ben's journal

Monday 12th November '07
ME Lower
~ 1 hour total

  • 12 minutes warm-up: mobility work

A. Front Squats
115lbs x 5
135lbs x 5
145lbs x 5
155lbs x 5
160lbs x 5

Form wasn’t perfect on front squats - a bit too much forward lean in upper body.

B. Scissor Hip Extension
(BW) 3 x 8

Not too difficult.

C. Sprinter Sit-ups
2 x 20 total reps

Good work here…

D. Prone Plank
2 x 1 minute

Not bad, not bad…

  • Cool-down: 5 minutes walk on treadmill & static stretching

Comments:
Decent workout. Not the best but at least I’m back to training again.

Tuesday 13th November '07
RE Upper
~ 48 minutes total

  • 8 minutes warm-up: general + mobility work

A. Flat DB Bench (w/ 90 seconds rest)
(40lbs) 21, 13, 13 [total: 47]

Up the weight this time. Still not particularly heavy, I’ll slowly increase the weight with time. Decent, shouldn’t be a problem doing more the next session.

B. superset.
i. Lat Pull-down Machine - (55kg) 3 x 10
ii. Seated DB Cleans - (20lbs) 3 x 10

Good solid work here…

C. Seated DB Shoulder Press
(35lbs) 10, 10, 5

Last set was poor. Probably shouldn’t have gone for 10 in the first two sets - will go for 3 x 8 next time.

D. superset.
i. BB Shrugs - (140lbs) 3 x 10
ii. Alt. Hammer Curls - (15lbs) 3 x 10

Grip was tested on the shrugs towards the end, but still easy superset here. Will need the up the weight next time.

E. Two-Position Cable Crossover
(15) 2 x 8

Decided to do this for fun - light weight.

Comments:
Decent.

Wednesday 14th November '07
Rugby Training

  • Drills for a bit, then did some fitness work with a teammate (interval training, up to halfway and back, fast jog, alternating, 10 trips altogether)

Friday 16th November '07
ME Upper
~ 44 minutes total

A. Bench Press
Bar x 5
70lbs x 5
100lbs x 5
115lbs x 5
135lbs x 5
150lbs x 5

B. Flat DB Bench Press (w/ 3 minutes rest)
45lbs x 15
45lbs x 10

C. superset
i. BB Rows (105lbs) 3 x 8
ii. Chest-supported High DB Rows (20lbs) 3 x 8

D. DB Shrugs
65lbs x 10
65lbs x 10
65lbs x 10

E. BB Curls
55lbs x 10
55lbs x 10

Comments:
Good training, everything went well.
Actually went into the training feeling pretty sleepy (lack of sleep these days), but went through the session with no problems.

Monday 19th November '07
Speed workout
~ 1 hour total

[ul]
[li]15 minutes: 400m jog + stretching + power speed drills
[/li][li]3 x 10m (flat start)
[/li][li]2 x 20m (flat start)
[/li][li]2 x 30m (sprint start)
[/li][li]Core Circuit - 8 exercises, 20 seconds on, 20 seconds off
[/li][li]Cool-down: 400m walk + static stretching for lower body
[/li][/ul]

Comments:
Pretty good workout

Tuesday 20th November '07
RE Upper
~ 47 minutes total

A. Flat DB Bench Press (w/ 90 seconds rest)
(40lbs) 22, 14, 14
Total: 50 - PR: +3 reps

B. superset
i. LifeFitness Pull-down machine (45kg) 3 x 12
ii. Seated DB Cleans (20lbs) 3 x 12

C. Seated DB Shoulder Press
(35lbs) 4 x 8

D. superset
i. BB Shrugs (135lbs) 3 x 12
ii. Incline, Elbows-out Triceps Extension (20lbs) 3 x 12

E. Two-position Cable Crossover (25) 2 x 8

Comments:
Good workout, pleased with all exercises today.

