Going to start a log here, i think keeping a log is fun and also motivational.
2/10/2007-Day1 Pull Day
-Iso Hold Chins,3positions for 3setsx6reps
-Chin Ups 4setsx5reps
-Face Pulls 3setsx15reps
-Lat Pulldown 3setsx6,6,10reps
-BB Curls3setsx10reps
Standing Ab Rollouts 3setsx15reps
Med Ball Rotational Throws 3setsx8reps
Isometric Neck Flexions w/light band 3setsx60seconds
Neck Flexionsx100reps
Chin ups and pull ups are also a favourite with the 3 times world strongest man champion. I also use chin ups as my ONLY upperbody weightlifting exercise. I think it’s a primal exercise in that we descended from other primates - I believe. Ofcourse they did a lot of climbing, so some of the neurology is still going to be there.
Ofcourse, for an athlete it is extra lat work amongst other muscles whilst giving lower back rest and recovery from other exercises in the program. I just didn’t realise how many total sets of pulling were being employed till I read about the strongman, and your post here.
Goose ya chin ups and pull ups are great…my pulling strength is definitly something i want to improve upon greatly.
2/11/2007-Day2 Push Day
-Bench Press w/med.grip 185,225,250x6reps,285x3reps
-Speed Bench w/straight weight 185lbsx6setsx3reps
-Strict Overhead press 3setsx10,8,6reps
-Elevated Pushups 2setsx20reps
-Band Pushdownsx30reps
Wrist Roller 3setsx2reps(up/down, is one rep)
Bodyweight=190lbs
2/12/2007 Conditioning
I simulated a college wrestling match today. Incase you don’t know a college match is 3minutes,2minutes, and 2minutes…however i added a 4th period of 2minutes today just to make it that much harder.
Jacobs Ladderx30sec
Med Ball Slamsx30sec
Jacobs Ladderx30sec
Med Ball Slamsx30sec
Jacobs Ladderx30sec
Med Ball Slamsx30sec…thats the 1st period
2nd,3rd,and extra 4th period
JLx30sec
MB Slamsx30sec
JLx30sec
MB Slamsx30sec
Standing Ab Rolloutsx6,6,6,15
Russian Twsitsx6,6,6,6
Great workout today VERY intense, there is a wrestling tournament at the end of march(31st i believe) that i maybe participating in so i’ll see how my training goes, it’s about 50/50 whether i enter the tourney right now.
Ever read Kurt Angles book “It’s true”?
The training he did in preperation for 96 Atlanta Olympics is the hardest training I’ve ever read about of any athlete.
This ofcourse before he went into show wrestling.
Yes i’ve definitly read that book. I agree his training was insane. Dan Gable is another one who’s training regiment was just off the charts, i don’t remeber all the stuff i read about gables methods but i do remember reading that when he would wake up in the middle of the night that he would do pushups and crunches till he fell asleep again for fear the russians maybe training, when he wasn’t. Gable and Angle were two of if not the two most insane training regiments i’ve ever heard of.
2/13/2007-Lower Body
-Front Squats 135,185,225x5reps,275x3reps,135x8reps
-Box Jumps 4setsx3jumps…36inch box
-Back Squat w/Chains(rep set) 315lbs+40lbs of chainx10reps
-Band Leg Curls 2setsxAMAP in 30seconds
Thick Bar Hold 3setsxmax time…185lbs
Grippers 4setsx10reps
Snowing like hell which sux, overall i was pleased with todays workout…although the owner of the gym i lift at wouldn’t quit trying to talk to me…i hate when people try and talk with me when i’m training…oh well
2/14/07 2Minute Drills
TERRIBLE,TERRIBLE workout today. I felt so drained both mentally and physically and it felt like such a drag to get through these drills today. I don’t know why either, maybe it’s becasue i’ve been beating myself up mentally the past couple of months about finding the “perfect” lifting routine to coincide with my 2-4days of conditioning workouts??? I keep switching lifting programs every week to two weeks and i don’t know why. From Total Body, to WS4SB, to this recent push-pull-legs, i just can’t get “happy” with any routine. I’ve always made good to great gains on WS4SB, but i always keep thinking to myself if there isn’t a better routine out there that i’m not doing? Push-Pull-Legs appealed to me because i could get very creative with the workouts, instead of following one set plan(ME,DE,RE in defrancos routine). Who knows maybe it’s the fact that we got a foot of snow yesterday…anyways enough of my pity party…i did three rounds and rested 60seconds between rounds.
Burpeesx30sec
JJx30sec
Burpeesx30sec
HK DB Pressx30sec
Live to train another day!
You will probably feel better if you pick a routine and stick with it. There will most likely be less adaptive soreness this way than if you are constantly changing exercises and workout plans. Not that your workout should always be the same, but changing constantly from one system to another can take alot out of you and also make it harder to monitor progress.
2/15/07 EIT Workout
Med Ball Woodchoppersx10
Med Ball Slamsx20
Burpeesx6
Repeated this circuit 8times…much better workout today then yesterday, felt so much better mentally and i wasn’t dreading training today. Friday i am off, so i’m going to enjoy that, then i’ll be back training again saturday. Going to decide whether to continue using the push-pull-legs or go back to defrancos program.
