McQue's Training

Did a strength day using different movements and dumbbells. Was good i like to do this once a week along with compound lifts

• 1 Armed Bench Press 30kg Dumbbell 5x5
• 1 leg pistol squat (assisted) 5x5
• Dead lift twist 32kg Dumbbell 5x5
• Heavy 1 armed row 26kg 5x5

I also did alot of skipping and some core work 

Yesterday i got in the gym and did pure conditioning. I wasnt feeling the energy after being off due to a cold last week. But i went through the motions and feel better for it today! 

Warm Ups

• Skipping 10 -15 mins

Circuits

Work Capacity 

• 5 push ups (50)
• 10 medball slams (100)
• 10 burpees (100)
• 20 star jumps (200)

Every second minute for 20 minutes (10 rounds) no break between exercises start the routine every 2 minutes 

Kettle Bell 12.5 kg

one minute on each

• Two handed swings
• Half snatch
• Clean and press
• Figure of 8 through legs
• rest

Just repeated 3 times today 

Finishers 

• x 2 20kg vipr’s attached straps pull running backwards x 1 length , drag sprinting forwards 1 length

3 x 3 minute rounds (KILLER) 

Core

• V-ups 10kg 8x4
• Twists 10 kg 10 x 4
• Chinnies 20 x 4
• Side Bends 25kg each side 20 x 3

And that was it i did some more skipping . last couple days iv taken it easy but i must remember good quality core work and flexibility at the end of sessions and not neglect it! 

Well sometimes you just dont know why it happens but today i was really motivated. I was full of cold but for some reason my mind was switched on to training mode today! Tried some new things too today which i really like! I am now truly shattered! 

Warm Up

• Skipping 10-15mins

Work Capacity Circuit

• 5 push ups (total 50)
• 10 medball slams (total 100)
• 10 burpees  (total 100)
• 20 star jumps (total 200)

Bascially start the circuit every 2 minutes for 20 minutes (10 rounds). No break between exercises you rest once you have done all 4 exercises until the next 2nd minute and start again! This really increases your ability to keep working! 

Kettle Bell Circuit

using a 16.5 kg kettle bell 

1 minute on each of

• Two handed swings (full motion to overhead)
• Clean and press from floor alternating hands
• Half snatch alternating hands
• Full Snatch alternating hands
• Figure of 8 through legs

rest one minute i repeated circuit 4 times.

” Sled Drags”

Iv been wanting to do these for a while! Its basically a weighted sled which you either push or pull with maximum effort! However i have no sled so had to be a bit inventive. 

The gym i use have these weighted rubber tubes called Vipr’s. 

I grabbed two 20kg ones (the heaviest theyve got). Got a couple of straps and then i had a weighted i could drag either running backwards or sprinting forwards! 

I did

• 3 x 3minute rounds Dragging 2x20kg Vipr’sgoing backwards approx 50 meters turn around and go back dragging behind me sprinting forwards! This was an absolute killer.
• 1 x 3 minutes flipping one 20kg Vipr getting to one end of the hall and pushing it along the floor backwards!

….i then got told off for making too much noise!!! 

That was pretty much it for the conditioning aspect! 

Some more skipping before going onto ab work

Ab work

• 50 sit ups
• 50 side bends holding x2 25kg plates
• 50 side crunches
• 50 touch ankles while lying on back
• 50 trunk curls
• 50 scissor kicks
• 50 back extensions 
• 50 knees to chin 

I also made sure today i had a goood flexibility and foam roll!

If i was off all the time (from work) just think what i could do :-) ….. unfortunately im not and now in for 10 days straight!

Great workout today! After alot of hours this work iv just dabbled and played with workouts. Iv been shattered! Today was the first day off for a while so couldnt wait to get in the gym! More importantly it felt really good mentally! It just clicked! 

