12/20/12
Max Effort Lower
Weight - 211.2
4.5" Elevated Deadlift - 135x10, 225x5, 315x5, 405x3, 495x1, 575x1, 635x1
Back Squat - 135x8, 225x8, 225x8, 275x8
1.5" Deficit Deadlift - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 425x8
Rope Pull Thru - 135x3x15
TRX Ham Curl - 3x10
12/22/12
Dynamic Effort Upper
Green Band Bench Press - 8x3x250
1/2 Military Press - 135x8, 185x8, 225x8, 275x8
Rope Tricep Pushdown + Weighted Closegrip Pushups (+45) - 3x15 each
Lat Pulldowns - 3x12
DB Row - 125x3x8
12/23/12
Dynamic Effort Lower
Green Band Back Squat - 300x5x3
Green Band Deadlift - 350x4x3
Barbell Lunge - 135x16, 185x16, 225x16, 315x16, 365x10
Shoulder Supported Barbell Hip Extension - 225x8, 405x8, 585x15
Leg Press - 8 plates x15, 16 plates x15, 24 plates x15
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Training 12/18/12
Training 12/18/12
Max Effort Upper
Weight - 214.2
3 Board (6 3/4") Bench Press - 135x10, 225x10, 315x5, 405x3, 495x1, 525x1, 545x1
DB Incline Press - 100x8, 125x8, 125x8, 125x10
JM Press - 135x10, 155x10
Lat Pull Downs - 3x10
Single Arm Cable Row - 3x12
Max Effort Upper
Weight - 214.2
3 Board (6 3/4") Bench Press - 135x10, 225x10, 315x5, 405x3, 495x1, 525x1, 545x1
DB Incline Press - 100x8, 125x8, 125x8, 125x10
JM Press - 135x10, 155x10
Lat Pull Downs - 3x10
Single Arm Cable Row - 3x12
Monday, December 17, 2012
Training 12/11, 12/13, 12/15
Training 12/11/12
Max Effort Press
Weight 213.4
1/2 Bench Press from pins - 135x10, 225x5, 315x3, 405x3, 505x1
Incline Press - 135x8, 225x5, 275x5, 340x5
Floor Press - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 375x8
Rope Tricep Pushdowns - 3x20
Diamond Pushups - BWx15, BW+25x15, BW+45x15
Pull Ups - 4x10
Training 12/13/12
Max Effort Lower
Weight 212.6
Above the knee Rack Pull - 225x8, 315x8, 405x5, 495x5, 585x3. 675x2
Good Morning - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 405x8
Shoulder Supported Hip Extension - 225x8, 405x8, 585x20
Training 12/15/12
Dynamic Upper
Band Bench Press - 8x3x250
1/2 Military Press - 135x8, 225x8, 275x8, 305x6
3 Board Band Close Grip Press - 135x8, 225x8, 305x8
Pull Ups - 4x10
Tricep Pushups - BWx10, +45x2x10, +65x10
DB Single Arm Row - 125x8, 135x8, 150x8
Max Effort Press
Weight 213.4
1/2 Bench Press from pins - 135x10, 225x5, 315x3, 405x3, 505x1
Incline Press - 135x8, 225x5, 275x5, 340x5
Floor Press - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 375x8
Rope Tricep Pushdowns - 3x20
Diamond Pushups - BWx15, BW+25x15, BW+45x15
Pull Ups - 4x10
Training 12/13/12
Max Effort Lower
Weight 212.6
Above the knee Rack Pull - 225x8, 315x8, 405x5, 495x5, 585x3. 675x2
Good Morning - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 405x8
Shoulder Supported Hip Extension - 225x8, 405x8, 585x20
Training 12/15/12
Dynamic Upper
Band Bench Press - 8x3x250
1/2 Military Press - 135x8, 225x8, 275x8, 305x6
3 Board Band Close Grip Press - 135x8, 225x8, 305x8
Pull Ups - 4x10
Tricep Pushups - BWx10, +45x2x10, +65x10
DB Single Arm Row - 125x8, 135x8, 150x8
Monday, December 10, 2012
Training 12/8/12 and 12/9/12
Training 12/8/12
Dynamic Upper
Weight 215.4
Green Band Bench - 8x3x225
1/2 Barbell Military Press - 135x8, 185x8, 225x8, 275x8, 315x5
Close Grip Bench - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 405x5, 315x17
DB Tricep Extension - 70x8, 80x8, 85x8
BW+ 25lbs Pull Ups - 4x10
DB Single Arm Row - 125x3x8
Training 12/9/12
Dynamic Lower
Weight 213
Green Band Squat - 8x3x300
Green Band Deadlift - 4x3x350
Shoulder Supported Barbell Hip Extension - 225x10, 405x10, 575x10, 765x5
DB Reverse Lunge - 3x16x125
Both lifts went pretty well, with the exception of some pretty intense pain in my right knee. It seems like these mystery injuries pop up relatively frequently.. I have know idea how the pain started, in fact I remember it first bothering me last week on an off day. It began as an ache that peaked on Friday, and I thought it was getting better. Anyway late Sunday night I could barely sleep because of the pain. Going to see a friend who is a physical therapist to get a professional opinion. I probably needed longer than a week rest, but it's ok... I'm going to Kentucky this weekend to visit family and will just use that time as extra rest instead of worrying about squeezing workouts in somewhere.
Dynamic Upper
Weight 215.4
Green Band Bench - 8x3x225
1/2 Barbell Military Press - 135x8, 185x8, 225x8, 275x8, 315x5
Close Grip Bench - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 405x5, 315x17
DB Tricep Extension - 70x8, 80x8, 85x8
BW+ 25lbs Pull Ups - 4x10
DB Single Arm Row - 125x3x8
Training 12/9/12
Dynamic Lower
Weight 213
Green Band Squat - 8x3x300
Green Band Deadlift - 4x3x350
Shoulder Supported Barbell Hip Extension - 225x10, 405x10, 575x10, 765x5
DB Reverse Lunge - 3x16x125
Both lifts went pretty well, with the exception of some pretty intense pain in my right knee. It seems like these mystery injuries pop up relatively frequently.. I have know idea how the pain started, in fact I remember it first bothering me last week on an off day. It began as an ache that peaked on Friday, and I thought it was getting better. Anyway late Sunday night I could barely sleep because of the pain. Going to see a friend who is a physical therapist to get a professional opinion. I probably needed longer than a week rest, but it's ok... I'm going to Kentucky this weekend to visit family and will just use that time as extra rest instead of worrying about squeezing workouts in somewhere.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Training 12/6/12
Training 12/6/12
Max Effort Lower
Weight 213.2
3" Rack Pulls - 225x5, 315x5, 405x5, 495x5, 585x5, 675x1, 725x1
Back Squat - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 405x8, 455x5 belted
+1.5" Deficit Deadlift - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 405x8
Narrow Stance Good Morning - 135x15, 155x15, 175x15
Glute Ham Raise - BWx3x10
Good lift today, even though rack pulls sucked at the end. The bars at my gym are generally terrible and no good for deadlifting as they have absolutely no knurling (the spiky bumps that help you grip) and they are really thick. In the end it will help my grip but it is really frustrating at times. 405x8 beltless matches a personal best on back squats, and they felt really good.
