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brentwillisbgw
12-20-11, 10:49 am
Hey guys, I'm Brent and I am a 22 year-old powerlifter and aspiring strongman from Bakersfield, Ca. I have been powerlifting for almost two years. The majority of my training before I started powerlifting consisted of bodybuilding so that I could put on weight for wrestling season. I have previously competed in the 308 lb weight class, but I have recently made the move to SHW because I am having problems staying under 308.

Last March I went 705/463/832 for a 2000 lb raw total. At this year's Olympia I deadlifted 843 lbs in a single-ply suit. My next competition will be the LA FitExpo in January. My goal is an 850+ raw deadlift. I am also planning on doing my first strongman competition in the summer of 2012.

Although I am a powerlifter, maintaining my physique has always been a priority of mine. I keep my diet very strict and I include many bodybuilding exercises with my powerlifting and strongman routines. I absolutely love working out and find myself in the gym 6-7 days a week, so I am able to include many different types of exercises and workouts into my training schedule.

I look forward to becoming part of this community, it looks like I have the opportunity to learn a lot here.

brentwillisbgw
12-20-11, 10:50 am
Workout from last night:
12/19/2011- Accessory
Press:
95x5
135x5
185x5
225x3
275x3
295x2
315x1
275x5

Incline DB Press:
100's x 12
145's x 8

Flat DB Press:
145's x 7

Incline DB Fly:
35's x 8
45's x 10

Pec Dec Fly:
265x15- 20 sec rest- 265x9

Cable Fly:
90x20

Alternating DB Hammer Curl:
35's x 8
65's x 4
85's x 6
90's x 8

Lateral Raises:
40's x 20

brentwillisbgw
12-22-11, 2:40 am
12/21/2011- ME Lower

Stiff-legged deadlifts:
250x5
340x5
430x5
520x5
610x5
705x4
video of my last set:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqVp2o6FKdg

Leg Press:
535x20
760x20
960x23
Some old-school bodybuilder at my gym made me do a drop-set after my last set. It was one of the most painful sets I've ever done lol.
1120x20- 760x26- 400x20

Leg extensions:
265x20

brentwillisbgw
12-23-11, 12:56 am
12/22/2011- ME Bench

Bench:
135x5
225x5
335x3
385x3
425x3

CG Board Press:
3bd-475x1
4bd-495x1

Volume bench circuit- 90 seconds between each set:
CG 335x8
WG 335x6
CG 335x4
WG 335x3
CG 245x10

T o m m Y
12-23-11, 9:50 am
strong work man!!
will def be following.

brentwillisbgw
12-23-11, 6:27 pm
strong work man!!
will def be following.

Thanks Tommy! I really appreciate the support.

brentwillisbgw
12-23-11, 8:12 pm
12/23/2011- Shoulders

BTN Press:
135x10
185x10
225x10
225x10

Lateral Raises:
35's x 10
50's x 10
65's x 10
75's x 10

brentwillisbgw
12-25-11, 3:16 pm
12/24/2011- Squats and biceps

Squats (belt only):
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x3
405x3
495x3
545x3
585x3- I wanted to go a little heavier for a single after this set but I really tweaked something in my right shoulder and arm. I couldn't lift my arm above my shoulder without a shooting pain from my shoulder to elbow.

video of my last set:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oota-y8nPz4


Hammer Curls:
35's x 8
45's x 8
60's x 8
80's x 8
95's x 8

Alt DB Preacher Curls:
45's x 9
45's x 9

2 Drop Sets on Preacher Curl Machine

Polk17
12-25-11, 3:27 pm
Impressive shit in here, I'm subbed for sure...

brentwillisbgw
12-25-11, 6:53 pm
Impressive shit in here, I'm subbed for sure...

Thanks bro, I'll try to keep things interesting!

brentwillisbgw
12-26-11, 8:50 pm
12/26/2011- Upper Accessory

Both of my shoulders and elbows were pretty inflamed today from squats, so I was kind of limited in what I could do today. I stuck to slow and controlled presses because they felt the best.

BTN Press- bringing the bar down to ear level:
135x5
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x5
275x5
315x3

Wide-Grip Bench:
225x10
275x10
275x10
275x10
275x10
275x10

mcbeast
12-27-11, 2:58 am
Re-Defining Strong in here...

Subbed!

You know Tyler Priest?

brentwillisbgw
12-27-11, 4:30 am
Re-Defining Strong in here...

Subbed!

You know Tyler Priest?

Thanks!

Hell yeah I know Tyler! How do you know him?

mcbeast
12-27-11, 9:50 pm
Thanks!

Hell yeah I know Tyler! How do you know him?

I met him while I was down in Cuba, and hit up a few training sessions with him. I remember him mentioning your name, so figured I would ask.

brentwillisbgw
12-28-11, 2:09 am
I met him while I was down in Cuba, and hit up a few training sessions with him. I remember him mentioning your name, so figured I would ask.

Oh that's awesome. Are you Army or Marines?



12/27/2011- ME Lower
Safety-Squat Bar Box-Squats with black mini-bands from the top:
bar x 5
150x5
240x5
330x3
430x3
480x3
520x3
560x3
610x1
650x1
690x1

Lying hamstring curls:
stack to failure x 4

BIG BEN
12-28-11, 3:56 am
Glad to have you on the board

mcbeast
12-28-11, 4:36 am
Army.

Those are some ridiculous ssb squats. I squat mid 5's, and 315 on the ssb woops my ass. Granted yesterday was only the second time using it..

brentwillisbgw
12-28-11, 4:29 pm
Glad to have you on the board

Thanks! That means a lot coming from a lifter of your caliber.


Army.

Those are some ridiculous ssb squats. I squat mid 5's, and 315 on the ssb woops my ass. Granted yesterday was only the second time using it..

Thank you very much. My coach has us do those a lot so I'm kind of used to them, but when I first started doing them they kicked my ass too.

I think that's been Tyler's favorite part of Cuba. He was always really pumped lo lift with the serious lifters down there. That guys eats, sleeps, and breathes lifting.

brentwillisbgw
12-28-11, 10:16 pm
12/28/2011

This morning:
45 minutes fasted cardio


This afternoon:
biceps and shoulder mobility stuff

mcbeast
12-29-11, 1:00 am
Thanks! That means a lot coming from a lifter of your caliber.



Thank you very much. My coach has us do those a lot so I'm kind of used to them, but when I first started doing them they kicked my ass too.

I think that's been Tyler's favorite part of Cuba. He was always really pumped lo lift with the serious lifters down there. That guys eats, sleeps, and breathes lifting.

Sadly, the lifting community is extremely small down there. I met Tyler near the end of my tour there, and introduced him to Gary Grissinger. The only true powerlifter on island, lol.

brentwillisbgw
12-29-11, 5:24 pm
Sadly, the lifting community is extremely small down there. I met Tyler near the end of my tour there, and introduced him to Gary Grissinger. The only true powerlifter on island, lol.

Yeah he told me about Gary. He's hoping to make the Army PL team once he gets back to the states.

mcbeast
12-29-11, 6:10 pm
Yeah he told me about Gary. He's hoping to make the Army PL team once he gets back to the states.

I have done some serious research into that, and have come up with nothing. Hopefully he has better luck then I did.

brentwillisbgw
12-30-11, 3:22 am
12/29/2011- ME Bench

Bench:
135x5
225x5
335x3
385x3
405x3
445x3- PR. Pretty smooth as well. Didn't struggle on any of the reps.
405x5

Wide-Grip (index finger on the rings):
335x8
335x8
355x8

I think my bench is stronger now than it was before my pec tear during the summer. 485 should be a reasonable goal for the State meet in March.

Seath308
12-30-11, 8:36 pm
So whats the plan at the L.A. Fit Expo? Is it a Deadlift only or full Meet? I know Brandon Cass is going to be pulling there! If you can out pull him that would be awesome! I always root for the younger guy!

brentwillisbgw
12-31-11, 5:15 am
So whats the plan at the L.A. Fit Expo? Is it a Deadlift only or full Meet? I know Brandon Cass is going to be pulling there! If you can out pull him that would be awesome! I always root for the younger guy!

It's a deadlift only meet. I have a lot of big goals for the year but I am trying to stay conservative for this meet and focus on breaking 850 raw. If things go well then maybe 860.

Just lifting on the same stage as Brandon Cass will be an honor, and if I do somehow manage to out-pull him it will only be because I outweigh him by 100 lbs. lol

brentwillisbgw
12-31-11, 5:15 am
12/30/2011- Back

BW Pullups:
4 sets of 10

V-Grip Pulldowns:
200x10
230x10
260x10
280x10- 30 sec rest- 280x4

DB Shrugs:
145x15
145x20
145x21

brentwillisbgw
01-01-12, 11:05 pm
01/01/2012- Shoulders
Started doing 6x3 for my press tonight. I'm using 315 as my max and starting with 90%.
Press:
Bar x 10
135x10
185x5
225x3
285x3
285x3
285x3
285x3
285x3
285x3
225x10


Upright Rows:
Bar x 15
95x15
135x10
135x10
155x11

brentwillisbgw
01-02-12, 11:34 pm
01/02/2012- Accessory

Really sore today for some reason.

Flat DB Press:
30's x 20
60's x 12
85's x 12
100's x 12
115's x 12
125's x 12
Dropset- 125's x 14 + 90's x 8 + 20 second stretch at bottom w/ 90's

Pullups:
BW x 9,10,9,8

Rear Delt DB Flies:
25's x 12
35's x 16

Not a lot of volume, but I was dead at the end.

brentwillisbgw
01-04-12, 12:11 am
01/03/2011- ME Lower

One of the benefits of working out in a westside gym is that there is never a shortage of awkward lower body movements to perform. Today we did goodmorning-squats to a really low box. We did a negative portion of a goodmorning until lower back and hamstring tightness stopped the motion and then sat back to the box and then squatted the weight up. They destroyed my entire back. I didn't feel it much in my hams or glutes but it was my first time doing it. Maybe next time.

Goodmorning-squats with a cambered bar to a low box:
bar(65 lbs) x 5
bar x 5
115x5
155x5
205x5
245x5
275x5
305x3
335x3
365x3
395x3
425x3
455x1
485x1

GHR's:
bw x 10
+45x5
+45x5
+45x5
+45x5
+45x5

Cable ab pulldowns:
150x10
150x10
150x10
150x10
150x10

Polk17
01-04-12, 8:38 pm
Jesus, I did Suspender GMs today and I can only imagine how those felt...

brentwillisbgw
01-04-12, 9:39 pm
Jesus, I did Suspender GMs today and I can only imagine how those felt...

We usually do suspended GM's as well, our coach just wanted to try something new yesterday. I was really weak at them so it's an exercise I definitely need to work on.


01/04/2011- Arms and grip training

Various types of heavy bicep curls, plate pinches, wrist curls

Wednesdays are pretty much an off day for me, besides biceps and sometimes cardio.

Polk17
01-04-12, 10:14 pm
We usually do suspended GM's as well, our coach just wanted to try something new yesterday. I was really weak at them so it's an exercise I definitely need to work on.


01/04/2011- Arms and grip training

Various types of heavy bicep curls, plate pinches, wrist curls

Wednesdays are pretty much an off day for me, besides biceps and sometimes cardio.

Like Louie says, no reason you can't PR in a Squat at the meet if when you PR on something like GMs...

T o m m Y
01-04-12, 10:51 pm
strong shit goin on in here!
subbed!

brentwillisbgw
01-06-12, 3:38 am
Like Louie says, no reason you can't PR in a Squat at the meet if when you PR on something like GMs...

I've been trying to hit PR's on all of my lower auxiliary work in prep for the state meet in March, hopefully it shows in a nice PR for my squat.


strong shit goin on in here!
subbed!

Thanks!


01/05/2012- ME Bench

Not much volume today. I have a weird strain feeling in my left pec that started Monday on my volume chest work. It didn't take any strength away from me, it's just kind of nagging. I just wanted to get in and hit a heavy triple and then be done.

Bench:
135x10
135x5
225x5
315x3
335x3
385x1
425x1
455x3- PR
425x3- missed 4th

video of my last two sets:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkigeCa5lw4

Tricep push downs with thick bar:
50 lbs x 20
75x20
90x20

Polk17
01-06-12, 9:40 pm
How tall are you Brent?

brentwillisbgw
01-07-12, 12:51 am
How tall are you Brent?

6'3"

brentwillisbgw
01-07-12, 1:23 am
01/06/2012- Back

BW Pullups:
3x10

Pullups + 45 lbs:
3x5

Underhand Cable Rows:
190x12
190x12
200x12

BW Chinups:
3x8

brentwillisbgw
01-10-12, 1:11 am
No internet for a few days because the cable guy thought it would be prudent to replace my broken router with a broken router. Anyways...


01/07/2012- Squat

My team was doing a gear check so I decided to join them and take a heavy single. I moved my stance out considerably just to see how it felt. I used to squat a lot wider than I have been the last year, and after watching guys like Sam Byrd squat it made me want to move my feet out more. It's still not wide by any means, but it's a lot wider than I've been squatting.

bar x 5
145x5
235x3
325x3
435x2
525x1
615x1
+ Inzer gripper knee wraps. I didn't wrap them too tight, but they still felt great.
705x1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paO80Gl2VpU&feature=player_embedded

I started to fall forward, but I recovered. I haven't squatted that heavy since the state meet last March. I feel like I need to free squat a lot more to build up my confidence. I've become too reliant on a box.



01/09/2011- Press

Week 2 of 6x3
Press w/ thick squat bar(60 lbs):
bar x 5
bar x 3
150x5
150x3
240x3
260+40 lbs chain x3
260+40 lbs chain x3
260+40 lbs chain x3
260+40 lbs chain x3
260+40 lbs chain x3
260+40 lbs chain x3

I used chain to help build stability at lockout, something I'm lacking in.

Snatch Press:
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x3

Video will be up soon. Only 240 more minutes until it's uploaded lol.

brentwillisbgw
01-10-12, 10:35 am
Presses from last night:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXsYEILyku0

Polk17
01-10-12, 9:52 pm
Whatever the last move you did is called, w/ the super wide grip and behind the neck... That's rediculous, that would tear my shoulder to pieces...

brentwillisbgw
01-10-12, 10:38 pm
Whatever the last move you did is called, w/ the super wide grip and behind the neck... That's rediculous, that would tear my shoulder to pieces...

Lol I get that a lot. It's called a snatch press. As long as I'm slow and controlled with the weight I don't have any problems. I'm not sure if it gets me stronger, but it's great for shoulder development.

Polk17
01-10-12, 10:50 pm
Lol I get that a lot. It's called a snatch press. As long as I'm slow and controlled with the weight I don't have any problems. I'm not sure if it gets me stronger, but it's great for shoulder development.

Ya, I played a lot of baseball, I pitched in HS, College, & Professionally, so my throwing (Right) Shoulder has seen better days, so I try to stay away from shit like that... I can definitely imagine that'd help your Bench, especially off the Chest...

brentwillisbgw
01-26-12, 10:02 pm
The last couple weeks in the gym have been pretty lackluster. I've had some type of head cold or allergies or something and it's kind of sapped my energy in the gym as well as made me lose a considerable amount of sleep. I haven't missed any workouts, but I haven't had any worth speaking of, or logging for that matter.

With that being said, I am actually feeling pretty good right now and I'm fairly optimistic for the FitExpo this weekend. Feeling completely healed up and healthy, probably because my body hasn't allowed itself to hit unnecessary weights in the weeks leading up to a meet. My diet has been impeccable leading up to this meet. I'm weighing about 310 right now but look bigger than I ever have. Realistically, I'm expecting to hit a low to mid 8 raw DL.

brentwillisbgw
02-01-12, 9:00 pm
Had a pretty disappointing meet. Weighed in at 311 and felt really healthy on Sunday. Warmups went great. Opened with 730 which felt like a speed set. Jumped to 848 which was a small PR. I got out of position on the pull and ended up with the bar out in front of me. No lift. Tried it again and got it up but it was ugly as sin and got 3 well-deserved reds. I really need to work on my lockout strength. I think some block pulls are in order. I need to start taking my deadlift training more seriously. I really don't feel like it's moved at all in the last 10 months.

