I figure this Locker Room could serve a few purposes.

1. Give people the opportunity to see how I train (CT can't have all the fun). I'll preface all of this by stating that I am not a powerlifter (I'm too "veiny"), nor am I a bodybuilder (I hate fanny packs). I'm just someone who likes to lift enough weight that will make small children cry (or make people destroy the back of their pants), while having abs that would totally win a fight against a mack truck.

2. As such, I think it would be cool to give people an opportunity to see some of the shenanigans that go down at Cressey Performance (www.cresseyperformance.com).

3. Share my affinity for Kate Beckinsale, Megan Fox, and various other badonkadonks.

4. Oh yeah, and answer your questions about training, nutrition, corrective exercise, how to make girls want to hang out with you.

Some more pertinent info: for those that know me, you know that my knees suck, and I am always trying to make them feel better. Alas, I am one stubborn sumbitch and often never take my own advice (which is why I always say that the hardest person to train is yourself). Regardless, you will notice I take more of a cybernetic approach to training. While I do write out my own programs (or follow ones that EC or other members of our staff write), I will generally base my training sessions on how I feel that particular day and I may tweak things from time to time. Deal with it.....;o)

I'm also currently playing in my adult (30+) baseball league this summer, so my training is also influenced by that. FYI: I'm totally dominating.

Current stats:

Wins: 5
Losses: 0
Innings Pitched: 37
Runs: 2
Earned Runs: 1
Walks: 6
Strikeouts: 64
ERA: 0.24
Saves: 1
Broken Bats: 7
People who have pissed their pants facing my forkball: 17

All in all, I hope people enjoy this and I definitely think this is gonna be fun.

Lets just make this easy. I do a shit-ton of foam rolling and activation stuff before I train. If people are really THAT interested in what I do, I'll think about posting it. In the mean time, just know that it's important, and god clubs a baby seal every time someone doesn't warm-up properly (true story).

That being said, just assume that I do my foam rolling and activation stuff prior to every session. I'll post some general thoughts on this later on.

Saturdays tend to be one of the better days to train at CP. We have a really cool group of guys that train with us (props go out to Dan T, Clark, Danny V, Omri, the CP staff, and all our current interns, who coincidently should be cleaning something right now. MOVE IT!!).

Today I just wanted to lift heavy stuff. No other way to explain it.

Pre-Work: Box Jumps 5x5

A1. Cambered Bar Goodmorning 6x3

Bar x whatever
155 x5
205 x3
245 x3
295 x1

Start of Work Sets
335 x3
355 x3
365 x3
375 x3
375 x3
375 x3

A2. No Money Drill x 8 per set

B. Conventional Speed Pulls 6x1 (315, 315, 315, 365, 365, 365)

Followed this with 3x5 (405, 405, 425)

FYI: Yes, I did deadlifts after goodmornings......blasphemy I know. Been doing a lot of deadlifts lately. Since I am limited with when and how I can squat, I tend to do a ton of deadlifting. Total awesomeness.

C1. Glute Ham Raise 3x10 (nice and easy)
C2. Landmines 3x5 per side
D. Honestly, I forgot. I suck

Video of those goodmornings. This was set #4

375x3

7/28/2008

I heart Spike, that's all I have to say.

A1. 2-Board Press (6x1 at 90%+)

Warm-Up Sets: no board

135x whatever
185x3 (Dan who was doing speed bench next to me with 185 was totally dominated by me during my warm-up set. Toodles Dan)

225x3
245x3

Add in Boards

275x1
305x1
315x1 (tied PR, and was pissed. Wanted to really get 320/325 here, but 315 was slow as molasses. And yes, I have always had a sucky bench, so shut up. I'm sensitive about it.)
300x1
305x1
305x1

A2. Various hip mobility drills

B1. Low Incline DB Press-Neutral Grip
90x8
90x8
90x7

B2. Seated Cable Row-Wide Pronated Grip

Full stack, bitch x 12
Full stack, bitch x 12
Full stack, bitch x 12

A few notes here: #1. We need to get more weight for our seated row machine. #2. These are STRICT seated rows. None of this swaying/leaning back nonsense or herky-jerky "I'm having a seizure" nonsense either. I guess what I'm really trying to say is that these looked really sexy.

C1. Pulldowns (wanted to do chin-ups here, but my right elbow sucks right now, and those hurt, hence the wimpy ass pulldowns. I'm sad.)

