Decathlete training log

[BetaRotter]

I am a 19 year old track athlete who is training for the upcoming season as a decathlete. I will use this log as a consistent source to monitor process by recording daily workouts, tracking meal/supplement intake,

Some background info:

I first began competing in track in spring of 2012, my freshman year of high school. Prior to this I had spent the year playing basketball, which at the time I regarded as my main sport. I competed in about the last quarter of the track season that year, showing some promise as a hurdler despite very poor mobility. I briefly continued basketball the off season into my sophomore year, before settling on track full time. Through my sophomore year of HS I did not participate in a serious off season but still managed some decent in-season performances. This led me to consider taking the sport a little more seriously and I began lifting my junior year.

Despite poor mobility and issues with programming that limited the extent of my gains, a slightly more serious junior off-season led to a spring that culminated in me breaking the school record in the 100m dash, as well as moving into top 3 all time in the 110 hurdles. With increased promise, I took my senior off-season considerably more serious. I drastically increased my lifts, cleaned up my hurdle form (to some degree), and improved sprint mechanics. I opened up the first half my season with some serious potential. I consistently broke my old school record in the 100m, clocking several sub-11 times. Additionally, I broke the school record in the 110m hurdles, although my lack of flexibility considerably hindered my consistency and progress in this event. Additionally, the change of sprint coaches (5 coaches in 4 years!) came with an entirely different style of training, a style very foreign to me. Around halfway through my season, I began working indirectly with my old sprint coach, and despite not reaching the peaking point of training, times continued to drop as schools showed interest. On signing day, I turned down my initial plan in hopes of receiving an offer from a different school that was showing considerable interest and pledged to offer me if I made slight improvements upon my time.

Tragically, two days afterwards, during my league preliminaries, my lack of mobility caught up with me and I sprained my back. In hopes of reaching times I had set out for in order to earn an offer from the school I wanted, I competed through the injury, which proved to be seriously debilitating. By the end of the season, I had not improved my times and had extreme pain in my lower back, through my sciatic nerve, and to my knee, an injury which took several months of rehab and reconstructing my entire movement patterns to fix.

Having turned down the other offers, I walked on to the school I had hoped would offer me, a school that had initially told me I would become a decathlete. However, I was put under the tutelage of a different coach and moved into the 400m, where a combination of injuries and lack of opportunity significantly limited my ability to thrive. Depressed and severely lacking in motivation for an event I did not even care for, I made a decision. I elected to transfer in June of this year, eventually landing at a local JuCo after other 4 year D1 options fell through.

In short, my athletic career has been plagued by Murphy's Law; everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Injury in 2015 and lack of opportunities in 2016 mean that I haven't been allowed to properly peak since 2014. As a collegiate sophomore, I now have one last chance at bouncing back to the Division 1 level. This is the year I vie to make things finally right.


Athletic stats:
Height: 5'10" (August 2016)
Weight: 175 (August 2016)
BF%: 7.1% (November 2015)
Back Squat Max: 350 (September 2015) - still rehabbing at time, working sets
Hang Clean Max: 240 (December 2014)
Front Squat Max: 285 (December 2014) - very poor form at the time
Standing Vertical Jump - 35.8 (Spring 2013)
Broad Jump: 9'10" (November 2015)

Track stats:
100m: 10.88 (May 2015)
200m: 22.28 (April 2016)
400m: 50.24 (March 2016)
110h (39in/.99m): 15.07 (April 2015)

In 2017, I hope to shatter my old PRs, while also introducing the decathlon into my career.

[BetaRotter]

August 5 2015:

Lifting:

Warm up:
Foam Rolling Series
Dynamic Stretch Series
Scorpion (x8 ea)
KB swing 3x10 (22kg)

Power Clean:
135x5
145x5
175x3
180x3
180x3

super set with:
Close grip pull 4x5 (BW)

Clean Pulls:
185x5
200x5
200x5
200x5

super set with:
Depth jump 3x3

notes: focusing on pushing knees out on both exercises, also preventing lower back rounding.

Weight lunges:
25x6 ea
25x6 ea
25x6 ea

super set with:
v-crunches 3x20 (w/ medicine ball)

Med ball side toss:
3x10 ea

Curls:
20x10 ea
25x10 ea
25x10 ea

Cool down:
8 min static stretching

Track:
Shot put:
brief warm up

Toe board throws (x10)
Standing power throws (x15)
Overhead tosses (x10)

all w/ 16kg

notes: focusing on hip drive. intended to only do 10 power throws but worked on some form clean up and felt good so kept going. beginner gains.

