McQue's Training

Really nackered tonight. Lots of long hours at work but i did manage to get my compound lifts in yesterday so just a quick update

• Bench Press 62.5 kg 5x5
• Squat 65kg 5x5
• Dead Lift 80kg 5x5 
• Chin Ups Weighted 12.5kg 5X5

Im really sticking to these 3 lifts and the chin ups once a week and increasing just 2-2.5kg a week. Keeping reps and sets the same. I felt i could have lifted more but i am being strict with myself and building up slowly! 

I also did a load of high rep ab work , skipping and shadow boxing. Not been able to train this evening due to work but boxing tomorrow hopefully so will pick up my normal training tuesday! 

Adios

Iv labelled this as day one. Slightly misleading but in my head its day one of a new regime and really getting on top of training. Nothings changed majorly except Iv planned and written everything down and got 2 strength training sessions in per week instead of one. Its not my main focus but  i want to see improvements in my max strength. Im thinking of a 4 week cycle , a back off week and then going back to the drawing board and doing the next 4 weeks! Well thats the plan anyway! 

Im now doing warm up sets and then onto my “work sets” which  am completing for 5x5 with that main weight, rather than starting low and working up eg my squats were like set 1 30kg, set 2 and 3 35kg set 4 40kg and set 5 45kg. Now it would be some warm ups sets and just 5x5 40kg! Going to slowly add the weight. This way im doing full “work” sets of 5x5 rather than fluctuating weight up and down.

Rather boring but this is the way apparently to get a good strength foundation. Im not worrying weather my weight is lower than before as long as i am completing that full 5x5 (although my dead lift was 80kg today out of no where! Felt good!!)

Anyways this is what happened today!

• Skipping 10 mins
• Squats 40kg  5x5
• Bench Press 40kg 5x5
• Dead Lift 80kg 5x5 (NEW RECORD!!)
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press 18kg 5x5
• Weighted Chins 15kg 5x4 (* Cant seem to get a 5th set for these! Something to work on!)

Was really pleased about the deadlift but i have to chuckle and it just shows sometimes you can suprise yourself. I actually wasn’t concentrating and thought id only loaded up 60 kg…. then realised it was 80kg… and was too embarrassed to unload it !!!! So thought balls to it lets see what happens (not an attitude id recommend normally) and it actually felt really good!

Once id finished i just had to get through an hour of boxing!!!

All in a days work!

Adios

Tonight was awesome. I went hell for leather straight away and started fading before the half way mark! It took alot of mental focus to come back and i eventually got my second wind after thinking i was going to throw up! Really good and still buzzing from it!

Unfortunately its the last bootcamp for the forseeable :-( i can do the same stuff and i train as hard as i can but theres nothing like having someone else pushing you to your limit, with the best intentions in the world you cant push yourself to breaking point! For me having someone pushing me and showing them they can’t break me gets me that extra % 1 and thats all the difference! 

Im going to roughly write up what bootcamp involved tonight as i dont normally but its the last one so id like people to know what it involves. Its nothing magical its just like i said the environment that pushes you that bit harder!

All OF IT IS NON-STOP NO BREAKS!!! 

• 15 mins skipping (just me personally i like to start warmed up)
• Running round the hall up to 10 mins , increasing speeds , changing direction, touching hands to floor, sideways backwards ect ect
• Body weight instructions tonight are shouted out randomly whilst running
• PUSH UPS 10,9,8,7,6,5, ect ect
• Squats 20,15,10,5,
• Squat Thrusts 20,15,10,5
• Sit Ups 15,10„9,8, ect ect
• More running changing directions , sprints
• Running and jumping over 3 gymnastic boxes of increasing heights ( several times)
• The Circuit Time everyone finds a stations and completes the usual and unusual exercises for unknown amount of time until trainer shouts change!
• Trainer calls you over randomly to complete even more intense exercises one on one (eg tuck jumps holding 8kg medball)
• Whatever else pops into the trainers head!
• More Running And sprints 
• Finish with cool down stretches

It changes week to week and its a great class i cant wait until its back and will endeavour to keep the same intensity in my workouts!

Im determined to get back to boxing tomorrow so its another time of the week ill be being pushed to my limits! I really want to use my training for a purpose and that means a fight! Its just work getting in the way. Im a strong believer in you can play football , rugby ect…. YOU CAN’T play at boxing. So if i cant train multiple times a week and give it my all then i wont step into the ring for the hell of it! 

Anyway sorry for the lengthy post 

Adios 

Well as you might notice im a couple days late. Thursday I was really sore and drained and this sort of training gains pretty much nothing if your fatigued. Then friday I was on an early shift with work and was just shattered! Anyway enough excuses i did it today!! Means i can rest up tomorrow and get a massive conditioning session when im off on monday!

