WEEKS 7-9 | TRAINING WEEK/CYCLE – FALL CYCLE COVERING WEEK(S) 1-3
BODYWEIGHT:
99 KILOS (GOING DOWN, AND THAT’S FINE…FOR NOW)
HIGHLIGHTS OF TRAINING PROGRAM:
These were the three weeks after my competition, I hoped right on the fall cycle because they started this cycle the week after my meet. This puts me back on track with the rest of Yasha’s online group. Week’s 1-3 were focused on regeneration and building general fitness.
BEST TRAINING SESSION OF THE WEEK(S):
N/A
Running again and I welcomed it. After the competition I wanted as little to do with the barbell as possible. This is a very typical feeling for any lifter right after a meet. In fact, it’s needed for sustainability. The weeks leading up in preparation for competition are very hard and very heavy. Your body gets worn down repeating heavy lifts over and over again and the joints, muscles, and nervous system all need time to regenerate from this. This is why all intelligently written training blocks start with a brief fitness or general physical preparedness cycle after a major competition to do just this.
Yasha programmed bike riding, running, swimming, stretching and even days dedicated to sauna or massage into the training cycle. Due to life restrictions, I could only go on the runs but it was great to get outside and just go run somewhere in the sun. Didn’t really track the distance but I’d pick a destination and go. And it was usually to a coffee shop because…coffee.
Other than this, Yasha programmed things to increase general muscle and work capacity such as lunges, cossack squats, pull-ups, jumps, and abs exercises. And the best part of it all – hardly any lifts, and if there were any, they there were were done with very low weight using higher rep ranges to help heal the muscles and joints and build aerobic capacity.
So because of the running and the like with the decreased lifting, I’ve lost some weight, but that’s perfectly ok with me right now. I’ll take some time to feel better and healthier before building performance on top of this better base.
It’s very important to understand the necessity of this phase in your own training or that of your athlete’s if you’re a coach or trainer. So with Yasha’s permission I’ll include an entire training week of this phase:
DAY 1
Bike or swim . 15 minutes
Cossack squats . 5(6+6) . Cossack squat
Box jumps 5(8)
Push ups 5 minutes
Abs 5 minutes
Stretch 10 minutes
DAY 2
Sauna, Stretch, Massage.
DAY 3
run 1 mile
Walking lunges 5(5+5) Walking lunges
Clean grip OHS 4(6)Clean grip OHS
pull ups 6(10) Pull ups
Abs 10 minutes
Stretch 10 minutes
DAY 4
Sauna, Stretch, Massage.
DAY 5
Back squat on 0.5kg plates 3(6) Back squat on 0.5kg plates
Back squat 4(6) Back squat
Bench press 5(6)
bodybuilding 15 minutes
DAY 6
Bike or swim15 minutes
Bulgarian squats 5(6+6) Bulgarian squat
Box jumps 5(8)
Pull ups 5 minutes Pull ups
Abs 5 minutes
Stretch 10 minutes
DAY 7
Rest