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View Full Version : Despite all my Rage, I am still just a boy in a cage



twoheadedboy
03-06-11, 9:24 pm
Also known as: My body is a cage, it keeps me from lifting the amounts I want, but my mind (and Rage) holds the key.

This is my Rage (powder) log. I am your average internet guy, who knows more about lifting and supps than he is able to implement through his body. I'd like to think I'm a little different than most because I feel I'm going to get there as I'm putting in the time underneath the iron, unlike some others out there. I'm over 2 years into it at this point. Anyway...

First workout...I spent the weekend driving, eating terrible food, drinking beer, and grieving with family about the death of my grandfather last weekend. Today in particular, my meals consisted of hotel omlettes and a Qdoba burrito, with over 5 hours of driving in between. This was going to be a test of Rage's capability to pick me up from a non-optimal situation in every sense of the phrase. As the first workout, I wanted to isolate its abilities so I took no non-fundamental supplements all day, not even any creatine mono w/breakfast. I also had only about 40 minutes to work out, so I had to compress things a bit. So without further adieu, here we go...

Standing Barbell Press: 45x10, 55x8, 75x6, (95x3, 95x2)x3, 65x8, 65x10
BB Squats: bodyweightx10, 95x8, 155x6, 205x5
--supersetted with--
Deads: 135x10, 185x8, 255x6, 325x5

I took the Rage right before walking into the gym, so it was probably 15 minutes between ingestion and lifting factoring in changing, lacing up the Cons, 5 min of cardio, and setting up the bar. I immediately noticed a bit of a euphoric feeling...not a super-confidence overly stimmed boost, just a "forget about the general aches and pains and malaise of the day" kind of feeling.

During the press I did not notice an extra pump, or extra strength, but my focus was off the charts and my between-set recovery was insane. This was very useful today with my limited time. I really started to notice the effects during the deads and squats...my recovery actually outpaced my cardio ability to keep up with my work! I was out of breath and had to stop but my muscles were begging for more, and I mean I was doing sets as fast as I could get the plates on. This was faster than I had ever super-setted deads and squats before, and with more weight on my last set...325 is not far from my highest 5 rep total for deads (345) and I felt like I could have done that today.

This can is going to lead to some epic workouts, I can tell already. Workout #2 Tuesday will bring Pump back in to the mix, and then from #3 on I'm going to start stacking Rage + Pump + Test + Stak for 6 weeks and see what happens. I'm also going to take a couple of before and after pics so stay tuned...

twoheadedboy
03-06-11, 10:23 pm
I should also add that this boost lasts a looooong time. I never felt jittery or over the edge, but it gave me about 2 hours of elevated mental state. Definitely don't get that from caffeine alone.

Taste is strong but tolerable (MUCH better than the two Shock Therapy flavors I've tried), and it is very micronized and easily mixable in a water bottle, no shaker mechanism necessary.

Mr. Dead
03-06-11, 10:26 pm
Subbed..!!! BTW, love the "Smashing Pumpkins" nod...

twoheadedboy
03-06-11, 10:29 pm
My name gives you Neutral Milk Hotel, and the alternate title gets you Arcade Fire, 2 other bands I strongly recommend :) I am a huge music nerd. Ok, I'm a nerd when it comes to just about everything haha...

Mr. Dead
03-06-11, 10:31 pm
My name gives you Neutral Milk Hotel, and the alternate title gets you Arcade Fire, 2 other bands I strongly recommend :) I am a huge music nerd. Ok, I'm a nerd when it comes to just about everything haha...

Actually, we're all nerds... In one form, or another... Nothing wrong with that.... *LOL*

B.S.
03-06-11, 10:43 pm
My name gives you Neutral Milk Hotel, and the alternate title gets you Arcade Fire, 2 other bands I strongly recommend :) I am a huge music nerd. Ok, I'm a nerd when it comes to just about everything haha...

i love neutral milk hotel, holy shit very rare to find people who know about them

smoothballer
03-07-11, 9:11 am
In...

ToSo
03-07-11, 1:43 pm
Awesome log so far bro, keep us posted. I've had almost the exact same experience with Rage so far, love Rage. Pump and Rage together is the best, can't wait to hear what you think about thoes two together.

Nix0r
03-07-11, 4:14 pm
Good stuff, Chris!

I've got a few cans that I'm gonna be ripping into after my deload this week, and after taking it all weekend... numbers are gonna be smashed.

wedge
03-07-11, 7:57 pm
In to see you Rage and kick some ass.
I was lucky enough to win a can of Rage and after reading through this and some other Rage logs, I think I'll be camping out by my mailbox.

twoheadedboy
03-07-11, 9:53 pm
Fuck yeah, great to have Nixor and Wedge in here. Tomorrow is going to be EPIC....I'm fashioning the entire workout based on pump/Pump, will be a lot of sets, a lot of reps, and a lot of speed. I can't wait.

Phil800101
03-08-11, 12:27 pm
Subbed.

twoheadedboy
03-09-11, 1:07 am
Great to have Phil, and new entrant into the sphere of twoheadedboy Smoothballer as well. Welcome aboard!

Tonight: Sweet Jesus.

Pump minus stims w/16 oz water at 9:09. Rage at 9:24. Drive to gym, start workout at about 9:50.

I had a very empty stomach going into this...too empty really, as I was delayed in getting to the gym. I was not terribly hungry, so I decided that, rather than dulling the effects of the supps with a full stomach, I would take them on a totally empty stomach.

The Pump hit me harder than normal. It has always been a supp that does not have a lot of "effects" for me UNTIL I start lifting. When I took the Rage, I went into an altered state where I felt like I was both out of body and watching my life pass by in slow motion. Not exactly hallucinogenic, but definitely altered. I will hopefully have a better diet Friday and be able to have a normal meal, followed by supps exactly 2 hours later, but this combo is definitely srs bsnss on an empty stomach.

I'll comment further after detailing my workout:

Warm-up: 5 min elliptical sprint, 20lbx5 and 25lbx5 flat db flyes, 45x10 BB standing press
BB bench: 75x8, 95x8, 115x6, 135x3, 135x2, 125x3, 115x5x2, 115x4
BB bench static holds bottom: 135x3, top: 185x3
Squats: bodyweightx10, 95x8, 155x6, 215x5
Horizontal calf raises: 235x20x3
Chins: -100x20 (holy fuck), -85x10, -70x6, -55x3

I think I'm going to stop working on my 5RM for flat BB bench for a while and just work on the static holds and higher reps at lower weight, maybe 8 - 10 rep weights. It's just going nowhere and I'm wasting too much time and energy on it, when my gains seem to be coming on the statics and lower weights right now. I very much base my workouts on the "direction of the wind" that current day and that's what I'm feeling right now. Both endurance and strength seem to be a problem right now, and unlike the other lifts, just doing 5's and added 5lbs the next workout doesn't seem to be getting me anywhere.

Squats was definitely an experience. I can definitely say I would not have gotten through that 215x5 without Rage...probably 3. I gutted out those last 2 reps, and they were good too.

The chins is where the insanity occurred. I blew through those 20 reps so fast,, then maybe took a 30 second break before the next set. I was pretty much wiped out after that but I took a longer break and did another set, then one more, then the gym closed.

My pump was insane...easily the best pump I have ever felt in my arms. In fact, it took 20 minutes of driving just to get back down to a normal pump.

This was a much more anaerobic workout than Sunday, so it was interesting to see Rage's effects on it. I think this time I took it a bit too early, though the workout was longer too. I think rather than worrying about when I start the workout in relation to Rage, I'm going to think about when the end is going to come (e.g. long workout, take closer to start time, short workout take a little farther away), and target 1 hr after ingestion because that seems to be the sweet spot.

I have definitely noticed a crash with Rage, but I see this as a plus. I work out at night, so having that low combined with Animal PM really allows me to get into a deep sleep and without melatonin.

Sorry to be so wordy, I'm sure it will get less and less as I grow accustomed to the product. This is just far different from any stim product I've ever taken (diet or pre-workout) so I think it's important, at least for my own purposes, to figure out the good and the bad and how best to utilize it. I may drop down to half a scoop when combined with Pump if I feel similarly next workout, or take Pump earlier in the day (I do not use it on non-lifting days) and still without the stims once I start incorporating Test. I cannot see this product being compatible with Cuts, even without the stims...your heart would explode.unless you are unimaginably (to me) stim resistant.

Phil800101
03-09-11, 2:35 am
Sick workout bro! Thorough analysis as well.

wedge
03-09-11, 1:11 pm
Glad to see you pushing through those last reps on squats. That's where winners are made. If I can offer a suggestion, on bench, try drop sets. Like 155 x 5, 135 x 5, 115 x 5 for 15 reps total. I've done that and I've seen my numbers go up.
I like the in depth write up, makes me see how Rage is working out for you. I have one Pump sample left over from Corporate (I've switched over completely to ST, as powder works best for me). I can't wait to try it with Rage, likely on my first strongman day after getting Rage.
Keep up the good work bro.

twoheadedboy
03-11-11, 10:11 pm
Today: Normal die, only 7 hours of sleep which is sub-optimal, Pump 1 hr before workout, Rage 30 minutes before. I unfortunately wasn't able to eat as close to my Rage ingestion as I would have liked, but it wasn't far enough away that it was too big of a deal.

