Ending 2009

Finished out the week with a fairly strong showing - currently doing a mix of my own workouts (strength & strength endurance focus) with OPT. Diet is Paleo, although bodyweight is holding steady (about 175). Not a problem, as IBJJF uses a weight class from 165-182, which I should be sitting comfortably in the middle of. The week of workouts were as follows:

Monday:

Squat 5x5 (225lb) superset with:

Pull-up 5x7

then:

Weight drags (100lb), 9 trips of 15' rope, superset with:

30 sec dead hang

Tuesday:

Press 5x5 (105lb)

Ring dip/box jump ladder (x-2x)

Wednesday:

3 rounds:

12 SDHP (125lb)

90 sec row (2:00 500m pace)

2min rest

3 rounds:

12 DB thruster (35lb)

AMRAP 60 sec double unders (47, 39, 44)

2 min rest

3 rounds:

20 box jump (20" unbroken)

25 sit ups

no rest

Thursday:

Quick (less than 7 minutes used) 1RM power clean - 205lb

rest 60 sec

1-10 CTB pull-ups (~4 min)

rest 60 sec

AMRAP 2 min DB burpees (chest to deck, jump with DB in hand, 25lb - 29)

2010 will be a busy and hopefully eventful year.

Getting adjusted

Introducing my body to volume and repetition is feeling pretty much how I would expect it to. I've been trying to help the transition by choosing between high volume with light weight and low intensity and shorter, higher intensity metcons. Adding in grip volume is definitely getting noticed, and I'm getting more consistent and aggressive with SMR. The diet switch (from full ad-lib to strict Paleo) is in full swing and energy levels are feeling fine. Focus is still on strength maintenance while building strength endurance and metcon capacity.

Friday:

Deadlifts 3-3-3 (295, 315, 335)

Metcon (3 rounds, AMRAP, 45 seconds on, 15 seconds off to transition)

Ring dips

Power Jerks (115)

200m sprint

Monday:

3 rounds:

20 box jumps (36" + jump over 20" for distance)

9 weight drags (100lb, 20m)

1 minute hang in hollow position

then:

2k row

Tuesday:

Single arm, fat bar deadlift (100lb)

Escalating ladder (both arms), stopped at round 4

7 rounds:

10 Deadlifts (185lb)

30 DU

~12 min

Wednesday:

3x3 back squat, focus on speed up (225lb)

5x5 standing press, focus on speed up (95lb)

then:

3 rounds max rep fat bar pull-ups

Changing gears

Following some unforeseen developments, I won't be competing in an O-lifting meet in January, so for the rest of December I'll be working on transitioning over to BJJ strength and conditioning and writing out my programming for the Pan-American games in early April. Because of the nature of my work I'll be considering entering the CF games sectionals for my area, as its timing and style should be a fairly good test for the success of my workouts.

My goals for the first couple months will be strength maintenance/endurance after which point I'll introduce more high-pace metcons. In reading through Gambetta and other authors I've come to realize that typical BJJ matches are more about using strength through a wide range of motion and for an extended period of time - not so much about moving at the blistering pace of standard couplet or triplet metcons a la CF. While having the ability to burst from time to time is absolutely crucial, I'm starting to believe that its more beneficial to be able to maintain a good pace for longer periods of time (>30 min). Although individual matches are never longer than 10 minutes, in the tournament setting having that "big tank" separates golds from silvers from bronzes from runner-ups. Explosive power and strength in the lower body is useful in the stand-up (which usually only lasts a minute or so) and from certain positions, but I want to focus on developing upper-body strength this time around - specifically pulling and grip strength.

Unfortunately it seems that my mass gain program has finally started working, and I'll have to start taking that off again. Near-strict Paleo will be the strategy, hopefully without costing me my post-workout refueling.

Final stretch

About to start the final week of the Bulgarian cycle; last three workouts were:

Tuesday

Snatch Balance - Worked up to 165, drop sets at 155, 145

Power Clean and Jerk - 165 - 1x10, 1 min rest

Front Squat - 185 x 1

Metcon (4 rounds)

200m row

15 hanging leg raises

Thursday

Snatch - Worked up to 175, 145 - 1x3

Clean and Jerk - Worked up to 215, 175 - 1x3

3 sec Pause Back Squat Triple- Worked up to 235

Friday

Power Snatch - 135 - 1x10, 1 min rest

Power Clean and Jerk - 165 - 1x10, 1 min rest

Front Squat - 185 x 1

Metcon (3 rounds)

