Gaining Mass/ROM for College Javelin

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61

Thank you for taking time to post Angela. Any of your wisdom is much appreciated. I think I actually have you credited for one of my “favorite quotes” listed on facebook. It was a derivative of the “work smart, not hard” saying (which I think is a bit short on meaning, because smart AND hard seems best to me), “work smarter, not necessarily harder” was along the lines of what I saw you had commented somewhere.

I’ve definitely noticed the training less is more, and unfortunately I think some of my athletic imbalances make it frustrating for me to improve in certain aspects because when there are big gaps in ability (ie I’m much better at jumping high or throwing hard than running fast) it’s hard to determine whether to try and bring your weaknesses to par, or even what par is, or to make the most of your strengths. I think it’s likely that I just never really found the correct combo of speed work for me because it seems the workouts at my college are geared towards people of intermediate-advanced abilities (100m 10.2-10.8s) whereas my high school’s workouts are geared to very beginners (100m 12-13s), and the workouts I did myself seem to have been much too start concentrated (my first 10m did get pretty decent, but top speed and speed maintenance are just so much more valuable in a beginner’s 100m).

Honestly, the getting faster might even have nothing to do with good training, period. my health seems to have drastically improved since starting treatment for a sleeping disorder and my training volume is much lower, so my risk of overtraining is probably much less, so this initial boost I’ve seen might just be as simple as that. also, i think my weight numbers always suffered when i put too much into longer sprints, and as a guy who never really cared for distances over 100m, I think the drop in my strength may have constantly outweighed increases in endurance (I seem to adapt very quickly, but also overtrain very easily and lose gains very quickly). I also tend to be an overthinker, so maybe just the time away from having pressure to run fast has let me loosen up mentally and physically

62

Thursday 4/11/2013 (pm)

pre-workout weight: 154

thrower’s warm-up
oly lifts checks
5x8 pc (135,145,155,165,175(f@4))
5x8 squat (225,245,255(f@7),225,225)
2x10:
-hammy curl (1-leg negs, alt)
-calf raise
1x20:
-x-band, each
-ankle dorsi-flexion
self-massage
stretch (lower)
15’ ice (r. shoulder)

before bed weight: 151

notes:
-by f@7 I mean that I did 7 reps, but failed on having solid mechanics, so I stopped the set
-curious my weight went down before bed, scale may have misread. regardless, I’m happy to see numbers above 150, hopefully I soon will be done with seeing 140s. starting to lok noticibly bulkier/broader shoulders
-very tired towards late afternoon today, a lot of sinus pressure from getting over cold. I tink my bdies just exhausted from recovering from the cold, should be ready to go next week, try to get some “season” pr’s next week with 6 reps (as low as I’ve gone not unloading)

63

4/12/2013 (am)

morning weigh-in: 150

500 reps core
stretch (core)

notes:
-minor lower doms already developed, but again, if I’m going to feel any, lower glutes and upper hammys is the place for it to be! only notice it when they are stretched/flexed
-good to see 150+ for morning. I have a long time to get up to the 165 I’d like, but I also know that as I get nearer to it, especially because I hold such little bf, getting down enough calories will become tougher and tougher, so I’m feeling a bit impatient although more than 1 lb a week of healthy, muscle isn’t really a feasible goal. Haven’t even been touching protein/weight gainer shakes or particularly calorie-dense foods yet, though, and have been drinking powerade throughout the workday whereas I’ll probably switch to lactaid (can’t handle too much dairy) if I see any noticible stalls, so I have a couple tricks up my sleeve left.
-7.5 hours of sleep, felt better awakening in the morning (woke up a couple minutes before alarm, but fell back asleep until it went off) but still a bit tired in general. corework helped me wake up a bit, and I’m still clearing my system out from all the junk in my sinuses so hopefully after a restful weekend I’ll be back to how good i felt last week (and I’m pretty certain I would’ve felt even better had I not had to unload, I’ve never felt good during those weeks)

64

4/12/2013 (pm)

pre-workout weight: 152

thrower’s warm-up
oly lifts checks
5x8:
-bench(135,145,155,165(f@7),135)
-pull-ups(bw,bw,bw(f@6),bw,bw)
2x10 upperbody circuit (10 exercises)
1x20:
-shoulder complex
-band pulls
-pullover stretch (on stability ball)
self-massage
stretch (upper)
15’ ice (r. shoulder & r. heel)