Aside from that, it was a great meet. Met some really cool people and got to see some awesome lifters. Got to see a guy who weighed about 190 lbs pull 749 which was amazing to see.



02/01/2012

Did some push presses today. Had a great workout. Hit a PR at 355 and did 5 easy singles there. I'm going to throw a belt on next week and try to break that number. My deadlift may be going nowhere but my press sure is lol.

brentwillisbgw
02-08-12, 2:14 am
02/07/2012- ME Lower

Warm up of abs, GHR's, and back extensions.

Cambered-Bar Box-Squats:
Bar x 5,5
155x3
205x3
245x3
295x3
335x3
385x3
425x3
515x3
605x3
625x3-PR
385x10 to a really low box

GHR- BWx20

brentwillisbgw
02-11-12, 11:05 pm
Training from the last few days:

02/09/2012- Bench

I strained my pec last week doing some DB presses so I felt kind of off this week. I was really focusing on keeping the weight off my chest and on my lats and tris.
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x5
335x5
355x5
375x5
405x4- All paused

5 sets of tri pushdowns


02/10/2012- Accessory

BW Pullups:
10,10,10, 7,6,7,7

Lateral raises:
25's x 10
40's x 10
50's x 10
55's x 10
40's x 20


02/11/2012- DE Lower

Box-Squats w/ Mastodon Bar:
bar x 5
145x5
235x3
235+120 chain weight x 3
325+120cw x3
375+120cw x 2
375+120cw x 2
375+120cw x 2
375+120cw x 2
375+120cw x 2
375+120cw x 2
375+120cw x 2
375+160cw x 2
375+200cw x 2
375+240cw x 2

Speed Pulls:
315x3
Add blue bands:
515x2
515x2
515x2
515x2
515x2
515x2
515x2
Add mini bands:
515x2

brentwillisbgw
02-13-12, 11:02 pm
02/13/2012- Accessory

My lower back has been killing me these last few days, so all of my presses were done seated tonight.

Behind The Neck Press:
Bar x 15
135x15
225x10
275x5
275x5
275x5
275x5
275x5
225x12

Incline BB Press:
225x8
315x4
315x5
315x5
315x5

Hammer Strength Incline:
3 plates per side x 15
4 PPS x 8
4 PPS x 7

Skull Crushers:
75x15
95x15
115x10
115x10
Dropset- 115x12, 95x8, 75x10

Big Byrd
02-14-12, 11:12 am
Hey guys, I'm Brent and I am a 22 year-old powerlifter and aspiring strongman from Bakersfield, Ca. I have been powerlifting for almost two years. The majority of my training before I started powerlifting consisted of bodybuilding so that I could put on weight for wrestling season. I have previously competed in the 308 lb weight class, but I have recently made the move to SHW because I am having problems staying under 308.

Last March I went 705/463/832 for a 2000 lb raw total. At this year's Olympia I deadlifted 843 lbs in a single-ply suit. My next competition will be the LA FitExpo in January. My goal is an 850+ raw deadlift. I am also planning on doing my first strongman competition in the summer of 2012.

Although I am a powerlifter, maintaining my physique has always been a priority of mine. I keep my diet very strict and I include many bodybuilding exercises with my powerlifting and strongman routines. I absolutely love working out and find myself in the gym 6-7 days a week, so I am able to include many different types of exercises and workouts into my training schedule.

I look forward to becoming part of this community, it looks like I have the opportunity to learn a lot here.

Hey Brent, Welcome aboard. Saw the vid of you 848 i think it was... so close man.

Polk17
02-14-12, 9:17 pm
Training looks good in here man, how you feeling?

brentwillisbgw
02-15-12, 11:59 pm
Hey Brent, Welcome aboard. Saw the vid of you 848 i think it was... so close man.

Thanks Sam! You're a big inspiration.


Training looks good in here man, how you feeling?

Thanks bro. I'm feeling pretty good. Training is dialed back in for the state meet at the end of March.




02/14/2012- ME Lower

Front squats:
135x5
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x5
315x5
365x3

Some things came up and I had to leave the gym.


02/15/2012- ME Lower Take 2

Front Squat:
135x10
225x6
315x3
365x3
405x1
425x1
425x1

Zercher Squats:
315x5
315x5
365x5

My quads are hating me right now.

brentwillisbgw
02-20-12, 10:26 pm
02/20/2012- Upper Accessory

Push Press:
Bar x 10
135x10
135x5
225x5
275x3
315x3
335x3
335x3
335x3

Press:
275x5
275x5
275x5

Snatch Press:
185x5
225x5
225x5

Split Jerk:
225x2
275x2
275x2

Flat Bench:
135x25
135x25

Cable Ab Crunches:
5 sets

The pec I tore over summer is really bothering me again. On my ME Bench workout last Thursday I had my index finger where the knurling begins and it was still putting a lot of stress on it. I feel like a lot of my bench strength is still there, I'm just scared to do anything heavy. I'll be doing less benching and a lot more pressing and pec rehab over the next 6 weeks in preparation for the state meet.

Polk17
02-21-12, 9:04 pm
What is the goal for the meet?

brentwillisbgw
02-22-12, 10:04 pm
What is the goal for the meet?

Either a 1900+ lb total with no belt/wraps or use belt and wraps and try to get something close to 2100. t depends on how my pec is doing.

02/21/2012- ME Lower

Deadlifts from 14" w/ weight releasers hooked up
-50 lbs assistance that cuts out at knee level-
135x5
225x3
315x3
405x3
495x3
585x3
695x3
745x3
-add belt
805x3
815x1- I was going for a triple but my feet were waaaay wider than they should have been.

I put off my accessory stuff until tomorrow because of some homework deadlines I needed to meet.


02/22/2012

Ab Roller:
BW x 10
+20x10
+45x10
+45x8

Weighted Crunches:
60lbs x 15
85lbs x 10

Hanging Leg Raises:
2 sets of 10

Oblique Crunches against blue band:
20 per side

15 min shoulder mobility work

Polk17
02-22-12, 10:38 pm
Either a 1900+ lb total with no belt/wraps or use belt and wraps and try to get something close to 2100. t depends on how my pec is doing.



That's awesome, I gotta learn from that and work on strengthening my core...

brentwillisbgw
02-23-12, 12:12 am
That's awesome, I gotta learn from that and work on strengthening my core...

Thanks bro. I've got a pretty strong core, but I can always get stronger. I'm hoping it will help my deadlift a bit.

brentwillisbgw
02-24-12, 12:47 am
02/23/2012

Push Press:
135x5
225x5
225x5
275x3
315x3
315x3
315x3
-Press felt kind of weak today. My lockout strength sucked.

Press:
225x11
225x9

Bench w/ Slingshot (index finger 1" from edge of knurling):
bar x 15
135x5
225x8
335x5
335x5
385x5
385x5
405x5
425x5
445x5

Didn't anticipate doing much bench work today, but it was feeling really great with the slingshot. I did have some pain in my chest, but it was minimal.

brentwillisbgw
02-28-12, 7:45 pm
Injured myself squatting this last Saturday. I was warming up for speed squats and had 405 on the bar. Somehow I got out of position and felt a sharp crushing feeling in my back on the way up from the box. I could barely walk the rest of the weekend and had a lot of difficulty breathing. I went to the doctor and chiropractor yesterday and they both came to the conclusion that I sprained a rib head on my right side, most likely because of muscle imbalance.

I got several different forms of massage/therapy from the doc and chiro, and then went to an actual masseuse and got another massage. After that I went to the gym and did my normal upper accessory workout and then followed it with 45 minutes of walking. It felt a lot better after that. I'll see the chiropractor once more this week and he said I should be good to go. I'm going to attempt a lower ME workout tonight but chances are it will be some light assistance stuff.


02/27/2012- Upper Accessory

Incline Close Grip BB Press:
135x15
135x10
135x10
225x10
275x10
275x10
275x10

Incline Wide Grip BB Press:
225x10
225x10
275x10
275x10

Incline Football Bar:
135x10
225x10
275x8
275x8

Tri Pushdowns

Polk17
02-29-12, 10:10 pm
I just injured my fucking back this weekend too, sprained joint in my low back, doing deficit pulls after heavy regular pulls with no weight... FUCK... Hope you feel better big guy...

brentwillisbgw
03-06-12, 2:41 am
I just injured my fucking back this weekend too, sprained joint in my low back, doing deficit pulls after heavy regular pulls with no weight... FUCK... Hope you feel better big guy...

Shit, I'm sorry to hear that. What's the recovery time looking like? Or do you know yet.




Back is feeling a lot better. Still some soreness, but only on squats. I've decided not to do the state meet and let my back and pec fully heal before competing again.

Weight is down to about 295 right now.

Training from the last week:

02/28/2012- ME Lower

Safety Bar Squat To a Low Box:
bar x 10
bar x 10
150x5
200x5
240x3
290x3
330x3
380x1

Deficit Deads:
1"-225x5
2"-275x3
3"-
315x3
405x1
455x5
505x1
545x1
595x1


03/01/12- Bench
Slingshot Bench:
135x10
135x10
225x10
315x5
385x3
405x3
425x3
445x3
475x3
485x2


03/03/2012- DE Lower
Abs, GHR's
Box Squat(Beltless):
Bar x 5
140x5
+120 in chains
230x2
320x2
320x2
320x2
320x2
320x2
320x2
320x2
320x2
+160 in chains
320x2
+200 in chains
320x2

Speed Pulls:
+1 Mini Band- 135x5
+2 MB- 135x5
+3 MB- 135x5
+3 MB and 1 Mini Band attached to the front of the platform-
185x5
185x5
235x5
235x5

I loved pulling against a band from the front. Having to focus on pulling back really worked my hamstrings and upper back. I'll definitely be using that more in the future.


03/05/2012- Accessory
High Incline/Shoulder Press:
85's x 10
100's x 10
125's x 10
145's x 6
145's x 5
145's x 6

BTN Press:
135x10
225x8
225x9

Lateral Raises:
35's x 8
55's x 8

Upright Rows:
135x15
135x15
185x15
135x15

Shrugs:
145's x 25

Polk17
03-08-12, 9:02 pm
Sorry my dude, been pouting all week since I can't train... I did some upper work Sunday & tonight, if I feel better tomorrow, I will move timetable forward... Not a huge deal, but not something that I want to fuck around with either, especially in the middle of my baseball season (I coach in college, and we are real busy), and my offseason (meet wise), so I am struggling to stay smart...

Everything good with you?

TigerAce01
03-08-12, 10:00 pm
What the hell is this with guys my exact age absolutely dominating the RAW scene?? Guess that's why I'm Ironman/NB haha

-Ace

Big Byrd
03-23-12, 11:45 am
Shit, I'm sorry to hear that. What's the recovery time looking like? Or do you know yet.




Back is feeling a lot better. Still some soreness, but only on squats. I've decided not to do the state meet and let my back and pec fully heal before competing again.

Weight is down to about 295 right now.

Training from the last week:

02/28/2012- ME Lower

Safety Bar Squat To a Low Box:
bar x 10
bar x 10
150x5
200x5
240x3
290x3
330x3
380x1

Deficit Deads:
1"-225x5
2"-275x3
3"-
315x3
405x1
455x5
505x1
545x1
595x1


03/01/12- Bench
Slingshot Bench:
135x10
135x10
225x10
315x5
385x3
405x3
425x3
445x3
475x3
485x2


03/03/2012- DE Lower
Abs, GHR's
Box Squat(Beltless):
Bar x 5
140x5
+120 in chains
230x2
320x2
320x2
320x2
320x2
320x2
320x2
320x2
320x2
+160 in chains
320x2
+200 in chains
320x2

Speed Pulls:
+1 Mini Band- 135x5
+2 MB- 135x5
+3 MB- 135x5
+3 MB and 1 Mini Band attached to the front of the platform-
185x5
185x5
235x5
235x5

I loved pulling against a band from the front. Having to focus on pulling back really worked my hamstrings and upper back. I'll definitely be using that more in the future.


03/05/2012- Accessory
High Incline/Shoulder Press:
85's x 10
100's x 10
125's x 10
145's x 6
145's x 5
145's x 6

BTN Press:
135x10
225x8
225x9

Lateral Raises:
35's x 8
55's x 8

Upright Rows:
135x15
135x15
185x15
135x15

Shrugs:
145's x 25

what kind of % are u using for these singles? I assume they are not actual maxes? How do u fix the weight, just set a goal for a date and count backwards by weeks or what?

brentwillisbgw
04-25-12, 12:44 am
what kind of % are u using for these singles? I assume they are not actual maxes? How do u fix the weight, just set a goal for a date and count backwards by weeks or what?

I apologize for the really late response. The singles you were referring to were just some lighter stuff I was doing after a back injury. I don't structure my max attempts in relation to a date or meet, mainly because of how my training is structured. My heavier work is done using the conjugate method. I'll usually work up to a couple max-effort singles or triples every week on some type of squat or deadlift.

brentwillisbgw
04-25-12, 12:44 am
Training has been off and on lately. My back injury took longer than expected to recover from, I re-re-re-injured my pec, and I just got over pneumonia. My back is 100% now, my pec is pretty messed up, and the pneumonia is pretty much gone. Everything is good to go, except my bench which I could honestly care less about. My next full meet won't be for a while. It's looking like the Olympia DL meet will be next for me.

04/23/2012- Upper

Push-Press:
Bar x 5
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x3
335x3- PR Triple
340x3- PR Triple
345x2- PR Double

DB Shoulder Press:
125x10
125x8

1-Arm Rope Push-Downs
5 heavy sets of 8

Barbell Shrugs
315x12
405x20
495x20
495x26
315x18

Lots of random tricep work.



04/24/2012- Lower

Oly Squats:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x5
495x5
545x5
405x5

Leg Press:
670x20
760x20
850x20

3 Drop-Sets on Calf-Raises

Leg Extension:
255x7x12

Chia
04-25-12, 1:27 am
Great stuff in here, always good to see deep raw squats. Stay healthy!

brentwillisbgw
04-25-12, 2:41 pm
Great stuff in here, always good to see deep raw squats. Stay healthy!

Thanks!!

Polk17
04-25-12, 7:28 pm
My dude, you are back from the dead... How are you feeling?

brentwillisbgw
04-26-12, 6:52 pm
My dude, you are back from the dead... How are you feeling?

Thanks for asking bro, I'm feeling a lot better. I had a couple bumps in the road but now I'm back at 100% again.

How have things been going for you?

Polk17
04-26-12, 7:16 pm
Thanks for asking bro, I'm feeling a lot better. I had a couple bumps in the road but now I'm back at 100% again.

How have things been going for you?

Bumps are part of the game, I had a small one too, got back healthy and rollin' again... I actually just started working with Josh Bryant, and I am loving it...

brentwillisbgw
05-01-12, 9:04 pm
Bumps are part of the game, I had a small one too, got back healthy and rollin' again... I actually just started working with Josh Bryant, and I am loving it...

Glad to hear you're back at it. And that's awesome that you're working with Josh Bryant. What an opportunity!



Last couple workouts:

04/28/2012-Lower

Squat:
Bar x 5
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x3
405x3
495x3
545x3
+Wraps
585x3
635x3

Single-Leg Leg Press:
445x10
535x10
625x10

5 rest-pause sets on seated calf raise

Hack-Squat:
2pps x 10
3pps x 10
4pps x 10



04/30/12- Upper

Rack Press w/ Bar at eye-level and each rep reset:
135x5
135x5
225x5
275x5
315x1
315x1

Incline Press:
135x20
225x15
275x10
315x5

Bunch of drop-sets and rest-pauses on pec-dec

DB Shoulder Press:
70's x 02
110's x 17

Lateral Raises:
45's x7x12

brentwillisbgw
05-04-12, 12:20 am
05/01/2012-Lower

The squats from Saturday left my tendonitis really flared up. I had to squat at my commercial gym which has shorter bars so it puts a lot of strain on my shoulders and elbows. It got so bad tonight that I had to stop early and go home to ice it.

