T2 - Transmutation, Week 2: Stuff and stuff with things and more stuff

ransmutation week 2 is in the bag and week 3 is well under way. Sorry for the delay between updates, been a busy bee lately.

The creeping demon of doubt is starting to dig its filthy, dirty little claws into my program. I'll detail a little more in next post, but getting into some squat technique issues and the shoulder related base strength issues are starting to make November look like a "should not".

I am basically eight weeks out at this point, and while I knew full well that the shoulder would be an issue going into the training cycle, I'm not sure that enough progress has been made to participate in this meet.  

As mentioned, I am into T3 a bit at this point, should be benching soon and will test to gauge progress. Maybe we can stuff that mother trucker back in the closet where he belongs.

And as an aside, and I am sure I have posted this up before, but here is one of the finest pieces of heavy music in the last 30 years:

At any rate, time will tell and updates will come. Until then, here is the shizzle that went down in Transmutation, week 2...

T2A - ME Squat, 9/15/2014:

This was the last of two days of  max effort work on the Buffalo bar. Got the previous week beat, if not by what I wanted. 

• Buffalo bar squat - Worked up to 3x460lbs + reverse grey bands
• RDL - 20xbar, 10x135lbs, 10x185lbs, 5x8x225lbs

Again, not bad work, just didn't quite have it to kill more weights. Also not real happy with my depth, but there you go.

This shit's going to get boring quick if I don't feel like writing much.

T2B - ME Bench, 9/17/2014:

Hit this one late, so not a ton to it.

• Bench - worked up to 2x305lbs + reverse EliteFTS orange light Pro bands to 3 board, failed on second rep at 2x315lbs
• Bench grip bent over barbell rows - 5x8x155lbs
• Klokov press - 3x10x80lbs
• External rotation, arms down w/90° bend - 3x20/each arm w/ doubled over EliteFTS orange micro mini pro band

So I managed to beat last week's weight, but did fail with a little more greed. Check out the videos, pretty plain to see that I screwed up the bench by getting out of groove, need to get the triceps stronger and get the back more stable. With how I press, this should be a short, vertical press and not a "J" press

2x305-

Attempt at 2x315-

T2C - DE Squat, Missed:

That would be why there is no detail here.

I decided this night was better spent with family, as the schedule has been putting a strain on our relationship and causing disruption. So that's what I did.

Balance, homies and homettes.

I would normally put some metal right about here, but you are probably still listening to that Neurosis track, yes?

T2D - DE Bench, 9/22/2014:

Pretty decent feeling sesh, really, even if I should be pushing more weight. This one was:

• 9x3x135lbs w/two chains/side 
• Incline dumbbell press - 4x8x50lbs 
• Bench grip bent over barbell row - 4x10x135lbs  
• Klokov press - 10xbar, 10x65lbs, 10x85lbs, 8x75lbs, 10x65lbs 
• Standing side external rotation- alternate arm 3x20 w/EliteFTS orange micro mini Pro band
• Dumbbell shoulder rotation stretch - 20 internal/external each arm

No video, nothing crazy.

Just good ol' sesh work.

Go forth and stuff and things.

T1 - Transmutation Block, Week 1 for November 2014 Meet

ransmutation.

What a funny word.

transmutation

/ˌtrænz mjuːˈteɪ ʃən/

Noun

1. the act or process of transmuting.

2. the fact or state of being transmuted.

3. change into another nature, substance, form, or condition.

4. Biology. the transformation of one species into another.

So that's what this middle block is all about. 

To bring us back up to speed on the overarching program, I am running a block periodization style program. This consists of three waves, or "blocks". The first block, Accumulation, is about some hypertrophy and laying a base for the work to come. The second and current block, Transmutation, is about transforming what we have accumulated, molding that base from a general specificity toward sport specificity, until we finish out with the last block- Realization. This final block will be the most sport specific, where the focus will be on finalizing the power for our "power lifts". 

Generally, the main movements will be getting more specific toward the "big three" of squat, bench, and deadlift, and the accessory work is toning down in volume, to a degree, but will be more specific towards building the main movement.

Metal break, mainly for David: 

See, David? Soooooooooooooooooo much better than Nickelback. Or Five Finger Death Punch.

But I digress. Here's what occurred in T1... 


T1A - ME Squat, 9/4/2014:

• Warm up, stretch - about 10min
• Buffalo bar squat - Worked up to 3x450 + reverse EliteFTS average Pro bands, then 1x480 + same bands
• Lockouts w/buffalo bar - 5x1x10sec holds @ 500lbs
• Top range pin squats w/buffalo bar - 3x7x410lbs 

Did this sesh in the Oly shoes as I think I am leaning toward them so far for squatting. Screwed the pooch on what was supposed to be 3x475lbs- curved buffalo bar + tight left shoulder causing the right side to dip even more = right side JUST catching on the hook on the walk out. I'll have to remember to set the hooks a notch lower next time. Really wanted to get that 3x475 and go on to try 3x495, but I let it punk me out. 