night weight: 156

notes:
-156 is the heaviest I can ever recall being. And as far as bf goes, the skin around my stomach is as tight as its ever been. I’ll hope it holds!
-energy very low in afternoon. felt great for an hour or so post siesta, but then very crappy until working out, during which I felt fantastic even for a bit after. will try to get a ton of sleep this weekend then get consistent with the 7.5 and a nap for the upcoming week. if I feel great, I’ll keep with it. if tired, I’ll try increasing to 9, though fitting that much into my day will be tough if I want any leisure outside of my workout.
-probably could’ve gotten the 8th rep of 165 up, but had no spotter so I didn’t want to risk it. I’ll be curious if the gap between my ability to do reps and maxes has decreased, because, if not, I could be looking at some pretty decent max numbers for me, right now. Doing higher reps than typical as of late probably means I’ve closed that gap a bit, however.
-noticed that while my torso is finally starting to fill out, my calves look like little twigs, even compared to what they typically look like. they should be getting some work from cleans, calf raises and hamstring curls, but the workload on them is considerably lower than usual because I haven’t been sprinting. my vertical is higher than ever, speed is good (for me) and it doesn’t seem to be hampering my power clean gains, so I won’t worry about it, yet. it’s pretty funny to have arms larger than my calves, though, because I do not even have large arms in the first place! Shawn Crawford actually seems to have pretty similar lower body structure to me (lower legs miniscule, only bulk around upper thighs and glutes) and is strong as heck, so maybe some people are just like that

65

4/13/2013 (am)

morning/pre-workout weight: 150
5’ elliptical
depletion push-ups (43,20,15)
self-massage
jav stretches
flexibility checks
15’ ice (r. shoulder)

66

4/13/2013
(pm)
night weight: 150

4/14/2013
(am)
“bodyflow” yoga class

4/15/2013
(am)
morning weight: 150
500 reps core
stretch core

(pm)
pre-workout weight: 153
thrower’s warm-up
jav tech checks
acrobat chackes
oly lifts checks
5x6 pc (135,155,175,185,200(f@5))
5x6 squat (225,275,300,315(@3),225)
2x10:
-hammy curl (1-leg negs, alt)
-calf raise
1x20:
-x-band, each
-ankle dorsi-flexion
self-massage
stretch lower

4/16/2013
(am)
morning weight: 151
15’ ice (r. shoulder)
500 reps core
stretch core

(pm)
pre-workout weight: 152
thrower’s warm-up
oly lifts checks
5x6:
-bench (135,155,175,185(f@6),135)
-pull-ups (bw,bw,bw,bw+10,bw+25(f@5))
2x10 upperbody circuit (10 exercises)
1x20:
-shoulder complex
-band pulls
-pullover stretch (on stability ball)
self-massage
stretch upper
15’ ice (r.shoulder)
night weight: 154

4/17/2013
(am)
5’ bike
depletion push-ups (43,19,14)

notes:
-hectic week at work, ate less, no noticible weight loss! :slight_smile:
-cns torched from squats/pc. hard to output effort yesterday, minor effects today. rest of week easier on HI and harder MI/LI to prepare for 4 rep week
-stance splaying further than I’d like in pc’s (stance narrow enough for full squat catch, like oly clean), but within rack width and looks smooth. might experiment with narrowing squat width a bit (delay in hammy stretch reflex, perhaps from added hip ROM), and suppose to go hammy’s parallel, not deeper, for my school
-switched to nuvigil instead of concerta/ritalin. methylphenidate therapeutic effects very short and crash very long for me. nuvigil currently working fantastically
-ROM and flexibility increasingly apparent. vertical jump and elasticity noticibly better
-more muscle fatigue and soreness than sensitivity. obvious muscle tone decreases during recovery. usual signals pre-hypertrophy (as opposed to increased fitness, like distance or push-up soreness)
-switching to f@x means “failed on rep #x” whereas @x means “Stopped after x reps”. usually try to stop set before failure, but hard to tell on oly lifts and when pumped-up/feeling aggressive

67

Tb,
I think you are very thoughtful about your training and no matter happens this " thoughtful " trait will carry over to the quality of all aspects of your life.
Will you be faster? Are you getting faster?
I was lucky TB.
I had " the man" show me , teach me, coach me and tell meal the secrets and special things that make some one fast.
Genetics are huge. Opportunity sure does not hurt. Circumstances for sure play an enormous role. Sleep is critical but some need more than others without question.
I struggled with my training aspirations without a knowledgeable coach.
Unsupervised training is tough.
The game to some extent is trial and error and what trials you get to pick and if you allow yourself to error which creates a need to fix that error, improve and or change. Finding the correct combination for speed success may or may not happen on our time line wish list.
Do you think too much?
Geez, thank gosh for thinkers. Just know when to move forward and enjoy and give yourself some credit as well. You are working hard to achieve things that are not recipe based but require a lot of determination, practice and excessive amounts of patience.