Susp. Chain GM's w/ Buffalo Bar:
Bar x 5
140x5
230x5
320x5
410x5
460x5
500x3
550x3
590x1

brentwillisbgw
05-04-12, 1:00 am
05/03/2012- Lower

Still have some bad tendonitis. I did just about the only real exercise that requires no arms.

Oly-Squats w/ Safety-Squat Bar:
Bar x 5
155x5
155x5
245x5
335x5
425x5
515x5
515x5
515x5
515x5
515x5

I might try a shoulder workout tomorrow.

brentwillisbgw
05-09-12, 8:57 pm
05/09/2012- Lower

Usual warm-up of sled pulls

Deadlift:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x5
455x5
495x5
585x5
635x3
675x3
755x3

Romanian Deadlift:
585x8 w/straps

GHR:
BWx15

Polk17
05-09-12, 9:19 pm
05/09/2012- Lower

Usual warm-up of sled pulls

Deadlift:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x5
455x5
495x5
585x5
635x3
675x3
755x3

Romanian Deadlift:
585x8 w/straps

GHR:
BWx15

Damn bro, when is your next meet?

brentwillisbgw
05-18-12, 1:10 am
Damn bro, when is your next meet?

I might do a full meet this July, but I'll definitely be doing the Olympia Deadlift meet in September.

brentwillisbgw
05-18-12, 1:10 am
Training from last week/this week:

05/10/12- Bench

Started 531 for my bench. Used 440 as my max.

135x10
225x8
315x5
335x5
355x5
375x6

CG Bench:
335x9
335x9
225x14- Superset w/ Tri Pushdown- 80x15
225x9- Superset w/ Tri Pushdown- 100x10


05/12/2012- Lower

Box-Squat w/ Buffalo Bar:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x5
480x5
505x5
550x5

RDL's:
135x10
225x10
315x10
405x15

brentwillisbgw
05-18-12, 1:11 am
05/14/2012- Upper

Started 6x3 for my Press. Used 335 as my max.

Press:
135x5
135x5
225x5
300x3
300x3
300x3
300x3
300x3
300x3
225x10

Db Shoulder Press:
100's x 20
115's x 20

CG Bench Press:
225x15
225x15
225x10

BB Skullchrusher:
135x10
135x12
135x15


05/15/2012- Lower

Cambered-Bar Box Squat:
(beltless)
Bar x 5
155x3
205x3
245x3
295x3
335x3
385x3
425x3
475x3
515x3
535x5
+ Belt
605x2


Heavy Ab Pulldowns

brentwillisbgw
05-18-12, 1:11 am
05/17/2012- Upper

Bench:
135x10
225x5
315x3
350x3
375x3
395x3

High Incline DB:
95's x 15
110's x 15
125's x 17
125's x 12

Dips:
BWx15
+45x15
+70x10
+90x10
+90x9

DB Skullcrushers:
35's x 15
45's x10

mcbeast
05-19-12, 12:53 pm
Killin all these lifts, especially the forgotten overhead press! I like it.

Polk17
05-19-12, 8:17 pm
How do you structure your training? Just by feel? Or does someone set it up for you?

brentwillisbgw
05-22-12, 8:47 pm
Killin all these lifts, especially the forgotten overhead press! I like it.

Thanks bro. I love the press. If I had my way I would replace the bench with the press in the big 3 lol.


How do you structure your training? Just by feel? Or does someone set it up for you?

My squat, bench, and deadlift training is structured by my coach, Ken Wheeler, using the Westside program. My accessory work is done by feel. Sometimes I will run a program like 5x5 of 6x3 for my press. I like to incorporate a lot of hypertrophy work into my accessory days.

brentwillisbgw
06-11-12, 8:42 pm
Training from last week:

Monday- Upper

Week 4 of 6x3 for press. 315x6x3

Press:
Bar x 10
135x15
225x5
315x3
315x3
315x3
315x3
315x3
315x3
This was the easiest and smoothest press workout I've had in a long time. I started using a belt a couple workouts ago for my press, so I have become much more stable. I am also maintaining a lot of lat tightness throughout the lift, which has made a big difference.

Flat Supine DB Press:
60's x 20
90's x 20, Rest Pause x 10
110's x 15, RP x 6
120's x 15, RP x 5

BB Skullcrusher:
135x15
155x10
155x10

Overhead DB Extension:
60x15
100x10, Drop Set, 80x12

Dips:
BWx10,15,10


Tuesday-ME Lower

Safety-Squat Bar Box-Squat(No Belt):
Bar x 5
155x3
255x3
295x3
345x3
425x3
475x3

45° Back Extension:
BWx15
+25x15
+25x10

GHR
BWx15,15


Thursday- Bench

531 Wave 2 week 1
Bar x 10
135x5
225x5
315x5
355x5
380x5
400x6

3 Board Press:
425x3
455x2

Wide-Grip:
315x8
315x10
315x10
315x8
225x10


Friday- Random Stuff

BW Pullups: 10,10,10,8,8,10,10

A lot of bicep and forearm stuff

This is the first time I've done pullups in a couple months. I've had a weird straining feeling in my left lat so I've stayed away from them because they aggravate it. It was still there on Friday but by the end of my sets it was gone.


Saturday- DE Lower

Box Squats(Heavy and speed):
Bar x 10
140x5
230x3
320x3
410x3
500x3
550x3
570x3
410x2
410x2
410x2
410x2

Speed Pulls against purple bands:
135x3
225x3
315x3
405x3
515x3
515x3
515x3
+Mini bands from the front of the platform
515x3
515x3

brentwillisbgw
06-13-12, 1:13 am
06/12/2012- ME Lower

Suspended Chain Goodmornings w/ Buffalo Bar:
Bar x 5
140x3
230x3
320x3
410x3
+Belt
500x3
550x3
570x1
590x1

Circuits of pullups, weighted pullups, and BB shrugs

brentwillisbgw
06-15-12, 10:51 am
Bench:
Bar x 5
135x5
225x5
315x5
355x3
380x3
400x3

After my working sets I did about 45 minutes of stretching and mobility work.

Polk17
06-15-12, 2:10 pm
Looks string bro... When do you start your meet prep?

brentwillisbgw
06-20-12, 11:04 am
06/16/2012-Squats

Buffalo-Bar Box Squat:
140x3
250x3
340x3
440x5
545x3
610x2
430x2
430x2
430x2
430x2
430x2
430x2
430x2
430x2

GHR's:
BWx10
+25x10
+25x10
+25x10

Lying Ham Curls:
150x10
150x10
150x9, Dropset 120x6



06/18/2012-Press

Started week 6 of 6x3, which is actually 6x2 because after week 5 I start doing doubles. My first working set felt pretty easy, though, so I just kept doing triples for this workout. I'll start doubles next week.

Press:
135x10
225x5
325x2
325x3
325x3
325x3
325x3
325x3

Supine Flat DB Press:
75's x 15
100's x 15
125's x 13

Tri-Pushdown:
110x3x10

Dips:
BWx15

After presses my body kind of shut down. My shoulders felt very weak and both of my elbows were starting to hurt pretty bad. I need to keep up with my recovery work if I want the next 4 weeks of this program to go by smoothly.

brentwillisbgw
06-20-12, 9:13 pm
06/19/12-ME Lower

Deadlift w/ deadlift bar:

135x5
225x5
315x5
415x3
515x3
565+40 in chains x 1
565+80 in chains x 1
565+120 in chains x 1
565+160 in chains x 1
565+200 in chains x 1
565+240 in chains x 1
565+280 in chains x 1
565+320 in chains x 1- Had to use straps for this set because my callouses were tearing off, so it was a lot harder than it should have been. I depend a lot on being able to get a breath at the top and tightening everything up before I reach down for the bar. I can't do that when I use straps. Everything up until that rep felt like speed work.

SLDL:
565x5
565x5

brentwillisbgw
06-20-12, 9:28 pm
Looks string bro... When do you start your meet prep?

I'm currently in meet prep. I'll be pulling two weeks on, one week off until the meet.

brentwillisbgw
07-03-12, 9:39 pm
I had a little setback about ten days ago. I was doing a deload squat workout and somehow injured my low back on a 415 squat. I couldn't walk for about three days. After a bunch of icing and some foam rolling/stretching, I was able to get back in the gym yesterday with only a little pain and tightness. I should be back to 100% next week with my deadlift training.

07/02/2012

Due to my back issues, my standing press program will be sidelined for a bit. I'm not too happy about that considering how much success I was having with it, but I think some variety will also be beneficial.

Seated Press:
135x8
225x8
275x5
275x5
275x5
275x5
275x5

Wide-Grip:
225x8
225x9

Incline BB:
135x15
225x10

Dips:
BWx15
+45x10
+90x10, Drop set, BWx4
+90x8, Rest Pause x 1

Barbell Skullcrusher:
135x15
135x15

DB Skullcrushers:
35's x 10
45's x 6

Tri Extension:
90x10x9

Reverse Pec Dec:
165x15
200x15
200x17, Rest Pause x 9



07/03/2012- Back

I wanted to test my low back out and see if it held up. It did.

Cable Rows:
120x15
220x10
300x10
300x10
335x10
335x13
345x14


Hammer Strength Row:
3 plates per side x15
4ppsx15

Wide-Grip Pulldown:
200x15
300x8

DB Rows:
145x15

Cable Upright Rows:
100x15
140x15
140x12, RPx8

Bent Row:
135x20
225x15
275x10
275x12

brentwillisbgw
07-27-12, 1:05 am
07/24/2012-Deadlifts
I don't have the exact numbers, but we did some high volume work with bands and about 50% of our max. The emphasis was on speed off the floor. It was a real kick in the ass.


07/25/2012-Lower accessory

GHR+40 lbs x 10
45° back-extensions x 10
Reverse Hyper- 175x10

I performed these exercises in a circuit and did six circuits. My goal was ten but my lower back started cramping up really bad. Next week.



07/26/2012-Bench

135x10
135x5
225x5
315x5
350x5
370x5
390x7

Wide-Grip:
275x15
275x15
275x12

Barbell Skullcrushers:
135x10
135x12

brentwillisbgw
07-28-12, 4:31 am
I did an assortment of pullups today. All sets until failure until I got to 100. It took me around twelve sets. After that I did some shoulder mobility work and then some standing and seated hammer curls.

brentwillisbgw
08-01-12, 4:08 pm
Last three workouts:

07/28/2012

Front-squat to a really low box:
Bar x 5
135x5
135x5
225x2
315x2
315x2
365x2
365x2
365x2
385x2
405x2
405x2

Hanging leg raises:

5,10,10


07/30/2012

DB Shoulder Press:
55x20
80x15
105x15
125x13
125x15, Dropset 85x13

Shoulder Press Machine:
1 plate-per-side x 15
2 PPS x 15
3 PPS x 15
4 PPS x 10
4 PPS x 6, DS 3 PPS x 10, DS 2 PPS x 16

DB Lateral Raises:
30x15
40x15
50x15
50x15
50x15
50x15, DS 30x10

Behind the Neck Press:
135x15
135x15
135x16



07/31/2012- ME Lower

Block Pulls from 4.5" box w/ Mastodon Bar:
140x5
140x3
250x3
340x3
430x3
520x3
610x3
700x3
720x3
750x3
520x8

Block pulls/rack pulls have always been a pretty big weakness for me. I normally rely on speed to get me through the sticking point midway through my pull. I'm hoping that increasing my strength there as well as increasing my speed will make a big difference in my pull. Time will tell.

Also, pulling with that squat bar was not fun. It had absolutely no bend and it was really thick. I should probably use it more often in the gym.

brentwillisbgw
08-03-12, 3:16 pm
07/02/2012

Bench:

135x6
225x10
315x3
365x3
390x3
410x6

4-Board:
400x5
400x7
450x2

Barbell Tri Extensions:
135x15
135x10
135x10
135x10
135x14

Tri Pushdowns with 3" pipe:
90x15
100x16

Polk17
08-03-12, 4:27 pm
Everythings looks on par in here, feeling good? How many weeks out?

brentwillisbgw
08-05-12, 4:39 pm
Everythings looks on par in here, feeling good? How many weeks out?

I'm about eight weeks out, with about five weeks of heavy training left. I'll go for a heavy single towards the end of August or beginning of September so I can gauge where I'm at.

Polk17
08-05-12, 7:00 pm
I'm about eight weeks out, with about five weeks of heavy training left. I'll go for a heavy single towards the end of August or beginning of September so I can gauge where I'm at.

Awesome, best of luck down the stretch my dude... I am 13 Weeks out today, pretty fucking pumped...

brentwillisbgw
08-07-12, 1:50 am
Awesome, best of luck down the stretch my dude... I am 13 Weeks out today, pretty fucking pumped...

Thanks, Polk, I really appreciate your support. Good luck to you, as well. I hope your training cycle goes well and you stay injury-free!

brentwillisbgw
08-07-12, 1:50 am
08/05/2012- DE Lower

I started out with some oly-style speed squats, but my elbow started acting up really bad, so I switched to some front squats for volume work.

Squats:
135x5,2
225x2
315x2
405x2
405x2
405x2
405x2

Front Squats:
135x5
225x5
315x5
365x5
365x5
365x5
365x5
365x5




08/06/2012-Upper Accessory

Dumbbell Shoulder Press:
55x20
90x15
125x10
145x6
145x7
95x25(not locked out)

Supine Flat-Press:
80x10
105x10
125x17

Flat Barbell Bench:
135x15
225x15
225x16, Drop Set- 135x12
225x18, DS- 135x17

Dips:
BWx10,15,20

DB Lateral Raises:
45x7x12

Polk17
08-07-12, 8:17 am
What do you do your Speed Work with, % wise?

brentwillisbgw
08-07-12, 7:08 pm
What do you do your Speed Work with, % wise?

My speed work lately has been kind of to feel. I'll use a weight that's light enough to still maintain speed.

When I'm being more methodical about my speed work, I'll use 60-70%+some bands or chains.

brentwillisbgw
08-08-12, 2:56 pm
08/07/2012- ME Lower

Worked on my speed tonight for the deadlift. There were two bars set up, each working different parts of the movement. I did three reps on the first bar, and then immediately followed that with three reps on the second bar, for nine sets total.

