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Professor
04-27-11, 2:17 pm
Got selected as one of the winners of the Rage promo, so I will be temporarily moving my log here. I've sampled rage once before in my first meet and set the state deadlift record of 555 (a 50 lb PR), so needless to say, I'm looking forward to using it consistently.

Current Stats:
Bench: 325
Back Squat: 435
Front Squat: 350
Deadlift: 555

4/27/11
Seated BB Press
135X8
135X6
185X3
225X2 (PR)
235X1 (PR)
235X1
240X0

BB Bench
135X2X8
225X16+1

CGBP
185X3X8

Misc Calf Work

Took 1.5 scoops of rage immediately pre-workout with 4oz of water and felt pretty good. I'm trying to get my military up because I stall on bench where my shoulders kick in. I've recently started doing 225 for max reps after my shoulder movement and I think it has helped my bench out. I was shooting for 20 reps (my PR is 17) but once I hit rep 17 my strength was gone and my partner essentially curled the weight off of me. While I didn't necessarily "feel" the Rage per say, I can't argue with the results.

Professor
04-29-11, 12:47 pm
4/29/11
Box Jumps/Weighted Box Jumps

UCF doesn't have any boxes to jump on, so we tried to improvise using some aerobics equipments, and let's just say we won't be doing that again.

Trap Bar Deads (Bar was 50 lbs as opposed to 45)
140X8
230X5
320X2
410X1
500X1
520X1
550X1 (PR)
590X1 (PR)

I haven't done trap bar deads in forever, so everything above 405 was the most I had ever done, but I'm just calling 550 and 590 my PRs. I actually ran out of room on the bar, so I'm not sure if I can ever go heavier on these, lol.

GHR Negatives
BWX3X5

I can't do a full GHR so I just focused on the negative portion of the movement and pushed myself back up after each rep.

Finished with some sprints around the track and my partner described me sprinting as a "bullet train made of meat." I'm going to take that as a compliment and hope the UCF coaches think the same thing when I try-out in August.

As far as Rage, it was the same as Wednesday. While I didn't "feel" it, I can't argue with the results.

Bruiser
04-29-11, 12:50 pm
Looking good Prof. I'm looking forward to following your progress. Good luck on your journey.

Professor
04-29-11, 1:26 pm
Looking good Prof. I'm looking forward to following your progress. Good luck on your journey.

Thanks, brother. Reading through your log, seeing all the trials and tribulations you've had to endure is inspiring to a guy like me to take hold of the opportunities I have now.

Professor
04-30-11, 2:03 pm
4/30/11
BB Bench
135X2X8
225X3
Board Presses (Since I didn't have actual boards with me, I attempted to use some aerobics equipment in their place, and it didn't work out as well as I would have liked. I'm not sure if I could compare the height to the actual boards, but if I had to take a guess, I would say it was around a 3 board)
275X3,335X2,405X1
Full ROM
315X3 (PR)
330X1 (PR)
315X2
315X1+1

BW Pull Ups

Skullcrushers
65X8
105X8
125X3

Calf Raises

I wanted to do boards, but it just didn't feel right at UCF. I'm not really comfortable working over my full ROM max when I don't trust the people spotting me, because some of the fitness attendants at UCF don't really know what they're doing. Either way, after I did the boards, I finished with full ROM pressing and hit two PRs. I've noticed ever since I started taking rage, I seem to mentally crash toward the end of my workout. My physical strength is still there, but I just don't really feel as focused as I think I should. I think the reasoning for that may be because I've become accustomed to taking 4g of caffeine pre-workout and rage may not have that much in it.

Professor
05-02-11, 1:31 pm
5/2/11
Back Squats
Warm Up
405X1
455X0 (Exploded out of the hole, but stalled about halfway up)
405X4 (PR) (Hell of a set, thought I was going to pass out after this)
415X2 (PR)

DB Walking Lunges
40sX2X8 (Each leg)

For some reason, these absolutely tore my knees up to the point where I was almost in tears. I'm not sure why these hurt so bad, but I won't be doing them anytime in the near future.

Pull Throughs
3X12

Misc Ab Work

Sprints
6 setsX10-30 yds

I've been sprinting after nearly every workout to try to get my running mechanics back. I don't limp while I'm at full speed, but once I try to slow down, it looks like I've been shot in the leg.

Took 2 scoops of rage today as opposed to 1.5 and I'm still feeling the effects. My energy lasted throughout my workout and I still feel damn good. On another note, I think the scale at UCF has something wrong with it - it said I was 247 pre-workout with shoes on.

Bruiser
05-03-11, 7:57 am
Thanks, brother. Reading through your log, seeing all the trials and tribulations you've had to endure is inspiring to a guy like me to take hold of the opportunities I have now.

That means a lot man. Keep up the heavy work here. If you're still having trouble with the mental crash at the end of your workout, pick up a cheap bottle of caffeine pills. Pop one with your Rage. See if that helps you, I'm thinking it might do the trick.

Professor
05-04-11, 2:09 pm
That means a lot man. Keep up the heavy work here. If you're still having trouble with the mental crash at the end of your workout, pick up a cheap bottle of caffeine pills. Pop one with your Rage. See if that helps you, I'm thinking it might do the trick.

I've taken 2 scoops of rage instead of 1.5 the last two workouts and I've felt great so far.

