Changing Goals

Life is a tale told by an idiot. (According to Shakespeare anyway).
I'm not so sure I agree, but in a sense we are all idiots.
We strut around the stage, thinking we have it all figured out, only to prove ourselves wrong most of the time.
If you think back on the different goals that you have had throughout life, you will realise that many have changed.
What you wanted out of life at 5 changed when you reached 10, again when you made it to 15, ad infinitum.

This is neither good nor bad, it simply is. And when I look back on my lifting "career", I realise that I've done it several times.
Certain goals are still there, but the priority shifts and changes like the tides.
Strong...Big...Lean...Big And Lean...Strong And Lean... etc.
Lifting weights is constant. Striving to improve is constant. The finer details shift.
As life happens, things change. Sh!t Happens, as they say. You gotta roll with it.
Do I still want to be strong? Hell, yes. Is that all I train for? Hell, No.
I adapt to my age, my lifestyle, my current desires.
I think Long-term AND Short-term, and try to weave it all together into something meaningful.
But, I may wake up tomorrow with a completely new perspective, and that will change everything.
C'est La Vie.
Don't fight it, just work with it...

Progress On The Ultimate Program

Once upon a time I believed in the ultimate program. I KNEW that if I read enough, researched zealously, and applied myself, I would find it.
Then I discovered that there was no way. All paths led to Rome.
But even that didn‘t last.
Now I believe that there is an ultimate way to train. You won‘t get it from a guru-trainer. It will probably not be a cookie-cutter printout from a website. It might be, but probably not.
Don‘t ask me where to find it. I only know where to find mine.
Unfortunately you are going to have to find your own.
Sorry.

Swimming In The Wild Seas

Life is like a box of chocolates...
I‘m sure that everyone is familiar with that quote. I think it may be a little too Hollywood. (i.e. not based in reality).
I say this because I am currently in the firing line of a business restructuring process. This is a fancy way to say that they want to cut employee numbers. Even a chocolate with orange centre (yuk!) is better than losing your job.
I think life is more like the end-result of a collision between a hardware truck and a confectionery van. Then you really wouldn‘t know what you‘re going to get.
And exercise is very similar. You can train with the best plan, and put in all the effort only to discover that you chose the wrong parents for your goals. Or that you can get sweet rewards from little effort.
The problem is you can‘t be sure your results (or lack thereof) are the result of genetics or effort, until you have really given every option a fair chance. That could take years.
So its better to enjoy both the journey and the destination, otherwise you might never look at what you have as a chocolate and not a screw...

What Is Awesome?

The goal with my current training is to be awesome. Or, in my case, MORE Awesome!
But, what is awesome?
For some it is defined by the size of the biceps. “Sun‘s out, guns out!“ But, to others it is defined by weight lifted from the floor. To still others it revolves around GPP abilities (read Crossfit). That is the difficulty with awesomeness. It is defined in the eye of the beholder. To me “Chuck Norris“ might be the epitome of awesome, but to you he might just be some idiot who went “Missing In Action“ (several times!).
So, I have defined my criteria for awesome, and will measure myself against that. The goal is to narrow the gap between where I am now and “Awesome“.
I invite you to do the same. Choose a level of awesome that is within you to achieve. No point trying to be an Awesome Bodybuilder if you are a skinny-fat hardgainer. That will only lead to disappointment. You have to take your limits into account, but don‘t pander to weakness. EG: Oscar Pistorius made it to the Olympics. Awesome. He did not try to take on Usain Bolt in the 100m. That is beyond his actual limitations.
Be realistic, but don‘t be a pansy.
Awesomeness is within reach of us all. It just takes some dedication, hard work, persistance and cojones (metaphorical ones for ladies).
Become Awesome!

Week 2: 20 - 24 August

FRONT SQUAT	88	x	5	:	103
FRONT SQUAT	85	x	7	:	105
BENCH	83	x	5	:	97
BENCH	75	x	5	:	87
HANG CLEAN	65	x	3	:	71
DEADLIFT	130	x	5

Week 1: 13 - 17 August

A slight change to the plan. Included some 5x5 and dropped Press, as my left shoulder is unhappy with it.
Tired of always having one shoulder or the other complaining. I must be getting old or soft. Possibly both.
With the current split some exercises will be done twice a week. Once 531, and once 5x5.

FRONT SQUAT	83	x	5	:	97
FRONT SQUAT	75	x	5	:	87
BENCH	75	x	5	:	87
HANG CLEAN	60	x	5	:	70
DEADLIFT	110	x	5

Week 4: 06 - 10 August

Rest Week again...

FRONT SQUAT	80	x	3	:	88
BENCH	70	x	6	:	84
DEADLIFT	110	x	3

Week 3: 30 July - 03 August

SQUAT 120 x 3 : 132 BENCH 90 x 2 : 96 PRESS 50 x 5 : 58 HANG CLEAN  60 x 5 : 70 DEADLIFT 150 x 1

Missing In Action

Blink and you‘ve lost a month.
Bueller said it best: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don‘t stop and look around every once in a while, you just might miss it.“
The truth of that statement continues to apply all these years later. In fact, I think life moves even faster now than old Ferris could have imagined. Which is why I keep having periods of MIA on my blog.
In an attempt to fix this I have procured a blogging app for my phone. Hopefully this means that I will be able to be more frequent with my posts. When I look at all my posts at the end of the year, I want to be able to check my progress on 531, without having gaps.
So, first I need to post my missing weeks, and then get ack on the blogging saddle.

