2008 Training Review

[jaydub]

Earlier tonight I reviewed my training from last year. I wanted to see what kind of hours I'd been clocking up, with a view to making a plan for this year. If truth be told, my "planning" last year was mainly done in my head, which of course means it was subject to a lot of change as time went by. Basically it means it's far too easy to fool yourself into thinking you actually did what you planned to do.

Here's some statistics (based on the last 6 months of 2008. My logging was insufficient in the first half of the year to be of much use ).

• Average weekly time spent training - 4h55m
• Most intensive (volume) week - 8h40m
• Least intensive (volume) week - zero

To be fair, I had one rest week plus I was ill for two weeks in December and did no training. The least intensive week where I actually trained was 60 minutes.

Sample Weeks Log

Code: Select all

Sunday    - Rest
Saturday  - AM Weights (shoulder & triceps)
            PM Run (~30 minutes)
Monday    - PM Run (~30 minutes)
Tuesday   - PM Swim (~30 minutes)
Wednesday - AM Weights (chest & shoulders)
            PM Run (~45 minutes)
Thursday  - PM Weights (legs)
Friday    - AM Weights (back & biceps)
            PM Swim (~45 minutes)

Learnings
From looking at my training notes, it was a real struggle to fit in any more than about 6 hours a week. I usually like to have at least one days rest (but preferably two). As most sessions would be an hour or less, that means training twice a day on two or more days a week, if you want to fit in an excess of 6 hours; it can be hard to find that time every week! Actually, it's probably more about finding a way of splitting it throughout the day, as you don't necessarily want to be training in one block (e.g. you don't want to do a 45 minute run and then a weights session).

I think the answer here is (sadly) getting up earlier in the morning. I'm a bit of a night owl and prefer training in the evenings, but I want to increase my volumes this year so I don't think I'll have much choice.

Goals
My main goal last year was to finally sort out a long-term injury I'd been carrying. Touch wood, that's done and dusted! As time went by I did set myself some more tangible goals: sub 9-minute 2.4km, sub-20 minute 5km, and sub-2hr Paras10 P-Company challenge - all of which I achieved (8m37s, 18m47s, 1h42m), so I'm pretty happy on that score

2009
In terms of training, I'm definitely making a few changes - the key one is to plan out the first half of the year so I have a proper schedule to follow (then do another plan come July). I've been meaning to do this so many times in the past, but I'm actually going to do it this time! I'm dropping to 3 weights sessions a week and doing a push/pull/leg split rather than a split along muscle groups. I'm also dropping practically all isolation exercises and concentrating on compound ones instead - the added bonus here is that I should be able to get a weights session done in 45 minutes instead of ~60 minutes that it takes currently.

Goals - the big one is P-Company in August! Besides that, I'd like to get a sub-8 minute 2.4km time. I'd also like to complete three or four Olympic distance triathlons (I did some sprint ones in 2008). The longer term goal here is to complete an Ironman triathlon in 2010 ... but I need to be able to walk before I can run

So, anyone else up for posting their training review?

[davidemmerson]

My aims for this time next year are:

1) Improve running technique to take the pressure of my shins.
2) Sub 9 min 1.5 miler.
3) 7 mins per mile up to 6 miles.
4) One 15 mile run per week.

Going to be improving sleeping pattern and getting up earlier in the morning to get a run in before work. Also going to be doing 'Pussers' running' to stop shin splints.

I don't like gyms so won't be getting any membership to one, so probably won't bother with weights.

Good luck jaydub!

David.

[Stokey_14]

Mine are pretty simple...

Main goals

Conditioning (keep increasing difficulty of conditioning sessions)
Muscular Endurance (Be sure that exercise reps don't drop and improve)

Sub goals

Maximal strength (Continually add weight to all exercises on max strength work outs... sometimes difficult when in fight session as max strength sessions have to be limited so as not to be fatigued for a fight or skill sessions)

Neck and forearm strength (neglected them a bit of late but want to get back at them for injury prevention and also helps a hell of a lot in the ring)

Mobility and flexibility (these are shocking and I've started working them so as to avoid injury / help slightly with recovery)

Focus at the moment being getting in to peek condition for boxing, training on average 12 times a week (twice a day six days a week) all with varying intensity plus theres a lot of practical work involved in my sports course at collage.

