The wife hit the skids again with tiredness and sleep probably 70% of February all the while I've also been putting a together a bunch of ebooks for my studio website that have taken a little longer then I thought they would, and they're still not finished!!
Anyway I'm still here and still intending to update this bad boy when all that blows over and I've got some idea's for content including:
Correcting breathing patterns
Focusing on more then just getting bigger and stronger in the gym
A new look at training core stability (linking off the breathing patterns idea)
A full wrap up of my 26 Week Triphasic Training program that has just 1 week to go!!
Some new idea's on setting up actual team training sessions
And a quick build up to the release of probably the most important manual to date, the Aussie Rules In Season Training Manual
So I haven't just been sitting on the couch doing nothing I'm still thinking about this blog even when I'm not actually updating it.
As always if you have idea's for content, questions on training or anything then let me know via our Facebook page here, which you should also like and invite all your friends to by the way!!
Time for a quick run through of my upper body training for my peaking phase.
Now I haven't actually done the same training for upper body as I have lower body. In the 21 weeks I have done 6 - 7 cycles of Jim Wendlers 531 for bench press and chin ups. I started with military presses too but something was happening in my shoulder so I dropped them out for a bit.
It's all about the lower body for me so it's strength and nothing else really for upper body but for this peaking phase, as the lower body stuff is a lot lighter then other phases I have included more then the previous 21 weeks.
I am following what is called Prilepin's Chart which is a study done on 1000 odd Olympic weightlifters from Russia which depicts the optimal sets, reps and % load to increase strength. This makes planning your training pretty because it's all sub maximal loads, with the aim to stay well away from failure as you can.
Here's how the chart looks:
55 - 70% load - 3 to 6 sets and reps per exercise - optimal rep number 24 - total rep range 18 - 30
70 - 80% load - 3 to 6 sets and reps per exercise - optimal rep number 18 - total rep range 12 - 24
80 - 90% - 2 to 4 sets per exercise - optimal rep number 15 - total rep range 10 - 20
90% + - 1 to 2 sets per exercise - optimal rep number 4 - total reps 10
So if you're lifting in the 70 - 80% range then for 70% you'd aim for the higher end of the volume table (18 - 24 total reps) then aim for the lower end as you work up towards 80% (12 - 18 total reps). How you break up the sets and reps is up to you. If you're feeling pretty good then you can aim for the lower set / higher rep end with 4 x 6 or if you're feeling a little sluggish from a tiring work week you can do 4 x 3.
For my training I'm doing 2 upper body sessions a week.
Session 1 see's me do military press and bench press at the low end of the total reps - 6 x 3. Session 2 I do the opposite and go for the higher end (5 x 6). Both days use the same weight which increases each week.
I haven't actually seen it done like this before so I'm trying this out but I'll need to be careful when I get to the heavier weeks how the twice a week thing goes with pretty good volume over the week.
I'm doing twice a week mainly because of my very low frequency and volume I've used for upper body since September and now that I have the chance I'm looking to improve my work capacity in the arly weeks of this.
All up it's 11 weeks all planned out until I reach the heavy load and low volume but I should be able to get through without missing a rep.
During session 1 chin ups are still rolling with 531 with a max that has been reset from my testing a few weeks ago (+40kgs x 2 reps). Session 2 I'm doing 10 x 5 mechanical drop sets for pull ups, semi supinated pull ups and chin ups. What happens here is that I do sets of 5 for pull ups until I can't then I move to semi supinated pull ups for sets of 5 until I can't and finish with chin ups if I'm still going. So each time I will do 50 total reps, it just depends how many sets of each particular variation I total.
For rowing I'm doing 8 x 8 mechanical drop sets for inverted rows during session 1 and session 2 I'm just doing some cable rows for traditional sets and reps.
Core is trained on both upper body days and 1 lower body day using gymnastic type moves that I'm trying to progressing through but having 80% of my bodyweight in my arse and thighs makes leverage exercises a terrible option but I'm persisting - hey better then 400 crunches - and an exercise I'm pretty sure I've invented, the station rotation I call it (I'll post a video later this week) which is a great name!!
