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Rodja's Post-Grad Training

VolcomX311 said:
Hey Rodja, I didn't want to embed a straight up youtube video of myself on your log, as to not come off disrespectful, but check out this link, I think you'll have a special appreciation for it. The quality came out really bad, but you'll catch the drift.

Invalid Link Removed
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Love the MK theme as the music. Which part do you find hardest in the snatch (that sounded really dirty)? Is it the hip burst or the elbows? One thing I noticed is that you bend at your knees instead of dropping the hips.
 
Rodja said:
Love the MK theme as the music. Which part do you find hardest in the snatch (that sounded really dirty)? Is it the hip burst or the elbows? One thing I noticed is that you bend at your knees instead of dropping the hips.
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That would be the hardest part. I don't have the core strength to sit ass to grass and still manage to stand up beyond 155lbs. The hip burst feels like butter to me and so do the elbows. I can probably get myself underneath more then 185lbs, because as you say, I only give a little at the knees, as oppose to a full-on downward jump and that's primarily because I don't have the core strength to maintain that much weight overhead, in an ass to grass position.

I O-lift primarily at a public gym (L.A. Fitness), so you can only really hit weight you feel moderately comfortable with. I did this at an performance facility with olympic weights, so I could drop failed attempts. Ideally, I'd like to practice dropping under weight I can't stand with until I can and just do a drop under the weight and drop the weight type of training, but that's just not do-able right now. I train overhead squats on occasion, but even still, that's a very drop prone exercise cause delt stability fatigues rather quickly with heavy weight.
 
Volcom, sotts presses really helped me with my delt and core stability to increase my weight on snatches and overhead squats.

Looking good rodja, loving the videos to get pumped up to, nice work on the deads too bro.
 
HATEFULone said:
Volcom, sotts presses really helped me with my delt and core stability to increase my weight on snatches and overhead squats.

Looking good rodja, loving the videos to get pumped up to, nice work on the deads too bro.
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I do more of a Sott's Jerk, then a press, but I'll give the presses a shot.
 
1/24: Military

Standing Military: 120x3, 130x3, 140x4
BB Rows: 245x12, 255x12, 275x10
JM Press/Rear Flys: 155x12/35x12, 155x12/35x12, 155x12/35x12
Pressdowns/DB Shrugs: 160x15/110x10, 175x15/110x10, 190x15

DC Stretches

This was a great session. Strength was good and so was the pump. I've been battling some minor sprains to both of my thumbs, which has effected my grip, but this session wasn't too grip-heavy. This was the first time I have done the JM Press in awhile and I wanted to stay on the lighter side to really focus on the movement. I woke up pretty sore today, which is the first time that's happened since I started my new split.
 
1/25: Dynamic Lower, Core, Conditioning

Box Jumps: 30"x3, 33"x3, 36"x1, 37.5"x1, 39"x1
Box Squats: 225x3, 225x3, 225x3
Hypers: BW+45x15, BW+90x15, BW+135x15

Conditioning

30M Prowler (horizontal)
30 Jumping Jacks
30M Prowler (vertical)
x10

24:18

Getting it all back now. Box jumps were smooth and easy and I really had a good arch on the box squats. I moved the box back about 6" and it allowed to really drive my hips forward and hold my arch. Hypers were as easy as they were a few months ago and I have neglected them far too much lately.

However, the Prowler flu struck me after I was done in the gym. It was an extremely long 24 minutes and I was hit with a nagging strain in my psoas that has been straining me for years now. It wasn't bad enough to stop me, but it was still in my head. I need to get my cardio back up before I get back into serious training to step back into the cage. I'm definitely getting my weight under control and am down to the high-190's without killing myself and still allowing myself to get out of the house and have a few drinks and some pizza.
 
1/27: Incline, Cardio

Incline BP: 160x3, 170x3, 180x4
Facepulls: 85x15, 85x15, 85x15
Dips/Neutral Pullups: BW+25x12/BWx12, BW+35x10/BWx12, BW+45x10/BWx12
Cable Rows: 200x12, 220x10, 225x10
DB Press/DB Curls: 70x10/45x8, 70x10/45x8

DC Stretches

Heavy Bag
4,5-minute rounds

This was a phenomenal session. I never got tired in the weight room and kept pushing on every lift. I had minimal shoulder pain during the incline press and that was only if I didn't tuck my elbows properly on the eccentric portion. I have no pain or soreness this morning, but I have some deep soreness in my anterior delts, lats, mid-traps, and pecs.

