Training over the past couple of days has gone very well and once again I have decided to mix things up again but this time I have stayed away from the Bicep Curl.  I’ve done 6 exercises over the past couple of days and I have felt very good.

My first 3 exercises were the Squat, the Leg Press and Lat Pull Downs.  I did as many as I could on each exercise with a 3 minute rest after each set.  The exercises were done at the heaviest I could manage.  It turned out to be a really good cardio session.

Today I did another 3 exercises and I went as heavy as I could with the Chest Press, Lat Pull Downs and the Dead lift.  I changed the Lat Pull Down body position to leaning as far back as I could to get the max benefit from my back.

Today seemed a bit easier than yesterday but my grip let me down on the Dead lift.  The Dead Lift is one of those exercises that when you get it right feels fantastic.  I knew I could have done more but I just couldn’t hold onto the bar.  My form was very good, even though I say so myself.  Yesterday was my first time on the squat with a proper grip of the bar.  I was very pleased with that, although it was a bit painful getting under the bar and out from under it but once in position I had no real issues.

I’ll not be able to train tomorrow due to work commitments, so I intend to mix it up again on Thursday.  That will leave me with 4 training days before I go home.  So I intend to do one more heavy day followed by some steady light rehab training.  That’s the plan anyway.

The Mental Visualisation has been going really well, 9 out of 10 rides are now calm cool and collected.  I can ride without using my trigger word and I’ve been really enjoying my trips out.  I’ll find out in a few days if it has all been worthwhile.

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

Punch Bag !!

After my shock to the system things weren’t as bad as I first thought, I hit the gym the following day with my rehab session and it went much better than I had anticipated.  I was very aware that I needed to take it steady but I didn’t want to be lazy either.

I iced my shoulder 3 times the evening before and directly after my rehab session.  Friday was my rest day and I made full use of it and I got the ice on again after tea and before I went to bed.

Today’s session was program 1 and it went very well.  It took just over 45 minutes and was a really good cardio session.  It felt really good to start at 50% of my max and the first set was no trouble at all.  The second set at 75% was a good indicator that I had hurt my shoulder, so I stayed on 75% for my 3^rd session instead of going up to my 100% max.

I decided it was better to work at 75% and get my 3^rd set in rather than try 100% and go backwards by causing more damage to my shoulder.  I’ll get the ice back on it after tea and with any luck it should feel OK in the morning.

My water intake has been good over the last few weeks but I have let the discipline slide on the old intake of bad food.  What I should be doing is starting my shakes again as I’m now working harder in the gym and by 20:00 hrs I’m starving but instead I’m eating popcorn and the odd piece of toast.  I’ve also sneaked in the odd can of orange juice. 

I’m on leave in 10 days time so as long as I don’t go mad I’ll be OK.  One thing is for sure, on my return I intend to really train hard and make up the ground I have lost over this 3 month period.  My plan was to hit the punch bag this period but it’s not going to happen.  That will be rectified on my return.

Only a short one today, all the best for now.

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

Ice

It’s been a busy day and I was out for most of the morning with Tim doing one thing and another.  Tim went to bed to catch up on his beauty sleep after lunch (he needs quite a bit) and that meant I didn’t have a training partner for this afternoon.

I was walking over to the gym with every intention of doing my rehab routine and as I walked into the gym I decided I wanted to do something a bit different.  Just to mix things up and see how far I was from what I would call “normal training”.

I was going to do a small combo of exercises and my aim was to do 100 reps of each.  I was going to start steady with reps of 5 on each exercise and just keep going until I completed the exercise and drop off an exercise when I had reached 100 reps.

The 3 exercises I chose were the EZ Bar Curl at 32 kgs, the Squat at 70 kgs and the Lat Pull Downs at 50 lbs. And I was going to finish off with the Leg Press as a bonus round.

Why is it things never go to plan and coach is going to kill me, firstly for not sticking to the plan and secondly for pushing too hard too soon.  Having said that it's been 12 weeks today since I broke my collar bone and according to UK doctors it should be fixed now !!

You know what’s coming don’t you ?

Everything was going great and I was going well, I felt good and the weights were right, it wasn’t a struggle but the last rep on the Lats and the EZ bar were testing me.  One more circuit to complete and I was half way. 

