View Full Version : The Glorious Burden
Firedrake
03-12-10, 8:06 pm
Nice work, bro!
Looks like a great session, and I hope you cooked the beef hahaha
Today was excellent! It was busy in the gym, and I happened upon the least used equipment in the gym :-D Any guess?
Rack pulls:
95 x 6
135 x 6
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 4
315 x 4
365 x 2
405 x 1
455 x 1
I have gotten incredibly weak since my injury. I am saddened horribly by this.
Shouldering a sand bag:
80#'s x 5 (each side) x 5
Tire flip x 12 x 2
-dont know how much the tire weighed, but it was a small tractor tire. Couldnt be anymore than 500, as it was smaller than the one at the Orlando ABC-
Log Clean (log being 90):
log x 5
20 x 5
50 x 3
70 x 2
90 x 1
110 x 1
I was ecstatic to clean the 205 up with ease. Since it was not my gym, nor my log, I didnt want to load anymore up in case I had to drop it from my shoulders.
Wide legged Front Squats:
135 x 8 x 4
At this point I was toast. Walked back to my friends house and we decided to go to a Chinese buffet. Now its time to sit somewhere and try to digest.
T o m m Y
03-15-10, 11:21 pm
Strong work bro,im loving the strongman training added in..i wish i had access to a log..I think im going to make one..I got tires,sled,keg and stuff but a log would be awsome..
Strong work bro,im loving the strongman training added in..i wish i had access to a log..I think im going to make one..I got tires,sled,keg and stuff but a log would be awsome..
There's was excellent. The metal tag on it said it was made by Slater's, same guys who make the stone molds and giant dumbbells.
Firedrake
03-16-10, 8:33 pm
Heh. Good work -- that "shouldering a sandbag" makes me think of putting on my 80 lb. weight vest -- much the same move, except for sliding my head through the hole.
Heh. Good work -- that "shouldering a sandbag" makes me think of putting on my 80 lb. weight vest -- much the same move, except for sliding my head through the hole.
Haha, for safety reasons I didnt want to set the bag down on my head! What in the world are you wearing an 80 pound weight vest for? Sprinting?
All right, so Wednesday's workout is as follows...
Rack Lockouts (8 inch lockout):
135 x 6
185 x 6
225 x 4
275 x 4
315 x 2
335 x 1
JM Press:
135 x 10 x 5
Barbell Front Raises:
80 x 7 x 4
DB Row:
120 x 8 x 4
Incline Shrug:
135 x 8 x 3
Bent Over Side Raises:
15 x 12 x 3
Tonight I screwed up. I went to the gym based on Our Club's times, not this new gym. So, needless to say I got there at 7 and they close at 8. So, after changing and warming up, I didnt get much done.
Speed Squats (after Warm-ups):
275 x 2 x 8
Speed Pulls from a deficit:
305 x 1 x 5
For the deficit I just used all 35's instead of 45's. It made a hell of a difference. Now I'm hoping my gym has enough 35's because I am definitely going to do this again.
These two weeks have been very tough training wise. Not only am I just coming back, but then its a new environment, no workout partners, and I dont have any actual powerlifting equipment. I'm very used to having the Texas Squat Bar. I had to change my form to workout here. Also, I love the bend of the Texas Deadlift Bar. The bars they had at Shamrock made it feel like I was deadlifting an axle. I cant wait to see my numbers when I get back to the equipment I'm used to.
I've been feeling weak, time to shake that from my head. 10 weeks left, need to get in gear and start doing some damage.
10 weeks? Are you doing a meet before the Mike Witmer Memorial?
10 weeks? Are you doing a meet before the Mike Witmer Memorial?
Shit, did I count wrong? Isnt the MWM on the 5th?
Shit, did I count wrong? Isnt the MWM on the 5th?
June 19th-20th.
June 19th-20th.
Awesome!!! Even better! Now I have more time to prepare. I must have been planning for it before they changed the Name, along with the date. This meet used to be held on the 5th/6th when it was the Florida States.
Thanks for that boom! I would have been deloading 3 weeks out.
Today was a great day. I was back with my crew and it is time to push it!
High Box Squats (maybe 2 inches or so above parallel):
145 x 6
195 x 6
235 x 4
285 x 4
325 x 3
375 x 3
415 x 1
465 x 1
505 x 0
325 x 10
I was coming up VERY slow, so Kevin gave me a tap up. Technically I didnt get it, but I'm just barely there.
Shrugs:
135 x 12 x 6
Sumo Stance Good Mornings:
135 x 10 x 3
random AB Work
I feel much better now. At Shamrock I was feeling really weak and worried about the upcoming meet. But If I can almost high box 505 and my max in competition before I got hurt was 530, I know I'm not far off. I have a good feeling that I can hit 1400 or higher at the next meet.
Forgot to mention, I'm running a log of Animal PM. I'll talk a little bit about it over here, but most of my observations will be put in my log.
Benching went fairly well tonight. Losing weight off my stomach has definitely made an impact on my bench.
Close Grip Bench:
95 x 8
135 x 6
185 x 6
225 x 4
275 x 2
315 x 1
335 x 0
Just couldnt get through it fast enough. I'm pretty disappointed in this lift. But, I just have to take it for now and wait to hammer bench next week.
Illegal Grip Bench (fingers outside rings):
185 x 8
225 x 8
275 x 5
Rolling DB Ext:
40 x 8 x 5
Pullups (with assistance after rep 2):
bw x 6 x 2
bw x 4
I suck at pull ups, I'll probably concentrate on doing these more.
Bent over rows:
185 x 10 x 4
Neck maneuvers using 2 micro mini's
I am toast tonight. My back is definitely worn out. Speed Squats and pulls tomorrow. I'm eagerly awaiting the short bands I bought from EFS.
T o m m Y
03-25-10, 10:44 pm
Strong cgbp homie!
The short bands are awsome,i have the pro and monster mini's..
Strong cgbp homie!
The short bands are awsome,i have the pro and monster mini's..
Thats what I was hoping to hear! I ordered the light, average, and strong bands. I cant wait to start using these on the bench and deadlift. My set up has been a pain in the ass to get the bands right.
I used to have a stronger close grip, but I'm going to get it back!
Today turned me into a pile of sweat! I'm trying to get back into actual speed days, not just squats with bands.
Warm-ups:
treadmill x 10 min
foam roller
jumping jacks
Squats w/#3 IW's:
bar x 6
105 x 6
145 x 6
195 x 4
235 x 4
Speed Squats:
285 x 2 x 8
Speed Sumo Pulls:
275 x 2 x 6
Hack Squats:
1pps x 8
2pps x 8 x 4
Walking Side lunges w/2 micro mini's doubled:
10 each leg x 3
Back Extension Machine:
180 x 15 x 3
Ab Curl machine:
100 x 15 x 4
I am toast right now. I kind of over shot my squats, I really shouldnt have been doing that weight for another two weeks, but it felt light. Maybe I'm to the point where I should be doing 60-70% instead of 50-60% cause I'm a raw lifter. I have read that some people suggest going a little heavier on speed days because geared lifters do speed days with minimal gear versus their max lifts, where raw guys are always raw.
One training partner had to skip due to a doctors visit, the other a wedding. Hope Kevin ate enough food at the wedding to make up for missing a squat day!!
Good speed bench today. A bit earlier than I like to workout, but man was the eye candy bountiful! Its hard to concentrate with these girls walking around. Generally around this time of year, some Canoe and Kayak team from Canada comes down to start training.
Bench w/#3 IW's and doubled micro minis:
185 x 3 x 9
HS Iso Behind the Neck Press:
1pps x 10
1pps + 25ps x 10 x 4
PullOvers:
30 x 10 x 3
HS Dip Machine:
2pps + 25ps x 8 x 4
I think thats all I did. I cant remember all that well. It was damn hot in the gym today. I mean, I started sweating profusely during my warm-ups! I'm just happy today wasnt squats or I would have needed a mop in the power rack.
Allergies just destroyed me today. Luckily I was able to feed off of Kevin's energy. We did deadlifts for max effort lower body.
Warm-ups:
Tread Mill
Foam Roller
Squats:
bar x whatever
105 x 5
145 x 5
195 x 5
235 x 5
325 x 3
Sumo Stance Deads:
135 x 3
225 x 3
315 x 3
405 x 2
455 x 1
505 x 0
Sumo Deads w/chain:
315 w/6 chains x 4
315 w/8 chains x 10 <---this was repping out till failure.
Narrow Stance Good Mornings:
145 x 10 x 3
Ab Work
I've been doing one day hamstrings, one day quads for my accessories. I think its been helping get them stronger. I'm still weak with my deadlift, most likely due to the sumo stance. I figure once I squat over 505 again, I'll switch back to conventional, as I believe my back would be fully recovered and strong again.
I am loving Animal PM right now though!
Firedrake
03-30-10, 4:21 pm
I feel your pain with the allergy problems -- I have a runny nose a good portion of the day right now, no matter what I take.
Good looking work, nonetheless, bro!
What's up Curt-Hoss. My officially subscribing to your log.
Kevin! Finally on the forum!
Well, now that name has been put out there, guess I have to live up to it!
Well, tonight didnt go as well as planned. I need to bring up the strength in my bench severely. I've been benching on my toes for so long that going back to flat footed cuts my strength down because I have that much more range of motion.
Bench:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
3 Board:
275 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 1 <-almost 2, lost my form on the second rep, needed a bump
385 x 0
Iso Flat Bench HS w/short EFS Pro Light bands:
1pps x 8 x 4
no bands:
1pps+25ps x 15
HS Iso Lat pulldown:
1pps+25ps x 8 x 4
Tate Presses:
35 x 10 x 4
DB Front Raise:
25 x 8 x 4
I definitely feel wrecked tonight.
T o m m Y
04-01-10, 12:42 am
Strong pressing still bro!
How come the set up change?
Strong pressing still bro!
How come the set up change?
Well, I have been competing both in APF and R.A.W. United. This is my last year as a Junior in R.A.W., where as I'm all ready in the Open division for APF. So basically, I'm chasing records in the Junior 242 division in R.A.W. United, which only allows flat-foot benching.
Somehow my crappy 1230 total is still standing and I'd rather it not stay at that total, haha.
Firedrake
04-01-10, 3:02 pm
Gee, I wish my bench were that crappy <grin>!
Nice work!
Gee, I wish my bench were that crappy <grin>!
Nice work!
Yours will get there if you choose to. I chose strength over size and shape. I look nothing like a bodybuilder!
Note to self: I must get to the gym earlier on Fridays. It takes too long to warm up, then get through a whole entire workout.
Warm-ups:
Treadmill
foam roller
Banded Squats w/#3 and micro minis:
bar x 8
105 x 5
145 x 5
195 x 5
235 x 5
305 x 2 x 8
Speed Deads w/EFS Pro Light Short:
275 x 1 x 3
w/Average 275 x 1
Leg Press:
3pps x 15
6pps x 12 x 3
The leg press was brutal. I did all of those sets in 5 mintues, including loading the weight. My legs were rubber afterwards. They're strict on the time, so I had to get out.
Firedrake
04-03-10, 2:53 pm
Nice work!
I'll be working on mass and power after the show -- to see how much I add before the next cut.
Nice work!
I'll be working on mass and power after the show -- to see how much I add before the next cut.
Power is where the fun is :-D There's no need to stare into a mirror, your eyes wont play tricks on you, if you can put the weight up, you've gotten stronger :-)
Whew, tonight was a great night! Kevin had a friend who made some chain hooks for us:
http://i722.photobucket.com/albums/ww226/Cstlfx/DSCN0150.jpg
Hopefully, you guys will be able to see that. If not, I'll find another way to put them up. They're about 6 inches from end to end, powder-coated, hold at least 400 pounds each, and completely badass. It makes working with chain so much easier. So, we really wanted to play with them, but because it was Max Effort, we had to figure something out. So, Max Box Squat with Chain!
It took a while for everyone to show up, so I ended up free squatting for a while, then talked and chatted with everyone, set up chains, and warmed back up again. Chain fully deloads at the bottom, only a link touching the floor.
Warm-Up:
Treadmill
Roller
body weight squats
Free Squat:
bar x whatever
105 x 5
145 x 5
195 x 5
235 x 4
285 x 4
325 x 3
Low Box Squat w/ 100# chain:
145 x 3
235 x 3
325 x 3
375 x 2
415 x 1
465 x 1
Good Mornings:
145 x 10 x 2
195 x 10
Hack Squat:
2pps x 10 x 3
Rope Crunches:
190 x 12 x 3
That 465 was killer!! I felt like I was sitting under that bar for a good minute. I have fully recovered from my injury and have surpassed where I was at, at least squatting that is. That squat felt awesome, well, after I was out from under it! Time for foam rolling, stretching, and aminos!!
Couldnt get my head in it today. Not like that isnt an excuse. But just the reason for the difficulty.
2 Board:
275 x 3
315 x 1
365 x 0
I should have had it, but like I said, mentally I couldnt do it. If the mind isnt willing, the body isnt going to follow.
Close Grip Floor Press:
225 x 5 x 5
Assisted Pull-up w/#3 band x 10 x 3
HS Iso BTN Shoulder Press:
1p+35ps x 8 x 5
Shrugs:
225 x 10 x 3
Then I did 25 minutes of cardio. The diet stalled, time to throw cardio in and get my metabolism moving again. I will be in the 242 division very soon. I want to be in the 242's well before the meet so I can get used to lifting at that weight.
Firedrake
04-07-10, 11:32 pm
Some days it just doesn't happen -- as you say, if the mind isn't there, the body won't be. I've got some weirdnesses going on metabolically, too -- I've put ON 5 pounds since the Arnold, despite the cardio and diet . . . and it's all muscle, according to the hydrostatic test. I haven't lost any more fat, though, and that's the problem.
Oh, well, 90 minutes of cardio a day from here on out.
Have fun! You don't have to worry about such things. <grin>
Some days it just doesn't happen -- as you say, if the mind isn't there, the body won't be. I've got some weirdnesses going on metabolically, too -- I've put ON 5 pounds since the Arnold, despite the cardio and diet . . . and it's all muscle, according to the hydrostatic test. I haven't lost any more fat, though, and that's the problem.
Oh, well, 90 minutes of cardio a day from here on out.
Have fun! You don't have to worry about such things. <grin>
Your body must have found a way to use all your nutrients and grow. With that 5 extra pounds of muscle, you might be burning fat faster! Who knows though, maybe you need to tweek your diet just a tad?
Have fun with that cardio, I only did 25 minutes and I'm ready to be done with it! Luckily I'm just trying to lose a few pounds versus trying to get rid of all of my body fat. Plus, I feel weird enough in my singlet, I do NOT like the idea of putting on a teeny weeny bikini. More power to you!
Speed Night. I'm all ready down a pound from yesterday. So I dont think hitting 242 will be a problem at all. However, Brian and I are now planning to do a Strongman event in July. I dont know whether to go Novice open, or the Middleweight division. If I go novice, no need to cut down further, but if I choose Middleweight, I need to get down to 231. We'll see!
Warm-Ups:
Treadmill
Jumping Jacks
Someone took the friggen roller, its gone now.
