Warrior Cardio: Week 5

Week 5 

Decided after last week that this week IS strict diet week! Really need to take the body fat levels down a level, results are consistent but my eating is a little loose. Also bought a pre workout supplement (musclepharm assault) in the hope it will shake off my training lethargy from last week. I've been adding rowing and Bulgarian bag work to fire up my body ready for training, also it's 10 or so minutes cardio work while fresh. 

Day 1 - really starting to enjoy warming up, my body is feeling the benefits and I'm actually spending more time on it. Warm up used to represent a full but yet rushed activity for me, WC has made me appreciate the preparation process more. Ive mentioned previously its a sign of a great program that you feel better as its going along, not worse.

Today was hurricane category 3 - barbell combinations with sprints, 3x3 rounds that was pretty challenging at the end but excellent at the same time. Core training was regular series, which has improved a lot. great session, really felt the assault supplement and didn't feel the heaviness I'd recently felt.

Day 2 - involved some upper body dumbell circuit called the gauntlet. 6 exercises, 6 reps each with the weights increasing each round until it made sense to stop. Due to the tricep extension i stopped at 14kg, which is a decent weight, i think without that exercise you could go much higher so i may change it around if it comes around again.

the pull up series is tough but excellent for upper body development, 5 pull ups variations back to back for max reps. Felt weak around the elbow (potentially from my earlier training program this year) but managed about 5-6 reps on each for 2 rounds. Felt pretty pumped after this combination.

The program is now turning into one i would normally use (more resistance, complex style), with slight differences. In my opinion moderate to heavy weighted circuits/complexes beat everything in the gym for overall training goals - so its a great fit for my training preferences.

core training was the push up plank series, which felt so much better. really have found the plank series to be beneficial and challenging. my previous thoughts on the plank was that its too easy - adding variety and accumulative fatigue in the series really does make it a valid reason to put planks into your training whatever your level.

Day 3 - The metabolic conditioning was the tabata protocol, 2 circuits of lunger and squatter Bodyweight movements. Simple, effective and tough assuming you work hard. I'm currently working at 80% for some reason. Not fully feeling back to my best. But progressing every week and I still perform a high level so generally happy with the effort. I improvised on the prowler sprints with a boxing bag across the gym floor, weighed down with a 23kg Bulgarian bag. After 2 sets you realize why prowlers are so infrequently used! What an attack on my legs and lungs. It's a great way to finish a session - short, sharp and highly metabolic. 

 I have decided to take a full week of training after next week (half way), I really benefitted from a deload training week last time around and I think a strict dieting week and lots of recovery work could be the ticket for a great second half to the program. Just feeling the sprints a little which has confirmed this decision. My weight loss has stalled, which is another indicator that something needs to change.

ive included a seperate squat program i created called squat402 (you do 402 squats per week), it took me a while to make up that name! im doing this after the sessions or on my off days. my deadlift is far more tuned in than the squat and i recently noticed that i can bench press more than i can "comfortably" squat! thats wrong on so many levels, thus i created a program to alter this - so will run alongside WC and will probably blog on it after completion. If it doesn't work then i will deny i ever wrote it. 

see you for week 6