Done

No more public blog, atleast for now. I will be logging workouts still, and plan on writing some articles on fitness, training, nutrition,etc in the future.

Running, weight lifting

Morning

pre-workout; cup of coffee

warmup; dynamic stretching, light jog for 3 mins

run 30 mins

cooldown; light jog for 3 mins, static streching (small amount)

post-workout

shake (1 1/2 cup oats, 1 scoop whey), orange

Evening

warmup; cycle for 5 mins, dynamic stretching, light weight sets of front squats

5/3/1 squat

hack squat 3x5

cooldown; static stretching

Fri, Thurs

Thurs

30 min run

Fri

5/3/1 deload week
shoulders

oh press 5x5

Conditioning

Morning

30 min run

Evening

Lifting deload - Back

Dead lift 5x5

Bicycle crunch x 300

Neck bridges x 100

** A bit under the weather and I've also missed some posts but I got around to tonights. Taking it really easy this week, hopefully I will get over this cold quick, this is my deloading week anyway. Running is awesome, but its killing my knees and keeping me from doing boxing or sprints in the evenings. I'm hoping my body gets used to it but who knows, my knees have always been a problem.

Running & Boxing

Morning

30 min jog/run

Evening

shadow boxing 5x3min rounds

Shoulders

Shoulders

oh press 3x5,3,1
upright row 3x5-8

--

brazilian jiu jitsu

Lifting Back and Biceps

5/3/1 Lifting
Back/Biceps

warmup; dynamic stretching and light sets of dead lifts

dead lift 3x5,3,1
bent over row 3x 6-8
curl 3x 6-8

Core

bicycle crunch x 300

stretching, lots of stretching

Lifting

warmup; cycle 5 mins, dynamic stretching, light sets of db incline presses

Bench press 3x3

--

Yeah thats it, I'm lucky I found time to do that before I had to go in to work.

Cardio, Core

Morning

Cardio

30 mins 70-80% mhr

Evening

Shadow boxing 5x3min

Bicycle crunch x 250

Lifting, New routine and running being added

Lifting
Leg day

warm up; dynamic stretching, 5 mins cycle, 1 set bodyweight squats, 1 set light front squats

Hack squat 3x3

Cardio

cycle; 25-30 mins 70-80%

** I will be changing my cardio up. I've been using a stationary cycle for the majority of my cardio for quite some time now. I will be moving towards leaving that behind and hitting the road for jogging/running in my target heart ranges. I will still cycle some, but will try to do the majority as running. I'm really looking foward to the conditioning this will bring me. I'm hoping to improve my cardio a lot just by this switch alone. I plan on running atleast 3x a week for 3 or 4 miles each time. I have a lot of problems with my legs, knees, and shin splints that prevent me from doing some things like skipping rope, but I hope I will be ok to jog and run. On the 3-4 mile runs I will be staying in the 70-80% max heart rate to build a solid aerobic base. I will also be doing sprints 1-2x a week down the road or in my backyard. I think the road in front of my house is 500m or so and is a straight shot so I can do sprints there. I have to measure it out tho, I could be wrong. My conditioning has always been OK but just OK, nothing great. I need to improve in this area a lot. I can't wait to see what this brings. I will be starting the new cardio routine within the month, probably within a couple weeks. I'm waiting to get some good running shoes basically (I have nothing suitable and want to put something good on my feet to help with the pain from my legs).

After a month or so of doing the new running routine and sprints, on top of my shadow boxing and heavy bag rounds I plan to head back into boxing and mma training classes. I want to get my cardio/conditioning up before that.

My conditioning will look like,

Jogging/running 3-4x a week, 3-4 miles
Sprints 1-2x a week
Shadow boxing/Heavy bag 2-4x a week
Barbell complex 1x a week
Heavy lifting 3x a week

Skill work as much as possible (BJJ/Boxing/MMA classes and sparring)

Thats just the base of things but is what I'm looking at for summer.

I have fell in love with shadow boxing and heavy bag work for conditioning. A lot of boxers do tons of rounds and seem to hit around 10+ rounds of bag/mitt work daily so I'm looking to add this type of training into my routine. Working to get a lot of my anaerobic work from actual training like that, instead of countless sprints. Sprints will still be in my routine though of course, I just believe in how great a conditioning tool the boxing rounds can be for someone and think they are overlooked some in MMA.

Conditioning

Noon

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Evening

Cardio

Cycle; 25mins 70-80% mhr

Shadow boxing 3x3min

Stretching

Lifting, Core & Neck, Nutrition for the day

5/3/1 Shoulder day

warmup; light shadow boxing, dynamic stretching, 2 light sets of OH press

OH press 3x3
Upright row 3x5-7
Pull ups 3 sets

Core & Neck

Bicycle crunch
Reverse crunch
Side crunch
Weighted crunch

x 250 total

Bridge
Reverse bridge
Side bridge
Weighted bridge

x 250 total

cooldown; static stretching & balance work

Nutrition for the day

meal 1; shake (1 1/2 cup oats, 1 scoop whey), 1 cup blueberries

16 oz coffee
supplements; multivit, fish oil, move free advanced

meal 2; 1~ cup whole grain pasta, carrots, 3 slices wholegrain bread, green tea

snack; shake (a nutritional shake with antioxidants/protein/vits/etc)

meal 3; shake (1 1/2 cup oats, 1 scoop whey)

meal 4; 4 oz chicken, 1/2 cup organic brown rice (before cooked)

snack; sandwich (turkey,1 slice swiss cheese), apple, celery, green tea

meal 5; shake (1 1/2 cup oats, 1 scoop whey)

snack (bedtime); 3 tablespoon of peanut butter

supplements; fish oil

End totals; 3415 calories, ratios; 60% carb, 20% pro, 20% fat

* Current goal for calories is 3400 and I hit that right on target as usual. I believe in the importance of being able to hit the # of calories you are shooting for over and over again with very little variation. The same goes for the macro ratios too. I rounded them off for here but they were very very close.

Boxing,conditioning

Boxing

5x3 shadow boxing
3x3 heavy bag

agility ladder drills

sprawl drills

bicycle crunches

** I was going to take the day off and do some other things but plans changed and I started to get the itch to do some boxing so I put in a workout. Turned out to be a good workout, but I wish I wouldve made it a little longer. Anyway, IDK what I will do tomorrow, I really dont have any plans. I'm sore from the deadlifts and all I really ever do on weekends is either some easy aerobic work or I go all out on sprints or complexes. I really dont want to do the high intensity tho leading back into the week of heavy lifting. So, it might be a day off, I'm not for sure yet.

Fri Cardio/Lifting and Thurs Cardio

Thursday

Cardio

20-25mins 70-80%mhr

Friday

Morning

Cardio

20-25mins 70-80%mhr

Evening

5/3/1 lifting
Deadlift day (back/biceps)

deadlift 3x5
bent over row 3x5-7
curl 3x6-8
chin up 1 set to failure

** Yeah, I added back deadlifts finally :). Wow, what a rush. Trying to figure out what to do for my biceps though. I like curls and chinups both but dont really want both (4 exercises is too much when I do 2 maybe 3 on other days). I may use the new bodyweight exercises I do as finishers or do on a completely seperate day (I'm talking pullups/chinups/dips). IDK yet, but I love them!

Lifting - Chest/triceps, Cardio & Neck strength

Lifting 5/3/1 Bench day (chest/triceps)

warmup; dynamic stretching, 2 light sets of db bench press

bench press 3x5
cg press 3x6-8
dips 3 sets

Cardio

cycle; 20-25 mins
** I never include the warmup/cooldown in the total time for cardio, the time on my blogs is always time spent in the zone I'm shooting for (this case its 70-80% mhr) If I dont put my warmup/cooldown seperate then assume its 3-5mins for each one.

Neck

neck bridge x50
reverse neck bridge x50
side to side bridge x50
weighted bridge x 50

static stretching

Lifting - Legs, Conditioning, Notes

Warmup

5 min on the cycle
2 sets light front squats

5/3/1 legs

Hack squat 3x5

Core

Bicycle crunches

stretching

Shadow boxing 3x3min (Bas Rutten workout)

* Just got the Bas Rutten workout tapes I hear so highly about and I gotta say, they are awesome. I started doing shadow boxing lately for conditioning and really liked it so I tried his tapes out. For now on I will mix it up, I will use his tapes mostly and add in my own sessions from time to time to keep things fresh. As long as you stay busy in shadow boxing and work on your speed, you can get a great workout from it. Add in some heavy bag rounds, and you have a great workout.

Notes

Aerobic work will be done 3-4x a week at 20-25 mins for awhile. Heavy lifting of course will stay 5/3/1 program and 3x a week. One barbell complex and one set of sprints each week (or possibly just one or the other depending on how much other cardio I done that week). I will try to leave weekends as rest besides a run/jog or 20-25 mins on the cycle as during the week. I will also use them for playing catch up when life gets hectic during the week and I miss workouts. The shadow boxing will be done anywhere from 2-4x a week, varying how many rounds depending on time limits.

