We're Back... 2013 Here We Come!!!

After a bit of time away, Alex and I are happy to say that we can start updating with regular posts again.

Alex had been busily trying to finish his university studies, work, train, buy a house and prepare for his wedding. With such a load, it became increasingly difficult to maintain the site with updates, training programs and informative articles.

I had an incident at work at the end of August which resulted in a knee injury which eventually required surgery. After two months of physio prior to surgery and another two months of rehabilitation after a less than successful surgery, I still do not have full range of motion in my knee and have only just been able to start any decent training. It remains quite painful and limiting in respect to what I can do or how intense I can train.

Combined with the injury, I have had a large amount of work commitments on top of three to five hours of rehabilitation every day and I'm also preparing for my own wedding. 

With that said, we want you to know that there will be some exciting articles and training programs coming out this year.

Yours in Fitness,

Alex and Duncan.

ME upper body

plyo pushups and strict pullups as warm up

ME illegal wide bench press for 6 - index finger on the rings, no pause

DB bench 3 x 5

EZ-bar tricep ext behind head 3 x 20

lat pulldown wide grip 3 x 20

Abs of choice

ME lower body

plyometrics for about 10 mins

ME triple good morning, wide stance

heavy 5 front squat

stiff leg deads off deficit 3 x 8

bar lunges 3 x 10 each leg

seated row 3 x 20

abs of choice

Speed bench

band pull-aparts (light band) 3 x 20

Plate front raises 3 x 20 (moderate weight)

9 x 3 bench press @ 50% + bands

JM press for heavy 6

DB rolling tricep ext 3 x 15

Lat pulldown, close grip 3-4 x 20

Abs of choice about 100 reps

Speed squats and deads

The next 4 weeks is comp lead up, we'll be waving the bar weight back to 50-60% to maintain and increase bar speed and keeping exchanging bands for chains to increase the eccentric bar speed and maintain a higher  velocity for a more powerful stretch reflex.  Max effort days will be increasing in specificity as the weeks go on, culminating with near competition lifts on the final week of the mini-cycle.

Sled drags/rowing as warm up

box squat 10 x 2 @ 50% + bands (low box, about 12-15 inches high)
deadlifts 8 x 1 @ 50% + bands

GHR's 40 reps total
reverse hypes, moderate weight 60 reps total

abs of choice, around 100 reps

Speedy bench

3 x 10 strict pullups
3 x 5 plyo pushups (start at the bottom position)

9 x 3 bench press @ 70% + purple bands (light)

work up to a max 5 on JM press
DB rolling tri ext 5 x 10

Lat pulldown (with pause at chest) 5 x 10
front raises with plate 4 x 20

Lower body speed

sled drag - 6-10 x 60m increase weight each trip
depth jumps - 3-4 reps x 3-5 sets

10 x 2 box squats @ 70 % + 20kg chain
6 x 1 deads @ 70% from deficit

front squat 3 x 6
good morning 3 x 6
weighted 45 degree back ext AHAP 3 x 10
ab wheel 3 x AMRAP from standing

The GM and FS should be heavy but not ridiculous, leave a couple of reps in the tank each set
Super set the ab wheel and back ext, go all out, leave nothing

ME upper body

strict press BTN in a snatch grip 3 x 5 AHAP

ME triple DB bench

3 x 6 illegal-wide bench (hands outside the rings) AHAP

standing strict press 3 x 6

go eat, rest and recover

ME lower body

jump squats 3 x 5 @ 25kg, 35, 45

ME concentric squat @ parallel

ME triple stiff leg deadlift

good mornings 3 x 8 @ 70-90kg

front squats 3 x 8 @ 70kg

Ab wheel 3 x 5 from standing (go out further than monday)

sled drags/prowler pushes for about 15 mins

DE upper body

3 x 5 plyometric pushups

3 x max ring rows

9 x 3 bench press @ 65% + 20kg chain

bent-over row 3 x 8 AHAP

rolling tricep ext 3 x 15 AHAP

prowler pushes 30m x 10 

rest 90s between sets

DE lower body

3 x 5 jumps squats @ body weight
3 x 2 box jumps @ 30 inch

12 x 2 box squats @ 65% + 20 kg chain
8 x 1 deads @ 65% + blue band from deficit

walking lunges 5 each leg @ 60kg
Ab wheel 3 x 5 from standing (go as far as possible without failing)

