12-8-4 Pyramid W2

Week 2 on the 12-8-4 routine.

Warm Up (5 mins)
Main (25 mins)
1) Rowing (L8:500m:moderate)
2) Dumbell Press (10kgx12, 12kgx6, 14kgx4)
3) Deadlifts (2x2x60%RM)
4) Weighted Chins (12xBW, 4x10kg, 4x12kg)

5a) Wall Walks (2x2)
5b) Tuck/Extended Levers (30s, 20s, 10s)
5c) Frog/Tuch Planche (30s, 20s, 5s, 10s)

12-8-4 Pyramid

OK, I have decided to focus a bit on this 12-8-4 routine. I want to see its effects. I reckon that this will be my basic workout for the next month.

I also need to perform more wall walks (particularly instead of kneel backs) to work the core. I will suck it and see tomorrow. The shoulders get a hard workout from this routine. Might have to limit planching and levers to the GTG routine.

*Update - I felt ropey on entering the gym so switched stuff around. For some reason I front-loaded the session with another O'Neill Test which nearly killed me. Oh ego, why dost thou drive me thus?

Warm Up (5 mins)
Main (25 mins)
1) O'Neill Test(L3:4":1158m)
2) Dumbell Press (10kgx12, 12kgx6, 14kgx4)
3) Deadlifts (2x130kg, 2x120kg)
4) Weighted Chins (12xBW, 4x10kg, 3x10kg)

WRT the resistance, the Concept2 site advises:

• The settings 1-10 on the Indoor Rower are not work level settings or fitness level settings. The intensity of your workout is controlled by how hard you pull on the handle and is calculated and displayed by the electronic monitor as you row. Your accomplishment is indicated by the monitor, not the setting of the wind damper.

The ONT really did wipe me out. The only thing I should not really have dropped was the wall walks. But apart form that, this is a superb little workout. I will be happy to stick with this for a while....oh, and I simply have to get in to the 'Good' range for the ONT!

Damn my ego. :)

The other thing I will mention is that I am now up to just under 84kg. I am assuming that the scales I use at the gym are accurate and if so, then this is another significant increase in weight of late. I was thinking that I look lean at the moment so this *might* be an increase in muscle.

My routines involve novel movements changed on a weekly basis, along with novel sets and reps. This is how I try to implement 'power law' training. I am happy to do this as I know that strength does NOT increase in a linear fashion which is why I shy away from linear training programs. But similarly growth is far from linear.

My experience is that you cannot forecast it! All you can do is give your body the impetus to grow (intense exercise), give it the nutrients to grow (nutrition), give it time to grow (rest) and create a suitable hormonal environment (IF). The rest is all downstream of your control.

12-8-4 Pyramid

So, the first big workout of 2010.

Warm Up (5 mins)
Main (25 mins)
1a) Rowing (L8, 500m, 1':33")
2a) Dumbell Press (10kg, 12kg, 14kg)
3a) Chins (12, 8 +3kg, 3 +2kg)
4a) Handstand Leg Raise/Deadlifts (85%RM - 100kg)
5a) Kneel Backs (1x60s)
6a) Frog Planche (30s, 20s, 5s tuck)

The rowing was two seconds faster than my usual (1':35"). I felt slow towards the end and could have gone at least a second faster. I do it in around 40+ strokes and with a tweak to my technique, could probably get this figure down, making more use of my height.

The dumbell press was a killer and I could not nail the fourth rep on the last set! I think I was lowering the weights too slowly, shifting the emphasis to 'negatives'. The Frog Planche was a big killer as well and I was well short on the first two sets.

I think I need to revisit my deadlift RM with a view to shifting it upwards. But then I could do with reviewing a few other RMs as well.

Still, a challenging and fun workout. I am injury free and hungry for more!

12-8-4 Pyramid

A sunny lunch hour prompted me to don my training gear. Autumn is trying to push through but not without a fight from summer to prolong her stay.

I followed this pyramid, adopting cluster sets as appropriate (where, usually on the last set, I paused for a second or two between each rep). This is a good way of maximising strength output. The lactic burn should be your guide on the first set or two, adding or dropping reps as required.

Warm Up (5 mins)
Main (25 mins)
1a) Sprints (15s:60s x 4)
2a) Dumbell Press (10kg, 12kg, 14kg)
3a) Seated Rows (Smith Machine and cable rows)
4a) Deadlifts (50% RM - aim for at least BW on last set, if not the sets before)
5a) Kneel Backs (1x60s)
6a) Frog/Tuck Planche (30s, 20s, 5s tuck)

The rest between sets were broadly around ten seconds - but were extended for the deadlifts and planche work as these felt tough. The dumbell press also made me pay!

I have not done any formal training for over a week due to a family vacation to Wales. This involved the usual running around and wild-swimming with the kids. I even managed to get myself turfed out of the sea by the RNLI for swimming in the sea when the red flags were out!

As I hope to do a climbing workout on Friday involving ring-work, I left the levers well alone today as they are part of my basic ring routine.

It is good to be back.

*Update - I managed to squeeze in a ten minute finger strength routine this evening, similar to those shown below.

12-8-4 Pyramids

This work out is a pyramid where you work in to the lactic and then up the weight and drop the reps. Rest between sets is about 10s (enough time to put your old weights back on the rack and pick up a heavier set, and load them in to position).

The cadence I employ is to lift in 2s and lower in 4s. Movements should be smooth and although you aim for the rep targets specified, feel free to stop short or add a few more on, as determined by your form. Work with the lactic acid!

Warm Up (5 mins)
Main (25 mins)
1a) Sprints (15s:50s x 4)
2a) 60m Agility Figure Eights (4x4 laps between goal posts)
3a) Dumbell Press (10kg, 12kg, 14kg)
4a) Seated Rows
5a) Deadlifts (50% RM)
6a) Kneel Backs (1x60s)
7a) Frog Planche (30s, 20s, 15s)
8a) Tuck Lever (30s, 20s, 15s)

Weight selected was around 90% RM apart from the deadlifts on which I used quite light weights as I do not perform this activity very often.

This is one of my most hardware/dumbell intense routines as normally I prefer to train with bodyweight outdoors. But, it certainly has left me feeling worked through and through.

* I pimped out the days training with a little bit of climbing training this evening. I made three passes through the following circuit, resting around 4 mins from the end of a particular exercise until the start of the next set for that particular exercise:

1a) Fingerboard Laddering
1b) Muscle Ups to L-Sit (6, 6, 4)
1c) Ring Scissors (8, 6, 4)

2) Deadhang Repeaters (7s:3s/150s)