Speed Squats w/ #4 IW's:
bar x 5
105 x 5
145 x 5
195 x 4
235 x 3
265 x 2 x 8
Speed Deads:
275 x 1 x 3 w/Light Short Bands
275 x 1 x 2 w/Average Short Bands
275 x 1 w/Strong Short Bands
Shrugs:
135 x 15
225 x 12
315 x 10 x 3
DB Step Ups:
40 x 8 x 3
Landmines:
45 x 8 x 3
Lately it has been friggen hot in the gym. Its disgusting, but my all black chucks have severe salt stains on them.
I had Red Onions, Black Beans, Ground Turkey Breast, and Brown Rice for dinner. You have to LOVE taco seasoning. Also, G Diesel Pancakes are probably the only thing getting me through breakfast. I only had about 200 grams of protein in whole food, a bunch of aminos are added in though. Still, I need to up the protein.
Damn was today an ass-kicker!! Max and I ended up doing the whole workout together, accessories and all (thats not normal for us cause we all have different weak spots) so he pushed me through a lot of crap. As usual, it was hot as hell in the gym.
Speed Bench w/Light EFS Shorts:
185 x 3 x 8
185 x 9
135 x 7 w/illegal wide grip
Overhead EZ Bar Tri Ext:
95 x 12
75 x 12 x 3
Tri Set of BB Curls/Upright Row/Tricep Extension:
65 x 12 x 4
Cable Flyes:
50 x 15
70 x 10 x 2
30 Minutes on the treadmill at 3.2 mph.
That tri set was brutal beyond belief. As its the the first time I've done it, it kicked my ass. I thought the upright rows would be no problem, but because the curls came first you have no strength left, along with no choice but to pull with your shoulders and traps. 65 pounds sounded like nothing, until the fourth set came along and I was gasping for air.
Now, the Flyes may look really weird in there, but thats because Max has a theory that I'm not using enough of my chest to press with. He doesnt think I'm flexing my chest hard enough at the bottom, so the flyes are there to exaggerate my flexing at the bottom. We'll see if it helps!
Hercules
04-12-10, 11:13 am
...65 pounds sounded like nothing, until the fourth set came along and I was gasping for air.
We're powerlifters - that means no matter what we do we're gasping for air... :)
Solid work in here man...what is your weight at now?
We're powerlifters - that means no matter what we do we're gasping for air... :)
Haha, true, but I've been doing cardio :-D Well, I dont think I can really call it cardio. Any movement lasting more than a few minutes jacks my heart rate up!
Solid work in here man...what is your weight at now?
My weight right now is sitting pretty at 250. I went through a few weeks were I lost a couple inches off my gut, but gained a bit of muscle on my upper body. If its good weight gain with some fat loss I'll take the increase in weight.
I will be at 242 by meet time. I have plenty of time and the fat loss diet is going well.
Firedrake
04-12-10, 4:30 pm
Damn fine work!
Enjoy the gasping -- that triset looked like fun!
Damn fine work!
Enjoy the gasping -- that triset looked like fun!
It was good to get it done, but it is definitely not fun today!! My arms are wrecked. But I clearly cheated on the last set because I have muscles that are sore that should not be sore from what I did.
Tonight was a good night. Heavy box squats.
Warm-up:
Treadmill
Foam Roller
body weight free squats
little more foam roller
Box Squats:
145 x 5
195 x 5
235 x 4
285 x 4
325 x 3
375 x 2
415 x 1
465 x 1
505 x 0
Good Mornings:
175 x 10 x 3
Hack Squat:
1 pps x 12
2pps x 10
2p+25ps x 10
2p+25+10ps x 10
Ab Curl Machine:
160 x 12 x 2
My ass was officially kicked. I just couldnt get that 505 off the box. I think I managed to get my butt maybe an inch off the box (maybe a little more, tough to tell when I'm down there!) and I couldnt push it any further. Hell, I couldnt even say "take it" or "help." Had to sit down after that one, but it feels good to be pushing that much weight on a regular basis again.
I just realized this workout is identical to the one I did last week, except for the main lift. I'll definitely being doing a pull of some sort next week. Probably a rack pull or a pull from a deficit.
Today was a day of fun and games :-) So, I am doing this Strongman event in July. I will finally doing one. I've been saying it for years now, but this one falls at a good time, and I shall be doing it.
One of the events is "Last Man Standing Deadlift" and you are allowed to wear a deadlift suit. I wanted to try my suit out again and see if I was going to use it for the Strongman event.
Deadlifts, straps down:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 4
275 x 4
315 x 2
365 x 2
405 x 1
Deadlifts, straps up:
455 x 1
495 x 1
535 x 0
Deadlifts, no suit:
365 x 12 <---multiple breaks in there, I believe I had a 5-10 sec break after reps 6, 8, and 10. Could be more but I cant remember.
Then 30 minutes of cardio.
Warm-Up:
Treadmill
Decline Push-ups
Straight Push-ups
Foam Roller
Flat Bench:
bar x whatever
95 x 6
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 6
295 x 4
305 x 3
315 x 2
335 x 0
Close Grip Bench Press:
225 x 10 x 3
DB Rows:
110 x 8 x 3
Side Lateral Raises:
25 x 10
30 x 10
35 x 10
Max is helping me work out my mental problem. Increasing my bench is difficult because I have mental block of some sort, but tonight was wicked awesome. Sure, I didnt get 335, but that was after doing 305 for 3 and 315 for 2! Also, I finally found great placement for my body to have the highest, tightest arch I can have with my feet flat on the ground. My bench is coming together!!
My weight is going well too. I'm down to 248 and I feel stronger. No cardio tonight cause I am just wrecked from 3 straight lifting sessions in a row. Worth it though!
Good work. Looking forward to competing with you in June!
Good work. Looking forward to competing with you in June!
Oh yeah! Its going to be great. Maybe, the June meet could even be Herc's first full power meet?
Friday was pretty uneventful. Didnt really get much done. I dont know how time went by so quickly, but it did.
Speed Squats w/#4 IW's:
305 x 2 x 8
Leg Press:
6pps x 12
7pps x 10
8pps x 10 x 2
Abdominals. Thats about it. Like I said, time went somewhere. Where? I have no friggen clue.
Today pretty much sucked. Wrong bands, wrong spotter, wrong weight.
Speed Bench w/Short Average EFS:
165 x 3 x 6
Push Press:
bar x 15
95 x 12
135 x 10
155 x 8
Bent Over BB Row:
225 x 8 x 3
BB Shrug:
315 x 10 x 3
Skull Crushers:
75 x 12
85 x 10
90 x 10
Ez Bar Curls:
35 x 20
65 x 12 x 3
35 Minutes of cardio.
For future knowledge, I am not strong enough to use the Average short bands for bench yet. I mean they kicked my ass. I put 185 on the bar and it was a struggle through all 3 reps. Maybe it was an off day? Who knows. Maybe I'll try it next week with someone who knows how to lift off properly. I thought it would be fine because I blew through the light bands. Maybe I'll do a couple of weeks using the Micro Mini's doubled up with the lights and then move on up to the average. Or just keep adding weight?
No one on the team was there today in the gym. I think its a definite sign I'm the weakest. See, I got injured back in January, where as everyone is getting injured now! Hahaha. Max and Kevin have their backs tweeked.
Max Effort night! Didnt go as well as I had hoped, but I cant complain.
Good Mornings w/straight bar:
bar x 6
105 x 6
145 x 6
195 x 5
235 x 5
285 x 4
325 x 3
375 x 3
415 x 3
465 x 1
Yeah, I got the sucker up, the negative was a good morning, but the positive was as if I pulled myself back into squat position and performed some crappy quarter squat.
Hack Squats:
2pps x 10
2p+25ps x 10
3pps x 10
3p+25ps x 8
Lunges:
50 x 8 x 3
Rope Crunches:
200 x 15 x 3
Side steps w/light short bands:
half gym length (each leg) x 3
20 Minutes cardio.
So, I was reading notes on a Louie Simmons seminar and I read something quite interesting about the Westside method. He said that "off-days" are not traditional off-days. On these days one should go in and do a little bit of volume, working on your weak points. WTF!? Really Louie? Seven days a week, 365 days a year?
I may try it for a little while, just because I need to get in some more cardio. It'll get me to go. I hate heading over to the gym to do a little bit of cardio, as I feel I have done nothing by the time I leave. I guess I'll start working on my chest (maybe dumbbells), my core, and hip power, as they wont take too much out of me.
http://westside-barbell.com/westside-articles/PDF.Files/03PDF/Extra%20Workouts.pdf
http://westside-barbell.com/westside-articles/PDF.Files/03PDF/Extra%20Workouts%202.pdf
http://westside-barbell.com/westside-articles/PDF.Files/03PDF/Extra%20Workouts.pdf
http://westside-barbell.com/westside-articles/PDF.Files/03PDF/Extra%20Workouts%202.pdf
Thanks for the Boom! Thats much appreciated. I guess I'll be doing my "special workout" for legs this evening. However, as I cant use option 1, looks like I'll be using the hot tub, sauna, and rollers for recovery.
So that was fun. Well, not entirely, it did kick my ass, but I really see how this can help. This will definitely bring up my anaerobic capacity. Hopefully it will also help with strengthening and recovery!!!
So, today was:
5 minutes of Pullthroughs at the 100# Plate. Ended up being about 4 sets of 20.
5 minutes of Leg Raises w/doubled micro Minis. This sucked, about 5 sets of 8-10.
5 minutes of DB Power Cleans w/40#DBs. I kept running out of breathe, so there really werent any sets. I just kept doing them,
5 minutes of DB shrugs w/chest out, shoulder blades pinched. 45#DBs. 3 sets of 25.
Then, 35 minutes of cardio.
While the scale is only slowly going down, I'm noticing physique changes. Specifically the tumor like GUT is no shrinking and not hanging so much.
Hercules
04-20-10, 8:31 pm
Way to go, Big C! Solid plan. If you're ever in the area for whatever - training, concert (Hatebreed was SICK!), etc - let me know.
Way to go, Big C! Solid plan. If you're ever in the area for whatever - training, concert (Hatebreed was SICK!), etc - let me know.
We definitely need to hit up a concert again. Did you make any decisions on whether you're lifting at the June 19-20th Raw Meet?
Tonight was a pretty decent night. It started off pretty slow (not one person showed up until 7:30). Then Brian showed up, followed by these two kids we've been training. I'm happy. My form is good right now. I found the best foot placement for flat benching. Now I'm looking for the best hand placement.
Warm-Up:
Treadmill
Decline Push-ups
Push-ups
foam roller
Bench:
bar x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
225 x 3
2 Board:
275 x 3
315 x 3
335 x 1
365 x 1
385 x 1
405 x 0
Cambered Bench:
135 x 10
185 x 10
225 x 8
Push Press using Power Squat:
no weight x 10
1pps x 10
1p+25ps x 10
2pps x 10
Pulldowns:
180 x 10 x 3
DB Curls:
30 x 8
35 x 8
40 x 8
45 x 8
Broomstick raises x 15 x 3
***Also, my new foam roller came in the mail today!!! The OPTP Green Roller from EFS. I'm doing everything within my power to get as strong as I can for this upcoming meet. Next thing to add in? Hot tub and sauna on the off days!
Firedrake
04-22-10, 4:43 pm
Lookin' good! I second the foam roller work; it's really helping me. I -do- need to hit the sauna more often -- it does me a world of good.
Lookin' good! I second the foam roller work; it's really helping me. I -do- need to hit the sauna more often -- it does me a world of good.
I hit the sauna and hot tub tonight. I feel excellent!!
Strict Barbell Row: 135 x 5 minutes
DB Flat, Incline, Decline, Seated Press: 50 x 20 reps (all within 10min)
Decline Crunches x 5 minutes
35 Minutes Cardio at 3.0 mph
Sauna, Pool, Hot Tub, Pool
I'm feeling good!
I was having the hardest time with bench grip, I had no idea where to place my hands. Yesterday I think I found the best, I went back to pinkys on the rings. It is pretty close, but I feel strongest. And nice extra workout!
I was having the hardest time with bench grip, I had no idea where to place my hands. Yesterday I think I found the best, I went back to pinkys on the rings. It is pretty close, but I feel strongest. And nice extra workout!
I cant decide. I know its somewhere between my pinky being next to the ring and the ring being between my ring and pinky. I think I may be doing the same as you and having the pinkies on the ring.
Heavy Speed day.
Warm-Up:
Treadmill
Jumping Jacks
Long Jumps
Foam Roller
band squats up to 315 (jumping up by 25 each set)
Speed Squats w/#2 and #3 bands:
315 x 2 x 6
Speed Deads w/short average pros:
225 x 1 x 10 <---30 sec rest intervals
Good Mornings on Power Squat Machine:
0pps x 12
1pps x 10
2pps x 10
3pps x 10
Sissy Squat:
bw x 12
25 x 12
45 x 12 x 2
I used the #2&3 instead of the #4 so we could take a band off for other that were working in with me. It was pretty heavy. I was pretty much spent after the 6th set.
Grueling day today. It was far too hot in the gym, so much so that my shoulders kept slipping from the sweat when I tried to get into my arch! At least I know that when I get to the meets, it cant be any hotter than the gym.
Speed Bench w/short light pros:
205 x 3 x 9
w/short monster minis:
185 x 10
HS BTN Press:
1pps x 15
2pps x 10
2p+10ps x 10 x 3
2p+10ps x 8
Overhead EZ Bar Tri Ext:
65 x 10
85 x 10
95 x 10
105 x 8
BB curl:
45 x 10
55 x 10 x 3
Chest Supported Row:
2p x 12 x 3
Warm-up:
Treadmill
Foam Roller
Squats up to 375
Cambered Box Squats:
415 x 1
465 x 1
485 x 0
Hack Squat:
2pps x 12
3pps x 10
3p+25ps x 8
4pps x 6
BB Shrugs:
135 x 12
225 x 10
315 x 5 x 3
Abs
That bar bit into my shoulders something fierce on those last two sets. Also, I am sore as hell from lifting yesterday. Accessory day tomorrow!
Good stuff, how are you liking the extra workouts?
Good stuff, how are you liking the extra workouts?
I feel like my recovery time has increased in between sets and I'm not so out of breath.
So, I think I'm liking them!
Firedrake
04-27-10, 8:23 pm
Great looking work!
I can imagine you were sore, and that much would flat BRUISE my poor shoulders!
Great looking work!
I can imagine you were sore, and that much would flat BRUISE my poor shoulders!
You'd be surprised how much you can take. You're not as weak as you're making yourself out to be!
Accessory day.
5 minutes of reverse band (#3) Glute Ham Raises. I didnt count cause these sucked ass. Definitely need work on these
7.5 min of leg raises. Around 5 sets of 10
7.5 min of Back Hyper-extensions w/ doubled #2 band. Basically came out to around 4 sets of 12
40 freakin minutes on the treadmill. Even with music it was boring as hell! It might be time to start spliting it up, morning and evening.
Firedrake
04-28-10, 12:10 am
Oh, it's not a question of -weak-. I just don't have large traps, really, and my shoulders are still a little bony, if you ask me. 3 sets of 20 squats this morning -- 135 ATG, and 225 to parallel, left my legs shaking.
