80 DAYS TO GO - Til ESP Powerlifting Comp! Training Log 2
Current Powerlifting Training PBs - lets see if I can beat these in June!
Squat 120kg
Bench 75kgs
Deadlift 130kgs
I will be blogging all my training session up until my first ever powerlifting comp in June at Elite Sports Performance.
15/04/2013 - Cardio and core @ Derrimuts by myself and Muay Thai with Absting Fitness
Today's session was a little unplanned. I felt like I had missed my cardio session on sat as we were in Melbourne doing our STRONGMAN training. So I decided to add it in here. My plan was to have Mondays as a GPP day. However, with my legs super fatigued from yesterdays session and Saturdays STRONGMAN session, that my cardio although not as hard as I would usually push myself, almost had me beat. In fact, for the first time in a very long time, I actually couldn't increase my speed on the treadmill for my last round. Not without throwing up - and I really didn't want to do that.
My Session
5 x 3min runs with the only rest being to complete set core workout on the ground then jump back on.
1 @ speed 13.5 and a pretty low key ab work(not sure of the name of the exercise)
2 @ speed 14 and 20 spread eagle sit ups with 15kg plate
3 @ speed 14.5 and 20 Vups
4 @ speed 15 and 20 leg raises
5 @ speed 15 and 20 reps ab wheel!
1 x Stair Master for only 5 mins @ level 16. That was really hard after everything else.
I then quick got a drink and got the sled out and did 8 trips of 60m dragging the sled one way then pulling it back.
I was absolutely wreaked and I still had Muay Thai! I had five mins to get my wraps on and rest!
My Muay Thai Session:
Talk about lots to remember. I think Abs pushed me harder then ever today. Mentally and physically. I will try remember some of the combinations, I might not get it exactly right but I will give it a go:
jab, cross, L upercut, cross, L hook, R uppercut, right elbow, switch L knee, switch R round house. Way too many times...
Switch, L knee, switch, R kick, switch, L kick, switch, R knee, L elbow - once again heaps of times.
then we had to add them all together and do that lots of times! Talk about overload after a cardio session already! I was so so drained! The good news is Abs said I did really well today and I think he actually meant it! haha. So, that's two thumbs up from two different instructors in two days! Lucky me. ;-)
I will see if I can get someone to video some of my session on Friday!
14/04/2013 - Lower body session @ Derrimuts by myself and my second Muay Thai Class with Andrew Steen, Everlasting Muay Thai.
I actually surprised myself when I woke up this morning feeling really fresh from the STRONGMAN training yesterday. So I went to the gym with full intentions of going all out. I will write up my session in a minute. I just want to tell you about my squats today in more detail first.
So my plan was to go 5 x 5 today and I was planning on going heavy-ish. My first two warm up sets felt ok then my third at 80kgs - felt almost impossible to get out 5. So strange. I decided to stay at this weight as I almost missed my 5th rep and figured maybe I am just fatigued from yesterday and not sore. I stood back had a rest and went again, kind of expecting to find it easier this time. But no... still hard. I was seriously considering doing one more set and calling it there. Third set, still no good! absolute struggle. I felt annoyed and decided that I had to finish my sets and workout what the hell was going on. So I sat down on a bench(sorry Dave, for sitting in between sets!) and ran through in my head exactly what I had to do. Back to basics. Chest up, big deep breath, tight core, unrack, step out, chest up, big deep breath, tight core, crack at hips first, sit right back onto box, relax a little in the hip flexors slightly for a second, contract again, stay tight in the core, keep chest up, push against the outside of my feet, knees out, follow my chest up. After running that through my head I realized I was just kind of standing up, I was kind of concentrating on trying to get up 'quickly' and 'forcefully' and was thinking about leg drive lots and not about my keeping my core tight and following my chest up.. So, I decided to try again. Cuing myself with all the basics again. BINGO. 80kgs was easy! Nice. I did another set just leaving the weight at 80. Sometimes, I guess you need to slow down reset and take it back to basics. Although I didn't squat heavy I was happy that I left knowing what I did wrong the first couple of sets. If I had of just left it there - I know I would of felt like I had a bad session!
My Session:
1) Squat 5 x 5
2) Deadlift (I just wanted to get 125kgs today.) I agreed to do a Strongman comp if I can arrange the time, and you have to lift 125kgs). 10 @ 60, 8 @ 70, 5 @ 80, 3 @ 100, 2 @ 110, 1 @ 120, 1 @ 130, 1 @ 140 (Missed) 20 @ 80.
3) Circuit:
- Glute Bridging x 10 both legs 5 single legs @ 30kgs(bar bell)
-walking lunges 20 total @ 40kgs first set, 45kgs second set (bar bell)
-reverse step ups x 10 each leg @ 40kgs first set, 45kgs second(barbell)
I was running out of time so I only did two sets here. It was pretty tough though and my legs were burning.
4) Good Mornings 3 x 10 @ 45kgs
I then had to run off to take the xtraining Class, so I missed out on abs - however, I wasn't overly worried as I think I had a slight strain in my obliques form a training session on Friday. So was babying it a little anyway.
Muay Thai
The more I do this the more I love it. Every session I enjoy more and more.
I find these classes a little different to my PT's as we do a lot more things like push ups, squats, burpees, crunches - even skipping. Today there were only two of us- which is great for me as its was pretty much a PT session. However, come on Geelong!!! Get off your butts and come give this a go! I'm sure you will love it, just like I do.