Conditioning

Cardio

20 mins aerobic

Shadow boxing

rounds 4x3min w/ sprawls

Core

bicycle crunch x 250

stretching and balance work

--

Pre-workout; 4 oz chicken, 1 cup pasta, sliced tomatoes and pineapples, green tea

Post-workout; muscle milk shake followed by a meal 30 mins later

--

** Ive been taking quite a bit of time off lately, including taking a week from BJJ classes. This is also my deloading week but instead of lifting light most of it Ive just skipped any weight lifting. Its important to me to take some time away from constant training because I start to burn out mentally. Having some good food helps too haha. But anyway, I'll be back to a much more regular routine next week. I will be doing another cycle of the 5/3/1 lifting program which I have fallen in love with and upping my calories a bit too.

As for flexibility, I will be doing new stretches next week that are harder I hope. I'm as far as I can go with my current routine and will be working more on both legs at a time stretching (IDK how to explain the stretches I do, but plan on maybe making a video of my stretching routine in the future). I can do some awesome things in Jiu Jitsu because of my flexibility so its something I want to make sure I always maintain and try to constantly improve on even more.

For my core, I plan on keeping what I'm doing which is 200-300 bicycle crunches 2-3 times a week. On top of that I do some weighted exercises and usually add one other type of crunch of ab exercise after my bicycle crunches. I got dull on ab roll outs so thats why I've scrapped them for awhile. Most of my core work comes from actual training and weight lifting so I don't go overboard on specific ab work.

So I plan on doing 3-4 20-25 min aerobic conditioning sessions per week and about the same amount of time in anaerobic work. I really plan on using a lot more of my boxing for my cardio too, such as heavy bag and shadow boxing. I need to remember to do sprints atleast once a week as well and if I dont add back in my barbell complex this week it will be back next for good. Just taking some time away from my usual things and resting up a bit, trying to enjoy a life outside of work and the gym for once haha.

Very rushed in writing the above, but there is a lot I want to talk about and go into details on. I'm really excited about my workouts I'm currently doing and improving my conditioning. However, time for me is very limited and just like now, I got a hundred things to do before I can get to bed so I gotta jump off here. Till next time.

Back & Biceps & my home gym is growing!

Lifting

Back & Biceps
5/3/1 deloading week

bent over row 3x5
dead lift 3x5
chin ups 3x5

* Deloading week of 5/3/1 program. I missed my first workout of the week monday which was chest/triceps. So this is the start, deloading week uses roughly 40-50% of my usual weight. Also, I added in deadlifts and chinups. I'm not 100% but the deadlifts may be making their way back into my routine soon.

--

I added to my home equiptment by purchasing something I've been wanting for quite some time now.. a pullup/chinup/dip station (TKO brand). Its awesome and I got it at a great price from work. I'm limited on space but it fits in the garage just fine.

My home gym so far..

* weight bench
* weight plates, barbell, ezbar, dumbbells
* stationary cycle
* heavy bag (2)
* agility ladder, balance board
* pullup/chinup/dip station

I know I'm forgetting something I just have that feeling haha. Anyway, thats the main stuff, I have a ton of gear as well that I'm not going to list out.

Conditioning; Boxing, Cardio

After a few days off I'm back to training, although I don't really feel any fresher than the start of my break haha.

I got up late and had some things to do so I missed Jiu Jitsu in the morning and am really mad about that. Now I'm either just going to make it once this week or have to get up early saturday before work and go in and I rarely accomplish that. Anyway..

Pre-workout meal; chicken Pad Thai (whole grain pasta with chicken and veggies), 2 apples, green tea

Training

Rounds of boxing

round 1; heavy bag x 3 min (focusing on combos)
round 2; shadow boxing & slip bag x 2 min
round 3; heavy bag x 3 min (focusing on power)
round 4; shadow boxing & slip bag x 2 min
round 5; heavy bag x 3 min (focusing on speed)
round 6; kicks on heavy bag x 2 min
round 7; heavy bag x 2 min with pullups/chin ups mixed in
round 8; shadow boxing x 3 min with sprawls

= 20 mins total time (not including warmup,cooldown which was 5 mins each light heavy bag work and things like jumping jacks)

Stationary Cycle

3 min warmup

20 mins @ 70-80% mhr (aerobic)

3 min cooldown

Core/Neck

bicycle crunches x 250
reverse crunches x 50

neck bridges x 50
reverse neck bridges x 50

Post-workout meal; muscle milk shake, 2 sandwiches

Morning Cardio, then Evening lifting & core work

Morning

Cardio


Dynamic stretching

Stationary Cycle

3 min warmup

25 mins @ 70-80% mhr (135-155bpm)

3 min cool down

Post-workout (which is my usual breakfast too)

shake (1 1/2 cup oats, 1 scoop whey, 1 tsp olive oil)
1 cup strawberries and 1 cup pineapple

Evening

Pre-workout

muscle milk shake

5 min warmup on cycle

1 light set of lunges
1 light set of front squats

5/3/1 Leg day

Hack squat 3x5,3,1

(and thats it for tonight, since its a late night and I'm wore out, next week I plan on adding back in lunges along with my usual hack squats and SLDL)

Core

Bicycle crunch
Side bend
Around the worlds
Plate swings

and I end the workout with 5 mins of intense shadow boxing

Post-workout

shake (1 1/2 cup oats, 1 scoop whey)

Static stretching

Cardio

Simple post. I usually don't update if its just cardio but I keep losing track of how many times I do it when I don't. Thats why I keep this for after all, just to log workouts. Although, I would like to work on some articles of training, and my personal methods and theories - but that will come at a later time. I am really intersted in writing those type things but IDK where I will post it for sure. I would like to detail some of my workouts, and why I do what I do. Maybe down the road.. soon.

Cardio

30 mins; run

and the standard end of the night 15-20 mins of stretching and some balance work

Lifting, BJJ

5/3/1 Shoulders

OH press 3x5,3,1
Upright row 3x5-7

-

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

* Really have to start spreading my calories out better. Everytime I start upping calories I run into this problem at first. I'm really tired of being stuck right before bed with a ton of calories still to go, so I tomorrow I have to remember that and eat more during the day!

BJJ, Cardio

Noon

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Evening

Cardio; 30 mins

Shadow boxing

Stretching

5/3/1 Lifting

5/3/1 Program
Back

bent over row 3x5,3,1
curl 3x6-8

Shadow boxing 5x3min

bicycle crunch x 250

--

On heavy lifting days I lift 30-45mins and no more. I keep my exercises at 2-3 per day due to time and to focus on the main exercises instead of rush around trying to do more. Quality over quantity.

--

I will be adding more boxing specific work for cardio/conditioning. I will be adding in things like shadow boxing, heavy bag work, and more core work. More info on that soon, kinda rushed - lots of calories left to eat and its getting late :(.

Rest, Relaxation

The subject sums it up. Although, I'm not doing a good job at either. Taking the day off training, but work sucked as usual. I am keeping my eyes open to find a job with better hours. It has gotten really old trying to squeeze tiny workouts before and after work, while rushing everything in my daily life. There is no need for this if it can be avoided, so it doesnt hurt to look around for something new. I also have to work my day off as well, which is Tuesday. I refused to go in and put in 9-10 hrs though, I told them I could not be there till 2. This way I can go to my BJJ class in the morning atleast. Everything else (like a ton of errands like haircut,etc) will have to wait even longer to get done. Between this and being broke with no end in sight, the only thing I'm doing lately is stressing. We have a pull up/chin up/dip station at work that I'd really like to have in my garage, then I could finally add pullups to my routine and I can get it really cheap - however, I still don't even have that $$ lol. I also really need to buy a couple more 25lb plates. My next 5/3/1 will probably include the deadlift which has been absent from my lifting routines for quite some time, but if I'm going to do it I need to do it big and have the proper amount of weight to lift. IDK if my post or sentences even sound right because I'm tired, spaced out, and thinking about 300 things at one time as I'm trying to write this :). But anyway..

This coming week I want to..

- Improve my diet (less cheating, more fruits/veggies)
- Get my cardio back on track
- Continue to lift heavy and progress with the 5/3/1 program
- Make BJJ twice hopefully!
- Atleast one heavy bag workout added in at some point
- Continue to improve flexibility with new exercises

So, lets see what I can accomplish.

Lifting, Cardio

Lifting chest/tricep

warmup; dynamic stretching and light warmup sets

Bench press 3x3
CG press 3x6-8

Cardio

30 mins

Core

bicycle crunch x 250

** Well, I had a lot of plans today, including BJJ class but other things came up and I got back home too late. I threw together a quick lifting routine though atleast. I had a cheat meal today, but my diet hasnt been the best of late so I'm feeling really guilty about my lack of discipline lately in training and my nutrition. I gotta get back on track!

