Spring Training 2008 - Part II

Here is the first part. To recap:

1. I am following a periodization plan with the following phases in that order: GPP, Strength, BC and Hypertrophy.
2. I just completed the Strength phase which comprised of the following program design:

Session 1: Back Squats (10 sets of 3 repetitions).
Session 2: Weighted Dips or Push Presses (10x3).
Session 3: Barbell Rows or Weighted Chins (10x3).

How did the Strength phase turn out?

1. I seem to have favored the Push Presses and Barbell Rows to their alternatives. I kept adding weight on all movements in each successive session, which means I got stronger. 245 lbs for 10 sets of 3 reps on the back squat is very good!
2. I didn't take the 4th week off as I had planned. I am taking a few days off now. I have to because of a nagging ligament strain in my right ankle from a hiking "mishap" earlier this year.
3. I also got ambitious after the 2nd week and added a second exercise for 5 Sets of 5 Reps bringing the total training volume to 15 sets. I was completing my sessions in less than 40 minutes toward the end of the 5th week.

End result: I have trained almost 5 weeks straight with 2 to 3 sessions per week. I am stronger, my jawline appears slightly more defined and my muscle bellies -- especially lower quads and shoulders/upper back -- have deepened.

Next: The Body Composition (BC) Phase

I had originally intended to start the BC phase with a session of sprinting. The weather in Boston for the next few days is definitely favorable for track work.



But because of the right ankle, I am going to delay the sprinting. Instead I am going to substitute one of the sessions with low-impact complexes. I will also add a 3rd supplementary exercise to the weight training sessions. So:

Session 1: Complexes (5 to 7 sets of 5 to 6 repetitions)
Session 2: Back Squats (10x3), Pullovers (5x3), Ab Pulldowns (5 sets for time)
Session 3: Weighted Dips (7x3), Weighted Chins (7x3), Static/Dynamic Back Extensions (4 to 6 sets)

Leisure bicycling begins next weekend. Call it a feeder or recovery workout for the lower body in addition to the advantage of being out in the sun. I am not sure when the sprinting will kick in. I am just going to go by how my ankle feels. So I might start with some running up on steps -- plenty of those near where I live, including in my apartment building -- to first test my ankle.

I don't know when the BC phase will end. It could happen by the 1st week of June (I go to India during the 2nd week) although sprinting will continue throughout the summer and into early Fall. So I guess that I will begin the sprinting first, assess my progress and then decide on an end date.

Isn't this blogging stuff great?

There are so many blogs out there and I don't really write enough about any specific topic. Besides a lot of my posts are probably not that interesting. For one thing, I don't promote controversy or take risks in my writing. So I don't really wonder about people not commenting in here. I expect that my posts will get bolder and more interesting as the years roll by. If interaction with readers occurs, great. But I don't plan on spending that much time sitting before a computer and responding to reader comments. I would rather be out on my bicycle down in the Cape, ogling girls at the beach or hanging out in Harvard Square...ogling girls. I primarily put this blog together as a way to gather my thoughts, look back in time to read my own posts and wonder about my state of mind when I wrote those posts. In that way, this blog serves as a great log or diary.

My next post will be on the progress I have made on my Spring training program so far as well as a note on the design of the next phase of the program due to start next week. Next year, I will likely review all this data, think about how close it got me to my goal of reaching a body fat percent of around 10 (down from 16) and then make adjustments as necessary for Spring training 2009.

The Pres and the Pope

Apparently President Bush has met with the Pope. Hey, everyone, the war in Iraq is gonna end, like, now.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/16/america/16pope.4.php

An excerpt from the above article:

President George W. Bush welcomed Pope Benedict XVI to the White House Wednesday morning, telling the pontiff that Americans "need your message that all of life is sacred."

Yeah, everyone except himself!

Fidelity Investor's Quarterly

This is a gem of a magazine. Anyone who has some sort of account with Fidelity will receive this magazine once every quarter. I ignored it for the first few years. Then in the summer of 2006, I somehow ended up casually browsing through one and was immediately hooked. In addition to the usual articles providing financial advice and tips, the magazine comes with an assortment of case studies to extrapolate how well the financial plans of everyday folks ultimately worked out. The latter make up for the most entertaining reads! Now I always look forward to the next installment of the magazine.

Here is an example of what you can find in the magazine:

Plotting a new course in retirement

You have to agree that it makes for fascinating reading!

Harold and Kumar 2!!

Ha! Ha! Ha! I can't wait to watch this one! The first movie, Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, was surprisingly intelligent for a movie from this genre. I was pretty sure that Berardinelli had reviewed the first movie but he hasn't. So I emailed him about it yesterday and received a reply stating that he might possibly get to watch/review the first movie before catching the upcoming movie on the big screen.

Mobile phone use okayed on planes?!

Yeah, whateva...

This could be a disaster depending on the route you are travelling. I am quite sure most travellers have the good sense to not disturb their fellow travellers. But I am definitely worried about that last leg to India from any airport. Well, I am going to the sub-continent for a week in the middle of June. So I will be finding out, I guess. Oh, brother!

"Shut up!! You son of a mangy dog!"

Occasionally though, listening to someone talk on their cell phones can be entertaining as you get to find out about the various levels of "dead as a doorknob" convo that exists out in the world. This, however, gets tiring quickly. But some conversations can be enlightening in a different sort of way. When I was returning to Boston from NYC on the Amtrak a couple of months ago, there was a ditzy looking older blonde seated behind me. Anyway, she received a phone call from, I am guessing, a nephew. They were on the call for 20 minutes. He was confused about some chick and she was giving him what sounded like some sensible tips without being patronizing. And her voice was so mellow (sigh). So the conversation wasn't too shabby. Still, at one point, I decided to make a trip to the dining car to get myself a cold one.

Run, Lolo, Run!

Mmmm...

In February, my brother and I were watching the Visa Championship series -- Track & Field events -- at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. Since I admire speed and raw power, I am naturally drawn only to the sprint-based events like the 60m and Pole Vault. Lolo Jones caught my eye instantly. While I believe that Chinese women have the delicate facial features that define ultimate female beauty, African women, IMHO, have the capacity to have the best bodies of all the human races. Lolo is mixed race but I saw absolutely no weaknesses on her. Plus she has a great attitude to boot!