5/4/11
Underhand BB Rows
135X2X8
225X5
275X3
315X2+1 (PR)(+1 because of bad form)
295X2X5 (PR)

Seated BB Press
Warm Up
205X3X3 (Easy) (Hercules told me not to go any heavier on these)

I've noticed I feel more comfortable if I tilt my head slightly up while doing these as opposed to looking straight.

Flat BB Bench
135X2X10
225X2X10

Misc Vanity Work (Biceps, Calves)

Sprints
4X20-30yds at max speed

On the sprints I started out a little tight in my hips and knees, but once I warmed up I was better. I felt fairly quick and my mechanics felt good. My training partners said I looked fast, but the real test will come when I test my 40 at some point next week. On another note, my knees always feel better after I sprint. For the first time in my life, I actually feel fast, lol. I'm loving the 2 scoops of rage. My energy is sustained throughout my whole workout and the weights always feel lighter than the day before.

Bruiser
05-05-11, 8:26 am
Sprinting on Rage? Now that's just cheating! lol Nice workout bro. Make sure you warm up good before a run. Guys always forget and end up straining something when running instead of lifting. Keep up the solid work.

Professor
05-06-11, 2:07 pm
Sprinting on Rage? Now that's just cheating! lol Nice workout bro. Make sure you warm up good before a run. Guys always forget and end up straining something when running instead of lifting. Keep up the solid work.

Cheating? I like to think of it as a competitive advantage... for the sprints, I always work up starting at 50% of max speed.

5/6/11
Today was the first day I've done legs without the Tommy Konos. My knees had really been bothering me lately and I wanted to see how they felt without any outside factors today.
Hang Cleans
135X2X3
185X3
205X3 (PR)
225X3 (PR)
205X3

I have to learn to drop under the bar on these, because this is a huge lift as far as the UCF coaches are concerned.

Front Squats
Warm Up
315X2X3 (Attempted a 4th on the first set and got pent after coming out of the hole)

Reverse DB Lunges
35sX20 (Total)
50sX20
65sX16

Sprints
I've noticed when I sprint, if I allow my toes to point in it tears my knees apart. I can feel my mechanics coming back, because I actually almost look normal when I sprint now. Weighed in at 248 with shoes on and raced a buddy of mine who weighs 100 lbs less than me and ran track in high school. In a 40 yd sprint, he only beat me by a step, so hopefully that's a good sign for me. My knees feel surprisingly good right now, so we'll see how they do tomorrow when DOMS sets in.

I normally have one partner who I guide through his lifting, but today I was actually training 4 people, 2 of which have no prior lifting background. It was an interesting experience to say the least.

Professor
05-07-11, 1:57 pm
5/7/11
BB Bench
135X2X6
225X4
275X2X1
340X1 (PR)
345X0 (May have gotten this if I hadn't done the 340)
225X18+1 (PR)

Smith Machine Shrugs
315X2X10

Rope Pushdowns

Solid day. Went in wanting to hit 340 on bench and got it surprisingly easily. My left started to stall when my shoulders kicked in, but something clicked and I just about threw the bar though the roof to finish the rep. In my response for this promo, I quoted my biggest issue as being my bench and Rage has not disappointed me at all thus far. Heavy deads on Monday. I want at least 585.

Bruiser
05-08-11, 8:12 am
Congrats on the PR. It's awesome to see you hit your goals. That had to feel damn good coming so close on that 40 yd sprint too! Who says big men can't move?

Professor
05-09-11, 3:47 pm
Congrats on the PR. It's awesome to see you hit your goals. That had to feel damn good coming so close on that 40 yd sprint too! Who says big men can't move?

Thanks. We can move, just not very quickly, lol.

5/9/11
Deadlifts
135X8
225X5
315X3
405X2
495X1
585X1 (30 lb PR) (Link to video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2oBbZlLn5M)
600X0 (Figured I'd give it a shot, but there was no way this was happening today.)

Reverse Hyperextensions
BWX4X12

On the 585 pull I hitched quite a bit, but I'll count it as a good gym lift. Today was also the first day I pulled without the Tommy Konos and my knees feel pretty good. On another note, I posted on Friday that my weight was 248. Well, something is wrong with the scale at UCF because I weighed myself on two different scales today and my weight was between 237-240.

Hercules
05-09-11, 9:58 pm
It was a fun day today. Your numbers are getting quite impressive.

Professor
05-10-11, 4:13 pm
It was a fun day today. Your numbers are getting quite impressive.

Thanks, Coach. Hopefully they'll be impressive enough for a world record by March.

5/10/11
Military Press
135X8
135X6
185X3
205X5 (PR)
215X3 (PR)

BB Bench (Middle finger on stripe)
135X2X8
225X4
275X7+1 (PR)(Couldn't lock out the left)

Single Handed Reverse DB Flyes 25sX3X12 (Each arm) SSW/
Front Plate Raises 25sX3X15 SSW/
Tricep Pushdowns 3X15

Sprints

Felt great on everything today. I was shooting for 4 on the 205 military set, and managed to get 5. On the 275 bench, I couldn't lock out my left on the last rep for the life of me. I had some choice words for myself after the set. All in all, great day. Threw in the supersets for kicks and giggles afterwords and realized how bad of cardio shape I am in. I should probably fix that by August... Anyways, I felt energized and focused during and after the workout. Thank you Rage.

Bruiser
05-11-11, 9:18 am
Congrats on all the PRs bro. Four more in the last two workouts? Damn!

Professor
05-12-11, 4:42 pm
Congrats on all the PRs bro. Four more in the last two workouts? Damn!

Thanks. It would be nice if I could keep up that pace for all my training sessions...