Max Effort Lower
Weight 213.2
3" Rack Pulls - 225x5, 315x5, 405x5, 495x5, 585x5, 675x1, 725x1
Back Squat - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 405x8, 455x5 belted
+1.5" Deficit Deadlift - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 405x8
Narrow Stance Good Morning - 135x15, 155x15, 175x15
Glute Ham Raise - BWx3x10
Good lift today, even though rack pulls sucked at the end. The bars at my gym are generally terrible and no good for deadlifting as they have absolutely no knurling (the spiky bumps that help you grip) and they are really thick. In the end it will help my grip but it is really frustrating at times. 405x8 beltless matches a personal best on back squats, and they felt really good.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Training 12/4/12
Training 12/4/12
Max Effort Press
Weight - 210
3" Rack Lockouts - 135x10, 225x8, 315x5, 405x5, 495x5, 545x5, 585x5
Incline Press - 135x8, 185x8, 225x8, 275x8, 325x8
3" Close Grip Board Press - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 405x5 + 365x2
DB Tricep Extensions w/ elbows out (Tate extensions) - 50x8, 70x8, 90x8, 100x8
Bodyweight Pullups - x12, x10, x10, x10
Seated Cable Row
Upright Row
To start training off I'm doing a "supra-max" phase with the competition lifts. What this means is that I'll be using exercises to max out on that allow me to do quite a bit more weight than on the squat, bench or deadlift. These exercises include rack lockouts for bench press (using the rack to isolate the final part of the lift), band assisted squats, and rack pulls for deadlifts. This is primarily for nervous system training, with the goal being to overload the body and get used to feeling heavy weight that eventually makes the competition lifts feel lighter. I'll be slowly ramping up the volume on other lifts each workout to help with hypertrophy (muscle growth) and attempt to put some weight on as well during this phase.
This was a good lift, better than I had expected after a week off. I didn't fail on anything until the last set of close grip presses, where I still had a personal best with 5 reps at 405. Looking forward to starting squats nd pulls again in the next lift on Thursday.
Max Effort Press
Weight - 210
3" Rack Lockouts - 135x10, 225x8, 315x5, 405x5, 495x5, 545x5, 585x5
Incline Press - 135x8, 185x8, 225x8, 275x8, 325x8
3" Close Grip Board Press - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 405x5 + 365x2
DB Tricep Extensions w/ elbows out (Tate extensions) - 50x8, 70x8, 90x8, 100x8
Bodyweight Pullups - x12, x10, x10, x10
Seated Cable Row
Upright Row
To start training off I'm doing a "supra-max" phase with the competition lifts. What this means is that I'll be using exercises to max out on that allow me to do quite a bit more weight than on the squat, bench or deadlift. These exercises include rack lockouts for bench press (using the rack to isolate the final part of the lift), band assisted squats, and rack pulls for deadlifts. This is primarily for nervous system training, with the goal being to overload the body and get used to feeling heavy weight that eventually makes the competition lifts feel lighter. I'll be slowly ramping up the volume on other lifts each workout to help with hypertrophy (muscle growth) and attempt to put some weight on as well during this phase.
This was a good lift, better than I had expected after a week off. I didn't fail on anything until the last set of close grip presses, where I still had a personal best with 5 reps at 405. Looking forward to starting squats nd pulls again in the next lift on Thursday.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Sunday Dinner 12/2/12
Sunday Dinner 12/2/12 - An attempt on Moroccan cuisine!
Kefta Tagine - Meatballs in a spicy tomato stew
Couscous Tfaya - Couscous topped with a caramelized onion and raisin sauce
Spicy Beets
Kefta Tagine
Kefta
1.5 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground lamb
1 cup breadcrumbs
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup flat parsley, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsp Ras el Hanout (spice mix)
1 tsp salt
Soak raisins in warm water until softened, then drain. Mix together ingredients and form in to golf-ball sized spheres. Dredge lightly in flour and fry in butter in a stock pot or dutch oven. Once crispy all around, remove from heat and keep warm.
Tagine
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of flat parsley, chopped
2 tbsp Ras el Hanout
Salt and pepper to taste
(Not called for but I added 1/2 cup of red wine and a cup of chicken stock instead of water)
Fry onions in remaining butter, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute additional 5 minutes. Add in spices and salt and fry until paste is formed. Add tomatoes and water (wine/stock) and bring to a boil. Return kefta back to pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Couscous with Tfaya
3 cups couscous (I used broken wheat berries instead, and I liked it better than couscous!)
6 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
Olive oil
In a large pot add the couscous, water, salt and oil, mix well. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes
Tfaya
3 yellow onions, sliced
5 tbsp sugar or honey
1 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup raisins, soaked in water then drained
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter for frying
Melt butter over medium heat in sauce pot. Add onions and gently fry until translucent. Add spice mix, raisins, water and sugar. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, allowing mixture to reduce. Remove from heat and set aside.
Spicy beets
2 pounds beets, greens removed, halved and sliced thinly
1 red onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
chili peppers (I used 5 Thai chilis), sliced
1 tbsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp butter
Melt butter in a sauce pot. Add onions and gently fry for 7-10 minutes. Add garlic and chilis and fry additional 5 minutes. Add beets and fry for 5-10 minutes. Add turmeric, salt and pepper, cover and steam over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes.
End products!
These recipes were awesome, and I would really like to try some other recipes of Moroccan origin. The caramelized onion sauce was unbelievable, and I found some recipes using a variation as a braising sauce for meats. Totally down with that idea.. The beets were really good as well, if I had added one more Thai chili the pot probably would have ignited spontaneously, those little suckers are incredibly hot. The meatballs were also tasty, and I think if I could do them over again I would have altered the seasoning ratios and added fresh mint.
Kefta Tagine - Meatballs in a spicy tomato stew
Couscous Tfaya - Couscous topped with a caramelized onion and raisin sauce
Spicy Beets
Kefta Tagine
Kefta
1.5 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground lamb
1 cup breadcrumbs
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup flat parsley, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsp Ras el Hanout (spice mix)
1 tsp salt
Soak raisins in warm water until softened, then drain. Mix together ingredients and form in to golf-ball sized spheres. Dredge lightly in flour and fry in butter in a stock pot or dutch oven. Once crispy all around, remove from heat and keep warm.
Tagine
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 28 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of flat parsley, chopped
2 tbsp Ras el Hanout
Salt and pepper to taste
(Not called for but I added 1/2 cup of red wine and a cup of chicken stock instead of water)
Fry onions in remaining butter, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute additional 5 minutes. Add in spices and salt and fry until paste is formed. Add tomatoes and water (wine/stock) and bring to a boil. Return kefta back to pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Couscous with Tfaya
3 cups couscous (I used broken wheat berries instead, and I liked it better than couscous!)
6 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
Olive oil
In a large pot add the couscous, water, salt and oil, mix well. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes
Tfaya
3 yellow onions, sliced
5 tbsp sugar or honey
1 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup raisins, soaked in water then drained
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter for frying
Melt butter over medium heat in sauce pot. Add onions and gently fry until translucent. Add spice mix, raisins, water and sugar. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, allowing mixture to reduce. Remove from heat and set aside.
Spicy beets
2 pounds beets, greens removed, halved and sliced thinly
1 red onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
chili peppers (I used 5 Thai chilis), sliced
1 tbsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp butter
Melt butter in a sauce pot. Add onions and gently fry for 7-10 minutes. Add garlic and chilis and fry additional 5 minutes. Add beets and fry for 5-10 minutes. Add turmeric, salt and pepper, cover and steam over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes.
End products!
These recipes were awesome, and I would really like to try some other recipes of Moroccan origin. The caramelized onion sauce was unbelievable, and I found some recipes using a variation as a braising sauce for meats. Totally down with that idea.. The beets were really good as well, if I had added one more Thai chili the pot probably would have ignited spontaneously, those little suckers are incredibly hot. The meatballs were also tasty, and I think if I could do them over again I would have altered the seasoning ratios and added fresh mint.
Training 12/1/12
Training for 12/1/12
Dynamic Lower
Green Band Squats - 300x8x3
Green Band Deadlifts - 350x5x3
Barbell RFE Split Squat - 135x16, 185x16, 225x16
Pulley Pull Through - 125x3x15
First day back after the competition and the new goals have been set. The next big benchmarks will be a 600 squat, 465 bench press, and a 700 deadlift. I would really like to see how much progress I can make over the next 16-20 weeks, and hopefully be ready for the next competition in early April. Lets Go!
Dynamic Lower
Green Band Squats - 300x8x3
Green Band Deadlifts - 350x5x3
Barbell RFE Split Squat - 135x16, 185x16, 225x16
Pulley Pull Through - 125x3x15
First day back after the competition and the new goals have been set. The next big benchmarks will be a 600 squat, 465 bench press, and a 700 deadlift. I would really like to see how much progress I can make over the next 16-20 weeks, and hopefully be ready for the next competition in early April. Lets Go!
