Pat's Training Log

[patrickmeniru]

Little bit of front lever work, elbows began to feel sore so decided to have abandon that and do an abs session:

2 x 10 hanging tuck raises

2 x 10 swiss ball crunches

2 x 4 dragon flags

2 x 20 russian twists w/10kg

2 x 10 cherry pickers w/20kg

2 x 10 ab-wheel rollout from kneeling

2 x 20 full ROM standing side bends w/20kg

2 x 15 crunches w/10kg

2 x 20 leg raises

1 x 10 supermans 5 sec holds

1 x 6 hanging leg raises

1 x 20 bicycles w/5kg

2 x 20 windshield wipers with tucked legs

2 x 10 decline hip raises

1 x 5 decline crunches w/10kg

1 x 10 decline crunches

1 x (20 crunches, 20 oblique crunches on each side, 20 v-sit crunches, 20 russian twists w/10kg)

1 x 1 min plank

1 x 30 second side plank each side

1 x (30 second plank, 15 second one arm/one leg plank each side, 30 second plank)

1 x 20 second L-sit

Wanted to mix it up from my usual high volume work, so focused on doing fewer quality reps with weight or decreased leverage.

[patrickmeniru]

Rest day today. 30 mins on a cross-trainer for a little cardio, also did a little extensor work with some rubber bands to try and help my elbows recover.

[patrickmeniru]

Warm-up:

Cycled 5 mins to gym

500m on erg rowing machine

1 x each pull-up variation slowly (narrow, wide and chin)

Workout:

Weighted pulls/chins/dips:

1 x 24kg pull-up

1 x 36kg pull-up

1 x 40kg pull-up

1 x 40kg chin-up

1 x 44kg chin-up

1 x 44kg dip

1 x 50kg chin-up

0 x 55kg chin-up (missed getting my chin over the bar by a couple of inches, will work on the top part of the motion as the bottom 2/3 was strong)

1 x 3 dips with 55kg (not sure how to test max-dips, 55kg for three was pretty easy, could have probably got 5 good reps and i'm not sure the belt can take another plate...) Guessing my max is somewhere around 65-70kg.

Unweighted bodyweight exercises:

3 x 6 handstand pushups

2 x 8 wide grip pull-ups

1 x 20 dips

1 x 4 frenchies

Arms/chest:

1 x 6 bicep curls 20kg dumbbells

1 x 6 bicep curls 15kg dumbbells

3 x 10 tricep pull-downs 55kg

1 x 10 bicep curls on machine 35kg

1 x 10 hammer curls 10kg

1 x 10 chest press machine vertical grips 80kg

1 x 8 chest press machine vertical grips 100kg

1 x 6 chest press machine horizontal (slightly wider) grips 100kg

2 x 10 rows on machine 60kg (1st set wide grip, second narrower)

1 x 8 reverse wrist curls 12kg

1 x 10 reverse wrist curls 10kg

1 x 10 partial wrist curls with 24kg kettlebell

1 x 10 pushups

Core:

1 x 10 swiss ball crunches

1 x 20 leg raises

5 x (10 crunches, 10 oblique crunches on each side, 10 v-sit crunches, 20 russian twists w/5kg, 5 supermans w/5sec hold)

Cardio:

30 mins on cross trainer

10 mins on spin bike

cycled home from gym (5 mins)

Planche:

2 x 30 sec tuck planche

2 x 30 sec planche leans

2 x 6 pseudo planche pushups

Grip:

3 x 20 TNS reps CoC #1

Some extensor work

Really happy to have increased by max chin by 5kg, probably could have got 52kg but decided to jump straight to 55kg and failed interested to know what i can dip, will have to try and find a more sturdy looking belt! Trying to make the most of the gym in the last few days before i go home (no free gym membership when i'm not at uni), when i get home i will concentrate more on volume pull-ups and front/back lever work as well as grippers and core stuff.