Food for thought: There is very little that is truly new in the weight lifting game. Why do people spend so much time ad effort chasing the latest fad. Where could you be, and what could you achieve if you used that time and effort to work hard on the big, basic principles instead?

Week 2: 22 - 26 July

Week 2 Details:
Squat:    115x5 : 134 Projected
Bench:   85x3   :  93 Projected
Press:    45x7   :  55 Projected
Deadlift: 140x2

Week 1: 15 - 20 July

Week 1 Details:
Squat:      110x6   : 132 Projected
Bench:      80x5    : 93 Projected
Press:       40x10  : 53 Projected
Deadlift:    130x1

Week 4: 09 - 13 July

Rest week.

Week 3: 02 - 06 July

Time really does seem to be flying. I've been through two cycles already.
8 weeks gone in a flash.

DAY	EXERCISE	RESULT	MAX(EST)
Mon	Squat	115x7	141
	Bench	90x2	96
Fri	Press	40x10	53
	Deadlift*	145x1
* Done for Singles, Doubles, and Triples.
No Max Rep work.

Everything is still rolling along. Projected maxes still increasing (mostly).
I may have to step down bench press soon, but will see how it goes.

Week 2: 25 - 29 June

A pretty good week. Time flies. Already 3x3 again.
DAY	EXERCISE	RESULT	MAX(EST)
Mon	Squat	110x8	139
	Bench	85x3	93
Fri	Press	37x12	52
	Deadlift*	135x1
* Done for Singles, Doubles, and Triples.
No Max Rep work.

Wed was some play at the park. Chins, Dips, Jumps.
A nice break, and some good "work".

Bench press is very narrow due to shoulder issue.
I'm happy with it. Training maxes based on standard width.

Week 1: 18 - 22 June

Illness affects training once more… Monday skipped.
DAY	EXERCISE	RESULT	MAX(EST)
Wed	Squat	105x6	126
	Bench	80x5	93
Fri	Press	33x14	48
	Deadlift*	130x1
* Done for Singles, Doubles, and Triples.
No Max Rep work.

Week 4: 11 - 15 June

Week 4 is recovery/rest week.

Everything is done 40%-50%-60%. So no straining for me.
Started developing a cold towards the end of the week, and took Friday off.
Hopefully it won't impact training on Week 1 next week.

My gymnastic rings have arrived, and I will start including them in my training.

The 531 whole-body training is not quite as flexible as I need. (I can't always make 3 workouts a week).
I read an article by Jim Wendler: "Effective Training For Busy Men".
The 531 twice a week option is very similar, so I decided to move in that direction.
That way, even missing one workout a week, I will still hit the main exercises.
Day 3 will be an assistance/volume day. I believe that the bones of this workout is stilll 531.
Unless there is serious pawpaw in the fan, I should be able to get the two main workouts every week.

If you need some good reading the latest article by Jim Wendler: "Mentoring Wendler" is up.
I've also found som egood article links posted weekly by Ben Bruno: www.benbruno.com.

Where is it all Headed?

In the beginning of modern strength-training there was the Squat.
Then came the enlightenment that Squatting was bad for you. Knees and backs were breaking everywhere.
Next came the new wave of functional training. [Im still not sure what function bosu ball squats train, unless you spend your life on a ships deck ].
Then it was decided that squats were not actually bad. But you had to prepare yourself fully. Foam Rolling and Movement Quality were the new buzzwords.
Then someone said: "Shouldnt exercise make you move better?" And now some feel that the whole Movement movement has gone too far. Back to basics they say.
Squatting should improve your squat movement.
Its only a matter of time before the next "evolution" of training.

Here is my biased, personal opinion:
Do what works for you. Stretch if it helps you. Foam roll if it makes you feel better. Squat if it makes you stronger. The experts agree to disagree. You have to decide what you will accept, implement, and live with.
In the end, your progress is the yardstick of the effectiveness of your approach.
If you aren't going forward, maybe you should try foam rolling with a bosu ball. Or doing mobility drills on the monkeybars. Or zercher squatting every day.
In the end, it comes down to one person. You.
Don't be afraid to try the recommendations, but don't be afraid to strike out on your own either.

Week 3: 04 - 08 June

The 5-3-1 reps for Week 3 have been ok
DAY	EXERCISE	RESULT	MAX(EST)
Mon	Squat	105x8	133
	Bench	90x2	96
Fri	Press	35x10	46
	Deadlift*	135x1
* Single, Doubles and Triples only (Speed Focus)
Combined workouts this week due to other matters.
Started the mobility and flexibility work in the evenings.
When combining workouts:
1. Get the Main Exercises Done
2. Do Main Assistance if possible
3. Include extra work last.