250m row

5 KB swing, 2 pood

10 Pull-ups

Comfort with the heavy weight is developing - 165lb is a confident weight for me and one that I'll likely use as an opener. I feel that I'm stronger, and this next week should allow me to find out - I've decided to go off of PMenu programming for the final week. As far as my schedule goes, I'm only really able to lift 5 days a week, where PMenu is usually needs 6 (to include their rest day). This means that I've been missing one of their lifting days every week, and I think this is limiting my growth. Muscle development requires a stimulus sufficient enough to promote adaptation in the body - by skipping the 6th day, a saturday, I'm skipping out on one of the three heavy lifting days. This means that lifters following the full programming are getting an extra opportunity to go heavy, and an extra bit of stimulus for adaptation. For this last week of the three week cycle I'm going to try and gain that extra day and go heavy three days, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I'll have to see how I feel for Tuesday and Thursday.

I've gone back to near-strict Paleo, and the weight is coming off. From last week, down from 185 to 177 so far.

Rolling Bulgarians

Entering the second week of the strength cycle, and still injury/wear free. Workouts:

Thursday

Snatch Balance: worked up to 165lb, drop reps at 135, 145, 150

Power Clean and Jerk: 135lb, 1x10, 1 min rest

Front Squat: 185lb x 1

Friday

Snatch: worked up to 165, drop reps at 125, 1x5, 1 min rest

Clean and Jerk: worked up to 215, drop reps at 155, 1x5, 1 min rest

3-sec pause back squat: worked up to triple at 225

Monday

Snatch: worked up to 175, drop reps at 140, 1x3, 1 min rest

Clean: worked up to 215, drop reps at 175, 1x3, 1 min rest

Back squat: worked up to 315, drop reps at 255, 2x2

The Bulgarian cycle seems to be a good proposition so far; I'm enjoying the loads (essentially maxing out 3 times a week) and feeling more and more comfortable with the heavy weights. Judging from how the rep/set schemes are moving, I'm assuming that by next week I'll be doing 3 reps at 90-95% of 1RM across the board. It seems to be a too quick way to get to progressive overload, but I'll wait and see what progress is made. The back squat single at 315 is promising, as this is as heavy as I've squatted in a while (I believe my last 1RM was 295) in addition to being placed at the end of a fairly intensive workout. Going to BJJ doesn't seem to be causing me too much trouble either, so I'm willing to say that I'm humming along.

Diet is back to near-strict Paleo, though bodyweight is holding somewhat. In another week or two I should start to see weight loss, but hopefully the strength will stick around. Currently supplementing with Vit D and approx 1 T of fish oil per day.

Two O-lifting meets are coming in January (16th), Copa Nova and Mid-atlantic open (both BJJ) in January as well, CF sectionals at the end of February (possibly the same weekend as the Starrett seminar), and Pan-Ams are in March. 2010 will be busy.

but is it worth it?

Strength/transition period

Currently starting a Bulgarian strength cycle right now, although BJJ "season" is coming in a few months and I have to start gearing up for that...

Still trying to work out a 5 day schedule - for a Bulgarian cycle I may be looking at a 2-on, 1-off, 2-0n cycle. However, once Balance Crossfit opens up I might be able to go in on Sundays and push the first series to a 3-on schedule. Right now I'm looking at light/heavy couplets (mon/tues and thurs/fri, respectively), although I know I'll be skipping in the max day normally scheduled for a 5-day workweek. I'll have to make a decision soon whether to make that up or not.

As far as BJJ goes, attending academy classes are pretty much a given whenever they're available, and at the same time I'll start adding in metcons on light lifting days. Workouts so far this week:

Monday:

Power Snatch - 140 - 1x10, 1 min rest

High-hang C&J - 135 - 1x10, 1 min rest

Front Squat - 185 - 1, working on speed up.

20-15-10

Box Jumps (above knee)

Pull-ups

BJJ - 1.5 hrs

Tuesday:

Snatch - Heavy single (165), 125 - 1x5

Clean - Heavy single (205), 155 - 1x5

Front Squat - Heavy single (265), 225, 2x2

BJJ - 1.5 hrs

Wednesday:

BJJ - 1.5 hrs

The first day gave me fairly strong DOMS, which I'm still feeling now. Just a needed adaptation to the new volume. Thursday and Friday will be lifting only days, and Saturday will be BJJ only. I've also gone off the main diet and am transitioning to a Paleo diet; just one big jug of eggnog to finish off and I'll be clear. Still hoping that there will be an Olympic meet in January, although if all else fails there are a couple BJJ tournaments in January and then of course Pan Ams in March. By late December/January I'll be moving from Olympic Lifting workouts to a mix of strength endurance/powerlifting/metcon to have me tuned up by February. Only 20 pounds to lose by then...