If you’ve been following my blog now for a while you would know that my training style is always continuing to evolve.
If you don’t evolve with the things that you do, especially with training, you will sooner or later start dropping off with your progress.
For me, I’m always testing and tweaking new things to see how well they work. Some things do and some things don’t. It’s all apart of the game.
Over the past 3 months, I’ve made some SEROUS gains. Probably the best gains that I’ve ever personally had in regards to overall performance.
My strength is up…
Just in the last 30 days I’ve PR’d on the following lifts…
Jerk – 305 (never tried above 300 before)
Clean and Jerk – 295 (never attempted above 275)
Front Squat – 335 (was stuck at 295 forever)
The foll0wing lifts are back up to OK numbers…
Bench – 305 (I NEVER bench so this is solid for me. I hit 315 back in college)
Back Squat – 425 (Did 495 in college, but I can guarantee you that my ass did NOT get to the grass and my form was horrendous!)
Weighted Pull Ups – 135
Here’s some random highlight…
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Next, I’ll be testing my max deadlift here soon to see where that is, but I haven’t really pushed it too hard as far as weight with the deads.
I’ve been focusing more on speed and power when it comes to deadlifting.
I’ve been cleaning and doing a ton of different clean and snatch pulls a ton more then deadlifting, so we’ll see.
The bottom line is this…
After I had a poor showing in the 2012 Crossfit Regionals, I had to go back to the drawing board.
Things weren’t working. I was getting myself into better “shape” motor wise, but I was lacking strength and strength endurance.
I’ve made some leaps and bounds, but it’s only the beginning.
I wanted to share with you what I’ve been personally doing.
I’ve you’re currently a member of the Aggressive Strength Army and you’re sticking to the BEASTfit phases I’ve been posting, you too should be having some KILLER progress as these workouts closely resemble what I’ve been doing myself…
Anyways, here’s 5 of the things I’ve been doing a bit differently that I know will help YOU out. Read and Implement!
1) LOTS of Heavy Strength Training
Over the last 3 months, I’ve been doing a TON of heavy lifting.
Lots of sets consisting of only 2’s, 3’s.
In combination with this, I’ve also cut the volume of my main lifts way back down, but at the same time have increased the frequency of when I hit that lift.
For example, I’ve been squatting heavy twice within the same week.
On Monday I may squat for 6 sets of 3 then come back on Thursday and do an E.M.O.T.M. interval set of heavy 2’s for 8 – 10 mins.
It’s been doing the trick…
If you want to get stronger, pick out a few movements and train them HEAVY while using no more then 3-4 reps in a set, but make sure you keep the volume fairly low as well.
Twenty to twenty-five reps total is the sweet spot. 25 might even be too much, but you’ll just have to test and tweak a bit for yourself.
This has done wonders for my front squat (my arch nemesis). I used to be stuck at a measly 275 for the last year and just a few weeks ago, I hit 335! That’s HEAVY for me and as I mentioned above, a PR.
2) Train FAST
Another major change that I’ve made is to make sure and include in at least 1 Olympic Lifting movement into every single training session.
It doesn’t matter what it is, I’ve made sure to have at least one solid Olympic Lifting movement or some variation of an Olympic Lifting movement into every single training session.
This can be anything from a power snatch, hang clean, clean pull or even a single arm DB power snatch. The main thing is to get some sort of Oly movement in no matter what.
I’m still a major work in progress when it comes to my Olympic Lifting abilities, but by doing them more, I can only get better.
I suggest you do the same 😉
Start by adding them in right after your explosive jumps or sprints…
3) Jump OR Sprint! Choose One No Matter What
In combination with including an Olympic Lifting movement within ALL of my sessions, I also make it a point to either jump or sprint.
This isn’t really anything new other then I make sure to so it now 100%.
Now when I say jump, I mean I have some sort of explosive jump within my training session, usually at the start. If I don’t jump, I’m doing some sort of short sprint like a 10 or 20 yard sprint start.
I make sure to vary up the type of jump or sprint I use so it’s different everytime. Whether it be a skip, box jump, lateral hop, burpee broad jump or short sprint or some sort of quick stop and go agility drill, I make sure it’s in my training session at the start.
I’ve hit on this many a times in the past and I’ll do so again…
If you’re not jumping or sprinting at least a few times a week, you’re missing out!
If you’re already doing them a few times a week, do them some more.
Best way to add them in is by mixing them in right after your warm up.
4) Short and Sweet Finishers
One of BEST things I’ve been doing within my training as of late is that I cut way back on my conditioning.
This has actually paid off well.
The crazy thing is that since I’ve cut back on my conditioning sessions is that my conditioning has improved!
I still include a finisher in for every session I do, but there always short and sweet.
All I’ve done is make a rule that none of my conditioning sessions or finishers will last longer then 10-12 mins.
Why 10-12 mins?
Well, I’ve found that when I’m doing a longer conditioning session that I’m dropping way off in regards to intensity level around the 10-12 min mark.
Once I get my motor a bit stronger, I’ll go ahead and start increasing my finishers a bit more. For now, I’ve got to keep them shorter.
The key about getting the most out of your conditioning finishers is to make sure you keep the INTENSITY high.
If you’re so fatigued that you can barely move within a conditioning session, that’s not going to be doing a whole lot for you in regards to overall progress.
If you’re just “slothing” through your conditioning sessions, shorten them up and hit them with some MORE intensity.
Shorter, sweeter, BETTER.
I’ll still hit a longer 20+ min conditioning session here and there, but not often. For now, these short, but INTENSE finishers are working great.
5) Fit In Skills/Weaknesses Where Needed
The last thing that I’ve been implementing in more as of late has been that of blending in more skill / weakness work in where needed.
In short, depending on what I’m working that day, I’ll try to fit in some skill or a “weakness” movement within my warm up or better yet, blend it into my session in between my main movements.
For example of some skill work that I’ve been working on, I’ve been hammering out handstand push-ups.
What I do is mix in small sets of 5 in between squats, deadlifts, or other non-competing type movements. I’ve also been starting out my warm ups with a set of 15-20.
Bottom line is I need to get better at this movement so doing it more often will help me do so. This goes for any movement.
When it comes to “skill” work, it can really be anything…
Muscle Ups, Pull Ups, Ring Hand Stand Push Ups, Rope Climbs, Pistols…
For my weakness movement, I’ve been focusing on my butterfly pull ups. This is also a skill movement, but for me is a major weakness.
I can crank out strict pull ups like nothing, but with these, I need to get better so I’ll mix in small sets of 10-20 every now and then when I’m resting between sets of other non-competing movements.
Let’s say you’re weak at pull-ups…
You can do the same by hitting a set of 1-3 pull ups in-between other movements. It all depends on you and what your weakness is.
I suggest you do the same. You’ll get better at your “skill” work and improve your “weaknesses” as well overtime.
Skills and weaknesses can be different for everyone. Just focus in on what it is you need to do.
In other word, just get better!
So there you have it. 5 things I’m doing that are working.
Take what you feel will help you the BEST and implement it into your training ASAP.
Now, in conjunction to this, if you’re really looking to bust through your training barriers, I’ve got an offer you can’t refuse…
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The workouts you’ll get access to within TA.com are the same workouts that have already been proven effective in the real world so I know that if you can commit to following them and putting in the hard work and effort that you too will see the results!
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Keep Living and Training Aggressive!
Travis
PS – Stay Tuned for something REAL big coming tomorrow…
You will NOT want to miss out on this!
PPS – Don’t miss out on the opportunity you’ve got in front of you right now.
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