25 Feb 2013-Take it, it is yours...

From the moment the alarm went off this morning this seemed to be my mindset. I was bound and determined to NOT have a repeat of last week. As such i strode into my training session with renewed vigor and panache. Everyday is a new day. Every week is a new week. So a lot of good, great and awesome to get through in today's blog.
Warmed up with:
Rev Hyper, back Ext, Side Bends, Leg Raise, dips, rainbows, push ups 1 set of 10 each no rest

Hoist the Colours!

Bench Press (First "heavy" Bench Session since Surgery)
3 x 5 x bar
1 x 5 x 95
1 x 5 x 115
1 x 3 x 135
1 x 5 x 135
1 x 5 x 155
1 x 5 x 175
Back to using 5/3/1 for my Bench. I based the cycle off a 240 lbs Training Max (TM). Which was my last competition Bench Completed. Come June i will be a whole lot strong(er). I already know i am but i am building myself up slowly. locking in the technique. Which today i found near perfect leg drive.(GREAT NEWS) This is a huge deal. I have always struggled with leg drive on my bench on and off. Today it was spot on and that 175 felt like speed work it was popping off my chest so hard.
Machine Row 3 x 15 x 170 (1 min rest for fun)

Superset
Incline Db Bench 3 x 15 x 50
Fat man rows 3 x 15 x 90

Black Band Face Pull 3 x 30
Black band Tricep Push down 3 x 40
Red Band Pull-a-parts 3 x 30
Red Band Tricep Pushdowns 3 x 40
Supersetted through the face pull and band pull-A-parts with the Tricep Pushdowns in between. after 3 sets with the black band i switched to do 3 sets with the red band. Tricep FIRE!
Head Harness 4 x 30 x 25 lbs
TKE's 
Left Leg 30, 30, 30
Right Leg 40, 40, 40
Trying something different today to see if i can effect a strong(er), higher quality contraction by pushing the volume on these. Doing the first half fast, the second half slow and controlled. Sort of worked. Going to keep trying these for the week.
ADduction Machine 3 x 20 x 100
ABduction Machine 3 x 20 x 190

Seated Calf Raises 3 x 25 x 45
Something popped, let go, felt strange in my upper gastroc (calf) area. No pain things just sort of felt off. I stretched it. I will keep an eye on it. But immediately my knee felt about 95% "normal".(GOOD NEWS) I also noted that being rock bottom in the squat position there was no pressure on the lateral side of my leg. So i will take this oddity as a good thing.

Physio Therapist visit
- ultra sound on knee
- re-taped the patella
-talked about problem with contraction quality & TKE's, i am fine the muscle is contracting where it needs to. The problem is i compare contraction between both legs. Left leg i get a monster contraction in comparison.
-keep an eye on the "pop" in my calf. I mentioned so she was aware.
-PT is away next week so we mad arrangements for next week. I will see her again on Friday.
- cleared to do GLute Ham Raises (FUCKING HELL YEAH!)
- cleared to start Plyo metrics which was bit of a funny gong show when she had me "practice" on the hard Physio floor in socks. She said soft knees, i thought soft knees, i envisioned soft knees, i landed flat footed with an almost locked leg. LMAO! I did get the movement after that though
- PT is excited and very pleased with how my pool running is coming along.
-do more balance work on the Bosu ball using forceful leg kicks

Session #2 
So in an effort to be slightly more efficient with my training i will be breaking my day up into 2-a-days. My brother and i laughed about this because he is considering doing the same thing with his run training. Anyhow 45-60 min MAX. Bike followed by some leg specific trg. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be pool as they have been and Mon /Wed /Fri will be bike. rotating between INT /TEMPO /Slow recovery. 20-25 min Max on the bike. As i am better able to run this will probably be phased out for running and hill sprints.
Spin Bike 5 min 85-90 rpm / 12 min 99-103 rpm(TEMPO)
TRX 
Lunge 2 x 10
Pistols 2 x 5
Squats 1 x 20

Po has soft knee landings i am sure

Double Leg Hops (aka really lame Jump Squats)
2 x 10
As these improve i will drop the volume and focus on power and landing. For now i will keep doing them on the foam floor with running shows on focusing on a controlled landing. I will slowly turn these into something similar like i do on dynamic effort day 8 sets of 3 reps. But that will come in time. For now i have just as much trying to land with soft knees.
***GLUTE HAM RAISES***(AWESOME NEWS)
3 x 5
Dips 1 x 10
These felt awesome. It will take a few days to work back up to sets of 10. The strength to do these is still there but my Hamstrings were contracting /cramping insanely because the last time i did these it was July 2012. Video tomorrow on how to do these.

KEEP MOVING FORWARD, KEEP GETTING STRONG(ER)