Adarq.org

From anything I've scrolled around in here, the first thing that jumped to me so to speak is that you need to stand much straigher (perpendicular to the ground) when you do the lunge jumps and you need to dorsiflex better in the depth jumps in my opinion.

So, I'm doing VJB Intermediate Strength/Plyos.  Finished the first week, and here is what I did:

*Squats 3x6 - 160 lbs - Weds./ 170 lbs Sat.
*Romanian Deadlifts 3x6 - 135 lbs. Weds./ 140 lbs. Sat.
*Jumpsquats with barbell 3x12 - 65 lbs. both Weds. and Sat. (was supposed to be 10% of max squat, but I'm guessing my max is between 225 and 270 or so, so I just went with 65???  No rhyme or reason, but 10% is useless and impossible with a 45 lbs. barbell)
*Depth Jumps - 3x5 from 18" box
*Alternating Lunge Jumps - 3x10 each leg
*Rim jumps (jumping towards rim) - 3x10

Ok, additionally, I just played ball full-court for about 1.5 hours tonight to help burn off some excess fat.  I plan on starting week 2 on Tuesday or Wednesday.  Here are my exercises, just wanted to know if they all looked correct for the most part?

2nd set of squats, day 1:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PnYCpfJPOw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PnYCpfJPOw</a>
Lunge Jumps, day 2:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaO3q4W99HY" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaO3q4W99HY</a>
2nd set of RDLs, Day 1:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zuz_DQO2tU" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Zuz_DQO2tU</a>
Depth Jumps, Day 2:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkqlFoT1yEM" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkqlFoT1yEM</a>
Jump Squats, Day 1:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9-uhbqqghQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9-uhbqqghQ</a>

 squats- knees and hips are shifting around forward and backwards, slow down at the top and set each rep up more methodically.  Youre also leaning forward at the bottom looking for extra depth, push the knees out a little and you will be able to stay more upright and get the extra depth you need.  Using a thick pad like that raises the center of mass and makes the squat harder, giving you less control of the bar.

lunge jumps-  stay more upright with your torso, take a slightly more closed stance.

depth jumps- push off the box a little with the back foot when dropping off the box, and dorsi flex your ankles in the air.

rdl- take that pad off the bar and keep it closer to you.  Push your hips back more, keep your shoulders in front of the bar, and finish the lift by driving your glutes through the bar while keeping the abdominals tight.

jump squats- need much more ankle extension at the end of those reps, try to drive holes in the floor with the balls of your feet when you leave the ground.

Additionally, I'm currently "skinny fat."  My playing weight in JUCO ball was 169 lbs. or so, I'm up to 180 lbs after sitting around the house for the last few years.  Any modifications I can make to this program to help burn off excess weight/body fat quicker?  I've seen in several of the older journals that you guys suggested jumping days and for people to go all out jumping 15-30 times until their performance drops...

What does this type of jumping consist of?  Repeated run ups to a rim?

max effort jumping, running, standing, one step, etc., just maximum effort jumps.  submax jumps can be done in much greater volume.

Would this help burn off fat, or should I add in days of sprints?

Your diet will determine how much fat you burn off.

Diet-wise, I was hoping to see more results than what I have so far in the last month since I've made a few changes - I was up to 3-7 fast food meals a week for awhile...  In the last month, I've probably only had fast food 4 times, so if you averaged it out, once a week. 

I've ate more lean meats (turkey, chicken), but usually with sandwiches.  I've also started eating organic burritos as they are less processed and they are chicken as well.  Should I cut these out also?  I know fruits and veggies are vital.  But any other suggestions to speed up the "leaning" down process?

keep protein intake very high, from 1 - 1.5 grams per lb of bodyweight, control fat and carb intake so that youre consistently losing weight, but not fatigued all day. 

I also have a pretty big problem with soda... 

crystal light, coke zero, etc., this makes a HUGE difference over the long haul if you are drinking a lot of calories.

Any help would be greatly appreciated Adarqui and Lance!

