Starting Strength log

Bruce7

Today:

IP warmup x 3

Deadlift
Double overhand
70 x 8
110 x 8
140 x 5
160 x 5
160 x 5
170 x 5
180 x 5
190 x 1
195 x 1
200 x 1

DB step-ups
4 x 8 with 17.5s

Weighted bridge
3 x 60secs with 15k plate

Bruce7

Today:

IP warmup x 1

Bench
60 x 8
75 x 8
85 x 5
85 x 5
85 x 5
85 x 5
85 x 5
92.5 x 1
97.5 x 1
102.5 x 1

Supported rows
15s x 12
17.5s x 12
17.5s x 12
17.5s x 12
17.5s x 12

Side bridge
3 x 45 / 15 - not weighted

Hammer curls
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 12

Bruce7

Today:

Quad walk
Scap pressup
Leg Swings
Scap pullup
Quad walk
Groin rotation

Con block:
Sprints. Start at goal line, jog 66m and sprint to far goal line. Repeat on way back.
Jog to 33m, sprint to 66m, jog to far goal line. Repeat on way back.
Sprint to 33m, jog to far goal line. Repeat
Jog up touchline to 22m, then sprint back to opposite corner flag.
Repeat to 10 yard line, half way, far 10 yard line, far 22, and far goal line.

Was just finishing this last sprint when my f*cking right hamstring went.

Did some stretching and tried an easy work block

Work block
Lunges with 16k KBs: 10 per leg
Floor press with 16k KBs: 10
Rows with 16k KBs: 10

Did 5 rounds, taking the lunges very easy.

Did some more stretching and tried a light jog, but could barely put one foot in front of the other.

Abandoned the rest.

My right ac joint is f*cked again as well.

F*ck it!

Bruce7

There's a famous trader / investor called Ed Seykota who is known for his philosophy: "Everyone gets what they want from the markets." By this he means that if people lose money, it's because on a deep psychological level they wanted to lose money, in order to punish themselves, or to prove that life isn't fair to them, or for some other payoff.

I think this concept may be applied to training. Everyone gets what they want out of training. In my case, I have a bit of a recurring pattern. I train and make good progress for a period of up to about 12 weeks, then I either burn out, get injured, go on the piss, or my training gets derailed in some other fashion.

Trying to do some amateur psychoanalysis on myself, maybe on a deep level I get more of a payoff from saying / thinking I used to be able to do a, b, and c, and could have been able to do x, y, and z but never got there due to factors outside my control.

Well, I'm going to break this pattern once and for all. I thought that getting coaching was the solution to staying injury free, and keeping going; it's definitely part of it, and I'm going to continue to give stability, mobility and conditioning as high a priority as strength work, but it might be time to get some kind of mental coaching as well. It can't hurt anyway.

I see Raw have a sports psychologist coming in for a seminar. I'm definitely going, and will see about getting a few sessions with him - assuming it's not going to involve any kind of 'tell me about your mother' stuff.

Bruce7

Today:

Scap pushups
Scap pullups
3 Ls
YTWs
Band pull aparts
Face pulls
Band Shoulder dislocates
x 2

Pull ups (neutral grip)
Grey band x 8
Grey band x 8
Green band x 5
Green band x 5
Green band x 5
Grey band x 5
Grey band x 5

Floor press
Started to do a few 30s but shoulder wasn't up for it. Went down to 7.5s and it still hurt, so left it at that.

Side bends
30s x 15
30s x 15
30s x 15

Overhead plate extension (20k plate)
4 x 25

Stretching,
Band sling shoulder rehab
Foam rolling

Hamstring a bit better today. I can walk semi-normally, so hopefully I'll get over this quickly. Not going to sports psych seminar in the end as I have a competition next Wednesday, so will focus on rest and rehab until then.

I left a grey, a green and a blue band behind the desk in Raw if anyone is reading this who needs to use them for conditioning blocks or whatever. They are due to get some in, but until they do, I am happy to leave mine there. They are just extra weight in my bag anyway.

Bruce7

Today:

A whole load of shoulder rehab and stretching.

Got physio to friction hamstring yesterday and it's a lot better. Tried some over and unders and they were fine. Spending the whole day sitting down, unable to elevate it, is probably going to cause it to regress a bit.

Bruce7

Today:

Scap pressups
Quad walk
Over unders
Hurdle steps

Shot
5 x overhead backwards
5 x underhand forwards
5 x standing throw, feet forward
5 x standing throw
5 x step back
10 - 12 easy glides

Didn't measure any.

Fair bit to work on technique wise:
Getting right foot underneath me
Staying low crossing circle
Getting height into throw
Keeping ball moving

Hamstring tightness causing some of the technique failure. Have to land fairly flat-footed and can't really get hips into it until this is sorted.

Shoulder holding up ok though.

Bruce7

Today:

First meet of season. Dublin graded meet.

Shot: 12.24. Happy-ish with that as a stake in the ground. Onwards and upwards from here.

Had a go at the discus and threw 31.34.

