Rankin's Hell On Wheels Cycle

[Rufus]

This new cycle is designed to address perceived deficiencies in my performance in boxing training, and to hack a little flab off at the same time.

Specifically, my greatest deficiency in boxing right now (besides my defense: ) is on the pad work: 3-5 rounds of 3 minutes with a minute break, after you bust out some pushups and situps.

I don't gas completely, but my performance drops off during the last coupla rounds, and I want to fly through them with gusto.

So, this scheme is a HOC variant that yields 3 minute rounds with 2 minutes off. I'm taking it easy this week to get used to the switch from the last cycle. As I progress, rounds will get longer, rest will get shorter.

A round consists of:
2 kb Long Cycle CJ's with the 1.5's
Jump Rope
Snatch with 1.5
Jump Rope
Swipes w/ 2 15 # CB's
Jump Rope
Burpees
Jump Rope

I'm using explosive movements that use a lot of the body, and require power generation from the legs.

Currently most sets are of five reps, with approx. 1 minute of jump rope between each set. I'm going to add reps and rounds on a semi-intuitive basis.

This cycle we last two weeks, then be up for evaluation.

Today's WO:

3 rounds, 5 reps on all exercises except for swipes, which were for 10 reps.

RPE was about 6

Thanks,

Rufus

[Rufus]

I found that the CB exercise was amounting to an extra rest period (10 swipes w/2 15's) so I dropped it and reduced a round to LC CJ, Snatch and Burpees. 5-15 minutes of CB's are now a staple of my workout, simply separate.

Conversion One refers to modifying the program to be a little more specific to GS.

So this second phase consists of one day of just sets of LC CJ's with a minute of jump rope for rest, the next day is just sets of snatch with a minute of jump rope for rest.

Last Tuesday looked like this:
LCCJ's: 15 - JR- 10 - JR - 5 - JR - 5 - JR (35 TR)

Then

10 mins w/ 2 10lb CB's

Then

10 minutes of Taiji + some WW and vibration drills

The following Wdnesday looked like this:

Snatches: 20-15-10-5 (1 min jumping rope after each set) (50/side TR)
10 mins w/ 2 15 lbs CB's
Taiji, WW and vibration 15-20 min

So far there's been a little fatloss, and a decent improvement in wind.

Diet:

I've been letting how busy I am be an excuse for eating whatever I want. No more. Over the next week I'm phasing into my basic healthy eating plan, which will be followed for two weeks, then will reevaluate for specific macronutrient needs.

Thanks for reading,

Rufus

[Rufus]

10/22

LC CJ w/24's: 14-12-10-8-6-5 (1 minute of jumping rope between sets)

This was a suckfest, to say the least.

CB work w/ 15's

Swipes: 3 sets of 12 reps
Mills: 35/35 - nonstop, switched hands every five reps

10/23

Snatch w/ 24: 25-10-10-5-5-5 (1 minute jump rope between sets)
CB work w/ 15's
2 CB Lev. Press: 3 x 5reps
Swipes: 5 X 10reps
Mills: 25/25 continuous, switch every five reps
Outward double pendulums: 15/15 continuous, switch every five.

Comment:

Eight workouts since conversion one. I think I'm bumping up against the upper limit of where I'll be able to get as far as max reps on this scheme, at least for the LC CJ.

My plan is to back off a bit and do more sets of lower reps for another week, then go back to higher reps in LC or go into phase three, which will be the same scheme but with short cycle cj.

On phase four, I will move CJ and Snatch onto the same day, yielding a three day/week regimen: CJ then Snatch work, higher reps, fewer sets, jump rope at the end rather than between sets.

Phase five will be a peaking strategy for December competition.

Happy training,

Rufus

[Rufus]

Conversion the Third: More specificity!

Approximately four weeks till the GS competition December 6th.

So I am switching to one day of Jerks, one day of snatches, one day "off".

I really hate to leave long cycle, as it's one of my favoritist exercises, but it's just for a little while.

Workouts will look like this:

Monday:
2 pood Jerk ratchet ladders - low volume, to kickstart the workout
1.5 pood Jerk ladders - waiting to see, but may be able to do multiples of five or fibonacci-style jumps with these.
2 15lb CB Leverage Presses
"" Swipes
"" Mills
Maybe some assistance work for Jerk, such as holds or squats/presses.

Tuesday:
2 pood snatch ratchet ladders - again, relatively low volume
1.5 pood snatches in non-stop decending sets. Tried this last week starting at 20, in the 20-15-10-5 style. Got 20-15-5! Not too bad. Will do 2-3 sets in this style with lower reps, probably starting at 15, then creep the numbers up while decreasing the increments I lower by, i.e. 15-13-10
2 pood farmers' walks and stair walks. This is a fun one. I hope to work up to hopping up the stairs while holding 2 1.5's before the competition.