130x10
130x10

C2. DB Skull-Crushers (kind of in body-builder mode tonight...oops)

50x8
50x8
50x8

D. Prone Trap Raise

15x10
15x10

7/29/08

Pre-Work: Lateral Hurdle Hops 5x5

Also, we had a pissing match of testing our verticals tonight. Eric jumped 33.7, a new PR for him. Pete jumped 33.5, a new PR for him as well. Brian jumped 30.7, surprise....PR. I jumped a pathetic 27.9 and am officially the least athletic person at CP. Although I did strike out 19 batters in my last outing, so suck it fellas.

A. Speed Rack Pulls vs Bands (medium). I think the last time I did these was when I trained at South Side Gym in Stratford, CT (two years ago). Figured would have a little fun tonight and do them again. Video to follow

8x2 (bar weight of 275 plus purple bands on each side. Not quite sure how much tension that adds at the top, but I want to say 130ish)

Followed these with 2x3 of heavy trap bar deadlifts

Worked up to:

505x3
515x3 (video to follow)

B1. Glute Ham Raise-Incline

BW+10 lb vest x8
BW+10 lb vest x8
BW+10 lb vest x8

B2. Cable Wood Chops-chest height

70x10 per side
80x10 per side
80x10 per side

C1. One Legged Squats 3x8

From an 18 inch box for the good leg: squatted down as low as possible.

SLOOOOOW eccentrics with the right leg (bad knee) to the bench for sets of 8

C2. Scapular Push-Ups of med balls 3x10, with Scapular Wall Slides for 3x10

D. Forward sled push (3 plates) 2x30 yds.

We do these on rubber matting, so it's essentially the worst thing, ever. Brian almost puked. Almost.

Video of speed rack pulls with average bands

Look at those triceps, ladies?

EDIT: I need to get my hips lower.

UPDATE: Ladies, did I mention I like to fly kites and collect teddy bears?

Trap Bar Deadlift

515x3

Eh, wasn't perfect, but whatever.

TG,
For your box jumps, what height do you normally use?

Oh, does it mean your abs can no longer go against a tank? Cause that would be bad ass!

Look! A fellow Fitcast Co-Host! Fabulous.

Nice thread. Nice Triceps. I'm pretty sure everybody noticed them before you said anything...

The bodybuilder in me compliments your DB Skull Crushers. Great exercise. Do it all the time. Especially on a decline bench ;)

Good work -

Jen

So I know I'm not one to talk or anything... but on those speed pulls I think I can hear your lumbar spine sobbing softly in the corner.

Looking forward to more

In your second post you list "A2. No Money Drill."

What the heck is that?

Gregg

So this week is the tail end of a "very" high volume week. In terms of how we set up/organize programming at Cressey Performance, we like to fluctuate training stress during a four week micro-cycle:

Week #1: High Volume
Week #2: Medium Volume
Week #3: Very High Volume
Week #4: Deload, Low Volume

This particular training session was my last upper body session of the week, and I'm not gonna lie, I was totally in bodybuilder mode. GASP!!!!

7/31/08

Pete, Brian and I met up at 10:30 AM to train before we opened for clients, and I have to say that I generally feel the best whenever I train in the 10-11 AM range. Also, today I carbed up. CARBS!!!!!!!!!!! I'm not trying to get uber lean or anything, but I have been averaging roughly 80-120 grams of carbs per day for the past three weeks, which IS low for me. I'm one of those people that everyone hates and can handle carbs well. CARBS!!!!!!! Did I mention I'm eating carbs today?

Warm-up and pre-work included sipping my Spike and discussing the finer points of when it's cool to start thinking about dating other people after a break-up. According to Pete, three weeks. I say it takes a helluva lot longer.

A. Speed Bench vs. Chains (video to follow)

6x3

Ended up using a bar weight of 165 with two chains on each end of the bar (each chain weighs 15 lbs), for a total bar weight of 225 lbs at the top, and about 180ish at the bottom). Felt reallly good with these

B1. Heavy Bench 2x3

275x2
275x2

I'm such a disgrace to benchers everywhere. Video of Brian St. Pierre doing 285 for a triple to follow. And for the record, I have longer arms than Brian (wink wink, nudge nudge).

