Fraser Young

[Fraser Young]

Post-Program – Week 1

8 February

Rest

Very much needed.

9 February

Pogo Jumps – 3 x 20 secs
Broad Jump – 4, best of 246cm
Standing 5 bound – 2 per leg, best of 12.30m
Accels – 20,30,2x40m in 3.11, 4.35, 5.38 secs Freelap
Flying runs – 3 x 30E20F in 2.22 secs Freelap

Wet track, 4 degrees, +2 m/s wind. Good session given the conditions, most pleased with the flying runs which were as fast as I’ve managed this program. More to come.

10 February

MB Chest Pass – 3 x 8
Med Ball Slams – 3 x 8
Bench Press – 4 x 4 x 90kg
A1 Hanging Leg Raise – 3 x 8
A2 Russian Twists – 3 x 30 x 5kg
A3 Ab Wheel – 3 x 45 secs

Back to my standard upper body session this close to a competition. In fact I’ll bring the reps down further in the coming weeks.

11 February

A Drills – 4 x 2 x 15m
Dribble ACK, SL Scissor – 2 x 20m
2 x 40m Build Ups
Tempo – 3 x 4 x 100m (30 secs / 2.5 mins) in 16.7 secs, 16.5 secs, 16.4 secs

Great to get back into tempo runs, it’s been a while. Wasn’t sure where I’d start but I’m really happy with those times given how easy it felt.

12 February

Concept2 Exercise Bike – 45 mins (125 down to 100 Watts)

I enjoyed this for once.

13 February

Full Race Warm Up (35 mins)
Blocks – 10,20,30m in 3.10 secs / 4.25 secs
2 x 40m in 5.38 secs
2 x 30E20F in ~2.24 secs

Dry track, 4 degrees, +2 m/s wind. Good session, the wind chill made it quite unpleasant so I’m glad it was a short session. Pleased with the block starts having not done them all winter, though expecting jitters on race day. Flying runs were good too. I opened with 7.68 secs for 60m in each of the last two seasons, I’m almost resigned to the fact I’m likely to see 7.7* but really this Sunday is to blow the cobwebs out in preparation for the race in 2 weeks time.

14 February

A Drills – 4 x 2 x 15m
Dribble ACK, SL Scissor – 2 x 20m
2 x 40m Build Ups
Tempo – 10 x 100m with stretching in ~16.5 secs

No pressure to run these fast, I held stretches after each run which is my standard tempo workout before a race.

Excited to see my times on Sunday given how different this winter has been to my usual training. I have 2.5 hours between races so I might even try a Freelap timed 60 metres in the middle of those.

[Fraser Young]

Phase 5 – Week 3

1 February

MB Chest Pass – 2 x 8
Med Ball Slams – 2 x 8
Bench Press – 4 x 4 x 90kg
Pendlay Rows – 3 x 8 x 80kg
A1 Pull ups / Chin Ups / Pull Ups – 8/8/8
A2 BB OHP – 3 x 8 x 45kg
Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4

Upper body session followed by the core work I missed yesterday.

2 February

Broad Jump – 4, best of 246cm
90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
A Walk with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
A March – 2 x 15m
A Skip with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
A Switch – 2 x 15m
Triple A’s with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
Skips for Distance – 2 x 20m
Skips for Height – 2 x 20m
Bound – 2 x 20m
7 Cone Kneeling – 4 reps
7 Cone 2 Point Stance – 4 reps
Heavy Resistance Sprint from 2 point – 6 x 3 secs x 45kg sled
3 x 10m in ~1.85 secs
3 x 20m in ~3.06 secs
2 x 30m in ~4.25 secs
Reaction / Breakdown / Run Out – SKIPPED
Med Ball High Toss – 3 x 5 x 4kg

Wet track, 7 degrees, +2 m/s wind. Nice conditions, sunny and a favourable wind. I felt great warming up, thought I had more in me in the broad jump but I restricted myself to 4 attempts. My bounding was strong as were my skips for distance. I found 50kg hard to get moving from a 2 point so I went 5kg lighter today which helped. The flat out accelerations were a lot of fun, I know the wind was helping me but I absolutely nailed a few of those starts. I had to skip the change of direction drill again, though to be honest it wasn’t really suited to me.

3 February

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

I don’t have time on Wed 5th so I thought about doing a double workout but it is relatively challenging, so instead I’ll add it on tomorrow after max velocity.

4 February

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up
A Walk with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
A Skip with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
A Switch – 2 x 10m
Triple A’s with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
ACK, Bleed, SL Bound to High Knee Dribble – 2 x 20m
Wickets – 4 x 20m in 2.38 secs
20m Build 20m Fly – 1 x 20m in 2.30 secs
Accels – 2 x 40m in 5.45 secs (20/30m in 3.15/4.30 secs)
Hurdle Stiffness Jumps – 6 sets
1 Foot Dunk Session – 10 mins

Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

Damp track, 8 degrees, -4 m/s wind. The wind was difficult, it gusted a lot. Not the best session but comparable times to recent sessions. I added core to the end which worked quite well.

5 February

Yoga – 45 mins

Relatively intense and a lot of single leg stands / chair poses.

