Dinosaur Training

[jgreystoke]

Got the book Dinosaur Training by Brooks Kubik a few years ago. But though it was a great source of inspiration for grip training and the like, didn't put enough of its principles into practice in my bodybuilding program.

Have been beating myself up with a bit too much volume and higher rep sets for an old codger. So decided to give the 54321 system described in the book a try.

This system, where after warmup singles, you hit something like

50 x 5
55 x 4
60 x 3
65 x 2
70 x 1

is also described by Pavel Tsatsouline in his wonderful book "Beyond Bodybuilding".

Neither of these gentlemen invented the system. It was used and described by the great Bob Hoffman decades before they were born. If it was good enough for his champion olympic lifters and athletes, there must be something to it methinks.

[jgreystoke]

Workout Wed Mar 4, 2009
MILITARY PRESS:

20kg x 5
30kg x 5
35kg x 4
40kg x 3
45kg x 2
50kg x 1

50kg = 110lbs

a clean before each set means warmed up for:


POWER CLEAN:

50kg x 3
55kg x 2
60kg x 1
65kg x 1

65kg = 143lbs

[jgreystoke]

Workout "A" Friday Mar 6, 2009

1. DEAD HANG CHIN:

bodyweight x 2 reps x 6 sets
+2 reps, failed to clear bar with chin on second rep
+2 reps, failed to clear bar with chin on second rep

Rest pause style, ie with 3-5 breaths between each double.

2. MILITARY PRESS:

20kg x 10
25kg x 5
30kg x 4
35kg x 3
40kg x 2
45kg x 1


3. POWER CLEAN

45kg x 3
50kg x 2
55kg x 1

4. GOOD MORNING:

20kg x 10
40kg x 8
60kg x 5
65kg x 4
70kg x 3
75kg x 2
80kg x 1

felt heavy enough for sure! Still getting darts in my left glute. Tho' my lumbars seem to be giving less aches since am resting from the squats with any weight.

5. DIP:

bodyweight x 2 reps x 8 sets

1-2 breaths between each double.

6. CLOSE GRIP BARBELL CURL:

20kg x 6
25kg x 5
30kg x 4
32.5kg x 3
35kg x 2
37.5kg x 1
40kg x 1

7. JANDA SITUP:

0 x 10
5kg x 8
0 x 6

abs smoked. Had been doing 20 rep sets in bicycle crunch and ab pulldown, and ten reppers in the hanging leg raise. But this was way harder!

[jgreystoke]

Workout " B" Mon Mar 9, 2009

PUSH PRESS:

20kg x 5
30kg x 3
35kg x 5
40kg x 4
45kg x 3
50kg x 2
55kg x 1

Just testing this new exercise.

POWER SNATCH:

20kg x 5
25kg x 4
30kg x 3
35kg x 2
40kg x 1
45kg x 1

Again didn't know quite where to start with this new exercise.

MACHINE PRESS:

20lbs x 5
40lbs x 4
60lbs x 3
80lbs x 2
90lbs x 1
100lbs x 1
110lbs x 1
115lbs x 1

Just trying out new exercise to see where it's at. The machine is obviously calibrated in pounds!

WRIST CURL:

20kg x 5
30kg x 4
40kg x 3
45kg x 2
50kg x 1

Again didn't know where to start for the 5,4,3,2,1 system, as always did higher reps.

REVERSE WRIST CURL:

10kg x 5
15kg x 4
20kg x 3
22.5kg x 2
25kg x 1

Same comments would be appropriate.

AB PULLDOWN:

20lbs x 5
40lbs x 4
60lbs x 3
70lbs x 2
80lbs x 1
90lbs x 5

Again didn't know where to start. Much higher next time.

[jgreystoke]

Workout "A", heavy, Wed Mar 11, 2009



AM session:

BARBELL MILITARY PRESS:

20kg x 5
30kg x 1
35kg x 5
40kg x 4
45kg x 3
50kg x 2
52.5kg x 1

52.5kg =115.5lbs

POWER CLEAN:

already warmed up by the seven cleans for the sets of presses above so straight to:

50kg x 4
55kg x 3
60kg x 2
65kg x 1
67.5kg x 1

67.5kg = 148.5lbs

MACHINE PRESS:

calibrated in pounds:

50lb x 1
70lb x 1
90lb x 5
100lb x 4
110lb x 3
120lb x 2
130lb x 1

130lb = 59kg

PM SESSION:

TRAP BAR DEADLIFT:

32.5kg x 1
52.5kg x 1
72.5kg x 1
92.5kg x 5
102.5kg x 4
112.5kg x 3
122.5kg x 2
132.5kg x 1

132.5kg = 291.5lbs

Really pleased with this new move. Did it years ago when my knees were good. Best substitute for the squat since it is far more squat like than the good morning. Felt it in my thighs mostly, so didn't bother with the leg extensions and leg curls. Last time I got to 100kg was limping for weeks, but we'll see....

Immediately after:

TRAP BAR SHRUG:

112.5kg x 5

112.5kg = 247.5lbs

GOOD MORNING:

20kg x 1
40kg x 1
60kg x 1
65kg x 5
70kg x 4
75kg x 3
80kg x 2
85kg x 1

85kg = 187lbs

Really pleased. The high reppers had been literally killing me. My piriformis is still troublesome, and the deep squats were beginning to hurt my low back 'cos I couldn't maintain a flat back in the rock bottom position. My lumbars were so hard and stiff after the morning's power cleans, that my wife had to massage them in the hospital visitors room! Had to go for a walk around the grounds to loosen up.

