First Journal entry

[Cantplankwell]

Upper Body Day DELOAD WEEK

Weigh in: No

Warm Up: Skipping rope; 100 singles x 3, Abbreviated Catalyst athletics warm up.

Push Jerks
20kg x 5 (strict press)
20kg x 5 (Push Press)
20kg x 5
40kg x 3
40kg x 3
40kg x 3


Jerk Drives

Several singles at different weights that I forget

Split Jerks
20kg x 3
20kg x 3
20kg x 3
20kg x 3

Heaving Snatch Balance...Pause at bottom
20kg x 3
20kg x 3
20kg x 3
30kg x 3
30kg x 3
30kg x 3
30kg x 3

Accessories: No

Conditioning: No

Notes: Mixed bag of stuff. The Jerk drive is a move where you dip, and then feel for the timing to drive the bar up, its also a strength move, I kept the weight lite as I just wanted to try it out. Split jerks...just how fast can I dip then move my feet...played around. The heaving snatch balance is basically the same move as the snatch balance except your feet start in the overhead squat receiving position..and stayed glued to the floor, its a timing-strength-confidence movement for getting under the bar in the receiving position in the snatch...was easy and fun, not having done it before the results were encouraging. I did not do any overhead squats because each of the snatch balance reps has an OH squat portion.



j

[StinnerOzz]

Yesterday

Mens league hockey, 55 minutes of the sort of game that you would rather forget about....another ugly loss. My D pairing played reasonably well, but you only have so many fingers to plug leaks with, forwards could not buy a goal.

Hate those games, but they're useful to build upon! Hopefully the scoring drought goes away soon.

[shaneinga]

Sorry to hear your team lost. Good workouts in here regardless of deload.

[Cantplankwell]

Hate those games, but they're useful to build upon! Hopefully the scoring drought goes away soon.

Sorry to hear your team lost. Good workouts in here regardless of deload.

Based past experience most of these guys are slow learners...same mistakes...all in good fun though.

Deload- just a couple of days left, gotta get to work and get a Clean and Jerk PR...one last week of this squat cycle and then a test in open reps, hoping for a 90kg x 4....Then a reset for the next cycle.

[StinnerOzz]

Based past experience most of these guys are slow learners...same mistakes...all in good fun though.

Deload- just a couple of days left, gotta get to work and get a Clean and Jerk PR...one last week of this squat cycle and then a test in open reps, hoping for a 90kg x 4....Then a reset for the next cycle.

Our guys tend to be non-learners for some things, doing the same stuff over and over forever. I'm guilty too, but I try to be aware. Sometimes the game is too fast and I can't help but let instincts take over, and then sometimes I do what I don't wish to do. But like you said, it's all about fun!

[Cantplankwell]

Our guys tend to be non-learners for some things, doing the same stuff over and over forever. I'm guilty too, but I try to be aware. Sometimes the game is too fast and I can't help but let instincts take over, and then sometimes I do what I don't wish to do. But like you said, it's all about fun!

Funny this guy on the other team...we will call him Greg, he is a defenseman as well, he is extremely busy...likes to get deep on the rush, he caught me and my partner...again. We backed in way to far...on top of the goalie practically, gave him lots of room and he found a nice little hole in that screen and potted one. After the game I ran into him in the lobby, I mentioned to him that I should know by now to not give him that kind of space, he gets me probably twice a year like that., same league...10 years. We had a good laugh.

[Cantplankwell]

Clean and Jerk Day DELOAD

Weigh in: No

Warm Up: Skipping rope: 100 singles x 3, Abbreviated Catalyst athletics warm up, PVC pipe work

Power Clean, jerk drive, split jerk
20kg x 3
20kg x 3
30kg x 3
30kg x 3
40kg x 2
40kg x 2

Squats
20kg x 5
50kg x 5, x 3


Notes: Quick easy session. One thing for sure is I have to work on the dip-drive part of the jerk...I am not explosive enough.