Next time. 

Still beats last meet cycle's first transmutation week with a straight bar, so I guess I am reasonably content with that for now. 

You would think with the heavier bar weight that the backward pull of the bands would be lessened, but apparently that is not so. 

I lived. I learned. I will pass on.


T1B - ME Bench, 9/6/2014:


More reverse bands, more fun times.

• Warm up, shoulder traction - about 5min
• Bench to 3 board - worked up to 3x295lbs + reverse orange bands
• Pin bench press, pin @ about middle of press - 2x225lbs, 2x205lbs, 5x185lbs, 7x165lbs, 10x145lbs
• Barbell rows, bench grip width - 5x10x135lbs

The fun of this sesh was figuring out how to do this movement without a training partner. I got a suggestion or two from David, the owner of NBS and coach of the NBS powerlifting team, and eventually settled on setting the hooks at my normal height, safeties set right below that, then with the three board stuffed under my shirt.

Held alright.







Still a bit bummed that this work was not up to numbers level of last meet cycle more than a year ago, but it's coming along.


T1C - DE Squat, 9/8/2014:

This was a decent sesh, even if I did jack it up a little bit.

• Wait for a god damned bathroom to change in because Christian has to primp his damn mohawk and someone wanted to talk every time the other bathroom opened up - easily 30min
• Stretch, warm up - about 10min
• Dynamic squat business - 8x3x250lbs + two chains/side
• Seated upper back extension w/ EliteFTS SSB/yoke bar - 10xbar, 10x130lbs, 7x170lbs, 7x220lbs, 7x260lbs

So you will note that I did eight sets of three- as written, it should have been eight sets of two. Wondered why I was getting more fatigued than normal halfway through the sets. 

That and my conditioning sucks.

But that's not important right now.

Okay, so maybe it is. 

Moving on.

One of the big issues has been my left shoulder and its tightness, and the corresponding elbow/shoulder flare in my squatting. About halfway through this sesh I think I finally figured out how to keep my elbows down during the descent of the squat, need to figure it out a little better in the ascent. Should be a combination of cranking them down plus kicking the head back/chest up a bit at the beginning of the ascent to help keep the upright posture. More work on that and progress notes.

T1D - DE Bench, 9/10/2014:

• Warm up, band traction - about 10min
• Bench - 9x3x130lbs + 2 chains/side
• Dumbbell incline bench - 3x5x50lbs, 4x5x60lbs
• Bench grip width barbell row - 5x8x155lbs
• External rotations, rapid/short ROM - 5x10 per arm with doubled over EliteFTS orange pro micro mini band, no rest between sets
• Ministry video: 

So really a pretty decent sesh, if nothing really of note. Did work as written, got accessories in, including that last set of external rotations as recommended by the PT/chiro homey at the gym, Doc Jason Martinez. More on that in a minute...

Die Arbeit Video-

Bing bang bong.

In other news, I finally got together with Jason, not so resident chiro/PT bro, and went through a consult and started work on getting my tight shoulder and T spine worked on. Jason is a good dude, lifts, and does (so far) good work. We went over my injury history, symptoms, and issues and started into the deep tissue work and an adjustment, followed by dry needling across both traps and my upper back, shoulder, and upper arm on the left side. While it's definitely not the most pleasant process in the entire world, I think we have already started some good things working. By the time we got to dry needling, I was face down on the massage table thingy, second knuckles on my right hand touching the ground, and basically left fingertips touching the ground. After we were done, the left hand knuckles were touching the ground and I felt like I had been kicked by a horse a few times, but all was good.

Thank you, Google image search

That Friday, 9/12, was supposed to be the start of Transmutation, week 2, starting with ME squats as routine dictates, but as good as it felt having gotten all that work done on my back/shoulder/arm, there was no squatting to be had that night- my traps might have literally jumped off of me, slapped me about the face and neck, and walked out. I did test a few days later when I actually did the ME squat sesh (9/15) and all seemed good- left shoulder didn't have the typical pop up with the left elbow flaring back like it had been doing.

And in completely other news, diet is chugging along. As mentioned previously, shifting over to more whole foods, ~2800 kcal/day, 200g protein/day. Looks like 10 day average for caloric intake has been a little over 2700 kcals/day, protein sitting at about 190 g/day. At start of diet about a week ago, I was sitting at about 256lbs. Body weight was 254 this morning.

I also managed to resist most of the fair food at the Cooper Young Festival this past weekend, even if a trip to Schweinehaus almost got me off track.

IIFYM, right?

More on Schweinehaus some other time.

Go forth and laissez le bon temps rouler.

