight we went over to the local GAA pitch with a kettle bell each and a disc and did 3 rounds of the following circuit. Nothing too taxing but we threw 10 throws each as an active rest element between each station. I quite enjoyed it and it worked out quite well time wise too - sub 60 mins including warm up. I think if I was to do it again I'd maybe double the numbers to up the intensity but for the first time out in maybe a month it was grand.

Circuit (Everything was x10):

Explosive Push-ups
Active Rest(AR) 10 F/H
KB Dead lifts L&R
AR 10 B/H
Squat Jumps
AR 10 Hammers
Knee Pushes L&R
AR 10 F/H
KB Swings L&R
AR 10 B/H
KB Snatch L&R
AR 10 Hammers

I really had to concentrate on technique for the last 30 throws but out of the 180 catches there were only 3 drops (all hammers and 2 in the last set). That's less than 2% which is acceptable. I'd love to walk away from every throwing/training session with a 98% completion rate :)

I'm gonna try getting at least 2 more sessions in before the end of the weekend. I'll let you know how it goes.

Later

16 July 2010

Wasn't feelin it today so just did 100 tyre flips.

Tyre Flips
10 x 10

Finished with some Sledge Hammer and some BulBag work.

Took about 40 minutes in total.

Gonna eat now.

Alan

13 July 2010

Good old Tuesdays - just went through the motions today, my head wasn't in it at all. I just couldn't get into the zone. That being said, the numbers were good today.

I thought I'd try something newish today. On my 1 miler I had planned to do it with the 2 BulBags on my shoulders but instead decided to lash the 2 12kg KBs to the handles of the smaller bag and do it with that. Bad mistake!. The angle of the pull really fucked with my posture and I struggled to breath properly. It was a nightmare. At the halfway point I switched it up and just had the bag over my shoulders and held a KB in each hand - tough as hell but not potentially injury causing. Moral of the story - don't change your plan in your head while doing pushups!

Anyway, enough moaning. Today consisted of:

Clean & Press (with keg)
4 x 11

Push Press (24kg KB)
3 x 8

Push ups (Inclined with small BulBag on back)
3 x 13

1 Mile Walk (See Above)
21m 25s

Stiff Leg Dead Lifts (raised w/ 24gk KB)
3 x 16

Alan

12 July 2010

Felt a bit stiff this morning- good old DOMS! A few tyre flips sorted that right out.

Today was:

Tyre Flips
7 x 10

1 Arm Row (28kg)
5 x 11

Sled Drag (30m)
x 4

Sledge Slams
Tabata

Farmers Walk
4 x 70m

This will be my 2nd last go at this routine. Total time: nearly 80 mins.

Shower time!

Alan

11 July 2010

Crackin' day so decided to do something. Brought my 20kg KB to the nearest pitch.

Started with some "Man Makers"

Run 400m
Swings x 50
Run 400m
Swings x 40
Run 400m
Swings x 30
Run 400m
Swings x 20
Run 400m
Swings x 10

Felt good after that so did the following circuit x5:

Run 50m
Sit-ups x 10
Run 50m
Pull-ups x 5
Run 50m
Situps (ETK) x 10
Run 50m
KB Clean L x 10
KB Clean R x 10

I don't normally do sit-ups but its good to mix things up every now and then. Total time < 50 mins.
Haven't donr sets of pull-ups since I left Cork almost two months ago - really need to sort that out!

Alan

09 July 2010

Its lashing rain today, a good incentive to avoid all faffing and just plough into the workout. Chalk was handy too for the wet keg and KB.

Today I did:

Clean & Press (with keg)
4 x 9

Push Press (24kg KB)
3 x 8

Push ups (Inclined with small BulBag on back)
3 x 12

1 Mile Walk (with tyre loaded with 6kg)
15m 13s*

Stiff Leg Dead Lifts (raised w/ 24gk KB)
3 x 15


*The rain reduced the friction between the tyre and the road hence the savage time. I'll know next time to load up the tyre with more weight if its wet.

I'm still waiting to get a weighing scales so see how heavy my keg and BulBags are. I bet they're only about half the weight I think they are :)

I quite enjoyed the circuit on Wednesday. I might see if I can squeeze another one in over the weekend.

Here's something to read over the weekend.

