In a rare turn of events I've been sick and took two days off. Got back in the gym yesterday still feeling a bit under the weather and did a super short workout.
SSB box squats against Monster minis:
240 x 3 x 5
Overhead dumbbell press:
Right - 85 x 6, 6, 5
Javelin press:
Left - 45 x 11, 12
On the days I simply could not eat I'd spoon whey in my mouth and let it dissolve.
SSB squats:
325 x 3 x 5
> Fucking love this gym. Screamed, loud. As I increase the weight it feels more and more like the bar is pitching me forward, but my back is holding strong.
One-armed dumbbell press:
Right - 127.5 x 3, 5, 5
Left - 75 x 3 x 10
> Misgrooved on the first set but once I focused on power breathing and staying tight the weight shot up.
Face pulls:
25 reps
Pendlay rows:
205 x 5, 5, 8
> Last set felt the best. Lift more explosively, that's the point of pulling from the ground.
Band pressdowns:
2 minis x 18, 12, 12
Super-set with:
Bilateral dumbbell curls with Fat Gripz:
40s x 10, 8, 8
My shoulder is feeling great. I feel like I can go back to bilateral pressing really soon, but honestly, I'm really liking this incremental progression of working up to heavier dumbbells for it. I set it up so that my right arm is progressing at 2.5 intervals (necessary due to how much heavier I'm going) and my left is moving up at 5, so eventually it'll catch up. Once that happens and after a period of doing Turkish get-ups with my new kettlebell I think I'll be ready. Good shit. Can't ever let an injury demotivate; there's too much to do.
Got a 25 lb kettlebell and did Turkish get-ups with it for five reps before doing my usual cardio circuit, but this time with the addition of kettlebell swings. So convenient to have this at home. At first I wanted to bring it and leave at the gym, but I'd rather have it here for convenience.
Broke up my workout into two days due to time restraints.
Tuesday
SSB box squats against bands:
240 x 3 x 5
Wednesday
Deadlifts:
365 x 5
405 x 5
445 x 4
One-armed standing dumbbell press:
Right arm - 85 x 3 x 5
Javelin press: 45 x 3 x 10
Pull-ups:
12, 10, 6
> Did these in-between press sets.
Have been doing HIIT, circuits, and hungry walks regularly on off-days. Also in the process of getting things together to do Turkish get-ups at home for recovering shoulder.
Really weird thing to note: when sneezing, keep head straight. If I turn my head my shoulder feels it.
SSB squats:
320 x 3 x 5
One-armed dumbbell press:
Right arm - 125 x 3 x 5
Left arm - 70 x 3 x 10
Lying band pulls (mini and Monster mini stacked):
20, 20
Barbell rows:
135 x 2 x 10
Didn't leave feeling happy about lat exercises. I had the intention of doing lying bilateral dumbbell rows but the bench width forced my arms too wide out. Should just stick with heavy barbell rows next time I want to pull horizontally, shoulder felt fine doing them.
Really impressed with how easy 5 lb gains are coming every single week, though. Wonder how long I can surf this wave.
SSB squats:
315 x 3 x 5
> Wow. Felt so much stronger. I really think I've settled into a winning formula here.
One-armed dumbbell press:
Right arm - 122.5 x 3 x 5
Left arm - 65 x 20, 15, 12
Pull-ups:
12, 8, 10
> Stopped whenever shoulder started to hurt.
Planks
SSB box squats against monster minis:
240 lbs x 3 x 5
> Left knee was bothering me a little bit, so today I really went to extremes with band tension in terms of forcing me to lean back. Upon scrutiny, though, the monster bands seemed chaffed! Bits of the surface was peeling off and there were more stretch marks than a pregnant hillbilly at a chili cook-off. Wtf. This was my first time using them.
I may be overdoing it. This is supposed to be my back-off day, but the bands made it feel almost as heavy as when I squat max effort. I should find a way to elevate the dumbbells that they're anchored to a tad, or maybe just use weaker and more elastic bands.
Savickas press:
45 lbs x 2 x 10
Standing one-armed overhead dumbbell press:
Right arm - 85 lbs x 3 x 5
Javelin press:
Left arm - 45 lbs x 10, 8, 7
> My overhead pressing is getting frightening. This was easier than it should have been.
Good mornings against minis:
150 x 3 x 5
Pull-ups:
45 lbs x 3 x 5
> Very happy I can pull with weight again. This felt incredibly easy, too, probably from all the bodyweight pull-ups I've been doing.
Dumbbell curls with Fat Gripz:
45s x 2 x 5
SSB squats:
315 x 5, 4, 3
One-armed dumbbell press:
Right arm - 120 x 3 x 5
Left arm - 60 x 20, 15, 15
Deadlifts:
315 x 5
405 x 3, 5
> Just testing the waters here, but these ended up being heavier on my back than I expected them to be after the SSB squats. Shoulder felt great.
Pull-ups:
10, 8, 6
> Stopped whenever shoulder started to hurt.
SSB squats:
310 x 5, 5, 4
> Knees bowed a little on the last set, watch that.
One-armed dumbbell press:
Right arm - 120 x 4, 5, 4
Left arm: 55 x 20, 16, 16
Pull-ups:
12, 8, 8, 6, 6
> Terminated each set once I felt my recovering shoulder start to strain.
Did a really kick-ass press warm-up by bench pressing the bar with a band wrapped around my arms, thereby forcing me to grip the bar as if I'm pulling it apart.
I've put on a bit of fat, but it was a necessary evil to eat a lot after my injury. Started getting my shit together today again. Did an intense 6 minute cardio circuit in the afternoon comprised of burpees, mountain climbers, squat jumps, rotary kicks, and light shadowboxing, each interval'd out after 15 seconds. Later on in the late evening I went on an hour walk. Diet was high in protein and fat, but low in carbs. Let's do this.
SSB box squats with bands:
240 lbs x 5 x 5
> I'm using the short bands so the added resistance was a helluva lot.
Scarecrows:
5 lb dumbbells x 5
Savickas press:
45 lbs x 2 x 8
> Just a warm-up, but already I could tell how effective this exercise is at hammering the core.
Standing one-armed overhead dumbbell press:
Right arm - 80 lbs x 5, 5, 7
Javelin press:
Left arm - 35 lbs (EZ bar) x 5
45 lbs (Olympic barbell) x 6, 5
Snatch-grip deadlifts:
225 lbs x 5 x 3
> First rep of each set was with Fat Gripz, and after that was just a super-wide grip on the bar. I think I'm finally ready to start deadlifting heavy.
Pull-ups:
8, 8, 8
Band pressdowns super-setted with band curls
Feasted at Hometown Buffet after. Must have eaten close to 2,000 calories.
Scored a pair of both short mini and monster mini bands, along with new Fat Gripz. Plan on using them with the SSB and box tomorrow.
My numbers seem rock-solid consistent on climbing week-to-week, especially my pressing. I plan on picking up my bench press right where I left off once I'm healed and get it up to 365 for my next competition.
Had a kick-ass job going for me with a demolition crew. Basically I got paid $10 an hour to break shit with a sledgehammer. When I got there and was told what to do I practically had joyful tears welling up in my eyes as I picked up my weapon and laid waste to my ordered enemy: building. I bonded with a sledgehammer that day.
Then I got laid off 8 hours later because they found out I was injured two weeks ago, even though I'm pain-free now and can do the work no problem. PUSSIES.
Decided to drown out my sorrows with squats.
SSB squats:
305 lbs x 3 x 5
Scarecrows:
8s x 5
One-armed dumbbell press:
115 lbs x 3 x 5 - right arm
50 lbs x 20, 15 - 15; left arm
3-board press:
135 lbs x 5
> Still too much ROM for that kind of weight. Shoulder hurt. Going to ditch this.
NG pull-ups:
3 x 10
Able to do pull-ups now, no pain.
Face pulls:
20 reps
Trying out a new format: weight x sets x reps. Gonna be tedious and keep writing "lbs" to make it extra clear for me, at least for now.