6 February

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
Reaction Footwork/Slide/Sprint – 6 x 2 runs
Hip Flip Partner Chase Level 2 – 4 x 2 runs
Reaction to Live Guarding – 6 runs
Jump Cut Plyos – 3 x 6 jumps
Rotational Hurdle Jump – 3 x 3 reps
2 Foot Dunk Session – 10 mins

Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

Final session! I did agility on grass, it’s firmed up nicely and it’s a little easier on the joints. I have a busy day tomorrow so my final core session was moved directly after agility.

I’ve planned my taper and will log that in this training journal, ending in a pair of 60m races on Sunday 2nd March.

7 February

Exercise Bike – 25 mins (level 6-7, 110-115 Watts)

A weird one today, I couldn’t get my heart rate high enough without feeling like I was working so much harder than previous weeks. This is usually at 7am and I did it at midday. I really lacked the motivation to get through it so I cut it short.

Rest day tomorrow and overall I’m looking forward to a real reduction in training volume.

[Fraser Young]

Phase 5 – Week 2

25 January

Med Ball Chest Pass – 2 x 8
Med Ball Slams – 2 x 8
Bench Press – 4 x 4 x 90kg
Pendlay Rows – 3 x 8 x 80kg
A1 Pull ups / Chin Ups / Pull Ups – 8/8/8
A2 BB OHP – 3 x 8 x 45kg

Reduced the volume here, though in hindsight I should have kept the volume of explosive work and reduced the heavy stuff. Good session, pleased to get 8 reps in the final set of overhead press.

26 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
A Walk with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
A March – 2 x 15m
A Skip with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
A Switch – 2 x 15m
Triple A’s with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
Skips for Distance – 2 x 20m
Skips for Height – 2 x 20m
Bound – 2 x 20m
7 Cone Kneeling – 4 reps
7 Cone 2 Point Stance – 4 reps
Heavy Resistance Sprint from 2 point – 6 x 3 secs x 50kg sled
Accels – 4 x 10m, 4 x 20m, 3 x 30m
Reaction / Breakdown / Run Out – SKIPPED
Med Ball High Toss – 3 x 5 x 5kg

Atrocious weather. I went out in a storm with freezing rain and strong winds to complete this session. Too wet for broad jump and too slippery to change direction for the runout drill towards the end. Did everything else while soaked through and miserable, including dragging my sled out in all that. No Freelap times as the wind is ridiculous and it would serve no purpose.

Tuesday is clear and dry so I will do the broad jumps then.

27 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

Took my time with these and it was much more enjoyable. I do not feel good today, that session in the cold rain yesterday has left me feeling run down.

28 January

Broad Jump – 4, best of 244cm
90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up
A Walk with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
A Skip with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
A Switch – 2 x 10m
Triple A’s with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
ACK, Bleed, SL Bound to High Knee Dribble – 2 x 20m
Wickets – 4 x 20m in 2.36 secs
20m Build 20m Fly – 1 x 20m in 2.28 secs
Accels – 2 x 40m in 5.36 secs (20/30m in 3.10/4.22 secs)
Hurdle Stiffness Jumps – 4 sets
1 Foot Dunk Session – 8 mins

Wet track, 8 degrees, – 2 m/s wind gusting to -4 m/s. I felt very fluid in these runs, fast without feeling like I was exerting myself a lot. I got the stride pattern really honed in as I hit the wickets which is why the times were so quick, otherwise no different to previous weeks. A little down in the broad jump compared to the other week but since I usually test before the acceleration session it’s harder to say whether I’m improving.

That session has given me a lot of confidence that with slightly warmer conditions, with less wind and rain, I can run some good times.

29 January

6.00AM

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

12.30PM

Yoga – 45 mins

5PM

Med Ball Slams – 3 x 6 x 6kg
Speed Bench Press – 3 x 3 x 55kg
A1 Bench Press – 3 x 5 x 80kg, 5 x 85kg
A2 Pull ups – 4 x 5
B1 Single Arm DB OHP – 3 x 8 x 20kg
B2 Cable Face Pulls – 15 x 20kg, 2 x 15 x 25kg

Office day, snuck in core at 6am but there’s a lot of med ball work and it isn’t fair on my neighbours so I won’t do it again. Yoga before lunch, then a gym session before meeting friends for a curry. I thought it was the time of day that meant I was handling the bench press so well but it turned out I had picked up a 15kg bar by mistake, which means my explosive 60kg reps were only 55kg and my 85kg heavy sets were only 80kg.

30 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
Reaction Footwork/Slide/Sprint – 4 x 2 runs
Hip Flip Partner Chase Level 2 – 4 x 2 runs
Reaction to Live Guarding – 6 runs
Jump Cut Plyos – 3 x 6 jumps
Rotational Hurdle Jump – 3 x 3 reps
2 Foot Dunk Session – 8 mins

Cold but sunny today. The volume went up a bit and my toes are getting beat up from all the change of direction work so I’ll be glad when agility finishes.

31 January

Concept2 Exercise Bike – 40 mins (120 down to 95 Watts)

Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

I had another office day so I used the gym there and it was a fancy Concept2 bike. It was a bit alarming how fatigued I got across the 40 minutes, with an average of 106 Watts and HR of 117 bpm. I did the mobility parts of the core day and will do the med ball stuff tomorrow.

