Well, the time has come for me to throw my stuff on-line.  I have been creeping on everyone else’s logs, so I’ll provide my training to see if it gives anyone a new exercise or something.

First, let’s talk supplements.  Here’s what I use:

Creatine: Kre-Alkalyn – PH buffered creatine bliss!  Way better than just regular monohydrate powder.

Protein: Isoflex from Allmax – smooth, great-tasting and great on my stomach.  One thing people don’t realize that I feel is important for protein is whey protein isolate vs. concentrate.  When I used cheaper, concentrate protein, it never really settled on my stomach, and most of it ran right through me.  I feel I get better gains from an isolate as my body absorbs it much better than concentrate.  Look at the labels!

Pre-workout: Nothing specific here, just whatever I have.

Post-workout: Wazy maize starch from Primaforce – This is a tasteless powder that has just calories and carbs.  I will also do some honey and water right after a workout instead of the starch.  A dietician friend of mine got me doing this.  He’s a former strongman, and it’s actually been great for me.  There’s a bunch of science behind it, so if you want me to explain it, I will, but I have the starch or honey right after I lift, then 20 minutes later I have my protein.  The starch or honey raises my glycogen levels back up so that my protein goes right where it needs to.  Sounds crazy, but it really helps me.

My workouts (core lifts that I do every time in parenthesis):

Monday – Chest and Tris (bench, close grip bench) flys, tri extensions, etc.
Tuesday – Anterior Legs (hang clean, front squat/back squat) heavy step ups, lunges, squat jumps, etc.
Wednesday – Back and Biceps
Thursday – Shoulders (incline, seated military press, standing behind neck press) raises, shrugs, etc.
Friday – Posterior Legs (hang snatch, overhead squats) leg curls, str leg deads, glute ham, etc.
*I also do abs three times or more a week; just throw it in as a super set towards the end of my workout.

I typically do an eight week training cycle that I periodize through the time.  So, the first few weeks are higher reps and then as the weeks go on, I do lower reps.  So, usually the first two weeks are sets of 12 with it going down to 2s and 1s on week eight.  After that, I take a full week off.

This cycle, I’m doing something different; and it’s going really well.  I’m finding that after six weeks of hard lifting, my body is getting worn down and my last two weeks are rough.  So, I’m breaking my cycle into two-six week periods.  I’m doing six weeks of higher rep, hypertrophy work, then doing six weeks of lower rep, mass time, with a week off in between the two. 

My periodization is based mostly on NSCA CSCS stuff, as that is where my history and certification lie.  During the season, I do numerous of these cycles, and sometimes break it into mini-cycles with my attempt to “peak” at the close of the season.  That being said, I try to be fresh and “peak” for every games, but as the season progresses to September, I will spend less and less time in the gym, which is hard but worked really well this last season.

So you know my history, here's my bests:
Bench - 515
Incline - 435
Front Squat - 425
Hang Clean - 405x3
Hang Snatch - 315x2

As you can see, I have some work to do in my legs, but I'm getting better!  I went up 90 lbs. last year in my front squat as I finally got dedicated and focused on my legs. 

I’ll post what I did this last week, and hope to keep it up to date from there.  Oh, and I know you already know this, but all my work is done drug-free. 

Monday, January 10, 2011 (Week four of training cycle)
wt: 299

Bench 5x10
315, 345, 365, (added bands and did two more sets at 315 with bands)
Close grip bench 3x10 (225 was about it, my chest and tris were torched after squeezing out the band presses)
Db flys
Dips
Overhead tri ext
cable tri kickbacks
Various abs (roller, crunches, etc.)

Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Wt: 299

Hang Clean 4x4 - 275, 315, 345, 365
Back Squat (tweaked my knee a few weeks back, nothing bad, just feel some pressure; fronts hurt, so I started doing back squats for the first time in over six years.  My first few weeks I was so sore, I could barely walk as I try to take these below parallel) - 3x10 - 315, 345, 365
I haven't been back squatting really since college, so this is great for me!   Even then, it was low on my back, legs out wide, just to parallel and even then my max was 600.  I couldn't do these reps then, so I'm hoping for good things over the next eight weeks. And yes, I know my bench is the same as my squats. 

Stationary lunges 3x10 - 135

Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Wt: 299

Back and Biceps

pullups
lat pull down
bent over rows
seated rows with rope
donkey pull ups
str bar curl
db hammer curl
cable curl

Favorite day of the week!  Get my swole on!

