I'm Baaaaaack...

No, I haven't gone anywhere, I've just been so insanely busy that it's not funny.  Finishing Education Part II, setting up my business, working fitness through my day-job holidays, being an active father, being a sympathetic and loving husband (!). 

More posts are coming, and I will be steering away from the normal previous workout diary-type entries.  I'll be discussing a little bit more about techniques, specific exercises, and so on.  I know that it's all been done before, but time will tell if there is nothing decent I can add to the already existing encyclopedia of fitness knowledge.

Workout - Friday 26/10/71

Today is my birthday!  I turn 41 years young.  As I get older I realise more and more that existence and awareness is all about living in the now, while still being mindful of the future.  There is no other secret to life, or living a fulfilling and meaningful one.

The reason why I exercise has nothing to do with an attempt at life extension, or making any kind of reasonable attempt to stave off disease or degeneration - it has everything to do with living in the now, by loving the thing itself, doing it for it's own enjoyable sake.  Luckily, there are benefits.  I admit, however, to a couple of minor vices, but my mantra of moderation (which applies to excess as well!) keeps a pacific balance, a kind of habitual lifestyle homeostasis.

Birthday Workout

Warm-up

Shoulder/scapula/thoracic activation (face pulls, shoulder rotation with resistance cord).
Dynamic stretching.

Deadlift superset

5 sets

Deadlifts.
Eccentric chin-ups x 6 reps.
Slow push-ups x 6 reps.

Set 1 of deadlifts - 6 reps at 75.5kg.
Set 2 of deadlifts - 6 reps at 95.5kg.
Set 3 of deadlifts - 6 reps at 105.5kg
Set 4 of deadlifts - 6 reps at 115.5kg.
Set 5 of deadlifts - 2 reps at 125.5kg.

Shoulders/back/arms superset

3 sets

Db shoulder press - 6 reps at 15kg dumbells.
Bb bent-over row - 6 reps at 43.5kg.

Trapezius/shoulders/back/core/triceps/legs superset

3 sets

Rolling tricep extension - 6 reps at 17.5kg dumbells.
Farmer's walk - 20 metres at 35kg dumbells.

Warm-down

Foam roller for 5 minutes.
Static stretching for 10 minutes.
Mobilization exercises for 5 minutes.

Workout - Tuesday 22/10/12

I had the chance to workout with Mark Boddington today, and as Tuesday is his designated 'bench' day, we hit it in earnest, with some additional tweaking here and there...

Warm-up

15 minute brisk walk to the gym.
Shoulder/thoracic/elbow mobilization.
Face pulls with resistance cord x 20.
Doggy (4 point) position scapula mobilization.
Dynamic stretching.

Chest

Unloaded bar warm-up x 20 reps.
Bb bench press at 55.5kg x 10 reps.
Bb bench press at 80.5 kg - 4 sets at 2 reps.  (This load is not far off my current 1RM)
Bb bench press at 55.5kg x 10 reps.

Back

Superset

5 sets

T-bar rows at 60kg x 6 reps.
Slow push-ups x 10 reps.

Legs

1 x powerclean for 6 reps of front squats at 55.5kg.

Powerband

Superset

We alternated between powerband exercises and kettlebell swings with a 16kg kettlebell.  The person using the kettlebell would perform reps until the other had finished 5 reps of the designated powerband exercise - between 25-50 swings.  This ensured we kept working throughout the exercise!

Sprints.
Lunge sprints.
Animal walk.
Jumps.

Workout - Sunday 21/10/12

Today's workout was about studying technique, especially for deadlift.  I have seen some footage of my technique for this movement and I round my thoracic spine in the beginning of the concentric phase.  The reason for this is I am allowing my shoulders to fall downwards as a begin my lift, rather than packing both them and my lats in the set-up phase.  Doing this not only helps to activate the lats big-time, but it allows you to keep your chest out and forward for the lift, and to maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement.  With this emphasis on technique, I dropped off the load to a mere 75.5kg - this is a more manageable weight for study.

Note how the shoulders are forward of the bar here - the hips are not back enough.  Shoulders are also not engaged, and the chest is facing downwards.  This puts a lot of pressure on the thoracic spine and across the rhomboids and trapezius.

Look, I know he's just a kid, but this is exactly what so many people do wrong in the deadlift.  At the middle phase of the concentric movement his legs are already straight, the shoulders are forward, the chest is downwards and the thoracic spine is rounded.  Too much stress on the thoracic and lumber spine, and a herniated disc or two at 12 would be a disaster.  His coach should be sacked.