Warm Up

• Skipping 10 mins

Work Capacity 

• 5 push ups
• 10 med ball slams
• 10 Burpees
• 20 star jumps

repeat this circuit every 2nd minute for 20 minutes (or 10 rounds) No rest between exercises , you rest once all exercises are completed until the next 2nd minute (ie minutes, 2,4,6,8 ) 

Versa Climber 

• 3 x 3 minute rounds! (this is a killer! i love this machine) 

Kettle Bell circuit

• Swings 
• Clean and press
• Figure of 8 pass through legs
• Snatches 

1 minute on each rest one minute repeated 3 times

Core Circuit

• V-ups 8kg 15 x 4 
• Russian Twists 20 x 4
• Side Bends 28kg 8 each side x 4
• Bosun Ball Trunk Curls holding 8kg until almost failure

Shadow Boxing

Pull Ups 5x4

Physio Exercises and flexibility 

think that was all but im sure im forgetting something! 

Right today was the first session back after christmas. Iv been doing bits and pieces and had some really good training sessions but havn’t bothered to do the write ups! Today was great. The aim this week is to do 5 days , today ,3 and 5 will be conditioning and interval focused. With 2 and 4 being Cardio focused just to get back into things. 

After this week im going to go back to 3 days conditioning and 2 days Max strength training. Iv dont this alot over the months and years and it gives me the most success. Iv also learnt that only after 3-4 weeks i start to fade and need to change things up! So when this happens instead of trying to keep it going i will come up with a new goal. For example after 4 -5 weeks (February sort of time) i will maybe focus on max strength and just keep ticking over with some light cardio.

But this isnt strict either. Goals change and so does what you want. I want to get back into boxing , my job is going very  well and moving on up but that means more responsibilities and less free time, plus learning to drive and a million other things! Just gotta find that balance this year and not let training get in the way of other things that are important! (yes i i know for most its the other way round but im rather sad like that!) 

Anyway now your asleep here’s the actual workout today….

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Conditioning session today couple of circuits and some ground and core work! Getting some new head phones and some new music on my mp3 really helped! Nothing beats a bit of Kings of Leon to get you going! 

Warm Ups

• Skipping 10 mins

GPP Circuit

30 second drills on each exercise of 10 mins no rest until the 10 mins is up!

• Burpees
• Dumbbell Punches (1kg)
• Star Jumps
• Skipping (max effort)

Main Circuit

1 minute on each one minute rest at the end repeated 5 times

• Box Jumps
• Kettle Bell 12.5kg Swing and press
• Rotational Med Ball 8kg Slams
• Squat Walk 12kg
• 20kg Vipr Clean and press from floor
• 1 minute rest

And the rest…

• Chin Ups 8x4 

onto core circuit

repeated 4 times

• The Flag x 5
• V-ups 6kg x 10
• Twists 6kg x 15
• Chinnies x 20
• Back extensions 10kg x 10

Finisher

•  Skipping 10 mins
• Run home went as fast as possible took a detour and went up one of the few “hills” (and i use the term very loosely) on the way back. Pathetic for a run but after what i just did it was a good enough finisher. 

Felt like a decent session and gunna keep pushing it, starting to get into really good shape again! :-D

Right after a week off i knew it was going to be hard to get back to it! Im going back to less is more. I really went a bit extreme so for now im just going to plan training week by week! Keep myself ticking over and fit. 

Like i said it was hard enough as it is. My head really wasnt in it either today. Im really glad i pushed through it but god it was hard mentally to motivate myself! Training is what i do and love so much but sometimes when im at my lowest mentally because of other things “whats the point” just keeps popping into my head! 

Im glad i did it and considering it was pretty decent and got through everything i wanted too!

