Back To Basics - My Workout Log

First post in my new log, excited!

 

Something to my person:

 

I'm 17 years old and from Germany. I'm 1,68m tall and around 60kg at the moment. I have been doing gymnastics nearly all of my life, sometimes pretty serious, sometimes just for fun.

 

Have been competing on a national level pretty successful as a kid, but at 10 years old, I would have needed to go to a special school and up my gym time a lot to stay on a national level, which I didn't want - I just didn't feel like commiting my whole life to the sport. It was definitely the right decision and I don't regret anything.

 

My training got less and less and until I was 15, I only was in the gym about 6 hours a week. I still competed but only on a regional level. At that age, I regained my interest in the sport. I still don't have any ambition on competing more seriously again, but I just felt like it would be nice to get a little better in shape and to refine my body control.

 

I also started judging and coaching back then. Coaching is also what brought me to GymnasticBodies - I was looking for strength training methods for my little boys.

 

Currently I'm ca. 10 hours a week in the gym working out and another 5 hours a week coaching. Additionally, I'm doing strength and flexibility work at home for another 3-4 hours a week.

 

My max strength got pretty nice since I'm training the GymnasticBodies way, I have a decent Iron Cross, a press japanese handstand, and a manna already. I'm focusing on floor, rings and pbars and I plan on having start values over 15 on all three within the next 5 years. Currently, I'm around 14 on floor and 13,5 on rings and pbars.

 

However, I feel like I neglected the basics a little the last two years, so I bought the foundation series to work on that. I will also try to eat a little healthier in the future, and drink less (note that you're allowed to drink in Germany at the age of 16).

 

Enough talk, let's get to work!

 

Today, 11.02.13:

First workout after 2 weeks with the flu.

 

FL/PE1 mastery

sPL/PE1 mastery

HBP/PE1 mastery

RC/PE1 mastery

 

notes:

Completed everything pretty decent, however it was harder than expected. Even something as easy as a bent hollow hold gets hard when you do it for 5 minutes with barely any break

 

Apart from that, HBP/PE1 was probably the hardest, since my delts are my weak link, and after holding my arms next to my hips for 5 minutes and doing 75 scap shrugs, even incline pushups can be a challenge

 

Looking forward to testing PE2 on all four on thursday.

Today, 12.02.13:

 

MN/PE1 mastery

SL/PE1 mastery

SLS/PE1 mastery

 

notes:

Now I know why I stopped doing this low intensity high rep work: It sucks!!

 

I honestly hate Foundation 1. Not because it's a bad course, not because it doesn't lead anywhere - I just hate doing this stuff. I spend like 20 minutes doing nothing but deck squats and skiers without a break. How boring!

 

I also really had to fight on those arch holds, not due to my lower back, but because of my shoulders. Holding my arms up for such a long time is simply hard for me somehow.

 

Don't get me wrong - I really appreciate the course and I know it's what I need to do in order to become a more well-rounded athlete! If that's what I need to do, I'll stick to it. I just like working heavily, not long.

Yesterday, 13.02.13:

In the gym, didn't do much strength stuff, only some press handstands on the rings and some on pbars with ankle weights.

 

Today, 14.02.13:

 

FL/PE2 mastery

sPL/PE2 mastery

HBP/PE2 mastery

RC/PE2 mastery

 

notes:

I feel horrible. Only slept 4 hours tonight (I'm used to 8-9), but decided not to be wuss and to do the workout anyway. Already didn't feel good yesterday, quality work on crosses etc. seemed impossible, this foundation stuff is making me sore as I've not been in a long time.

 

Still did the workout today, pitied myself a little, got angry at myself, all pretty emotional

 

My ego is definitely getting crushed right here. All my life I've been doing 3-5 reps, 3-5 sets, all at pretty high intensity, and my max strength developed great, my manna and cross are both solid 5-10 sec. for reps, been doing lots of quality maltese work lately, etc.

But now, working like an hour without real pause, always in motion, moderate intensity, but for me, insane numbers of reps!

I can do the hard stuff, but I guess I don't truly master it. I even struggle with the basics.

 

Writing all this down really helps, but also makes me feel even more wussy

 

On a side note, I reevaluated my arch holds from 12.03.13 and I don't feel strong enough in this position yet to move to the next progression, eventhough I made the requirements, so I'm going to cycle it starting at week 5 from next workout on. Will have to coordinate the rest accordingly as I am still testing there, need to keep the deload weeks in sync.

