Drizzt Lifts Things

[steak]

Thanks bro, yeah I do remember that mentioned at some point (remember it being said about the DB flies anyway...), would you say drop the weight to something comfortably achievable on the days where the back is struggling a bit?

absolutely :nod:

[drizzt]

:clap: :clap:

Not long now Bro

Thanks OB will likely catch you tomorrow 8)

absolutely :nod:

Cheers for the advice mate will keep that in mind next time :nod:

18/12/10 - Cardio/Light stuff

93.5 fully geared up (hoodie), think these scales are a bit out of whack.

• Running
  Roughly 2km from home to gym, various gradients, moderate pace
  4km on treadmill @ 11kph
  1km on treadmill @ 12kph
  500m cooldown on treadmill @ 6kph
  
• Various Exes
  Face pulls, 3 x 10 @ light-moderate weight
  Cable crunches, 3 x 10 @ light weight
  Weighted decline crunches, 3 x 10 @ +10kg (very slight angle)
  Shoulder dislocations, 1 x 50
  Various stretches
  

Comments

• Good session, everything is feeling loose (apart from slight back DOMS still), cardio is ok (after a 16ish hour fast). Nothing to complain about really
  Mrs surprised me with a voucher for a 60mins sports massage \:D/ Will do that in the leadup to my test day :grin:
  

[drizzt]

19/12/10 - Implements @ The 'House

Tough day at the house! But damned good for the cardio, heh heh. Crap day weather-wise (where'd that gorgeous weather go, Wellington? :cry: ), so we had to do it inside...

• Implements
  Log press, 1 x 95, 0 x 105, 0 x 105
  Freight train*, 1 length
  Prowler, 5 lengths (up to 180kg)
  Herc Hold, 120kg per side x 44sec (I think?)
  

*Freight train was pushing the prowler + towing the sled, we gave up on it as it took too long to set the harness up. Would be better outside.

I was determined to beat my 100kg log press from last time, so I shortened the build up to a few lighter warmups then straight into the 95s. First 105 cleaned up to the chest pretty easy, but the press was never really there. Second attempt the clean was a little harder but the press was nearly there, just stopped before lockout. Think this is mainly a tech thing, if I can drop under it better I can get it.

Prowler really took it out of me, man my cardio has fallen! Legs were really tight after it, was completely spent!

Then had my first go at herc holds, and crap were they hard! You know as soon as you pick them up off the boxes that it's going to be a battle. 10 secs felt like a minute, was trying to beat 52secs (the best time today) but the grip wasn't having a bar of it. Hold may not have counted as I heard the guys saying that one side was touching the box a couple of times, but ah well was cool to have done this one as I'd always been curious about how I'd go.

Now time for a bit of muscle soak to prepare for week 11 :grin:

[drizzt]

20/12/10 - Sheiko W11/D1

95.8 today pheeehhheew! I know I'm not too fussed about the weight at the moment, but after a cardio-packed weekend (7ks of running/implements) + a fairly clean diet lately (cleaner than it has been) I didn't expect a jump of a couple of kilo. That, and I was thinking the body was looking quite lean today (just quietly!)

Ah well not too bothered, could be water intake which has been up a bit recently.

• Squats (sets, reps, weights)
  warmups @ bar/60kg
  1 x 3 @ 90kg
  1 x 3 @ 110kg
  2 x 3 @ 125kg
  5 x 2 @ 145kg
  
• Bench
  warmups @ bar
  1 x 3 @ 65kg
  1 x 3 @ 80kg
  2 x 3 @ 90kg
  3 x 2 @ 105kg
  3 x 1 @ 110kg
  
• DB Flies
  4 x 8 @ 12kg
  

Comments

• Squats were nice and easy, surprising, as there was a little bit of soreness from yesterday's implements session. Not too bad though. Didn't need the belt, 145s went up pretty smooth, nice and deep.
  
• Bench was all good, after re-watching the Dave Tate video on bench tips, I've started to think about things again like keeping the shoulders/traps tight and forearms under the bar. When I see how he explained it, I'm not sure that I'm doing it (although if you had asked me, I would've said I was!), so was feeling it out today which had some pretty good effect I think. It's small changes like these that will let me reach my goals on test day :nod:
  

So all good today, done in less than an hour, rests between all sets were 1min or less. Lower volume obviously makes things a little easier, so looking forward to the next couple of weeks which should be a nice change to have quicker workouts.