Hurdles:
Dynamic warm up
Leg swings - side to side (x10ea) forward to back (x10ea)
Hurdle drills - 30 in - (5 hurdles, 2 times each side):
Walk overs
A-Skip
B-Skip
Trail leg

6x55m hurdles (5 step, walk back recovery)
33 in
33 in
36 in
36 in
39 in
42 in

Cool down:
foam roller series
static stretching

notes: minor knee pain in left knee approx. two hours after lifting. continued through afternoon workout, ceased at end of day.

[BetaRotter]

August 6 2016:

Track:
800m warm up
Dynamic warm up
Leg swings - side to side (x10ea) forward to back (x10ea)
Falling starts - 30m (x2)

Speed work (4 rounds, walk back/recovery as needed)
Falling start (30m)
Sled pull (10lb - 30m)
Sprint (30m)
In out sprint (20/20/20)

notes: very minor outer left knee pain, forewent final in-out sprint

August 7 2016:
Active recovery
2.5 hours of light basketball

Cool down:
foam roller series
static stretching

[BetaRotter]

Will work on updating daily - but the last two weeks have been very productive. Made some serious progress in the javelin, shot put, and pole vault. Also hit 225 for 3 sets of 3 which is a PR for working sets. Hit 85x6ea on DB bench as well.

Starting up JuCo practices next week.

[BetaRotter]

Training for the last few months has been had highs and lows. It certainly has been a challenge learning the more technical event of the decathlon given the lack of proper coaching at the JuCo level. While my overall strength and conditioning are pristine right now, events such as the high jump, pole vault, and discus are seriously lacking the finer progresses. As the season approaches, it will we necessary to make major gains and fine tune these events.

I am going to work to more consistently record my progress here.

Morning workout:
Warm up:
Foam Rolling Series
Dynamic Stretch Series

Clean High Pull:
135x3
225x3
230x3
230x3

Front Squat:
135x5
225x2
225x2
225x2

super setted with banded knee extension 3x8

Superset:
DB bench:
45x5ea
55x5ea
65x5ea

RDL:
135x5
165x5
165x5

Superset:
Bicep curl: 30lbx5
Tricep pull down 95x3

Afternoon workout:
Track work:
400m lap x1
Dynamic warm up

3 sets:
250m @ 65%
walk back recovery
200m @ 70%
2 minute recovery
75m @ 95 %
walk back recovery
75m @ 95%

(4 minutes between sets)

[BetaRotter]

November 29 2016:

PM:
Track work:
400m lap x1
Dynamic warm up

In spikes:
6x200m w/ 4 minute recovery
200m @ 25.4
200m @ 26.3
200m @ 26.4
200m @ 25.2
200m @ 25.4
200m @ 26.2

November 30 2016:

AM:
Warm up:
Foam Rolling Series
Dynamic Stretch Series

will update later...

December 1 2016:

Mid day:
- 1hr high jump work - 3 step approaches, box jumps, back arches, 5 step approach

PM:
Track work:
400m lap x1
Dynamic warm up

Hurdle walk drills x3 each side
4 sets - 30 sec recovery between exercise - 4 minutes between sets
100 yards of sprints
100 yards of bounds
100 yards of high knees
100 yards of sprints

[BetaRotter]

Friday December 2 2016:
Morning:
Lifting:

Warm up:
Foam Rolling Series
Dynamic Stretch Series

Snatch pull:
135x3
185x1
205x1

Clean high pull:
185x3
225x1
235x2x1

super setted with banded knee extension 3x8

Barbell Bench Press:
205x2
215x3x2

Reverse grip lat pull down:
70x5
90x5
110x3
130x3
70x2x10

super setted with hamstring curl
BWx3x10

Pull overs:
45x3x5

supersetted with

lateral lunge:
45x3x5

Afternoon:
Jumps practice:

Plyometric series (x3):
Squat jumps x10
Tuck jumps x10
Pike jumps x10
Alternating single leg jumps x10ea

Bleacher runs (x3)
Single leg right
Single leg left
Double leg (2 steps)
Double leg (full)

400m cool down

Saturday December 3 2016: off

Sunday December 4 2016:
Afternoon:

Track work:
400m lap x1
Dynamic warm up
Falling starts 30mx2

Four sets:
sled pull - 10lb 30m
three point start 40m

Monday December 5 2016:
Morning:
Lifting:
Warm up:
Foam Rolling Series
Dynamic Stretch Series

...will update...