1/17/11
Wt: 299.5

Bench 4x8 (first set is more of a warm up)
- 315, 345, 365, 385 

Close Grip Bench 3x8 (bands)
- 225, 245, 245

Plyo push ups 3xmax#
- These are just clap push ups without the clap.  Push up high and land my hands are two platforms, one on each side. 
- 10, 8, 9

Db Flys 3x8 (nice and long stretch)
- 35, 40, 40

Overhead one-are db ext 3x8
- 40, 45, 45

Cable tri ex 3x8

Ab roller 2x10 (first five go out and back, next five go out and hold for five seconds)

Med ball v-ups 2x10

"Guys Day" with my two boys and and a hour-long nap.  Great day.

1/18/11
Wt: 299.5

Hang Clean 4x4
- 275, 345, 365, 375
- Cleans are feeling pretty good lately.  I feel like I've fixed a couple of things, so I'm excited for the next few weeks as I drop the reps and try and up the weight.  Like I said earlier, the four plate jingle gets in my head, and I've only conquered it a few times.  I'm hoping, with the adjustments in training, I will handle it better this training cycle. 

Back Squat 3x8
- 345, 365, 385(10)* had something left in the tank; should have upped the first set.  This is good though, I'm not at the point of collapsing like I was for the first few weeks.  This is my first training cycle of back squats in over five years (been doing fronts for years), so I'm pretty pleased with my progress thus far.

Squat Jumps 3x8
- 180, 180, 180 (hexbar, jump from floor)
- I remembered why I hate these.  Explosive, but tiring.  My cardio for the week!

1/19/11
Wt: 299.5

Back and biceps day, so nothing really to report.  Did a bunch of lat pulls, rows and various curls.  Swole day.

Did have a new pr in pullups at my current body weight.  15. 

Did find out my wife and I are expecting twins!  Should be here first part of August.  Ought to be even more lively in my home soon!

Ken, you're dead on.  I LOVE to lift, so I hit it five days a week.  The best way for me to do this without getting beat up is to break up the body parts, much like a bodybuilder.  And yes, next week is my last week of 8s, then a week of deload, then it's six weeks scaled down each week; sets of 5s to 4s to 3s and 2s to 1s.  Then, it's off a week, then back to the top!  By doing this sort of periodization, I've found my muscles are always challenged and sore virtually every week; a feeling I love!  During the season, I still lift five days a week, but if I have a games, I'll lift upper body on Monday, throw on Tuesday, Lower body on Wednesday and throw on Thursday.  If it's late in the season, then I might even take a whole week off of lifting completely (which is hard to do).  I feel that because I hit it hard most of the year and early in the season, my body can sustain some decent strength levels late in the season when I back off the heavy lifting.

Hope that makes sense!  Don't mean to bore you!

1/20/11
Wt: 299.5

Incline 3x8
- 275, 325, 340 (had to get a *touch* on the last one)

Seated Military 3x8
- 205, 215, 230

Standing Behind Neck Press 3x8 *strict, knees locked*
- 165, 185, 185
- haven't done this full on in a year or two, they killed me, especially after the incline and seated military.  Gutted it out, and my rear delts are feeling it tonight.

Shrugs 4x8
- 475, 475, 545, 545

DB Front raises 3x8 *full range of motion*
- 30, 30, 35
- I really like these.  I've had some left side trap and shoulder pain and knots over the past year, and these really seem to get in there deep.  I prefer to go the full range above my head to "mimic" a release in the WOB.  This is nothing more than time for me to visualize a big throw.  I like it.

Rear delts 3x8

Dan,

Are we going to see some video?

Who is Wheat thin?  440 hang clean is major.

Pingleton wrote: Dan, Are we going to see some video? Who is Wheat thin?  440 hang clean is major.

Wheat thin, is Nathan Wheat.  He is a 6'8" 330lb monster roaming around Omaha.  He competed with Dan in college and is a mutual friend.  He is freaky strong and big.  I brought him out one day to try the games and he liked it, but not really enough to train for it.  He claimed a 440 hang, and I believe him based on his other lifts.  He had a great throwing coach and lifting coach in college, Andy Meyer.  

I know, I know, Peter. 

My video camera is evidently "old," as it's now four years old.  Our laptop died, so we bought a new computer that doesn't have a firewire input ... no adapters at Best Buy.  They told us it's old!  So, I have video of my 295x4 hang snatch from last Friday, but no way to upload it!  So, I'll try my phone camera next time until I can afford a new video camera.