[patrickmeniru]

20 mins on cross trainer

5 mins hard row on erg machine

5 min cycle

3 x 10 leg press with 80kg

10 reps of abduction and adduction with arm held at 90 degrees with 3kg dumbbell for rotator cuff

[patrickmeniru]

Erg session with a couple of rower friends:

2 x (10 sets of 30 seconds hard (average 1:40 for 500m split), 15 second rest) with 10 min rest between first and second set

1 x 50 pushups

1 x freestanding handstand pushup

[patrickmeniru]

Also did a little, light planche work to grease the groove and a few handstand pushups. With the HSPU i've been focussing on keeping the elbows tucked in rather than flaring them out, has made the pushup harder initially, but i feel the carryover to freestanding is better, as is the carryover to planche related shoulder work, particularly pseudo pushups. Weight currently around 88kg.

[patrickmeniru]

Currently packing my stuff to head home from uni, haven't hit grippers for a while and hands felt fresh so decided to try and get my #3 shut for the first time since January.

Warmup:

1 x 1 CoC #1 TNS

1 x 1 CoC #2 TNS

1 x 1 CoC #2.5 no set (holding spring to position in hand so not TNS) [right hand only]

Working Sets:

1 x 1 CoC #3 MMS! (RH) Very happy with this, close was pretty slow, not much explosion, but got it closed and even ground the handles a little!

1 x 1 CoC #2.5 MMS (LH) Pretty pleased with this too!

1 x 0 CoC #2.5 TNS (RH) can't seem to get it closer than 1cm... Will work on TNS reps of my #2, and finger strength to get the first part of the close done without compromising the position of the gripper in my hand too much (having it too far back in the hand).

Finished up with a little levering and a one set of 25 reverse wrist curls with 5kg dumbbells.

[patrickmeniru]

6 x 20 calf extension machine 25kg (using each leg individually)

4 x 8 leg press 200kg

1 x 15 squats 60kg

2 x 6 squats 100kg

2 x 6 HSPU

a few assisted OACs (managed one with 15kg assistance on the machine, which actually equates to a fair bit more than 15kg but it's a marker at least)

2 x 10 Leg extension machine 35kg each leg

2 x 10 leg curl 20kg each leg

some bodyweight lunges

Farmers walk with two 56kg dumbbells for about 20 seconds

2 x 6 benchpress 80kg (normal then wide grip)

10 minutes on cross trainer

5 minute very slow jog

1 x 2 muscle ups on thickbar (2")

4 x 8 pull-ups on thickbar

4 x 8 chin-ups on thickbar

1 x (20 crunches, 20 oblique crunches on each side, 20 v-sit crunches, 20 russian twists)

1 x 20 leg raises

1 x 10 dips

1 x 10 bar dips

1 x 50 bicycles

2 x 30 second tuck planche hold

Grippers:

Quick warmup with a couple of squeezes with #1 and #2

RH

1 x 2 CoC #2.5 MMS

2 x 4 CoC #2.5 MMS

1 x 2 CoC #2.5 MMS with 15 second hold on last rep

LH

1 x 2 CoC #2.5 MMS

2 x 4 CoC #2 TNS

1 x 2 CoC #2 TNS with 10 second hold on last rep

A little levering work, some extensor stuff, a little pinch with my spring clamp and a few reverse wrist curls with 5kg.

[patrickmeniru]

1 x 4 bicep curls 24kg

4 x 6 bicep curls 18kg

4 x 6 partial bicep curls leaning forward to stress the top of the motion (last 1/3 ROM) 18kg

2 x 10 bicep curls 10kg

4 x 6 handstand pushups

10(?) x 1 freestanding HSPU (lots of failures due to balance, but i'm slowly improving)

1 x 3 overhead dumbbell press 24kg

1 x 10 bodyweight barbell rows (hanging under the bar with feet supported)

2 x 5 bodyweight barbell rows (hanging under the bar with feet supported)

3 x 10 pushups

2 x 8 military press 70kg

1 x 6 tricep pull downs (full stack 80kg maybe)

