Hollywood's House of Pain: Get Big or Die

[Hollywood]

Welcome guys, I'm really lovin The Forum, its awesome that everyone can get together and share their own Journeys. Wrath definitely paved a way for everyone to show what real dedication in this lifestyle is. My own Journey is not one as hectic or devoted, simply because I have too much shit on my plate in my life right now. But the road ahead in uncharted, and I'm just waiting to see where it takes me...

Life basics:
- 19 years old, 6' 4", 195 lbs.
- Student: Soph. - University of Connecticut
- I train at the PowerBarn in Cheshire, CT. It's a little hole-in-the-wall kind of gym that my high school Strength Coach built my Junior year. Its small, but it gets the job done

Growin up:
All my life I had bad asthma which really put a restriction on doing anything physical. All the drugs I was put on didnt make it any better. So growing up in elementary and middle school I was the weak, fat, unathletic kid who got picked last in gym (yeah laugh it up). I could never put a finger on anything I could consider myself "good" at. Finally after 8th grade I had enough, I wasn't gonna be the worthless kid in high school.

Startin off:
First time I ever touched a weight was summer going into my freshman year. I dediced I wanted to play football, so I entered in the summer lifting program. I was one of the weakest kids on the team and it sucked. We ran a ton, and it was a blistering hot summer, so I started losing a lot of weight but didnt get much stronger. During season I wasn't much good, but started a couple games at tight end after a kid got injured just because of my size. Once I got onto the varsity team if you didnt lift, the coaches didnt even care to know your name. We were forced to lift our asses off. In my eyes, our coaches were crazed lunatics. One of my buddies came to a lifting session 3 minutes late, and our coach threw a chair at him and gave him stitches over his eye, no joke. I'm the kinda kid that when I'm forced to do something, it makes me not want to do it that much more. So during high school, lifting was not a priority to me at all. When I graduated, I was 6' 4" and 170 pounds and benched 135 for my very last set (which was about 5 or 6)

Sticking your feet into the water:
Freshman year of college came around and all of my friends took off. Instead of spending 42 grand of wasted money on schools in Boston, I decided to stick around and save money. While I was pissed that I wasn't on a campus getting drunk and hitting on girls like all of my other friends were, I discovered something much better. All of my friends played football in high school and were big. They busted their ass for 3 years while I was just sitting around. So whenever we went out, everyone would talk about how they were the big guys of the town, and nothing would get said about me. Now don't get me wrong, I don't go around looking for attention, but hearin that gets in your head. It makes you feel weak and inferior, which I was, and I wasn't gonna let it slide. I started lifting with some intensity freshman year after I got home from classes, but didn't pay much attention to meals or protein intake, so I wasn't seeing many results.

Knee deep:
Summer came around and my Uncle from Cali came to visit. He's a bodybuilder in the San Fran area, Phil "Skip" Pivirotto, for anyone around there that pays attention. He had gotten into the game when he was in his late 20's and looked awesome in his 30's and 40's. Now that he's hit 50, he still competes and looks amazing. He's won a lot of competitions out there and is training for Nationals now. When he came he showed me a video of a competition he was in, with Jay Cutler as a guest poser. Ever since I saw him with Jay, it made me jump into this game. I started actually doing research on workout plans, protein/carb meal plans, supplements etc. It was then that I stumbled upon Animal and got true knowledge about what I was really getting into...

Waist deep:
I never knew what the journey into the Iron game would be like, but I started down the path and haven't looked back since. To be honest, I'm not even sure myself why I'm in it. I'm not here planning to be the next Cutler or Fred Hatfield, but I think I have something to prove to myself. Everything about living this kind of life appealed to me. Yeah, preparing 6 meals a day between classes, work, and other crap is a bitch, but for whatever reason I love it. Yeah, I've stood in the squat rack for my 4th set when all I wanted to do was lay down and take a nap, but in the back of my mind I know that getting deep in the hole with that weight on my back is what I truely want to do. I'm not the biggest or the best, but the Journey fighting to get the that point is one hell of a ride...



OK brothers that was a lot... and if you read all of it I really appreciate it, it feels good to get shit off of your chest. From here on out I'll start logging my workouts and meal plans, and if you care to listen, I'm sure I'll have more to get off my chest as I continue down my own Journey...