[drizzt]

22/12/10 - Sheiko W11/D2

96.5 today! :roll: Although body isn't looking terrible, there has been a bit of fat gain, and I'm not happy walking around at this weight, so going to concentrate on diet a bit more.

The irony of the weight gain is I've recently started dropping most of the remaining sugary stuff in my diet, I've started a one-week sample of GAT JetFuel that I got a while back, recently started to add flax oil caps to my diet, increased water intake (could have something to do with it - but shouldn't at the levels I'm drinking) and cardio has gone up markedly from where it has been lately... will watch the diet closely and make sure calories are controlled from now. Definitely leaner at this weight than I was last year, and can still see abs which is a decent sign (for me) of a low-ish bodyfat, but I can notice my cardio slipping which I hate, and I need to be closer to that 93 mark for any powerlifting jaunts that may eventuate next year.

The positive sign of the weight though? At least some of it is muscle, lifts are feeling really easy at the moment (despite the low volume), muscles almost all over look fuller, just the definition has slipped a tad and there is a little more to pinch! :pfft:

Anyway, down to business:

• Bench (sets, reps, weights)
  warmups @ 40kg
  1 x 3 @ 65kg
  1 x 3 @ 80kg
  2 x 3 @ 90kg
  4 x 2 @ 105kg
  1 x 2 @ 115kg
  
• DB Flies
  4 x 8 @ 12kg
  
• Deads
  warmups @ 60kg
  1 x 3 @ 115kg
  2 x 3 @ 140kg
  2 x 3 @ 160kg
  5 x 2 @ 175kg
  
• GMs
  warmups @ 60kg
  4 x 5 @ 75kg
  

Comments

• Bench was great, focusing on the small tips I picked up watching Dave Tate's vid. Realized I had been dropping the shoulders lately and losing the tightness I had in them, so that's a big thing for me which has made the bench feel easier. Also tucking the elbows as the bar comes down, and flaring 'em out as it goes back up is anoher minor change which is feeling good. Thought I'd try the changes on a slightly heavier weight, so upped the last set to 115, got 2 very easy reps with long pauses on the chest out which I'm not sure would've happened so smoothly a week or two ago. Feeling good about how this is going :nod:
  
• Deads were quick and easy. Took slightly longer rest periods than I would usually do (I'll explain in another post below), which really helped the intensity/speed of all 5 sets. Also after thinking about my technique, I'm making the end bit less of a hip thrust aaalllll the way through (so there is a bend in the lower back) and more of just a hip thrust, squeeze of the glutes, and bam the movement is finished when locked out. I kinda realized I had been swinging through a little in my quest for speed off the floor, so wanting to cut this out. All reps were DOH'd without a belt, even hook gripped the last couple of sets @ 175 which felt sweet.
  

I'm taking the opportunity while the volume is lower - as you can probably tell - to refine my technique. Focusing less on punishing the weights, or conditioning stuff, and more on the small adjustments that are going to do the best with the strength I've built up through the course of this program. Which leads me to rest periods!...

[drizzt]

I had been catching up on Martin Berkhan's stuff lately, and stumbled across a few of his interviews where he had taken a guy's training/diet and flipped it around or modified it (Interesting read if you're interested)

Anyway through the course of reading the interview, I came across his philosophy on rest periods, and in particular, rest periods when the goal is strength gain. Martin recommends 3-5mins rest between sets, 5 is better, but 3 is more practical.

Up until this point, I've been going as fast as I feel I'm able to on the day. e.g. if the heavier squats are feeling easy (145+), I'll take a token 1min rest and jump back into the next set. If I'm having a particularly bad day in the rack, I can sometimes take 3-4mins between sets to recover and get the head straight. I guess the goal has been as much about the conditioning as it has been to gain strength. In doing so though, I'm starting to think (and this is what Martin is beginning to convince me on) that I'm sacrificing strength - which is my main goal - for better conditioning, which is secondary at this point. Basically he says concentrate your trainings on one or the other, but not both at the same time or you'll end up mediocre at both.

