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Training Journal

A place for me to keep track of my training and events that happen in my training.

Contents

• 2021 Training
  • Goals
  • Schedule
  • Specifics
  • Updates
• Journal
• Ongoing Issues
• Former Issues
• Tests

2021 Training

2021 Goals

My goals for 2021 are quite modest, as I'm rehabbing a few different injuries.

2021 Schedule

I use Tactical Barbell for strength and The Gains Lab's Year of the Engine for conditioning.

My weekly schedules throughout 2021 are as follows:

With focuses being separated by month:

Putting all this together using January and April as examples:

• January:
  • Strength (3x/week): FS, OHP, CU
  • Conditioning (5x/week): 3x Airdyne, 1x running, 1x rowing
  • Accessory/strength maintenance (1x/week): D, SU
• April:
  • Strength (3x/week): FS, D, CU
  • Conditioning (5x/week): 3x rowing, 1x running, 1x Airdyne
  • Accessory/strength maintenance (1x/week): OHP, SU, R

2021 Specifics

Warm Up

Strength warm up lasts at least 20 minutes and consists of:

• Stretching: hamstring, glute, groin, hip flexor, lat, tricep, shoulders, squat (20-30s each)
• Prehab: curl-up, side plank, bird-dog, glute bridge (3x10s)
• Barbell complex: squats (front, back, overhead), presses (strict, push), rows, RDL

Conditioning warm up lasts 5-10 minutes and consists of the primary activity for that amount of time, e.g., easy spinning on the Airdyne for 5-10 minutes before the actual hard work starts.

Strength

All strength movements follow a similar tempo of (1-3)(1-2)X(0-2):

Rest times are at least 2 minutes, but generally never more than 3 (due to time constraints).

I am and will continue to be conservative with weight increases. I increase my training max (which working sets are calculated from) by 2.5-5 lb (depending on the lift and success in the past training block) every 6 weeks. If I didn't make all working sets or struggled with some, I maintain that same weight for at least the next 3 weeks.

Primary exercises are all full ROM, no exceptions:

• FS: I use Adidas Powerlift 2 in addition to a small wedge underneath the heel. This gives me about 1.2 in. (3.0 cm) in heel elevation and allows me to stay upright. I choose FS over BS because there's less stress on the lower back.
• OHP: I follow similar form to Rippetoe's tutorial, except the grip. My forearms are vertical at the bottom and elbows go out to roughly 45° during the press. I choose OHP/D over bench because OHP is full-body.
• CU: I do one "swing" at the bottom and then pull. This is around 2 seconds of hang time. I chooese CU over PU because they feel more natural.
• D: I do one "swing" at the top and then dip. This is around 2 seconds of support time. I choose D because I just like doing weighted dips.

Supplementary exercises:

• SU: These will be done on a 20 in. box and on one leg at a time, i.e., right leg steps up and lowers. I chose these in preparation for my summiting of a few mountains in 2021.
• R: Not sure how these will be done yet, but good exercise for retraction strength.
• OHS: Good for core stability and shoulder strength.

In addition to the ones listed above, I will also add in supplementary work as I see fit. For example, if I notice my thoracic spine is the weak point in my front squat, I'll add in front rack holds to my training to fix that weak point.

Recovery

From Mark Twight's original Gym Jones philosophy:

Recovery is more than 50% of the process.

I view recovery in three distinct, but related, aspects. These are all dependent on each other—if one is inadequate or nonexistent, the process they are a part of will fail.

• Diet: Eat a lot of high-quality food in this order: meats/vegetables, fruits/nuts, processed, junk.
• Sleep: Get as much high-quality sleep as possible.
• Active: Activities to get the blood flowing without stressing any system. Includes walking, foam rolling, stretching, massages, etc.