Press: 45x10, 55x8, 75x6, 95x5, 100x3, 85x7, 65x10x2
Squats: bodyweightx10, 95x8, 155x6, 185x6x5
Dips: -85x10, -70x8, -55x6, -40x6, -25x5, -65x15, -65x13
Seated Calf Press: 235x21, 235x20, 235x20

I think this was my first time pressing 100. Squats were INSANE, I decided to drop weight and do more reps because I was feeling a bit fatigued doing the heavier sets the last couple of weeks, so I wanted to do something different...I'm going to add weight and drop reps each time until I get up to at least 225x5, I will play it by ear. My strength was INSANE on dips, especially after that ridiculous squat session...I think my bench volume is really helping me here, I hope the reverse will be true. I started cramping up pretty bad at that 21st rep on the calf press and the 20th rep on the other 2 sets, which is unfortunate because I wanted to go up to 25 reps per set, the eventual goal being 50 reps per set.

Great, even focus and intensity and pumps the whole workout. Never overwhelming, awesome recovery between sets and there was always more in the tank when I had to dig deep. Sunday is deadlift day for me, I can't fucking wait to see how this stuff positively affects that, my best lift in more ways than one.

ghost
03-11-11, 11:18 pm
subbed brother. keep up the insanity

Phil800101
03-12-11, 2:52 am
Sick!

twoheadedboy
03-14-11, 12:09 am
Today:

Chins: -100x20, -85x10, -70x8, -55x6, -40x5
Bench: 45x20, 75x10, 95x8, 115x6, 135x5 (rest/pause @ 3), 130x5 (rest/pause @4), 125x5
Static hold bench: 140x3 (bottom), 180x3 (top)
Deads*: 135x10, 205x8, 275x1, 225x8

This entire workout was made possible by Rage, no better selling point about it my mind. After the most intense squat session of my whole life on Friday, my legs were still burning, and daylight saving time along with a late leaving house guest the previous night gave me less sleep than I needed. I decided I was going to take Pump and Rage, and if I felt like doing nothing but deads and going home, so be it. By the time I got in the car, I was ready to go, and chins and bench reflect this.

I think my static holds are really having a great effect on my benching because, while the poundage doesn't reflect it yet, I can tell by the way I feel during the reps. 115 was a breeze and it was still "hard" even last session, and I'm damn close to getting that 135x5. Much much stronger in the bottom static holds.

Last I come to deads, and I don't bullshit the good or the bad so here comes a dose of the bad: tl;dr is that I'm a moron. A long time ago I started doing deads on the lunge machine as a time saver; at the time I couldn't do any more weight on that machine than I could on the barbell, so it seemed like a good compromise. Fast forward a year later, and it apparently has stunted my grip strength growth because I figured out an easy way to load the bar from the power rack starting waist high (probably elementary for you guys) and lowering to the ground, and I found that my back and legs were fine (other than my legs being sore), but I couldn't hold on to shit. I switch to mixed grip on the 205's and I barely got that 275 up the 1 time.

I have to look at this positively...13 1/2 months ago when I did BB deads for the first time at my first Chicago ABC, 185x5 was a ridiculous load that left me sore for a week. Also, I'm at the same weight I was before the Iron Contest with double the squat, and I'm FINALLY making new progress on bench and press. In my heart of hearts I know that having gone through the deaths of my mother and grandfather, as well as having a high school friend commit suicide all in the last 12 months has affected me, along with a back injury and the ever present wall of my apathy that I am slowly but surely breaking through. I think I am a lot smarter about things now, and a lot more steady with my motivation, so the NEXT 12 months is going to be the best yet...I am incredibly motivated to be in phenomenal shape by the time of my 30th birthday in November.

So I've waxed prophetic about disappointment, learning from it, now comes the plan of action...first off, I'm skipping Tuesday to heal up from the various pain and ailments afflicting me at the moment (I may cardio Wednesday night). My weeks start on Friday, so this Friday with the new week I'm going to start alternating deads and squats every workout, to increase my deadlifting from twice every two weeks to three and reducing the squats from 6 to 3...but I will be doing much higher volume, like the last workout. Friday will also be the date I start 6 weeks of Test and Stak followed by 3 weeks of M-Stak. I will go up 5lbs each workout, which means that after 9 weeks starting at 225, I should be at 355x5 on deads (real barbell ones) and 315x5 on squats. Ambitious goals but I think I'm capable.

Side note, it was very cool to have dinner with Phil tonight after my workout, who has always been incredibly generous and welcoming to me on the board and in real life. He is in a transitioning phase for his lifting as well and I'm excited to see how it turns out for him.

Phil800101
03-14-11, 3:40 am
Chris, thanks for your kind words man...I'm genuinely touched. Dinner was great.

The progress you have made is outstanding...your gains are clearly evident just from looking at you. You've put on some serious lean mass. Following the journey and seeing the numbers, this is even more evident.

Sounds like a plan bro! Looks like you've identified what needs to be done and have a plan of attack. I look forward to seeing how this pans out.

twoheadedboy
03-15-11, 12:32 am
Mid-Break note: One thing I have seen commented on about Rage is increased recovery. Well, let me be the dissenting vote here - my between-workout recovery is no better on Rage. In fact, it's probably worse at face value because it allows me to put intensity into the workout I wouldn't have otherwise been able to do. I'm sitting here at the end of a day where I haven't worked out in over 24 hours but I feel I was in a car crash. An abnormally high amount of bowling is also not helping my already creaky knees...thank god for Flex but I need to refill the Cissus....diet has been on point too, I've been downing as much milk, as many eggs and grilled chicken and cold cuts as I can find, along with fistfulls of Uni-Liver and a Pro and Oats shake in the morning.

Having done Test/Stak once before I've found that the difference is not during the workout (maybe a little for Test), but the recovery between, and it is for that benefit that I really look forward to getting back on these supps because it seemingly allowed me to hit new PR's every workout and come back strong and refreshed 48 hours later.

See y'all Friday...

twoheadedboy
03-16-11, 10:08 pm
Today: Cardio only, Rage not involved but a part of the overall lifestyle so it goes here during this time.

30 min elliptical, approx 2.25 miles
30 min treadmill, 2 miles
30 min recumbant bike, 6.5 miles
30 min treadmill, 2 miles
10lbx25x8 Hammer MTS crunches

Felt great today. Could have kept going. A small amount of soreness left in my biceps and lower back but that's all. I'm going to be ready to rock on Friday.

Phil800101
03-17-11, 2:09 am
That is a lot of cardio.

twoheadedboy
03-17-11, 7:40 am
Before I started lifting weights more seriously, I did a LOT of cardio in an effort to lose weight (not yet understanding how much more beneficial it is to be equally serious about strength training) and also to log the most hours over 3 months in a local contest...I once walked on the treadmill from 7:30am - 5pm with 2 half hour breaks (at about 3mph, didn't start out as cardio but became cardio later). I've done 3+ hour sessions with similar intensity when I was in Rage's contest...needless to say, it takes a LOT, or an extreme level of intensity, to affect me. I use this to keep a nice slow burn going for a while when I have the time, feels great when the diet hasn't been good for a little while like was true over the last couple of days, or even when it's in check.

Phil800101
03-17-11, 11:00 am
Before I started lifting weights more seriously, I did a LOT of cardio in an effort to lose weight (not yet understanding how much more beneficial it is to be equally serious about strength training) and also to log the most hours over 3 months in a local contest...I once walked on the treadmill from 7:30am - 5pm with 2 half hour breaks (at about 3mph, didn't start out as cardio but became cardio later). I've done 3+ hour sessions with similar intensity when I was in Rage's contest...needless to say, it takes a LOT, or an extreme level of intensity, to affect me. I use this to keep a nice slow burn going for a while when I have the time, feels great when the diet hasn't been good for a little while like was true over the last couple of days, or even when it's in check.

Oh yeah, I wasn't questioning it. Everybody is different and you gotta do what works for you. I'm doing what many would consider to be too much cardio right now, but I know what works for me.

wedge
03-17-11, 11:36 am
Before I started lifting weights more seriously, I did a LOT of cardio in an effort to lose weight (not yet understanding how much more beneficial it is to be equally serious about strength training) and also to log the most hours over 3 months in a local contest...I once walked on the treadmill from 7:30am - 5pm with 2 half hour breaks (at about 3mph, didn't start out as cardio but became cardio later). I've done 3+ hour sessions with similar intensity when I was in Rage's contest...needless to say, it takes a LOT, or an extreme level of intensity, to affect me. I use this to keep a nice slow burn going for a while when I have the time, feels great when the diet hasn't been good for a little while like was true over the last couple of days, or even when it's in check.

And I get bored doing two half hour sessions a day now. I remember the iron contest cardio. I lived on the bike for a while.

twoheadedboy
03-19-11, 7:06 pm
This morning:

Warmup: 45x10 front squat into press
BB Press: 55x10, 65x8, 75x6, 100x4, 85x6
Deads: 135x10, 175x8, 205x6, 235x5 (last 2 sets reverse grip)
Dips: -85x20, -70x10, -55x8, -40x6, -25x5+bodyweight x1, -55x11

Good stuff today. I was short on time so I was not able to allow a full 2 hrs after eating, more like an hr, and the effects were definitely lessened. Nonetheless with Pump and Test (first time w Rage) I was good to go.