Apart from a big error on the Bench (90 instead of 85), its going well.
The Deadlift really seems to get overcooked easily. Doing Speed reps seems to work.
135 came off the ground easily, so I'll just keep going and see how it ends up.

Week 2: 28 May - 01 June

The 3-3-3 reps for Week 2 went well.
DAY	EXERCISE	RESULT	MAX(EST)
Mon	Squat	100x7	123
Wed	Bench	85x4	96
Fri	Press	?
	Deadlift*	?
* Single, Doubles and Triples only

A small drop in est. max for Squat, but the 7 was not full out.
Tiny increase in bench est. max.

Trying to catch up with the logs again. Perhaps some more interesting prose will follow soon.

Week 1: 21 - 25 May

The 5-5-5 reps for Week 1 went well.
DAY	EXERCISE	RESULT	MAX(EST)
Mon	Squat	92.5x11	126
Wed	Bench	75x8	95
Fri	Press	33x10	44
	Deadlift*	125x1

* Done for Singles, Doubles, and Triples.
  No Max Rep work.

Cruel Eld Doth Encroach Upon me

Yep, I am getting older. One of these days I might actually grow up. Maybe.
When you are young and fresh [16~23] its easy to recover from just about anything that you can throw at your body.
You are pliable. You may not be flexible, but generally your muscles and sinew are unscarred and have little damage. But this changes as you get older. You lose it little by little. Pretty soon you're a brittle old codger. (Metaphorically speaking. You might only be 30). You realise that you actually have to work at your mobility, flexibilty and structural qualities.
I used to do the splits. No more. All the desk work has made me tight.
But, its never too late. So, a much as I hate it, I need to start doing foam-rolling and mobility work.
I cant bring myself to spend my training time doing it, as I only have 3 hours a week as it is. So, my solution is to create a pre-bed routine. 15-20min of rolling and mobility every day.
Soon I will return to my youthful vigour. Or, at the very least, stop doddering around like a rusty old robot.
The other side-effect I would like is to be a little more injury-proof again.
Let the test begin...

Week 4: 14-18 May 2012

Spent last week as Week 4 (Deload) of 531.

This week: Started with Full Body Template:
Mon: Squat
Wed: Bench
Fri: Press, Deadlift

My shoulder is coming right now after some intense physio.
Not 100%, but I can bench again, and pressing seems OK.
Looks like I might just be able to get back on track for 2012.

As an aside:
Olympic Lifting Rocks: Check this out >> Learn the Snatch [T-Nation]

Gotta run...

A New Beginning

I feel like I have been out of circulation for a while, so my posts have been few.
It started with a stupid move. I moved a barbell from one hook to another.
Simple. Yes. But, if you do it with a shoulder press, when it's a weight near your max its not smart.
Enter the shoulder injury. Eight weeks later, I'm still broken.
I've been rehabbing and fixing, and it's much better. I even have a better understanding of shoulder health now.
So, not all was lost. But, eventually I gave in and went to see the Doc.
I've had my scan, and will see the physio next week.
Hopefully the end is in sight.

What this means: No bench. No Press. No Squat (too much rotation on the shoulder).
What I can still do: Deadlift, Front Squat, Snatch, Chin, Rows. One Arm Presses.
So my training will continue.

I realised that I lost the plot a bit with my workout routines. This will be remedied.
Back to what has worked: 5/3/1. 3 Days a week. Basic. Simple Progression.

Starting Monday. Planning to stick it out for at least 6 Months. Time to get a grip.
I can't let another year go by with too little progress.

Today I tested my Deadlift so that I know where to begin on Monday:

Snatch: 30kg : 4x3
Deadlift: 70kg,85kg,100kg,115kg,130kg,145kg,160kg : all 1 rep.
Bench Test: Nope, shoulder don't want that.

It's been a while since I lifted 160kg. I'm quite happy about it.
I may have to start with a recovery week...

The Unhappy Hiatus

Injuries suck. A lot.
Its been a couple of weeks now since I managed to mess with my shoulder.
Since then my rehab has been 2 steps forward 1 step back. Slow and painful. And I don't have much patience when it comes to injuries in the first place.
But, at last, I seem to be making some progress.
An added benefit of the rehab is that some of the overworked areas are getting a rest. It remains to be seen whether this helps me out later as I attempt to get some real structural balance.
The main thing that you have to accept when injured is that training really is a longterm pursuit. Sure, my goals for the year have had a setback, but if I apply what I've learned during this time, I'm sure I will end up better.
An injury forces you to take stock of where you really are, and find out what mistakes you might be making.
If you use this to your advantage, you can still be successful. Even if it takes another year or two to get there.