[Liftbig21]

That's whats up Rich...I can relate to the ashtma part too and having to have your inhailer every time you squat bench or deadlift..and feeling like your lungs are going to explode and how that just pushes you that much harder.You keep up that journey your doin like the select few...we'll get to where were tryin to go...and its gonna be one helluva ride

[~LV~]

I too, can relate to the ashtma part.

Best of luck to you on your journey bro!

[Hollywood]

I got about an hour in between classes on Monday and Wednesdays, so I always prep up a meal to eat in between class. Todays choice: tuna of course. I always get the most dumbfounded looks from people when I'm eating. I stink up the room with tuna. People always ask me "what the hell are you doing eating all that tuna?" What really gets me is whenever I go out, I always bring a gallon of water and people come up to me with some smartass comment like "wow, thirsty huh?" or "do you really drink all that?" I just smile and give into their witty remarks, cause I know at the end of the day it's me making the sacrifices to better myself... what the hell are they doing?

[~LV~]

There will be a time (if your not already there) where all you will have to do is look at the person, look back at your body, then look at them again and give a nice smurk and walk away....

I've learned to just keep things short and simple with people who do not live this lifestyle.

[Hollywood]

Shoulders: I fuckin love shoulders, theyre probably my favorite muscle group to work. Everybody loves benching, and thats fine, but nothings better then pushing the weight straight above your head in my book.

Straight Bar Shoulder Press: (touching chest)
2 x warmup
4 sets: 8, 8, 8, 8

DB Side Raises:
4 sets: 12, 12, 10, 10

Single-arm front raises:
3 sets: 12, 12, 10 (each arm)

Lat pulldown to Nose: (something I picked up from Big Bad Mike Wolfe)
3 sets: 12, 12, 12

Calves:
Standing calf raises (no weight):
4 sets x 40 (no more than minute rest)

Weighted calf incline rows:
3 sets: 20, 20, 20

I love going heavy on the presses, so I usually keep my rests around 2 minutes. For everything else I like keeping my rests between 1-1:30 to better stimulate muscle development and keep the blood flowin. Calves I hit until they burn like a motherfucker. The short rest kicks your ass in the standing calf raises but I love the feeling of walkin funny afterwards.

[Hollywood]

Gotta love back day... Last time I hit back on the T-Bar row machine I pulled a muscle hardcore in my neck struggling to get a last couple reps. I couldnt really turn my neck for a day or two so I took it pretty easy on the T-Bar. I decided to do 4 sets of 8 on 5 different back exercises with minute rest and 2 minutes between the exercises. Doin 8 allows you to use pretty heavy weight but the minute rest tires you out quickly. But you gotta get it done.

Straight Bar Bentover Rows:
2 warmup sets: 12, 12
4 sets: 8, 8, 8, 8

Lat Pulldown:
4 sets: 8, 8, 8, 8

DB Rows:
4 sets: 8, 8, 8, 8

T-Bar Rows:
4 sets: 8, 8, 8, 8

Iso Row Machine (heavy):
4 sets: 8, 8, 8, 8

We have a plate loaded row machine that you pull each side individually, so I usually load up 135 on each side and isolate both sides of my back for 4 sets of 8 to really finish my back off.

DB Shrugs:
4 sets: 15, 15, 12, 12

Straight bar shrugs:
4 sets: 10, 10, 8, 8

Straight bar (behind back):
4 sets: 10, 10, 8, 8

After all that my back and traps are pretty much shot to shit.

[Pokoritel]

Wow you sure went through something, especially having asthma slowing you down. But you stood tall and fought, and thats what makes you an Animal Hollywood. I went through similiar things man, but life aint about havin it easy its all about if you can get up after getting beat down. I got nuthing but respect for ya, keep pushin and keep fightin. Strength and Honor Bro.

[Hollywood]

Wow you sure went through something, especially having asthma slowing you down. But you stood tall and fought, and thats what makes you an Animal Hollywood. I went through similiar things man, but life aint about havin it easy its all about if you can get up after getting beat down. I got nuthing but respect for ya, keep pushin and keep fightin. Strength and Honor Bro.

Thanks man, that shit means the world to me. Feels good knowin people understand and can relate to your struggles.

[Hollywood]

Big chest day. I decided to go heavy weights with low reps and had huge problems. I posted a thread in the Training section about it.

Flat Bench:
4 sets: 5, 5, 5, 5

I stuck with 225 the whole time, just because thats been a mental plateau number for me, and again I was getting stuck. I hit the first set no prob, but after that I was really struggling.

