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Rob's High Intensity Training Log


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Go for the grapes !! Wine/alcohol being good for you is pure myth; in relation to it being consumed in the Mediterranean well yes they do, but it's nearly always celebratory drinking rather than everyday drinking for the sake of drinking.

 

I can go into more detail if you wanted to ~ I've spent a fair bit of time researching alcohol and its' relationship to health. Usually the media, magazines etc that report on the 'Mediterranean Diet' get the alcohol part of their diet significantly incorrect

 

Yes please, I've really just glossed over the some articles on the red wine (and hearsay) but am actually not much of a drinker, apart from the rare pint of beer or two. Personally i'd rather have a fruit/vegetable juice any day:)

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Yes please, I've really just glossed over the some articles on the red wine (and hearsay) but am actually not much of a drinker, apart from the rare pint of beer or two. Personally i'd rather have a fruit/vegetable juice any day:)

Okay, if you take the healthy version of the Mediterranean Diet these are probably the key points:

 

DIET

*Low overall calorie intake

*Very low or zero alcohol (except in celebratory circumstances)

*Plenty of locally grown greens, herbs, veges & plants high in longevity protecting antioxidants that the majority of the rest of the world do not consume ~ plants like horta, kritamo, andrakla etc.

*Home grown vegetables grown in mineral rich soil

*Lots of beans, nuts & legumes = high fibre

*Extra-virgin olive oil is prevalent in their diets

*Fresh fish 2-3 times a week

*Meat only comprises 5% of their total calories

*Raw goats milk that they milk by hand

 

RESPONSE TO DIET

*Reduced cancer, alzheimer's & Parkinson's disease rates

*Lower cases of CV disease (heart attack, stroke etc)

*Improved liver health

*Lower BMI, which links in to diabetes being much less common in studied countries that consume this diet such as Greece. If you have some spare time and you're interested in this kind of stuff you should Google 'The Ikaria Study'

 

So why does the REAL Mediterranean Diet feature very little (if any) alcohol?..

 

Alcohol kills close to 150 French people EVERY DAY

7 million people in France have a drinking problem

In France (where the media like to showcase the Mediterranean Diet because they drink more heavily than other European countries), 25% of deaths that happen to people aged 15-34 are a result of alcohol. The causes of death that you can directly attribute to alcohol ARE ABOVE ALL CANCERS AND HEART DISEASES.

 

Basically, the only benefits from wine ~ and these benefits are actually fairly minimal, are polyphenols and flavonoids. The same two things which can be found in vastly larger amounts in fresh fruit and vegetables. If you actually take the time to look into the studies that are pronouncing the health benefits of alcohol, guess what?..

 

They're generally funded by the global alcohol industry!

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Hey MF..

 

Interesting, I must say that doesn't surprise me. I don't know if you've ever been, but i noticed a lot of alcohol being consumed by the locals when holidaying in Paris and Athens, as well as quite a lot of cigarettes being smoked. When me and my wife were in Paris, i recall remarking to her that no one in the cafe's were eating anything at lunch time, most seemed to be just drinking coffee and smoking. So what you mentioned above makes a lot of sense to me.

 

I'll certainly have a good look at the ikaria study...

 

Thanks for the info mate, much appreciated:)

 

Best

Rob

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5-4-14

Home Chest & Back workout

1. Flat V-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press - 1 set of 9 reps to failure @ 90kgs

2. Incline V-Grip Dumbbell Flyes - 1 set of 8 reps to failure @ 65kgs

3. Incline Bench Dumbbell Rows - 5 mini cluster sets of 3 reps @ 75kgs - last mini set to failure*

4. Dumbbell High Pulls - 1 set of 10 reps to failure @ 65kgs

 

8-4-14

Home Leg & Ab workout

1. Dumbbell Squat/Deadlift - 1 set of 14 reps to failure @ 85kgs

2. Hip Belt Cable Calf Raise - 1 set of 12 reps to failure + 3 forced reps @ 70kgs

3. Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlift - 1 set of 10 reps not to failure @ 60kgs

