Training Log

The light days are for recovery. Don't try to work too hard. Do the program as outlined and it will work wonders. Remember, dont make decisions based on emotions. I do that all the time. Know that the purpose of the light day is for it to be light and easy. You can always do other exercises on that day as well as long as they are light in nature.

Its funny, I was thinking about this today, i find myself telling kids all of the time 'its supposed to be light" and I cant remember it for myself. For years, I was either doing max effort or dynamic effort on core lifts, not this submaximal stuff. I am riding the bike for thirty at a very low pace, thinking it will slowly help improve my work capacity.

I know the feeling. It is very hard to coast. Its either full speed or no speed.

REVERSE BAND DL w/ strong band- worked up to 750lbs(almost killed myself straining, and busted several blood vessels in my eyes)
ARCH BACK GOOD MORNINGS-3X6 heavy
GLUTE HAM RAISES- 4X10
PLANKS-3XFAILURE

Killer workout today. My training partner puked after he pulled his last DL. It was great!

Thats awesome Travis. I miss those days with Jay in the gym. I went medium intensity today. I am still struggling with cleans at the end, just no legs. I really dont understand why. I am thinking about making the change to dl's next week. Jay had a good suggestion about doing DL's M and F and Cleans on Wed. I just hate to keep changing things, I would like to get going with something and be consistent. No cardio yesterday, had to cut grass to try to prepare for the 6th, 7th and 8th grade jamboree here Saturday.

8/ 25 Heavy day
ended squats with 345, BP with 335, worked up to 315 on DL's. Sad I know, my legs are dead at the end of the heavy and medium days. I thought I would improve by week 3. I am not as sore as week 1, but I am still dead by the time I am ready for PC's or DL's. So for now, I guess I am going to DL on M and F and PC on W. I think I would be better off mixing up the intensities of each lift everyday instead of going heavy, medium and light on all three the same day. I might make that adjustment for next week. Again, I would like to be consistent and stop changing things. Any thoughts, comments?

Thats why Kenn invented the Tier System. I think it is a great idea and thats something that Bill Starr himself recommended for advanced lifters.
It would look something like this.

Monday-Squat-heavy
Bench-med
dead-light

Wednesday-Squat-light
bench-heavy
dead-med

Friday-Squat-med
bench-light
dead-heavy

Light day, I think I will implement the tier system starting next Monday. Worked up to 255 on squat, 245 on bench, and 365 on DL's. Kind of went medium on Dl's since I was too dead Monday to go any higher than 315. So I guess I have already started to mix up the light, med and heavy days. No cardio so far this week, had to run some errands yesterday, will try to get it tomorrow. Also, no ab work this morning because I got started late due to turd bucket kids.

These forums have gotten me fired up and I decided to change up my workout and do some of what Coach Floyd and Coach Livingston are doing, but to add to Clay's delimma of being too fatigued- I'm doing heavy deads on a medium squat day. That seems to help so far. Also, do you all do any towel bench? I know it's big in the BFS program and we do it. I think it helps with bar descention, shoulder injuries and teaching kids not to bounce. Let's say kids (or me for that matter) don't have any of those problems. Is there enough merit otherwise to them?

TOWEL BENCH IS GOOD. I LIKE BOARD PRESSING BETTER. MIX IT UP AND TRY BOTH.

I have never performed the towel bench. We used some foam one time and did like a two week cycle with it. I think we went 5 RM one week and 3 the next. I dont think I am really qualified to say either way. Before I started the Bill Starr, I just liked to mix up my lifts every couple of weeks. Some exercises I performed because I knew it would address a weakness, some I did because I enjoyed them and actually looked forward to doing them. I have no real goals right now with my training other than experimenting with the three day a week total body workouts. My level of interest in this has risen since reading on this forum and other places about it and talking with Zach and Jay. I have seen the results firsthand while playing against KM and I really want to learn more about implementing it for my own kids. Then there is also that side of me that thinks why change, we have had pretty good success with the four day split. Reminds me of the quote, "the best program is the one you are not currently doing".

Oh yeah, Friday was medium day, worked up to 305 on sq, 295 on BP and 315 on DL's. Finshed up with some BW dips 4 X 15ish.