SSB squats:
300 lbs x 5, 5, 4
> Wow, only got 2 last time. Funny how the body works sometimes. This weight is very light to me, but the form takes getting used to. Starting to get accustomed to squatting this frequently. Legs were less sore coming in.
Scarecrows:
5 lb dumbbells x 5
> Rehab and warm-up.
Board press:
45 lbs x 30 (3 board)
45 lbs x 20 (2 board)
> Warm-up.
One-armed neutral-grip dumbbell press:
Right arm: 112.5 lbs x 3 x 5
Left arm: 40 lbs x 3 x 30
> When I use my custom dumbbell handles it'll always have an extra 2.5 tacked on because I need to use heavy locking pins to secure the plates on extra-tight. Can't have it raining down metal on me (actually that'd kick ass, what am I saying).
Cable pressdowns:
Entire stack x 30
> Good pump but can't wait to get my bands to use for this.
Standing unilateral dumbbell rows:
Right arm: 100 lbs x 20, 20, 12
Left arm: Unknown x 20, 20, 12
> Unmarked dumbbells, what are ya gonna do. This actually shouldn't be a problem for long because the dumbbells have divided plates on them, and I'm starting to memorize visually how much weight the corresponding plates are. Four of them is 80. Wait...that means each plate is 10 lbs, so I should easily be able to tell. I sure am quick today. I guess that means each dumbbell is actually a little heavier because there's also the bar, too, but whatever.
> Reps on left arm were extremely slow to promote maximum blood flow through the recovering region, something I should have done and will do in the future for dumbbell pressing.
Dumbbell preacher curls
> Shoulder didn't like these so did standing curls for that side.
Currently on an anniversary stay at a luxury hotel and spa with my girlfriend. Naturally, the first thing I checked out was the gym. Actually it was one of the last, but for good reason. No squat rack, barbells, bench press bench, or heavy dumbbells, but the pampered weenies have what matters: coffee machine, fresh towels, water coolers, giant mirrors, HD televisions. This hotel needs to grow five mustaches just to be tough enough for a breast pump commercial. Luckily the spa itself isn't something that needs gallons of testosterone to acquire approval (though some spikes wouldn't hurt).
Awesome night, though.
Ordered a new pair of Fat Gripz to replace my lost ones. Also included in the package a pair of Mini and Monster Mini bands. Finally. All these years I've been contending with my mega-strong Iron Woodies for everything from benching to squatting, so the diversity will be most welcome. Now I just need to get some chains, a sled to drag, and dig out my boards from the closet and I just might start looking like a powerlifter.
I have no idea what the hell a "Cyber Monday" is, but with sales like this I'm down with it.
Also rereading Beyond Bodybuilding. I try to read two books at a time, one fiction and the other non-fiction. Right now I'm doing three (Beyond Bodybuilding, Fist of God, and Sun and Steel).
SSB box squats:
150 x 5
200 x 5
240 x 5
270 x 5
275 x 5
> Legs were sore from the day before yesterday, but still felt really good on these. The stool was at about parallel, maybe a little less.
One-armed overhead dumbbell press:
70 x 5
80 x 5
80 x 5
> Wow, never pushed a dumbbell this heavy overhead while standing, yet it felt incredibly light. Just last week 60 was enough. It's probably because I've only done this movement after barbell pressing before.
One-armed EZ bar deadlifts:
155 x 5, 5
SSB good mornings:
150 x 10
Band and cable rows
Duct-taped the loose padding around my bar. The pic below shows how short the handles are; I only get about a half-grip with them. Gonna bring a measuring tape next time to record the diameter so I can get some piping as extensions.
Safety squat bar squats:
150 x 5
240 x 5
290 x 5
295 x 3
300 x 2
> Reps were very slow, for the most part. Didn't want to strain with my shoulder so I went in being very cautious. Still working out the form for things, like where to keep my elbows so they don't hit my knees. Felt kick-ass to be under the bar again, though.
One-armed dumbbell press:
100 x 5
110 x 5
100 x 8
Dumbbell rows:
Every dumbbell under 100 is unmarked, so I can't even record what I did, haha. I did one set of 30 with something, then did 100 for 8. I'm bending over with no bench, since I can't support myself with my arm.
One annoying quality is that the handles for my bar are too short to wrap my hands fully around. I only get around half a grip. I'm wondering if there were some detachable handles on it before that didn't come with it.
Got a safety squat bar. Picked it up from a CraigsList seller for $150. I was at a museum with the girlfriend right before so I had much-needed help getting it transported securely in lieu of my left arm being functional.
Gym was closed by the time we got back so it's sitting in my car until tomorrow. I'm not worried about theft because any burglar smart enough to want a SSB to the point of stealing it is alright in my book. I'll still craterize his spleen, though.
On a side-note, I can't believe there was no Persian section at the museum.
Shoulder is getting better, albeit very slowly. That was one nasty accident, but I'm committing my fortitude to stay north of vag.
I make my own silver linings, though. Since I won't be able to squat for a very long time, and my new gym is absolute tits and nobody is ever using the weight room, I'm finally at a point where I can start building my own arsenal of gym equipment. My first buy: a safety squat bar. Picking it up tomorrow. Had to wait a few days before management approved it, but yesterday they said I can bring in whatever I want.
Thanksgiving was awesome, even though as a Canadian it should have been in October for me.
New gym is tiny, cramped, run-down, shabby, and limited...which kicks ass. Nobody is ever there. Had the entire place to myself for an hour and a half during what would usually be peak gym hours. Feels really private. The owner is also open to me bringing in my own equipment.
This is basically the entire room:
Canceled my gym membership at 24 Hour. I'm going to a rundown athletic center instead. It kicks so much ass. It's almost always empty, and the owner is letting me bring in my own equipment so I can stock it up with whatever I want. Definitely the next best thing to having my own gym, which this practically is anyways.
Squatted 375 x 2 last time. Felt really out of practice. Gonna start doing more assist work for quads.
Did a cardio circuit of burpees, mountain-climbers, squat thrusts, shadowboxing and kick practice. Only needed about 6 minutes to feel an effect. Immediately after I went on a 50 minute walk.
I've had great success "stacking" activities this way. The EPOC produced by the interval training accelerates lipolysis during the walk (and well after). It saves time to boot, too.
Overhead press:
155 x 5
175 x 3
195 x 3
> Been more than a week since I've pressed and even longer than that since I've done bench or any kind of assistance work for my arms. I think I put out the fire just in time.
Dips:
55 x 8, 8, 7, 7, 5
Face pulls:
60 x 30
NG pull-ups:
12, 8, 8, 7, 5
Curls
Ugh, when taking time off for a meet I need to eat as if I'm bulking. The only way I ever progress on a calorie deficit is with a high training frequency. My press regressed as a result.
Speaking of which: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PDNhIbTLR0
Almost took 1st.
Deadlifts:
350 x 5
395 x 3
440 x 6
> Felt like I was lifting in a swimming pool. Incredibly easy. It's funny how the human body works. One day has to suck so the next can be prosperous.
Romanian deadlifts:
315 x 10, 8, 6
> Pronated grip.
RKC planks super-setted with chin-ups
> Did these because I didn't do any lat work last time. Goddamn, doing upper-body pulls with deadlifts feels awesome. Something I want to try more in the future.
Lost .2 pounds. Okay, that's a little TOO slow. Going to reduce how much I eat at night by a little bit, and if that's not enough, one cheat day will have to fall.
Did a "I'm Not Doing Shit" day for overhead press. Barely got 195 x 4. Felt incredibly weak.
Halloween kicked ass. My costume cost 78 cents for tin foil.
Squats:
280 x 5 (forgot that I was only supposed to do 3)
320 x 4
360 x 5
> Smoothest and easiest set of squats I've done in quite a while. After months of changing forms and trying to find a sweet spot to accommodate my shoulder I've finally found my groove. I'm doing low bar squats now, too. All sets were ATG, since I'm descending quickly and taking advantage of the stretch-reflex to bounce out of the hole.
Step-ups:
145 x 5, 6, 6, 6
Leg press:
5 plates x 10
> Just getting some easy extra volume in since I've been skimping on the accessory work for squat day lately. Wanna know what's sad? I can let the machine come all the way down on me and it's still not enough to equal the range of my squat depth.