DB Incline:
4 sets: 8, 8, 8, 8

Cable Crossovers:
4 sets: 10, 10, 10, 10

Overhead DB tricep extension:
3 sets: 15, 12, 12

V-bar pushdowns: (heavy)
4 sets: 10, 10, 8, 8

I felt real good after the lift. My chest felt like it was gonna explode, but I was still really pissed about getting stuck on my flat bench sets. Next week I'm gonna try working with resistance bands to help explode through my sticking point.

[Hollywood]

Big squat day. I've been working hard to get my form down because in recent past it's been pretty shitty. I had somebody stand to the side of me to let me know when I was below parallel. I kept the weight pretty light so I could concentrate most on the form instead of blasting out high weight. Once you get in the habit of getting deep, its natural to train like that, and that's the best for you. Nothing feels better then repping out good, clean squats that you know you had good form for.

Squat:
225 x 6
225 x 6
225 x 6
225 x 6

Hammie curls:
100 x 10
100 x 10
110 x 10
110 x 10

Machine leg press:
275 x 8
275 x 8
275 x 8
275 x 8

Leg extension:
110 x 12
110 x 12
120 x 10
120 x 10

As you can tell, my legs are by far the weak point in my body, but I'm working real hard to get them bigger. I never did legs regularly up until this past summer. All throughout high school, my friends had massive legs. One of my best friends squatted 630 in a competition junior year. So I knew I so behind the 8-ball that I didn't even bother, and now it's catching up to me. But I'm busting my ass, believe me.

Straight bar (no weights):
2 x 15 (warmups)

DB curl (toes on board):
30 x 10
30 x 10
35 x 8
35 x 8

When I do curls, I keep my toes on a 2x4 board. This really helps to keep good form as it really doesnt allow you to sway your back too much.

Machine Preacher curls:
70 x 12
70 x 12
70 x 10
70 x 10

I did a light set of biceps on Sunday cause I had missed them last Friday, so I was still a little sore from that which is why I only did 2 exercises. I usually limit it to 3 exercises normally though. My legs felt real stiff still as I drove home and made dinner, gonna feel great tomorrow morning!

[Lethal_Banana]

Looking good there, Hollywood ^_^

Keep strong and conquer that weight!

[Big Wides]

keep it up hollywood, looking good bro

[xb24]

fuck brother, a lot of what you wrote relates to myself, especially the part of just about everyone moving to college n shit. Not only that but getting into the lifting in highschool but kinda not really putting the effort in.

Now almost all of my friends are in their final year and soon to be coming home and half of them look like shit to put it bluntly. And its the partying and the starvation diet. (which is one hell of a college trend).

When they come home on new years and summer, and give me the slightest comment or look, to see that im not just sitting on my ass back home, im working my ass off in the gym and in the workforce its very gratifying, I dont give a shit what anyone says.

Anyways bro i'll be checkin your log regularly lets see some new personal bests!

[Hollywood]

fuck brother, a lot of what you wrote relates to myself, especially the part of just about everyone moving to college n shit. Not only that but getting into the lifting in highschool but kinda not really putting the effort in.

Now almost all of my friends are in their final year and soon to be coming home and half of them look like shit to put it bluntly. And its the partying and the starvation diet. (which is one hell of a college trend).

When they come home on new years and summer, and give me the slightest comment or look, to see that im not just sitting on my ass back home, im working my ass off in the gym and in the workforce its very gratifying, I dont give a shit what anyone says.

Anyways bro i'll be checkin your log regularly lets see some new personal bests!

keep it up hollywood, looking good bro

Looking good there, Hollywood ^_^

Keep strong and conquer that weight!

Thanks brothers, I'm bustin my ass hard and I love knowin that I'm not alone. Support goes a long way.

[Hollywood]

One of the best back days I've had in a while. I felt real strong throughout my whole workout. Funny thing was, after my first couple sets I was real tired, but I was hungry for so much more. I wasn't anywhere near satisfied. As soon as I put the weights down after a set I wanted to pick it right back up. God I fucking love this.

Bent-over Rows:
165x8
175x8
185x8
195x8

I would have stayed consistant with weights, but I've never gone this high before. I kept adding weight and doing a set and thinking I could add more. Kept good form the whole way too.

DB Rows:
75x10
75x10
75x10
75x10

Lat Pulldown:
120x8
120x8
120x8
120x8

Plate Loaded Lat Rows:
230x8 (each side)
230x8 |
230x8 |
230x8 V

I supersetted the Lat rows with calf raises (no weight) 4 sets x 40. Finished up with 225 for 3 sets of 12 on the calf raise machine. I was real tired when I left but my back felt like it was double the size.

