The Evolution Process

[Ben Langford]

This log will simply record my personal workouts, stats and goals for the year of 2008 and - hopefully - onwards. Feedback is not only welcome but actively encouraged.

For those who are interested I'll tell you a little bit about myself, for those who don't give a stuff I suggest you skip this paragraph. I'm a 24 year old male from Canberra, Australia. I have a degree in Coaching Science, teach/practice BJJ and Ginastica Natural and run a garage gym by the name of The Evolution gym. I've been CrossFitting for around 5 years, compete regularly in BJJ competitions and occasionally in MMA and hope to compete and qualify in the Abu Dhabi trials later this year. For the last 3 months I've been writing my own program rather than following a CrossFit or Mike's Gym regimen. I eat a Zone-ish Paleo-ish diet.

Personal stats:

Male
24 years
172cm tall
67kg @ around 9% bodyfat.

Deadlift - 140kg
Frontsquat - 100kg
Shoulder press - 60kg
Jerk - 90kg

Clean - 85kg
Snatch - 67.5kg

Pull ups - 24
Weighted Pull up - 40kg

The program is broken into four week blocks with a primary and secondary focus with the secondary focus becoming the primary in the next four week block giving each focus 8 weeks.

Each week is broken into a 3 on, 1 off, 2 on, 1 off format plus BJJ and MMA training.

Met con efforts typically last less than 15 minutes and work capacity efforts more than 20.

A week runs:

Monday
Morn: Strength/Power
Evening: BJJ

Tuesday
Morn: Shorter Strength/Power
Evening: Met Con

Wednesday:
Morn: Work Capacity
Evening: BJJ

Thursday: Rest.

Friday:
Morn: Max effort
Arvo: light met con
Evening: MMA

Saturday:
Morn: Work Capacity
Arvo: Sub grappling

Sunday:
Rest - occasionally some light BJJ drills.

Please comment.

[Ben Langford]

Main focus: Functional Mass
Secondary focus: Running Speed

This is actually the second week of this cycle.

Warm up:
10 pull ups
15 over head squats with dowel
10 back extensions
30/30 cruise/sprint on aerodyne
10 good mornings with o bar.

Workout:
Thrusters 60kg X 2 X 8 1 minute rest.
Clean 68kg X 5 X 5 2 minute rest.
Overhead lunges @ 15% BW (10kg) X 25 each arm. 1 minute rest.
Backwards lunges X 25.

[Derek Simonds]

Ben welcome to the training logs. I will enjoy reading your log. There are several BJJ / MMA practitioners on the forum so it will be interesting to see how you combine everything.

I have my first BJJ comp 4/12/08 so I am going to be adapting my training slightly at the end of this 4 week strength cycle.

[Ben Langford]

Thanks for the welcome Derek. I'll be keeping an eye on your log to see what adaptations you make. Good luck with your first comp - train hard and you won't be disappointed.

[Ben Langford]

Tuesday Morning Workout

Warm up

With a 20kg Kettlebell:
10 X Around the world each way
5 X Figure 8 through the legs each way
10 X high pull
10 Overhead squats with Dowel
10 KB snatches alternating arms
10 Overhead squats with o bar
10 KB Stiff Leg Dead lifts

Workout:
Overhead Squat 55kg X 5 X 5. One and a half minute rest
80m 30kg bag drag while wearing a 7kg weight vest X 2. 25 breath rest.
80m 30kg backwards bag drag with dino arms while wearing a 7kg weight vest X 2. 25 breath rest.

[Ben Langford]

Tuesday evening workout

Warm up

10 squats
10 sit ups
10 pull ups
10 push ups
10 reverse hypers
10 walking lunges

Workout:

2 rounds for time
Run 400m
25 truck tyre jumps
15 hang power cleans @ 42.5kg (50%)

8 minutes flat.

[Ben Langford]

Wednesday Morning Workout

Warm up
5 Pull ups
Burgener Warm up with dowel X 6
Good Morning X 10 with 5kg Slosh Pipe
Burgener Warm up with 5kg Slosh Pipe X 4
Stiff Leg Dead Lifts with 20kg KB X 10
Burgener Warm up with O bar X 2

Workout

800m run
42 KB swings
24 Pull ups
400m run
21 KB swings
12 Pull ups
200m run
11 KB swings
6 Pull ups

13 minutes and some seconds.

The last two days of fairly solid leg work made this one far harder than it should have been. I sweated so much it looked look I'd just gotten out of the shower when I finished.

[Ben Langford]

Wednesday Evening: BJJ

Warm up:
Basic pummeling and clinch surfing.
Basic Calisthenics
Hip Escapes (floor walk, lazy hip escape and standard)

Main Technique drilled:
Reverse Basic Sweep from closed.

Rolling went pretty well. Been working on my halfguard again and it's definitely picking up. The more situation specific moves I've been working on are beginning to integrate into my basic framework. Now I just need to work on the transition from my hooks to halfguard and suddenly returning to hooks.

[Ben Langford]

Thursday
Rest.

[Ben Langford]

Friday Morning

Warm up
Easy 500m row @ 2:05 pace
With a 4kg med ball
10 wall ball
10 sit up and throw
10 wall thrusts
10 ball slams

15 Overhead squats with 5kg bar
10 Good mornings with an o bar

Workout:
Max Deadlift Highpull - 65kg. Had to make shoulder height to count.
Max Rack Pull from below the knee - 150kg.

Sorry about lack of updates - computer trouble.