Monday, November 26, 2012
Competition Results
I hope that everybody had a great Thanksgiving this past week! I definitely enjoyed my first TG at home in four years... Tuesday was the only day I trained last week, and the goal was only to do an opener on bench followed by a few sets of band squats and band deadlifts to keep my nervous system going in to the meet.
Thursday I ate a sickening amount, even for my own standards, and Sunday we had another holiday-sized dinner for my mom's birthday.
The powerlifting competition went extremely well. It was a fun atmosphere in a great gym up on Lake Winnepesaukee - so a big "thank you" to Bill Durant and the Elite Powerlifting Federation and Wayne Mclay of Galaxy Gym. All the competitors did a great job and made for an interesting meet. I went with three of my friends and training partners who also competed very well. As for myself I exceeded expectations and am very happy with my performance on the day. I am actually surprised as to how well I did.. Before starting the meet I would have been happy walking away with a 525 squat, 425 bench press, and a 600 deadlift for a 1550 total (which would be close to matching my last powerlifting meet in 2008). I ended up with a 550 squat, 440 bench press, and 650 deadlift for a 1640 total! Even with two of those being all time personal bests I still felt like I had a little bit left in the tank and maybe could have padded those numbers even more. Not to mention I came in about 4 pounds light, weighing in at 212... This definitely makes me feel like we had some good things going with our training and I am trying to distill out the most effective methods and how we can improve for the next meet which should be in the spring.
Here are a few videos of the final attempts on each lift just for fun.. Dont mind the unitard outfit!!
525 Squat
440 Bench
650 Deadlift
Goons: Me, James, Matty, Steve
Will be taking a week off of training to rest, in hopes of avoiding my bi-annual injury. New goals will be forthcoming!
Thursday I ate a sickening amount, even for my own standards, and Sunday we had another holiday-sized dinner for my mom's birthday.
The powerlifting competition went extremely well. It was a fun atmosphere in a great gym up on Lake Winnepesaukee - so a big "thank you" to Bill Durant and the Elite Powerlifting Federation and Wayne Mclay of Galaxy Gym. All the competitors did a great job and made for an interesting meet. I went with three of my friends and training partners who also competed very well. As for myself I exceeded expectations and am very happy with my performance on the day. I am actually surprised as to how well I did.. Before starting the meet I would have been happy walking away with a 525 squat, 425 bench press, and a 600 deadlift for a 1550 total (which would be close to matching my last powerlifting meet in 2008). I ended up with a 550 squat, 440 bench press, and 650 deadlift for a 1640 total! Even with two of those being all time personal bests I still felt like I had a little bit left in the tank and maybe could have padded those numbers even more. Not to mention I came in about 4 pounds light, weighing in at 212... This definitely makes me feel like we had some good things going with our training and I am trying to distill out the most effective methods and how we can improve for the next meet which should be in the spring.
Here are a few videos of the final attempts on each lift just for fun.. Dont mind the unitard outfit!!
525 Squat
440 Bench
650 Deadlift
Goons: Me, James, Matty, Steve
Will be taking a week off of training to rest, in hopes of avoiding my bi-annual injury. New goals will be forthcoming!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Training week of 11/17/12
Weight - 216.4
11/13/12
Max Effort Press
Incline Press - 135x10, 225x5, 275x3, 315x1, 375x1, 405* missed
BB 1/2 Military Press - 135x10, 185x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5
3"Board Close Grip Bench Press - 135x10, 225x8, 315x8, 365x6
Green Band DB Tricep Extensions - 50x8, 55x8, 60x8, 65x8
Lat Pull - 3x12
Tricep Pushdown - 3x12
Seated Cable Row - 3x12
11/14/12
Max Effort Pull
Deadlift from plate (-1.5") - 135x10, 225x5, 315x5, 405x3, 495x1. 545x1. 585x1, 605x1
Front Squat - 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 275x3, 315x1, 365x1, 315x5
Deficit Deadlift (+3") - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8. 405x8, 455x8
DB Walking Lunge - 80's x3x16
11/16/12
Dynamic Effort Press
Green Band Bench - 275x6x3, 300x2x2
BB Incline Press - 135x8, 185x8, 225x8, 275x8, 315x8
DB Military Press - 80x8. 100x8. 120x8
Pushups - 3x25
Single Arm Cable Row - 3x10
Lat Pulldowns - 3x12
11/17/12
Dynamic Effort Squat/Pull
Green Band Squat - 275x6x3, 300x2x2
Green Band Deadlift - 135x8, 185x5, 225x3, 275x3, 315x3, 365x3, 405x3
BB Shoulder Supported Hip Extension - 225x10, 315x10, 405x8, 585x8, 675x8, 765x5
DB Walking Lunge - 85x3x20
BW Glute Ham Raise - 3x8
This was a great week of training... Definitely am feeling good going in to the week of the meet. After feeling lukewarm about my potential performance - I was hoping for 85% of all my personal bests - I actually feel like I may be able to put some great numbers up next week. What I am really encouraged by is my deadlift, and I just might pull a PR on meet day. Crossing fingers for something special..
Monday, November 12, 2012
Sunday Dinner 11/11/12 East meets West: Italian-Khmer Hybrid Dinner!
Sunday Dinner 11/11/12
Eggrolls
Laap
Spezzatino (Stracotto di manzo con dragoncello e pastinaca)
This weekend was a very interesting combination of foods to say the least... After great success last week and several days worth of gloating about my culinary prowess, my Cambodian friend volunteered her time to give look at REAL Khmer home cooking. I had to plan for a few picky eaters at the table as well and also needed to ensure that I would have plenty of leftovers to pick from during the week, so I decided on a beef stew recipe/invention to contribute to the dinner. Do the dishes go together? Nope! But they were all exceptionally tasty and loved by all, so I'll consider it a success.
Eggrolls
Rice paper
Cabbage, shredded
1 small Taro root, shredded
3 Carrots, shredded
1.5 pound ground pork
2 tbsp Fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
Salt and pepper
1 egg
We used ground pork shoulder for a richer stuffing. Ill be honest, my contribution to this dish was minimal. I was allowed to stuff, roll and fry the eggrolls. From what my friend tells me that at home the ritual is the mother makes the stuff and the children stuff and roll. I'm the noob in this situation so I didn't get to make the stuffing. I did however do an exceptional job frying the rolls. I didn't burn any either!! OK... I burned one out of fifty. Sad face.
Laap
1.5 lbs round roast sliced very thinly
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp prohok
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar
juice of 4 limes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 handfuls mint leaves
2 handfuls sweet basil leaves
1/2 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 bunch radishes, sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
1 head romaine lettuce
Laap is a manly beef salad and is quite reminiscent of Italian carpaccio. The meat is supposed to be served extremely rare, in fact the recipe sounds quite like a southeast Asian version of seviche or carpaccio, with the lime juice "cooking" the beef and being served without heat cooking. We did throw everything in a pan and cook over high heat for a few minutes though, so it wasn't exactly as tradition would require.
I picked out a great looking bottom round roast from the butcher shop and trimmed off the little bits of fat off the sides. To get the beef as thinly sliced as possible I threw it in the freezer for a few hours, then thawed just enough so that I could throw it on one of the deli slicers and have it not fall apart. Sliced about one and half pounds off then reserved the rest for stew meat. The meat marinated in lime juice for an hour, and then was cooked in a sauce made of fish sauce, prohok, water, sugar, shallots and garlic. After cooking the beef was pressed and drained, then chilled, and served mixed with mint and basil leaves, radishes, bean sprouts and peanuts, and served over a whole leaf of romaine lettuce.