Nice accessory work.
Oh, it's not a question of -weak-. I just don't have large traps, really, and my shoulders are still a little bony, if you ask me. 3 sets of 20 squats this morning -- 135 ATG, and 225 to parallel, left my legs shaking.
Nice accessory work.
I hear you there! I've done a lot of trap work in order to make the bar feel more comfortable. If I dont hold the bar right, it still hits me right on the bone and it sucks!
3 sets of 20 for 135 I think would be kicking my ass too, haha. I dont think my body has the endurance.
Bench today! It was an exciting day. I havent been able to find any drink mixes without sugar, but with electrolytes, in order to fill my 64oz bottle for training. However, Gatorade has recently released their Pro Series and they had packets of just their electrolytes!!!! I have always used Gatorade and Carb Max, and other things that had sugar, but I had to cut it out of my diet.
When you're cutting weight, its the little things that pick you up :-)
On another note, because of some pretty bad blood test results, I cut creatine out of my supplement stack as well. I'm going for another blood test this saturday to see if the creatine screwed with the results. I had some huge liver spikes and my cholesterol and triglycerides were waaaaayy off. So, we'll see next week if it was supplements interfering or if I really am that unhealthy. But, my point is that it is nearly imposable to find a pre-workout supplement with no creatine in it!
Warm-Up:
Treadmill
Foam Roller
Push-ups
Rotator Movements
Bench:
bar x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
285 x 6
305 x 4
315 x 3
325 x 1
275 x 3 <--Paused reps
Lost my form when I attempted the second rep of 325, back tightened up on me. Then it did it again right after the 3rd rep at 275, I decided my body was saying stop.
JM Presses:
135 x 12
155 x 10
185 x 8
Pressdowns:
120 x 20 x 3
BB Front Raises (25# bar):
bar x 15
45 x 12
75 x 8
Cable Crossovers:
50 x 15
60 x 12
70 x 10
It felt great to hit 315 for 3! Should have had 325 for 2 but no such luck. Still losing weight and getting stronger! Its the only thing thats keeping me sane on this cut.
Firedrake
04-29-10, 8:42 pm
You're still lookin' good. I'ma have to work on my benching once this show's over.
As far as creatine and the other numbers; according to my kidney doctor (I have chronic stones), creatine shouldn't affect things if you're getting enough water. I'd look for other reasons for the cholesterol and triglycerides.
Good luck!
You're still lookin' good. I'ma have to work on my benching once this show's over.
As far as creatine and the other numbers; according to my kidney doctor (I have chronic stones), creatine shouldn't affect things if you're getting enough water. I'd look for other reasons for the cholesterol and triglycerides.
Good luck!
Well, I think I may have high cholesterol, but one of the reasons for the numbers being so high was because the lady took my blood after I ate only four hours before hand, so that would lead to an increase. But I dont think it would increase it enough to be that high.
But, we'll see whenever I get the paper work back after the test on saturday. I'm taking a break from lifting today and tomorrow to make sure that too doesnt affect my liver test levels. You know, trying to do everything possible to make sure this comes out as best as possible.
Firedrake
04-29-10, 8:55 pm
Drink lots of water, and try to get a fasting blood levels.
Drink lots of water, and try to get a fasting blood levels.
I am. I'm all ready peeing all the time. I plan on being fasted for at least 10 hours before they take my blood (I read that you're supposed to fast 10-12, not the 4-6 these people suggested).
Back to working out tonight. Those days off really sucked due to training being my stress outlet. I should get my results back by the end of the week.
Warm-Ups:
Helping move a reclining couch, reclining love seat, bed, box spring, and bed frame up 3 flights of stairs. (narrow of course!)
Foam Roller
Speed Bench-
w/light shorts:
205 x 3 x 5
w/average shorts
155 x 3 x 3
Close Grip Bench w/monster mini short:
135 x 15 x 2
HS Iso High Pull:
1pps x 15
1p+25ps x 12
2pps x 10
2p+25ps x 6
Giant Set w/ Curls, then upright rows, then military press, then tricep overhead ext:
60 x 12 reps each x 1
65 x 12 reps each x 3
Cable crossovers (we would do a set each, then drop the weight down, tried only to rest when the other was going):
80 x 15
70 x 15
60 x 12
50 x 12
40 x 14
30 x 15
20 x 18
No use to do 10, the handles weighed almost that much.
Neck Lifts, 10 pounds, one set for the front, one for the back.
Max help figure out that I'm not contracting my chest enough while benching. While crossovers may make my chest pretty, it does have its purpose. I'm trying to focus on my chest without my triceps being involved. My bench has been going up, so I think its helping!
Doing cardio and having the extra accessory days are definitely helping me. Back a few months ago I would not have done anything after moving those few things. I'm sticking with it!
Well, two days of lifting to report.
First was my Max effort lower body, but with a little twist.
Warm Up:
Treadmill
Foam Roller
Jumping Jacks
Broomstick Overhead Squats
Squats:
145 x 5
195 x 5
235 x 5
285 x 5
325 x 3
375 x 3
415 x 9 <---couldnt get the tenth, my legs turned into cooked spaghetti
High Pulls:
135 x 3
225 x 3
315 x 2
405 x 1
495 x 0 <--my glutes were dead, I have never felt my glutes fail on a lift before.
315 x 3
Decline crunches:
5 x 10 x 5
All right, I suck at bodyweight exercises. I add just a tiny bit of weight and its one of the hardest things I've done. I think I need to focus on lifts of that nature.
Today was supplemental to Monday's lower body work out.
5 minutes of Mummy Walk Good Mornings w/#2 (put a band from one foot through my belt, onto the other foot) using 145. Ended up being around 50 reps.
5 minutes of Sissy Squats using 35 pound plate. Ended up being about 65 reps.
5 minutes hip a(b/d)ductors using monster mini short band.
5 minutes of weighted leg raises with 5 pound DB. Ended up only being 35 reps.
Then, 30 minutes of cardio, intervals of four minutes going from 3.2 mph, to 3.5 mph. I'm working my way up slowly but surely.
Whew, this is the sorest I have been in quite some time! I didnt think much was going to happen tonight, but after an extended session with the foam roller (along with quite a bit of moaning and grimacing) things finally started to get moving.
Warm-Up:
Treadmill
Stretching
Foam Roller
Push Ups
Arm circles
Rotator cuff stuff
Bench:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3
3 Board:
315 x 3
365 x 1
405 x 1
415 x 0
Bent Over BB Rows:
135 x 12
185 x 10
205 x 8
225 x 6
HS Dip Machine:
1pps x 15
1p+25ps x 12
2pps x 10
2p+25ps x 8
Bent Over DB Raises:
20 x 12
25 x 10
30 x 8
That 405 felt great! I've finally handled over 400 and that gets me very excited for training. Next step, doing it off a two board, or hell, even off my chest!
Awesome work, 405 is awesome. What are you looking to bench in June?
Awesome work, 405 is awesome. What are you looking to bench in June?
As heavy as I can! But seriously, I want to bench more than what I have in the past, so at least 345. A perfect day? More than 360.
Supplemental day. Fun too. Lots of sweat and just a dash of swearing.
Seated DB Power Cleans:
20 x 20 x 4
DB Rows:
40 x 20
50 x 20
55 x 20
60 x 20
Seated Overhead EZ Bar Tri Ext:
75 x 15 x 4
Pushups w/#2 band:
2 sets to failure (around 25)
Landmines:
25 x 14 x 4
40 Minutes of cardio.
Man was today a slow day! No one could get into gear. End of the week and still no blood test results! I was really hoping for some good news...and a cheat meal tonight!
Any way, speed day.
Speed Squats w/120# chains:
285 x 2 x 8
Deadlifts:
225 x 5
315 x 5 x 3
Thats it, thats all that we managed to do. Chicken and rice for dinner, yum!
Wow, totally forgot to post the past few workouts!
Sunday:
Speed Bench w/short EFS pros:
195 x 3 x 9
225 x 4
Hang Clean and Press:
65 x 12
70 x 10
75 x 10
80 x 10
EZ Bar Curls
-superset with-
Overhead Tri Ext:
75 x 12
85 x 10
95 x 8
105 x 8
Monday:
Squats:
145 x 5
195 x 5
235 x 5
285 x 5
325 x 3
375 x 3
Reverse Band Box Squats w/#4(green) band:
415 x 3
465 x 1
505 x 1
555 x 1
595 x 1
615 x 0
DB Step-Ups:
45 x 8
50 x 8
55 x 8
Standing Cable Crunches:
150 x 10 x 2
Today (Tuesday):
Supplemental workout
7 Min Hack squats w/ 1pps
5 Min Band Good Mornings w/#5(blue) band
5 Min Shrugs w/135
5 Min weighted V-ups
Whew, that was a bit to write. I think I'll make sure to keep up so I wont have to back log again.
Heavy bench day!
Warm-Up:
8min Treadmill
Rotator Movements
Weighted Arm Circles
Broomstick Raises
Decline Push-ups
Push-Ups
Foam Roller
Bench:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3
290 x 6
310 x 4
320 x 3
330 x 2
340 x 1
Tate Presses:
40 x 15
50 x 12
60 x 10
Barbell Front Raises:
45 x 12
55 x 10
65 x 8
75 x 8
Actually ran for 10min for cardio. Thought I was going to die, but I persevered. Barely. Totally forgot to work my back. I guess I'll have to do a more than one thing tomorrow.
Two weeks ago I couldnt get 325 for two. Tonight I got 330 for two and even 340 for one!!! I never would have thought that doing more work (my supplemental days) would lead to more strength. I'm pleasantly surprised.
Supplemental today.
Worked out with Max again. So times below are for him going then me going, someone was always holding a weight.
HS Iso High Pull, 1pps for 10 minutes
4 sets of 20 DB Presses (Flat, Incline, Decline, Seated)
Pressdowns, 100 reps (started w/120 worked down to 90)
Hanging Leg Raises 5 min
35 Min cardio, 3.2mph varying incline.
I am down to 242 now! I keep getting stronger while losing, so I have no concern about continuing the diet I have now.
Speed Deadlits w/72# of chain:
275 x 2 x 8
275 x 4
Leg Press:
3 pps x 12
4 pps x 12
5 pps x 12
6 pps x 10
Seated Good Mornings:
135 x 10 x 5
Hip Abductors:
110 x 15 x 3
Hip Adductors:
110 x 15 x 3
Definitely worn down, but tomorrow is a rest day with a cheat meal!! I got my blood work back (finally) and everything is normal except for my Triglycerides and my ALT is slightly elevated still. I those will both be solved by continuing on my weight loss program. My diet was complete shit there for a while, so I deserved getting that wake up call. But, at least I'm on the right track now and feeling great!
Speed bench w/light efs pros and dbled micro minis:
185 x 3 x 8
205 x 3
Overhead Tri Ext, close grip:
80 x 12
90 x 12
105 x 10
115 x 8
Bent Over Side Raises:
15 x 12 x 2
20 x 12
Chest Supported Rows:
1p x 15
2ps x 12
2p+25 x 10
Rotator Cuff Movements using machine:
30 x 15 for each movement (4 movements)
Warm-up squats:
bar-235 x 5
285-375 x 3
Box Squats:
415 x 1
465 x 1
485 x 0
Front Squats:
145 x 12
195 x 10
Good Mornings:
145 x 10 x 3
Weighted V-Ups:
bar x 15
65 x 12
95 x 8
10 Min Jog at 4.5 mph
Today sucked, I just didnt really feel it. Then on 465 I fell out of the groove, fought to get back in and finished a grinding squat. At least its clear to me that my good mornings are paying off. On a side note, it serves me right for trying to max out tonight after maxing out last week on reverse band squats.
On a better note, my cardio is much better. I am actually able to jog again. I think I'll be jogging once a week until I can run a 10min mile.
Firedrake
05-18-10, 6:00 pm
Looking good -- yeah, form is almost everything on squats, as you've discovered.
Congrats on the cardio!
Looking good -- yeah, form is almost everything on squats, as you've discovered.
Congrats on the cardio!
Thanks Drake! I am pretty excited to know I've gotten my health back to where I can at least job (I'd call it running but its not fast enough!).
I felt SORE today after yesterdays supplemental workout.
::Yesterday::
Walking Lunges 5min with 30# DB's.
Cleans 5min 135
Side Bends 5min 50#
DB Shrugs 5min 85#
Clearly I have never done side beens because my sides are killing me. I havent felt a muscle this sore in a while.
::Today::
Bench:
bar x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 3
At this point my wrist was starting to hurt. I think it was sore from cleans yesteday.
2 Board:
365 x 2
385 x 0
Close Grip Bench:
275 x 7 x 3
HS Dip Machine:
1p+35ps x 15 x 4
Side Raises:
20 x 20
25 x 18
30 x 15
Hammer Curls:
20 x 15
25 x 12
30 x 10
Sucks I couldnt hit the 385, but I'm happy about getting 315 off my chest, for reps, for the second week in a row.
Ugh, today was a hellish torment by Max. Basically he said he didnt want to do chains or bands today and wanted to do a little volume. So...
Squats:
145 x 5
195 x 5
235 x 5
285 x 15 x 3
Deadlifts:
135 x 5
225 x 4
315 x 3
365 x 1
And then the gym closed on us. not like I had much more in the tank. I may go in tomorrow to do a couple of the lifts I didnt get to do tonight.
Firedrake
05-22-10, 1:14 am
Congrats on the soreness . . . what's the matter, afraid of a little volume? Hmmm?
Tsk, tsk. I thought you were tougher than that <grin>.
Congrats on the soreness . . . what's the matter, afraid of a little volume? Hmmm?
Tsk, tsk. I thought you were tougher than that <grin>.
Hahaha, I thought I was too! That weight can be quite humbling when you hit a good depth. I'm all ready feeling the soreness in my legs. I'll keep a smile on my face though.
So I did go in today.
Good Mornings on Power Squat:
1pps x 15
2pps x 12
2p+25ps x 10
3pps x 8
Barbell Hip Thrusters:
135 x 12 x 3
Rope Crunches:
150 x 25 x 2
45 min cardio
Nothing major, just the stuff I didnt get to last night.
Speed Bench w/light shorts:
215 x 3 x 8
Seated Military Press:
100 x 12
115 x 10
135 x 8
155 x 6
Dip Machine:
2pps x 15
2p+25ps x 12
3pps x 10
Hammer Curl:
5 through 35 x 10
Supplemental night.
Last night sucked pretty awful to me. A severely crappy lifting session.
Hack Squats for 10 min (trading on and off with Max) 2pps.
Stiff Legged Dead Lift for 5 mins at 135
Seated Good Mornings for 5 mins at 135
Side Bends 40 x 12 x 4
Overdid it with the preworkout supps cause I felt exhausted. I was through the roof and had to fight the blood pressure in the back of my head. I will NOT be doing that again. Other than that, decent night.
Decent night tonight.
Bench:
warmed up to 275
295 x 6
315 x 4
325 x 3
335 x 1
Came out of the groove on the second rep of 335. Came off my chest great, which I'm pleased about. Now just need to keep working on keeping my elbows in.