In terms of practicality, my workouts happen in my lunch hour, so while 3mins between sets could be good for me, I just can't spare that much time. So I'm looking at 1min max between sets for assistance exes and leadup sets on The Big 3, and 3mins minimum between (usually the top) set(s) of The Big 3. This is where strength should be the main focus, where the leadups + assistance are more about stretching, flushing the muscle, and/or getting "in the groove".

So what I started to do today on Deads, was set the iPhone down, kick off the stopwatch and start my set. Once completed, I'll go back to the phone, hit the "lap" button, and rest for about 2.5 mins, then hit the lap button again once that period is up, chalk up, complete another set, and repeat.

A nice perk of this is I get to see how long my sets take, make sure my rest periods are set to a planned amount of time, and I can (potentially anyway!) cross-reference that against my training logs and identify how the rest periods affect my lifting on certain days, based on how the weights were moving that day.

Anyway, this should be easier to experiment with in the coming couple of weeks, as I'm on a break from work \:D/ So can take my time in the gym sessions.

Booked in my sports massage for Wednesday next week which will hopefully help my test day! Had a chat to the masseuse, and she reckoned too close to the event may do more harm than good, but a few days out should be fine. Can't wait, and if it's any good, it may be something I look at implementing semi-regularly to help my training :nod:

That's enough from me for one day!

[OnlyHuman]

Nice reading

I am no expert or anything but IMO increased water intake by it self won't make you hold water.

[drizzt]

Nice reading

I am no expert or anything but IMO increased water intake by it self won't make you hold water.

Cheers man. Yeah I'm certain it wouldn't as well, but maybe a combination of the things I've started taking could contribute to water retention. Ah well, once sheiko is done with I'm going to be in pre-season mode for rugby and I reckon a couple kilo will drop there :nod:

Took another idea from Martin Berkhan's blog, he calls it Protein Pudding. Basically you take 1 part casein, and mix it with 1.25-1.5 parts water or milk. Can then add bits of fruit, nuts - Berkhan even recommends Whipped cream! - whatever your diet allows and wherever that imagination takes you... here's my basic first attempt:

It looks like a bit of a creamy mess, but it's a fairly thick, sweet-tasting concoction.

I used 1 cup of Vanilla Casein Powder (Optimum 100% Casein), and mixed with 1 & 1/3rd cups of Full Milk - did that amount of milk as I thought I'd go between the "runnier" 1.25 cups, and the thicker 1.5 cups. Threw in a handful of mixed berries (incl grape, raspberry, strawberry and blackberry). Bunged it in the fridge for a couple of hours and voila. Had about a third of it for dessert tonight and it tasted AWESOME =P~ =P~ I think this may be the new way I have my casein at night, rather than whipping up a shake. One big bowl should last a few nights too :nod:

[Ronin]

Looks good Big D, I saw that on Martin's site and have been meaning to try it (although using whey) for a while. Good to hear that it comes out as good as he claims

Now if I could just get my hands on some of those cheesecakes he loves so much :grin:

[drizzt]

Yeah let me know if you try it with Whey, and how that goes. I might make an order for some choc casein soon, as I reckon that'll taste pretty nice with a few berries + a bit of cream =P~

Man... those cheesecakse look awesome too Definitely a way to structure the fast/calorie intake in the days surrounding it to allow that though. I'll be trying a different approach today + Sunday to allow me to feast up a bit tomorrow - smaller calorie intake, longer fast (will break it later tomorrow) :nod:

[drizzt]

24/12/10 - Sheiko W11/D3

Late 93's today (93.9) fully clothed etc... something was making me hold water when I was at 96+ the other day!

In saying that, I had a low carb day yesterday, with a conscious effort to cut calories a bit lower too - which is what you're meant to do on IF rest days - and I think that may have done the trick. I've not really paid attention to it previously, but I think I'll start now :nod:

• Squat (sets, reps, weights)
  warmups @ bar/60kg
  1 x 3 @ 90kg
  2 x 3 @ 110kg
  2 x 2 @ 125kg
  3 x 2 @ 140kg
  
• Bench
  warmups @ bar/60kg
  1 x 3 @ 80kg
  1 x 3 @ 95kg
  2 x 3 @ 100kg
  4 x 2 @ 110kg
  

Comments

• Squats were awesome, really in the groove now. 140s were a piece of piss, and that was with slight back DOMS from Weds too. No belt either.
  