We learnt a lot more kicking, blocking and then putting it all in different combinations which were constantly changing. It kept me on my toes and I found it pretty tricky! We actually did a fair bit of ab work too - which made up for me missing out on doing that in my legs session. My slight oblique strain was holding up pretty good considering, so I think I'm already on the mend! Andrew even said at one point, 'I think we can make a fighter out of you!' So that made me happy, considering this is only my 7th session and I have had absolutely no other experience with boxing or martial arts before. I think it will be hard for me to get my head around actually punching and kicking a person instead of a bag or pads though. hmmm - will have to put some thought into that one. I guess if they are punching and kicking back, it might be ok?!?! :-/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqs2vWTT4gg
and that's my sunday ;-)
13/04/2013 - STRONGMAN/WOMAN training at ESP with Mike HBomb Vrljic and training partners Jess Lay-Wisniewski and Jess Gerges
Eye opener! A few weeks ago, I discovered that Elite Sports Performance also had one of Australia's strongest strongman competitors training there. I found him on Face Book after noticing him liking Dave Tran-Congs interview. How excited was I. I spent a little bit of time FB stalking and then decided that Mike definitely deserves an SPCFitness interview(coming soon.) One thing lead to another and I found myself dragging two of the Boot Camp Geelong trainers, Jess and Jess, to learn what all the fuss was about with strongman training.
The three of us ran our bootcamp sessions then hit the road to try and make ESP in Spotswood by 930am. We were all pretty nervous travelling up. There was lots of words getting passed around, none that I should mention here. Jess LW jumped on FB while I was driving and also decided to stalk Mike. I don't think that helped settle the nerves though.
On arrival, we noticed Mike standing in the doorway. He greeted us with a big smile and a hug! I was starting to not feel so nervous. We got into it straight away as we ended up being 15mins late. Mike ran us through some warm ups, upper and lower body then we moved onto some O/H Press. The first bar that Mike pulled out - we couldn't lift! So, he changed that for a lighter football bar ;-) We were instructed to push press for our sets. Straight away that was a bit strange as I'm used to having to be really strict with my O/H press's. We worked with three sets here with the last being a set to failure. I'm not sure what we were all lifting so I can't give you numbers today.
Prowler: The prowler was next. Up until a couple of months ago, ESP, only homed one prowler - it was massive and super heavy. Now, the Gym owns two - one that's a lot more my size. I call it 'The Baby Prowler.' I was very thankful today that they had 'The Baby Prowler'! Using a harness - we all took turns in dragging the prowler from one end of the gym and back. The idea was to get down as low as we could to the ground, lean our bodies completely forward and then drag driving through our glutes and legs as hard as we could. Check out our pics below.
Next, we moved onto a bit of a circuit that Mike had come up with. Thankfully we all only had to do this once each. Sitting on the ground with our feet pressed against 80kg KB's we had to drag "The Baby Prowler" toward us by a rope. I guess you could call it a seated row, but harder and more fun! Once the Prowler was at a certain point, we had to jump up, add weight plates onto it as quick as we could and then start pushing the prowler back to the starting line. When we could no longer push the prowler, Mike would take one plate off and we had to keep going. Almost like a prowler push, drop set! haha
KB Challenge: 2 times Farmers walk races. Using 32kg Kettle Bells we had to run as fast as we could to a mat about 10m away. Then we had to beat it the second time. It was a lot harder then we all thought. We had two falls but we got there in the end. I'm pretty sure we all beat our first times :-)
Now for the more Professional write up of our session by Michael HBombVrljic
Strongman is a sport that test all facets of the human body to determine overall strength of an athlete. Focusing primarily in areas of pressing, pulling, speed, explosiveness, endurance, grip and pain threshold. Events are chosen throughout a competition that will ultimately challenge an athlete in every area.
I had the pleasure of taking newbies to the sport Jo Greagen, Jess Lay-Wisniewski and Jess Gerges and take them through an event style training session which one would do prior to a competition. Namely we tested overhead press with the football bar (using this instead of the log due to the very high empty weight of the log we had), sled drag which focuses in balance while remaining low and dragging a sled while attached to a harness. Lactic acid leg build up can be tremendous. This style of training would prepare an athlete for a truck pull. Our third event was an arm over arm pull of the prowler. This focuses on grip, arm and back muscle strength with endurance being the key. Pulling a weight using a thick rope while locked onto the floor. To add to endurance, the ladies then were required to add weight to the prowler and push it back to the starting point using the low handles. Finally we completed training doing farmers walks. This was done using light weight but the focus was on speed. 15 meters in as quick as time as possible while trying to beat the previous time.
All in all the ladies were fantastic, fun and created a friendly rivalry between one another, which I encourage. Potential for some light weight strongman(ladies) competitors in the making!
Verdict and thoughts on Strongman/woman training:
Jo(me) - "It was lots of fun. I wouldn't say lots different to what I'm use to but still different. I think powerlifting training would compliment strongman training - they are both very similar. You need a strong core and good mental drive. You just need to keep going. I did enjoy it a lot and will definitely play around with some of the movements that Mike taught us in the future."
"Mike is a great trainer and not to scary either! We shouldn't of been nervous and I would encourage others to give it a go. "
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Jess Gerges - " It was different, innovative and really tested your overall strength - especially your core. Exposed me to an unconventional form of exercise that challenged my entire body in different ways."
"Mikes an awesome trainer/mentor. I enjoyed the versatility of the session with him and I'm looking forward to another one:)"
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Jess Lay - Wisniewski - "Oh my god - I loved the session. It was so different from what I usually do. Amazing. It was a great experience."
"I loved working out with Mike, he is an inspiration."