HS Incline:
1pps x 15
2pps x 12
2p+25ps x 10
3pps x 8
Bent Over Rows (very strict):
115 x 15
135 x 12
165 x 10
185 x 8
Pressdowns:
100 x 10 x 3
Supplemental night. Put our newbie Mike through the ringer (he did less weight but same reps).
Cambered Bench:
135 x 20 x 2
135 x 15 x 2
One Arm DB Row:
50 x 20 x 2
60 x 20
70 x 20
Pushdown:
110 x 20
120 x 20
130 x 20
140 x 20 x 2
Incline Shrugs:
2p x 15 x 3
Wow, really been slacking lately with the log. Terrible, I know.
Biggest news of the week. On Tuesday I finally hit 505 off a box. I'm liking the outcome of my squat at the meet. This week I'll be walking out 600 multiple times to feel it on my back.
I did two board for bench, nailed 385 easy. Couldnt get the 405 for some reason. It took a long time to bring it down and it kept waving in and out of the groove.
Thought I was going to get to do Strongman today, but the friggen weather gave a big middle finger to that idea.
One week of training left. My weight loss has stalled, but I'm there anyway so its not in my mind. I just stay with the diet and I'm good.
Really crappy deadlift night again. I'm starting to think its going to be a longer road to recovery when it comes to my back. My squat is great, my deadlift is utter crap. I'm tempted to lift sumo at the meet, but I dont want to change anything right now. However, my best lift in the gym has been 465, terrible compared to my best at 550.
However, tonight, I hit 365 off my chest after hitting 305 for 6, 325 for 4, 335 for 3, and 345 for 2.
I'm feeling great about my Squat and Bench for this meet. Deadlift is still on the fritz. Will it come together by the meet? I have no idea, only thing right now is to stay positive and focus on whats good, then get to the deadlift when it happens. Nothing is going to change that now.
Well, didnt do anywhere near what I wanted to do. My stupid idea of cutting weight messed me up and missing one of my squats really messed with my head.
Total: 1360
Squat: 500
Bench: 355
Deadlift: 505
Squats:
500 opener. Walk out was strong, started coming up and wobbled a bit but forced it up just fine.
540 2nd attempt. I buried it. I mean inches below parallel. My mindset was worried about not getting depth and I severely overshot. I lost steam a couple inches above parallel.
555 3rd attempt. I figured if I didnt bury it I was fine with more weight. I was shooting for 600 so I wasnt going for 540 again. I SLIPPED coming out of the rack because it was a painted wood platform that people were sweating on. It took all my energy not to faceplant that once I got down to the bottom i had not steam coming up.
Excuses, but oh well. 500 is 30 pounds below my previous best.
Bench:
325 Opener. Felt great, pause was no problem, shot back up.
355 2nd attempt. Same as 325, it felt great, I was stoked.
385 3rd attempt. I brought it down, pause went great, I shoved hard and it got about 3/4 of the way up. Thats when my foot slipped, but I didnt get red-lighted for my foot moving, they said I locked out un-even and I got two red-lights on the attempt.
That pissed me off, but I know I can get 385 at a meet now. 355 is a +15 PR.
Deadlift:
My back and hip was sore warming up. I've been having a lot of problems with form lately and its something I am determined to work on.
465 opener: Came up easy, no problem.
505 2nd attempt. Came up a lot better than I thought it would. I was excited I finally pulled 500+ again. I wasnt letting myself leave the meet without this lift.
545 3rd attempt. This thing didnt even budge. That sucked.
Previous best deadlift, 550. Very disheartening.
You live you learn. I will not be sucking weight again. I will be making sure to stay below 242 in order to stay in the weight class. There are meets in August, October, and November. I will be hitting over 1500 at one of those meets.
I held the previous Junior 242 record at 1230 total, I added 130 pounds to that record and bumped it up to 1360. BUT I WANT MORE.
On the other hand Boom had a great meet and MassMonster had an excellent first meet. It was great to lift with some fellow Animals. Cant wait to do it again!
Sunday I stayed to watch my fellow team member MJ Quinn lift. So boom and I loaded and spotted for the first time in our lifting careers. Lets just leave it at "I'm sore."
Next up on the plate: Strongman July 10th. I'm not injured, nothing was strained, pulled, or twisted. I'm just sore and tired, time to get to all Strongman training until the July event. I will be doing this meet. I've been saying it for years and its finally time to man up or shut up.
All right, back to regular logs. I took a couple of days off at the beginning of the week, the rest of the week was really high reps, very light weight. Goal was to pump my muscles up, get some blood flowing through, and try to heal up any remaining.
Today started the first day of actual training. I will be doing Strongman training, the actual equipment, on Saturdays. So we started off with the tire. Our tire is about 550-600 pounds.
3 trips (about 70') two for warm ups, one for time. 3rd trip was done under a minute.
Stones. I have only lifted a stone once before, so I was focusing on form rather than weight and volume. I did two lifts with our 180-190 stone, two lifts with our 220ish stone, and a lift with our 250ish stone. It felt pretty good, I think my form is decent. Needs improvement, but I can lift it without fear of injury myself being stupid.
Last is the log press. We dont know what our log weighs, but its over 200. Its made wih 3/8" steel, so its not light. 3 C+P's. Repped out 8 push presses, and then did a few more C+P's.
Its not much work, but a HUGE factor in this training is learning to deal with the heat. The heat sucks majorly.
wow great training in here dude..sucks to hear about the deads but they will come back, some focused rehab on the back and you will eventually be pulling higher ;)
wow great training in here dude..sucks to hear about the deads but they will come back, some focused rehab on the back and you will eventually be pulling higher ;)
Thanks man! Thats the goal, get back to where I was, and then keep growing!
Have fun at your strongman meet! Also, good lifting last week, I know you didn't get what you wanted but shit happens. You will kill the next meet.
Have fun at your strongman meet! Also, good lifting last week, I know you didn't get what you wanted but shit happens. You will kill the next meet.
I will! Not getting my lifts killed me. I know my mistakes and I am correcting them as I type. I will no longer be sucking weight right before the meet. The next 15 weeks will be full of good dieting decisions.
Speed day.
Bench w/100# of chain:
205 x 3 x 8
225 x 9
Incline HS:
1pps x 15
2pps x 12
2p+25ps x 10
3pps x 10
Floor Presses:
225 x 10 x 2
275 x 6
Low Pulley Row:
170 x 10
190 x 10
210 x 10
Tricep Pushdown:
170 x 20 x 2
So, I will be switching things up soon. Max wants to try something a bit different. I really dont know what to call it, but we'll be focusing more on heavy low reps. We'll be pulsing our heavy days and keeping our accessories and speed days.
The example I can give is-
Week 1: 75% for 6 reps (I think for 3 or 4 sets)
Week 2: 80% for 5 reps
Weeks 3: 85% for 4 reps
Week 4: 90% for 3 reps
Weeks 5: Deload week
Week 6: starting over again
Based off our maxes from this meet. We still have a few things to work out, but thats the plan for the upcoming weeks. We have 15 weeks of work before the Oct. APF meet. I may lift a little heavier for my squats, but will use 385 and 505 for my bench and deadlift. It should be an interesting experiment!
Sounds like a good plan. That looks like a periodized routine. They all work if done right, the majority of Ed Coan's programs are based off of periodization.
Sounds like a good plan. That looks like a periodized routine. They all work if done right, the majority of Ed Coan's programs are based off of periodization.
I thought it sounded familiar, but he didnt know what to call it and neither did I. I'll give him the Ed Coan routine and see if he wants to change the reps around just a little bit. He did Westside with me, I figured its only fair I try this with him!
Heavy Lower body last night.
Treadmill, roller, etc, etc
Warmed Up to 415
Squats:
415 x 6 x 4
Deads:
415 x 1 x 6
V-Ups:
bar x 15
65 x 12
95 x 10
I started cramping up pretty bad, so I decided to finish things up tonight. Looks like I need to up my water intake.
Firedrake
06-29-10, 8:44 pm
Is IS summer, and you ARE in Florida -- I think you'd understand hydration by now! <grin>
Good work!
Is IS summer, and you ARE in Florida -- I think you'd understand hydration by now! <grin>
Good work!
Havent quite figured it out yet! Clearly I spend far too much times indoors. Need to start getting out and working on my nonexistent tan.
Bench:
305 x 6 x 4
225 x 15
135 x 23
Hang Cleans:
95 x 12
135 x 10 x 2
Seated Military Press:
95 x 12
135 x 10
155 x 8
Shrugs:
225 x 15
315 x 12
405 x 8
BB Curls:
bar x 12
85 x 10 x 3
Yesterday was Bench Supplemental-
Incline DB:
60 x 15 x 5
DB Row:
60 x 15 x 4
Overhead EZ Bar Ext:
75 x 12 x 4
Bent Over Side Raises:
30 x 12 x 3
Today was lower body speed
Deads w/chains:
315 x 3 w/48# chain
315 x 3 w/72# x 2
315 x 3 w/96#
315 x 3 w/120#
Hip abductors:
110 x 15 x 2
Hip adductors:
110 x 15 x 2
Standing Rope Crunches:
100 x 20 x 2
More strongman training tomorrow!!!
Strongman training.
100' Tire Flip x 2. First one for warming up, second I went as fast as I could.
Stones:
Lightest Stone x 2
Lighter Stone x 2
Middle Stone x 2
Log Clean and Press x 1 x 5
Log Overhead press x 10
Stones didnt go as well today, my hips were tired from yesterday. My form has improved and I think it will be fun on saturday. I hope to shine on the log clean and press, as my cleans feel easy and the pressing is great. I just have to remember to push with my legs and pull my head through my arms at lockout.
I am quite excited to say the least.
Squats tonight!! Heavy night, I felt pretty good after basically eating all weekend.
Squats:
warmed up to 405
445 x 5 x 4
Good Mornings:
145 x 10 x 3
Sissy squats:
bw x 10
45 x 10 x 3
Machine Crunches:
135 x 15 x 3
Bench:
325 x 5 x 4
Cambered Bar:
95 x 12
135 x 10
225 x 8 x 2
HS Shoulder Press:
1pps x 12
2pps x 10 x 2
Tricep Pushdown:
120 x 12 x 3
My strength is getting up there. I'm quite happy with my benching as of late. These sets weren't easy and the last few reps were sloppy, so we'll see how the coming weeks pan out. I'm very satisfied at the moment.
On a side note, I am quite excited for the Strongman event in Ft. Pierce!! I cant wait!
Well, the temperature sucked at the meet today, but that was the only thing that sucked!!
First up was the 200# Log Clean and Press for reps. I cleaned and pressed for 5. First place.Would have had six, but I didnt realize the log couldnt come down on your head and "rest" there.
Second event, Last Man Standing Deadlift. I started at 455, made it up to 525 to tie for first.
Third event, 225# Farmers Walk for 100' and 180# Prowler Push 50' Medley. I came in third with a time of 29. something seconds.
Fourth event, 550# Tire Flip for 60'. Manage to get the tire across the line at 59.83 seconds, eeking out a finish for second place. Stood up, puked a little. Managed to hold it in until I was away from the majority of people and projectile vomited.
Fifth event, 240# Atlas Stone over 48" yoke for reps. An excellent time on this one, 10 reps for a first place finish.
Overall 1st Place in the Novice Open!!!
I am totally stoked right now. What a day it was. Quite an experience and I am bound to do more of them. Videos will be up later tonight or tomorrow.
mcbeast
07-10-10, 11:23 pm
Great stuff man. Some strong lifts.
Great stuff man. Some strong lifts.
Thank you! It was tough, but it was definitely a fun experience. Still riding the high.
I did some light work today. My chest wasnt used very much (if at all) at the meet, so I decided to do some light speed work.
Bench w/100# chain:
185 x 3 x 9
Overhead Tri-ext:
75 x 10
85 x 10
95 x 10
105 x 10
Bent over lateral raises:
25 x 10 x 3
Log Press:
http://s722.photobucket.com/albums/ww226/Cstlfx/Samson%20SandC%20Strongman%20Show%202010/?action=view¤t=LogPress.mp4
525 Deadlift (my last in the Last Man Standing event):
http://s722.photobucket.com/albums/ww226/Cstlfx/Samson%20SandC%20Strongman%20Show%202010/?action=view¤t=525Deadlift.mp4
225 Farmers Walk w/180 Prowler Push:
http://s722.photobucket.com/albums/ww226/Cstlfx/Samson%20SandC%20Strongman%20Show%202010/?action=view¤t=225FarmersWalk180ProwlerPush.mp4
550 Tire Flip:
http://s722.photobucket.com/albums/ww226/Cstlfx/Samson%20SandC%20Strongman%20Show%202010/?action=view¤t=550TireFlip.mp4
240 Atlas Stone for reps over yoke:
http://s722.photobucket.com/albums/ww226/Cstlfx/Samson%20SandC%20Strongman%20Show%202010/?action=view¤t=240AtlasStoneover48inchYoke.mp4
Heavy Squat day.
Squats:
warmed up to 415
465 x 4 x 3
Back Ext Machine:
160 x 12 x 3
Hip Abductors:
110 x 10 x 3
Hip Adductors:
110 x 10 x 3
Thats it for tonight. I am wrecked. Tomorrow will be a very light, very easy day. Just a bit of a break.
Last night was bench, but I had to finish some errands, so I wasnt able to do much.
Bench:
warmed up to 315
345 x 4
335 x 4 x 3
Reverse grip bench:
135 x 10 x 2
I was supposed to do 345 for all four sets, but the strongman show still had an effect on me.
Today was accessory day for bench.
DB Flat:
55 x 20 x 5
DB row w/ fat gripz:
50 x 20 x 4
HS Military Press:
1p+25ps x 15 x 4
Tricep Push down:
140-180 x 20 x 4
I have recently bought a pair of fat gripz in case I want to do another strongman show that includes an axle or other thick barred instruments. Let me tell you, they destroyed my forearms like no other. My grip strength sucks and turns me into a weak little baby. I'm all ready loving them!
All right, I have some plans for this week. My heart rate is pretty high all the time, so I think its time for a deload week. I plan on doing no max work, but keeping my dynamic work in the mix. I'll also reduce the weight and reps of supplemental and accessory work. I think when I have my "max effort" days I will work up to a heavy 75-80% max single.
Also, Brian and I built an axle bar for us to use. Fat gripz on dumbbells and an axle bar, this should be a lot of fun :-)
Its been a boring week so far.
Sunday was speed bench.
Bench w/3chains per side:
195 x 3 x 9
HS Military Press:
1pps x 12 x 4
Overhead Tri Ext:
75 x 10 x 4
Pulldown:
150 x 10 x 4
Yesterday was squats, nothing special.
Worked up to 425 for 1, about 80% of my best contest squat.
Leg Press -superset- Calf raise:
4pps x 12 x 4
Powersquat good morning:
2pps x 10 x 4
Side Bends:
70 x 10 x 3
I've been making sure to keep the speed up. I dont want to be taking forever in between each set. I all ready feel like I havent done anything this week. But I guess that means recovery is happening.
Deloads=boring but beneficial. I actually scheduled a deload week every 4th week of my training cycle so I don't burn out.
Deloads=boring but beneficial. I actually scheduled a deload week every 4th week of my training cycle so I don't burn out.