RKC planks:
60 secs, 15, 9
Using PWO shakes less and less, pretty much only on upper-body days. After this I simply had dinner.
Woke up at 5:22 today. 5 hours of sleep, but it was worth it to get my schedule back on a sane level where I'm not going to bed at 5 am. Felt hyperactive on the drive over.
Bench press:
215 x 3
245 x 3
280 x 7
> Last rep was tough.
Incline bench press:
190 x 8, 7, 5
155 x 8
135 x 10
Kroc rows:
125s x 20, 18, 15, 15
> Felt like I was going to vomit. Awesome. Still no straps in the mail and I forgot to bring my wrist wraps, so I gutted it out raw again. Next week I'll bring my own dumbbell handles and go much heavier.
Preacher curls:
70 x 8, 5
Jacuzzi after. I felt dead and on the verge of puking and being in the hot tub made me feel like I wanted to take a nap right there, but after I stepped outside I felt perky and hyper again.
Yesterday I employed Wendler's INDST method: I'm not doing shit today. Felt shabby so I went in, deadlifted 415 x 5 after working up, and went out. Might do planks today for some ab work and use my Crush grippers.
So pissed about losing my Fat Gripz.
I weighed 214.8 today, which is about half a pound less. It's slow-going but that's perfectly okay.
I'm going to start getting even stricter with carbs during the week while getting more cardio in. After a while of doing that I'll reduce my cheat days from two days a week to one. I think I'm going to go all the way to 200.
I'm also drinking way less milk, which is good because this organic shit is expensive. I'm not sold on that whole line or anything, but I read an interesting excerpt from Thibaudeau about regular milk containing more estrogens. Maybe, maybe not, but it tastes way better. It's just milk, anyways. Why are you brainless mutants reading this far of my post about it? Jesus.
Overhead press:
145 x 3
165 x 3
185 x 7
> Still a little sore going in. All the great ab work I've been doing has been helping with stabilizing the weight.
Dips:
50 x 8, 8, 8, 8, 6
> Failed a 7th, watch out for that. Supremely deep and making sure to keep my elbows tucked.
Incline lat flyes:
17.5s x 20
12s x 15
6s x 15
> The front of my shoulders have been consistently sore lately and it makes me worry about muscle imbalances. Getting some rear delt work in for shoulder health and stability. Not heavy, just focusing on getting a pump there.
Chin-ups:
50s x 8, 8, 8, 7, 6
Realized at this point that I lost my Fat Gripz. Fuck!
Yesterday, benched 365 x 8. Came so close to getting a 9th but couldn't lock my right arm completely out. Lesser men would have counted it. Chest and shoulders were and still are majorly sore from weighted dips, which affected performance.
Did Kroc rows with a 125 lb dumbbell for 15 reps, 4 sets. Should definitely get straps. I'm all for training my grip but the dumbbell just starts to tilt to one side and gets anchored to my hand by the bell so grip is out of the equation anyways. Also might be good to get wrist wraps when supporting myself on the bench. Dollar Tree has $1 ones.
Today~
Squats:
260 x 5
300 x 5
340 x 6
> Didn't push to max reps because my right knee was bugging me. It's crazy. When I went under the bar to unrack it my knee hurt, but squatting all the way down resulted in no pain at all. Just goes to show what good form can do for you. Not 100% sure what's up with the knee but it might be from when the chain on the belt I was using for dips swung smack into it and left a huge bump. I thought it was just superficial damage, but maybe not. Guess I'll chalk it up to that for now, but it wouldn't hurt to look into doing my HIIT sessions on grass instead of roads from now on.
No quad work because of knee.
Standing cable crunches:
130 x 10, 5 sets
Round Table pizza post-workout.
Have a $5 gift certificate for anything in the gym store. Asked the guy how much a 5 lb case of ON whey is and he goes "$86? $87, $87." Who the fuck would be dumb enough to buy that? Jesus.
Did 10 minutes of HIIT, 12/45. One of the best sessions I've had. Going to try reducing HIIT frequency to only twice a week and see if I can keep it up.
Foam rolling and stretching after. Used powerlifting bands to stretch my hamstrings.
Deadlifts:
300 x 5
350 x 5
395 x 10 or 11
> Lost count again and I don't really care. I wasn't going for max reps anyways. One thing I noticed, though, was the grip in my left hand kind of faltering. Looks like I'm stronger with left hand being pronated than supinated.
RDLs:
275 x 10, 10, 8
> Haven't done these in years, so going easy for now.
RKC planks
> Had some guy interrupt me on these to ask me how many reps he should be doing to bulk up because his bench press was stalled. Tried to open his eyes to what strength training is.
Been going on hungry walks on every off day, just haven't been recording them. Looking lean.
I also got a pair of cheap-ass $7 mitts from Ross. My shoulder has been feeling really stable for a long time, so I'm going to tip-toe back into fight training now.
Weighed 215.4 lbs this morning. Wow, 5 lb drop. I'd be concerned but last week I was loading on creatine so it's probably water weight.
Overhead press:
135 x 5
155 x 5
175 x 8
> Easy, almost no struggle or grind on any rep. I'm learning to not kill myself in the early stages of the cycle and to save the gut-wrenching efforts for the last week.
Dips:
45 x 8, 8, 8, 7, 7
> Going much deeper and staying much more upright than I used to. My elbows almost go up past my ears.
Chin-ups:
45 x 8, 8, 8, 6, 6
> Bar is a pain to hold, thin and slippery.
Seated alternating curls with Fat Gripz:
40s x 16, 12, 8
Refreshing deload. Actually picked up quite a few things, namely that I've been doing high step-ups wrong. I lowered the platform and stopped pushing off so much with my back foot and got a much better contraction in the working leg. My new favorite unilateral movement.
New maxes for this cycle:
Overhead press: 225
Deadlift: 510
Bench press: 345
Squat: 440
Trained at Crunch yesterday. Fuck them. I did squats in the MaxRack (using a freeweight barbell, of course) for up to 365 x 3. Unracking the bar is so precarious in this retarded machine; I have to practically do a lunge to get the bar in and out. I feel pretty proud of myself for being the only person in the short history of this gym to manage freeweight squats.
Next, I wanted to do high step-ups. Derp, no can do, because the only way to get a barbell on my shoulder is the MaxRack, and its frame is too short to stand up on anything. This means I can't overhead press anywhere, either. I settle for Wendler's I'm Not Doing Shit method and leave after squats.
Today was good, though. Did about 8 minutes of HIIT in the morning, and then went gym-hunting. My first choice is an actual powerlifting gym called Sledge, but they have to "accept" you after you shoot them an email. I'm still waiting for them to return mine and set up an interview.
I went to a community center, which had the crappiest gym ever (forget racks, they didn't even have benches), and Portland Athletic Club, which kicked ass. About two minutes from the apartment and there was literally nobody else there. As hole in the wall as you can get. As such everything was retro, old and shabby, but that's the way I like it. Plus since it's so secluded and it being a private facility I can probably stash my own equipment there.
Our lease is up in November, though, so my God-tier option is to get an apartment with a parking garage and build my own gym.
In the meantime I'm signing up for another month at 24 Hour using cash. Shoot me.
After all that I went to the gym for a second round of cardio, with high depth jumps, TGUs (2 sets of 3, both arms), and jump-roping.
Did 430 x 5 on deadlifts Tuesday and felt overtrained. Actually looking forward to next week's deload. Could have done more than 5 but something didn't feel right about busting out 10 reps of 430. Looks like this is the end of my high rep run, I'm gonna keep things 5 and under on deadlifts from now on.
Bench press:
230 x 5
260 x 3
290 x 5 or 6 (lost count)
> Hate it when that happens. I was listening to Scott Mendelson being interviewed on Iron Radio during warm-ups and it just so happened to give me a pretty good briefing on bench pressing. I've also decided I really want some steel-toe boots to bench in.