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12/04/2013 - Upper body 2 - @ Derrimut 24:7 Geelong, with Myself and Muay Thai with Absting Fitness
Me sessions on my own are never as exciting. However, today was good. Just having some time to myself. The gym was really quiet. I had finished a couple of PT's and started my training about 745am. Which meant there was only a small handful of people at the gym! I liked it.
I started off with my warm ups and noticed my shoulders were pretty fatigued. So, I decided to take my shoulder exercises out of my program as I still had Muay Thai to get through and I guess with most upper body exercises you are going to be hitting your shoulders in some way.
My session
1)Bench Press 8 x 3 @ 57kgs 75% of my 1RM
2)Skull Crushers 12 @ 20kgs 10 @ 25 12 @ 25
3) Bent over bar bell rows 3 x 10 @ 50kgs (felt a little tough today)
4) Circuit: ( I was running out of time)
Single arm Lat pull downs x 10 each side
Seated Rows
Hammer Curls
x3 with 1 min rest in between circuits.
I had to hurry today as I had some more clients coming in then Muay Thai with Abs which is why I put my last three exercises into a circuit or super set.
Muay Thai session:
This just keeps getting harder and harder on my cardio. First I jumped into the Xtrainer for 8 mins for a warm up and then straight into it. Abs decided to teach my kicking today too. I think I was sweating more from today's session then I have doing a cardio workout ever!
So many combinations to try and remember too.
One off the top of my head 1 was - jab, cross, left uppercut, cross, hook, switch, left knee, right knee, left knee, kick x 10!!!! Massive brain over load too! I actually hit the deck at the end of the 30mins and just stayed there for a minute. It was at this point I decided that I didn't need to go for a run today! haha.
Tomorrow - I would usually do a big cardio session. However, I'm heading to ESP for another big session. Stay tuned! I will update tomorrow night.
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11/04//2013 - Lower Body - @ Elite Sports Performance, Spotswood with Dave Tran-Cong
After having a rest day yesterday and just doing some sled, rolling and stretching Monday - I was feeling great before my session. Actually I don't think I have felt so little stiffness and pain in such a long time. lol My hips and glutes were fine, arms and back a little sore from training Tuesday, nothing to complain about though. It was actually a really unusual feeling for me. I like it though. I really felt like I was ready to train.
ESP was a lot quieter today, there was a couple about. Marty Girvan, one of the owners of ESP and
Strength Program Coordinator for the Mighty Collingwood AFL Football Team. Marty's one strong man, hitting PB's of Squat 365kgs - Bench Press 305kgs and Deadlift 305kgs, MASSIVE!! (Maybe I should hit him up for one of my SPCfitness page interviews.) Shaun Bostock was also there doing one of his first sessions back after recovering from hernia surgery. Shaun aka BRO holds the record for the BIGGEST official Bench Press in OZ! 350KGS@ 140+. He claimed this record in 2011 in Tazzy. I have also been informed that Bro holds the record for most Kababs eaten in one session, he should be a proud man!!!
I can't complain being able to train at a gym with only the best! You can look ESP up here http://www.facebook.com/ESPAustralia?fref=ts and here http://www.elitesportsperformance.com.au/ .
My Session:
1) Squat 120kg x 2. That's double my PB! YEAH... 1 x 10reps @ 100kgs (a whole heap of warm up sets, can't remember them though)
2) Speed Deads 8 x 3 @ 100kgs
3) GHR with yellow band. I tried to find a you tube clip for this but I could only find ways that they used a band to make this exercise easier. Dave made me use a band to make it harder :-( Keep reading and Ill explain the exercise below!)
4)Reverse Hypers 3 x 10 super set w/
5) Standing Abs 3 x 10
6) Prowler 3 trips - increasing weight each trip by 10kgs.
So - there's lots of exercises here that you probably haven't heard of. I wont explain them all as it will make for a massive Blog, however, most of these I do quite often at ESP - so I will explain one a week.
Glute Ham Raise (GHR) or Glute Ham Developer(GHD) - In short this is a piece of equipment that allows you to compete an exercise that hits your entire posterior chain. The lower back(I think you know where that is), glutes(butt), hamstrings(muscle at rear of your leg that goes from hip joint to knee) and gastroc(calf). There's not a lot of exercises that hit the entire hamstring from hip joint to knee joint either- but this is one of them. It will bring up your squat, deadlift, clean etc and if your not into lifting heavy weights - its also ideal for improvements on exercises like Jumping, running, sprints and much more! Not many gyms have them though - its a bit dissapointing. Check out the following you tube links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koUx97SXj2k
10/04/2013 - REST DAY! - FYI Just a nutritional tip for any type of training and goals!
As I have already mentioned in early post the importance of having a rest day and allowing your body to recover - I thought I would write about something else. DIET!
Finding the right diet that works for you and your goals can be one of the hardest things to work out. There is one thing that I find really important - and I feel the need to point it out. YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE EATING TO COMPLIMENT YOUR TRAINING AND GOALS not Training to compliment your eating. By this I mean - use food and supplements as a tool to help you get the most out of your training session. Don't eat the wrong foods and then spend the next 2 hours at the gym to make up for it - you have ultimately just lost your self a session! I'm not just referring to weight loss here either... By eating the right types of foods and the right amounts you can make a difference to your strength, fitness, weight gain or loss and your general health and well being gains. It can take some playing around and trial and error though. I would like to say I honestly think there is a one diet that suits all - but I just cant. So - do your research and pick something and really tune into how the different meals and snacks make you feel during your day to day life and your training. Keep in mind, you probably need to set a side a 8 -12 week block for the trail. Usually changing your diet can lead to some decreases in performance for a couple of weeks while your body adjust!
