Pivot Day 2 and 3

Day 2:
BW - 216

Seated Leg Curls - 4X8

DB Shoulder Press -
45sX8
40sX8, 8, 8

CG Pull-Downs - 4X8

Single-Leg Raises - 4X8

Conditioning - Treadmill; 20 minutes walking

Day 3:
BW - 213

Bulgarian Split Squats - 4X8

EZ Bar French Press - 50X4X8

Cable Rear Delt Rows - 4X8

BB Curls -
60X6
55X8, 8, 8

Conditioning - Stationary Bike; 7 rounds HIIT

Block 1 (Accumulation). Cycle 1. Day 1 (Squat focus).

BW - 215

Squat - 247.5X7, 7, 7, 7 @6/7

DB Bench - 55sX8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 @6/7

Trap Bar DL (High Handles) - 245X8, 8, 8 @6/7

Conditioning - Treadmill HIIT; 7 rounds

First day of the new cycle!  Very happy to be revving things up.

Quads felt fine during Squats.  I have "normal" DOMS less than 24 hours later, and we'll see how that trends over the next 24.  Otherwise, these felt great.  Estimated target weight for the day was 252.5, and happy to have ended up in that ballpark.  Mostly happy to just be squatting for volume (and reps) pain free, but am hopeful that I can see a robust increase in intensity through this block since this weight is about 100 lbs. under my best set of 7.

Over 3 years since I did DB flat bench, so I had no target.  First set with the 55s was really awkward, and I thought I might have overshot, but the 2nd set was @6 tops, and then I sailed through until I hit a conservative @7 on the sixth set.  Depending on fatigue and recovery for the first week, I would expect these weights to be higher next week.  Didn't grab any video of these.

I've never used a trap bar.  Ever.  It was fun!  If a little strange feeling.  I decided to use the high handles for this cycle as they seem to involve less legs, and therefore more back?  The range of motion feels very strange, but it was all good.

Enthusiasm about training is high.

Conditioning and Bodyweight Circuit

Chin-ups - BWX2, 4, 6, 2, 4

super set with

Dips - BWX4, 8, 12, 4, 8

and

Intervals - 4, 1/4 mile intervals, 00:8:45 total, 00:02:11/interval

Conditioning and Bodyweight Circuit

Chin-ups - BWX2, 4, 6, 4

super set with

Dips - BWX4, 8, 12, 8

and

Intervals - 3, 1/4 mile intervals, 00:12:57 total, 00:02:35/interval

Conditioning and Bodyweight Circuit

Chin-ups - BWX1, 2, 3, 4, 5

super set with

Dips - BWX2, 4, 6, 8, 10

and

Intervals - 5, 1/4 mile intervals, 00:12:57 total, 00:02:35/interval

Chins and Dips both felt good.

While the average time on the intervals was slower this week, by and large, this was a better day.  I was able to keep a much more consistent pace than previously.  The past couple of sessions, I'd jumped out of the gate, and finished the first run or two far under pace.  Then I'd be out of gas for the last two.  This was better.

Conditioning and Bodyweight Circuit

Chin-ups - BWX7, 5, 4

super set with

Dips - BWX10, 10, 10

and

Intervals - 4, 1/4 mile intervals, 00:09:05 total, 00:02:16/interval

Much easier to get both conditioning and a light/recovery/assistance day in if I can do them all at once.  I hate running on a treadmill, but luckily there's a little bodyweight station down at the beach near where I live.  I mapped out a 1/4 mile route around the paths that brings me back there, and I can knock this all out pretty quick.

Chin-ups felt much stronger going first like this (duh).

Dips were fine.  I capped the reps at 10.

Intervals feeling a little better as I acclimate.  Still hard to pull back on the throttle out of the gate and hit target pace.  

Conditioning

Intervals - 1/4 mileX3 @ ~2:00 per

super-set with

Chin-Ups - BWX1, 2, 3, 4
and
Dips - BWX2, 4, 6, 8

Looking to get back on the conditioning train.  These 3 intervals kicked my ass some.  Part of that was no pace control.  I ran the first interval in 1:40 when I just wanted 2:30.

There's a bodyweight training station at the local park, so I threw some work in between intervals.

Conditioning. Week 5. Intervals

Intervals - 5X1/4 mile; 11:50 (2:22/interval)

My wife had friends in town, and was unavailable to run.  Pushed the pace back up into target range.  Felt good.  Not sure what she'll want to do next week.  Likely repeat the 4 interval day.

Conditioning. Week 4. Intervals

Intervals - 4X1/4 mile; 11:40

Added an interval in these runs with the wife.  Still letting her dictate the pace.

Conditioning. Week 3. Intervals 2

Intervals - 3, 1/4 mile intervals

My wife decided she wanted to start running again, so we did as many quarter-mile intervals as she felt comfortable with.  I'm happy to down shift so that she can keep up.

Conditioning. Week 3. Intervals

Intervals - 5 Intervals @ 14:51 total, ~2:58/interval

Just couldn't find the time for conditioning last week.  And it probably showed here.  2nd interval was really tough, before I started to drop in, but then I lost track of my pace and came in way over.  Need to do better next week.

Conditioning. Week 1. Intervals

Intervals - 4X1/4 mile @ ~2:12

Back from a long vacation.  Should be a perfect time to start getting back on the road as Spring should (hopefully) spring soon, and overall intensity will be reset lower in the gym.

Pretty cold out at the beach today, but got in my first 4 intervals.  Plan is to add another 1/4 mile interval each week, and then do the same total distance in a non-stop run in the 2nd half of the week.  So I did four 1/4 miles here, and later this week, I'll do a one mile sub-pace run.  Next week, do five 1/4 miles, and a 1.25 mile run, etc.

