2024 Training Log Part 13

I did not think I’d get to 13 on this. I’m notorious for dropping things in the middle of them.

Nothing on the stereo today. I’m standing at my desk with the back doors swung wide enjoying some silence.

Monday

Gym in the morning, heavy upper body session. I didn’t track everything I did but I know I did some single arm presses, and then some machine flyes for max outs.

I have commented before on mankind’s love for cable flyes. You can’t walk into a gym with a cable stack and not see some bloke grimacing through a few sets of them, standing there flexing like Wolverine. I think they’re a shit exercise, but I bet people only do them to look cool anyway.

But if you want to do flyes, and don’t want fucked up shoulders, use the machine. It’s grand.

Tuesday

Back and core session in the gym. I’m still figuring out this whole “no flexion” and “no axial loading” thing for my back. But I got some work done. I took the night off to go to a match with a mate and then he couldn’t make it, so I sat at home and watched it on the couch, and felt itchy and fidgety. How do people do that night after night?

Wednesday

Rounds. I didn’t get many in as I’d a fair bit of coaching to do. in the end I got 3 high quality ones which might not seem like a great return, but I’m always happy to get just 1.

Thursday

Lower body in the gym. No or low loading on my spine is a tricky one, but surprise surprise, after this session, I was sore as hell.

1. Goblet squats 25kg x 5×12
2. Sissy Squats 3×10
3. Split Squats 3×8/8
4. Swiss Ball Plank 3x60s
5. Loaded crunch 3×15
6. Hamstring Curls 3×15
7. Quad Raises 3×15

Oww. Sitting on the jacks on Friday was an ordeal. Heaviest weight I used was 2 15kg dumbbells on the Splits. Jesus. Still feeling tight today. Just goes to show you don’t always need big weight.

Friday

Show and Go

Supersets and muscular endurance. All good.

Saturday

11 rounds. Felt tight for the first 5 or 6 but warmed in. Did a few at low pace and a few for control. Enjoyable.

Training Thoughts of the Week

I didn’t get on the mat half as much as I wanted to last week, which is very frustrating, but I maximised the rounds I had. I’m in a heavy stress period with work so my energy is elsewhere too. You only have so much adaptive energy, and I’ve learned the hard way that you sometimes have to let yourself be crap on the mat because you can’t be everywhere at once.

Non-Training Thoughts of The Week

“Knowing you’re in good shape is always a bit nerve wracking because you always want to produce it”- Sharlene Mawdsley after making the European 400m Final.

I speak about this sometimes to people who are nervous about competing. There’s a nervousness that comes with being underprepared. Everyone understands and fears this. You had an injury in camp, or you weren’t able to get the rounds in for some reason. But less commonly spoken about is when you’ve no excuses. Some people struggle with this.

I remember a fella I trained with turning to another guy and saying “Why do you fear success more than failure?” WHAM! Imagine getting hit with that. But he had him down. This guy would blow up when things were going well, and was at his best when the odds were against him. He was a great underdog, and a terrible favourite. I can relate.

So what I say to people is that preparing well and going all-in for an event is like telling someone you love them for the first time. If they say “I love you too!” you’re going to be over the moon, but if they say “Oh… thanks”, you’re devastated!

Anyway, just a thought.

See you on the mat.

Barry