Martin roy training log

**Martin Roy** · 3rd May 15, 06:08 PM

Went out to Shaffer Park to throw this afternoon but there was another event taking place so I ended up at the gym to lift instead. I have say it turned out for the best. Ever since I got up this morning I'd been feeling sluggish and without energy. I haven't had a good, solid lifting session in several weeks and as it turned out a lifting sesh was exactly what I needed.

It took me a half hour of warmup cardio to strike the energy chord - ten minutes each on bike, elliptical, more bike - but I finally got rolling.

Shoulder routine to start with the weights; moved to supersetting hammer curls and incline press with 35 and 40, a couple sets at each weight. Then went to flat bench for 5x5 with 135, with very brief rest ->min - in between sets. I haven't benched with any real weight for awhile so I wanted to use this as re-introduction to the bench.

Same with squatting - reentry session. After freak back spasms the last two times I've squatted, going back to before the Queen Mary in February, I approached the squat bar with extreme caution and respect. Three sets of ten with 135 - my warmup weight. All went well and it felt really good to squat again. Next time I'll move up in weight, carefully though.

Continued with bench row, pec deck chest and rear delts; then back for some more bike to finish off.

This was a solid full body session. Felt much better walking out of the gym than walking in the gym.

And that's what it's all about.

Which, if you think it through, means that good weight lifting sessions = the hokey pokey.

QED

**Martin Roy** · 5th May 15, 10:02 AM

Late start last night and pressed for time. Thus, I continued with the lifting reentry approach that I began on Sunday. Overhead press 5 sets of 5, two with 75 to warm up and 3 with 95; short rest in between sets. Moved to pull-ups to train the opposite, 5x5 with 130 offset. I have not done either of these moves for awhile and both felt good.

Tonight will be an off day, with plans to throw Wednesday and Friday after work. Thursday and Saturday are the season-ending trials for my shot put guys to determine who moves along in the quest for a spot in the State Finals.

**Martin Roy** · 9th May 15, 08:17 AM

Where did the last few days go?
(If you know the answer, don't tell me...)

Wednesday throwing by myself but my bro came by to watch, comment, and practice his bagpipes, demonstrating yet again the versatility of uses for Shaffer Park. Started with some hammer winding focused on the positioning of my shoulders and head, getting a big radius, and relaxing my arms to force more hip action. Moved on to wfd, some heavy but mostly lwfd - for some reason this was not feeling comfortable so I ended it after some footwork drilling. Continued with work on open stone technique, explaining and showing my brother the points that Gman had noticed in a recent session. This was time well spent in breaking down the event from start to finish and identifying the flaws and possible solutions. My sense is that I should be throwing a couple feet further in Braemar and 3-5 feet further in open. The fact that I'm not tells me that something needs to change.

Existential interference on Thursday - off day no training.

Friday throwing with Gman focusing exclusively on wfd. Immediate goals are the same for both events: go faster and throw higher. Thus, with each weight, starting with the heavy, after warm up foot work, began moving faster through the trig. The trick isn't finding more speed - pulling my left arm hard, triggers the speed - the trick is controlling the speed and maintaining form. Speed out of control is just another way of describing a foul.

Adjusting the trajectory of the throw to get more height is going to be more difficult. The question is when to adjust the orbit of the weight to get more lift. At the end with legs? Or changing the plane of the spin from the beginning? Or at some point between first and second spin? Or all of the above?

This is going to require some experimentation over the next few sessions. But that's what makes it fun. It's a constantly evolving puzzle with many, many pieces, tangible and intangible, and sometimes the pieces get lost.

And some pieces remain undiscovered until you realize you're at a dead end trying to fit a square piece into a round hole and you have to find a new piece before you can go further.

**Martin Roy** · 9th May 15, 09:02 PM

Zolk went 19'2" for an HG record today back in Maryland.

19'2" with a 56.

Extra extra beyond ordinary.

**Martin Roy** · 11th May 15, 12:29 PM

I am counting the minutes to quittin' time so I can go lift.