4. Static Cable Crunch - 3 ten second static holds @ 70kgs - last hold to failure

 

11-4-14

Home Shoulder & Arm workout

1. D-B Push Press - 1 set of 7 reps to failure @ 75kgs

2. D-B Lateral Raise - 4 mini cluster sets of 3 reps @ 27kgs - last mini set to failure

3. Standing Bi-Lateral D-B Curls - 5 mini cluster sets of 3 reps @ 37kgs - last mini set to failure

4. Close-Grip Bench Press (using EZ-bar) - 1 set of 6 reps to failure @ 60kgs

 

14-4-14

Home Leg workout

1. Dumbbell Squat/Deadlift - 1 set of 16 reps to failure @ 85kgs

2. Hip Belt Cable Calf Raise - 1 set of 14 reps to failure + 3 forced reps @ 70kgs

3. D-B Stiff Legged Deadlift - 1 sets of 12 reps not to failure @ 60kgs

4. Static Cable Crunches - same as last time

 

Been enjoying training at home this weather, been working longer hours, so training at home is more convenient. Have to admit, certain free weight movements feel a lot better than certain machine movements, for example, i feel like i get a much better contraction in my lats when performing incline bench D-B rows than what i'd normally feel when preforming Hammer machine rows. The D-B Squat/Deadlift also cause no lower back discomfort, was a nice change. Finished each workout with 10-12 minutes speed rope skipping.

Diet wise, I've decided not to return back to eating meat, just cant bring myself to do it after 10 years, i draw the line at eggs and fish.

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hey Rob, training looks good pal, do you train outside when your at home? hope all is well over there.......sounds like the weather is pretty good in ireland (i listen to radio nova from dublin everyday). doyou think the fish and eggs are making a difference? ive contemplated eating eggs, as i keep hens and ducks.

 

 

mike

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Hey buddy,

 

With our weather, are you crazy lol, nah, I've all my equipment in a spare room, it has a reinforced floor, the wife didn't want me going through the ceiling and landing on her:))

 

The eggs and fish are defiantly having positive effect, also the cutting out snacks and IFing have helped in how i feel. I see no harm in consuming eggs as long as there coming from a good source. I get my eggs from my father-in-laws farm (as well as his home made butter), if i cant make it up, i buy Marks & Spencer's cage free omega 3 enriched eggs. Over the years eggs have got a bad rep, but the research in recent years shows shows very little correlation with heart disease or cholesterol levels. Their cheap and extremely nutritious, enjoy them i say. As for the fish i only buy wild, i wouldn't buy farmed or canned.

 

How's yourself mate, training going well, you still using the upper/lower body split once per week?

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hmmmm i might eat some of my birds eggs then, feels a bit of a waste not eating really.........i really miss wild fish but i think ill try and not eat it as i have lectured everyone i know so much about it i will never live it down lol your father in laws sounds like my kinda place, is it a dairy farm? my training is a bit all over the place at the minute as iam so busy, iam still training hard but its pretty disorganised to be honest lol

 

good to see the diet and training is going well for you mate, have you thought more about doing some videos?

 

 

 

 

mike

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Hey mate,

 

I cant be classed as vegan anymore, however i still fully respect others views on animal products, so i would say only eat the eggs if YOU want too, not because i say so:)

 

I don't feel training needs to be organised for long term progress if hypertrophy is the specific goal, just as long as workouts are intense, brief and reasonable infrequent your on the right track. My workouts have also been all over the place over the last couple of years because I've been experimenting with different techniques/ideas (my conclusion...there is no magic bullet), but despite the fact i haven't made the strength increases i made in previous years, I've actually made better progress. I can see more detail in my quads, shoulders, back and arms etc (I'd probably see more if my BF levels were lower lol), plus switching from one technique to the next has allowed me to better manage the stress of my training.

