Aussie Rules

30/11/05
Football training tonight
Did a warm up of a couple of laps some stretching and strides. Went on to do 15 shuttle runs, markers at 5, 10, 15 metres and then 15 100’s on the minute. Had a minute to do 100m and get back to the start. Started doing the first few in about 17-18secs but drifted out to 20secs towards the end. This is basically tempo work but there is no walking at all and the lactic certainly built up. Did some skill work afterwards, I could only kick with my left foot which is my opposite cos my right hammy was so tight. I had one shot for goal with my right and sprayed it badly.
Before I went to bed I lay in a cold bath for about 15mins, it seemed to ease some of the tightness in my hammies, glutes and groins. Also I’ve got a bloody summer cold which I’m not happy about cos it’s supposed to be 35 degrees which is about 100 degrees farenheit and hot weather and sniffles are much worse than cold weather and sniffles.

1/12/05
Warm up
15mins EDT
Bench press 80kg 30reps
Hang high pulls 67kg 28reps

10mins EDT
Dips BW 36reps
DB Bent over row 30kg 43reps

Definitely have a cold and it was bloody hot today. I was sweating up a storm. Was happy with the way the weights went. I know I’ll have trouble sleeping so I’m taking tomorrow off and I’ll try to get over this cold. Hopefully it cools down a bit too.

dick06, those summer colds can be brutal. I had one of those a couple years back and it was one of the worst I’ve ever had; it knocked me out in no time flat and, to make it even more miserable, it was hotter than two bulls in a pepper patch. Have you tried zinc tablets?

"…don’t call my name out your window when I’m a leavin’, I won’t even turn my head. Don’t send your kinfolk to give me no talkin’, I’ll be gone like I said…

Haven’t tried the zinc tablets, I’ve been taking Magnesium and B6 for a couple of weeks and a multi vitamin of course. How does the zinc help colds? Usually I just load up on the pseudoephedrine and paracetemol but I’ve run out. Really wasn’t expecting to get a cold in this kind of weather.

dicko6,

The deal with zinc is that there have been some studies done in the USA and Europe that have led researchers to the conclusion that significant dosage of zinc, taken in the beginning and middle stages of a cold, can shorten the duration of the cold (in adults) by a few days. So, if my cold normally lasts for 10 days, the idea is that taking zinc, regularly during the cold, could shorten my cold to 6 or 7 days.

There is some controversy as to whether or not this is truly effective or not. Everything I have read, though, cautions against taking EXTRA zinc while healthy, unless there is a marked deficiency. I suppose that if you take a normal multivitamin and eat a decent diet, then we’ll attain the appropriate levels of zinc for our body.

Personally, the jury is still out on zinc. I have tried it, taking regular doses during a cold (in the form of Cold-eze pills) and can’t tell a whole lot. My mother swears by the stuff and claims it’s a miracle. So, who really knows for sure?

Heatwave,
Thanks for the info mate, I didn’t end up trying the zinc just loaded up on Vitamin C and some over the counter stuff containing Phenylephrine Hydrochloride instaed of Pseudoephedrine. Not sure why they’ve taken the pseudoephedrine out cos I think that works better.

3/12/05
Warm up
4 star drill 210
Low squat ankle jumps 2
30
Althernate lunge jumps 110 each leg
Squats 2
8 47kg

Just did a really light session cos of the cold. Was sweating heaps anyway though. Legs are feeling good so hopefully a couple of light days will help.

6/12/05
Warm up
Basic movement drills
Snatch ME Worked up to 67 kg, missed 75kg
3 step jumps 33 each leg
Low box depth jumps 2
5
20m sprints 1*1

Was going to do 3 20m sprints but it started raining really heavily. Was way too heavy to stay outside. The rest of the workout was pretty good. I’ve cut back on a fair bit of volume on high intensity days, I get way too sore otherwise.

Few workouts to catch up on.
7/12/05
Football training
8*200m in 30-32 secs with 150m jog recovery
Skill work

I started the 200’s ok but died towards the end. My right hammy was playing up and with the lactic build up I wasn’t making the times. Had to kick with my left foot exclusively which isn’t really a bad thing cos it’s my opposite foot anyway and could use some work.

8/12/05
20 min run

I was away on a work conference in the Dandenongs which is a mountain range near Melbourne. Basically I just ran up a steep hill and kept going for 12-13 mins before turning around and running back down the hill. I stoppped a couple of times on the way up to do some push ups and sit ups.

9/12/05 AM
10*70m hill runs - 10 pushups after each sprint and walk back recovery

This was ok, I didn’t really push it too hard. Just tried to maintain my form for all 10.

9/12/05 PM
Football training

Just some skills tonight. My hammy felt quite good so I was able to kick with my right foot again. It was a pretty low key session but I was pleased with my skills.

10/12/05
Warm up
Snatch grip Deadlift 13,12,11 127kg
Bench press 5
5 80kg
Bent over row 3*10 55kg

My grip gave out on the Deadlifts but the rest was ok. I ran around the Tan with a mate afterwards. The Tan is a well known running track in Melbourne. Craig Mottram holds the record for it. He ran something like 10:40 for the 3.875 km course. The absolute fittest AFL players run it in about 12:40 my best is 15:13 a few years ago. We just cruised around today in about 17mins just checking out the sights, mainly other runners as we went.

12/12/05
Warm up
Single leg squats 210 40kg
Behind the neck press 5
5 47kg
Chin ups 5*5

3 rounds of
1 min heavy bag punching
1 min skipping
50m Farmers walk with 20kg dumbells
20 swissball crunches

This was good. The heavy bag stuff took it out of me, I haven’t done any boxing work for a few years, I forgot how tiring it is.

