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8/23 bench
140x3x8 into bands
Floor press - 185/205x12, superset with t bar rows
Hammer strength shoulder press, 90x8, 70x12. Superset with hammer strength rows.
Ez bar skullcrushers and curl superset, 2x10x2 for each with 35s
Band pull aparts, 15x2 superset with 1 arm cable curls
8/24 deadlifts
425/445/465x8 off of 4" blocks
Then two 6-second ISO holds just below the knee, superset with a single of 425. Was gonna do 3 of each, but those isos gave me headache like a mofo.
Front squats, 245x10x2. Hit donkey calves and lat pulls between sets.
Banded back raise, 12x2, with seated calves and more lat pulls.
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8/27 bench
315x3
325x2
335x1
325x3
335x2
345x1
Reverse bands...365x4x2. Superset with pendlay rows, 245x12, 265x10
Db press/row supersets, 115x6x2
1 arm cable triceps/curls/cross body rows, 2 sets apiece
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8/29 squats
Safety bar with bands adding about 90 lb at the top. After some warmup sets, 250/270/290x5. Heaviest set a few weeks back was 250x5, so solid progress there.
RDL, 315x10x2. Superset with seated calves and pullups.
Belt squat, 215x12x2, superset with donkey calves and more pullups.
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8/29
Speed bench...145x8x3 with bands
CS rows, 70x12x2 superset with close grip presses to a 4" pvc pipe(no boards around), 245x12, 265x8
Trx row, 12x2 superset with db shoulder press, 60x15, 70x10
Db skullcrusher and curls, 40x10x2. Did sets of trx face pulls in between.
2 sets machine curls and reverse pec deck to finish it off
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8/30 deadlift
525/495/465/435x4. First set was a rep PR...I've hit 525 for a triple several times before, but could never quite get past that. Last set was supposed to be AMRAP, and I could've gotten a few more if it really came down to it, but I was pretty damn tired by then.
Plyo box stepups, 35 lb kettlebell, 2x20. Superset with donkey calves and narrow grip lat pulls.
GHR, 2 sets of 10. Superset with seated calves and wide grip lat pulls.
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9/3 bench
325/310/295x4, 280x9. First and last sets were both a rep PR...
385 to 5 board...fail
345 to 4 board...fail again. Realized I must've toasted myself on that set of 280, so cut bench off there.
Dips, +25x12/15. Superset with pendlay row, 265x10, 275x9
Incline db press, 80x8x2, superset with hammer strength rows, 115 per side x10x2
1 arm cable preacher curls/triceps extensions/band pull aparts, 2 sets each
Db hammer curls, band face pulls, 2 sets each
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9/4 squats
315x8x3. Had the "pleasure" of using an Ohio power bar, which has the gnarliest knurls I've seen in a bar, and chewed my back uuuuuuup. But...all worth it for the PRs.
Db SLDL, 100sx12x2, superset with seated calves
Leg press, 3 plates x20, 3 + 25s x25. My gym just swapped out leg press machines, so was giving the new one a try. Superset with donkey calves.
Pullups...4 sets of 10
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9/6
Someone was using the power rack when I came in, so started today with floor presses rather than speed benching...did 205x12, 225x10. These felt hella weird and awkward at first, but are starting to feel more natural. Superset with some t-bar rows.
Then snuck the speed bench in, 150x3x8 into bands.
Kettlebell shoulder press, 44x15/12. Superset with seated cable rows.
Swiss bar curls/skullcrushers, 2 sets each
Bentover db raise/seated db curls, 2 sets each
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9/7 deadlifts into bands, adding 90 lbs at lockout
225/275/315x6, 405/435/465/495x3
Took off the bands, repped 455x10
Front squat...255x5, 225x8. Not too great here, but I was toast after the AMRAP set of deads. Did along with 2 sets each of donkey calves and lat pulls.
Cable pull thru...180x12x2 with 2 more sets of calves and lat pulls.
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9/10 bench
320x3
330x2
340x1
330x3
340x2
350x1
Db press, 115x6x2, superset with db rows, 115x10/8
Hammer strength incline, 70 per side x12x2, superset with
Hammer strength rows, 90 per side x10x2
Ran out of time so had to cut it short...lifting before work sucks. About to smash some arms and shoulders with bands to make up on some accessory work...
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9/12 squat
Safety bar with reverse bands...after some warmups, went 300x5, 320/340/360/390/410x3, 430x1. I really wanted to hit a triple with 4 plates on that last one, but the 1 rep was a bit of a grind so I cut it off there. Trying to walk that line between going hard and not being stupid, because I'm better at the latter than the former. Also trying to be fresh for deads on Thursday...
RDL, 365x8x2. Superset with seated calves, pullups.
Hack squat, 3 plates per side x10, 2 plates per x12. Superset with donkey calves and pullups.
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9/13
Speed bench with bands, 155x8x3. Really happy with how this went tonight - bar seemed to move quicker than at any point since I started doing these with the bands, so hopefully that's a sign of actual increased power...
Close grip to pvc pipe, 255x10, 275x8. Superset with CS rows, 70x12x2
Hammer strength shoulder press, 90 per side x8x2. Superset with wide grip seated cable rows, 140x15x2. All the rows today were kept at low intensity, cause my back is pretty stiff/sore, and I'm trying to DL my ass off tomorrow.
Db hammer curl, 60x8x2. First time I've ever curled more than 50s, and surprised at how easy these felt. Superset with DB French press, 80x10x2, along with trx face pulls, 2x15.
Machine preacher curl...65x10, 75x10. Superset with banded pull aparts, 2x15.
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9/14 deadlifts
525/495/465/435/405x5. Had to give myself a solid fuck yea here...another rep PR at 525, and 5 matches a previous PR with 495, which I'm sure I could bang out for several more if not hitting the 525 first.