315+Purple band and monster mini x 3, 4" block pull w/425 x 3
315+Purple band and monster mini x 3, 4" block pull w/425 x 3
315+Purple band and monster mini x 3, 4" block pull w/425 x 3
315+Purple band and monster mini x 3, 4" block pull w/475 x 3
315+Purple band and monster mini x 3, 4" block pull w/475 x 3
315+Purple band and monster mini x 3, 4" block pull w/475 x 3
315+Purple band, green band, and monster mini x 3, 4" block pull w/525 x 3
315+Purple band, green band, and monster mini x 3, 4" block pull w/525 x 3
315+Purple band, green band, and monster mini x 3, 4" block pull w/525 x 3


Reverse Hyper- 140x3x12

brentwillisbgw
08-10-12, 6:23 pm
08/10/2012-Bench

135x10
135x5
225x5
315x5
345x5
390x3
430x4

Top Green Band:
505x5

3-Board:
365x6
365x8
365x7

Rope-Pull Machine:
100 reps, 60 reps

Rope Pushdown:
80x11
90x10

Barbell Skullcrushers:
135x15
185x10

531 has been working really well for my bench. I'm fairly confident that I'll be at 500 before the year is over.

brentwillisbgw
08-15-12, 6:04 am
Deadlifts from tonight:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aUQ8ZddhFs

brentwillisbgw
08-20-12, 10:50 pm
08/16/2012- Bench accessories

Incline DB Press:
45x20
85x15
145x11
145x13
145x15

Barbell Bench:
135x20
135x20
225x17

Shoulder/Tricep isolation work


08/17/2012- Back

Barbell Row:
Bar x 10
135x10
225x10
315x10
405x10
405x12

Straight Bar Cable Row:
220x15
300x15
300x16


08/18/2012

Front Squat:
Bar x 10
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x5
405x5
405x5
405x5
455x2
475x1


08/20/2012-Upper Accessory
Split-Jerk:
Bar x 5
135x5
135x5
225x3
225x3
275x3

Push Press:
275x3
315x1
365x1
385xAlmost passed out
385x1
385x1

Dips:
BWx15,15
+45x10,11,16

Vid of my 385 Push-Press:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXQneINNHr4

brentwillisbgw
08-23-12, 3:51 pm
08/21/2012- ME Lower

Safety-Squat-Bar Box Squat:
Bar x 5
150x5
240x3
330x3
440x3
530x3
550x3
580x3

Heavy ab work



08/22/2012- Lower Accessory

GHR:
BWx 20,20,20,20,20

Reverse Hyper:
140x10, 20

SLDL:
Bar x 25

brentwillisbgw
08-29-12, 1:42 am
Last five workouts:

08/23/2012-Bench

Bar x 20
135x10
225x10
315x5
355x5
375x5
395x7

Wide-Grip:
225x15
225x15
225x15
225x15

Tricep stuff


08/24/2012- Back

BW Pullups: 10,11,9,10,10,10,8,7

V-Grip Pulldowns:
140x15
220x15

Wide-Grip Pulldowns:
220x16
260x15, rest pause 260x8


08/25/2012- Squats

Box-Squat w/ Buffalo Bar:
Bar x 5
140x5
250x5
340x5
390x5
430x5
480x5
540x4
590x2

Romanian Deadlift:
250x10
340x10
430x10
430x10


08/27/2012- Upper

I didn't have a lot of time today, but I managed to work up to a heavy weight and get some rep PR's.

Bar x 5
135x5
135x5
225x3
225x3
315x3
365x3-Rep PR
365x3
365x3
315x1+ 15 second hold at lockout

I've got my last heavy deadlift workout next Tuesday, so I won't be doing OHP's next Monday. The following Monday will be the last time before the Olympia that I'll go for anything heavy overhead, and that's when I'll go for 405.

08/28/2012- ME Lower

Cambered-Bar Box-Squats:
Bar x 5
150x5
240x5
330x5
420x5
470x5
510x3
560x3

Reverse-Hyper:
140x10,10,10,10

brentwillisbgw
08-30-12, 8:47 pm
08/29/2012-Ab Stuff

Weighted decline situps:
BWx10
45x10
45x10
90x5
90x5
90x5

Ab Roller:
BWx10,10,10,10

brentwillisbgw
09-03-12, 5:24 pm
08/30/2012- Bench

Bar x 20
135x5
225x3
315x3
370x3
395x3
415x5

Bench w/ mini-band suspended KB's:
355x3+15lb KB's
355x3+25lb KB's
355x3+25lb KB's

Barbell Skullcrusher:
135x10
185x10
185x12

Triceps Ext:
90x10
90x10

brentwillisbgw
09-04-12, 3:41 pm
09/03/2012- Upper Accessory

Wide-Grip Bench:
Bar x 20
135x20
225x15
275x15
275x15
295x10

Dips:
BWx10,10,10
+45x10

1-Arm Rope Tri Pushdowns:
80x10,10

Supine DB Press:
90's x 15
120's x 10

Tri Pushdown:
100x8x10

PLANETGETLOW
09-04-12, 3:42 pm
Damn Brent, where aren't you!! You're in my dreams so you can't say that!! :D

brentwillisbgw
09-04-12, 6:24 pm
Damn Brent, where aren't you!! You're in my dreams so you can't say that!! :D

Oh PGL<3


I'm hoping that if I whore myself out across the interwebs enough I can eventually pick up a sponsorship. And yes, that includes whoring myself out in your dreams.

brentwillisbgw
09-20-12, 3:13 pm
805x2 deadlift from a couple weeks ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7WP2MHiSE8

brentwillisbgw
09-20-12, 3:14 pm
Last night's workout

Still feeling a little sick. My goal for this workout was just to get a little volume in.

Buffalo Bar Goodmornings:
Bar x 20
Bar x 20
+Large green bands from the floor
Bar x 10
+Black mini bands from the bar horizontally to the back of the rack
Bar x 10
100x10
140x10
140x10
140x10
140x10
140x10

Reverse Hyper:
175x5x10

Polk17
09-30-12, 6:13 pm
Saw your Pull vid on YouTube, damn... Impressive...

brentwillisbgw
10-02-12, 2:43 pm
Saw your Pull vid on YouTube, damn... Impressive...

Thanks!!

brentwillisbgw
10-02-12, 2:44 pm
All things considered, I had a pretty successful meet. I had a couple injures during my training cycle, and I was sick the week before competition, but everything seemed to fall in place right when I needed it to.

I weighed in at 312 the day before the meet. I wanted to be a little heavier, but I had a hard time eating the week before the meet.

My opener was 771, and it didn't feel too great. I thought it felt slow and awkward, but looking back at the video it moved pretty fast. I tore two callouses on my opener, but they weren't too bad. Because of how bad the 771 felt, I was hesitant to move on to my planned second of 854, but I didn't want to settle with a lower number. As you can tell by the video, 854 was a struggle, especially the lockout, but it went up. It also completely tore my hand open, which didn't really matter because I had nothing left in the tank anyway.

I definitely need some work on my lockout. I have been pulling with a rounded upper back lately because it helps my speed off of the floor, but I feel like it's hurting my lockout. I'd be willing to sacrifice some of my speed for a better lockout if keeping my upper back straight does in fact help my lockout. Any thoughts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBy_KlQ8Ag8

brentwillisbgw
10-03-12, 1:31 am
10/02/2012- ME Lower

Pause Squats w/ Buffalo Bar(3 second pause on each rep):
Bar x 5
140x5
140x5
230x5
320x5
410x5
410x5

Ham curls:
110x15
120x15
130x15
140x15
150x15, drop set 125x10

45 degree back extensions:
BWx10,10,10

GHR:
BWx10,10

brentwillisbgw
10-12-12, 4:48 pm
Last week of training:

10/07/2012- Squats

Bar x 5
145x5
145x5
235x5
325x3
455x2
455x2
455x2
455x2
545x1
+knee wraps
635x3
Knee wraps off
545x5

45 degree back raise:
BWx 10
+25x10
+25x10
+25x10
+25x10



10/08/2012- Upper Accessory

Wide-Grip Bench Press:
Bar x 15
135x15
225x15
315x10
315x10
315x10
315x10
315x10, DS, 225x7

BB Skull-crushers:
135x15
185x15
185x15
185x13
185x12, DS, 135x10

Pec-dec:
100x15
155x15
155x15
155x15




10/09/2012- ME Lower

Pause Deaflifts:
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x3
495x3
585x3
705x1

Sumo Deadlifts:
315x2
365x2
365x2
365x2
455x2
455x2
455x2
495x2
495x2
565x2
565x2
615x2
615x2




10/11/2012- ME Bench

Bar x 15
135x5
135x10
225x5
315x5
370x5
415x3
455x5- PR

Circuit of tri pushdowns, DB tri extensions, and BB skullcrushers


I hope that the 425x7 I did last week and the 455x5 from this week translate to a 500 bench at my meet next month. I've been within 50 lbs of 500 for the last three years, it would be nice to get past that barrier. I think it's just a mental thing anymore.

brentwillisbgw
10-30-12, 12:18 am
Training has been alright lately. I had a little issue with my quad that caused me to only do push-pull at the meet this weekend, but other than that I feel great. I'm pretty confident that I can get a 500 bench and hopefully I can pull something similar to what I did at the Olympia. More than anything I'm looking forward to meeting and lifting with some of the best raw lifters in the world. It should be a great learning experience. I've never been this excited for a meet.

brentwillisbgw
11-20-12, 6:05 pm
I'm starting Brandon Lilly's CUBE METHOD this week. I'm really looking forward to it. The programming looks really effective, and it's about as far from boring as a program could get. I'm definitely going to be challenged. Yesterday was the accessory day, which I kept fairly similar to my usual accessory days.

Military Press:
Bar x 30
135x15
225x5
255x8
255x8
255x8

Single Arm Rope Tri Pushdowns:
70x15
80x15
80x20

JM/Skullcrusher Hybrid:
135x16
135x15
135x17

Wide-Grip Bench:
135x10
135x10
135x18
135x15

Universal Rep
11-30-12, 1:05 pm
Training has been alright lately. I had a little issue with my quad that caused me to only do push-pull at the meet this weekend, but other than that I feel great. I'm pretty confident that I can get a 500 bench and hopefully I can pull something similar to what I did at the Olympia. More than anything I'm looking forward to meeting and lifting with some of the best raw lifters in the world. It should be a great learning experience. I've never been this excited for a meet.

Lookin for a little motivation brotha?

brentwillisbgw
12-05-12, 1:14 am
Lookin for a little motivation brotha?

Man it's been hard these last few weeks. You guys are all the motivation I need, though.

brentwillisbgw
12-05-12, 1:14 am
Life has gotten in the way of lifting lately. I haven't had a real workout in 12 days, which hasn't happened to me in eight years of lifting. This further solidifies my decision to never have children.

Today was the speed deadlift workout from week 2 of the CUBE program. All of the volume really went over well with my poorly conditioned body lol.

Deadlift W/ Double Mini Bands:
135x5
225x5
315x3
385x10x1

Snatch-Grip Deadlift from 4" Blocks:
425x20
**** me

SSB Squats:
155x5
245x5
335x8
335x8
335x8

BB Shrugs:
405x3x12

Back Raises:
BWx50

Lat Pulldowns:
240x3x12

Polk17
12-05-12, 9:02 am
Are you using a % for those SSB Squats, or just a manageable weight?

T o m m Y
12-05-12, 9:28 am
Another one doing the cube!
Looking good man..

Aggression
12-05-12, 9:29 am
What's this CUBE Method all about?

GUNZ
12-05-12, 10:18 am
Hey guys, I'm Brent and I am a 22 year-old powerlifter and aspiring strongman from Bakersfield, Ca. I have been powerlifting for almost two years. The majority of my training before I started powerlifting consisted of bodybuilding so that I could put on weight for wrestling season. I have previously competed in the 308 lb weight class, but I have recently made the move to SHW because I am having problems staying under 308.

Last March I went 705/463/832 for a 2000 lb raw total. At this year's Olympia I deadlifted 843 lbs in a single-ply suit. My next competition will be the LA FitExpo in January. My goal is an 850+ raw deadlift. I am also planning on doing my first strongman competition in the summer of 2012.

Although I am a powerlifter, maintaining my physique has always been a priority of mine. I keep my diet very strict and I include many bodybuilding exercises with my powerlifting and strongman routines. I absolutely love working out and find myself in the gym 6-7 days a week, so I am able to include many different types of exercises and workouts into my training schedule.

I look forward to becoming part of this community, it looks like I have the opportunity to learn a lot here.

Sick numbers bro, I just signed with Animal few months back and im also a full power lifter but preping for LA Fit Expo bench only!! Ill be checking out your training in here, always good to see what other powerlifters are doing for training. So look forward to meeting another Animal at fit expo, see ya soon bro.

brentwillisbgw
12-05-12, 1:48 pm
Are you using a % for those SSB Squats, or just a manageable weight?

The program said to use a weight that is 3-4 reps shy of failure.


Another one doing the cube!
Looking good man..

Thanks! I'm extremely excited to see where this program can take me.


What's this CUBE Method all about?

It was created by Brandon Lilly. It focuses on max effort, speed, and rep work for each lift. He's running test groups right now and as far as I can tell everyone has been making massive PR's across the board. He's coming out with a book and making the program public this month.


Sick numbers bro, I just signed with Animal few months back and im also a full power lifter but preping for LA Fit Expo bench only!! Ill be checking out your training in here, always good to see what other powerlifters are doing for training. So look forward to meeting another Animal at fit expo, see ya soon bro.

Thanks! It will be great to meet you and the rest of the guys at the Arnold. Good luck with your training, too. I did the FitExpo last year. It was a blast and Steve puts on really great meets.

Polk17
12-05-12, 9:40 pm
The program said to use a weight that is 3-4 reps shy of failure.

Ya, I'm on Cube too, that's kinda what I'm doing, just hard to gauge with some movements I'm not used to like Oly or SSB Squats. Congrats on the Sponsorship, you definitely deserve it.

brentwillisbgw
12-06-12, 6:35 pm
Ya, I'm on Cube too, that's kinda what I'm doing, just hard to gauge with some movements I'm not used to like Oly or SSB Squats. Congrats on the Sponsorship, you definitely deserve it.

I'm sure that the longer we run this program the easier it will be to figure out what our accessory weights should be. And thank you, I really lucked out with these guys.

Polk17
12-06-12, 9:19 pm
I'm sure that the longer we run this program the easier it will be to figure out what our accessory weights should be. And thank you, I really lucked out with these guys.

Ya man, I like it. Just did week 5 Squats, I have no Leg Press, so I did Fronts instead, 12 Working Squat Sets, brutal. No way I ain't getting stronger.

brentwillisbgw
12-07-12, 2:39 pm
CUBE Week 2 Bench-Reps

Incline Press:
135x10
225x5
315x3
395x3
395x3
395x3
395x3
395x3

DB Incline Press:
90x2x20

CG Bench Press:
275x12
245x12
245x12

Band Fly:
3x15

Band Pressdown x 100

brentwillisbgw
12-08-12, 2:39 pm
CUBE Week 2 Squat- Max

Squat:
140x5
230x5
320x5
410x3
500x2
540x2
590x2
630x1
650x1
540x4

GM's:
365x3x12

Front squat:
365x3x5

Reverse Hyper:
210x3x12

Back Raises:
BWx60

brentwillisbgw
12-12-12, 12:47 am
12/10/2012- Accessory

BTN Press:
Bar x 15
135x10
225x5
265x8
265x8
265x8

Wide-Grip Bench Press:
135x15
135x15
135x20

Cuban Press:
Bar x 10
Bar x 10
Bar x 10
Bar x 10

Tricep Pushdowns:
60x50



12/11/2012- CUBE Week 3 Deadlift- Max

Block pulls have always been a big weakness for me, but I hit two PR's tonight, so I guess it was a success.

4" Block Pull:
135x10
225x8
335x5
425x3
515x1
605x1
695x1
785x1- PR
835x1-PR

Stiff-Legged Sumo-Pulls:
555x6
555x6

BB Rows:
335x10
335x10
335x10

Shrugs:
335x20
335x20

brentwillisbgw
12-19-12, 10:41 am
12/13/2012- CUBE Week 3 Bench- Speed
Floor Press:
135x10
135x5
225x5
315x5
365x5
365x5
365x5
365x5
365x5

Band Pushdown x100

Standing DB Press:
105x10
105x10
105x10

Band Flys 3x15



12/15/2012-CUBE Week 3 Squat- Reps
Squat:
140x5
230x5
320x5
410x3
500x3
525x3
525x3
525x3
525x3
525x3

Wide-Stance GM's-
320x8
320x8
320x8

Lunges:
W/ 40 lb dumbbells- 3x15

Oly Squats:
140x50

That set of 50 got my legs more sore than they have ever been. More sore than after the first day of wrestling practice, which was pretty brutal.



12/18/2012- Accessory

I was doing 3x8 on BTN presses and making 10 lb jumps each week. It worked for 4 weeks but I missed a couple reps last week, so I dropped the weight this week and switched to 3x12's. I'll run that until I fail a set. Once I do, that will be my starting weight when I switch back to 3x8's. That's the plan at least.