The weather continues to bother me, averaging 5 degrees (~40F) and generally quite unpleasant. Looking ahead I will start planning my taper, likely matching whatever I did following the Verkhoshansky program, before competing on 16th Feb and again on 3rd March.

My body could do with a break and some extra calories, it’s been a long program and I’m eager to see how fast I am when I go back to my more traditional workouts (and no more agility!).

[Fraser Young]

Phase 5 – Week 1

18 January

Med Ball Chest Pass – 3 x 8
Med Ball Slams – 3 x 8
Bench Press – 4 x 4 x 90kg
Pendlay Rows – 3 x 6 x 80kg
A1 Pull ups / Chin Ups / Pull Ups – 8/8/8
A2 BB OHP – 8 x 40kg, 2 x 8 x 40kg

I mixed it up a little more today, no clap push ups and OHP with a barbell. So much stronger in rows today, back to my best.

19 January

Broad Jump – 4, best of 246cm
90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
A Walk with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
A March – 2 x 15m
A Skip with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
A Switch – 2 x 15m
Triple A’s with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
Skips for Distance – 2 x 20m
Skips for Height – 2 x 20m
Bound – 2 x 20m
7 Cone Kneeling – 4 reps
7 Cone 2 Point Stance – 4 reps
Heavy Resistance Sprint from 2 point – 6 x 3 secs x 50kg sled
Accels – 3 x 10m, 3 x 20m, 2 x 30m – 1.90 / 3.09 / 4.32 secs
Reaction / Breakdown / Run Out – 6 reps
Med Ball High Toss – 3 x 5 x 5kg

Damp track, 2 degrees, +2 m/s wind. I liked that session layout, nearly all flat out acceleration and not much change of direction. My sled was a bit too heavy, it’s fine from a 3 point but from a falling start I couldn’t get going quickly enough. The times were a bit slow but I know how important warm legs are and this was one of the coldest sessions I’ve done. For the same reason I was happy with the broad jump, and it might have been 250cm on a warmer day.

20 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

Happy with the final set of exercises.

21 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up
A Walk with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
A Skip with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
A Switch – 2 x 10m
Triple A’s with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
ACK, Bleed, SL Bound to High Knee Dribble – 2 x 20m
Wickets – 4 x 20m in 2.38 secs
20m Build 20m Fly – 1 x 20m in 2.28 secs
Accels – 2 x 40m in 5.50 secs (20/30m in 3.18/4.35 secs)
Hurdle Stiffness with Sprinter Stride – 4 sets
1 Foot Dunk Session – 8 mins

Damp track, 3 degrees, no wind. I felt really flat going into this session and the cold weather didn’t help. I was relieved that the flying runs were roughly where I wanted to be and a little disappointed in the 40’s. I enjoyed the dunk session despite doing next to no single leg jumps – I should be much more comfortable with a 2 foot jump.

22 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

This was very rushed at 6.00am before getting the train to work. A few exercises involve making noise which I was very conscious of, so I modified the exercises. In future I might try and fit these somewhere else in the week, though it’s only two more Wednesdays to go.

23 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
Reaction Footwork/Slide/Sprint – 3 x 2 runs
Hip Flip Partner Chase Level 2 – 3 x 2 runs
Reaction to Live Guarding – 5 runs
Jump Cut Plyos – 3 x 8 jumps
Rotational Hurdle Jump – 3 x 3 reps
2 Foot Dunk Session – 8 mins

Nice short session, 1 hour total. I did it all on a tennis court which offered great grip, finishing with 2 foot dunks on a basketball court. I’m relieved it’s much lower volume, though sets and reps go up in weeks 2 and 3, and it will be a nice taper for my body.

24 January

Exercise Bike – 40 mins (level 6, 95-110 Watts)

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

Poor weather and a few of these exercises are outdoors so I wasn’t in the mood. I might struggle to stay engaged with this core routine for another six sessions but I’ll try not to rush through while clock watching.

Really good week, clear the volume has come down and the intensity has gone up, particularly in the acceleration day. I had a lot of soreness after the week 1 accel and with warmer weather to come I’m keen to see my times come down. I’ll also add in a weekly broad jump as I feel like progress will be measurable there each week.

[Fraser Young]

Phase 4 – Week 3

11 January

Med Ball Chest Pass – 3 x 8
Med Ball Slams – 3 x 8
A1 Bench Press – 4 x 4 x 90kg
A2 Clap Push ups – 4 x 5
Pendlay Rows – 3 x 6 x 77.5kg
B1 Pull ups / Chin Ups / Pull Ups – 8/8/8
B2 DB OHP – 3 x 6 x 22.5kg

I mixed up the pull ups slightly, kept to a strict 30 bpm tempo. It’s great to have two upper body sessions and I’ll think about mixing this up soon.

Despite it last snowing on Wed 8th, temperatures have barely gone above freezing since then so the ground is frozen and there’s still snow on the athletics track. The current plan is to do Agility again tomorrow, then Accels on Tuesday 14th and Max Velocity on Thursday 16th to finish off phase 4. If the ground is solid I’m not sure there’s anywhere suitable to exercise.