Mother trucker.

A4 - Accumulation Week 4: progress, metal, T-T-T-Tonka trucks

ell, here we are at the end of the first phase of training for the November meet, the Accumulation block. 

All in all, I think the block went well, despite some unexpected issues. 

The shoulder injury rehab is what it is- I think the progress has been good, but I know I need to step up the rehab and physical therapy game to maximize results. You'll see in the video for DE squats that the external rotation is nowhere where it needs to be- still very tight.

Need to focus more, also, on getting the bodyweight in line with what I want it to be. While I don't want to jeopardize recovery with some huge rapid weight loss, I also don't want to lift at 275- I am about 255 as of this morning. I think cutting down to 240 or so should be doable in the next two and a half months. 

More on that later.

Into the seshes.


A4A - ME Squat, 8/26/2014:

• Stretch, warm up - about 10min
• Cambered squat to high box - worked up to 330lbs + six chains/side

One of the constant themes through my training is that I always seem to run late with work and... you know... life. Weekday sessions lately have been in the neighborhood of two hours, and with my slow ass, that is not typically enough time to get a ton of accessory work in.

I know, I know

But there you have it.

This sesh was EVEN shorter, as I think it was 7:30 or 8:00PM getting to the gym, so after getting changed and warmed up, I only had about an hour, and that's about how long I take to get through the ten sets or what have you of main movement on max effort days, so that's about all we got in.

Good news, though, is that I toasted the previous sesh by doubling the chain weight, which should have amounted to about 80-100lbs over what I did last week.

Yay.


A4B - ME Bench, 8/28/2014:

Little mo' progress...

• Warm up, stretch, traction - about 10min
• Incline pin press - 3x5x175 + 1 chains/side 
• Barbell row - 5x10x135lbs 
• Dumbbell bench - 3x10x50lbs

Decent work, beat last week, got a little bit of accessory in. Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh,,,

Still not technically as good same time last meet training cycle, but I was able to get more plate weight and keep the chains higher up on the loaders, and that is progress. And progress is good. 

It's also an album by Ultraspank, but that's not important right now.

Since that album is meh, here's some live Godflesh. Because you're worth it. 

A4C - DE Squat/Deadlift, 8/31/2014:

• Warm up, stretch - about 10min
• Squat to parallel-ish box (3rd hole) - 8x2x225 + 3 chains/side. First few sets I were triples because I... well... I forgot they were supposed to be doubles. Lolly.
• Deathlift in the sumo style - worked up to 3x275 + six chains 

Need to get a daily stretch and mobility routine going as this completely shredded my adductors and hips and made my poor little hiney sore. 

Not really sure, either, why I decided to use my Chucks for the squats on these, but I did. Starting to lean back to my Romaleos for the cheated hip mobility, will monitor on straight bar work going forward. 

Of course, if I would pay more attention to my hip mobility we wouldn't have these problems. 

Also, shoulder. I may just stop mentioning it. 

DAILY ROUTINE, DAMN YOU. QUIT MESSING AROUND AND DO IT.

• Skeewatz:

• Defliftz:

All that = completely shredded hips, etc, apparently.


A4D - DE Bench, 9/2/2014:


Bench keeps rolling, slowly but surely.

• Bench - 8x3x125 + 2 chains 
• barbell row - 5x10x135lbs 
• Incline dumbbell bench - 3x10, 8, 6 x 50lbs 
• Shoulder series x2 
• Cable triceps extension, rope handle - 5x8x60lbs

I did end up having to drop the second set of chains to the second link of the first set of chains, if that makes sense, to maintain some speed on these, so not quite back to olden times yet. Nonetheless, a little more progress, little more work. Keeping the incline dumbbell pressing in, got back to the cable triceps extensions. Huzzah.

So, yeah. Trucks. 

This big beautiful bastard was parked outside of one of the local Lowe's when I went in Saturday morn to pick up some stuff to fix both the of the commodes in the house.

I didn't get to check out what the door emblems said but they featured Confederate flags, and the decal across the hinged windshield (!) said "REDNECK NATION". 

That shit was TIGHT, yo!

Thanks, Jesse. 

So yeah, mentioned earlier (and probably more than once in previous posts) about cutting a little weight before the meet. I figure two and a half months or so should be enough time to cut down to hit 242. Long story short, plan is to keep calories at about 2800/day whilst maintaining a 200g/day protein intake (peaked after training, more than likely) and minimize the processed foods. I have been maintaining an account over at myfitnesspal.com and have a pretty good idea at this point what my body likes and doesn't like for calories and losing weight. The important thing, obviously, is lifting performance and recovery, so as mentioned, I refuse to cater diet toward rapid weight loss if my lifts start tanking. 

More on that as it develops.

In the meantime, metal.






Go forth and Ragnarok.