Cardio

Pre-workout meal

4 oz chicken
1 cup whole grain pasta
carrots, greens, strawberries
green tea

Cardio

3 min warmup

30 mins 70-80% mhr

3 min cooldown

static stretching

Post-workout meal

gatorade
followed 15 mins later by..
shake (1 cup oats, 1 scoop whey)

work work work, and some lifting & cardio

Weds

Lifting 5/3/1 leg

hack squat 3x3
sldl 3x8-10

Tues (late post)

cardio; 30 mins

** as usual, no time to do anything, squeezing small workouts in before and after work that amount to very little, always rushing everything and cant even get my days off to go to classes because something always comes up at work.. I will do my best to get up earlier than my shift to do atleast 20-25 mins cardio in the morning. If so sprints will be after work. Sigh.

Shoulder day

Shoulder day
5/3/1

oh press 3x3
upright row 3x8,6,6
rear lateral fly 3x12

Core

bicycle crunch x 200

shadow boxing 3x3 min rounds

Lifting

warmup cardio 5mins, 2 light sets 20 reps

lifting
5/3/1 back day

bent over row 3x5
curl 3x6-8

neck

bridge
reverse bridge

BJJ mobility drills
shadow boxing

Cardio

Morning

Cardio

25 mins 70-80% mhr

Evening

Sprints

1x45sec
5x1min
5x30sec

bicycle crunches x 150

Tues & Weds

Tues (late post)

cardio

30 mins

heavy bag

five 2 min rounds

Weds

lifting

bench press 3x5
cg press 3x6-8

brazilian jiu-jitsu

Lifting & Core/Neck

** Its time to get rededicated on all of my lifting/cardio/conditioning/etc. I realize the only time I take a beating is when I get tired, so I need to do everything I can to prevent that from happening. I realize I can't stay in peak shape all the time, and a fight is the important part, but I want to stay in as good as shape as possible for training. I want to put on a good show at all times. Thats why I have stayed out of MMA for awhile, my injuries are still persistant but now I'm just avoiding them because I want my conditoning to improve and want to do more skill work which although I get a bit at that class, its not as much as I want or need. Lots of sparring is NOT needed for me at the moment. Technique and drilling reps is. I will be hiring a boxing coach next month. Can't wait.

Legs 5/3/1

warmup; 3 mins cardio, dyamic stretching, 2 sets light weight front squats

Hack squat 3x5
SLDL 3x8-10

Core & Neck

Bicycle crunch 1x100

Neck bridge 2x25
Reverse neck bridge + side to side 2x25

cooldown; 3 mins cardio, dynamic & static stretching

**

I love this 5/3/1 program. Dropping my reps and putting more effort (not as much as I should, I gotta buy more weight plates..) into the pounds is paying off. I feel so much stronger already. I'm noticing I'm adding a lot of weight to my accessory execises and having easier times doing other exercises as well. I started adding calories very slowly and will hit 3000 daily starting tonight. I dont know if I'll even out or add weight tho since I'm doing quite a bit of cardio, it takes a lot of calories even at my size.

Complex

Warmup

dynamic stretching
5 mins cardio

Plate Circuit

5x
60 sec rest

Overhead Squat x 8
Swings (like kettlebell swings) x 8
Bentover Row x 8
Reverse Lunge and Twist x 8 total
Diagonal Chops x 8 each side

Cooldown

3 mins cardio
stretching

**

I really love this plate circuit. Explosive moments, hitting grip strength, core strength and the obvious others. It is from Nick Tumminello. This is one of the workouts like many other complexes I do, that seperates the men from the boys.

Fri late update

Lifting - shoulders

oh press 3x5
upright row 3x5

Cardio; 20 mins

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Lifting, core, neck & more accessory work

Back

week 4
5/3/1 deloading phase (50-60% weight)

bent over row 3x5
sldl 5x5
curl 5x5

Core

* supersetted the curls with barbell roll outs each time

around the world
side bend
weighted crunch

Neck

neck bridge
reverse neck bridge + side to side
weighted neck bridge

Misc

weighted glute bridge
shoulder dislocation & more rotator cuff work

Cardio & Lifting

Morning

Cardio; 20 mins

Evening

5/3/1 week 4 deloading

chest/triceps

bench press 3x5
cg press 3x5

core

ab roll out
bicycle crunch

Cardio, Lifting & Rodrigo Gracie seminar

Morning

Cardio; 20 mins

Evening

Lifting - Squat day

Hack squat 3x5,3,1

* 'I'm not doing jack shit' version of leg day.. again lol. Time is low - its late, and I don't want to be sore (or more than I will be) for Rodrigo Gracie's seminar tomorrow.

** Haven't been posting when I just do cardio but I'm going to try and remember to post on those days too, just to help keep track so I don't forget how many times I do my aerobic conditioning.

I still want to up my times doing sprints, bag work, and barbell complexes. Things have been hectic to say the least. If I can't find time to do atleast 2 sets of sprints a week I will add back in tabata sprints after my aerobic sessions. Atleast once or twice a week. I will do one full set of sprints no matter what each week.

Rodrigo Gracie seminar tomorrow! IDK if I'll make a post about it or not tho, I've started a BJJ only blog and have a post in it so far, Its on here but I don't remember the exact link, I'll post it later.

Training

Noon

BJJ Mobility drills
Dynamic stretching

5/3/1 Shoulders

Over-head press 3x5,3,1
Upright row 3x6-8

Neck

Various neck bridges

Evening

Cardio 20 mins 70-80% mhr

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Lifting - Back 5/3/1

Lifting - Heavy

5/3/1
3rd week

Back

bent over row 3x5,3,1

one arm row 3x12,10,8
sldl 3x12,10,8
ezbar curl 2x12

barbell ab rollout 3x
plate side bend 2x

punch reps/shadow boxing with light dbs

stretching

** I'm hoping my wrist will be ok enough to get back to some heavier curls next time. This is the first time I've been able to do curls in like a month tho, so I'm happy :). I was kinda distracted and my mind was on other things tonight. It was pretty late when I started lifting too. Anyway, wasn't a bad workout. Should be doing deadlifts instead of bent over rows while on the 5/3/1 and doing the bent over rows as assistance on this program. Tonight was more of a volumne than usual too, I just felt in the mood to do the extra tonight.

Barbell complex & Sprints

Pre-workout

1 1/2 cup pasta, 3 slices wholegrain bread, 12 oz green tea

1 cup coffee

Warm up

dynamic stretching
mobility drills

Complex

bent over row
upright row
front squat
overhead press
back squat
sldl

6 sets; 60 sec rest between sets

Sprints

6 x 30 sec ; 30 sec rest between sets

Post-workout

shake (1 1/2 cup oats, 1 scoop whey)

Cardio and Squats

Cardio

20 mins 70-80%

Leg 5/3/1

Hack squats 3 x 3,3,5


* Yeah, thats it, work has been taking up most of my time and other errands have been taking my mornings so I've been having to do my cardio late at night. I decided to do the main lift in my 5/3/1 on leg day and do it a day early. I'm trying to get a day of rest in sometime but IDK if that is going to happen. Cardio tomorrow and HOPEFULLY time for sprints. I need to do more sprints!! After BJJ weds night, we rolled a lot to prepare for Rodrigo Gracies seminar. My cardio was great! I didnt get tired at all, no muscles were wore out, wasn't breathing hard or sweating much. I've been noticing this quite a bit lately. I've been staying very active while rolling too, not stalling at any point. I love this! For the longest time it seemed like, It was always do a good job then boom gassed out and submitted. Same in boxing, do good briefy then I'd get tired and eat punches till class or sparring was over. It's nice that all my extra cardio and time spent conditioning is paying off. I have to try to get atleast 2 sessions of sprinting in per week though, I really have to make time for that. I could be doing a lot more than what I am, and recently have dropped my tabata sprints 4x a week to 1x if that, and my 30min aerbic cardio to 20 mins. I done so to make time for longer sprinting sessions, barbell complexes, and skill work - so I have to make sure I'm doing all those things.

- Also I need to make sure I'm pushing the weight in this routine I'm doing. I couldve went way past 3 reps I feel tonight but didn't.

- Been making more BJJ classes and really happy about it. BJJ is def. going to be my bread and butter. On weeks like this, I have to try my best and get up early to go to classes before work on Saturday. I hope I can.

- Lots more to talk about, but rushed of course and need to try to get some sleep tonight, tomorrow is going to be a long day. 1pm-10pm shifts Fri and Sat.

Lifting and BJJ

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Chest 5/3/1

Bench press; 3x3
CG press; 3x 6-8

Neck

Bridge 5x
Reverse bridge 5x

** Wrist has all but stopped me from doing arm work, the CG presses hurt pretty badly IDK if I'll regret going through with them or not. Still can't curl, and all of my compounds are limited in weight due to my wrist giving out first. Thats why my lifting schedule has been pretty low lately, although the 5/3/1 I'm doing is made that way anyway. Still, I'm not able to push the weight I want to be.