To start, I'm running an interval, and then walking the same distance for a rest.  I will probably need to ratchet down the rest periods at some point.  Getting up to twelve 1/4 mile intervals with 4-5 minute rests in between will get pretty boring.

Hybrid Training. Week 10. Intervals

Intervals - 5, 1/2 mile intervals @ ~5:00

Lost count and only did 5 when I was meant for 6.  These were all pretty hard, which doesn't bode great for my race, but I could have done a 6th.

Hybrid Training. Week 9. Intervals

Intervals - 4, 1/2 mile intervals @ ~5:00

I wanted to go for 6, 1/2 mile intervals today, but I felt awful by #4.  I think it was a combination of heat, and lifestyle over the past few days.  A good friend moved to town this week, and my sleep and diet were really disrupted for a few days afterwards.  I'll get back on course this week.

Hybrid Training. Week 8. Intervals and Heavy Lower

Saturday:
Intervals - 4, 1/2 mile intervals @ ~5:00

Sunday:
BW - 225

Squat -
up to 325X2, 3
then 257.5X5, 5

Deadlift -
265X3, 3
315X1
325X1
335X1

Hanging Legs - X8, 8, 8

Jumped up to 1/2 mile intervals at target pace.  I probably could have gone for at least one more, but since I don't need to really do more than 6, there was no point in killing myself while I've still got a few weeks until the race.

On my first squat set of 325, I got over my toes on the 3rd rep and missed it.  Had no concerns about getting it on the 2nd set.  Felt pretty solid all around.  I probably could have gone for a 3rd set, but I still needed to hit back-off sets and deadlift.

For deadlift, I'd only programmed in to go up to the squat back-off weight, 257.5, but I just went to 265.  After a couple of sets, I still felt pretty good, so I did a few fatigue singles a la Paul Carter to see how things were feeling ahead of heavy deadlifts next week.  The top single felt pretty slow.  Maybe not so bad for a fatigued state.  Next week, I'm looking to pull a few singles at 342.5 fresh.  That should be do-able.

Hybrid Training. Week 7. Light Lower and LSR

Tuesday:
BW - 226

Squats - up to 260X5, 5

Pause Squats - 245X3, 3, 3

Bench-Grip DL - up to 255X3

GHR Hypers - BW+45X15, 15, 15
super-set with
GHR Sit-ups - BWX15, 15, 15

Wednesday:
BW - 225
Incline Treadmill Intervals - jog 4 min./walk 2 min.; 3.6 miles; 45 minutes

Tried upping the weight on speed squats by 5 lbs., but they were slowing down a lot, so I cut it after 2 sets.  Not sure what I want to do here going forward.

Upping the weight by 10 lbs. on pause squats was fine, however.  Maybe save weight progression for the pause squats, and leave the speed squats fairly light?  Until I'm jumping off the ground?

Worked up to a top-ish triple on BG DL.  This was done double-overhand and I basically went up until grip was becoming a factor.  Movement felt pretty good on this day, and I didn't seem to have any back issues crop up in the interim.

Same with GHR Hypers.

Per the coach I consulted with from CHP, I'm going to start doing incline treadmill work for my Long Slow Run day, until my overall speed and endurance increases enough for me to do the LSR jogging outdoors.  These were boring as hell but fine.  I see my winter stretching out before me...

Hybrid Training. Week 7. Heavy Upper and Intervals

BW - 227

Bench -
up to 185X5, 5
then 155X10

JM Press - 95X5, 5, 5 (slow concentric, slight pause)

CG Pulldowns - X10, 8, 7 (straight-weight)

T-Bar Rows - 115X6, 4

Chest-Supported T-Bar Retractions - 90X15, 15

Intervals - 8, 1/4 mile intervals @ ~2:30

 Had a consult this week with a coach from Complete Human Performance, the company founded by the author of the Hybrid Training program.  Some of the new info gleaned went into this session.

I did a second top set of 5 at 185.  These were do-able but getting difficult.  I felt a 3rd set may have been overkill on this day.

I went for a rep out on one back-off set, instead of doing multiple sets for proscribed reps.

I tried JM Presses for the first time here as another heavy, triceps option.  The movement was much more difficult at much lighter weight than I expected.  Good.

I hit some pulldown and row variations.

The coach from CHP mentioned that he'd had great luck bringing up his upper back with chest-supported scapula retractions.  Never done this kind of thing before, but my upper back was really tired, and fried feeling after this.

Did intervals a couple of days later.  The coach said the important thing is to start getting the combined interval distance to match the race distance and at race pace.  So I added a couple of intervals here, and will look to add two intervals a week until I hit 12 quarter-miles, and then drop down to half-miles and work up to 6.

Hybrid Training. Week 6. Intervals

Intervals - 5, 1/4 m. intevals @ ~00:02:20/m.

Everything went fine.  Could have gone for at least one more with no trouble.  Right now, I think I'll just work towards 12 quarter-miles, and then go up to half-miles.  I'll be getting a consult on the program in the next week, so the plan may change.

Hybrid Training. Week 5. Intervals

Intervals - 4, 1/4 mile runs @ 2:10 - 20

Hybrid Training. Week 4. Heavy Upper & Intervals

BW - 227

Bench -
up to 180X3
then 150X8, 8

Press - up to 110X8, 8

Rows - 150X6, 6, 6

Chins - BWX9, 6, 5, 5

Intervals - 4 two-block intervals

Everything moved well.  Hardest set of the day was probably the 2nd set of Presses, but I don't think they were as hard as the 105X8 sets 3 weeks ago.  Could have just been circumstances, or it could be progress.

Intervals went very well also.  These are only about 1/8 mile intervals, and I ultimately need to be doing 1/4 - 1/2 mile intervals, but I felt like I could have kept going.  That's something at least.