(all my stats are found in my intro and journal if needed)

good luck man, train hard, make pr's on the lifts that matter, and be consistent.

 squats- knees and hips are shifting around forward and backwards, slow down at the top and set each rep up more methodically.  Youre also leaning forward at the bottom looking for extra depth, push the knees out a little and you will be able to stay more upright and get the extra depth you need.  Using a thick pad like that raises the center of mass and makes the squat harder, giving you less control of the bar.

lunge jumps-  stay more upright with your torso, take a slightly more closed stance.

depth jumps- push off the box a little with the back foot when dropping off the box, and dorsi flex your ankles in the air.

rdl- take that pad off the bar and keep it closer to you.  Push your hips back more, keep your shoulders in front of the bar, and finish the lift by driving your glutes through the bar while keeping the abdominals tight.

jump squats- need much more ankle extension at the end of those reps, try to drive holes in the floor with the balls of your feet when you leave the ground.

As far as squats and RDLs, the thing I struggle with is making sure I have enough weight on the bar that I can feel it in the required muscles, but not wanting too much weight on it that it destroys my form. 

Also, when taking weightlifting in high school, I never took the powerlifts seriously and didn't think they had any benefit for me - smh, how ignorant I was, lol.  But, back then, I was under the impression that we were supposed to stay tight in our form when squatting, like legs should be in line with the shoulders.  So, to hear/see people say to push the knees out a little bit is definitely an adjustment I'll have to make because my main concern is getting low enough to feel it without getting stuck down there.

And with the depth jumps and jump squats, I should really just focus on dorsiflexion on both so that I can feel the flex up through my calves right?

All that being said, you don't think I did too bad for just getting back into this?

And should I still get good gains in strength/plyos despite the few kinks I need to work out?  I definitely still felt it, lol.

Thanks for all the tips, I'll try to update my journal with videos from each workout so you guys can see the progress/adjustments as I go.

max effort jumping, running, standing, one step, etc., just maximum effort jumps.  submax jumps can be done in much greater volume.

Any suggested routine for this?  How many sets/reps?  How many times a week in addition to my two scheduled workout days?  I'm willing to do whatever physically in my power to get the results!

Your diet will determine how much fat you burn off.


keep protein intake very high, from 1 - 1.5 grams per lb of bodyweight, control fat and carb intake so that youre consistently losing weight, but not fatigued all day. 

From what you briefly mentioned to me in the chat yesterday about protein, I assume it's to my benefit to use whey protein even on non-workout days...  So, I had a protein shake for dinner.  Along with an egg this morning for breakfast, 1 at lunch with a turkey sandwich, and 2 eggs with the shake at dinner.

And when you say "control" fat and carb intake, does that mean I should aim to limit it to a minimum or keep track of it if it's mixed in with the protein?  Like the turkey/chicken sandwiches for example?  Should I try to eliminate bread from my diet altogether for the time being?

crystal light, coke zero, etc., this makes a HUGE difference over the long haul if you are drinking a lot of calories. 

This is gonna be a struggle.  I'm worried about all the artificial crap in the diet drinks so in my mind, I'm most likely gonna have to go cold turkey.

good luck man, train hard, make pr's on the lifts that matter, and be consistent.

Sorry to be such a noob, but does pr mean personal record?

And last thing...  You think this program will be beneficial to me and I could see some major gains and drop in body fat along the way?

Thanks so much for all the feedback man, I'll do my best to implement all the adjustments!

Quote from: LanceSTS on July 11, 2011, 09:24:59 pm

 squats- knees and hips are shifting around forward and backwards, slow down at the top and set each rep up more methodically.  Youre also leaning forward at the bottom looking for extra depth, push the knees out a little and you will be able to stay more upright and get the extra depth you need.  Using a thick pad like that raises the center of mass and makes the squat harder, giving you less control of the bar.

lunge jumps-  stay more upright with your torso, take a slightly more closed stance.

depth jumps- push off the box a little with the back foot when dropping off the box, and dorsi flex your ankles in the air.

rdl- take that pad off the bar and keep it closer to you.  Push your hips back more, keep your shoulders in front of the bar, and finish the lift by driving your glutes through the bar while keeping the abdominals tight.

jump squats- need much more ankle extension at the end of those reps, try to drive holes in the floor with the balls of your feet when you leave the ground.

