Training, and random thoughts.

Readers recently school work and rugby have consumed my life and my blog has taken a back seat.  In an effort to get some content up I wanted to post some random tidbits.

Recently my weight lifting has taken a back seat to rugby.  Most athletes have to deal with this, it is very hard to set PR's during a season.  Athletes should use an appropriate training template for in season.  This will depend on your specific recovery abilities - volume should be cut accordingly.  Currently my split looks like this.

Monday: upper power
Barbell row 5*5
Shoulder press 3*5
Bench Press 3*5

Tuesday: Lower Power
Squat 3*5
Deadlift 1*5


Thursday: Chest Tricep
Dumbell Incline Press 3*8
Close grip Bench 3*8
Dumbell flat 2*8
Some direct arm work

Friday back shoulder hypertrophy
3 sets of pull ups
Dumbell shoulder Press
Lateral raise
Dumbell shrugs
parralel rows
Kroc rows

The above stuff is done off "feel" when you have been training for a while you can tell what you can get away with.  I keep workouts short and intense, and aim to improve week to week.  If recovery is an issue I will take as much time as I need, this is a dumb-downed version of layne nortons power hypertrophy split, I will transition to the full split after rugby is over and reccomend it for people with experience in the compound lifts...Linked here

Some advice I have found useful in my experience as follows:


"Once you have accepted that changes to your body composition is a slow process driven largely by caloric intake. You essentially free yourself from the constraints that hold you back.
The more rules you have in your diet the better chance you have of breaking one, the better chance you fail/ binge/ get off track. 

I find that if you concentrate as much about consistency in certain things rather than the type of food you eat you will get the most profound results. 1. A controlled caloric surplus or deficit. 2. A substantial amount of protein in your diet (gram per lbs?) 3. Lifting Heavy weights on a well though out program three-four times a week.

By focusing on less you get more. Accept that you that changes to your body composition are going to take a long time. This elimantes the stress of dieting and you can go about every day effortlessly acheiving your goals.

Lastly try and find your Connections between eating and your emotions. Do you eat when your bored? etc... Deciphering this is your key to self control

Keep it fun, and challenge yourself in the weight room. Be consistent with your diet, and realize that although your body composition doesn't change day by day, your mind can! Your body composition is 1/16th of the great person you are, Dieting is a time for reinvention and self reflection, go out and try something new that you enjoy and hold your head up high because you are drifiting towards a happier healthier you everyday."