How I apply these principles:

• Diet:
  • I eat a fair amount of high-quality food.
  • I only drink water (sparkling and regular), tea, and almond milk. I rarely drink alcohol, but when I do it's either beer or vodka and water. I do not drink coffee or soft drinks.
  • I do not count calories religiously, but have a fair idea of how much I've eaten throughout the day.
  • I take 5 g of creatine monohydrate daily.
• Sleep:
  • I use red light bulbs in my room before I go to bed.
  • I use blackout curtains that make my room extremely dark (although there some light slips in the side).
  • I rarely eat within a few hours of bed.
  • I go to bed around the same time every night.
  • I do not drink caffeine and rarely drink alcohol.
  • See more sleep suggestions here (sleep hygiene literature review) and here (naps).
• Active:
  • My job is fairly active, requiring me to walk and move around regularly. I also use a standing desk.
  • I spend 5-10 minutes every night stretching and foam rolling.
  • I enjoy going on walks during my off days with friends.

2021 Updates

I will give monthly updates on how training is going, as well as any modifications I've made. I predict that if I follow all recovery protocols I've put in place (diet, sleep, active recovery), I will make decent progress across all exercises in both strength and conditioning. If I feel like my progress is suffering, I will do the following (in order):

1. Begin to track my calories and attempt to eat more.
2. Decrease the number of strength working sets.
3. Decrease strength work frequency to twice per week.

December 2020

This was a poor month of training. I was dealing with a right groin/adductor strain for a majority of it, causing me to put a pause on all squatting work that stresses the adductor. Conditioning was fine: rowing is going good (less upper and lower back soreness during and after the session). Lifting is progressing as normal. Hurt my hands after building MTB stunts.

I see no issue with continuing with my current volume of 3x strength and 5x conditioning. My recovery seems fine, although I am not getting as much sleep as I should due to personal hobbies and work.

January 2021

Better month of training than December 2020. Right groin/adductor still an issue and had a left knee injury while squatting later in the month. Lifting has stagnated, especially OHP—will continue to hit dips and focus on evenness throughout the lift. Conditioning is definitely getting better for both rowing and Airdyne.

I may switch to 2x strength and 5x conditioning. I'm thinking those injuries could be overuse, rather than poor form or something else. Tuesday and Saturday would be the new days.

February 2021

Changed entire focus of training yet again. Realized that GainsLab's Year of the Engine five times per week is just way too much, especially with three days of fairly heavy lifting and some accessory work. Since I am setting my sight on some big bike feats in the coming year or two, I changed my approach to Tactical Barbell's Fighter/Green templates. I hope to gain a tad bit of strength, but increase my endurance greatly. I am curious to see if any of my injuries go away in the coming months. If they do, it likely points to them being overuse-related.

I can squat again (without going ATG) without too much left knee discomfort, but the right adductor issue is still lingering in the background. Hopped back on the rower (off because of knee) on 28 February 2021 without issue. I will continue to work steady state rowing and maybe a few fast-ish intervals here and there.

March 2021

Left knee continued to give trouble throughout the month. Switched to step-ups in preparation for Mt. Hood, then to lunges due to a bit of discomfort and glute work. Strength continues to increase slightly for most lifts, but slowly.

Last week of month began a cut. Focusing on 8-16 IF window. Goal is to get leaner for swim season and gain relative strength to hit some relative strength PRs.

April 2021

An okay month of training. Cycling is going fairly well. Did exclusively lunges and step-ups for leg work. Other strength work is making incremental increases. Going to re-focus my rowing efforts and tack a longer session on to my cycling sessions in May (e.g., 1:30:00 hr cycling + 20:00 rowing). My HIC work continues to be rowing and will be for the remainder of the year.

My sleep schedule has been altered for the worse due to a girl I am dating. I need to get it back on track. This next month I will rigorously track my sleep quantity and quality (subjectively) and try to identify any patterns. I continue to foam roll before sessions, but could probably use it in the evening. Nutrition is meh, probably had too much meat in April.

May 2021

Cycling going well. Definitely getting faster with the same effort as before. Moving back to OHP from dips due to shoulder issues. Rowing getting better, but HR still a bit high. Considering doing longer efforts at slower pace, e.g., 3x1500-2000m/2:00R instead of standard 3-4x1000m/2:00R.

Sleep schedule still messed up and missed quite a bit of training because of it. Holding off on tracking it due to too many variables and other priorities. I've added two 1600 lumen lights in my room that are scheduled for wake-up time. This light therapy should help.

