TRAINING LOG: Matt Thompson

Alright, I've been posting my log somewhere else for my information, but here I can get invaluable feedback, so here goes.

Focus:

The body is one piece
Pay EXTRA Respect to the lesser parts of the body (Strengthen the weak links)
Target Fixation (Focus on the Goal)

Nutrition:

Calorie cycling with basic Macro Nutrient Balance

3 days deficit (-15%)
1 day "clean" surplus (+5%)
3 days deficit (-15%)
1 day Free

Macros
45%-55% Carb
25%-35% Protein
15%-25% Fat (Focus on "Good" Fats, Fish Oil, Almonds, etc.)

Schedule:

Strength Training

Strength Workouts A, B & C setup with planned 2 days off between workouts (workout every 3rd day, with some flexibility).  this puts me on a 9 day rotation.  This is a long rotation for my upper body, but seems to suit my lower body well.  As my recovery time improves, I will shorten up the rotation.

Workout A - Squats & Deadlifts + assistance work
Workout B - Clean, Snatch, Push Press + assistance work
Workout C - Push/Pull - Incline, Push-ups, Various Rows, Pull-Ups + assistance work

Added Focus - Currently incorporating 5x5 self assisted Pull-ups at end of every strength workout (Toes on bench giving just enough assistance to make the pull)

C@rdio Training (yeah, I know that is a bad word...  )

I am significantly reducing body fat this year (40+ pounds of fat gone in 3.5 months and another 30 to go.)

3-5 sessions per week. 
Prefer Morning Fasted Cario for efficiency, but willing to do post strength workout. 
20-40 minute sessions
Incoroporate Interval training (cardio machine or speed lifts) regularly.
One workout per week with interval work using core workout.

I will add the last couple of workouts soon.

First off.  WOW!  Never expected a legend like you to be the first comment on my Log... (It's bad enough that I have Mike Smith checking on me regularly at work...)

Second.  Read those %'s as "Target".  I am pretty flexible, so a "15% Deficit" means somewhere between 10% and 20%, and "5% surplus" means anywhere from 0% to 10%.  And the "Maintenance" level is a Total Daily Estimated Expenditure (TDEE) that is based on average activity level for a week, not individual daily activities.

I eat five or six meals a day, each with a decent split of protein & carbs.  I use Myfitnesspal.com for logging my diet and cardio.  It gives me the option to put my "Target Intake" Value in and makes it easy to estimate calories when eating out.  Right now I'm hitting somewhere between 2500 and 3000 calories per day.  That makes for six meals averaging between 415 and 500 cal or five meals averaging between 500 & 600 calories.  After a couple of months it is pretty easy to pick things to eat that fall into this range.  I try to eat more for breakfasts (1st 2 meals) and less at night (last meal).

I started Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle back in October (www.burnthefat.com  I highly recommend it.  I don't get anything out of other people buying it, but I think they might.  It taught me WHY I should do all of the things we've all heard about before.  Knowing why made a huge difference to me). 

Very well organized lifestyle plan that focuses on Goals, Nutrition, Strength Training and Cardio.  Based on this information, I started recording my Total Body Weight and taking Skin Fold Measurements to that I could track change in Body Fat %.  This also gives me an estimate of my Lean Body Mass. 

Based on Lean Mass I use the Katch-McCardle (?sp) method for calculating Base Metabolic Rate (BMR) and then apply an activity factor to get the TDEE mentioned above.  I have a spreadsheet that does this for me and re-adjusts each week based on changes in Lean Mass.  Every other method I have ever seen creates a BMR that is way too low if you have significant muscle mass. 

This is the first program I've seen that really understands how to deal with Athletes.  It was written by a body builder, but that doesn't mean that you have to be a body builder to use it.  He even specifies that if you have specific strength interests, then you should do Strength Training that is based on your sport.

The beauty of this method is that if you do it right, your Caloric requirements do not drop as you loose Fat weight.  In fact my BMR and TDEE are up somewhat from when I started and I am still maintaining Fat Loss from week to week. 

It is basically a Zig-Zag diet.  I re-feed every 4th day to kick my metabolism back in and allow for muscle repair.  Then I cut back for 3 days to burn off some of the fat.  With the 6 meals per day my blood sugar levels remain fairly constant and I stay in a nice active burn throughout the day on deficit days and a nice steady muscle feed on the surplus days.  I can't wait until I have removed the fat I need to get rid of and I can use this method primarily for muscle mass building.