Phil800101
03-20-11, 3:07 am
Solid!

twoheadedboy
03-22-11, 1:32 am
Tonight:

Warm-up: fast 20xbar flat BB bench, 10x25 DB flyes
Bench: 75x10, 95x8, 115x6, 135xdoubles and triples until I got to 15
Static Holds bench: bottom@145x3, top@185x3, middle@145x3 (aha!)
Squats: bodyweightx10, 95x8, 145x6, 195x5x5
Chins: -100x20, -85x10, -70x8, -55x6, -40x4.5

Bench strength was disappointing today...I'm going to have to chalk this one up to it being late, me being tired, and also doing some unexpected couch loading/unloading/moving prior to the session. Diet was definitely in check all day today. I experimented with the static holds and found the exact spot where my lift is stuck, so I'm going to focus on that from here on out. That weakness is responsible for about 20lbs on my 5RM so I need to blow it away.

Squats were a total fucking grind, especially 4th set on. By this point it was just me and someone who I like to refer to as "The Isolation Kid" or "The Gym is My Babysitter Kid" because he literally spends 2+ hours doing light weight reverse wrist curls, pressdowns, calf raises, shrugs, etc., and he's like 5'11" 150. 3+ minutes between sets too, which makes no sense Also he does EVERYTHING with a belt. He's been coming for at least as long as I have been going here (2+ years now) and I have yet to see progress of any kind...I'd love to tell him that a better 3 hour plan would be GOMAD+Rippetoe+a nap but "personal training" of ANY kind by non-staff is strictly verboten. Doing heavy (relative) compounds next to him seemingly hasn't helped either...but I digress.

I love saving chins for last because I have inevitably killed my arms doing something else, making every rep and set earned. I started to run in to closing time so I had to compress the last couple of sets, and that's why I couldn't get a straight 5 at -40; I know with another minute or 2 I could have gotten it.

Rage and Pump seemingly did little for me today. I mixed up Rage before I got in the car and ingested it approx 20 minutes later, so I wonder if that was an issue...I think I'm going to avoid that in the future just to be safe. One thing that has been noticeable has been my insane recovery on my latest stack. Here's what it looks like:

1st thing AM: Pro&Oats + ~3g Just Creatine + Pak
Lunch: Omega
Dinner: Test + 1000mg Vitamin C
Pre-workout: Pump minus red, Rage
Intra: Intra-Aid
Post: Torrent Zero
Later: Meal, 5000mg Vitamin D, 6 Uni-Livers
Pre-bed: Stak, PM minus ZMA, 1000mg Vitamin C, 1000mg Vitamin E

After Saturday I felt like I could have lifted again that night, definitely could have the next day. Tried to get a little closer to failure today so that I really utilize the Test+Stak to its fullest.

Edit: I think I'm feeling the Rage now, 3 hrs later. Heart is racing, ugh.

Until next time...

Phil800101
03-22-11, 1:59 am
Yup, that was probably it. Going in like that will throw the session off for sure.

Sounds like a plan to push past the weak points, and that is one solid stack.

wedge
03-22-11, 11:50 am
I had the same issue with Rage/Pump as well. Didn't feel any different then just using Rage with Sportpharma Creatine Mono. However, The Rhino told me he felt it working after using it a few times, for what it's worth.

twoheadedboy
03-24-11, 12:02 am
Tonight:

Front squats into push press, high speed barx10
BB Press: 60x8, 80x6, 100x5, x4, x3, x2, x1
Deads: 135x10, 185x8 (rest/pause @ 5) (double overhand), 225x6, 255x5 (alternating)
Dips: -85x20, -70x10, -55x8, -40x6, bodyweightx2, bodyweightx0, -45x10

Two principles going in to this one:

1. Lower than typical volume, I have a lot of bowling coming up Fri/Sat/Sun (at least 15 games), also was still pretty sore going in to this morning from the last workout.
2. I really pushed my deads since, due to the pending bowling tournament, I know I'm not going to do them for 6 days. That's almost a full week so I jumped 20 lbs on the top end, 30 in two workouts. Made possible by good eating and Animal Test, people.

Limiting factor on 185 deads was grip strength, not back...225x6 was a smoke show, maybe too much so because I felt 255 should have been "easy" (for heavy deads, anyway), and it ended up being close to singles. Nonetheless Tuesday will be the next dead day and 265x5 will be the target, with the other sets the same.

It's frustrating that it seems like I can make limitless linear progress on the press and dips but bench is a struggle. Luckily it just makes me want to work harder at it.

twoheadedboy
03-24-11, 12:04 am
I had the same issue with Rage/Pump as well. Didn't feel any different then just using Rage with Sportpharma Creatine Mono. However, The Rhino told me he felt it working after using it a few times, for what it's worth.

Oh, it's not that Rage+Pump isn't working in general, it's that neither had much if any affect on me at all during that particular workout. That said, I'm thinking a contributing factor is that there was 20 minutes between mixing up my Rage and consuming it, so I'm wondering if that had adverse affects on it. Someone more familiar with the ingredients would have to give the definitive answer though. I went in to that workout with less than ideal mental and physical states too, so that was the main issue. Today's workout was exactly as I expected.

Phil800101
03-24-11, 1:32 am
Solid work there bro! I hear ya, bench is a HUGE sticking point for me, mine flat-out sucks. I know Aggression is working on his bench as well, so we're not alone. Like you said, just keep on pushing and progressing, and the worm will turn.

twoheadedboy
03-28-11, 10:41 pm
1871 for all events at state, which is 1 pin under a 208 average. It's good, but considering I had sets of 686 and 630, I should have done better. Even my 555 for doubles (the last set) included a 235...just 2 catastrophically bad games fucked it all up. Ugh.

The plan was to lift Sunday night, but my UCL and bicep were barking after 16 games in less than 36 hours so I just rested. This was a good decision, because today was very very good I think:

Bench: barx20, flyesx10 w/25's, 75x10, 95x8 (all focusing on speed/power except the flyes where I focused on the stretch at the bottom), 115x6, 135x5, 140x3, 130x4, mid-position statics x whatever @ 150, Hammer Iso-Lateral machine @ 127 x whatever (at end of workout)
Squat: bodyweightx10, 100x8, 150x6, 200x5x5

Fuck yes. I got that 135x5 on the bench with only a slight pause at the top of rep 4 (never racked the bar), and 140x3 was awesome...I might have gotten a 4th rep or a double at 145 instead but I decided to leave a little in the tank, because I think incremental progress, not reps to failure, are my friend right now.

The iso-lateral machine was better than the chest press machine, but maybe not as good as the Smith machine, which was occupied. I'm struggling to find an assistance exercise that allows me to burn up the last of my reserves after flat BB bench time and maybe isolate the chest a little more than that does. Maybe I'll do Smith wide grip next time.

That's 15 pounds I'm up on 5x5 since switching to that method of squats, and I'm now at a weight that used to be fairly difficult for 1x5. So I'm feeling pretty good about that.

Pump was really the supp that I felt today for some reason, though Rage definitely added to it.

I did not do chins today due to the aforementioned bicep issues...a lot of cramping and soreness in the right arm.

Nix0r
03-28-11, 11:04 pm
You're gonna bench with me at the upcoming ABC.

twoheadedboy
03-28-11, 11:07 pm
Fuck yeah! Want to pick a target for me to work towards with that date in mind? I bench 3x every 2 weeks, give or take.

If you're doing deads I'd sure like to do that with you too...

Nix0r
03-28-11, 11:11 pm
Fuck yeah! Want to pick a target for me to work towards with that date in mind? I bench 3x every 2 weeks, give or take.

If you're doing deads I'd sure like to do that with you too...

Saturday is my dynamic-effort bench day, so I'll be speed benching with my bands and whatnot, then doing basically a full-upper workout as accessory, but I will definitely help you with your bench, deads, whatever.

I'll just look through your log, see what your bench has been the past few weeks/months, and put together a game plan.

Phil800101
03-29-11, 2:35 am
Nice work!

twoheadedboy
04-01-11, 12:39 am
Tonight:

BB Press 45x20, 65x8, 85x6, 105x2>95x4, 95x3, 95x5, 95x1
Deads: 135x10, 185x8 (overhand), 225x6, 265x5 (alternated)
Chins: -100x20, -70x8, -40x5
--supersetted with--
Dips: -85x20, -55x8, -40x6 (no pause on this last set chins>dips)

I got stuck at the bottom of 105 rep #3 for presses so I reracked it, dropped the weight, and immediately went to those 95 reps. Heavy deads (for me) are fucking heavy...jesus christ, they sapped my will to live, lot of rest between sets. I'm going to add a 3rd set of overhand deads next time (probably do 135x10, 165x8, 195x6 next time), then decide on my alternated grip deads by how I feel after that...I might stay at the same weight on the last set but go up to 235 on the 2nd to last, I don't know.

Did both chins and dips in the same workout today due to skipping arms entirely last time, kind of liked it. Rest time for bi's has been my bane on arm sets, so splitting up sets of chins with dips, which is by far my stronger lift anyway, seemed to be very effective.

My quads and hams are still carrying over a lot of fatigue from my squat workouts so I may do a 3x5 at a slightly lower weight next time (Saturday), I'll play that by ear too.

Rage made this workout possible; I was pretty gassed from an extremely long week but I still made it through and continued linear gains on deads. I've had more intense and faster workouts but if strength is the goal and the sets get done, speed is a secondary concern in my mind.

