DJ's Fitness

[djs-fitness]

The switch

I am getting closer to knowing that switch. I just need a tighter sleep schedule and a better warm up and I should be rocking it.

It still would be better with a training partner.

[djs-fitness]

Hypertrophy and pain.

I am currently in a hypertrophy phase and am following Dorian Yates's program. It's good but it also sucks. I need to find the switch in my brain that I have to flick for those extras reps. I can do alright, but I don't want alright I want my muscles to listen and respond.

[djs-fitness]

Atlas Stones

This weekend was interesting. Learned how to lift atlas stones, flip tyres, and seen an atlas stones crack in half.

Folks alway use a safety tyre to protect your stones.

[djs-fitness]

Changing of program phase.

Due to being under rested, changing most of my exercises to the hypertrophy phase, and work consuming even more time. I have decided to use this week as a Deload/rest and stretch, and sleep(!) week. While it will cause a but of a dip in my training I think this is a more positive change versus failing to meet fails and still being exhausted. I will group reorganize and train harder next week.

I am dropping most exercises down to 10reps 4 sets (maybe 5) no, I am deciding 5. I will be bringing my accessory work with those changes, but rotator cuff will stay endurance 15 reps 3 sets.

[djs-fitness]

Sleep

Sleep is a challenge for me.

I struggle to sleep on the weekends because there is so much I want to do.

Then I struggle to get up during the weekdays because what I have to do I really don't want to.

[djs-fitness]

For my anatomy this is apparently my ideal deadlift starting position, maybe with a little more head looking forward. Either way I feel much better about my lifts and my core is so much stronger.

[djs-fitness]

North Send surprise

So I also boulders regularly at Seven Bays. Last weekend was the North Send a small fun comp for the community. I participated just for the fun of it and placed in the middle of the pack.

No I should be happy about this but there should be no reason I am placing so high up with all the not training I am doing. Maybe someday I'll take it a bit more serious and actually try to get into finals or something.

[djs-fitness]

Logs, axels, and cleans oh my!

This weekend I what taught how to do a log press from the ground up. For the most part it is pretty intuitive. Lap it getting it as high to your chest as possible with elbows pointing way out to the sides. Then the quick stand up with pelvic thrust to get it to your shoulders. Keeping upper arms parallel to the floor, shoulders protracted, and elbows squeezing medially. Then dip, push, redip. For me the challenge was keeping my elbows high through the dip and then the proper timing of the redip.

Learning the continental clean for an axel press was interesting being a lean person. I have been told to learn how to channel my inner power gut so that I can rest the axel on it without passing out. I also now have felt the threat of a sleeveless bar. Knowing the plates don't rotate freely is a weird feeling.

I was also given a slight education on power cleans. I don't think they are in my wheelhouse, but I will keep trying then so they don't become a limiting factor but they are probably just gonna suck.

[djs-fitness]

A less vague idea of what and why I am doing what I am doing.

I was listening to Kevin Hart on the Joe Rogan podcast today and I heard Kevin say a line that sums up what I am doing with my training plan.

"Imma be a product of my own product" Kevin Hart

That's what I am trying to display and that way people can believe in my ability. I hope that in the future it stands out that way.

[djs-fitness]

Learning what I want this blog to be.

I don't really know what to type or even the direction I want this blog to go. It started as out as an ideal precise description of all my workouts with accompanying videos describing the minor improvements and how I reach each step.

In a way there is both too much and not enough to type about, as I have started recording as many of my major sets as possible, and correcting for the next set. Also, a lot of time is spent hunting down resources and checking facts.

One thing I am happy to share is that there is the starting strongman site, which will probably get referenced more and more as j refine my technique and move to a hypertrophy phase or out my current phase which is muscular endurance and technique work.

That's all for now, Derek.

[djs-fitness]

Deadlift and front squat posture corrections

Last weekend I went to a trainer/strongman coach for an initial assessment.an my but was kick, but I received valuable feedback and corrections on posture of my deadlifts, front squat and press.

Deadlift => my lower back was arched which needed to be corrected to neutral and I was activating my traps but not really my late through the lift. Lastly my hips are too high. So those are he currency corrections I am working on so I don't jack my back up.

Front squat => I was not protracting my scapula enough which is still a struggle I am working on. Also, anterior pelvic tilt is a recurring theme.

So in two weekends I go back to see how my corrections are working and learn how to lift.

[djs-fitness]

Strongman Plan

So this is my current training plan:

For now this Macrocycle which will be until Christmas time, I am doing a lot of high volume work (3 sets at 15 reps). This is because I am building all of the movement patterns and muscle memory that will reduce my chance of injury. I will probably add a heavy week in before some deload weeks.

Sundays - Clean and press training and technique learning.

Mondays - maybe light gym climbing, with stretching to increase and or maintain mobility.

Tuesday - Squats => This involves me learning how to front squat which is new for me. I also find it difficult to get to full depth and they always leave me super pumped, but with some aggressive foam rolling and stretching I am not very sore the following day.

Wednesday or Thursday - Bench press and stretches (whatever day not benching) => For bench press I have to be super aware of posture as my shoulders can be a challenge to work with. I am primarily doing bench press to build the front of my body as most of my exercises target back muscles.

Fridays - Yoga followed by deadlifts => I understand that with static stretching before activity I am losing the top 5% of my strength and am inducing a short term instability. For now I am not worried, but when I start decreasing my reps and targeting high percents of my 1 rep maximum I will have to be more aware. Also, I have started thinking of yoga mentally as a competition, I have to balance the strength and energy I used because I have to deadlift afterwards.

Saturdays - Currently unplanned and a rest day.

Seems like it covers the broad of the training plan.

[djs-fitness]

50 lbs a side. Learned I need to breath every rep now, rotate my elbows in to my sides, and next time I have to try starting with the bar back 1-2cm on foot placement. Next I need to solve the bar wiggle issue.

[djs-fitness]

I have start my training full swing both for a strongman competition next July and for personal training. I will be cataloguing my journey both to keep me on track and as promotional material.