Grant's Training Tuesday 8/19

So, my legs have been absolutely destroyed since the 50 front squats I did on Saturday. I planned on doing another strength session today and opted out of squatting and did pulls instead. I performed level 1-2 yoga on Sunday for recovery, a level 1 class Monday, and a yin/yang flow class today (Tuesday) and am feeling pretty good.

Tuesday 8/19/2014
"Functional Strength"

Morning Bodyweight - 179.0 lb - a little higher than normal due to all the ice cream I had Sunday.

Warm-up:
1 hour 15 minutes flow-style yoga

A) Snatch Deadlift from 3" deficit (41X0) 
[5 reps, 4 reps, 3 reps, 5 reps, 4 reps, 3 reps]
120 kg x5, 130 kg x4, 140 kg x3
120 kg x5, 130 kg x4, 140 kg x3
rest 3 minutes

B1) Chin-up (50X0)
[4-6 reps x 5 sets]
+10 kg x6, +10 kg x6, +10 kg x5,
+15 kg x4, +15 kg x4
rest 2 minutes, alternate to B2

B2) CGBP (41X0) (knees on bench)
[4-6 reps x 5 sets]
175 lb x6, 175 lb x6, 185 lb x6
195 lb x4, 195 lb x4
rest 2 minutes, alternate to B1

Workout - complete. Time <50 minutes

Notes: 

Love the snatch grip deadlift off deficit with slow eccentric - one of the most posterior chain dominant exercises you can perform. Correctly performed, this can pack slabs of muscle on your backside from your ankles to the base of your skull. Be sure to pull to the top of the hip, legs straight, back arched but glutes flexed tight so the rib cage doesn't spill open, shoulders pinched back and down, head neutral. From there, lower under control on a four count to just barely touching the floor and explosively contracting the hip complex and hamstrings to hinge up and pull the bar back to the waist. Ladies, this will develop some serious glutes and hamstrings. Very difficult if you do this the right way - fight as hard you can, the structural collapse of the back, especially when you reverse direction from the floor. Squeeze that arch in your back with your shoulder blades and keep the heart raised forward.
The close grip bench press (CGBP) and chin-up (palms face forward, supinated) combo is also an excellent strength builder for the arms. Two of my favorite exercises for this purpose. Supersetting them with a two minute rest between allows you stack a workout and increase training "density", while maximizing strength in each successive lift. Studies have shown alternating opposite contraction movements such as a press and a pull will increase strength. Next time you go to bench press, try warming up with some close-grip cable rows and really focus on the contracting in the mid back and lats. You will find your strength and power off the chest really improves.
Controlling the tempo is the best way to correctly apply stress to the muscle and ensure you are using full range of motion and contraction. On strength based exercises I always try to lift explosively (as denoted by the 'X' in the '40X0') but I will utilize anywhere from a 3 to 6 second eccentric, or lowering portion of the weight.

Post workout nutrition:

Green Smoothie with:
-2 Celery Stalks
-1/2 a cucumber
-large handful of baby kale/ spinach/ chard
-large handful of thai greens
-1/4 wedge of lemon
-1 oz of fresh tumeric root
-1 tsp of cinnamon and stevia
-water to blend

"Egg-nog":
-4 raw eggs
-1/4 cup of raw grass-fed cream
-cinnamon, nutmeg, and stevia