Today, 15.02.13:
In the gym, did some handstand conditioning today, very long wall assisted hold, some presses, some assisted one arm holds.

 

Also tore my hands pretty bloody today. Worked some basic giants and turns on high bar and a lot of Moys on pbars, too much for two of my callusses. But since that happens pretty often to me, I'm used to it, didn't even notice it before somebody told me I'm bleeding My skin seems to be pretty weak, but I'm fine with that. All in all a good session.

Today, 16.02.13:

In the gym, didn't sleep well, a little tired. Did some vaults, some floor work (mainly front fulls), some dismounts off pbars and some rings, swings to handstand, back uprise cross and chechis mainly.

 

Rings didn't go well, rest was ok. Arms still felt tired, especially in the crosses since I didn't do any off days this weak due to my new programming with the foundation work. Don't know yet if it's going to work that way, maybe I will have to do one day less of foundation work, can't let my skill work suffer because of that since I have my first competition this year in four weaks. If it won't work, I'll start more heavily on the foundation after this season in summer. But for now, I'll try the everyday training scedule one or two more weaks to see whether it's going to work.

Yesterday, 17.02.13:

MN/PE2 mastery

SL/PE1 4x24s

SLS/PE2 mastery

 

notes:

Arch felt good, week 5 seems to be the right starting point. Really working on arching as tight as I can the whole time, not just holding arms and legs up. Rest went pretty easy.

 

Today, 18.02.13:

FL/PE3 mastery

PL/PE3 mastery

HBP/PE3 mastery attempt, fail on fourth set

RC/PE3 mastery

 

notes:

Felt good. FL/PE3 seemed easier than PE2. Rest went as expected. Always been not proficient at PPPs and with the pre-fatigue from the plank I didn't expect to make the 5 sets. Going to work from week 5 onward I guess, not doing anything but hips exactly straight over hands. Need to get stronger in that position in order to develop the HBP. The dips afterwards won't be a challenge since I'm pretty strong at dipping, expect to work progressions from Foundation Two after mastering HBP/PE3.

Yesterday, 19.02.13:

MN/PE3 mastery

SL/PE1 4x24s

SLS/PE3 mastery

 

Today, 20.02.13:

3xBackuprise to cross, push to support, lower, up, lower, up with coach assistant

3xlong bl holds

3x3 press handstand on rings

3xlong rings handstand holds

3x3 wide arm slow muscle-ups with 5kg belt

2x5 pbar press handstand with ankle weights

skill work

 

notes:

Everything went well, feel like I'm adapting to working out everyday, not as fatigued by the Foundation stuff anymore. Skill work is also going well, looking forward to competing on the national cup in may.

Today, 21.02.13:

FL/PE4 mastery

PL/PE4 mastery

HBP/PE3 4x4r

RC/PE4 mastery

 

notes:

PPPs were horrible, eventhough I only did 4x4. If they're again that bad next workout, I'll probably go back to week 1. Rest went ok.

Yesterday, 22.02.13:

Only skill and routine work, which included some press handstands.

 

Today, 23.02.13:

My coach isn't here, so a day off.

Today, 24.02.13

FL/PE5 mastery

sPL/PE5 3x6s

HBP/PE3 3x2r

RC/PE5 mastery

 

notes:

Backed off on HBP/PE3 to week 1, since I couldn't keep my form as good as I would like it to be last workout where I started at week 5. So I'm going for a cycle starting on week 1. Also starting on sPL/PE5 on week one. Tried one set of the mastery requirement, but i lost correct scapula form after 25s or so, so I decided to also start on week 1. This was the only workout for the week 1 template, since I have to keep the deload weeks in sync. Therefore, I'm going for week 2 on the next workout.

Today, 25.02.13:

Mainly skill work today. Worked straight fronts, sideways summersaults and standing back tucks on floor, still have to go light here due to last year's surgery on my foot. Also some non-acrobatic floor combinations, japanese handstands, mannas, presses etc. Also worked on some simple travels on PH. Also did pbars, which were crappy today. Worked on some combinations for my routine, moys, backuprise to handstand to front uprise to half twisting pike front, but nothing really worked, no good dismounts, absolutely no backuprise to handstand and also absolutely no moys. Somewhat frustrating, but the rest of my workout went well.

Today, 26.02.13:

MN/PE4 mastery

SL/PE1 4x36s

SLS/PE4 mastery

 

notes:

Everyting ok.