B2. Various Hip Mobility drills. I like Prying. Check out Mike Robertson's article "Olympic vs. Powerlifting Squats" for a video of Prying (on the 2nd page)

C1. Flat DB Press

100x6
100x6
102.5x6

C2. Chest Supported Row-Neutral Grip

115x5
110x5
110x5
110x5

And while many of you will look at 110-115 on a chest supported row and think, "WTF, I can do like 200 lbs, Tony is weaker than a baby's fart," just know that we have an EliteFTS chest supported row and the lever arm is looooooooong. So shut up.

D1. 1-Arm Standing Cable Row

120x8/side
130x8/side
130x8/side

D2. Standing Tricep Pressdown

80x12
80x11
80x10

E1. Scaption

30x8
30x8
30x8

E2. Tall Kneeling Cable Chops

80x8/side
90x8/side
90x8/side

Holy shitballs that was a lot of volume. When I was done however, I looked goooooooooood. I was going to take a picture of my back and post it, but didn't. Maybe I will soon.

Video of speed bench with chains

Bar Weight= 165
Chains: two on each side (15 lbs each)

Total bar weight: 225 at the top, 180ish at the bottom.

Yes, I wore a Nike Fit shirt while I trained today. It's my facility and I can wear what I want.

Here is Brian St. Pierre hitting 285 for a triple. I basically hate him. And just so you know Brian, that was slow as shit.

Additionally, this is a lesson for all you young guys out there, so pay particular attention. Notice how I didn't yell, "all you, all you, all you" as Brian was finishing the lift? Yeah, don't be that guy.



On an aside, both Dan T and Clark hit PR's in their bench today. Dan T is prepping for his second powerlifting meet and Clark is a stud football player at a local college (Stonehill).

Dan: PR of 345
Clark: PR of 330 (which is up 45 lbs in roughly 8 weeks of training at CP. We rule). Congrats fellas. Being the idiot that I am, I didn't get it on video.

Just a little head's up. My next training session will be taking place in Vermont on Saturday. I'm actually going to be training with fellow T-Nation.com/figureathlete.com contributor Jen Heath (we're both going to be there for a friend's wedding). Sooooooooo, if you guys play your cards right, I may post pictures/videos of Jen training. But only if you're really nice.

Okay I lied. I trained today, albeit it was just a quick mobility/EST session.

A1. Slide Board Push-Ups w/Band 3x10
A2. Mountain-Climbers 3x5/side
B1. Reverse Lunge from Deficit (bodyweight) 3x8 per
B2. Standing Scarecrows 3x10
C1. Bowler Squats 2x8 per
C2. Landmines 2x5/side

EST Work:

A1. Farmer's Walks (nice and easy: 90 lbs bar weight, I have no idea what the actual bars weigh) x3 trips of 40 yards (down and back)

A2. Med Ball Circuit (rotational throws + underhand scoop): 3x10 each

Followed by some hardcore incline walking on the treadmill for 15 minutes.

Shit, shave, shower, eat, and then we're off to Vermont.

As I stated before, I'm going to be training with Jen Heath (as Nate Green has noted, she's a MILF: Mom I'd Like to Front squat with. Or as I would note: MILFAPSSPSR: Mom I'd Like to Front squat with And Possibly Share Some Protein Shake Recipes) tomorrow. Should be a blast. Any bets on who will puke first?

Wow Man> Great Pitching!

Couple/Few Questions a comment and a request.

1.) How are you feeling with the Pitching compared to your earlier years? Just guessing here but it seems you have much more training/ probably better quality training under your belt now compared to when you pitched in your younger years. Just wondering if you can throw as hard/ long/ more often?

2.) If you could do it all over again. (Pitching career obviously your love) What would you have done differently starting in your teenage years?

3.) Love that no money drill> my kids do that one naturally> seem to have the movement pattern down from and early age though I call it the NEED MONEY DRILL

4.) I for one would like to hear the WHOLE LONG STORY of the Foam Roller Mobility stuff in its entirety.

Keep the Log Going!!!
Thanks Ray

Good log Tony, always interested to see what's up at Cressey Performance.

I'm heading into Phase 4 of Maximum Strength next week.

Great log Tony, thanks for the shout out.
See you on Sunday.

Awesome log, Tony. I look forward to polluting it with obnoxious remarks soon :-)
See you soon for training.

Tony

Like you, I love pull-throughs. Trouble is, I'm pretty light (70kg) and find that I can't use enough weight to tax my posterior chain without the stack pulling me backwards off my feet and putting me at serious risk of some very unpleasant rope burns, if you know what I mean. Other than gaining 20kg overnight, do you have any tips that might help?

Thanks

Rob