MY DIET:
I have found that a Low Carb, High Fat and High Protein diet works great for me. In September last year, I decided enough was enough and the block of chocolate and desserts that I was eating a fair few times a week had to change. I was very much a person that I guess you could say was training to compliment her eating. I didn't go to the gym so that I wouldn't gain weight, however, if I had of stopped training I would of stacked on the beef. I was also limiting what I could do during my sessions as eating such a high amount of Sugars was making me feel sluggish and making me lack in motivation - so I was never putting in 100% effort during my training session. (not that I realized that, until I changed what I was eating.)
With very little knowledge on what I was doing, I decided to cut out carbs. This meant no more of the obvious - Chocolate, desserts, soft drinks, bakery food, any flour product, potatoes, rice, pasta, corn, pumpkin, fruit, the list goes on. For me this was really hard. Actually to give you a comparison here's another fact most of you don't know about me. 4 Years ago next month I was a full time smoker. I mean like a pack a day. Everything I did and planned was around when I could next have a cigarette. Now, giving up smoking was the first of many steps on my fitness journey, and it was tough. I was quitting on and off for 6 months. I eventually got myself back to 3 smokes a day and found that every single day all I was thinking about it was my next smoke break. Eventually, I cracked the shits with myself and throw a full packet of smokes in a sink full of water - went out to the outside bin and throw that packet away, and at that point I promised myself - no one else - that things were going to change. My entire life would have to change for me to beat this. I stopped drinking coffee in the mornings - and started running, I stopped drinking alcohol and started drinking more water, I joined the CFA as a volunteer the same week, I created hobbies to keep me busy, made a desk for my son and I got my very inspirational brother, Clint Greagen, to write me a strength training program. Literally everything I did changed!
When changing my diet so dramatically I really felt like I was back in the same head space I was when I very first tried to quit smoking. I think I had said to Dave and others how I was eating low carb for about 6 months prior to actually committing to it. I would eat really healthy for a few days and then say its ok I can eat that dessert or that chocolate because I have been so good for 48 hours! After some time though I would fall back into old habits. So, September last year I decided I was going to beat my dieting cycle the same way I beat my smoking. 'Cold Turkey.' So, that's exactly what I did. I completely cut out all the sugars out of my diet. I went through all the same emotions, sensations of cravings, thoughts, frustrations, fatigue, drops in training energy and lots more. Actually as you cant give up food completely, like you can with smoking, I would have to say it was even harder then when I quit smoking.
After about 3 weeks, I had beaten most the cravings and was just ready to go hard at the gym again. However, energy levels were still quite low, I was losing weight, which was great but still need to pick up more energy somehow so I could train harder. I already knew that fats could be broken down and used as energy, so I started increasing more fats. I started having more cream, cheese, bacon, eggs, salami, red meats etc Since this point I have been a lot more clear minded and have had a crazy amount of energy for training. I have found that I am making increases in all my weight training and my cardiovascular training. So, this definitely works for me and I think this is what I will stick with indefinitely.
I don't really believe in cheat days. I think a cheat day would almost be the same as me going out and having a cheat day with my smoking! So, I steer clear. The only cheat day I have had was Christmas day - and I didn't go crazy either. On the odd occasions Ill have a drink with my friends so I guess if I had to say what my cheat day was - it would be the occasional drinking session...
I think it is safe to say -I AM EATING TO COMPLIMENT MY TRAINING - FOOD IS A TOOL.
09/04/2013 - Upper Body With Dave Tran-Cong @ Elite Sports Performance in Spotswood.
Week 2 has began with the usual top session planned out by on of ESP's Dave Tran-Cong. My ESP experience started today, when I was first pulling into the parking area. I was greeted with a big wave from Dave, Tommy and Sage outside the gym with some sort of equipment stacked with weights! I didn't have the opportunity to see what they were doing, however, they did claim they were doing farmers walks... I guess KBs and DBs just don't cut it all the time - then, when I got inside and started warming up I could see another group training, lead by Todd doing what they call 6 way bands.(and my clients think I'm a tough trainer!) I have done this once, and it was real challenge. I think it will be in my program again soon so I will go into detail of what it is then as it has been a very long time since I have done this. (Dave, if you are reading this - lets get Sage to join in on 6 way bands with me, he claims he has never done this before.) I love the innovative exercises the trainers at ESP come up with or learn and teach - its always great to see something a little different!!
Now to what I did today...
My forearms were a little sore today but other then that I was good to go. My legs and hips had recovered really well from the GPP sled day I had yesterday - so I'm keen to add that it every week. I will change what I do every two weeks though - just to make the sessions a little different!
My Session:
1) Bench 3 x 3 - 2 x 3 @ 72.5 1 x 2 @ 72.5 1 x 1 @ 72.5
2)DB Floor Press-3 x 10 @ 20kgs
3) Pull ups 40 reps 10,10,8/2,5,5
4)HS Rows 3 x 10 @ 20kgs
5)D/B Extensions 3 x 10 @ 10kgs
5)Rotators 3 x 10
I started writing here that Bench Press was probably my biggest challenge here today. Then I remembered I struggled with my pull ups and D/B extensions too and there wasn't really anything I could say was easy! So - lets go with, the whole session was pretty tough.
I'm still trying to get my head around the right form and technique with my bench press and noticed I was lifting my butt of the bench a bit on my last rep - 'illegal' apparently - so no more of that! The good news is the last couple of weeks that I have been setting up differently for my bench, I had been cramping heaps in my glutes and my lower back has been in crazy amounts of pain. Today - I had none of that. YAY! So, Im slowly adjusting to it all. :-)
Tomorrows post will be my rest day - this week I'm actually looking forward to it!