50 reps completed on the Lats and the Squat, just the EZ Bar to do.  I picked it up and set myself ready for the lift.  Feet shoulder width apart, slightly bent knees, back straight, shoulders back, big chest and elbows in by my side.  4 done and the last to do, I was just getting to the top when I felt my collar bone scream at me, I couldn’t believe it.  I’m not even sure what the pain indicator shot up to, I threw the bar down and cursed for a while as I tried to walk it off.

So that ended my training session and I wasn’t happy, I wasn’t happy with myself for a number of reasons.  I thought my shoulder was going to be a lot stronger and I also thought it would be a gradual build up of pain and I was going to temper my reps accordingly.  Not sticking to my plan was also stupid and unnecessary and I think I’m about to pay the price.

The ice has been on for the last 20 minutes and I’m hoping I’ve salvaged something, the morning will soon tell me if I’ve just gone backwards in my training.

No bonus session today, just an ice bag.

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

Last Word "James".

It was the final day of testing today and it was a great work out.  45 minutes of hard graft and some great results from both Tim and myself, considering Tim has just got back his results have been very good.  He’s pushed himself hard and it’s been great to train with him again.

I’ve managed to improve on all my exercises over the past two days and on some the increase has been better than I would expect.  It’s amazing how much you push yourself when you’re training with a partner of the same ability.

I must admit I don’t like the Romanian Dead Lift and I think that’s because it hurts and I’m not very good at it.  It’s one of those exercises that no matter how many times I do it coach still has to correct my form but I still went up 5 lbs.

I tried a Press Up on the floor but it’s still alluding me.  The moment I move from the start position my collar bone screams at me and I’m not prepared to push it and risk injury.  So my Press Ups were done on the bench, they feel a bit better and I’m a little faster.  It’s not about speed but if the form is good it’s good to increase the pace.

I was really pleased with my Lat Pull downs and I doubled my previous weight until Tim destroyed me and put me firmly in my place.  I had to correct him on his form and technique near the end but it showed he was prepared to push to get his max.  The last word will always be mine “James”.

The Single Leg Press is coming on well and I do like this exercise.  It’s not complicated and is what it is, I just like it.  I went up to plate 10 but I don’t think I’ll be staying on it for long.

The Horizontal Row is one of those exercises that makes every muscle work over time.  I started to lose form near the end but Tim kept me right and I completed the full 15 reps.  Strangely enough it wasn’t my collar bone that let me down this time.  Just a general lack of core strength to keep my form and not bend in the middle, I thought Tim was going to seriously embarrass me as he set of like a man possessed.   It didn’t last long as he got lower and lower as his arms gave out.

The Hindu Squats are no great shakes and we moved through them quit quickly.  The Low High Wood Chops on the other hand are a different story.  I added 15 lb to my weight and it turned into a really good cardio session.  I felt as if I could have gone a bit heavier but I was at my limit with my collar bone but I was pleased with my progression and it will get better as time goes by.

The cool down went as planned and we moved onto the Bonus session.  I think this is the best part of the day; we did Lat Pull Downs and Chest Press.  I gained 10 lbs on both exercises and I’m starting work without pain so things are starting to really get better.  Just the Press up to concur and then I can really hit the Abs.

Whatever you’re doing, put your heart and soul into it and above all “enjoy it”.

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

Re-Testing (Always pushing Harder)

Finally got in the gym today, work commitments have prevented me from going in until today.  I’m also hoping things will calm down now and I can get some good training periods completed before I go home in 17 days time.

I had a really good session today, Tim is back and we did testing for Tim and I retested myself as I knew I had progressed on the strength side and the pain has got less and less as time has gone by.

We did Day 1 testing and Tim did very well, considering he has just come back from leave and he is carrying an old injury.  The lunge took a bit of explaining to get right and a few practise runs to understand but once he had it in his head he was away.  I had a 5 lb increase in my weight nothing staggering but enough to gain further improvement.

The Press D/B was next and I thought I could do more but a 10 lb increase is better than nothing as for Tim he did really well as the Press has always been a bit of a nemeses for him and he achieved a respectable weight without causing any injury or losing form.

I like the seated row and this was my biggest improvement and I managed 20 lbs on top of my last weight.  I kept good form and the last few reps were at my limit.  As Tim discovered it is very easy to lose form as the weight suddenly becomes a problem.  It’s very important to keep the back straight and the shoulders back.  If the weight is too heavy you start to lean forward and the shoulders roll forward.  At that point when form is lost, that’s when it’s time to stop and go back to the last weight that you did complete.