Neutral-grip dumbbell press:
125s x 5
Supinated cable rows
205 x 8, 5 sets
Overhead press:
150 x 5
170 x 3
190 x 5
> Felt glyco-depleted, despite sipping a protein shake between sets. Eat more carbs pre-workout.
Arnold press:
85s x 7, 5, 5, 5, 5
NG pull-ups:
55 x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Bilateral hammer curls with Fat Gripz:
55s x 8, 7
TGUs:
25 x 3
30 x 3, 3
A change I'm making is to no longer do intense cardio on the same day as lifting. My reasoning before was to relegate those days to the fatiguing training and then have recovery days of walks, yoga, etc. I find that recovery is better if I space things out more evenly.
Also, I've been reading old entries and goddamn, I miss the crazy exercise variety I used to do with Westside. Gonna stick with the plan until I finally hit a true 5/3/1 and then stall on my weight for singles before I bring in floor pressing, board pressing, box squats, reverse-band stuff, etc.
Squats:
270 x 5
310 x 5
350 x 5
> Fibula pain is completely gone. Gonna start doing more cardio this week and doing Turkish get-ups again, this time never without a padded surface for my knee. Really wish I could do low bar squats, but my shoulder has come so far in so little time that that's just me being greedy. Stability before flexibility, like McGill says.
High step-ups:
65 x 6
85 x 3
105 x 3
Weighted crunches
I'm doing depth jumps as a warm-up and I feel like it's translating fantastically to squat performance. Currently I'm going up to 9 plates stacked on top of a waist-high platform. Assuming the stool is 28 inches and each plate is 1.29 thick, I've estimated it to be about 40 inches, more or less.
Lifted on 5 hours of sleep, maybe less.
Bench press:
215 x 3
245 x 3
275 x 8
> 15 pound increase in a week. What'd I say about it being all in the form? One thing I feel like I'm not doing enough of is pulling the bar apart hard enough to engage the lats.
Neutral-grip dumbbell press:
120s x 6, 5, 5, 5, 5
Band pressdowns:
x 25
Supinated cable rows:
165 x 12, 12, 10, 10, 10
Seated dumbbell curls with Fat Gripz:
37.5s x 16
Got a heating pad and it's working wonders for my back. I don't have back pain or anything, it just feels damn good and relieves stiffness after deadlifts.
Ate a big dinner and about to go for seconds at Cheesecake Factory now. I'll be the guy with the tiger carcass.
Deadlifts:
315 x 3
365 x 3
405 x 10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYsM6ma5cYc
I feel like I wasn't ripping the weight off the floor like I've been aiming to do lately. My lockout was the stronger portion of the ROM. It's probably a result of so many high rep sets and not enough maximal pulls. It's been ages since I've done anything less than a 5RM. My plan is to let the routine sort me out and get me there eventually as I continue to up the weight, but I'm a little cautious about the increased chance of injury in the meantime.
Good mornings:
205 x 8, 8, 8, 8
135 x 12
Jackknives on exercise ball:
8, 8, 8, 6, 8
> Pretty decent exercise. Not as good as planks but they help heal my back.
Got a digital scale to record my weight more accurately at home. In the morning on an empty stomach with no clothes I weigh 216. Lots lighter than I was expecting. Think I might go all the way down to 200.
Back was massively sore all the way up until yesterday, but still did squats. Took it easy and did 330 x 6. My right fibula has been hurting for a few weeks during squats, right below the knee. Not sure what's up with that, but it might be from sitting on my knees too much. Also did high step-ups with just the bar, an exercise I picked up from reading Angel Spassov.
Today:
Overhead press:
140 x 3
160 x 3
180 x 8
> 1 rep improvement at a lighter bodyweight. Swell.
Arnold press:
80s x 8, 8, 6, 5, 5
NG pull-ups:
45 x 8, 8, 6, 5, 5
Bilateral dumbbell curls with Fat Gripz:
50s x 8, 8, 8
Lifted at a different gym today, the one I plan on moving over to.
Bench press:
200 x 5
230 x 5
260 x 8
> Was aiming for at least 10, but my back is sore from Tuesday to the point that it's extremely debilitating; I can hardly bend over. It was all arm power because I couldn't get a strong arch. I'm not sweating this.
Neutral-grip dumbbell press:
112s x 8, 5, 5
80s x 8
60s x 12
> It's the only way to get a full ROM with my dumbbell handles, since I have to use big 25s for plates. I like the grip, though. Makes me feel like I have a Swiss bar.
Cable rows:
135 x 15, 12, 10, 10, 10
> These machines are all over the place. 200 on one is the equivalent of 90 on another.
Turkish get-ups:
12 kg x 3
> This place has kettlebells. Still doesn't make up for the lack of a power rack, though.
Did five hill sprints last night. I'm not doing them in rapid succession anymore, but instead resting and going at it again when I feel rested. I'm doing this so every run is at max performance.
I also did, and am planning on to start doing regularly, yoga. Shit's pretty hard.
I'm also going to no longer relegate Turkish get-ups to an afterthought and will start doing them at the end of every workout except squat day. I already do a lot of prehab movements as warm-ups, so this should work even more effectively for injury prevention. Gonna start with 3 sets of 3 reps.
Overhead press:
130 x 5
150 x 5
170 x 9
> Same amount as about three weeks ago, but the fact that I did 5 reps instead of 3 in the build-up sets, that I'm no longer on creatine, and that I've been losing even more weight leads me to be happy with this.
Arnold press:
75 x 10, 8, 7
(Standing)
60 x 3 and 50 x 3 (one set)
35 x 10
> Tired out fast. Shoulder felt prime, though.
NG pull-ups:
35 x 8, 8, 7, 5, 5
Bilateral hammer curls with Fat Gripz:
42.5 x 10, 10, 10
Going to go out and sprint later tonight.
Mike Tyson is now a vegan.
In response I ate steak for three meals a day. Goddamn do I need to go shopping.
Tomorrow is cheat day. Time to get fat.
Did a 15-minute circuit of shadowboxing, burpees, and mountain climbers in the apartment. Afterwards I messed around with the Sega game on Eyetoy. No, I'm actually not so senile that I don't know the name and I have to refer to it as "the Sega game" but "Sega Superstars" is Superstupid. Back is incredibly sore today, despite foam rolling last night post-workout.
I'm shaking my head at how good the dorks over at T-Nation are at building the most fervorous hype for their supplements.
"So, if you're considering Indigo-3G,™ but you're on the fence, or worried about cost, stop right there and go no further. It's not for you, at least not at this time."
So if I wanna know more about an ambiguously-named product, I should just walk away now 'cause I'm not hardcore. K, will do.
Wait, one gem in the comment section:
"Jayk: I just threw up and cried at the same time... Okay, not really, but I was so excited for this, but it's way too expensive.."
Jesus, shut up and squat.
I think it's highly unfortunate that they let this crap bleed into otherwise-great articles. I'll be following along and wrestling with some newfound training revelations from Poliquin or Cosgrove when all of a sudden I'll get to something like "Tip #8: Why do idiots buy the cheapest supps just to save some money? Seriously, you get what you pay for. I only use Metabolic Drive." Completely kills the intellectual momentum.
Deadlifts:
280 x 5
325 x 5
372.5 x 12
> Could have done more. For some reason had my mind mentally set to "12". Weight felt like air. This is the strongest I've ever been on deadlifts. I'm really glad with my grip level, too. I can hang on to 515 for reps (reverse-band) easily, and that was several months ago. Fat Gripz are awesome.
Good mornings:
205 x 8, 5, 7
135 x 10
Ab wheel
Down to 220 lbs. Traditionally I'm used to two things: exploding up in strength and weight or sharp declines in both. Either or. This is very different. I'm slowly, slowly gaining strength and very gradually losing weight. While it can be disheartening as a gut reaction to realizing I haven't put 15 lbs on my bench press since last time, I'm doing very well for myself considering how much less I'm eating (which is still quite a bit).
Got dextrose in the mail today. 16 lbs for $32 off Amazon. This should last me another year. Not on creatine yet, though it's sitting on my fridge waiting for use.
Overhead press:
125 x 5
145 x 5
165 x 8
> 5 lb increase with 5 lb weight loss. I'll take it.