June 2021

Not much dedicated training this month due to a medical operation on 4 June 2021, one week of rest after, then a light week due to complications. Changing conditioning days to be two E, one Airbike, and one rowing session.

Knees feeling a bit better. Going to add in adductor work in between CU sets.

Sleep still off, but seems to just be because of late bedtimes. Will start going to bed around 9:00pm on training-eves and see how that works.

July 2021

Much better about training this month. Finding that training in the evening works better for me sleep-wise, but I still need to reset my sleep. Joined The Space Program, so going to add in 1-2 sessions per week.

Knees meh, sticking with lunges for a while until I can squat pain-free again. Adductor work needs to be added in.

Trying to eat more and actually finish everything I buy at the grocery store. This especially includes chicken!

August 2021

Training still going well. Had some fun with Space Program sessions once per week. Sleep is better after using the Sleep Cycle app. I use melatonin on occasion.

Knees still meh, switched leg exercises again to the RFESS. These are good, but they lack the depth I like from squatting. I've also added in some basic knee prehab as outlined here.

Nutrition was meh. Need to eat more vegetables and quality food in general.

September 2021

Inconsistent this month. Hoping that buying a home will help that as I'll be able to go to the gym at whatever time I please. Sleep still meh, sleep momentum is definitely a thing, for better and worse.

Need to do better about eating more and eating better. Finding that I still waste food. Focusing on meal prepping is key here.

October 2021

Another stressful month with house hunting and lots of work. Didn't make as much time for training as I should have. I expect it to get better in November since I'll have my home gym set up and I can train whenever I want to.

Eating is better (more and cleaner). I've added a to-do item in hopes that discipline momentum can influence it a bit more.

November 2021

Same as October: little training due to house work. Who knew there could be so much! I expect this will carry over into December, but should settle down in January.

Changing training schedule beginning in early December to prepare for 2022.

December 2021

A bit more dedicated training. Completed nonprophet's Space Race on December 31.

Journal

I organize by the following tags appended to the end of each entry (I occasionally put other words that will help me find the link). The numbers at the beginning of each entry represent the date(s).

October 2021

• Found the secret to form on BSS. Working foot should be closer in rather than farther out. Focus should be on working with that leg entirely—the non-working leg is in a rather uncomfortable/awkward position, and I've found that trying to use it too much causes knee discomfort.

September 2021

August 2021

July 2021

June 2021

May 2021

• 1: Left knee seems to have gotten better.

April 2021

March 2021

February 2021

• 08: Current plan for endurance progression to work up to 3:00 hr, then gradually increase speed from there. For example, I rode yesterday for 2:16 hr at 13.5 mph average. I will maintain my speed until I hit 3:00 hr (end of February), then increase my average speed from there. While longer than 3:00 hr is beneficial in some regards I'm sure, it's too much time for me to devote. The obvious problem with this is variability in riding conditions: elevation gain, bicycle ridden, trail status, riding buddies, etc. To be continued...
• 04: Switched to 2x strength per week. Figuring my knee and groin issues are overuse, so we'll see. May need to move everything up a day (Tues>Wed, Sat>Sun) to accommodate for Saturday morning E with a riding group. [!programming]
• 01: Got my new Merrell Vapor Gloves (MVG). They fit well and are very minimalist. I can feel the ground/rocks with high resolution without it hurting too much. Legs are pretty sore two days after the fact (of running 0.5 mi). My progression back to running will be simple: run 2x per week and increase by 2:00 min per week, starting with 6:00 min this week. These runs will be done before C2/AD conditioning sessions as a warm-up.