Sled drags ~100m 4 x forwards @ 70kg, 4 x backwards @ 70kg

ME lower body

Jump squats 3 x 5 @ 20, 30, 40kg

ME box squat @ parrallel

Pause squats 5 x 3 AHAP
pause deads (below knee pause for 2 secs) 3-5 x 5 AHAP

Ab wheel roll-outs 3 x 20 (wear a vest if you have one)
GHR 3 x max + band (you'll need a light band for this)

If you still feel like doing something, bang in some sled drags, nice and heavy both forwards and backwards for about 10-15 mins.

DE upper body

3 x 20 band pull-aparts
3 x wide + medium + narrow grip pushups (5 of each for 15 reps total)

9 x 3 DB bench @ 60% (30% each hand) + red band (band is held in each hand and around your body)

3 x 5 close grip bench AHAP
3 x 5 bench row AHAP
(in a superset)

10 burpees
50m farmers carry @ 2 x 32 kg KBs
rest 1 min
7 rounds

Military Workout Mon 20 Aug 12

Many apologies about the severe lack of Military Workout posts of late. I've been out field and then overseas (on holiday, not with work).

All Day Event: 0730 - 1600

Every Hour on the Hour - 5 Heave, 20 Push Ups
Every Hour on the Half Hour - 20 Squats, 10 Atomic Crunches.

P.M
2 x Cycling Tabata
2 x Climbing Machine Tabata
2 x Rowing Tabata

1 minute rest between each tabata.

DE lower body

10 mins playing with plyo stuff

8 x 2 squats @ 60% + green bands
4 x 2 squats @ 80%

6 x 1 deads @ 60% + blue band from deficit
2 x 1 deads @ 80% from deficit

3 x 10 good morning
3 x 10 each leg walking lunges
3 x 20 weighted abmat situps

If you're still feeling alright, bang in some sled drags, not too heavy, just for the volume

De-load week o-lifting

Work up to a heavy but not 1 RM snatch

Work up to a heavy but not 1 RM clean and jerk

3 x 5 clean grip stiff leg deadlifts

3 x 5 BTN snatch grip press

hanging leg raise 3 x 15

De-load week DE upper body

plyo pushups 5 x 5

ring rows 5 x 8

9 x 3 close grip bench @ 60% + chains

bent over row 3 x 8

forward lever hold practice 5 mins

handstand practice 5 mins

KB complex

TGU + push press + sntach + OH lunge

repeat 5 cycles each hand

rest 2 mins

3 rounds not for time

De-load week speedy squats

De-load week will include 2 speed days, an o-lift day (not max effort) and some muck around exercises to keep you moving but allow for recovery.

DE lower body
light plyometric work, target jumps, one leg hops etc
12 x 2 box squats @ 60% + chains
8 x 1 deadlifts @ 60% + blue band from deficit
bulgarian split squats 3 x 10 each leg (add weight)
hang power snatch + hang snatch x 5 @ 70% 1 RM snatch

ME bench

bentover row 3 x 12

plyo pushups 3 x 6

15 mins to find a ME close grip pause (2 sec) bench

standing KB press 3 x 8

DB rolling tricep extensions

farmers carry 400m x 3 @ 32kg KB's

ME lower body

10 mins to work up to a heavy hang snatch from empty bar

15 mins to find a max effort concentric squat

10 mins to find a max triple sumo deadlift

3 x 5 front squat AHAP

3 x 8 stiff leg deadlifts

3 x max bridge hold