TRAINING LOG: Andy Crowley

I have been reading these things for a while, and it's really interesting and enjoyable to watch peoples' progress as well as pick up a few training tips here ad there.  That being said, I have finally decided to throw my hat in the ring as well.  I'm definitely not the strongest or biggest guy (probably one of the smallest, in fact, haha) but I think this will be a fun little experiment.

First the current numbers (lifetime pr in parentheses):

Body weight: 186lbs today

Bench: 305 (320)

Back Squat: 515 (525)

Front Squat: 350 (350)

Deadlift: 500 (545)

Pushpress: (255x2)

Clean: (320)

Snatch (185x3)

I haven't been able to do the last three lifts this off-season due to a problem with my left bicep.  It's on the mend though, and I am hopeful I can work my way back into these lifts soon.

Now a little overview of the highland games season:

The good:

LW: 61 something (ask Terry. He has the results)

HW (42): 41'

Hammers and sheaf are starting to come around finally.  Sadly, it didn't happen until after the season.  Also had a breakthrough in caber before hurting my bicep.  I'm optimistic about these events for next year.

The bad:

STONES!  They used to be my bread and butter, but now they went to crap.  OS specifically.  My base is too wide in my power position because I am not pulling my right leg under me enough during my glide.  This causes me to push off my front leg to the point of knee hyperextension while my back leg is off the ground and bent.  This takes away a lot of power.  This year's PR- 40 and low change.  Last year- 44'

WOB.  No PR this year.  15' used to be automatic with the 42 and I hit 13' last year with the 56 but this year I struggled to repeat with the 42 and only made 12' with the 56.  I'm not sitting on the weight long or hard enough, so a lot of my hip drive is lost.  Too much relying on back arch.  Like to leave the weight out in front of the bar.  

Inconsistency has plagued me since the beginning of my highland games career.  Now in my third year, I feel it is getting better, but is still the one thing I want to improve on the most.  As for now though, bring on the weights!

Andy you skinny son of a you know what! When are you going to stop starving yourself and put on some size and join Wade, your brother, and myself?

Recent workouts. 

Saturday went to Roslik's for a throwing/meat-eating/lifting/drinking shindig.  It was a great time.  Brian Hare blew my mind with his hammer knowledge.  I hope I can get my body to do the things he demonstrated.  That dude can chuck some hammers.  We threw everything from weights to stones, and even a little discus.  Luke set some All-Fruit World records (verification of weights pending) for farthest throws ever while wearing a banana costume.  Lifting was uneventful for me.  I was having a very weak feeling day, but it was a heck of a time reguardless.  Wade got an easy 600lb trap bar deadlift.  Looked like he was going to jump off the floor with it.  Roslik, Hare, and Luke did some crazy 2" bar cleans.  At that point I was okay with being unable to do any oly pulls.  Looked like zero fun. 

Last night was load week for squats.  5x5 up to 395.  Everything felt great.  Very light, tight, and snappy.  I'm excited to get some big weights on my back soon.  Next week is recovery week, then things get a little more serious for peak week.  I can't wait.

Thursday's workout: I lied.  It's 6x5.  Went up to 400 on deads and 260 on fronts.

Deads went pretty well.  Strength is right where it should be.  Endurance, not so much.  I feel like I was way too tired going into my second set at 400 (5th set overall) and subsequently, my entire FS workout.  I'm hoping some of this has to do with my silly decision to lift with nothing but Jack3d and creatine in my stomach.  Morning workouts don't agree with me. 

I find front squat to be very tough after deads.  I haven't come close to failing on a set, but everything just seemds harder than it should be.  Then again, I'm not a very good front squatter.  We'll see what happens.  Tomorrow starts the much needed (but quite boring) recovery week.  I hope to get out and throw sometime before it gets too terrible cold.  Probably just some sheaf.  My everything hurts.

Why would you have gone up to 400 on deads?  400 x 5?  Or were you just testing your max for the program?

No way I'd do fronts after deads.  That would be too much for this fine specimen.

3x5 @ 5-0-5 on bench.  Yawn.  Guns and grip work.  Double yawn.

Deads, fronts, and throwing tomorrow then only three twelve hour over-night shifts stand between me and peak week.

Nothing too exciting happened tonight. 

Peak week has begun.  6x5 back squat with the heaviest two sets at 425.  Felt very very easy.  Especially the second set.  Felt like I could have done ten with no problem.  I'm very excited to start threes next week.  Five is so many.

 

Agenda:  Work the next two days.  Bench/guns wednesday.  Deads and front squat thursday.  Can't wait. 

It's not really peaking in the traditional sense.  It's just the week where we get to our heaviest weights/most sets.  The workout is eight weeks composed of two cycles of base, load, recovery, and peak weeks.  The first four weeks is fives followed by twos and threes for the last four weeks.  The goal is to be able to do your 1RM four a double by the end of week eight.  I believe we're going to do this 2 or 3 times and up the percentages to keep the weights going up without having to retest maxes or whatever.  As we get closer to the season, I believe the idea is to transition into more explosive/ power/speed movements and of course throwing.  With such a long offseason though, we are just trying to get a very strong base during the beginning part.  I think that sums it up.  Luke could give you more insight though I'm sure. 

Oh yeah, I forgot about wednesday's workout.

Bench 10,8,5,3,1, 10+

185,225,255,275,295, didn't do it.

I was pretty well burnt out after the second set. My muscular endurance is not where it should be.

incline db, tempo flies @5-1-5 (why not?),skull crushers, pulldowns, light close grip, dip burnout

Not a whole lot of structure.  Just doing what feels good until it stops feeling good.  The Y angers me.  One power rack which is usually taken by people doing curls or shrugs, and a guy who stays on the one good incline bench for literally half an hour. 

Keep working those reps.  Maintain the intensity.

Don't talk about it...Be about it.  In the words of Mike Smith:

"Get you some."

Haven't updated in a while. Figured tonight was a good time to start it up again.  Peak week for sqat.

Highlights: 500x2 525x1 I'm pretty disapointed in this.  Was supposed to be a double.  The first rep went up nice and easy, then the second one got wierd.  My tracking was way off and got stuck in the hole.  I feel I redeemed myself after by getting 550 for a single at about 185lbs bodyweight.  A NEW LIFETIME PR!  As excited as I am about that, it's still kind of eating at me that I missed my second rep at 525.  Shoulda been easy.  Oh well. 

 

Luke got 340x2 on hang cleans and wade got 325x2.  Lots of snappiness going on here. 

 

After this workout, I feel a 600lb back squat is achievable for me.  I'd like to get it by the end of the offseason.  We have two more cycles of this workout, and I have a lot of faith in it, in spite of my early doubts.  I know 600 is a big number, but I think, nay, I KNOW I'll get it.  Just a matter of time.    

Nice lifting.

For you.

Psh, you guys are silly.