Lazy Posting

19 December 2016

Pull 405x5, 415x4, 425x3, 435x2, 455x1, 465x1, 485x1

That was all for today.


21 December 2016

Got to the gym today and realized I'd forgotten my SlingShot at home. So I did:

Incline bench press - pyramid up to a double, then two back-off sets

Smith machine bent-over row 4s x 6-8, heavy

Floor press 5-4-3, should have done something like 5x5 but this was also good overload

Barbell curl 4s x 6-8

Incline bench DB curls 4s x 8


22 December 2016

Found some extra time to train today, so I went to the gym to catch up on my SlingShot pressing.

SlingShot bench press 335x5, 345x4, 355x3, 365x2, 385x1, 400x1

Behind-the-back shrug 4s x 8

One-arm shrug 4s x 8 per side

DB curls 4s x 6-8


23 December 2016

Squat 405x3, 415x4

Squats felt off today. I struggled with 405, 415 felt fine, 435 I unracked and racked back twice. Then I just did close stance squats with 365 lbs. for 2 sets of 5, one 20-rep set of leg presses and called it a day.


26 December 2016

Bench press 305x5, 315x4, 325x3, 335x2, 345x1, 365x1, 380x1

Close-grip press x 5, x 3

Pulldowns 10-8-6-5

Standing BTN press 155x5, 165x4, 170x3, 175x2, 180x1

Preacher curl superset DBs + EZ bar x 3 sets


27 December 2016

Pull 395x5, 415x4, 425x3, 445x2, 455x1, no belt

Stiff-legged pull 2s x 5

Smith machine bentover row 3s x 8

Wide stance leg press 2s x 20

Holiday Gainz

11 December 2016

Bench press 295x5, 305x4, 315x3, 325x2, 335x1, 355x1, 370x1

All sets felt light and fast, except the second single with 355. Very stoked about not losing any strength after a week of travel.

Close-grip bench press x4, x 5

Pulldowns 10-8-6-5-5

Standing BTN press 155x5, 165x4, 175x3, 185x2, 195x1 - solid improvement here, not sure how or why but I'll take it

Smith machine close grip floor press 3-4 sets

Preacher curl superset dumbbells + EZ bar x 4 sets


12 December 2016

Pull 385x5, 405x4, 420x3, 435x3, 455x1

No belt, so I kept it short.

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Behind-the-back shrug 4s x 6-8

Wide stance leg press 2s x 20


14 December 2016

SlingShot bench press 335x5, 345x4, 355x3, 365x2, 375x1, 390x1

Long cable row, seated 10-8-6-5-5

Incline bench press 5-4-3-2-1

Thick bar curls 4s x 6-8

Incline bench DB curl 4s x 8-10

Tricep superset cable overhead extensions + pushdowns x 3 sets


16 December 2016

Squat 405x5, 415x4, 425x3, 435x2, 455x1, 465x1, 475x1, 485xfail

By "fail" I mean I didn't hit depth. No spectacular squat rack crashes.

Close-stance squat 315 lbs. 2s x 5

Close-stance leg press x 20, x 18, x 20

Smith machine lunge x 2 sets


18 December 2016

Bench press 300x5, 310x4, 320x3, 330x2, 340x1, 360x1, 380x1

Happy with the bench press gainz, but I'm getting quite fat.

Close-grip press 2s x 5

Pulldown 10-8-6-5-5

Standing BTN press 155x5, 165x4, 175x3, 185x2, 190xfail

Smith machine floor press x 3 sets

Preacher curl superset DBs + EZ bar x 4 sets

Interruption

27 November 2016

Bench press 300x5, 310x4, 320x3, 330x2, 340x1, 350x1, 370x1

Close reverse-grip pulldowns 10-8-6-5-5

Standing BTN press 135x5, 155x4, 165x3, 175x2, 185x2

Used a belt on the last overhead press set, and it made a difference.

Lateral raises 2s x 15

Bicep superset preacher curl + EZ bar curl x 3 sets

Tricep superset overhead cable extension + pushdown x 1 set, then my elbows got upset so I just did pushdowns 2s x 15


28 November 2016

Pulls 400x5, 415x4, 435x3, 445x2, 455x1

Wide-stance leg press x 20, x 15

I found some trigger points in my rib muscles which are causing tightness and pain in my lower back. Got to work on them before the squat workout this Friday. I tried foam rolling my lower back and piriformis over the weekend to get rid of the pain, but could not find any sore spots there. Pretty crazy how these things work. At least I know my lower back isn't messed up.


30 November 2016

SlingShot bench press 340x5, 350x4, 360x, 375x2, 390x1

Close grip bench press 2s x 5

Seated long cable row 10-8-6-5-5


2 December 2016

Squat 410x5, 430x4, 440x3, 450x2, 460x1, 470x1

Belt but no wraps. These felt good. From now on, I'll be alternating heavy squat and heavy deadlift from week to week. This means one heavy pull single (but not too heavy) on squat week and one medium-heavy squat single on deadlift week. A valuable lesson I learned from the Advanced Texas Method program.

Close-stance leg press 4s x 8, pyramiding up in weight

Now that my squat is finally doing okay again, I'm off for another two week trip. Farewell, gainz.

Turkey Day

20 November 2016

Bench press 300x5, 310x4, 315x3, 325x2, 335x1, 350x1, 370x1

Pulldowns 10-8-6-5-5

That was it for today.


22 November 2016

Pulls 400x5, 420x4, 435x3, 445x2, 465x1, 475x1, 495x1

I think I showed remarkable restraint in not going over 500 for the top single. Weights moved very fast today, but my hands hurt pretty bad and I had trouble holding onto the bar on the higher-rep sets. No idea why this was the case.

Wide-stance leg press 4s x 20

Machine high row 10-8-6-5-5

Machine crunch 4s x 8-12


23 November 2016

SlingShot bench press 335x5, 350x3, 360x3, 370x2,  380x1

Close-grip press 2s x 6

Looks like the Tuesday workout totally wrecked my lower back. Weights felt okay, but I couldn't get much leg drive into the presses.

Seated cable row 10-8-6-5-5

Standing BTN press 135x5, 155x4, 165x3, 175x2

Lateral raise 2s x 15, lateral swings x AMAP

Bicep superset DB preacher curl + EZ bar preacher curl x 3 sets

Tricep superset overhead cable extension + cable pushdown x 3 sets

Concentration curl 3s x 6-8


25 November 2016

Back was still severely sore today, so I cut my workout short. Next week I'll back off the deadlift singles and try to push the squats a bit harder.

Squat 405x5, 415x4, 425x3, 435x2

Leg press 2s x 20

Harry the Biceps Killa

13 November 2016

Bench press 300x5, 310x3, 315x3, 320x2, 330x1, 345x1, 365x1

Missed one rep at 310, which I could have gotten with a spotter. I've noticed that I often miss on the 4-rep set. The other sets were strong, but my left shoulder felt a bit tweaked afterwards.

Reverse-grip pulldowns 10-8-6-5-5

Standing BTN press 135x5, 155x4, 165x3, 175x2, 180x1, 190xfail

Face pulls 3s x 20

Preacher curl superset DB + barbell x 4 sets

Triceps superset overhead extensions + pushdowns x 3 sets


14 November 2016

Pull 395x5, 415x4, 425x3, 435x2, 445x1, 465x1, 485x1

Forgot to pack my belt today. Pulled more or less the same weights as with the belt. Not sure if this is depressing or encouraging.

Stiff-legged pull 295 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Wide-stance leg press 2s x 20


16 November 2016

Warmup wide grip paused bench press to 315x2, then:

SlingShot bench press 340x5, 350x4, 360x3, 370x2, 380x1

This is pretty much the perfect pressing 5-4-3-2-1 layout. Good volume, solid effort across the sets, worked up to a heavy but fast-moving single. I would have tried 390 and maybe 400, but I had very little time to train today.

DB tricep extensions 4s x 12-15


17 November 2016

Extra back workout.

Smith machine rows 10-8-6-5-5

Seated long cable row 10-8-6-5

Have been getting some monster lower back pumps lately. It feels like I really beat the hell out of it deadlifting on Monday.

Pullups 1s x 8

Preacher curl superset DBs +  barbell x 4 sets

Concentration curl 3s x 6


18 November 2016

Squat 405x5, 420x4, 435x3, 445x2, 455x1 - wraps on last set

Leg press 2s x 20

Sqwatz

7 November 2016

Pull 395x5, 415x4, 435x3, 445x2, 465x1, 485x1, 505x1

There was really no reason to chase the 'daily max' here. Should have pulled 485x1 and called it a day. I'm getting better at gauging the weight for the singles, but I still get carried away sometimes.

Stiff-legged pull 295 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Leg curl 4s x 8

Machine crunch 3 sets x AMAP


9 November 2016

Warmed up with wide-grip paused benches up to 320x2, then:

SlingShot bench press 335x5, 345x3, 350x3, 365x1, 375x1, 390x1

Chest-supported row 4s x 6

Incline bench press 5-5-3-3

Two-DB preacher curls 4s x 6-8


11 November 2016

Squat 405x5, 425x4, 435x3, 445x2, 455x1

Squats felt off, so I didn't push for very heavy singles. It could be that my lower back was tired from overdoing the deadlift on Monday.