">January 2021

• 28: Changing OHP stance width to be narrower. I tend to lean towards my left, so a narrow stance should minimize that.
• 25: Taking the next two weeks off from leg training (besides light cycling) to give my knee and groin a break. Will continue upper body training. When I come back it will be with light weight focusing on form and weakness strengthening.
• 23: Seems that eating chicken makes me feel bad (like last weekend).
• 23: Right groin feeling a bit better, but tweaked something in left knee during back squats with 60 kg. Will monitor. [!injury]
• 10: Woke up with lower back soreness, presumably from TDL. Will go back to RDL and KBS for my posterior chain work... forever? [!injury, !strength]
• 09: Squatted with weight for first time in a month. Feet were pointing straight-10°. Happy with lack of adductor pain, but will continue to keep an eye on it. [!strength !injury]
• 09: The motion from catch to drive seems to finally have clicked. I now can feel my legs working and the finish is smooth, without feeling like a true row. [!rowing]

">December 2020

• 19: Cyclist squats actually work super well for my groin injury because my legs don't flare out at all. I'll keep these in for the time being. [!injury]
• 18: Posted a rowing form check on r/rowing. Answers: [!rowing]

  You're erging like a lifter. That's fine if you're a lifter, which I assume you are. If you're just erging for conditioning, then your technique is fine. If you care about erging/rowing performance, loosen up a bit and think about it like the smooth dynamic movement that it is. If you must compare it to a lift, it's more like a snatch than a deadlift, but I typically prefer the analogy of cracking a whip with gradual, smooth, fluid power application, or any number of other actual sport skills from hitting, throwing, kicking, etc. Keep in mind that everything I write on here and my website is targeted to people erging/rowing as ergers/rowers for erging/rowing performance. For what it's worth, I tend to see the opposite of what I wrote about in that post you linked with people like you coming to erging from lifting. Too much stiffness generates too much fatigue too early in those muscles. Very unlikely that it's a muscular weakness due to how light the stroke load is compared to anything you'd have on a barbell/dumbbell.

  I agree you're pulling with your shoulders too early. If you watch the video at half speed you tense and pull your shoulders basically right away. The way it's been described to me is that during the leg drive everything above the waist is hanging on the handle, like you're hanging on monkey bars.

• 17: Right groin/hamstring (where pancake stretch is felt) is still strained. Happens especially around 90° on squat concentric. First noticed it on Thursday of last week? I suspect a few causes:
  • Couch stretch: My hip sometimes goes into an awkward position during this, similar to front split. I've had issues with my hip during front split in the past before.
  • Weak posterior chain/hamstrings + strong quads: FS targets quads, as does the Airdyne. Comparatively, I do very little hamstring work besides stretching. Will make it a point to put in regular RDLs.
  • Muscle strain: From squatting fairly heavy this past week (90% 1RM).
  • Squat mobility: From Ido Portal's squat video, one of the stretches pushes the knee out. This may have done it for me, as I feel a strain whenever I go into that position, squatting or even putting on a pair of jeans.
  I will abstain from CS, throw in some RDLs the next few sessions, and continue foam rolling. [!injury, !mobility]
• 13: Standardizing my warm-up barbell complex to be: 8x(FS, OHP/PP, BOR, RDL, BS). [!events]
• 06: Sitting for long periods even for one day still brings back mild back pain and hip flexor discomfort. [!injury]
• 06: Putting my front foot more forward on couch stretch is easier. [!mobility]
• 05: Had a rowing lesson today. Notes below: [!rowing]
  • Feet straps should be placed on the toe-foot connection. I have adjusted my foot holder all the way down to the 6 position. Lower positions also help compensate for poor ankle mobility, which I have some of.
  • Drag factor is important and should be around 125 for me, a 170 lb male, according to another coach at the facility. This corresponds to a 5.1-5.2 damper setting. I will keep this for all ergs I use in the future.
  • Steady state work should be done at 2000m pace + 20 seconds. My 2000m pace is roughly 1:50-1:55/500m, so I should be around 2:10-2:15 for steady state. Like running, there's no need to go during.
  • At the finish, I tend to elevate my shoulders. I should keep them down.
  • Elbows do not need to be kept at the side during the finish, nor flared out. 45° seems to be fine.
  • I tend to initiate the drive with my back first. Instead, the arms should just be used as a connection between the chain and my body. Once the drive is finished, my back should activate and finish the pull.
  • Sitting forward on the rower is good and allows more reach during the catch. SP puts her hamstring-butt border very near the front edge of the seat.
  • There are two ways to go faster: higher power (constant stroke rate) or higher stroke rate (constant power). You want to choose the stroke rate based on the power you can sustain for that amount of time, while also keeping in mind the stroke rate itself. For example, a 5000m row should not be done at 35 spm—it's too taxing.
  • The seat tends to "get the best of me" during the recovery. I should make sure it stays behind my shoulders when I reach the catch.
  • The chain's level should not change significantly, and should definitely not follow the top of the legs. The handle should also hit just below the nipple line.
  • Some example workouts used: 1) 4000m, rest, 3000m, rest, 2000m, rest, 1000m. Get progressively faster each interval. 2) 8x(0:30 hard, 0:30 rest). 3) 3x15:00.
  • Ankle, pike, hip, and lower back mobility are all important.
  • Deadlift, squat, and bench rows are the most common strength movements rowers use.
  • Building an aerobic base through steady state work is important and what sprint work is based off of.
• 02: Rowed for the first time in a while today. Mid-back quite sore throughout the sets, despite trying my best to lean forward. Found this Concept2 thread. Seems have multiple possibilities: poor technique (very possible), poor musculature (possible), or too high a drag factor (unlikely). I've since adjusted the foot sliders to setting 3. This should allow me a bit more mobility when leaning forward. See also foot position primer. [!rowing, !conditioning, !injury_prevention]