15/04/2013 - Cardio and core @ Derrimuts by myself and Muay Thai with Absting Fitness
Today's session was a little unplanned. I felt like I had missed my cardio session on sat as we were in Melbourne doing our STRONGMAN training. So I decided to add it in here. My plan was to have Mondays as a GPP day. However, with my legs super fatigued from yesterdays session and Saturdays STRONGMAN session, that my cardio although not as hard as I would usually push myself, almost had me beat. In fact, for the first time in a very long time, I actually couldn't increase my speed on the treadmill for my last round. Not without throwing up - and I really didn't want to do that.
My Session
5 x 3min runs with the only rest being to complete set core workout on the ground then jump back on.
1 @ speed 13.5 and a pretty low key ab work(not sure of the name of the exercise)
2 @ speed 14 and 20 spread eagle sit ups with 15kg plate
3 @ speed 14.5 and 20 Vups
4 @ speed 15 and 20 leg raises
5 @ speed 15 and 20 reps ab wheel!
1 x Stair Master for only 5 mins @ level 16. That was really hard after everything else.
I then quick got a drink and got the sled out and did 8 trips of 60m dragging the sled one way then pulling it back.
I was absolutely wreaked and I still had Muay Thai! I had five mins to get my wraps on and rest!
My Muay Thai Session:
Talk about lots to remember. I think Abs pushed me harder then ever today. Mentally and physically. I will try remember some of the combinations, I might not get it exactly right but I will give it a go:
jab, cross, L upercut, cross, L hook, R uppercut, right elbow, switch L knee, switch R round house. Way too many times...
Switch, L knee, switch, R kick, switch, L kick, switch, R knee, L elbow - once again heaps of times.
then we had to add them all together and do that lots of times! Talk about overload after a cardio session already! I was so so drained! The good news is Abs said I did really well today and I think he actually meant it! haha. So, that's two thumbs up from two different instructors in two days! Lucky me. ;-)
I will see if I can get someone to video some of my session on Friday!
14/04/2013 - Lower body session @ Derrimuts by myself and my second Muay Thai Class with Andrew Steen, Everlasting Muay Thai.
I actually surprised myself when I woke up this morning feeling really fresh from the STRONGMAN training yesterday. So I went to the gym with full intentions of going all out. I will write up my session in a minute. I just want to tell you about my squats today in more detail first.
So my plan was to go 5 x 5 today and I was planning on going heavy-ish. My first two warm up sets felt ok then my third at 80kgs - felt almost impossible to get out 5. So strange. I decided to stay at this weight as I almost missed my 5th rep and figured maybe I am just fatigued from yesterday and not sore. I stood back had a rest and went again, kind of expecting to find it easier this time. But no... still hard. I was seriously considering doing one more set and calling it there. Third set, still no good! absolute struggle. I felt annoyed and decided that I had to finish my sets and workout what the hell was going on. So I sat down on a bench(sorry Dave, for sitting in between sets!) and ran through in my head exactly what I had to do. Back to basics. Chest up, big deep breath, tight core, unrack, step out, chest up, big deep breath, tight core, crack at hips first, sit right back onto box, relax a little in the hip flexors slightly for a second, contract again, stay tight in the core, keep chest up, push against the outside of my feet, knees out, follow my chest up. After running that through my head I realized I was just kind of standing up, I was kind of concentrating on trying to get up 'quickly' and 'forcefully' and was thinking about leg drive lots and not about my keeping my core tight and following my chest up.. So, I decided to try again. Cuing myself with all the basics again. BINGO. 80kgs was easy! Nice. I did another set just leaving the weight at 80. Sometimes, I guess you need to slow down reset and take it back to basics. Although I didn't squat heavy I was happy that I left knowing what I did wrong the first couple of sets. If I had of just left it there - I know I would of felt like I had a bad session!
My Session:
1) Squat 5 x 5
2) Deadlift (I just wanted to get 125kgs today.) I agreed to do a Strongman comp if I can arrange the time, and you have to lift 125kgs). 10 @ 60, 8 @ 70, 5 @ 80, 3 @ 100, 2 @ 110, 1 @ 120, 1 @ 130, 1 @ 140 (Missed) 20 @ 80.
3) Circuit:
- Glute Bridging x 10 both legs 5 single legs @ 30kgs(bar bell)
-walking lunges 20 total @ 40kgs first set, 45kgs second set (bar bell)
-reverse step ups x 10 each leg @ 40kgs first set, 45kgs second(barbell)
I was running out of time so I only did two sets here. It was pretty tough though and my legs were burning.
4) Good Mornings 3 x 10 @ 45kgs
I then had to run off to take the xtraining Class, so I missed out on abs - however, I wasn't overly worried as I think I had a slight strain in my obliques form a training session on Friday. So was babying it a little anyway.
Muay Thai
The more I do this the more I love it. Every session I enjoy more and more.
I find these classes a little different to my PT's as we do a lot more things like push ups, squats, burpees, crunches - even skipping. Today there were only two of us- which is great for me as its was pretty much a PT session. However, come on Geelong!!! Get off your butts and come give this a go! I'm sure you will love it, just like I do.