12 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
Barefoot Freestyle – 4 mins
Hip Internal Rotation Series – 3 sets
Harden Series – 5 reps
Box Mirror Drill – 3 x 15 secs
Box Drop Cross Step Curve Run – 3 reps per side
Flip to Guard 15 yard – 3 x 15m
Change of Pace Figure 8’s – 3 x 30 secs
Jump Cut Plyos – 3 x 4
Band Rapid Lateral Level 2 – 3 x 6
Side Plank Hip Abduction – 2 x 8
Copenhagen ISO Plank – 2 x 20 secs

It’s frosty so I moved agility to the first session. It worked perfectly, the local tennis court had thawed enough that I could do all my exercises there or in my garage gym. Now all I need is for the next 48 hours to melt the snow on the athletics track…

13 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Lateral Core Walkouts – 3 x 5
Cat Camel Breathing – 3 x 5
Side Plank Banded Row – 3 x 12
Single Leg Turn – 3 x 5
Ab Wheel – 3 x 10
Weighted OH Squat – 3 x 4 x 15kg

Nice to see the reps go up, I reduced the rest periods and found it a great challenge.

14 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
Band Resisted Hip Drives – 2 x 10
Anaerobic Wall Sprints – 2 x 10 secs
Switch – 2 x 10
A Walk, March, Skip, Switch, Triple – 2 x 15m
Bounds, Skips for Distance, Height – 2 x 20m
Accel March w Waist Harness – 2 x 15m x 50kg sled
Accel Bound w Waist Harness – 2 x 15m x 35kg sled
Accel March Bound Run – 2 x 30m x 35kg sled
7 Cone 2 Point Stance – 4 x 10m
Heavy Resistance Sprint – 3 x 5m x 50kg sled
Medium Resistance Sprint – 3 x 10m x 35kg sled
Light Resistance Sprint – 2 x 15m x 20kg sled
Drop in Sprint – 2 x 10m
3 point sprint – 2 x 20m in 3.10 secs
1/2 Kneel Sprint – 6 x 15m
Hip Flip Sprint – 6 x 15m
Sprint with mid-cone split – 4 x (2 x 15m)
Triple Broad Jump – 4 reps (7.80m, 7.90m, 7.80m, 7.90m)
Double Depth Jumps – 3 x 3
Banded SLRDL – 3 x 6 per side

Wet track, 8 degrees, +2 m/s wind. So nice to be back on the track, it felt warm given how cold it’s been for the last week. This was 2h40 start to finish, it really is a big workout. The triple broad jump was nice to see, I went 30cm further than two weeks ago. I will measure my single broad jump at the start of phase 5. Feeling really good right now, nutrition and recovery are on point and I’m looking forward to the max. velocity session.

15 January

A1 Bench Press – 3 x 8 x 80kg
A2 DB Rows – 3 x 8 x 32kg
B1 Pull/Chin/Pull ups – 3 x 8 x BW
B2 DB OHP – 3 x 6 x 22.5kg
90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Lateral Core Walkouts – 3 x 5 x 10kg
Cat Camel Breathing – 3 x 5
Side Plank Cable Row – 3 x 12 x 15kg
Single Leg Turn – 3 x 5
BB Rollout – 3 x 12
Weighted OH Squat – 3 x 4 x 15kg

I cut the rest periods here and it was a good workout.

16 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
A Walk, Skip, Switch, Triple – 2 x 10m
ACK, Bleed, SL Bound to High Knee Dribble – 2 x 20m
Wickets – 6 x 20m in 2.38 secs
20m Build 20m Fly – 2 x 20m in 2.30 secs
1 x 40m in 5.45 secs (3.19 / 4.29 for 20m / 30m)
Reactive Step Up Jump – 3 x 5
Overcoming Ankle Isometric – 5 x 5 secs
Overcoming Glute Isometric – 5 x 5 secs

Damp track, 8 degrees, -1 m/s wind. Good session, really nice rhythm through the wickets. I thought I had two 40’s so I was a bit frustrated to have a slow rep and not get a chance to redeem myself. Definitely ready for phase 5.

17 January

Exercise Bike – 40 mins (level 6, 110/105/100 Watts)

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Lateral Core Walkouts – 3 x 5
Cat Camel Breathing – 3 x 5
Side Plank Banded Row – 3 x 12
Single Leg Turn – 3 x 5
Ab Wheel – 3 x 10
Weighted OH Squat – 3 x 4 x 15kg

I couldn’t hack 45 minutes on the bike so I stopped early. I did see another jump in fitness, managing 5 Watts more than last week. I do like this core workout but it’s now the 9th time I’ve done it and I’m ready to move on.

I’ve reigned in my calories this week having indulged a lot at the start of the year, possibly too low as I don’t have as much energy.

Hoping to start phase 5 with a 250cm+ broad jump and really push on. Volume comes down which my legs will appreciate.

[Author]

Posts

[Fraser Young]

Post-Program – Week 1

8 February

Rest

Very much needed.