Phil800101
04-01-11, 3:18 am
Strong work there bro!

wedge
04-01-11, 12:40 pm
Some nice work going on in here. Keep it up bro.

twoheadedboy
04-02-11, 6:45 pm
Thanks guys!

Today:

Bench: 45x20 into 25'sx10 flyes warmup, 75x8, 105x6, 140x4, 140x3, 140x3, 140x2, isos 145x4
Squats: bodyweightx10, 95x8, 135x3, 165x3, 205x5x5
Dips: -70x10, -55x8, -40x6, bodyweight x2 x2
Forced negative chins: bodyweightx3, bodyweightx3 (supersetted w/bodyweight dips)

I've been fighting a cold for a few days now so I didn't go into the day or the gym at 100%, but Rage definitely helped me push it over the top. I was throwing up that 140 in the bench like it was nothing, squats didn't get hard until the end of the 4th set, and I think I should have added some weight to those forced negative chins...still can't do full bodyweight reps but those negs were too easy.

Everything's going extremely well right now. Now that I've unstuck my bench, everything goes up every single workout. Test>Pump>Rage>Intra-Aid>Torrent Zero>Stak+PM is legit.

I have 1-2 more servings of Intra-Aid left, so then I get to try my EAA Stack + Carb Max concoction. I hope it doesn't suck because I have a lot of it :)

twoheadedboy
04-05-11, 9:45 pm
Tonight:

Press: 45x20, 65x8, 85x6, 105x4, 105x2, 105x3, 105x3, 105x2, 105x2
--Statics (bottom) 115, 125, 135, 145, 155
Deads: 135x10, 190x8 (overhand), 230x3x2, 275x1x2, 265x4 (alternated)
Chins: -100x20, -85x10, -70x8, -55x6, -40x5

I've been fighting a cold since the middle of last week, took off last night and was into full blown sick mode today, bronchitis and sinus infection. I didn't feel too horrible though, so I went to the gym of course. I'm pissed that I didn't get 275x5 on the deads but maybe it's because I'm sick...I'm going to give it another go next week, and if I miss again, drop down in weight and do more reps (kind of like my squat program).

Press wasn't that great either, kind of flat, and chins were kind of "going through the motions", didn't really try anything new or exciting there. I'm considering putting the red pill back into the Pump because I definitely feel the focus factor of Rage and the pump of Pump but the stim kick has been been dulling down lately. My sleep has been fine, recovery fine, diet fine, and I've been taking Pump and Rage at least 2 hrs after my last meal. Hopefully now that I'm actually for real sick, I can get over it and hit the gym hard Friday.

I'm almost through can number #1 of Stak and Test, and my gains have been pretty awesome. I've also lost about 7 lbs, so that's a bonus. I've definitely felt my recovery ramping up this 3rd week, like many people have experienced on this Stak, so I'm excited what I'm going to be able to do once I'm back to 100%...I'd love to be moving 3 plates a side come Chicago ABC time, and 225x5x5 on squats, maybe go for a 3RM on that?

Phil800101
04-05-11, 11:17 pm
Way to push through and get shit done my man! Solid work in here. Hope you're feeling better soon.

twoheadedboy
04-07-11, 9:47 pm
Tonight: no Rage, 1 hr aerobics

I work with all females, and a coworker of mine teaches aerobics 2 nights a week on the side. We have a relationship where we give each other shit all the time, and I've been boasting for months that I could take anything she could dish out. Well, she took extra special pleasure in wringing me out like a sponge; I definitely could hack it cardio-wise but we took a break after 20 minutes and my quads tightened up so bad that I could barely move, but still had about 35 minutes of brutality left after that...she would make a good dominatrix I think. It was a nice change of pace because I have not done any sort of cardio aside from elliptical in a very very long time, and I didn't realize how boring that was...I may be back.

Phil800101
04-07-11, 10:22 pm
Nice work with the Phil!

twoheadedboy
04-09-11, 8:46 pm
Today:

Bench: 55x20, 95x8, DB flyes 30'sx10, 115x6, 145x3, 145x1x2, 140x3, 140x2, 135x3, 135x2
Deads: 135x10, 195x8 (overhand), 235x7 (alternated)
Squats: 95x10, 135x8, 175x7
BB curls: 65x10
--supersetted with--
DB alternated hammer curls 25'sx10

Still pretty sore after my Thursday aerobics experience, especially in the calves and abs, so I decided to go a little more total body and a little less max squat this time. One thing I'm learning is I can still get great workouts and make progress on days where I'm not hitting new 5RM's; I can do heavier weight at higher rep numbers than I'm used to and still be moving forward.

Did that bicep work at the end because I was pretty gassed and wanted to do something other than chins to hit biceps.

Today was Pump w/red cap left in + Rage. Felt good so I'm definitely building up that stim tolerance again, heh.

Phil800101
04-10-11, 2:57 am
Good shit right there!

twoheadedboy
04-11-11, 11:38 pm
Tonight:

Press: 45x10, 65x8, 85x6, 105x3x5
Squats: bodyweightx10, 105x8, 135x3, 185x3, 210x5x5
Chins: -100x20, -85x10, -70x8, -55x6, -40x5

Presses were a little weak today. Actually, the whole experience was low on the motivational scale, but Rage took me from a 4 to a 7, so I got through. 5th rep on last 2 squat sets were tough, but 225 is in my sights. I'm going through a phase right now where presses and squats are not very sharp, whereas I'm loving deads and bench, totally the opposite of about 6 or 7 months ago. I will say that my legs felt great on that 210 but it was hard as hell keeping my torso in place.

2nd can of Stak and Test started today.

Phil800101
04-12-11, 1:40 am
Keep up the great work my man! Ups and downs, that's how it goes unfortunately.

twoheadedboy
04-14-11, 12:37 am
Tonight:

Bench: 45x20, 30'sx10 DB Flyes, 75x8, 115x6, 145x3, 145x2, 145x3, 145x2, 145x3, 150x2, 155x1, bottom statics @ 155 a bunch for a few minutes
Deads: 135x10, 205x8 (overhand), 280x2x2, 285x1, 285x0 (basically a halting) (alternated), re-racked off the floor @ 225
Chins: -100x20, -85x10, -70x8, ran out of time

Insane pumps today...I was vascular in the locker room before lifting and huge (for me) by the end. The last rep of 145 on bench was something I didn't expect to get or get without max effort, so when it went up as "just another rep" I decided to kick it up with notch; I bench with rails set just high enough to protect me from death so there's no harm in missing a rep. Rocked that 150 so I decided to see what would happen at 155 and got that too. Paused at the top thinking about a 2nd rep but decided to put some energy toward deads.

Deads - slight rest pause for each rep after 5 @ 205.

Everything felt pretty good. Power to spare, thank you Rage.

twoheadedboy
04-14-11, 1:01 am
Also, my new intra mix of fruit punch EAA Stack and 1/2 serving of fruit punch Carb Max is the absolute bomb. The Carb Max tastes fantastic and has a very strong flavor profile, so cutting down on that while getting the aminos in there makes for a great mix. I have noticed that the EAA Stack does not mix as well as Intra-Aid, Carb Max, or Torrent/Torrent Zero...I have to be much more diligent in shaking before each drink to keep it mixed and in suspension. Nonetheless I am very happy with this change, not only for my wallet (less than 1/2 the price per serving), but also for the taste (getting fatigued on the citrus Intra-Aid, been using since day one) and performance (at least as good as Intra-Aid for me).

Phil800101
04-14-11, 2:59 am
Sick!

Sounds like some good stuff.

G Diesel
04-14-11, 3:28 pm
Also, my new intra mix of fruit punch EAA Stack and 1/2 serving of fruit punch Carb Max is the absolute bomb. The Carb Max tastes fantastic and has a very strong flavor profile, so cutting down on that while getting the aminos in there makes for a great mix. I have noticed that the EAA Stack does not mix as well as Intra-Aid, Carb Max, or Torrent/Torrent Zero...I have to be much more diligent in shaking before each drink to keep it mixed and in suspension. Nonetheless I am very happy with this change, not only for my wallet (less than 1/2 the price per serving), but also for the taste (getting fatigued on the citrus Intra-Aid, been using since day one) and performance (at least as good as Intra-Aid for me).

Dig that combo 2HB... Drinking that intra with Rage pre is a potent recipe for killer sessions.

Go hard bro.

Peace, G

twoheadedboy
04-16-11, 5:53 pm
On the road, kinda tired, kinda directionless, but it's a workout...

Press: bar x whatever alternating between regular and behind the neck, barx10 curls, 65x8, 85x6, 105x4, 105x2, 105x3x3
Squats: bodyweight x 10, 105x8, 135x6, 165x3, 195x3, 205x3, 185x5x3
was allowing another guy to work in, in between I did: db flyes w/30's, alternating hammer curls w/25's and 15's, lat raises super-setter w/front raises 15'sx10, one arm db rows w/ 35's, and ez curl bar curls w/40.

Just a lot of different stuff today. Squats were flat again today, did not get great depth on 205, so backed down and did great reps at 185 instead.

Phil800101
04-18-11, 12:05 pm
A shitty workout is better than no workout. Good deal!

