Tuesday 23 August 2011

Strength and Performance, Part 2

I think I may be at risk of turning this into a specific training blog about my day to day moving weights around a gym. On reflection, I shall write updates as and when, if something significant happens, when I change types of training and other such pertinent things.

At the end of last week, the end of a 4 week introduction session I felt very tired indeed. I had also been racing on the Wednesday and that had contributed to the knackeredness. As of Thursday I indended to have a very good rest over the weekend, to be ready for a new session on Monday.
I did pretty well in terms of managing to actually have a rest, but I did succumb to the temptation of going climbing on Saturday. Nothing too strenuous, just a few route in a quarry for some friends to second up, getting some precious time in my SPA logbook.

So monday came along and I was feeling pretty good actually. Rested, relaxed and ready. I spent the first couple of hours at S&P treating Sean and Z. Tending their various ailments, and while that was happening, Lynne was out in the Gym going through her new session. It looked brutal. I was not looking forward to my go, but it had to be done.

However, it would appear that there is a fair amount of difference between our new programmes. Lynne, afterall is still more concerned with the losing weight and metabolic work, where as I'm not all that concerned about it. (Sean in fact asked me if I was ok with my weight and if I wanted to put it ON?!- not a chance matey, its all about speed, not looks).
My programme is based around a series of adequacies that I set out 4 weeks ago, leading up to now has been balancing out imbalances in my body and getting me ready to actually be able to work properly. Interestingly enough, my lower body is apparently much more developed than my upper body, and so we are going to work on that.

However, first up was the Deadlift. I thought I had this pretty much nailed after a session with Chet Morita down in London a good 8 months ago. It seems that if I did have the makings of a good DL, its all gone now, and I am back to square one. Not a bad thing, to be fair. Each lift makes me think about something new, and each time I do it, it ingrains the engram just a little bit more. We are starting very light indeed, and I suspect we will be staying that way for a while. Not a problem. I'd rather be doing this properly and progressing slowly, than going in all guns blazing and then screwing my back up after 5 months. Intelligence is the way forward.
DLs are interspersed with Hip stretching, and today was not about weight. It was about technique.

The superset also involves push ups on a swiss ball, which is quite amusing. Up until I started with S&P I hadn't really been able to do anything with a pressing action because of my shoulder and imbalances there. It tended to ride up and impinge itself- the biceps brachii long tendon being inflammed and trapping under the acromion process. Well. The rehab/prehab that we have been doing for the past 4 weeks appears to be doing the job. When asked "does it hurt"? I replied, yes.... everywhere but the shoulder.
3 Chains, Top of the sternum to the bar.
The stabilisation is pretty hard, but possible. I look forward to getting better at it.

The second superset included more weighted Pull ups. Only 3 in a set this time. I got to 3 chains on the last set, so I think 5, maybe 6 chains will be possible. Maybe 7? we'll see.
There are also a couple of Tricep press exercises which are horrible. I'm very weak in that area, and I can barely even lift the "minimum standard" weight for the requisite amount of reps. So, thats somewhere to improve upon then.

The third superset also includes biceps rows, which aren't too bad.

The final one is Turkish Get ups, which I do enjoy. Just 3 sets of 3. I opted to go with 12kg KB, and it seems that was the right decision. By the end I was nigh on all over the place. We also started the Get Up from standing, which is something I've never done before, and threw me for a short while as well. However, I just got on with it.

This is very much where Lynne and I deviate. I think she has a much shorter "technical" session, and then spends the rest of the time on a "metabolic blaster" which looks horrendous. I have a lot more to do with technique and specific strength, and as a finisher, more leg work.
This time it was 100kg on a sled, pull 30 metres on the minute 4 times, then 120kg twice.
As a final one, I started at 100kg, front pulled down, and back pulled up, had 20kg taken off, (no rest) down and back, and then 20kg off again and down and back. That was pretty tough, and the lactic effort of going straight from a back pull to a front pull is really quite harsh.
It would be good to do that all the way down to 20kg and then back up to 100. Though not on the same week as a race.

We'll see how the next couple of weeks go and I'll post again. (actually, I'll write a quick something on Thurs to talk about the 2nd of the 2 sessions, but after that, we'll just see).

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