Sorry! 

1/27/2011
Wt: 300

I'm real pleased with my body weight gain over the past few months.  I finished the season about 290, then after a few weeks off, hit my training at 280.  I've been going up, for the most part, about half a pound a week, which has been great for the mid-section.  I was hoping to be 300 by April, so I'm ahead of schedule a bit.  I'm guessing to maybe hit 305 in five weeks from now.  I know this sounds trivial to some, but the past seven months I've really focused on my meals, calories and protein intake.  It's been good.

Incline
315x8
325x8
335x8

Seated Sh Press
205x8
225x8
235x8

Pull ups 3x8

Side db raises 3x8

Shrugs
585x8 (x3)

Curls

1/28/11
Wt: 301

Felt absolutely miserable Friday morning (no matter how many times I do it, 4:30 a.m. just comes so early).  I thought it was just fatique and soreness, but I wound up calling the workout early and going home from work.  Strep throat.  Bad.

I'm never to make excuses, but considering I had strep, I am really pleased with my last set of hang snatches.  I tied my three-rep PR: 305.  Now, it's ugly, and took me five pulls to get three in, but with how I was feeling, I now understand why the pull was slow and not explosive.  I did get it on my phone though; again, I know these reps are ugly, I normally feel much more explosive and stronger than this. 

135x3
185x3
225x3
275x3
295x3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGgSdK3qUmA - 305x3

Dan those are balsa wood plates how dare you try and fool us with bogus numbers...I would think better of a national champion and a man of god....how dare you.

almost highland games season let the ball busting begin!

I remember you telling me thats how you hurt your back.  I'm uncomfortable doing traditionl dead lift(thats how I hurt my back), so cleaning from the floor has the same effect.

Daniel McKim wrote: Full power cleans are how I hurt my back three years ago, and it took me two and a half years to fully recover. Plus, I don't think they translate near as well as the hang clean and hang snatch. I feel that those two put you most in the positions you are in while throwing. All our throws are from the hip level with the legs in a slightly bent power position. Just my philosophy.

Dan,

FWIW, while I mostly agree with your philosophy, and totally understand your reluctance to include Power Cleans in your training after what happened in 2008, one thing needs to be said for the benefit of others (with all due respect of course).  You are an extremely strong guy, very experienced in the weight room, and a great thrower, all of which makes the following observations even more instructive.

"Full Power Cleans" per se are NOT what hurt your back.  As the old joke goes (sorry) - Power Cleans are not bad for your back, but whatever you were doing certainly is!  Specifically, you let your lumbar spine flex significantly as you initiated the pull from the floor, putting your back in a VERY poor position under very significant load (365 lbs.) while accelerating hard.  This is basically the equation for a lower back injury.

You still have the video posted on your website:

http://www.believethrower.com/5.html - http://www.believethrower.com/5.html

Stop the video at 0:23 and again at 0:38-0:39 (repeated in slow motion).  Not good!  I literally cringed when you posted this at the time and I came very close to sending you a message telling you to stick with Hang Cleans (which you perform very well), then a day or two later you posted that you had hurt your back:

http://www.nasgaweb.com/forums/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6544&KW=Bulging+Disk - http://www.nasgaweb.com/forums/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=654 4&KW=Bulging+Disk

The point I am hoping to make for others is not to blame an exercise for one's failure to do the exercise properly, and also to point out the significant downside of doing any given exercise improperly.  Just because some prominant thrower or coach says an exercise is great doesn't mean you should necessarily include it in your program if you do not know how to do it properly or are unable to get into the proper positions for some reason (lack of mobility etc.).  Doing a great exercise improperly is usually much worse than not doing it at all.

Again, no disrespect Dan!

Sure! 

I had noticed in the past that when I struggled with a weight, I would get it somewhat high, but I would wind up pressing it into a lockout all too often.  So, I started watching some video of Olympic lifters and how they would snatch.  I noticed that their hands were at the very end of the bar thus, shortening their pulling distance.  When I started doing it for myself, I found that it kept me from pressing it at the end as well as shortened my pull. 

So, it was really simple, but by moving my hands out wider I created a shorter, quicker pull for myself. 

As I looked at more video, I realized that most everyone does it this way!  How had I gone so long doing snatches with my hands so much closer than everyone else!

