Monday

  • SSB Box Squat: 240/270x3/300x10
  • Rear Delts: 5x10
  • FSL: 5x5@245
  • Prayer Press (narrowest grip on FBB): 5x10@95
  • KB Row: 5x10

You guys will never guess what I did at the end of the workout... Neck and Curls.  Crazy, right?  So unexpected.

Wednesday

  • FBB: 115/130x5/145x10
  • Rear Delts: 5x10
  • BBB (straight bar): 5x10@115
  • KB Row: 5x10
  • BB Shrugs: 5x10

Thursday (we traveled on Friday)

  • Trap Bar: 255/285x3/315x10
  • Pull-ups: 5x5
  • FSL: 5x5@255
  • Push-ups: 5x5/Band Pushdowns: 5x10
  • BB Curls: 5x10

I'm actually a week behind on posting workouts, but this is on my mind.

I've noticed a few things over the last few weeks.

  1. My focus on training isn't great.
  2. I'm getting in a bit of a rut and I think this is related to #1.
  3. I'm not bored, but I'm not really enjoying my training.

As I wrote this out I realized that all three are probably related.  I think my focus isn't great because I have to work for a living.  Unfortunately, my job requirements don't care about MY training.  Obviously, I understand this.

The rut is partially because I end up training with other people in the weight room and they constantly interrupt my work.  I can't get upset.  They're college kids asking about weight room stuff.  But, I think I'm making excuses for why my training isn't going well.  The reality is, I can control this, but it's easier to point fingers and blame it on circumstances.

I'm not planning to completely restructure my training.  I do want to make a few tweaks.  Over the next few days/training sessions I'm going to write down some things that I think I need to work on.  I'm also going to write down the things that I think are necessary.

My hips have been bothering me lately.  Not sure if it's a bad thing.  It may be my shoes, being on my feet most of the day, getting old...  But, I'm definitely more sore than I'm used to.  So, I need to take a look at my warm-up and stretching that I do.  Am I doing what I feel like because it's simple and easy or I am I doing what I really need?  I know the answer to this.

I'll never do exactly what I need to do because I'm lazy, but I can definitely make a few changes to better address my issues.  I can already feel the benefits of the 5 minute pre-lift stretching I've been doing.  I just need to swap something out for something that may be a little more effective.

In simplifying things I need to figure out exactly what I want to work on.  My initial idea is to create an identical circuit on Monday and Friday (Squat and Deadlift days) and then a slightly different one on Wednesdays (Bench).

As I just mentioned, I think I'm going to make a list of things that I feel are absolutely necessary for me to do.  I'm also going to ask my assistants to weigh-in with their thoughts.  Chances are they are going to have some thoughts that are contrary to mine.  This alternate perspective is good.

I mentioned the other day to one of my assistants that I want to be able to Press again.  Even if it's just doing 95lbs for sets of 10.  I miss Pressing.  In order to get back to it I'll have to incorporate it back into training in some fashion.

So like my athletes' programs, I may set up my template with very specific stuff to do at the end of the main workout.  Since my powerlifting days I have refrained from doing things like this because I don't love following a very specific template.  This stems from "having" to do certain things when I competed.  There's a nice freedom in not "having" to do certain things.  But, if I really want to improve and progress with some movements I'm going to have to do somethings in a planned out, organized way.

I may even go so far as to write my workout on a template and carry it around with me during my lift.

Basically, my athlete template is set up as follows:

  1. Pre-Lift Mobility/Movement
  2. Dynamic Warm-up
  3. Activation (abs/glutes/low back/shoulders)
  4. Jumps
  5. Block 1: Main Lift
  6. Block 2: Supplemental Lift
  7. Block 3: Strength Circuit
  8. Block 4-5: Little stuff
  9. Teams Abs
  10. Mobility/Stretch

My template won't be as in-depth, but I think having some things written down might help me address somethings I need to fix.  I'm really good about doing the big stuff.  I am really bad at doing the little stuff.

I'm kind of looking forward to this.  Whenever I get thinking like this I end up being really productive at work, as well.

The first thing I'll do is map out the Main lifts I want to do and some numbers to shoot for.  This is basically just SSB, FBB and Trap Bar.  Next will be my Supplemental/Assistance Lower Body, Upper Push and Upper Pull stuff.   I'll also make sure to have a block to work on some of the little stuff.

I'm off to do some planning.  We'll see what happens.

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