Arnold press:
75s x 8, 8
70s x 6, 6
60s x 7
Band pull-aparts:
20
NG pull-ups:
10, 10, 6, 5, 8
Squats:
150 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
Front squats (clean grip):
185 x 10, 2 sets
185 x 8, 2 sets
Planks
Bench press:
120 x 5
150 x 5
180 x 5
> Still using the false grip.
Incline dumbbell press:
75s x 15, 9, 8, 7, 6
Band pressdowns:
20
Standing bilateral bent-over dumbbell rows with Fat Gripz:
50s x 15, 10, 10, 8, 8
Hammer curls with Fat Gripz:
35s x 15, 3 sets
Deadlifts with Fat Gripz:
172.5 x 5
212.5 x 5
255 x 5
> Had to very quickly readjust grip a few times on the last set, but this is the heaviest I've pulled with these infernal things on for reps. They make going light less of a bore.
GHR:
Just whatever felt good. 5-8
Ab-wheel rollouts:
3x5
> Can finally do these from a standing position: http://rosstraining.com/blog/2011/03/03/standing-ab-wheel-rollout-tutorial/
Listening to Iron Radio a lot. Latest episode is with Dave Tate.
Caught a bug, probably from sleeping with the fan too close to me on high, and haven't been able to do HIIT this week. Going on hour long brisk-paced walks instead about 2-3 hours after a meal. I spoon whey in my mouth and let it dissolve for the BCAAs during this. Also drinking a lot of green tea lately. Works well for me that I'm deloading.
Got a foam roller in the mail. My back is already thanking me. Also got creatine which I'll take next week.
Deload week.
OHP:
75 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
> Experimented with thumbless grip here. Felt alright.
Dips:
15, 12, 10, 8, 8
Chins:
8, 8, 8, 5, 5
> Chest touched the bar on almost every rep.
Barbell curls with Fat Gripz:
55 x 15, 10, 8
Squats:
285 x 5
320 x 3
355 x 5
> As deep as I could go. Should have tried for more. Felt mentally held back for not using safety bars, even though I've never failed on squats in 10 years of lifting.
Clean-grip front squats:
225 x 5, 5 sets
Planks
I'm eating steak 5 days a week. WinCo is awesome.
Bench press:
225 x 5
255 x 3
285 x 5
Incline dumbbell press:
105s x 6
105s x 5
105s x 5
105s x 4
Band pull-aparts:
30 reps
Standing bent-over dumbbell rows (bilateral):
70s x 8, 5 sets
Hammer curls with Fat Gripz:
50s x 8, 3 sets
Walked out on my job. Felt great.
Deadlifts:
320 x 5 (pronated)
365 x 3 (pronated)
405 x 9
> Awesome, haha. Could have done 405 overhand but reps were too high for that.
Two days before:
Overhead press:
142.5 x 5
160 x 3
180 x 5
5/3/1 is such a great program, but this is my max week and I'm doing reps higher than 8. Thinking about adding a fifth microcycle for 1-3 reps at an estimated max with no percentages involved, then deloading. Or, I could deload as normal and then repeat the four weeks with the same max estimates, only this time nixing the 90% rule. On the third week I could do the plan of getting rid of percentages for maxes. That might be better for recovery than just an extra week added on, and it would make for a longer preparatory period ala Bill Starr.
Got a physically hard job at a warehouse and have little time for the internet. Training is going to be insane.
4 am: Wake-up, eat.
5:30: Lift.
6:30: Finish, come home, eat.
7:55-4:30: Work.
5:30: Martial arts.
8:00: Sleep.
Yesterday:
Squats:
260 x 3
297.5 x 3
337.5 x 8
Front squats with clean grip:
205 x 8, 7, 5, 7, 5
Planks
222. Lost a pound. Haven't been doing much dedicated cardio, just some NEPA from walking around in the mall and carrying bags to and from the grocery store. Did 12 minutes of HIIT the day before, though.
Deadlift:
300 x 3
342.5 x 3
385 x 10
> Using a tip I learned from Charles Poliquin by lying prone on a foam roller along the length of my back for about 10 minutes before anything to enforce the spine's natural curvature.
GHR against band:
10, 10, 10, 8, 5
> Not so strict this time, with lots of swinging.
Ab wheel:
12 x 3, 10 x 5
These were done during a dream.
Bradford press:
135 x 10, 10
I actually heard my alarm go off but I wanted to finish the set before waking up, seriously.
Overhead press:
132.5 x 3
152.5 x 3
170 x 7
Dips:
25 x 9, 9, 8, 6, 5
Chins:
25 x 10, 8, 5, 4, 3
> Using too much muscle on the eccentric and lowering too slowly. Tried dropping down on the second-to-last rep and the subsequent one was the easiest yet.
Barbell curls with Fat Gripz:
115 x 4, 2
> Fat Gripz makes these way fucking harder, but my wrists thank me for it.
Squats:
242.5 x 5
282.5 x 5
317.5 x 8
> I did 11 with this weight last time. Very deep, though. Felt my hamstrings touch my calves.
Front squats, clean grip:
185 x 8, 4 sets
185 x 5
> Wrists are way more flexible now. Felt completely comfortable.
Plank: 60 seconds
Oddly, was struggling not to puke by this point.
Strength is down, either from not being routine-consistent or from being on a calorie deficit so consecutively. Let's see where I can get while losing the last 15 lbs.
Bench press:
197.5 x 5
227.5 x 5
257.5 x 8
> Shoulders felt sore from doing very hard stretches on them the last two days in attempts to improve squat form.
CG decline push-ups:
25 x 18, 8, 8, 7, 5
Inverted band rows
Hammer curls with Fat Gripz
Weight hovering at 223. Now that I feel recovered and am settled on a plan it's time to up the cardio.
Deadlift:
277.5 x 5
322.5 x 5
362.5 x 10
> Could have done more but back was starting to feel roundish.
GHR against band:
8, 8, 6, 5, 6
Ab wheel:
10 x 5
Really good stretching in the evening.
Overhead press:
122.5 x 5
142.5 x 5
160 x 8
Dips:
10, 8, 8, 8, 8
Chins:
10, 5, 5, 4, 4
Barbell curls with Fat Gripz:
95 x 8, 5, 5
No rest pauses.
Madcow was beating me up.
1. I don't know why the hell my shoulders started to be pricks now of all times, but the inflexibility is killing my wrists. I might be going lower and lower down my back without realizing it.
2. Low bar squats before benching is making my shoulders weak for heavy pressing. It's puzzling that Rippetoe says not to do squats the day before benching in Practical Programming (which I'm rereading) because of this, yet his routine as well as Starr's has them on the same day.
3. I can't do power cleans right now. First, I'm gonna need to pick up some padding, maybe patio tiles ala what Emevas has been doing, to make them public-friendly. Second, I can recognize that I'm not very good at them yet, as much as I LOVE doing them. The only thing I'm really doing wrong anymore is not actively pulling myself down to catch the bar, but this is the biggest one because my back has been killing me ever since. I think doing squats the day before yesterday aggravated it. I was supposed to deadlift heavy that day, too - just not happening.
1 and 3 are my own shortcomings. Just gonna have to do what's been working for me. Really was unwise to switch things up when I was progressing just fine.
Today I was doing power cleans at the end of my session. I'm not an Olympic lifter and I don't do these regularly, so I started at 135 and worked my way up to 225 lbs for 5 reps. Everything is peachy until this beanpole of a personal trainer comes up to me. Right in my face.
"Hey, you're making too much noise with that. It's disturbing everyone."
"You don't allow Olympic lifts here?"
"That's not an Olympic bar."
"What? Yeah it is. It's a 7-foot bar, the standard in most commercial gyms."
"Okay, well, look, you can't make that much noise here..."
"Okay, but it's an Olympic bar."
"Just don't make anymore noise like that.."
"Okay, but this is an Olympic barbell."
"Okay..." and he saunters off.
Jesus Christ, the personal trainer doesn't know what an Olympic bar is.
