Derek's Mass Gain Manifesto and Milestone Log

[Derek Simonds]

Originally Posted by Allen Yeh

Just buy a safety squat bar, you know you want one....

Why now that you mention it...

[Derek Simonds]

11 April 2012 Wednesday

Man work is just bonkers right now. Lots of stuff, lots of stress, lots of travel. All in all it is good just crazy.

D W/U
Foam Roll

12 LB Bouncy Med Ball Throws into the wall X 300. I used 6 different throws overhead, rotational from each side, 1 handed from each side and chest pass.

This was actually a little more challenging then I thought it would be. I was sweating and breathing hard, not anerobic but harder than normal. Next week I am going for 600 throws.

[Derek Simonds]

11 April 2012 Wednesday

Trained BJJ at Gracie Barra Georgia. Again work was trying hard to interfere with my workouts I ended up on a call that took forever and I was later than I had planned. They still let me join in the fun.

Trained some take downs, a couple of sweeps and an armbar when your opponent stands in your closed guard.

12 April 2012 Thursday

D W/U
Med Ball Rolling

Neutral Grip DB Press 10 X 12, 15 X 12, 20 X 15,12,10
Chin Up X 3 X 6

DB Shrugz X 40 X 15 X 2
Hammer Curlz X 20 X 15 X 2

Cable Tricep Pressdown X 15 X 2
Cable Ext Rotation X 12 X 2

Nice and quick and I am off to work.

[Arien Malec]

There are times when long, slow and reasonably consistent is the right strategy.

[Derek Simonds]

12 April 2012 Thursday PM

Gracie Barra Georgia

BJJ Advanced: worked some takedowns and knee through pass. After that we did specific training from different positions. I was working with a 220 lb Ranger from Ft Benning. He was strong! We did takedowns, open guard and then closed guard and then open guard drills. Last drill was open guard plus submissions and I went with one of their brown belts.

During his turn we were stalemated. My turn on the other hand I went at him like a spider monkey. I got a sweep we reset and than I attacked. Omoplata to triangle to omoplata to triangle to armbar as time was called. Felt good to be able to pull off what I have been working on so much lately on a higher belt.

Afterwards I ate dinner with my aunt and uncle who live nearby. It was fantastic. She really outdid herself. It is rare that I visit with people while traveling so this was very nice.

[Derek Simonds]

13 April 2012 Friday

D W/U
Med ball rolling

Incline DB Bench 25 x 15, 35 x 15, 45 x 15,12,10
Db Rowz 35 x 10 x 5
Double green band pull a parts x 10 x 5

Incline russian twist 12 lb med ball x 15 x 2
Floor press 35 lb db x 15 x 2
Db curlz x 15 x 2

30 minutes total time. Getting better. Off to make the donuts.

[Arien Malec]

Originally Posted by Derek Simonds

Off to make the donuts.

Wait, what?

[Derek Simonds]

Originally Posted by Arien Malec

Wait, what?

My over used figure of speech when describing what I do sometimes. I think I picked it up from a commercial many many years ago. Let me do a little google-fu... ah here it is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=petqFm94osQ. That is an oldie right there.

15 April Sunday sometime in the morning.

Saturday was the state finals for Jr's Odyssey of the Mind team. He did great but the team fell apart at the end. Unfortunate but these things happen with kids. I am proud of his hard work and effort. He is now focusing on gymnastics for the remainder of the year. We were at the school at 7:00 am and walked back in the house at 10:45 PM. Brutal day. My wife was about to commit capital murder if I didn't get her some food. Luckily we were able to get out and get her fed before I needed to restrain her...

Jr's new bow came in so we got him all set up on Sunday and he kindly gave his old bow to his sister. That made me very happy. Here is a great picture of the two of them.



He is improving rapidly and I think that it is very likely that we will be hunting this fall.

Back to Sunday workout now.

D W/U
Foam Roll

Med Ball Mania: I did 8 different explosive throws X 6 each and chased the ball down after each throw. I finished with a squat jump throw straight up combined with 3 pushups X 10

DB Press up to 35 X 8 X 3
Chin UPs X 3 X 6

Plate Raise + Plate Front Press + Plate Halo X 10 X 2

BB Press + Lateral Raise + Rear Raise 10 LB DB X 10 X 2

AB / Med ball 1 hand catch and throw X 40 X 2

Took about an hour and worked with my wife the entire time. It was a lot of fun for us to be hanging out in the garage, training and joking around. I was very happy.

Finished the weekend with a dinner for the kids birthdays. My mom fed us like royalty. Luckily for me the kids requested boiled shrimp, grilled salmon, asparagus and fettuccine Joanne. My mom of course had to make brownie sundaes for their birthday and how could I say no to that.

[Derek Simonds]

16 April 2012 Monday PM

BJJ Fundamentals and Advanced: 2 hours of BJJ while I am in Nash Vegas. Got to train with a great 2 stripe belt named Prof Reggie. He is 6' 4" and probably 235. Good to train with a big man. You can learn a lot from his different body positions.

All good and truly a great group of people to train with. They aren't very advanced as they opened in November of last year. I was going fairly easy unless Prof Reggie asked me to go harder. Even when the student asked I still went easy.

One guy who apparently is the top dog told me he had his reputation to uphold before we trained which I felt was odd. I still went normal and even asked if he wanted any advice he replied it wouldn't matter so I gave no advice. Later we grappled again with submissions and he was kind of surly. I was going to suggest that he protect his arm better as he was leaving it wide open. He came at me like a freight train so I armbarred him 3 times in 5 minutes. He didn't speak to me again. I asked each time I got a sub if he wanted to back down and each time he came at me harder. I was more worried he was going to do something spastic and hurt me than anything else.

After class the guys were talking about how easily I hit those armbars on him and one guy said I was watching the whole time and he was defending but then he did some ninja stuff and bam armbar. That made me laugh out loud. I said nope nothing ninja at all just have been doing it for a long time.

Good training and I am no worse the wear.

[Yael Grauer]

That guy sounds like a toolbox.