Donkey calves/kettlebell lunges/wide lat pulls x2 sets
Seated calves/banded back raise/narrow lat pulls x2 sets
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9/17 bench
325/310/295/280x5, 260x8
Followed up with 2x6 of suuuuuuper heavy banded presses - a pretty thick band doubled over an empty bar. This looked/felt like using a bamboo bar, and wrecked my chest and tris.
Bent over row, 275x10, 295x8. Superset with dips, +45x10x2.
Seated cable row, 200x10x2, superset with seated Db lateral raise, 30x12x2
Cable overhead tris and curls with rope handle, 2 sets each
Standing db curl and bentover cable raise, 2 sets each
9/18 squats
315x8x4. Was still pretty tight/sore from deads the other day, so added 4 sets of pullups(+25) x8x4, superset with 2 sets each of seated and donkey calves.
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9/20 speed bench
160x8x3 with bands. Of course, when I came in some other guys were using the power rack, so I set up on a competition bench with band pegs that my gym just picked up. I tried to replicate the same band tension, but I'm pretty sure it was somewhat heavier than how I've been doing it.
Hammer strength incline, 90 then 100 per side x12. Superset with hammer strength low rows, 2 plates per x10x2 with a reverse grip. Wanted to floor press, but my shoulders are angry about squatting Monday, so stick with machines on secondary lifts...
Smith machine shoulder press, 185x6x2. Was gonna hit more of these, but rotator cuffs said nahhhh. Superset with db seal rows, 60x15x2.
Jm press, 115x8, 95x12. Superset with seated db curls, 40x8, 30x12.
Cable face pulls, band pull aparts, reverse grip cable curls - 2 sets each
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9/22 deadlifts
Did "block pulls" off some thick bumper plates...405/455/475/495x5
Then superset 2 sets of lat pulls with GHR, and cut it off. Even skipped doing calves!
Doing sort of a de-load thing right now...work has been a bitch - long hours, lots of stress, short sleep, etc and my recovery has been lagging, so I've been trying to keep the RPE down a bit on the compound lifts while cutting out accessory volume in hopes that I'll have a little more pep in my step.
And honestly...this was again one of those workouts that champs are made of. Not the ones where you feel great, and show up hit PRs and everything's a fuckin smoke show...no sir. All this week, I've felt completely disinterested in lifting. I'll start feeling it a bit with the help of some fury and my playlist, but I'd gladly have skipped all my workouts this week if I wasn't already entered in a meet. I actually skipped my usual DL day yesterday and fucking loved the decision to do so. However...my debt to the iron needed paid tonight. Hopefully my ass wrote a big enough check to cover. However, on the upside, the gym is hella empty at midnight on a Friday. Pretty sweet banging plates solo!
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9/24 bench
325x3
335x2
345x1
2 board cause shoulders were flaring up...
335x3
345x2
355xfail
I could tell this workout was gonna suck when my warmups all felt heavy. I started dialing back calories cause I weighed 262 as of Friday AM. By Sunday I was 256, so definitely lost more than intended while working the last couple days. Triceps were also from something I did Wednesday.
Db press/row superset, 100x10x2 for each
Bentover db raise, 35x15, 40x12. Superset with CS row, 90x10, 70x12.
That was it. Hopefully a day off work and a full week of dialing back on the accessory work and total volume will have me feeling good to squat tomorrow. Get to bang it out with the safety bar into bands, which my rotator cuffs are pretty stoked for...
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9/25 squizzats
Safety bar into bands...used a thicker set than I have been, tension around 100 lbs at top, 60 at bottom...
250x5, 270x3, 290x3, 320x2, 340x1, 360x1. I rarely if ever hit heavy doubles/singles on squats, but need to get dialed in on the big boy weights for this meet...
SLDL with dumbells, 105x12x2, superset with seated calves
Belt squat, 260x12x2, superset with donkey calves
Pullups - 8 sets of 3 with 25 lbs added
Glad I dialed shit back last week...I felt a lot fresher and looser tonight, but got in late and had no spotter, so could've maybe hit the singles a little harder...
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9/27 speed bench again...165x8x3. Weight moved a lot quicker/easier than last week, and I'm glad I let off the gas a little last week, because I feel a hell of a lot better now - actually kinda recovered and fresh for once.
Db shoulder press, 70x10x2, superset with hammer strength rows - 2 plates x15x2
Floor press, 225x10, 245x8, superset with cable rows with rope handle, 140x15x2
Reverse grip ez curl, 25 per side x15x2, superset with Tate press, 40x12x2. I'd heard of these several times before, but wasn't sure what they even were - then saw some video of them the other day and thought I'd give it a go, and they're awesome. I've seen people doing them before in the gym, but super sloppy - I tried to keep a slow tempo and made sure the DBs stayed together, and these gave a wicked pump in the tris. Definitely became a go-to move for the back arms...
Cable face pulls, 160/140x15, superset with cable 1 arm preacher curl, 70/60x8
Tossed in a set of high pulley cross-body rows as a finisher for the rear delts
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9/28 deadlifts
Another day, another rep PR...545/525x3, 495x5, 465x8. I used straps on that last set and wanted to get to 10, but subsequent sets were a real bitch after getting a rep PR on my first working set.
Front squat, 245x8, 265x5. Tried a 6th rep and had to dump it. Kind of bummed these aren't progressing very much, BUT...I think I'd be a lot stronger at them if not always doing them in a fatigued state. Superset with seated calves.
Cable pull thru, 200x15x2. superset with donkey calves.
Lat pulls, 200x12x2, 180x12x2. Alternated parallel and underhand grips.