Oblivian's Adaptations

[Thebestbaldwin]

Fantastic work this year man.

 

[Oblivian]

Thanks everyone.

Nice front squat! Nice lifting, Big O! Thanks for sharing the year-end summary.

Are you starting a new program in January? Making any changes for the new year?

Also, I know you set a ton of PR's here at the end of the year, do you have a timeframe when you plan on testing some PR's again? Or just going to play it by ear?

Check out a few posts up. I wrote out my new routine. I'm guessing that I'll run that until April or so. After that, I'll probably train less because I'll be golfing. When I train less, I focus on strength more. I also have a baby on the way in the summer, so who knows. I figure I'll probably run it very similar to last year. Big conditioning gains in the beginning with a bit of weight loss, building up a strength base for a few months, then PR's throughout the end of the year.

 

[miaou]

Congratulations for a great year Obliv.

 

[Oblivian]

Thanks. Snitz - I was winging it in the last few months. Before that, I was doing a program that I made up. Basically, with the big 4 lifts, it was a day of singles and a day of reps each week. On the singles, I'd alternate between work up to one heavy single and then 3 heavy singles the other day. The rep day I'd do a top set of 5 and then a volume day (3 sets of 5 or 5 sets of 5 normally).

I can get into much better detail if you'd like, but I think a lot of it had to do with rest, a lot of food, and low volume. I also feel focusing more on squats had good carryover to everything else. I really think back squats are key. For example, I didn't really train front squats at all, yet I increased drastically. I never did an actual front squat workout - any front squat day had a 1RM attempt. All of my gains were due to getting stronger in back squat. I feel it has great carryover.

 

[Oblivian]

First day back to cardio work. I kept it pretty light.

Bas Rutten Cd's
Boxing: Three 2 min rounds
Thai Boxing: Three 2 min rounds

Heavy Bag
Three 3 min rounds

Not bad for neglecting cardio for so long. My lungs felt find, but my muscle endurance in my calves isn't there.

 

[scoopj]

Awesome progress last year Oblivian. Congrats on the baby. This your first?

 

[Oblivian]

Awesome progress last year Oblivian. Congrats on the baby. This your first?

Thanks. Yep, it's the first. I will know if the baby will be a boy or girl soon. Hoping for a boy.

 

[DrBdan]

Congrats on a great year. I don't think I'd heard that you have a baby on the way, congrats on that too! Better start catching up on your sleep now

 

[Oblivian]

Thanks. I'm hoping the baby enjoys sleep as much as me.

Oly lifting day

Warmup
Jump Rope + Heavy Bag: 5-10 minutes

Overhead Squats
95 lbs x 5
135 lbs x 1
145 lbs x 1
155 lbs x 1
165 lbs x 1
175 lbs x 1
185 lbs x 1
*Using a snatch grip now. I can sit back much better, but the weight feels much heavier above my head. Most reps were paused at the bottom and very deep. I also think I'll have trouble getting 205 lbs or more above my head with that grip.

Full Cleans
135 lbs x 1
145 lbs x 1
155 lbs x 1
165 lbs x 1
175 lbs x 1
185 lbs x 1
*First time doing these. I lean too far forward at the bottom portion of the front squat. I also have trouble dropping down at 185 lbs. My feet want to spread out.

Power Clean to Split Jerk
135 lbs x 1
155 lbs x 1
185 lbs x 1
205 lbs x 1
225 lbs x 1
*Form breaks down at 225 lbs on the Power Clean. Split Jerk felt very natural up until 225 lbs.

Split Jerk
225 lbs x 1 x 3 sets
*Form felt much better than the first one when I began with a Power Clean. I need to dip down more as it's still feeling a lot like a Push Press to me.

January 2011 Conditioning Challenge
http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f13/j...challenge-frankie-edgar-bw-challenge-1484675/

Total Reps = 24 (Bench = 12, Thickbar Chins = 12)
*I definitely have more in me. I didn't go to failure. Hoping to get 30 total reps by the end of the month.

 

[Oblivian]

Warmup
Jump Rope + Heavy Bag: 5-10 minutes
Bent Over Row: 135 lbs x 5 x 3 sets

Bench Press
135 lbs x 5
185 lbs x 5
215 lbs x 3 x 3 sets
*Messing around with form again and set up. I think my old set up took too much energy out of me.

Squats
185 lbs x 5
225 lbs x 5
275 lbs x 10
*Getting used to high rep work again. Weight felt really light, but by the 8th rep, muscle fatigue started to kick in.

Thickbar Chins
+10 lbs x 5 x 5 sets
*Harder than I expected. Again, muscle endurance is the issue. My whole body felt permanently flexed by the 5th set. Linear progression will be only +2.5 lbs on these.

Static Stretch
15 minutes
*First time stretching in months.

 

[hymn]

Whoah, oly day! Good luck in the new year.