As far as squats and RDLs, the thing I struggle with is making sure I have enough weight on the bar that I can feel it in the required muscles, but not wanting too much weight on it that it destroys my form. 

Also, when taking weightlifting in high school, I never took the powerlifts seriously and didn't think they had any benefit for me - smh, how ignorant I was, lol.  But, back then, I was under the impression that we were supposed to stay tight in our form when squatting, like legs should be in line with the shoulders.  So, to hear/see people say to push the knees out a little bit is definitely an adjustment I'll have to make because my main concern is getting low enough to feel it without getting stuck down there.

You are supposed to stay tight, youre not though, youre knees and hips and moving in several different directions on the way down and on the way up.  Pushing the knees out or "spreading the floor" is a cue that activates the glutes and will keep the knees tracking correctly over the big toe.  Just stand in a shoulder width stance, push out to the sides of your feet with your weight over mid foot, feel that in the hips?  That will keep you tighter, and help you have more of a consistent groove in the squat.

And with the depth jumps and jump squats, I should really just focus on dorsiflexion on both so that I can feel the flex up through my calves right?

Focus on plantar flexion on the jump squats at toe off, dorsi flexion on any jump in the air or going into the plant.

All that being said, you don't think I did too bad for just getting back into this?

And should I still get good gains in strength/plyos despite the few kinks I need to work out?  I definitely still felt it, lol.

yea you arent doing anything really dangerous or that far off, you just need to make some minor changes so that you can progress and when you get to the heavier weights you wont hurt yourself.

Thanks for all the tips, I'll try to update my journal with videos from each workout so you guys can see the progress/adjustments as I go.

Quote

max effort jumping, running, standing, one step, etc., just maximum effort jumps.  submax jumps can be done in much greater volume.

Any suggested routine for this?  How many sets/reps?  How many times a week in addition to my two scheduled workout days?  I'm willing to do whatever physically in my power to get the results!

I would definitely jump at least 3 times a week if improving vert is your goal, you could add a third day of jumps, 15-30 jumps stopping at drop off, but get at least 15 either way.

Quote

Your diet will determine how much fat you burn off.


keep protein intake very high, from 1 - 1.5 grams per lb of bodyweight, control fat and carb intake so that youre consistently losing weight, but not fatigued all day. 

From what you briefly mentioned to me in the chat yesterday about protein, I assume it's to my benefit to use whey protein even on non-workout days...  So, I had a protein shake for dinner.  Along with an egg this morning for breakfast, 1 at lunch with a turkey sandwich, and 2 eggs with the shake at dinner.

And when you say "control" fat and carb intake, does that mean I should aim to limit it to a minimum or keep track of it if it's mixed in with the protein?  Like the turkey/chicken sandwiches for example?  Should I try to eliminate bread from my diet altogether for the time being?

Right, control the carbs and fats, keep the protein high.  Eliminating the majority of breads from your diet is a great idea if youre goal is rapid fat loss.

Quote

crystal light, coke zero, etc., this makes a HUGE difference over the long haul if you are drinking a lot of calories. 

This is gonna be a struggle.  I'm worried about all the artificial crap in the diet drinks so in my mind, I'm most likely gonna have to go cold turkey.

thats a big myth btw about the diet drinks, but however you want to stop drinking sugars, do it that way.  You can kill your diet by drinking sugars very easily. 

Quote

good luck man, train hard, make pr's on the lifts that matter, and be consistent.

Sorry to be such a noob, but does pr mean personal record?

And last thing...  You think this program will be beneficial to me and I could see some major gains and drop in body fat along the way?

Thanks so much for all the feedback man, I'll do my best to implement all the adjustments!

np man,

pr= personal record, yes, make sure you are progressively lifting more weight, or doing more reps, every workout.  If youre doing a vjb program it will be just fine, your body fat progress is going to have to much much much much more with your diet than your training.  You cant outwork a bad diet, so if you keep it in check, for sure you will lose fat.

Hey Lance,
Here is my update from my journal!

Let me know what you think!

Thanks man!

Week 2 Day 1 (Wednesday Night)

Feeling pretty good, no real soreness or aches going in.