Close-stance leg press x18, x15 - could not hit 20 reps on any of the sets

Hack squat 2s x AMAP

Movember

30 October 2016

Bench press 290x5, 300x4, 310x3, 315x2, 325x1, 340x1, 350x1

Good pressing session today. I went for a second rep with 350 and my spotter touched the bar on the way up. Think I had it anyway, but I won't count it. It's really encouraging, as I don't think I've ever pressed 350 twice (best double ever was 340 or 345).

Close-grip press 2s x 5-6

Close-grip pulldowns 10-8-6-6-4

Somehow I've gotten much stronger on these. I used to do them from time to time and could never match my regular pulldown weights, but today I exceeded them pretty easily.

Preacher curl superset dumbbells + barbell x 3 sets

Standing BTN press 135x5, 155x4, 165x3, 175x2, 180x1

Tricep superset overhead cable extension + pushdown x 3 sets


31 October 2016

Pull 390x5, 410x4, 420x3, 445x2, 455x1, 465x1, 485x1

Bent-over rows 3s x 5

Wide-stance leg press x20, x20, x15


2 November 2016

Warmed up with paused wide grip bench press to 315x2, then:

SlingShot bench press 335x5, 345x4, 355x3, 365x2, 380x1

Close-grip 2s x 4-6

Seated long cable rows 4s x 8

Preacher curl superset DBs + reverse curl x 3 sets


4 November 2016

Squat 365x5, 405x4, 425x3, 445x2, 455x2, 465x1, 475x1

Leg press, close stance 2s x 20, 1s x 15

Leg extensions x20, x12


6 November 2016

Bench press 295x5, 305x3, 315x3, 320x2, 330x1, 345x1, 360x1

Missed the groove on the 305 set so didn't manage the required 4 reps. Otherwise the workout was a bit sluggish, but strong.

Close grip bench x4, x6

Pulldowns, regular grip, 10-8-6-5-5

Standing BTN press 140x5, 160x4, 170x3, 180x1

Preacher curl combo x 4 sets

Dips 2s x 10

Coming to Terms

24 October 2016

Pull 385x5, 405x4, 425x3, 445x2, 455x1, 465x1, 475x1

This went a little better than the bench pressing yesterday. I've sort of figured out a progression for 5-4-3-2-1. Try to add 5 pounds to the higher-rep sets and progress the singles by the same increment whenever it 'feels right'. Will probably add weight more slowly on the bench press.

Ideally I'd just go back to my 6-week cycle, but I won't have be able to lift consistently for awhile, so it wouldn't make much sense to add a lot of structure (e.g. I'd be stuck repeating the first 2-3 weeks over and over).

Stiff-legged pull 315 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Wide stance leg press 2s x 20, 1s x 15 - leg press is my new favorite exercise


26 October 2016

SlingShot bench press 330x5, 340x4, 350x2, 360x2, 370x1, 340x1, 350x1

Close-grip bench press 2s x 5-6

Chest supported row 4s x 8

Incline bench press 5-4-3-2-1-1

Preacher curl DB curls + barbell curls x 3 sets

Reverse bench barbell curl 3s x 8


27 October 2016

Squat 365x5, 385x4, 415x3, 435x2, 455x2, 465x1

Walkouts, no belt, x 2 sets

Leg press, close stance 2s x 20, 1s x 12 - wanted 15 on the heaviest set

Leg extension x 20, x 12

My squat has suffered the least of all lifts from my last trip. Usually it's the opposite. I tried a single with 480, but the bar caught a bounce as I unracked it and started to wobble up and down when I walked it out, so I put it back. But all squats felt strong and explosive, under control. I only used a belt, no wraps.

As punishment, I did two sets of walkouts (with small knee bends). The second set was with 10 lbs. below my all-time best squat. I barely managed to walk it out. It's fine.

I'm no longer concerned about my squat maxes and have come to terms with the fact that my best squatting is behind me. Looking back, the great run I had in 2014 was due to the consistent volume and intensity I put into squatting in 2012 and 2013.

I no longer want to dedicate that much time and effort to squatting, and my body isn't responding to heavy squats the way it used to. My hips have never felt the same since the injury and often I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and see that they are completely out of alignment in the 'hole'. My shoulders can't take the deep low bar position which I have to assume in order to squat heavy weight efficiently. All this leads to slight adjustments to bar and foot placement which translate into stress being distributed unevenly.

Squats are a great exercise and I'll keep doing them as heavy as I can. I'd like to work back up to a 500 squat and maintain it at that level for as long as possible. Maybe do 405x20 someday, or try a slightly heavier single when/if it feels right. But I'll be focusing more on building the legs than on squatting. It's just another exercise.

Effort

23 October 2016


Bench press 285x5, 300x3, 310x3, 315x2, 330x1, 340x1

It's been a debauched two weeks, but I'm still disappointed by my pressing. Last trip I lost very little strength in spite of not training for two weeks. Maybe it's catching up with me now. I didn't feel weak, but something kept going wrong in the transition from halfway point to lockout.

Wide grip paused bench press x 5 reps

Close grip bench press 2s x 5

Pulldowns 10-8-6-5-5

Standing BTN press 135x5, 150x4, 160x3, 170x2, 180x1

Barbell curl 4s x 8

Bicep superset incline bench DB curl + reverse bench curl 3 sets

Dips 12-10-10

Leaving Again

2 October 2016

Bench press 295x5, 305x4, 315x3, 325x2, 330x1, 350x1, 365x1

Nice and sharp. I feel like I figured out the right weight for today.

Pulldowns 10-8-6-5-5, increasing weight

Standing front press 135x5, 155x4, 165x3, 175x2, 190x1

Did front presses for a change. They felt okay, although the groove is definitely rusty after two years of doing BTN presses.

Barbell curl 5s x 6-8

Tricep superset overhead extension + pushdowns x 3 sets

Bicep superset incline bench curl + reverse bench curl x 3 sets


3 October 2016

Paused squat to 385x1, then squat 405x3, 415x3, 435x1, 445x1

My shoulders are feeling very beat up from squatting. All squats were slow and torturous, regardless of weight.

Leg press 3s x 20

Leg extension 1s x 20


5 October 2016

SlingShot bench press 335x5, 345x4, 355x3, 365x2, 375x1

Seated cable row 8-8-6-6

Barbell curl 4s x 8


6 October 2016

Pull 395x5, 415x4, 425x3, 445x2, 455x1, 465x1, 475x1

Almost perfect. Maybe had an extra 5 pounds on that last single. Probably not.


7 October 2016

Leg press close stance 3s x 20, wide stance 3s x 15 - brutal and painful, but fun

Incline bench press 5-4-3-2-1

Pullups 3s x 8

Tricep superset - rope overhead extensions + pushdowns x 3

Leg curl 3s x 8

Bicep superset - incline bench curl + reverse bench curl x 3

Ab board situps 3s x 10-12

Will be back end of October.

Lee Moran Squat Disaster

26 September 2016

Pull 385x5, 410x4, 430x3, 455x2, 475x1, 485xfail

I haven't got the hang of this 5-4-3-2-1 template yet. Feels like I'm going for a daily max instead of two to three heavy-ish singles. Also I'm going too heavy on the higher-rep sets. Today I should have aimed for something like 445x2, then crisp singles with 460-470-480, or something along those lines.

Stiff-legged pull 315 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Seated leg curl 4s x 8


28 September 2016

SlingShot bench press 335x5, 345x4, 355x3, 365x2, 375x1, 380x1, then 315x4 close grip

Seated cable row 10-8-6-6-6

Barbell curl 4-5 sets

Close-grip bench press 3s x 5

Tricep superset - rope-cable extensions + pushdowns x 3

Bicep superset - incline bench DB curl + reverse bench curl x 3


30 September 2016

Paused squat 315x5, 335x4, 355x3, 375x2, 385x1, 405x1

Squat 405 lbs. x 3, 415 lbs. x near-disaster

I got under the bar, unracked it and took a step back. One of the plates on the left side flew off and the remaining three slid until they were teetering at the very edge of the bar collar. The bar started to tilt to the right. I fought to keep it on my shoulders with every bit of strength I had. Two guys saw what was happening and prevented it from escalating into a full-blown disaster by helping me rack the bar back. I took a few minutes to catch my breath and wanted to continue my workout (channeling Lee Moran and his famous 1,000+ squat attempts), but there was a deep dull ache in the left side of my abs, so I skipped the squats and went straight to leg presses. Hopefully I didn't pull anything serious and I can go back to squatting on Monday.

Leg press 40 total reps

Leg extension 2s x 20

Checking In

25 September 2016


Bench press 295x5, 305x4, 315x3, 325x2, 345x1, 355x1

Was maybe good for 365x1, but decided not to push it on the first day back.

Pulldowns 10-8-6-5-5, increasing weight in a pyramid

Close-grip bench press 1s x 8, 2s x 5

Standing BTN press 135x5, 155x4, 165x3, 175x2, 185 x fail

EZ bar curls 8-6-5-5-5

Incline bench DB curl 3s x 10

Cable pushdowns 3s x AMAP

Abbreviated

2 September 2016

Squat 425 lbs. x 4, 435 lbs. x 3, 405 lbs. 2s x 4

Wraps and belt on the sets with 425 and 435. Could have done 4 reps with 435, but (again) felt shaky under the bar. That was it for today.