5/12/11
Box Jumps
Warm Up
45inX2
45inX1
48inX1

Power Cleans
Warm Up
225X2X1
250X1
275X1 (PR)
300X0 (Didn't drop underneath it)
300X0

Reverse DB Lunges
50sX2X8 (Each leg)

Reverse Hyperextensions
BWX2X10
BW+20X8

10 yd Sprints

Solid day. Felt good on the box jumps. I didn't quite get what I wanted on the cleans, but it's just a form thing. I nearly muscled 300 up and got it. I just need to learn to drop underneath the weight. My knees felt great during the whole workout. I ran some 10 yd sprints inside the weight room after I was done lifting and I feel like my get-off is getting faster. Lately, I've really felt the energy burst from Rage while I'm lifting. I'm bouncing off the walls with energy...

Bruiser
05-13-11, 8:52 am
Don't worry, you'll hit that 300 any day now. At your pace, I bet you'll hit in the next week. Good luck

Professor
05-14-11, 2:01 pm
Don't worry, you'll hit that 300 any day now. At your pace, I bet you'll hit in the next week. Good luck

Maybe, lol. I think I might just skip the 300s and jump to 405 at this rate.

5/14/11
BB Bench
135X2X8
225X3
275X1
2 Board
315X3
385X1 (PR)
405X1 (PR)
3 Board
435X1 (PR)

Triceps Death @ 315
2 BoardX9
3 BoardX3
5 BoardX1+1

Wide Grip Pull Ups

Rope Face Pulls

The board presses felt really good today. I set a 40 lb PR off the 2 board and a 10 lb PR off the 3 board. I cannot wait for a full ROM 405 press. Took 2 scoops of Rage, and felt full of energy until after the triceps death. Doing that many reps with that much weight, even if they're off of boards, really takes it out of me.

Professor
05-16-11, 6:42 pm
5/16/11
BB Squats
Warm Up
405X1
455X1 (PR)(Exploded out of the hole and grinded through the second half of the rep)
465X0
425X1+1

Hang Cleans
The focus here was more to focus on my form and learning to drop underneath the weight, but I ended up setting a PR of 245X1

Pull Throughs

Keystones

My sticking point on squats has always been getting out of the hole. For some reason, getting out of the hole is easy now and I stall about half way up. My form on the cleans is slowly getting better. On the accessory movements, I focused on explosiveness through my hips, seeing how that seems to be my sticking point for both my deads and squats.

Bruiser
05-17-11, 9:00 am
Nice PRs. Congrats.

Professor
05-18-11, 4:57 pm
Nice PRs. Congrats.

Thanks... There are plenty more to come.

5/18/11
Military Press
Warm Up
185X3
225X2 (PR)
235X1 (PR)

BB Bench
135X2X8
225X20 (2 Rep PR)

Chin Grip Pulldowns
Warm Up
250X8 (PR... I think)
250X8

Power Shrugs

Rope Face Pulls

4 PRs in one day... I recently started working at the engineering firm my dad works at and my wake-up time has been moved from around 9 AM to 6 AM. Needless to say, I've been running a little short on sleep the last couple days. Rage definitely helped with my energy levels today. It's one hell of a product.

Professor
05-20-11, 4:48 pm
5/20/11
Box Squats Into Box Jumps

I worked my way up to about belly button height on these. I was kind of surprised with how high I could get coming from the bottom of a box squat.

Front Squats
Warm Up
315X5 (PR)
335X2 (PR)
360X0+1 (Came out of the hole easily and stalled about halfway up)

Reverse BB Lunges

Good Mornings

10 yd Sprints

Solid day. Rage is really helping my energy levels. The goal for front squats is at least 405 (preferably for reps) by the time I walk on in mid-August.

Bruiser
05-21-11, 7:41 am
Nice front squats man. Congrats (again) on more PRs.

Professor
05-21-11, 1:07 pm
Nice front squats man. Congrats (again) on more PRs.

Thanks. I'm almost starting to expect at least two PRs every workout, lol.

5/21/11
BB Bench
135X2X8
225X4
275X2X1
330X2 (PR)
345X1 (PR)
315X3+1

BB Rows

Training session was cut a little shorter than I would've liked today, but still a productive day. The 330 and 345 presses were easier than I expected them to be. However, I have developed a habit of pressing unevenly as of late. I'm not sure why, but my right always comes up much faster than my left.

Bruiser
05-22-11, 7:13 am
Looking good. Try slowing down your presses or using a Smith Machine if you can. That will help you even out your form so you're pushing at the same speed with both arms.

Professor
05-23-11, 5:00 pm
Looking good. Try slowing down your presses or using a Smith Machine if you can. That will help you even out your form so you're pushing at the same speed with both arms.

I don't have access to a smith machine at Lakeland, so I'll have to figure something out to fix my uneven pressing.

5/23/11

I've decided I'm taking a little hiatus from Rage for a bit. I've been setting PRs out the wazoo lately, so I want to see how much of it is attributed to Rage.

Power Cleans
Warm Up
280X1 (PR)
300X4X0 (Serious mental block here)
300X1 (PR)(Shitty form)

Rack Pulls
405X3
495X1
545X1
600X1 (PR)(Holy hell, this was heavy)
605X1 (PR)(Actually felt easier than the 600 pull)

Hyperextensions

Interesting day today. My energy levels were high at the beginning, but by the time I got to rack pulls I was tired. Somehow, I still managed to perform well. On the cleans, the first 4 attempts I psyched myself out to the point where I just quit trying once the bar got to my thighs. On the fifth, I pretty much said "fuck it" and got it despite not dropping at all. The rack pulls really hit my lower back. I never realized just how heavy 600 lbs was until today. Normally with Rage, my energy levels stay pretty high even after my workout, but right now I think I'm about to fall asleep on my keyboard so I'm going to finish this log entry here.