Warmed up with quite a bit of skipping mainly to wake me up!

• 2 Dumbbell Split Snatch reps 3 sets 5 , set 1,2,3,4 18 kg set 5 20kg
• 2 Dumbbell Push Press reps 3 sets 5, 20 kg

Complex Pair

• 1 Armed Dumbbell Bench Press 24kg reps 5 sets 4
• Straight to clap push ups x 8

Complex Pair

• Wall Sit 45-60 seconds Maximum Tensions
• 8 squat jumps

Finisher Kettle Bell Swings 15 each arm x 3 sets 12kg

Ab work 

• 50 sit ups with 6 kg med ball
• 50 Leg Raises
• 50 Trunk curls
• 50 twists 6 kg med ball
• 50 scissor kicks

on a side note getting really back into the old skipping. practising and adding more tricks to my arsenal. Im up to doing squat jumps with a rope and then springing up to do double unders in the same movement! I think this is the last trick before im better than Floyd Mayweather Jr ;-D

Yesterday i hit the gym before work for a spot of interval training. It felt really good today (thursday) should be an explosive weight training but i think im going to rest today and do it tomorrow as i really feel i wouldnt get any benifit due to tiredness. 

Anyway Wednesday Went a little like this

• Skipping 12 mins
• Sprint Intervals treadmill 6 x 1 min sprints 1 minute rest in between
• Box Jumps 1 min x 3 with 30 seconds rest in between 
• Rower 1000m x 1 in 3 mins 50 seconds resistance 4
• Hurdle Jumps (over bench) 3 x 1 min , 1 min rest in between
• Skipping 10 mins
• Decline Push Ups 15 x 4
• Skipping 5 mins
• 30 normal push ups

Core Work

• The Flag x 5
• V-Ups (weighted 6kg) x 10
• Side Bends (6 each side 20kg)
• Chinnies x 15-20

repeat core circuit 4 times

After that i hit the sauna the benefits of a health club

Thats everything i think felt really good but feeling it today! 

Well tonight after work i did my first max strength session for quite a while! It felt good and although the gym was fairly busy in the weight section with the usual posers…. yes i actually say a guy finish his dumbbell curls and lift up his top to check out his top (god knows how they are connected). Any way this is what i managed to do 

• 1 Arm Dumbbell Clean and Press 24kg 4 reps per arm 4 sets
• 1 Arm Dumbbell Snatch 24kg 4 reps pers arm 4 sets
• Decline Push Ups 15x 4 ( height 2 aerobic steps)
• Weighted Chin Ups 5 reps x 4 ( 15kg)
• Squat 5 reps 4 sets 40kg
• Deadlift 5 reps 4 sets 60kg
• Heavy Bag Shouldering 5 reps alternating shoulder x 3 sets

Was great and felt good doing this workout. I want to learn more about strength training. I know the weights are comparatively low to all you strength buffs out there but its not something iv worked on for a very long time in the grand scheme of things and my conditioning and fitness will always be my priority really.

Anyway its 11.30 at night and im sore and nackered 

Night all

Right im updating a tad late (tuesday evening )  due to computer problems. And its as accurate as possible due to memory problems! So ill get straight to it! 

• Cross trainer and foam roller Warm Up 5 mins
• Workout 101 with Push Ups 5 decline push ups, 10 medball slams,10 burpees and 20 star jumps every 2nd minute for 20 mins (10 x each)
• Versa Climber 5 minutes (beating computer opponent on intermediate)
• Skipping 10 minutes ( 30 second bursts of intense work when possible)
• Pads (worked with my mate and fellow tumblr user Matt Beard who held pads for me basically until I was knackered)
• Push Ups 50
• Chin Ups 10 x 4

I also did a load of ab work and core work but i cant remember for the life for me how much  

That was it for monday it felt really good 

Oh wait i also had a Vipr taster session (45min class) through work which was harder than i thought it was going to be! Vipr Seems to be a decent bit of kit!

Oh and i ran home :-)

Just spent a little time in the gym tonight finished work early but was feeling the last couple days. I did a bit of a warm up and a handful of bodyweight exercises

AND the Versa Climber… basically this is hard .. really hard! I can see it becoming my preferred conditioning machine! Think its great. 10 minutes on it killed me I can see why they are becoming so popular! 

Note this is not me!!!

Really great workout! Recommend everyone has a go if their gym has one!

Tomorrow is a rest day, i may go for a light swim and sit in the sauna for a bit. Serious training starts again Monday i feel really ready for it! Ready to get back in great shape! 

