Stryka’s BodyBlog

Well I thought it was about time I sat down and wrote about what is going to happen over 2009.

First Goal up is my bench as it fresh in my mind as this is what I trained tonight. I will continue by current 5 x 5 training for another 6 weeks with the goal of getting a full set out with 115kg.

Next goal is my deadlift. For followers of this blog you will know that I am trying to put in a lot of work building better form with the deads. So the short term 6 week goal with be sets of 5 with 160kg perfect form. Longer term (by june 30) will be 500 pds max lift again perfect form.

Squats is another area that I am working on improving form. Mainly just getting a couple of inches deeper into the squat but this will also involve dropping the weight a bit to get down deeper. So the goal over the next 6 weeks will be 150kgs x 10. With a June 30 goal of 180kg x 10.

Size is my most important goal for the time being. My immediate goal (six weeks) is to get back over 80kg still in single digit bf with a goal of being 85kg by my birthday April 18.

Running is going to take a back seat for the time being. I will still do 1-2 shortish runs a week with a focus on sprints and picking up my base pace. I have no immediate plans for races although as the shorter races come up like the last couple of weeks then I will do that as they come.

Another of my life goals is to one day compete in a bb comp. There is no reason why this year can’t be the year that happens. There is only one comp that I know of in Tas that is around Sept/Oct.

THere you have it 2009 in a nutshell (well up to October anyway).

Well I thought it was about time I sat down and wrote about what is going to happen over 2009.

First Goal up is my bench as it fresh in my mind as this is what I trained tonight. I will continue by current 5 x 5 training for another 6 weeks with the goal of getting a full set out with 115kg.

Next goal is my deadlift. For followers of this blog you will know that I am trying to put in a lot of work building better form with the deads. So the short term 6 week goal with be sets of 5 with 160kg perfect form. Longer term (by june 30) will be 500 pds max lift again perfect form.

Squats is another area that I am working on improving form. Mainly just getting a couple of inches deeper into the squat but this will also involve dropping the weight a bit to get down deeper. So the goal over the next 6 weeks will be 150kgs x 10. With a June 30 goal of 180kg x 10.

Size is my most important goal for the time being. My immediate goal (six weeks) is to get back over 80kg still in single digit bf with a goal of being 85kg by my birthday April 18.

Running is going to take a back seat for the time being. I will still do 1-2 shortish runs a week with a focus on sprints and picking up my base pace. I have no immediate plans for races although as the shorter races come up like the last couple of weeks then I will do that as they come.

Another of my life goals is to one day compete in a bb comp. There is no reason why this year can’t be the year that happens. There is only one comp that I know of in Tas that is around Sept/Oct.

THere you have it 2009 in a nutshell (well up to October anyway).

Back in my own gym tonight. As I pulled into the carpark I thought we could be in for a New Years rush because of the amount of cars. In reality I was just a few minutes early and the girls from the aerobics class hadn’t left yet.

I walk in and the gym is quiet. I love my gym.

I have picked up a training partner too. I have never had one before so I am looking forward to the extra motivation that this will bring. He was the fella that trained with me for the mountain half marathon, and was the only one with enough heart to actually make it to race day. He isn’t in shape and probably hasn’t lifted since he was in college but he has heart so it will be interesting to see how he goes.

I took it easy on him for the first night as today shoulders were scheduled.  Started with a 5 x 5 on dumbell press the 55 pounders.

Barbell Shrugs next. Kept it light at 100kgs for sets of 15. But threw in a heavier set of 150kg for 10 as well.

Lateral raises 4 sets of 10 with 35 pound dumbells.

Rear Delt raises 3 sets of 10 with 70 pound dumbells.

Finished the shoulders off with Cable rear delts for 2 sets of 20.

THrew in a couple of sets of rockys, hanging leg raises and around the world raises for good measure on abs.

I would defineatly give my partner a pass for day 1. I didn’t expect him to match weights (he tried but lasted 2 sets) but he did get through the session (he did his own abs too) no problems and he pushed as hard as he could. Nothing more you could ask than that.

I was great to have someone load/unload the bar too. Certainly speeds up the workout as does just going set for set certainly helps to cut down rest time. He has a good solid build so I don’t think it will be very long at all until he pushes me on the heavier stuff!

