Hit The Ground Running ...

[SamEaston]

welcome back, sam. nice to see you've hit the ground running

ugh, i hear ya on the everything hitting at once. you've got it worse than i do, but i know it sucks to have it all happen at the same time. hang in there!

yea, takin' it out on the weights is a great stress reliever, huh?

Hee hee! I like what you did there! Yeah, works a bummer, but if something's not difficult to achieve, it's probably not worth it, huh.

Sam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

of course I've missed you girl!! great first workout!

Hey B!! Thanks alot - i have missed everyone unbelievably much. It's weird, i'll just be going about as normal, but something will come to me that one of you guys has said and i'll just be thinking about you all, even though i've never met any of you (and might not EVER ). I mean, its weird, but nice in a way.

Welcome back, Sammie.

Thanks Pylon - Loving it!

Back with a bang, great job Sam. More volume than a metal festival. Good work on the front squats et al.

That presentation sounds scary. You should use 'cues' and aides' like in Bill n Teds excellent adventure. You could play loud rock music, dazzle with flashing lights and special effects. You could even get a 35 ft iron maiden style moving puppet in a lab coat. Yeah, they'd love that....

woooaaah. totally non-heinous idea, bro!! excelleeeent!

Totally excellent - what can i say? Deafening the audience first so they can't hear my talk is a brilliant idea !!

Sounds like a tremendous plate full, I know you can do it though!!! And Fantastic w/o too!!!

Thanks Arch! You know what it's like ... nothing comes along for ages then 5 things hit you at the same time - typical!

I wondered where the hell youd been

Welcome back! Workout looks great! Put that much effort into your work stuff and your supervisor will have DOMS in the morning from the awesomeness of it.

Aww ... you're so good

Yeah, i was away for AGES - totally didn't mean to be, but hey ho. Speaking of DOMS ... owww ... my ass ....

god my life is so easy. my brain would get doms from what you have to do.

great first workout. now the best is yet to come.

Honestly, it's not that difficult. I mean, in terms of bench work a trained monkey could do most of the stuff i do. Ask anyone who works in a lab. My main issue at the moment is that i get incredibly nervous speaking in front of people. I mean the last external presentation i gave was only in front of about 100 people, but i was sick just before they called me. Even the thought of it ... *shivers*


Well, can i just say you guys are all amazing. I knew i was missing something by not updating every day but the fact that you guys have all taken the time to come in here and say hi and wish me luck, its ... well ... its just incredible, and i thank you all very much.

Now THAT is why IM is one of the best BB'ing forums around

 

[SamEaston]

Okay, yesterdays cals and macros were as follows:

1420kcal / 40% C / 44% P / 16% F

Upper 1 today, and it's Back - Wheeeee .. .. .. ..

but a meeting with my supervisor first

 

[Gazhole]

Aww ... you're so good

Yeah, i was away for AGES - totally didn't mean to be, but hey ho. Speaking of DOMS ... owww ... my ass ....

That's going in my sig, i always suspected he was like that

But seriously, good to have you back!

 

[nadirmg]

good luck with your meeting today. give him a proper smack if you don't like what he has to say!

glad you're back, sam.

 

[SamEaston]

That's going in my sig, i always suspected he was like that

But seriously, good to have you back!

OMG - i can't believe you just did that !!!

When DOMS is finished with me, i'll be sore on more bodyparts than just my ass

good luck with your meeting today. give him a proper smack if you don't like what he has to say!

glad you're back, sam.

Hi mate! It went fine, just long. And as always i came out of it with a whole list of stuff to do, as if i havent got enough on my plate

Oh and thanks! Mind hugs coming your way over the brainwaves *ommmmmm*


Wednesday 9th April

Upper Pull 1 - 60s RI - Fail on last set only

Bent Over BB Row - 60lb: 12, 12, 10, 9F

CG Pulldown - 110lb: 9, 6, 5, 4F

Stirrup Grip Cable Row - 65lb: 8, 8, 7, 6F

Stirrup Grip Pulldown - 95lb: 8, 7, 7, 7F

Rack Pulls - 130lb: Grip over-over 6, 6 grip over-under 10, 9F

Shrugs - 130lb: 8, 8, 8, 8F

DB Hammer Curls - 22's: 5, 4, 3, 3F *Biceps fried by this point!