Again I thought I was going to make big improvements on the Squat but I didn’t; only a 5 lb increase and that disappointed me a bit.  I thought my Squatting was coming on as my leg power and Gluts are improving all the time.  Tim did exceptionally well as Squats are not his favourite exercise and he managed a very respectable weight.

The High Low wood chops was the last exercise of the day and always gets me a bit nervous.  This exercise really does make my collar bone work hard.  I was happy with the improvement but I feel I still have a long way to go on this exercise.  I managed to increase the weight by another 10 lbs and I should be happy with that but as usual I wanted more.  Tim’s effort was a real blast and with great form and determination, probably his best exercise.

We completed the warm down and we had been working out for 90 minutes so we only did the one Bonus exercise.  I chose the Leg Press and I achieved a P/B of 20 reps on the 18 plate and this was followed by a sterling effort from Tim.

Over all it was a good work out and the gains are coming.  Tim now has his bench mark and can only improve with time and effort.  A really good day and it was great to get back in the gym.

“If you don’t succeed today, try again tomorrow.”

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

What !! No Press Ups ??

No Press ups today, true to my word I was a bit sore by 20:30hrs and my shoulder gave me jip all night.  So yesterday was a steady away day through my work out.  It went very well and I enjoyed it.

The Horizontal Row is now full on and I don’t need to bend my knees.  The first 15 were a bit of a shock but I think I was being a wet fart.  The second two sets were much better and felt more like a work out.

The D/B bench Press is coming on well but I have to really concentrate on my form and not going past the point of injury.  It's too easy to drop the elbow below the shoulder line so keeping my elbows out and parallel is so important and touching the weights at the end of the press.  I'm now breathing in the right places and maintaining the tension in my Abs.

I did Lat pull downs and Chest press for my bonus round and they went really well.  I thought I had bitten off more than I could chew with the Lat Pull Downs but I got through my set without losing form and maintaining my rhythm.  The weight is just enough to make me work hard without going past 5 on the pain scale.

I decided to jump on the Chest Press Machine because I didn’t want to overdo my shoulder again but I wanted to exercise my Shoulder girdle as much as possible.  That sounds like a contradiction in terms but the machine takes out all the little triggers and allows you to work just the muscles.  There is no balance or control needed.  So with the machine I am getting all the movement I need without the hassle.  It’s cheating really but I’m trying to gain as much strength as I possibly can and in a relatively short time and without the risk of injury.

I went as heavy as I could and I think I got it just right as the last two reps were difficult.  Once again it wasn’t my strength that was letting me down but the amount of pressure I could place on my Clavicle.  The good news is it’s another exercise that I can now add to my ever growing bonus round.

Two more days of working out with my current weight program and then it will be Re-Test time.  I’m looking forward to that as I know I have made improvements to most of my exercises and I’m gaining confidence in my shoulder all the time.

Until next time and I think that will be Thursday when I do my next Blog (Testing), stay safe.

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com

Fantastic !!

A very quick up date as I’ve just come in from the gym and it went very well.

It was a rehab day today and it went really well, the exercises are coming together and the movement feels a lot better.

The really big improvement came from my bonus round.  The lat pull downs are as heavy as I can go as there is a lot of pressure being placed on my collar bone but they are coming on well. 

The Squat was fabulous today and I managed a set of 10 at 80 kgs.  I want to see just how heavy I can go in a set of 10 before I start putting together a complex.  I’m hoping to get to at least 100kgs by the end of next week.

The Leg press was a massive improvement and I pressed out 10 reps on the 18 plate so I was very pleased with that and I want be making any predictions on this one, I went dizzy after 10 !

This is the best bit, I managed 5 Press ups today.  I know, I can hear some of you “Big Deal” well it is to me.  It’s a massive achievement and means I’m well on the road to mending and getting back to some real training.  The first one was really tentative but once out of the way I knew I could do more.

Because I thought it was going to be painful I could feel my elbows coming out and away from my Lats but after the first one was done I brought them in and kept good form.

Although it has been a short Blog it has been full of PB’s and a fantastic day.

I hope your day turns out as good as mine.

Ed.

http://www.edmilsom.com

www.ultimateperformancecentre.com