new blog now live!

thanks for your patience, my new blog is now live, here it is:

Please visit, it will be improved.

http://warriorfitness.wordpress.com/

Still setting things up

hi all, just to let you know that i am still sorting the new blog out. One reason for the delay is I now have a nasty cut on my elbow which needed stitches and is very sore. I should be ok to start training again on Monday, which will also be the launch of the new blog.
Thanks for reading
Jamie

Sorry for absence

Hi, just wanted to say sorry for my lenghty absence, I have had a bad injury which I have just recovered from.
Also wanted to let you know I am looking at moving my blog this week and than to start posting again. I have been setting some new goals and I hope you will start reading again.
I will post daily on here until my new post is set up.

Thanks
Jamie

Back In Training

Today was my first day back in full training, and it felt good!!!!!
I did pull-up progressions and during the routine I managed to do 3 pull-ups (taking my best up by 1), this means I have improved over the last week.

I highly recommend a back-off week, it refreshes your body and mind and you approach training with a new hunger.

Thanks for reading, tomorrow will have a more indepth post.

Jamie

The Pathways

Well, today was yet another rest day, due to it being back-off week and all! So I thought I take the time to talk about some of the energy pathways we use when we exercise.

I am going to talk about aerobic and anaerobic.

The Anaerobic (ATP-CP) Energy System
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) stores in the muscle last for approximately 2 seconds and the resynthesis of ATP from Creatine/Phosphate (CP) will continue until CP stores are depleted, approximately 4 to 5 seconds. This gives us around 5 to 7 seconds of ATP production.

To develop this energy system, sessions of 4 to 7 seconds of high intensity work at near peak velocity are required e.g.

3 × 10 × 30 metres with recovery of 30 seconds/repetition and 5 minutes/set.
15 × 60 metres with 60 seconds recovery
20 × 20 metres shuttle runs with 45 seconds recovery
The Anaerobic Lactate (Glycolytic) System
Once the CP stores are depleted the body resorts to stored glucose for ATP. The breakdown of glucose or glycogen in anaerobic conditions results in the production of lactate and hydrogen ions. The accumulation of hydrogen ions is the limiting factor causing fatigue in runs of 300 metres to 800 metres.

Sessions to develop this energy system:

5 to 8 × 300 metres fast - 45 seconds recovery - until pace significantly slows
150 metre intervals at 400 metre pace - 20 seconds recovery - until pace significantly slows
8 × 300 metres - 3 minutes recovery (lactate recovery training)

HIIT and tabata style workouts are ideal for anaerobic conditioning. This style of training is also now thought to be better for fat loss than aerobic training due to the after affects of a workout. Bodyweight routines are also excellent for anaerobic conditioning, such has the HIIT and tabata mentioned as well as minute drills.

The Aerobic Energy System
The aerobic energy system utilises proteins, fats and carbohydrate (glycogen) for resynthesising ATP. This energy system can be developed with various intensity (Tempo) runs. The types of Tempo runs are:

Continuous Tempo - long slow runs at 50 to 70% of maximum heart rate. This places demands on muscle and liver glycogen. The normal response by the system is to enhance muscle and liver glycogen storage capacities and glycolytic activity associated with these processes.
Extensive Tempo - continuous runs at 60 to 80% of maximum heart rate. This places demands on the system to cope with lactate production. Running at this level assists the removal and turnover of lactate and body's ability to tolerate greater levels of lactate.
Intensive Tempo - continuous runs at 80 to 90% of maximum heart rate. Lactate levels become high as these runs boarder on speed endurance and special endurance. Intensive tempo training lays the base for the development of anaerobic energy systems.
Sessions to develop this energy system:

4 to 6 × 2 to 5 minute runs - 2 to 5 minutes recovery
20 × 200m - 30 seconds recovery
10 × 400m - 60 to 90 seconds recovery
5 to 10 kilometre runs

The fact that this type of training uses fat has an energy source was the reason many thought it was the best way to lose weight, but we now know interval type training speeds metabolism up long after the workout is finished.

And remember, aerobic doesn't mean easy!!!!!

Thanks for reading.
Jamie.

Brief But Intense!

Today's conditioning session was brief yet very intense! The workout was tabata press-ups, which I reached failure on a number of times and had to complete them using my knees, but I got them done!

The aim of tabata is to go fast for 20 seconds and rest or 10, do this for a total of 8 times (4 minutes).

I finished the workout with 1 set of 100 squats which was a nice conclusion to a tough workout.

I can still feel the burn in my shoulders which lets me know how hard I actually worked, all I have to do now is finish a tabata press-up session in strict form!!!!!

I now have a few days rest before normal training is resumed, looking forward to lifting the weights again, I must admit.

Thats all for today.
Thanks for reading.
Jamie

Back Off Strength Session

Today I did a strength session using only bodyweight exercise, some may ask "but can you get strong using only your bodyweight?" Let me answer this one before I carry on.


Yes!!!!!


Doing 1 legged squats and 1 arm press-ups is a very good way to get strong without the need for equipment. I did a few sets of these two exercises (squats unassissted and press-ups assissted) has well has a couple of sets of 1 rep pull-ups (around 90% of my 1 rep max) and I was done.

Tomorrow I will do a brief conditioning drill and another routine on friday before going back into full swing next week.

I must admit, I am missing full throttle training big time! I can't wait to lift heavy weights again and do a full weeks worth of training. But, has mentioned yesterday, it is vital to take your foot off the pedal every few weeks in order to foster recovery and improvement.

The positive impact this is having on me is very intense, which means it must be the right thing to do has I will now enter next week fresh and raring to go!!!!!

I will be posting a picture next week and I am also working on getting a new video together in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned.

Just wanted to say thanks for all the support I am getting, it means alot.

Jamie