[Pokoritel]

I went over your workout set ups and was curious when do u do deadlifts?

[Hollywood]

I really take having power for granted when it comes to making meals. Yesterday morning I woke up to no power throughout my whole house and apparently the whole side of town. Couldn't make eggs, ate all my hard boiled ones. Couldn't heat up any chicken. Couldn't cook any meat. I felt like my identity had been taken from me. So from 7am to 2pm yesterday I had a shake and tuna every meal. I don't think I'll ever eat tuna again.

Shoulders:

Overhead press:
barx25 (warmup)
95x15 (warmup)
115x12 (warmup)
135x8
135x8
135x8

Machine Shoulder Press:
180x12
200x10
220x8
220x8

Front raises (palms up):
25x12
25x12
30x10
30x10

Side Raises:
30x10
30x10
30x10

Tri's:

Skulls:
85x10
85x10
85x10

Rope Pulldowns:
110x10
110x10
130x8
130x8

Tendonitis really kicked in today, but I didnt take any painkiller anti-inflammatorys. Fuck it, we fight through pain all of our lives. I dont like 50 Cent, but he did have a good line in a song.. "Joy wouldn't feel so good if it wasn't for pain"

I'll post today's workout later tonight.

[Hollywood]

Whatup fellas. Just got up to my place in VT for the weekend gettin in some quality time doing my second love, snowboarding. Feels good comin up here and gettin away from the everyday bullshit you get thrown at you.


Barbell Shrugs:
135x15 (warmup)
185x15 (warmup)
225x12
225x12
275x10
275x10
315x8
315x8

Cable Shurgs:
300x25
300x25
300x25

Preacher Curls:
65x15
70x12
75x10
80x8

Hammer Curls:
30x10
30x10
35x8
35x8

I went over your workout set ups and was curious when do u do deadlifts?

I hurt my lower back during football in high school, so I never really got into deads. I've been going to the chiropractor though regularly, so I'm gonna start doing them when I'm 100%.

[xb24]

Workouts looking good hollywood, sucks about the power but shit happends lol.

And as for the deads, start em off in moderation with real low weight and work up, they'll definetly be a great mass builder, not to mention core strength improver.

[pumpaholic]

Keep it up brother. We are about the same size and similar strength. I began my journey about a year ago now. Our pasts are very similar. I will check back with your log from time to time to see how your battle is progressing.

[Freakshow]

Keep going strong Hollywood, looking good so far bro.

[Hollywood]

Back to reality... getting away for a while is great, but a break from the everyday routine can really throw you off. Eating only 3 meals a day in between snowboarding and drinking less than a gallon of water made me feel like shit. Funny how once you get so used to something, change has huge affects.

DB Flat Bench:
90x8
90x8
90x8
90x8

I originally planned to go 4x6 with 90's but I felt a lot stronger so I repped it out for 8 and hit 8 for all the rest of my sets.

Hammer Strength Incline:
180x12
200x10
200x10
210x8

Pec Deck:
120x10
130x10
140x8

Pushups:
2 x Failure (15, 12)

Single-Arm Reverse Pushdowns:
40x12
40x12
40x12

Wide-Grip Pulldowns
120x12
130x10
130x10

Tip of the day: Make sure the top is on fully when you're shaking up a protein shake. Mine clearly wasn't which is why it sprayed all over my keyboard and monitor, smooth move.

[Liftbig21]

Hahaha Bro if i had a quarter for everytime that happened to me itd pay for a month of gym dues...keep up the good work brother

[Hollywood]

Got home last night and was real tired, didn't have much time to post my workout. Leg day, went something like this.

Squat:
135 x 12 (warmup)
185 x 12 (warmup)
225 x 6
225 x 6
245 x 5
245 x 5

I'm still workin real hard on legs to get my numbers up. Again, my legs are definitely my weak points. Maybe I should be hitting them twice a week? My buddy and I were alternating sets cause we only really have 1 good squat rack in my gym. His last set he went 455 for a tripple and shot it up so hard each rep the weight bounced off his back and he bent the bar, so I squatted with a bent bar my last couple sets... what an ass.