9 February

Pogo Jumps – 3 x 20 secs
Broad Jump – 4, best of 246cm
Standing 5 bound – 2 per leg, best of 12.30m
Accels – 20,30,2x40m in 3.11, 4.35, 5.38 secs Freelap
Flying runs – 3 x 30E20F in 2.22 secs Freelap

Wet track, 4 degrees, +2 m/s wind. Good session given the conditions, most pleased with the flying runs which were as fast as I’ve managed this program. More to come.

10 February

MB Chest Pass – 3 x 8
Med Ball Slams – 3 x 8
Bench Press – 4 x 4 x 90kg
A1 Hanging Leg Raise – 3 x 8
A2 Russian Twists – 3 x 30 x 5kg
A3 Ab Wheel – 3 x 45 secs

Back to my standard upper body session this close to a competition. In fact I’ll bring the reps down further in the coming weeks.

11 February

A Drills – 4 x 2 x 15m
Dribble ACK, SL Scissor – 2 x 20m
2 x 40m Build Ups
Tempo – 3 x 4 x 100m (30 secs / 2.5 mins) in 16.7 secs, 16.5 secs, 16.4 secs

Great to get back into tempo runs, it’s been a while. Wasn’t sure where I’d start but I’m really happy with those times given how easy it felt.

12 February

Concept2 Exercise Bike – 45 mins (125 down to 100 Watts)

I enjoyed this for once.

13 February

Full Race Warm Up (35 mins)
Blocks – 10,20,30m in 3.10 secs / 4.25 secs
2 x 40m in 5.38 secs
2 x 30E20F in ~2.24 secs

Dry track, 4 degrees, +2 m/s wind. Good session, the wind chill made it quite unpleasant so I’m glad it was a short session. Pleased with the block starts having not done them all winter, though expecting jitters on race day. Flying runs were good too. I opened with 7.68 secs for 60m in each of the last two seasons, I’m almost resigned to the fact I’m likely to see 7.7* but really this Sunday is to blow the cobwebs out in preparation for the race in 2 weeks time.

14 February

A Drills – 4 x 2 x 15m
Dribble ACK, SL Scissor – 2 x 20m
2 x 40m Build Ups
Tempo – 10 x 100m with stretching in ~16.5 secs

No pressure to run these fast, I held stretches after each run which is my standard tempo workout before a race.

Excited to see my times on Sunday given how different this winter has been to my usual training. I have 2.5 hours between races so I might even try a Freelap timed 60 metres in the middle of those.

[Fraser Young]

Phase 5 – Week 3

1 February

MB Chest Pass – 2 x 8
Med Ball Slams – 2 x 8
Bench Press – 4 x 4 x 90kg
Pendlay Rows – 3 x 8 x 80kg
A1 Pull ups / Chin Ups / Pull Ups – 8/8/8
A2 BB OHP – 3 x 8 x 45kg
Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4

Upper body session followed by the core work I missed yesterday.

2 February

Broad Jump – 4, best of 246cm
90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
A Walk with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
A March – 2 x 15m
A Skip with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
A Switch – 2 x 15m
Triple A’s with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
Skips for Distance – 2 x 20m
Skips for Height – 2 x 20m
Bound – 2 x 20m
7 Cone Kneeling – 4 reps
7 Cone 2 Point Stance – 4 reps
Heavy Resistance Sprint from 2 point – 6 x 3 secs x 45kg sled
3 x 10m in ~1.85 secs
3 x 20m in ~3.06 secs
2 x 30m in ~4.25 secs
Reaction / Breakdown / Run Out – SKIPPED
Med Ball High Toss – 3 x 5 x 4kg

Wet track, 7 degrees, +2 m/s wind. Nice conditions, sunny and a favourable wind. I felt great warming up, thought I had more in me in the broad jump but I restricted myself to 4 attempts. My bounding was strong as were my skips for distance. I found 50kg hard to get moving from a 2 point so I went 5kg lighter today which helped. The flat out accelerations were a lot of fun, I know the wind was helping me but I absolutely nailed a few of those starts. I had to skip the change of direction drill again, though to be honest it wasn’t really suited to me.

3 February

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

I don’t have time on Wed 5th so I thought about doing a double workout but it is relatively challenging, so instead I’ll add it on tomorrow after max velocity.

4 February

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up
A Walk with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
A Skip with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
A Switch – 2 x 10m
Triple A’s with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
ACK, Bleed, SL Bound to High Knee Dribble – 2 x 20m
Wickets – 4 x 20m in 2.38 secs
20m Build 20m Fly – 1 x 20m in 2.30 secs
Accels – 2 x 40m in 5.45 secs (20/30m in 3.15/4.30 secs)
Hurdle Stiffness Jumps – 6 sets
1 Foot Dunk Session – 10 mins

Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

Damp track, 8 degrees, -4 m/s wind. The wind was difficult, it gusted a lot. Not the best session but comparable times to recent sessions. I added core to the end which worked quite well.

5 February

Yoga – 45 mins

Relatively intense and a lot of single leg stands / chair poses.

6 February

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
Reaction Footwork/Slide/Sprint – 6 x 2 runs
Hip Flip Partner Chase Level 2 – 4 x 2 runs
Reaction to Live Guarding – 6 runs
Jump Cut Plyos – 3 x 6 jumps
Rotational Hurdle Jump – 3 x 3 reps
2 Foot Dunk Session – 10 mins

Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

Final session! I did agility on grass, it’s firmed up nicely and it’s a little easier on the joints. I have a busy day tomorrow so my final core session was moved directly after agility.