20min Erg Anaerobic Threshold (AT)
3945m @ 2:32.1/500m (19spm)
161-167bpm (83-87% of max)

Good session - killer meeting with the supervisor though. Went in at 9.30 and came out at 12.30 I was bloody starving, then had to go to the gym. Im just back and it's after half past three in the afternoon ... chrissake ...

 

[Pylon]

Some people just have no respect for the food schedule. Next time pack a snack to take in with you.

 

[King Silverback]

I agree with BRother Pylon!!! Great w/o Sister Sam!!!

 

[SamEaston]

Some people just have no respect for the food schedule. Next time pack a snack to take in with you.

I know! About half way through the meeting, my belly did this massive rumble and everyone stopped talking to look at me. I could've died - but they still didn't take the hint

I agree with BRother Pylon!!! Great w/o Sister Sam!!!

Thanks for your support Arch! Much appreciated!


Macros yesterday - low carb day:
1430kcal / 23% C / 59% P / 18% F

Thursday 10th April
Cardio only

30 mins Erg - Upper Threshold 1 (UT1 = HR btw 70-80% max)
6016m @ 2:29.6/500m (20spm)
155bpm avg HR (80% of max)

Done

 

[Pylon]

 

[nadirmg]

intense w/o, sambo! i'll bet your biceps were fried after that!
good numbers on the shrugs too

 

[Gazhole]

OMG - i can't believe you just did that !!!

When DOMS is finished with me, i'll be sore on more bodyparts than just my ass

20min Erg Anaerobic Threshold (AT)
3945m @ 2:32.1/500m (19spm)
161-167bpm (83-87% of max)

How can you not believe my predeliction for innuendos after all this time?

Cardio looks brutal though, i think my conditioning is good but that would have totally slayed me. Good job

 

[goob]

30 mins Erg - Upper Threshold 1 (UT1 = HR btw 70-80% max)
6016m @ 2:29.6/500m (20spm)
155bpm avg HR (80% of max)

What does this mean ERG upper threshold?????

Great job on the cardio though, at 80+% that's a damn tough rate to hit for 30 mins.

 

[katt]

Heya Sam!! Nice to have you back in the game...

I'm still cutting... I'm getting to the bitchy, hormonal,, changing moods every hour bodyfat percentage.. how fun is that!?!?!?

ummmmm... ask the other half..

 

[b_reed23]

damn, your carbs are SUPER low!!!

nice job on the cardio

 

[SamEaston]

Cheers Py!

intense w/o, sambo! i'll bet your biceps were fried after that!
good numbers on the shrugs too

Thanks dearie - i could barely lift the DB's i tell you. I should've really repped with the 18's instead of the 22's but my pride stopped me

How can you not believe my predeliction for innuendos after all this time?

Cardio looks brutal though, i think my conditioning is good but that would have totally slayed me. Good job

I know, there really is no limit with you is there

The cardio was hard but rowing machines have this funny effect on me, it's like as soon as i get on them my mind thinks im getting ready to do a timed test piece, like i did for years in rowing clubs, so my heart starts going like the clappers and i can't slow it down. so even though my heart rate was high i wasn't actually working that hard, as you can see from my split time (time /500m).

What does this mean ERG upper threshold?????

Great job on the cardio though, at 80+% that's a damn tough rate to hit for 30 mins.

Oh, sorry, i should've read ahead. Doh! See what i replied to Gaz above, it relates to your question.

Sorry, i should've explained. Rowers don't call rowing machines rowing machines. They call them ergometers, in short ergs. So erging is rowing on a rowing machine. And a 30 min Erg is a 30 min row on a rowing machine. Its a whole other world of nomenclature when you actually get in a boat and go out on the water

The threshold training i've explained before, a while back though i think. Basically i train in heart rate thresholds, but determining my maximum heart rate following a simple test. Then i split the thresholds up as follows:

UT2: 60-70% of max
UT1: 70-80% of max
AT: 80-90% of max
AN: 90-95% of max
TR: 95% of max

Training within different thresholds throughout the weeks/months develops the CV system as a whole, making you faster over short and long distances, sprinting and steady state training. Without mixing my cardion up like this, i would get used to doing the same thing over and over, and i would benefit less and less from it.

I'll try and find the actual full explanation for you. I wrote a thingy about it somewhere. . . . give me a few secs . . .

