Training Week Ending 29 May 2011

On Sun, May 29 2011, Jim Janney wrote:

"Steve Freides" writes:

How'd you do this week just past? Let us know.

Saturday
ballet class 90 minutes
swings 20kg 140 in 7 minutes

Sunday
tgu 20kg alternating singles 5 each side
front squats 24kg 4 x 4
goblet squats 24kg 1 x 5
cleans 24kg a.s. 5 each side

I'd planned to take this week off, but only made it to Saturday. The
24 kg kettlebell is a new one from Lifeline USA. I'd mentioned that I
wasn't happy with the shape of the CFF bell: this one has a handle
closer to the body and sits more comfortably in the rack position.

Incidentally, the regular site for Lifeline was back ordered on the
24s, but I found one at http://www.fitnesslifeline.com. The price was
a bit higher but they offered free shipping, which more than made up
the difference. When I picked it up at the post office I saw why:
they shipped it in a flat rate box.

It's hard not to work out when you get a new toy in the mail.

Jason

Jason Earl writes:

On Sun, May 29 2011, Jim Janney wrote:

"Steve Freides" writes:

How'd you do this week just past? Let us know.

Saturday
ballet class 90 minutes
swings 20kg 140 in 7 minutes

Sunday
tgu 20kg alternating singles 5 each side
front squats 24kg 4 x 4
goblet squats 24kg 1 x 5
cleans 24kg a.s. 5 each side

I'd planned to take this week off, but only made it to Saturday. The
24 kg kettlebell is a new one from Lifeline USA. I'd mentioned that I
wasn't happy with the shape of the CFF bell: this one has a handle
closer to the body and sits more comfortably in the rack position.

Incidentally, the regular site for Lifeline was back ordered on the
24s, but I found one at http://www.fitnesslifeline.com. The price was
a bit higher but they offered free shipping, which more than made up
the difference. When I picked it up at the post office I saw why:
they shipped it in a flat rate box.

It's hard not to work out when you get a new toy in the mail.

So true :-) And taking a complete break didn't work as well as I'd
hoped. Next time I do this I need to find a way to stay active and
moving, just not working as hard.

--
Jim Janney

On Tue, May 31 2011, Jim Janney wrote:

Jason Earl writes:

[...]

It's hard not to work out when you get a new toy in the mail.

So true :-) And taking a complete break didn't work as well as I'd
hoped. Next time I do this I need to find a way to stay active and
moving, just not working as hard.

This is certainly an area where I feel like I could use some
improvement. I tend to push until I get sick. Possibly worse, when I
get sick I tend to assume that I have been over-training.

Jason

Jason Earl wrote:
On Tue, May 31 2011, Jim Janney wrote:

Jason Earl writes:

[...]

It's hard not to work out when you get a new toy in the mail.

So true :-) And taking a complete break didn't work as well as I'd
hoped. Next time I do this I need to find a way to stay active and
moving, just not working as hard.

This is certainly an area where I feel like I could use some
improvement. I tend to push until I get sick. Possibly worse, when I
get sick I tend to assume that I have been over-training.

Jason

Both of you - none of this gets any easier as you get older so best to
start figuring it out for yourself now. There are many ways to handle a
break from your usual training.

If you like doing the same movements, then cut the volume by 50%. Don't
overthink it - keep a training log, and plan out a backoff week every 4
weeks that's 50% reduced in volume from whatever you consider usual.
Train the same number of days, just do less. If you don't have that
option, e.g., Jim's dance classes, then cut back on the number of days
you go to class for that week.

Try mixing in things you don't normally do, e.g., if you like to swim
but don't usually have time, swim during backoff week. Walk more. Do
joint mobility work more (or just do it if you don't usually). Work on
your flexibility. Try barbell front or overhead squats if you don't
normally train them because they're good for your mobility. Use a
10-rep-max weight or lighter and do 2 sets of 5 with it.

Build variety into your schedule, e.g., the light-medium-heavy weekly
rotation we do here is golden because you have built-in backoff time
every week, which means you need it less, if at all, on a monthly basis.

Cycle your program - when your bench press stops going up, work at it a
little more, but if it's truly stuck, you don't have to make the Olympic
team so switch to another kind of press for a while - that sort of
thing.

-S-
http://www.kbnj.com

On Tue, May 31 2011, Steve Freides wrote:

Jason Earl wrote:
On Tue, May 31 2011, Jim Janney wrote:

Jason Earl writes:

[...]

It's hard not to work out when you get a new toy in the mail.

So true :-) And taking a complete break didn't work as well as I'd
hoped. Next time I do this I need to find a way to stay active and
moving, just not working as hard.

This is certainly an area where I feel like I could use some
improvement. I tend to push until I get sick. Possibly worse, when I
get sick I tend to assume that I have been over-training.

Jason

Both of you - none of this gets any easier as you get older so best to
start figuring it out for yourself now. There are many ways to handle
a break from your usual training.

If you like doing the same movements, then cut the volume by 50%.
Don't overthink it - keep a training log, and plan out a backoff week
every 4 weeks that's 50% reduced in volume from whatever you consider
usual. Train the same number of days, just do less. If you don't
have that option, e.g., Jim's dance classes, then cut back on the
number of days you go to class for that week.

I have generally just taken a week off. But simply doing less (but
still doing something) sounds like a good idea. I'm not that sick. I
just don't feel like putting in four miles on the treadmill.

For the record, about half of my family is sick along with me, so my
cold is not necessarily training related. Spring has been ridiculous
this year.

Try mixing in things you don't normally do, e.g., if you like to swim
but don't usually have time, swim during backoff week. Walk more. Do
joint mobility work more (or just do it if you don't usually). Work
on your flexibility. Try barbell front or overhead squats if you
don't normally train them because they're good for your mobility. Use
a 10-rep-max weight or lighter and do 2 sets of 5 with it.

Build variety into your schedule, e.g., the light-medium-heavy weekly
rotation we do here is golden because you have built-in backoff time
every week, which means you need it less, if at all, on a monthly
basis.

I think that this is great advice, but alternating between running and
quick weight training sessions has been pretty fun. I think that I will
stick with my current program a bit longer. I will just cut the volume
in half for the week (and I already skipped my weight training on
Monday).

Cycle your program - when your bench press stops going up, work at it
a little more, but if it's truly stuck, you don't have to make the
Olympic team so switch to another kind of press for a while - that
sort of thing.

That's also excellent advice.

Thanks,
Jason