BW=190lbs
2/17/2007 ME Upper Morning Workout…i’m not doing a true ME work because it’d be too much on top of all my conditioning work, so i’m leaving 2-3reps in the tank
A)Bench Press 315lbsx3reps
B)Chin Ups 5setsx3reps
C)Body Rows 3setsx15,10,12reps
D)Wrist Roller 1setx3reps…when extra heavy on this today my forearms we’re pumped as hell
Be back later this evening for my Core Workout
Core Workout
-V Upsx15
-Chinniesx20
-Saxon Side Bendsx6…repeated 3times
Scenarios;
A) Use differant routines from weak to weak.(not the best option.)
Outcome;
No great long term strength changes, and body starts to resist the ability to become good. Instead it learns tricks of how to put the breaks on progress, so as to “conserve” energy, and tries not to develope so much strength that you could easily injure yourself. (Though the fact is, you ARE more likely to get injured if you keep switching exercises.)
B) Stick to same exercises.(better option.)
Outcome; Body will platue strength gains quickly IF you don’t focus on “wave like” changes to intensity (% of 1 rep max, for high %'s), or if you don’t focus on Density improvements per set.
Answer;
Either focus mainly on;
or
2) Wave like cycling approach to % on 1 rep used (high %'s) in low to moderate rep sets, stopping several reps short of failure.
Seeing, as you are a wrestler, I would suggest option 1 for the most part. It would very much feel like a fitness workout, not just “strength”, and would still deveope a lot of strength.
This is my opinion.
i think density training works great for wrestlers.
Thanks for the reply. How light should you go when using option 1? Also don’t you think it’s neccessary to lift heavy for a wrestler? So for option 1 would an example be how many reps of 225 in the bench and squat i could get in 30seconds? I’m not sure i understand option 2??? What do you think of Westside in the training of a wrestler?
2/18/2007 Conditioning…todays workout was not as intense compared to some of my previous ones although it did get me breaking a sweat and getting my heart rate elevated
-Indoor Band Sprints w/Blue Strong Bandx30seconds
-Med Ball Slamsx20reps
Repeated 6times, rested between 30-60seconds
Isometric Neck Flexionsw/light bandx60secondsx3reps
For anyone who looks at my log and would care to reply i was just wondering what you thought about Undulating Periodization? Combat Athletes(Wrestlers,Boxers,MMA) need Maximal Strength,Speed/Explosive Strength, and Strength/Muscle Endurance and what i was wondering is if you thought something like this would make sense?
Day1-Maximal Strength
Day2-High Speed Conditioning
Day3-Strength/Muscular Endurance utilizing Barbell circuits and/or 3setsx15-20reps
Day4-High Speed Conditioning
Day5-Explosive Strength utilizing complex training,plyometrics, or submaximal weights
Day6-Light Aerobic Conditioning or OFF, although if I really need it I could add another High Speed Conditioning day
Day7-OFF
2/19/2007 Muscular/Strength Endurance Lifting
Team Quest BB Circuit
-Bent Rowsx8
-Up Rowsx8
-Military Pressx8
-Good Morningsx8
-Split Squat Leftx8
-Split Squat Rightx8
-Squat+Push Pressx8
-SLDLx8
Did 6rounds and rested 60seconds between rounds…very good workout although i was expecting to be breathing much harder then i was. After i finished the final round i wasn’t even breathing very hard, my muscles were pumped/tired, but i was perfectly fine with my breathing.
I pasted your quotes from 2 posts - above.
Firstly, I think stating a slightly differant strength theme, for each strength day as you have done above, is the way to go.
How light should you go on strength density/muscle endurance day?
Well, this is where you have the most room for experimentation, of ALL your strength sessions.
I don’t know how strong you are (obviously strong), but I was thinking when u typed 30 seconds x 225 pounds, that this is still not deep enough into the endurance factor.
The point is to fluctuate here;
How about;
1 set of barbell squats with between 25% and 55% of your 1 rep max for as many reps as possible.(to mental OR physical filure.)
Followed a few mins later by a series of dumbell jump squats(timed), rest a minute or so, then dumbell bench blasts(timed). Etc…
After, completion, don’t do any more barbell squats that day, but if you still feel like doing more leg work, that’s up to you. The reason for just 1 set of barbell squats on endurance & density day, is so that you really attack it.(athletes hold back on endurance stuff when they know they have more sets to do of the same exercise, yet they don’t hold back when they’ve got more sets to do if the next exercise is a differant type, e.g; dumbell jump squats, followed by bench blasts, followed by some other exercise.)
Density/endurance sessions;(barbell squat %'s)
weak 1. 55% of 1rm - reps to failure.
weak 2. 40-45% of 1rm - reps to failure.
weak 3. 30% of 1rm - reps to failure.
weak 4. Same as weak 1-but more reps, unless your 4th weak is an easy weak- part of a 7 weak cycle.
Basically return to the 55% and repeat cycle with new “rep pb’s”. 