1 x 10 bar dips

1 x 1 OAC negative

2 x 10 straight arm chest flys 8kg dumbbell (to work on straight arm elbow strength)

1 x 5 front raises 8kg

1 x 5 side raises 8kg

3 x (20 crunches, 20 oblique crunches on each side, 20 v-sit crunches, 20 russian twists w/7kg)

2 x standing ab-wheel rollout partials

1 x 20 leg raises

1 x 5 side bends pinching 20kg plate (grip gave out)

1 x 20 feet raised, seated chest passes with 7kg med ball

10 mins cardio (a little jog followed by a few lengths in the pool to warm-down)

2 x 5 wide pull-ups on thickbar

1 x 1 muscle up (ugly)

1 x 1 slow muscle up (uglier)

1 x 3 frenchies

1 x 4 chin ups

a little front/back lever work - i find that supinated grip back lever stresses my elbow A LOT compared with pronated grip, anyone got experience with this?

Grippers:

RH

1 x 1 CoC #1

1 x 1 CoC #2

5 x 1 CoC #2.5

2 x 5 CoC #2

1 x 10 CoC #1 (explosive)

LH

1 x 1 CoC #1

3 x 4 CoC #2

1 x 10 CoC #1 (explosive)

A little levering and extensor work, finished with forearm stretching routine that i found on the gymnasticbodies forum.

[patrickmeniru]

So, i've always been able to hold a decent back lever since i first tried the exercise OR SO I THOUGHT! I was browsing a forum yesterday and realised that the back lever is supposed to be performed with a supinated grip. I have been working on a pronated grip as it allows me to transition to the 'skin the cat' or 'german hang' position for the BL more easily. Needless to say i immediately went outside to see if i could still do the BL with the correct grip, the result was interesting, painful and humbling. My elbows felt like they were about to snap, as did my biceps, even in the tucked BL position. However, every obstacle is an opportunity and by learning the BL properly, maybe i will be able to address my weakness in my biceps, which should help my weighted chins and OAC work.

Today i just did a little BL work, holding a tentative german hang for 3 x 10 seconds or thereabouts. The connective tissues between by bicep and elbow are nicely sore as a result! I'll probably work on the german hangs every other day until i'm totally comfortable with them and then begin work on the BL, at which point i'll train it less often as befits the increase in intensity.

[patrickmeniru]

Just ordered a set of gymnastic rings, got them for £25 on eBay, hopefully they don't disappoint! Hopefully i can use them to help improve my stabilising muscles and work on my FL and BL in my room at uni with a bit for comfort (currently hanging from a rough, square edged, wooden beam).

[patrickmeniru]

Cant remember exactly what i did yesterday, but here's some of what i did, also, i've started doing my handstands facing the wall, which stops me recruiting my chest and focussing the stress on my triceps and medial delts much more, rather than the focus being on pecs and anterior delts, where i am quite strong, hence my handstand work will decrease in volume until my strength comes up.

1 x 10 cast wall walks (HARD)

1 x 5 headstand pike extensions

1 x 5 headstand straddle extensions

2 x 2 HSPU

2 x 10 second handstand hold against wall

2 x (5 wide pull-ups, 5 pull-ups, 5 chins) all with pause at the top and bottom of motion.

2 x 5 advanced tuck FL pulls

1 x 10 push-ups 2 x 5 dive-bomber pushups

3 x 10 second german hang

some flag work (finally found somewhere to practice)

2 x 6 bodyweight bicep curls (different to curling dumbbells equal to my weight!)

some planche leans, pushups and tuck holds

1 x 10 ab-wheel rollouts from kneeling

some light ab work, situps etc

1 x 10 reverse flys (for posterior delts - realised that i am very weak here)

3 x 10 MMS CoC #2

some extensor work

I've realised that my shoulders and biceps are my two weakest areas in my upper-body, so i'm trying to bring these up to par partly through executing my current training exercises with better form and partly through some specific manoeuvres (bicep curl variations and HSPU work).

[patrickmeniru]

Going on football tour to the US tomorrow, so this could be my last gym session for a while - hopefully i'll get to use some gym facilities over there, but i can't be sure.

