Andy's Training Diary

Current programme: Winter base: build up swim distance to 2k, runs to 10k, do one long ride a week and introduce olympic weightlifting in a light, explosive way to get some plyometric power.

Best Times:
Half-marathon 2:12.
10k run 59:00
10 mile bike time trial 27:47.
400m swim 9:13
Best Lifts:
Squat 140kg (308lb)
Deadlift 170kg (374lb).
Triathlons:
May 2006: Wellington Novice (200m swim / 13k bike / 3k run). Popped my cherry and did it on a fixed-wheel bike to boot. Swim: 6:26; Bike: 34:52; Run 14:47. Total: 56:05.

June 2006: Burnham Tri - 1:32:56 - 15:00 swim; 42:30 bike; 35:26 run.

June 2006: Bude - My first OW event. Swim: 00:26:30, Bike: [/i] 00:38:47, Run: 00:31:21; Total: 01:36:38

September 2006: Cotswold - 40th in age group G (35-40) out of 53. Swim 09:12, Bike 38:32; Run 23:19; Overall 01:11:04

Training Diary

April 27, 2003 -

That chest day was low-volume, I really wasn't feeling it the day after. Quick home arms day for today:

Barbell curl, 25kg x8, 6, 5 superset with

Static hangs, bodyweight

Hang cleans, 25kg superset with

Wrist roller, 10kg, which was just insane and ended in such a massive forearm pump that I couldn't work my arms :)

Weekly mileage; 2.4. Ahem.

April 25, 2003 -

Early morning chest, triceps and shoulders. This is feeling a bit low-volume to me: while it's hard, it doesn't seem to quite hit everything.

Smith machine bench press: 30kg x12, 40kg x10, 50kg x4. Plug on until 50x6, then up the weight. next session should be light free barbell bench though, to train stabilisers.

Hang clean: 12.5kg x10, 17.5 kg x 6, 20kg x3. Although that didn't feel strong, it's an incremental improvement; keep at it.

Dips: 70lb assist x10, 58lb x7, 40lb x4.

Usually I do shrugs as well before the dips, which gives my tri's a rest; this time I was still recovering from the deadlifts, so I skipped them, and as a result my tripes were blasted and the dips suffered. Ah well. It's a good compound workout for limited time.

April 23, 2003 -

Back day. I ought to be doing supplementary lifts, but I just got my new Eleiko powerlifting belt (it needs breaking in, oh yes it does) and I wanted to play. So:

Deadlift: 60kg x12, 90kg x8, 115kg x4, 130kg x2, 145kg x2, 155kg sticker, RH grip. That felt very weird and will take some adjusting to enjoy but the belt massively improves lower back strain. Work up to 130x4 before trying for max again.

EZ-bar curl: 10kg x12, 15kg x10, 17.5kg x4.

Seated row: #7 x12, #8 x10, #9 x5.

Weekly mileage: 85.1.

April 20, 2003 -

Biceps and grip work at home:

Hammer curl 10kg x10, x10, x11. Increase the weight to 12kg next time.

CoC #1 gripper 4p/4p, 1c3p/4p. 4p/4p.

Wrist roller, 10kg, 1 each of all four routes.

Static hang x1 - grip blasted.

April 17, 2003 -

Bench day. Good progress on all lifts, which is nice.

Smith bench press 25kg x12, 35kg x10, 42.5kg x9, 50kg x3.

Hang clean and press 12.5kg x8, 17.5kg x7, 20kg x3.

Dumbbell shrug 40kg x12, x10,x8. Right grip failed first.

Dip 70lb assist x10, 58lb assist x7, 46lb assist x4.

It's nice to get back to the 50kg mark on the bench; I can plug at that for a while and break that barrier pretty soon. My goal for the year is to make a lift total of 1000lbs (including bars!) across the three power lifts: bench press, deadlift and squat. Currently I'm at about 145 bench, 375 deadlift and 320 squat for a total of 830. All those lifts are naked (so to speak, no belts or wraps at all), so belted and strapped I may already be closer than I think! And my sexy new Eleiko powerlifting belt is on its way :)

April 15, 2003 -

Squat day. Remember, if you're doing anything backish and abs on the same day, get the abs out of the way first. Yes, I know they're a chore, but it works better that way...

Squats 70kg x12, 85kg x10, 105kg x6, superset with:

Calf raise 230kg x17, 280kg x17, 330kg x17 (10, 4, 3). Consolidate that.

Stiff-legged deadlift 50kg x 10, 60kg x10, 70kg x6. Interesting erector cramps...

Weekly mileage: just 24.4. Bit of a slack week, that. Feeling very fat.

April 07, 2003 -

Weekly mileage: 42.6.

I've just realised that I did that deadlift without even a belt. Silly me. I must get one :)

April 03, 2003 -

Pure deadlifts. Warm-up with 50kg x 12 and 85kg x10, then into work sets: 110kg x2, 125kg x2, 140kg x1 and 150kg x1.

One hundred and fifty kilos on the bar. That's three plates each side, a goal I had set myself for midsummer. It was ugly - one white light - but it was a solid lift. 382 lbs total. When the shaking and endorphins fade, I'll be very, very happy with that.

April 01, 2003 -

Back in at lunchtime for a chest and shoulders session. I'm going to switch to the Smith for the bench presses for a while, as I don't have a spotter and I've got stuck a couple of times. Plan is to get some bigger numbers on the Smith, then go back to free to consolidate the stabilisers. Meanwhile, today was:

Hang clean 15kg x10, 20kg x9, 25kg x5.

Bench press 20kg x12, 30kg x10, 40kg x7.

Incline bench press 15kg x10, 20kg x9, 25kg x5.

Dumbbell shrug 40kg x9, x8, x5.

Assisted dips, 76lb x10, 64lb x7, 52lb x3 and that's it, tripes are blown.

Got to the end and not found the entry you're looking for? Check the archive for older stuff. This blog started on May 1st 2002, so don't expect to find anything before then.