Volume Building

21 June 2017

SlingShot bench press 350x4, 340x5, 330x5, 330x4, 315x5

T-bar rows 1s x 10, 3s x 8

Incline bench press supersetted with rear delt raises x 3 sets

Preacher curl machine drop sets x 3

Cable pushdowns 3s x 10


23 June 2017

Squat 365x5, 405x5, 425x4, 440 2s x 4, 405x5

First set with 440 felt really nice and solid, so I decided to repeat the weight and almost got crushed.

Smith machine front squat 3s x 5-6

I do these like a sort of sissy squat with weights. Very quad-effective.

Leg press 3s x 8, then 1s x 12

Leg extensions 1s x 20, 1s x 15


25 June 2017

Bench press 335x3, 335x4, 315x4, 315x2, 305x4

Missed first set with 335, but I was pretty sure I had it. So I got a spotter and tried again and got it. Totally messed up the rest of my sets, but whatever.

Barbell extensions 3s x 8

Pulldowns 10-8-6-5

Seated BTN press 135x5, 155x5, 165x5, 185x5, 195xfail

Barbell curl 4s x 5, cheat curl 3x3

Overhead cable extensions 4s x 8

DB preacher curl 4s x 6


26 June 2017

Deadlift 410x5, 425x4, 440x2, 455x2, 475x1

Moved all rep sets up by 5 pounds or so. Missed 440x3, which was weird, especially because 455x2, felt lighter than 440x2. The plan now is to keep the same rep weights and build up the singles until I can do at least three. After all those heavy reps, 475x1 felt like a max effort.

Stiff-legged DL 2s x 5

Getting better at these, learning to engage the hamstrings more.

Bent-over row 2s x 5

Squat, light 3s x 5

Why Bother

12 June 2017

Deadlift 405x5, 415x4, 440x2, 450x2, 470x1, 490x1

Stiff-legged deadlift 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Squat 3s x 5

14 June 2017

SlingShot bench press 335x6, 330x6, 320 x 2s x 6

Something I did in my last bench press session left my shoulders and chest really sore. I didn't really notice it until I started pressing today and 135 lbs. felt painful.

Smith machine bent-over row 4s x 8-10

Barbell extensions 3s x 8

EZ bar reverse curl 4s x 8

Cable overhead extensions 4s x 8-12

Preacher curl machine x 4 drop sets

16 June 2017

Squat 365x5, 405x5, 425x5, 435 x 2s x 5, 405x5

Front squat 2s x 5

Leg press 4s x 8, working up to two heavy sets

18 June 2017

Bench press 330x4, 335x3, 315 x 2s x 4, 300x4, 300x3

Set with 330 felt light, but 335 was too much.

Barbell extensions 3s x 8

Pulldowns 10-8-6-5-5

Standing BTN press 135x5, 155x5, 165x5

EZ bar strict curl - one heavy set of 10, one heavy set of 5

DB preacher curl 4s x 5-8

Pushdowns 5s x 8-10

19 June 2017

Deadlift 405x5, 415x5, 435x3, 455x2, 475x1, 495x1

Stiff-legged deadlift 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Squat 2s x 5

Diclofenac Blues

Looking for a solution to my tennis elbow woes, I got a couple tubes of Diclofenac gel over eBay. Diclofenac is a NSAID and is also sold under the names Voltaren and Jonac. I was not able to find any in the pharmacies around me, or on Amazon. At first I thought it was banned or restricted (prescription only) in the US, but could not find anything about it on teh Interwebz, so I guess... we just don't have it here?

Anyway this stuff is magic - two applications and my left elbow feels significantly better. I'm considering buying a few hundred gallons and soaking myself in a tub of Diclofenac after every workout.


5 June 2017

Bench press 275x5, 300x5, 310x5, 315x5, 325x5, 330x4

Barbell extensions 3s x 8

Pullups 5x5

Standing BTN press 135x5, 145x5, 155x5, 165x4

Barbell curl 5s x 5-8, then 2 sets of cheat curls

Overhead cable extensions 4s x 8-12

DB preacher curl 4s x 6


6 June 2017

Deadlift 405x5, 415x4, 435x3, 445x2, 465x1, 485x1

Stiff-legged DL 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Squat, light 3s x 5


8 June 2017

SlingShot bench press 325x5, 335x4, 350x3, 360x2, 370x2, 375x1

Smith machine bent-over row 4s x 10

Barbell tricep extensions 3s x 8

Seated cable row 2s x 8

Incline bench press 10-5-5-5-4-3

Reverse curl 4s x 6

Preacher curl machine x 4 drop sets


9 June 2017

Squat 325x5, 375x5, 395x5, 405x5, 415x5, 425x5, 445x3, 455x3, 405x3

Leg press x 16, x 15, x 18 (trying to get 20 reps each set)

Hack squat 3s x 12


11 June 2017

Bench press 325x5, 305x5, 290 3s x 5

Pulldowns 10-8-6-5-5

Barbell extension 3s x 8-10

Seated BTN press 135x5, 155x5, 165x5, 175x5, 185x5

Barbell curl 5x5, then some cheat curls

Preacher DB curl 4s x 6

Karmic Payback

30 May 2017

Bench press 295x5, 305x5, 315x5, 325x4, 330x3

Pulldowns 10-8-6-5-5

Barbell extensions 3s x 8

Standing BTN press 125x5, 135x5, 145x5, 155x5

On BTN presses, I used the 35 pound bar instead of a regular one, but did not notice until halfway through the sets. Usually I'm the one pointing out the difference in bar weight to other people who think they've just set a personal best, in order to drink the sweet nectar of their disappointment. Karma or something, I guess.

EZ bar curl 5x5, 1s x 10

Overhead cable extensions 4s x 12, 2s x 15

DB preacher curl 4s x 5-6


31 May 2017

Deadlift 405x5, 415x4, 435x3, 445x2, 465x1

Forgot my lifting belt at home and someone had stolen the one in the gym, so I couldn't go as heavy as planned. My lower back gave a disconcerting pop on the second rep with 445, but it seems OK now.

Stiff-legged deadlift 2s x 5

Bent-over row 3s x 5

Squat, light 3s x 5

Leg press 2s x 20, 1s x 15


2 June 2017

SlingShot bench press 325x5, 345x4, 355x2, 370x2, 380x1

Barbell extensions 3s x 8

Smith machine bentover rows 1s x 10, 3s x 6-8

Smith machine incline bench press 3s x 6-8

Pullups 3s x 5

Reverse curls 4s x 6

Preacher curl machine x 4 drop sets


3 June 2017

Squat 355x5, 375x5, 405x5, 415x5, 425x5, 435x5, 405x5, 315x4

Leg press x 18, x 15, x 15

Hack squat 2s x 12