Hey same here! We were trying to go 4 weeks on, 1 week deload, but our bodies couldnt do it.
Hercules
07-20-10, 5:40 pm
Deloads suck but they're a necessity. I'm in need of a deload myself, but I want to stick to my program (Coan's DL routine). It's ridiculously brutal, but I can tell it's working. I want to pull 600+ raw on Aug 14th so I'll work through the agony and worry about deload later. I'm changing my diet a bit to compensate for the increased workload.
Deloads suck but they're a necessity. I'm in need of a deload myself, but I want to stick to my program (Coan's DL routine). It's ridiculously brutal, but I can tell it's working. I want to pull 600+ raw on Aug 14th so I'll work through the agony and worry about deload later. I'm changing my diet a bit to compensate for the increased workload.
How is that going for you? I know boom did well with Coan's routines.
The deloading does suck, but I can all ready feel my body doing much better. I do get tight pretty quick as of late, but I just have to make sure to keep using my foam roller.
Wednesday:
worked up to a single of 305 on bench. Nothing tough. I even made sure to get a good pause at the bottom.
After that we did front raises, cable crossovers, and pulldowns. Fast, light weight.
Thursday:
Supplemental, all as fast as we can go, but pretty light weight.
DB Flat:
40 x 20 x 4
Incline HS:
1p+25ps x 15 x 4
Chest supported row:
2ps x 12 x 4
Side Raises:
20 x 20 x 3
Pressdowns:
100 x 25 x 4
That was a killer, not on our muscles, but on our cardiovascular system. Either we're pushing ourselves well, or our cardio sucks. I'm leaning towards the latter. Hahaha.
Hercules
07-24-10, 10:15 am
How is that going for you? I know boom did well with Coan's routines.
The deloading does suck, but I can all ready feel my body doing much better. I do get tight pretty quick as of late, but I just have to make sure to keep using my foam roller.
I have seen some definite improvements using Coan's routine. The true test is August 14th. I keep my foam roller handy, too, because I get tight; I think it's because I'm an old man.
Wow, havent posted in a while. Things have been going well, except that the Orlando Barbell APF meet has been moved from the 16th, to the 30th. That means I wont be able to compete in the event, as I will be in Tampa, crewing for the Susan G. Komen 3Day. I guess this means my next meet will be the RAW United National Open on Nov. 7th.
Time to start this back up again. I cant remember much from yesterday. My main work was 300 x 6 x 5 for bench.
Tonight:
Flat DB:
65 x 20 x 4
65 x 25
Low Pulley Row (wide neutral handle):
160 x 15 x 5
Overhead EZ Bar Ext:
75 x 20 x 4
HS Iso Lat Pulldown:
1p+25ps x 12 x 4
HS Iso Military Press:
1p+25ps x 15 x 4
I had an excellent night tonight! Everything felt pretty good, except my trap, which has bothered me since benching on sunday. Its weird, sore and painful, but doesnt hinder my strength very much.
Deadlifts:
135 x 6
w/48# chain 225 x 4
w/72# chain 315 x 2
w/96# chain 315 x 2 x 8
405 x 1
455 x 1
495 x 1
545 x 0
V-ups w/barbell x 12 x 3
I was a little late to the gym so I didnt get to do much after the deadlifts. But I was super stoked to hit that 495 after doing my speed work. My form is getting better again. Somehow when lifting my feet kept drifting apart, I've brought them in close again and everything is working much better!
Speed Day
Bench w/short orange:
210 x 3 x 9
Bench:
275 x 1
315 x 1
345 x 1
365 x 1
385 x 0
Torture Rack (Upright rows/military press/over head BB ext):
55 x 12 x 4
DB Row w/fat grip:
50 x 15 x 4
Rotator Cuff prehab movements
20 x 12 x 2
Firedrake
08-02-10, 2:41 am
Nice work -- I LIKE that "torture rack"!
BigDubbDiesel
08-02-10, 9:54 am
Well, the temperature sucked at the meet today, but that was the only thing that sucked!!
First up was the 200# Log Clean and Press for reps. I cleaned and pressed for 5. First place.Would have had six, but I didnt realize the log couldnt come down on your head and "rest" there.
Second event, Last Man Standing Deadlift. I started at 455, made it up to 525 to tie for first.
Third event, 225# Farmers Walk for 100' and 180# Prowler Push 50' Medley. I came in third with a time of 29. something seconds.
Fourth event, 550# Tire Flip for 60'. Manage to get the tire across the line at 59.83 seconds, eeking out a finish for second place. Stood up, puked a little. Managed to hold it in until I was away from the majority of people and projectile vomited.
Fifth event, 240# Atlas Stone over 48" yoke for reps. An excellent time on this one, 10 reps for a first place finish.
Overall 1st Place in the Novice Open!!!
I am totally stoked right now. What a day it was. Quite an experience and I am bound to do more of them. Videos will be up later tonight or tomorrow.
damn homie thats fucking legit, its been awhile son but I'm glad things have been going good... should i be looking out for you on Met Rx WSM this year?
Nice work -- I LIKE that "torture rack"!
Its even more fun than you think! When working with one other partner, you only have as much time to recover as it takes your training partner to finish doing his set.
damn homie thats fucking legit, its been awhile son but I'm glad things have been going good... should i be looking out for you on Met Rx WSM this year?
Hahaha, have you seen what they have to lift!? Definitely next year, Poundstone, Pudzianowski, Pfister, Nee, Savickas, they'll have nothing on me then, muahahaha.
Squats:
warmed up to 375
415 x 3
465 x 1
505 x 1
275 x 8
Good Mornings:
145 x 10 x 4
Side Bends:
40 x 10
50 x 10
60 x 10
Shrugs w/axle:
135 x 10 x 5
I got up to 505 tonight on the squat. I'm pretty pleased with that. However, my groin didnt feel right so I decided to break it down and do some reps. I think I'm going back to the traditional Westside formula, the percentage tactic I've been using has been beating my body more than it has been building up my strength. I'm going to rotate through exercises again for max effort days.
Heavy lower body.
Good Mornings:
145 x 8
195 x 8
235 x 5
285 x 5
325 x 5 x 5
Deadlifts:
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 1
455 x 1
505 x 1
Abs
Happy I got the 505 up, but for some reason it seems that I deadlift better after working another lift right before it.
Bench:
135 x 8
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 5
315 x 3
2 Board:
365 x 1
385 x 1
405 x 0
Close Grip:
225 x 8 x 5
DB Front Raises:
15 x 10
20 x 10
25 x 10
30 x 10
Cable Crossovers:
50 x 10 x 4
::these are stupid, but for some reason I enjoy squeezing my muscles at the top of the contraction::
I was pretty pissed I didnt get the 405. My back cramped up on the descent and I tried to fight through it but that sucker went no where. Dont know what happened tonight because I got the 385 like cake. I'm happy with the 385, but DAMN do I want that 405!!!
Firedrake
08-12-10, 12:36 am
You'll get it. You're preparing your body to be ready for it. Next time, it'll know not to cramp.
All right, havent posted in quite a bit. Not much has gone on this week training wise. I hit a 500 deadlift again so I know I've got that down. Still havent managed to get past 365 on the bench.
I've been busy trying to get everything in order. I start classes on Tuesday at UCF for grad school. First class up Infectious Processes. Should be a bunch of fun :-)
Classes went well today. The drive wasnt as killer as I thought it was going to be. I still had plenty of energy to train tonight. Lets hope my body keeps it up!
Monday I managed to touch and go 505 off a box. Its been a while since I've managed that one. I surprised myself in doing it, as 135 felt heavy right off the bat.
Tonight was a you go, I go (we switch when we run out of steam) workout consisting of:
Hack squats:
1pps x ~15 x 2
Leg Press/calf raise:
2pps x 18
3pps x 18
4pps x 15 x 3
Seated Good Morning:
135 x ~15 x 4
Leg Curls:
180 x ~12 x 4
My legs are shot tonight, time to get some sleep.
Firedrake
08-25-10, 12:57 am
All riiiiight!
Congrats on the grad school, and the work's looking good!
Hercules
08-29-10, 3:20 pm
Wow... you're a busy man. What are you persuing your Masters in? Professor just started classes @ UCF (undergrad).
Wow... you're a busy man. What are you persuing your Masters in? Professor just started classes @ UCF (undergrad).
I'm heading down the Biology path. Which one exactly? I'm not sure at the moment. I'd like to be in a lab with diseases, but I'm just testing the waters at the moment, being out of school for a while, you know??
Well, I have been busy, just took my first test last week. I need to get back in the swing of keeping my log. It is definitely a helpful tool and I constantly keep asking myself "hey, what'd I do last week?" So, I MUST keep this up, for the benefit of my training.
I have been training the whole time, I've only missed a couple of days (one to finalize my studying before my test and a forced day off due to labor day).
Just a quick catch up instead of long winded stories:
Monday 9/6: pulled 525 (pulled this at the strongman meet with straps, never have hit this in the gym before ever.)
Wednesday 9/8: 335 Bench for 5 x 5
Friday 9/10: Squats hit 315 for 20 reps (touching a box)
Thats about it. I'm pretty pleased with the numbers. I'm still stoked about 525 for deads and that 315 was killer! I was just going to go for 5, but once I hit five it felt so good that I just kept going, then Kevin and Max kept me going on the last few reps to make it to twenty.
Firedrake
09-13-10, 1:31 am
Nice work!
If you'd like to talk to someone working in the field, I have a scientist friend of mine, whose degree is from CalTech, who's working in genetic and disease research right now.
Nice work!
If you'd like to talk to someone working in the field, I have a scientist friend of mine, whose degree is from CalTech, who's working in genetic and disease research right now.
Thank you very much! Right now, however, I'm awaiting my test score. If I dont do well in the class, I'll have to rethink what I want to do, or if I continue along this course.
Monday:
Squats w/ cambered bar to box:
145 x 8
235 x 5
285 x 5
325 x 5
375 x 3
425 x 2
475 x 1
Good Mornings:
145 x 10 x 4
Stiff Legged Deadlifts:
135 x 12 x 4
Tuesday (today):
Hack Squats:
1pps x 10
2pps x 10
2p+25ps x 10 x 4
Leg Press w/calf raise:
2pps x 15
3pps x 12
4pps x 10
5pps x 10
6pps x 10
The cambered felt pretty good. A solid touch on the box (well below parallel) to kill momentum and came right back up. I think 475 is a PR with the cambered bar, if not, its one of the heaviest. We use a cambered bar made by West Cary Barbell, similar to the rackable cambered squat bar from EliteFTS.
Firedrake
09-15-10, 1:59 am
Nice work -- I wish we had a cambered bar in my gym . . .
Nice work -- I wish we had a cambered bar in my gym . . .
http://www.westcarybarbell.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=24
if you have the extra cash grab one and put your name on it. They are quite a bit of fun!
Wednesday:
Bench:
135 x 8
225 x 5
275 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 1
385 x 0*
315 x 6
275 x 8
225 x 12
135 x 30
::*Time to stop screwing around here and figure out what the hell is going on. Maybe try 375 first? (I know, it seems too logical) or work from 3 board down to my chest? (3,2,1,chest)::
Tate Presses:
45 x 10 x 5
Side Lateral Raises:
25 x 10 x 4
Thursday (today):
Incline HS:
1pps x 12
2pps x 10 x 5
HS Military Press:
2pps x 10 x 4
Low Pulley Row:
140 x 10
150 x 10
160 x 10
170 x 10
180 x 10
Tricep Pushdown:
160 x 20
170 x 20
180 x 20
190 x 20
200 x 20
-superset with-
DB Curls:
35 x 12 x 5
Firedrake
09-17-10, 12:03 am
Well, I can't suggest anything for the benching issues -- mine is so much worse -- but the 3-board/2-board/1-board progression seems to make sense to me.
So lately I have been waking up just hurting, so we figured it was time for a deload week. I hate deload weeks because it feels like I'm doing nothing. I just have to keep telling myself they're worth it in the long run.
Yesterday I did some light good mornings, light sissy squats, and so light wide sumo (toes almost touching the plates) deads.
Tonight was Light stiff legged deads with the axle, light leg press, and light leg extensions.
With the deload week over, this week has been quite good.
Monday=
Deads:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 3
405 x 1
455 x 1
495 x 1
545 x 0 <---somehow I didnt keep it next to my body, ended up traveling over my toes right below my knee. Really pissed about that one, I had it, had I just kept my damn form.
Then I did some hip ab/adductors, shrugs, and crunches.
Tues=
Hack Squats:
2pps x 12 x 5
Leg Press w/calf raise:
2pps x 15
3pps x 12
4pps x 12 x 3
::Both of these are done deep to help us get off the bottom of our squat. Definitely seems to have helped my deadlift at least::
Leg Curls:
150 x 12 x 4
Wednesday=
Bench:
135 x 8
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 1
375 x 1
385 x 0
Close Grip:
275 x 8 x 2
HS Dip machine:
2pps x 12 x 3
Rolling DB Ext:
30 x 12
35 x 12
40 x 12
Stoked that I hit the 375. 385 went better even though I couldnt get it. At least this time I failed pushing it off my chest, rather than failing before I brought it down. I'm progressing at least.
I'm back, I've still been training hard, minus this sunday and monday. Had a test today worth 30% of my grade so I have been sleeping, eating, and breathing Infectious Processes. But, blew off some steam tonight with some reverse band good mornings!
Rev. Band w/ #4 IW's:
145 x 15
195 x 12
235 x 10
285 x 8
325 x 5
375 x 3
415 x 3
465 x 3
Wide Sumo Pulls (toes nearly touching plates):
135 x 8
225 x 5
315 x 3 x 3
::Mind you I have about a 29/30" inseam, short legs, so wide is REALLY wide to me::
Leg Press (slow eccentric, fast concentric) w/calf raise:
2pps x 20
3pps x 15
4pps x 15
I'm happy where I'm at right now. Still have a few more weeks of training before the meet. I'm hoping to be breaking 1400 again!
1 Board:
135 x 10
185 x 8
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 1
365 x 1
385 x 1
405 x 1
DB Row:
80 x 8
85 x 8
90 x 8
95 x 8
100 x 8
Fly machine:
120 x 10
140 x 10
160 x 10
180 x 8
Over head Tri Ext:
95 x 8
105 x 8
115 x 8
125 x 8
I am stoked. I was in the groove all night, I got nice and planted right on that bench. 385 came up strong so I tried 405. It came out of the groove and I manage to get it back in place and still press it up, I'm so happy. Next week I'm getting it off my chest!!!
Hercules
11-01-10, 4:38 pm
You ever gonna update this log? Those of us who follow it are waiting... ;)
You ever gonna update this log? Those of us who follow it are waiting... ;)
Hahaha, sorry everyone! I injured my right achilles tendon the week before. I also volunteered all of my time this weekend at the Susan G. Komen 3Day for the Cure. So I've been trying to rest my ankle as best as I could. My ankle survived this weekend (I hope) but the test is tonight. I'm going to try and hit my squat opener and if I cant I'll probably have to pull out of the meet. I'm hoping it wont come to that, but an update will occur tonight.