Nix0r
04-18-11, 1:40 pm
What Phil said. I'll make sure you don't have a shitty workout at the ABC this weekend.

twoheadedboy
04-19-11, 12:31 am
Heh...sometimes it's good to ignore your log, to prevent you from telling yourself what you shouldn't be able to do.

Warmup: Front squat>Press combos w/bar 2x10
Bench: 65x10, 95x8, 125x6, 155x2x2, 155x0/1, 145x3, 145x2, 145x3, 145x2, bottom statics @160x3
Deads: 135x10, 205x8 (overhand), 245x1, 285x2, 285x1x3 (alternated)
Dips: -85x20, -70x10, -55x8, -40x6, bodyweightx2x2, bodyweightx1

Back is pretty ripped up but I got those reps that I wasn't even close on last time. However, I don't know if I'm going to be able to go heavy Saturday at the ABC...I am VERY close to the line between sore and injured, but I don't think I crossed it. Lots of eggs, milk, and Uni-Liver over the next few days, plus hard massage, light SLDL's, stretching, and cardio will be the name of the game. Wednesday will be the last time I lift before Saturday and I will stay light on the squats, especially since I haven't been getting anywhere on those anyway as of late. That 0/1 bench rep signifies that I completed the negative, couldn't finish the positive, but let it rest on the rails for a minute and then was able to complete the rep after that. So I guess it was the equivalent of a forced negative plus something slightly lower than a floor press, as I am able to set the rails to where they are about 1 mm above my max chest height.

I'd like to go for a 1RM of 165 on bench at the ABC, and maybe 305 on deads; if not, a fuckton of 275 reps. I still have so much work to do and progress to make, but it's nice to look back at the last year and see where I am compared to a year ago, at the last ABC at Jakked, when I failed at a 135 rep at bench and did 185 1x for deads. If I can make at least that much progress over the next year, we'll be getting somewhere (at least in my mind) and hopefully that will be an easier task assuming this next rolling calendar year isn't as fucked up as the last.

Phil800101
04-20-11, 1:36 am
Killer!

No worries bro, you've made a ton of progress. Myself, I fucked up 2010 royally and spun around in circles and even went backwards a bit. Nothing to do but drive on.

twoheadedboy
04-20-11, 11:14 pm
Tonight:

Press: 45x10, 65x8, 85x6, 105x5, 110x2, 110x0, 100x5
Squats: bodyweightx10, 95x8, 135x6, 155x3, 185x3, 215x5x3, 225x5, 215x5
Pull ups: -100x20, -85x8 (cramp), -70x6, -55x5, -40x5

2 new PR's today, with squats being the most surprising. I intended to take things easy today, but I was going to do my 2nd set at 135 and then do a few reps with small jumps from there and see where it took me. 185 felt like nothing, so I went up to my last work set of 215. 215 was destroyed, so I tried a set of 225...I think I could have replaced my 2nd set of 215 with 245 and still been good, I have not felt this good doing squats in a long long time.

Switched to pull ups from chins because I feel like my interior bicep muscles are lagging far behind the outer biceps and triceps. I don't have any real bodybuilding aspirations or even concerns, but I don't want to look weak or unbalanced, either. That 20 rep set was pretty intense, I must say

My back is a bit sore but about 75% better. I'm probably going to hit up aerobics tomorrow night, then I'm done with everything until the ABC, where Nix is probably going to attempt to kill me but I welcome the challenge!

Nix0r
04-20-11, 11:20 pm
Remove the "probably" and the "attempt to" and you have an accurate statement.

twoheadedboy
04-20-11, 11:26 pm
Challenge accepted.

Nix0r
04-20-11, 11:35 pm
You might be doing an all upper workout Saturday, then :D

Phil800101
04-21-11, 2:01 am
Congrats on the PRs Chris! Good stuff.

wedge
04-21-11, 11:27 am
Nice PRs in here.

twoheadedboy
04-23-11, 7:22 pm
Thanks guys.

Today: Chicago ABC meetup @ the often imitated, never duplicated Jakked Hardcore in Montgomery, IL. Bench w/Nix0r, deads w/Phil, followed by random shit and epic meal time.

Bench: barx20, bar+black bandx10?, bar+black+red bandsx3? 135x5, 145x3? 155x2 forced reps, 135x7?
Deads: 135x10 (overhand), 225x5, 275x2, 325x0x2 (last one almost got to the knees), 305x0, 305x1
BB Inclines: barx10, 95x10? 135x2 forced reps, 95xa bunch I don't even remember
variousx10, no rest in between: db flyes (35's), db hammer curls (simultaneous 35's), one armed rows (50's), barbell curls (45), v-bar pushdowns (the "8" plate?), lat pulldowns (2 plates, 135?)

Every time I do an ABC, I like to focus on one or two things and then just do a whole bunch of different shit I don't normally do. I had never done banded bench before, so that was interesting. Also never did incline press before and I kind of liked it. Now my body's broken so I'm going to lay down and stare at the ceiling for a while. I felt ok during the deads but my back seized up about 15 minutes later and now I am ridiculously sore from the knees to mid back now that I'm home...but it's all good. Many thanks to all involved for help with technique, spots, and encouragement.

Phil800101
04-25-11, 11:43 am
Killing it there Chris! You smoked that 305, and that 325 is not far off.

twoheadedboy
04-27-11, 8:18 am
Wanted to work out last night but am fighting some illness and was running on little sleep due to the Arcade Fire concert the previous night, so decided to pack it in early and hit the gym before work if I woke up early enough. I did, so here goes:

Warmup: front squat into overhead press w/barx10, deads w/lunge machine 135x10
Press: 65x8, 85x6, 110x3, 110x2x6, 45x10
Squats: 95x8, 140x6, 185x5
Leg Press: 235x1
Pull Ups: -100x20, -85x10, -60x8, -55x5

Legs felt great though I have a little lingering left knee soreness, but my lower back is still very tight and sore at the final 10% of stretch...this reduced my ROM on squats so I decided not to push it, plus I was running short on time. I tried the leg press thinking that would take the back out of the equation and it was actually worse. Press was tough at 110 too, hence the low rep sets, my endurance was down, probably because I still didn't get enough sleep and am still a bit sick. I'm just going to put in the work Friday and Sunday, playing it by ear for how hard I hit it, and hope to really attack it again next week and go back to deads at that time. One positive is that I've been using the velcro pad on squats and decided it would be better if I did them without it, so I've been slowly raising the weight I do without padding, and today that 185 was without it.

Rage definitely made this workout possible at all. I'm trying to figure out a way to more efficiently take it, because following Nix0r's lead I took it straight with a mouthful of water at the ABC and really like it that way, but that was with one of the samples and I normally take a scoop in a ziplock with me...but it's very hard to pour it straight into my mouth this way. I think I'll probably go back to mixing it with a spoon in a cup as long as I still have the powder tub, and when I re-up switch to the pills.

Bruiser
04-27-11, 9:43 am
Looking solid bro. I wish I could been there on Saturday with you guys! Next time.

Phil800101
04-27-11, 12:49 pm
Solid!

twoheadedboy
04-29-11, 8:45 pm
Today -

AM: Front squat into overhead press w/bar x10
Bench: 65x10, 95x8, 125x6, 155x2, 155x1, 135x3x3, 135x4, bottom statics 160x5, DB bench 35'sx10
Lunge machine deads 135x10
a bunch of bodyweight hypers
Squats: 95x8, 135x6, 185x5


PM: circuit training, 5 circuits
Pull-ups -100x20/Dips -85x20 (3 each), 1 min elliptical @ 10 resistance 160 rpm, Hammer machine crunches 10lbs x 40
30 min treadmill @ 3.0 mph, no incline

Back is still the same as it was Wednesday, so I decided it was time to change the focus while it heals and start working on cutting/lean mass a little bit. Now diet-wise, I work differently from most people. When I'm training primarily for strength, I do a few total body routines a week, eat big leading up to my PM workout, but then try to be smart about my intake the rest of the week. When I'm focusing on endurance and cutting, I actually eat more and a little more freely in the carbs and fat department, so that I have the fuel for frequent, intense, long sessions and don't go flat. If you look at a marathon runners and swimmers, you don't see them avoiding carbs or saturated fats - you see them consuming whatever they can before, during, and after a race, and they're still as thin as they want to be. I tend to burn 5000 - 7500 extra calories per week in periods like this, so even if I ingest 500 extra calories per day I'm still at a significant deficit, and have lost 15 pounds in 3 - 3 1/2 weeks a couple of different times.

This time is going to be significantly different training-wise. Incorporating my experiences from Rage's contest and much that I have witnessed (and learned about my own body) since that time, I will be doing far far less "cardio" (Phil) than in the past. Instead, I'm going to focus on circuit training with chins/dips/crunches/cardio, and I think this will give me the benefit of being able to do it any time while still strength training (even the same day if I lift in the AM), giving me jacked up arms (explosive pumps with no supps tonight), and not running my joints into the ground with endless cardio. I'm going to tweak my cardio time until I get it right, 1 min was not long enough tonight so I'm going to try 2 minutes next time. The exciting part for me is that I'm not exactly sure what the end result is going to be...I can see scenarios where I lose or gain weight or stay roughly the same, but cut overall fat regardless. All I know is I want to be lean and mean for my best friend's wedding come 4th of July weekend, and I think a few weeks of circuit training will only give positive momentum toward that goal.