Heya Sam!! Nice to have you back in the game...

I'm still cutting... I'm getting to the bitchy, hormonal,, changing moods every hour bodyfat percentage.. how fun is that!?!?!?

ummmmm... ask the other half..

Hiya Katt!!

Im in the game, im in the game! Yeah, only a month to go you'll be looking great. It's funny how when you look your best, you probably feel your worst, strength-wise i mean. Oh dear . . . im not selling it am i . . .

damn, your carbs are SUPER low!!!

nice job on the cardio

Hey Billie!

No, it was low carb day, that's why they were low. Im doing one low carb day for a couple weeks, then two, then three and progressing like that, because psychologically low carb days just beat me down. I enjoy food too much to be eating 300g of cottage cheese with a tin of tuna stirred in 3 times a week


Yesterdays macros:
1460kcal / 49% C / 39% P / 12% F
Fat too low and carbs too high yesterday but cals were dead on

 

[SamEaston]

Goob: Okay, i found it and i just copied the whole article in. The workouts are at the bottom and are geared towards rowers using ergs but the principles can be applied anywhere i reckon.

The article often mentions split times. Now if you've ever been on a rowing machine, one of the numbers that comes up on the screen will be something like this: 2:20.5/500m

That means that it is taking you 2minutes and 20s to travel 500m. Obviously this changes as you vary your cardio intensity. The faster you're going, the smaller your split time will be. Just for reference a 2k test split for men would be about 1:40/500m, and for women about 1:50/500m and a 5k test split would be about 1:45/500m for men and about 1:57/500m for women.


Training Thresholds and Heart Rate Monitors

Some of you may have noticed that i always log my heart rate during any cardio session. This is because your heart rate is one of the most useful indicators of fitness level - how quickly you recover and also when comparing one session against another. ie. same distance, same time, lower average HR = improved fitness.

A heart rate monitor can be used to control the intensity of your activity by way of an audible and visual alarm. The unit will bleep when you are exercising too hard, or to lightly. With this intensity control the user can prelong the exercise, optimise exercise control, prevent over and under training etc. With this level of heart rate control the user will hopefully achieve their goal quicker and with less time wasted working too hard / too easy.


How do you calculate maximum heart rate?

A rough guide to calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR) is :-
Male 220 - age = MHR in beats per minute
Female 226 - age = MHR in beats per minute

It is important to calculate your MHR as it is used when calculating intensity of effort. i.e 65% of MHR for 20 minutes
You should note that your current fitness level does have an impact on your actual MHR
People new to exercising should avoid trying to reach their theoretical MHR.


What are my "training thresholds/zones"

Training zones are guides to help you achieve the desired affect of your exercise plan
A body builder trying to gain muscle mass, does not want to follow the same programme as a long distance runner
A heart rate monitor helps you to stay in your correct zone, with regard to your training goal

There are roughly 5 zones (depending on what you read).
These zones start at 50% of MHR, for conditioning/recovery) and go up to 95%-100% of MHR for maximum intensity training.
Someone new to heart rate monitors, but with a foundation in exercise, would normally start a programme at about 60%-70%MHR

Your aerobic (with oxygen, endurance events) threshold is approximately 70-80% of MHR.
Your anaerobic (without oxygen, short, explosive power events) threshold is approximately 80-90% of MHR.

As i understand it, there are many different thresholds to do cardio in, and it is important to vary your workouts so you are training each threshold equally. There is:

UT2 - Upper Threshold 2
60-70% of max HR. This threshold utilises energy mainly from fat stores and is wholly aerobic.
Optimum workout time - 60 mins upwards

UT1 - Upper Threshold 1
70-80% of max HR. Energy comes mainly from plasma and muscle glycogen stores. As exercise continues, the muscle increases its oxygen and glucose uptake to continue aerobic metabolism.
Optimum workout time - 30 mins

AT - Anaerobic Threshold
80-85% of max HR. This threshold is supplied initially from plasma and muscle glycogen stores, but even though the levels of oxygen in the blood/muscle are increasing, it is not enough to meet all needs aerobically. Lactate output increases as the work becomes anaerobic and so, less sustainable.
Optimum workout time - 10 mins

AN - Anaerobic
85-95% of max HR.
Optimum workout time - 2 mins

Max
95-100% of max HR. Very few people will ever train at this threshold in their life. Sustainable for very short periods of time and forms the basis for HIIT Training, which forces the HR up higher than any other form of exercise, supposedly causing the metabolism to run higher for longer after the workout is finished.
Optimum workout time - 30s.