Lunges:
95 lb barbell x 20 steps
95 x 20
95 x 15

Leg Extension:
145 x 12
145 x 12
145 x 12

Hammie Curl:
100 x 12
110 x 10
120 x 8
120 x 8

Bi's

DB curl:
30 x 12
35 x 10
40 x 8
40 x 8

Preachers:
65 x 15
65 x 15
65 x 12
65 x 10

200 abs

I've been neglecting abs for a while just because after I finish my two major areas, I really dont want to stick around to do stupid abs. But I know when I start cutting, thats gonna come back to bite me in the ass.

[Hollywood]

The chicken breast I'm eating right now is so fucking dry it tastes like sheetrock in my mouth. I wanna spit it out and eat a huge bacon cheeseburger. Fuck, can't win em all I guess...

Straight Bar Shoulder Press:
Warmup
135 x 8
135 x 8
135 x 8

I felt like shit doing straight bar presses. I dont know what it was, but sometimes theres just one lift that you're not feelin. I felt weaker than usual doing them, but I wasnt gonna let it ruin my workout.

DB Shoulder Press
55 x 12
60 x 10
65 x 8
65 x 7 (missed 8)

Upright Rows
100 x 12
100 x 12
120 x 10
120 x 10

DB Side Raises
25 x 12
25 x 12
30 x 10
30 x 10

DB Circuit
15 x 20
15 x 20

I'm not sure what you would really call it, but I do a "Circuit" where you lift the DB straight up like a front raise, bring it straight back to your chin, then down in a circular motion slowly. You really get a good burn from it if you keep it slow and your form tight.

[Hollywood]

My first day ever deadlifting. I never had before cause I injured my lower back in football, so I avoided anything that would tweak it out again. I'm feeling as 100% as I'm going to feel, so I decided to start again.

Now I think I've fallen in love for the second time in my life. The first time didnt work out so well, but the Iron will never fuck you over. So I think this love is more real.

I stuck with lighter weight just so I could start out getting good form, and because I had never done it before. Thankfully some of the guys I train with are big deadlifters and made sure I was doing everything correct.

Deadlift (Conventional)
135 x 10 (warmup)
185 x 10 (warmup)
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5

I was told not to go over 225 just because I had never done it before, and to keep my reps no higher than 5. I got all the reps clean with no problem and it felt great, my back is stiff as hell right now but it's the best feeling I've had in a while.

DB Row:
75 x 10
75 x 10
75 x 10
75 x 10

Lat Pulldown:
120 x 10
120 x 10
120 x 10

Shrugs:
225 x 12
275 x 12
315 x 10
315 x 10

Throughout the rest of my workout my lower back was real sore, but I think that just comes with having never done deads before. It's definitely somethin I felt great doin though... looking forward to next week!

[DA GOVNA]

ok ok this is for every one unless your a BEAST dont show off you work outs and shit if you wanna have"HOLLEYWOODS HOUSE OF PAIN" start your own fuck web site or myspace account, this aint the place for it. no wonder all my hard core buudies make fun of me for being on this forum cuz its full of rookies who think thier fuckin jay cutler, you prolly spend more time on the internet then you do at the fuckin gym.

[D-Bomb]

ok ok this is for every one unless your a BEAST dont show off you work outs and shit if you wanna have"HOLLEYWOODS HOUSE OF PAIN" start your own fuck web site or myspace account, this aint the place for it. no wonder all my hard core buudies make fun of me for being on this forum cuz its full of rookies who think thier fuckin jay cutler, you prolly spend more time on the internet then you do at the fuckin gym.

Excuse me brother, we do not ACCEPT this level of dis-respectful behaviour. perhaps you need a break from this forum since you do not understand the seriousness of it, or the vibe of brotherhood we are creating here.

[PlacentiaBay]

hey i feel the asthma(sp?) part of it man, I go through the samething everytime i hit the gym. i try to refrain from the puffers but if it got to be done then i take em. i'm to the point now where i jump rope so much that my breathing is getting alot better.

[PlacentiaBay]

ok ok this is for every one unless your a BEAST dont show off you work outs and shit if you wanna have"HOLLEYWOODS HOUSE OF PAIN" start your own fuck web site or myspace account, this aint the place for it. no wonder all my hard core buudies make fun of me for being on this forum cuz its full of rookies who think thier fuckin jay cutler, you prolly spend more time on the internet then you do at the fuckin gym.

go get a fucking life you tard no1 comes on this forum and puts there shit up to get bitched at by you. This is a place where we all come because we have something in common. I myself don't think your attitude should be welcome here anymore. i think this guy is doing great and will continue doing great. As for you, you just lost my respect. If theres something bothering you with your life then don't come on here and take it out on the members of this forum.