A little flag work to GTG, flag on pole was much more stable on both shoulders, right shoulder especially improved.

2 mins on erg to warm-up

1 x 10 cleans 60kg

3 x 6 cleans 80kg

1 x 10 one arm snatches 26kg dumbbell

1 x 5 one arm snatches 32kg dumbbell

1 x 10 explosive pushups putting hands up onto bench

2 x 20 reverse flys with bands (various angles)

1 x 3 bicep curls 26kg

1 x 6 leaning bicep curls (to stress the end of the ROM more) 20kg

1 x 10 max ROM dips (harder than i thought it would be)

1 x 10 cable rows 80kg (not enough weight, but that was the stack)

1 x 15 straight arm flys 10kg dumbbells

1 x 3 one arm deadlift 80kg - straddling the bar lifting about 6 inches to work on support grip

1 x 10 ab-wheel rollouts from kneeling

2 x (16 crunches, 16 feet raised crunches, 8 oblique crunches each side)

1 x 10 leg raises

1 x 10 leg raises with hip raise (tough)

1 x 40 russian twists w/7kg med ball

1 x 15 standing twists with weighted pole (for obliques)

2 x 10 pushups

1 x 10 crunches

[patrickmeniru]

Rest day today, was doing some physio for my ankle on a wobble board and after i got off it became quite sore, hopefully it'll be fine when i wake up tomorrow (4am start) to get my flight into Boston.

[patrickmeniru]

2 x 6 MU

2 x 10 dips

3 x 8 neutral grip pull-ups

3 x 10 wall pushups

2 x 10 sec one arm hangs, RH assisted

2 x 10 squats 60kg

1 x 10 squats 80kg

1 x 5 L-sit chins

2 x 10 calf raises

1 x 3 L-sit frenchies

2 x 10 rear delt raises 10lbs

1 x 8 tucked FL pulls

1 x 10 hanging leg raises

1 x 3 one arm chins w/towel assist

1 x 5 one arm chins w/towel assist

1 x 20 hanging tucked leg raises

1 x 5 cast wall walks

1 x 4 bulgarian dips

1 x 10 wide dips

1 x 5 one arm tricep pull-downs 47.5lbs

1 x 5 tricep pull-downs 97.5 lbs

1 x 10 thumb up side raises 15lbs

1 x 15 top of ROM mini bicep curls 50lbs

1 x 10 palm down curls 30lbs

5 x (10 crunches, 10 oblique crunches, 10 feet raised crunches, 20 russian twists w/10lbs)

1 x 10 side crunches

1 x 20 pushups

1 x 20 sec L-sit

1 x 10 hip raises

2 x 10 back hypers

1 x 50 bicycles

3 x 10 decline crunches

10 lap jog

2 min erg

[patrickmeniru]

Today did a little workout involving some stretching, planche leans, handstand practice, physio rehab wobble board work and some rotator cuff strengthening exercises, nothing major. Did quite a few reps of my #1 and #2.

[patrickmeniru]

1 x 6 wide pulls 45lbs

2 x 10 wide dips 45lbs

1 x 6 pull ups 45lbs

1 x 10 narrow dips 45lbs

1 x 6 chins 45lbs

2 x 8 deadlifts 100kg

2 x 5 HSPU

2 x 5 sec one arm hangs

2 x 20m farmers walk with 115lbs dumbbells

2 x 5 wall pushups

2 x 10 pushups

Some wobble board, planche lean, prehab and ab work.

[patrickmeniru]

New PB for max reps in pull-ups while in the US (had a great time), managed 20. First 16 had good form, last 4 were sloppy but wanted to make a nice round number. I haven't managed any decent workouts lately, but my rings have arrived!

Immediately went out and put them up, jumped to the basic support position and as i feared, found it really tough to stabilise. Managed to get a hang of the basic support, but found the hands turned out variation really hard, and couldn't fully stabilise in it for more than 5 seconds or so. Did a few ring dips and found those tough as well, did a couple of sets of 5. When doing some MUs and false grip pull-ups, i found that my forearms were getting really fatigued, so perhaps ring work will eventually improve my grip work!