So there it, my training for the next 3 and a half weeks (already 1 and half weeks into this). Let me know what you;re doing for your training via the comments section or Facebook.
In my last post I went into a little detail about the last phase of my off season training program, Triphasic Training.
I just finished week 22 of the program which was the first week of phase 3, the peaking phase and boy was it worth waiting for. After 21 weeks of 3 times a squatting mostly in the 70 - 90% range, this phase goes no heavier then 55%.
It also coincided with the first full week of footy training and the second week of basketball after the Christmas break so a fair bit of fatigue build up from those 2 which would have made another heavy week very hard (especially when my knee wouldn't let me walk Thursday morning - still played basketball Thursday night though as I'm a very quick recoverer!!).
In my previous post I also talked a little about breaking up my training into strength qualities and training them rather then muscles like most players do and movements like I normally do.
Here's how my lower body set set up looks:
Lower Body Days
Hip Flexion paired with Hip Abduction
Glutes
Eccentric Overload
Sprint Starts
Triphasic Training
Foot / Ankle Stiffness
Now after the first week I changed a few things going forward for the next 4 weeks to allow for some better recovery and spread things out a little more.
In this post I wrote about what I did for hip flexion using band hip flexion isometrics and why I did them. I have put these in again to keep improving my seeing phase which has gotten better even after the 6 times I did them in my last phase of training.
I added in some hip abductor work as I have a weaker glute medius on my right side which I think stems from a ankle mobility / foot tripod issue I'm working on too.
For glutes I'm doing barbell hip thrusts 3 times a week and just aiming to increase the weight each session. For some reason I've never really done these for an extended period of time so I haven't gotten any impressive numbers with them yet but they'll be a staple in the in season plan so I'm getting in early.
Now some of you might be wondering what eccentric overload means? Well if I can go back a bit, the more force you can absorb, then the more force you can put out. Think of your muscles and tendons as rubber bands and when you go to jump and you dip down, think of that as pulling the rubber band back. As you transition jump up the leaving the ground, that is you letting go of the rubber band and watching that sucker fly.
Now the harder and more force you pull the rubber band back with, the further it will go once released so if you can absorb a great amount of force then you'll be able to put that force out presenting as great sprinting speed and jumping ability.
For this I'm doing some high frequency swings 4 times a week with moderate load switching to overspeed eccentric swings at the half way mark of the phase (2 - 3 weeks). As a side note I touched a basketball ring off a 2 foot jump last Thursday for the first time ever at 168cms so we'll see if these swings can improve upon that. My reach is about 216cms so with a basketball ring being 3.05m that puts my leap at 89cms or 35.6 inches. Not bad for a 34 and a half year old if I do say so myself.
About a month ago I purchased the Joe Defranco and Jim Smith Speed manual which I've been waiting to be released for a few months now. I'm doing starts 3 - 4 times a week using the progression from that manual.
Lastly I have foot / ankle stiffness which is kind of similar to the eccentric overload stuff but also a lot different. Stiffness in the case of the foot and ankle refers to being able to absorb eccentric forces and to quickly transition into putting that power back out. For instance watch your reserves ruckman or big full forward who's probably a few kilograms overweight try and do a u-turn and note the giant turning circle. Now watch your best midfielder change direction and see how effortless it looks.
What makes it look so easy is that the elite players can contract and relax quicker then anyone else which is why you can watch Ablett and Cotchin at full speed and they just look like they their jogging in the park, even with someone on their hammer.
For my training I aiming to improve the ability of my feet to absorb the force I can put into the ground while sprinting and with minimal deformation of the foot, put the force back out (think of kicking a flat footy versus a pumped up footy). For this I'll be doing straight legged switching lunge jumps to training for foot / ankle stiffness and also the actual joint angles of sprinting 2 a week.
So my week for lower body looks like this:
Monday AM - Gym / PM - Footy Training
Wednesday AM - Gym / PM - Footy Training
Thursday PM - Basketball
Friday PM - Gym
Saturday - Track + Swings + Foot / Calf Stiffness
That's 7 lower body sessions per week of varying intensity so I hop I haven't tried to squeeze too much in but if I feel run down a bit then I can take some stuff out if I need to.
In my next post I'll detail my upper body training for this phase.