4 September 2016

Bench press 335 lbs. x 3, 315 lbs. 2s x 3

Paused bench press 295 lbs. x 4, 275 lbs. 2s x 4

Close-grip bench press 2s x 5

Pulldowns 5x5

EZ bar curl 5x5

Seated DB curl 3s x 6-8

Rope tricep extensions 3s x 10-12


5 September 2016

Pull 455 lbs. x 4, 425 lbs. x 4, 405 lbs. x 2

Stiff-legged pull 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Seated leg curl 3s x 8

Pullups 2s x 5


7 September 2016

SlingShot bench press 355 lbs. x 5, 335 lbs. x 6, x 5

Close-grip bench press 2s x 5

Seated cable row 5x5

EZ bar curl 4s x 8


9 September 2016

Squat 445 lbs. x 4, 425 lbs. x 4, 405 lbs. 2s x 4

Hack squat x 20

August

28 August 2016

Bench press 320 lbs. x 3, x 4, 300 lbs. x 4, x 2

Failed the first set with 320, then tried again and got it, but it was way harder than it had any right to be. My bench press has been stalling lately while my deadlift is going well. In my experience, this is pretty normal: if I can keep two lifts moving while one is stalling, great. Even progressing one lift would be OK right now.

Speaking of stalling, I'll be on the road for two weeks out of every month until the end of this year. So I'm not expecting to progress my lifts significantly (or at all). When I'm able to train, I'll switch to something fun and unstructured, like the old-school 5-4-3-2-1 program, just so I don't backslide completely.

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Close-grip bench press 2s x 6-8

EZ bar curl 4s x 8

Incline bench DB curl 4s x AMAP

DB tricep extension 2s x 10-15


29 August 2016


Pull 445 lbs. x 4, 415 lbs. 2s x 4

Stiff-legged pull 305 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Seated leg curl 2s x 10


31 August 2016

SlingShot bench press 340 lbs. x 8, 315 lbs. x 8, x 5

Seated cable rows 4s x 8

Close-grip bench press 2s x 6-8

EZ bar curl 3s x 8

Paused Presses

21 August 2016


Bench press 310 lbs. x 6, 315 lbs. x 5, 295 lbs. x 5

Went a bit overboard with bench presses and did not have any energy left for paused presses. I'll tack those on to the SlingShot bench press day later this week.

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Close-grip bench press 2s x 5

Standing BTN press 125x5, 145 x 3s x 5

EZ bar curl 5s x 6-7

Overhead rope extensions 4s x AMAP


22 August 2016

Pull 430 lbs. x 5, 405 lbs. 2s x 5

Good, strong pull day. Deadlifting has been going well lately.

Stiff-legged pull 315 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Pullups 3s x 8, 1s x 6

Seated leg curl 4s x 8


24 August 2016

Paused bench press 285 lbs. x 5, 265 lbs. x 5

SlingShot (Reactive) bench press 345 lbs. x 4, 315 lbs. x 5, 325 lbs. x 5

Was supposed to do 345x5, but I didn't have a spotter and I decided to cut the set short because the weight felt very heavy.

Close-grip bench press 2s x 6-8

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Incline bench press 4s x 8

EZ bar curl 4s x 8-10

Incline bench DB curl 4s x AMAP


26 August 2016

Squat 415 lbs. x 5, 395 lbs. 2s x 5

High-bar close stance squat 295 lbs. 2s x 5

Leg extensions 2s x 15-20

Minimum

15 August 2016

Bench press 305 lbs. x 5, 275 lbs. 2s x 5

Paused bench press 285 lbs. x 5, 265 lbs. x 5

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Standing BTN press 3s x 8

EZ bar curls 3s x 5


16 August 2016

Pull 415 lbs. x 5, 405 lbs. x 5, 375 lbs. x 5

Bent-over row 4s x 5

Seated leg curl 3s x 8-10


18 August 2016

SlingShot bench press 340 lbs. x 6, 315 lbs. x 6, 315 lbs. x 4

Close-grip bench press 2s x 6

Seated cable rows 4s x 8

Incline bench DB flyes 3s x 8-10

EZ bar curl 4s x 8

Concentration curl 2s x AMAP


19 August 2016

Squat 400 lbs. x 5, 365 lbs. 2s x 5

Felt lousy today, so I just did the minimum and left.

Brave New World

This week I re-read Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World". I still don't get why it's classified as a dystopian novel. The setting seems pretty damn utopian to me.


7 August 2016


Bench press 330 lbs. x 2, 315 lbs. 2s x 3

Should have done 330x3, but I was very tired and sore from the last press workout. Which doesn't make sense, I've had plenty of time to recover. I think I've been overtraining my upper back - right now I'm hitting it directly three times a week, plus I've been on a cable pulling kick lately and am doing hundreds of reps on my off days: pulldowns, chest pulls, up-right rows, even the odd triceps exercise. Not a good idea during the intensity phase of the program.

Paused bench press 305 lbs. x 2, 290 lbs. 2x2

Close-grip bench press 2s x 5

Pulldowns 5x5

Seated DB shoulder press 5x5

EZ bar curl 5x5


8 August 2016

Pull 445 lbs. x 2, 470 lbs. x 2, 490 lbs. x 1, 455 lbs. x 2

Pulls were on fire today, I hit the target of 470x2 like it was nothing. So of course I got greedy and went for a bonus double at 490 and failed. But the single was super easy.

Stiff-legged pull 315 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Seated leg curl 3s x 8

Pullups 2s x 8, 1s x 4


10 August 2016

SlingShot bench press 390 lbs. x 2, 365 lbs. x 2s x 2, 335 lbs. x 2

390x2 was rough, but doable.

Seated cable rows 5x5

Incline bench press 5x5

EZ bar curl 4s x 8

Concentration curl 3s x 8-10


12 August 2016

Squat 450 lbs. x 3, 425 lbs. 2s x 3, 405 lbs. x 3 - all with belt and wraps.

Next week - back to beltless and wrapless mode.

Close-stance squat 315 lbs. x 5, x 3

Hack squat 2s x 20

Leg extensions 1s x 20, 1s x 15

Wobbly

31 July 2016


Didn't get much sleep this weekend, so everything felt off. Also I kept flaring my elbows too much on the bench press, not sure why as I usually have the tendency to over-tuck.

Bench press 340 lbs. x 2, 320 lbs. x 2, 315 lbs. x 2

Paused bench press 300 lbs. x 2, 285 lbs. x 3, 285 lbs. x 2

Close-grip bench press 3s x 5

Pulldowns 5x5

Standing BTN press 135 lbs. x 5, 155 lbs. 2s x 5

EZ bar curls 5x5


2 August 2016

Pull 455 lbs. x 3, 435 lbs. x 3, 430 lbs. x 2

Stiff-legged pull 315 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Pullups/chinups 4s x 8

Seated leg curl 4s x 8-10

Haven't done pullups in forever. They felt very easy, but my bad elbow hurt a bit afterwards. The smart thing to do would be to keep avoiding pullups, especially since I have now proven that I can maintain my pullup numbers (whatever those are good for) without actually doing the exercise. What will actually probably happen is I'll start doing pullups every workout and totally screw up my elbow recovery.


3 August 2016

SlingShot bench press 380 lbs. x 2, 355 lbs. 2s x 3

Goal was 380x3. This is my current raw 1RM, and should be very doable for a SlingShot triple. I felt a bit sore and tired today, so two reps is not bad. Let's see how the heavy double goes next week.

Close-grip bench press 2s x 5

Seated cable rows 5x5

Incline bench press 5x5

EZ bar curls 4s x 8

Tricep cable extensions 12-10-8-8

Bodyweight today was just over 210 lbs.


5 August 2016

Squat 425 lbs. x 2, 445 lbs x 2, 465 lbs. x 2

Close-stance squat 315 lbs. x 5, x 3

Belt and knee wraps were used. I walked 465 out of the rack once, felt wobbly and close to passing out, racked it back. Waited a few minutes, then went under the bar again and squatted it no problem. Not sure what happened there, but I had been feeling pretty tired all day.

Leg extensions 3s x 8

Managing

24 July 2016

Bench press 330 lbs. x 3, 315 lbs. x 3, 300 lbs. x 3

Rammed the bar into the hooks on the second rep with 330, but still managed a third. Kind of bummed about it, I felt strong enough to hit 4 or 5 reps with the top weight today.

Paused bench press 290 lbs. x 4, 275 lbs. x 4

The 290 set didn't feel significantly heavier than the one with 275.

Close-grip bench press 3s x 6-8

Pulldowns 3s x 8, 2s x 5

Standing BTN press 135x8, 155x5, 165x5, 170x5, 170x5

EZ bar curls 5x5


25 July 2016

Pull 440 lbs. x 4, 415 lbs. 2s x 4

Stiff-legged pull 315 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Seated leg curls 3s x 8


27 July 2016

SlingShot bench press 355 lbs. x 5, 345 lbs. 2s x 5

Seated cable row 5x5

Incline bench press 5x5

EZ bar curl 4s x 8

Two-DB tricep extension 3s x 10


29 July 2016

Squat 395 lbs. x 4, 425 lbs. x 4, 445 lbs. x 4, 425 lbs. x 4

Close-stance squat 315 lbs. 2s x 5

Crispy Buttermilk Chicken

18 July 2016

Pull 430 lbs. x 4, 395 lbs. x 4 - heavy set done with belt

Stiff-legged pull 315 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Seated leg curl 4s x 8

Incline ab board situps 5s x 10-12


20 July 2016

SlingShot bench press (Reactive) 335 lbs. x 6, 315 lbs. x 6, 305 lbs. x 6

Not sure why my program spreadsheet called for 335x8 on the top set, as I'm nowhere near those numbers. I might have been able to get seven reps, but that would have been an all-out effort. Especially since today was a total feel-like-shit day. Maybe I was planning to use the Original SlingShot when I made the spreadsheet, but I don't usually do that this early in the training cycle. Maybe that's what I'll do next time.