Now, here are some exciting ideas to get you raring to go in the gym! All of these are designed for use on a Concept 2 Rowing Machine, but some can be adapted to other means of cardio.


Rowing News Workouts

The following workouts are taken from the excellent American magazine Rowing News and are the favourite workouts of some of the top coaches working in America.


Tom Bohrer's Long Intervals

3 or 4 x 10 minutes, broken into 4-3-2-1 minute rate changes as follows:
1. 18/20/22/24
2. 20/22/24/26
3. 22/24/26/28
Rest: Five minutes between pieces.
Intensity: Pull hard at every rate. Heart rate can be 10 beats less than max.


Tom Bohrer's Steady State

10-12,000 metres
1,000 metres at rate 20, 1,000 metres at rate 22 and keep switching.


Tom Bohrer's Steady State

(Four minutes on, one minute off, x 4) x 2 or 3 series.
Rates: 24-26
Rest: Five minutes between sessions

"People say, 'How do you work out if you have kids?' I say, well if you try to work out when the kids take a nap, that's Rule No.1. When they got a bit older, I put them in the baby jogger. I put them next to the erg in the playpen or the saucer - interval training becomes pretty good because you might have to stop (and give them a pacifier or cracker). And my third tactic was to pull out a video."


Mike Teti's Hard Day

3x10 minutes, first one at rate 24, second at 26, third at 28, then 1x7 minutes at 28-30.
Rest: Six to eight minutes between each piece. Add up all your metres to get your ranking in a group.


Tom Terhaar's Very, Very Tough Workout

5x5 minutes, (90 seconds rest). Rest 7-8 minutes, then repeat another set of 5.
Rates: 24/26/28/26/24. Pace is just slower than 6,000m test pace (the rate 28 is at 6,000m pace).


Xeno Mueller's Pyramids

1. 29 minutes divided into 5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5-minute rate changes of 20/22/24/26/28/26/24/22/20

2. 2 x19 minutes divided into 4-3-2-1-2-3-4 minutes rate changes of 20/22/24/26/24/22/20


Craig Milburn's Killer Workout

3x12 minutes, open rate, with 12 minutes rest between sets


Liz O'Leary's Anaerobic Threshold

4x15 minutes or 3x20 minutes at your 6k pace.
Rate changes: 4 minutes on, 1 minute off, x3.
Rates increase each piece: 22-24-26


Evans Liolin's Endurance Workouts

1. 3x5k, rates 20-24. Rest five to seven minutes between pieces. Work on length, rhythm and consistent splits.
2. 1x10k, rates 18-22. Same focus and same splits as 3x5k workout.


Steve Hargis's Quick Legs Test Prep

1. 15 minute warm-up then 2x20 minutes at 85 percent of your 2,000m goal split at 22-24 with five minutes rest between pieces. Drag factor: 110.

2. 15 minute warm-up, then 10x500 metres at 100 percent of your 2,000m goal split at whatever rate it takes to maintain the split with five minutes rest between pieces. Drag factor: 90, but you can assist with a towel over the vent if needed.

3. 15 minute warm-up then 2x5,000 metres at 95 percent of your 2,000 metre split at 24-26 with 15 minutes rest between pieces. Drag factor: 110.

 

[SamEaston]

Friday 11th April

Lower 2 & Rear Delts - 60s RI : Fail on last set

OH Squats - 22lb: 8, 8, 8, 8

DB Deads - 70lb: 9, 10, 10, 10F

Bulgarian Squats - BW: 10, 10, 10, 10F *each leg

Leg Extensions - 95lb: 8, 7, 6, 6F *might need to lower the weight

Standing Calf Raises - 145lb: 10F, 10F, 9F, 10F

Behind Neck Military Press - 10lb: 12, 9, 8, 6F

Rear Delt Flys - 11's: 10, 10, 9, 10F

10 min Warm up @ 147bpm
10 min cool down @ 137bpm

Good session - Bulgarians are immense

 

[nadirmg]

lol 70 DB deads? lol!

my 170 pound workout buddy does the same for his deads. i'll have to rag on him that he needs to up his deadlift weight!