A Workout Update

By now you may have noticed that I have not posted a workout in a while.
Firstly, I was laid low by the Spanish Influenza. At least it felt that bad.
But, I bounced back, and went at it with my training. But, there is a catch.
I was questioning the validity of my training paradigm. Not the effectiveness of 531 or 5x5.
Rather, I was questioning whether it was the best for me. And I was thinking long term.
My shoulder is not happy with the low-bar position, or with overhead pressing.
My lower back has started to talk to me in language I've never heard before.
In short, I felt like I was barreling along toward an early retirement from training. That is unacceptable.
At the same time, I was reading some prehab\rehab\injury prevention type stuff. One article stood out.
"21 Exercises For Injury-free Mass" by Bret Contreras.
Its geared toward the man made of glass, which isn't me, but it gave me an idea.
What if I used the big exercises to "test" my strength, and stuck to safer versions to "train" it?
Could it work if I only had to load up the barbell and strain once a month? (Less exposure).
Could the "safe" exercises still help me to improve, but save me from further injury?
It was a theory that I had to test, as there are several advantages:
1. No injuries means more training time.
2. Less spinal loading means increased recovery.
3. Less chance to grow stale on the big exercises.
Yes, there are negatives, like not getting practice at the specific lifts. Nothing is perfect.
I've put together a simple A-B Split using the exercises from the article.
The plan is still geared more towards a 5-rep strength approach (with a bit of hypertrophy thrown in).
I'll go for one cycle of 4 weeks, then retest my strength and see where I am.
Hopefully the same-but-different exercises I chose will work.
Time will tell...

Shifting Goalposts

One of the biggest problems in fitness is failure to achieve goals. Almost as bad is achieving a goal when it no longer matters. In other words, the anticlimax achievement.
It doesn't happen often, because goals are seldom achieved, but when it happens it can be just as demoralising as failure to achieve.
So how did you end up here?
When you sat down and mapped out a plan to achieve your goal, you quite simply set your sights on the wrong thing. You love lifting heavy weights, but somehow ended up thinking a 4-minute mile was a great goal. The thing is, you don't actually care whether you can run a sub-4 1600m.
Can you say "Anticlimax"?
Your goals must represent who you are and what you want to achieve.
They can't be a flavour of the month. You must still burn with desire to achieve your goals when next month, or next season comes around. They must be worth striving for, even if it takes years to achieve them.
This is difficult in a world where we are conditoned to desire the next big thing as soon as we have the current big thing. If that is who you are, perhaps you should just goal-set very short-term.
"If I get 5 reps, then I can have a cookie!" Good luck with that.
Real goals, and real achievement take time and effort. Diligence and perseverance are the watchwords.
Make sure that the goal you set is what you really want, then apply yourself.
"The more you sweat in peace time, the less you bleed in war"

Non-Invulnerability

Oh to be immune to disease!
I would sell parts of my anatomy if I could just be immune to disease. Ok, I doubt I would actually part with pieces of me. But, maybe if I it comes in pairs, or has no real function I would go for it.
I have been laid low by another opportunistic infection. An invader has once again breached my once-potent defenses. I am become normal. Average. Yuk.
I feel that I must be overlooking some key to my health. I have been strong and resistant for several months. It is not yet winter, so why are my ramparts proving ineffective?
It is a quandary. And if I had a log of everything I ate and did for the last few months, perhaps I would see a pattern. But, I don't. Bummer. I will just have to stumble around and hope to hit on the solution.
At least I have a training log. So when it comes to training I can look back and see what works and what doesn't.
Now if only I was healthy enough to train!

Balancing Wants And Needs

When it comes to training we usually focus on our wants. Our goals seldom revolve around what we need.
That is not necessarily a bad thing from a certain point of view. I've written before on methods that will make your goals more necessary from an achievement perspective. Today I'm referring to the content of your training sessions as you pursue those goals.
For example: I need to do more stretching, but I want to do more direct arm work.
Once you have laid out your goals, you will quickly realise that you have a limited amount of time in which to accomplish them. (Unless you are a shiftless layabout with stacks of cash and loads of time). For most employed people it will come down to balancing your time with what you need to do to reach your goals.
Generally there will be some boring but necessary stuff that will need to be in your program.
Next you can add in those things that directly support and lead to achievement of the goal.
Now, if you have any space left you can squeeze in the things you want to do, but aren't really tied to your goals.
This is hard for some people to deal with. They prefer to just do the fun stuff. Well, its up to you, but you can't blame anyone if you never get anywhere.
If you want to remain healthy, and be in this for life, then there are some things you should pay attention to, before they turn into big problems:
Flexibility and Mobility.
Left-to-Right, Front-to-Back balance.
Core strength.
As long as you maintain these you will be less prone to injury and more likely to keep training for a long time.
Yes, we want many things, but often we don't need them in order to achieve our goals.
Make sure that the things you need are in place, after that feel free to add what you want.

Are You A GAMER

I (re)read an article by Joe Defranco a little while ago. 

In that article he defined what it means to be a GAMER. Basically, he reckons that the people he trains who have the qualities defined by this acronym are the athletes who are/will be  successful.

In a large part I agree:
Goal-oriented. If you dont know where you are going, you are never going to get there. You need to sit down and define those goals.
Accountable. If you dont achieve, you admit your guilt. You are the one who has to drive the process. If you fail fail, its your fault.
Motivated. Sure, Guru-Bob can help raise your motvation, but he wont be there every morning with a speech to psych you up. Ultimately you need to develop the internal drive that will keep you on the road to your goals.