Seated cable row 4s x 8

EZ bar curl 5s x 8

Incline bench flyes 4s x 8 - nice change from barbell presses

Two-DB tricep extensions 4s x 12


22 July 2016

Squat 405 lbs. x 4, 425 lbs. x 4, 445 lbs. x 4, 405 lbs. x 4

Today I ate two crispy buttermilk chicken sandwiches from Mickey D's before squatting. Felt like shit, but the squats were effortless. No wonder powerfatties eat like this all the time. Also I eat Golden Arches food maybe twice a year on average, so if I ate it all the time I'd get diminishing returns, plus maybe the 'beetus? Used belt and wraps on all sets except the last back-off with 405 (belt only).

Close-stance squat 275 lbs. 3s x 5

Hack squat 2s x 15 - used a slightly higher weight than usual, but didn't get the usual 20 reps

Leg extension 3s x 8-10

With a Slight Bloat

10 July 2016

Bench press 305 lbs. x 5, 295 lbs. 2s x 5

Paused bench press 285 lbs. x 5, 275 lbs. x 5

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Standing BTN press 135 lbs. x 5, 145 lbs. 2s x 5, 125 lbs. x 5

Close-grip bench press 2s x 6-8

EZ bar curls 40 total reps - first barbell curls with zero elbow pain in forever, great.

Rope tricep extensions 3s x AMAP


12 July 2016

Pull 420 lbs. x 5, 400 lbs. x 5, x 3

Stiff-legged pull 315 lbs. 2s x 5


14 July 2016

SlingShot bench press 345 lbs. x 5, 330 lbs. x 5, x 3

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Close-grip bench press 2s x 6-8

Incline bench press 4s x 8

EZ bar curl 5s x 6


15 July 2016

Squat 405 lbs. 2s x 5, 385 lbs. x 5

Weights felt light today, so I did two top-weight sets and one back-off instead of the other way round.

Close-stance squat 5x5

Hack squat 2s x 20

Leg extensions 2s x 10


17 July 2016

Bench press 320 lbs. x 4, 290 lbs. 2s x 4

Paused bench press 290 lbs. x 4, 265 lbs. 2s x 4

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Seated two-DB OH press 4s x 8

EZ bar curl 5s x 5-6


Bodyweight today was 213.2 lbs. with a slight bloat.

Four in a Row

I have to socialize with people this weekend, so workouts were compressed into four days. Which meant lifting weights every day. How fun.

5 July 2016

Pull 415 lbs. x 5, 375 bs. x 5, 365 lbs. x 5

Stiff-legged pull 295 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5


6 July 2016

SlingShot (Reactive) bench press 315 lbs. x 5, 335 lbs. x 5, 340 lbs. x 5

Seated cable rows 4s x 8

That was it. Only had 30 minutes to train today.


7 July 2016

My body was literally refusing to lift weights today. I got out of breath every set and had to rest five minutes between sets. Very glad it's over.

Squat 395 lbs. x 5, 360 lbs. 2s x 5

Close stance squat 315 lbs. 2s x 5

Hack squat 1s x 20, 1s x 17 - literally could not finish second set.

Happy Fourth

2 July 2016

Squat 445 lbs. x 3, 425 lbs. 2s x 3

Hack squat 2s x 20, 1s x 10

Leg extensions 4s x AMAP


4 July 2016


Bench press 300 lbs. x 5, 275 lbs. x 5, 270 lbs. x 5

Paused bench press 275 lbs. x 5, 250 lbs. x 5

Light and easy, just like a volume week should feel.

Pulldowns 5x5

Standing BTN press 115x5, 135x2x5, 145x5

Hammer curl 4s x 10

Heavy Pull, SlingShot Phail

27 June 2016

Bench press 330 lbs. x 3, 315 lbs. x 3, 300 lbs. x 3

Paused bench press 300 lbs. x 2, 275 lbs. x 2

Was supposed to do some paused singles, decided not to push it.

Close-grip bench press 2s x 6-8

Pulldowns 5x5

Standing BTN press 135x5, 155x5, 165x5

Hammer curl 4s x 8

Cable tricep extensions 4s x 10-12


28 June 2016

Pull 435x1, 465x2, 445x2, 485x1, 505x1, 435x1

Went for a few heavy singles and they felt okay.

Stiff-legged pull 315 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Leg curl 4s x 8

Ab machine 3s x AMAP


30 June 2016

SlingShot bench press 385 lbs. x 1.5, 365 lbs. 2x2, 345 lbs. x 2

Spotter had to intervene on the second rep. Not terribly bothered by this, as I'm well ahead of schedule on all lifts. So I'll use the same raw and SlingShot bench press weights in my next 6-week cycle.

Close-grip bench press 3s x 6-8

Incline bench press 5x5

Seated cable row 5s x 6

Hammer curls 4s x 10

DB tricep extensions 3s x 10

DB side raises 3s x 6

Turnip Power

21 June 2016


Pull 455 lbs. x 3, 435 lbs. x 3, 415 lbs. x 3

Belt on the two heavier sets.

Stiff-legged pull 315 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Standing BTN press 135x5, 155x5, 165x5

Overhead pressing after deadlifting is pretty hard. Midsection felt kinda wobbly.

DB tricep extensions 3s x 12

Leg curl 3s x 8

Rope tricep extensions 4s x 12


23 June 2016

SlingShot bench press 375 lbs. x 3, 355 lbs. x 3, 345 lbs. x 3

That's all I had time for today, plus one light set of seated cable rows. Might come back tomorrow to finish assistance work, or I might do some cardio instead.


25 June 2016

Squat(morning) 480 lbs. x 2, 460 lbs. x 2, 440 lbs. x 2, 425 lbs. x 2

Belt and wraps on two heaviest sets, then just belt. I was supposed to do a few singles after the top set but felt too weak to risk it. Pretty sure the back-off set with 460 wasn't deep enough.

Hack squats 3s x 12

Reverse-grip Smith machine floor press 3s x 8

Bench Press Singles, Femora Brassica

18 June 2016


Squat 430 lbs. x 4, 440 lbs. x 4, 410 lbs. x 4, 405 lbs. x 4

Belt and wraps on the 440x4 set, belt only on the other sets. I really wanted to hit 440x4, although program called for 425x4.

Hack squat 4s x 12

Weighted situps on incline ab board

Squats are getting pretty easy. Against better judgement, I have widened my stance and am squatmorning more. Rippetoe would be proud. Makes a world of difference - instead of being painful and each rep feeling like I'm about to burst a blood vessel, the weights pop up like nothing and my knees feel great. However, as with most good things in life, there is a catch. More on that below.


20 June 2016

Bench press 320 lbs. x 2, 340 lbs. x 2, 365 lbs. x 1, 380 lbs. x 1

Decided to hit a few conservative singles after my working set today. 365x1 went up like 315, so I decided to go full potato and try 380 instead of 375 for my final set. Shaky, but up it went too. I'll also try a few squat singles on Saturday, then do the same for the pull and the SlingShot bench press next week. No maxing, just to see where I'm at.

Paused bench press 295 lbs. x 3, 275 lbs. 2s x 3

Pulldowns 5x5

Hammer curl 5 sets

Golfer's elbow is already feeling better. That Flexbar thing is almost like voodoo.


Femora Brassica

I wrote about how mourning the squat and using a ridiculously wide stance helps you lift bigger weights easily. I'd say it's almost as effective as throwing on one of those old squat suits. The kind that couldn't stand up without a person inside it. Unfortunately, this squatting technique leads to an aesthetically highly unpleasant condition called Turnip Thighs (which the medical profession officially refers to as Femora brassica). Squatting this way tends to overdevelop the thigh adductors, glutes and upper hamstrings while neglecting (or insufficiently addressing) the lower quadriceps. The result is a thigh that is relatively small and undeveloped at the knee, while massive at the top. In other words, shaped like the common turnip (Brassica rapa).

This is your thigh on squatmornings

"I just started squatting and my legs are blowing up!" exclaims the euphoric squatting noob, his legs still throbbing like rotten molars from the linear progression squat workout three days ago. "I can't find pants big enough to fit my legs!" Well, not so fast, Noob. While that's all technically true, it hardly paints an accurate picture. Take a tape measure and wrap it around your thigh just above the knee. Yeah, I know. Funny how nobody ever complains about their pants being too tight above the knee. Good luck buying new pants every six weeks or so, suffering hours of painful sweat-chafing every day the thermometer shows more than 70 degrees and living in fear of embarrassing rippage each time you bend over to pick something up from the floor.

At least Noob can be forgiven for, well, being a noob. He still believes in bulking and cutting, leg work for bigger arms and Santa Claus. Yet to be disabused of his newfound faith in squatmornings and milk, he flexes his pale turnip thighs and sees tanned, rippling quads in the mirror. What's your excuse?

While we're at it, in-vogue bulking programs greatly compound the Femora brassica effect. Imagine a pair of lean thighs developed into the shape of turnips. The thick parts rubbing against one another, steadily and monotonously. The agony building up like steam in a pressure cooker. Hour after walking hour. Inescapable. Now add a few inches of fat and increase the contact (and, by extension, pain) area by a factor of at least two. If there is a God up there, surely He's turned His back on us by now.

The solution is simple. Reduce the weight, bring your stance in and shift the bar a couple inches higher on your traps. Extra work for your quads via leg extensions and hack squats and close-stance leg presses. Develop your legs into a shape that does not resemble a root vegetable. Can you do that? Why not?