[Karma]

ok ok this is for every one unless your a BEAST dont show off you work outs and shit if you wanna have"HOLLEYWOODS HOUSE OF PAIN" start your own fuck web site or myspace account, this aint the place for it. no wonder all my hard core buudies make fun of me for being on this forum cuz its full of rookies who think thier fuckin jay cutler, you prolly spend more time on the internet then you do at the fuckin gym.
One more single post like this and you will get ban…

No Kidding.

[Hollywood]

Yo fellas thanks for all the support. Sucks when you have haters trying to knock you down and tear you apart, but thats life aint it? If you're not with me, you're against me, so I'm gonna keep fightin my way up. Thanks again guys.

[Karma]

Yo fellas thanks for all the support. Sucks when you have haters trying to knock you down and tear you apart, but thats life aint it? If you're not with me, you're against me, so I'm gonna keep fightin my way up. Thanks again guys.
No need to Thanks Bro!!

Keep up with the good work.

[Hollywood]

Monday. The start of another week payin dues. I was in History class today and my teacher was tellin us about how back in the 8th or 9th century there was a big war over spices for foods. People paid astronomical prices for spices cause they were tired of eating the same bland foods constantly just to survive. He talked about how bad he felt that people had to eat the food this way, and the whole class agreed it was unfortunate. What the fuck? I do the same thing they did. Everyday I'm eating the same disgusting eggs, dry chicken and bland tuna, but you dont see me bitching and moaning. They ate their food to survive, and the way I see it, I'm eatin my food to survive too. Nothing's changed in over 1000 years.

Chest:
Flat DB Bench:
90 x 10
95 x 8
95 x 8
100 x 8

I was only expecting to hit 100's for 6, but I got myself all pumped up and hit it for 8. Haven't felt that good in a long time.

Barbell Incline:
170 x 10
170 x 10
170 x 10

Hammer Strength Iso-Wide:
275 x 10
275 x 10
315 x 8
315 x 6

Tris:

V-bar Pushdowns:
120 x 15
130 x 12
140 x 10
150 x 8

Supersetted the next 3 exercises twice:

Overhead DB Tricep Raise:
65 x 12
Single-arm reverse pushdown:
30 x 12
Iso Incline Tricep Press:
135 x 12

Diamond Pushups:
2 sets x Failure (20, 18)

100 weighted abs

[Liftbig21]

Sick workout bro...great progress keep um comin

[Hollywood]

Squat:

135 x 15 (warmup)
185 x 12 (warmup)
210 x 8 (warmup)
225 x 6
225 x 6
225 x 6
225 x 6

I'm not gonna increase my numbers for another week to two with squatting just so I make sure that I'm getting balls-deep with my lifts. Getting deep is becoming a more natural feeling than stopping at parallel.

Lunges:
115 x 16 steps
115 x 16 steps
115 x 16 steps

Hammie Curls:
100 x 12
110 x 10
120 x 8
120 x 8

Leg Extension:
135 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10

For the extensions I squeezed each rep at the top for one second, then took 2 seconds to come back down.

Cable Curl:
120 x 10
140 x 8
140 x 8
150 x 6

T-Bar Curls
55 x 8
55 x 8
55 x 8

Seated Curls:
25 x 15
30 x 12
30 x 10

After my sets of cable curls I had a really big pump in my arms and couldn't move them all the way up for the other curls. Does this happen to anyone else? I kinda feel like I'm not getting a full rep, but I cant move my arm up any further.

[Hollywood]

Really bad mood. It's times like this I wish more than anything I had a gym in my basement. It's definitely something I'm gonna invest in later on in life. No matter what time it is, If I wanna hit the Iron, its right there.

DB Shoulder Press:
60 x 12
65 x 10
70 x 8
70 x 8

DB Side Raise:
30 x 12
30 x 12
35 x 10
35 x 10

Shoulder Circuit:
20 x 10
20 x 10
20 x 10

Machine Press:
150 x 10
150 x 10
150 x 10

100 weighted abs

I hate doing abs, they're such a necessary evil. I've probably said this a million times, but I thought it needed re-iterating.

I can't fucking wait for deads on friday.

[Hollywood]

Didn't have much time to get a lot done tonight cause I was rushed in between classes. Hit it hard though.