We learnt a lot more kicking, blocking and then putting it all in different combinations which were constantly changing. It kept me on my toes and I found it pretty tricky! We actually did a fair bit of ab work too - which made up for me missing out on doing that in my legs session. My slight oblique strain was holding up pretty good considering, so I think I'm already on the mend! Andrew even said at one point, 'I think we can make a fighter out of you!' So that made me happy, considering this is only my 7th session and I have had absolutely no other experience with boxing or martial arts before. I think it will be hard for me to get my head around actually punching and kicking a person instead of a bag or pads though. hmmm - will have to put some thought into that one. I guess if they are punching and kicking back, it might be ok?!?! :-/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqs2vWTT4gg
and that's my sunday ;-)
13/04/2013 - STRONGMAN/WOMAN training at ESP with Mike HBomb Vrljic and training partners Jess Lay-Wisniewski and Jess Gerges
Eye opener! A few weeks ago, I discovered that Elite Sports Performance also had one of Australia's strongest strongman competitors training there. I found him on Face Book after noticing him liking Dave Tran-Congs interview. How excited was I. I spent a little bit of time FB stalking and then decided that Mike definitely deserves an SPCFitness interview(coming soon.) One thing lead to another and I found myself dragging two of the Boot Camp Geelong trainers, Jess and Jess, to learn what all the fuss was about with strongman training.
The three of us ran our bootcamp sessions then hit the road to try and make ESP in Spotswood by 930am. We were all pretty nervous travelling up. There was lots of words getting passed around, none that I should mention here. Jess LW jumped on FB while I was driving and also decided to stalk Mike. I don't think that helped settle the nerves though.
On arrival, we noticed Mike standing in the doorway. He greeted us with a big smile and a hug! I was starting to not feel so nervous. We got into it straight away as we ended up being 15mins late. Mike ran us through some warm ups, upper and lower body then we moved onto some O/H Press. The first bar that Mike pulled out - we couldn't lift! So, he changed that for a lighter football bar ;-) We were instructed to push press for our sets. Straight away that was a bit strange as I'm used to having to be really strict with my O/H press's. We worked with three sets here with the last being a set to failure. I'm not sure what we were all lifting so I can't give you numbers today.
Prowler: The prowler was next. Up until a couple of months ago, ESP, only homed one prowler - it was massive and super heavy. Now, the Gym owns two - one that's a lot more my size. I call it 'The Baby Prowler.' I was very thankful today that they had 'The Baby Prowler'! Using a harness - we all took turns in dragging the prowler from one end of the gym and back. The idea was to get down as low as we could to the ground, lean our bodies completely forward and then drag driving through our glutes and legs as hard as we could. Check out our pics below.
Next, we moved onto a bit of a circuit that Mike had come up with. Thankfully we all only had to do this once each. Sitting on the ground with our feet pressed against 80kg KB's we had to drag "The Baby Prowler" toward us by a rope. I guess you could call it a seated row, but harder and more fun! Once the Prowler was at a certain point, we had to jump up, add weight plates onto it as quick as we could and then start pushing the prowler back to the starting line. When we could no longer push the prowler, Mike would take one plate off and we had to keep going. Almost like a prowler push, drop set! haha
KB Challenge: 2 times Farmers walk races. Using 32kg Kettle Bells we had to run as fast as we could to a mat about 10m away. Then we had to beat it the second time. It was a lot harder then we all thought. We had two falls but we got there in the end. I'm pretty sure we all beat our first times :-)
Now for the more Professional write up of our session by Michael HBombVrljic
Strongman is a sport that test all facets of the human body to determine overall strength of an athlete. Focusing primarily in areas of pressing, pulling, speed, explosiveness, endurance, grip and pain threshold. Events are chosen throughout a competition that will ultimately challenge an athlete in every area.
I had the pleasure of taking newbies to the sport Jo Greagen, Jess Lay-Wisniewski and Jess Gerges and take them through an event style training session which one would do prior to a competition. Namely we tested overhead press with the football bar (using this instead of the log due to the very high empty weight of the log we had), sled drag which focuses in balance while remaining low and dragging a sled while attached to a harness. Lactic acid leg build up can be tremendous. This style of training would prepare an athlete for a truck pull. Our third event was an arm over arm pull of the prowler. This focuses on grip, arm and back muscle strength with endurance being the key. Pulling a weight using a thick rope while locked onto the floor. To add to endurance, the ladies then were required to add weight to the prowler and push it back to the starting point using the low handles. Finally we completed training doing farmers walks. This was done using light weight but the focus was on speed. 15 meters in as quick as time as possible while trying to beat the previous time.
All in all the ladies were fantastic, fun and created a friendly rivalry between one another, which I encourage. Potential for some light weight strongman(ladies) competitors in the making!
Verdict and thoughts on Strongman/woman training:
Jo(me) - "It was lots of fun. I wouldn't say lots different to what I'm use to but still different. I think powerlifting training would compliment strongman training - they are both very similar. You need a strong core and good mental drive. You just need to keep going. I did enjoy it a lot and will definitely play around with some of the movements that Mike taught us in the future."
"Mike is a great trainer and not to scary either! We shouldn't of been nervous and I would encourage others to give it a go. "
Jess Gerges - " It was different, innovative and really tested your overall strength - especially your core. Exposed me to an unconventional form of exercise that challenged my entire body in different ways."
"Mikes an awesome trainer/mentor. I enjoyed the versatility of the session with him and I'm looking forward to another one:)"
Jess Lay - Wisniewski - "Oh my god - I loved the session. It was so different from what I usually do. Amazing. It was a great experience."
"I loved working out with Mike, he is an inspiration."
12/04/2013 - Upper body 2 - @ Derrimut 24:7 Geelong, with Myself and Muay Thai with Absting Fitness
Me sessions on my own are never as exciting. However, today was good. Just having some time to myself. The gym was really quiet. I had finished a couple of PT's and started my training about 745am. Which meant there was only a small handful of people at the gym! I liked it.