BTN Press:
135x10
135x8
225x12
225x12
225x12

Cuban Press:
45x10,10,10

Tricep Pushdowns:

75x50
75x50

A few sets of curls

30 minutes of stretching and mobility work

Aggression
12-19-12, 11:23 am
How far down do you go when doing good mornings? Are you taking upper back parallel to the ground? Or more like a 45 degree angle with your back/legs?

brentwillisbgw
12-28-12, 2:58 am
I've been slacking with my log lately because I've been pretty sick(again). I work at an elementary school so winters can be pretty hard on my immune system.

I did the deadlift workout from week 4 last Tuesday, but then had to take the following 7 days off to recover from whatever type of bug I had. This week I replaced the deadlift workout with some front squats and then I'll finish week 4.


I hope you all had a happy holiday btw

12/26/2012

Front Squat:
Bar x 5, 5
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x5
365x5
405x5
455x1 w/ 5 second pause
475x1 w/ 5 second pause
495x1 w/ 5 second pause
515x1 w/ 5 second pause

GHR w/ knees on pad:
BW x 5,5,5




12/27/2012- CUBE Week 4 Bench- Max

Today was max bench work off of a 2-board. I'm rather weak at boards and that's reflected by the many missed reps in this workout. And the lower weight. But I imagine that when my strength off boards goes up so will my bench.

2-Board Bench:
Bar x 30
135x10
225x10
315x5
365x5
405x3
455x3
495x1- Was supposed to get 2-3 reps at a higher percentage.

3-Board Bench:
365x12
365x9
365x4 LOL
- was supposed to get 12-15 reps at a higher percentage.

Tri Pushdowns:
80x15
90x15
100x15
110x15

DB Military Press:
115x10
115x10
115x10

Barbell Shrugs:
315x15
315x15
315x20
315x20

Aggression
12-28-12, 8:56 am
Seems like everyone is coming down with something; cold, flu, etc. Everyone around me has been dropping like flies.

brentwillisbgw
12-28-12, 1:08 pm
Seems like everyone is coming down with something; cold, flu, etc. Everyone around me has been dropping like flies.

Yeah it's been really bad here, as well. Most of the people I work with are either sick or just recovering from being sick.

brentwillisbgw
12-28-12, 11:57 pm
12/28/2012

BW Pullups:
8 sets of 10 with varying grips

Wide-Grip Pulldowns:
250x10
270x10
290x10

brentwillisbgw
01-01-13, 4:17 pm
12/29/2012- CUBE Squat Week 4- Speed
Squat:
140x8
140x5
230x5
320x3
410x2
500x2
560x2
560x2
560x2
560x2
560x2
630x1

Oly Squats w/ Pause in the Hole:
370x5
370x5
370x5
370x5
370x5

Leg Press:
670x15
670x15
670x15
670x15

Circuit of light GM's and Reverse Hypers

brentwillisbgw
01-01-13, 4:46 pm
How far down do you go when doing good mornings? Are you taking upper back parallel to the ground? Or more like a 45 degree angle with your back/legs?

Somehow I missed this... Sorry about that.


I don't do goodmornings very much anymore except as a lighter accessory exercise. I used to do them as an ME movement, with the bar at or below my belly button and suspended from chains.

Now when I do them I just take them down as far as my body will let me.

brentwillisbgw
01-01-13, 4:59 pm
12/31/2012- Accessory

BTN Press:
Bar x 10
135x10
235x12
235x12
235x12

Did a pretty intense circuit of triceps/delts/moderate chest work for an hour. Too many weights and drop sets to write down.

brentwillisbgw
01-03-13, 1:20 am
01/01/2013- CUBE Week 5 Deadlift- Speed

This was a terribly difficult workout. I was still extremely sore from Saturday's workout, didn't have my belt with me, and pulled on a sh*tty bar with no flex and next to no knurling because I had to work out at a commercial gym. It was not fun.

Deadlift:
135x5
135x5
225x5
245x3
335x3
425x3
515x3
605x1
605x1
605x1
605x1
605x1
605x1
605x1
605x1

2" Block Pull with Sumo Grip:
385x20

Oly Squat:
245x6
245x6
245x6
245x6
245x6

Back Raises:
3 sets of 20

Lat Pulldowns:
255x15
255x15
255x15
255x15

brentwillisbgw
01-08-13, 1:34 am
01/03/2013- CUBE Weeks 5 Bench- Reps

Bench:
Bar x 15
135x15
225x10
315x5
405x3
455x3
455x3
470x3

BTN Press:
245x10
245x10
245x10
135x30
135x30

Tri Pushdowns:
40x100

Lateral Raises:
10x100



01/05/2013- CUBE Week 5 Squat- Max

Squat:
Bar x 10
140x10
230x10
320x5
410x5
500x3
560x1
610x1
650x1- Got out of my groove so this ended up being a lot slower and harder than it should have been, so I did it again.
650x1
685x2- In wraps. Felt pretty easy. The 2nd rep was unnecessarily deep. I was happy about that.
340x12
340x12
340x12

Leg Press:
760x20
760x20
760x20

PLANETGETLOW
01-08-13, 3:19 pm
Hey maggot!! I was in Bakersfield during Thanksgiving and you were nowhere to be found. I was going to see if that beard was real!!

brentwillisbgw
01-18-13, 1:50 am
Hey maggot!! I was in Bakersfield during Thanksgiving and you were nowhere to be found. I was going to see if that beard was real!!

Damn!! I'll pm you my number so you can hit me up when you're in town. I had the flu anyway during Thanksgiving so I guess you didn't really miss out lol. I hope everything is going well on your end buddy. You going to the Arnold?

brentwillisbgw
01-18-13, 1:52 am
It's been a hard and heavy week



01/14/2013- Upper

This was my first press workout in about 4 months. Despite a loss in flexibility, I think I've held on to most of my strength.

Press:
135x10
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x5
315x5

Push Press:
335x2- I'm not yet flexible enough to rest the bar across my upper chest at the bottom of the press, so getting a good push at the beginning was difficult.

Press:
315x3
275x8
275x8

Snatch Press:
135x10
185x10
185x10

Practiced snatch technique with an empty bar for a bit

1-Arm Rope Pushdowns:
70x10 per arm
75x10
80x10
90x10
100x10
110x10

Standing DB Press:
85x10
110x8

Tri Pushdowns
75x50




01/15/2013- CUBE Week 7 Deadlift- Reps

135x8
225x6
335x4
425x3
515x3
605x3
685x3
685x3
685x3
685x3
685x3
685x3

Snatch-Grip 4" Block Pulls:
455x15
455x15

Paused Oly Squats:
135x8
225x8
315x8
315x8

Back Raises:
BWx20
BWx20
BWx20




01/17/2013- CUBE Week 7 Bench- Max

1-Board Bench:
Bar x 10
135x10
225x5
315x5
405x2
445x2
470x1
500x1

Close-Grip Bench(index fingers on the smooth part of the bar):
405x3
405x3
405x3

Shrugs:
315x20
405x25
405x25
405x25
405x25

Universal Rep
01-23-13, 12:36 pm
Anyone headed to the Columbus, watch BW lift... http://forum.animalpak.com/showthread.php?40178-BRENT-WILLIS-quot-Fear-the-Beard-Deadlifting-825-x-2-quot

PLANETGETLOW
01-23-13, 1:08 pm
Damn!! I'll pm you my number so you can hit me up when you're in town. I had the flu anyway during Thanksgiving so I guess you didn't really miss out lol. I hope everything is going well on your end buddy. You going to the Arnold?

Damn that sucks.....

Life is always good bro. Tell your brother I say Hi as well and I'll be out there again this year.

brentwillisbgw
01-28-13, 1:41 am
Damn that sucks.....

Life is always good bro. Tell your brother I say Hi as well and I'll be out there again this year.

That's good to hear, man. Cam says hi and that you need to get on the xbox so you can get pwnd some more.

I look forward to seeing you bro.

brentwillisbgw
01-28-13, 1:42 am
I’ve been sick for most of this last week. It’s been some kind of stomach bug, but I think it’s gone now. I did, however, get in several highly effective workouts early in the week. Monday was a speed deadlift day. I did 555 w/200 lbs of bands for 8 singles and then 640x2x8 on snatch-grip deadlits off a 4’ block. That was all followed by some heavy lat work.
Tuesday was a lot of heavy and high-rep dumbbell work. I’ve realized that I’ve cut my dumbbell work down to practically nothing lately. I’ve been experiencing a large degree of bicep tendonitis these last couple months, so the added stabilizer strength gained from DB work will be beneficial.
This should be a big week for me, though. Tuesday will be a max deadlift off a 1” block, and Saturday will be a max-squat, which I haven’t done in a long time. Around 13 months I’m ashamed to say. Video’s will be posted of both.

brentwillisbgw
01-29-13, 1:21 am
Training went really well today. All of the weights felt really smooth and manageable, and I got in a considerable amount of volume.

Snatch Press:
Bar x 10
135x10,10
185x8,5,5,5
205x5,5,5,5,5
225x5,4,4
135x10

BW Dips:
10,15,15,15,15,10,10

Triceps:
I couldn't really log this part of the workout. I did 5 really long sets on the tricep pushdown machine. I've never really been a fan of working triceps on machines, but there is an old cable machine at the commercial gym I go to that I absolutely love. For some reason, whether it be the angle of the cable or type of bar I use, I'm able to almost exactly mimic the stretch feeling I get in my triceps at the bottom of a bench. And it's weight stack is extremely heavy, so I never run out of weight. Anyway, I did 5 sets, each one filled with several drop sets and rest pauses. It was pretty brutal.

brentwillisbgw
02-06-13, 12:39 am
Maxing out my squat and dead did not go as smoothly as I had planned last week. My weight is still 10-12 lbs under where I was a month ago due to being sick, and that kind of slowed me down a bit. On Tuesday I pulled a steady 805 off a .75” block, and then horribly missed 845 on my next attempt. I felt great going into the workout, and my warmups felt better than they probably ever have, but once I got past 700 things got really heavy and really slow. My squat was much of the same. I got up to 700 lbs, and it went up without too much of a struggle, but it left nothing in the tank.

I’m absolutely sure that me being sick is responsible for my poor performance, and I’m confident that I won’t be nearly as pathetic at the Arnold or the state meet next month. And if I’m wrong I’ll probably just go ahead and off myself since that’s what I felt like doing after majorly fukking up last week. In hindsight I have the gift of perspective, but during the moment I really do hate myself for doing poorly in the gym. I guess it would be a bad thing if I didn’t.

Also, I had a minor pec strain last Thursday during my bench workout, doing close-grip(my competition grip) bench press to a 2-board of all things. It’s healing up nicely, though, and I should be back to full speed by next week.

Here is last Fridays workout, as well as yesterdays and todays:
02/01/2013- Presses
Snatch Press:
135x10
135x10
185x5
185x5
205x5
205x5
205x5
205x5
205x5
225x5
225x4
225x4
135x10
135x10

Dips:
BWx10,10,10,15,15,15,15

After that I did a pretty long isolation workout for my triceps with a ton of drop sets and rest pauses.





02/04/2013-Presses
Bar x 15
135x8
135x8
225x6
275x5
315x4
335x1
335x2
335x2
345x1
345x1

Partial Pause Press- I set the bar on pins level with my nose. I then lift the bar 3-5” and pause for a second, then lock it out. I was really weak at these so I will definitely be doing them more.
135x5
135x5
225x5
275x3
245x3
245x5
245x3
245x3
225x5






02/05/2013-Deadlifts

18” Rack Pulls w/ Mastodon Bar-Every rep was from a dead stop:
145x10
255x5
345x5
455x5
545x5
635x5
725x5
775x3
545x8

Shrugs:
455x10
455x12
455x15

Pulldowns w/ v-grip:
200x15
250x15
300x12
300x15
300x8
300x8- drop set- 250x8- 150x9

brentwillisbgw
02-07-13, 1:45 am
Today was supposed to be an off day as I had a miserable time sleeping last night, but I felt guilty for not getting any squats in during my deadlift workout, so I made myself get in there and do something. I've offset my lack of sleep with the tremendous amount of food I ate today and yesterday. I'm actually pretty impressed with myself.

Pause ATG Oly Squats:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x5
495x5
545x2
585x2

Messed around with split squats for a while. I suck at them.

One-legged leg press:
4 plates per side x 10
5 PPSx10
6 PPSx10
6 PPSx11

HIGA MONSTER
02-07-13, 9:46 am
Looking forward to meeting you in Ohio man.

See you soon!
HIGA MONSTER

brentwillisbgw
02-07-13, 11:51 pm
Looking forward to meeting you in Ohio man.

See you soon!
HIGA MONSTER

As am I, friend! I hope you have a safe trip and I'll see you soon!

brentwillisbgw
02-07-13, 11:58 pm
Today was supposed to be a lighter workout because my shoulders are beat the fuck up. It didn't quite pan out like that, though.

Jerk:
Bar x 5
135x2
135x4
225x2
225x2
275x2
315x1
315x1- Pressed this one a bit

Push-Press:
315x1
315x2

325x1
325x2
325x3
325x4
325x5
325x4
325x3
325x2
325x1

Aggression
02-08-13, 9:15 am
I’ve been sick for most of this last week. It’s been some kind of stomach bug, but I think it’s gone now.

I think every single person I know has succumbed to an illness over the last month or so. Everyone was dropping like flies. Glad to see you've pretty much kicked it at this point and gaining some weight back. Looking forward to meeting you in a few weeks, my man.

brentwillisbgw
02-13-13, 3:38 am
I think every single person I know has succumbed to an illness over the last month or so. Everyone was dropping like flies. Glad to see you've pretty much kicked it at this point and gaining some weight back. Looking forward to meeting you in a few weeks, my man.

Man it's been bad lately. I'm hoping this is the last of it.

I'm looking forward to meeting you, as well. Have a safe trip bro.

brentwillisbgw
02-13-13, 3:39 am
01/11/2013- Presses

Today wasn't an ideal workout. I was out of town most of the day helping a friend move. I didn't eat much and I killed my back carrying a bunch of furniture. I didn't get in town until 10:00 pm and didn't finish my workout until 1:00 am. I was actually feeling pretty good and the weights felt oddly light, but then I think I came down from my meth-level stim high. I stated feeling really sluggish and got a terrible headache. So I called it after the presses.

Seated Press:
135x10
225x5
275x3
315x3
315x3
325x3
325x3
330x3
330x3
335x2
335x3
335x3
335x3

brentwillisbgw
03-21-13, 1:32 am
Went 722/501/804 this last weekend at the Ca USPA state meet. I only ended up going 6/9. My third squat attempt of 755 I lost out of the hole, my 518 bench got stuck halfway, and I didn't take a third pull because of a weird pain I was having in my lower back. Which was unfortunate because I felt like I had a big pull in me that day.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJN_3ogMmoY

Monday:
Presses
Went no belt or wraps on presses today and moved my grip out about 3.5". It was a little unstable feeling, but I was able to tie my rep PR at 315 with no supportive equipment my first day, which was 2 days after a full meet. I think it's worth playing around with a bit.

135x5
135x5
225x5
225x5
275x5
285x5
295x5
305x5
315x5


Tuesday:
BW Pullups:
10,10,10,10,10, 10

5 sets of really heavy pulldowns with some drop sets and rest pauses thrown in.


Oh, and I also started carb-cycling today to drop some of the weight that I gained on my cinnamon-roll meet prep diet.

smoothballer
03-21-13, 8:08 am
Sorry to hear about the back pains Brent. It was a great meet nonetheless.

Cinnamon Rolls....oh man

brentwillisbgw
03-21-13, 2:58 pm
Sorry to hear about the back pains Brent. It was a great meet nonetheless.

Cinnamon Rolls....oh man

Thanks! It's feeling better now, just kinda sore.

Lol they're my weakness! I'll still strategically implement them in my re-feed days, though. For anabolic purposes.

Aggression
03-21-13, 3:03 pm
Those black Vans look great on me, bro. Thanks.

EDIT: Also, nice job on your meet man. I know you missed your higher attempts, but damn those successful ones looked like warmups.

smoothballer
03-21-13, 3:14 pm
Thanks! It's feeling better now, just kinda sore.