Straight Bar Shrugs:
135, 185, 225 x 12 (warmup)
275 x 15
315 x 12
315 x 12
315 x 12

Cable Shrugs:
300 x 25
300 x 25
300 x 25

Close-Grip Pause Bench:
135, 155 x 10 (warmup)
175 x 8
185 x 8
185 x 8
210 x 5

I'm still trying to break through that sticking point with my bench, so I worked on pausing and really exploding the weight up.

Rope Pulldowns:
100 x 12
100 x 12
100 x 12
100 x 12

Really wish I could have stayed longer and done more, but the rest of life got in the way. That sucks. Deads tomorrow!

[Pokoritel]

I just went over some of your workouts again, looks like your doing damn good Hollywood. I dont know if that dude Do Govna realizes but this is a training log, so continue posting your workouts and your numbers man. Failure is not an option, Advance and Conqeuror Brother Peace.

[darkside64]

keep up the good work bro. I read one of your messages and which you were considering working legs twice a week. I dont know about you but my legs are sore for a minimum of 4 days. Try this old favorite of mine sometime. On your last set of squats pick a weight that you can do for ten reps but do it for twenty. No matter what it takes. Rest pauses whatever get those fucking 20 reps. I guarantee you will enter a new zone of development for your legs.

[Hollywood]

Been waitin for this day all week. Heavy back.

Deadlift:
225 x 5
250 x 5
250 x 5
250 x 5
250 x 5

Not terrible for only my 2nd time ever pulling. I got all the sets clean with good form. My shins are all tore up. Feels good.

Lat Pulldown:
120 x 10
120 x 10
120 x 10
120 x 10

Seated Rows:
230 x 10
230 x 10
230 x 10
230 x 10

Straight Bar Curl:
85 x 8
85 x 8
75 x 10
75 x 10
65 x 12
65 x 12

Single Arm DB Preacher:
25 x 12
25 x 12
25 x 12

[Hollywood]

Starting next week I'm going to be training for a powerlifting meet, most likely the CT State Open in November. I can't fucking wait to get started, even though its 9 months away. It's a goal to set for myself, as of yet I have no long term goals, just to lift to get bigger and stronger. Now I have goals for myself to set and accomplish. I'll be training with 2 guys who really know what they're doing. One holds a World BP Record for Police/Fire for his age group (30-34) and another holds 3 New England PL records. Some experienced company to kick my ass and get my numbers up big. I'll keep posting workouts and numbers recording my progress.

DB Bench:
90 x 10
90 x 10
100 x 8
100 x 8

Hammer Incline
225 x 12
245 x 10
255 x 8
255 x 8

DB Incline Flye:
30 x 15
30 x 15
30 x 15
30 x 15

DB Pushups:
15, 15, 15

Wide-Grip Pulldowns:
100 x 25
100 x 25
100 x 25
100 x 25

Rope Pulldowns:
100 x 12
100 x 12
100 x 12
100 x 12

100 abs

[Hollywood]

DB Shoulder Press:
60 x 10
60 x 10
70 x 8
70 x 8

Reverse Pec Deck:
100 x 10
100 x 10
100 x 10
100 x 10

Hammer Shoulder Press:
150 x 10
150 x 10
150 x 10

DB Side Raise:
30 x 12
30 x 12
30 x 12

DB Front Raise:
30 x 10
30 x 10
30 x 10

DB Shrugs:
100s x 12
100s x 12
120s x 10
120s x 10

Hexagon Bar Shrugs:
185 x 15
205 x 15
225 x 12
225 x 12

[Hollywood]

Gym was closed yesterday due to the weather I was so pissed, what else am I gonna do all day on Valentines day? Had to postpone my deadlift workout until today, so I got after it.

Deadlift:
265 x 5
265 x 5
275 x 5
275 x 5

DB Rows:
70 x 12
70 x 12
75 x 10
75 x 10

Lat Pulldown:
130 x 12
130 x 12
130 x 12

Preacher Curl:
65 x 12
65 x 12
65 x 12

Seated DB Curl:
30 x 12
30 x 12
30 x 12

I'm really loving deads now I wish I could have started them earlier. Hopefully in another month I can hit 315 for a set of 5.

[D-Bomb]

repping out on deadlifts is not normal, keep that up and you will be pretty freaky looking.