Cardio & Core

Cardio

20 mins

Core

ab roll out 5 x

side bend 5 x

**
My main core exercise is the ab roll out without a doubt. I love this exercise, and a lot of other people do for very good reason. It really is a great core/ab exercise. I like side bends holding on to a plate or dumbbell as well. I really get a great burn from it. I kinda ignore my obliques but I'm going to try to remember to add in some side bends from now on. I like the exercise, I just usually dont put the time in on it. I'm hoping it will help strengthen my sides up a bit to protect against rib injuries a bit, IDK if it will, but its gotta help some.

Core wise, the only exercises I do time and time again are roll outs and bicycle crunches. I do have a 6 min circuit I do from time to time that hits the abs from many different exercises/angles that I like, I just don't do often. I try to do some weighted crunches and leg scissors, side crunches, reverse crunches, etc - but don't always get around to them. So I just gotta remember to pick up my core work a bit, although I don't feel a huge need to, I want to make sure I'm covering all my bases. Heavy compounds lifting and the mma (bjj/boxing) work I do hits them hard as well. Thats why you won't see a ton of specialized core work in my routines. So like I said, I don't really feel a need to add in anything else core wise, I just want to make sure I don't start skipping on things.

Shoulder Day & Cardio

Shoulders

OH press; 3x 5
Upright row; 5x 8-10

Cardio

20 mins 70-80% mhr

* My wrist is still limiting what I can do and how much weight I can push. Its really getting irritating and hoping it heals soon but it still hasnt. Probably something similar to what I did with my foot, and its just going to take quite a bit of time before its ok.

Barbell Complex & Sprints

Barbell Complex

Row
Clean
Front Squat
Military Press
Back Squat
Good Mornings

5 x 8
45-60 sec rest between sets

Sprints

3 x 45 sec
rest determined by heart rate

Core

Crunch x 50
Reverse crunch x 50
Bicycle crunch x 100

Rest day & Lifting routine/schedule

Somewhat anyway, I took it on a long and late work day. My body is feeling ok though and mentally I'm still pretty fresh. It's still important to make sure you rest from time to time, after 3-4 days of intense training, its probably a good ideal to take a day off. I usually get 1 a week, but not always. My day off will usually be active rest or some kind of accessory work.

I'm sticking with the 5/3/1 lifting routine for awhile more than likely but nothing is set in stone. I'm following it pretty close though and doing the different varieties in it. My main lifts will stay in the 5-3-1 scheme and I will do 1-2 accessory lifts with 6-10 reps for the most part. I have put together my next routine already when I do change from the 5/3/1. The 5/3/1 has so many different things in it and is made for long term progress, so I can stay fresh on it for a long time if I choose. I added links a couple blogs ago with the 5/3/1 program so if you aren't familiar with it you can check one of those links out and learn more.

5/3/1

Legs

Hack squat 3 x 5
Lunge 3-5 x 8-12 (or SLDL's)

Chest & Triceps

Bench press 3 x 5
CG press 3-5 x 6-10

Back & Biceps

Bent over row 3 x 5
Curl 3-5 x 6-10
(possible addition of SLDL unless I decide to move them to leg day)

Shoulders

OH press 3 x 5
Upright row 3 x 6-10

**
The 3 x 5 of course changes to 3 the 2nd week, 5-3-1 the 3rd, and a deloading phase the 4th week. Thats just an ideal of what I will be doing. Exercises change as I see fit. I'm including the base of what I will be doing, the main lift, and an accessory exercise I feel is a must. I will add in a 2nd accessory exercise when I have time, but I'm not too worried about it - The main compound lifts are whats important. I will be lifting 3 days, so each week one muscle group will be left out, since it rotates in the program.

As for the back day, I'm not 100% on it yet. I'm interested in adding back in deads soon. If not the SLDL will be making their way back into it. One way or the other, I gotta make sure my lower back gets hit. So, back day will probably have 3 exercises in it unless I cut out lunges and add SLDL into my leg day, which is a possibility. For me, SLDL really hit my lower back and a lot less on my hamstrings, but theres not reason they can't be worked with legs. People are kinda conflicted on this issue, and its up to the individual, it fits fine in either day - kinda like the debate on pullovers in chest or back day.
**

Possible next lifting routine will be a 3 day split meshed between my previous 2x push/pull workout split in 3 days and a little bit of the 5/3/1 theory added into it. It will either be a push/leg/pull routine, or a chest/tricep, legs/shoulders, back/biceps routine. Of course, IDK when I will start it, becuase I may run the 5/3/1 just for a month or two, or for several months.

Cardio

Cardio

warmup; 5 mins

20 mins 70-80% mhr

sprints

5 x 30 sec
2 x 1 min

cooldown; 5 mins

stretching

shoulder (RC) exercises

Training

Dynamic stretching
Mobility & BJJ drills

Lifting, Chest/Tricep

Bench press; 3x5
Bench press; (50%) 3x 10-15
DB incline press; 3x 5-6

Cardio

20 mins

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

GI; 1 hour
No-GI; 30 mins

Static stretching, balance and accessory work

30 mins

* Things were kinda rushed together, as I usually split workouts up quite a bit but today was just a little different. Now on this new workout routine I have a lifting day on weds, so I will usually do that around noon and possibly take weds off cardio because of BJJ/MMA on weds nights. This will also give me a break right in the middle of the week from cardio, so I can do it mon,tues,thurs,fri. No sprints yet this week because I'm really sore still from the good leg workout and been spending my time doing skill work. I hope cutting down on the tabata which I used to do 3x a week doesnt hurt my cardio too much. I'm planning on only doing them once or twice and adding in longer sprinting sessions to replace them. Everything is subject to change of course, just trying out new stuff and seeing what improves my conditioning and what does not.

Also, CG presses will be my usual still in my chest/tricep routine, but my wrist is still hurting and limited me a bit on my pressing so I didn't bother with the close grips today. Hopefully my wrist will heal up this week, 'cuz this is getting old. I will be modifying the 5/3/1 routine to fit me better as time goes on. If I don't have the time, I won't do the 5 sets on the extra exercises, etc. I may end up changing the routine to 6-8 reps and just do a progressing style like I have been. Either way I will use a lot of the parts of this program becuase a lot of it I really like. Like most things, take what fits you best, and add it in and modify your existing routines and cut out what you dont need.

BJJ, Cardio, pre and post nutrition for the day

Noon

Pre-workout nutrition; shake (1 1/2 cup oats, 1 scoop whey, 1 tsp olive oil), followed 15 mins later with 1 cup coffee

Dynamic stretching

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu; 1 hour 15 mins GI class
No-GI rolling; 30 mins

Post-workout nutrition; 16 oz green tea, 3 slices whole grain toast w/ natural honey, 2 organic eggs, 1 cup blueberries

Evening

Pre-workout nutrition; 4 oz tilipia lightly coated with parmesan, 2 cups~ diced baked red potatoes, baby spinach & carrots - followed 15mins with 1 cup coffee

Dynamic stretching

Neck strength

Neck bridge
Reverse neck bridge

Weighted neck flexion
Weighted reverse neck flexion
Weighted neck flexion

Cardio

20 mins 70-80% mhr

Static stretching
Balance & balance board work

Post-workout; shake (1 cup oats, 1 scoop whey)

5/3/1 program and new routine!

5/3/1 program

Squat

Hack squat 3 x 5,5,8
Lunge 3x 12-15
Ab roll out 5x 10+

I dont really have the amount of weights to hit a good 5 reps so next week's 3 reps is going to be actually light. I could be hitting 12 reps with the weight I used tonight I think. Which is good considering my weight and how much weight I had on the barbell, but I'll leave it a secret :). Im strapped for cash at this point in time, so its going to be awhile before I can buy a couple more plates to add on. Until then, I guess this will just have to do.

The 5/3/1 program

I'm not into following programs or other peoples routines at all. I do the basics to build muscle and strength for fighting. However, I have been keeping my eye on this program for awhile now and been reading and reading about it. People seem to love it, and I really like its ideal. If you are interested in it, just do some research and you will learn all you need to know about it. Here is some info on it..

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=112382761

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/hardcore-look-at-jim-wendlers-5-3-1-powerlifting-system.html

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/how_to_build_pure_strength


Anyway, I think I'm going to really like this workout. So I will be switching to the 3 day version of it. I really feel this will keep things fresh for me for a long time because I can constantly change my accessory exercises, how many of them, and use the other templates. Like one of them you do the main lift, then again at 50%, then just one accessory. Or you can do the main lift and 2 accessorys like I did tonight. I'm new to it so I have to find my groove on it. I will be doing the 5 sets instead of 3 for the accessorys, I messed that part up tonight but no big deal.

----
Boring But Big. Main lift, the main lift again @ 5x10 (50% 1RM), and another accessory exercise for 5 sets.
The Triumvirate. Main lift, and two assistance exercises - 5 sets each.
I'm Not Doing Jack Shit. Main lift, and nothing else.
Periodization Bible by Dave Tate. Main lift, and 3 exercises - 5 x 10-20 reps each.
Bodyweight. Main lift, and 2 bodyweight exercises such as the pull up, sit ups, dips, etc.
-----

That is part of the ways you can do the routine. The boring but big and the Triumvirate interests me the most. The bodyweight version will be helpful too, like adding pushups to the chest day or dips. Very helpful.