So, don't think because your not keeping to an exact script or keeping accurate records of every lift of every workout your not making any progress, for the natural bodybuilder variation is a good thing, ever notice how a new growth spurt happens when you've changed something?

 

With the videos, before i appear on camera i want to be in good shape, not quite as lean as i want to be yet (unfortunately my diet has always been my downfall), am currently sitting at around 245-250lbs, my goal is 220lbs (at 6'4), this last few weeks I've been very strict, though I had to bring the carbs back in again as the weight was losing weight too quickly (back to following this advice http://www.simplyshredded.com/layne-norton-the-most-effective-cutting-diet.html). As soon as i get to where i want to be, i'll get the cam rolling:)

 

Take it easy mate

Rob

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  • 2 weeks later...

Been reading a lot of positive things about it recently about negative accentuated training, in particular, Dr Dardens 30-30-30 protocol (30 second negative, then 30 second positive, and then 30 second negative), Drew Baye has been talking about it on his blog. There's many different ways to go about it, i plan on using Drew Baye's method of a 2 second positive, then a 8 negative, for 5-8 reps performed to failure.

 

I'll see how i go...

Edited by HIT Rob
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So i had my first experience of negative emphasized training this afternoon.

 

Workout was

1. Seated Leg Press

2. Underhand Chin (negative only)

3. Chest Press Machine

4. Seated Chest Supported Row

5. D-B Lateral Raise

6. Calf Presses

7. Weighted Back Extension

 

My initial thoughts...This is a very painful way to train, the level of muscular fatigue is greater, as is the level of systemic fatigue. However, i was able to do this while using 20% less weight (as recommend by Dr Darden), not a bad thing when your working around several injuries:)

I can feel it now, i'm gonna be sore as hell tomorrow, and probably for a few more days after that:((

 

Training like this once per week may well be enough...I''l see how i feel by the end of the week. On a side note, i sent off today for one of those gymbosses, this well make counting easier:)

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Tonight's workout...

 

1. Seated Leg Press (Negative only)

2. Underhand Chin (Negative only)

3. Parallel Bar Dips (Negative only)

4. Pec Deck Flye (Negative accentuated, 2 second positive, 6-8 second negative)

5. Kettlebell Upright Row

6. Calf Press (5 second hold in the contracted position)

7. Static Crunch (Preformed on a pulldown)

 

OK workout, the negatives on the first 3 movements were 10 seconds per rep....

 

Been looking for a better shoulder movement for a while, but a friend told me to give kettlebell upright rows a go, they felt great, the weight distribution of the kettlebells made a big difference, completely different feel to the movement and absolutely no shoulder discomfort (compared with the BB or D-B).

Edited by HIT Rob
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Been looking for a better shoulder movement for a while, but a friend told me to give kettlebell upright rows a go, they felt great, the weight distribution of the kettlebells made a big difference, completely different feel to the movement and absolutely no shoulder discomfort (compared with the BB or D-B).

 

Hmmmm good idea, I've been using barbell uprights for shoulders and it isn't comfortable on my wrists, shoulders or elbows ahha.

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Been looking for a better shoulder movement for a while, but a friend told me to give kettlebell upright rows a go, they felt great, the weight distribution of the kettlebells made a big difference, completely different feel to the movement and absolutely no shoulder discomfort (compared with the BB or D-B).

 

Hmmmm good idea, I've been using barbell uprights for shoulders and it isn't comfortable on my wrists, shoulders or elbows ahha.

 

 

Hey Ross,

 

For years I've been looking for a better movement for the shoulder complex, upright rows and high pulls with the barbell or dumbbells (using different grips) irritates my shoulder joints, and with overhead presses, i feel the triceps give out before the delt's do. That being said, i don't feel an overhead press is necessary as the frontal delts get sufficient stimulation from movements such as Dips and Incline/Chest Presses. I like lateral raises (machine, cable or D-B), however because of the disadvantaged leverage, progress is very slow on them. Moreover my on the D-B and cable version my forearm extensor muscles give out before my delts do.