68

Please check your email.

69

…I assume this is directed to angela?

70

words of wisdom angela. I’m sure I think too much, but that is the aspect of my athletics that I have seen the most improvement in over the last year or so. I didn’t understand the difference between how something “feels” versus what your body is actually doing; now I feel good cues and training in general, with an observant coach, are more valuable for an athlete than any amount of personal knowledge of mechanics or training. Many of the kids I’ve asked about their mechanics when I’ve noticed they looked exceptionally good (or very atypical, yet seemed to work well for them), seem to have super simple ideas of what they are doing, and everything seems to fall into place perfectly, even things they have no idea they do, or that are good, or have even thought about before.

and luckily, though my goal and what I strive for is athletic improvement, I like how training feels in general. Also, in the words of the friend who brought me to this site: “No matter what I’m not wasting my time because, in the least, I’m gonna look better on the beach”, haha. Even just being aware of adaptations makes training worthwhile because I don’t know how anyone could not be utterly fascinated by the changes a consistent lifestyle change can make

71

4/17/2013 (am)
5’ bike
depletion push-ups (43,19,14)
(pm)
pre-workout weight: 154
5’ elliptical
self-massage
jav (spear and band) stretches
night weight: 156

4/18/2013 (am)
500 reps core
stretch core

72

4/18/2013 (pm)
pre-workout weight: 153
thrower’s warm-up
oly lifts checks
5x6 pc (135,165,165,165,165)
5x6 squat (225,275,275,275,275)
2x10:
-hammy curl (1-leg negs, alt)
-calf raise
1x20:
-x-band, each
-ankle dorsi-flexion
15’ ice (r.shoulder)
night weight: 156

4/19/2013 (am)
morning weight: 153
500 reps core
Jav specific stretches
self-massage

notes:
-was able to find that good “bounce” in the squat again, stance widened out again
-realized dropping pc from the top and resetting so I can find the stretch reflex from my glutes in the first pull was adding much more vertical power. 165 flew up and hit my chin at triple ext for my last rep, whereas I was barely catching it in a 1/4 squat in earlier sets (keeping my stance tighter than Monday)
-heaviest morning weigh-in I’ve had yet. upper body is starting to fill out a bit, and bf is low. I’d like to see my bf get a little higher as if I’m not adding bodyfat along with muscle, I think it’s unlikely I’m consuming enough calories to see max muscular gains. Not planning on messing with success though, so unless I start seeing a slow in gains, I’ll keep similar to what I’ve been doing
-feeling limber as far as flexibility goes, shoulders starting to feel more relaxed while overhead. Finally felt my arms fall into place while warming up with some jerk width-grip overhead squats

73

4/19/2103 (pm)

thrower’s warm-up
5x6:
-bench (135,155(@7),165,165(@5),165)
-pull-ups (bw,bw(@8),bw+20(@5),bw+10,bw+10)
2x10 upperbody circuit (10 exercises)
oly lifts checks
1x20:
-shoulder complex
-band pulls
pullover stretch (on stability ball)
night weight: 156

4/20/2013 (am)
morning weight: 150
5’ elliptical
depletion push-ups (50,17,15)
self-massage
15’ ice (r. shoulder)

4/21/2013 (pm)
yoga (20 poses)
jav stretches
flexibility checks
stretch upper, core, lower

74

4/22/2013 (am)
morning weight: 149
500 reps core
stretch core

notes:
-disappointed weight can still dip into the 140’s. was short on sleep, not overeating and probably a little dehydrated this weekend, so I’m not particularly worried that I regressed at all, just still waiting until the day when I can know I will never weigh in less than 150
-got good amount of sleep last night, but felt sluggish in the morning til doing core. offdays seem to kill me :stuck_out_tongue: I wonder if I would’ve been better off taking a couple days before a premeet off, but then doing a faily difficult upperbody day instead of just premeet and some core before races. Lack of muscularly demanding exercise really seems to dull my energy levels