Hercules
11-01-10, 5:21 pm
Sorry to hear about your ankle. It sucks to be hurt. Hope your squats go well.
I hope the squats go well tonight!
All right, I didnt want to push it to hard tonight so all I did were squats.
Warmed up to 365 then hit singles at 405, 455, and 495. I did them all without any pain and I was able to walk to the weight out just fine. So while I may not increase my squat numbers at this meet, I will be competing!
Also, as long as I'm not injured after this, I'll probably be competing in his December meet as well just because it is in town and its only $20!
Good thing that you don't have any pain! So what are you going to open at?
So what are you going to open at?
Sadly, I think I'm going to take it easy with 480, then hit 505, then try for 530+.
widdlewade44
11-01-10, 10:50 pm
Good stuff and good luck brother, glad to hear that you're healing up.
Kevin
widdlewade44
Good stuff and good luck brother, glad to hear that you're healing up.
Kevin
widdlewade44
Thanks! It feels great to finally be able to get back in the gym. Luckily I had stuff to do because normally I'd be a bunch of nerves this close to a meet.
Just did some deads last night, ankle is still feeling good. Warmed up to 455, nothing too heavy, but it'd test my ankle a bit. Dont think I need to worry anymore. Only thing that will bother it is walking out the weight for a squat.
Hercules
11-07-10, 8:31 pm
How'd you do??? I've been thinking about that meet all day!
All right, here's kind of the play by play
::Squats::
1st attempt -480- went well, felt good, not too much of a strain
2nd attempt -505- I got stupid let my wrist go limp and had the bar roll down my back, massive struggle to finish
3rd attempt -525- Got out of the hole and just had no gas to carry on through
::Bench::
1st attempt -345- Easy, felt great
2nd attempt -365- Not bad at all, I felt strong, and I was determined (10 pound PR)
3rd attempt -385- Brought it down just like the rest of them, they gave me a wicked long pause and I was just stapled, major suckage
::Deads::
1st attempt -480- Not tough at all
2nd attempt -505- threw some baby powder on and it slid up no problem
3rd attempt -530- came up easier than I thought, surprised myself!
505-365-530=1400
25 less than my best on squats
10 pound PR on bench
20 less than my best dead
35 pounds less than my best total
I'm coming back slowly but surely. This was better than my last meet, but not the best I've done. I still want MORE!
Flat Bench:
warmed up to 225
225 x 8 x 5
Hammer Strength Behind the Neck Military:
1pps x 12
1p+25ps x 10 x 4
Straight Bar Low Pulley Row:
120 x 12
140 x 10 x 4
DB Shrugs:
60 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 12
Tricep Pushdown:
140 x 12 x 5
20 min on the treadmill, small hills, 3 mph
First day on Agent O. Check my log, first day felt good. Cant wait to get a good training day in with this stuff!
Supplemental night tonight. It felt great, quick, fast, and hard workout!
Hang Cleans:
135 for 5 min
HS Iso Incline:
1pps for 5 min
Tricep Ladder for 5 min
Started at the top and after 10 reps moved down to the next peg, got through 5 pegs.
Hammer Curls:
35 for 5 min
30 min cardio at 3.0 mph
Nothing fancy, but it got the job done!
2 Board Press:
warmed up to 275
315 x 3
365 x 1
385 x 1
415 x 1 <--- PR
Low Pulley Row:
140 x 10
160 x 10
180 x 10
200 x 10 <--pr
Tate Presses:
35 x 12
45 x 12
55 x 12 <-- pr
Side Raises:
20 x 10
25 x 10
30 x 10
30 min on treadmill at 3.2 mph
Tonight was excellent. Everything was just spot on. Everything felt waaayy too easy for what it was. I smoked 385. I go to put 405 on the bar and Max says "Just put some weight on the bar and stop going for the same weight you always go for!" So I added 10. He lifts it off but forgets to put it out over my chest, just left it sitting over my chin. I could barely hold it as it was sinking. I yelled for him to rack it. Took a little breather and did it again, he put the 415 over my chest, I brought it down nice and slow, and then smoked that thing up. I was stoked!! The rest of the night just flew by. Less than a minute in between each set and everything felt easy.
If you're like "hey, this looks familiar" it is, its just copypasta from my Agent O log.
Strong benching man, you'll be getting that off your chest in no time.
Strong benching man, you'll be getting that off your chest in no time.
I should, as long as I'm not hit with a 3 second press command!!
Sorry guys, I've been nursing my ankle. It just wont heal up so I've been completely away from the gym. It has been miserable, but its starting to feel better. Its looking like I'll have to take more than a week off which means no meet on Dec. 18th.
Unfortunately this is an injury that I've had for quite sometime. I first injured it playing peewee football when I was 10. I couldnt wear midtop shoes for years because of it. Then I sprained my ankle plenty of times playing lacrosse and football throughout highschool. So its time to make sure that it heals all the way through this time or else I can be looking at a pretty crappy injury I'll have to live with.
With such a string of injuries, its time to take a good hard look at everything I'm doing and figure out what I can do better. Diet, training, off days, warm-up, stretching, etc, etc etc. Something has got to give, not just my body.
Wish you a speedy recovery brotha. Smart move taking a step back and focusing on the days off, diet, etc.
I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacccccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkk.
Finally. My ankle feels good and strong. I'm sick of being away from the gym. I'll still take it slow, to test the waters, but I am beyond ready to lift again. Just because I dont have any up coming meets I decided to dust off my crappy gear and have a little bit of fun today. We benched so I wore my bench shirt. The guys at Orlando Barbell told me to cut the back of the shirt so I could get it on better. Well, yeah, it went on better, however far too easy. Its good to play around with right now, but definitely not something to compete in.
So I warmed up to 225 then put on my Inzer HD Blast.
Bench:
275 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 1
405 x 0
Came out of the groove on 405, but I was surprised with how far I got with it out of the groove. 365 shot up like my raw 275. I thought it was fun. I'm fighting my inner gear whore right now.
Incline HS Bench:
1pps x 15
2pps x 12 x 3
Pushdown -superset- Neutral grip pulldown:
140 -ss- 80 x 15 x 4
Its funny to think about it, but the last time I put the shirt on I could barely manage 335!
Well, to continue playing with gear I used my squat suit. My Inzer Champion squat suit, haha.
Squats:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 5
Suit, no straps, belt:
315 x 3
365 x 3
405 x 1
455 x 1
495 x 2 x 2 <---this was ridiculous. Way too easy. I wish people had been at the gym so I could have gone heavier.
Good Mornings:
135 x 10 x 3
Hack Squats:
1p+25ps x 12 x 3
Leg Ext:
70 x 20
90 x 15
110 x 12
It felt great, but holy crap is my gear no where near where it is supposed to be. I can pretty much put my gear on by myself without any help until the very end when I need small adjustments.
Worked up to some very light singles on dead lifts last night. It really sucked. After not deadlifting for a while my body did not want to. haha.
Deadlift:
135 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 3
405 x 1 x 3
Step Ups:
25 x 12
45 x 10 x 3
Shrugs:
60 x 12 x 4
Abs
Then tonight I did some light speed work and high rack pulls, from above my knee.
Speed Squats:
245 x 2 x 8
Rack Pulls:
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 3
495 x 5
That was it. My posterior chain feels worked, but not overly worked. Once my training partner gets over his cold, and the holiday season is over we're going to get back in the swing of things. Dial in our diets, sink in our training schedule, and pick our meets. I would like to try 5/3/1 or Ed Coan's routine. Diet will be pretty strict as I need to lose some very unnecessary weight. Cardio will be added as well.
Hercules
12-15-10, 1:56 pm
Coan's routine is tough. If done right, however, it works. I did the Coan deadlift program and put 15lbs on my dead in about 6 weeks.
Good to see you're lifting consistantly again. Stay healthy, Big C!
Coan's routine is tough. If done right, however, it works. I did the Coan deadlift program and put 15lbs on my dead in about 6 weeks.
Good to see you're lifting consistantly again. Stay healthy, Big C!
Thats excellent! The only thing I didnt know was how far out to start doing the routines, but since I have so much time before a meet, I can still play around.
I'm doing my best to stay healthy! Its tough with all of these colds going around.
Firedrake
12-17-10, 5:34 pm
I hear you about staying healthy! I've made the move from So. Cal. to Kentucky, and they've been hit with the coldest early winter in years. Over 7" of snow just since the first of December -- and they usually only get 16" a year.
This California metabolism isn't sure what to do. My joints sure as hell aren't. but I'm getting back to it.
Glad to hear your ankle's improving, and that deadlift work wasn't bad at all.
How's everything else?
I'm back again. My frigged computer decided to die on me before school started. Apparently, the makers of the ATI Radeon ship set thats in my computer made it withstand high temperatures. The geniuses forgot about the soldering that holds the thing in place however. So it over heats, dislocates and had to be fixed. That and I had a lot of family over for the holidays so I wasnt able to write in here at all over the december month. But now that school is back and I'm in the doing work habit, I should be on here more.
On to other news I've started losing the weight that I said I was going to. However, its not just for kicks anymore. I finally have health insurance and I went for a complete check up, blood work and all. Ended up with elevated liver enzymes and high lipids (except for my HDL, which was low). Seems like because of my fatness I have a fatty liver. So I need to lose the weight to get rid of the fat. So far after a little over a week I've lost about 6-7 pounds, pretty much from just cutting out the shit food from my diet. Doc wants me to lose the weight, eat healthy, and take fish oils, then after a month we'll see if I need medicine. Medicine is the last thing I want to be taking.
Once I get back into the swing of things I think I'll run 5/3/1 just because it takes less time throughout the week. School, then weightloss, then powerlifting seem to be my goals for this semester. I need a program that I can run where I can switch up days and take more days off if I need to . 5/3/1 seems the answer as I can do as little as 2 days a week if I have to.
Anyways, I'm back for the moment. Plans have changed a bit due to my laziness. But I'm feeling healthier, 5/3/1 should be fun, and if I'm eating well, it should help gains and lessen injuries.
Started 5/3/1 today. It kicked my ass. Havent done squats in quite some time so I went much lighter than I was supposed to. Next week I'll do what is supposed to be done. Right now I have my planned split as:
Sunday-Squats
Tuesday-Military
Thursday-Deads
Friday-Bench
Its different only in that I have Squats "First" in the week rather than at the end. I wanted the days that killed my lower body to be on days where I had time off before school. I have a two hour round trip to school and home, plus I have to sit in class for hours, so having sore legs during this time absolutely SUCKS.
Any who, today I started off light. Went like this:
Squats:
180 x 5
225 x 5
270 x 5
295 x 5
340 x 5
BBB:
135 x 10 x 5
Leg Curls:
120 x 10 x 5
Today I was supposed to go to 85% of my max, however being my first day back I decided to only go to 75%. Still, my legs are wet noodles. I'm happy I didnt attempt 385, I dont think i would have made it, or the BBB. I'm using 450 as a training max. I dont know if I should lower it or not. That be like me saying right now I can hit a 500 max at competition (as per Wendler's instruction of take your max and take off 10%) I'm thinking for this cycle I should just lower my actual max to 450 and have a training max of 400. I dont have a meet or anything coming up that I'm training for, so it cant hurt, right?
T o m m Y
01-16-11, 5:41 pm
good work man
Good stuff man. I would lower all your maxes for the first cycle. Get your form and technique down right, then drive into the big weights.
Hercules
01-18-11, 7:21 pm
I wish you all the best with your weight loss. If you read the 5/3/1 manual it'll tell you about Wendler's disgust with being heavy. You could always come on down here to the 242 class and compete with me. Get your brother to compete more, too. That mofo is strong!
I was hoping to see you at RUM to watch boom. Sorry you can't make it. If you need anything at all just let me know - I think you still have my number. I'll help you out any way I can, Big C. Take it easy.
good work man
Thanks! Its just the first of many/
Good stuff man. I would lower all your maxes for the first cycle. Get your form and technique down right, then drive into the big weights.
I have done so, considering how bad my legs are hurting at the moment. I forgot what it was like to be so sore after a training session.
I wish you all the best with your weight loss. If you read the 5/3/1 manual it'll tell you about Wendler's disgust with being heavy. You could always come on down here to the 242 class and compete with me. Get your brother to compete more, too. That mofo is strong!
I was hoping to see you at RUM to watch boom. Sorry you can't make it. If you need anything at all just let me know - I think you still have my number. I'll help you out any way I can, Big C. Take it easy.
Yep! I've had the book for a little while now, thats why I figured I'll run it. It has strength and he's highly advocating cardio training sessions as well (hill sprints, prowler, etc). I'm working my way up to cardio, not quite there yet. If you read his recent article "Fatass to Badass" I'm kind of at the beginning, walking to get my muscles and lungs back. I'm definitely shooting for 242 or lower. Big thing is to get my fat percentage down pretty far and not have this gut hanging over my pants.
I'd much rather be watching the RUM, but unfortunately I have my first test of the semester next week! I need to get some great grades this semester. I need to do everything possible to get A's. I'm taking Stem Cell Bio and the Molecular Biology of Disease, fun stuff! Thank you Herc! Hopefully this semester I wont be too busy and I'll be able to attend an ABC.
Today was Bench
Working sets:
205 x 5
240 x 5
270 x 5
BBB:
135 x 10 x 5
Chins:
8, yes, thats right, 8. So I switched over to the "fatman pullups" / inverted rows to bring that number to 30. Something I definitely need to work on.
Finished the workout with 30 minutes of the treadmill, 3.0 mph, varying 0-3.5% incline.
Tonight kicked my ass!! So disappointing.
Deads:
265 x 5
305 x 5
345 x 7
165 x 10 x 5
Hanging Leg Raises:
bw x 10 x 3
I got to 6 and my legs just started to shake. I just kept thinking, "What the hell Curtis!! Only 7!!" Such weaksauce there.
I did get some cardio in, some actual cardio. I walked 1/4 mile, jogged a 1/4 mile for two miles. Ended up doing two miles in a little over 33 minutes.
Since just doing cardio for weight loss is really sucking in my mind. I figured I'd try and do something with it. By the end of March my goal is to pass the APFT (Army Personal Fitness Test). So I'd have to get my two mile under 16:30 in order to pass that. To pass pushups I only need 40, thats cake in my book. Sit-ups will be just as hard, if not harder than the run. I need 50 in a minute. I have short little legs and a heavy upper body, so I SUCK at sit-ups.
But like I said, its for shits and giggles so I can feel like I'm doing something when doing my cardio. I have no prowler, no tire, no hills, so I figured any cardio is better than none.
Any way, thats the plan for now. I'm down to around 254 and missing all the foods I ate. Time to keep on keepin on.
Military Press:
95 x 5
115 x 5
125 x 5
BBB:
65 x 10 x 5
Dips:
bw x 10 x 5
Elliptical for 30 minutes.
So I'm down 10 pounds in 2 weeks. I'm quite tempted to have a cheat meal. We'll see. I would like to have some carbs other than my sweet potato, brown rice, oats, and veggies.
Firedrake
01-21-11, 10:54 pm
Solid looking work! Good luck with those goals!
Solid looking work! Good luck with those goals!
Thanks Jim! So far they're a pain but they're going well.
