Lessons learnt in training 2012 and how will it change 2013

[baldy]

What have you learnt looking back at your 2012 training and how will you change your training in 2013?

I put the key olympic lifts from my training log in a spreadsheet so I could compare the volume with gains. Not that easy to read as the year was a little all over the place.

First quarter I followed coaches plan but was not really super motivated, then a month holiday. Came back in 2nd quarter and did crazy volume with russian squat program, started issues with my knee.
3rd quarter, a lot more motivated and tried to follow a more high rep oly program. The gains I got where actually just as good as the squat program, with another back squat PB.
End of 3rd quarter went to physio with knee so dropped the squats. Interesting with a lot less volume, still made gains.

So the lesson for me is I don't need crazy volume to make gains. Better to have well planned consistent sessions with steady progression. Also want to be strict with 3 weeks then 1 deload week as from the graph PBs only seem to happen after a deload.


Pity I did not monitor my bodyweight throughout the year, in 2013 I want to get more of a grip on my bodyweight. Probably cut down to 94kg weight class, then after March do a bulk and see how easy I gain with an aim to get to 105kg.

[Talyn]

What are the coloured lines? Specific lifts?

Graphing 101: include a legend

[baldy]

What are the coloured lines? Specific lifts?

Graphing 101: include a legend

Cant you see the legend? Line is max weight for that session, bar is reps.
Red Snatch
Dark Green C&J
Blue Front Squat
Lime Green back Squat

[sosso]

I've learnt that reps are good and I should do more of them.

[ninearms]

Baldy, you are a wise man. Reasonable workouts are the key. Reasonable is repeatable, doable, and believable. I've just finished reading Dan John's latest book and that's one of his key points. He argues that in the real world training like crazy and peaking rarely work out as planned, and most of the time you'd see the same results spending most of the year training in a more reasonable manner (he suggests 10 months out of 12). After all, what's more effective in the long term: doing reasonable workouts that allow you to hit 90% year round without much effort, or some carefully planned peaking program that *might* have you being able to hit 100%+ a couple of times a year if the stars are aligned and then crashing for several months due to burnout/injury? Do the least you need to, not the most you can.

I'll write some more on this when I've finished putting together my plan for the next year.

[JP]

i think the major change is that i dont train at OSG any more, and it shows in my training volume, intensity and all around strength immediately. Also things like technique and simply just getting more out of myself is not happening like it used to. So if one wants to draw any kind of lesson from that in a reverse way, it is that nothing beats a good, experienced, talented and skill filled training crew, nothing. It is no co-incidence that all top athletes have coaches and people around them dedicated to the same goals. Strength sports while performed alone, in the end it is a team sport.

[Mellos]

What I have learnt is that for more gains you just need to work harder. An extra set, a few extra reps and that extra 5 kilos, maybe even a minute less rest, are what will make the difference between stalling and excelling. Also I have learnt that nutrition is WAY overrated. I have made all kinds of gains and losses while dieting, bulking or maintaining weight. The only thing that made some difference was cutting out chips, fries, juice and the likes.

[Mellos]

+ now I am looking for improvement in so many areas. Better mobility, conditioning, speed, technique, more volume, bigger weights, higher frequency where it used to be just about the biggest weights I can get. All those qualities matter to some extend. If you become faster, bigger, better conditioned, refine your technique and hit a PB in e.g. the floor press, the close grip incline and bench lockouts then there is no reason why you shouldn't succeed on the platform.

[knackers]

I started the year with some ok strength and it tapered off dramatically due to not training, which I blame as a result of letting stresses impact that, such as relationship issues / work issues / moving / finances / etc..
What I have learnt is no matter what is happening in your life, do not allow it to get into your training, you have to treat training as a given.. just like sleeping, it is something you MUST do. Switch the mind off and go train, don't let anything stop you reach your goals.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY. Consistent food/training/sleep, never ever let anything get in the way.

So for me, 2013 will be a consistent year, that is all that matters.

[seasiren]

I started the year with some ok strength and it tapered off dramatically due to not training, which I blame as a result of letting stresses impact that, such as relationship issues / work issues / moving / finances / etc..
What I have learnt is no matter what is happening in your life, do not allow it to get into your training, you have to treat training as a given.. just like sleeping, it is something you MUST do. Switch the mind off and go train, don't let anything stop you reach your goals.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY. Consistent food/training/sleep, never ever let anything get in the way.

So for me, 2013 will be a consistent year, that is all that matters.

This, This, THIS!!!

With the onset of RA, I have learned which grips I can use and which exercises I can perform realatively pain free. I have to take a nap or at the very least "lay down" on training days. I learned which supps did nothing for my RA (all of them actually). Water is my friend, which I'm bad with. Stretching is mandatory, during and after or I'll feel te consequences the next day. IIFYM does not work for me, I get sick pretty quick and it will cause a flare up, and loss of strength.

[blinki]

I learned the difference between bad pain and ok pain. I learned when bad pain happens not to just keep going best I can but to think what I would suggest to a friend then do that. I learned going to a physio is probably a good idea. Hopefully that learning won't be useful for 2013 but def worth learning.

I learned I don't get better at benching by doing anything other than benching, even stuff like incline bench. I assume the same applies to other lifts since front squatting and split leg don't seem to have improved my squat but there's a less clear comparison there. Maybe that'll change when I've been training longer but for now I need to bench to get better at benching ect. so makes sense to stick with 5/3/1 with big but boring assistance for the foreseeable future.