Week 19

For the week:

• Vertical jump: 26 inches
• One-step vertical: 29 inches.
• Broad jump: 99 inches
• Front squat: 185 pounds for 5 reps.
• Good mornings: 185 punds for 5 reps
• Bench press: 210 pounds for 4 sets of 5 reps
• Barbell rows: 210 pounds for 3 sets of 5 reps
• Overhead press: 145 pounds for 3 sets of 5 reps
• Hang power cleans: 215 pounds for 1 rep. I missed on the first attempt but I got it on the second. My catch wasn't as good as it could have been. I'll have to keep working on that.

Week 18 - "The Reality Check"

So, I often joke with my kids that my main exercise goal is to remain athletic enough that I can still beat them at basketball when they're in their 20's. A few days ago, my 11 year-old son touched 8' 10" on our wall using a one-step approach. So, when my kids are in their 20's, it looks like I'll have to rely on other strategies, such as stepping on their feet and putting my elbows on top of their shoulders, to beat them at basketball (actually, those are some of the strategies I'm already using :-) )

Also, we won our rec basketball league game this week. We couldn't miss in the first half. During the second half, I was elbowed in the jaw and split open the inside of my mouth. My wife said I should start playing defense with my body instead of my face to keep that from happening again.

This week's measurements:

• Standing vertical: 26 inches. I wasn't really as warmed up as I should have been... that seems to be a common theme.
• One-step vertical: Around 29 inches.
• Squats: 245 pounds for 6 reps. I was exhausted that day and had little energy. Work was busy this week and I ended up staying there a few hours longer the day I did squats. I should've waited one more day before squatting.
• Bench press: 245 pounds for 2 reps.
• Overhead press: 130 pounds for 4 reps of 6 reps. My left shoulder was tight and sore, so I cut back on the weight this week.
• Barbell rows: 235 pounds for 3 reps. 245 felt really heavy last week, so I cut back a little this week.
• Hang power cleans: 205 pounds for 1 rep

Week 17 - "The Dream"

This past week, I had a dream that was just awesome. In my house, there is an area where, going from the family room into a hallway, the ceiling transitions from a vaulted ceiling to about an 8-foot ceiling leaving a wall that starts at 8 feet and ends at over 11 feet above the floor. I'll use this wall to measure my standing vertical when it's too cold or icy to measure my vertical on my driveway basketball hoop.

In this dream, I was measuring my standing vertical and was frustrated by my lack of progress. My wife then tells me that I'm not fully extending through the hips. So, on the next jump I follow her advice and I end up hitting my right deltoid against that wall. I remember feeling like I was floating in the air and looking down at the ground and noticing how far away it seemed. It was awesome! That vertical, in real life, would have been around 41 inches.

Now, I'm not suggesting that this is a premonition of events to come and that I'll end up with a 41" standing vertical, but it has motivated me to change my training. I am going to continue weight training and add jumping technique training, without much plyometric work, for the next few weeks. I think that the reason my jumps have stalled is that my form is poor. I'm stronger than I've ever been, but I'm not using that strength to its fullest potential because of poor form. I know that the major reason for my poor technique is the fear of hurting my knees because of knee problems I've had in the past. Ironically, because of poor jumping technique, my knees are hurting after most of my plyometric exercise days.

Here are my best measurements this week:

• Standing vertical: I performed 2 set of 6 reps a few days this week really trying to improve my form.
• One-step vertical: Again, grabbing the rim with 2 hands.
• Hexbar deadlifts, feet elevated on 2.5 inch platform: 315 pounds for 3 reps
• Close-grip bench press: 225 pounds for 3 reps
• Dynamic effort box squats: 175 pounds for 10 sets of 2 reps
• Dynamic effort bench press: 135 pounds for 8 sets of 3 reps
• Military press: 165 pounds for 3 reps
• Barbell rows: 245 pounds for 3 reps
• Power cleans: 205 pounds for 1 rep
• Hang power cleans: 195 pounds for 1 rep

I also added Bulgarian split-squats, pogo jumps, dumbbell swings, calf raises, floor presses, and abdominal work.

Week 16

My energy level was high for the first couple of workouts. Maybe all of those holiday carbs weren't such a bad thing after all.

• Standing vertical jump: No change. My lack of progress with the is frustrating. I used to be able to get almost my entire hand over the rim on a standing jump.
• One-step vertical jump: I was able to hang on the rim with 2 hands. I'm not sure by how many inches I improved, but I couldn't hang on the rim with 2 hands 2 weeks ago.
• Max effort box squats: 315 pounds for 3 reps
• Dynamic effort squats: 210 pounds for 10 sets of 2 reps. This was about 60% of my max squat. Next week, I will go back to 50%, then 55% the next week, and then back to 60% the week after that.
• Close-grip bench press: 215 pounds for 3 reps.
• Dynamic effort bench press: 155 pounds for 8 sets of 3 reps
• Romanian deadlifts: 175 pounds for 3 sets of 5 reps. Again, I felt like I could have done more.
• Barbell rows: 240 pounds for 3 reps
• Barbell overhead press: 160 pounds for 3 reps
• Power cleans: 195 pounds for 1 rep

Next week, I'll switch to hexbar deadlifts on a low platform for my max effort lower body lift and perform Bulgarian split-squats instead of Romanian deadlifts. However, I think I'll have 2 games next week so I may get in only one lower body workout.