75

4/22/2013 (pm)

thrower’s warm-up
acrobat checks
oly lift checks
5x4 pc (135,185,205,225(f@2),135)
5x4 squat (225,275,295,315,335)
2x10:
-hammy curl (1-leg negs, alt)
-calf raise
1x20:
-x-band, each
-ankle dorsi-flexion
self-massage
stretch lower
15’ ice (r. shoulder)

night weight: 154

notes:
-talking to one of the trainers at the gym. big proponent of low rep lifting, and full ROM lifts. I think it’s come up earlier in this thread, but I think I was convinced that I should be looking at a lower rep range for a while. as far as weight gain goes, it’s really calories in versus calories out, so I’m not sure lifting in the hypertrophy range would even result in superior mass gains to low rep, heavy lifts. maybe I’d gain more fat versus muscle, but I do think some added body fat would be beneficial to my training. fitness can be covered by some circuit work and core, but as far as weights, I might as well train my cns stronger and move less, especially since I have no other activities that really burn my cns (like speedwork). probably looking at rep ranges in the 2-6 range and more variation in rest times and sets, and medball/plyo work (along with some supplementary shoulder work, and injury prevention stuff) for fitness and volume when I finish my last cycle for this season, which I think I will do 6,4,2,unload
-finally tried hook-grip for cleans. wayyy underestimated how good it would feel, though awkward seeming at first grasp. wasn’t even using very challenging weight, but I felt like I barely needed to put any effort into gripping the bar, and this really helped loosen up my wrists up through my shoulders and traps, making a much smoother lift. second pull coming along, but still improving. still feel like I need to rush the first pull to get big weights up because my second pull isn’t powerful enough. I think I may not be extending through my calves very well

76

4/23/2013 (am)

morning weight: 151
500 reps core
stretch core

(pm)

pre-workout weight: 152
thrower’s warm-up
oly lifts checks
5x4:
-bench (135,165,185,205(f@3),135)
-pull-ups (bw,bw+10,bw+25,bw+35,bw+35)
2x10 upperbody circuit (10 exercises)
1x20:
-shoulder complex
-band pulls
-pullover stretch
15’ ice (r. shoulder)
night weight:151

notes:
-some upper mid-back soreness

77

4/24/2013 (am)

morning weight: 151
depletion push-ups (46,19,16)
self-massage

notes:
-spent some of my workday outside in the sun. energy levels felt far superior outdoors, and immediately felt lower when I moved back in. I found this curious because generally my energy levels feel far superior at night, however this might just be due to that being the only part of my day really post-workout before having to go to bed and wake up again. Perhaps the fresh air and bright sun was simply just stimulating, like I find exercise, and my energy levels feeling good at night is just the result of being around other things I tend to find stimulating (socializing, television, exercise, music)
-watched some videos today, excited to oly lift tomorrow, plan to really concentrate on the first pull being smooth like i’m deadlifting it, and the second make sure the bar is “bouncing” off my upper quads as opposed to mid/lower

78

4/24/2013 (pm)

preworkout weight: 153
5’ elliptical
jav stretches
yoga (10 poses)
self-massage
flexibility checks
15’ ice (r. shoulder)
night weight: 153

79

4/25/2013 (am)
morning weight: 148
500 reps core
stretch core

notes:
-horrible night of sleep, very unusual for me. wonder if the lack of exercise caused it, because rarely have insomnia, maybe treatment is a bit too effective late at night if I don’t burn some energy
-feeling kinda weak and exhausted, exercise feels good though. will take weight session to really key on form because I seriously doubt I’ll be able to push the intensity
-weight loooowww. not sure why, ate a good amount last night and fell asleep at a typical weight

80

4/25/2013 (pm)

thrower’s warm-up
oly lifts checks
5x4 pc (135,185,205,225(f@2),225)
5x4 squat (225,275,315,365(f@1),315)
2x10:
-hammy curl (1-leg negs, alt)
-calf raise
1x20:
-x-band, each
-ankle dorsi flexion
night weight: 151

4/26/2013 (am)
morning weight: 148
500 reps core
self-massage
15’ ice (r. shoulder)

notes:
-noticed while stretching I had extreme flexibility compared to what is typical for me. not sure why this happened, but I went from decent flexibility to being able to hug my legs in the toe touch strength, I’ll be curious if it sticks or what caused it
-was overthinking on the 225s. just cleared my mind, mechanics Ive been practicing came thru for me, though legs still spraying out to approx. rack width, still want to always catch in a position that I could drop down into a full squat, won’t go above 225 til I can do that. pretty much got crushed by the 365, but I came through big on the pc and felt easy on the first 315. Probably couldve gotten at least 1 rep if I wasn’t concentrating on so much on catching the bounce (knew that was the only way I could possibly get 4 reps), but descent ended up being too quick, didn’t hit a good position at parallel and just kept going down til the spotting bars at about full squat depth (and no way I could make 365 from there anyways)
-a bit dehydrated, unsure if weight drop is due to this, or I noticed a tightening on my abdominal region, much flatter stomach, but I never really had much external fat. Now I literally cant pinch anywhere and feel fat, just skin. funny how I’ve been trying to add fat, pounding carbs and high calories, yet I’m lower than ever? shirts and pants fitting tighter than ever, too, so I definitely have seen muscle gains