Exact. Goal=Method. You train for what you want to achieve. No messing around with fluff.
Resilient. Every now and then life will kick you between the goalposts and you will fall down. You need to have the strength to stand back up. Setbacks, problems and unforeseen occurrences may slow you down. They should never stop you. 

This list is not a bad place to start looking if you are failing to reach your goals.
If I think about the number of people I know that have achieved their goals, I realise that its a very short list. Most never get very far.
Are you one of the achiever or one of the dropouts?
In the end its all about you. 

If you want to read the actual article: Are you a gamer?

Patience

They say patience is a virtue. That means our modern world is not very virtuous.
Everything is about immediate instantaneous results. "six week" abs anyone?
Nobody wants to try the "6 years to a big bench" routine. No thanks, I want to do it in 12 weeks or less.
The same people who avoid setting a 6 year goal, are the same ones who haven't changed very much 6 years later.
I am one of them. I hate long-term. I want results now. This makes it extremely difficult for me to stick to a plan. So, I developed a plan to counteract my lack of patience.
I call it my "long term instant gratification" plan. (Not in public, though).
I take my long-term goals and break them down into specific exercises. Those get targeted with progressions that I can measure. Then I pad some other stuff around that. Currently that is some rehab work on my gimpy shoulder. I may even move things around within the week, but the main exercise will get trained at least once a week, and checked against the goal.
My real desire is to jump around and try everything, but that achieves nothing. Sometimes, even the variety that I have built in is not enough to overcome my impatience to be awesome right now. On those days, I simply have to buckle down and force myself to keep going. A bit of hard graft builds character, I've been told.
Progress is a lifetime pursuit, not a drive-thru takeout order.
.

Workouts 57, 58, 59

WEEK 1 of the new plan. It's mostly tweaking of the previous method.
I will have to give it a fair shot of at least one cycle. 
It's not perfect. (Is it ever?). But, I think I might be getting the basic pattern right.
Time (and increasing strength) will tell. 
Hopefully the shoulder stability work will keep me from breaking down.


MON
 SQUAT
65x5, 90x5, 110x5, 110x5, 110x5
 BENCH
50x5, 70x5, 85x5, 85x5, 85x5
 RACK CLEAN
60x3, 60x3, 60x3, 60x3, 60x3


WED
 TGU                             24x3
 REVERSE CRUNCH      8,6
 WALL SLIDES              10,10
 PLANK                        45s, 15s
 YTLI + WING                10+5
 DISLOCATIONS             5, 5
 INV ROW                      10,10,10
 SCAP PUSHUP            10,10,10
 SWINGS                     24x15,15,10,10


FRI
 SQUAT
70x5, 90x5, 113x5, 113x5, 113x5
 PRESS
20x5, 30x5, 35x5, 35x5, 35x5
 DEADLIFT
70x5, 95x5, 120x5 
CHIN
15x3, 15x4, 15x3

Workout 54 55 56

Mon [13/02/2012]
 Heavy Deadlift
 Shoulder Press
 Squat

Wed
 Turkish Getup
 Pushup
 Swing
 Goblet Squat
[Skipped some exercises]

Fri
 Squat
 Bench
 Row

This arrangement didn't work out exactly as planned. There were one or two logistical issues that upset the week too. In the end I just didn't feel that I had the balance right for my goals.

Next week will be similar, but a better arrangement, and hopefully better matching with my prehab/rehab and goals.

Workouts This Week v2

Well, some more tweaking went on, and things changed a little.

I needed to make one or two changes to my new plan, so it's actually very close to the previous one again.
I've got Wed a bit more firmed up, and include Kettlebells, which I've missed a bit.
I also trimmed the Bodyweight stuff to bare bones. Plus a little bit of rehab work for my shoulders thrown in.
Hopefully I have the balance right now. We'll know in a few weeks.

There is still inspiration from "Power to the People", "Madcow 5x5", 531, "Enter the Kettlebell".
It's a bit eclectic, but so are my goals.

Along with all this I've changed my eating plan. I've tried a couple of Intermittent Fasting approaches, but none of them have really worked for me. The LeanGains approach is a bit more to my liking. It's been almost a week already, and so far, so good.

The next cycle is under way...

Where Did Cord Caldragin Go?

He wanted his own space... http://caldragin.blogspot.co.nz/

The Itch

You know the feeling. You suddenly develop an itch right in the middle of your back, and you just can't seem to reach it. Its infuriating.
Do you have a similar feeling about your training and goals? If, for some reason you can't train, does it annoy you? Not because you are missing training, but rather because you know that your ability to achieve your goals is being compromised.
For some reason my shoulder has been niggly this week. Thankfully I'm having a rest week, so it may not be a major issue. It has prevented me from entering a powerlifting comp, but that is secondary to my primary goals.
I have the itch that can only be scratched by training, and the thought that my shoulder might not be back to normal by Monday does annoy me. A lot.
That itch is a necessary evil in training. Without it you will lack the drive needed to persevere despite obstacles.
I know that even if the shoulder is an issue, I will find a way to accomodate it, fix it, and then work it all the way to success.
Yep, the itch is what keeps you going. Its what makes you work hard in order to soothe the irritation of not yet having reached the goal.
If its not there, its time to double-check your goals.
Do you truly want them? Cos if you do, the itch will be there.