After that, the manager came to talk to me and he was pretty cool. Very respectful, almost reluctant to enforce gym policy, and he told me he'd try to get some "special plates" for me so I can do cleans. Bumper plates are still pretty damn loud, but I didn't tell him that.
Also, I have zero sympathy for the reason that cleans are too loud. At my tiny, tiny gym in California (before I moved to Oregon) they had a CrossFit area and during classes the whole gym was athunder with 20 people doing cleans. Somehow staff still functioned without nervous breakdowns.
Anyways, right now I'm on Madcow for advanced lifters. I hate routine hopping and am looking forward to staying on this.
Squats:
325 x 5
Bench press:
205, 235, 255, 275 x 5
280 x 4
> Gassed here. Not worried, my work capacity will improve.
Cleans:
135, 155, 185, 205 x 5
215 x 4
Couple of days ago:
Squat:
135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 1
365 x 1
> Ugh, felt terrible. Hips felt sore and legs had no power under what felt like a ton of bricks. Going to need to reevaluate.
Noticing some flaws with my Westside plan. On my current diet I'm just not retaining strength and explosive output throughout the speed days. When I was eating enough to get me up to a 248 lb fatass I progressed tremendously, but it's just not happening now.
ME upper
Pin press:
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
325 x 3
330 x 2
> Little higher than last week, maybe an inch and a half to two inches off chest.
Dumbbell press:
115 lb dumbbells x 7, 7, 5
> Had to farmers' walk these all the way to the bench press area across the gym because there were no free benches by the dumbbells. People parted like I was Moses. Grip was ironclad, but my GPP was taxed and I was sweating so much by the time I was ready to press I had to take my Bluetooth headphones off to avoid moisture damage.
Bent-over rows:
185 x 8, 8, 5
135 x 10, 8
> Resetted to really focus on my lats.
Fat Gripz curls:
135 x 1
95 x 8, 5
That was Friday. Taking today off completely. I did HIIT the day before on Thursday and I feel like I'm close to overdoing it.
Huge change. I'm now down to 219. Despite this, arms still measured 17 inches.
DE lower
Box squats with bands:
205 x 2, 10 sets
> Had to get creative. After some frustration, eventually figured something out:
The bands pulling the bar forward forced me to try and resist very thoroughly. Was a great way to practice sitting back. I imagine it simulates the weight distribution of a SSB, too.
Deadlifts:
405 x 1
> Oof, box squats with that band set-up killed my back.
Wide-grip deadlifts with Fat Gripz:
225, various reps for 3 sets
Planks
DE upper, 60 sec rests for everything
Speed bench with bands:
165 x 3, 10 sets
> Used the gym tubes with the plastic handles, but for the sake of the principles and reasons that "band training" denotes I'll use that as a moniker.
Javelin press:
65 x 5, 4
45 x 8, 5
45 x 8, 4
> Left arm was WAY worse than right. Seemed like a stabilization issue because the bar was all over the place in my left.
Band pressdowns:
30 reps
> The only way to do pressdowns.
Neutral pull-ups:
12, 5, 5, 3, 3
> Not counting some failed partial reps. No rest pauses whatsoever.
Hammer curls with Fat Gripz:
40 x 5, 8, 6
Did some really good NEPA and cardio yesterday. Hour-long walk in the afternoon while listening to talk radio, and then over to the gym to do forced treadmill runs (I'm coining these "deadmills", not only for their difficulty but because the treadmill isn't on during them) and the elliptical.
DE upper, 60 sec rests for everything
Speed bench with bands:
165 x 3, 10 sets
> Used the gym tubes with the plastic handles, but for the sake of the principles and reasons that "band training" denotes I'll use that as a moniker.
Javelin press:
65 x 5, 4
45 x 8, 5
45 x 8, 4
> Left arm was WAY worse than right. Seemed like a stabilization issue because the bar was all over the place in my left.
Band pressdowns:
30 reps
> The only way to do pressdowns.
Neutral pull-ups:
12, 5, 5, 3, 3
> Not counting some failed partial reps. No rest pauses whatsoever.
Hammer curls with Fat Gripz:
40 x 5, 8, 6
Did some really good NEPA and cardio yesterday. Hour-long walk in the afternoon while listening to talk radio, and then over to the gym to do forced treadmill runs (I'm coining these "deadmills", not only for their difficulty but because the treadmill isn't on during them) and the elliptical.
Did circuit training at 12:30 last night.
Woman runs: about 20 secs
> These involve carrying a woman and running for an allotted distance. They can be found in most places. Very pertinent to strongman.
Shadow boxing: 10 rounds, 60 secs, 30 sec rests
Lots of stretching later.
ME lower:
Squats:
135 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 5
315 x 5
365 x 3
375 x 2
> I was wracking my brain with reasons why this sucked when the obvious hit me. Before I was doing 3 sets. On Westside I'm doing at least 6 every time. Consequently my quads felt fatigued by the time I was at 315. Just gonna have to suck it up and get used to it.
Also, that denomination wasn't fair. These didn't suck because the depth was super deep. Real satisfied with that. I sunk in low and hit ATG every time while Squiggy next to me quarter-squatted with 185.
Front squats w/ clean grip:
135 x 15, 8, 8
> 60 second rests.
Planks:
60 secs, 25, 15
CoC #1:
5 x 5
> Crushing power is lacking, couldn't close the #2. I've never been good at these.
ME upper
Pin press:
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 5
295 x 5
305 x 4
> About an inch off chest.
Dumbbell press:
110 dumbbells x 8, 6, 6
Bent-over rows:
205 x 8, 8, 8, 6, 5
Barbell rows w/ Fat Gripz:
115 x 5, 8, 5
Couldn't sleep, so went out and did a circuit of shadowboxing for 60 secs mixed with burpees, mountain climbers, jumping-jacks, kick drills, and this silly Capoeira dance I emulated from a movie. Ever since losing my jump-rope I've had to get creative with cardio, but I'm enjoying it. Totaled 20 minutes.
I'm really finding my range with striking, no longer stifling my punches short. Should film sometime soon.
RE upper yesterday:
Crazy plates:
155 x 13
155 x 7
155 x 4
135 x 5
135 x 4
Dips:
8, 5, 5, 5, 5
Tubing pull-aparts:
30
> Seems to substitute for mini-bands decently.
Pull-ups:
12, 4, 3, 4, 4
Bilateral dumbbell curls w/ Fat Gripz:
50 x 5
3 sets
Was really strict with rest times. Nothing over 60 seconds.
DE lower
Depth jumps, 25 inch plat:
55 lb dumbbells x 3, 8 sets
Clean grip front squats:
225 x 3, 3, 1
Arms folded:
5, 5
> Wrist flexibility was the limiting factor. Getting better, though.
CoC trainer:
20, 15, 10
> Left hand is way stronger.
Losing a lot of body fat on my chest. Visceral fat is also way down. My midsection looks only a little more etched but the six-pack gut syndrome is gone.
Measured my arms for the first time in a while. 17 inches cold after waking up.
I have every reason to change gyms.
A non-commercial facility will have better equipment, while a cheap commercial gym like Crunch will save me money at only $10 a month. The former choice will probably be better for health as well. Reading my last entry made me realize how much of a sour mood I'm put in every time I step into the gym. I get my work done no matter what, but the atmosphere is just terrible and it incites me to have a crotchety superiority-complex when I'm there. To be fair, one can only take people occupying the only mobile bench to use for Smith machine overhead press so many times. Seriously, WHY is that so popular?
I neither train late anymore nor use the swim and hot tub facilities so the only perks 24 Hour had is gone.
Right now I'm browsing around for a powerlifting spot to lift at. It's an exciting prospect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJY37clYSHM
Deadlift video.
Huge old dude came up at the squat rack next to me to do shrugs with 365. He was using straps. Really? I mean this guy's arms were gigantic and even I did 405 shrugs with a mixed grip back in the day.
He points to a 45 and goes "You using this?"
"Nah, go ahead."
"You're not going to 500?"
"I am but there are plenty of others."