Bruiser
04-30-11, 7:18 am
Good workout and it looks like you've got a solid plan. I think you'll hit your goals in no time with how much thought you've put into your plan and how driven you are. Good luck man.

Nix0r
04-30-11, 10:57 am
Solid plan, Chris! Definitely interested to see how things work out for you.

Phil800101
04-30-11, 1:07 pm
Solid work my man!

Sounds like a plan. I'm the same way, restricted calories just don't work for me. I feel like shit. I just try to eat clean and burn off calories, while making sure that my muscles are fueled for recovery. I think you're going to get some killer results.

twoheadedboy
05-07-11, 2:58 am
Tonight:

Press 55x10, 75x10, 95x10, 115x2, 105x2x2, 95x3x3
Squats bodyweight x 10, 95x8, 135x4 (back)
Chins SS w/Dips -100, -85 x20, -85, -70 x10

Work has been kicking my ass, I've been stressed about some personal shit, and my back is still not 100f from the week before the ABC (aggravated by the ABC too), so very frustrating all around. Started out great on press then felt a big twinge through my entire back on that 4th rep. Doesn't make sense as 8 did more weight last time.

I'm going to play it by ear Monday and/or Wednesday and go from there. Intensity and focus on Test/Pump/Rage was definitely there but body did not cooperate.

Bruiser
05-07-11, 7:04 am
Tonight:

Press 55x10, 75x10, 95x10, 115x2, 105x2x2, 95x3x3
Squats bodyweight x 10, 95x8, 135x4 (back)
Chins SS w/Dips -100, -85 x20, -85, -70 x10

Work has been kicking my ass, I've been stressed about some personal shit, and my back is still not 100f from the week before the ABC (aggravated by the ABC too), so very frustrating all around. Started out great on press then felt a big twinge through my entire back on that 4th rep. Doesn't make sense as 8 did more weight last time.

I'm going to play it by ear Monday and/or Wednesday and go from there. Intensity and focus on Test/Pump/Rage was definitely there but body did not cooperate.

Take care of your back and don't push yourself too hard. When you start getting twinges, you need to back off a little bit. Trust me. You don't want to end up like me and have to live with three herniated disks. Good luck bro and rest up.

Bruiser
05-07-11, 7:05 am
And if all else fails... blame it on Phil! lol

Phil800101
05-07-11, 1:45 pm
Solid session, I like that superset!


Take care of your back and don't push yourself too hard. When you start getting twinges, you need to back off a little bit. Trust me. You don't want to end up like me and have to live with three herniated disks. Good luck bro and rest up.

Agreed. Rest up, and then train smart.

twoheadedboy
05-28-11, 8:53 am
Last night:

Bench: 20x45 (10 extremely slow, 10 as fast as possible, no pause), db flyes x30, 75x10, 95x8, 115x6, 135x5, 105x8, statics 145x3, fly machine @ end of workout
Deads: good mornings w/bar x10, 135x10, 225x5, good mornings w/bar x10
Chins: -85x10x3

On Monday I did a "survey" of all my exercises and deads are slowly coming back. I'm doing a lot of different things to get my back to get back to normal because it doesn't feel "injured" like in September, just tight and sore almost all the time. Part of the problem I'm sure is how much time I spend tied to a desk, so I'm really trying to do a lot of flexibility work, and not just with my back - my hamstrings are a HUGE focus too. Basically, I've had ridiculously tight hamstrings all my life, was told they would cause problems later and never did anything about it, and here we are. The good mornings made my legs feel so good that I'm considering getting a small barbell for home use so I can do lightweight ones every morning. They also alleviated some of the stiffness that I've been getting in my back post-deads, which I am feeling now but am going to kick its ass as I have been by laying on top of a padded hex dumbbell and really digging in.

My diet's been shit, and because of this, the insanity of work, and my slight injury I've been a bit depressed, but I feel like I'm back on track now and that's better than I have been in the past, since it was only a couple of weeks or so not a month or two. I bought a whole bunch of ground turkey (cheap plug - very cheap at my store, Aldi) and am basically going to start incorporating that into every meal that doesn't have eggs because it's too hard and too expensive to get unadulterated chicken breast locally.

Rage + Pump, felt great to be on this last night as I've not done any supps beyond Pak in a little while, and been very low on stims in general. My maximums were not the same due to the time off, but I just kept wanting to do more and more reps at the weight I COULD do.

I wish I had a training partner...everyone I know that would be a candidate for this is too far away or has kids and/or an insane work schedule (usually both) not making it possible to have regular gym visits.

Phil800101
05-28-11, 10:19 am
Nice work!

Bruiser
05-29-11, 7:20 am
It looks like things are starting to return to normal for you. Just work into it easy and don't push too hard. Make sure you really work on loosening the hamstrings. I've had really tight hams too, and that has made my back injury worse and harder to work around. It sounds like you've got some good ideas how to work with your injuries and prevent them from getting worse. Good luck with it and be careful bro.

twoheadedboy
06-04-11, 12:50 am
Monday: A bunch of stuff, dislocated my shoulder a little bit (!)
Wednesday: Presses up to 105, Squats up to 175, lots of Chins
Tonight:
Bench: 45x10 slow, 45x10 fast, flyes w/35's, 95x8, 115x6, 135x6, 135x5, 135x4, statics x3 @ 145
Deads: 135x10, 185x8, 235x1, 225x1

Aggravated my back again. God dammit, so frustrating. I'm going to stop doing deads until after my vacation, which would mean the 5th of July. Hopefully I'll be able to do squats at the end of next week. I'll continue to do light good mornings as well.

Phil800101
06-04-11, 8:58 am
Nice work!

Sorry to hear about the back...sounds like a good idea though, back can be tricky.

Bruiser
06-05-11, 9:38 am
Damn bro. I'm sorry, I think I jinxed ya with my last post.

twoheadedboy
07-09-11, 3:52 pm
Sigh...so I've been working out about once a week since the injury, give or take. Today, rested up after 40+ miles of walking over 6 days on my vacation, I decided to put it in to high gear.

Warmup: barx10 overhead press, barx20 bench, 30's x 10 db flyes
Bench: 75x10, 95x8, 115x6, 105x7, 105x5
Press: 65x8, 65x5
Squat: bodyweightx10, 95x8, 115x6, 135x1 (there goes the back)
Chins: -100x15, -85x10 super-setted w/
Dips: -85x15, -70x10

Everything felt GREAT until the 135 squat. The 115x6 was free and easy, 135x5 was going to be my work set but at the bottom of that first rep, boom.

Upon researching this, I think I've been wrong on the diagnosis...I was thinking this was a tendon or ligament issue, when really it's probably a nerve issue. I found this: http://www.teambeachbody.com/connect/message-boards/-/message_boards/message/39700330 and this describes me exactly, including the affected areas (all on the right hand side only). I have a little bit of pain at the disc in that area, but it's constant and not affected by physical activity...the squats and deads affect that T10 - L1 area on the right hand side. Any movement that causes me to stretch the hamstring/contract the quad causes pain/failure of the movement. Hamstring flexibility has been a problem my entire life, so I'm not sure what to do beyond allowing time to pass, and working on that issue...maybe it's enough? One thing's for sure...I'm done with deads and I will not be doing anything beyond bodyweight squats for a loooong time, and that's frustrating. I guess now's as good as time as any to get cut and work on my "beach bod", heh.

Phil800101
07-10-11, 5:56 pm
Solid work!

That sucks, but at least you have a good idea of what it is. Hope it's feeling ok.

twoheadedboy
08-11-11, 12:15 am
Working sets today:

Bench: 125x6 (rest/pause @4)
Squats: 110x20
Press: 75x8
Deads: 155x10 (rest/pause @7)
Chins: 15x-100
Dips: 15x-85

This is the first workout where I really felt like I was "back" (despite the lack of log entries, I have been lifting consistently since about a week and a half after the last injury). Which is not to say that my back is 100% pain and stiffness free - it's not. I still have to work extra hard to warm up and get flexible. However, my good buddy Phil reminded me of the cue to get my ass down in my deads, and that was the magic I needed. I feel like I'm going to make fast progress again to get back where I was...really, I probably could have gotten 225 with reverse grip today. I am loving 20 rep squats, or rather, loving to hate. The mental grind on about reps 8 - 17 is unmatched and affects the entire body.

The plane pull is coming, and I'm going to really work on my deads and grip strength until then...I don't think I can get back to 305 in that amount of time, but I think mid-200's is within reach so long as I eat well, warm up sufficiently, and maintain great form, EVERY time.

The ABC Saturday was great. Quad's was definitely hard core, great to see the regular faces (and some additional ones), and Ghost is always hilarious. I'm sad that scheduling didn't work out for me to perform at my best (I got to the gym on 5 hours sleep after 3 hours of driving) but the reminder on deads will be enough to spur my next 2 months of workouts at least. Also props to Universal/Animal for the goodies provided to us ABC'ers.

Keep it strong, fellas....

twoheadedboy
08-11-11, 12:19 am
I should also note that I'm HUGELY motivated right now. I'm pretty sure (actually very sure) I met the love of my life last weekend, and there's not much in life that compares to that, especially when she feels the same. Some other things are in the works that are extremely positive. I just gotta get my finances in order, I'm tired of living hand to mouth and there's no reason for it other than stupidity and laziness...