Giving It Horns

How much do you bench?
How many pullups can you do?
How much do you weigh?
These are queations that we don't want to answer because the vast majority of the time we feel our number is not good enough.
Even if we have been working fervently towards a goal, the inevitable question often seems to pop up when we are least prepared for it.
Oh well, such is life.
But, I'm sure that there is a number that you can think of that you would be happy to give as an answer.
What prevents you from giving it? What has been responsible for you not being able to give it?
You may get asked the question again today, or next week. What will be different? Will you be closer to it than you are now, or still just as far off?
Now is the time to take action. Decide what your number should be.
Fix that number, and then plot the steps you need to accomplish in order to reach it.
When you have your goal, and you've created your plan - go for it!
Give it horns, and refuse to quit until the day when you get asked for your number, and you can reply with a number that you feel is good.

Workout 51 52 53

Week 5 of the 12 week plan.

Day 1:
Squat: 5x 60,75,90,105,120
Bench: 5x 55,65,70,80,90
Deadlift: 5x 95,110,125 [cluster of 5]

Day 2:
Pushups: 20 20
Inv Row: 20 14
L-Handstand Pushup: 10
Face Pulls: 10 10
Short Bridge: 20 20
Asst 1 Leg Squat: 6 6
Dips: 20 14
Chins: 5 5 5 3
Bench Lying Raise: 20
Supermans (5Sec): 10

Day 3:
Squat: 5x 60,75,90,105
           3x125
           8x90
Bench: 5x 55,65,70,80
            3x 90
            8x 75
Pendlay Row: 5x 40,55,60,70
         3x 75
         8x 60

The volume is accumulating...
I'm thinking of entering a powerlifting meet next week, we shall see.

Use Your Needs

There is a need in each of us. It is not the same for everybody. But it is the most important motivator. It may be a need for security, or a need for affirmation, or even a need for admiration. It drives us to achieve actions which satisfy it. In order to achieve your health and fitness goals the best approach, then, is to link your goals to your needs.
The first step is to find out what your needs are. This is where some soul-searching and deep thought are needed. When that is done you can move to the next step.

What do you need?
Do you need to avoid embarrassment? Then tie your goal to an event or date that will result in embarrassment if you don't achieve it (making it public knowledge will help).
Do you need to gain admiration? Then tie your goal to something that will result in admiration for your achievements. (Something that will get you noticed)*.

These are just two simple examples, but with a bit of thought you can figure out how to link your needs and your goals. This will make your goals more achievable, because you will NEED to achieve them.

*If you feel that your need is a bit shallow, simply keep it to yourself. After all, people don't need to know WHY you do what you do. They only need to see that you are achieving your goals. The reason for it is none of their business!

Is Basic Boring?

Do you thrive on variety? Do you hate it when nothing changes. Do you love things being new?
Although it pays to keep abreast of developments and to be aware of the latest research, it's not necessary to try to implement it.
It's not terribly exciting to have your workouts planned out in advance and to know exactly what you will be doing until the end of the Summer.
But, it is usually more effective to do so. Say what you will about "shocking" your muscles, or "adapting" to your plan, mostly it's a desire for variety.
Your mind controls your muscles, and as long as you have a form of progression in place for your program, your mind is probably reaponsible for a lack of progress.
If you can keep your drive and motivation high, you will make progress.
It's often better to make a little progress on a basic plan, than no progress on a fancy high-variety one.
The guys with the fancy plans and the attempt to include all the latest research in their plans are often the guys who are at the same level year in and year out.
Don't make that mistake. Progress is the way you measure the success of a plan. Not weekly progress, but monthly and yearly progress.
It might be boring, but if it works there is nothing to complain about.
If you need more stimulation, take up a hobby, or learn something new.
Training is to achieve goals, not for being entertained.

Workout 48 49 50

Week 4 of the 12 week plan.

Day 1:
Squat: 5x 60,75,90,105,120
Bench: 5x 50,60,70,75, 85
Deadlift: 5x 95,110,125 [cluster of 5]

Day 2:
Pushups: 20 20
Inv Row: 20 13
Half Handstand Pushup: 6
Face Pulls: 10 10
Short Bridge: 18 18
Asst 1 Leg Squat: 6 6
Dips: 20 13
Chins: 11 8
Bench Lying Raise: 20
Supermans (5Sec): 10

Day 3:
Squat: 5x 60,75,90,105
           3x120
           8x90
Bench: 5x 50,60,70,80
            3x 90
            8x 70
Pendlay Row: 5x 40,50,55,65
         3x 70
         8x 55

Week 4 done, now the hard work begins...

