EDITOR’S NOTE: Ever wonder how a world-class coach actually trains? Wonder what it’s like to train as a “mature athlete?” Welcome to the athlete journal of Charles Staley. A big believer in practicing what he preaches, Charles trains and competes just like his clients. Every Friday you can read what Charles has done this week in his workout sessions.
This week finds me making continued and steady progress. Lately, I’ve especially been working on the more qualitative aspects of progression, such as less rest between sets, clean technique, and so on. One highlight was a new personal record in my kettlebell snatches – seventy reps with the 53lb kettlebell in under five minutes. Each week I’ll attempt to add gradually more and more reps without exceeding the five-minute mark.
The weekly cycle that you see here will remain constant for the most part, and my job now is to gradually increase both quantitative and qualitative measures of progress from week to week.
Monday, December 30, 2013, 6:30 PM
Bodyweight: 201.2 lbs
CAMBERED BAR SQUAT
Set 1: 65 lbs × 10
Set 2: 115 lbs × 5
Set 3: 155 lbs × 3
Set 4: 195 lbs × 3
Set 5: 195 lbs × 3
Set 6: 195 lbs × 3
Set 7: 195 lbs × 3
Set 8: 195 lbs × 3
Set 9: 195 lbs × 3
Set 10: 195 lbs × 3
Set 11: 195 lbs × 3
Notes: Speed day on squats. These were all done in under thirty minutes.
KETTLEBELL SNATCH
Set 1: 53 lbs × 70
Notes: New PR for five-minute snatch test! I did five sets of seven on each side.
BACK EXTENSIONS
Set 1: 130 lbs × 8
Set 2: 130 lbs × 8
Set 3: 130 lbs × 8
LEG EXTENSION
Set 1: 140 lbs × 8
Set 2: 140 lbs × 8
STANDING CALF RAISE (MACHINE)
Set 1: 90 lbs × 8
Wednesday, January 1, 2014, 6:30 PM
Bodyweight: 202.6 lbs
BENCH PRESS
Set 1: 45 lbs × 5
Set 2: 95 lbs × 5
Set 3: 135 lbs × 5
Set 4: 185 lbs × 2
Set 5: 200 lbs × 2
Set 6: 200 lbs × 2
Set 7: 200 lbs × 2
Set 8: 200 lbs × 2
Set 9: 200 lbs × 2
Set 10: 150 lbs × 15
TACTICAL PULL-UP
Set 1: 202.6 lbs × 1
Set 2: 202.6 lbs × 2
Set 3: 202.6 lbs × 3
Set 4: 202.6 lbs × 4
Set 5: 202.6 lbs × 5
Set 6: 206.2 lbs × 1
Set 7: 206.2 lbs × 2
Set 8: 206.2 lbs × 3
EZ BAR CURL
Set 1: 65 lbs × 10
Set 2: 65 lbs × 10
Set 3: 65 lbs × 10
Friday, January 3, 2014, 6:30 PM
Bodyweight: 203.2 lbs
1.5″ DEFICIT DEADLIFT
Set 1: 135 lbs × 3
Set 2: 135 lbs × 3
Set 3: 135 lbs × 3
Set 4: 225 lbs × 3
Set 5: 275 lbs × 1
Set 6: 315 lbs × 8
4″ BLOCK PULL
Set 1: 365 lbs × 3
Set 2: 365 lbs × 3
SWINGS
Set 1: 61 lbs × 25
Set 2: 61 lbs × 25
Set 3: 61 lbs × 25
Set 4: 61 lbs × 25
BARBELL HIP THRUST
Set 1: 315 lbs × 6
DUMBBELL SHRUG
Set 1: 130 lbs × 15
Sunday, January 5, 2014, 6:30 PM
Bodyweight: 201 lbs
BENCH PRESS (DUMBBELL)
Set 1: 100 lbs × 10
Set 2: 130 lbs × 10
Set 3: 160 lbs × 10
Set 4: 160 lbs × 10
Set 5: 160 lbs × 10
BICEP CURL (DUMBBELL)
Set 1: 60 lbs × 10
Set 2: 70 lbs × 10
Set 3: 70 lbs × 10
SWINGS
Set 1: 61 lbs × 10