I started off with my warm ups and noticed my shoulders were pretty fatigued. So, I decided to take my shoulder exercises out of my program as I still had Muay Thai to get through and I guess with most upper body exercises you are going to be hitting your shoulders in some way.
My session
1)Bench Press 8 x 3 @ 57kgs 75% of my 1RM
2)Skull Crushers 12 @ 20kgs 10 @ 25 12 @ 25
3) Bent over bar bell rows 3 x 10 @ 50kgs (felt a little tough today)
4) Circuit: ( I was running out of time)
Single arm Lat pull downs x 10 each side
Seated Rows
Hammer Curls
x3 with 1 min rest in between circuits.
I had to hurry today as I had some more clients coming in then Muay Thai with Abs which is why I put my last three exercises into a circuit or super set.
Muay Thai session:
This just keeps getting harder and harder on my cardio. First I jumped into the Xtrainer for 8 mins for a warm up and then straight into it. Abs decided to teach my kicking today too. I think I was sweating more from today's session then I have doing a cardio workout ever!
So many combinations to try and remember too.
One off the top of my head 1 was - jab, cross, left uppercut, cross, hook, switch, left knee, right knee, left knee, kick x 10!!!! Massive brain over load too! I actually hit the deck at the end of the 30mins and just stayed there for a minute. It was at this point I decided that I didn't need to go for a run today! haha.
Tomorrow - I would usually do a big cardio session. However, I'm heading to ESP for another big session. Stay tuned! I will update tomorrow night.
11/04//2013 - Lower Body - @ Elite Sports Performance, Spotswood with Dave Tran-Cong
After having a rest day yesterday and just doing some sled, rolling and stretching Monday - I was feeling great before my session. Actually I don't think I have felt so little stiffness and pain in such a long time. lol My hips and glutes were fine, arms and back a little sore from training Tuesday, nothing to complain about though. It was actually a really unusual feeling for me. I like it though. I really felt like I was ready to train.
ESP was a lot quieter today, there was a couple about. Marty Girvan, one of the owners of ESP and
Strength Program Coordinator for the Mighty Collingwood AFL Football Team. Marty's one strong man, hitting PB's of Squat 365kgs - Bench Press 305kgs and Deadlift 305kgs, MASSIVE!! (Maybe I should hit him up for one of my SPCfitness page interviews.) Shaun Bostock was also there doing one of his first sessions back after recovering from hernia surgery. Shaun aka BRO holds the record for the BIGGEST official Bench Press in OZ! 350KGS@ 140+. He claimed this record in 2011 in Tazzy. I have also been informed that Bro holds the record for most Kababs eaten in one session, he should be a proud man!!!
I can't complain being able to train at a gym with only the best! You can look ESP up here http://www.facebook.com/ESPAustralia?fref=ts and here http://www.elitesportsperformance.com.au/ .
My Session:
1) Squat 120kg x 2. That's double my PB! YEAH... 1 x 10reps @ 100kgs (a whole heap of warm up sets, can't remember them though)
2) Speed Deads 8 x 3 @ 100kgs
3) GHR with yellow band. I tried to find a you tube clip for this but I could only find ways that they used a band to make this exercise easier. Dave made me use a band to make it harder :-( Keep reading and Ill explain the exercise below!)
4)Reverse Hypers 3 x 10 super set w/
5) Standing Abs 3 x 10
6) Prowler 3 trips - increasing weight each trip by 10kgs.
So - there's lots of exercises here that you probably haven't heard of. I wont explain them all as it will make for a massive Blog, however, most of these I do quite often at ESP - so I will explain one a week.
Glute Ham Raise (GHR) or Glute Ham Developer(GHD) - In short this is a piece of equipment that allows you to compete an exercise that hits your entire posterior chain. The lower back(I think you know where that is), glutes(butt), hamstrings(muscle at rear of your leg that goes from hip joint to knee) and gastroc(calf). There's not a lot of exercises that hit the entire hamstring from hip joint to knee joint either- but this is one of them. It will bring up your squat, deadlift, clean etc and if your not into lifting heavy weights - its also ideal for improvements on exercises like Jumping, running, sprints and much more! Not many gyms have them though - its a bit dissapointing. Check out the following you tube links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koUx97SXj2k
10/04/2013 - REST DAY! - FYI Just a nutritional tip for any type of training and goals!
As I have already mentioned in early post the importance of having a rest day and allowing your body to recover - I thought I would write about something else. DIET!
Finding the right diet that works for you and your goals can be one of the hardest things to work out. There is one thing that I find really important - and I feel the need to point it out. YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE EATING TO COMPLIMENT YOUR TRAINING AND GOALS not Training to compliment your eating. By this I mean - use food and supplements as a tool to help you get the most out of your training session. Don't eat the wrong foods and then spend the next 2 hours at the gym to make up for it - you have ultimately just lost your self a session! I'm not just referring to weight loss here either... By eating the right types of foods and the right amounts you can make a difference to your strength, fitness, weight gain or loss and your general health and well being gains. It can take some playing around and trial and error though. I would like to say I honestly think there is a one diet that suits all - but I just cant. So - do your research and pick something and really tune into how the different meals and snacks make you feel during your day to day life and your training. Keep in mind, you probably need to set a side a 8 -12 week block for the trail. Usually changing your diet can lead to some decreases in performance for a couple of weeks while your body adjust!