Lol they're my weakness! I'll still strategically implement them in my re-feed days, though. For anabolic purposes.

Only if it is for anabolic purposes...haha

BigChrisF
03-21-13, 4:43 pm
6/9 is still an alright day in my book. You still managed to put together a 2000+ lb total and the lifts looked damn easy!

brentwillisbgw
03-23-13, 2:47 pm
Those black Vans look great on me, bro. Thanks.

EDIT: Also, nice job on your meet man. I know you missed your higher attempts, but damn those successful ones looked like warmups.

Lmao you're welcome!

Thanks man. I think once I fix a couple technique and training issues I should be able to put together something nice.


Only if it is for anabolic purposes...haha

Of course brah.


6/9 is still an alright day in my book. You still managed to put together a 2000+ lb total and the lifts looked damn easy!

Thanks a lot, Chris. It was my first full meet in 2 years, so I can't be too upset about it.



Thursday:

Press:
135x10
135x10
225x1
315x1
315x2
315x3
315x4
315x5
315x4
315x3
315x2
315x1

Had to stop right here. I wanted to get in some snatch presses and direct trap work, but my elbows and shoulders are really beat up from squats last Saturday. I was in a lot of pain.

tomysaw
03-23-13, 3:28 pm
Damn good work Brent!

brentwillisbgw
03-24-13, 2:14 pm
Damn good work Brent!

Thank you!!

brentwillisbgw
03-28-13, 1:39 am
03/23/2012

Front Squats:

My last few front squat workouts have felt off, so today I decided to do a bunch of paused singles around 80% and just work on form. I have a problem with losing back and core tightness out of the hole, so I paused my work sets during this workout. I was pausing each rep for 5 seconds, which I found out is a lot longer when I had my friend time me than when I counted in my head at the bottom of each rep, so after my first single at 315 I had each pause timed.
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x1
315x1
365x1
405x1
405x1
405x1
405x1
405x1
405x1
435x1
435x1
435x miss

Front-Squat partials from the rack- the bar was about 3” above parallel for me:
315x1
315x1
365x1
365x1
This was my first time doing this exercise. I got the idea from Jamie Lewis’ blog. They were pretty damn hard, or maybe I’m just really weak at them. Either way I’ll be throwing them in more often.



03/25/2012

Tendonitis was still pretty bad, but I ignored it and pushed as long as I could, which as it turns out really isn’t long.

Push Press:
135x5
135x5
225x5
225x5
315x1
365x1
385x1- This tied my PR, but it was a real grinder. I can’t fully bend my left arm right now, which means I can’t get the bar down to my chest, and that prevents me from having a stable base to push the bar with. My arm was done though. I could barely move it the rest of the night.




03/26/2012

Front Squat:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x3
405x2
455x2
500x2- PR, and it felt like a speed set. I think I’ll go for 550+ this weekend.

Oly Squat:
405x5
405x5
455x5
495x5
565x3


4 sets of 20 with 800 on leg press

BigChrisF
03-28-13, 3:19 am
I agree. A 5 second pause at the bottom of a squat is a lot longer than you think it's gonna be. Even with a relatively light weight.

brentwillisbgw
04-09-13, 1:47 am
I agree. A 5 second pause at the bottom of a squat is a lot longer than you think it's gonna be. Even with a relatively light weight.

The last rep at 435 that I failed, I was at the bottom for what felt like well over 5 seconds. I figured my friend wasn't paying attention, so I came up and then I lost it about halfway. I had been in the hole for about 2 seconds lol.

brentwillisbgw
04-09-13, 1:47 am
My workouts lately have been pretty chaotic, and it would have been pointless to log the weights, sets, and reps because they were mostly hypertrophy-based and included a lot of drop-sets and rest-pauses. I like giving my body a rest after meets when I get the chance, and switching from a powerlifting program to a bodybuilding one gives me that opportunity. I will be starting some type of powerlifting this week, though, or at least attempting to. I pinched a nerve last week literally watching water boil and it’s still giving me a little pain.

Still carb cycling, and probably will be for the next month or two. Diet consists of a lot of meat, sauerkraut, brussel sprouts, eggs, and a ridiculous amount of healthy fats, with a couple refeeds a week. I discovered the magic of black coffee with coconut oil. Aside from the health benefits, it’s absolutely delicious. My weight is down to about 310 right now, which is down about 10-12 lbs from where I was at before my meet. My only real goal is to get my hourglass figure back, or at least some of my abs. I don’t really care what weight class I compete in, so my actual weight is of no importance for me.

Ordered a camera and gorilla pod, so expect some videos!


Today’s workout:
Seated BTN Press:
135x10
135x10
225x10
315x3
315x3
315x3
315x3
315x3
275x5
225x8
225x8

DB Shoulder Press:
125x15
125x10+10 partials

DB Lateral Raises:
40 lb DB’s for 7 sets of 11, 45 seconds rest between each set.

Reverse Pec Dec:
5 sets, didn’t write down weight.

MAB
04-20-13, 8:41 am
My workouts lately have been pretty chaotic...

My only real goal is to get my hourglass figure back, or at least some of my abs. I don’t really care what weight class I compete in, so my actual weight is of no importance for me.


"Great change is often preceded by great chaos."

Gearin up for bikini season, are ya? Gotta get your beach body on? LoL that absolutely made my day :)

brentwillisbgw
04-25-13, 1:13 am
"Great change is often preceded by great chaos."

Gearin up for bikini season, are ya? Gotta get your beach body on? LoL that absolutely made my day :)

I'm glad some bears made their way to my training log!

brentwillisbgw
04-25-13, 1:13 am
The last ten days or so have been rather eventful, lifting-wise. I didn’t log my workouts because I seem to have misplaced my diary, so I’ll just do a run-down of each day.

A week prior to this last Sunday(the 14th?) I was fortunate enough to train with pro strongman and teammate Patrick Raquet. He was in LA working with a client, and drove up to Bakersfield on Sunday to train. We started out with some presses and then moved on to two exercises that I had never done before; the overhead squat and the dumbbell snatch. Both of them kicked my ass, and left me with a unique soreness the next day.

He came over to my family’s house after for a barbecue and I got the chance to pick his brain on training for strongman and powerlifting. I don’t yet have any strongman implements, aside from a 400 lb Atlas stone lol, so we just discussed each event and the problems that I foresaw running into, as well as a lot of tips and tricks that he had because of his extensive experience.

Patrick is a big fan of explosive movements like box jumps and squat jumps and the snatches we did earlier in the day, among others. These are exercises that I used to do several times a week, but have progressively gotten away from them as I made my way to powerlifting. I’ve become less flexible and mobile, and lost some explosiveness, in part due to the abandonment of those movements. It can’t hurt to start throwing them in again.



Last Tuesday I did some cambered-bar squats with roughly 150-200 lbs of band tension. I worked my way up to three triples with 565 on the bar. This was my first time doing heavy back-squats since my meet and they felt really good.


I started 531 for my bench two weeks ago, and last week was week 2. My last working set was 435x3 with the third rep paused. The last time I ran this program I used 90% of my max and over a 6 month period I gained 50 lbs on my bench. Even if I only get half of the gains that I did last time, that should leave me with something close to 550. Which would be awesome.


Last Saturday I front-squatted and got a PR double at 545-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUf2TlY_zSw

I went for 585 after that set and didn’t get set up right and ended up injuring my back. I was unable to get a breath with the bar on my shoulders so I had no tightness going down. It was just a slight pinch at first, but I couldn’t walk at all Sunday or Monday, with Tuesday not being much better. Today it’s improved pretty dramatically. I can walk upright and without my hip sticking out to the left lol. I take this incident as an exclamation mark on the semi-epiphany I had the Sunday beforehand that I need to be less of a inflexible fatass.

brentwillisbgw
04-25-13, 1:21 am
As an aside, Patrick is an incredible person. I've known the guy for less than two months and I can't even begin to list all the ways he's helped me out. Definitely a one-of-a-kind guy.

BigChrisF
04-25-13, 3:55 am
I hate back injuries. A lot. I wish you a speedy recovery.

Being an inflexible fatass is a hallmark of this sport and a pinnacle to be aspired to.

Just kidding.

Kinda...

freighttraindane
04-25-13, 8:51 am
Sounds like you have really been hitting it hard in here. That's awesome that you got to pick the brain onf P. He definitely is a wealth of knowledge.

tark
04-25-13, 7:26 pm
545 for a double on the front squats is just crazy to think about....and what i would have gave to be a fly on the wall to watch you and P train!!

MAB
04-27-13, 4:29 pm
I'm glad some bears made their way to my training log!


Bears? I'm confused... Here I was thinking you were the bear! That was exactly my first thought when I saw you at the Arnold... you look like a great big teddy bear :)

brentwillisbgw
05-28-13, 12:25 am
Bears? I'm confused... Here I was thinking you were the bear! That was exactly my first thought when I saw you at the Arnold... you look like a great big teddy bear :)

Well I guess it's a good thing you're confused haha. Thanks for the compliment, though!

brentwillisbgw
05-28-13, 12:25 am
05/21/2013
I started running 6x3 for my press a couple weeks ago. It's a program I've used before with considerable success, and so far it's working just as well this time around. There are several ways to run it, but basically you start off with 90% of your max for six triples, and then add 5 lbs a week. In the past I've been able to progress at that rate for ~6 weeks, and then I'll keep adding 5 lbs a week and switch from triples to doubles. It's really pretty simple; just lift a lot of weight overhead for a lot of volume. I fast-tracked this program these last two weeks by doing the workout twice a week, once on Monday and then again on Friday, in an effort to catch my press up to where it used to be. But from now on I'll just be doing it once a week.
One of the biggest reasons I run this program is because of the base it gives me for push-presses. After 7-8 weeks of running this I always hit a pretty big push-press PR. I do notice a little carryover to my bench, but I’ve recently came to the conclusion that behind-the-neck presses benefit my bench much more. The groove I’m in when I bench is very similar feeling to the one I’m in during BTN presses. But BTN presses aren’t nearly as fun so I don’t do them as often.
Press:
135x10
135x10
225x5
320x3
320x3
320x3
320x3
320x3
320x3

Jerk:
275- 5 singles

As I stated earlier, the two weeks prior to this one I had done two max-effort press workouts, as well as a max-effort bench workout, so I was pretty beat up feeling today. My joints hurt and the weight felt painfully heavy. Because of that I followed my presses and jerks with about 30 minutes of really light blood flow work and then some stretching and then called it a day.




05/22/2013
Tonight was my third night training rack squats. They’re something that I’ve wanted to experiment with for a while, and now that I’m in this kind of transition in my training I figured it would be a good time to do so.

Rack Squat w/ SS bar at parallel or about 1” higher depending on my foot placement+ 200 lbs bands-
165x5
165x3
255x2
255x2
345x2
345x2
435x2
485x2
505x2
525x1- This felt like 10 second rep

Ab Wheel:
3x8 slow and stretching as far as I can

Wall sits w/ a band around my knees- 3 sets until failure
-This was a new exercise for me. I got the idea from an article by Corey Hayes, and judging from how sore they made me, I’d say they are a worthwhile exercise.




05/23/2013
Wednesdays usually serve as some type of accessory/conditioning day.

Glute-Ham Raises:
5x10 w/ bodyweight- I’m slowly moving my knees forward on the pad so that I’m getting more hamstring work.

Weighted Crunches:
65 lbs- 5 static holds

Reverse Hypers:
140x3x10

Hamstring curls:
Entire stack x2x15




05/24/2013
My pec was feeling really weird today, which has been a regular occurrence lately, so I had to keep my reps really slow and bring the bar down lower on my stomach to keep stress off of my chest. This, in turn, made my workout a lot harder.

Bench:
135x10
135x10
225x5
275x5
315x3
365x5
380x3
410x3
440x3

Football Bar Floor Press:
- Kept my reps really slow paused each rep for 2-3 seconds
135x5
225x5
275x5
315x5
315x5

Lots of tricep work.







Today’s Workout:

05/27/2012

I have several goals in mind for my Monday Upper-Accessory workouts. First and foremost is to work on my press. Even though it’s not part of the big three, and even before my strongman aspirations, I loved pressing. Aside from deadlifting it’s my favorite thing to do. There is just something awesome about picking a big weight up and putting it over your head. And it still does help my bench press, so it’s not completely superfluous.
Apart from my press, I usually try to do some type of hypertrophy work for my chest, tris, and/or shoulders. Basically, anything that I felt was lacking in the previous week’s bench workout is what I’ll focus on.

I had some significant back tightness today, so I did seated presses as opposed to standing. Seated, behind-the-neck presses, specifically, which I’m really starting to love. I get so much more muscle recruitment doing those rather than standing or bench presses. It really works my upper back, traps, and rear delts, which has a lot of carryover to my bench.

BTN Press:
135x10
135x10
225x10
275x8
275x8
275x8
225x10
-I’m not sure if 275x8 is a PR, but if not then I’ve never done it this easy or for three sets.

Incline Wide-Grip BB Press:
135x15
225x10
225x10

Skullcrushers:
95x15
115x15
135x10
135x10
115x10
115x12
115x7

6 sets of really heavy single-arm rope pushdowns

brentwillisbgw
06-03-13, 1:46 am
545 for a double on the front squats is just crazy to think about....and what i would have gave to be a fly on the wall to watch you and P train!!

Somehow I missed this, sorry about that.

P is incredible to train with. Very motivating and extremely knowledgeable. Pat mentioned to me that a lot of what he knows he's learned through trial and error, which is something that I have a lot of respect for.

BigChrisF
06-03-13, 2:13 am
I too learn things by error. Usually a grand, flamboyant error. Go big or go home.

brentwillisbgw
06-04-13, 11:38 pm
I too learn things by error. Usually a grand, flamboyant error. Go big or go home.

Large errors just make sure you really learned it lol

brentwillisbgw
06-04-13, 11:41 pm
The rest of last week’s workouts-
Tuesday 5/28

Squat:
135x5
135x5
225x3
315x3
365x3
405x3
455x3
495x3
545x3
545x3

GHR:
5x10 bodyweight



Wednesday 5/29

Front Squat:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x3
315x11

Hack Squat:
2 plates per side x 15
3 PPS x 15
3 PPS x 15

6 sets leg extension, each one was either a dropset or rest pause set.

Oly squat:
405x10



Thursday 5/30

Little brother graduated high school tonight, so I couldn’t make it to my PL gym and had to settle with the commercial gym around the corner. After waiting for about 20 minutes for the bench I decided to just do incline. I picked incline because I had just read a Chaos and Pain article about Jón Páll Sigmarsson
supposedly calling people ***gots if they couldn’t incline press 407 for reps. It got me thinking lol.

Incline:
135x10
225x10
315x8
365x5
405x3
405x4

Incline:
BWX20,20,20

BTN Press:
135x10
225x10
245x5
245x5

Lots of heavy tricep isolation stuff.




Friday 5/30

BW Pullups- 8,11,8,8,
+45x6,5,5

Pulldowns:
300x12
300x11
300x14

Lots of arm, forearm, and grip work.



Saturday 6/1

Squat:
140x5
230x5
320x5
370x3
410x3
500x3
555x3
585x2
585x4

Circuit of GHR, back extensions, and reverse hyper.

brentwillisbgw
06-04-13, 11:53 pm
This week’s workouts, so far:

Monday 6/3

Press:
135x5
135x5
225x5
325x3
325x3
325x3
325x3
325x3
325x3

Clean and Jerk:
135x1,1
225x1,1,1
245x1,1
265x1,1

Push-Press:
275x10
275x7




Tuesday 6/4

Today I was testing my strength to give myself an idea where I’m at leading into this training cycle.