Spezzatino
3 lbs chuck roast, cubed in to 3" pieces
2 red onions, diced
4 celery stalks, halved and chopped coarsely
4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped coarsely
8 carrots, peeled and chunked
8 potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 parsnips (pastinaca), peeled and chunked
2 cups leftover tomato sauce
2 cups beef stock
lots of red wine (I used cheap Cabernet Sauvignon)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp dried tarragon (dragoncello)
4 tbsp dried thyme
4 sprigs dried rosemary
Flour for dredging
Olive oil and butter
This stew was really, really easy to make, and tasted wonderful. The sweetness of the carrots and parsnips melded beautifully with the tangyness of the tarragon... I will be patting myself on the back for that insight! First I mixed some salt and pepper with the flour to season the crust for the meat. Dredged the cubed beef and fried in a mixture of olive oil and butter, then removed from heat. Sauteed the onions for about 10 minutes, then added in the celery and garlic. Sauteed another 5 minutes and lightly salted and added pepper. Next added about 2 cups of red wine and allowed to reduce over high heat until the contents were paste-like. Then added 2 cups of tomato sauce and brought to boil. Added tarragon, thyme, salt and pepper. Added the root vegetables, meat, 2 cups of beef stock and red wine to cover the pot. Brought to a boil then placed rosemary sprigs on top and pushed down lightly in to the stew. Covered and baked in the oven at 350 for 1 hour covered, 1 hour uncovered.
Eggrolls
Laap
Spezzatino (Stracotto di manzo con dragoncello e pastinaca)
This weekend was a very interesting combination of foods to say the least... After great success last week and several days worth of gloating about my culinary prowess, my Cambodian friend volunteered her time to give look at REAL Khmer home cooking. I had to plan for a few picky eaters at the table as well and also needed to ensure that I would have plenty of leftovers to pick from during the week, so I decided on a beef stew recipe/invention to contribute to the dinner. Do the dishes go together? Nope! But they were all exceptionally tasty and loved by all, so I'll consider it a success.
Eggrolls
Rice paper
Cabbage, shredded
1 small Taro root, shredded
3 Carrots, shredded
1.5 pound ground pork
2 tbsp Fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
Salt and pepper
1 egg
We used ground pork shoulder for a richer stuffing. Ill be honest, my contribution to this dish was minimal. I was allowed to stuff, roll and fry the eggrolls. From what my friend tells me that at home the ritual is the mother makes the stuff and the children stuff and roll. I'm the noob in this situation so I didn't get to make the stuffing. I did however do an exceptional job frying the rolls. I didn't burn any either!! OK... I burned one out of fifty. Sad face.
Laap
1.5 lbs round roast sliced very thinly
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp prohok
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar
juice of 4 limes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 handfuls mint leaves
2 handfuls sweet basil leaves
1/2 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 bunch radishes, sliced
1 cup bean sprouts
1 head romaine lettuce
Laap is a manly beef salad and is quite reminiscent of Italian carpaccio. The meat is supposed to be served extremely rare, in fact the recipe sounds quite like a southeast Asian version of seviche or carpaccio, with the lime juice "cooking" the beef and being served without heat cooking. We did throw everything in a pan and cook over high heat for a few minutes though, so it wasn't exactly as tradition would require.
I picked out a great looking bottom round roast from the butcher shop and trimmed off the little bits of fat off the sides. To get the beef as thinly sliced as possible I threw it in the freezer for a few hours, then thawed just enough so that I could throw it on one of the deli slicers and have it not fall apart. Sliced about one and half pounds off then reserved the rest for stew meat. The meat marinated in lime juice for an hour, and then was cooked in a sauce made of fish sauce, prohok, water, sugar, shallots and garlic. After cooking the beef was pressed and drained, then chilled, and served mixed with mint and basil leaves, radishes, bean sprouts and peanuts, and served over a whole leaf of romaine lettuce.
Spezzatino
3 lbs chuck roast, cubed in to 3" pieces
2 red onions, diced
4 celery stalks, halved and chopped coarsely
4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped coarsely
8 carrots, peeled and chunked
8 potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 parsnips (pastinaca), peeled and chunked
2 cups leftover tomato sauce
2 cups beef stock
lots of red wine (I used cheap Cabernet Sauvignon)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp dried tarragon (dragoncello)
4 tbsp dried thyme
4 sprigs dried rosemary
Flour for dredging
Olive oil and butter
This stew was really, really easy to make, and tasted wonderful. The sweetness of the carrots and parsnips melded beautifully with the tangyness of the tarragon... I will be patting myself on the back for that insight! First I mixed some salt and pepper with the flour to season the crust for the meat. Dredged the cubed beef and fried in a mixture of olive oil and butter, then removed from heat. Sauteed the onions for about 10 minutes, then added in the celery and garlic. Sauteed another 5 minutes and lightly salted and added pepper. Next added about 2 cups of red wine and allowed to reduce over high heat until the contents were paste-like. Then added 2 cups of tomato sauce and brought to boil. Added tarragon, thyme, salt and pepper. Added the root vegetables, meat, 2 cups of beef stock and red wine to cover the pot. Brought to a boil then placed rosemary sprigs on top and pushed down lightly in to the stew. Covered and baked in the oven at 350 for 1 hour covered, 1 hour uncovered.
Lifts 11/9 and 11/10
11/9/12
Weight - 215.6
Dynamic Press
Green band bench press - 8x3x225
DB Incline - 80x10, 100x10, 125x8, 125x10, 125x12
1/2 BB Military Press - 135x10, 185x10, 225x8, 275x8
Tricep Pushdown - 3x25
Rope face pulls -3x15
Lat Pulldown - 3x15
11/10/12
Dynamic Squat
Green band squat - 8x3x275
Green band deadlift - 135x5, 225x5, 275x3, 315x3, 365x3, 405x3
Rear Foot Elevated BB Split Squat - 135x16, 185x16, 225x16
Rope Pull Thru - 4x15
Weight - 215.6
Dynamic Press
Green band bench press - 8x3x225
DB Incline - 80x10, 100x10, 125x8, 125x10, 125x12
1/2 BB Military Press - 135x10, 185x10, 225x8, 275x8
Tricep Pushdown - 3x25
Rope face pulls -3x15
Lat Pulldown - 3x15
11/10/12
Dynamic Squat
Green band squat - 8x3x275
Green band deadlift - 135x5, 225x5, 275x3, 315x3, 365x3, 405x3
Rear Foot Elevated BB Split Squat - 135x16, 185x16, 225x16
Rope Pull Thru - 4x15
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Training 11/6 and 11/7/12
Weight - 216.2
Tuesday Max Effort Press
Close Grip Bench - 135x10, 225x5, 275x5, 315x3, 365x1, 405x1, 425x1
DB Military Press - 80's x10, 100's x8, 110's x8, 120's x5
DB Tricep Extensions - 60's x8, 65's x8, 70's x8, 75's x8
Tricep Pushup - Bodyweight x3x20
Weighted Pullups - +25 x4x8
DB Lateral Raise - 30x3x15
Wednesday Max Effort Deadlift
Deadlift from 3" lift (barbell on two 45lb plates) - 135x10, 225x8, 315x5, 405x5, 455x3, 500x3*, 545x1*, 585x1*
Back Squat - 135x8, 225x5, 315x5, 405x5, 455x3, 455x1, 405x2x3
Deficit Deadlift (+1 1/2") - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 405x8
Glute Ham Raise - Bodyweight 3x8
TRX Ham Curls + Hip Extensions - Bodyweight 3x8+8
*with belt
Both lifts were pretty good. At this point I have a really good idea of what I'm going to post at the meet. It looks like my bench opener is still going to be 400, I will bring my squat down to 485 and still open up with 500 for deadlift. If all goes well I'll probably go 415-520-550 (1485). Those numbers are not nearly where I want to be, but will be a pretty good launch point for the next year of training and definitely not a bad place to start for my first meet since 2008 and my back injury(ies).
The deadlift is the wild card. I haven't pulled much the past few months and I can definitely make improvements over the next few lifts. This week I elevated the barbell on two 45 pound plates to reduce the range of motion and make the lift easier. Pulled 585 pretty easily, and thats the heaviest weight that has been in my hands since May. I will drop to one 45 pound plate next week and see if I can still pull 585 from it. The following week will be the meet and test what I can pull from the floor.