Phil800101
08-11-11, 2:23 am
Fuck yeah bro! Sounds good all around. Glad I could be of help, that's what this Forvm and the ABCs are all about.

Bruiser
08-11-11, 5:29 am
Welcome back bro. Glad to hear that everything is turnign around for you. Good luck with strengthening your back and most of all... making that girl yours.

100jan
08-11-11, 9:22 am
Conquer that girl's heart! If you do that, there is nothing that you can't do in the world. She will be your biggest motivation for your life, training..... Do it! Good luck

twoheadedboy
08-18-11, 12:16 am
Thanks everybody. The relationship department is definitely going better than at any time since I ended up married, and that was 10 years ago now. Unfortunately I can't take the lid off the other positive developments yet...but in the meantime, here's today's workout:

Bench: worked up to 135x3, 135x2.5, 155x2 statics
Squats: 115x20
Press: 95x2, 85x4
Deads: 135x5, 165x10
--no chins or dips needed after that--

God I'm loving the 20 rep squats, the mental challenge is INSANE. I started out banging out the first 9 - 10 reps then slowing down, but as I've added weight to the bar I've realized that that mentality will NOT work...I have to start immediately giving myself time between reps, which increases the time under the bar, which makes the total body effort portion of the workout even harder. Today once I got to about 5 reps I started wondering if I could get there but I just buckled down and kept getting one more rep, then one more, then one more, then pretty soon I'm at 16 and the end is in sight...etc. etc. I was very very tempted to try some heavier alternated grip deads but I've been taking it very slowly, dialing down the form and making steady progress so I don't want to fuck that up. Maybe when I get to 185 I'll see how many I can do with the alternated grip at 225.

Other notes - getting a lot more arch in my back, inspired by watching Nix0r's setup and execution on the lift. I could really feel the Rage working today, I might add.

Really focusing on the deads with the plane pull coming up...it pisses me off that I will not even be as strong as I was last year for it, but I will still give it everything I've got so that Team Animal brings home the trophy this year. Bowling season is about to start and due to some things in limbo right now I might not be able to bowl in a league this year, but that's actually kind of exciting because I can focus that much more on lifting....I'm extremely motivated right now to get to where I was pre-injury and blow past those marks...4 plates per side deads/3 squats/2 bench/bodyweight press, chins, and dips - all for reps - are the goals I want to hit, and with focus, determination, and no injuries I could be pretty close to those numbers by the time of the Arnold I think.

Phil800101
08-18-11, 12:32 am
Nice work there my man! Right on.

twoheadedboy
08-25-11, 12:47 am
Tonight:

Press: 95x5 (fuck yeah)
Squats: 120x20
Bench: 135x2, 125x4
Deads: 175x10

Press was the focus over bench today, so I was happy just to get some reps at 135..originally was only going to go up to 115 but felt great at that weight so decided to see what I had at 135. Those 4 reps of 125 were STRONG too. I forgot my Pump today (and my socks, heh), so the workout was straight Rage. I didn't notice much difference but honestly Pump is a very subtle supp for me, one that works better when I'm working out (and therefore taking it) a steady 3x/week and taking creatine on my off days as well.

I was only targeting 3 reps @ 95 lbs for press but went all the way to 5 no problem. Squats @ 120 were stronger than last week's 115. Overall a very good day, with some very good news getting announced tomorrow that I've been waiting on for a while.

Assuming I get 185x10 next week, I'm going to take a rest and switch to alternated grip 225's and see how many I can bang out. It's amazing how good I feel, now that I focus on getting my ass (and my whole body, really) down and then just yanking with my whole body off the floor. There's so much synergy I barely feel it in my back, and I'm using much more leg and just did a shit ton of squats but that's not limiting me yet either. It's looking very good to be at 95% of my pre-injury maxes by the time of the plane pull...soon comes the fundraising aspect of it, which unfortunately has had to be put on the back burner due to a number of non-lifting-related life events happening right now.

twoheadedboy
08-30-11, 8:08 am
5:15am -

Bench: 20x45, 10x70, 8x95, 5x115, statics @ 145x3
Press: 10x45, 8x60, 5x85
Squats: bodyweightx10, 95x20
Good Mornings: 45x10
SLDL's: 60x10
Deads: 135x10
Chins: -100x10
Dips: -85x10

Very stiff from much time in the car this past weekend, and kind of sore from my first bowling outing all summer (had about a 590, I'll take it), plus I wanted to work out 2x before my trip to PJ20 this weekend, so I kept things light and simple with an emphasis on warmups and stretching. Thursday I will go heavy and then I won't be back in the gym until Tuesday.

twoheadedboy
09-01-11, 3:01 am
10:15pm:

Bench: 135x3, 135x2, 135x1
Squats: 125x20
Press: 95x5 (rest/pause @4)
Deads: 135x5, 185x5

Back was feeling very sluggish today during deads. Then it hit me....this is the 3rd time I've done them in 6 days, 2x in a day and a half. I'm still at a light weight but I am also doing 20 rep squats. I am definitely not hitting deads again until next Tuesday, possibly later in the week. Rage and Pump were good today. I unfortunately only had 45 minutes to work out, usually takes me 50 - 55, sometimes longer if I am really maxing out, but it definitely kept the intensity high.

PJ20 (Pearl Jam) is this weekend at Alpine, then a month and a half of bowling league begins next Thursday. Much going on over the next 2 months....

ghost
09-01-11, 9:10 am
you making the Olympia?

twoheadedboy
09-01-11, 12:12 pm
Nope, too many trips this summer/fall already, plus moving. I'll be at the Arnold next year if it doesn't conflict with nationals (bowling).

twoheadedboy
09-01-11, 12:22 pm
Nope, too many trips this summer/fall already, plus moving. I'll be at the Arnold next year if it doesn't conflict with nationals (bowling).

Phil800101
09-04-11, 1:49 pm
Looking good bro! Keep it up.

twoheadedboy
10-08-11, 6:49 pm
Today:

Warmups: 5 min med-fast, hard setting elliptical, 1x10 -100 chins, 1x10 -85 dips, 1x20 bar benches, 1x10 35's db flyes (no rest)
Bench: 75x8, 95x6, 115x5, 135x1x2
Squat: bodyweight x10, good mornings w/bar x10, RDL's 60x10, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5
Press: bar x10, 55x8, 65x6, 75x5, 85x3
Deads: 135x5

Pretty busy, and back is acting up, so just trying to maintain until I get moved and join the 24/7 gym and starting working out 5+ days per week. Put in my cancellation at Cardinal, which will be effective 11/15...that's 2 years 9 1/2 months at that gym, I'll miss it in some ways but it's time to move on.

Once I get moved and back in the black financially, I'm going to start seeing a chiro...the less active I am, the worse my back gets, but it's never really been at 100% since March, and while I have figured out that the problems are really due to tightness in my hamstrings and LOTS of hard stretching fixes a lot of the problems, it doesn't fix all. I'm hoping that my problems are still minor enough to where adjustment will fix it and disc surgery (or something) is not necessary.

Today was a fully caffeinated Pump + Rage day...and it was a bit too much. I went through my warmups too quickly and tired myself out a bit, sweating profusely. On the other hand, it got me through those single rep benches and kept me strong through the whole workout. Hopefully I don't crash before I'm done bowling tonight,.

C.Coronato
10-11-11, 12:32 pm
Looks like a damn rough day. Bench, deads, GMs, squats, all in one! Nice bro.

twoheadedboy
10-13-11, 2:49 am
Thanks a lot!

Tonight:

Warm-ups: 5 min elliptical w/30 sec sprint, -115x10 chins, -100x10 dips
Bench: 45x20, 30 lb db flyes x10, 75x10, 95x8, 115x6, 135x3, 135x1x3, 105x7, 140 static hold x3
Squat: bodyweight x10, good mornings w/bar x10, RDL's 60x10, 95x5, 115x14, 115x7

Wanted 20 on the squats but it didn't happen. Been doing a lot of hamstring stretches and that has seemed to help my back a bit. Progress is not where I want it to be, but my consistency isn't where it should be either. Lifting at a friend's house Sunday, he's a cross fit dude and he's going to teach me power cleans.

Phil800101
10-13-11, 11:50 am
Good stuff Chris! How is everything?

twoheadedboy
11-07-11, 12:06 am
With the move and new job finally happening, I've been bad about logging, and I took 2 weeks off from the gym altogether, but after finally having the funds available to visit the chiro and having 2 visits under my belt, I am back with a vengeance today!

I went in for my back, and *maybe* to look at the shoulder I dislocated/separated (whichever the more minor one is, I forgot) 6 months or so ago. Here's what I found out:

1. Probably have a somewhat herniated disk in the L4-L5 area (judging by vertebrae orientation in x-rays). This I expected.
2. Even more likely have a herniated disk in the L5-S1 area. This I did NOT expect. I don't feel it because it's bulging IN and not hitting any bones or nerves.
3. A LOT of scar tissue build up in that shoulder....maybe it was worse than I thought. I have a high tolerance for pain *shrug*
4. Hips are out of whack due to my tight muscles (mostly hams), my left hip is actually oriented quite a bit higher than the right. I knew this but mis-self-diagnosed this as having one leg slightly longer than the other.
5. I have less-than-normal side-to-side turn mobility in my neck.