Has been a nice day today. I was off work but up fairly early. Chilled this morning and then got in the gym about 2ish. Really wanted to push it today conditioning wise. My mate was in there so was good to see him and he did a mini circuit with me which he did really well in! All in all good day. Only bad thing was iv got two massive blisters on my ankles from my new shoes to walking and certain things were pretty much agony.

• Warm Up Cross Trainer 10 mins
• Skipping 10 mins
• Heavy Bag Work, 4x 3min rounds
• Mini Circuit — 1 min aerobic step ups, 1 min turkish get ups (8kg kettlebell) 1 min burpees, 1 min clean and press using the Vipr tube, 1 min rest repeat 4 times
• Treadmill Intervals 6 x 1 minute sprints (as fast as possible) 1 minute rest in between
• 3 x 1min box jumps 1 minute rest in between 
• 2 x 1 minute hurdle jumps ( two footed jump over bench from standing) 
• Chin Ups 10 x 4

Core 

This kind of went a bit to pot as my mate came back over and we got chatting lol

• Leg raise 15x 2 ( at dip station vertical position) 
• Sit ups holding 6kg med ball x 35
• twists 6 kg medball x 40
• Plank Hold 1 minute 

So felt pretty good today getting back into the conditioning. Tomorrow im not sure what im doing but probably be a bit of cardio stuff, going to have a go at the versa climber in intervals which should be interesting as iv never used one. Then i want to do a shit load of bodyweight and core exercises and really go to town! 

After all that i may go for a swim and a sauna or leave that as “Active Rest” for Sunday before the serious work starts on Monday. No matter what my shifts are i should be able to fit it all in now im working close to home so i will be back to conditioning Mon , Weds , Fri , Max Strength Tues and Explosive strength Thursday. Then Saturday i may do whatever i fancy. Might even give tennis or squash a go!!!

Well thats the plan anyways!

Was out the door this morning at 7.20 to get on an emergency response course for my new job. It was really interesting and spent most of the day in the pool “rescuing” people and flipping them over ect ect. Thought it was a good course something to add to the old C.V.

But we got back quite late so just wanted to get in and do something. I dont mind that sometimes it was still fairly intense for my fitness level right now.

• Row 5 mins
• 20 x 4 Decline push ups (using perfect push up handles)
• Bike 20 mins (12k completed)
• Chin ups 10 x 4 
• Sit ups 50
• leg raises 15 x 4
• trunk curls 25 x 2 
• Vipr Over head press from floor 10 x 3

Did a quick cool down and got home for tea… which i still havn’t got yet!!! Starving isnt the word!

Lots to be improved but getting back into it now and really feeling the difference again.

Also this was my first time using the Vipr. Its all the rage in this place im working. They do classes and im booked on for one so will let you know what i think. So far i think its just another tool to go with the million others but i reckon used in the right way it could be really really good!

Well i got in my fancy gym today! Was a good workout. What i planned was probably a bit ambitious for my current fitness level but i didnt do too badly! Couple more weeks and i should be flying again!

• 5 min Warm up on Cross Trainer
• Workout 101 (5 decline push ups, 10 medball slams, 10 burpees, 20 star jumps. every 2nd minute for 10 rounds , 20 mins. Totals 50 decline push ups, 100 med ball slams, 100 burpees and 200 star jumps)
• Rowing Intervals 3 x 1000 meters ( aiming for sub 4 mins on resistance 4-5, first 3.47, 3.50 something and 4.00 exactly) 
• Push Ups 60 (30,20,10) 
• Chin Ups  43 (10,8,5,10,10)
• Squats Bodyweight 20x3
• Squats 10kg dumbell in each hand 10 x 3
• Calf raises on step until 1 rep off failure 

That was the main bit done if i remember correctly. Next time 15 burpees on workout 101, get the rowing times down, and chin up reps up. Its just really increasing the muscular endurance again. My fitness feels ok really havnt lost that. Just need to improve all round over the next few days then will refine it for the coming week. Its not very technical I find at this stage. Just about working hard! 

Finished up with Core workout

• The Flag x5
• V ups x10
• Side Bends x 6-8 each side (18kg-20kg kettlebell)
• Chinnies x15

Repeated circuit 3 times Finished with 1 minute plank hold 

All in all a good session and i enjoyed it. Just about improving and getting fitter for a few days. Iv got some nagging injuries so im working around those rather than through them this time (being mr sensible) but theres a physio at the gym so might give that a try when i have some cash flow! Hopefully fix my shoulder and get back to boxing when shifts allow!! 

Well iv finished my schedule for the next few days. 3 intense conditioning and fitness days before i refine it a bit more next week! Really looking forward to getting into it now life has settled down! 

I am a great believer in simplicity and you really do not need the latest fancy gym equipment to do something! There are NO excuses! ….. But it sure is handy if your lucky enough to have access!