[Cantplankwell]

Snatch Day

Weigh in: No

Warm Up: skipping rope 100 singles x 3, Catalyst athletics warm up, pvc pipe work

Heaving Snatch Balance
30kg x 3, x 3

Strappo Lento
22kg x 3 x 3

Snatch, No Jump-No Hook
20kg x 3
30kg x 3
30kg x 3
35kg x 2
37kg x 2
40kg x 1
43kg x 1 **Correction...42KG noticed going over my lift vids this morning**

Snatch High Pulls
45kg x 3
45kg x 3
45kg x 3
45kg x 3
47kg x 3

Front Squats
20kg x 4
40kg x 3
50kg x 2
60kg x 1
65kg x 1
68kg x 3
68kg x 3
68kg x 3
68kg x 3

Accessory Work
Snatch Grip Push Press
20kg x 10
40kg x 6
40kg x 5

Dips
6BW+4 Band Assisted
5BW +6 Band Assisted

Hammer Curls
2 sets of 10

Conditioning: No (I walked this morning for 35 minutes)

Notes

Put heaving snatch balances in the mix. Snatches were decent...getting smoother. Not really much to right home about here, just some good work in.

[Cantplankwell]

Upper Body Day

Weigh in : no

Warm up: Sipping rope 100 singles x 3, abbreviated Catalyst athletics warm up

Jerks

20kg x 5 (strict press)
20kg x 5 (push press)
20kg x 5 push jerks
30kg x 3 "
30kg x 3 "
40kg x 2 "
45kg x 2 "
50kg x 1 "
53kg x 1 "
55kg x 1 (split jerk)
58kg x 1 "
61kg x 1 "
63kg x 1 " Bit of a press out here
63kg x 1 " Better, maybe a very tiny bit

Overhead Squats
20kg x 5
30kg x 5
35kg x 3 Pause
35kg x 3,Pause..
35kg x 3,Pause


Accessory Work
Incline bench press 35kg x 8, x 3

Front Dumbbell Raises

Band Face Pulls

Conditionin: None

Notes: Mostly happy with the jerks...its all in the dip-drive and timing...coming along.

OHS...this was a stretch out really, paused 3 seconds in the bottom, and 3 seconds in the top.

Dusted off the incline bench press...felt pretty good...stayed light.

[StinnerOzz]

Good idea with the stretch/pause on the OHP.

[Cantplankwell]

Pausing deep in the Overhead squat is a fun challenge. One of these days soon a heavy snatch is going to drive me deep and stuff like that will pay off.

Some lite Cardio Today

Weigh in: 176.2lbs

Cardio: 35 min on the spin bike.

Tunes/coffee were good this morning wanted to keep going but no time.

Just shooting the breeze here.

Gain of 13 lbs in 16 weeks. Must be around 400-500 cal over maintenance..not even tracking right now just making sure I get enough to eat, being liberal with carbs.

Investigating the Russian Squat program. Depending how my open set testing goes on the current squat program in a few weeks I may embark on this. Its 6 weeks in duration. During this period I would only being doing some lite upper-body stuff. Its all about squatting...well more like squatting/eating/sleeping 3 times per week.

Tomorrow Clean and Jerk day

[Payton1221]

Weigh in: 176.2lbs

Gain of 13 lbs in 16 weeks. Must be around 400-500 cal over maintenance..not even tracking right now just making sure I get enough to eat, being liberal with carbs.

Do you have a maintenance weight in mind? I allowed some bigger swings a few years ago, but for me, I found that I ended too much like where I started, so for the most part, I try to stay within a narrow (maybe 5 lbs total, i.e., +/- 2.5 lbs) range.

[Cantplankwell]

Do you have a maintenance weight in mind? I allowed some bigger swings a few years ago, but for me, I found that I ended too much like where I started, so for the most part, I try to stay within a narrow (maybe 5 lbs total, i.e., +/- 2.5 lbs) range.

I dont want to weigh anymore than 85kg-187lbs, for the time being 77kg-170lbs maybe the best target, and at some point when I reach decent strength/muscle levels I just want to concentrate on maintaining an athletic physique, I dont need to be "huge" or "ripped", or deadlift/squat 500lbs..I am not sure if that is sustainable. At any rate I have a long way to go, when I get down to visible muscle, a few veins, flat stomach with no love handles (not even talking ribs and abs) I would be around 160lbs, maybe less?, my wife says I look too skinny, almost sick there, especially with a polo on. This is why I think I need to embark on a prolonged muscle building stage for say 4-5 months in a year, every year...OLY lifting the remaining balance. but I do get what you are saying...ending up where you started.

