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PHASE 7
WEEK 25
13 Aug
Vert Test – LR 70cm
Lateral Drills – 2 x 3 sets
Bound/Sprint – 6 runs
Depth Jump variation – 3 sets
Jump Complex – 3 setsI was so, so disheartened after yet another mediocre vert test. I could jump 73cm a few weeks ago and since I haven’t magically got worse I put it down to not peaking. Rather than force it I stopped trying and went straight into day 1, which caused me some minor Achilles pain in the bound/sprint. I’m sick of feeling like my body is falling apart so I am making some changes in this phase.
14 Aug
Clean Variation – 3 sets
Pistol Squat Variation – 4 sets
Nordic Curls – 4 sets
Calf Raise – 3 setsI do love me some nordic curls. This was short and sweet, I didn’t really feel a benefit from the clean but the other three were great. I filmed my nordic curls and they’re way less impressive than they felt, so lots of gains to be made. I’ve seen kneesovertoesguy go all the way down and that’s a reasonable goal (maybe not in the next four weeks!).
15 Aug
Barefoot walk/jog 1.65mi
Foot Drill – 3 sets
3x Core/Mobility supersetsThe biggest change I’m making is with my feet, I was told by a masseuse that I have collapsed arches and that could be adding stress to my Achilles as well as causing problems further up the body. She also cleared my adductors as not being tight, which means that when I feel them during exercise that’s just weakness and I can add in exercises to fix that.
16 Aug
Jump Bible Warm Up
Lateral Drills – 2 x 3 sets
Bound/Sprint – 6 runs
Depth Jump variation – 3 sets
Jump Complex – 3 sets
Eccentric Calf Lower – 10 x 10 secs w 15kgThe jump bible warm up was my favourite so far and I went back to doing it at the start of leg day. I’ll be doing it every time but not necessarily writing it in my journal. This was way better than Thursday, I felt decent. I realised I don’t need to go to the court for the lateral drills so having four weeks without testing my vert will allow me to focus on the exercises. I finished with an Achilles strengthener, weighted calf lowers (2 legs up, 1 leg down) going really slowly and beyond parallel, so foot is half on a platform.
18 Aug
Clean Variation – 3 sets
Pistol Squat Variation – 4 sets
Nordic Curls – 4 sets
Calf Raise – 3 sets19 Aug
Barefoot jog 1.65mi
3x Core/Mobility supersetsIt was a non-stop jog today at ~10 min/mi pace. Good first week, I am loving how short the sessions are as the lower body ones are about an hour each which suits my schedule a lot more.
Here’s the pistol variation, I now do this barefoot as I’m trying to remove shoes from as many exercises as is sensible
WEEK 24
6 Aug
Single Step Accel – 3 sets
Diagonal Step/Bound – 4 sets
Skip Bounds – 4 sets
Practice Jumps – 12 total, not measured
Triple CC – 4 sets, 145kg Hex DL
Deficit RLESS – 3 sets
Agility Drill – 3 setsI don’t seem to jump well on Day 1 with only 48 hours rest so I didn’t bother measuring my practice jumps. The session as a whole felt very good.
7 Aug
Hip/Hamstring Superset
Ab/Hip Superset
Lower Abs – 3 sets
Lower Back – 2 sets9 Aug
Sprint – 6 x 54m in 9.00, 8.37, 7.96, 7.79, 7.82
Speed Hops – 4 x 20m per leg
Broad Jump to Bound – 3 sets
Speed Skater Variation – 2 sets
Hurdle Jumps – 6 sets
Ankle Stiffness – 4 sets
Hamstring ISO – 3 setsGood sprints on a nice dry road. These are a good 0.3-0.4 seconds faster than when I did them in phase 2 which has given me a lot of confidence.
Instead of a deload (skipping week 1 days 1 & 2) I did them, but I’m now happy to say that’s the end of phase 6 and to not finish off with week 4 days 4 & 5. I had a sports massage on the 10th and she identified my groin/hip tightness as my vastus lateralis quad muscle being very tight. She also noted I had slightly collapsed arches, I was already in the process of fixing these with barefoot walking but that’s encouraged me to get it sorted even quicker, because that can put pressure on the ankle and the Achilles.
Overall while I was pleased with phase 6 my body was really fighting against me and I need to spend more time addressing imbalances and staying on top of mobility work. She said that I’m quite flexible which can actually be detrimental to noticing the condition of muscles, because if I can e.g. touch my toes then in my head it means my hamstrings aren’t tight, but they were.
I need 48-72 hours after the massage to let everything settle down and then I can re-test my vert and immediately follow it with the first session of phase 7. She found a whole load of tightness in my outer quads so with that fixed I’m excited to see how I feel after a rest.
Here are a few from day 1
WEEK 23
30 Jul
Single Step Accel – 2 sets
Diagonal Step/Bound – 3 sets
Skip Bounds – 4 sets
Practice Jumps – 15 total, failed at RL 70cm and LR = 73cm
Triple CC – 4 sets, 140kg Hex DL
Deficit RLESS – 3 sets
Agility Drill – 2 setsI was a LONG way from getting those practice jump heights, I watched the videos back and I was flapping away at the air. Deadlifts were pushing it, I had to use my straps for one set, I felt a bit flat today.
31 Jul
Hip/Hamstring Superset
Ab/Hip Superset
Lower Abs – 3 sets
Lower Back – 2 sets
Row 3km in 2:18/500m paceReally leisurely row, not trying to push it.