• Bench was sweet, upped weights just a tad due to feeling on top of things. Everything was smooth, everything went well.
  

You'd think it was Xmas already by how empty the gym/work changing rooms were! Slackers! :pfft:

So I'm stoked the weight has dropped a bit, as I'm hoping to do my test day at 93 (or 92.9?) to properly simulate how my body would be on a meet day.

Set the rest periods to between 2-3mins for the top bench and squat sets. Lengthened the workout something chronic, and I got really bored in between sets so ended up jumping the gun a couple times :shifty: But the weights did go up much easier, and I can see what the purpose is, so I might keep this method around next year with whatever I do next.

Will cut calories today - suggested by Berkhan in the leadup to a feast/other special occasion - so that I can indulge a bit more tomorrow.

Also - and duh, I should've tried this earlier - found out that mixing my fonterra (flavourless) protein in with a scoop of BCAA tastes pretty flippin nice. Berkhan recommends after a fasted workout to consume 10g BCAA (as well as pre-workout). I do 10g pre, and usually do 10g intra, but will start throwing 5g into my post-workout shake, which will save me the hassle of doing the two separately :nod:

Also took a couple of progress pics today, may post 'em up later if I get a chance.

Merry Xmas all 8)

[drizzt]

Sooo yeah, looking a bit "full" at the moment, definition isn't great, but not the goal at this point. Legs (quads and hams), lats and traps in particular have come along well since my cut last year I think.

Edit - closer pic of quads I took on the weekend:

This is probably the kinda size/shape I'd like to take into rugby season actually. BF isn't as low as last year, but I think having it so low might have contributed to a few niggly injuries through last season. See how it goes anyway.

Probably won't be back on here for a few days, so merry xmas all, have a safe holiday, enjoy the indulgences but get back on the wagon as soon as you can.

Just remember - while you're pigging out with your feet up at the beach for a couple of weeks, your rival is training and getting stronger 8) (not an exact quote - can't remember where I read it - but it's what I say to myself at this time of year!) :salute:

[Ronin]

Looking good dude, monster quads :clap:

Just remember - while you're pigging out with your feet up at the beach for a couple of weeks, your rival is training and getting stronger 8) (not an exact quote - can't remember where I read it - but it's what I say to myself at this time of year!) :salute:

Know what you mean, this thought is uppermost in my mind at the mo too. Gotta keep eyes on the goal, and not deviate too far.

[teamfatboy]

You'd think it was Xmas already by how empty the gym/work changing rooms were! Slackers! :pfft:

Yep, it was great - no fighting for a bench in the micro-space reserved for benches

That'll change - everyone who DIDN'T heed your wise words about over-indulging will wake up on January 1st, realise what they've done, join a gym and it'll be cramped as anything.

Merry Christmas D

[OnlyHuman]

Looking like a TANK :nod:

[drizzt]

Looking good dude, monster quads :clap:

Thanks bro. I like to be critical of how my body is improving (or not!), but I'm really happy with how the legs in general have grown, Sheiko has been good for 'em. Quad growth is an odd one, as I've done very little (if any) "direct" work on 'em, although my slightly narrow stance squats (in comparison to a "PL" style) might contribute to this a tad. Ham development is good too, as I'm pretty quad dominant usually so it's nice to see them come up more in line with the quads :nod: Edited the pic post with a closer shot of the quads I took on the w/e.

That'll change - everyone who DIDN'T heed your wise words about over-indulging will wake up on January 1st, realise what they've done, join a gym and it'll be cramped as anything.

Merry Christmas D

Ahhh I will relish next week's quiet workouts :pray: In saying that people should keep one eye on training, I think it is important to enjoy yourself at this time of year for sure, we all need breaks and not all of us regularly get 'em :nod: Just maybe some people (incl myself in previous years!) take the "holiday" a little too far sometimes. I won't be making that mistake this year 8)

Same to you mate 8)

Looking like a TANK :nod:

Cheers bro

[drizzt]

27/12/10 - Sheiko W12/D1

94 flat which is surprising after a decent xmas feed. I did do pretty well with the diet in the surrounding days though, so that seems to have paid off.