I can't say how much I'm excited about this routine!!

My 2 day push/pull was getting really really stale and my gains were gone a long time ago. I will also be upping my calories slowly again. This is the best time to start putting weight back on, with a new routine, and pushing more weight than I ever did before. I really need to get up some $$ to add about 50lbs or more on my barbell though.

Soo... its looking like this will be my routine (loosely defined, work/time and training changes things) although just a rough draft, and the days they are performed on are subject to change too.

Mon- 5/3/1, cardio
Tues- cardio, sprints
Weds- 5/3/1, cardio
Thurs- cardio, sprints
Fri- 5/3/1
Sat- rest
Sun - sprints/complexes/circuits

Core work will be added 2-3x a week
Neck and other accessory work will be worked on 1-2x a week
Stretching will be everyday for flexibility
Cardio will be 4x a week (aerobic)
Sprints will be 3x a week (anaerobic)
Muscle endurance complex/circuits will be 1-2x a week

One full rest day each week, if feeling really wore out, then 2 or atleast 1 rest, 1 active rest

Just an ideal of what I will be doing.. not including training/skill work or accessory work.

Cardio and Pull day

Morning

Cardio
20 mins

Evening

Pull

Bent over row; 3x 8-10
SLDL; 3x 8-12
Upright row; 3x 6-8

** My wrist is messed up for some reason, which just adds to my string of bad luck lately. Lets see, a cracked rib, a cold, and a sprained wrist (IDK for sure whats wrong with it, just going by how it feels). I skipped my curls due to it, and with a good wrist support I was able to get by the other exercises, and although I upped weight just like last push day, I wasnt able to go as high as I could. I plan on upping the weight even more in my main exercises, because its def. time for that. I will start upping my calories slowly as well. So, hoping my wrist and ribs are much better in a few days time, next week's training will be moving me in a positive direction in gaining more muscle mass.


And late..

Weds

Cardio

20 mins

sprints 5 x 30 sec

Cardio & Heavy Push day

Morning

Cardio

20 mins 70-80% mhr

Evening

Push

Bench press; 3x 6-8
CG press; 2x 6-8
OH press; 3x 8-10
Hack squat; 3x 6-8

**
Well, its really nice to be back working out. I will know if my ribs are ok in the morning :). I done as well as I expected coming off from a couple weeks off. Really looking to up the weights after this.

I decided to cut my usual 4x a week 30 min aerobic conditioning part to 20min 4-5x a week. The 30 mins were getting dull and very boring, so I'm hoping this helps my motivation and I'm not expecting a huge difference in my conditioning just knocking a little time off. That why I'm going to shoot to do a 5th day as much as possible. This is also being done to make more time for sprints and anaerobic work. I hope my ribs hold up and want to get my cardio back up and hopefully improved before I'm back to MMA work. I will be returning to BJJ tomorrow probably but will more than likely skip out on any rolling. I just hope the technique portion is going to be OK for my ribs, its really hard to train much of anything grappling wise with a rib damaged. I hope I don't regret trying.

Slowly getting back into training..

Doing what I can without hurting my rib.

I have done cardio a couple other times just havent posted them.

--

Cardio

20 mins 70-80% mhr
tabata sprints

Stretching & balance work

Neck bridge
Reverse neck bridge


Well, thats about it :)

Cardio, Injury, New routines/nutrition stuff

So far this week..

Mon; rest
Tues; cardio 30mins / tabata sprints
Weds; cardio 30mins / tabata sprints
Thurs; cardio 20 mins / tabata sprints

Now on to the new stuff..

So, no I havent became lazy and quit working out, but I did suffer yet another cracked rib (or seperated but I do believe its cracked). This marks my 4th rib injury now. I skipped all BJJ/MMA training and anything else that requires contact or core work. This is not as bad as a rib injury as it was last time which knocked me out for months from everything because I'm able to lift for the most part and do cardio still. I'll take what I can get becuase last time I wasnt able to do anything at all. It does hurt of course but so far I'm ok and havent hurt it worse nor is it the type of pain that feels like I'm doing further damage. Anyway, not a total loss and I'm going to stay postive because I'm getting a bit burnt out of things and training didnt go well last time I went to classes anyway, which is also why my rib is hurt now. I really want to get back to training though and want to learn more and more. I love learning techniques and repping old ones over and over. This is something I don't get enough of and that sucks. Even at classes I'm not getting enough really out of them, just a lot of sparring time which I could get on my own.. for free. :). But anyway, I do come away with some new stuff so I'm sticking with it for now. Training once a week is never going to get me where I want to be though so soon as I can I need to do my best to make more BJJ classes and get more boxing in on the side with training partners I trust a bit more. Yes, I'm a little bitter about this.

I am redoing my cardio routine which is the new stuff part of this post. The 30 mins 4x a week is very very stale to me and I need something different. Nothing is in stone, and it will probably vary week from week or atleast every now and then to keep things fresh. So far the plan is to go for 5x a week @ 20 mins in the aerobic zone. Right after I finish the 20 mins I will go into my tabata sprints as usual. This will switch up just a bit and I will probably keep my sprints down to 3-4x a week instead of 5x but I'm not for sure yet. Cutting down to 20 mins will keep some of the boredom away from 30mins, and will still be a good workout. I think the 30 mins 4 days is just burning me right out and fast too. Doing some research and to what other fighters do I think the 20mins will work a lot better for me. Tabata sprints will be the majority of the type of sprinting I do but I will also switch it up a bit with 30sec sprints and rests varied on my heartrate and using my THR to further maximize my cardio training. I can also use this to cycle intensity a bit, and lower my heartrate hopefully during rests to mimic rounds. The more you learn, the less you usually do because you cut out a lot of stuff that you didn't need to begin with. You also pick up a few additions here and there that are valuable.


Cardio run/sprints 5x a week (majority done on a cycle as usual)
Heavy weight training (strength/size) 2x a week (possibly going to a 3 day split down the road)
Endurance weight training (circuit/complex) 1-2x a week

Core 2-3x a week (2 roll outs or a weighted core execise following heavy days and a 3rd day of more endurance types like bicycle crunches or circuits)
Neck/other accessory (farmers walk/glute bridge/etc) 1-2x a week (usually will keep to once a week to save time for other workouts but its rather easy to add in some of these exercises here and there so I'm not for sure yet)

--
Also I'm stepping my nutrition up a bit as I've realized a few flaws and have corrected those. Otherwise my diet is basically the same, just with some better foods and more organic choices now.

Ratios

Carbs 60%
Pro 20%
Fat 20%

Carbs; oats, brown rice, whole grain bread
Pro; tuna, chicken, whey powder, eggs
Fat; olive oil, nuts, peanut butter

Anyway, I have a lot more to talk about but its late and I need to get to bed, so.. peace :)

Push day

Yes, I'm doing it a day early this week.

Bench press 3x 6-8
CG press 2x 6-8
Over head press 3x 8-10
Hack squat 3x 8-10


* Need to move up in weight next time in overhead press, and hack squat. Atleast 10lbs extra on the hack squat.

** I took a few days off this weekend and last of the week last time so thats why no posts. I also forgot to update a few things. Wednesday at BJJ/MMA I busted my nose a bit and hurt my rib again so I had to take some time to heal up. My rib isn't that bad but its going to keep me away from contact for a bit, I highly doubt I go to MMA this week and might not go to BJJ. Someones weight on me in rolling or even technique drilling may hurt it worse and make the small injury into a big one. Of course, I'm no stranger to hurt ribs as this makes the 3rd time I've cracked one or seperated it.

So I've been taking it easy and will continue to for a bit. I am really burnt out on everything anyway. I'm always stressing and worrying about workouts and spend most of my free time making sure I'm getting the right amount of cardio, weight training, skill training, etc in. It's a lot to deal with when you work shitty hours and a lot of them. I'm not giving up on anything, I think I have a good future in fighting if I choose it. I'm not meaning to sound unsure about it, but I want to take a step back and relax a bit. If I don't, I will burn myself completely out in the long run. There is no reason to rush things and I have plenty of time to learn and get my training in. A week or two break here and there won't hurt me, Its time to RELAX and have a life outside of all of this. I know for a long time Ive talked about how bad I've wanted this and how I felt I was meant for it. But, all of the effort wears thin on anything after awhile no matter how much you love it. I just need some rest here and there and I'm not going to feel guilty about it anymore. If this is something I decide not to do down the road, I tell you, it will be GREAT just lifting a few times a week and doing cardio a few times and nothing else haha. No more circuits, sprints, this and that and this and that to make sure my bases are covered - just lifting and some cardio.

Anyway enough rambling. I just need a break from intense training 6-7x a week. I'm not even looking forward to mma classes anymore it seems I hit road blocks here and there and on top of that get injured from hard sparring all the time and I really want to focus on more technique at this point in time. Part of that is the pressure I put on myself to always do great even when I spar against people with a lot more experience and size on me. But IDK, maybe will start looking into a new gym down the road that possibly fits me better.