In last weeks (mostly downhill 6km) I ran at 4:24 per kilometre so going by that reasoning a goal time for today would be under 22mins. I am not sure that I have broken the 22minute for a 5km since I was in the army so it would be a challenge.

I woke up late and barely made it to the start line on time. I was late registering but they still let me in and I just had time to pin on the number and line up to go. I certainly didn’t feel 100% either but it was mainly upper body that felt like lead. Whilst my legs had a dull ache from tuesdays leg session mainly in the calves they felt allright. Pre race nutrition was a bannana and some water so again no entirely ideal although I have eaten well over the last couple of days and this is only 5km after all.

The weather was absolutely perfect with a sunny 17 degree celsius, so definately a lot warmer than VT’s new years day run. The course was 4 laps of a 1.25 km circuit which was great because as I lined up on the line I had no idea of which way we were going or how flat/hilly the course would be. At least I would know after the first lap.

The course ended up being mostly flat although there were a couple of sections that were a tiny bit uphill and of course the flip side of that was that there were some slight downhills as well. It actually felt like more down than up of course that is impossible being a looped course but it helped physcilogically.

The first lap was basically warming up. I try and force myself into a decent pace without over stretching myself early. Second lap was a consolidation on that pace. On the third I ease of just a little so that the last one can be fast. I go through the start finish line for the second last time and step out the pace. Just 1.25 to go now. Up the slight incline and around the corner, into a downhill section now. Step out even further, 500 metres to go. Second last bend, catch my breath on the last uphill. 250metres, go now. I stride out as fast as I can and build into a sprint finish. I cross the line in 21:16. Way ahead of my target time!!!!

But you know what? I wasn’t happy. The fact that this race was mainly younger runners some of whom beat me well and truly doesn’t sit well with me. I had looked up last years times and the winner did 16 minutes something for the 5k. And I was thinking you know I don’t think I can ever remember breaking the 20 minute mark even when I was in the army and running a lot more regularly. But it must be possible. The Aust army fitness test involved a 2.4km run which I used to be able to do low 9 minutes on without really preparing. My fastest was under 8:30. Surely I am well and truly capable of running 5km under 20minutes.

Although I don’t want the running to be my main goal this is something I will achieve this year. I will try and incorporate a lot more sprinting into the training (anything would be an increase over the current 1 run a week   ) which should help me pick up the pace again.

And whilst my immediate goals involve weights and getting bigger if I keep a good 5-10km base fitness going then maybe the full marathon this time next year could be a long term goal????

If only deadlifting and running were more compatible

I never would have thought I would be able to fit a whole weeks training in one blog post. But that is my week this week. Not through lack of anything but having a open gym to train in.

I went to train legs on Tuesday straight after work. I got to a gym (another gym tour) around 5:30. First up I started on squats and after a few warm up sets I had worked up to 130kg for sets of 6. I didn’t have the weight belt that I normally use at my own gym so I decided not to go any heavier for the time being. Next up Leg press. This gym had a split leg press so I used that to do single leg press. I find a can get a much greater range of motion one leg at a time albeit with much less weight. Plenty of time I thought to myself I smash my calves as well. Two sets with the whole stack on standing calf raises and then the attendant comes round to say they are closing as it is almost 6.

WTF what gym closes at 6. I felt so ripped off because I had to pay for a casual visit and only got half way through the workout.

No gym open NYE, so I hoped to get a good session in new years day. I start calling around town to try and find one open. No one answers. No training Thursday.

Tonight I went back to the second gym I had tried for a back session because I knew they had some good plate loaded nautilas machines. I don’t normally use machines a lot but then again my gym doesn’t have the best machines to use. Started with some warm up chins then on to dead lift. Some high pulls and some seated rows and I was starting to feel pretty good. Finished off the lats with a couple more sets of chins and some latpulldown drop sets and I am done.

There is a 5km fun run on sunday that I hope to run. I did think seriously about doing a half marathon instead for about 30 seconds but not even I am stubborn enough to do well over that distance with zero preparation so I put my ego away and decided that it didn’t line up with trying to increase size and stick to the 5k.