Terrific set-up position.  Shoulders are above the centre point, chest forward, head up and hips way back.  Using a trap bar is a great idea, too.  Smart lady.

Warm-up

Joint mobilization routine.
3 sets of Y-T-W-L with 2 kg db.
Shoulder and chest mobilization/activation with resistance cord.

Chest

Bb bench press warm-up set - 55.5kg.
Bb bench press - 3 sets x 6 reps at 70.5kg.

Legs/back

Deadlift - 3 sets x 6 reps at 75.5kg.

Back/arms

Superset

3 sets

Seated row - x 10 reps at 45kg
Assisted chin-ups x 10 reps at 25kg.

Core

2 sets

Crunches x 20 reps.
Bicycle crunches x 20 reps.
Prone hold for 1 minute.

Warm-down

Foam roller for 10 minutes.

Workout - Saturday 20/10/12

My son was off playing cricket this morning, the parenting taxi was driven by my wife.  I was home looking after my two younger children and we were off to the playground!  No other opportunity for a workout today, so an impromptu playground workout was the order of the day.  Apart from the two monsters (I mean that most affectionately!), I took with me a skipping rope and resistance cord.  Playgrounds are ready-made exercise stations, with a host of great options for strength and conditioning.  It's funny, at one stage my daughter and one of her friends were laughing at me as I was doing pistols.  Our friend said to me, "You can't do exercises here, it's a playground!"  And me, king of the comebacks, replied, "Oh yeah?"  But then, not to be outdone by a sassy 5 year old, added, "What are you doing when you play in the playground?"  She said, "Playing!"  "But what are you doing when you're playing?"  And her reply was a happy, "Exercising!"

Not the playground I used, but, as you can see, there are lots of  possibilities!

Warm-up

Skipping for 5 minutes.
Joint mobilization and dynamic stretching.

Playground workout

Superset

3 sets

Shoulder rotations (rotator cuff pulls) with resistance cord x 10 reps per side.
Face pulls (elbows down) x 10 reps.
Face pulls (elbows up) x reps.

Superset

3 sets

Jumps up to beam (box jumps), then squat jumps x 10 reps.
Incline pull-ups x 10 reps.

Decline push-ups - feet suspended on unstable chain ladder - 3 sets x 10 reps.

Pistols - 3 sets x 10 reps per side.

Father's carry (large 2 year old - approx. 14kg - on shoulders) 1 km.

Warm down

Foam roller 15 minutes (heaven!)
Static stretching for 10 minutes.

Workout - Friday 19/10/12

Instead of my planned strength and conditioning workout today, I hit the new PT training area at my gym and hit the power bands for an intense circuit with my sometimes-training-partner Mark Boddington.  Mark is responsible for turning me on to a variety of wonderful new systems of training, and I have been able to reciprocate, although perhaps not to the same extent.  Mark has also helped out with me landing my first real job in the fitness industry, working as an exercise instructor (and exercise trainer in December) at the local YMCA - a great start and foot-in-the-door!  Thanks Mark!

Warm-up

15 minute brisk walk to the gym.
5 minutes light kettle bell (8kg) complex.
2 minute joint mobilization (especially scapulae, elbows, hips, neck and wrists).
2 minutes dynamic stretching.

Power band circuit - band anchored to wall for sprints

1st set

Good mornings x 10 reps.
Push-ups x 10 reps.
Sprints x 5.

2nd set

Good mornings x 10 reps.
Push-ups x 10 reps.
Sprints x 4 reps.
Lunge sprints x 2 reps.
Jumps x 2 reps.
Animal walk x 2 reps.

3rd set

Good mornings x 10 reps.
Push-ups x 10 reps.
Sprints x 4 reps.
Lunge sprints x 2 reps.
Jumps x 2 reps.
Animal walk x 1 rep.

Functional superset

3 sets

Cable push at 27.5kg x 10 reps per side.
Cable pull at 27.5kg x 10 reps per side.
Eccentric chin-ups x 6.

Core

2 sets

Bicycle crunches x 20 reps.

Warm-down

Static stretching for 10 minutes.
15 minutes brisk walk home.

Workout - Tuesday 16/10/12

After a monster day at my 'day job', I had no time to get to the gym for my planned strength session before meeting a client of mine for his personal training.  So my option was to run with him and hold pads for 35 minutes.  Something is always better than nothing...


Light run for 2km.

Joint mobilization and stretching.