Cardio, Notes & Thoughts

I split my push workout up between yesterday and today due to time and feeling a bit under the weather last night. The only exercise I skipped was squats due to soreness. Hamstring is feeling really tight lately so I need to take some extra time with recovery for awhile.

I also dropped my calories all the way to 2500 now. My weight is slightly under 130 and I'm getting really lean. Of course I like this, I love how I look, and well, very confident arounds girls haha. Anyway, my weight is way too low though and I could still drop a few lbs. Not happy with that part at all. I want to be 135 ripped! Walking around over 140 at that. The fact that I was close to 145 in my bulk, means I didn't do a very good job at all. I lost probably 10 lbs off my bench press yesterday and was very weak in it almost losing balance pressing upwards. Not good, I need to refocus on my weight lifting and make sure I'm making and keeping strength gains during bulks/cuts. My plan is to stay lean for a little while then start going up 100 cals every 2 weeks. This will hopefully be a slow enough move I can gain as much muscle and little fat as possible. I don't plan on doing anymore 3-4 month bulks/cuts. My gains kept was too small, something needed to be changed this time. I'm still really interested in cutting out any arm work even though it is needed. I want to simply do 3 exercises a workout, 2 workouts, and keep them strictly compound. IDK what I will do though, not at the moment haha kinda scattered actually.

Now onto the late night cardio..

Pre-workout; egg omelette, toast, honey
Post-workout; shake (1 cup oats, 1 scoop whey)

Cycle

30 mins 70-80%
tabata sprints

Farmers walk

Off to the usual stretching and balance work. Need to remember to keep doing ab workouts since I missed my barbell rollouts yesterday. I'm loving roll outs and they will continue to be in my routine. I will usually add them twice a week following my heavy days. I also really enjoy working my neck too and will continue to do that atleast twice a week for now but plan on tapering off to once a week and make a sorta grappling routine. Thats basically what I do now I just dont call it that, but my grappling condition is usually neck work, some core, glute raises, mobility drills, and grip work. Speaking of which, I want to add farmers walks once or twice a week probably after my heavy days as well. Since I didnt yesterday I added them in tonight. I'm trying to get as much work done as possible during days so I can take a little more time to myself and have 1-2 full rest days. Since I'm usually only working out once a day on days I work, it will be more beneficial to do things like that after heavy lifting days.

Grappling circuit and Neck training

Neck

neck bridge 2x
reverse neck bridge 2x
weighted neck flexion 3x
reverse neck flexion 3x

Barbell complex

Row
Clean
Front Squat
Military Press
Back Squat
SLDL

6 sets, 8 reps each, 45-60 sec rest between sets

Core

DB side bends 3x
bicycle crunches x 50

Easy day and notes

Morning

Cardio; 30 mins

Evening

The usual flexibility and balance work. Every night usually right before bed I will through on some meditation music and do my static stretching routine and balance work. The stretching part focuses heavily on hamstrings and also some yoga work for the back, etc. I also do a stretches for the chest and other areas that most people often overlook. My goal here is simple, to maintain and increase flexibility for grappling/fighting. I pride myself in my natural given talents, one being flexibility. I've just recently starting actually working on it. I've added in some yoga work at the end of my stretching routine that focuses on balance which also helps in fighting when it comes to stances and if someone catches one of my kicks or grabs a single leg on me. It can really do wonders for take down defense if you have great balance. My balance isn't bad, but its not great either so this is going to improve things a lot for me. I do quite a bit of work on one leg at a time, then after I'm done I switch to a balance board and repeat the same routine on it to make things harder.

I look forward to this routine every night, it relaxes my mind and body and helps recovery. Since I've started doing this I feel a lot better overrall. Usually it lasts 15-20mins or upwards to 30 mins, just depending on time and so on. I'm always studying and learning new stretches and things to add in and as I do I condense down and remove some ones I consider less effective. I'm always shooting for the biggest bang for my buck. Time is important!

- So today is kinda a rest day since I planned on doing a series of sprints or a barbell complex after work but didn't get around to it. I plan on watching the UFC replay of Penn fighting Sanchez and then after doing my stretching routine and calling it a night.

- I've recently changed programs I use to track calories to Fitday and figured I'd give it another shout out here. It is really a great program, I use the older version but they have v 2 out now so I might consider getting it in the near future. It is great so if you are in the market for something to keep track of calories, its the program to get.

- My calories are currently at 2500 or less. My weight is around 130 and since I dropped to 2500 or so I'm much leaner already. I really feel I carry a bit of a bloat to my stomach expecially the lower ab area and I'm not happy with it. However, I want to fight at 135 and should be working on building more muscle instead of cutting this long. So.. I'm not happy that I'm cutting but I want to get lean as possible before I start bulking. I will very very slowly bring my cals up and work on putting on mass that way this time. I want to walk around 140-145 and will stay there once I'm there just cutting 5-10lbs to 135. I'm afraid I wont be lean till close to 125 tho and I don't want to drop under 130 honestly. We will see I guess, I will drop a little under 130 but not far because its too far away from my goal weight. I didn't do the cleanest bulk last time though thats for sure, because I've cut from 141 and was hoping to be much leaner than I am at 130.

Pull workout

Pull workout

Bent over row; 3x 8-10
Upright row; 3x 6-8
Curl; 2x 8-10

Core

Ab roll out; 3x 10+


* Planning on adding back in deadlifts soon - probably next week. My left leg is shot at the moment after absorbing a few leg kicks but I made him pay for it with a RNC afterwards though lol. I don't know if I will do full 3 sets though like I do with the other main compounds. There is a good chance I will add in one set at the end of my pull workout aiming for 6 reps or so. Either way I will probably be cutting out SLDLs for good for awhile. If I only do one set of deads I'd be tempted to keep in a couple sets of the SLDL but IDK. I'm not a big fan of doing them heavy but they will have their place in my routine through circuits and when I do high reps. I really want to only do 3 exercises per workout but split between 2 days its hard to do that without skipping something. I've thought about doing a 3 day split but I just don't want to have 3 days set for lifting. Time is really important. I will continue to focus on my cardio and conditioning but heavy lifting for strength and gaining muscle mass is still high on my list and will be for a long time to come. Far away from my goal weight..

Notes

- Need to move up in weight by about 10lbs on my bent over rows.
- Need to drop weight a little in my upright rows and focus on full range of motion
- EZbar curls are doing fine, need to focus on form though and probably move up about 5 lbs

Cardio

Cardio

dynamic stretching

5 min warmup

30 mins 70-80% mhr

1 min rest

tabata sprints

5 min cool down

static stretching

Nutrition

Pre-workout; 3 organic eggs, 3 slices toast, 1 tblsp honey, 12 oz green tea

Post-workout; 12 oz gatorade followed 20mins later with 4 oz angus burger w/ wholegrain bun

Cardio, BJJ, MMA

Noon

Cardio

30 mins; 70-80% mhr

Evening

Classes

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu GI

MMA

** Notes

MMA class we drilled punching combinations and movements then on push kicks. After we done reps of triangles and a counter to when someone postures out of them which was really cool. You push up in a handstand and you will end up on them with an inverted triangle locked in. After that sparring for the rest of the time. Really good class.

I scored two great submissions tonight in sparring during MMA class. Hard work really pays off. Anyway, I decided to let loose a bit in class because it seems I pull my power back way too much while people blast away at me. That I did too. When I went to the ground with one guy I was sparring with I got his back and rained down punches till he tried to stand then pulled his arm out and rolled him over. He brought both hands to my arm under his chin and I pulled it down and caught it with my legs and wrapped his arm up BJ Penn style. Done deal. I love that move and its probably by far my favorite and go to move in BJJ. Flexibility is a great thing to have! Right after he sprawled on my take down and pushed in a little too deep, I was able to get an inverted triangle from there and the tap. Very happy about that, I didn't think I had it but sat back and tighten up and it worked.

Anyway, a great training session today and probably taking the day off tomorrow even though I need to do cardio. My leg is pretty jacked up at the moment so we'll see.

Cardio

Cardio

30 mins
70-80% mhr

sprints

3x 30 sec
5x 1 min
80-90% mhr

lots of stretching and mobility exercises


* Quick notes

Installed FitDay to keep track of my calories and foods now. I've used anabolicminds.com diet tracker up until now but its kinda a hassle at times. Now I have this and really liked it so far, just gotta get all my foods added in the database.

I also got another heartrate moniter, a strap kind and love it! The constant readout is great and much better than a wrist watch.

Been on a shopping spree lately haha. I also ordered a pair of underarmour compression shorts so I'm hoping they get here tomorrow before training but IDK. That's something I've wanted for awhile now to wear over my atheletic supporter and cup while training.

I'm making a move to more organic foods. So far, I've replaced sweetener with stevia, my normal brown rice with organic and will be switching my green tea after mine is all gone with organic.