The 3 phases are differentiated by the load used during that phase. Phase 1 was 80%+ for all days, phase 2 was 55 - 80% for all days and phase 3 is 25 - 55% for all days.
Phase 1 used eccentric and isometric training methods, phase 2 uses the same but also a day of using a drop off to determine the volume of training for that day but phase 3 is a bit different.
Where the previous 2 phases were for traditional sets and reps for the most part (4 x 2, 4 x 1 etc) phase 3 is sets for time. Now normally I hate sets for time because the way they are normally used is for 30 - 60secs and all quality of technique is flushed down the toilet but that's not the case here. The entire program is based on quality over quantity.
The eccentric and isometric protocols used in the first 2 phases have been the bane of my existence for the last 21 weeks. That is a long time to do something that you hate and literally had to drag yourself off the floor to do but for dramatic improvements in life you have to do what you need to do, not necessarily what you want to do (bench presses and curls anyone??).
With the high frequency squatting (63 squatting sessions in 21 weeks is probably more then most gym goers will do in a year!) and the intensity used in those sessions have left me salivating at this phase where the load is light. It will also allow me to add in a little extra work for area's I have been wanting to improve but just couldn't really fit into with the current template and be recovered for each session.
All the hustle and bustle of the end and start of the year is over too so I can now really sink my teeth into this peaking phase, and peak I will!!
For about the last 12 or so months I have been breaking up my training a bit differently then normal. Real world normal is muscles or bodyparts (gag!!) and Troy real world is movement patterns (which we do in the studio). What I do now is separate and train strength qualities for 90% of my training.
My number 1 goal is sprinting speed and 90% of my programming is geared towards that goal. At 34 if I can maintain my speed then I can still compete at the senior level, regardless of endurance (which is moderate and never really gets above there).
So here's how I have broken up my training programming:
Lower Body Days
Hip Flexion
Glutes
Eccentric Overload
Sprint Starts
Triphasic Training - Resistance
Triphasic Training - Plyometrics
Foot / Ankle Stiffness
Upper body days have been 1/week for 2 x 531 exercises for the last 12 or so weeks so this time around, with the extra recovery I'll have from the lighter Triphaisc lifts, I've added some 8 x 8 mechanical drop sets.
I also have a track session incorporated for Saturday's that runs through some of the pre season training manual stuff.
I'll detail some of this stuff in my next post later this week.
This article has been 3 - 4 weeks in the making and has taken a few twists and turns in that time.
Let's go back a few weeks.
I started block 3 of phase 2 of the Triphasic Training program where I thought it was a great time to do a little experiment.
I'm a short man, probably the shortest at my footy club at a poultry 168cms. I think Boomer Harvey is even taller then me actually.
Anyway this obviously results in pretty short legs (short everything really...) but I have always had a shortish step. I was reasonably fast when I was young. Not the quickest in my age group but in the top group anyway. I always thought I had to take too many steps to run a 100m sprint compared to everyone else, sort of like the bloke who pumps his arms and legs and never gets anywhere but I wasn't quite that bad (my mate Warbo does a great rendition of this actually).
My little experiment was to do some band hip flexion isometrics 3 x 15secs x 3 times a week for 2 weeks with a 40m sprint test before and after the 2 weeks. Here are the initial tests:
As you can see my timing device is not perfect but you can see the time for the very first movement and also the moment you cross the line, albeit with a lot of pausing!
Here are my times for the 3 x 40m Sprints with the first sprint having 10m split times:
Sprint 1 - 8.7 + 10.6 (1.9) + 11.9 (1.3) = 13 or 14.??? (can't see the finish)
Sprint 2 - 34.2 - 39.7 = 5.5secs
Sprint 3 - 48.8 - 54.4 = 5.6secs
I generally run the 40m sprint in 22, 23, 24 steps which is what is shown in sprint 1, even though you can't see the end.
I kept up my Triphasic Training training as prescribed so the only thing I was adding was the band hip flexion isometric exercise. To do wrap a band around an anchor and then around your ankle. Standing on 1 leg, flex the hip of the banded foot in front of you until your hip is at 35 - 45 degree angle or thereabouts. Also make sure your ankle is dorsi flexed. Hold this position for 15secs alternating sides for 3 sets each session. I did this Monday, Wednesday and Friday for 6 total sessions.