During the cardio, I started a little slowly to stay light on my feet and to really focus on my technique, which has gotten really sloppy lately. My footwork has been awful and I used this time to get my range and feet back. After I spent a couple of rounds to do this, I started really working my combinations, particularly ducking and rolling after a right hook and working up and down the bag. I am a huge fan of body shots as they can change everything just as fast as a shot to the jaw, but most do not use them enough.
 
AntonG42O said:
sounds like a great workout bro!
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This was easily one of the best ones I've had since before the holidays. I'm finally going up in my numbers again and am slowly peeling off the fat until I get in the 187-190 range. Once I hit that, I'll almost be cage ready.
 
1/29: Deads

Deads: 365x1, 385x1, 400x8
Front Squats: 135x10*

DC Stretches

Well, this session was very bi-polar. My deads were absolutely awesome; projected 1RM over 500lbs for the first time in ages. However, my nagging adductors couldn't handle any eccentric movement and gave out on the first set of front squats. I wanted to do a Prowler session after this, but I didn't want to risk further injury.

Supplement note:
Increased dosage of Form LV to 1.75cc 2x/day.
 
1/31: Military, MMA

Military: 125x3, 135x1, 145x2
Incline DB Press/Rear Flys: 70x10/35x12, 70x10/40x10, 70x10/40
Supinated Cable Rows: 200x12, 220x10, 240x8
Pressdowns: 190x15, 200x12, 200x12

DC Stretches

MMA

I taught on this night. I went over basic shots and transitioning from a single to a double and vice versa. We also did positional pummeling drills while trying to work for dominant position. I got a few light rounds of sparring in, but nothing intense. I was working my orthodox game and, particularly, my overhand right to left hook to the body. I was able to get it a couple of times and once really clean. I actually managed to drop one guy with the liver shot.
 
Rodja said:
1/31: Military, MMA

Military: 125x3, 135x1, 145x2
Incline DB Press/Rear Flys: 70x10/35x12, 70x10/40x10, 70x10/40
Supinated Cable Rows: 200x12, 220x10, 240x8
Pressdowns: 190x15, 200x12, 200x12

DC Stretches

MMA

I taught on this night. I went over basic shots and transitioning from a single to a double and vice versa. We also did positional pummeling drills while trying to work for dominant position. I got a few light rounds of sparring in, but nothing intense. I was working my orthodox game and, particularly, my overhand right to left hook to the body. I was able to get it a couple of times and once really clean. I actually managed to drop one guy with the liver shot.
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Bas rutten style, i like it! single to a double is a great combo. how do you finish your singles? most people whip around or trip the leg, Ive been grabbing the ankle of the leg I have and driving through. seems to be getting people off balance and makes it harder for them to keep jumping around.
 
AntonG42O said:
Bas rutten style, i like it! single to a double is a great combo. how do you finish your singles? most people whip around or trip the leg, Ive been grabbing the ankle of the leg I have and driving through. seems to be getting people off balance and makes it harder for them to keep jumping around.
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A high single I just drive through. With a low single, I'll either whip them down, turn the corner, or trip the rear leg. One thing to keep in mind is that my stance is southpaw (well, usually) and the angle changes a lot.
 
2/1: Dynamic Lower, Conditioning

Box Squats: 225x3, 245x3, 255x3
Good Mornings: 135x10, 145x10
Unilateral Leg Press: 390x12, 440x12
Standing Cable Crunches: 85x12, 100x10, 100x10

DC Stretches

2, 5-minute rounds heavy bag

30M Prowler (horizontal)
3 tire flips
30M Prowler (vertical)
x8

Ugh, there is no vaccination for the Prowler flu...

Adductors are still not 100%; hell, I wouldn't even say 80% right now. I'm going to begin my rehab this week as it is now very annoying and not healing. I can't really tell if it's tightness in the psoas or if it's strained.
 
Who are your picks for this weekend Rodja? and what'd you think of the Nick Diaz/Cyborg fight?