Getting To Your Goal

Setting goals is a very important step when it comes to training. After all, if you have no idea where you are going, any direction is the right one.
Often overlooked, though, is the starting point. In order to be successful you need to know where you are currently.
It's no good to set a 300lb bench as your goal if you have messed up shoulders and a 100lb bench max. Rather set goals that will get you to the point where the bench goal becomes practical. That point should be your goal.
This goes for all your goals. If you want to achieve your goals, you better make sure that you are starting from the right place otherwise you, like so many, will not reach what you set your sights on.

Workout 45 46 47

Week 3 of the 12 week plan.
Trying to get my eating sorted out now.

Day 1:
Squat: 5x 60,70,85,100,115
Bench: 5x 50,60,70,75, 85
Deadlift: 5x 90,105,120
[The Deadlift is tough multi-rep with the small bar - will change last set to cluster of 5]

Day 2:
Pushups: 20 16
Inv Row: 20 11
Half Handstand Pushup: 5
Face Pulls: 10 10
Short Bridge: 15 15
Asst 1 Leg Squat: 6 5
Dips: 19 10
Chins: 10 8
Lying Raise: [skipped]
Supermans (5Sec): 10

Day 3:
Squat: 5x 60,70,85,100
           3x120
           8x85
Bench: 5x 50,60,70,75
            3x 85
            8x 70
Row: 5x 40,50,55,65
         3x 70
         8x 55

Slow steady progress. I feel that the slowly increasing work-load is having an effect.

Superhero Or Supervillain

If you suddenly received cosmic power, what would you do with it?
Your first thought may be in the "do-gooder" direction. But is that really your inclination? Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
What may happen is that you mete out some well-deserved punishment to some bad guys. Then you will start to mete out what you feel is right. Eventually you will do what is right for you. You will "deserve" what you take. Any who disagree will be enemies of right (and might).
This is why we like superheroes to be fictional. They don't get corrupted. And if they do, well at least it's fiction. In real life it would be scary. Who wants an unstoppable bad guy flying around doing whatever he wants?
So as much as I would like to be a superhero, I think it may be better for me to simply try to be awesome. Awesome people are cool. They do things that ordinary folks can't. And they live a life that amounts to something. But, if the awesomeness affects them and they go off the rails, there are ways to deal with them. You don't have to worry that a superstrong, invulnerable criminal is rampaging maniacally in the streets. And that is the way it should be.
So, don't dream of being super, just work hard to become awesome. You may not fly, or catch speeding bullets, but you can break records and smash limitations. And that, actually, can be pretty heroic.

Simplicity vs Complexity

Training is about results. You set goals, you work at improving certain qualities. More weight, more volume, more skill, whatever. 
Unfortunately the plan for doing this is not as straightforward as we would like. 

Do you use High-Volume, or Low. HIT or Periodisation? Do you go for High-Speed reps or Time Under Tension?
No doubt you have an opinion. But, is your opinion correct? 
Perhaps you swear by German Volume Training and have added slabs of muscle with it. 
Maybe you are a HIT jedi, and have the data to prove the superiority of your methods. 

Well, here is the kicker: You are wrong, but also right. What I‘ve learned from my journey in the Iron Game is this: Everybody is different, and Everybody changes.
Sure, today that program works for you, but in 5 years it might suck. And it might already suck for someone with a different anatomical makeup and genes. 
Successful training needs to address not only training experience, age, and interests. Other factors play a role. Response to volume, intensity, and frequency. Need for variation. Dietary needs. Rest requirements. Nervous system efficiency and resiliency. And all of these can change with time and training. 
With so many factors involved, how can anyone achieve anything? 
By paying attention.

A good time-honoured basic plan will get you started. Generally when you start out you'll make gains virtually by just looking at the bar. Spend time learning proper exercise form. 
At the same time you need to start taking note of the affect exercise has. How are you affected by the different exercises? Are some better for your response to training? The basics will get you going, build some good strength and skill in exercise form, and start to give you clues for future changes.

I‘m not advocating program-jumping, I‘m advocating applying results to future actions. It will take time to get it all sorted out and understand your individualised training response, so allow for that.
I'm the meantime, the basics will put you on the right road. It‘s hard to go wrong with the basics. 

And sometimes, they may be all you need to continue making progress.

It's not impossible that a basic plan won't work for you, but it would make you pretty special. 
I‘m betting that you're more like most people than you are different.
Besides, while the simple stuff is working, why complicate matters? There is plenty of time for the Reverse Periodised Conjugate Post-HIT German Combined Split later on...

Tweets For Dummies

Once upon a time I was a newbie. I thought I knew it all. I was wrong, very wrong. The more I've learned about training, the more I've come to realise that even the experts don't really understand it all. They just guess better than others. There are some simple guidelines that will take you quite far, but after that you're pretty much on your own. Nobody really knows what is best for you. You have to figure that out.
Here, though, are some solid principles that will get you to the point where you have to do it yourself. (Supplied in bite-size tweets).

Lift heavy stuff.
Practice fast exercises.
Squat properly.
Eat good quality food.
Get good quality sleep.
Learn about exercise with an open mind.
Stretch and use full ROM on exercises.
Track your progress.
Work hard and Rest/Recover properly.

