An Update + Random thoughts

Unfortunately, not too much to write about this week.

We have been very busy with the business and that has taken a cut into my traing, but in the end it'll be worth it.

The highliht of the week was a 395lb deadlift on Wednesday, I still had some left in the tank. 400+ should be do-able at the TSC in 2 Weeks. This will be a post college PR.

Post College?

Yeah, I can't compare what I lifted in college to what I lift now. In college I ate, went to class, ate, napped, ate, lifted, ate, napped then ate some more. So as you can probably imagine my lifts went through the roof.

There was no waking at 4:15 for Boot Camps and such.

But any way.

We will be redesigning our website in the upcoming month or so. We will be getting rid of our designer and taking it in house. Cost reasons. Our designers appearently thinks that $40 per page is fair price to add pages to our site. I see it differently, plus I don'tthink he's ever understood what we were trying to accomplish. So, he's out!

It's an exciting turn, but will require a lot of work.

We have a couple of other things in the works, too. Things that can potentially add a good amount of income to your bank account!

Stay tuned!

Monday

Nothing too exciting, but feeling much strogner. I have really found my groove for the Deadlift.

Monday I started with some complexes with and empty bar. Oddly I felt a pump everywhere. This is not something I shoot for, because I don't believe it has any thing to do with actually making progress. I'll chalk the pump up to a good weekend carb up.

Complex = 5 RDL -> 5 Bent over rows -> 5 Hang Cleans -> 5 Hang Snatches -> 5 overhead squats. Repeat 3x.

My hips still felt tight so I did the following. Loop an Iron Woody band around a basement column. Hold the band and perform a deep squat. The band will act to help you balance, and stay upright, and allow to pry/find space in the hips while in the deep squat position by shifting your weight back and forth. This is the same as someone hold your hands while your in the deep squat, but obviously doesn't require a partner.

That did the trick so I moved on.

Deadlift 155x5, 205x3, 300x4x6sets

Snatches 32kg x 4 r/l 45secs rest 10 sets

Felt very strong, finished up with some more mobility work.

That's it.

Today's Training

My deadlift is coming along nicely. I have working on the wedging technique, and staying tight as the bar breaks the ground. I have also found a good groove that allows me to really concentrate on pushing the ground away, rather than standing up.

Here's today training

Warm ups.

I really like using barbbell complexes for warmups, plus it allows me to keep my Oly lifting skills.

Favorite complex so far (usually make them up right before my w/o)
RDL -> bent over row -> clean -> front sqt.

Then I will hit some BB Snatches off block, the bar is just above my knees. After the last Snatch I bang out some Overhead Sqts.

Deadlift 155x5, 205x3, 300x2 for 6 sets
Back Squat 5x5 @ 135
Press 5x1 w/32kg KB
BW Pullup 5 sets to with in 1 rep of failure
5 minutes 24kg Snatch

Lots of mobilty.

It will be interesting to see how the 5 minute set goes, no carbs all week.

Stay tuned.

BJ

Monday's Training

I'm really starting to focus on the TSC coming up. This will be the first strength competition I have ever trained for, so it should be pretty interesting.

Here's how it went down last night

Warm Up was pump stetches and barbell complexes using oly lifts with and empty bar.

Deadlift 6x2 @ 300 lbs (working for a 400lb pull at the TSC)
Back Squat 5@135 3@185 3x1@235 I havent practiced squating in what seems like forever. As I re-learn the skill the numbers should go back up quickly.
KB Snatch 10x3r/l w/1minute rest between sets, lots of hips, felt very strong
Pull Ups w/BW 4,3,2,1

All-in-all I accomplished what I wanted to. A Simple, fairly heavy workout to start the week out.

Thanks for reading.
BJ

One day, at Band Camp.....

No, not what your thinking.

Actually Band Camp is an all day music festival in Madison. WI put on by a local radio station. The line up rivals most of the larger festivals that travel the States.

I don't know about you, but I like aggressive music when I train, as does Kori. We typically go to these festivals and get to see the bands we listen to while throwing around the heavy kettlebells.

So we made the 60 minute trek west to Madison, at got to hear bands like Dope, Nonpoint, Kittie, In This Moment, Die Cast and many others. The Co-headliners were Sevendust and Stone Sour, although we didn't stay for them. It was a long day and unlike Alpine Valley, Willow Island has no place to sit. It had rained the night before so the ground was still wet. A wet butt I was not havin'.

It was nice to get away and not think about training or the biz for the day. Below are a couple of vids of the bands we saw. I realize this isn't for everyone, but your never know, you may here something your like.

Royce, if you read this, this would have been a show for you!

First band that out performed my expectations was "In This Moment". I get to see them again in a week at Ozzfest. Check it below.



For something a little more hardcore, check out their other single "Prayers"

Here's one from Nonpoint, great energy on stage and you could tell they love what they do.



Kittie, the band Kori went to see. By this time mud balls were flying, the singer actually had to dodge a few.



It was a long day but fun. Next weekend is Ozzfest. Then I think we're done with concerts until next year.

Training post to come later, stay tuned.

BJ

Change of Pace.

While I had good intentions of sticking with my original plan a few post back...but I got so fricken bored, I had almost all motivation to train. What used to thrill me, became a burden. In the past that has always been a sign something needs to change, even though I was still making great progress...my heart wasnt in it.

There were a few things going on. Volume, there was too much of it for my caloric intake. I hindsight, switching back to a Warrior diet type eating plan, wasn't the best choice for the amount of volume I wanted to do.

I raised my calories, so that problem is fixed. I also increased to number of meals per day back to 4-6. Energy levels have sored. I also think the added protein has revved up metabolism and I even put on some muscle I'm not as lean as I was, but I'll take some extra thickness in the upper back. I'm walking around between 166-172 depending on when my last refeed was.

I have changed the way I warm up. I still Joint Moblity, but I have been throwing in some light Oly lifting to warm the hips and shoulders up and it's making a huge differnce.

Shoulder pain...Gone. Now I'm sure it's a comination of things but the added molibity/stability one gets just from some overhead barbell squats is amazing.

The TSC is six weeks from tomorrow, exactly. In my head that will make a nice little cycle of very concentrated work.

I'm going to only strength train 3 days per week, hard and heavy. High rep snatches at the end, rather then on separete days. Maybe some sled draggin' or GPP on two of the days, but for recovery's sake only.

Lot's of foam rolling and molbilty.

Lot's of protein. If it used to have a face, it's fair game!

The goal, focus only on the TSC and pull off a PR in at least one of the events. This will be my first type of competition like this so I'm not too worried about how I place.

As for diet.

I do really really well on low carb, keto style eating plans. Don't know why. Maybe there's something to that whole metabolic typing theory?

Funny thing, Kori does also.

So that's what I'm going back to, I'll do a carb refeed periodically.

Coincidentially this how I ate all through college and that's when I was at my peak in strength and leaness...