Thursday 22nd November '07
DE Lower
~ 37 minutes total

  • 8 minutes warm-up

A. Hang Cleans
95lbs/2, 95lbs/2, 115lbs/2, 120lbs/2, 125lbs/2

B. One-Arm DB Snatch
40lbs/3, 45lbs/3, 50lbs/3

C. RDL
(115lbs) 2 x 8

D. Swiss-ball Crunches
(10lb plate held behind head) 2 x 12

Comments:
Okay workout, nothing difficult.

Friday 23rd November '07
ME Upper
~ 53 minutes total

[ul]
[li]5 minutes warm-up
[/li][/ul]

A. Bench Press
Bar/5, 95lbs/5, 115lbs/5, 135lbs/5,
145lbs/3, 155lbs/3, 160lbs/3

Pleased with my bench today…

B. Flat DB Bench Press (w/ 3 minutes rest)
(45lbs) 17, 12

Good solid work on db bench.

C. superset
i. BB Rows (120lbs) 3 x 8
ii. Chest-supported High DB Rows (20lbs) 3 x 8

good work…

D. DB Shrugs
(70lbs) 2 x 10

not too difficult…

E. BB Curls
(60lbs) 10, 8

nice pump in my arms after these.

Comments:
Good workout.

Monday 26th November
1. ME Lower
~ 44 minutes total

  • 10 minutes of mobility work for warm-up

A. Front Squats
115lbs/5, 135lbs/5, 145lbs/5, 155lbs/3, 165lbs/2

B. Bulgarian Split-Squats
(40lbs) 2 x 8

C. Scissor Hip Extension
3 x 10

D. Sprinter Sit-ups
2 x 20 total reps

2. GPP session
~ 15 minutes total

1 x Circuit [2 mins 47.90 seconds]:
20 Jumping Jacks + 10 Burpees + Stair-running up to 12th floor

after three minutes…
100 Jumping Jacks straight

after a bit of rest…
Static stretching for lower body

Comments:
[ul]
[li]Gym workout wasn’t too bad
[/li][li]GPP workout was short but sweet.
[/li][li]Quads got really tight on the way up the stairs during the circuit…
[/li][/ul]

Tuesday 27th November '07
RE Upper
~ 50 minutes total

  • ~ 6 minutes warm-up

A. BB Bench (w/ 90 seconds rest)
(95lbs) 20, 11, 9 Total: 40

B. superset.
i. [b]Lat Pull-down /b 3 x 10
ii. Seated DB Cleans (25lbs) 3 x 8

C. Seated DB Shoulder Press
(35lbs) 3 x 10

D. superset.
i. BB Shrugs (135lbs) 3 x 12
ii. Elbows-Out Triceps Extensions (25lbs) 3 x 8

Then, a bit of GPP work in the form of the rowing machine:
4 minutes total, 895m total - 1 minute easy, 30 secs fast, 1 minute easy, 30 secs fast, 1 minute easy

Comments:
[ul]
[li]Good workout
[/li][li]Rowing was tiring.
[/li][/ul]

5th January 2008 Saturday
Foam rolling + Medicine Ball + Grip work
~ 25 minutes

foam rolling for my lower body;
Med-ball work for 10 minutes - tried things like circles around the body, clean and press etc;
CoC Trainer Gripper - 3 x 5 on right hand, and assisted ones on left as I couldn’t close it with my left hand;
1 minute Plank

Comments:
Nothing too taxing, a good recovery session I suppose.

6th January 2008 Sunday
Speed + Conditioning Session
~ 47 minutes

Started with Parisi warm-up (~ 20minutes)

4 x 10m - flat starts

800m run - 4 minutes 09.02 seconds

Cool-down: 400m walk + static stretching

Comments:
Not fast on sprints. Need to work on my fitness, hence the 800m run. Alright workout.

7th January 2008 Monday

Left knee is starting to hurt again, might be due to the track session yesterday. Same old injury, with the pain located on the inside of the kneecap…

Trained anyway:
RE Upper
~ 45 minutes

6 minutes warm-up
A. Bodyweight Dips (90 seconds rest)
14, 9, 6 Total: 29

B. superset
i. Pulldown machine (45kg) 3 x 12
ii. Seated DB Cleans (15lbs) 3 x 12

C. Seated DB Shoulder Press
(35lbs) 3 x 8

D. superset
i. BB Shrugs (115lbs) 3 x 12
ii. Alt. Hammer Curls (20lbs) 3 x 10

E. Plank
2 x 1 minute

Comments:
Pretty good workout. Intensity was good.