Either Nick has some steel legs or Cyborgs leg kicks aren't that powerful, cause Nick was getting lit up in the legs Aldo/Faber style, only he wasn't showing any visible signs of leg damage or slowing down.
 
VolcomX311 said:
Who are your picks for this weekend Rodja? and what'd you think of the Nick Diaz/Cyborg fight?

Either Nick has some steel legs or Cyborgs leg kicks aren't that powerful, cause Nick was getting lit up in the legs Aldo/Faber style, only he wasn't showing any visible signs of leg damage or slowing down.
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The inside doesn't do nearly as much damage. Had it been outside kicks, then it would have been a different story.

As for this weekend, I'll go with:
Silva (ugh)
Franklin
Jones
Torres
Ellenberger
Mendes
Kid
Cerrone
Pierce
Taylor
Romero
 
2/3: Incline, Conditioning

Incline Press: 170x2, 180x2, 190x2
Facepulls: 85x15, 85x15, 90x15
Dips/Pullups: BW+25x10/BW+25x5, BW+35x10/BW+35x3, BW+45x10/BW+45x1+1
DB Shrugs/DB Curls: 110x12/40x10, 110x12/45x8, 120x12/50x6

DC Stretches

Heavy Bag Drills
4, 5-minute rounds

Good session. I had been kinda slacking on the cardio aspect of training since my adductors have been bothering me. I went to practice on Wednesday night, but I stuck to just boxing and didn't throw any kicks. Oddly enough, as a result, my footwork was vastly improved and I was able to cut off the angles and fully utilize my reach. So, for this bag session, I focused on movement and keeping my body light and relaxed. My punches had been getting wild and Wand-ish, but I really focused on straight punches down the pipe and leading with the left hand while shuffling my feet and pivoting to the outside to avoid the power punches.

As for the lifting, shoulder is feeling really good. Still a little discomfort in my in my left AC in the very early sets, so I have been very diligent with my warm up sets and technique.

As of this morning, I woke up at 195 and have deads on tap for tomorrow and, weather permitting, a Prowler session.
 
2/5: Deads, Core, Prowler

Deads: 365x3, 385x1, 405x1, 415x6
Incline Situps: BWx8, BW+25x8, BW+35x8

DC Stretches

Prowler

30M (horizontal)
30M (vertical)
x10
11:40

I was 100% focused on this session for the entire week. I still hit all of my other sessions with great focus and vigor, but there is something about the deadlift that has always had my fascination. I went to bed on Friday night thinking about this session and thought about it the moment I woke up on Saturday. I ate a lighter breakfast than usual as to not feel too bogged down when I went to the gym and because I wanted to get in there ASAP. I let my food digest for about 90 minutes before I downed 20g of MAP and 1.5 scoops of FlashOver on the way to the gym, which is about 30 minutes away for me. I did all of my warm-up and pre-hab exercises/drills and probably did them for longer than I ever have before this session. I added in several more warm-up sets (135, 225, 315, 335) over the past month while honing my technique. The first working sets were light and I was really able to drive my hips under the bar. The first set that was a tad difficult was at 405 as I haven't thrown on 4 plates in over a month and I really struggled on that session. I exploded up and then held it to really squeeze my traps and dig my hands into the bar. I added the 5 lb plate to each side and sat down as I slowed my breathing and searched for a song to really intensify my focus.

I adjusted my belt to a lower notch than I used for my other sets (I'm still breaking in my single-prong 10mm belt) and re-chalked my hands. The first 3 reps were pretty easy: my arch was tight and my stance was prefect. On the 4th rep, the hex plates rolled a bit and i had to adjust everything. After the 5th rep, I was gasping for air, but I still had some in the tank and went for more. The 6th rep was sloppy; my arch was off and I pretty much muscled it up instead of using technique. I could have done another rep, but my form was so awful on the 6th rep, that I didn't want to risk injury.

I did my core work and then drove to the MMA gym where the Prowlers are. I did a small warm-up and loosened up my lower body and then started. I have never had some Prowler flu like I had on this session. After I was done, I fell on the ground and just gasped for air for about 5 minutes. My thighs were so full of blood that I was walking like a new-born deer and I barely managed to get home and walk into the door. Great all-around session and I am definitely looking forward to my deload next week.
 