Just a light B/D day today in the leadup to the test day.

• Bench (sets, reps, weights)
  warmups @ 40kg
  1 x 3 @ 65kg
  2 x 3 @ 80kg
  2 x 2 @ 90kg
  4 x 1 @ 100kg
  
• Deads
  warmups @ bar
  1 x 3 @ 115kg
  2 x 3 @ 140kg
  4 x 2 @ 160kg
  

Comments

• Bench was good, 100s were nice and snappy.
  
• Deads were sweet, HG'd the top sets.
  

Nice and quick session today, seemed every man and his dog had come in for some action at the same time, so was pretty busy. The gym was only open until 1pm which is a little crappy as I would've liked to have walked in from home but it would've taken too long. Will do some low impact walking tomorrow.

Excited/nervous about Saturday! \:D/ :grin:

[OnlyHuman]

Excited/nervous about Saturday! \:D/ :grin:

Test day = Time has come to enjoy the fruit of your labor :grin:

All the best!

[startinfromscratch]

smash test day brah. dont be scared of carbs on friday either! 8)

[steak]

Howd you go bro?

[drizzt]

Test day = Time has come to enjoy the fruit of your labor :grin:

All the best!

Cheers bro, feeling in fine form, hoping it carries through to Saturday :nod:

smash test day brah. dont be scared of carbs on friday either! 8)

Chur! Funny you should mention carbs, have started taking them pre-workout because a supp I bought from Wheycheap demands it :pfft: Feels good!

Howd you go bro?

Test day is on Sat 8)

[drizzt]

29/12/10 - Sheiko W12/D2

93.5 today, if I keep an eye on water intake over the next couple of days I should come in at under 93 on Sat which is the goal :nod: Worst case I could shave 600g after taking off the shoes/shirt and maybe losing a bit of the afro I've been growing lately :pfft:

Very light squat/bench today. Focused on nailing tech.

• Squat (sets, reps, weights)
  bar/60 warmups
  1 x 3 @ 90kg
  2 x 3 @ 110kg
  3 x 2 @ 125kg
  
• Bench
  bar warmups
  1 x 3 @ 65kg
  2 x 3 @ 80kg
  3 x 2 @ 90kg
  

Comments

• Nothing much to say at all, only change today was I chucked a low box in on the top sets of squats just to check depth - didn't deload the weight when I hit it, just shot up as soon as I touched it to get a gauge on how low I was getting.

Topped off with a bit of tan time at the beach on a rare (this summer anyway) nice Wellington day, and then an hour long full-body sports massage to iron out any kinks before test day :jive:

Yesterday walked/jogged 10kms (tracked the distance via GPS). Jogged all the way up Mt Kaukau which was a bit tough when it got to the open bits (very windy day), but good for the body.

Intend to take it very easy for the next couple of days, maybe hit the beach again and relax (although not for too long, learnt my lesson last time I got sunburnt and tried to squat! :x). Then it's the 'House on Sat morning for showtime :rockout:

[soundsgood]

Quads are looking great mate, nice shape and seperation coming along. Must be all the functional implement training you've been doing :nod:

So if I read that right, you are testing on New years day? No big night out for you on NYE then! Go hard and good luck

[drizzt]

Quads are looking great mate, nice shape and seperation coming along. Must be all the functional implement training you've been doing :nod:

Thanks bro, flattering coming from Quadzilla himself :notworthy:

So if I read that right, you are testing on New years day? No big night out for you on NYE then! Go hard and good luck

Yeah unfortunately! (or fortunately depending on how you view it!) I didn't plan it like that, kinda found out a few weeks into the program that that's how it was gonna end up :doh:

But I did intend to have a low key new years this year anyway, so having the test day on Jan 1st kinda forces me into that... and having it on the morning of Jan 1st doesn't even leave room for a few cheekies the night before :pfft: But no big deal, should be an interesting new years from a sober perspective :nod:

[bar-belle]

and then an hour long full-body sports massage to iron out any kinks before test day :jive:

good stuff :nod:

guess you're in deload now...feels good aye after the sheiko workload.

Then it's the 'House on Sat morning for showtime :rockout:

:twisted: Go well for Saturday!!