November 2020

• 28: Volume will be substantially increased since I've added Year of the Engine five times per week. [!conditioning, !events]
• 28: It seems like no matter what hinging movement I do, my lower back gets strained. I will start low and stick with a single hinge movement (KBS) for the month of December and see how my back responds. [!injury_prevention]
• 03: I've been slowing down my eccentrics on FS and CU and feels great. Will continue to do this instead of the almost-dive-bombing I used to do. [!strength]
• 01: Adding a lateral glute raise to my warm-ups per a friend's recommendation and lunges to strength training. [!injury_prevention]

October 2020

• 31: Long and hot showers do not work on my body. They feel good in the moment, but after I get out I feel weak-ish. No more of these. [!recovery]
• 30: Brooks Launch 6 seems like a good shoe for me. The Saucony Kinvara 11's heel-toe drop is likely too small for me. Will continue with these for a few more months and maybe try something in between depending on the results. [!running, !injury_prevention]
• 29: Often times when my back hurts after straining it I just need to get moving and warm for it to go away. I will begin to add a 10 minute walk to the middle of my day. [!injury_prevention]
• 29: I tend to rush through training sessions, which could be a reason for injuries. From now on, I will take at least 15 minutes for warming up: stretching, light weights (barbell complex, etc), and other drills. This requires that I 1) wake up earlier, or 2) cut down on total volume. I'll choose the former. [!injury_prevention]
• 28: Realized one possible cause of my newfound (as in I've never had lower back issues from years of squatting heavy (heavy for me)) back issues is my 1) sitting, and 2) decreased hamstring flexibility. I've read a few people's accounts and they often attribute it to their hamstrings pulling too much. I have restarted using the Stand Up! app and will begin regular stretching in the evening before bed. [!injury_prevention, !flexibility]
• 23/24: Strained my lower back rowing, then pushed it while lifting. I was attempting to rock forward more on the recovery/catch, but at the expense of low back rounding. Strength work was okay (used a belt for everything), but still shouldn't have pushed it. Found this video proposing to sit on the anterior part of your hips (or more forward towards your hamstrings/front). I rowed a few sets of 250-500m using this technique and I don't feel anything (a good thing). Rehab will be McGill Big 3-5, stretching, and rest (no exercise + sleep). [!recovery, !injury_prevention]
• 17: Seemed to have finally fixed my right shoulder's impingement from September 2019's bike crash. I was doing shoulder opening using a racked barbell and felt a muscle/tissue/tendon (not really sure) seem to "slip" across my shoulder bone. Before this happening, ROM felt blocked by something. I did a few more shoulder opening tests and it feels better. Will take it slow and work on overhead stabilization before getting back into more overhead mobility. [!injury_prevention]

Ongoing Issues

Shin Splints

Cause

I have been a mid- to forefoot striker since age 14. This posed no issues until age 16, when I began to develop shin problems. I was diagnosed with stress reactions (a degree below stress fractures) and compartment syndrome, defined as:

occurs when pressure within the muscles builds to dangerous levels. This pressure can decrease blood flow, which prevents nourishment and oxygen from reaching nerve and muscle cells.