I know you didn't ask for advice, but with the full cleans, it might help the forward lean out of the hole if you make sure you extend fully and pull your shoulder/upper back area back at the end of the second pull, in a sort of see-saw motion as your hips extend. Of course this will also make the pull stronger. Exaggerating it is no good though - pull back enough to balance out the extension of the hips.

I don't know if this is a problem for you, but it is for me with cleans, and paying attention to it may help keep the bar from drifting forward after the extension, making it easier to stay upright when catching the bar, and may save you from a back injury or two down the line.

 

[Oblivian]

Whoah, oly day! Good luck in the new year.

I know you didn't ask for advice, but with the full cleans, it might help the forward lean out of the hole if you make sure you extend fully and pull your shoulder/upper back area back at the end of the second pull, in a sort of see-saw motion as your hips extend. Of course this will also make the pull stronger. Exaggerating it is no good though - pull back enough to balance out the extension of the hips.

I don't know if this is a problem for you, but it is for me with cleans, and paying attention to it may help keep the bar from drifting forward after the extension, making it easier to stay upright when catching the bar, and may save you from a back injury or two down the line.

I am definitely looking for advice. I was going to film the heavier sets on Sunday, but I was running low on time. I'll try to film them next week. I'd love to hear some tips. I know I'm pulling with my arms still on heavier weight. It is going to be a long work in progress.

 

[Oblivian]

Bas Rutten Cd's
Boxing: Three 2 min rounds
Thai Boxing: Three 2 min rounds

Heavy Bag
Four 3 min rounds

*Heavy bag rounds are rough for me right now. I'm trying to add an extra round each workout.

 

[calvus]

Oblivian -

You have 2 45# bumper plates, right? It looks like from the videos they might be a slightly larger diameter than your iron plates. Does that cause any issues? I'm considering trying to get some bumper plates in the next few months - would you recommend I get 2 45's? Or hold out & try to get a full set?

thanks -

 

[Oblivian]

Oblivian -

You have 2 45# bumper plates, right? It looks like from the videos they might be a slightly larger diameter than your iron plates. Does that cause any issues? I'm considering trying to get some bumper plates in the next few months - would you recommend I get 2 45's? Or hold out & try to get a full set?

thanks -

I actually have 4. They are a bit bigger, but that doesn't cause any issue. One set of the 45 lbs plates never leaves my Texas Power Bar. If I need to use lighter weight, I use another bar. I would not get a full set. I would just get a pair for now. You may want to get 2 pairs at some point if you start working above 225 lbs.

 

[calvus]

thanks!

 

[Oblivian]

Warmup
Jump Rope + Heavy Bag: 5-10 minutes
Front Squats: 135 lbs x 5

Squats
185 lbs x 5
225 lbs x 5
275 lbs x 5
315 lbs x 3 x 3 sets
*Beltless - easy. Going to jump 10 lbs next week.

SOHP
95 lbs x 5
135 lbs x 5
155 lbs x 3 x 3 sets
*Easy - will up 10 lbs next week

Thickbar Chins
BW x 15
*Good starting point. Didn't go to failure. Bar was a bit slick from the snow.

Static Stretch
10-15 minutes
*Flexibility has gone downhill over the last few months

 

[Oblivian]

Warmup
Jump Rope + Heavy Bag: 10 minutes
Power Cleans: 135 lbs x 3, 165 lbs x 2, 185 lbs x 1

Deadlifts
225 lbs x 5 (DOH warmup)
315 lbs x 3 (DOH warmup)
365 lbs x 1 (DOH warmup)
405 lbs x 3 x 3 sets
*Pretty easy, but I'm only going to increase 5 lbs each week. Volume on Saturday looks like it's going to be killer.

Front Squat
185 lbs x 5
225 lbs x 3
275 lbs x 3 x 3 sets
*Also only increasing 5 lbs per week here

Bench Press
135 lbs x 5
185 lbs x 5
205 lbs x 10
*Hoping to increase a rep each week on 205 lbs. When I stall for 2 weeks in a row, I'll adjust weight.

Thickbar Chins
+25 lbs x 1 x 10 sets
*Short rest between sets. Next week I'll increase 5 lbs but drop 2 sets. I'll continue doing that down to 2 singles, and then restart the cycle with 5 lbs more.

Static Stretch
10-15 minutes

 

[Bumbaclaat]

wow!
your log is impressive!!!

when did you hit your record time for the 100 burpee challenge?
i would like to learn how to improve my time....

 

[Oblivian]

wow!
your log is impressive!!!

when did you hit your record time for the 100 burpee challenge?
i would like to learn how to improve my time....

Thanks. It was towards the beginning of 2010. Probably sometime around March. Do you do the 50 burpee challenge at all? Honestly, the key for me was to improve on that. Work your way to doing 50 straight without stopping. I used to do the 100 burpee challenge in something like sets of 10, but it took forever. My best strategy is to do like a set of 40, a set of 20, a set of 15, and then just multiple quick sets of 5-10 with only a few seconds rest. Getting the 75 out of the way was never too bad, but the last 25 were pretty rough.