Bench and squat are pretty stagnant though, which sucks. Today I wanted to hit 455 for a few sets of 3 on squat, but the volume is just too much at that weight. After unracking the second set I only had to do one rep before I started second guessing and decided that my original idea wasn't going to work today. Dropped down to 405 and did two sets of 3, with good form and speed.
The pec/shoulder is feeling better every lift and haven't had any hip irritations the last 2 lower body lifts either.. so atleast I've got my health!
Weight - 216.2
Tuesday Max Effort Press
Close Grip Bench - 135x10, 225x5, 275x5, 315x3, 365x1, 405x1, 425x1
DB Military Press - 80's x10, 100's x8, 110's x8, 120's x5
DB Tricep Extensions - 60's x8, 65's x8, 70's x8, 75's x8
Tricep Pushup - Bodyweight x3x20
Weighted Pullups - +25 x4x8
DB Lateral Raise - 30x3x15
Wednesday Max Effort Deadlift
Deadlift from 3" lift (barbell on two 45lb plates) - 135x10, 225x8, 315x5, 405x5, 455x3, 500x3*, 545x1*, 585x1*
Back Squat - 135x8, 225x5, 315x5, 405x5, 455x3, 455x1, 405x2x3
Deficit Deadlift (+1 1/2") - 135x8, 225x8, 315x8, 405x8
Glute Ham Raise - Bodyweight 3x8
TRX Ham Curls + Hip Extensions - Bodyweight 3x8+8
*with belt
Both lifts were pretty good. At this point I have a really good idea of what I'm going to post at the meet. It looks like my bench opener is still going to be 400, I will bring my squat down to 485 and still open up with 500 for deadlift. If all goes well I'll probably go 415-520-550 (1485). Those numbers are not nearly where I want to be, but will be a pretty good launch point for the next year of training and definitely not a bad place to start for my first meet since 2008 and my back injury(ies).
The deadlift is the wild card. I haven't pulled much the past few months and I can definitely make improvements over the next few lifts. This week I elevated the barbell on two 45 pound plates to reduce the range of motion and make the lift easier. Pulled 585 pretty easily, and thats the heaviest weight that has been in my hands since May. I will drop to one 45 pound plate next week and see if I can still pull 585 from it. The following week will be the meet and test what I can pull from the floor.
Bench and squat are pretty stagnant though, which sucks. Today I wanted to hit 455 for a few sets of 3 on squat, but the volume is just too much at that weight. After unracking the second set I only had to do one rep before I started second guessing and decided that my original idea wasn't going to work today. Dropped down to 405 and did two sets of 3, with good form and speed.
The pec/shoulder is feeling better every lift and haven't had any hip irritations the last 2 lower body lifts either.. so atleast I've got my health!
Monday, November 5, 2012
Sunday Dinner 11/4/12 - Cooking Khmer
Trey kho chnay - Caramelized catfish
Bai lieng chia mui sach chrouk - Fried rice with pork and vegetables
Sach ko luc lac - Marinated beef salad
This week I wanted to take a break from cooking Italian or other European-style recipes and try something with a totally different flavor palate. I was inspired by one of my best friends who's family immigrated from Cambodia after the devastating genocide that happened in there in the late 70's. Nearby Lowell, Massachusetts has the second highest population of Cambodians in the country and as a result of that there are some pretty fantastic restaurants exclusive to the area that show off traditional ethnic Khmer cuisine. After being treated to one such a few weeks back I decided to try my hand and see what I could pull off. I normally don't venture off to the recipes of Latin America or Asia, for some reason I don't have as good "kitchen-sense" and am often disappointed with the results. However the mainstays of Cambodian cooking are tenets that are very familiar (simple recipes dependent on the freshness and quality of their ingredients) and gave me confidence to extend out in to this new world of food.
Trey kho chnay - Caramelized catfish
I love this dish and whenever I order out at a Vietnamese, or in this case, Khmer restaurant this is at the top of my list. The sweet sauce goes so well with braised catfish, which is a fish that gets little love here in the northeast.
Caramel sauce
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup water
Melt sugar over high heat in a saucepan until completely dissolved. At the same time heat water to almost boiling. Once sugar is dissolved remove from heat and slowly add water. The sugar bubbles crazily when you add the water, so you can only put a little in at a time. After all of the water has been added, put over medium-high heat and bring back to a low boil. Once heated to boil, remove from heat and set aside.
Marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
I had a whole, fresh catfish cut in to steaks so that the flavor of the dish could benefit from braising with the fish bones and head. It must be noted that I did not remove the pin bones, which in the future I would definitely do, otherwise it makes a messy meal. I rinsed and cleaned the steaks and placed in marinade for an hour, flipping once so both sides got coated.
Stew
1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves
Caramel sauce
Catfish
To make the stew, first the catfish steaks where browned in a dutch oven to get a nice, crisp crust on the all over, then removed from heat and set aside. Next the onion slices were added and sauteed gently until translucent. Garlic was next and cooked for about five more minutes. Add the catfish back in, then cover with the caramel sauce. Baked in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes, flipping once.
Bai lieng chia mui sach chrouk - Fried rice with pork and vegetables
I figured any trip to an Asian-influenced dinner would be incomplete without a fried rice dish. This was incredibly easy and satisfying to make!
1 lb lean pork cut in to 1/2" cubes
1 1/2 cups sweet peas, fresh or frozen
1 carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, cubed
10 okra, sliced 1/2" pieces
6 cups jasmine rice, cooked
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup sugar
Black pepper and chili sauce to taste
Oil for frying
This recipe frequently uses leftover pork from previous meals, so I seasoned the pork with a Chinese five-spice and sugar mix before browning the pieces in oil in a large pot. Once browned, remove from heat and set aside. Next saute carrots until fork tender, then add in onion, okra, and peas and saute for 5 minutes. Add pork. Add cooked rice and seasonings and continue to saute over high heat until completely mixed.
Sach ko luc lac - Marinated beef salad
1 1/2 lb flank steak, sliced thinly
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp chili sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salad and dressing
1 head romaine lettuce
2 tomatoes, cut in to chunks
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp water
Sugar and black pepper to taste
Marinade the beef slices for one hour. Prepare salad. Stir fry steak over high heat until reached desired doneness (rare, medium-rare is great for flank which can seize up and toughen if cooked too long)
Trey kho chnay - Caramelized catfish
Bai lieng chia mui sach chrouk - Fried rice with pork and vegetables
Sach ko luc lac - Marinated beef salad
This week I wanted to take a break from cooking Italian or other European-style recipes and try something with a totally different flavor palate. I was inspired by one of my best friends who's family immigrated from Cambodia after the devastating genocide that happened in there in the late 70's. Nearby Lowell, Massachusetts has the second highest population of Cambodians in the country and as a result of that there are some pretty fantastic restaurants exclusive to the area that show off traditional ethnic Khmer cuisine. After being treated to one such a few weeks back I decided to try my hand and see what I could pull off. I normally don't venture off to the recipes of Latin America or Asia, for some reason I don't have as good "kitchen-sense" and am often disappointed with the results. However the mainstays of Cambodian cooking are tenets that are very familiar (simple recipes dependent on the freshness and quality of their ingredients) and gave me confidence to extend out in to this new world of food.
Trey kho chnay - Caramelized catfish
I love this dish and whenever I order out at a Vietnamese, or in this case, Khmer restaurant this is at the top of my list. The sweet sauce goes so well with braised catfish, which is a fish that gets little love here in the northeast.
Caramel sauce
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup water
Melt sugar over high heat in a saucepan until completely dissolved. At the same time heat water to almost boiling. Once sugar is dissolved remove from heat and slowly add water. The sugar bubbles crazily when you add the water, so you can only put a little in at a time. After all of the water has been added, put over medium-high heat and bring back to a low boil. Once heated to boil, remove from heat and set aside.
Marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
I had a whole, fresh catfish cut in to steaks so that the flavor of the dish could benefit from braising with the fish bones and head. It must be noted that I did not remove the pin bones, which in the future I would definitely do, otherwise it makes a messy meal. I rinsed and cleaned the steaks and placed in marinade for an hour, flipping once so both sides got coated.
Stew
1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves
Caramel sauce
Catfish
To make the stew, first the catfish steaks where browned in a dutch oven to get a nice, crisp crust on the all over, then removed from heat and set aside. Next the onion slices were added and sauteed gently until translucent. Garlic was next and cooked for about five more minutes. Add the catfish back in, then cover with the caramel sauce. Baked in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes, flipping once.
Bai lieng chia mui sach chrouk - Fried rice with pork and vegetables
I figured any trip to an Asian-influenced dinner would be incomplete without a fried rice dish. This was incredibly easy and satisfying to make!
1 lb lean pork cut in to 1/2" cubes
1 1/2 cups sweet peas, fresh or frozen
1 carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, cubed
10 okra, sliced 1/2" pieces
6 cups jasmine rice, cooked
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup sugar
Black pepper and chili sauce to taste
Oil for frying
This recipe frequently uses leftover pork from previous meals, so I seasoned the pork with a Chinese five-spice and sugar mix before browning the pieces in oil in a large pot. Once browned, remove from heat and set aside. Next saute carrots until fork tender, then add in onion, okra, and peas and saute for 5 minutes. Add pork. Add cooked rice and seasonings and continue to saute over high heat until completely mixed.
Sach ko luc lac - Marinated beef salad
1 1/2 lb flank steak, sliced thinly
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp chili sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salad and dressing
1 head romaine lettuce
2 tomatoes, cut in to chunks
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp water
Sugar and black pepper to taste
Marinade the beef slices for one hour. Prepare salad. Stir fry steak over high heat until reached desired doneness (rare, medium-rare is great for flank which can seize up and toughen if cooked too long)
My Khmer sidekick unfortunately was unavailable to preside as judge over my interpretation of these recipes, but the dishes were well received and I am very happy with the results. Going to have to come back to these and looking forward to trying some new Khmer recipes in the future.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Lifts 11/2 and 11/3/12
Friday - Dynamic Press
Weight - 212.0
Green Band Bench - 225x8x3
Barbell Military Press, 1/2 Partial - 275x8, 225x12
1/2 Partial Close Grip Bench - 135x10, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5, 365x5, 405x5
Tricep Pushups - BWx10, +25x10, +45x10, +90x10
DB Row - 125's x4x10
Cable Tricep Pushdown 4x12
Pull Up - 4x8
Lateral DB Raise - 4x12
Saturday - Dynamic Squat
Weight - 214.6
Green Band Squat - 275x8x3
Deadlift - 135x10, 225x5, 315x5, 405x3, 455x3, 505x2
Barbell Reverse Lunge - 135x16, 185x16, 225x16, 275x16
Left both lifts feeling pretty good. Had to make a few adjustments in the upper body lift, keeping to partial movements on the presses to alleviate stress on my pec and still work shoulders and triceps hard. Shifting the bar higher up - right on top of my shoulders is helping me to hit depth on squats. Everybody has a different style that suits them best and I think that bar placement is extremely important when considering squat technique. A low bar placement (behind traps on back of rear deltoid muscle) causes too much forward lean and it is difficult for me to get below parallel that way. With the bar higher up on my back I can stay more upright and get my hips down for a competition squat.
Friday - Dynamic Press
Weight - 212.0
Green Band Bench - 225x8x3
Barbell Military Press, 1/2 Partial - 275x8, 225x12
1/2 Partial Close Grip Bench - 135x10, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5, 365x5, 405x5
Tricep Pushups - BWx10, +25x10, +45x10, +90x10
DB Row - 125's x4x10
Cable Tricep Pushdown 4x12
Pull Up - 4x8
Lateral DB Raise - 4x12
Saturday - Dynamic Squat
Weight - 214.6
Green Band Squat - 275x8x3
Deadlift - 135x10, 225x5, 315x5, 405x3, 455x3, 505x2
Barbell Reverse Lunge - 135x16, 185x16, 225x16, 275x16
Left both lifts feeling pretty good. Had to make a few adjustments in the upper body lift, keeping to partial movements on the presses to alleviate stress on my pec and still work shoulders and triceps hard. Shifting the bar higher up - right on top of my shoulders is helping me to hit depth on squats. Everybody has a different style that suits them best and I think that bar placement is extremely important when considering squat technique. A low bar placement (behind traps on back of rear deltoid muscle) causes too much forward lean and it is difficult for me to get below parallel that way. With the bar higher up on my back I can stay more upright and get my hips down for a competition squat.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Max Effort Squat
Front Squat - 135x10, 185x5, 225x3, 275x1, 315x1, 365x1, 405 failed
Back Squat from pins with Green Jump-Stretch bands - 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 275x3, 315x3
Shoulder Supported Barbell Hip Extension - 225x10, 315x10, 405x10, 495x8, 585x8, 675x8
Walking DB Lunge - 125's x4x5 each leg
Glute-Ham Raise - 3x8
Decent overall lift. Missed 405 front squat - AGAIN. One of these days I will get it. Hips feeling good and absolutely crushed hammies and glutes. Tomorrow is a day off, then dynamic press on Friday, dynamic Squat on Saturday.
Front Squat - 135x10, 185x5, 225x3, 275x1, 315x1, 365x1, 405 failed
Back Squat from pins with Green Jump-Stretch bands - 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 275x3, 315x3
Shoulder Supported Barbell Hip Extension - 225x10, 315x10, 405x10, 495x8, 585x8, 675x8
Walking DB Lunge - 125's x4x5 each leg
Glute-Ham Raise - 3x8
Decent overall lift. Missed 405 front squat - AGAIN. One of these days I will get it. Hips feeling good and absolutely crushed hammies and glutes. Tomorrow is a day off, then dynamic press on Friday, dynamic Squat on Saturday.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Max Effort Press
Weight - 210.8
Incline - 135x10, 185x5, 225x3, 275x1, 315x1, 355x1
DB Seated Shoulder Press - 80x10, 100x10, 110x9
3" Board Close Grip Bench w/ Green Jump-Stretch Bands - 135x10, 225x5, 275x5, 315x3, 275x10
Single Arm DB Tricep Extensions, Across Body - 50x2x10, 55x2x10
Shoulder Assistance Work - DB Raises, Face Pulls, Shrugs
Pull Ups - 4x8
This is supposed to be a deload week after doggin' it last week. I prefer to drop overall training volume when I need to deload, and pick exercises that have a lower absolute load such as barbell military press or front squats so I can still push to keep my central nervous system up. Weight was down after 5 days without training. I typically eat much less on days that I don't train to stay lean. So my energy was not the best and hydration was likely less than optimal.
Maxed out on incline, hit a solid 355 with a 2 second pause. Not my best effort on incline ever, but with the pause I'll take it. Still feeling the pec strain, and trying to roll and stretch whenever I get the chance. If I can manage to not work myself in to the ground I'll be fine - but then again that is always the same issue. Tomorrow is maxing out on front squats, and I'm looking forward to making a run at a 400+ front squat which would be a PR.
Weight - 210.8
Incline - 135x10, 185x5, 225x3, 275x1, 315x1, 355x1
DB Seated Shoulder Press - 80x10, 100x10, 110x9
3" Board Close Grip Bench w/ Green Jump-Stretch Bands - 135x10, 225x5, 275x5, 315x3, 275x10
Single Arm DB Tricep Extensions, Across Body - 50x2x10, 55x2x10
Shoulder Assistance Work - DB Raises, Face Pulls, Shrugs
Pull Ups - 4x8
This is supposed to be a deload week after doggin' it last week. I prefer to drop overall training volume when I need to deload, and pick exercises that have a lower absolute load such as barbell military press or front squats so I can still push to keep my central nervous system up. Weight was down after 5 days without training. I typically eat much less on days that I don't train to stay lean. So my energy was not the best and hydration was likely less than optimal.