Javelin:
Javelin warm up
Standing throws

Afternoon:
Pole vault:
400m lap x1
Dynamic warm up

7/8 step work w/ bungee @ 10 feet (1 hour)

Tuesday December 6 2016:
light day, cold weather, hurt body

PM:
Track work:
400m lap x1
Dynamic warm up
Hurdle walk over
Hurdle drills 2x ea side

Bleacher lap(x1)

[BetaRotter]

Been some poor weather lately, having to battle the rain and wind and cut some workouts shorted or modify them for inside.

Wednesday December 7 2016:
AM:
Lifting:
Warm up:
Foam Rolling Series
Dynamic Stretch Series

Throws:
400m wark up lap
Dynamic warm up
Hurdle mobility drills
Fence drills
Standing throws (x10)

PM:
Pole vault:
400m wark up lap
Dynamic warm up
One hour - Pole Vault - 7 step - 14 foot pole
1 set bleacher runs
300m @ 80%
Hurdle mobility drills

Thursday December 8 2016:
PM:
Hurdle practice:
400m warm up lap
Bleacher lunges warm up (x6)
Hurdle drills - x3ea
100m build up x2
Rotational drill x20 ea

60 seconds high knees wall drill (2 min between sets) x5
100m build upx1
100m A-Skips x1
400m cool down lap

Friday December 9 2016:
AM:
Lifting:
Warm up:
Foam Rolling Series
Dynamic Stretch Series

Snatch pull:
135x3
185x1
205x
215x1
225x1
240x1

Clean high pull:
135x3
185x2

Bench press:
135x3
185x1
225x1
235x1
240x1


super setted with
hamstring curl:
BWx3x10

Pull overs:
45x3x5

supersetted with
lateral lunge:
45x3x5

PM:
Jumps work:
Three step bound 4x30m
Four step bound 4x40m

Sprint work:
400m warm up lap
Dynamic warm up
Bleacher lunges warm up (x6)
Steep incline hill sprints x10 - walk back recovery

Saturday December 10 2016:
PM:
Sand runs:
Dynamic warm up
Long runs (x3) - 3 minute rest
Hill sprints (x3) - walk back recovery
A-Skip hill sprints (x3) - walk back recovery

[BetaRotter]

For reference, these were my results from the max tests this week. Aside the number is the increase since the last testing periods (6 weeks ago):

All weights in pounds:

Body weight: 175
Deadlift: 365 (+30)
Bench press: 240 (+5)
Snatch pull (+25)
Clean pull: 260 (+15)
Front squat: 260 (+20)

[BetaRotter]

DELOAD WEEK:
Finals coming up and its also a deload week as far as weights and track work goes...

Sunday December 11 2016:
PM:
Recovery run:
400m wark up lap
Dynamic warm up
10x110m on grass - walk back recovery

Monday December 12 2016:
AM:
Lifting:
Foam Rolling Series
Dynamic Stretch Series

All weights in LBs unless otherwise stated

Turkish get ups - 4x1 - 12kg/16kg/16kg/16kg
Clean high pull - 3x5 - 135/170/170
Back squat - 3x6 - 185/210/225
SA Bench press - 45ea/55ea/65ea
RDL - 3x6 - 115/135/135
Pull up - BW - 2x8
Tricep pulldown - 3x8 - 90/110/110
Bicep curl - 3x8 - 25/30/30

PM:
Track work:
400m warm up lap
Dynamic warm up

2 sets:
300m @ 42 sec
Walk recovery
150m @ 18 sec
4 min rest btwn. sets

100m strides on grass x8 walk recovery

[BetaRotter]

Tuesday December 13 2016:
PM:
400m wark up lap
Dynamic warm up
Bleacher runs (x5) - walk back recovery

Wednesday December 14 2016:
AM:
Lifting:
Foam Rolling Series
Dynamic Stretch Series
Rolling pattern x3

KB swings 8x15 - 16kg
Deadlift - 3x6 - 185/230/230

PM:
Speed work:

Dynamic warm up
Straight leg bounds x2
Bounds for height x2

4 rounds:
falling start - 30m
sled pull (10lb) - 30m
three point start - 30m

800m cooldown

also played basketball for 1.5-2 hours for some easy cardio...

Will be out of town Friday through Monday, no track access and probably no lifting, so had to lift a day earlier.

Thursday December 15 2016:
AM:
Lifting:
Foam Rolling Series
Dynamic Stretch Series
Rolling pattern x3

Snatch pull: 3x5 - 135/195/195
Clean high pull: 3x5 - 185/185/185
Bench press: 4x5 - 135/175/185/185
Overhead plate walking lunge: 2x20steps - 25lb plate
Reverse grip lat pulldown - 4x8 - 70/90/100/100
Pull overs: 2x8 - 40lb
Front/Left/Right/ Plank + Supermans - 2 sets 30 seconds each