MY DIET:
I have found that a Low Carb, High Fat and High Protein diet works great for me. In September last year, I decided enough was enough and the block of chocolate and desserts that I was eating a fair few times a week had to change. I was very much a person that I guess you could say was training to compliment her eating. I didn't go to the gym so that I wouldn't gain weight, however, if I had of stopped training I would of stacked on the beef. I was also limiting what I could do during my sessions as eating such a high amount of Sugars was making me feel sluggish and making me lack in motivation - so I was never putting in 100% effort during my training session. (not that I realized that, until I changed what I was eating.)
With very little knowledge on what I was doing, I decided to cut out carbs. This meant no more of the obvious - Chocolate, desserts, soft drinks, bakery food, any flour product, potatoes, rice, pasta, corn, pumpkin, fruit, the list goes on. For me this was really hard. Actually to give you a comparison here's another fact most of you don't know about me. 4 Years ago next month I was a full time smoker. I mean like a pack a day. Everything I did and planned was around when I could next have a cigarette. Now, giving up smoking was the first of many steps on my fitness journey, and it was tough. I was quitting on and off for 6 months. I eventually got myself back to 3 smokes a day and found that every single day all I was thinking about it was my next smoke break. Eventually, I cracked the shits with myself and throw a full packet of smokes in a sink full of water - went out to the outside bin and throw that packet away, and at that point I promised myself - no one else - that things were going to change. My entire life would have to change for me to beat this. I stopped drinking coffee in the mornings - and started running, I stopped drinking alcohol and started drinking more water, I joined the CFA as a volunteer the same week, I created hobbies to keep me busy, made a desk for my son and I got my very inspirational brother, Clint Greagen, to write me a strength training program. Literally everything I did changed!
When changing my diet so dramatically I really felt like I was back in the same head space I was when I very first tried to quit smoking. I think I had said to Dave and others how I was eating low carb for about 6 months prior to actually committing to it. I would eat really healthy for a few days and then say its ok I can eat that dessert or that chocolate because I have been so good for 48 hours! After some time though I would fall back into old habits. So, September last year I decided I was going to beat my dieting cycle the same way I beat my smoking. 'Cold Turkey.' So, that's exactly what I did. I completely cut out all the sugars out of my diet. I went through all the same emotions, sensations of cravings, thoughts, frustrations, fatigue, drops in training energy and lots more. Actually as you cant give up food completely, like you can with smoking, I would have to say it was even harder then when I quit smoking.
After about 3 weeks, I had beaten most the cravings and was just ready to go hard at the gym again. However, energy levels were still quite low, I was losing weight, which was great but still need to pick up more energy somehow so I could train harder. I already knew that fats could be broken down and used as energy, so I started increasing more fats. I started having more cream, cheese, bacon, eggs, salami, red meats etc Since this point I have been a lot more clear minded and have had a crazy amount of energy for training. I have found that I am making increases in all my weight training and my cardiovascular training. So, this definitely works for me and I think this is what I will stick with indefinitely.
I don't really believe in cheat days. I think a cheat day would almost be the same as me going out and having a cheat day with my smoking! So, I steer clear. The only cheat day I have had was Christmas day - and I didn't go crazy either. On the odd occasions Ill have a drink with my friends so I guess if I had to say what my cheat day was - it would be the occasional drinking session...
I think it is safe to say -I AM EATING TO COMPLIMENT MY TRAINING - FOOD IS A TOOL.
09/04/2013 - Upper Body With Dave Tran-Cong @ Elite Sports Performance in Spotswood.
Week 2 has began with the usual top session planned out by on of ESP's Dave Tran-Cong. My ESP experience started today, when I was first pulling into the parking area. I was greeted with a big wave from Dave, Tommy and Sage outside the gym with some sort of equipment stacked with weights! I didn't have the opportunity to see what they were doing, however, they did claim they were doing farmers walks... I guess KBs and DBs just don't cut it all the time - then, when I got inside and started warming up I could see another group training, lead by Todd doing what they call 6 way bands.(and my clients think I'm a tough trainer!) I have done this once, and it was real challenge. I think it will be in my program again soon so I will go into detail of what it is then as it has been a very long time since I have done this. (Dave, if you are reading this - lets get Sage to join in on 6 way bands with me, he claims he has never done this before.) I love the innovative exercises the trainers at ESP come up with or learn and teach - its always great to see something a little different!!
Now to what I did today...
My forearms were a little sore today but other then that I was good to go. My legs and hips had recovered really well from the GPP sled day I had yesterday - so I'm keen to add that it every week. I will change what I do every two weeks though - just to make the sessions a little different!
My Session:
1) Bench 3 x 3 - 2 x 3 @ 72.5 1 x 2 @ 72.5 1 x 1 @ 72.5
2)DB Floor Press-3 x 10 @ 20kgs
3) Pull ups 40 reps 10,10,8/2,5,5
4)HS Rows 3 x 10 @ 20kgs
5)D/B Extensions 3 x 10 @ 10kgs
5)Rotators 3 x 10
I started writing here that Bench Press was probably my biggest challenge here today. Then I remembered I struggled with my pull ups and D/B extensions too and there wasn't really anything I could say was easy! So - lets go with, the whole session was pretty tough.
I'm still trying to get my head around the right form and technique with my bench press and noticed I was lifting my butt of the bench a bit on my last rep - 'illegal' apparently - so no more of that! The good news is the last couple of weeks that I have been setting up differently for my bench, I had been cramping heaps in my glutes and my lower back has been in crazy amounts of pain. Today - I had none of that. YAY! So, Im slowly adjusting to it all. :-)
Tomorrows post will be my rest day - this week I'm actually looking forward to it!