[Hollywood]

What's goin on fellas, haven't been posting on here in a while cause I've been sidelined with bronchitis. Shit sucks. I've also just started a new 6-week powerlifting training schedule. Monday Wednesday Friday I do the 3 main lifts (Dead, Close-grip, Squat) for 3x5, increasing 20 pounds on each lift each week until I hit my goal on the 6th week. For everything else I do sets of 20, 15, and 10 (bi's, traps, shoulders etc.) I'm only on my 2nd week so my numbers that I'm hitting are very low, but I'm working on keeping the form perfect. As the weeks go on, weight jumps up and sets get harder and harder. My goals for the 6th week are:
Squat - 260, 3x5
Deadlift - 315, 3x5
Close Grip - 225, 3x5

I'll keep updating every few days with how the lifts are goin as the weights are uppin. Its growin season!

[Targac21]

Good logs so far man. A lot of good workouts I might try or take parts of. Check mine out if ya get a chance.

[Liftbig21]

Good to go man.Keep pushin..good luck man youll get there.Remember were gonna be some freaks walking into the CT Open!!

[Hollywood]

Been a while since I've been in the stink... figured I'd let my brothers in here whats been goin on with my life. Yesterday I got the oppurtunity to judge squatting at the Naugatuck Valley League powerlifting meet. 10 football teams showed up to compete. Ansonia, a football powerhouse for a long time in CT, had a Junior SMOKE 620 in the sqaut, 380 bench, and 320 in powerclean. I didnt get to see his bench or clean, but I heard he got them very easily too. Their coach said he will probably go for 700 in the state meet. Some real freaks out there, he's getting recruited by Notre Dame and Boston College. One other kid from Ansonia hit 600 squat. A lot of guys from Wolcott hit mid 500's in squat as well, whom I judged. There were thousands of people there, with everyone watching the big lifts screaming at the top of their lungs. It was a real fun experience, brought me back to the good ol high school lifting days. The CT State meet is in 2 weeks, our Cheshire boys are aiming for a 12,000 lb total, which isn't bad considering it is the first team in 3 years since my senior year to go to this meet (who put up close to 14,000). Keep going strong brothers, I'll keep you guys posted.

[Hollywood]

I can't believe its been so long since I've posted in here... I feel like a part of my training has been missing since. Since the end of April I've hit a terrible streak of sickness, more like bad luck. 4 sinus infections, bronchitis 3 times, 2 fevers, developed a sist, and got conjunctivitis in both of my eyes. Pretty shitty all in 2 months. I'm not asking for sympathy by any means, but it got me thinking. You can never value health enough until you don't have it any longer. For the past 2 months I woke up everyday feeling like shit, and the only thing I longed for was to feel normal. It angered me, fucking ate away at my head, I couldn't stand it. I can't even imagine what cancer or terminally ill patients go through. Waking up everyday one step closer to death, and knowing that they will never wake up one more day feeling any better than the day before. That, brothers, is the worst pain a human can go through. The physical pain is nothing compared to the mental pain that rots you from the inside. But not to dwell on the past, this week marked the first week I come back to the iron 100% ready to train for the meet in November, but I come having learned a valuable lesson.

[Hollywood]

Norma Jean - No Passenger, No Parasite

Everyday right before I train I blast this song into my ears, its the only thing I can hear, I drown out any bullshit that could possibly distract my train of thought. It starts off slow, almost calm and mellow. But you can tell thats not all, like in a movie when someone is creeping around an abandoned house, you know shit is about to get crazy. You can feel it throughout the song, waiting for that point where something goes, and all hell breaks lose. Thats how I feel before I train, on my ride over, and while I'm warming up. Like the calm before the fucking storm. My mind concentrates solely on moving weight, nothing else. It builds and builds and builds. Finally when the time comes, when the songs burts out into screaming, and my mind is ready to move weight, theres nothing you can put in the path to stop what's coming...

[Liftbig21]

Norma Jean - No Passenger, No Parasite

Everyday right before I train I blast this song into my ears, its the only thing I can hear, I drown out any bullshit that could possibly distract my train of thought. It starts off slow, almost calm and mellow. But you can tell thats not all, like in a movie when someone is creeping around an abandoned house, you know shit is about to get crazy. You can feel it throughout the song, waiting for that point where something goes, and all hell breaks lose. Thats how I feel before I train, on my ride over, and while I'm warming up. Like the calm before the fucking storm. My mind concentrates solely on moving weight, nothing else. It builds and builds and builds. Finally when the time comes, when the songs burts out into screaming, and my mind is ready to move weight, theres nothing you can put in the path to stop what's coming...

Rich its great to see you postin here again i felt alone brother...Nice post here got me fired up...Shits gonna get nutty when we start training