 

[countryboy]

Great job Sam!

Nice info on the cardio conditioning.. thanks for that!

 

[katt]

Bulgarians... I wanted to put them in our workout this time.. maybe next..

I can totally wait for the pain.. lol

 

[SamEaston]

lol 70 DB deads? lol!

my 170 pound workout buddy does the same for his deads. i'll have to rag on him that he needs to up his deadlift weight!

Nah mate - that's the combined weight

Great job Sam!

Nice info on the cardio conditioning.. thanks for that!

Thanks CB! Glad you found the info useful

Bulgarians... I wanted to put them in our workout this time.. maybe next..

I can totally wait for the pain.. lol

Yeah, and when you do finally do them, you'll wish you hadn't bothered ... owww ...

 

[goob]

Hey Sam, thanks for the ERG explination, and the time scales I found really handy.

I must say that it seems an excellent conditioning tool, working the whole system. You must be pretty fit to handle that.

Damn, interesting to see that it says only to go for 10 mins at AT threshold, I was hitting that for 23 minutes during my fastest 4 mile runs...

 

[Scarface30]

heya Sam!

your new workout scheme looks pretty intense going to failure on the last set and all!

that looks like a good article, I don't have time right now as my stomach is calling, but I'll give it a read later on.

how's everything going?

 

[Pylon]

Great work Sammie!

 

[SamEaston]

Hey Sam, thanks for the ERG explination, and the time scales I found really handy.

I must say that it seems an excellent conditioning tool, working the whole system. You must be pretty fit to handle that.

Damn, interesting to see that it says only to go for 10 mins at AT threshold, I was hitting that for 23 minutes during my fastest 4 mile runs...

I was very fit until i did the marathon last September. Then i stopped rowing and only did one kind of threshold training for cardio because i wanted to focus more on the weights. Now i want to maintain both equally. The training is tough, but so rewarding when you see your times plummet from week to week, as im sure you're familiar with

heya Sam!

your new workout scheme looks pretty intense going to failure on the last set and all!

that looks like a good article, I don't have time right now as my stomach is calling, but I'll give it a read later on.

how's everything going?

Hiya love

Ach, you know, just something i threw together. I like the 4 day split better than the 5 though, i've got to say. It's nice to have the extra day to do some cardio only instead of trying to beat my way to the DB rack

things are just great here. Busy as hell in a hurry, but going to plan

Now heed the stomach boy ...

Great work Sammie!

Thanks Py


Todays macros:
1470kcal / 45% P / 35% C/ 20% F
A bit low on the carbs today (unintentional), but i'll fix it tomorrow.

Im off to bed. G'night

 

[King Silverback]

Outstanding w/o Sister Sam!!!

 

[SamEaston]

Outstanding w/o Sister Sam!!!

Thanks Arch - i was barely standing after it


Saturday 12th April

Upper 2 - 60s RI - Last set to failure

DB Flat Bench - 27's: 11, 10, 8, 8F

DB Incline Bench - 26's: 7, 7, 6, 6F

DB Military Press - 18's:10, 8, 7, 7F

Lat Raises - 16's: 9, 8, 6, 6F

Straight-Arm Pushdown - 40lb: 12, 10, 8, 8F

Tricep Pushdown - 40lb:10, 9, 9, 8F

15 min HIIT - Bike
60s @ max ... 60s @ slow X 3 then
45s @ max ... 60s @ slow X 3 then
30s @ max ... 60s @ slow X 3 then ... death :laughing:

heart rate 159-172bpm (82% - 90% of max)

Good Stuff!

 

[katt]

Nice looking workout you put together there Sam! And HIIT to end it all.. nice!

I have spinning in about 45 min,,, with doms still in my legs from Thursday.. this is going to hurt

 

[SamEaston]

Nice looking workout you put together there Sam! And HIIT to end it all.. nice!

I have spinning in about 45 min,,, with doms still in my legs from Thursday.. this is going to hurt

Oooh, sounds nasty. And not even a plate-full of carbs to pep you up when you get home. Sheesh, why do we do it eh??

 

[goob]

Great workout SAm. All lifts looking very good indeed.

HIIT on a stationary bike????? Are you mad? That sounds like hell on a silver platter.