Deadlift from 2” deficit:
135x5
245x5
445x1
535x1
625x1
715x1
805x1

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

BigChrisF
06-05-13, 1:13 am
Well, that pull went up fast. I'd say you are good place to start training. lol.

smoothballer
06-05-13, 9:03 am
Damn that was a quick pull from the deficit. Sick

brentwillisbgw
06-05-13, 5:21 pm
Well, that pull went up fast. I'd say you are good place to start training. lol.


Damn that was a quick pull from the deficit. Sick

Thanks guys, I was really happy with it. I can't wait to get into some heavier training.

brentwillisbgw
06-19-13, 4:20 pm
Last week was kind of an off-week for me training wise. My hips and lower back were hurting pretty bad, so aside from some stretching and mobility work, I only trained upper body. Monday I did 295 for 3 sets of 5 on behind-the-neck presses, which was a PR, and on Thursday I did 405 for three triples on incline press. That was really the only heavy work to speak of, the rest was hypertrophy stuff.
I’ve had some chest congestion lately which I’ve ignored because it hasn’t been that bad. I’m working in a preschool right now so it comes with the territory. It got progressively worse over the weekend, though, and a lot worse after my workout on Monday. I couldn’t even lay down Monday night because I’d start coughing as soon as I did. It turns out that I’ve got an infection and I’m now on antibiotics. I feel like I’ll be good to bench tomorrow, though.
I weighed in right at 301 at the doctor, and I’m looking noticeably leaner in the mirror. Carb cycling ftw.

Here’s my workout from Monday, cut short from exhaustion. I did hit a PR, though.
Press:
135x10
135x3
225x3
275x3
330x3
330x3
330x3
330x1
330x1
- I didn’t even attempt my sixth set. I think I’ll re-do this weight next week. Or possibly change up my routine because I really miss training heavy push presses.

I did 8 sets of 1-arm rope pushowns and called it a day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2CICl16UIc

brentwillisbgw
07-12-13, 9:06 pm
Sick lifts, as usual. Sucks about the hips and low back. Hope it's nothing serious. Rest and recover, big guy.


You are a badass, and that's a badass press.

Thanks guys!



Ended up getting pretty sick after all. Sinus infection and bronchitis. I think I slept for about five days straight. It was kind of expected. Out of the 15 kids in the class I was working in about half were sick. Sunday was my second day in the gym in two weeks. All in all it went pretty well. My breathing is **** right now, but my strength feels good. I can tell that I don’t have very much gas in the tank, though.
07/07/13

Beltless Oly Squats:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x5
455x3
495x3
545x3
545x3

Ab Wheel:
BWx 10,10,7,8




07/08/13
Standing DB Press:
35x15
45x10
65x10
85x10
105x8
125x7
125x6
125x6

Incline Press:
135x8
228x8
315x8
315x8
315x8

After that I did some supersets and dropsets with lateral raises and the reverse pec dec.



07/08/13

Squats:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x5
495x6
495x6
495x6
495x6
495x6

I felt pretty burnt out after squatting. I did some shrugs and a lot of ab work consisting of planks and the ab wheel.




07/11/2012
Bench:
Barx12
95x5
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x3
365x3
415x3
315x5
315x5
315x5

I felt a pretty sharp pain in my right pec on the second rep of the 415x3. I’ve come to find out that if I’m not actively spreading the bar and keeping the weight on my lats, and not just doing it but doing it with a lot of force, then I almost immediately hurt or re-injure my pec. Even a fraction-of-a-second lapse of form, apparently. I’m not exactly sure why they’ve become this injury-prone. I’ve been really proactive with my prehab and rehab with my bench, but have yet to come up with anything that makes a big difference. If worse comes to worst, I’ll just go back to narrow-grip benching for a while.


I’m starting CUBE tomorrow, for the second time. I made some modifications in the squat and dead frequency to address some weaknesses, and I’m excited to see how they pan out. I was really happy with the results I got from my first cycle of CUBE, and I think these will be even better. I’m very eager to start this training cycle and prepare myself for my next two meets. My training has been pretty poor as of late, so getting back to doing something with purpose will be a breath of fresh air.

brentwillisbgw
07-16-13, 8:34 pm
07/13/2013- Squat

My first day of CUBE was a speed squat workout. I didn’t finish the prescribed accessories as I’m still really out of shape, but I got what counts done.

Squat, walked out, belt only:
140x8
140x5
230x5
320x5
410x3
525x3
525x3
525x3
600x2

Oly Squats:
460x5
460x5
460x5




07/15/2013

Behind-the-neck Press:
135x8
135x8
225x5
275x5
275x5
295x5
295x5

Dips:
BWx8,15,25,20,22

BB Tricep Extensions:
135x15
135x15
135x15
155x12
155x10
185x10
185x10

brentwillisbgw
07-21-13, 11:02 pm
07/16/2013

Squat, Belt only:
145x5
145x5
235x5
325x3
415x3
505x3
605x2
645x2- PR
I was supposed to go up and hit a heavier single, but I wanted to leave some in the tank for my deadlift workout on Saturday. Although this wasn’t a huge PR for me, it was a strong feeling one and I’m really happy with it.




07/18/2013

I’ve fallen pretty behind with 531 for my bench, I’ll probably start it over next week. I didn’t really have a plan when I came into the gym today, so I joined one of my training partners who was doing 8 doubles at 405 because it sounded challenging and I needed the speed work.

Bench:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x3
365x3
405x2
405x2
405x2
405x2
405x2
405x2
405x6-

3 circuits of tricep work




07/20/2013

I decided to pull beltless tonight. I really haven’t trained without a belt for a couple years, since before I owned one. It’s something I’m going to be doing a lot more. I really like how much more core activation is needed.
Deadlift:
135x5
135x5
245x5
335x1
425x1
515x1
605x1
695x1
745x1
785x1-PR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omoku_RoXK8

After that I did a bunch of pulldowns with the 3” diameter bar and against bands. I think my working sets were around 280 with a couple mini bands.

BigChrisF
07-21-13, 11:47 pm
Cool. I really have a long way to go if I'm going to catch up before my body gives out.

brentwillisbgw
07-22-13, 1:35 am
Cool. I really have a long way to go if I'm going to catch up before my body gives out.

It's all about the journey, man.

brentwillisbgw
07-30-13, 1:23 am
Last week's training:


07/22/2013

Behind the neck Press:
135x10
135x10
225x15
225x15
225x15

Standing DB Press:
85x12
95x10
95x10

Face Pulls:
-I can’t remember the reps or weight, but I did 6 dropsets with some rest pauses thrown in. These left my upper back pretty wrecked for the rest of the week. Which definitely made the following squat workout a lot harder.

DB Lateral Raises:
35x15
40x15
40x15
40x15
40x15





07/23/2013

Squats, no belt, no wraps:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x5
365x3
405x3
495x3
555x3
555x3
555x3
555x3
555x3

That was it. I was supposed to do some oly squats and other assistance work, but I felt like I had the flu after my work sets. This workout really beat me up, but in a good way. My entire back, as well as my legs and core were sore for the rest of the week. Hopefully my constant soreness is an indicator that all of this beltless training is doing something.




07/25/2013
I felt pretty off today. I think I had a migraine the day before. I had a brutal headache that ended up making me vomit. It left me dizzy and fatigued the rest of the day as well as the next. I did hit a nice rep set, though.

Bench:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x3
385x10- If I tracked 10-rep PR’s I think that would’ve been one. lol
385x7

Tricep pushdowns:
85x12
85x12
100x8
100x8
100x8





07/27/2013

Squat w/ Safet-Squat-Bar, belt only:
165x5
255x3
255x3
345x3
435x2
525x2
575x2
575x2
595x2
595x2
615x2

5 sets on ab wheel- AMRAP

brentwillisbgw
07-30-13, 11:13 pm
07/30/2013

Today would have been a squat day, but I’m taking the week off from heavy lower body work so I can rest up for a big deadlift workout on Saturday. I decided to do some upper back work since it’s something that’s been missing lately in my training schedule. I did heavy back work for years before I ever tried a deadlift. I attribute a lot of my strength from the floor to my upper back strength.

Barbell Rows:
135x10
135x10
225x8
315x8
365x8
365x8
365x8
365x8
365x8

Cable Rows:
285x15
300x15+4 w/rest pause
300x12+4 w/rest pause
300x14+2 w/rest pause

BW Pullups:
6,7,7,6,5,6

brentwillisbgw
08-04-13, 2:42 pm
My deadlift workout from last night-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eWFa24KxQk


I followed that up with a bunch of pullups, bodyweight and weighted.

brentwillisbgw
08-20-13, 12:46 am
Sorry about the laggy logging, been pretty busy lately. I've been hitting some nice PR's as of late, though.



07/06/2013

Squat, belt only:
135x10
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x3
495x2
585x2
635x2
675x2- PR, this was the best squat I've done in a long time. Very smooth. Probably could have done a third but I didn't have a spotter and was squatting in a half-rack.
495x5
495x5
495x5




07/08/2013

My pec was feeling sore/tight, so I decided to get most of my work in on presses instead of bench.

Push Press:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x1
315x3
315x5

Behind the neck Press:
225x5
245x5
275x5
295x5
315x5-PR

DB flat bench:
5x12 w/ 85's

Face Pulls:
6 sets, each one with a rest pause.




07/09/2013

Pull-ups:
Body weight, varying grips: 6x8
+45x3,3,3,3




07/10/2013

Squat:
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x3
495x3
585x3
635x3
635x3
635x3
635x3

Ab wheel, planks, shrugs




07/12/2013

Push Press:
135x5
225x5
315x1
335x1
355x1
355x1
385x1
385x1

Dips:
BWx15, 15, 15
+45x10, 10, 10

4 circuits of 1-arm rope push downs, face pulls, and tricep extensions




07/13/2013

No squats tonight, resting my low back and legs for a big deadlift workout this weekend.

I can't remember the sets or reps, but tonight I put in a lot of work on barbell rows, cable rows, and weighted pull-ups.

brentwillisbgw
08-20-13, 12:49 am
805x3 deficit dead from Saturday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy_xBIf4Cdw

brentwillisbgw
08-20-13, 12:50 am
405 Push Press PR from tonight:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCEPwtpQ2Xg

brentwillisbgw
08-25-13, 2:43 pm
Bench workout from last Thursday:

I strained my pec(again) last week, so I moved my grip in so that my index fingers were at the beginning of the knurling.

2-Board Press:
135x5
135x5
225x5
275x5
315x5
365x5
405x5
405x5
425x5
425x4

Lots of high-rep tricep work and shoulder mobility stuff.


I'll probably be sticking with a narrow grip for a while on bench.

brentwillisbgw
08-25-13, 2:55 pm
Yesterday's squats, belt only:

140x5
140x5
230x5
230x3
320x3
410x3
500x3
550x1- 3 sec pause
610x1- 3 sec pause
610x1- 3 sec pause
660x1- 3 sec pause

I followed that up with some heavy back and ab work. This is the best my squat has ever felt, and coincidentally the strongest my deadlift has ever been.

brentwillisbgw
08-26-13, 10:57 pm
Short but sweet workout today. It only took about 60 minutes, but I felt anything more would have been unnecessary.

Close Grip Incline Press, index fingers on smooth:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x5
365x5
365x5
365x4
365x4

I was handing off to myself, which required me to slide up the incline bench about 6", unrack the bar, and then slide back down the bench with it and get set up.

Incline Press, wide grip:
2 sets with 225 for unknown reps. They were all partials, and I was focusing on stretching at the bottom and squeezing my chest the entire time.

DB Lateral Raises:
35x5x12

Reverse Pec Dec:
4 drop sets with rest-pauses

HIGA MONSTER
08-27-13, 1:39 am
What time/day do you lift at the Olympia, bro?

brentwillisbgw
08-30-13, 1:14 am
What time/day do you lift at the Olympia, bro?

Deadlifting starts at 1pm, but i usually don't start until 2-3. Are you going to be there?


Hey Grant, while you're in here do you mind giving me some pointers on my push press?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCEPwtpQ2Xg

brentwillisbgw
09-05-13, 8:25 pm
I’ve hit a few snags in my training this last week, nothing too detrimental, just inconvenient. After my deadlift workout last Tuesday, my low back tightened up pretty significantly. I iced, contrast showered, stretched, PVC pipe rolled, and did some work with a baseball. I was still walking kind of crooked by Sunday lol. I was able to get in a really heavy back workout last Saturday, though. My working sets were 5x5 w/ 405 on barbell rows with no straps, so I did get quite a bit of grip work in too. I followed that up with a bunch of cable rows and weighted pullups.

I had some lofty goals for my squat workout two days ago, but as I was warming up I felt a sharp pulling pain in my groin. It’s a pain I’ve felt on and off lately, but only when I stand up after sitting for a while. I don’t think it’s anything serious, just some tightness. So I stopped squatting and did more rows and pull-downs against bands.

I’m hoping that I can get 1-2 more squat workouts in before the O, but I’m not going to push anything. It is unfortunate, as I feel that my squats have really brought my deadlift up a lot during this training cycle, but there’s only a few weeks left until the meet. My health is more of a priority at the moment than any marginal strength gains I’d get from squatting.

I have enjoyed all of the direct back work I’ve been doing lately, and I’m sure it will pay off at the end of the month. My back has never felt this strong or been this big before.

Tonight, instead of benching, I’ll be doing some type of deadlift auxiliary work. Most likely SLDL’s as long as they don’t aggravate whatever is going on with my groin. And Saturday will be another big back day. I’ll be using straps and going for some heavy rows so that I don’t have to worry about my grip being the weak link.

brentwillisbgw
09-16-13, 7:23 pm
09/05/2013

My hamstring was kinda sore so I just wanted to get some blood flowing.

SLDL:
135x10
135x10
225x10
225x10
315x10
315x10

Back Raises:
BWx10,10,10,10

Leg Curls:
100x15,15,15





09/07/2013

Barbell Rows, w/ straps:
135x10
135x10
225x8
315x8
405x5
475x7
475x6
405x5
405x8
315x8
315x10
315x10
315x10
315x9

Variety is the spice of life





09/09/2013

Incline Press:
135x8
135x8
225x8
315x8
365x8
365x8
365x8
365x8
365x6

BTN Press:
135x20
225x12
225x15
225x18

Dips:
BWx8,10,15,15,22

Face Pulls:
5 sets, I didn’t track weights or reps because each set had some drops sets and rest pauses thrown in. I try to focus on rolling my shoulders completely forward at the beginning and squeezing everything for a brief moment at lockout.





09/10/2013

My focus for this workout was to get in some moderately heavy work while keeping my hamstring involvement at a minimum.

Front Squat:
135x5
135x5
225x5
225x5
315x5
315x5
405x3
405x3
405x3
405x3
405x3

Leg Press:
6 plates per side x 15
7PPSx20
8PPSx20
9PPSx20,20,20





09/12/2013

Bent Rows, w/ belt, no straps:
135x8
135x8
225x8
315x8
395x8
395x8
395x8
395x8
395x8

Finished with various types of pulldowns and some 45 degree back raises





09/14/2013

Today was the definition of a deload. I worked up to 3 plates on the safety-squat bar and it felt like a thousand lbs. I did a few doubles at that weight and then did some high volume back raises against bands.

brentwillisbgw
09-22-13, 2:21 pm
Training cycle is officially wrapped up. Last week I did a lot of high rep back work, mostly to promote blood flow, and then some light lower back and posterior chain work. I also did some farmers walks last Tuesday. I worked up to around 210 for 6 sets. Not sure how far I walked each time, and sometimes I would stop walking for a bit and just do shrugs. My goal was to get some last minute grip and conditioning work in.

I might do a full body workout tomorrow or the next day, it depends on how I feel. If I’m feeling any stiffness then I’ll go get some work in, but if not, then I’ll just continue focusing on sleeping and eating.