For a while I actually thought I had made it. A hip injury forced me to abandon heavy wide-stance squats. I brought my stance together and did a bunch of other quad work too. It worked. But it didn't last. As soon as I healed up, out went the stance and up went the weight. Then horror. Yesterday I put on a pair of my regular dress pants and could barely get them all the way up. Where was the sticking point, you ask? Hint: it wasn't just above the knee. Whistling past the graveyard, I wrote it off as weekend bloat. The condition remains unchanged today. I've fallen off the wagon. The plates on the bar are like sobriety coins, cast into the gutter after a roaring bender.

My chafed thighs ache as I write this post. It isn't even 9AM yet.

Tendinitis Blues

16 June 2016


SlingShot bench press 350 lbs. x 6, 335 lbs. x 6, 330 lbs. x 6

Used the Original SS this time. All sets went well.

Close-grip bench - did 3 light sets trying to experiment with different grips and only lowering the bar to 3-4 inches above chest.

Paul Carter's T-Nation article talks about not going all the way down to keep the tension on the triceps. As usual, his advice is spot on because even 225 felt much harder this way. Certainly something I should explore more, as it lets me use light weight while still working the crap out of the arms.

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Incline bench press 5x5

Hammer curls 4 sets x 8-10

I've been dealing with a nasty case of tendinitis in my right elbow for around 6 weeks now. It might have flared up due to too much biceps work. Hammer curls work fine, so I'll just do these for a few weeks to give the elbow a break.

Tricep extensions (machine) 3s x AMAP

Cable flyes 2s x 8-10

The Body is a Temple

11 June 2016


Squat 430 lbs. x 4, 410 lbs. x 4, 390 lbs. x 4

Belt on the two heavier working sets.

Hack squat 4s x 8

Leg extension 3s x AMAP


13 June 2016

All last week I ate like crap and drank way too much. Today I weighed in at 210 pounds, i.e.  lost about 3.5 pounds from the week before. Makes perfect sense.

Bench press 330 lbs. x 3, 320 lbs. x 3, 315 lbs. x 3

Much easier than 320x3 felt last week.

Paused bench press 285 lbs. x 4

Close-grip, with SlingShot 295x3, 275x5

Pulldowns 5x5

Seated machine press - 4 sets total

Could not find a free barbell. Gotta love gyms on Mondays.

Biceps superset DB preacher curl + preacher curl + reverse curl x 3

Rope extensions 4s x AMAP


14 June 2016

Pull 430 lbs. x 4, 415 lbs. x 4, 415 lbs. x 2

Back-off sets were way too heavy, I was supposed to do only 400 or 405. Also used a belt on the working sets because I lifted at 6:30AM and wasn't sure if my back was going to snap or not.

Stiff-legged pull 300 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Leg curl 3s x 8

Ab board situps 3s x AMAP

But We Go On

7 June 2016

Pull 425 lbs. x 4, 405 lbs. 2s x 5

Stiff-legged deadlift 300 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 5x5

Seated leg curl 4s x 8

Weighted situps 5s x 8


9 June 2016

SlingShot bench press 330 lbs. x 8, close-grip 290 lbs. 3s x 5

Close-grip benching with a Reactive SS feels pretty much like close-grip raw benching (I guess because the SlingShot doesn't stretch very far). Maybe it's a bit easier on the shoulders. Anyway, I've decided to start throwing in a few close-grip sets at the end of every bench press workout in order to bring up my weak triceps.

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Incline bench press 4s x 8

Biceps superset incline curl + seated curl + spider curl x 3 sets

Triceps cable extensions 4s x 8-10

Monday Failboat

6 June 2016


Bench press 320 lbs. x 3, 290 lbs. x 4

Was supposed to do 320x4, which should have been well within my ability, but everything felt off today. Even the 290x4 was hard. Did not try a second back-off set in order to save some energy and at least hit the paused bench press weights.

On a more positive note, this is the first bench press rep I've missed in a long while. Maybe it's just a fluke.

Paused bench press 285 lbs. x 4, 260 lbs. x 4

Also felt much harder than it had any right to feel.

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Standing BTN press 135 lbs. 3s x 8

Bicep superset DB preacher curl + EZ preacher curl +EZ reverse curl x 3

Pushdowns 3s x 12

Positive Feels

2 June 2016


Squat 410 lbs. x 5, 400 lbs. x 5, 380 lbs. x 5

High-bar squat 295 lbs. x 8, x 6

Squats felt good, so I added 10 lbs. and did an extra set. Could have gone with 415 easily.

Hack squat 4s x 12

Leg extension 3s x AMAP

Adductor machine 3s x 8

Better

1 June 2016


SlingShot bench press 340 lbs. x 5, 330 lbs. x 4, 325 lbs. x 5, 320 lbs. x 5

Totally could have done 330x5, but I hesitated and the moment was lost. Otherwise a good day.

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Doing these with 2 separate handles seems to target the back a whole bunch better.

Incline bench press 4s x 8

Still weak on the incline.

Biceps superset DB preacher curls + BB preacher curls + reverse curls x 3

DB tricep extensions 4s x 8

Pushdowns 4s x 8-10

Pullery

30 May 2016


Pull 420 lbs. x 5, 400 lbs. 2s x 5

Looks like the slump is over, today all weights felt fast and explosive.

Bent-over row 5x5 - reduced weight on last 3 sets in order to maintain proper form.

Seated leg curl 4s x 8

Some weighted and unweighted ab work.

Lurch

29 May 2016


Bench press 305 lbs. x 5, 295 lbs. x 5, 290 lbs. x 5

Paused bench press 280 lbs. x 5, 265 lbs. x 5

Shoulders hurt on all sets. Not sure what's going on.

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Standing BTN press 135 lbs. x 8, 140 lbs. 3s x 8

Machine preacher curls - 3 strip sets, high reps

Pushdowns 3s x 10-12

Squeezing Out Squats

27 May 2016


Squat 390 lbs. x 5, 355 lbs. 2s x 5

High bar close stance squat 295 lbs. 2s x 8

Still slow and grindy. I have not felt strong and explosive all week. Hopefully this will change soon.

Hack squat 4s x 10-12

Reverse grip floor press - in the Smith machine 4-5 sets, playing around trying to figure out the right weight.

Leg extension 3s x 8-10

Hangover

21 May 2016

Bench press 300 lbs. x 5, 275 lbs. 2s x 5

Paused bench press 275 lbs. x 5, 250 lbs. x 5

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Standing BTN press 135 lbs. x 8, 145 lbs. 3s x 8

Cable flyes 2s x 8-10

Barbell curl + seated BB curl superset 4 sets

Don't really like this latter exercise.

Pushdowns 3s x AMAP


23 May 2016

Pull 405 lbs. x 5,  x3, 365 lbs. 2s x 5

Weights are moving fast but not as fast as expected, I guess there's a bit of "hangover" from last week's intensity lifting.

Bent-over row 5x5

Seated leg curl 4s x 8


25 May 2016

Only had 30 minutes to lift today.

SlingShot bench press 335 lbs. x 5, 315 lbs. 2s x 5

 Seated cable row 3s x 8

Cycle 3 Over

16 May 2016


Pull 460 lbs. x 2, 445 lbs. x 2, x 1

Bent-over row 5x5

Seated leg curl 4s x 8


18 May 2016

SlingShot bench press 385 lbs. x 2, 365 lbs. 2x2

Was only supposed to hit 380x2, but the weights felt nice and easy.

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Dips 3s x 10

DB curl superset: incline bench curl + seated curl + spider curl x 3

One-arm DB extension 3s x 10

Pushdowns 2s x AMAP


19 May 2016

Squat 455 lbs. x 3, 440 lbs. x 3, 435 lbs. x 3

High-bar close stance squat 315 lbs. 2s x 5

I usually take a day off between heavy bench presses and squats. This time I did them on consecutive days and definitely felt the difference.

Hack squat 4s x 10-12

Adductor machine 3s x 8

Leg extension 2s x AMAP

Still Here

15 May 2016


Back from a week's vacation, and straight back to the gym:

Bench press 325 lbs. x 3, 310 lbs. 2s x 3

Paused bench press 295 lbs. x 2, 280 lbs. x 3, x 2

Pulldowns 5x5

Standing BTN press 5 reps with 115-135-145-155-165

EZ bar curl + concentration curl superset x 4

Dips 3s x 10

DB tricep extension, single-arm, 3s x AMAP

Good Week

5 May 2016


Squats 470 lbs. x 2, 445 lbs. x 2, 425 lbs. 2s x 2

Used belt and wraps on all working sets. Squats felt good, if I were into maxing out I'd probably give LOL5pleat a shot right about now. Getting back up there, (very) slowly but (not quite) steadily.

Leg press 2s x 20

That was it.


6 May 2016

SlingShot bench press 370 lbs. 2s x 3, 350 lbs. 2s x 3

Top set felt so easy I decided to repeat it. Now I'm kicking myself for not going with 375. Presses with 350 were really easy.

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Incline bench press 4s x 5

Dips 3s x 10

Cable fly 3s x 8-10

Superset incline bench curl + seated DB curl +concentration curl x 3

DB tricep extensions 3s x AMAP

Pull and Press

2 May 2016

Pulls 445 lbs. x 3, 425 lbs. 2s x 3

Bent-over row 5x5

Leg curl 4s x 8-10


3 May 2016

Bench press 335 lbs. x 2, 315 lbs. 3s x 2

Should have gone with 340 for the main set and cut out one of the sets with 315.