Saturday I was standing from 9am to 4pm straight while judging the local high schools league discus finals and I was stiff as a cement block by the time I went home.

Sunday I was sitting around all day for Mom activities with family.

Today I feel like a rusty old gate hinge and I'm craving a good lifting session to get all the parts moving again.

Just sayin'.

**Martin Roy** · 12th May 15, 01:38 PM

Lifting yesterday definitely counted as iron therapy more that simply training.
Started with warm up cardio: 5 min bike, 10 min elliptical, 10 min more bike. Then 3 sets of pull ups to stretch everything out. The weight room was crowded but the power rack was open for pulls. Two sets of 5 at 185 to get loose; two sets of 5 at 225 and felt good; two sets of 3 at 255 and finished with two sets of 2 with 275. Nice to pull some decent weight after the back issues; I expect to quickly return to 300+ in the next couple of weeks.

Moved on to hammer curls, incline bench with dbs, traps, seated bench row.
A quick stretch and out.
Much improved.

**Martin Roy** · 14th May 15, 09:46 AM

Wednesday wob night. This just felt like the right event to focus on as most of the last several sessions have been wfd, stones or hammer. Started out warming up with some hammer winding with both the light and the heavy. Then started easy wob tosses at 10 and after the third or fourth toss began feeling the groove. Moved to 10-6 for a couple more, all over cleanly. Up to 11 for 4-5 more tosses. All went over the bar but had it been competition several of them would have needed a fixed bar to count. However, I hit a couple with several inches of clearance.

I'm to the point where I'm very confident at 11. Thus, the focus is now on getting over 12 in competition and I was very close at Woodland.

After really struggling with this event during my first several years - it took me a long time to simply clear 10 - to be aiming at 12 with a realistic expectation of getting it, is very very satisfying.

**Martin Roy** · 15th May 15, 10:29 AM

I love squats. A good session with decent weight provides a deep relaxation unlike any other movement. Last night I had the best session I've had since mid-February when my lower parts went all weird on me. It wasn't a lot of weight relative to what I was lifting before, but it was enough to let me know with certainty that I can start moving the numbers back up again.

Three sets of 5 at 135 to warm up. Then, two sets of 5 at 185; this was the weight at which my back spasmed the second time so there was a bit of trepidation during the descent. However, as I came out of the hole without a hitch, I knew I was back in business. Continued with two sets of 5 at 205, then two final sets of 5 at 225. Nice and tight, everything's all right. I refrained from dancing.

I did some other stuff, too, but I don't remember exactly what.
And as relaxed as I was, I slept like a baby.

**Martin Roy** · 16th May 15, 05:08 PM

Friday evening I pulled into the parking lot at the gym and decided to return a business call before I went in to lift. Over an hour later I was still on the phone and my gym window had closed. Headed home with a shrug. C'est la vie.

Today I'm giving myself a pass. I sorta wanna lift, but I'm also sorta tired. And I want to have a good throwing session tomorrow. After hemming and hawing for the last couple of hours I decided on a pass. With the extra rest I should feel strong and ready to hit it tomorrow.

So that's the plan.

**Martin Roy** · 18th May 15, 10:08 AM

Good, long hammer session yesterday afternoon at Shaffer Park. Spectacular day, quiet and all to myself, except for Wayne Shaffer working on one of his many projects with the bulldozer. Spoke with him briefly to confirm the date for the Duke Kahanamoku H'Island Games in a few weeks. Kilts and Hawaiian shirts being the mode o' day at this annual event.

Anyway, hammer work consisted of a lot of winding for conditioning and positioning, plus about a dozen or so tosses. In addition, I had an epiphany about how to use blades for practice - in general the ground is too sandy for blades at the park. It should work and I'll try it out next session.

Moved on to wob, going for conditioning and specific form points. A dozen or so over at 10.

Lifted some weights - primarily box squats with 135 for a change of pace - and hanging from a pull up bar for grip conditioning.

Good day at the Park.