I’ve been doing a lot of visualization these last few weeks. I’ve always experienced an extraordinary amount of nerves before competitions. I get sick to my stomach and usually have to deal with a lot of self-doubt. So I’ve been imagining myself on the platform, grabbing the bar for a PR deadlift, and instead of second guessing my place on the platform, or my readiness to attempt a weight that heavy, I imagine myself successfully pulling the weight. And not just pulling it, but believing in the moments leading up to that lift that I actually can accomplish it. So I guess I’m visualizing me not mentally sabotaging myself rather than visualizing me successfully pulling the weight. I used to be in the staging room at wrestling meets, standing next to the opponent I had just been paired with, and imagine him kicking the shit out of me. I don’t know why and to be honest it seems almost compulsive. Like imagining me lose would make it so it didn’t have to happen in reality. Or maybe it just motivated me to not let that happen. Either way, it’s something I’m working on.

I’ll be posting up one of my go-to meals in the nutrition section tonight. Pics and recipe.

BigChrisF
09-22-13, 9:35 pm
Good luck!

brentwillisbgw
10-15-13, 10:16 pm
This has been a busy few weeks for me and I apologize for being away for so long. My computer got hit pretty hard by a virus and I’ve been out of town 11 of the last 19 days. I had the Olympia three weekends ago, went camping with my girl two weekends ago for our birthdays, and this last weekend I had the privilege and honor of coaching at the Juggernaut Training Systems Become Unstoppable Seminar. I’ve had some amazing experiences, met a lot of awesome people, and learned a lot. Most of all, I walked away from all of this with a much stronger desire to work and improve myself. I’ve never felt this motivated before.

Olymipa

I weighed in Friday morning at 299. I came in lighter than expected which made me question the accuracy of the scale, but I had ate a ridiculous amount of food the night before and about a pound of cheez-its on the drive to the expo that morning, so it must have been true. I was feeling and looking bigger than ever leading up to the meet, but neglected to ever step on the scale so I have no way of knowing.

After that I made my way to the Animal booth, which was a crazy experience. Representing the team that I’ve aspired to be a part of at one of the largest fitness expos in the world is beyond words. It’s always great hanging out with the Animal and Universal guys, even though I’ve only been around most of them a handful of times, they really do make you feel like family. And I got to meet so many cool people in the booth that weekend, the same booth that I had approached for the last three years as a fan. I can’t help but feel unworthy at times, but I guess that’s the point. I have a lot of respect for Animal and what they do for strength sports, and more importantly the amount of work and effort they put in for their athletes and the strength community as a whole. If I didn’t hold myself to the same standard and constantly aspire to grow and better myself, then I wouldn’t belong.

I started warming up around 2pm on Saturday. Everything felt great, and the weights felt light. I opened with 804, which moved pretty well. I then went straight to 881 on my second, which was a 27 lb PR. I hit a slight sticking point at my knees, but was able to grind it to lockout. To be honest, I’m not especially proud of this lift. The bars slipped a bit in my hands and I got out of position because I lost tightness in my lats. I felt like that weight, at least during that specific lift, was beyond my current level of strength. Maybe I could have hit it cleaner on another attempt, but who knows. Either way, it really motivated me to fix what went wrong and pull something bigger in my next meet. I didn’t take a third attempt, my hand was torn and my second attempt pretty well took it out of me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok8hyGxbtiI

After the meet, Garret Griffin, Brandon Lilly, Greg, Tom, and I went over to Dominate Your Game to film some training. They both hit some ridiculous 500+ benches, and I pulled some deads. I was able to PR with an 805 beltess dead. That whole experience was awesome. I had a lot of fun hanging out with everyone, the people at Dominate Your Game are really cool, and the gym itself is top notch.




JTS Become Unstoppable Seminar

This was one of the coolest lifting-related experiences I’ve ever had. I got to hang out with top-level strength athletes, representing every strength sport there is, pretty much the entire weekend. As a fan of lifting, it really doesn’t get any cooler than that. Friday we all got to train together. I squatted with Blaine Sumner, my roommate, and Chad Smith. Blaine went over 1000 in some light gear, and I went all the way up to 635. Definitely humbling. Dan Green squatted right after us, and hit some beastly numbers. Everyone performed really well, I imagine having top level powerlifters, weightlifters, and crossfitters training in the same gym at the same time had something to do with that.

The actual coaching experience was really cool, and definitely a learning experience. My coaching partner was Mike Tuchscherer, so I really lucked out there. There doesn’t seem to be much about lifting that he doesn’t know. I had the opportunity to work with and coach a lot of great people, and in the process I learned more about myself as a lifter. I also got to sit in on some really awesome seminars. One of the things that really stuck out to me from the weekend was the opportunity I had to work with Ryan Brown from Darkside Performance Enhancement Center on mobility, mainly proper breathing. He really opened my eyes to some issues I have, and I’m excited to see what happens once I start getting them corrected.

Chad Smith did an incredible job with this seminar. I felt really fortunate being a part of it. I can only imagine the amount of work that went into it. Everything ran smoothly, and he treated the coaches like royalty. And he really made sure the athletes had the best possible learning environment. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to become a stronger and smarter lifter.

Jay Nera
10-15-13, 11:34 pm
That seminar sounds like it was a cauldron of knowledge. I watched a video of Dan squatting. That 220 knee wraps record by Belyaev is very likely going down.
I had no idea you weighed 300 pounds. You must be solid as a rock because you don't look like a 300 pounder, and I say that as a huge compliment.

BaconGrease
10-16-13, 3:54 am
Great write ups and amazing pull at the olympia. I'd say you have every right to be very proud of that lift.

rainman
10-16-13, 10:48 am
Every time I have checked up on this log I have felt like a little girly man. Those lifts were insane.

brentwillisbgw
10-24-13, 9:58 pm
That seminar sounds like it was a cauldron of knowledge. I watched a video of Dan squatting. That 220 knee wraps record by Belyaev is very likely going down.
I had no idea you weighed 300 pounds. You must be solid as a rock because you don't look like a 300 pounder, and I say that as a huge compliment.

He's unreal. And a cauldron of knowledge himself.
Thanks Jay. I've got bird legs, though. It helps with the illusion.


Great write ups and amazing pull at the olympia. I'd say you have every right to be very proud of that lift.

Thanks man, I appreciate it. I like cooking with you.


Every time I have checked up on this log I have felt like a little girly man. Those lifts were insane.

Haha thanks rainman. For what it's worth, I'm constantly checking out people's logs and youtube channels that make me feel like a little girly man. There's always someone stronger.

brentwillisbgw
10-24-13, 11:45 pm
I've been sick lately, so this has been my only training session this week. I'll be benching tomorrow, though, and squatting again on Saturday.

Now that I've got a little time off from training cycles, I'm going to experiment with my squat a bit. I'm going beltless for 5 sets of 5 and making 10 lb jumps every week. I was supposed to work with 425 last night, but I decided to go back to 405 and pause each rep. I found that the further I got into the workout the easier and more comfortable the pause became.

I've always felt unstable while squatting, possibly because of my height, so I'm doing this high-volume squat work in an attempt to better my technique and increase stability. I also have a tendency to drive my hips up faster than the bar coming out of the hole, and pause squats seem to help reinforce the proper cues needed to prevent that, at least for me. Probably because I get a moment to think.

brentwillisbgw
10-29-13, 12:14 am
Seated behind the neck press:
135x15
135x15
225x10
225x12
My shoulder was hurting so I switched to front presses
225x9
245x9
245x11
245x8

Incline Press:
135x12
225x12
315x8
315x9
315x8

5 sets of iso work for tris and rear delts

Jay Nera
10-30-13, 12:10 am
Happy Birthday Big cat!

Chase "BIG COUNTRY" Browning
10-30-13, 9:50 am
Happy birthday man!

brentwillisbgw
10-31-13, 7:43 pm
Happy Birthday Big cat!


Happy birthday man!


Thank you!

brentwillisbgw
10-31-13, 7:50 pm
Beltless pause squats:

135x5
225x5
315x5
365x3
425x5
425x5
425x5
425x5
425x5

J Wong
10-31-13, 8:19 pm
What's next for you meet wise?

brentwillisbgw
11-04-13, 10:47 pm
What's next for you meet wise?

Raw Unity and then the USPA state meet in March.

HIGA MONSTER
11-04-13, 10:53 pm
Raw Unity and then the USPA state meet in March.
BOOM...

brentwillisbgw
11-04-13, 11:01 pm
Floor Presses:
135x5
135x10
225x8
315x5
405x5
455x3
455x3
455x3

Incline Press:
135x10
225x8
315x8
315x6
225x16
225x13

All of my presses have been self-handouts for the last month. It's definitely taken it's toll on my top-end sets, but I feel more stable with the weight in my hands.

After the presses, I did some hypertrophy work for my triceps and shoulders.

My bench is feeling great right now. I got to work with Brandon Lilly at the JTS seminar on my bench, and he gave me some really solid advice. I'm trying to take things slow right now because of how far out my next meet is, but it's a nice feeling being able to bench with confidence again.

brentwillisbgw
11-04-13, 11:07 pm
Paused(2 sec), Beltless, Oly Squats:
135x10
225x3
315x3
405x3
445x5
445x5
445x5
445x5
445x5

That's it.

I don't know if these workouts are actually hard or if I'm just out of shape, but they're kicking my ass.


Also, the last three tubs of the Ultra Iso Whey I've opened have had the scoop on top. There needs to be some kind of award for that.

brentwillisbgw
11-04-13, 11:11 pm
I've had some shoulder pain these last few workouts, so I started off doing some mobility stuff. That transitioned into a high-volume shoulder isolation workout. Lot's of blood flow, and I left the gym with significantly less pain.

brentwillisbgw
11-04-13, 11:14 pm
BOOM...

And then some heavy lifting in the Cage between those two meets! I've got a few big ideas for the Cage this year, still trying to decide which one would be the coolest lol. I really can't wait to lift with all of you guys again.

brentwillisbgw
11-06-13, 12:42 am
Front Squats:
135x5
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x3
455x1

I stopped right here. I felt really tight and sore going in to today's workout, despite a bunch of mobility work beforehand. 455 felt like it was going to kill me, so I called it before I injured myself.


BW Pullups:
5
8
5 with a static hold until failure on the fifth rep. I did this for five sets.
5 single pullups to my upper chest.

freighttraindane
11-06-13, 9:31 am
And then some heavy lifting in the Cage between those two meets! I've got a few big ideas for the Cage this year, still trying to decide which one would be the coolest lol. I really can't wait to lift with all of you guys again.

Can't Wait to see what kind of show you put on this year Brent

brentwillisbgw
11-07-13, 12:52 am
Can't Wait to see what kind of show you put on this year Brent

Thanks Dane!

brentwillisbgw
11-11-13, 4:50 pm
Today was supposed to be a bench day, but I ended up doing a bunch of upper hypertrophy work instead. I was feeling pretty beat up by the end of last week, which is why there wasn't much heavy work done.

I don't really track my weights and sets on most hypertrophy work. My main goal is working the muscle, and tracking things like drop sets, rest pauses, and deep-stretching, and supersets doesn't work very well. I did a lot of flat bench DB work and then followed that with BW dips, incline presses, and various flys. It was a lot of fun, and a nice change of pace.

brentwillisbgw
11-11-13, 5:39 pm
I generally don't plan my deloads, they tend to just fall in my lap, so to speak. Saturday was one of those days. I had been having some low-back tightness for a few days in my lower back, and Saturday was the worst. I had to do the agile 8 that morning just so I could stand up correctly. I think I pinched something doing front-squats last Tuesday.

Instead of squats, or anything necessitating core activation, I decided to work on my muscle-up.

Pullups from dead-hang:
BWx5,5,5
+45lbs x5,5,5,5
+45 lbs x3 w/ a static hold at the top- 3 sets

After the weighted stuff I did some singles, pulling to my upper chest each time.

brentwillisbgw
11-11-13, 10:14 pm
Behind the neck Press:

I've been having some shoulder pain with these for a while, so I moved my grip in about 3". My pinkies are now barely touching the rings. The pain went away and I feel significantly stronger with the new grip.

135x10
135x10
225x5
275x5
275x5
275x5
275x6
275x6
315x1
315x1
225x4
135x17
135x14

ChadDresden
11-12-13, 12:28 am
Behind the neck Press:

I've been having some shoulder pain with these for a while, so I moved my grip in about 3". My pinkies are now barely touching the rings. The pain went away and I feel significantly stronger with the new grip.

135x10
135x10
225x5
275x5
275x5
275x5
275x6
275x6
315x1
315x1
225x4
135x17
135x14

Very strong pressing, Brent. Impressive volume as well. Looking forward to see you progress into Raw Unity.

brentwillisbgw
11-12-13, 11:50 pm
Very strong pressing, Brent. Impressive volume as well. Looking forward to see you progress into Raw Unity.

Thanks, Chad. My pressing has been going really well lately. Hopefully I can keep that up for the next couple months.

brentwillisbgw
11-13-13, 12:05 am
I've been pretty frustrated with my front squat lately. It seems like I can't go more than a couple sessions without some type of injury. I've been wrestling with the idea of throwing them on the back burner, at least temporarily, but then I feel like a coward. I'm going to increase my training frequency on them for a while while keeping things moderately light and see if I can work some of these kinks out.

Front Squat:
135x5
135x8
225x5
225x6
315x5

I had some family shit come up that was pretty urgent so I had to bail. I'll finish tomorrow. I'm beginning to think the universe doesn't want me to front squat.

ibnmahama
11-13-13, 12:25 am
I've been pretty frustrated with my front squat lately. It seems like I can't go more than a couple sessions without some type of injury. I've been wrestling with the idea of throwing them on the back burner, at least temporarily, but then I feel like a coward. I'm going to increase my training frequency on them for a while while keeping things moderately light and see if I can work some of these kinks out.

Front Squat:
135x5
135x8
225x5
225x6
315x5

I had some family shit come up that was pretty urgent so I had to bail. I'll finish tomorrow. I'm beginning to think the universe doesn't want me to front squat.

Hahaha, you might have to just front squat the universe then.

brentwillisbgw
11-13-13, 12:50 am
Hahaha, you might have to just front squat the universe then.

I better hurry up before it gets any bigger.

J Wong
11-13-13, 3:37 pm
I better hurry up before it gets any bigger.

That's what he said.

Universal Rep
11-13-13, 4:46 pm
Raw Unity and then the USPA state meet in March.

RUM 7 is gonna be huge. Just sayin. Good to see ur competin there man.

ibnmahama
11-13-13, 10:53 pm
RUM 7 is gonna be huge. Just sayin. Good to see ur competin there man.

Seems like every one is going to rum 7. Mmmm, thoughts

BigChrisF
11-14-13, 3:52 am
Hahaha, you might have to just front squat the universe then.


I better hurry up before it gets any bigger.

You could just wait a while and then it will start collapsing again. Then it's all down hill from there.

brentwillisbgw
11-18-13, 8:47 pm
That's what he said.

I wish:(


RUM 7 is gonna be huge. Just sayin. Good to see ur competin there man.

Starting my training cycle tomorrow!


Seems like every one is going to rum 7. Mmmm, thoughts

Do it man! One more Animal The team aspect of this meet is going to be really fucking cool.


You could just wait a while and then it will start collapsing again. Then it's all down hill from there.

Lol. I've never been that patient.

brentwillisbgw
11-18-13, 8:51 pm
CG Incline Press:
135x10
225x10
315x8
315x8
315x8
315x8
315x8

Seated Front Press:
135x15
225x8
225x8
225x8
225x4

15 minutes of light shoulder isolation work.

brentwillisbgw
11-18-13, 8:57 pm
My mobility is pretty awful right now, especially in my hips. I'm hitting mobility work hard and things are starting to loosen up, but it's slow going. My initial plan for today's squats were to take a heavyish single and see where my strength is at going in to this training cycle, but my IT bands said otherwise.

135x6
135x8
225x8
225x5
315x5
405x5
495x3
585x3
585x3

All in all, not a bad day. All of the weights felt easy, they just hurt.

ibnmahama
11-18-13, 10:39 pm
Hey Brent, could you please check out my video in the powerlifting section. I need some advice/comments on my deadlift. Thanks