Paused bench press 295 lbs. x 3, 275 lbs. x 3

Standing BTN press 125x5, 145x5, 155x5, 160x5, 165x5

Pulldowns 5x5

Dips 3s x 10

Preacher curl machine x 50 reps

Bloat

29 April 2016


I've been eating a ton of salty food this week and today I noticed I was carrying a massive amount of bloat. Almost like a fat suit around my waist. As a result, squats were a breeze.

It's pretty sad to think about it though - add some temporary water weight and blubber, and instant strength gainz. No wonder so many powerlifters end up on the morbidly obese end of the weight spectrum.

Squat 430 lbs. x 4, 410 lbs. 2s x 4

Sumo deadlift 3s x 5

Leg extensions 3s x AMAP

Early Mornings

25 April 2016


Pulls 420 lbs. x 4, 400 lbs. 2s x 4

Bent-over rows 5x5

Leg curl 4s x 8



26 April 2016


Lifted at 6:30 AM.

Bench press 325 lbs. x 3, 310 lbs. 2s x 3

Paused bench press 280 lbs. x 4

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Standing BTN press 135x5, 155x5, 165x5, 155x5

EZ bar curl + concentration curl superset x 4 sets


28 April 2016

Another 6:30AM workout. I don't mind these, as long as I'm not doing squats or deadlifts. I get up at 5 or 5:30, have a cup of coffee and head off to the gym. Not having to lift after work feels great, almost like a mini-vacation, and I'm no weaker at 6:30 AM than I am at 6:30PM.

SlingShot bench press 345 lbs. x 6, 325 lbs. 2s x 6

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Dips 3s x 10

Seated DB curl + incline bench curl superset x 3

All done in less than 45 minutes.

And Another Week Done

19 April 2016


Pulls 415 lbs. x 4, 425 lbs. x 4, 405 lbs. x 4, 395 lbs. x 4

Bent-over rows 5x5

Leg curl 4s x 8


21 April 2016

SlingShot bench press 320 lbs. x 8, 300 lbs. x 7

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Incline bench press 4s x 8


24 April 2016

Squat 425 lbs. x 4, 405 lbs. 2s x 4

Close-grip floor press 5x5

Leg extensions 4s x AMAP

Adductor machine 2s x 8

Getting Fat = Bench Gainz

18 April 2016


Bench press 315 lbs. x 5, 300 lbs. 2s x 4

Was only supposed to do 315x4, but it felt light so I did an extra rep. It wasn't even close to being a max effort - could have probably gotten 6 or 7. My best ever rep max with 315 is 7 or 8 (at 220+ pounds), so this is pretty pleasing.

Paused bench press 275 lbs. x 5, 280 lbs. x 4

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Standing BTN press 8 reps with 115-135-145-150 lbs.

EZ bar curl + concentration curl superset x 4

Dips 3s x 10

Pushdowns 4s x 15

Week Two of Cycle 3 Done

14 April 2016


SlingShot bench press 335 lbs. x 5, 315 lbs. 3s x 5

This time the plan was to hit 335x5, so that's fine.

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Incline bench press 4s x 8

DB curl + DB incline bench curl superset x 4

Dips 4s x 10


16 April 2016


Squat 390 lbs. x 5, 400 lbs. x 5, 380 lbs. x 5, 370 lbs. x 5

High-bar close stance squat 275 lbs. 2s x 8

Close-grip floor press 5x5 - started doing these again because they are hard

 Leg extension 4s x AMAP

Adductor machine 4s x AMAP

Time Goes By

9 April 2016


Squat 380 lbs. x 5, 350 lbs. 2s x 5, 345 lbs. x 5

High-bar close stance squat 275 lbs. 2s x 8

Leg extensions 4s x AMAP

Hip adduction 4s x AMAP


11 April 2016


Bench press 305 lbs. x 5, 290 lbs. 2s x 5

Paused bench press 275 lbs. x 4 (fail), 260 lbs. x 5

After squatting on Saturday, I had a terrible case of leg DOMS, which makes sense. I also felt sore through the arms/shoulders/chest, which makes no sense. Pressing was hard, and I even failed the top paused bench press set, which hasn't happened in a while (I cut it one rep short).

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Standing BTN press 135 lbs. 4s x 8

EZ curl + concentration curl x 4 supersets


12 April 2016

 Pull 410 lbs. x 5, 385 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 5x5

Leg curl 4s x 8

Dips 4s x 8 - because I didn't do them yesterday.

Svelte

7 April 2016


Weighed in at slightly over 211 lbs. today. This is surprising, as I've been feeling pretty skinny lately and wondering if I should increase my daily food intake. I guess not.

SlingShot bench press 335 lbs. x 5, 315 lbs. x 6, 300 lbs. 2s x 6

Still couldn't hit 335x6 as planned. I don't know how many times I've written those same words. Not terribly concerned about it because my lower-rep weights have been moving upward, but 335x6 seems to be some sort of mental barrier I just can't get over.

Pullups x 5 or 6 sets - in between presses, focused on "spreading the bar" with my lats

Seated cable rows 4s x 8

Incline bench press 4s x 8

Dips 3s x 8

Various cable curls x a bunch of sets

Press, Pull

4 April 2016


Bench press 300 lbs. x 5, 295 lbs. x 5, 275 lbs. x 5, 270 lbs. x 5

Paused bench press 270 lbs. x 5, 245 lbs. 2s x 5

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Standing BTN press 8 reps with 120-135-140-140 lbs.

Dips 2s x 10, 2s x 8

Incline DB curl + ring chinup superset x 4


5 April 2016


Pull 405 lbs. x 5, 385 lbs. 2s x 5, 365 lbs. x 5

Lats were tired and very sore from yesterday, so deadlifting was not easy.

Bent-over row 3s x 5 - cut it short due to low back twinge

Seated leg curl 4s x 8

End of Intensity Block

31 March 2016


SlingShot bench press 375 lbs. x 2, 365 lbs. x 2, 355 lbs. 2x2, 345 lbs. x 2, 335 lbs. 2x2

The top set with 375 felt light and explosive, maybe could have been 380x2. The other sets also went well.

Seated row 2s x 8, 3s x 5

Standing BTN press 155x5, 165x5, 155x5

Dips 4s x 8

Incline bench DB curls 4s x 8

Pushdowns 2s x AMAP


2 April 2016


Squat 435 lbs. x 3, 425 lbs. 2s x 3, 405 lbs. x 3

High bar squat 315 lbs. 3s x 5

Bent-over row 5x5

Leg extensions 4s x AMAP

Back to Pulling

30 March 2016


I worked on my QL for a couple of days, and today was able to get some pulls in. Not just get them in, but actually hit the planned top set weight. So I'm very happy about that.

Pulls 455 lbs. x 2, 445 lbs. x 2, 435 lbs. x 2, 425 lbs. x 2, 405 lbs. x 2

All pulls were easy and explosive. I worked my way up very gradually so as to not aggravate my injury, and feel like I could have lifted more for my top set of 2 if I hadn't taken so many warmup sets. But overall I'm stoked I could deadlift at all.

In the interest of full disclosure, I used a belt on all sets from 425 up.

Smith machine bent over row 5x5

Leg curl 4s x 8

Leg raise 2s x AMAP

Quadratus Lumborum

28 March 2016


Bench press 320 lbs. x 3, 305 lbs. 2s x 3

Paused bench press 290 lbs. x 2, 280 lbs. x 2, 275 lbs. x 2

Halfway through my warmup set with 135, my right lower back cramped up badly. It was fine while I was pressing, more of a discomfort than a pain, but got progressively worse as the workout went on. I did some research when I came home and figured out it's a trigger point in my quadratus lumborum (Google that because there's no easy way to explain it). So bad news, I can barely bend over from the pain, but good news, I have located the trigger point and am currently working on releasing it. My squat and deadlift days might have to be moved to next week. I was still able to bench press without problem.

But yes, hurrah for new and exotic trigger point locations. A few months ago there was one in my traps (I think) that was holding me back on the bench press, also in a muscle group with a complicated name. That one I dealt with successfully, so I'm staying positive about this one too.

Pulldowns 5x5

Smith machine incline bench press 5x5

Preacher curl machine 4s x AMAP

Squat and Out

26 March 2016


Squat 445 lbs. x 2, 425 lbs. 3s x 2, 405 lbs. x 2

Used a belt for the sets with 445 and 425. Again, squats felt strong. So I decided not to do anything else and went home.

Will work up to a heavy triple next week. Weight to beat is 425x3 from last cycle, which I think is doable.

Better Gainz

24 March 2016


SlingShot bench press 365 lbs. x 3, 345 lbs. x 3, 350 lbs. x 2

Was probably good for 350x3, but decided not to use a spotter and quit the set early. On the 365x3 set, I did use a spotter but told him not to touch the bar.

Seated cable row 4s x 8 - used two separate handles instead of the V-handle as usual. Felt different.

Incline bench press 5x5

Cable fly 3s x 8

EZ bar curl 4s x 8

Tricep pushdowns 3s x 8-10

Spotter Check

21 March 2016


Bench press 330 lbs. x 2, 310 lbs. 2x2

Paused bench press 285 lbs. x 3, 265 lbs. x 3

On my heavy sets I usually get a spotter, but tell them not to touch the bar unless it starts coming back down. It works really well and I haven't had issues unracking the bar at all. This time (for some unknown reason) I asked for a hand-off, with almost disastrous consequences. The spotter kept pushing the bar toward my feet and I kept fighting him back for a good ten seconds or so. By the time I actually stabilized the bar to lower it and press, I was completely out of the groove and had let out all my air twice (to ask the guy to stop pushing on the bar). The second rep was a struggle.