J Wong
05-24-11, 12:58 am
Next time you bench, do you think you can get a video? There might be something causing the uneven lockout.

Bruiser
05-24-11, 8:06 am
More PRs without the Rage!?! Damn you're making me look bad. As far as the uneven presses go, try working with DBs for a while and pay close attention to your movements and this might be able to help you even out your presses pretty quick. You could just be getting a dominant side. DB work can help that.

Professor
05-25-11, 4:40 pm
Next time you bench, do you think you can get a video? There might be something causing the uneven lockout.

Sure. I've got heavy bench on Sunday, so I'll get one then. I'm hoping to hit 315X5.


More PRs without the Rage!?! Damn you're making me look bad. As far as the uneven presses go, try working with DBs for a while and pay close attention to your movements and this might be able to help you even out your presses pretty quick. You could just be getting a dominant side. DB work can help that.

Unfortunately, the DBs at Lakeland don't go any higher than 90s, so I'm out of luck on that one too, lol.

5/25/11
No Rage today.
BB Bench
135X2X8
225X6
275X11 (4 Rep PR)

Military Press
135X2X8
185X9 (PR)
185X8

Arnold Presses

Skullcrushers

Solid day. Wanted at least 9 on the 275 bench and got 11. No uneven pressing throughout the movement either.

Cascade
05-25-11, 6:44 pm
Looking really strong Prof! Definitely be subbing to your thread.

Bruiser
05-25-11, 7:55 pm
Solid day. Wanted at least 9 on the 275 bench and got 11. No uneven pressing throughout the movement either.

Congrats on nailing down your form... and a PR to top it off. Nice.

Professor
05-27-11, 2:56 pm
Looking really strong Prof! Definitely be subbing to your thread.
Thanks, brother. I won't let you down.

Congrats on nailing down your form... and a PR to top it off. Nice.
Thanks, we'll see how I do Sunday on heavy bench.

5/27/11
Speed Squats
225X6X3 (30-45 secs rest)

I wasn't feeling particularly "speedy" today so I decided to see how many times I could hit 365 for reps.

BB Squats
315X2
365X6 (PR)
405X1
425X1

Bulgarian Split Squats
135X16 (Total)
155X16
185X12
205X10 (PR)

Windshield Wipers

Calf Work

No rage today. Worked out at Gold's Gym today. It was interesting watching people stare at me when I put 225 on the bar, lol.

Cascade
05-27-11, 8:42 pm
It shouldn't surprise you. Good form AND 225. Prepare to be stared at.

Hercules
05-28-11, 12:35 am
Because it's in the squat rack and not a Smith machine, I'll bet the dust on the bar weighed an extra 5lbs.

You should have asked where the monolift was... and the Altas stones...

Professor
05-29-11, 1:36 pm
It shouldn't surprise you. Good form AND 225. Prepare to be stared at.

Unfortunately, to the average gym-rat 225 is a lot of weight. I just need to make sure I never pull deads in public.


Because it's in the squat rack and not a Smith machine, I'll bet the dust on the bar weighed an extra 5lbs.

You should have asked where the monolift was... and the Altas stones...

I think those questions would have called for my banishment for the gym.

5/29/11
BB Bench
135X2X8
225X5
275X2X1
315X3+1 (Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwbvEolarWo)
330X1 (Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIsgR2WrtD0)
350X0

Front Lateral Raises SSW/ Rope Face Pulls


No rage today, and boy was I dragging ass. I wanted 315 for 5 and needed help on the fourth rep. My triceps and shoulders are still fatigued from Wednesday and my legs still feel like jello from Friday. You can see in the videos that as soon as the bar hits my chest my elbows flare. I think that contributed to me only getting 3 reps on 315. Another thing I notice is my breathing. I need to make sure to get my air before I start to lower the bar. Any other notes on my form would be greatly appreciated.

Hercules
05-29-11, 8:29 pm
Maybe we should invest in a Slingshot. That'll help both of our benches. I'll see what I can do.

And yep, I was dragging today, too. I went home, drank some Torrent, and feel asleep on the living room floor. Tomorrow: I will take Rage before pulling....

Professor
05-29-11, 9:55 pm
Maybe we should invest in a Slingshot. That'll help both of our benches. I'll see what I can do.

And yep, I was dragging today, too. I went home, drank some Torrent, and feel asleep on the living room floor. Tomorrow: I will take Rage before pulling....

I plan on doing the same. I refuse to have another shitty day like today.

J Wong
05-29-11, 10:36 pm
You can see in the videos that as soon as the bar hits my chest my elbows flare

I noticed this immediately. It looks like you have a wider grip, when I train with a wider grip as an assistance movement (my regular grip is pretty narrow), I noticed that it's a lot harder to keep your elbows tucked. It seems to be easier when you are squeezing the bar and "pulling it apart" and taking a big breath. I didn't see any uneven benching until the 4th rep of 315 which could probably just be from fatigue. It was tough to tell from the angle though what exactly happened. Off the top of my head it seems like uneven pressing can be caused from not staying tight enough throughout the whole bench.