This exercise is designed to improve the swing phase of sprinting where the leg comes from full hip extension into hip flexion to set you up for the next step. The better set up for the next step you are, the more force you'll be able to put into the ground and the faster you'll be able to run.
2 weeks later I retested my 40m sprints and here's the videos with my fandangle timing system for them:
Here are my times, 10m split times and steps taken for each sprint;
That is a huge drop of 1.1secs in 2 measly weeks!!! Let's all celebrate and bow down to the world's fastest ma.........wait a minute.
Looking back at that tape and also at the split times the sprints look a bit short. So short in fact that they were only 30m!!
$##%^&*@$#!!
Not Happy. I said to the wifey who was doing my filming to go up to the next line (I did 3 x 10 and 20m prior to the 40's) where I meant the 40 line because that's what we did 2 weeks before for the initial testing. She just went to the 30m line and I didn't even notice.
Again $##%^&*@$#!!
I actually count my steps while I do the sprints and I did count 18 for at least 1 of them and thought wow, the hip flexor exercises is the biggest secret to sprinting speed, I just ran the same distance I did usually do in 24 steps in only 18. Wowee!!
Even as I converted them and times them that night I still didn't realise they were short. Not until I started to do this article of my record breaking exploits and I watched again and bang there it was - 30m.
So where to from now?
Well I was going to retest again yesterday in preparation for this post but as I went to start training my back stiffened up so I couldn't even train let alone test which threw my plan b out of whack too.
So here's what I'll do.
I have 1 week left of phase 2 for Triphasic Training and then it's into the peaking phase which is 5 weeks. I will continue with the band hip flexion isometric for this week and retest the 40m next Friday.
The peaking phase is really where the gains in speed come for the Triphasic Training program so I will test after week 2 then again at the end of week 5. I might stick with the hip flexor isometric too as they are a little weak, especially from side to side.
My aim is to break 5secs which at 34 and a half is a pretty good result. I will also practice my set up and starts as I found myself "standing up" on my first step instead of driving out horizontally. You can see it if you go frame by frame.
I hope to have one of my trainers Rob do a sprint specific contrast circuit for 4 weeks too with a pre and post test for the 40m to see how that goes.
As you can see from the video above, it's a traditional jump squat but you set up some bands on a squat rack or a high beam and use them to pull yourself up at the same time you are jumping as high as you can.
Why Are They So Good?
Traditional plyometrics are great for starting strength or first step quickness but they don't replicate true sport specific movements - especially acceleration. During acceleration you obviously run faster and faster until you hit top speed. With this in mind you need to mimic this in the weight room but traditional plyo's stay at the same speed or level as the first jump or decreases with each successive rep - the opposite of acceleration.
With every top end sprinting step you take you absorb around 3 - 6 x your bodyweight which you need to be able to eccentrically control, isometrically absorb then concentrically use to propel you forward. Traditional plyometric exercises don't produce anywhere near the force required to improve anything past the 1st step.
We are also limited by how high we can jump in reference to how much force we can absorb through traditional plyometrics. If you can only jump 60cms, then you can only train yourself to absorb a 60cm jump squat. What the band assistance provides is the ability to jump higher and now that 60cm jump height we were absorbing becomes a 70 or 80cm jump and wholla, increased forces to absorb!!
So now we have trained the 2nd and 3rd steps in acceleration where with each step you have increased forces to absorb and now you can instead of being limited by how much force we can absorb on the first step.
How To Use Them In Your Program?
Because of the force absorption involved, it goes without saying that this is an advanced level exercise. I'll provide a plyometric exercise progression that you can use to get yourself to the level required to use this exercise.
Strength Requirement - 1.5 x bodyweight squat minimum and keep it there (actually keep going to 2 x bodyweight). Don't reach it and stop squatting!
Exercise 1 - Jump Squat (level 1 - jump, land and stick, level 2 - jump, land, jump, land stick etc until at 5 reps per set then work your way up in external loading until you reach 30% of your squat max)
When you land and stick be sure to throw the hips back so it looks like your mid way through a deadlift.