 

But a friend recommend this, Kettlebell high pulls (btw, this is the friend)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrewa_0zyDw

 

Because of how the resistance is distributed, i felt no joint discomfort and all the stress in the shoulder complex and traps. I first tried the movement with a D-B, buts its no were near as good as the KB.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This afternoons workout...

 

1. Underhand chins - negative only

2. Dips - negative only

3. Pec deck flye machine - timed static contraction

4. Kettlebell high pulls

supersetted with

5. Shoulder press machine - negative only

6. Unilateral D-B curl - negative only

 

Exhausting workout, really fatigued, however, my strength has went up in leaps and bounds since putting the emphasis on the negative portion of the rep, my arms are up a half inch:)) (now 17"flexed) Not massive by any means, but still, not bad for a stroke victim, with 3 herniated discs, a doggy kidney and an irregular heart beat lol...

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  • 2 weeks later...

18-5-14

Timed static contraction training

1. Seated Leg press

2. Underhand Pulldown

3. Chest Press Machine

 

22-5-14

TSC training

1. Chest supported Row

2. Shoulder press machine

3. Seated Leg Curl

4. Leg Extension

 

Lower back has flared up badly this last week or so, had to really up my meds, so training wise, I've been using a static zero movement protocol to keep the major muscles groups stimulated. On the compound movements i held the resistance in the position of maximum motor arm, and in the full contracted position on the isolation movements. I went with just one static hold to failure per movement (lasting roughly 50-70 seconds).

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  • 3 weeks later...

1-6-1

Chest / Triceps workout

1. Pec Deck Flye - one set to failure + static hold to failure

2. D-B Lateral Raise - one set to failure + 3 half reps

3. Lying EZ-Bar Triceps Extension - one set to failure

4. Triceps Rope Press-down - one set to failure + static hold

 

4-6-14

Back / Biceps workout

1. Stiff Arm Rope Pulldown

immediately follwed by...

2. Underhand Pulldown - one set to failure + static hold to failure

2 minute rest then...

3. BB Shrugs - one set to failure

4. Rear Delt Machine - one set to failure

5. Seated EZ-Bar Curls - one set to failure

 

8-6-14

Leg workout

Tri-set

1. Lying Leg Curl (J-Reps) - one set to failure

immediately followed by...

2. Leg Extension (J-Reps) - one set to failure

immediately followed by...

3. Static Hip Belt Squat - static hold to failure

two minute rest then...

4. Standing Cable Calf Raise - one set to failure

5. Static Crunch (on the pull-down machine)

 

Lower back has been a bit better than it was, but my doc has referred me to see a orthopedic to see if i would benefit from more drastic treatment (possibly surgery). Training wise, I've had to drop all upper body chest and shoulder pressing movements, they seem to be irritating my left elbow as i go through the mid point of the rep. Not to worry, there's always a way to work around these things:)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well i cancelled my gym membership last week, from now on its just home gym training. Cant be bothered with packed out gyms anymore, push comes to shove i'll head down for the odd leg workout and just pay as i go.

 

I also started following the dietary advice from Dr Darden's (a HIT pioneer and researcher) new book "the bodyfat breakthrough" http://www.bodyfatbreakthrough.com/bodyfatbreakthrough/index, i got in touch with him recently, he recommend i consume a mere 1900 calories daily, he also recommend zero aerobic activity during this period. His research over the last 30 years has certainly debunked the myth that you can't lose more than 2lbs of fat per week.

 

So i've started to do the things i said i'd never do, ie counting calories, weighing food, and taking fortnightly bodyfat and bodypart measurements, its actually not that bad:))

 

Anyho, Saturdays workout was Back & Chest...