Bare in mind your 1 rep max will go up over time aswell, which requires maths adjustment over time, but never re-adjust maths WITHIN a cycle. In the midst of a cycle-assume your 1 rep max stays the same- even if in reality it has gonne up.
Try do do atleast 2 x 3weak written weights at said %'s, before actually adjusting the weights lifted.
Example for Joe “strong” Smith.
(The density/endurance sessions).
Weak 1.
Bar Squat. 55% x max reps = 110kg x max reps.
Weak 2.
Bar squat. 42% x max reps = 84kg x max reps.
Weak 3.
Bar squat. 30% x max reps = 60kg x max reps.
weak 4.
BarSquat. 55% x maxreps = 110kg xmax reps pb
Weak 5.
Barsquat. 42% x maxreps = 84kgx max reps pb.
Weak 6.
Bar squat. 30% x max reps = 60kg x max reps pb (68 reps!)
Weak 7, easier weak of training for general recovery.(though you may hve chosen weak 4.)
Weak 8, and the begining of new cycle.
Joe Smith has increased his one rep max, thanx in part to his other training aswell, so his new 55% is 120kg. He is simmultaniously developing the ability do do more reps with %'s of his one rep max than before.
Each barbell squat is followed by a torturous set od dumbell jump squats - holding 25kg in each hand. As many reps in 60 seconds as possible.(or other time.)
A few mins later you might choose dumbell bench blasts(explosive legs), for say as many reps in 45 secs as possible.
Do you need another set of leg work after this? You decide.
Simmilar parameters for upperbody.
(side note; holding dumbells in these exercises will do wonders for the trapezius muscles also, which MUST help combat sport athletes.)
Other strength days each weak;
As you listed in your post.
(Bare in mind the density & endurance session, can involve fast explosive reps & jumping-though they obviously get slower toward end of set when working to failure.) I call this power-endurance, you are trying to achieve 2 opposite ends of the spectrum in the same set-not easy- but seriously developes conditioning!
Side note;
Loiuse Simmons of westside barbell, has said that high rep work is “force” training, becuase the weights are lighter, therefor the reps are faster than max strength days, even though you are going to fatigue in the sets.
You asked about option 2.
Option 2 is simple, tho no more important than option 1. Option 2 is more along the classic lines of 3 to 6 rep sets with a % of 1 rep max(high percentage) developing strength, allways stopping a rep or two before failure, so as to maintain bar speed and good technique.
However, a wrestler obviously needs to work on a variety of strength paremetars, and the above option 2, to be done once a weak at the most, with other strength training types on some of the other days, each weak, as you indicated in your example template which was good.
Peope talk about “strength reserve” whcih is that if you have a lot of strength, you should be able to perform a light task for a lot of reps, becuase of the strength reserve.
HOWEVER. IF PEOPLE WERE TO USE ONE PARAMETAR all THE TIME, they could plataue quickly and get bored.
As you are a cobat athlete, you should do some DIRECT muscle endurance reps (high reps), aswell, becuase
1; You need a lot of power endurance,
2; You can afford high rep work for as much as two thirds of your weight training sets per weak, becuase UNLIKE sprinters, weightlifters and shot putters, YOU don’t have to be as concerned with engaging a huge percentage of fibres in muscle for an allmighty one-off explosion rep or 1 rep lift.
You (Combat athlete) can be more varied, the variation of training idealls.
I think you misunderstood what Louie was saying. He does not use high repetition work for his dynamic effort days. From what I can recall, they do many sets of doubles, waving the % of intensity(usually somewhere between 50-60% of 1rm from what he has said in articles). Remember, after several repetitions, the bar speed slows because of fatigue. This would cause a great reduction in force, so they feel that it is better to do 10 doubles rather than 2 sets of 10 or something like that. He uses high repetition work for GPP/restoration type workouts. Although, as a wrestler, it might be ok to experiment with high repetition dynamic days for developing power endurance. It depends on how you have everything else set up.
[b]You miss-interpreted what I was talking about.
I was not talking about the dynamic effort method of westside. Obviously the dynamic effort method is usually 10 x 2 reps and the % ranges from 50 to 60%, going up 5% per weak
No, I was refering to the high repetition method.(which YOU have confused to be the restoration method. Again, this is not the case.)
The high rep method is employed AFTER the dynamic work on dynamic days, and AFTER the max strength work on max strength days. So they ARE performed on the dynamic day. I never said the were the same thing.
(unlike what you said, and I never said repetition method was the dynamic method.)
The high repetition method is usually around 10-15 rep sets and is done at the end of both strength workouts.
The high repetition method is NOT the restoration exercises either.(unlike what you implied.)
The restoration exercises are done with weights less than 33% of 1 rep max for the most part, and are generally done for 2 to 5 minute sets. These exercises are performed 3-6 days a weak, if you include the sled work.
Loiuse Simmons did in fact state categoricaly that the high repetition method is FORCE training becuase the weights are light.
(I’m not suggesting that it is greater force training than the dynamic effort method which is done about 30 minutes before the high repetition method.)[/b]