I’ve planned my taper and will log that in this training journal, ending in a pair of 60m races on Sunday 2nd March.

7 February

Exercise Bike – 25 mins (level 6-7, 110-115 Watts)

A weird one today, I couldn’t get my heart rate high enough without feeling like I was working so much harder than previous weeks. This is usually at 7am and I did it at midday. I really lacked the motivation to get through it so I cut it short.

Rest day tomorrow and overall I’m looking forward to a real reduction in training volume.

[Fraser Young]

Phase 5 – Week 2

25 January

Med Ball Chest Pass – 2 x 8
Med Ball Slams – 2 x 8
Bench Press – 4 x 4 x 90kg
Pendlay Rows – 3 x 8 x 80kg
A1 Pull ups / Chin Ups / Pull Ups – 8/8/8
A2 BB OHP – 3 x 8 x 45kg

Reduced the volume here, though in hindsight I should have kept the volume of explosive work and reduced the heavy stuff. Good session, pleased to get 8 reps in the final set of overhead press.

26 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
A Walk with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
A March – 2 x 15m
A Skip with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
A Switch – 2 x 15m
Triple A’s with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
Skips for Distance – 2 x 20m
Skips for Height – 2 x 20m
Bound – 2 x 20m
7 Cone Kneeling – 4 reps
7 Cone 2 Point Stance – 4 reps
Heavy Resistance Sprint from 2 point – 6 x 3 secs x 50kg sled
Accels – 4 x 10m, 4 x 20m, 3 x 30m
Reaction / Breakdown / Run Out – SKIPPED
Med Ball High Toss – 3 x 5 x 5kg

Atrocious weather. I went out in a storm with freezing rain and strong winds to complete this session. Too wet for broad jump and too slippery to change direction for the runout drill towards the end. Did everything else while soaked through and miserable, including dragging my sled out in all that. No Freelap times as the wind is ridiculous and it would serve no purpose.

Tuesday is clear and dry so I will do the broad jumps then.

27 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

Took my time with these and it was much more enjoyable. I do not feel good today, that session in the cold rain yesterday has left me feeling run down.

28 January

Broad Jump – 4, best of 244cm
90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up
A Walk with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
A Skip with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
A Switch – 2 x 10m
Triple A’s with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
ACK, Bleed, SL Bound to High Knee Dribble – 2 x 20m
Wickets – 4 x 20m in 2.36 secs
20m Build 20m Fly – 1 x 20m in 2.28 secs
Accels – 2 x 40m in 5.36 secs (20/30m in 3.10/4.22 secs)
Hurdle Stiffness Jumps – 4 sets
1 Foot Dunk Session – 8 mins

Wet track, 8 degrees, – 2 m/s wind gusting to -4 m/s. I felt very fluid in these runs, fast without feeling like I was exerting myself a lot. I got the stride pattern really honed in as I hit the wickets which is why the times were so quick, otherwise no different to previous weeks. A little down in the broad jump compared to the other week but since I usually test before the acceleration session it’s harder to say whether I’m improving.

That session has given me a lot of confidence that with slightly warmer conditions, with less wind and rain, I can run some good times.

29 January

6.00AM

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

12.30PM

Yoga – 45 mins

5PM

Med Ball Slams – 3 x 6 x 6kg
Speed Bench Press – 3 x 3 x 55kg
A1 Bench Press – 3 x 5 x 80kg, 5 x 85kg
A2 Pull ups – 4 x 5
B1 Single Arm DB OHP – 3 x 8 x 20kg
B2 Cable Face Pulls – 15 x 20kg, 2 x 15 x 25kg

Office day, snuck in core at 6am but there’s a lot of med ball work and it isn’t fair on my neighbours so I won’t do it again. Yoga before lunch, then a gym session before meeting friends for a curry. I thought it was the time of day that meant I was handling the bench press so well but it turned out I had picked up a 15kg bar by mistake, which means my explosive 60kg reps were only 55kg and my 85kg heavy sets were only 80kg.

30 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
Reaction Footwork/Slide/Sprint – 4 x 2 runs
Hip Flip Partner Chase Level 2 – 4 x 2 runs
Reaction to Live Guarding – 6 runs
Jump Cut Plyos – 3 x 6 jumps
Rotational Hurdle Jump – 3 x 3 reps
2 Foot Dunk Session – 8 mins

Cold but sunny today. The volume went up a bit and my toes are getting beat up from all the change of direction work so I’ll be glad when agility finishes.

31 January

Concept2 Exercise Bike – 40 mins (120 down to 95 Watts)

Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

I had another office day so I used the gym there and it was a fancy Concept2 bike. It was a bit alarming how fatigued I got across the 40 minutes, with an average of 106 Watts and HR of 117 bpm. I did the mobility parts of the core day and will do the med ball stuff tomorrow.

The weather continues to bother me, averaging 5 degrees (~40F) and generally quite unpleasant. Looking ahead I will start planning my taper, likely matching whatever I did following the Verkhoshansky program, before competing on 16th Feb and again on 3rd March.