• Skipping 10 mins
• Work Capacity Challenge (straight after the 10 mins skipping, every second minute for 20 minutes you complete 5 push ups (chin ups better) 10 medball  slams, 15 burpees and 20 star jumps, There is no breaks between these exercises! Then when youve done what ever time you have left you get to rest until the next 2nd minute for example 12th minute , 14th minute ect ect until youve completed 10 rounds or 20 minutes worth of work! The totals are 50 push ups or chins, 100 medball slams 150 burpees and 200 star jumps! Its a killer!
• Chin Ups 10 x 4 (40)
• Push Ups 40, 30, 20, 10 (100)

Core Work Out completed as circuit

• The Flag x 5
• V-UPs 8kg x 10
• Twists 8kg x15
• Chinnies x 20

repeat as circuit 4 times

FINISHER! Todays finisher was farmers walk , grab two 28kg dumbells and i walk up and down a pathway with them, do 4 length , 3 lengths 2 and 1 and my shoulders and wrists burn like hell!

Crap day… good work out!

I sat down today and came up with my next training plan. I know how effective it is and how amazingly simple it is. I research training everyday, i work in a high end health club with every equipment available. Some of which i use some of which i dont!

And yet it basically boils down to this

1. Lift some heavy stuff
2. Throw Stuff
3. Carry Heavy Stuff
4. Jump Up, jump down, jump forward backward and over stuff
5. Get Out of Breath
6. ……..Get reallly out of breath 
7. When Not lifting heavy shit , lift/push/ pull your body weight.
8. When not doing any of this REST!!!!!!!
9. Repeat above 

Today after work i planned to do a fair bit of training it was pretty much 2 sessions in one. It was a bit ambitious and i felt shit after work today! I dont think its over training but it really felt like that. However sitting here now i think it was more lack of sleep, hydration and miss timing lunch and having a heavy lunch at that! 

Any way all things considered it wasnt bad!

• Skipping 10 mins
• Row 10 mins 
• Row intervals 10 mins (30 sec on/ 30 sec off) 
• Versa Climber 3x 3min rounds (only 30 seconds rest in between today)
• Treadmill Sprints 3x 1 min rounds (failed wanted to do 6x 1 min rounds but legs just wernt there today!)
• Push Ups 20 x 4
• Chin Ups 10 x 3

Core/ Ab work

• V-ups 10 x 4
• Leg Raises 15 x 4
• Back Extensions 10kg 10 x 4
• Side Bends 20kg 10 x 4 (each side)
• Bicycle Crunch 15 x 4
• Plank Hold 1 minute

And that was it, it wasn’t so much it was a bad training session just sometimes your just working and slugging through it and sometimes you blast through it. Its hard to explain but that feeling makes all the difference!! 

Anyway another full day of rest tomorrow before the final week! Going to really think about my food and water intake and see if that makes a difference!

Went boxing tonight and did a circuit with them afterwards

…………..dead

enough said :-D

Quick update of what i did before my shift started today! Just got in from work very tired so no fluff tonight! Remember im including the Olympic bar weight of 20kg now in my recordings

• Bench Press 5x5 65 Kg (increase of 2.5kg from last week)
• Squat 5x5 65kg (increase of 2.5kg from last week)
• DeadLift 5x5 100kg 
• Dumbbell Shoulder 5x5 press 20kg
• Weighted Chin ups 5x5 15kg  

The strength section felt really good today can really feel progress, Im not going to increase the deadlift weight for now as i really want to work on the technique to be honest its probably ever so slightly on the heavy side for me as it is. The Shoulder press and weighted chin iv just got to be careful due to my left shoulder injury but should be able to start increasing them slowly.

Core Circuit

completed as circuit 4 time

• The Flag
• V -ups 8kg x 10
• Twists 8kg x 15
• Chinnies x 20

And that was it. I tried to work on some flexibility too again today so going to be looking to get that more consistent. 

Other things on my mind at the moment to think of is setting up some sort of test my progress thing. So after a 4 week cycle ill have a test week with test exercises, ie how fast, 1 rep maximums , cardio, anaerobic tests ect ect.

Also looking into possible using a protein shake, not something i believe is always needed by the fast majority but my workload is getting greater and greater. Im thinking more along the lines of recovery than mass building as im happy with my size and only interested in performance

Anyway so much for no fluff

Any opinions on protein supplements? 