Sunday 1/24/2010

First throwing Session of New Year

Breamar - Warmup - 5 throws
Open - 5 throws (37' don't know weight, maybe 16#)
LWFD - 6 throws (54' even, PR)
LH - 10 throws (72' on first...  PR, the rest were worse...)
WOB - 10 attempts
Sheaf - 10 attempts (took some pointers)

Workout A - Squats & Deads

Warmup:
Overhead Squats - 10 @ 65#
Split Squats - Body weight only - 8 each leg
Stretching
Rotator Cuff exercises
SLDL - 10 @ 135#
DL - 3 @ 225#

Dead Lifts

2 @ 295#
2 @ 365#
1 @ 435#
505# Fail x2 (to knees on first attempt)  See DL Goals for discussion
1 @ 455#
1 @ 465# (Felt good & easy)
485# Fail
2 @365# Form Work

Front Squats
3x5@135 ATTG holding at bottom (~1-2 second)

Back Squats
1x5@225 ATTG
3x5@275 ATTG

3x8
Leg Curls
Split Squats (Body Weight)
Calf Raises (3x12)

5x5 Self Assisted Pull-ups (toes on bench giving me just enough to make the pull-up)

mthompson33 wrote: First off.  WOW!  Never expected a legend like you to be the first comment on my Log...

Will is going to print that out and frame it.

Alan, What I found to be very useful are the Accumeasure calipers available for $5 on Amazon.  I would say that they aren't as accurate as having your BF% tested by a pro, but they are fairly precise, which allows you to track progress quite well.  I also checked my BF% using the Navy (Weight, Waist Diameter) and Air Force (Height, Neck & Waist Diameter) methods and I was in the ball park.  I have tracked changes with these and seen similar improvements.  I have even estimated a 3 point check using the accumeasure callipers and gotten close to the same.  All +/- 5%.  The important thing is to pick a method and use that method to track progress.  This feedback is helpful in adjusting your nutrition.  If you have any other questions on this PM me and I can get you the information (including calculations) for these.  I have them all setup in a spreadsheet.

1-27-2010. Workout B

just finished

warmup
elliptical 4 min
overheads with bar deep x5
rotator cuff warmups
single arm winds

clean grip hang snatch
5@95#
3@115#
3x2@135#

clean grip snatch
3x2@155#

hang clean + push press
3x2@185#
2@195#

power clean
2x2@215#
1@225#

clean pulls
2x4@235#

"form work" cleans
3x4@135#

over head press (no legs)
3x5@135#

BB shrugs
3x10@135#

5x5 self assisted pullups

Nutrition:

Calories 3416
Carbs 432g  (50%)
Protein 244g  (28%)
Fat 85g  (22%)

Note to self...   Sushi a couple of hours before makes good pre-workout meal...  Add low carb protein shake just before and go.

My University has this deal where if you take a little 20 minute health assessment quiz online, they give you $100.  So I took it, no surprises, though.  However, if you sign up for an assessment visit where they do a finger-prick blood test (total glucose, HDL/LDL, stuff like that) test your blood pressure,  and do an electroconductivity  % body fat analysis, you get fifty more dollars AND two free sessions with one of the personal trainers.  So I signed up.

Can't hurt, right?  I'll have a good number for the body fat analysis.  I have my number from last year, we'll see if there's been any change.

1-29-2010

Strength Training:  WORKOUT C

Warmup:
4 min elliptical
Shoulder assistance work
single arm dumbell winds
footwork drills

Incline 4x5 & 1x4 @ 205#
(Missed the fifth rep on fifth set... 
a real hassle when lifting by yourself...
luckily with the clean work I've been doing 205 isn't that hard to deal with on your lap)

Incline Speed 3x5@135 (Narrow grip and quick lifts)

DB Rows (attempting Kroc rows)
8@45's
8@65's
3x9@90's

Bent BB Rows
6x10 @ 95#

Shrugs
3x10@95#

Rack Pulls
10@225#
3x6@315#

5x5 Self Assisted Pull-Ups (rt shoulder tight on last set)
5x6 Pushups with toes on flat bench (focus on speed)

Fat Burn:

15 min Elliptical peaking HR at 160 bpm.