Last night was Bench. Its funny I go through these workouts with no problem and finish thinking "That was too easy, what the hell is going on?" Then I wake up and I am all kinds of sore. Definitely a rude awakening.
Bench:
225 x 3
255 x 3
285 x 6
I should have gotten more, but I was too far away from the rack when I first tried to unrack. Wasted ALOT of energy.
135 x 10 x 5
Pullups:
bw x 6
bw x 2
bw x 2
"Fatman Pullups" aka Inverted Rows:
bw x 8 x 3
I really suck at pullups. I'm starting to get better though. Might start using a light band to get a few more reps in for now.
T o m m Y
01-26-11, 9:01 pm
nice pressing man
Hercules
01-26-11, 9:17 pm
I really suck at pullups. I'm starting to get better though. Might start using a light band to get a few more reps in for now.
The EliteFTS average 41" Pro band is awesome for that. One of the guys I train has never done a pull-up so I introduced him to the band and he's closer now than ever before (without the band). It helps. There's always cable pulldowns, too...
nice pressing man
Thanks bro, feels good to be doing something new.
The EliteFTS average 41" Pro band is awesome for that. One of the guys I train has never done a pull-up so I introduced him to the band and he's closer now than ever before (without the band). It helps. There's always cable pulldowns, too...
I think I'll be using the bands. The pulldowns do not feel anything like pullups. It might just be because I dont use enough weight, or I might be able to just get in a stronger position.
Deads:
285 x 3
325 x 3
365 x 7
165 x 10 x 5
Ab wheel x 10 <--- this smoked the crap out of me. My abs hurt right now. Not cool
Cardio
Simple but tough night. Feeling good about my deads.
My abs are toast today. Cant believe so little did so much, very humbling.
Military:
105 x 3
120 x 3
135 x 12
BBB:
65 x 10 x 5
Dips:
bw x 10 x 5
30 min light cardio walking.
Everything felt pretty good today. Dips for the first 3 sets felt easy, the last set was definitely a grinder.
My dinner tonight was absolutely delicious. I just had to share it. Not my own, however I found it in this Feb's issue of Flex.
Wisconsin Pot Roast Pockets
Ingredients:
1 1/2 Pounds beef, top round, trimmed of fat, and cut into cubes
2 cups baby red potatoes
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup baby carrots
1 packet reduced sodium pot roast seasoning mix
3 tbsp water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Lay out three large pieces of aluminum foil and place equal amounts of mixture in center of each piece of foil. Fold foil inward at all seams to form a packet, allowing foil to tent slightly on top to allow room for steam. Pinch all edges closed. Bake packets on large cookie sheet or in shallow baking dish for approx 1 hour 30 min.
Totals per serving (Recipe makes 3 servings): 486 calories, 56g Protein, 32g Carbs, 10g Fat, 5 g Fiber
I used half red potatoes and half sweet potatoes. It came out great, so feel free to play around with it. Absolutely delicious and with almost 60g of protein? Hell yes!
T o m m Y
01-29-11, 12:38 am
Strong ohp pressing bro.
Yeah that ab wheel will wreck your abs haha.
Not my own, however I found it in this Feb's issue of Flex. !
As long as you don't start copying arm workouts out of these magazines, it's ok.
As long as you don't start copying arm workouts out of these magazines, it's ok.
Oh come on, whats wrong with 50 sets of bis and 30 sets of tris for a 2 hour workout?? I want my arms to be just like the Olympia competitors! If they do it, so should I!
Strong ohp pressing bro.
Yeah that ab wheel will wreck your abs haha.
It is now my least favorite movement. I shall conquer it however! Maybe I'll even look like The Situation soon!
T o m m Y
01-29-11, 1:10 am
LOL
Today pretty much sucked. I woke up late, didnt get enough food in me before I went to the gym, and had no one to spot me. Oh woe is me, hahaha.
Squats:
265 x 3
325 x 3
365 x 3
BBB:
165 x 10 x 5
Leg Ext:
100 x 15 x 3
First off, misread my chart and for some reason did 265 when I really needed to do 285. Then got to 365, I could have gotten more, but they were starting to grind and I didnt want to chance it, so no extra reps this week.
I was sweating my ass off after the second set of squats for BBB. I'm doing the best I can to get my cardio up, but its not going up fast enough. I can do the same weight for bench no problem, but squats and deads for reps are just destroying me.
However, I dont know if its the loss of weight, or the training, but I look a bit bigger than when I started. So I'll take the humiliation of being red faced and out of breath at the end of 5 sets to keep getting better!
Nice work, I hope this new style of training works for you. What weight do you think you are going to get down to?
Nice work, I hope this new style of training works for you. What weight do you think you are going to get down to?
I have to just keep going until I'm healthy. But its definitely going to be under 242. I want to be lean and healthy. I dont care if its at 220, 242, or 275 as long as its not giving me health issues and I'm not fat.
T o m m Y
01-30-11, 11:36 pm
Nice squatting bro..
How you liek the boring but big?
Nice squatting bro..
How you liek the boring but big?
As of right now its pretty rough. Military and Bench arent difficult until the last set. But Deads and Squats are rough right out of the gates.
I do like getting the volume in. Should help me when I compete in Strongman again.
Bench:
240 x 5
270 x 3
300 x 6
BBB:
135 x 10 x 5
Neutral Grip Pull-ups:
bw x 4 x 4
Inverted Rows:
bw x 8 x 2
I'm getting better at pull-ups. Its feeling great!
T o m m Y
02-01-11, 11:38 pm
very nice!
Deads:
305 x 5
345 x 3
385 x 4
BBB:
165 x 10 x 5
Hanging Leg Raises:
bw x 10 x 3
Cardio for 30 minutes
Oh man these deads were killer! I just had no energy to keep pulling. The BBB was just devastating today. So tired and sore now. So thankful for a deload week.
Military Press:
110 x 5
125 x 3
140 x 12!!!
BBB:
65 x 10 x 5
Dips:
bw x 10 x 5
12 reps was incredible. I was shaking through the last 2 or 3 reps but it felt great. I'm getting better at dips, but I wont start adding weight until I can hit 10 sets of 5 easy. I might have to skip my squat session for this week, which sucks, but Superbowl is sunday, I have to be out of town for grandmas BDay monday, and then back to schedule on Tuesday. Seeing as its a deload week, I may just double up and Squat heavy and deload bench, then keep the normal schedule for the rest of the week.
Squats and Bench Deload
Squats:
305 x 5
345 x 3
385 x 4
BBB:
135 x 10 x 5
Bench:
135 x 5
145 x 5
185 x 5
Pull-ups:
bw x 6
bw x 4 x 4
I was really drained today, after the weekend and then getting little sleep before going to classes. I'm really shooting for better numbers on my squat and dead days.
Deload Deads:
165 x 5
205 x 5
245 x 5
Hanging Leg Raises:
bw x 10 x 3
30 Min cardio, alternating between walking and jogging.
Hercules
02-11-11, 12:07 pm
Deloading deads with 245? C'mon... You know you were struggling. That's too much weight for you on an ME day! ;)
Deloading sucks but oh so necessary. Are you staying healthy? No injuries or ailments?
Deloading deads with 245? C'mon... You know you were struggling. That's too much weight for you on an ME day! ;)
Deloading sucks but oh so necessary. Are you staying healthy? No injuries or ailments?
Haha, its funny you say that. Monday night I ended up getting a fever, having bouts of chills and shivering, then being too hot and sweating. Now I just feel like crap. Schools are just cesspools of germs. I'm surprised I only got sick now due to everyone sneezing and coughing in every class.
I'll be lifting again either tomorrow or friday. The weekend was nice though with some light squats and a family bbq! I made some smoked chicken, pulled pork (which I wasnt able to eat!), and some healthy bbq beans. Healthy and delicious!
Wow, that was a long and disgusting week. I'll spare the details. Thankfully I feel better and cant wait to hit the gym!
Felt great to get back in the gym.
Bench:
225 x 5
255 x 5
285 x 7, almost 8. Flaired near lock out, drifted over my face and lost it.
DB Incline Bench:
60 x 10 x 4
DB Row:
70 x 10 x 4
Curls for tha gurls:
25 x 10
30 x 10
35 x 10
It was a tough night. I was shaking during every set of the DB Incline after the benching. Hopefully next week will feel better!
Deads off 45# plate:
275 x 5
315 x 5
355 x 8
Walking Lunges:
length of gym x 2 (26 reps each leg total)
Back Ext Machine:
170 x 15 x 3
Shrugs:
80 x 12
75 x 15
70 x 18
Dont know what I was thinking, but deadlifting off the plate was difficult. Our plates are about 1 1/2" thick. I figured it'd just make me stronger.
Military Press:
125 x 5
145 x 5
165 x 9
Hammer Strength Iso Shoulder Press:
2pps x 10 x 3
1pps x 15 <--- had to cut back on the last set, as I had to rest quite a bit during the 2nd and 3rd set for me to get all 10 reps
Inverted Rows:
bw x 8 x 4
Tricep Pushdown:
160 x 10 x 5
Did some cardio but my quad ended up cramping up on me. I havent had any electrolytes in my drink the past couple days because I've run out. I definitely need to get some more.
Good stuff. How is the weight loss going?
Good stuff. How is the weight loss going?
Its actually going quite well. I'm all ready down to 247, from 262-265, without and signs of strength loss. Big goal is to get down to 220-230. I'm just going to see how far I can go and how lean I can get without losing too much strength. I wouldnt mind being able to see a few abs for the first time in my life.
Saw the doc today and I'm pretty healthy and only getting healthier. Only major problem is a slight case of High BP, but that is rampant in my family, so I dont know if I'll ever be able to escape that one or not. I have a good AST level of 23, and a slightly elevated ALT of 58. My weight is getting in check, I'm sleeping better, I can actually run for cardio now (albeit very slow), and I feel overall much better. The doctor was actually quite surprised that I was able to drop my liver enzymes that fast and it was all from changing my diet around.
In a couple of months I take another blood test to recheck everything to see if I'm back to tiptop shape or not. Triglycerides and HDL were a concern, so I'm hoping that with the liver enzymes being good, it meant everything else got better as well!
T o m m Y
02-26-11, 10:46 am
Training is looking good bro!
Thanks man, its feeling good as well.
Squats today, I felt great until the last set. Then everything after was just plain tough. Max wanted to use the cambered bar today, so that might have changed things up a bit.
Squats:
265 x 5
305 x 5
365 x 5
On the fifth set my body started to shake and I barely got the bar up. It wasnt until Max said "That was a big jump, 60 pounds?" that I went and looked at my chart and realized I looked at next weeks numbers on the last set. This week was supposed to be 345 for 5+, next week 365 for 3+! Ugh
BBB:
165 x 10 x 5
Sit Ups:
bw x 25
Leg Raises:
bw x 25
Wide Pull-ups w/ avg band:
bw x 10 x 2
Decided to throw in the pullups to see how well I did with bands/how it felt. Manged to get quite a bit and I definitely feel it in my back. Now its time to study for my test on thursday!!
Hercules
02-27-11, 9:19 pm
When you're training with high intensity and you've lost all the blood in your head, it's easy to make mistakes - been there, done that. Hey, grinding 365 x 5 isn't detrimental to you by any means so don't worry about it. Good luck with your test!
Well that had been a rough week. Now I have to study for a test tuesday after next and turn in a presentation and paper this thursday.
Tuesday and Thursday I took the "I'm not doing Jack Shit" approach and only did the prescribed reps for Bench and Deads.
Friday was Military Press. Ended up getting 8 reps at 170. Did some pull-ups with an average band, got 10, 8, and 6. Then I did some body weight dips.
Today was squats. After last week I was quite interested in how I was going to do today, since I screwed up which weight I was supposed to do.
Squats:
285 x 3
325 x 3
365 x 10
BBB:
155 x 10 x 5
Good Mornings:
155 x 10 x 3
After the set of 10, I was crushed. I shook all 5 sets of my BBB. But, my form has been getting better. I went over the "So you think you can Squat" videos last night to get my head into things. After my break I'd been missing some key pointers. Things are starting to feel better. Clearly form is a huge factor!! Haha, form is the difference for 365 x 5 and 365 x 10 for me. Well, that and I had some Animal Rage going through me, but I'd like to think that it was my form that made the difference!
All right, ended up being a decent night!
Deads:
315 x 5
350 x 3
390 x 6
BBB:
155 x 10 x 5
Leg Extensions:
110 x 10 x 2
130 x 10 x 2
150 x 10
Cardio: 10 min 3.0 mph, 10 min 4.4 mph
Military Press:
140 x 5
160 x 3
180 x 6
BBB:
75 x 10 x 5
Dips:
bw x 10 x 5
I'm back on Rage. Got myself a can because I liked it so much. I have to say, I cant really tell a difference anymore when I'm on or off creatine. So, I think I'm getting enough through my diet and therefore dont need to buy extra. Rage is a great pre-workout for right now.
I'm happy with my OHP progression. Dips are finally getting easy until the last reps in the last set. Cant wait to start adding weight onto them.
Great night after a layoff due to studying/testing/not sleeping.
Squats:
305 x 5
345 x 3
385 x 8
BBB:
155 x 10 x 4
155 x 30
Good mornings:
135 x 10 x 3
Max walked up to me before my last set, asked how many more sets I had. Said I had one. He walked around the cage and said well, go for 20 reps. So I started squatting. Got to 20 and said fuck it! I'm all ready light headed enough, not really feeling my legs anyway, so lets go for 10 more. Got thirty reps and surprised the hell out of myself!
Here's my thinking. The cardio has improved the amount of oxygen getting to my muscles. The increase in oxygen allows me to do more reps for a longer period of time. Therefore, I think the increased reps are going to make me stronger.
Its going to be an easy rest of the week. Deloading until sunday.
OHP:
75 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
Dips:
bw x 10 x 5
DB Rows w/ Fat Gripz:
40 x 12
50 x 10
55 x 10
60 x 10
Cardio: 1min 3.2, then 2 min 4.7 mph x 5, +5 min 3.2
TigerAce01
03-19-11, 2:11 pm
Hey bro, I've just got a question for you on squats since you know my style and technique pretty well.
I've been running 5/3/1 for quite a while now, training only twice a week because of the baby and all, and all of my lifts have skyrocketed except my squat. It's remained for quite some time at the level of SUCKAGE hahahaha
I had great success using the sumo style for the DL, so I gave it a try on squats and it made it even worse. Tried narrow stance, med stance, everything, and my squat still sucks. Just to put it in perspective, I've raised my 1RM on DL to about 450, and I can barely squat 225 at competition depth. My main problem seems to be coming out of the hole...if I go just above parallel, my squat numbers are great, but once I hit parallel, everything goes to shit. I think I may have depended on wraps for too long...remember the short lights from APT? Even though they were short lights, I wrapped them really tight and they shot me out of the hole...if you remember, I got a 400+ squat in them.
Is there anything you can suggest besides wearing the wraps again? I'm trying to stay 100% raw for a while just to get some strength back in my joints, I'm not even using a belt. I'm kinda out of ideas here...
-Ace
Hercules
03-19-11, 2:48 pm
Ace! What's up man? Hope all is well with you and the family.
