Active Recovery/Assistance Work

Mike Burgener

Sunday, and a new day in this style of training I am on, the name says it all, and below I will say what my thought process is behind all this.  Active recovery means I do not go to failure, although still challenging my muscles.

Alternate Sets
Machine Fly - 2x12.........70
Reverse Machine Fly - 2x12.....70

Lateral Raises - 2x12.......22s
Pulldowns - 2x12.........120

Reverse Grip Pushdowns - 2x12......70, 80
Hammer Curls - 2x12......25s, 30s

Leg Extension - 2x15....140, 170
Hamstring Curls - 2x15.........70

Bycicle - 1 minute
15 Situps
Med Ball Twist (20 lbs) - 1 minute
15 Situps
Plank - 1 minute
15 Situps

Overhead Squats - 2x10.....45

Hang Squat Snatch - 2x10.....45

Actually felt really good, the combination of the reps being high, the relative light weight and only doing 2 sets made my muscles work but not cause any muscular failure.  The last part is something I want to try and work on.  A combination of a locked ankle and general flexibility makes OH squats tough, so I had my heels really elevated and jsut used the bar.  That did allow me to go hamstring to calf though, it actually felt better than I expected I didn't think I'd get that low.  That felt good enough I gave some hang squat snatches a try, all went well again and was able to go all the way down, only because my heels were elevated though.  In time I will work on making sure my heels are flat but I was happy I was able to do both of those.

Now for my workout scheme, it seems random, and it could be said that it is, but mainly it's a crossfit/powerlifting/bodybuilding combination of training.  This past cycle I trained my legs with quad direct exercises 3 times, normally it's only one day but hit really hard on that one day, this spreads them out more through the week.  I want to increase my recovery, training the same muscle group multiple times a week, even 2 days in a row is a good way to do that, I just need to be smart about it.

If my legs are crippling sore, I'll let them rest, if they are a little sore I may still train them but won't go to absolute failure.  This past Tuesday I trained my legs when they were already sore, I actually felt better afterwards than I did going in, it sped up my recovery while activating my quads again.  I also want to try new styles of exercise pairing, heavy metcons I have found on crossfit (like the one I did Thursday).  And also I just wanted a change, whether a day is a rest day or a workout day will depend on how my body is feeling.  Right now I feel fully recovered, but I want to make sure I keep progressing and keep my training balanced, something that could be easy to forget when designing this style of training.

Over my years of lifting this will be the hardest to program, and I could make mistakeas, but it's still an experiment and I hope it goes well in terms of what my goals are, to become more althetic, more well rounded, and stronger.