We get to talking. He goes over how he gets testosterone prescribed to him and that it completely turned his life around. Ah, that explains it. After reading anabolic forums a while ago I came to the conclusion that drugs can be a great asset if employed intelligently but that too many people use them as a substitute for old-fashioned intellect and training theory. This guy, who's 50, didn't know what a safety squat bar was. And Jesus, all he did was traps. 9 sets of barbell shrugs because he can't squat or deadlift anymore. Said his back hurt just looking at me.
ME lower
Reverse-band deadlifts
225 x 3
315 x 3
405 x 3
455 x 3
495 x 3
515 x 3
RDLs with Fat Gripz:
235 x 8
225 x 6
225 x 5
> Grip fail.
GHR:
x 12
Plank:
60 sec, 60, 30, 30, 30
ME upper
Westside ME upper yesterday: 2-board press: Dumbbell rows:
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
320 x 1
325 x 1
> Really easy, but had no safety bars so didn't want to risk failure. Benched on super low pins instead of the usual power rack so last set was awful for form, yet it still felt light. Wrists were bent, back was flat, had to do practically an extra rep just to unrack, etc.
CG bench press:
225 x 9
230 x 6
230 x 5
115 x 8
115 x 8
115 x 6
115 x 5
115 x 5
Haven't been feeling motivation to update. If this is a slump then I'm doing good for one, at least. Strength is being maintained if not improved, and weight loss keeps coming.
RE upper
60 sec rests
Incline crazy plates:
155 x 12
155 x 8
155 x 6
135 x 10
Dips:
5 x 5
Chin-ups:
12, 10, 8, 6, 5
> Zero rest-pauses.
Dumbbell curls:
50 x 8, 6
Dumbbell shrugs:
125 x 15
Have been doing a lot of cardio I haven't been logging. Today did a circuit of shadowboxing, mountain climbers and burpees.
Well, I ran out of creatine. Looks like my training has come to an end. I had a great run and I'm gonna miss it.
ME lower yesterday
Reverse-band deadlifts
225 x 3
315 x 3
405 x 3
455 x 3
495 x 3
515 x 1
> Lower the bands by set 4 for much less slack. The fact that this was all still easy makes me think I should be more than good for 500 on deadlifts.
> Using very strong Iron Woodys, don't remember the exact number. Noticed some material deterioration in one of them, probably from moisture being in the trunk of my car.
RDLs with Fat Gripz:
225 x 8, 2 sets
225 x 5
> Grip was the only limiting factor from using the Gripz with a pronated grip, this weight was air otherwise.
GHR:
x 10
Plank:
60 seconds
Rushed out to take care of some business so didn't finish doing abs.
Westside ME upper from Friday:
2-board press:
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 2
320 x 2
> Way lower than my bench, but that's okay. Really sunk in deep and basically did pause presses.
> Shoulder started to hurt by the last set and it's been persisting mildly ever since. Might not be tucking back scapulae enough. Harder to keep tight on this because of the board, but I need to just ignore it and lift.
CG bench press:
225 x 8
225 x 8
225 x 6
Kroc rows:
110 x 5, 5 sets
> Strict, no torso twisting. Used a thumbless grip. Very good lat isolation.
FG curls:
90 x 8
90 x 5
Now that I'm done with 5/3/1, my thoughts:
It's a great program, but I'll be honest in that I wouldn't think so without having made the adjustments to it that I did after the first cycle of 4 weeks, which constitutes half of my stay on it. In the 8 weeks that I was on it I couldn't get around how <i>light</i> it has you going. You're supposed to calculate your numbers using only 90% of your max. I didn't freak out about this or anything like Wendler predicted some might, but it became apparent that this was the element holding it back for me.
On a day that has you doing 3 sets of 3, for example, you're actually allowed to take your final, heaviest set and do as many reps as possible. It's listed as 3+ to indicate this. Well, what's the point in even mentioning the 3 or calling it a 5/<b>3</b>/1 if I never get anywhere near 3 reps? Usually it's something like 11 reps. I wouldn't have any problem with that (high rep deadlifts were the breakthrough I needed to get my form down) but that's throughout the <i>entire program</i>. If my bench max is 335 I'm lifting 286 lbs on my heaviest day of the entire 4 weeks. That 286 is supposed to be for 1+ rep. I'd end up hitting that for 8. And remember, that's the heaviest week. Everything else is even higher. I'm rarely ever lifting anything less than 10 reps by sticking with 90% and then doing 65%-95% of that 90%.
Wendler goes out of his way to insult meatlings who tinker with it (which is awesome) but even he acknowledges what I said by way of his new version "5/3/1 for Powerlifting".
In my opinion, it's very viable for novices to intermediates who still need to get the grooves down but I had better success ignoring the 90% limit and doing lower reps in all but the first of the weeks.
At the start of doing it, my stats were:
Overhead press: 175 x 5
Deadlift: 365
Bench press: 305 x 2
Squat: 375 x 3
After 8 weeks:
Overhead press: 205 x 2
Deadlift: 475
Bench press: 335
Squat: 415 (deeper, as well)
Structuring my carb load days to surround where ME will be.
Friday: ME upper, cheat day
Saturday: cheat day, rest
Sunday: ME lower, rest of the weak clean
Monday: rest
Tuesday: DE upper
Wednesday: DE lower
Thursday: rest
Cardio accordingly.
Yesterday went well, but I've decided I want to switch.
Overhead press:
132.5 x 5
152.5 x 5
172.5 x 8
> Like a 1 lb improvement. Considering that this has been my slowest lift to progress on and that I'm still in the midst of decreasing calorie intake while losing weight, I'll chalk this up as a success.
Dumbbell military press:
70 x 5
70 x 5
70 x 4
60 x 5
50 x 8
> Holy crap, way harder than sitting down. I can power up the 90s relatively easily for 8, but standing with dumbbells is far different (though I've never OHP'd after doing OHP, either).
NG pull-ups:
10, 9, 6, 4, 3
> Being strict with myself and discounting any partial reps.
Fat Gripz dumbbell curls:
32.5 x 14, 12, 12
> Overstimated these. FG really aren't super hard to hold or anything, people just don't do enough functional grip work so when they try these they're blown the hell away.
Walking around at 227. Overall a 10 lb loss in 4 weeks. I'm very happy with this. Slow is the way to go for me.
Going to do something today I call a transitionary session by doing the first day of the week as normal. This is to avoid breaking training consistency by moving to a different routine. I ended my deload with squats so starting Westside with another day of squats will make it four days of not doing any upper body effort. This is critical because frequency is absolute key to maintaining gains on a cut, I've discovered. I can skip meals and not suffer from it but not with lifting. This is what killed my last cut. Training is clearly much more important than diet.
While I'm on the subject, another essentiality is not doing hypertrophy movements like any kind of tricep extensions, high rep curls, etc. I'm seeing success sticking to dumbbell press, push-ups, dips, and heavier curls for accessory work.
And perhaps an even more important point is to keep every session an hour or less. This has been the first time I don't go over an hour and a half, let alone one hour, and I'm profiting astoundingly.
With all that said, I'm not set on moving on just yet. If my OHP today, my weakest lift at the moment, hasn't improved and I feel stale doing another of these workouts I'll make the switch. If I feel strong then I'll keep going for another four weeks before reevaluating.
Had an awesome cheat day on the weekend that I never mentioned. Went to the mall and engorged on cheap Indian food (lamb, rice and yogurt) at the food court and then had Cinnabon for dessert. As I sit here eating low fat cottage cheese before bed my mouth is watering.
Went to see Combichrist live last night and it sucked due to three hours of shitty opening bands. Got some NEPA in from metaling out. Today I did HIIT.
So I'm done my deload and I'm still on the fence about where to go moving forward. More Wendler or Westside? I'm making such good gains, but I really want to put my bands and boards to use.
Went out at 12:30am to train by pushing my 2001 Civic around a lot. Stopped after about 5 minutes because it was easy and I didn't feel taxed in any way by it. Doing forced treadmill runs is way harder.
Might give it a go again when I feel like doing it for half an hour straight or something.
Ugh, it's 3:00 right now because I stayed up watching Bigger, Stronger, Faster. Highly recommended.