My body could do with a break and some extra calories, it’s been a long program and I’m eager to see how fast I am when I go back to my more traditional workouts (and no more agility!).

[Fraser Young]

Phase 5 – Week 1

18 January

Med Ball Chest Pass – 3 x 8
Med Ball Slams – 3 x 8
Bench Press – 4 x 4 x 90kg
Pendlay Rows – 3 x 6 x 80kg
A1 Pull ups / Chin Ups / Pull Ups – 8/8/8
A2 BB OHP – 8 x 40kg, 2 x 8 x 40kg

I mixed it up a little more today, no clap push ups and OHP with a barbell. So much stronger in rows today, back to my best.

19 January

Broad Jump – 4, best of 246cm
90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
A Walk with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
A March – 2 x 15m
A Skip with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
A Switch – 2 x 15m
Triple A’s with Med Ball – 2 x 15m
Skips for Distance – 2 x 20m
Skips for Height – 2 x 20m
Bound – 2 x 20m
7 Cone Kneeling – 4 reps
7 Cone 2 Point Stance – 4 reps
Heavy Resistance Sprint from 2 point – 6 x 3 secs x 50kg sled
Accels – 3 x 10m, 3 x 20m, 2 x 30m – 1.90 / 3.09 / 4.32 secs
Reaction / Breakdown / Run Out – 6 reps
Med Ball High Toss – 3 x 5 x 5kg

Damp track, 2 degrees, +2 m/s wind. I liked that session layout, nearly all flat out acceleration and not much change of direction. My sled was a bit too heavy, it’s fine from a 3 point but from a falling start I couldn’t get going quickly enough. The times were a bit slow but I know how important warm legs are and this was one of the coldest sessions I’ve done. For the same reason I was happy with the broad jump, and it might have been 250cm on a warmer day.

20 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

Happy with the final set of exercises.

21 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up
A Walk with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
A Skip with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
A Switch – 2 x 10m
Triple A’s with Med Ball – 2 x 10m
ACK, Bleed, SL Bound to High Knee Dribble – 2 x 20m
Wickets – 4 x 20m in 2.38 secs
20m Build 20m Fly – 1 x 20m in 2.28 secs
Accels – 2 x 40m in 5.50 secs (20/30m in 3.18/4.35 secs)
Hurdle Stiffness with Sprinter Stride – 4 sets
1 Foot Dunk Session – 8 mins

Damp track, 3 degrees, no wind. I felt really flat going into this session and the cold weather didn’t help. I was relieved that the flying runs were roughly where I wanted to be and a little disappointed in the 40’s. I enjoyed the dunk session despite doing next to no single leg jumps – I should be much more comfortable with a 2 foot jump.

22 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

This was very rushed at 6.00am before getting the train to work. A few exercises involve making noise which I was very conscious of, so I modified the exercises. In future I might try and fit these somewhere else in the week, though it’s only two more Wednesdays to go.

23 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
Reaction Footwork/Slide/Sprint – 3 x 2 runs
Hip Flip Partner Chase Level 2 – 3 x 2 runs
Reaction to Live Guarding – 5 runs
Jump Cut Plyos – 3 x 8 jumps
Rotational Hurdle Jump – 3 x 3 reps
2 Foot Dunk Session – 8 mins

Nice short session, 1 hour total. I did it all on a tennis court which offered great grip, finishing with 2 foot dunks on a basketball court. I’m relieved it’s much lower volume, though sets and reps go up in weeks 2 and 3, and it will be a nice taper for my body.

24 January

Exercise Bike – 40 mins (level 6, 95-110 Watts)

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Core Decel COD – 3 x 7 x 5kg
MB Negative Hop Shot Putt – 3 x 4
MB Overhead Lateral Rapid 2 Step – 3 x 5
Foot Stability Lateral Line Stretch – 3 x 3
MB Diagonal High Toss – 3 x 4
Front/Back Fascia Line Flow (RDL Swings) – 3 x 4

Poor weather and a few of these exercises are outdoors so I wasn’t in the mood. I might struggle to stay engaged with this core routine for another six sessions but I’ll try not to rush through while clock watching.

Really good week, clear the volume has come down and the intensity has gone up, particularly in the acceleration day. I had a lot of soreness after the week 1 accel and with warmer weather to come I’m keen to see my times come down. I’ll also add in a weekly broad jump as I feel like progress will be measurable there each week.

[Fraser Young]

Phase 4 – Week 3

11 January

Med Ball Chest Pass – 3 x 8
Med Ball Slams – 3 x 8
A1 Bench Press – 4 x 4 x 90kg
A2 Clap Push ups – 4 x 5
Pendlay Rows – 3 x 6 x 77.5kg
B1 Pull ups / Chin Ups / Pull Ups – 8/8/8
B2 DB OHP – 3 x 6 x 22.5kg

I mixed up the pull ups slightly, kept to a strict 30 bpm tempo. It’s great to have two upper body sessions and I’ll think about mixing this up soon.