If you do these things, you will make progress and achieve something.
That's better than 90% of people who "exercise."

Workout 42 43 44

Week 2 of the 12 week plan.
Wednesday is more organised now...

Day 1:
Squat: 5x 60,70,85,100,115
Bench: 5x 50,55,65,70,80
Deadlift: 5x 90,105,120

Day 2:
Pushups: 20 15
Inv Row: 20 10
Half Handstand Pushup: 5
Face Pulls: 10 10
Short Bridge: 20 20
Asst 1 Leg Squat: 5 5
Dips: 20 8
Chins: 10 8
Lying Raise: 20
Supermans (5Sec): 10

Day 3:
Squat: 5x 60,70,85,100
           3x115
           8x85
Bench: 5x 50,55,65,70
            3x 85
            8x 65
Row: 5x 50,55,65
         3x 70
         8x 55

It's going quite well. The Low-Bar Squat is still quite difficult to get right.

New Year Resolutions

We are now well and truly in 2012. Did you make resolutions? Or did you simply take stock of your situation and reaffirm old goals? Perhaps you didn't bother this year?
I think many many people decided to achieve something in 2012. And I'm willing to bet that just 12 days later most have already given up after finding it to hard.
We live in a time when instantaneous gratification is the norm.
Want something? Buy it now, pay later.
Want to watch a show? Download and watch now. Nobody waits for it anymore.
This has affected the way people approach health and fitness. Nobody wants to work towards the goal, they just want the goal. Right now, thank you very much.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but there isn't a shortcut. If you want it, you have to put in the time and the effort.
This is actually a good thing. Quick, easy results have no lasting value.
You simply can't attach a high value to something that anybody can have at any time. But, if you have something that few people have, and many people would like, then you have a valuable commodity.
If you want to have it, be prepared for some deprivation and difficulty. Hang in there. Persevere. The reward is great for great effort.
I'm starting to see my goals being achieved, and I tell you this, it makes everything worthwhile. Nothing compares to the feeling you have when you arrive at the destination you set a course for so long ago.
You're gonna love it!

Workout 39 40 41

In a previous post I mentioned sitting down and looking at my routine on the awesomeness scale. I realised that My bodyweight goals are awesome, so I need to work towards them. But my strength goals are also awesome, so I will work at them too. As both of these goals involve strength, I can work towards them concurrently. A bit of Hypertrophy work thrown in will not go awry.
Therefore I took the 5x5 Template of Mark Rippetoe, the work of Wendler, the original ideas of Bill Starr and added in some bodyweight. Hopefully I left the logic of the classic plan in tact.

Day 1:
Squat: 5x 60,70,85,95,110
Bench: 5x 50,55,65,70,80
Deadlift: 5x 85,100,115

Day 2:
This was a bit of testing and checking this week. Should be working next week.
It will be the 6 Convict Conditioning Exercises: Pushup, Pullup, Squat, Bridge, Leg Raise, Handstand Pushup.
To that I will add a couple of exercise to get some volume, and balance the work.
It'll be good to take some spinal loading out of the program.

Day 3:
Squat: 5x 55,70,85,95
           3x115
           8x85
Bench: 5x 50,55,65,70
            3x 80
            8x 65
Row: 5x 50,55,60
         3x 65
         8x 50

Those who are familiar with the older style routines will recognise the 5x5 Madcow influence.
We'll see in a few weeks whether I got it right or not. The first cycle is meant to be 12 weeks. If I stall sooner than that I messed up.

Rest And Refocus

Well, I've been off the grid for a couple of days and hopefully you were able to cope without a dose of my most excellent wit and wonderful wisdom.
I haven't had the luxury of a break for over a year, so it was nice to do all the usual holiday favourites: eat too much, sleep too little, visit with loved ones.
Anyway, despite this, I was still able to get in some good training, and keep most of my eating relatively healthy. So it can be done.
The best thing about the time off though, is that it gives one time to do a bit of contemplation and really think about what you are trying to achieve. It's very easy to get lost in a daily grind and fall into a workout rut.
Go to gym...
Monday? Bench. 3x10. Biceps. 10x10.
Wednesday? Leg Press. 3x10. Triceps. 10x10.
Friday? ...
Not that I have an issue with arm specialization, but I would ask myself: Is this going to make me awesome? And, for me, the above routine = 0 on the Awesometer. It might be different for you.
So, I sat down and checked my routine on the Awesometer, and it was only a 7. So I thought long and hard and made it into a 9. 10 is virtually impossible to achieve. (Only Chuck Norris is that awesome).
So, that is the main point in this post. Take a long hard look at what you're doing and decide whether it is awesome, and will make you awesome. That is what your workout routine should do for you. Its end-goal must resonate inside your soul. When you ask yourself: Do I want this?
The answer should be: Hell, yeah!

* Apologies for the repeated use of the word 'awesome', but it is currently the only word I can think of that accurately conveys the internal and external expression of an emotional and physical achievement.