HISE SHRUG:

85kg x 15
75kg x 15

To smoke the traps.

CLOSE GRIP BARBELL CURL:

20kg x 1
25kg x 1
30kg x 5
32.5kg x 4
35kg x 3
37.5kg x 2
40kg x 1

40kg = 88lbs

PARALLEL BAR DIP:

3 x 8 rest pause style, ie a few deep breaths between each triple.

CHIN:

2 X 8 rest pause style as above

T- BAR ROW:

20kg x 2
40kg x 2
55kg x 2
70kg x 1

To see where I should start the 5,4,3,2,1 pyramids next session.

GRIP MACHINE:

30kg x 1
40kg x 1
50kg x 5
55kg x 4
60kg x 3
65kg x 2
70kg x 1
72.5kg x 1

72.5kg = 159.5lbs

[jgreystoke]

Workout Sun Mar 15 2009

WORKOUT "B", heavy

PUSH PRESS:

20kg x 1
30kg x 1
40kg x 5
45kg x 4
50kg x 3
55kg x 2
57.5kg x 1

57.5kg = 126.5lb

POWER SNATCH:

20kg x 1
30kg x 1
40kg x 3
45kg x 2
47.5kg x 1

47.5kg = 104.5lb

WRIST CURL:

20kg x 5
30kg x 5
40kg x 4
45kg x 3
50kg x 2
52.5kg x 2
55kg x 1

55kg = 121lb

REVERSE WRIST CURL on EZ bar:

10kg x 5
15kg x 5
20kg x 4
22.5kg x 3
25kg x 2
27.5kg x 2
30kg x 1

30kg = 66lb

AB PULLDOWN:

40lb x 1
60lb x 1
80lb x 5
85lb x 4
90lb x 3
95lb x 2
100lb x 1

100lb = 45kg

HANGING LEG RAISE:

x 10
x 10

Last "B" session was just sounding it out, so called this the "heavy" session. Next "B" will only be about 80% of the poundages above, certainly not over 85%.

[jgreystoke]

Workout "A", light:

CHIN:

bodyweight x 2 x 4

MILITARY PRESS:

20kg x 5
30kg x 4
35kg x 3
40kg x 2
42.5kg x 1

42.5kg = 93.5lb

POWER CLEAN:

40kg x 3
50kg x 2
55kg x 1

55kg = 121lb

SEATED PRESS:

70lb x 5
80lb x 4
90lb x 3
100lb x 2
105lb x 1

DIP

3 x 4

TRAP BAR DEADLIFT:

32.5kg x 1
52.5kg x 1
72.5kg x 5
82.5kg x 4
92.5kg x 3
102.5kg x 2
107.5kg x 1

107.5kg = 236.5lb

TRAP BAR SHRUG:

107.5kg x 3
92.5kg x 6

TRAP BAR ROW:

72.5kg x 6

72.5kg = 159.5lb

GOOD MORNING:

20kg x 1
40kg x 5
50kg x 4
60kg x 3
65kg x 2
70kg x 1

70kg = 154lb

HISE SHRUG:

70kg x 15

T-BAR ROW

20kg x 1
30kg x 1
35kg x 5
40kg x 4
45kg x 3
50kg x 2
52.5kg x 1

52.5kg = 115.5lb

Didn't like this even tho' the poundage was so low. Felt it more in my back and hams, which were trying to stabilize the weight which is awkwardly in front at the end of the T-bar. My rather large son suggested using light weight, and high reps, as a finisher, feeling the contraction in the lats better.


GRIP MACHINE:

30kg x 1
40kg x 1
50kg x 5
60kg x 4
65kg x 3
70kg x 2
75kg x 1

75kg = 165lb

WEIGHTED SITUP:

0kg x 10
5kg x 8
7.5kg x 6
10kg x 4
15kg x 2

Even tho' a "light" session, with almost everything 20% lighter than "heavy" day, was tiring due to the sheer volume. Might have to drop some of the stuff on "light" day to ensure proper active recovery before the next "heavy" day.

[jgreystoke]

Workout "B", Light.

PUSH PRESS:

20kg x 5
30kg x 4
35kg x 3
40kg x 2
45kg x 1

45kg = 99lbs(60kg next heavy session)

POWER SNATCH:

20kg x 1
25kg x 4
30kg x 3
35kg x 2
37.5kg x 1

37.5kg = 82.5lb(50kg next session)

WRIST CURL:

20kg x 1
30kg x 1
40kg x 5
45kg x 4
50kg x 3
55kg x 2
57.5kg x 1

57.5kg = 126.5lbs(60kg next session)

Obviously not "light", but not systemically demanding.

REVERSE WRIST CURL:

10kg x 1
15kg x 1
20kg x 5
25kg x 4
27.5kg x 3
30kg x 2
32.5kg x 1

32.5kg = 71.5lbs

AB PULLDOWN:

50lb x 1
70lb x 1
80lb x 10
85lb x 8
90lb x 6
95lb x 4
100lb x 2

Some hand conditioning after with sand bucket, knuckle balances on table, dead hangs from iron rings etc.