Do you track and eat at maintenance?

[Cantplankwell]

Clean and Jerk Day

Weigh in: No

Warm up: skipping rope: 100 singles x 3, abbreviated Catalyst athletics warm up,

Clean and Jerk
20kg x 4
20kg x 4
40kg x 2
50kg x 2
60kg x 1
65kg x 1 (jerk-no lift)

Clean Pulls
65kg x 2, x 4

Squats
20kg x 5
60kg x 3
70kg x 2
75kg x 1
82kg x 3
82kg x 3
82kg x 3
82kg x 3

Accessory Work

Behind the neck presses
20kg x 10
30kg x 6, x 3


Conditioning: No

Notes: Pressed for time today, fell asleep on the couch and woke up very close to supper. Had basically had about 70min to fit this in. I took too many big quick greedy steps in the CnJ, so I was not in the groove, should have been volume in the 50 to 58 range. Squats were a breeze. Tried behind the neck presses with the clean width grip...something different.

[Payton1221]

I dont need to be "huge" or "ripped", or deadlift/squat 500lbs..I am not sure if that is sustainable.

I think you have one of the more well rounded opinions on how physique, function, and lifestyle interact. I'm similar in that I've decided to eliminate squats (one of the big-3/big-4 exercises) in lieu of predominately hill riding with my bike which I enjoy more and which also builds a decent set of legs/glutes. Maybe I'd feel differently if I had better wrist flexibility or shoulder flexibility but if I can't ride my bike, I usually opt for leg extensions, bulg split squats, or step-ups.

. . . when I get down to visible muscle, a few veins, flat stomach with no love handles (not even talking ribs and abs) I would be around 160lbs, maybe less?, my wife says I look too skinny, almost sick there.

Me too. I'm carrying probably 7-8 more pounds of fat than in my avi, but my face definitely looks better. For me to have a six pack, I look like a POW. At my current weight, my waist is trim and with a blurry 4-pack in the morning which is just fine by me.

Do you track and eat at maintenance?

I did for years, but I haven't for the last year or so. I've gotten in the habit which at first I didn't like but now I just roll with it of eating over maintenance on Fri and Sat then intuitively eating under (without tracking) on Sun and Mon. I won't weigh after the surpluses nor for the first day or two after the deficit to see if I've undone or at least nearly undone the Fri/Sat surplus.

[grouchyjarhead]

BTN presses get a bad rap nowadays. In my personal opinion, if you have the shoulder mobility for them, they're one of the best upper body movements out there. My right shoulder has limited mobility due to it being dislocated during a bad jump in the Marine Corps (if I had gotten proper treatment, it might have been better - I just had my corpsman pop it back into place which was probably not optimal...) so I can't do them, but man I wish I could.

I dont need to be "huge" or "ripped", or deadlift/squat 500lbs..I am not sure if that is sustainable.

When I was focused only on big weights, I wasn't much of an athlete. It wasn't until I started seeking to be well rounded when I finally felt better, performed better, and I feel I look better. Due to my back issues, most of my heavy work nowadays is with kettlebells so I'll never be back squatting or deadlifting like I used to in my strength athlete days. But that's okay because I don't need that for what I do now. I see it as having the proper mindset for your goals.

[Cantplankwell]

I think you have one of the more well rounded opinions on how physique, function, and lifestyle interact. I'm similar in that I've decided to eliminate squats (one of the big-3/big-4 exercises) in lieu of predominately hill riding with my bike which I enjoy more and which also builds a decent set of legs/glutes. Maybe I'd feel differently if I had better wrist flexibility or shoulder flexibility but if I can't ride my bike, I usually opt for leg extensions, bulg split squats, or step-ups.


Me too. I'm carrying probably 7-8 more pounds of fat than in my avi, but my face definitely looks better. For me to have a six pack, I look like a POW. At my current weight, my waist is trim and with a blurry 4-pack in the morning which is just fine by me.


I did for years, but I haven't for the last year or so. I've gotten in the habit which at first I didn't like but now I just roll with it of eating over maintenance on Fri and Sat then intuitively eating under (without tracking) on Sun and Mon. I won't weigh after the surpluses nor for the first day or two after the deficit to see if I've undone or at least nearly undone the Fri/Sat surplus.