1. Underhand Pulldown (1 1/4 reps)

2. Flat D-B Bench Press (J-Rep halves)

3. Seated Cable Row

4. Incline D-B Power Flye (1 1/4 reps)

5. Stiff Arm Pulldown

*All for one set to failure respectively...

 

Tonight was legs...

1. Lying Leg Curl (J-Rep halves)

2. Leg Extension (J-Reps halves)

3. Static Hip Belt Squat

4. Standing Hip Belt Cable Calf Raise (5 mini cluster sets)

5. Static Cable Crunch (3 static cluster sets)

*All for one set to failure respectively

** First 3 movements were in tri-set fashion

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  • 2 weeks later...

Been really enjoying training at home this weather,

 

Last few workouts...

 

Upper Body A (Chest & Back Focus)

1. Incline D-B Power Flye **

2. Underhand Pulldown

3. Flat Bench D-B Press

4. Seated Cable Row

 

Lower Body A (quad focus)

1. Bulgarian Split Squats **

2. BB Front Squats

3. Donkey Cable Calf Raise

4. Flat Bench Leg Raises

 

Upper Body B (Shoulders & Arms focus)

1. Shoulder Width Grip Upright Row **

2. Standing Military Press

3. BB Curl

4. Lying Triceps Pullover/press

 

Lower Body B (Hamstring focus)

1. GHR **

2. Trap Bar Deadlift

3. Seated Calf Raise

4. Flat Bench Leg Raises

 

** Pre-exhaustion movement

 

Diet also been going well, getting 1900-2100 calories daily, down 6lbs of the last 2 weeks:)) g

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Just got back from my doc's, since bringing omega 3 enriched eggs, some whole dairy products and fish back into my diet a few months back, low and behold my test levels are back at a good level, my good cholesterol has improved and my bad cholesterol is now near perfect. My doc's advice was "just keep doing what your doing". Well happy:)

 

On a side note - fuck Ancel Keyes and his bullshit lies and demonetization of saturated fat!!

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Hey Rob, long time no speak......... glad to hear things are going well at the moment!

 

 

mike

 

Hey Mike,

 

Sorry for the late reply, been working round the clock this weather

 

How's you mate? and hows the vallys

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Back to basics...

 

Focusing purely on abbreviated / consolidated maximum intensity workouts again, no more low stress "pump" techniques, the only isolation exercises will be an ab or calf movement at the end of each movement. I'm also going back to using partial reps, from a deadstart position (can really feel the muscle fibers shift up threw the gears with deadstarts). The weakest range of motion / positions of disadvantaged leverage have not been kind to me over the years, moreover a "full range of motion" limits the amount of weight one can truly contract against, and thus reduces the intensity of the workout. Partials and statics for me are here to stay:)

 

6-7-14

Upper Body

1. Underhand Pulldown (with 2 second static hold in the contracted position)

60kgs x 5 reps

70kgs x 5 reps

95kgs x 5 reps

2. Smith Machine Deadstart shoulder width grip Bench Press (top 1/3 of the movement only)

90kgs x 5 reps

120kgs x 5 reps

155kgs x 5 reps

3. Kneeling Cable Rope Crunch

45kgs x 2 sets of 12 reps

** No direct shoulder or arm work as they receive sufficient stimulation from the pulldown and shoulder width grip bench press:)

 

13-7-14

1. Partial Stiff Legged DL

80kgs x 5 reps

100kgs x 5 reps

120kgs x 5 reps

2. Deadstart Leg Press (top 1/2 of the movement only)

300kgs x 10 reps

350kgs x 10 reps

400kgs x 8 reps

3. Seated Calf Press

60kgs x 10 reps

80kgs x 10 reps

**Have a 40 mile commute to get to the pay as you go gym for this workout, its the only gym i can find close enough with a heavy duty plate loaded leg press machine, still, its only once a fortnight:)

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