Hercules
05-29-11, 11:07 pm
... I didn't see any uneven benching until the 4th rep of 315 which could probably just be from fatigue. It was tough to tell from the angle though what exactly happened. Off the top of my head it seems like uneven pressing can be caused from not staying tight enough throughout the whole bench.

Fatigue is a factor. When he's tired he comes down high and flares. I also told him that he needs to have a bit more leg drive off the chest.

Professor
05-30-11, 3:05 pm
I noticed this immediately. It looks like you have a wider grip, when I train with a wider grip as an assistance movement (my regular grip is pretty narrow), I noticed that it's a lot harder to keep your elbows tucked. It seems to be easier when you are squeezing the bar and "pulling it apart" and taking a big breath. I didn't see any uneven benching until the 4th rep of 315 which could probably just be from fatigue. It was tough to tell from the angle though what exactly happened. Off the top of my head it seems like uneven pressing can be caused from not staying tight enough throughout the whole bench.


Fatigue is a factor. When he's tired he comes down high and flares. I also told him that he needs to have a bit more leg drive off the chest.

Even now, after a couple years of lifting, I'm still not sure where I'm most comfortable with my grip on bench. I used to bench extremely narrow and now it's fairly wide. Chances are that right in the middle is going to be my happy place.

5/30/11
Deadlifts
135X8
225X6
315X4
405X3
405X1
495X1
600X0 (Couldn't even get it off the ground)
565X1 (Not nearly as easy as I would have liked) (Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-O0F4BpIs)
545X0 (No belt)

What a shitty day. Took rage and felt great until the 495 pull. After that, everything just went downhill. It's probably a good thing I have a competition coming up because it will force me to stop training at or close to max effort nearly every day. I'm fairly certain I've been flirting with the over-training line for quite some time now and it may have finally caught up to me.

Here are some videos of the other guys lifting today:
Hercules 605 Pull: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_GGWhSjwNM
Tim 225 Pull: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzIVPd24tOE
Tim 240 Pull: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evypHLT8h7U

Hercules
05-30-11, 4:50 pm
"...realize that one workout out of thousands does not affect your overall progress. Training is a process, not the events of one day." -- Mark Rippetoe

No worries. You'll kick some ass at the meet.

Professor
05-30-11, 4:55 pm
"...realize that one workout out of thousands does not affect your overall progress. Training is a process, not the events of one day." -- Mark Rippetoe

No worries. You'll kick some ass at the meet.

While this is most certainly true, you know as well as anybody that I have serious issues with not performing to my expectations. I'm sure I'll do fine at the meet and after that, I'll get back to my usual 50 PRs per workout but until then... I'll be pissy like a little school girl...

Hercules
05-30-11, 5:17 pm
Go pick daisies then.

Professor
05-30-11, 5:35 pm
Go pick daisies then.

Will do. I'll be sure to wear my color-coordinated pink gloves on Wednesday.

Professor
06-01-11, 5:09 pm
6/1/11
BB Rows
135X2X8
225X8
275X5 (Underhand)
With Straps:
315X2X5
325X4 (PR)
340X2 (Shitty form)
340X1 (PR)

Chin Grip Pulldowns
150X12
250X9 (PR)

BB Shrugs SSW/ Rope Face Pulls

EZ Bar Curls

Good day. I need to get back in the habit of rowing heavy consistently because it seems to increase my bench and deadlift as well. My form on BB Rows has always been "questionable" at best, but for some reason I cannot grow in either size or strength when I use strict form. Weight was 247 when I woke up this morning. I have a meet on June 11th with Boom and Hercules. I'll be in the 275s and I'm hoping to finish with a 330-340/585-600 (Push/pull).

J Wong
06-02-11, 12:58 pm
247? Damn man you are huge now!

Professor
06-02-11, 6:25 pm
247? Damn man you are huge now!

Thanks. I can still see my abs, but I have to hold my breath to tie my shoes now, lol.

Bruiser
06-02-11, 6:29 pm
Thanks. I can still see my abs, but I have to hold my breath to tie my shoes now, lol.

Hahaha, I'm getting there too.

Professor
06-03-11, 4:51 pm
6/3/11
Front Squats
135X2X8
225X6
315X6 (PR)
365X1 (PR)

BB Bulgarian Split Squats
135X2X16 (Total)

Pull Throughs
2X10

10 yd. Sprints

No rage today, but still had a pretty solid day. I might have been able to hit 7 on the 315 and I might have been able to go a little heavier on the 365, but for once, I took my PRs and left it alone (Thanks to Hercules). Probably a good idea since I have a meet next weekend.

Professor
06-04-11, 4:07 pm
6/4/11
BB Bench
135X2X8
225X4
245X1
295X1 (Paused)
320X1 (Paused PR)
330X1 (Paused PR) (Elbows flared) (Vid:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYP8JzbF4y8)
330X1 (Paused)(Hit it again because I wanted to focus on keeping my elbows in) (Vid:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44dJWBvoms0)
225X20+1 (Inches away from locking out the left) (Vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QltJFA1Jjc)

Military Press (Suicide grip)
135X2X10 (Slow and controlled)

Close Grip Tricep Bar Presses

Solid day. Went in thinking 320 would be my second for the meet, but it was lighter than expected. I moved my grip in just a touch because I'm not allowed to use wraps in the meet and I my wrists don't like an unwrapped wide grip. On the 225, I laughed after taking the weight off the rack because I had a flashback to when I used to get pent under 225. If you watch the video, you can tell I'm not too happy about coming up 2-3 inches shy of a PR. My uneven pressing also reared it's ugly head in the last couple reps of the 225 set. Either way, I'm very happy with my bench strength going into this competition. In my last meet on April 16th, I hit 305 and missed 320, so I'm hoping to shatter my previous meet record by at least 30-35 lbs.