Bruce7

Today:

Warmup x 1

Box Squats
60 x 8
100 x 8
120 x 5
120 x 5
130 x 5
140 x 5
140 x 5
Hamstring twinging a bit during these, but held up ok

GHR
5 x 10 with 10k plate

Band Pulldowns
3 x 10 e/s with green band

Bruce7

Today:

IP warmup x 1

Pull-ups (neutral grip)
2 x 8 + 5 x 5 with green band

DB Floor Press
5 x 12 e/s with 30k DBs

Side bends
3 x 15 e/s with 30k DBs

Overhead plate extension (20k plate)
5 x 20
Something clicked in my shoulder while doing these and everything is now ok again. I don't know what it was, but I'll take it.

Bruce7

Today:

Warmup
Sumo walk
Scap pressup
Groin rotation
Wall slides
Leg swings
Quad walk
x2

Con Block - 10mins
Sprint drill: Sprint forward 7-8m, across 1m, and back 7-8m. 3 left to right, and 3 right to left.
x 10

Work Block-15mins
Walking lunges - 10 per leg with 16k KBs
Floor press - 10 e/s with 16k KBs
Unsupported rows - 10 with 16k KBs

6 rounds.

Con Block - 10mins
Hill sprints. Hill in Bushy Park. Sprinted up and walked back down.
x 11

Work Block-15mins
Potato sack squats - 10 x 16k
Turkish Get Ups - 5 e/s with 16k KB
KB rows - 5 e/s with 16k KB

4 rounds

Bruce7

Today:

IP warmup x 1

Deadlift
Double overhand
100 x 8
120 x 8
140 x 5
145 x 5
150 x 5
155 x 5
160 x 5
170 x 1
175 x 1
180 x 1

Concentrated on keeping scaps tight. I think one of the causes of my shoulder injury was deadlifting too much with poor technique, so going to stick to a fairly conservative range and focus on good form.

DB step-ups
4 x 8 with 20s

Weighted bridge
3 x 60secs with 10k plate

Bruce7

Today:

IP warmup x 1

Bench
60 x 8
70 x 8
80 x 5
80 x 5
80 x 5
80 x 5
80 x 5
85 x 1
87.5 x 1
90 x 1

Undeniable now that benching is the main cause of my shoulder problem. I did a few with just the bar and immediately felt it in my right AC joint. Trying to work very hard on form - keeping hands inside the rings, touching off sternum, using lats and triceps instead of chest and shoulders, keeping shoulders down. It's a work in progress.

Supported rows
12.5s x 12
15s x 12
15s x 12
20s x 12
20s x 12

Side bridge
3 x 45 / 15 - not weighted

Hammer curls
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 12
10s x 12
10s x 8 / 7.5s x 4

Another contributing factor to my shoulder injury has to be the weakness and lack of endurance of my arms, which surely leads to my shoulder taking more strain than it should.

Lots to work on. Need to focus on light weights, good form and adequate volume

Bruce7

Was supposed to compete in AAI games yesterday, but stayed in bed with a hangover.

Today:

IP warmup x 1

Box Squat
100 x 8
120 x 8
140 x 5
140 x 5
140 x 5
140 x 5
140 x 5

GHR
5 x 10 with 10k plate

Ab Pulldowns - used machine
3rd plate by 10
5th plate by 10
7th plate by 30

Bruce7

Today:

IP wamup x 1

Pullups (neutral grip)
Green band x 8
Green band x 8
Blue band x 5
Blue band x 3
Green band x 5
Green band x 5
Green band x 5

DB Floor press:
32.5s x 12
32.5s x 12
32.5s x 12
30s x 12
30s x 12

DB Side bends
3 x 15 / 15 with 30s

Overhead plate extension (20k plate)
25 / 25 / 25 / 5 / 6 / 4

Bruce7

Warmup

Today:

IP warmup x 1

Deadlift
Double overhand
70 x 8
110 x 8
150 x 5
160 x 5
160 x 3 - Just pussied out here. No excuse for it. Disgraceful.
160 x 5
160 x 5
170 x 1
175 x 1
180 x 1

DB step-ups
4 x 8 with 22.5s

Weighted bridge
3 x 45 secs with 20k plate

Bruce7

Today:

IP warmup x 1

Bench
60 x 8
70 x 8
82.5 x 5
82.5 x 5
82.5 x 5
82.5 x 5
82.5 x 5
87.5 x 1
90 x 1
92.5 x 1

Supported rows
15s x 12
15s x 12
15s x 12
15s x 12
15s x 12

Side bridge
3 x 45 / 15 with 5k DB

Hammer curls
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 12

Bruce7

Saturday 21st May

Warmup x 3

Con Block
Rower 30 seconds on 30 seconds off. Averaged around 147m

Work Block
KB Deadlift (28k): 5 & 5
Double KB press (16ks): 5
Neutral Grip pull ups (grey band): 5
11 rounds

Con Block
Rower 30 seconds on 30 seconds off. Averaged around 140m.