Alan

Nutrition

With so many different diets and nutritional strategies about these days it can be hard to not only find what works for you but to also stay on track when you do. I've spent some time thinking about how to make it easier and this is what I've come up with.

• Avoid white stuff - sugar, flour, salt, milk (and its derivatives).
• Eat Breakfast - after fasting overnight, eating breakfast allows the body to release the proper hormonal responses to remove it from a catabolic state.
• Read the label - If there's anything on it that you don't already have at home then don't buy/eat it.
• Limit intake of grains to breakfast and peri-exercise-this includes rice.
• Eat Like a vegetarian - but add in some meat/fish.

If you're looking to change the way your body looks instead of just eating cleaner then the posts move somewhat but these same principles will apply.


How much to eat?
Hmmm, the million dollar question. In order to answer this accurately your sex, goals, body analysis and daily routines would have to be taken into consideration but for the average Larry the following ranges suit quite well.

To loose weight 12-14 x body weight in lbs (kcal)
To maintain weight 15-16 x body weight in lbs (kcal)
To Gain weight 17-19 x body weight in lbs (kcal)

So, for a 70kg (11 stone) individual, their body weight in lbs is 154 so, their average daily intake is in the region of 2310 - 2464 kcal (to maintain their current weight).

Macronutrients

I could spend a week writing about macronutrient breakdowns but I won't. Again, I'll just touch on this regarding the average Larry.

Carbohydrates - If you follow the 5 rules above, 80% of your carb intake will come from fruit and veg (20% from porridge for breakfast and some rice after training for example). The more colour in your diet the better. This should make up about 1/2 of your calorie intake.

Protein - fish and chicken are great and so are seeds, nuts, legumes and eggs. 1/3 of your calorie intake.

Fats - see protein sources for great fat sources - minus chicken, plus coconut milk. 1/6 of your calorie intake.


Final thoughts:
Remove the wrap and have twice as much filling
1kg of carrots = 300kcal = yorkie bar
If you can't drink coffee without mil and sugar, then that's not a bad thing either!

Alan

07 July 2010

The neighbour came round to do some circuits with me. Took it easy his first time out :)

Circuit consisted of the following and we did 3 rounds.

Step-ups (10 each leg with large BulBag)
Pushups (10)
Row (15 with small BulBag)
Sledge Slams (20 Each Side)
Farmers Walk (2 x 35m)
Thrusters (10 w/ empty Keg)
Burpees (10)
BulBag Swing (10 each Side)

Plenty of scope to up the numbers next time round.

Might go for a run later.

Alan

06 July 2010

Went for a throw yesterday and ended up doing an interval session of sorts. I cut under and then deep for hucks - about 20 in total (10 B/H & 10F/H) although the distance deep varied - good fun though.

Today was:

Tyre Flips
6 x 10

1 Arm Row (28kg)
5 x 10

Sled Drag
4 x 27m

Sledge Slams
2 x 2m40s

Farmers Walk (w/ blocks)
1 x 70m

Suitcase Carry (24kg KB)
2 x 70m

It took 70 mins in total today and I'm totally drained - too drained to complete the 3 sets of farmers walks. I'm going to push through this week and next and then I've a week off, if that wasn't the case I'd have to rethink the time put into each session.

I'm supposed to do some sort of conditioning circuit tomorrow - I'll let you know how that goes.

Alan

02 July 2010

Keg Clean & Press (+5kg)
4 x 8

Push Press (24kg KB)
3 x 7

Inclined Pushups
3 x 24

1 Mile Sled Pull
17m 2s

Finished with some Bulgarian Bag Swings


I had to throw the keg behind me twice near the top of the press. The extra 5kg of water really makes a difference to the dynamics of the movement. I reckon I had more reps in me but I felt just getting used to the weight was enough for today.

So, the other day I had an idea as I passed a field full of hay bails. I planned to pop in, set my gymboss to 20 mins and see how many bails I could move at least 1/4 turn in that time. When I looked today the field had been emptied :( I'd still like to try this though.

Alan

01 July 2010

Got myself a smaller inner tube today and filled it with sand - its much more practicle for Bulgarian Bag work. I'll use the bigger one for step-ups, lunges and the like until I get stronger. I made the mistake of cycling to the beach tho - it was far tougher than I thought it would be bringing it back!