Today was a brilliant session. I had my plan but for various reasons had to adapt it. It was far harder than what i had planned and more interesting! All In all pleased with the session. 

Something to note however was in the core section doing turkish get ups i really felt very unflexible. I have some great flexibility workouts but have been neglecting them due to time restrictions! Which is stupid and i need to find time for them! So tomorrow is a rest day but after iv finished my shift it will be a a case of getting in the gym and just doing foam roller and stretching exercises! Then ill go for a swim! 

Anyway this was the workout!

• Skipping 10 mins
• Row 10 mins (2492, resistance level 5)
• Punch bag 15 mins (working on technique and drills)
• Sprint and Carry Bag 3mins work, 1 min rest, 2mins work, 30 seconds rest, 1min work . (using the heavy bag, sprint to one end of the room and back then carry bag to one end of room and back!)
• Heavy bag shouldering 3 mins x 1 (exactly what it sounds lift the bag to shoulder put back down repeat constantly for 3mins)
• Sprints x 20 ( roughly 50m jog quickly back to the start)
• Chin Ups 12 x 4
• Decline Push Ups 25 x 2 , 20 x 1 , 15 x 1 (feet raised wanted 25 x 4 but couldn’t manage it!)

Core

 The Core workout went a bit wrong really, i had to stop the turkish get ups as i felt my hip wasnt right.  Like i said flexibility needs working on a again! But i got a bit in and just made it up there after

• Plank Hold 1 minute (completed 3 times)
• Turkish Get Ups 10kg ( completed 5 reps per side twice)
• Chinnies 20 x 3 

Played around after that and did some side bends 20 kg just did a couple sets of 12 each side. And also tried a new exercise called saxon side bends basically holding 2 dumbbells above your head and leaning laterally to one side then the other. Liked it need to work on it more!

Got a strength session in today after work! Met my cousin too and did the session together! Once again he did really well and impressed! 

Kept it short and pretty simple. Weight wasn’t mega heavy but at this stage just want to keep the right technique and get the 5x5 reps. By the way i am now including the 20kg Olympic bar in my recordings so if i put 40kg on my squat bar then im squatting 60kg. Just lets me know what im truly lifting. Im still doing a few warm up sets but i need to research into doing this properly as i know it then benefits your main sets when done properly

Strength

• Squat 5x5 60kg
• Dumbbell Bench 5x5 (26kg in each hand , one failed set of 30kg)
• Calf raises 60kg 8x5 (smith machine)
• Barbell Row 5x5 60kg
• Overhead Press 5x5 30kg

Ab work/core

• Sit ups 50
• Leg raises 50
• trunk curls 50
• twist 6kg 50
• scissor kicks 50
• Back Extensions 10kg 12 x 4 sets

Finished with Plank Hold 2 mins!

It was a good quality session and i enjoyed it! Its been a productive week training wise though im starting to feel it now! AND GOT TO STOP EATING CRAP

Adios im off to a beer fest tonight haha!

I went out today with the family for a roast carvery for my sisters birthday. It was really nice and made a change. It meant i was going to get to the gym a bit later on my day off but thats ok! Im trying to have a life these days too! 

Workout was

Warm Up

• Skipping 10 mins

Mini GPP Circuit

30 second drills on each no rest at all for 10 mins

• Burpees
• Dumbbell Punches 1kg
• Bosun Ball Alternative Push Ups
• Star Jumps

Main Circuit

1 min on each exercise no rest until designated rest period repeat 5 times

• Box Jumps
• Medball Slams 5kg
• Kettle Bell Clean and Snatch 16kg
• Squat walk/bunny hops 10kg
• Vipr Lateral Shuffles 20kg
• Rest 1 min

Finisher

I finished up with farmers walk basically 2 heavy dumbbells  (2x 28kg) 

I just walk up and down a set distance, i reckon its about 40m but its irrelevant really i did it 4 x, the 3,2,1 and it burns the forearms and shoulders like hell! Great exercise going to do it more often on the end of workouts i reckon!