Hard but fun as hell, really going well and i feel like a caged animal (all be it a soft and cuddly one really )

Best of luck in 2009 folks.

Stokey

P.S. I don't use gyms (apart from my boxing gym) either Dave as I find there often over priced and full of annoyances, I find it much more fun to work out in my back garden away from distractions... plus I can play about with sand bags, tires, beer kegs,sledge hammers as well as free weights to spice up both conditioning and strength work outs, with out getting some very odd stairs

[jaydub]

Hey guys. Glad to see others are setting themselves goals too. Stokey, it sounds like you do a LOT of phys mate! David, what is "Pussers running"? Is this the fore-foot strike style? I think I'm definitely going to increase my long run distance this year too, probably to a similar level.

Re: weights, I only started seriously with them in '08. I know they generally get a bad press when it comes to military fitness, but I think that's only because it's too easy to sacrifice a cardio workout for a weights one - provided you keep your cardio at a high enough level, you'll be OK. On that score, I might drop down to two sessions a week (rather than the three I'm on now) later in the year, simply to use the time more for cardio. I'll also be doing a circuits session one night a week, so I should be covered pretty well for the conditioning.

Stokey, was it you who recommended rosstraining.com on here? I saw it a while ago and thought it looked like a great training regime!

[Stokey_14]

Hey guys. Glad to see others are setting themselves goals too. Stokey, it sounds like you do a LOT of phys mate! David, what is "Pussers running"? Is this the fore-foot strike style? I think I'm definitely going to increase my long run distance this year too, probably to a similar level.

Re: weights, I only started seriously with them in '08. I know they generally get a bad press when it comes to military fitness, but I think that's only because it's too easy to sacrifice a cardio workout for a weights one - provided you keep your cardio at a high enough level, you'll be OK. On that score, I might drop down to two sessions a week (rather than the three I'm on now) later in the year, simply to use the time more for cardio. I'll also be doing a circuits session one night a week, so I should be covered pretty well for the conditioning.

Stokey, was it you who recommended rosstraining.com on here? I saw it a while ago and thought it looked like a great training regime!

i do spend a awful lot of time training mate... mainly because of boxing, my fear of tiering in the ring drives me on at the moment... but if you can't when you're young, healthy and full of life what hope do you have when you start falling apart

It probably was me who recommended it mate as I use that site frequently too and think it's brilliant. I also have all his books and am constantly going to them for advice or work out idea's.

One thing ross says is that there is no better type of training when it comes to strength, tools do not make athletes, the amount of work put into them does, resistance is resistance, body weight is not better or worse than weights or resistance bands. They all do the same job if used correctly.Finding what works for you is key... it is slightly different when training for the military as you will be doing press ups, sit ups etc so certainly I'd say include plenty of the but don't shy away from weights if you know what you doing they are safe and by no means will they impede you're fitness

Stokey

[ofens]

Nice one, interesting to read other people's training schedules.
Hope to read some more here.

Before I joined, my training (2007) was generally:

MON Swimming, Circuit training, Weights
TUE Swimming, Run (3 or 7 miles), Studio cycling
WED Swimming, Weights, Circuit training
THU Swimming, Run (3 or 7 miles), Studio cycling
FRI Swimming, Circuit training, Weights, Studio cycling
SAT - Rest Day -
SUN Swimming, Run (7 or 10 miles)

The swimming was around 1km every morning, which I found a really good way to get warmed up and stretched out for the day.

I tended to use interval training for the 3 mile runs, if I had time I'd do a straight forward 7 mile run with a long 3 mile hill at the start. Very satisfying to get to the top!

With the weights, it started out quite light and mostly based on actual press ups and assisted pull ups which I was not very good at.
By the time I joined I could do 15 pull ups from fresh, however this was on the bars in my local gym which was far easier to grip than the wooden beams at CTC!
So if anyone tells you to work on grip strength as well as pull ups themselves, do it!

And my circuit training was low weights, high reps, as later in the day I would do my specific weights (geared mostly towards press up and pull up muscles, as well as shoulders and upper back).

At Lympstone, of course, you don't get to choose your training! So 2008 was entirely different!

My training plans for 2009 are simple:
1. GET OUT OF HUNTER!
2. GET OUT OF LYMPSTONE!
ENDEX!