We're looking for explosion here so once you hit the ground, you want instant force absorption so you can basically bounce off the ground. If you have to land, steady yourself and then jump then the box is too high.
Exercise 3 - APBAJS
Again quick ground contact time is what we want here.
It's a good idea to pair these with your squat sets too which are hopefully in the 2 - 5 range. It can be done for higher Reps but you risk building up too much fatigue for the APBAJS.
So this week get out on the track and time your 40m sprint, do these 2/week for the next 4 weeks and retest and let me know how you do.
If you're in your 30's like I am then you'd probably remember the basketball boom of the early to mid 90's. It was huge here in Australia and especially Melbourne where the national basketball league could get crowds of 15 - 20,000 for the big state vs state games which now tops out at 3 - 4,000.
With Michael Jordan winning 6 titles in 8 years and basketball cards being swapped in every playground you could find, Aussie Rules was in a similar position to the soccer boom of the mid 2000's.
There was MJ, Shaq, Alonzo Mourning, Penny Hardaway and my man Shawn Kemp:
What I will attempt to do with this post is to match up AFL and NBA players who share the same unique qualities not necessarily on overall ability.
The Play Maker
AFL - Sam Mitchell / NBA - Chris Paul
There was a play a few years ago where Sam Mitchell received the ball on center wing with a player hot on his tail. He noticed a fellow Hawks player running off for an interchange bench rotation and kicked into his direction. His teammate had no idea this had happened and continued on with his sprint to get the new hawks player on as quick as possible. What Mitchell had actually done was kick it to the bloke who hadn't even come on yet!!! His handballs from packs under intense pressure and kicking skills on both sides of his body are probably the best in the league.
Chris Paul is the best point guard in basketball. He his probably the best dribbler in the league and is also the best leader in the NBA right now.
Mr Reliable
AFL - Jude Bolton / NBA - Tim Duncan
Just when you think these players should retire, they have a few throwback games that probably actually is the reason their teams won. In the last 10 years you probably couldn't find a player with more wins then these 2 in their respective leagues.
The Beast
AFL - Josh Kennedy / NBA - Lebron James
Lebron at 203cms and 113kgs is a point guard in a power forwards body. Josh Kennedy at 188cms and 96kgs is a midfielder in a center half forwards body. Kennedy doesn't do any upper body weights at all because the Swans think he doesn't need to get any stronger in that area. They are probably right as he can go forward and manhandle tall defenders is rarely brought to ground even though most of his possessions are clearances from stoppages. The last 15secs of this video is a prime example:
Lebron is Lebron, the greatest athlete on the earth in my opinion. He'd be good at any sport he wanted to play.
Space Eaters
AFL - Aaron Sandilands / NBA - Dwight Howard
Sandy is 211cms and 125kgs, Dwight is 211cms and 120kgs. In the AFL no one can get close to the reach of Sandy.
Dwight is of average height for an NBA center but his vertical leap and overall max reach is easily the highest.
Speed
AFL - Lewis Jetta / NBA - John Wall
On September 28th, 2012 the question remained who was the fastest player in the league. On September 29th, 2012 the question was answered and case closed.
John Wall, debuting today for the Wizards for season 2012/13 has speed to burn as proved here:
Physical Presence
AFL - Michael Hurley / NBA - Kevin Garnett
Jonathan Brown held this mantle for ever in the AFL but in light of his broken body (don't worry I love Browny) I think Michael Hurley has taken the mantle. With the watered down AFL game of current times, his attack on the ball on ground and in the air is reminiscent of an very young Browny.
KG has been the NBA's leading enforcer for some time now and even at age 36, he still leads the pack. There are other enforcers in the NBA but it's the sole job of those players to do nothing but scrap for rebounds for 15mins a night tops. KG is an actual focal point on offense, gets his fair share of rebounds and anchors the defense all at the same time. The ultra competitor as explained here.
Small group personal training done the right way. Train in a group - do YOUR OWN program. PT studio located in the heart of South Yarra on Surrey Road North, just off Toorak Road. 1on1 personal training also available. Don't do everyone else's program, get personal with your training.