Two adjustments and one deep tissue massage later, I was feeling extremely good. Disappointingly, I felt the same in the area I went in to fix (lumbar region of the back), but everything else (esp. the shoulder) felt so much better that I didn't realize how used to certain things I was and how much I was compensating for others. And because of the increased mobility of the surrounding joints and therefore muscles, the back is more functional, it's just that there's still that sciatic pain.

So today, didn't really push the numbers as it was the first time back, but here they are:

Warm-ups: 5 min elliptical, pull downs, press downs (no weight-assisted dip/chin machine at this location)
Bench: 75x10, 95x8, 115x5x3
Squats: bodyweightx5, 95x5, 115x20
Press: 45x10, 55x8, 65x6, 85x5
Deads: 135x5

Tweaked my back just a little on that last dead. Squats felt GREAT, free and easy, I was good for at least 125x20 I think, though I'm pretty sore now. Press was super easy too, I think I can get 95x3 at least next time.

I'm setting an ambitious goal...I want to get my raw 1RM total up to 1,000 by my 31st birthday, 11/18/12. Before I injured my back and shoulder, I was at 685. I think I can get back to my old squat totals (225x5) very easily. Bench (155x2 I think) won't be a huge problem. Deads...are the issue I'm going to be really careful with. For one, I'm only doing it once per week, period. I'm going to aggressively attack it at the onset and add 10 lbs a week until I think I can't anymore, and do 2 sets with the heavy set alternated grip once I get past 185, then keep raising the poundage on both sets. Lots of ice, hamstring stretching, Animal Flex, Cissus, and weeklyish chiro treatments...maybe I get to a point where my back is better than it has ever been before? I'm also thinking I should buy a belt a this point. I was really opposed to getting one thinking that I would never work with weights heavy enough to justify it, but I'm thinking with my injury history that if I want to go over 400 some day, I'd better get a belt so that I don't blow a disc on 275. So any recommendations there would be appreciated.

Anyway, I've said enough for one entry, but I thought those who are following and supporting me would be interested in some of this stuff.

twoheadedboy
11-09-11, 11:53 pm
That squat session killed my legs, so I took an extra day but then I bowled last night so here I am:

Press: 45x10, 55x8, 65x6, 95x3x2
Squats: bodyweightx10, 95x5, 135x5, 145x5, 155x5
Bench: 75x10, 95x8, 115x6x2

Back felt good throughout, but then bothered me while taking off and putting on my shoes after the workout...go figure. I think I might have been good for 185, my knee bothered me a little bit but it always does after bowling. I did lat raises into front raises with 15's to warm up and 5 min of elliptical. Almost done with that promo Rage can...

Jay
11-11-11, 2:58 am
You Rage before you bowled?

ha.

twoheadedboy
11-11-11, 7:07 am
Hah, no, no Rage before bowling.

Jay
11-11-11, 1:30 pm
Ha.

I was wondering how often you were taking weekly? I noticed you started around March and just now finishing the tub

twoheadedboy
11-12-11, 8:51 am
Over the past 6 months my gym visits have been kind of spotty, and the ones I have been making haven't always been intense due to my back injury. As a result, I have not taken Rage every workout, and there's been a couple of times where I was short on time so I took one of the samples I had instead of filling a ziplock like usual. I'm actually kind of happy it worked out this way, Rage-wise, because it's really allowed me to tinker with no stims vs. Pump only vs. Rage only vs. Rage and Pump vs. Rage and Pump with no red cap. I really have a feel for what it does and how to get the most out of its intensity I think, i.e. avoid other stims entirely like coffee the rest of the day. It's easily been my favorite pre, Pump has had more of an "accessory" affect to other supps and I hated the taste of Shock Therapy (and other non-Universal supps). I'm thinking of switching to the pills when I run out of this can and samples because it'll fit in much better with my lifestyle, as much as I love the OG orange flavor (and am disappointed that it's been tamed down in a subsequent reformulation, I guess).

twoheadedboy
11-12-11, 2:03 pm
Today:

Bench: 45x20 (10 slow/10 fast), 75x10, 95x8, 115x6, 135x3, 140x1x3, 135x3
Squats: bodyweightx10, 95x5, 120x20
Press: 45x10, 55x8, 65x6, 85x5
Deads: 135x5, 155x2, 155x1 *belted up* 155x3
Chins: -100x10
Dips: -85x10

Also: flyes x10 w/30's, 5 min elliptical warmup

I tweaked my back, again, on that last unbelted 155. But I was frustrated, because I felt like I had so much more to give. So I tried on whatever stupid belt they had and gave it a go, and it felt unbelievable...I think I could have done at least 10, maybe 20 at 155. My left (bowling) knee is starting to flare up again too so I think I'm going to start wearing some light wraps on those. To counteract the supposed weakness in abdominal wall strength that a belt causes, I'm going to start doing a lot more ab work, including weighted stuff...which I have been avoiding to prevent weakness in deads and squats.

Maybe with chiro visits and a ton of ab work, my back will heal...maybe not. In any event, I think I have finally figured out the way forward.

Jay
11-14-11, 5:56 pm
Over the past 6 months my gym visits have been kind of spotty, and the ones I have been making haven't always been intense due to my back injury. As a result, I have not taken Rage every workout, and there's been a couple of times where I was short on time so I took one of the samples I had instead of filling a ziplock like usual. I'm actually kind of happy it worked out this way, Rage-wise, because it's really allowed me to tinker with no stims vs. Pump only vs. Rage only vs. Rage and Pump vs. Rage and Pump with no red cap. I really have a feel for what it does and how to get the most out of its intensity I think, i.e. avoid other stims entirely like coffee the rest of the day. It's easily been my favorite pre, Pump has had more of an "accessory" affect to other supps and I hated the taste of Shock Therapy (and other non-Universal supps). I'm thinking of switching to the pills when I run out of this can and samples because it'll fit in much better with my lifestyle, as much as I love the OG orange flavor (and am disappointed that it's been tamed down in a subsequent reformulation, I guess).

Im currently doing pump no red pill and rage. Avoiding other stim intakes. You try all the shock therapy flavors?
The orange rage is good- i have one small can left of that, and im working on the apple jacked flavor, which is really good. I found the powder hits quicker then the pills

twoheadedboy
11-15-11, 12:57 am
I've only tried the Shock Therapy Blue Raspberry and it was vile. Plus I've had no reason to try it again since the release of Rage, since I like the Rage + Pump combo better when it comes to the labels.

Tonight: (work sets)

Bench: 135x3, 135x2
Squat: 135x10, 160x5 (belted)
Press: 95x3, 95x1x2
Deads: 135x5, 185x2 (belted)

Only a day and a half rest since the last workout, but I felt pretty good and tonight was the last night on my Cardinal membership, so I felt that I had to go. I felt GREAT on bench and squats but was pretty flat for press and had little left in the tank for deads .I could still feel the 185 affecting my back even belted so I stopped after 2. There's definitely room to grow on the squats, which is encouraging. Back was kind of sore today going in to it, which didn't help...it's tempting to take off 8 - 9 months as I've seen recommended, but I don't really want to do that...I'm going to continue seeing the chiro 1 - 2x/week through the end of the year, continue to lift, and reassess then. Cortisone shots and epidurals have been mentioned as great fixes too, but that seems like a bandaid to me. I'm going to start looking at ab routines, since I need to strengthen my abs anyway, but especially need to get my work in there if I'm going to do deads and squats belted. I can definitely feel it when I'm wearing the belt...my back actually felt BETTER after squats with the belt, but there was little pressure coming from my own abs...felt like someone stepping on a water balloon with a belt around it, not good.

I may lift again Friday, I may not, my schedule gets a little weird the rest of the week.

Jay
11-15-11, 5:27 pm
ha blue rax is my fav flavor, although I think they are all really good and i feel the effects with just one scoop. To me the flavor just tastes real, not chemically or carbonated like some..

anyways looks like a good workout. I can relate to that injury. I have a shoulder issue, been to PT and everything. Although it is kinda better its still noticable, and I dont wanna take months off.

twoheadedboy
11-19-11, 12:02 pm
Yesterday:

Press: 45x5, 55x5, 65x5, 75x5, 85x5, 95x3, 95x2, 95x1
Squats: bodyweight x10, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5
Bench: 45x20, 55x15, 65x10, 75x10, 85x10, 95x8, 105x4

Wasn't really feeling it today so I decided to do high volume/low weights. Knees in particular were bothering so I limited the squats. Going to do some cardio today to attempt to loosen up, then go back tomorrow and try to hit heavier squats, and deads.

Worked out at World Gym in Peoria on a free trial basis. This gym was pretty good...100 lb plates, multiple racks for squatting, tons of benches, and even a decent cardio theater and classes included with the membership (so you can take your wife too). They're even having a Black Friday deal...no sign up fee, $25/mo, for a year contract. Too bad I won't be in Peoria enough to take advantage of it...the downside is that the membership doesn't allow you to work out at other locations, and the music they play is terribad (though I can drown it out with my mp3 player).

Jay
11-23-11, 4:48 pm
I have yet to go to a place that plays good music.

Weird. The golds gym up here that I belong to allows you to use like 4 other locations.

twoheadedboy
12-18-11, 11:10 pm
Alright, I think it's time to close this one out. Thanks to Animal and everyone else for making it happen...now back to my original journey: http://forum.animalpak.com/showthread.php?30125-My-New-Journey