Thanks Payton, sometimes when I read the posts on this site I feel like I am out in left field. I just don't believe you should be all in on any one thing. Does this mean my exposure to crossfit has warped me forever?

BTN presses get a bad rap nowadays. In my personal opinion, if you have the shoulder mobility for them, they're one of the best upper body movements out there. My right shoulder has limited mobility due to it being dislocated during a bad jump in the Marine Corps (if I had gotten proper treatment, it might have been better - I just had my corpsman pop it back into place which was probably not optimal...) so I can't do them, but man I wish I could.



When I was focused only on big weights, I wasn't much of an athlete. It wasn't until I started seeking to be well rounded when I finally felt better, performed better, and I feel I look better. Due to my back issues, most of my heavy work nowadays is with kettlebells so I'll never be back squatting or deadlifting like I used to in my strength athlete days. But that's okay because I don't need that for what I do now. I see it as having the proper mindset for your goals.

Grouchy..Thanks for your input, I really like what you do, its unique...and I could not pull half of that off. There is a lot to be said for your brand of functionality/simplicity in your routines. And BTW much respect to you for serving your country.

I mostly do the behind the next snatch push presses...I have not had any problems with them, from time to time I may do them with the jerk width...secret is not overdoing it.

[shaneinga]

Good workouts in here CPW.

Individual goals and how to get there while having fun will more than likely change many times over a lifters lifetime. The key is to keep showing up and trying to work hard while you are in there. Injuries, dieting, etc will always play a part in "progression." At the end of the day I think the goal is to be able to keep doing what we love doing for as long as we can continue to do it.

[Cantplankwell]

Good workouts in here CPW.

Individual goals and how to get there while having fun will more than likely change many times over a lifters lifetime. The key is to keep showing up and trying to work hard while you are in there. Injuries, dieting, etc will always play a part in "progression." At the end of the day I think the goal is to be able to keep doing what we love doing for as long as we can continue to do it.

Thanks Shane, good words...absolutely

[Cantplankwell]

Yesterday: Sunday

Napping Yoga with my wife: 2 hours of supported yoga poses, and thai massage techniques. I did not nap, but I did unwind, and then go home and BBQ/consume some huge hamburgers.


This morning
35 minute walk



This Evening

Snatch Day

Weigh in: No

Warm Up skipping rope: 100 singles x 2. Catalyst athletics warm up, pvc pipe work, some more work with the MT bar.

EMOM for 10 minutes: 1 rep=Snatch+Snatch Balance+Snatch Push Press+Overhead Squat ("Torokhtiy Complex"). Do not let go of the bar, or let it touch the platform

40kg x 1, x 4
35kg x 1, x 6

Snatch Dead Lifts
50kg, 5 x 5

Front Squat
20kg x 5
50kg x 3
60kg x 2
65kg x 1
71kg x 2
71kg x 2
71kg x 2
71kg x 2

Accessory; None

Conditioning: None

Notes: Complex when well, other than I put too much weight on, so I had to take off 5kg. Otherwise some good volume that I am happy with. The entire session does not look like much on paper, but believe me it was work. My Front squat PR a couple of years ago is 75kg, so put that into context here.

[Cantplankwell]

Last Night

Mens League Hockey, We lost 7-3. Basically we just suck. Only thing good about it was I moved around a lot (mostly running around chasing) for about 55 minutes. Some of our best players have a worse attendance than me so far this year, one of the reasons we cant get things going.

[StinnerOzz]

Man, that sucks. I hate when the lineup isn't solid especially when you rely on certain people to keep you in contention. A bad day playing hockey is almost always better than not playing at all though

[Cantplankwell]

A bad day playing hockey is almost always better than not playing at all though

The only thing that might come close is a round of golf on an sunny 80 degree afternoon.

[Cantplankwell]

Middle of The week day

Weigh in: no

Warm up: Skipping rope 100 singles x 3, catalyst athletics warm up

Split Jerks...unless noted
20kg x 5 strict press
20kg x 5 push press
20kg x 5 power jerk
20kg x 5 split jerk
40kg x 3
45kg x 3
50kg x 2
55kg x 2
58kg x 1
60kg x 1
63kg x 1 (press out)
65kg x 1 (miss)

Overhead Squats (3 second pause at bottom and top)
20kg x 3
20kg x 3
37kg x 3
37kg x 3
37kg x 3

Accessories: No

Conditioning: No

Notes: A little weaker today, decided to take side views of the jerks and discovered that I am falling fwd during the dips, this has to be fixed before I can progress much further...its not a strength thing..just poor technique.