Work Block
Burpees: 10
Push up and row: 10
Situps: 10
5 Rounds

Today:

Warmup x 1

Box Squats
100 x 8
120 x 8
140 x 5
145 x 5
150 x 5
155 x 5
160 x 5

GHR
5 x 10 with 10k plate

Ab Pulldowns
3 x 10 / 10 with 7th plate

Bruce7

Today:

IP wamup x 1

Pullups (neutral grip)
Green band x 8
Green band x 8
Blue band x 5
Blue band x 5
Blue band x 5
Green band x 5
Green band x 5

DB Floor press:
32.5s x 12
32.5s x 12
32.5s x 12
32.5s x 12
32.5s x 12

DB Side bends
3 x 15 / 15 with 32.5s

Overhead plate extension (20k plate)
5 x 20

Bruce7

Today:

IP warmup x 1

Deadlift
Double overhand
110 x 8
140 x 8
165 x 5
165 x 5
165 x 3 - Felt a dart of pain in lower back on first rep of these, so stuck to 3 reps to be careful. Didn't recur though.
165 x 3
165 x 3
175 x 1
180 x 1
185 x 1

DB step-ups
4 x 8 with 22.5s. On last set, I 'got' these. Felt as if a new part of my mid back had woken up after them.

Weighted bridge
3 x 45 secs with 15k plate

Bruce7

Today:

IP warmup x 1

Bench
60 x 8
70 x 8
80 x 5
82.5 x 5
85 x 5
87.5 x 5
90 x 5
95 x 1
97.5 x 1
100 x 1

Starting to feel a bit more comfortable with technique. Still don't feel that strong, but can feel it coming.

Supported rows
15s x 12
17.5s x 12
20s x 12
20s x 12
20s x 12

Side bridge
2 x 45 / 15 with 5k DB

Hammer curls
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 12
12.5s x 7 / 4 / 1
12.5s x 8 / 3 /1

Bruce7

Saturday May 28th
Throws training

Wednesday June 1st
Dublin Graded Meet no 4
Discus: 34.59
Shot: 11.97. Not good.

Bruce7

Saturday, June 11th

Dublins

Shot: 12.35m

Bruce7

Today:

National League
Shot: 13.88m.
Edit: Just noticed this is an Irish masters record and would have been good for bronze at the world masters in Sacramento last week.

Discus: 29 something. :eek:

Bruce7

Won't be in the gym much for next month but couldn't train in the rain today, so did:

Walking lunges
Horizontal band pull-aparts
Sumo Walk
Vertical Band Pull-aparts
Hamstring walk
Band dislocates
Quad walk
x 3

Trap Bar Dead Lift
100 x 8
120 x 8
140 x 5
150 x 5
160 x 5
170 x 5
180 x 5

GHR
2 x 8 with bodyweight
2 x 8 with blue band

Med Ball Throws
3 x 20 with 6k ball

Alternate Arm Incline DB Press
20 x 8
20 x 8
22.5 x 5
22.5 x 5
25 x 5
25 x 5
27.5 x 5

Unsupported rows
20 x 8
25 x 8
27.5 x 8
30 x 8

Side bridging
3 x 30secs per side

DB Preacher Curls
4 x 8 with 10k DBs

Bruce7

Yesterday:

Final Dublin graded meet
Discus: 35.73m
Shot: 12.52m

Bruce7

Nationals
Yesterday: Shot. 11 something. Disaster
Today: Discus. 37.10

Bruce7

Today: masters nationals.

Shot: 13.06m
Discus: 40.20m

So it's now a year since I began training again. After turning 35 and winning last year's masters without any training I focused on lifting weights throughout the winter and spring, as this log shows. At my strongest, in early January, I wasn't throwing much further than I had been when I was completely out of shape. It was only when I stopped going to the gym and began throwing several times a week, that I began to throw farther.

One reason for this was was that I had to adapt my throwing style to what was essentially a new physique. Another is the obvious one, that you get better at something by doing it, and not something else.

Anyway, from now on I'm going to be a thrower first, an athlete second, and a weight lifter third, and will be working out accordingly, doing mostly throws drills, specific strength stuff etc., and as I can't imagine any of this being of interest to this community, will stop logging here and move over to deepthrows.com.

Bruce7

Did Starting Strength again this year for 19 weeks. Log is attached for posterity and as here is as good a place to store it as anywhere else.

Results:
Squat (3x5) 100 - 180
Bench (3 x 5) 70 - 105
DL (1 x 5) 120 - 185
Press (3 x 5) 40 - 65
1 x 5 @ 67.5
Clean (5 x 3) 70 - 97.5
3 x 3 @ 100

Going to stop now as outdoor athletics season begins for me next week. Between now and August I'll try to maintain squat and clean, and increase bench to whatever I can (120 for 3 x 5 hopefully) then start a different weights programme in the autumn.

I would probably be switching programme now anyway, as I have completely stalled in the clean, gone backwards in the press, am likely to stall in the DL soon, and am happy with my squat as it is.

Bruce7

Squats:
20 x 5
60 x 5
100 x 5
140 x 5
160 x 3
170 x 3
180 x 3
190 x 3 PR
200 x 3 PR

Rower
30 seconds on / 30 seconds off for 10 minutes. Couldn't get the thing to tell me what distance I was doing.