Maxed out on incline, hit a solid 355 with a 2 second pause. Not my best effort on incline ever, but with the pause I'll take it. Still feeling the pec strain, and trying to roll and stretch whenever I get the chance. If I can manage to not work myself in to the ground I'll be fine - but then again that is always the same issue. Tomorrow is maxing out on front squats, and I'm looking forward to making a run at a 400+ front squat which would be a PR.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sunday Dinner!
Sartu
Porchetta
Acorn Squash
The first dish made this weekend was sartu, a savory meat pie with risotto as a crust. I found this recipe perusing through the Silver Spoon (THE Italian cookbook if any of you are looking for a comprehensive encyclopedia of Italian cuisine) a while back and earmarked it for future reference. With the fall being in full swing my annual shepherds pie cravings have begun. I immediately remembered this recipe for a classic Neapolitan timbale using risotto as a crust instead of pasta and decided to give it a try.
Risotto for crust
4 cups arborio rice
4 cups beef stock
2 cups tomato sauce (reused ragu from last week!)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Pecorino Romano
Filling
1/2 lb ground lamb
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian style sausage, casing removed
1 cup fresh peas
1 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 cups of day-old bread
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large sized portobello mushrooms, cubed in to 1/2" squares
1/2 cup red wine
Fresh sage, minced
Fresh Rosemary, minced
2 eggs
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Pecorino Romano
Scant 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs
First brown the ground meat completely over medium heat, breaking up pieces in to a fine mix. Drain liquid and reserve, set meat aside to cool. Cube the bread up in to 1" squares and put in bowl, cover with milk and let soak for about 10 minutes. Heat olive oil in pan on medium flame, add onions and saute until translucent - about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and peas, cook until mushrooms have reduced in size by half. Add garlic and herbs, saute for another 5 minutes. Add red wine and cook off most of the liquid. Add sauteed mixture to meats and mix well. Remove bread from milk and squeeze liquid out. Add bread to mixture, mix well, cover and set aside to cool.
To make risotto, first heat olive oil in pan over medium flame. Add rice and cover grains with oil. Stir and toast over flame. Heat stock, tomato sauce, and water almost to a boil. Gradually add a ladle of stock mixture to rice and stir, allow liquid to absorb and then add another ladle. Continue process until rice has increased in size and has cooked until almost al dente. Add cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use oil or butter to grease a dutch oven or casserole dish and lightly dust with breadcrumbs. Cover bottom of pan with layer of risotto. Add 2 eggs to filling and mix well. Put meat filling in center of dish on top of risotto.
Notes on the NPC New Englands - congratulations to all of the competitors in all divisions, and a big applause for Raleigh! Although the big guy didn't finish as high as we were hoping, it was a great show and an awesome introduction to the heavyweight class for him. The competition is steep and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how hes going to adapt and grow to compete at a higher level.
Last 4 weeks out of the Moultonborough powerlifting meet and looking forward to a good week of work and training...
Sartu
Porchetta
Acorn Squash
The first dish made this weekend was sartu, a savory meat pie with risotto as a crust. I found this recipe perusing through the Silver Spoon (THE Italian cookbook if any of you are looking for a comprehensive encyclopedia of Italian cuisine) a while back and earmarked it for future reference. With the fall being in full swing my annual shepherds pie cravings have begun. I immediately remembered this recipe for a classic Neapolitan timbale using risotto as a crust instead of pasta and decided to give it a try.
Risotto for crust
4 cups arborio rice
4 cups beef stock
2 cups tomato sauce (reused ragu from last week!)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Pecorino Romano
Filling
1/2 lb ground lamb
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb Italian style sausage, casing removed
1 cup fresh peas
1 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 cups of day-old bread
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large sized portobello mushrooms, cubed in to 1/2" squares
1/2 cup red wine
Fresh sage, minced
Fresh Rosemary, minced
2 eggs
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Pecorino Romano
Scant 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs
First brown the ground meat completely over medium heat, breaking up pieces in to a fine mix. Drain liquid and reserve, set meat aside to cool. Cube the bread up in to 1" squares and put in bowl, cover with milk and let soak for about 10 minutes. Heat olive oil in pan on medium flame, add onions and saute until translucent - about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and peas, cook until mushrooms have reduced in size by half. Add garlic and herbs, saute for another 5 minutes. Add red wine and cook off most of the liquid. Add sauteed mixture to meats and mix well. Remove bread from milk and squeeze liquid out. Add bread to mixture, mix well, cover and set aside to cool.
To make risotto, first heat olive oil in pan over medium flame. Add rice and cover grains with oil. Stir and toast over flame. Heat stock, tomato sauce, and water almost to a boil. Gradually add a ladle of stock mixture to rice and stir, allow liquid to absorb and then add another ladle. Continue process until rice has increased in size and has cooked until almost al dente. Add cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use oil or butter to grease a dutch oven or casserole dish and lightly dust with breadcrumbs. Cover bottom of pan with layer of risotto. Add 2 eggs to filling and mix well. Put meat filling in center of dish on top of risotto.
Cover the remaining opening with risotto, then bake in oven uncovered for 45-60 minutes.
Porchetta
This is a dish famous throughout Italy and among Italian ethnic communities around the world. Traditionally made using a whole, deboned pig, I took the easy way out and used a skinless pork belly and boneless pork loin roast. Now, I really hate pork loin roasts with a passion. I think that generally as a cut of meat it just stinks for cooking - too lean, gets dried out too fast, and makes terrible leftovers to boot. I took two precautions to make sure that this pork belly wasn't stuffed with pork-like sawdust. The first thing has already been mentioned, using a pork belly to wrap around the loin to keep it safe. The second thing was inspired by the farsumagru last week - butterflying out the loin and stuffing it. Using extra virgin olive oil, herbs and pecorino romano cheese further adds depth of flavor and a source of moisture for the otherwise uninteresting loin. Tie it up with some butchers twine and we've got a party.
Porchetta
5 lbs pork belly
4 lbs pork loin, butterflied out
8 garlic cloves
white wine
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Pecorino romano
To make herb stuffing finely dice out herbs and mince garlic. Mix together and add olive oil until the herbs reach a paste-like consistency. Add pecorino romano, salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 350. Lay the butchers twine out with 4-5 strings in parallel and one longer one crossing through the middle of them all. Spread the pork belly across the twine. Cover pork belly with herb paste. Lay pork loin on pork belly. Cover loin with herb paste. Roll pork loin up and place on edge of pork belly. Wrap pork belly around the loin roast and tie up with twine. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven and brown all sides of the porchetta. Drop in leftover twigs of parsley, rosemary and sage in to pot, cover bottom of pan with dry white wine. I baked the roast uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes, dropped it down to 325 for 75 minutes, and finished it at 375 for 30 minutes. I can't really say if all that temperature switching helped specifically, but I was determined not to dry out the pork loin and I have to say, I was very happy with the results.
The acorn squash was done up with some olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and sage infused clarified butter, and baked underneath the roast.
Last 4 weeks out of the Moultonborough powerlifting meet and looking forward to a good week of work and training...
Friday, October 26, 2012
Band Bench and Shoulder Assistance Work
Weight 214.2
Band Bench (green jump-stretch bands) - 185 5x3, all with 2 second pause
Dumbbell Forward / Lateral Raise - 35s 3x15
Rope Face Pulls - 3x15
Cable Tricep Pushdowns - 3x15
Tricep Pushups - 3x15
Nothing too exciting today, had a sub par workout. Normally I would use 50% of my bench max in bar weight (which would be 215) then add the bands on top of that. I would also do quite a bit more vertical pressing and tricep work (Barbell military press, close grip bench, bb/db tricep extensions etc), but held back today. My left pec hasn't been feeling right since last Friday where I close grip benched 385 for 2 sets of 5 off a 3" board and then did 315 for 22 reps. Huge DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) right up the side of my chest and in to my left armpit all week, it feels like a deep bruise/strain. Been feeling better the last few days but still decided to play it safe and go real light. Will be using the weekend for rest and be ready for Tuesdays press workout.