Also, here's a video of another guy named Tim competing with me and Hercules next Saturday.
Tim 250 Pull: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1i0HSHnGD4

J Wong
06-04-11, 4:38 pm
Nice benching, why didn't you just sign up for the division that allows wrist wraps?

Professor
06-04-11, 4:43 pm
Nice benching, why didn't you just sign up for the division that allows wrist wraps?

To be honest, I'm not really sure. I think I just heard the word "untested" and ran away as quickly as I could. Looking back, the likelihood of competing against someone unnatural in my class is kind of low... Either way, I need to start getting away from the wraps/belt because I don't think the coaches at UCF will let me use it during practice.

Bruiser
06-05-11, 9:36 am
To be honest, I'm not really sure. I think I just heard the word "untested" and ran away as quickly as I could. Looking back, the likelihood of competing against someone unnatural in my class is kind of low... Either way, I need to start getting away from the wraps/belt because I don't think the coaches at UCF will let me use it during practice.

What class are you competing in?

Professor
06-06-11, 3:39 pm
What class are you competing in?

I will be in the 18-19 yd old, 275 lb, Ironman (Belt allowed) division.

6/6/11
Deadlifts
BB Rows
Keystones
10 yd Sprints

Light prep day for the meet Saturday.

Bruiser
06-08-11, 8:55 am
Looking good Prof. Good luck at the upcoming meet. I'll be cheering for you from here. Keep me informed of how you do.

Professor
06-08-11, 4:55 pm
Looking good Prof. Good luck at the upcoming meet. I'll be cheering for you from here. Keep me informed of how you do.

Thanks. I'll be sure to post the results after the meet Saturday.

6/8/11
BB Bench
Military Press

Meet on Saturday. 295/495 will be my openers, after that.. It will depend on how I feel.

Professor
06-11-11, 3:08 pm
6/11/11
RAW United Meet
Bench
295X1
330X1 (Meet PR)
345X1 (Meet PR)

Deads
495X1
565X1 (Meet PR) (Broke Raw United State Record)
585X0 (Couldn't lock it out)

Although I'm not happy I missed the 585 pull, I can't complain with the overall results. I set a 40 lb meet PR on bench, and a 10 lb PR on deads. I took 1.25 scoops of Rage before each lift. I felt great before my pressing, but I was definitely a little tired going into my pulls. All in all, not too bad for my second meet.

Bruiser
06-12-11, 9:17 am
6/11/11
RAW United Meet
Bench
295X1
330X1 (Meet PR)
345X1 (Meet PR)

Deads
495X1
565X1 (Meet PR) (Broke Raw United State Record)
585X0 (Couldn't lock it out)

Although I'm not happy I missed the 585 pull, I can't complain with the overall results. I set a 40 lb meet PR on bench, and a 10 lb PR on deads. I took 1.25 scoops of Rage before each lift. I felt great before my pressing, but I was definitely a little tired going into my pulls. All in all, not too bad for my second meet.

Congrats man. Looks like you really kicked some ass. Proud of ya.

J Wong
06-12-11, 6:49 pm
Good job yesterday man!

Professor
06-13-11, 6:53 pm
Congrats man. Looks like you really kicked some ass. Proud of ya.


Good job yesterday man!

Thanks, fellas. I appreciate the support.

I didn't get a chance to upload the videos over the weekend, so here are all of my lifts from the meet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSiPvyZvMCI

And here are some videos of Hercules' lifts.

405 Bench: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekmjDBArmbY
600 Pull: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_QfB-ce4ZU

6/13/11
BB Bench
Warm Up
225X3X12

Pull Ups
BWX2X10

DB Press
Band Pull Aparts
Tricep Pushdowns

Just a nice light day to get in the gym and move around after the meet.

Bruiser
06-13-11, 8:56 pm
Thanks for posting the vids man. You looked real strong and you'll only get better. Hell, I hope in the next two years to be able to bench like that.

Professor
06-15-11, 4:24 pm
Thanks for posting the vids man. You looked real strong and you'll only get better. Hell, I hope in the next two years to be able to bench like that.

Just give it some time and you'll get there. Patience + Persistence = Strength.

6/15/11
Power Cleans
135X5
185X3
225X2
275X1 (Vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi_InyNSHsk)
305X1 (PR)(Vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nwMkgUeA5s) (Please ignore the cocky comment I make at the end of this video. It isn't meant as a smartass remark, but it comes off that way watching the video)
315X1 (PR)(Vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMYnYYP9aw8) (I realize I nearly shattered my wrists in two on this one, I just need to push my elbows through during the catch phase)
325X0 (Vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7HL6OBYaTE)( I just uploaded this one so everyone could see my look of disapproval after I drop the bar)

Push Press
135X2X5
185X3
205X2
225X2

Keystones W/ Fatgripz
135X3X10

Power cleans felt good today. My form was questionable on the heavier attempts, but it's nothing that can't be fixed. My little brother has been coming to the gym with me lately and I think he shows a lot of potential. We took a video of him front squatting 135 for a single at 14 yrs old today - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikojj0tU9F8. I got some Fat Gripz from Elitefts the other day and wanted to give them a shot today, so I threw them on the bar for keystones. After a measly 8 reps of 135 on keystones, my grip was going to give. That is definitely something that needs to be fixed.