Nutrition:

Total Calories - 2550
Carbs - 213g - 33%  (Low, but that is ok ever now and then)
Protein - 254g - 39%
Fat - 81g - 28%

1-31-2010

Workout A:

warmup

4 min elliptical
leg curls
calf raises
stretching
front squats 5@135#
back squats 3@225#

back squats

ladders with body weight on bar (275#)
1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3,4,3,2,1 (40 reps total)

nutrition:

free re-feed ~4300 calories

2/10/2010

Morning Fasted Cardio & Core
12 min High Intensity Elliptical
Roman Chair Superset
35# Trunk Twists & Hanging Leg Raises Superset
11 min High Intensity Rowing (new Concept 2 Rowing Machine in Gym & had to try it out.  Couldn't walk after 11 min... Really liked it.)

Tonight - Workout A after full week of no lifting.  Still resting/active recovery on Right Bicep.

Squats & High Pulls

I just got on the rowing machine  yesterday for the first time in years...kicked mah butt in five minutes and I was going easy. I think I'm going to incorporate this into my routine at least weekly  for the next month and see if I can work up to a more intense session for 7 minutes.

I'm guessing that going longer, while it will have major cardio benefits, will  not benefit throwing that much, while pulling harder, might. It's not optimal...I'd rather be squatting, but it's hella better than nothing.

I read the site someone was talking about in another thread HST (Hypertrophy Specific Training).  I like the idea of one big set per exercise on my deload week, and working all exercises 3x in that week.

This is a de-load week for me prepping for a 4 week cycle progressing up to heavy Ladders. So, I was looking for a creative way to mix up my workout to try and rest the joints, get some endurance and potentially work some of the stabilizers.

I used a single set 15 rep workout last night for 7 exercises.

Front Squat(135#)
Hang Cleans(135#)
Push Press (10@135#)
Back Squat (225#)
Cable Pull Downs (#120)
Incline Press (135#)
DB Rows (50#).

Very interesting. I barely broke a sweat. I was done in 30 minutes. My body was, and still is, feeling like I got ran over by a truck (in a good way). I had to eat something afterward to get rid of the nausea.

I will do this workout 3 times this week going up 5 or 10 pounds per workout. I'll let you know what I think about it after that.

This is a departure because I've been doing 3 major movements 1x per week for a while. (Squats/Deads, Cleans/Snatch, Push/Pull). Here I am doing all movements 3x in a week with lower weights.

2-17-2010 Evening Strength

Wow, those 85# suitcase lifts from the morning really nailed my core... Woke up this morning with nice DOMS on both sides of my lower back and obliques...

Last night: 2 min rowing + warm up

Front Squats 15@145#
Overhead Press/Push Press 13@135#
Back Squat 15@240#
Cable Pull Downs 15@135#
Incline Press 15@145#
SL Deadlifts 10@145#
Hang Cleans 15@145# (had to rest briefly after 12, so not a true 15 rep set)
Shrugs 15@145#
Dumbell Rows 15@60#

Nutrition: Re-feed 3717cal

2-21-2010 Beginning of 5-3-1 Inspired Program

Nutrition: Feed Day - High Calories (didn't log)

Activity: Strength Training Cycle Start

For Squats I want to work more volume, so I bumped the reps up 9-7-5 and the percentages down 10% based on the intensity factor tables. I used the same intensity factors as 5-3-1 for the higher reps, which turned out to be a 10% drop in percentage of max weight.

Squats (estimated 1RM = 350#)

Wave 1 - Workout A
Warmup
Squats - 9@65%(225#) - 9@70%(245#) - 9@75%(265#)
SLDL - 5x10@135#
Calf Raises - 5x15@(6 plates on leg press sled)
Squats - 2x10@175# 1x8@175# POP! (Should have been 5x10)

Ouch... Hip popped as I was entering the bottom of eccentric portion. No significant pain immediately following. Hip felt a little looser (it had been a little tight, again). Next morning pretty sore. Joint soreness, not muscular, so Ice and my best buddy IBU...

Any ideas about what i did, particularly, what I could be doing wrong (form) to induce this behavior?  I should probably video next squat workout.  I am going as deep as possible on these squats.  I've noticed that I sometimes roll my right leg in during the concentric phase, but I was focusing on keeping my legs steady and smooth.  Could pelvic position cause something like this?  What really stinks is that it was on a much lighter squat than what I had done earlier in the workout...  I was actually focusing on form... 

Any thoughts or input appreciated. 

Thanks,

Dave,  Thanks.  Yeah, I was pretty relaxed on the way down.  It was significantly lighter weight than I had been lifting, and quite easy to move, so I wasn't as focused on it.  I'll work on keeping my hams and glutes engaged next squat session (next  Monday if everything is feeling better).