Note to self: yes to spotters, no to help with unracking the bar.

Pulldowns 5x5

Concentration curl 4s x 8

Pushdowns 4 sets x AMAP


22 March 2016

Pull 440 lbs. x 3, 420 lbs. 2s x 3

Bent-over row 5x5

Seated two-DB press 4s x 5 - because I skipped OH pressing yesterday.

Leg curl 4s x 8

Ab exercises 3 sets

Weekend Squatting

19 March 2016


Squat 415 lbs. x 4, 420 lbs. x 4, 395 lbs. 2s x 4

Hope I don't jinx anything, but the lifts are progressing well. I struggled with the squat in my previous training cycle, now it seems to be back on track.

High-bar close stance squat 2s x 8

Abduction / adduction machine 3 sets x 8-10 each

Leg extension 3s x AMAP

Seven AM

16 March 2016


Pull 430 lbs. x 3, 410 lbs. 2s x 3

I think I was maybe supposed to do sets of 4. Oh well.

Bent-over row 5x5

Leg curl 4s x 8

Ab exercises x 4 sets


17 March 2016


Today I lifted at seven a.m. Fun.

SlingShot bench press 340 lbs. x 6, 320 lbs. x 4, 310 lbs. x 6

The 340 set almost killed me, so I had to back way off to get six reps on the lighter sets.

Incline bench press 4s x 5

Seated cable row 4s x 6

Pushdowns 3s x AMAP

Biceps Cramp

14 March 2016


An hour or so before the workout, I got the weirdest cramp in my lower biceps/forearm, more like a muscle spasm. My arm hurt for hours afterwards and later on I could barely straighten it out. Didn't feel very good while pressing, so the triple with 320 felt a lot heavier than it had any right to be.

Bench press 320 lbs. x 3, 305 lbs. 2s x 3

Paused bench press 275 lbs. x 4, 260 lbs. x 4

There's this groove with paused bench presses which, if I hit it correctly, the weight pops up like the bar's empty. Almost feels easier than my usual touch-n-go. If I miss it, however, even lights weights start to wobble and drift precariously over my face. Guess which happens more often.

Pulldowns 5x5

Standing BTN press 155x5, 165x5, 165x5

DB curl 4 sets x AMAP

Pushdowns 3s x AMAP

Volume Block 2 Done

10 March 2016


SlingShot bench press 345 lbs. x 4, 320 lbs. 4sx4

Went a bit crazy with the pressing.

Incline bench press 4s x 8

One-arm machine preacher curl 4s x AMAP


12 March 2016


Squat 405 lbs. 2s x 4, 415 lbs. x 4, 365 lbs. x 4

Squats felt super easy today. I probably should have skipped the second set with 405, then tried 420x4.

Leg extensions 4s x AMAP

Weights felt super light this week (except for bench pressing on Monday - 310x4 felt like 320x4). I'm hoping the momentum continues into the next 3 weeks (intensity block).

Press, Then Pull

7 March 2016


Bench press 310 lbs. x 4, 280 lbs. 2s x 4

Paused bench press 275 lbs. x 4, 250 lbs. 2s x 4

Pullups 5x5

Standing BTN press 135 lbs. 4s x 8


8 March 2016

Block pull 420 lbs. x 4, 395 lbs. x 4, 380 lbs. x 4

Could have done 425 easily IMO.

Bent-over row 5x5

Leg raises 3s x 15

Leg curl 2s x 8-10

Will do more hamstring and back work as a mini workout tomorrow.

More Where That Came From

4 March 2016


SlingShot bench press 335 lbs. x 5, 320 lbs. 2s x 5

335 went up easily, should have gone for 340.

Chest-supported row 4s x 8

BTN press 115x8, 135x8, 135x8, 140x8

Seated DB curl 4s x 8

DB tricep extensions 3s x 10-12

Pushdowns 3s x AMAP

One-arm preacher curl machine  3s x AMAP
 

5 March 2016


Squat 385 lbs. x 5, 365 lbs. 3s x 5

Squats also felt effortless.

Close-grip floor press 5x5

Hack squat 3s x 10

Leg extension 3s x AMAP

Abductor machine 3s x AMAP

Leap Day

Taking it a bit easy this week, as I will add two small-stuff workouts on my off days (back, legs and arms). I usually do cardio on these days, but a coworker wants to get back into working out, so I will take him through a couple of sessions over the next few weeks. Should be fun.


27 February 2016


Squat 380 lbs. x 5, 340 lbs. 2s x 5

Close-grip floor press 5x5 - a bit of variety

Sumo deadlift 3s x 5

Hack squat 3s x 10

Leg extension 3s x AMAP


29 February 2016

Bench press 295 lbs. x 5, 300 lbs. x 5, 285 lbs. x 5

Paused bench press 270 lbs. x 5, 255 lbs. x 4 - ran out of gas again

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Standing BTN press 135 lbs. 3s x 8

Preacher curl machine 3 sets x AMA


1 March 2016

Pull 415 lbs. x 5, 395 lbs. x 5, 375 lbs. x 5

Leg raise 3s x AMAP

No Coffee

25 February 2016


Had to work out in the early AM today, did not have any coffee prior to the workout but still managed not to kill anyone at the gym. It never ceases to surprise me how busy that place is at 6:30AM, almost as bad as most weeknights.

SlingShot bench press 335 lbs. x 5, 305 lbs. 2s x 6, 275 lbs. x 6

The set with 335 was supposed to be 330x6, but of course I got greedy. Might have gotten that sixth rep, however did not have a spotter so did not push it. Back to using the Reactive SS for smaller boost but (maybe) bigger gainz.

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Cable fly 3s x 8

More Back

23 February 2016


Pulls 405 lbs. x 5, 410 lbs. x 5, 365 lbs. 2s x 5

Again went beltless, and again did a heavier set over my top planned set. It would be great if I could complete another cycle without using a belt on pulls.

Bent-over rows 5x5

Seated leg curl 4s  8

Leg raises 3s x 15

Volume Block 2 Begins

22 February 2016


Bench press 290 lbs. x 5, 265 lbs. x 3s x 5

Paused bench press 265 lbs. x 5, 245 lbs. x 5

Got a bit carried away with the regular bench press because it felt super easy, ran out of gas.

Pulldowns 4s x 8

BTN press 125 lbs. 4s x 8

Preacher curl machine 4 sets x AMAP

Bench and Squat

18 February 2016


SlingShot bench press 370 lbs. x 2, 350 lbs. 2x2

Went up pretty easily.

Seated cable row 4s x 8

DB curl 4s x 8

Pushdowns 4s x AMAP


20 February 2016

 Squat 425 lbs. x 3, 405 lbs. 2s x 3

Used belt, but no knee wraps.

Hack squat 4s x 10

Leg extension 1s x AMAP

Piriformative Experience

17 February 2016


Mid-shin deadlift 435 lbs. x 3, 415 lbs. 2s x 3

Piriformis is still bothering me when I walk and do other movements, but surprisingly I did not feel any pain doing my block pulls. I debated over whether to use a belt on the heaviest set (our of caution), decided against it and still made all three reps. So I am happy to report that I completed this training cycle without using the belt for pulls at all, and only once for squats (probably twice when I squat on Saturday, provided I can squat without piriformis pain).

Also weights felt light, if it wasn't for the ass pain issue I would have done a heavier set and maybe an extra back-off one too.

Bent-over row 5x5 - went a bit lighter than usual until the last 2 sets.

Seated leg curl 4s x 8

Pushing

15 February 2016


Bench press 315 lbs. x 3, 300 lbs. 2s x 3

Paused bench press 285 lbs. x 2, 270 lbs. 3s x 2

Really like the feel of paused bench presses.

Pulldowns 4s x 8 - finally back to doing these

Standing BTN press 135x5, 145x5, 155x5, 160x5

Barbell curl 30 total reps

Pain in the Ass

14 February 2016


A fitting title for a Valentine's Day post, methinks.

Squat 435 lbs. x 2, 410 lbs. x 2, 405 lbs. x 2

Used belt for the first time in this cycle. On the last set I felt a sharp pain in my piriformis, so I stopped squatting and skipped the sumo deadlifts. I'll be bench pressing tomorrow, so I also skipped close grip presses. Trying to rehab my ass because I have to deadlift later this week.

Leg extensions 4s x AMAP

Leg raise 4 sets

Adductor/abductor machines 3 sets each

Chesticles

11 February 2016


SlingShot bench press 360 lbs. x 3, 340 lbs. x 3, 335 lbs. 2s x 3

These went very well.

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Incline bench press 4s x 5

Seated DB curl 4s x 8

DB tricep extension 4s x 8-10

Cable fly 3s x 8 - been neglecting these.

Tugs

9 February 2016


Block pull 445 lbs. x 2, 425 lbs. x 2, 415 lbs. x 2

Felt good, so I did an extra set at a slightly reduced weight.

Bent-over row 5x5

Leg curl 4s x 8

Leg raises 3 sets

Thick Bar Pullups

8 February 2016


Bench press 320 lbs. x 2, 310 lbs. x 2, 305 lbs. x 2

Paused bench press 280 lbs. x 3, 270 lbs. 2s x 3

Thick bar pullups 5x5 - one of the pulldown machines is broken, so the other one is in use 105% of the time. Just can't win. Pullups are still easy, even on a thick bar, so I guess my bodyweight isn't going up.