13/12/05
Warm up
Dips 30kg 5.5.3.2.2
Hang high Pulls 75kg 5.5.5.5.3

15 mins as many rounds of (ended up being 2 and a bit rounds)
Single arm snatch 22kg 10 each arm
Swissball rollouts 10
Burpees with chin up 10
Russian twists 3kg medball 10 each side
Farmers walk 40kg ~50m

Liked this workout a lot even though I had to workout after dinner which wasn’t the greatest cos it didn’t sit that well.

14/12/05
Football training
The running we did today was 5300m with 100m jog recovery and 8100m with 100m jog recovery. I ran a bit better than last week so hopefully I’m getting a bit fitter, I was able to kick with my right leg afterwards as well. The skill work was a bit more low key but still ok.

15/12/05
Had a Christmas function after lunch at work so I had to workout before I went to work. Just did a big Tabata session straight from the crossfit website. 4 different exercises*8 intervals of 20secs work, 10secs rest. Did pullup, pushups, crunches and squats. Can’t remember exactly how many I did of each but know I could only do 1 pullup for the last few sets.

16/12/05
Football training
Just skills tonight, it was a pretty low key session but still worthwhile.

17/12/05
Warm up
Depth drops 25 75cm box
Depth jumps 2
5 30cm box
High pulls 33 87kg
Snatch grip deadlifts 3
3 127kg
Bench press 3*3 93kg

This was a pretty good session. The volume felt about right and I pulled up pretty well the next day. I feel like I can’t handle too much volume but I can handle a fair bit of frequency.

18/12/05
Warm up
15 min circuit of
Single arm snatch10 each arm 22kg
Swissball rollouts
10
Burpees with chin up10
Russian twist
10 each side 3kg medball
Farmes walk ~50m 40kg

6*100m in 15 seconds with 45 seconds recovery

Got through 2 rounds of the circuit and started the 3rd before the time ran out. Felt like I probably could’ve pushed out about 10 of the 100m but would’ve produced too much lactic so I stopped and lived to fight another day.

20/12/05
Warm up
Depth drops 35 75cm box
Depth jumps 3
5 30cm box
Snatch Worked up to 1rm 67kg
Zercher squat 36 67,80,87kg
RDL 3
8 67kg

Did this after dinner so felt a bit sluggish. I’ve also eaten a bit crap for the last couple of days, it’s hard coming up to Christmas to make myself eat right when there are work parties and end of year functions almost every day.

21/12/05
Football training
Last night of training before having nearly a month off over Christams. We just had a pretty easy skills session and then a BBQ and some drinks afterwards. The pre-christmas period has been pretty light but will step up a fair bit when we get back. They group has been split into 2 and given a couple of goals to reach by the start of the season. I’m in the bigger guys group and our goals are to have a 65cm vertical jump and 7:24 2km run. The 65 cm vertical would put us in the top 10 at last years AFL draft camp which is set up like the NFL combine. The other group, more the midfield players have goals of 59cm vertical jump and 6:48 2km run. Their 2km run time would put them in the top 10 at last years draft camp. I should be able to get the 65cm but the 7:24 will take more work. Not sure how many of the boys will make the goals but it’s a good standard to aim at.

Went up to Sydney to see my girlfreinds family on Boxing day after spending Christmas day with my family. I lost track of the days and my workouts but I know I did a couple before I left and and few up in Sydney as well. Spent New Years eve on the balcony of my girlfriends cousins house from which you could just see the top of the Sydney harbour bridge. Was a great spot to watch the fireworks from. I’ve seen a fair bit of Sydney before so this time we just relaxed and swam in the pool. It was way to hot to do anything else. New Years day we couldn’t even leave the house, it was 45 degrees which is over 110 degrees farenheit. Heaps of bushfires around the country too. Sad that the holiday is over but back to work.

3/1/06
Warm up
Bench press 5RM Worked up to 98kg
Bent over row 45 67kg
Overhead press 3
6 47kg
Chin ups 8.5.3

Was going to do some tempo afterwards but felt a bit tired after my first day back at work. Was happy with the bench press and the rest went pretty well.

4/1/06
A couple of my mates came around and we went for about a 5km run. It was actually ok running that sort of distance, we set a reasonable pace and I didn’t get a real lactic build up until the last km.

5/1/06
Warm up
1010m sprints
5
20m bounding
Squats 38 87kg
RDL 3
8 67kg
DB Incline press 3*8 30kg DB’s
Chin ups 8.5.4

Still can’t get 3*8 for Chin ups but it’s sort of getting better. The rest was pretty good although my legs are a bit sore from yesterdays run.

6/1/06
Warm up
Hills - 300m *5
These were fairly steep but I went up them ok. I probably could’ve done more. I’ll have to increase the amount next week.

7/1/06
Warm up
Step ups 38 67kg
Natural Glute Ham raises 3
8
Close grip bench press 38 67kg
Bent over row 3
8 60kg

I was supposed to go for a run around the Tan afterwards with a few mates but they pulled out so I stretched and massaged my sore legs instead.

9/1/06
Warm up
Vertical jumps 51
Runing jumps 2
3

Power clean- Worked up to 80kg
- 32 67kg
Front squats 4
3 87kg
Incline Bench press 43 80kg
Chin ups 3
6

Vertical was ok, around the 67-68cm mark so a bit over the standard I’m supposed to get to. Was happy enough with the rest, can probably try 87kg in the clean next week.