Workout - Sunday 14/10/12

Hill sprints

10 reps of 50 metre sprints.  The gradient varied between approximately 20-35 degrees.  The first 5 sprints were unloaded, then sprint 6 was loaded with a 5kg pack, sprint 7 with 10kg pack, sprint 8 with 15kg pack, then sprints 9 and 10 with 15kg pack and carrying a 10kg weight bar.  Here's a quick video of my client Miles smashing it up with me this morning...

Obviously at the start of the session we spent about ten minutes warming up with a light 500 metre run, some joint mobilizing techniques, and some dynamic stretching.  To finish we did the same, with a bit more focus on stretching the back and working on hip flexibility.

Well done Miles!!!

Workout Thursday 27/9/12

Thursday is Killer Cardio day.  Today was a slight variation of the usual, with my training partner Mark Boddington having yesterday purchased a 2 metre power band, we implemented this awesome tool into our sprint drills.  The workout itself was an abbreviated affair, with the typical interference of work commitments, but we managed to do some interesting stuff.

Superset

4 sets

10 x 45kg squats.
10 x TRX rows.
2 x 20 metre power band sprints.

 It wasn't the vomity session that it normally is today.  We streamlined the workout to just the three exercises - having not worked with a power band before we weren't quite sure about what to expect.  Next time, when time is not at such a premium, we'll get back to some unorthodox push-ups, and other such stuff.

 

I'm the one doing the running.

Workout Thursday 30/8/12

Thursday means cardio, and today I (with a couple of other fitness geeks) did a slight variation of the 'Killer Cardio' session.  Basically it's the same as the one previously mentioned here, with one exercise added before the sprints - farmer's sprints (a modification of the farmer's walk).  I find I really benefit from doing this with other people.  After the second set I was just about to give up, but the encouragement of others is not to be underestimated.  This is one of those routines where at the end you feel like throwing up (and to be honest I came close), but after an hour or so you feel as high as a kite!

Cardio/Power

Warm-up

15 minute brisk walk to gym.

Sprint Session

5 sets with a two minute rest between sets.

Elevated spiderman pushups x 10.
Plate push - 30kg 2 x 20 metres (plates are wrapped up in a yoga mat, which adds more resistance against the gym floor).
Barbell squat - 40kg x 10.
Farmer's sprints - 2 x 20kg dumbells, 2 x 20 metres.
Sprints - 4 x 20 metres.

I added a short torsonator set at the end just for a bit of extra core work.  My basic variation of twist, squat-press, squat-hand-to-hand, clean&press, knee kicks.

Warm-down

15 minute brisk walk home.
15 minutes foam roller.
20 minutes static stretching.

Workout Thursday 16/8/12

Thursday is intensive cardio day, with a short, simple, but rather tough session.  This little circuit is great for developing leg power and trunk strength.

Cardio Killer

Squats 35kg x 10

Sprints 4 x 20 metres

Elevated spiderman pushups x 10

Plate push 30kg for 40 metres.

Four sets of this circuit is enough to make one feel slightly queazy...

Workout Friday 10/8/12

The current period of training I'm doing is to promote hypertrophy.  For the last 12 weeks I've been working on strength and power, and have reached a plateau in my gains.  So it's time to add a little more muscle and work towards the next period of power training probably around late-September/early-October.

I was still feeling pretty sore in the hamstrings today from the leg work on Wednesday and the sprints yesterday, so today was primarily about upper body - that is, chest, back, lats, shoulders and core - with one leg movement thrown in for character building!

Warm-up

Obviously this is not me.  This is an alleged drug cheat.  I said ALLEGED!

16kg kettle bell complex 5 minutes.
Resistance band chest and thoracic stretch and mobilisation.

Chest superset

Three sets of ten reps.

Chest press - 25kg dumbbells.
Pushups to failure - with the emphasis on technique and form.

Back superset

Three sets of ten reps.

Seated row - 80kg
Incline prone flies - 10kg dumbbells.

Shoulder superset

Three sets of ten reps.

Standing shoulder press - 15kg dumbbells
Reverse lunge with isometric shoulder extension - 10kg dumbbell (similar to the 5th movement of a Turkish get-up).  This exercise is an absolute ripper for the core!  Unstable, and hard as hell!  It simply doesn't work if you try and do this exercise lazy.
Resistance band face pulls.

Lats and biceps superset

Three sets of ten reps.

Lat pull down - 50kg
Two arm bicep curl - 15kg

Warm-down

10 minutes on the foam roller including back work with a dowel.
10 minutes static stretching.