Professor
06-17-11, 4:29 pm
Henceforth, Fatgripz shall be referred to as (FG) in my log because I can't afford to burn the calories typing the extra letters.

6/17/11
BB Bench
135X2X8 (FG)
225X5 (FG)
275X2
315X1
2 Board 365X2
2 Board 410X1 (PR)
3 Board 445X1 (PR)
2 Board 425X0
315X4 (PR) (Elbows didn't flare)

Wide Grip Pull Ups (FG)
BWX2X8

Skullcrushers
25X10 (FG)
75X10 (FG)
75X10
115X8 (Might be a PR)
135X2+1

Front Plate Raises SSW/ Rope Face Pulls

Sprints
3X80% Max EfforeX20 yds (or so)

Felt good today. My strength off the boards was not as good as I would've liked it to be, but I'll take the PRs. For the first time in my life, I'm weak at the top of my bench and it's a little weird. Apart from being afraid I'm going to either drop the bar or bust my ass using the Fatgripz, I really like using them. I feel less pain in my elbows than I usually do and I know they'll help my strength in the long run. Weight was 255 this morning when I woke up.

Bruiser
06-17-11, 7:13 pm
Damn your pressing is getting real strong bro. I think you had more lifts that were PRs than ones that weren't!!

Professor
06-18-11, 2:23 pm
Damn your pressing is getting real strong bro. I think you had more lifts that were PRs than ones that weren't!!

Thanks, man. I wish everyday could be like that.

6/18/11
Back Squats
135X2X8
225X6
315X3
385X2
425X2 (PR)
425X2
405X3
415X3 (PR)
Did all of my squatting without my belt today. I don't think I've ever gone heavier than 365 without it before today.


I was running a little short on time today, so I had to end my workout earlier than I would have liked. I have a hard time gauging just how much I have left in the tank on squats. On nearly all of my working sets, my last reps were grinders, but I felt like I could've gotten another.

Professor
06-20-11, 4:54 pm
I neglected to mention I had 2 scoops of rage preworkout yesterday.

6/20/11
BB Rows
135X2X8
225X5
275X5
315X6 (PR)
315X2X5

Wide Grip Chin Ups
BWX8
BW+45X2X4
BWX2X8 (FG)

BB Shrugs
135X10
225X10
315X10

Single Handed Reverse DB Flyes
20X15
35X8

Cut it a little short today because I train at a high school gym and the football team had to come in to train. No rage today - I'm slowly running out so I'll be saving it for max effort days only.

Professor
06-22-11, 4:53 pm
6/22/11
Snatch
Work up to 185X1
135X5X1 (Working on form)

Back Squats
135X8
225X5
315X3
365X1
430X2 (PR)
365X8 (PR)

Sled Pushes
1 PlateX2X20 yds
2 PlatesX20 yds
2 PlatesX20 yds Dropset 1 PlateX20 yds

Some vids of the sled pushing today:
My 2 plate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLdE9t9s9t8
Hercules 2 plate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FVWdDNQqak
Jacob (My little brother): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdQkVam9VRE

Hercules
06-22-11, 6:12 pm
That sled was brutal. Well, brutal for a fat guy like me anyway. My cardio for the past 2 years has consisted of walking to the fridge and rolling over when I sleep. It was actually a nice change of pace - in a painfully psychotic sort of way...

Professor
06-24-11, 2:47 pm
That sled was brutal. Well, brutal for a fat guy like me anyway. My cardio for the past 2 years has consisted of walking to the fridge and rolling over when I sleep. It was actually a nice change of pace - in a painfully psychotic sort of way...

Be careful Coach, I once heard of a guy that pushed it too hard walking to the fridge. It places a lot of stress on your aerobic system, so just don't overdo it.

6/24/11
BB Bench
135X2X8
225X5
275X1
315X1
350X1 (PR)(Easy)(Wraps and belt) (Ring finger on stripe)
365X0 (Couldn't get it off my chest)
225X19 (Middle finger on stripe)

Pull Ups (FG)
BWX3X8

Flat DB Press
40X10 (FG)
90X7 (FG)
100X7

The fat gripz made this movement something frightening to do. I thought for sure I was going to drop one of the DBs on my head

Front Plate Raises
25X2X12

DB Hammer Curls (FG)
30X4X6

This was more of grip work than anything. I couldn't even hold on to the DBs long enough to do anything more than 6 reps.

Rope Pushdowns SSW/ Face Pulls

Sprints
7X15-20yds @100%

Felt great today. Took 2 scoops of Rage pre-workout and felt energized throughout the whole workout. Hit 350 with relative ease on bench and got pent under 365. I'll get it soon. Played around with the Fat Gripz quite a bit in my accessory movements and it's amazing just how much harder making the bar a little thicker makes the movement.

Professor
06-25-11, 3:25 pm
6/25/11
Back Squats
135X2X8
225X6
315X3
365X1
435X2 (PR)
460X1 (PR)(Belted)
465X1 (PR)(Belted)
405X5 (PR)

GHR Negatives
BWX2X5

Sprints
10 Sets X15-20 yds @100%

2 scoops of Rage and 4 PRs. I will take that any day. All of my squats felt great today. The 460 and 465 were grinders, but went up without issue. After the 405X5 set, my hands felt prickly like I had fallen asleep on them... A little weird, but I don't think it's anything to concern myself with. I felt great on the sprints. All my joints felt good and I felt fast. I raced a buddy of mine who is about 85 lbs less than me and beat him by a step. Although I have yet to test my 40 time, I really think I've improved my speed quite a bit.

