Bench and Arms

29 September 2015


Bench press 135x10, 185x6, 225x3, 245x3, 285x5, SlingShot 320x3, 360 (1+) x 4 reps

Joker sets 370xfail, 320x3

Was pleasantly surprised to get four reps with 360. Unpleasantly surprised to fail a single with 370 right after that (it wasn't even close). But the work set is the only set that matters, so it's fine.

Neutral grip pullups 30 total reps

Smith machine floor press 4s x 5 - liking this more and more every time.

Machine preacher curls 4s x 8 per arm

Rope pushdowns 3s x 20

Cable flyes (for Swede) 2s x 8-10

Floored

22 September 2015


Bench press 135x8, 185x3, 225x3, 245x5, SlingShot 285x5, 320 (5+) x 9 reps

Pretty decent.

Pulldowns 30 total reps, heavy

Smith machine floor press 3-4 sets

Decided to switch one overhead press session to a floor press session. It took me a few sets to figure out the correct positioning for these, then I did 3-4 sets of 5. Felt good.

DB curl 6 sets

Pushdown 3 sets

Angles

15 September 2015


Bench press 135x8, 185x3, 225x3, 265x3, SlingShot 300x3, 340 (3+) x 7 reps

Pretty happy with this.

Joker sets 350x3, 355x3, 360x3

These weren't bad either.

Neutral-grip pullups 35 total reps

Elbows felt a bit iffy, so I didn't do the usual 50 reps. But pullups haven't felt this easy in a long time. Losing weight seems to be the ticket to pullup proficiency. Might try for a new rep max one day when my elbows feel good.

Overhead press 115x5, 145x3, 165x2, 185x1, 200x2, 200x1

Barely had anything left at this point. The more weight I move in the bench press (raw and SlingShot), the further my overhead press continues to plummet. I guess this is normal. My arms seem to be the weak point in the OH press (as usual).

DB curls 4 sets

Pushdowns 5 sets

Cable curls 4 sets

Cable fly 3 sets

Didn't count reps on any of these, experimented a bit with angles and time under tension.

Flye Like an Eagle

8 September 2015


Bench press 135x8, 185x3, 225x3, 255x3, SlingShot 285x5, 315x3, 355 (1+) x 5 reps

Joker sets 365x2, 375x2

Looks like my raw press is now stalling and my SlingShot bench press is going up. I don't think I'll ever be able to make sense of this lifting business. Maybe it's the cable flyes?

Pulldowns 30 total reps, heavy

Standing front press 200 lbs. 3s x 2 - figured I should do doubles if my singles are stalling

Standing DB curls 30 total reps

Pushdowns 50 total reps

Concentration curls 30 total reps

Cable flyes 3s x 10

Two In One

3 September 2015


I won't be able to train tomorrow, so today I decided to combine two workouts into one. I figured I could get away with it as it's a 5-rep week.

Squat 225x5, 275x3, 315x5, 345x5, 375 (5+) x 10 reps

Bench press 135x5, 225x5, 255x5, SlingShot 285x5, 315 (5+) x 10 reps

Felt okay, but my elbows started hurting a bit. Not sure why.

Mid-shin block pulls 405 lbs. x 6 singles - middle back was fried at this point and the muscles were cramping up. I've never felt this part of the back work so hard.

Neutral-grip pullups 30 total reps - should have skipped these, as they didn't do my elbows any favors

Pushdowns 3s x 15

Seated Smith machine press - 4 random sets of 5. My back didn't feel up to standing presses and this was the only available seated station. I had to twist the bar at a weird angle to get the hooks off the catches, and elbows did not like this at all.

Machine preacher curl 3s x 10 per arm

Banned

26 August 2015


Bench press 135x10, 185x6, 225x3, 255x3, SlingShot 305x3, 335 (3+) x 8 reps

That was unexpected, especially since the 305x3 with SS felt more like 310x3 without SS.This is also a cycle 8RM with the SS.

Joker sets 345x3, 355x3, 365x2 - all felt pretty good.

Neutral-grip pullups 50 total reps

Standing front press 135x3, 165x1, 190 x 2 singles, 200 x 3 singles

EZ bar wall curl 30 total reps

EZ bar pullover 30 total reps

Calculations

18 August 2015


Bench press 135x8, 185x5, 225x3, 245x3, 285x5, SlingShot 315x3, 355 (1+) x 3

Not sure how the weight got so heavy all of a sudden. Maybe I messed up my Excel calculations, but it doesn't look like it. Also I should not have overhead pressed on Sunday, or I should have taken an extra day off.

Or maybe this makes sense. I got a raw single with 355 earlier this week and tripled the same weight wearing a SlingShot, which sounds about right? Either way, I'm supposed to repeat the same weight for my next 1+ week, so as long as I get more than 3 reps then I'll be fine.

Joker set - did an extra double with 355 and called it a day.

Pulldowns 30 total reps, heavy

Standing front press 135x3, 165x2, 185 x 2 singles, 195 x 2 singles, 200 x 2 singles

No pain in either shoulder, but right side seemed weaker than the left.

Machine preacher curl 30 reps per arm

Rope pushdowns 3s x 10-12

Broscience

11 August 2015


Bench press 135x10, 185x6, 225x4, SlingShot 265x5, 285x5, 315 (5+) x 11 reps

Missed out on Rep 12 again.

Neutral-grip pullups 50 total reps

Included in these pullups was an all-out set of 12. Which isn't bad, considering I haven't done a set of more than 6 reps since probably 2009 or so.