Despite it last snowing on Wed 8th, temperatures have barely gone above freezing since then so the ground is frozen and there’s still snow on the athletics track. The current plan is to do Agility again tomorrow, then Accels on Tuesday 14th and Max Velocity on Thursday 16th to finish off phase 4. If the ground is solid I’m not sure there’s anywhere suitable to exercise.

12 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
Barefoot Freestyle – 4 mins
Hip Internal Rotation Series – 3 sets
Harden Series – 5 reps
Box Mirror Drill – 3 x 15 secs
Box Drop Cross Step Curve Run – 3 reps per side
Flip to Guard 15 yard – 3 x 15m
Change of Pace Figure 8’s – 3 x 30 secs
Jump Cut Plyos – 3 x 4
Band Rapid Lateral Level 2 – 3 x 6
Side Plank Hip Abduction – 2 x 8
Copenhagen ISO Plank – 2 x 20 secs

It’s frosty so I moved agility to the first session. It worked perfectly, the local tennis court had thawed enough that I could do all my exercises there or in my garage gym. Now all I need is for the next 48 hours to melt the snow on the athletics track…

13 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Lateral Core Walkouts – 3 x 5
Cat Camel Breathing – 3 x 5
Side Plank Banded Row – 3 x 12
Single Leg Turn – 3 x 5
Ab Wheel – 3 x 10
Weighted OH Squat – 3 x 4 x 15kg

Nice to see the reps go up, I reduced the rest periods and found it a great challenge.

14 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
Band Resisted Hip Drives – 2 x 10
Anaerobic Wall Sprints – 2 x 10 secs
Switch – 2 x 10
A Walk, March, Skip, Switch, Triple – 2 x 15m
Bounds, Skips for Distance, Height – 2 x 20m
Accel March w Waist Harness – 2 x 15m x 50kg sled
Accel Bound w Waist Harness – 2 x 15m x 35kg sled
Accel March Bound Run – 2 x 30m x 35kg sled
7 Cone 2 Point Stance – 4 x 10m
Heavy Resistance Sprint – 3 x 5m x 50kg sled
Medium Resistance Sprint – 3 x 10m x 35kg sled
Light Resistance Sprint – 2 x 15m x 20kg sled
Drop in Sprint – 2 x 10m
3 point sprint – 2 x 20m in 3.10 secs
1/2 Kneel Sprint – 6 x 15m
Hip Flip Sprint – 6 x 15m
Sprint with mid-cone split – 4 x (2 x 15m)
Triple Broad Jump – 4 reps (7.80m, 7.90m, 7.80m, 7.90m)
Double Depth Jumps – 3 x 3
Banded SLRDL – 3 x 6 per side

Wet track, 8 degrees, +2 m/s wind. So nice to be back on the track, it felt warm given how cold it’s been for the last week. This was 2h40 start to finish, it really is a big workout. The triple broad jump was nice to see, I went 30cm further than two weeks ago. I will measure my single broad jump at the start of phase 5. Feeling really good right now, nutrition and recovery are on point and I’m looking forward to the max. velocity session.

15 January

A1 Bench Press – 3 x 8 x 80kg
A2 DB Rows – 3 x 8 x 32kg
B1 Pull/Chin/Pull ups – 3 x 8 x BW
B2 DB OHP – 3 x 6 x 22.5kg
90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Lateral Core Walkouts – 3 x 5 x 10kg
Cat Camel Breathing – 3 x 5
Side Plank Cable Row – 3 x 12 x 15kg
Single Leg Turn – 3 x 5
BB Rollout – 3 x 12
Weighted OH Squat – 3 x 4 x 15kg

I cut the rest periods here and it was a good workout.

16 January

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Dynamic Warm Up 2
A Walk, Skip, Switch, Triple – 2 x 10m
ACK, Bleed, SL Bound to High Knee Dribble – 2 x 20m
Wickets – 6 x 20m in 2.38 secs
20m Build 20m Fly – 2 x 20m in 2.30 secs
1 x 40m in 5.45 secs (3.19 / 4.29 for 20m / 30m)
Reactive Step Up Jump – 3 x 5
Overcoming Ankle Isometric – 5 x 5 secs
Overcoming Glute Isometric – 5 x 5 secs

Damp track, 8 degrees, -1 m/s wind. Good session, really nice rhythm through the wickets. I thought I had two 40’s so I was a bit frustrated to have a slow rep and not get a chance to redeem myself. Definitely ready for phase 5.

17 January

Exercise Bike – 40 mins (level 6, 110/105/100 Watts)

90/90 Hip Lift – 5 reps
Lateral Core Walkouts – 3 x 5
Cat Camel Breathing – 3 x 5
Side Plank Banded Row – 3 x 12
Single Leg Turn – 3 x 5
Ab Wheel – 3 x 10
Weighted OH Squat – 3 x 4 x 15kg

I couldn’t hack 45 minutes on the bike so I stopped early. I did see another jump in fitness, managing 5 Watts more than last week. I do like this core workout but it’s now the 9th time I’ve done it and I’m ready to move on.

I’ve reigned in my calories this week having indulged a lot at the start of the year, possibly too low as I don’t have as much energy.

Hoping to start phase 5 with a 250cm+ broad jump and really push on. Volume comes down which my legs will appreciate.

[Author]

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