Professor
06-27-11, 2:45 pm
6/27/11
Military Press
Warm Up (FG)
225X2+1
205X4 (PR)

Dead Stop BB Rows
135X2X12

Face Pulls

BB Curls (FG)

No Rage as it was just a fairly easy day today. I'm still definitely tired from last week. Time for some active recovery. Nothing like rolling around on a PVC pipe in agony to rejuvenate your body.

JGroves
06-28-11, 10:01 pm
Nice job on 465 the other day, but the race to 500 is FAR FROM OVER!!!!1

Professor
06-29-11, 4:31 pm
Nice job on 465 the other day, but the race to 500 is FAR FROM OVER!!!!1

Pfft... I shall be victorious in our challenge.

6/29/11
Power Clean
Warm Up
275X2X1
295X4X1
315X4X0

Today's goals were a little different than usual. Once I got up to 275, I would sit at the weight until I was happy with bar speed and my depth on the catch - that's the reason I did so many reps. On the 315 sets, it was like I forgot how to drop underneath the bar. I know I'm strong enough to do it, but I'm just reverse curling it up to my collarbone and I've got to get past this mental block of being afraid to drop under a heavy clean.

Sled Pushes
Warm Up
2 PlatesX2X20 yds
2p X20yds DS 1pX20yds DS EmptyX20 yds

When I tried to do the dropset last week I couldn't even budge it when I dropped down to an empty sled. I did it today with relative ease. That's a good sign for my conditioning as this is the only type of cardio I'm happy doing.

JGroves
06-29-11, 4:48 pm
I can't see you attempting the power clean again without hitting 300+

Nice improvement on the sled push though, keep it up :D

Professor
07-01-11, 5:16 pm
I can't see you attempting the power clean again without hitting 300+

Nice improvement on the sled push though, keep it up :D

Yea, granted I have 15 lbs to work with but let's just not think about that, lol.

7/1/11
BB Bench
135X2X8
225X5
275X2X1
315X5 (PR)(Vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlp-F3SWF50)
335X2 (PR)
355X2X0 (Couldn't get it off my chest)
275X9+1 Hercules upright row

Wraps but no belt on all benching today.

Pull Ups
BWX2X10 (These have been killing my right elbow lately for some reason)

Wide Grip Pulldowns
3X8

Rope Face Pulls (More to the bottom of my neck, I feel it more in my rear delts that way)
SSW/
EZ Bar Curls (FG)

Sprints

LHS Bleacher Circuit
Sprints/Hops/Single legged hops (Right then left)/Bear Crawl

^^This conditioning really made me feel fat and out of shape.

I've been reading a lot about the Bulgarian Olympic training style back when Idabjev (Or whatever his name is) was coaching and the style implemented by John Broz in his gym out in Vegas. He trains Pat Mendes, so it's obvious that they're doing something right with the program. However, I need to be careful not to let it influence my training too much because I snuck into Gold's last night and worked up to a 225X2X1 power clean and a 425 back squat. Both light for me, but working even moderately heavy 16 hours before another heavy session could be a little detrimental to my strength. Anyways, 2 scoops of Rage today. Finally hit 315X5 - it's been a long term goal of mine and I'm happy I'm finally there. My shoulder felt off on all of my pressing movements, I'm not really sure why. I've also been extremely irritable since I got to the gym. I don't know if the name Rage is acting a little too literally on my body, or (more than likely) I just got frustrated with people talking and delaying my sets in the gym today. Regardless of the reason for my "periodesque" behavior, I'm fairly happy with the results from the day. While I'm pissed I got pent twice on 355, I understand I probably shouldn't do max effort work after <6 rep PRs.

Professor
07-02-11, 1:50 pm
7/2/11
Front Squats
135X2X8
225X5
275X1
315X1
385X1 (PR)
405X0 (Went a little deeper than usual and got crushed coming out of the hole)
365X1 (Wanted two, but I couldn't keep my elbows up and knees out on the first, so I decided to leave it at one)

Pull Throughs

Hyperextensions

Seated Calf Raises

Today marks the last day of Rage. I dumped what was left in the container into my shaker cup and I think it was around 2.5 scoops. The 385 FS felt fairly easy so I decided to attempt 405, and let's just say that didn't go so well. Either way, I'm extremely happy with my progress on FS so far. I wanted 405 by mid-August and I know I'll hit that easily by then.

Professor
07-02-11, 2:02 pm
Unfortunately, today I used up the last of my Rage, so here is a summary of my progress during the two months I used it.

Bench: 325-> ~350, 315X2 ->315X5, 275X5 -> 275X11, 225X17 -> 225X20
Back Squat: 435 -> ~465
Front Squat: 350 -> ~385
Deadlift: 555 -> ~585
Power Clean ~260 -> ~315
Military Press: 205X3 -> 225X2
Weight: ~246->~254

When I signed up for the promo, I quoted my bench as needing the most work and the reason I wanted to use Rage. Over two months, I improved quite a bit on all of my measurement weight for bench. All in all, I'm extremely happy with the results on all of my lifts.

I will be moving my log back to here until I decide to pick up another can of Rage: http://forum.animalpak.com/showthread.php?34676-One-Last-Chance

Many thanks to those at Universal/Animal for giving me a chance to run this product. Yet another great product from Animal.