Standing BTN press 135x5, 145x5, 155x5, 165x5, 135x5 - these felt decent

Machine preacher curls 4s x AMAP

Exogenous Ketones

6 February 2016


Squat 395 lbs. x 4, 375 lbs. 2s x 4

All squats and pulls over the past 5 weeks were beltless and wrapless. In the next two weeks I will use the belt on squats and try to stay beltless on pulls. Wraps will not be used until the end of the next six-week cycle.

Close-grip bench press 5x5

Sumo deadlift 3s x 5

Leg extensions 4s x AMAP

Leg raise 3s x 15

Chest Presses

4 February 2016


SlingShot bench press 335 lbs. x 6, 315 lbs. 2s x 6

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Incline bench press 5x5

DB curl 4s x 8-10

DB tricep extension 4s x 10

Being Blocky

2 February 2016


Block pull 410 lbs. x 4, 390 lbs. 2s x 4

Nice and easy. The bent-over rows seem to be strengthening my lower back nicely.

Bent-over row 5x5

Leg curl 4s x 8

Leg raise 3s x AMAP

Bodyweight Certification Course

1 February 2016


Bench press 310 lbs. x 3, 315 lbs. x 3, 300 lbs. 2s x 3

Paused bench press 260 lbs. x 3

Standing BTN press 115x5, 135x5, 145x5, 155x5

Thick bar pullups 30 total reps

Did these because the pulldown machine was occupied for about an hour non stop. Totally felt like a disciple of Pavel the Pseudo-Soviet Swindler. Very functional, unlike the bench press. Also dropping 15 pounds of bodyweight makes pullups a breeze, even thick bar ones.

BTW I'ma pitch a script for a movie with the title "Disciple of Pavel the Pseudo-Soviet Swindler" to Quentin Tarantino for his next movie. Or maybe to HBO for an anthology series about fitness frauds. Should be good.

Barbell curl 30 total reps

Laziness

Falling behind with the posting a bit, let's see what happened this week:


28 January 2016


Block pull 385 lbs. x 4, 405 lbs. x 4, 355 lbs. 2s x 4

Was only supposed to do 385x4, but it felt too light so I decided to do a bonus set.

Bent-over row 5x5

Leg curl 4s x 8

Adductor/abductor machine 2 sets x AMAP each


29 January 2016

SlingShot (Reactive) bench press 320 lbs. x 8, 295 lbs. x 8, 285 lbs. x 8

Sickest bench press pump ever.

Seated cable rows 4s x 8

Incline bench press 4s x 8

DB curl 4s x 8-10

DB tricep extension 3s x 8-10

Leg raises 4 sets


30 January 2016

Squat 385 lbs. x 4, 355 lbs. 2s x 4, 345 lbs. x 4

Close-grip bench press 5x5

Sumo deadlift 3s x 5

Leg extension 4s x AMAP

More Pumping Iron

26 January 2016


Bench press 300 lbs. x 4, 275 lbs. 2s x 4

Paused bench press 270 lbs. x 4, 245 lbs. 2s x 4

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Standing BTN press 4s x 8

EZ bar curls 30 total reps - could not find a free barbell to curl with, now I have a mild pain in my wrist.

Cable curls x a few sets

Snow Delays

25 January 2016


Missed a few training days as the gym was closed due to snow. It opened today and I made it over around lunchtime, remembering Lyfta's experience with the snow and walking very carefully.

Squat 380 lbs. x 5, 355 lbs. 3s x 5

Close-grip bench press 5x5

Leg extensions 3s x AMAP

Sumo deadlifts 3s x 5

Abduction machine 2s x AMAP

Adduction machine 2s x AMAP

Leg raises 3s x 15

How to Not Increase Your Bench Press

22 January 2016


SlingShot bench press 330 lbs. x 5, 300 lbs. x 4s x 5

330 felt terribly heavy, then 300 was absurdly light so I did a bunch of sets because volume.

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Incline bench press 4s x 8

DB curl 4s x 8-10

Pushdowns 4s x AMAP

Steroid Low Back Pump

19 January 2016


Mid-shin pull 385 lbs. x 5, 365 lbs. 2s x 5

Bent-over row 5x5

Leg curl 4s x AMAP

Insane low back pump, even though the weights are still pretty light. Broscience claims this is what happens to steroid users. BRB experiencing roid side effects without actually using roids or getting any of the benefits. It feels quite different from pumping up any other muscle grup - I wonder if it's not really a pump, but some sort of inflammation?

Also I didn't really get how tough pulling from mid shin is on the lower back until I started doing it for reps - definitely not the same as deadlifting.

Hateful Eight and Some Benching

18 January 2016


Went to see Hateful Eight. Great movie, but they could have cut out at least 45 minutes of it and it would have been just as great. Tarantino's movies are either terrific or awful IMO, and this one was definitely terrific.

Bench press 295 lbs. x 5, 280 lbs. 2s x 5

Paused bench press 265 lbs. x 5, 245 lbs. 2s x 5

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Standing BTN press 4s x 8

Barbell curl 4s x 8

Some Squatting

16 January 2016


Squat 375 lbs. x 5, 335 lbs. 2s x 5 - no belt or wraps, knee felt good

Close-grip bench press 5x5

Sumo dadlifts, very light, 3s x 5

Slingin'

14 January 2016


SlingShot bench press (reactive) 330 lbs. x 5, 295 lbs. 2s x 5

Later I realized I was supposed to do sets of 6. Oh well.

Seated cable row 4s x 8

Incline bench press 4s x 8

DB curl 4s x 10

Pushdowns 4s x AMAP

Serratus Posterior Superior

12 January 2016


Never even knew this muscle existed, but it does, and when it gets tight you start experiencing shooting pain through your shoulder and down your arm. Left shoulder has been bothering me (to various degrees of discomfort) throughout this last training cycle, and I was pretty sure I'd torn my rotator cuff or something. Turns out it's this little thing under my traps and to the side of my scapula. Did some targeted trigger point release on it yesterday and it hurts like hell.

But at least I don't need shoulder surgery yet, so that's a plus.

Mid-shin pull 385 lbs. x 5, 350 lbs. x 5 - doing these for reps is tough even with a light weight.

Bent-over row 5x5 - got a massive low back pump from these.

Olympic squats 2s x 8 - these really bothered my knee, even though I only used a very light weight. I'll stick to squatting once per week for the time being.

Leg curl 3s x 8

Back to Daily Posting

11 January 2016


Bench press 290 lbs. x 5, 260 lbs. x 5

Paused bench press 265 lbs. x 5, 240 lbs. x 5

Left shoulder felt terrible, almost like it was seizing up. However, I have had this before and know what to do - work on trigger points in my serratus (oddly enough).

Standing BTN press 4s x 8, light

Pulldowns 4s x 8

Barbell curl 30 total reps

New Leaf

2 January 2016


Paused bench press 265x2, 275x2, 285x2, 295x2, 265x2

Was only supposed to work up to 275x2, so this was better than expected. Weight felt very light and pauses were solid.

Mid-shin pull 490 lbs. x 3 singles

Bent-over row 5x5

Seated cable row 4s x 6

Standing BTN press 175 lbs. x 3 - a bit of a struggle, but this time it went up convincingly.

Incline DB curl 3 sets x AMAP


4 January 2016

I'm planning to max out on the bench press this week, so today was a sort of warmup day, workin up to 90% of the planned lift.

Bench press 305x1, 325x1, 350x1 - last single flew up like 315. Let's hope the momentum lasts.

Pulldowns 3s x 8

Seated DB press 3s x 8

Barbell curls 30 total reps

Pushdowns 3s x AMAP


6 January 2016

Still on track with the planned bench press max-out, today I worked up to 295x1 with a long pause, then did some rear delt raises and biceps work.


8 January 2016

Bench press 315x2, 335x1, 365x1, 375xfail, 315x3

Pretty disappointed with this, but not devastated. My plan was to warm up to 335, then hit 365, 375 and go for either 380 or 385 on the last attempt, based on the numbers I hit in this training cycle and the 90% warmup on Monday. Unfortunately, I struggled to get 365 off the hooks and completely missed my groove, which resulted in a long and ragged single repetition that totally wore me out. My setup with 375 was perfect and I blasted the weight off the bottom, but it stalled around midpoint and sank back down.

At least it shouldn't take much to beat this 1RM in my next training cycle. But I'm still a long way off my all-time PR, so there's a lot of work to be done.

Bodyweight today was only 208.2, and this is after indulging in an all-you-can-eat buffet the day before. I have struggled to get my eating back on track after the holidays, but, unlike normal people, I seem to have no appetite and am constantly undereating. This also needs to change.

Seated cable rows 30 total reps

Incline bench press 4s x 8

DB curl 4s x 8-10

Pushdowns 4s x AMAP

Cable fly 2s x 10


9 January 2016

Squat 405x2, 425x2, 445x1, 445x1

Wanted to go for 445x2, but chickened out on both attempts. However, the weight is not important. What is important is that I didn't use knee wraps on any of the sets, and my bad knee felt fine. I won't jump the gun and proclaim it healed, but it's definitely a good indicator.

Mid-shin pull worked up to 500 lbs. for 2 singles

Leg extension 3s x AMAP

Leg curl 3s x 8

Adductor mchine 2s x 12

Back raise 3s x 10-13