2 Aug
Sprint – 10 x 60m(?) in 9.47, 8.70, 8.49, 8.26, ?, 8.13, 8.31, ?, 8.26, 8.45
Speed Hops – 4 x 20m per leg
Broad Jump to Bound – 3 sets
Speed Skater Variation – 2 sets
Hurdle Jumps – 6 sets
Ankle Stiffness – 4 sets
Hamstring ISO – 3 setsWho knows what distance that was, I paced it out as 60m but when I measured it after the session I got ~62m. I did this on a proper track and it was so nice to accelerate properly in sprint spikes. I was wary of pulling a muscle so I sat at 95% for most of the runs.
3 Aug
Hip/Hamstring Superset
Ab/Hip Superset
Lower Abs – 3 sets
Lower Back – 2 sets4 Aug
AM Barefoot Walking – 1 mile in 20 mins
Single Step Accel – 2 sets
Diagonal Step/Bound – 3 sets
Skip Bounds – 4 sets
Practice Jumps – 10 total, LR = 67cm
Triple CC – 4 sets, 130kg Hex DL
Deficit RLESS – 3 sets
Agility Drill – 2 setsNot at the races today. I’m reading “Born to Run” and it advocates barefoot walking/running to strengthen the foot so I did a mile in the morning. I felt my adductor stretch a bit doing a RL approach so I focused on LR today while also holding back. I had no spring and was barely able to touch 67cm, which was initially set up for my weaker RL jumps. I’m not concerned at all, when I trained in sprinting I’d have days where I was completely off the pace. You don’t magically lose your power and spring in a couple of days so I’ve taken an epsom salt bath and might push the next session back a day to let my legs rest.
Here’s one of my track sprints
WEEK 22
23 Jul
Single Step Accel – 2 sets
Diagonal Step/Bound – 3 sets
Skip Bounds – 4 sets
Practice Jumps – 15 total, RL = 67cm, LR = 72cm
Triple CC – 4 sets, 135kg Hex DL
Deficit RLESS – 3 sets
Agility Drill – 2 setsThis was 48 hours after an identical session and I didn’t feel as sharp. I’m really pleased with my ability to consistently jump near my PB and it’s nice to be progressing the hex bar deadlifts by 5-10kg a week.
24 Jul
Hip/Hamstring Superset
Ab/Hip Superset
Lower Abs – 3 sets
Lower Back – 2 setsNo rowing this time round, I have tightness in my hips and groin.
26 Jul
Sprint – 8 x 54m in 9.26, 8.44, 8.10, 7.95, 8.00, 7.99, 8.04, 8.02
Speed Hops – 4 x 20m per leg. Left: best of 4.31, Right: best of 4.44
Broad Jump to Bound – 3 sets
Speed Skater Variation – 2 sets
Hurdle Jumps – 6 sets
Ankle Stiffness – 4 sets
Hamstring ISO – 3 setsIf you’d seen me warming up for my sprints you’d tell me to not do the session. I’m really having to overcome a lot of tightness in the adductors, this time it was my left leg that hampered me. I modified my running mechanics and needed several pre-warm up runs before running at 50-75% pace for the first official timed run. Really happy to run sub 8 given how much I was running within myself and I’m ready to do a proper track session next weekend.
27 Jul
Hip/Hamstring Superset
Ab/Hip Superset
Lower Abs – 3 sets
Lower Back – 2 sets28 Jul
Single Step Accel – 2 sets
Diagonal Step/Bound – 3 sets
Skip Bounds – 4 sets
Practice Jumps – 12 total, RL = 69cm, LR = 72cm
Triple CC – 4 sets, 140kg Hex DL
Deficit RLESS – 3 sets
Agility Drill – 2 setsMy body is finally adapting to the workload and my legs felt fresh and unrestricted today. I improved by 2cm on my weaker side but wasn’t able to match my PB jumping left-right. I don’t mind this because I wasn’t feeling that springy and I trained at 11am instead of 2pm, and I know I jump better early afternoon.
This was a great week, I’ve been down about minor niggling injuries but I feel better now and confident that my body is capable of perhaps 31.5″ by the end of summer.
Here are my single leg speed hops from a standing start. I was going about 90-95% with all the adductor problems.
Aug 30
Proper DB Rows
3 x 9 x 23.5kgAlt DB Bench Press
1 x 18 x 33.5kg
1 x 14 x 33.5kgBB Curls
2 x 10 x 37kgAb Circuit
15 minsAug 31
Eccentric SL Ham Curls
2 x 9 x 20kgWall Sit/Ski Squats
8 in 120 secs, 35kgPlayed basketball for an hour as a warm-up/vert. practice. Wall sit was easy, what a difference a session without acceleration makes to my quads.
Sept 2
Deadlift – 1 x 10 x 93.5kg, 3 x 10 x 98.5kg
SLRDL – 2 x 10 x 44.5kgSept 5
Hurdle Jumps – 4 x 8 x 76/84cm
Jumps for Height – 2 x 6
Jump into Lunge – 2 x 6 per leg
Shock Jump – 3 x 5 x 80cmSquats – 1 x 8 x 110kg, 1 x 8 x 115kg, 2 x 8 x 120kg
Eccentric SL Ham Curls – 1 x 8 x 21.25kg, 1 x 8 x 22.5kg
Side bridge – 1 min per side
Front bridge – 2 mins