I don't like towel benches as much as I like board presses. I feel they are inferior to board presses. There isnt enough of a difference between a towel bench and a regular bench to warrant doing them in my opinion. Also I believe that is important to regularly change the way you bench press not only by changing the contact point, but also by changing the grip and style of touch(soft,touch and go, pause).

Started the tier system today
Heavy squat worked up to 355
Medium bench worked up to 305
Light dl's worked up to 315
Everything was 5 X 5, felt pretty good. 355 is tough for me when I get as far below parrallel as I did today. 315 on dl's to top off the workout was not too bad, but I still had to work pretty hard. Again, I am new to this and still feeling my way through it. When I was doing heavy/ heavy with both lower body exercises I thought I was going to die, today I feel like I had a good workout, but nothing to write mom about. Oh yeah, reverse hypers 4 X 12sih

9/3
medium on squat - worked up to 305, heavy bench - worked up to 345, light dl's - worked up to 285 (all sets done with hook grip) Ab work
IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?

So, do you feel the tier system is better? And do you always start with the heavy exercise first or are you lower body first lifter or a upper body first lifter?

I plan on doing an article on why I believe the tier system will become the preferred choice for total body workouts. I have used the classical heavy, light, medium and it worked well for me. I have also used a modified tier when I was in high school that allowed me to work up to a 305x4 power clean. I have some ideas on how to implement this with high school kids and think it could be especially helpful with situations like clay's where there are so many kids in a class. If you have group start at a different teir everyday, they can always be working the primary lift first and this will allow even the young kids to work their primary lift with rest and not after doing 3 other exercises like people so customarily do.

Good questions Zach. I am playing with it. I feel fine for bench,whatever the intensity, even when I squat heavy first. I think it will become obvious that it is important to start on the lower body lift that you are performing at the higher intensity that day. Do you guys think I am correct in assuming that?

Always start with the heavy emphasis exercise.

I almost aslways seem to start with a lower body exercise first. It usually demands the most attention. It's opposite for the students though. I alternate back and forth between squat, bench, deadlift and incline for me.

Light squats up to 265, light bench up to 255, was supposed to go heavy dl's but I ran out of time. We have Bible study with our preacher on Friday mornings, and God knows I need that a lot more. So I only got up to 315. I dont know how high I would have worked up to anyway, I didnt leave here last night until close to midnight, and then I had to stop at Waffle House. I dont know why I had to, just felt like the thing to do. All Star breakfast with cheese in the grits does a body good, especially when you wash it down with 6 glasses of cherry coke.

Missed Monday morning, sick as a dog. The only reason I came to school was to train kids and cut grass. Sad is it not? Today, Light squats, worked up to 325, Heavy bench, worked up to 350 for 4, cant believe I missed the 5th. I am not sure what happened, I did 365 for 5 a month ago easy. Who knows? Deadlifts were medium I think, worked up to 325. I probably should have done one more on the dl's,maybe 365 or so, but I didn't feel like it. Some crunches and called it a day.

Sucky week of lifting on my part. I was sick Monday, missed the 5th rep with 350 on Wednesday and then today, all I did was deadlifts and some push-ups. I got here late, around 6:50, didn't get started until 7:15, so I only worked up to 415 on DL's and did some burnouts DB push-ups and rushed to Bible study. Oh BTW, my relationship with cardio was short and ended sometime last week. I think I will revert back to making fun of the coaches on staff that go out and do cardio and then come in for high rep weight training. I can't live this lie anymore, I like being big and "somewhat" strong more than being fit and healthy. We said a group prayer this morning for you Jay, there are a lot of people out there that care about you and your family bro.

8/ 15

Heavy O squats, worked up to 365, medium bench, worked up to 315, medium dl's, worked up to 325. Had to cut dl's a set short, I got here a little late this morning and had v-ball coming in at 7:15 and the 4 - 5 football guys without weight training. Also did not have time for my reverse hypers. Not that I am too devastated by that. I have actually lost seven pounds over the last three weeks, but I think that has more to do with 5 hours sleep a night and a crappy diet most days. I am trying, I pre-cooked a couple of meals last night for the next two days. Hopefully I can keep that up and then see some gains.

I think what Clay is experiencing is typical for inseason football coaches. The added stress takes a toll on your body, even when you are doing everything right. This year is the first year in the past two that I have even lifted at all.