Push day & Neck strength

Push workout

DB incline press; 3x 12,10,8
CG press; 2x 10
DB shoulder press; 3x 12,10,8
Hack squat; 3x 8

* I actually done the above in reverse order than shown (and regular) this week just for a change. Will more than likely do that with the pull workout this week as well, then back to normal next week. I'm doing this to do the bottom exercises fresh for once. My bench press was extremely weak though doing it after the CG presses (I realize the mistake now..) so I had to switch to lighter DB presses. Anyway, besides the lack of chest workout tonight, the rest was great! Too bad it wasnt perfect though..

Ab roll-out; 3x 10-15

Neck workout

Neck bridge superset Reverse neck bridge 2x

Weighted neck flexion 3x 10
Weighted reverse neck flexion 3x 10

Weighted lateral flexion 1x 10 per side

Neck bridge superset Reverse neck bridge 2x

Back to training..

After a week off I'll be back to training tomorrow. It wasn't a complete rest but close enough. I worked hard on stretching/yoga during that time. I did train wednesday at classes BJJ and MMA however. I was going to make a post about my MMA class since I really done a couple things I was shooting for during sparring but maybe another time. I didn't lift any weights, not even a circuit. I did 2x cardio during the week as well with only 1 set of tabata sprints.

So easing back to training for today.

Neck & Core

neck bridge
reverse neck bridge

weighted neck flexion
reverse weighted neck flexion
lateral weighted neck flexion

crunch
reverse crunch
bicycle crunch

shoulder dislocations

* most everything done as a circuit or atleast superset not counting reps but aiming for a good burn

I gotta do inventory at work tonight so I won't be home till the AM, but will most likely do my stretching atleast and some balance board work. Will be picking up a heavy/intense training schedule starting Monday and can't wait for it! Need to remember to start doing these neck/core exercises and circuits more often! Very very important and I continue to slack off on them. This wasn't a real intense workout, just something to get the blood flowing.

Break from Lifting, Stretching & Flexibility

As title says..

With a lighter (but still intense) load this week on # of workouts, I still feel pretty wore down. Starting to feel like shin splits from just moving around, kinda a tight and painful feel to my legs. I will not be cutting out cardio or any other of my workouts, but will not be doing my heavy push/pull days this week. Most would recommend a week break from heavy loads after 8-12 weeks so its time. IDK when the last time I took a week off but I'm sure its been about double that time. I usually take a week off every 4 months or so. It just helps recover and relax the muscles a bit. To begin with, this week I was planning on cutting out 200 more cals from my daily intake but I will keep them where they are until next week when I start lifting heavy weights again.

As much as I'd like to a week off from everything, this will have to do for now.

Recently I've begun dedicating more time to static stretching to improve flexibility. As Ive said before, I'm very flexible to begin with but I have room to improve. I'm already able to use my legs in many ways most others cannot in grappling, so not only am I interested in keeping that ability but also building upon it. Think BJ Penn and Eddie Bravo type of flexibility.

I've been working on stretching more the past month but the past couple of weeks I've been doing a great job of it. I usually only stretching once a day, but have starting going to 2x a day sometimes. I aim to stretch after cardio (hot stretching when muscles are really warmed up and blood moving) and/or before bed. When I stretch before bed I often do some dynamic work as a prequel. I run through a routine I've put together of my favorite stretching (And some I hate haha) that hits the hamstrings hard amound other muscles/tendons. At the night time stretching, I will put on some good meditation music with the lights low and stretch for 15-20 mins on average. Very peaceful, very relaxing - just breathing and slowly stretching. Its possible in the future I'll record a video of my stretching routine because others might find it helpful. I've always had a couple of yoga poses/stretches in it as well but recently have been looking and researching more into yoga and been adding more into my routine. I find this very helpful for relaxation and improving balance/flexibility. I've always been really big into learning as many things as possible, then taking what works for you and your own goals and putting it all together.

Anyway, anything I can do to make me a better person and a better fighter - I'm all for.

Plans for the next 3 days..

Tues - Cardio, neck/core
Weds - Cardio, BJJ/MMA
Thurs - Cardio

Cardio, rest

Cardio; 30 mins followed by tabata sprints

mobility drills
stretching


Rest for the rest of the day. Although I should really do my muscle endurance circuit I havent took a day off in awhile. Sure, I'll get restless though. Originally going to take Tuesday off but will probably do cardio on that day as well.

Next 3 days will look like this probably...

Mon - Push day
Tues - Cardio
Weds - BJJ/MMA

Heavy bag work

Pre-workout meal; 1 cup pasta, 4 oz chicken

Heavy bag

5 min warmup - dynamic stretching, light straight punching

5 x 3 min rounds - skill focus
5 x 30 sec olympic drills - conditioning focus

5 min cool down - dynamic stretching, light straight punching

stretching

Post-workout meal; 1/2 cup blueberries, 200g pineapple, followed 15 mins by a shake (1 cup oats, 1 scoop whey)

Pull day

Pre-workout
meal; 3 organic eggs, 2 slices toast w/ honey
warmup; dynamic stretching, light weight superset exercises of the workout

Pull workout

Bent over row; 3x 10-12
SLDL; 3x 12
Upright row; 3x 6-8
Drag curl; 2x 6-8

Core

Ab roll out 3x 10

Post-workout
static stretching
meal; shake (1 cup oats, 1 scoop whey)


** Still trying new stuff in my routine. On the bent over rows I switched to underhand grips and liked them a lot. I felt a good burn in my biceps and I felt a better pump in my back so I will def. be keeping the underhand grips around for awhile. Next week I will up in weight as I held it down a little bit to test out the new grips. Still a good weight, and workout though. I will more than likely be replacing SLDL with dead lifts before long, atleast 1 set of deads at the end of my routine. Never been a fan of heavy weight with SLDL, and feel I can benefit more from one heavy set of deads. Not for sure yet though. The heavy uprows felt awesome as usual, but I'm not upping weight yet, I feel after 6 reps my form goes bad till 8 anyway at this point. This was the first time I've done drag curls too. Not for sure how I feel about them, kinda liked them, kinda didn't. Dropped weight from the usual ezbar curls, so I guess it fixed slack in my form a bit, but isolating biceps that much isn't a big deal to me. I'm just making sure they do get hit. Anyway, its always nice to try something new to keep things fresh. I need to be picking and sticking with a game plan though soon becuase I've been trying new things out the past few weeks. I really want to cut all arm work out besides what they get hit in compounds, but I don't know how that will work for me yet. I feel my triceps get hit hard, but biceps not so much. Time will tell. It sounds good to do only 3 exercises (heavy compounds) twice a week for my heavy lifting though.

Also, when I have time I will add in ab roll outs after my two heavy days. I will be doing more core exercises on a seperate day, but the roll outs will act as a base, sometimes with bicycle crunchs after them. It doesn't have to be ab rolls, I just feel a good burn from them, but I might also do around the worlds or weighted crunches instead. IDK, nothing in stone. I just want to do the weighted or heavy ab exercises on heavy days. Crunches on off days and the such. How I feel and time I have free makes my workouts usual. It's important to listen to your body above all else!

Cardio

Cycle;

5 min warmup

30 mins (70-80% mhr)
tabata sprints (80-90%mhr)

3 min cool down
stretching


.. and thats all I have time for, off work late and have to work early. Heavy pull day will be tomorrow.

Cardio, Accessory work

Well, its my bday today and I'm not big into celebrating but I decided to take the night off from BJJ and MMA classes and rest a bit. My parents also either cook or take me out to dinner every year no matter what, so I couldn't really say no to that. Feeling guilty for skipping class though, I really needed to go. Being my main skill night at my fight academy, I don't need to miss any of them. All I can do is rest this week out and return next Weds though. After BJJ class yesterday though I got a good hour+ in of sparring and mitt time with my main training partner, so this week isnt a total waste yet haha.

Anyway.. I need to make more of an effort to make it to BJJ classes (and mma). I have a great gym with great people to learn from and train with. I don't take advantage of it at all and how I work, I miss a ton of training time. But, I also miss classes that I should go to and not skip out because I'm tired from work or will be rushed getting there on time. Things are def. looking better for me though and I plan on making a much bigger effort to train more often. I need to be progressing every week towards fighting and moving up in rank in BJJ, and not staying in the same stale routine week after week. It's time to start improving and improve fast! All of the natural talent and ability I have, is useless without proper direction and instruction on skills. I highly doubt I'm ready to fight at the end of Summer like I was hoping, but maybe next Summer..


Morning

Cardio; 30 mins

Evening

Grappling & Accessory work

Neck bridge
Reverse neck bridge
Laying plate neck raise
Reverse laying plate neck raise

Glute raise

Shoulder dislocation

Stretching
Balance board work

Tuesday

Late post.
--

Noon

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Takedowns/Clinch

Mitt work

Sparring

Evening

Cardio; 30 mins followed with tabata sprints

Push day

Pre-workout; 3 organic eggs, 3 slices toast, 1 tblsp honey, 16 oz green tea

Bench press; 3x 5-8
CG press; 2x 5-8
DB shoulder press; 3x 8-10
Hack squat; 3x 5-8

Post-workout meal; shake (1 cup oats, 1 scoop whey)

Balance board work; 15 mins
Stretching; 15 mins

* Lost my focus a bit tonight, I gotta keep my head on the task ahead of me and stop thinking about other things. Pushed my weight up 5-10 lbs on everything besides the DB shoulder press. The over head / military press has been hurting my shoulders a bit lately so I may switch over to the DBs for awhile and see how that goes. Still trying to keep my reps 6-8 and dropped down to 5 reps on the heavier exercises just to see how it went and I liked it pretty well. Anyway, I'm glad its over with and I'm going to crash now haha.