Workout went well this evening. I'm tired but not exhausted. As I've been increasing the amount of work I've been doing the time has also increased; it took me over an hour to finish today. I'm gonna have to start thinking about splitting up the work. Morning and evening might work at the moment but it won't be an option when I start work.

So, anyway. Today consisted of

Tyre Flips
5 x 10

1 Arm Row (28kg*)
4 x 12

Sled Drag **
4 x 25m

Sledge Slams
2 x 2m28s ***

Farmers Walk (w/ blocks)
3 x 60m

I couldn't finish without messing with the new Bulgarian Bag - I love it.


*On monday I used a chain to increase the 24kg KB to 26kg. Today I locked the 16kg and 12kg KBs together












**This is a pic of my sled. There's 2x3kg med balls and a 12kg KB in the tyre and today I added 5kg of water to the keg. As you can see the keg fits perfectly into the tyre



***2m28s may sound like a strange time but I break it down to 37s swing left/37s swing right x2. This has increased from 30s each side at the start.

30 June 2010

Morning Run

Went for a 5km run this morning. Felt good, Hammys felt tight though after SLDs - some stretching should sort things out today.

Alan

29 June 2010

Clean & Press 4x12
This was done with my keg - its about 1/2 full with water

Push Press 3x7
24kg Kettlebell (each arm)

Inclined Pushups 3x23
Struggled on the last set - tris were tired after presses

1 Mile walk 17:02
Threw the new Bulgarian Bag on my back and walked the 1/2 mile up to the crossroads and back

Straight leg deadlifts 3x15
did these standing on blocks to increase ROM with 24kg kettlebell

Was finished in less than 60 mins. Feeling tired but good tired.

I saw a field full of bailed hay on the walk - I have an idea for tomorrow!

Alan

Walks

I picked up two cavity blocks eack weight just under 27 kg each. I used some of the rope I found to make handles. I use these for farmers walks.


I use the 20kg kettlebell for suitcase walks
I use the 16kg kettlebell for 1 arm over head walks

The Workouts

So, here's how my workouts look. At the moment I have two (A and B).

Workout A:

Tyre Flips
1 Arm Row
Sled drag
Sledge Slams
Walk

Workout B:

Clean & Press
KB Push Press
Pushups
1 mile walk

Here's what I've covered so far.

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Week 1 - A B A B
Week 2 - A B
Week 3 - A B A B
Week 4 - A B

Kettlebells

Purchased a few years ago, I have 3 Kettlebells:16kg, 20kg and 24kg. My lovely girlfriend had 2 12kg bells which I use sometimes to stuff into my sled.
Yesterday I weighed the chain and padlock I use to lock up my bike - it weighs 2kg and is perfect for increasing the weight of my bells.

Rope, rope and more rope

I was swimming at the beach one day and noticed some old netting washed up on the beach. After a closer look I realised that there was a rake of rope tangled up in it. Upon returning with a knife to cut the rope free and nearly two hours of untangling I was left with almost 100 yards of usable rope in 3 lengths - score!

Sledge

My first cash expenditure. I really wanted a sledge for a while but never had the opportunity or the location. Its only a 7lb sledge but 2 mins of swinging makes it feel a lot heavier.
It cost me 20 quid

Bulgarian Bag

So this morning I paid a visit to the local tyre company where I was able to come away with a couple of old inner tubes for free. I cut one up, filled it with sand and I now have my own ghetto Bulgarian Bag which weighs about 25kg

Med Balls

I bought two mini basketballs years ago with the intention of turning them into med balls. I finally managed to sort this out when I moved closer to the beach - free sand :)
They weight just over 3kg each

Tyres - Part 2

So, on my next visit to the farm yard, I came home with a tyre from the back wheel of the tractor.
Stading upright, its about as tall as me but I've no clue as to how much it weighs.

Tyres - Part 1

So my first port of call was the local farmer.
On my first visit he hooked me up with a tyre from the front wheel of a tractor.

I cut two rectangle holes in the top, screwed two pieces of 1"x2" between the holes for support and then tied on some webbing to make my multi purpose sled. I screwed in a length of 1"x4" on the inside to make a base for my keg to sit into.

Whats it about?

So, I decided to have a go at getting fitter and stronger wothout the hassle of joining a gym.

I'm a couple of weeks into my journey but I'll try and sort through the equipment I've been using and the way in which I've been using it.

Enjoy