8th January 2008 Tuesday
Conditioning Workout
~ 41 minutes

[ul]
[li]5 minutes warm-up: movement prep
[/li][/ul]

A. Rowing machine - work:rest ration -> 1:1
500m in 1:53 minute
400m in 1:30 minute
300m in 1:06 minute

B. Exercise Bike
10 minutes, 3.38km

Cool-down: walk on treadmill for 3 minutes then static stretching for lower body

Comments:
Tiring workout. Quads were really pumped after the bike.

INJURY Update: Knee actually felt a lot better after the workout, but after a while it was hurting again… It does feel a bit better today though.

Thursday 10th January 2008
ME Lower
~ 41 minutes

6 minutes warm-up: Parisi stationary drills

A. Deadlifts
135/3, 155/3, 185/3, 225/2, 245/2, 255/2

B. DB Split-Squats
(35lbs) 3 x 10

C. Swiss ball Reverse Hypers
3 x 8

D. Sprinter Sit-ups
2 x 24 total reps

Comments: Good intensity. Pretty good workout.

Saturday 12th January 2008
Med-ball Session
~ 31 minutes

6 minutes warm-up: basic Parisi, stationary drills mainly

Circuit x 2: (off wall) Right throws x 8, left throws x 8, high pass x 8, chest pass x 8, overhead pass x 8

2 x 8 Underhand throws (w/ chase)

  • 1 x 8 Backward throws (w/chase)

Cool-down: Walk + static stretching

Comments: The throws (w/ chase) were extremely tiring. Good workout.

Monday 14th January 2008
Track Session
~ 42 minutes

12 minutes warm-up: Parisi stationary + activation Drills

4 x 10m flat starts

1 x 20m flat start

800m run -> 3 minutes 52.50 seconds - PR: shaved off 16.52 seconds

Cool-down: 400m walk + static stretching

Comments:
Pleased with 800m run. Not the fastest at it, but I’m working on it.
Still not particularly fast on sprints.

Tuesday 15th January 2008
#1: ME Upper
~ 52 minutes

5 minutes warm-up: general + a bit of shoulder mobility

A. Bench Press
Bar/5, 95/5, 115/5, 135/5, 140/5, 140/5

B. DB Bench Press (w/ 3 minutes rest)
(45lbs) 15, 10

C. superset
i. DB Rows - (45lbs) 3 x 10
ii. One-arm Scarecrow (rear delt cable machine) - (4) 3 x 8

D. Hise BB Shrugs
(115lbs) 3 x 10

E. EZ-Bar Curls
(45lbs) 2 x 12

Comments:
Good workout.

#2: Conditioning Session
~ 26 minutes

3 minutes skipping

1/2 Tabata protocol: Mountain climbers

Tabata protocol: Jumping jacks (counts of 4)

Tabata protocol: Skipping

Static Stretching

Comments:
Mountain climbers were tough! Decent work.

19th Jan '08 Saturday
Speed Session @ track
~ 34 minutes

  • 13 minutes warm-up: Parisi drills

  • 2 x 10m flat starts

  • 2 x 10m falling starts

  • 2 x 20m flat starts

  • Static stretching

Comments:

  • Didn’t get to train for the past three days (16th to 18th) because of work…
  • Focused on my arm swings this session - felt pretty quick on the track.

Monday 21st Jan '08
ME Upper
~ 51 minutes

  • 6 minutes warm-up first

A. Bench Press
Bar/5, 95lbs/5, 115lbs/5, 135lbs/5, 140lbs/5, 145lbs/5

B. DB Bench Press (w/ 3 minutes rest)
(45lbs) 17, 12

C. superset
i. DB Rows (50lbs) 3 x 8
ii. One-arm scarecrows (4) 3 x 10

D. Hise BB Shrugs
(135lbs) 3 x 10

E. EZ-Bar Curls
(55lbs) 3 x 8

Comments:
Pretty good workout.