2/7: Military

Standing Military (with Fat Gripz): 95x5, 95x5, 95x5
Dips (FG)/Neutral Pullups: BWx15/BWx12, BWx15/BWx12, BWx15/BWx12
JM Press (FG): 155x10, 155x10
DB Shrugs/Facepulls: 110x12/90x15, 110x12/90x15, 110x12/90x15

DC Stretches

This began my deload week. I've decided to go a bit of a different route with this deload and approach primarily the main lift as my deload and do everything else roughly where I would during a training week. What I will not be doing is any sort of high-intensity techniques or attempting to set any PRs. One thing that I've really noticed the past few weeks is that my tricep strength has really dropped off and I am making a point to really pay attention to this part of my training.

One thing that I really enjoyed was using my Fat Gripz on dips, which made the handle easier to drive off because the surface area was much larger. I also noticed that I was really able to get a great contraction in my chest and my shoulders felt much more stable. Needless to say, I'll be tinkering with my routine a bit to maximize my strength gains while continuing to increase my level of conditioning and drop some fat.

Supplement Note:
Began taking 3 caps of Shift

Current weight: 196

MMA
Nothing too eventful to report here. I felt a bit off and like my feet were stuck in the mud a bit. Timing was off and I couldn't work my angles as well as last week, but I still did pretty well.
 
Hey Rodja, I intend to run 6 weeks of Androlean and Androhard. I've got Nolva on the way and intend to run the traditional 20/20/10/10 (with probably endoamp, phyotest). Would that be acceptable? Anything else you'd suggest?
 
VolcomX311 said:
Hey Rodja, I intend to run 6 weeks of Androlean and Androhard. I've got Nolva on the way and intend to run the traditional 20/20/10/10 (with probably endoamp, phyotest). Would that be acceptable? Anything else you'd suggest?
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Other than some TCF-1/DAA, you're set.
 
VolcomX311 said:
Hey Rodja, I intend to run 6 weeks of Androlean and Androhard. I've got Nolva on the way and intend to run the traditional 20/20/10/10 (with probably endoamp, phyotest). Would that be acceptable? Anything else you'd suggest?
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I love adding resveratrol to my SERM pct, but thats just me.

Rodja, will you be using any of the androseries or does your fighting organization test for peds?
 
HATEFULone said:
I love adding resveratrol to my SERM pct, but thats just me.

Rodja, will you be using any of the androseries or does your fighting organization test for peds?
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Unfortunately, I have to sit out this run due to a lack of funds especially since I had to drop $1000 on a new laptop last month. They don't test for PEDs in TX, but I still wouldn't use them just from an ethics perspective.
 
Strong ethics and thanks for the response. This will be my virgin hormonal run, including virgin Nolva usage. I'm excited :biggthumpup:
 
2/8: Lower, Core, Conditioning

Squats: 145x3x5
Deads (Off 4" box): 225x3x3
Standing Cable Crunches: 85x12, 100x10, 100x10
AbD/AdD: 50x20/50x20, 50x20/50x20

Conditioning
20M Prowler (horizontal)
3 Tire Flips
20M Prowler (vertical)
x8
16:20

I was done after the conditioning. I had the intentions of doing 10, but I had no power left in my hips and thighs and couldn't get any burst on the tire. The last 2 reps on the 8th set were awful and I had to muscle it up instead of using good technique. As a result, my lower back is sore and tight, which is absolutely not what I wanted. On a better note, I really liked the deads off a box and will use these for my next few microcycles on my dynamic day.
 
VolcomX311 said:
Strong ethics and thanks for the response. This will be my virgin hormonal run, including virgin Nolva usage. I'm excited :biggthumpup:
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If you can get some torem, worlds of difference, especially when stacked with resveratrol.

Still looking good rodja, good for you on the ethics, umm one question, what are ethics and how do I use them?
 
HATEFULone said:
If you can get some torem, worlds of difference, especially when stacked with resveratrol.

Still looking good rodja, good for you on the ethics, umm one question, what are ethics and how do I use them?
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I believe it's a small, wooden ship from the Civil War era.
 