Like I said, it took a couple of weeks for me to get used to the new pull, new placement over my head and strain on my shoulders, but it's been a great change. 

Old grip: 310x1 PR hang snatch
New grip: 315x2 PR hang snatch

I have a big number, for me, that I want to hit within six weeks, and I feel that my new grip will help!  We shall see!

Daniel McKim wrote: Full power cleans are how I hurt my back three years ago, and it took me two and a half years to fully recover. Plus, I don't think they translate near as well as the hang clean and hang snatch. I feel that those two put you most in the positions you are in while throwing. All our throws are from the hip level with the legs in a slightly bent power position. Just my philosophy.

For basically all sports, the hang stuff is money. Full cleans are for olifters. 

xtra0t wrote: Wow.. Youre an animal.. I'm curious, for your hang cleans, do you catch them football style or oly style in a full front squat?

I like "throwers cleans" even better.  Pull as high as you can.  Like the caber, WOB, Stones, wfd's, sheaf, hammers.  Dan catches em high based on his video's on his website.

2/18/11
Wt: 299

Hang Snatch
185x2
225x2
275x2
295x2
315x2
320x1
320x2 *New PR! 

I didn't think I'd get it today.  Last week I had no pull, but my legs felt strong.  Today, I had a great pull, but man where my legs just dead.  On the first set at 320, I had no problem getting the pull high, but I simply couldn't stand it up more than once.  Came back for a seond try and got it.  My goal to hit in four weeks is still on target.

OH Squats
315x3
315x3
315x1

Legs and shoulders just couldn't cut it.  My shoulders and body were very shaky as my legs were feeling heavy and fatigued by now, and my shoulders were toast from hang snatch and the shoulder work from Thursday.  Felt very very heavy; glad I have a few days until I hit the legs again.

Leg curls 3x5
Gluteham
Straight leg deads (explosive and finish high)

Crunches 2x30
Leg lifts off bench 2x10

Dan,

Re your query on Olympic bars, see the thread below.  Sounds like any half-decent "real" Olympic bar will be a big step up from what you have been using.  You will certainly be able to feel the difference between a POC bar and a good one, maybe a big difference resulting in a new max.  Seriously.  Maybe Bert (or someone else) could cut you a deal on a nice bar if you could post a video of yourself doing a new PR hang snatch of 150kg (330 lbs) or more?

http://www.nasgaweb.com/forums/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11538&PN=1&TPN=1 - http://www.nasgaweb.com/forums/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=115 38&PN=1&TPN=1

Any luck on trying out the snatches to a split?  You really should at least give these a try.  Also, what exactly are "Explosive Straight Leg Deads" (beyond the obvious)?  They sound potentially scary to me...

Back-off week.  Boring.  Feel free to not read anything I post this week!

2/28/11 - Slept in and didn't work out.

3/1/11
Wt: 302

* Just keeping it light and quick with ample rest.  Next week I hit it hard again to finish out this training cycle.

Bench
315x5
365x2
385x2
405x2
425x2

Close Grip Bench
315x2
345x2
365x2
365x2

DB flys
Push ups 2x20
One arm overhead tricep ext.
One arm cable kick-backs

3/2/11
Wt: 302

Still in my back-off week.  Keeping it pretty light and quick; nothing exciting

Hang Clean
275x2
315x2
365x2
365x2
385x2

Squat
315x2
365x2
385x2
405x2
435x2

Lunges
Box jumps

3/3/11
Wt: 302

Incline
275x2
315x2
345x2
365x2

Seated Mil. Press
205x2
225x2
240x2

Pullups
3x5

Lat pulls
Bicep curls

Crunches 2x30
Seated abs 2x15

3/7/11
Wt: 300.5

Bench
315x5
365x2
405x2
435x2
455x2
465x2

Cl. Grip Bench
315x4
365x2
365x2
385x2

DB Flys
One-arm db tri ext
Rope tri ext

Med ball pushups 2xfailure
- awesome for the tris and chest.  Grab a med ball, put your hands on each side and do a push up.  Like it.

Crunches

Sean's 32 inch vert. is crazy.  I don't have that kind of hops, but I did shoot some hoops this past weekend.  I was able to dunk, at a weight over 300.  Nothing huge, but I hadn't tried to dunk since I've been at 300.  Drop stepped and threw it down.  Made me feel good.  I'm chasing Sean's hops.  Crazy.