Will get back to posting workouts soon.

[patrickmeniru]

Spent today stretching, prehabbing and reading about training ideas. I've resolved to do the following every day in addition to normal training.

Wrist pushups - 4 variations to strengthen wrist and increase flexibility

Planche leans - not max angle leans, just comfortable leans for sets of a minute or so

HS work - a mix of freestanding and belly to wall work

Stretching - particularly my shoulders and back

Wrist Prehab routine - have been doing this anyway

Calf, soleus and achilles stretches and eccentric loading exercises for calves.

Hopefully within a couple of months i will have a solid freestanding handstand, be able to do all of the wrist pushups from kneeling with no pike and have improved my general flexibility (and avoided injury!).

In terms of training today i messed about on rings and my parallettes a little. I'll post up the videos here, maybe after the summer term i'll post another series of vids and see how far i've progressed.

And here's the other video, was pleased to be able to hold the bent arm planche, put a lot of stress on my chest, not sure if it's worth incorporating into training at some stage, currently it is far too close to max effort to think about doing regularly!!

Edited April 10, 2012 by patrickmeniru

[Chez]

You look like your in great overall shape. Keep up the great training bro. I need to improve my cardio. I want to run a half marathon within the next year.

[patrickmeniru]

You look like your in great overall shape. Keep up the great training bro. I need to improve my cardio. I want to run a half marathon within the next year.

Thanks! I've been working hard on improving my upper body strength, particularly my shoulders. Going to start going leg exercises again soon, my left leg is going to be super weak after 10 weeks off. Planning on beginning with bodyweight squat jumps etc etc. Need to make sure i keep going with my grip work, have gone off the boil a little of late, but can still close the #3 for a good MMS rep and hold for 5-10 secs. Need to get round to making a video of MM0 at some stage. Good luck with your half marathon goal! You'll need to be careful with nutrition etc to avoid losing strength, but it can definitely be done!

Congrats again on your recent successes, CoC cert is a long way off for me but hopefully i'll emulate you someday

[patrickmeniru]

Decided to video the workout today:

I also did:

3 x (20 crunches, 20 oblique crunches, 20 feet raised crunches, 40 russian twists w/5kg)

1 x 15 leg raises with hip thrust

1 x 5 slow ab-wheel roll-out from kneeling

1 x 30 bicycles

1 x 20 sec HS hold on wall

[patrickmeniru]

Been doing a little wrist strengthening work, some stretching and a little freestanding handstand work most days, not too much proper strength work though. Decided to see where i was at with grippers, recorded an MMS close of my #3 - much better video than the last one, you can clearly see the set width and the close. Held it for about 12 seconds. I think i'll work up to three or four MMS reps and then buy at #3.5, which will hopefully help me build strength for a #3 CCS. Have to hope i get an average or easy #3.5 though...

[patrickmeniru]

Went to athletics circuits yesterday, work comprised of plyometrics, med ball throws in a variety of styles, core work and a circuit with push-ups, burpees, dips, single-leg squats etc. Legs feeling pretty sore today, as it was the first real work i've done with my legs since February. Also did a little handstand work.

[patrickmeniru]

Legs are still very sore 3 days after circuits, shows how unfit i've become since the ankle break! Hopefully they recover by monday, else i'm going to have a very painful session! Been doing a little rings work, along with handstand practice and prehab stuff. Will post a video when i make notable improvements. On that note, front lever has actually taken a big step forward, i can now pull out of an advanced tuck easily and briefly hold a straddle lever. As soon as i get the straddle consistent i'll post it.

My planche seems to have regressed a little, probably because i'm not training it regularly, but i feel that all the shoulder work i'm doing; even on a sporadic basis, along with the handstand stuff; must be helping to build a base level of shoulder strength - as someone much more knowledgeable than me once posted, "Make haste, slowly."