Restoration Session:
This can happen anytime I have the time, often later in the day or evening, and is alterable.
WW: 5-20 minutes. I'm getting good at expanding or contracting this session as needed
Vibration Drills: 1-3 minutes
Taiji form practice: 10-30 minutes
Chi & Nei Kung: 5-20 minutes

DIET

As promised, I've been cleaning out my diet with good effects (I'm leaner, and feel lighter, and have more energy, etc). I consider this to be the slow, steady approach to low-carbing (think of the parable of the old bull and young bull :P

You start by following a basic food separation approach as espoused by my good friend, a certain diet guru. This entails eating meat and fat separately from carbs, which are eaten low-fat/vegetarian style.

You can eat anything you want, but keep it separate according to these guidelines. For me, this phase lasted about two weeks.

Once used to that, you reduce to one carb meal per day (Duration=1 week).
Then one carb meal every other day
Then one carb meal every third day
etc, etc.

The reductions happen every week or two, so you can get used to each switch before dropping carb levels more. This (in theory) allows you to find your optimal carb level, as well as ease you into low carb, rather than just dumping them all as in the Atkins induction phase.

Some may find this requires more discipline than the more severe induction phases, others may prefer it.

Basically it is an adaptation of my friend's program and the NHE plan fitted to my temperament and schedule. Currently I am at the 1 carb meal every other day level.

My only cheating foods are Sushi and occasional concoctions of my girlfriend, who usually just cooks some ridiculously fabulous meat (Uruguayans know how to cook cow, people) which I can eat anyway.

Thanks for reading,

Rufus

[Scott Sonnon]

Rufus,
If this is your SPP ramp up to comp, drop out any strength work unrelated to your sport and focus on skill refinement, so that you precreate your target numbers before the event (and I would say target volume + 10% - see PHASE IV: The Path of Strength Endurance (http://www.circularstrengthmag.com/18/sonnon1.html).

Check out Bill Fox's article on Performing Better: A User's Guide to the 3D Performance Pyramid (http://www.circularstrengthmag.com/19/fox.html).

[Rufus]

Coach,

Thanks for the suggestions.

It's a little late to adjust my program this radically with three weeks of training time before the event.

Do you think a density approach with the competition weight might work as a decent ramp up?

My goal is 40/40 to nail Level III, then concentrate on ass-kicking at the nationals in May.

Thanks,

Rufus

[Rufus]

On second thought, I'll mirror Bill's plan, that makes more sense at this time. Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks,

Rufus

[Scott Sonnon]

A density approach may work if you give yourself sufficient recovery before the event. However, if you're looking for serious suggestions at this point in your preparation, then consider a synaptic facilitation approach. Do your total competition volume spread throughout the course of a day, and gradually compress the time between practice sessions to culminate in hitting your target volume by event day.

At this point, it should be about skill refinement and precreation of the event variables.

No, it's never too late too jettison superfluous work which may compete with your comp. prep. You don't need to be doing all of that work. Start thinking PRACTICE over TRAINING (because soon you will need to be thinking COMPETITION over PRACTICE - see the "Three Dimensional Performance Pyramid.")

[Rufus]

Thanks for the focus-check, Coach, just what I needed :)

Going outside to train now.

Best Regards,

Rufus

Rufus

You may be pleasently shocked by how much your #s change when you focus. I would not use Density per se, you need to get used to the long set. Try what I did in the atricle, went from 30/35 to 40/40 in 3 weeks.

Bill

[Rufus]

Bill: Thanks for the tips.

Log for last three days.

Switched to nothin' but the jerk and snatch, comp. style per Coach Sonnon and Bill's suggestions.

11/10
Jerk: 2 poods: 2,2
1.5 poods: 15,15,15 (unregulated rest)

11/11
Snatch: 1.5 pood: 15/15, 15/15, 15/15

11/13
Jerk: 1.5 poods: 18, 18, 18
WW long session

Basically one day do three sets of jerks, the next day do three sets of snatches. The only other exercise is lots of WW.

I'm letting the reps creep up, 2-3 reps at a time, going to and thru the burn but not to failure. So far the reps aren't bad at all, really. The first day of high rep jerks threw me off a bit, but focusing on just the two lifts seems to be allowing for rapid adjustment.

Hoping to get up to 30 or 35 on snatch and jerk in my practice sessions.

We'll see.

Thanks for reading,

Rufus

Looks good Rufus - and looks like you still have alot of room to move.

triple 18s on jerk is nice

[Rufus]

11/15 Snatches with 1.5: 20/20, 20/20
WW

11/17 Jerks w/1.5s: 20, 20
WW

Ho Hum. Now I am experienceing the boredome Prana spoke of a few months ago :D

Rufus

[Rufus]

Note: 20 jerks is exactly 80% of my former rep max (found at the VA competition last may).

It is heartening that I am now doing multiple sets at 80% non-stop, with relatively little distress. Good sign of progress.