Weighing in at 229. 8 lbs lost in total, yet my arms measured 17 inches - .5 more than last time.
Deadlift:
185 x 5
237.5 x 5
285 x 5
> Holy crap, could barely muster 1 rep of 285 with the Fat Gripz on. Had to rip them off to finish.
Good mornings:
135 x 12, 5 sets
> Using a slightly wider stance that makes me feel like I'm getting a better stretch. Gym was full of turbodouches curling in the power racks so on the first set I had to clean and press it into position.
Planks
Deloading.
OHP:
85 x 5
105 x 5
125 x 5
Diamond push-ups:
22, 12, 10, 8, 8
Dumbbell rows:
80 x 8
60 x 10, 10, 10, 10
> Used Fat Gripz and could barely maintain grip, so I had to lower the weight.
Preacher curls:
60 x 15, 10, 8
Video of squat from yesterday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MndRxaDLz-8
I'd like depth to be x-treme deep and my form to be sitting back more but I did okay.
Did HIIT today for 12 minutes.
Also returned whey I bought from GNC yesterday for another flavor. For some reason "Extreme Milk Chocolate" has sucralose and a shitload of other additives while "Double Rich Chocolate" doesn't. Got Vanilla instead. I was kind of hoping the cashier would be a pest and try to sell me shit like yesterday but the guy was a quiet one today. By the way, here's what yesterday's exchange went like:
GNC dude: "You try Wheybolic Xtreme?"
Me: "No, what's that?"
GNC: "Here, I'll show you. Right here. It's got carnitine in it, which really helps with recovery, and..."
Me scrutinizing the ingredients: "It has fructose in it..."
GNC: "Fructose what?"
Me: "Uh, fructose. The sugar. Specifically high fructose corn syrup. Are you serious? I don't want that shit in my whey."
GNC: "Well..."
Me: "Fructose is very anti-insulinotropic. It decreases insulin sensitivity, and it actually makes it harder for glucose to go through the GI tract."
GNC: "Uh huh..."
Me: "Thanks anyway."
Like, I don't just go around starting debates with people, but the guy brought it up.
Squat:
315 x 5
365 x 3
405 x 1 (PR)
415 x 1 (PR)
Front squats (clean grip):
225 x 5, 5 sets
Ab wheel rollouts:
12 reps, 5 sets
So much for Monday. Went in today and benched 335. I actually blacked out during the ascent. I woke up a few seconds later and realized I was holding it up. I had to shake my head to make sure I had actually just done the rep.
I weigh an even 230. Losing weight slowly but smartly.
Bench press:
225 x 5
275 x 3
335 x 1 (PR)
Dumbbell press:
105 dumbbells x 10, 8, 7, 6, 6
Pull-ups:
45 x 8, 7, 6, 6, 5
So fucking tired. Considering I'm slightly sick and was running on 6 hours of sleep I had a great day.
Went in to bench heavy tonight, but I stopped at 275. My arms felt like lead and I'm too tired. I'll try again on Monday.
I didn't fail the 275, I repped it with no problem, but I knew I'd get stapled at my anticipated 335.
Don't lift this fucking late.
Burnt out from so much lifting and cardio. Took it easy and ate a lot today. Digiorno pizza, dark chocolate, ramen, red wine, fatty cuts of pork...I feel resatiated.
Still couldn't stay away from training, though. Did five three minute rounds of shadowboxing in the dark.
This is for 5/6, by the way. It's 2:53 AM right now.
Did squats last week for 372.5 x 3. Could have done more but these were ATG.
Did OHP for 205 x 2. Not where I want it to be at right now.
And today: did deadlifts up to a max of 475 x 1(PR). Failed a first attempt due to grip because my hands were sweaty, but the second try went up easy.
Been doing so, so much cardio.
Bench press:
207.5 x 3
237.5 x 3
275 x 8
> Good. Used a narrower grip with pinkies in the rings instead of middle finger. Felt easy.
Dumbbell press:
90s x 12, 9, 7, 6, 6
Pull-ups:
45 x 6
Bodyweight x 8, 6, 7, 5
EZ bar curls:
95 x 10, 7, 7
Using a nifty little Android app called Jefit to serve as a timer between sets and a log to record numbers. You can input your own exercises so the limited database isn't a problem.
Nixing all extension work. Felt good to do dumbbell press.
Last night:
Deadlifts:
285 x 3
330 x 3
367.5 x 9
> Took video (which I cannot upload thanks to Android's retarded size limit on uploading to YouTube over 3G). First rep had major accordion effect with my knees locking out before my back (the telltale sign of unfresh form) but by rep 2 all was good. This tell me I need to start lower.
Good mornings:
185 x 8
5 sets
> Working my way back up.
Planks
60 seconds, 5 sets
> Don't stay high in a V-shape with my butt in the air just because it feels like I can squeeze my abs more. Stay low and parallel. I noticed it was way harder doing that on the last set.
I'm looking small but getting strong.
Today was confirmation that I can get stronger while losing weight. I weighed in at 232, a 5 lb loss from a week and a half ago.
Overhead press:
137.5 x 3
157.5 x 3
177.5 x 7
> Using a 1RM calculator (handy app to have on the phone) I found that this was heavier than the old 185 x 5 while I was bulking. Oh, and it's 1 rep short of a 10 lb improvement from last week. Pretty rad.
Incline diamond push-ups:
12, 10, 8, 8, 6
> Really wasn't feeling like I got anything out of the skullcrushers last week. On this routine they were ridiculously light to appease rest times and I'm not going to reap the benefits of hypertrophy on a cut. So no more extensions, just pushing. Specifically I'm employing these in the interest of balancing the: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_repair/pushups_face_pulls_and_shrugs
Bentover dumbbell rows:
105 x 8, 5 sets
> Some meatbag in front of me was hump-repping the 85s and up with a miniscule ROM. It was some ugly amalgamation between a bent and an upright row. Hideous.
Preacher curls:
70 x 8
60 x 6
45 x 10
> Getting a massive hyperextension here, letting my arms dead hang at the start and for a microsec between each rep. It's not impressive to see me curling weight this light but I don't really care. I pay my dues, man.
Yesterday sucked, which rules. Walked to my HIIT street as a warm-up and then did 10 intervals of 20/45.
Later went to the gym and did a circuit of jumping rope and shadowboxing, then swam laps in the pool (intermittently) for 10 minutes.
Lots of cardio, yet I felt more energized than ever.
Squats:
242.5 x 5
280 x 5
317.5 x 11
> Good. Deep. 11 seems to be the magic number lately.
Front squats (snatch grip):
135 x 8
x 8
x 6
> Murder on my wrists. I want to keep at this.
Ball crunches
Critics have crunches all wrong. The problem with them actually has little to do with the back. Try hyperextending on a ball with your body wrapped around the circumference and then do 12 crunches with each rep taking 5 seconds. It's all abs that way. The issue I have is not that they don't hit their target, but that they're similar to calf raises in that they only work through getting a muscle pump. One crunch isn't difficult, but a bunch of them in accumulation are. On the other hand, when I do one rep on an ab wheel or a few seconds of planks, I actually have to exert force to do the rep or hold the position. That's how I discern functionality.
On a sidenote, I can't upload pics because of my crappy dial-up. At least I'll have before and after ones when the time comes.
Deadlift workout on Thursday:
266.18 x 5
307.12 x 5
348.08 x 9
Bench press yesterday:
193.5 x 5
222.5 x 5
252.45 x 11
Cut is going good. Swam laps on Tuesday a few hours after OHP day and went on an hour LISS run yesterday in the rain. Still eating reasonably big, just low carbs. An example of my breakfast:
5 whole eggs
1 grapefruit
Glass of whole milk
I've basically cut out all wheat and most starch. Weekends will be carb loading days.
I don't believe in carb loading as described by Pasquale by way of it somehow switching your biochemistry so you're more prone to converting fat into glycogen, though. I've seen no evidence that you can train yourself off of carbs, they'll always be more efficient for energy conversion (EliteFTS had a good chart on this).
Going to be monitoring my strength state closely. If I'm on a consistent decline I'll terminate the cut and try again in a few weeks.