My $0.02 about your squat: Train your back! Rows, good mornings, power shrugs, face pulls, cleans, tire flips, etc - if it works your back, DO IT! You should also focus on your front squat for a few weeks. Work with a little bit lighter weight and go deeper than usual (even below competition depth). Put a small box or pile of weights down to gauge your depth if necessary. Explode from the bottom and all the way through the lift. Throw in some isometric holds on dynamic days. Worry about bands and wraps later. Have you checked out "SYTYCS?" on EliteFTS? Here are the links:
Part 1 & 2: http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/powerlifting-articles/so-you-think-you-can-squat-part-1-and-2/
Part 3: http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/powerlifting-articles/so-you-think-you-can-squat-part-3/
Part 4: http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/training-articles/elitefts-com-so-you-think-you-can-squat-part-4/
Good luck, big guy.
A side note...
Sorry about jumping in on this, gentlemen. Just want to help where I can.
Hey bro, I've just got a question for you on squats since you know my style and technique pretty well.
I've been running 5/3/1 for quite a while now, training only twice a week because of the baby and all, and all of my lifts have skyrocketed except my squat. It's remained for quite some time at the level of SUCKAGE hahahaha
I had great success using the sumo style for the DL, so I gave it a try on squats and it made it even worse. Tried narrow stance, med stance, everything, and my squat still sucks. Just to put it in perspective, I've raised my 1RM on DL to about 450, and I can barely squat 225 at competition depth. My main problem seems to be coming out of the hole...if I go just above parallel, my squat numbers are great, but once I hit parallel, everything goes to shit. I think I may have depended on wraps for too long...remember the short lights from APT? Even though they were short lights, I wrapped them really tight and they shot me out of the hole...if you remember, I got a 400+ squat in them.
Is there anything you can suggest besides wearing the wraps again? I'm trying to stay 100% raw for a while just to get some strength back in my joints, I'm not even using a belt. I'm kinda out of ideas here...
-Ace
Watch the videos that Herc posted. That way you can read and see what they're talking about. If my squat didnt feel right on any day, I'll watch through the videos and figure out what I messed up.
I'm thinking (and you'll see this in the video) that you're probably messing up your hip placement at the bottom of your squat. You're sitting in a chair all day, tight hip flexors will make you come undone at the bottom. It will be a combo of training your back, focusing on your form, and stretching/warming up your hip flexors. Unless you squeeze that back arch hard at the bottom and drive your neck into the bar, your squat is going to suffer. If your hip flexors are tight, and your back isnt strong enough, you wont be able to do this.
A side note...
Sorry about jumping in on this, gentlemen. Just want to help where I can.
No prob Herc, saved me from more typing and copy pasta.
TigerAce01
03-20-11, 1:58 pm
Ace! What's up man? Hope all is well with you and the family.
My $0.02 about your squat: Train your back! Rows, good mornings, power shrugs, face pulls, cleans, tire flips, etc - if it works your back, DO IT! You should also focus on your front squat for a few weeks. Work with a little bit lighter weight and go deeper than usual (even below competition depth). Put a small box or pile of weights down to gauge your depth if necessary. Explode from the bottom and all the way through the lift. Throw in some isometric holds on dynamic days. Worry about bands and wraps later. Have you checked out "SYTYCS?" on EliteFTS? Here are the links:
Part 1 & 2: http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/powerlifting-articles/so-you-think-you-can-squat-part-1-and-2/
Part 3: http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/powerlifting-articles/so-you-think-you-can-squat-part-3/
Part 4: http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/training-articles/elitefts-com-so-you-think-you-can-squat-part-4/
Good luck, big guy.
A side note...
Sorry about jumping in on this, gentlemen. Just want to help where I can.
Watch the videos that Herc posted. That way you can read and see what they're talking about. If my squat didnt feel right on any day, I'll watch through the videos and figure out what I messed up.
I'm thinking (and you'll see this in the video) that you're probably messing up your hip placement at the bottom of your squat. You're sitting in a chair all day, tight hip flexors will make you come undone at the bottom. It will be a combo of training your back, focusing on your form, and stretching/warming up your hip flexors. Unless you squeeze that back arch hard at the bottom and drive your neck into the bar, your squat is going to suffer. If your hip flexors are tight, and your back isnt strong enough, you wont be able to do this.
Thanks a lot guys! Watching those videos definitely put things in order. I can't believe I didn't think to look for information like that on elitefts, since I've improved on everything from reading Wendler's stuff.
I'm seeing huge progress in my OH Press with the "5 Tips to Improve You Press" article from Wendler. Because of my Oly lifting background, I've always used a closed grip, going to full lockout and pushing my head through. Wendler's tips state to use a false grip because it changes the path of the bar, which makes a huge difference. But the biggest tip was to use your working sets to simply get the weight overhead, then on the assistance work for "Boring but Big", then work on perfect technique. He explained it was the difference between working an all out movement, and working a muscle.
Thanks a lot for the advice, we'll see how this works today.
-Ace
Forgot to put up last nights training session.
Bench:
230 x 5
265 x 5
300 x 7
BBB:
145 x 10 x 5
Pull-ups:
bw x 6 x 2 = neutral grip
w/avg. band x 6 x 2 wide grip
My pull-ups are feeling much better. Each rep I was able to get my head over the bar and bring the bar to my chest.
Cardio is going well. However, I havent lost any weight though. But I am running faster and getting stronger on top of that. Time to dial in the diet.
Today I made a killer set of bench boards! 1 board, 2 board, and 3 board. Took only 2 hours to make and they are sweeeeeet. I'm thinking of maybe even sealing them for a little longer life.
On a side note, I have a friend in the stump grinding/tree removal field. I may be getting my hands on a log or two in order to make my own Strongman Log. Will update when/if I get one. APT sells handles for $60, but I'm thinking I could make my own for much cheaper.
TigerAce01
03-24-11, 11:17 am
Just an update on my squat. I kept watching those vids of SYTYCS and Wendler's vids, and just focused on a slow descent and an explosive upward motion.
Last set on "3" week was supposed to be like 185lbs, but I found my sweet spot and pulled off 225x6 100% raw, no belt.
Felt awesome, so thanks!
-Ace
OHP:
135 x 5
155 x 5
175 x 8
The eighth was a grinder. Kept saying the little engine that could's mantra "I think I can, I think I can" haha
BBB:
85 x 10 x 5
Dips:
bw x 10 x 5
Rev. EZ Bar Curls:
35 x 12
65 x 10
75 x 8
The dips, finally for the first time, felt fine through every single rep. Adding some weight next week and figuring out what happens.
Just an update on my squat. I kept watching those vids of SYTYCS and Wendler's vids, and just focused on a slow descent and an explosive upward motion.
Last set on "3" week was supposed to be like 185lbs, but I found my sweet spot and pulled off 225x6 100% raw, no belt.
Felt awesome, so thanks!
-Ace
Glad the videos helped.
T o m m Y
03-26-11, 10:28 pm
Strong pressing on both days bro!
Thats awsome you might get a log! i want one lol..
How many cycles have you done of 5/3/1?
Hercules
03-26-11, 10:55 pm
FYI... Lou @ All American Gym can probably fab some handles for a log for cheap. You may want to ask him. Sure, you'll get the hour-long talk about how your heart will explode if you use steroids, but it may ultimately save you some cash.
Strong pressing on both days bro!
Thats awsome you might get a log! i want one lol..
How many cycles have you done of 5/3/1?
I've just started my 3rd cycle. I've definitely been getting stronger using such a simple approach. I'm now a big 5/3/1 believer.
FYI... Lou @ All American Gym can probably fab some handles for a log for cheap. You may want to ask him. Sure, you'll get the hour-long talk about how your heart will explode if you use steroids, but it may ultimately save you some cash.
Thanks Herc! I'll definitely look into that if I get my hands on a log. I'll weather the talk in order to get some good handles.
Squats today. Took a while to get moving. But, eventually it turned out to be a great day.
Squats:
295 x 5
335 x 5
385 x 8
Leg Ext:
110 x 12 x 2
130 x 12
150 x 12
170 x 12
Ab curl machine:
125 x 15 x 3
I'm happy where my squats are. They keep improving and havent slowed down. I'm hoping I'll be able to keep this up for the year!
Bench:
245 x 3
285 x 3
315 x 5
BBB:
145 x 10 x 5
Pullups:
w/avg band x 8 x 4
Test on thursday so its time to study, study, study!
Deads:
295 x 3
345 x 3
385 x 8
Leg Curls:
130, 140, 150, 160, 170 x 12
Shrugs:
45, 55, 65, 75, 85 x 10
Cardio x 30 min
Really shitty weather today all the way to school, took my test, then really shitty weather all the way back. It was definitely a tough day, hence no BBB. My body had enough after the 385.
Squats:
295 x 3
345 x 3
385 x 10
Seems like either Max decided to push it last week, or I messed up what weight I was supposed to use. Anyways, an improvement over last cycle and last week!
BBB:
175 x 10 x 5
Standing Rope Crunches:
100 x 10 x 5
25 min cardio
Sure, you'll get the hour-long talk about how your heart will explode if you use steroids, but it may ultimately save you some cash.
LOL. An hour? That's it?
Eh, tonight kind of sucked.
Bench:
265 x 5
305 x 3
335 x 2
BBB:
175 x 10 x 5
Pull-ups:
w/#3 IW x 10 x 5
My left elbow flared on the 2nd rep, and I mean huge flaring. Managed to catch it, get it back in place and press it up, but there was absolutely no energy left after that one. I'll be keeping the same training max for the next training cycle. I think I'll start doing different accessories for chest now. BBB is definitely helping for squat and dead, but not as much for OHP and bench.
Deadlifts:
315 x 5
365 x 3
405 x 5
BBB:
225 x 10 x 5
Standing Rope Crunches:
110 x 10 x 5
Someone was all ready using the good bar. Had to use a wicked stiff bar. Holy crap does that suck!! I've been babied using a bar that has give. Adding in abs regularly has been feeling good.
TigerAce01
04-10-11, 3:43 am
I know the feeling...the YMCA here only has stiff benching bars...shitty ones at that. Dealifitng with those absolutely sucks.
-Ace
All right, weekend recap! 3 days of lifting to put in here, so here it goes!
Friday=
Military:
150 x 5
170 x 3
190 x 2
BBB:
95 x 10 x 5
Pushdowns:
160 x 12 x 5
Saturday=
Orlando Barbell ABC!
Box Squats:
330 x 5
380 x 3
420 x 12
BBB:
200 x 10 x 5
Reverse Hyper:
45 x 10 x 2
70 x 10 x 2
OBB was great as usual. What a killer time. It was good to be around everyone and using that monolift helped my squat! It was a fun day and got me wanting even more from my training.
Sunday=
Strongman Training at Samson S&C!
Speed Squats w/ avg EFS Bands:
185 x 2
225 x 2 x 2
275 x 2 x 6
Farmers Carry:
120 x 60'
170 x 60'
210 x 60'
250 x 60'
Prowler Push:
4 plates x 60' x 2
4 plates+2 25's x 60'
Stones:
240 x 2
260 x 1
attempted 300 and 315, no go
240 x 7 in 60 sec
Samson S&C was freakin fantastic. Great people and they had all the equipment one would need for strongman training. The only problem is that it really is 1 hour 20 minutes away. Thats pretty rough of a drive. I did find some stuff online for DIY strongman. I may, if I can get the materials cheap enough, build my own stuff, then go to Samson every other week or every two weeks. My friend said he's cutting down some Oaks this week so I may be getting a Log!!
Well, got my log last night. This sucker is huge!!! Chris said he forgot that I wanted a log until they were almost done, so I ended up with the bottom portion of the trunk. Hopefully it will lose quite a bit of weight while it dries out. The diameter is over 17 inches, more than 4 feet long. Thats like WSM territory there.
Should be fun!!
Havent posted due to it being a deload week. Nothing special happens.
Today was a killer session at Samson S&C.
Started off with speed deads: 225 x 1 x 8 w/ dbled EFS minis on each side.
Moved onto Yoke training, first time doing this. Worked on 1-5 plates per side. Each run sucked, the heavier it got, the more it sucked. Haha. Definitely something I must work on.
Then Farmers Walk training. I was beat from the Yoke so I only got up to 4 plates and 2 tens per handle. Couldnt move the 4 plates and 2 twenty fives.
Next was stone training, high bar. It was about 5' high. I got the 242 and 260 up and over, but missed the 300 twice. Just couldnt get the height.
Last was just a few reps of the continental clean for practice. 185 wasnt too bad. I'll see how it goes with 225 next time around.
Are you going to start doing event training weekly?
Are you going to start doing event training weekly?
Yes. Every sunday at Samson S&C. I have to figure out a new schedule for my 5/3/1 program. I havent decided whether I'm going to do 3 days a week or what. I'm thinking 3 days would be good. Not enough too much that would lead to overtraining, and not too little that I wouldnt get stronger.
The guys at Samson are great, a good crew to work with, and considering how terrible I am at most events, they're able to push me much more than I've been pushed in a long time. The gym I'm at now has a fairly toxic environment and its good to get out and mix it up with different people.
All right, so I've been ridiculously sore all week, so tuesdays bench training flat out sucked. I could only get the prescribed reps because I was waaaaayyy too tight. I did not loosen up until I was on my last set of BBB.
I thought tonight was going to suck, but I just had it in my head to suck it up and push on through. I did A LOT of warming up, so I think that helped.
Deads:
285 x 5
325 x 5
375 x 7
Back Ext:
190 x 15 x 4
One Legged squats:
bw x 10 (5 each leg) x 5
Standing rope crunches:
100 x 10 x 5
Shrugs:
50, 60, 70, 80 x 12
I found my lower body's worst enemy, One legged squats. I have a bad problem of wobbling while doing farmers walks and the guys at Samson told me my individual leg strength wasnt good enough, so when I take steps, I stick my hip out to get better leverage, leading to the swinging. Every rep of single leg squats I nearly fell over and that was just body weight!!
I hate one legged squats. I hate pull-ups. It is my goal to dominate both of them.
OHP:
135 x 5
155 x 5
175 x 5
DB seated OHP (palms facing each other):
40 x 10 x 5
Dips:
bw x 10 x 5
rotator exercises with 5 pounds
cardio
My cardio is getting better, but holy crap is it a long, terrible process.
Sadly I couldnt make the time for strongman this weekend due to Easter festivities/family combined with it being finals week. So, tonight continued with squats.
Squats:
275 x 5
335 x 5
375 x 10
Good Mornings:
135 x 10 x 5
Side steps:
w/short efs monster mini x 10 (each side) x 5
BB front shrug:
135 x 12
155 x 12
185 x 12
205 x 12
Standing Rope crunches:
110 x 10 x 5
exhausted, time to finish studying for my test on thursday and get some sleep.
Last night kind of sucked. I felt great going through my sets, but I became so sweaty that I kept sliding around on the bench and could not keep my form! So pissed.
Bench:
245 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
Incline DB (palms facing):
65 x 10 x 5
Pullups:
w/ avg band x 10 x 4 (2 sets close, 2 sets wide)
seated curls:
15, 20, 25 x 12
On a better note though, the semester is over, I have the handles for my log and all the tools needed to build it! Time to get things going.