2/10: Incline

Incline BP: 135x5, 135x5, 135x5
Pullups/Rear Flys: BWx10/40x10, BWx10/40x10, BWx10/40x10
JM Press: 155x10, 165x10, 175x10
Supinated BB Rows: 225x10, 225x10
Hypers: BW+45x15, BW+45x15

DC Stretches

Decent deload session. Something bad is going on in my lumbar again (could be the cold snap we've had), but it has slowed me down a lot. I tried to work a bit of it out with some hypers, but still not where I'd like it to be. My groin has slightly improved this week, but it's hard to see if it's ready for next week. As I said, I'll be once again tinkering with my routine to add in a few things and takes out some others.
 
Just a small update: I've been taking this week off the weights as I attempt to get fully recovered from the nagging strains in my back and thighs. I sparred on Wednesday and it was pretty meh, but I've been doing some light running during the day along with a lot of pre-hab and flexibility work.
 
Alright, after a lot of thought and analysis, I've decided to go with a new, yet old, split. This time, I'm combining elements of 5/3/1 and DeFranco's WS4SBv3 templates. Over the past few months, I've lost some tricep strength along with a little too much muscle. Oddly, my deadlifts have continued to go up even though I'm about 20 lbs lighter. Basically, it's going to be something like this:

Mon: Dynamic Legs, MMA
Tue: Rep Upper, Core, Conditioning
Wed: Cardio, MMA
Thu: Max Legs, Core
Fri: Off
Sat: Max Upper, Conditioning
Sun: Off

Supplements:
MAP
WMS
HEAT
DCP
Shift
iBCAA
ArginoCarn
GPLC

I just finished up my NHA stack and will be bringing in some SA-LV next week or so depending on how this goes. My thighs feel a lot better and my shoulders are holding up quite well. This last week really recharged my battery and allowed me to evaluate everything since this log has started and to see where I need improvement and where to just leave it be.
 
Ok, so I've gotten off to bad start as I skipped my leg workout yesterday to spend more time with the wife. However, as a personal punishment, I sparred...a lot. To be exact, 12 rounds straight. Yes, I was tired and my arms were fried, but I held up. I did some upper body work last Saturday and my triceps were extremely sore as a result, so I had to pick and choose my shots after about 5 rounds so I wouldn't be a defenseless target.

2/22: Rep Upper, Cardio

Dips/Neutral Pullups: BW+25x10/BW+25x5, BW+35x10/BW+35x3, BW+45x10/BW+45x2+1
DB Shoulder Press/Pullups: 70x8/BW+5, 70x8/BWx5, 70x8/BWx5
DB Rows: 150x12, 150x12, 150x10
Scarecrows: 12.5x10, 12.5x10, 12.5x10
Pressdowns: 160x20, 160x15, 160x15

DC Stretches

10 min treadmill
3 rounds heavy bag

Super kickass session. Overall, my numbers were pretty good, but I've definitely have some of my conditioning in my delts and lats. Not too long ago, I was doing 80x8 on DB shoulder press and 150x15 on DB rows. However, I'm not too worked up over it and will continue to push along and through this mild setback. On a good note, my legs and shoulders feel good and I going to do some cardio tomorrow as I've noticed that my performance in MMA sucks when I don't have a workout earlier in the day.
 
hey how does WMS make you feel? I used to do a combo of maltodextrin/dextrose but ditched that stuff years ago and especially now that i eat paleo. any digestion/heartburn issues from WMS? im thinking about adding just a tiny bit into my PostWO shakes in case i dont feel like eating carbs post workout.
 
AntonG42O said:
hey how does WMS make you feel? I used to do a combo of maltodextrin/dextrose but ditched that stuff years ago and especially now that i eat paleo. any digestion/heartburn issues from WMS? im thinking about adding just a tiny bit into my PostWO shakes in case i dont feel like eating carbs post workout.
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I have zero issues from it and like to use it because I can drink it really quickly without any bloat or GI issues. I know it's a corn derivative, but I still use it as my preferred source of post-WO carbs.
 
Is this log done?! I skipped a little...looking for new mma weight training routine. Good stuff, but from the sound of the first post I figured you'd be competing. Kinda disappointed, looking for a redemption story. Lol.
 
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