Plans for this week;
Tues - BJJ, Striking, Cardio
Weds - BJJ, MMA, Cardio
Thurs - Cardio
Fri - Pull day
Sat - BJJ
Sun - bag work/circuit/complex/sprints

-- one day will be replaced with a rest day. nothing set in stone, just notes to myself..

Complex

Plate complex

Overhead Squat x 8
Swings x 8
Bentover Row x 8
Reverse Lunge and Twist x 8 total
Diagonal Chops x 8 each side

5 sets, 60 sec rest between sets

I really like this workout and use it often to break up the usual barbell complex I do. In the future I am going to try and switch things up even more so. This was a short and sweet workout I felt really hit the spot.

Anyway, I plan on doing some more stuff, nothing major and I doubt I update with it. Probably some farmer walks and grip and balance board work. Of course, ending with a lot of stretching. I love progress!

Pre-workout; 3 slices of toast with honey
Post-workout; 1 scoop protein

Cardio

Well, I've slacked on my actual cardio a bit this week by accident haha. I really want to do 4x a week 30min sessions followed with tabata sprints and a seperate day of all sprints as well. I'm a bit frusterated with myself now for the lack of cardio work last week. My cardio was great during BJJ and MMA classes so I was really happy, but I have to keep it up and keep progressing as well. I got really good workouts during the classes which kinda took its place. Next week I will have things a bit more planned out so I make sure I continue to get the outside cardio work I need.

Cardio plan

4x a week + 30 min aerobic followed with 5min tabata anaerobic sessions for the base of my aerobic and anaerobic energy systems

1-2x a week barbell (or bodyweight) complex/circuit for added anaerobic and muscle endurance base

Also, I plan on adding in a heavy bag workout once a week which I haven't been doing either lately. That will be mostly anaerobic but aerobic as well as muscle endurance and I usually warmup doing a lot of ladder drills and such in aerobic zones.

This does not include actual training which hits all energy systems.

So my main aerobic and cardio base is the 4+ 30 min sessions and my anaerobic system gets hit plenty during the other activities. I like to finish off with a set of tabata sprints as well to get a good base going in anaerobic.

Anyway, just a base of things. I'm very disappointed in myself for the lack of cardio this week, it was a rough week though and I did get a good amount of actual training in so thats a plus. I will try to get everything right next week!!


* Also I need to up my core work and stop forgetting about it all together!

* Stretching daily is paying off big time. My flexibility was good to begin with but now that I'm making it a point to work on it and expecially working on static stretching after workouts (hot stretching I call it) feels good and is helping to improve things fast. Really, I can't believe how fast my flexibility did improve after I just started stretching during the week. Very excited to continue this.

Cardio for tonight;

Cycle;

30 mins 70-80% mhr
5 mins tabata sprints (8-9 sets) 80-90% mhr

Core;

Ab barbell roll out 3 x 10

Bicycle crunch 1 x 50
Reverse crunch 1 x 25
Crunch 1 x 25

-

Shoulder dislocations 1 x 25

Stretching routine

Pull Day

Pull workout

Pre-workout meal; 3 organic eggs, 3 slices wholegrain toast, 1 tblsp natural honey, 1/2 cup blueberries, 16 oz green tea

One arm barbell row; 3x 12,10,8
One arm DB Upright row; 3x 12,10,8
DB Alternating Curl; 3x 15,12,8


Post-workout meal; shake (1 1/2 cup oats, 1 scoop whey)

** Like I said earlier in the blog, I plan on switching things up a bit for a week or two to keep things fresh in my routine. I'm really interested in adding in more one arm (db or barbell) at a time alternating exercises during that time. Just to see how it goes, and to improve balace, stabilizers, etc. I really like doing them and how they feel, so its def. something I will keep around or atleast use from time to time to keep things from from doing just barbell routines. The only problem is the less amount of weight being lifted but thats ok from time to time. I never really push the weight anyway, but lately I've been upping it a bit and dropping my reps. Leaving the 10-12 scheme behind, I'm focusing on 6-8 on my heavy compounds which is what my routine mostly consists of. Some accessory work I keep 8-10 or even up to 12, becuase exercises like the SLDL I feel shouldn't be done extremely heavy.

Weds. late update & Thursday Cardio

Wednesday

Evening

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu GI

Mixed Martial Arts

---

BJJ & Cardio

Noon

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu GI; 1 hour
Rolling/wrestling No-GI; 30 mins

Evening

Cardio; 30 mins run followed with tabata sprints

stretching


* Everything went good today. We went over shrimping escapes in BJJ GI class and I stayed after to roll with one of my regular training partners for a little over 30mins I think. My top control was terrible today but my defense was great. I really have been working butterfly guard quite a bit lately with mixed success. Today though, it worked well for me and I also used the shrimping escapes (which I usually passover for other methods) over and over with success. Anyway, I've been using a couple of little tricks and they seem to be really catching people off guard. I actually was able to pull one off where I can reach back with my legs and pull his guard down by getting my foot around his ankles. If they have a low guard you can do this, I think one person online even shows how to get a compression lock although I personally wouldn't attempt it. It does work, but its high risk and you risk being flipped. I kept a leg on the guard and was able to catch his guard and pull down a bit and break it from there. Of course, you have to be flexible to do this. Really cool though anyway, flashy if nothing else lol. In training you know, its ok, but I wouldn't mess with it in a competitive scenario.

Push - Heavy

Bench press; 3x 6-8
CG press; 3x 6-8
Overhead press; 3x 8-10
Hack squat; 3x 6-8

** Up in weight a bit this week but will probably be switching things up a bit next week to keep things fresh since I've been doing this style of a routine for awhile now. I really can't think of a way I want to change it but I will switch some dbs in or something. I have def. got the routine with the basics I need and feel really benefit me.

Barbell complex

Warmup;

Dynamic stretching
Leg raises; 50 x each leg
Shadow boxing

Barbell complex

Bent rows x8
Upright rows x8
Military press x8
Good morning x8
Split squat x8 (each leg)
Squat push press x8
Stiff leg Deadlift x8

6 sets; 60 set rest between sets

Diet log 1-01-10

shake (1 1/2 cup oats, 1 scoop whey)
2 'gnc megaman' multis
2 caps fish oil (600mg)
2 'move free advanced' (glucosamine,chondroitin, joint fluid)

16 oz green tea, 1/2 cup blueberries

2 mini burgers (grilled angus lean beef, wholegrain buns), salad

shake (1 1/2 cup oats, 1 scoop whey)

16 oz gatorade (after cardio)

6oz smoked ham, 1/2 cup brown rice, 5 oz baked potato cubes, broccoli

shake (1 cup oats, 1 scoop whey)

2 tbsp peanut butter
2 caps fish oil (1.6g) (different brand than above)

**
Currently in a cutting phase. 2900-3000 calorie intake.

Conditioning & accessory work

Mobility

forward and backward rolling
shrimping drill
bridge drill

dynamic stretching

shoulder dislocations 2x 25

weighted glute raise x 50

Grip

grip squeezer 2 mins each hand
wrist curl 2x 15
reverse wrist curl 2x 15
farmers walk x 1 min

Neck

bridge 1x 25
reverse bridge 1x 25
plate raise 2x 15,25
reverse plate raise 2x 15,25

Core

around the world x 15 each side
weighted crunch 2 x 50
bicycle crunch 2 x 50

Cardio

30 mins followed with tabata sprints

static stretching


**
I need to up my core workouts through the week. I tend to look over abs a bit and I need to stop doing that. They get hit often through my lifting (a lot of compounds activate them) and my skill and conditioning work, but its not enough. I need to start using ab roll outs with a barbell again, they really work the core hard. Also, I need to keep doing my 5 min ab circuits, etc. I want to be sure I'm doing a lot of crunches and bicycle crunches on top of that for my base work. I'm really big into having a strong base in all of my workouts, and use actual mma/bjj classes and skill work to build on top of that conditioning.

Cardio at 30mins focusing on staying at the 70-80% hr range is working great for me. I'm noticing a difference while training and loving the progress. I've been adding in tabata sprints at the end of the 30mins to hit the anaerobic as well. I'm not for sure on how often I should be hitting the anaerobic zone yet so I'm sticking with that and some added sprints as well. Lifting and bag work, along with my barbell complexes also hit that zone quite a bit. I think before, aerobic was my weak point because I was simply not doing much at all for that. Now with the 3 - 4 times a week 30-45min sessions, I really feel a lot better in training and in every day life too.