The angle at which I used to strike was too far in front of body, causing major impact issues.

Current Fixes

• Increasing cadence: I now run around 170 spm, which allows my feet to land directly underneath my mass. This seems to help.
• Changing surfaces: I used to run technical trails, but this seems to aggravate my shin/ankle with the constant awkward positioning. I now run primarily on grass or pavement, but sometimes trails.
• Shoes: I run in the Brooks Launch 6 (midsole drop = 10 mm). I tried the Saucony Kinvara 11 (offset = 4 mm), but this increased shin issues. Will continue with these for a few more months and maybe try a dedicated trail running shoe in between depending on the results.
• Foam rolling: This is not as consistent as it should be, but single-leg foam rolling three sides of my calf/lower leg: outside, center, inside.

See my r/AdvancedRunning post here.

Lower Back

Cause

On 30 May 2020, I was back squatting with 205 lb. I strained a muscle in my right lower back, but continued to lift (one set of BS, two heavy-ish sets of DL). My back has not felt the same since. [FINISH]

Current Solutions

• McGill Big 3: These three exercises—curl-up, side plank, and bird dog—help to warm up my core for lifting.
• Elevating heels: I purchased Adidas Powerlift 2 (0.6 in. heel) and further elevate them with another ~0.5 in. mat. This allows my back to remain very upright during squatting. Otherwise, I would have to lean forward to maintain balance at the expense of my back.
• Belt: I purchased a Rogue Echo Belt. It helps with bracing and core support.
• Front squat: I switched to front squat, which decreases spinal compression and overall lower back stress. However, this is an issue when trying to overload the legs, as the thoracic back is the limiting factor, not the legs.
• Sleeping position: I used to sleep on my stomach, which caused my back to be in constant extension throughout the night. Now I sleep on my back or side.
• Rowing form: [TBD]
• Hamstring stretching: [TBD]

IT Band

Cause

Current Solutions

Former Issues

Shoulder

Cause

In September 2019, I went off of a 2-ft drop on my bike. I landed off-camber and landed on my right shoulder on the grass. My shoulder hurt for a few weeks and I immediately lost my normal overhead mobility (180° open shoulders). I went to a sports medicine doctor, got an X-ray, and he determined it was an impingement. I did some exercises (not as religiously as I should have), but it never got better. It always felt like something was blocking the last 10-20° for completely open shoulders (180° from hands to waist).

Solution

On 2X October 2020, I was doing overhead squats or shoulder opening (can't remember which), and felt a tissue "slide" across my bone. This immediately fixed the mobility issue.

Tests

This section is identical to my Self-Testing page, just in regards to training. It will serve to help me keep track of progressions/tests.

Barefoot Running Progression

For background, see the ongoing shin issue. I now run in the Merrell Vapor Glove 4.

Below is my log for each week of running beginning 21 February 2021. The bullet number represents the week. The format is explained in the first unordered bullet point, followed by an example in the second unordered bullet point. The actual log begins on the set of ordered bullet points.

• [Time spent running per session in minutes:seconds]. [Day 1 report]. [Day 2 report, if applicable]. [Day 3 report, if applicable]. (Note the day reports are separated solely by periods.)
• 3:00. Fine, no discomfort. A bit of discomfort towards the last minute or so.

1. 3:00. Fine, no discomfort, all pavement, finding that focusing on a midfoot strike prevents and/or alleviates any achilles discomfort.
2. 3:30. Pretty easy, no discomfort.
3. 4:00. Fine, no discomfort.
4. 4:30. Fine. Fine, a bit of right achilles discomfort.
5. 5:00. Fine.
6. 6:00/7:30. Fine. Fine.
7. 7:00. Fine. Fine, a bit faster than normal.
8. No running this week.
9. 8:30. Shins/achilles quite sore the following days, holding here for this coming week.
10. No running this week. Right achilles acting up throughout.

See Also