Side note: I'm excited because I'm headed to Boston this weekend for the NPC New England to support my good friend and former training buddy Raleigh Gallington. He finished 4th as a light-heavy in 2010, but has been training his ass off since and is looking to steal the show as a heavyweight this year! It's going to be a good time either way.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Max Effort Lower - Good Mornings!
Weight 214.6
Good Morning - 135x2x10, 225x5, 315x3, 365x1, 405x1, 455x1 belted
Back Squat - 135x5, 225x5, 315x5, 405x3, 455x5, 405x8
Shoulder Supported Barbell Hip Extensions - 225x10, 315x10, 405x10, 495x10, 545x10
Single Leg Leg Press (45 degree sled) - 405x3x12
Glute Ham Raise - bodyweight x4x8
Mixed bag in the gym today.. Hit a 30 pound PR on good mornings, which was the high point of the lift. I need to work on sitting back more in my squats to take advantage of my hip strength. Still trying to figure out what exactly I'm doing with my squats. Due to a recurring back injury I'm trying to take my squat technique from a narrow stance, heel elevated, ATG Olympic squat to a wider stance, flat-footed, to-parallel powerlifting squat.
Today the goal was to hit 455 for a good 5 on squats, then possibly belt up and push 500 for 5, but the depth at 455 was not that good and didn't really feel like it was in the cards for today. Dropped down to 405 to get some good reps in afterwards. Having a hard time hitting my depth at higher percentages so I will be dropping the volume on squats to almost exclusively singles and just work on the quality of each squat. Will max out on front squats next week and keep working on depth!
Weight 214.6
Good Morning - 135x2x10, 225x5, 315x3, 365x1, 405x1, 455x1 belted
Back Squat - 135x5, 225x5, 315x5, 405x3, 455x5, 405x8
Shoulder Supported Barbell Hip Extensions - 225x10, 315x10, 405x10, 495x10, 545x10
Single Leg Leg Press (45 degree sled) - 405x3x12
Glute Ham Raise - bodyweight x4x8
Mixed bag in the gym today.. Hit a 30 pound PR on good mornings, which was the high point of the lift. I need to work on sitting back more in my squats to take advantage of my hip strength. Still trying to figure out what exactly I'm doing with my squats. Due to a recurring back injury I'm trying to take my squat technique from a narrow stance, heel elevated, ATG Olympic squat to a wider stance, flat-footed, to-parallel powerlifting squat.
Today the goal was to hit 455 for a good 5 on squats, then possibly belt up and push 500 for 5, but the depth at 455 was not that good and didn't really feel like it was in the cards for today. Dropped down to 405 to get some good reps in afterwards. Having a hard time hitting my depth at higher percentages so I will be dropping the volume on squats to almost exclusively singles and just work on the quality of each squat. Will max out on front squats next week and keep working on depth!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Max Effort Press
Bodyweight - 214.4
Floor Press - 135x2x10, 225x5, 315x3, 365x1, 405x1, 425x1, 445 failed
All reps done with pause, except 425 which was a neat touch-and-go.. Got 445 about 3/4 of the way up before stalling out to a complete stop.
Incline Press (45 degree) - 135x10, 225x5, 325x5, 225x17
Seated DB Shoulder Press - 80x10, 90x10, 100x8
Barbell JM Press - 135x10, 185x10, 205x10
DB Tricep Extensions - 80x10, 90x10, 100x10
Tricep Pushups on Barbell - 2x20
Feeling good today. Hit all of my openers last week for triples (405, 500, 500) so I definitely feel ready for the meet right now now. Still have a few more pounds to gain to get to the top of the weight class (under 220) and will start training with my belt for lifts over 90% of my max. Hoping for a total in the 1500's for this meet and over 1600 in the near future.
Bodyweight - 214.4
Floor Press - 135x2x10, 225x5, 315x3, 365x1, 405x1, 425x1, 445 failed
All reps done with pause, except 425 which was a neat touch-and-go.. Got 445 about 3/4 of the way up before stalling out to a complete stop.
Incline Press (45 degree) - 135x10, 225x5, 325x5, 225x17
Seated DB Shoulder Press - 80x10, 90x10, 100x8
Barbell JM Press - 135x10, 185x10, 205x10
DB Tricep Extensions - 80x10, 90x10, 100x10
Tricep Pushups on Barbell - 2x20
Feeling good today. Hit all of my openers last week for triples (405, 500, 500) so I definitely feel ready for the meet right now now. Still have a few more pounds to gain to get to the top of the weight class (under 220) and will start training with my belt for lifts over 90% of my max. Hoping for a total in the 1500's for this meet and over 1600 in the near future.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Sunday Dinner 10/21/12
Menu:
Farsumagru
Mezzi Rigatoni with Ragu Napolitano
Broccoli di Rabe with Chickpeas and Pecorino Romano
Farsumagru
Used a 5lb bottom round roast, butterflied out about 1/4"-1/2" stuffed with hot Italian-style pork sausage, breadcrumbs, fresh grated pecorino romano cheese, fresh Italian parsley, pignoli, and raisins that had been soaked in leftover valpolicella wine from last week. Rolled it up, tied tight with butchers twine, seared it on the stove top. Made a braising sauce with carrots, celery, white onion and garlic, a little tomato paste, red wine, and a bit of beef stock. Braised it in the oven covered for 2 hours, rolling it over halfway through.
Farsumagru
Mezzi Rigatoni with Ragu Napolitano
Broccoli di Rabe with Chickpeas and Pecorino Romano
Farsumagru
Used a 5lb bottom round roast, butterflied out about 1/4"-1/2" stuffed with hot Italian-style pork sausage, breadcrumbs, fresh grated pecorino romano cheese, fresh Italian parsley, pignoli, and raisins that had been soaked in leftover valpolicella wine from last week. Rolled it up, tied tight with butchers twine, seared it on the stove top. Made a braising sauce with carrots, celery, white onion and garlic, a little tomato paste, red wine, and a bit of beef stock. Braised it in the oven covered for 2 hours, rolling it over halfway through.
Ragu Napolitano (Sunday gravy)
Browned 2 whole Italian-style sausages and 2 lbs of boneless pork shoulder cut in to 2" cubes. Used a whole red onion and garlic for soffritto, 2 cans of crushed Italian tomatoes, 2 cans of tomato puree, red wine and a little water, 14 torn basil leaves, salt and pepper. Braised the meat in the sauce on the stove top for 3 hours. Saving the meats to eat with pasta during the week!
Broccoli di Rabe
Gently sauteed diced garlic and crushed red pepper in olive oil. Added two huge bunches of rapini cut in to two inch pieces and steamed with a half cup of water. After the broccoli di rabe wilted uncovered the pot and added salt, pepper, a can of rinsed ceci beans, and grated pecorino romano.
No dessert this week! Been getting more leftovers from the butcher shop than usual, so working my way through those.
Always nice to go back to some easy family recipes after having a hard time with several new ones that I tried over the past few weeks.
First Post!
Who am I? Personal Fitness Coach, Sports Performance Coach, Powerlifter, Butcher, Chef....
These are a few of the hats I wear, and welcome to my blog!
This is the beginning of a written record of my own personal journey through strength training as a drug-free powerlifter and also a collection of recipes that I prepare for my family's weekly Sunday dinners. The purpose of this log is primarily for my family and friends across the country to follow what I'm doing with the two most important things in my life: weight lifting and cooking!
My personal goal is simple: to be as big and strong as possible while eating healthy and enjoying food as much as I can.
I am currently training for an EPF powerlifting meet on November 24 in Moultonborough, NH.
These are a few of the hats I wear, and welcome to my blog!
This is the beginning of a written record of my own personal journey through strength training as a drug-free powerlifter and also a collection of recipes that I prepare for my family's weekly Sunday dinners. The purpose of this log is primarily for my family and friends across the country to follow what I'm doing with the two most important things in my life: weight lifting and cooking!
My personal goal is simple: to be as big and strong as possible while eating healthy and enjoying food as much as I can.
I am currently training for an EPF powerlifting meet on November 24 in Moultonborough, NH.
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