[TM79]

Great work going on in here CPW. Strong work on the split jerks and OHS. Good call on videoing your sets and catching the form issues proactively. Otherwise you end up like me... Love to read about the hockey match too. My goodness, it must have been 25 years ago the last time I played team sports...

[Cantplankwell]

Great work going on in here CPW. Strong work on the split jerks and OHS. Good call on videoing your sets and catching the form issues proactively. Otherwise you end up like me... Love to read about the hockey match too. My goodness, it must have been 25 years ago the last time I played team sports...

WHo needs a coach when you have an iphone LOL....

Team sports: Its fun to hear the locker room-bench talk funny stories and the chirping...best thing about it. It can also bring out the best and worst in folks(see Stinners posts about fighting LOL). I often think now every year is going to be my last, but I keep going back. It would be a long boring winter without the rink rows...golf is fun and everything but its a little too......genteel or something.

[Cantplankwell]

Clean an Jerk Day

Weigh in :No

Warm Up: Skipping Rope 100 singles x 2, Catalyst Athletics Warm up

Clean and Jerk

20kg x 3
20kg x 3
20kg x 3
40kg x 3
45kg x 1
45kg x 1
45kg x 1
50kg x 2
53kg x 1 (Power Jerk)
55kg x 1 (Power Jerk)
56kg x 1 (Power Jerk)
58kg x 1 "


Squats
20kg x 5
65kg x 3
75kg x 2
82kg x 1
85kg x 2
85kg x 2
85kg x 2
85kg x 2

Accessory Work
Jerk Dips
60kg x 3, x 3

Band Face Pulls

Conditioning: No

Notes: had a rough go with the split jerks...they just werent working today so I switched over to power jerks which went a little better. Concentrated on removing that forward lean in the dip. I could probably PR around 65, but it would be the ugliest piece of crap lift ever with a press out, so I would rather concentrate on good "competition" lifts in the 80-90 % range until I work out the kinks

Went last night to visit a couple of gyms which I might retreat to just to do a muscle/strength building routine during the depths of winter. They were more cardio/fitness oriented, and you can't use chalk. One of them the weight training stuff was really in pisspoor wonky shape, the other one which was much newer has hex plates and a few bumpers and quite a few isolation machines most of them I do not know how to use or adjust (or even what they are used for LOL).


Its looking like my program might be something like this:

Day 1
Front Squat
Strict Press
Rows
Shoulder and Arm Accessories (1 each)
Conditioning

Day 2
Dead Lifts (Alternate Snatch and Clean)
Bench
Overhead Squat
Arms Accessories 1-2

Day 3
Back Squat
Push presses (alternate clean grip and snatch grip)
Shoulders and Arm accessories (1 each)
Conditioning

No Ideal on the sets/reps/progression model

Any ideas let me know

[shaneinga]

Good work in here as usual CPW. I agree on Golf. That game sucks! LoL.

Gym stuff, honestly you really have most what you need to do what you need to gain muscle. DB's are the only thing I would really miss if I decided to go with home only training. Well that and the yoga pants.

Progression on the weights I would pick a set weight and try to get reps, once you hit reps add weight and do it again.

Or just track and try to beat your last workout with the weights used.

12,10,8,6 hit your reps on your heavy 6 and add weight and start over.

However there are a ton of way to track progression and also a ton of ways to use different methods to change up how you progress. Rest periods, TUT, Speed, etc.

Here is a good article from T nation that I had bookmarked a while back.

https://www.t-nation.com/training/va...or-progression

[Samraiwise]

I can't imagine how could you northern barbarians touch the iron bar and plates with bear hands in winter. *shudder*

Good luck on winter retreat to a commercial gym, surely it'll be an adventure.

[StinnerOzz]

Your plan looks pretty solid, but check out the machines give some a shot. Most may not lend to your typical training style, but never discount the benefit of doing something new for a short time.