I started the workout, before dynamic stretching or anything, went straight in cold and practiced my jumps and recorded it to check the form and get some feedback if needed. 

My left ankle bothered me a little bit when I planted and jumped, but this is somewhat expected as it is weaker due to a horrible sprain in that ankle in 06.

Anyway, I did a few jumps...  Then went into my dynamic stretching and workout.  I didn't do any warm-up reps with the weights either, I just went straight into the weights from the plyos and here is how the workout went:

• 4x10 Rim or high object jumps
• 4x10 Rhythmic Lunge jumps
• 4x5 Depth Jumps
• 4x10 Jump Squat - 75 lbs.
• 4x5 RDLs - 140 lbs.
• 4x5 Squats - 180 lbs.

Now here's the videos, any feedback would be awesome...  I tried to make a few adjustments to my form in the squats and slight adjustments to RDLs that Lance recommended. 

And as a side note, maybe it was just the first week loosening the hammys up or whatever, but I didn't feel nearly as much "pull" or "stretch" while doing RDLs and Squats this week?  Anybody have an idea why?

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LMy65gzqgQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LMy65gzqgQ</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qex5qZaQYes" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qex5qZaQYes</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWrR3JRksk8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWrR3JRksk8</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBG1aCUDp4Q" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBG1aCUDp4Q</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgLmFlTE368" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgLmFlTE368</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRqdP0duuSM" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRqdP0duuSM</a>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLwYMPCQiEk" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLwYMPCQiEk</a>

 I only watched a set or two of each lift man, but everything looks better already.  The squats look much better and more stable, youre not shifting around in the bottom anymore.  The rdl still needs a little work as far as locking in the back, watch this video and listen to the cues at the first part

http://startingstrength.com/index.php/site/platform_the_rdl


Much better extension on the jump squats, you may want to use a little more knee bend but youre defintely getting more out of your calves and achilles tendons now.  Depth jumps still need more dorsi flexion, really lift the toes as you step off the box.  Youre stutter stepping on the jumps, practice some shorter run ups first and get good at them, then when you progress into a full approach you will be much more fluid and not break the momentum.  always accelerate into the rim, never decelerate.

 definitely an improvement in form though man in most everything there, keep up the good work.

Thanks so much for checking everything out and the great feedback man!

I will start working on implementing all the new suggestions as well.

Just want to make sure I'm understanding right -

*So on the depth jumps, I should dorsiflex as I step of the box on the way down to the plant?  So am I wanting to land on my mid-foot to heel then explode off my toes on the way back up?

*In practicing max jumps on non-workout days, what do you think would be a good schedule?  I know you said before that reps wise I should just go until my performance drops off...  But as far as days, what should I do?  My VJB days are probably going to remain on Weds and Saturdays (I would do Friday but I feel I need the 2 days in between to really go at it hard on the 2nd day).  So when would be good times to do it within that frame?

*Just wanted to make sure on my Rim/high object jumps, do you know if I'm supposed to do it in a rapid-fire manner with as toe contact to ground immediately followed by going back up?  Or am I supposed to jump, lower myself, gather, swing arms and go back up?

*And I know with any athletic goals it takes hard work, time, and dedication, but from what you've seen so far and me just starting from pretty much the bottom of my athletic prowess ever, do you think it's possible I'll be able to dunk eventually?

Thanks again man for everything, and I definitely felt the difference in my squats and saw the advantage in the tips you gave me on my form.  Although I may have to keep using the "pussy pad" (as we called it in high school) because that bar jacked my neck up Wednesday, it's still sore now, lol.

New concern I had a question about:

Okay, so I started the first week of the program doing Weds and Sat as my workout days.  Second week I did Weds and then had to wait until Sunday to do the second day.  This week (my 3rd week), I was supposed to get back on my Weds/Sat schedule, but I have exams this week so I wasn't able to go workout today...  That should put me at Thursday and Saturday as my workout days this week.

My question is, the program just requires 2 days a week with at least one day in between workouts (48 hours rest).  So, with my schedule fluctuating, will this hurt my results?  OR as long as I get my 2 days a week (7 days) should I be good?  Also, will my extended period between workouts hurt my results?