BWare's Intermediate Training Log

[Bruce Ware]

3/9 Session 11-2, Deadlift

warm-ups:

135 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3

working sets:

335 x 2+AMRAP, 2,2 == accomplished 4,2,2. 6 minutes inter-set rest.

Box Squat: 185 x 12 x 3
Hamstring Curls: 80 x 12 x 3 each leg
Seated BB Calf Raises: 185 x 20 x 3

500m rower ergo "sprints" x 2 with 4 minute break between.

Duration: 1h+10m

[Bruce Ware]

3/11 Session 11-3, Press

warm-ups:

45 x 5 x 2
95 x 5

working sets:

130 x 2+AMRAP, 2, 2 == accomplished 5,2,2. 5 minutes inter-set rest. Felt plenty in tank for sets 2 & 3, could have done more reps, but sticking with plan.

Floor press: 155 x 5 x 3
DB Incline Side Delt Raise: 25 x 6 x 4 each side
DB Arnold Press (H): 90 x 6 x 3
DB Arnold Press (L): 40 x 20 x 3

Core work plus some 500m sprints on rower ergo.

Duration: 1h+15m

[Bruce Ware]

3/12 Session 11-4, Squat

warm-ups:

45 x 5 x 2
135 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 1

working sets:

365 x 2+AMRAP, 2, 2 == accomplished 5, 2, 2. 6.5 minutes rest. Second and third sets were solid, but I was not feeling like I could do more - maybe 1 or 2, but I think form and depth would have been less than optimal.

Leg extensions: 85 x 12 x 3
Chin-ups: 6 x 3
Shrugs: 220 x 20 x 3

Duration: 1h+10m

Concludes second round of 8-5-2 progression; the decision to make the first set of each lift in this week a 2+AMRAP was a good one, as it gives me a better sense of how the different rep x set schema drives performance improvements. The next few rounds will not end in a 2+AMRAP test - I'll probably go to round 6 before testing again, which looks to me like around late May.

[Bruce Ware]

3/15 Measurement Sunday

Total weight (spot) 202.8 (+1.6); (week avg) 201.9 (+2.1); (long term avg) 200.9 (+0.3)

Lean (spot) 181.7 (+0.1); (long term avg) 180.0 (+0.2)
Fat (spot) 21.1 (+1.5); (long term avg) 20.9 (+0.1)

Yields an est BF of 10.4%.

Eating: 128 g P, 272 g C, 93 g F for kcals 2440 on avg. Had some great protein eating days and some very below-par eating days this week.

In general, all measures are within normal limits of variation and no signals of change; lean mass is showing strong signs of signaling a process change, which might be next week, but we'll have to wait and see. I need to stabilize my eating. Almost all my JP7 caliper pinches went up 1 millimeter from last week; I expect to see these drop as we get closer to rowing season and my ergo work starts eating up some of the winter fluff.
--

Start of week of 8's.

Session 12-1, Bench

warm-ups:

45 x 5 x 2
95 x 5
135 x 3

working sets:

165 x 8 x 3; 4 mins rest between. Actually felt kind of heavy toward the end.

BB Rows: 175 x 12 x 3

2 ergo sprints for 500 meters: #1 -- 2:00.0 at a 23 rate developed 200 watts; #2 -- 1:58.8 at a 35 rate developed 209 watts. 3 mins rest between.

Aim for 4 to 5 intervals; aim for 1:50 times for 500 m; aim for at least 200 watts for each interval.

[Bruce Ware]

3/16 Session 12-2, Deadlift

warm-ups:

135 x 5
225 x 5

working sets:

280 x 8 x 3; 5 mins rest between. Out of breath and puffing hard, needed every minute of those inter-set rests.

Box squat: 190 x 12 x 3

Duration: 0h+50m

[Bruce Ware]

3/18 Session 12-3, Press

warm-ups:

45 x 5 x 2
95 x 5

working sets:

115 x 8 x 3; 5 mins rest between.

Floor press: 155 x 4 x 4

Rower: 500 meter sprints -- #1 @ 1:56.8, 220 watts at a 23 rate; #2 @ 1:53.9, 237 watts at a 27 rate.

Aim to increase to 3 intervals next time; these are decent times, stroke rates, and wattage productions.

Duration: 0h+50m

[Bruce Ware]

3/19 Session 12-4, Squat

warm-ups:

45 x 5 x 2
135 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3

working sets:

315 x 8 x 3; 5 mins rest between.

Chin-ups: 7 x 3

Duration: 0h+45m

Completes the week of 8's; week of 5's starts Sunday. All my training session plans have now been modified to reduce the number of exercises to accommodate preparation for the spring crew (rowing) season. On upper body days and on active-rest days, I add in interval sprints on the ergo rower. The club advises that, currently, we are still on schedule to start the intro sessions on 4/5, and I have signed up to be an "experienced" rower for the new people being introduced to the club. Everyone is hoping that the Wu-Flu will have run its course and we can all re-set from the media-fed hysteria.

[Bruce Ware]

3/22 Measurement Sunday

Total weight -- (spot) 203.0 (+0.2); (week avg) 202.0 (+0.1); (long avg) 202.9 (+2.0) !! Rule 2 process shift - two consecutive reports above the 2-sigma line.

LBM -- (spot) 182.3 (+0.6); (long avg) 180.1 (+0.1)

Fat -- (spot) 20.7 (-0.4); (long avg) 22.8 (+1.9)

Yields a BF est of 11.2%. Fat pounds look to be high, but this is an artifact of the total weight process shift upward; the lean process chart shows strong signs of an impending shift, too, and if next Sunday's lean mass exceeds 181.1, that process shift will be triggered and the BF will drop again.

Body-parts seem to have gotten bigger, too. Shoulder girth is highest ever at 52.8, but my waist girth is also increasing, and bordering on hitting the 35 inch mark. Pinch tests don't show much of a change in fat - in fact, it's spot measure is down as a percentage from last week's spot. But I just look and feel bigger.

Eating was decent: gProtein 133, gCarb 267, gFat 106 for an average daily uptake of 2560 kcals.

This week starts the 5-rep part of the cycle. Bench later today. Also, conditioning work on Concept2 rowing machine.

[Bruce Ware]

3/22 Session 13-1, Bench Press

warm-ups:

45 x 5 x 2
95 x 5
135 x 3

working sets:

185 x 5 x 3; 5 mins rest between. Felt pretty heavy, but maintained form and bar-speed. Will add 5 next time I get to week of 5's.

BB Rows: 185 x 12 x 3

Duration: 0h+40m

Added rowing conditioning work after -- a 500 meter sprint at a 30 rate, took 1:49.6, delivered 266 watts. Followed with a single, relatively slow 1K at a 22 rate, took 4:29.7, delivered 143 watts. I feel good that I have seen my best 500 wattage and speed so far, and after a 3 minute rest, was able to row a relaxed 1K. Going to continue to do 500 m intervals, and every few sessions, throw in a 1K. In 2 weeks, plan to do only 1K's for time.

[Bruce Ware]

3/23 Session 13-2, Deadlift

warm-ups:

135 x 5
225 x 5

working sets:

315 x 5 x 3; 6 mins rest between. I felt like I had two reps left "in the tank" on each set; bar speed was a bit slower than my normal deadlift, but there was no hesitation or sense that I did not have control over the movement.

Box squats: 195 x 12 x 3

Duration: 0h+50m

No rowing machine work today. I may do a few 500 m sprints tomorrow on my "active rest" day.