Standing front press 135x3, 155x2, 195 x 7 singles

DB tricep extensions 30 total reps

Fat Gripz DB hammer curl 30 total reps

Natty or Not

4 August 2015


Bench press 135x8, 185x6, 225x3, 265x3, SlingShot 300x3, 335 (3+) x 7 reps

Joker sets 345x3, 355x1, 360x2

No spotter on the 355 set, so I didn't push my luck. Not sure why I went for the 360x2.

Pulldowns 30 total reps

Standing front press 135x3, 155x2, 185x1, 205x1, 215x1, 220xfail, 185x1

Fat Gripz Hammer curls 30 total reps

DB tricep extensions 3s x 10

Push

21 July 2015


Bench press 135x6, 185x5, 225x3, 275x5, SlingShot 315x3, 345 (1+) x 6 reps

2 reps more than last time with same weight. Not bad.

Joker sets 355x2, 365x2, 370x2 - finally some decent SlingShot pressing.

Pulldowns 30 total reps, heavy

Standing front press 135x3, 165x2, 195 x 2 singles, 200 x 3 singles

Seated DB curl 50 total reps

DB tricep extension 50 total reps

EZ bar reverse curl 30 total reps

Slinging Weights

14 July 2015


Bench press 135x8, 185x4, 225x3, SlingShot 275x5, 310 (5+) x 11 reps

Wanted 12 reps really badly, but I didn't have a spotter and I'm really afraid of failing with the SlingShot and catapulting the bar into my face. So 11 it was.

Neutral-grip pullups 50 total reps

Standing front press 190 lbs. x 2 singles, 200 lbs. x 3 singles

Hanging leg raise 2s x 8

Will do arm stuff tomorrow as an extra workout.

Seven Seven

7 July 2015


Bench press 135x6, 185x3, 225x5, 265x3, SlingShot 295x3, 330 (3+) x 7 reps

Joker sets 350x3, 360x2

Finally a decent SlingShot workout. Maybe dropping the press day was the key and now I'll be able to magically work my way back to 4 plates. Most probably not.

Pulldowns 30 total reps, heavy

Standing front press 135x3, 165x2, 190 x 2 singles, 200 x 3 singles

Incline bench DB curl 30 total reps

One-arm preacher curl machine 30 total reps

BW today was 206.4 pounds. I can't seem to get under 205 and stay there, but at least I'm not going over 210 either.

Blech

1 July 2015


Bench press 275x5, w. SlingShot 315x3, 345 (1+) x 4 reps

Joker sets 355 x 2 x 2

This week my raw and SlingShot bench press were roughly the same. Still can't seem to be able to find my SlingShot pressing form. Not that I'm complaining, since my raw bench press seems to be going well, but it is pretty strange.

Pullups 50 total reps

Standing front press 135x3, 165x2, 185x2, 195x2

DB hammer curls, with and without FatGripz x 50 reps total

DB tricep extensions 4s x 12

I'm thinking about ditching the overhead press day. All it does is interfere with shoulder and triceps recovery and leads to piss-poor SlingShot pressing later in the week. On SS bench press day, my shoulders feel like they've been beaten up with baseball bats. Maybe I'll just do OH presses for 5-6 singles twice a week after bench pressing, so I get more recovery time between pressing days.

-20% Day

25 June 2015


Had a pretty bad headache all day and almost skipped working out. But then I realized I had nothing better to do. So I went in and did the bare minimum. Kinda worrying. I almost never get headaches.

Bench press 235x5, SlingShot 275x5, 310 (5+) x 8 reps

Standing front press 185 x 3, 190 x 2s x 3

Overhead tricep extensions 50 total reps

Preacher curl machine 50 total reps

Pushdowns 3s x 10, heavy

Cable flyes 2s x 10

Gear Whore

18 June 2015


Bench press 135x8, 185x4, 225x3, 255x3

With SlingShot 295x3, 325 (3+) x 8 reps, 335x2, 345x2

Another underwhelming SlingShot session. Since I started this new program thing, my Joker-set SS pressing has been pretty much on par with my raw pressing, which is surely some kind of medical condition/phenomenon or something. Usually I get at least 30 pounds out of the SlingShot. But as long as I keep hitting my raw press goals (and my SS rep goals), I'm happy.

Pullups, neutral grip, 50 total reps

Standing front press 135x4, 165x2, 185x2, 190x2, 195x2

Went a little heavier to make up for the weak-ass overhead workout on Tuesday.

Machine preacher curls, one-armed, 50 total reps

Rope pushdowns 50 total reps

Shoulder complex x 2 sets - really liking these.

SlingShot Bench Press - Heavy Week

12 June 2015


Bench press 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 280x5, with SlingShot 315x3, 335 (1+) x 6 reps

Joker sets 355x2, 365x1

A bit disappointed with the joker sets. 355x2 went up very easily (I felt like I could have done 3 or 4), then I got crushed by 365 and barely made it. After hitting 350x2 "raw" earlier in the week, I was expecting at least 370-380 for a double with a SS. But I hit my reps goal with 335, so that's all that matters.

Standing front press 185 lbs. 3s x 2.

Cable rope rows x 20, x 15, x 15

DB hammer curl w. FatGripz 30 total reps

DB tricep extensions 50 total reps

SlingShot Bench Press

4 June 2015


Trained today because I won't be able to Friday and Saturday. Chest and triceps and shoulders were still sore from Tuesday, but most of the soreness was strangely in my lats.

Bench press 230x5, 265x5, SlingShot (5+) 300 x 11 reps

Really wanted 12, but it didn't happen. I'll just have to try for 12 with 310 next time.

Neutral-grip pullups 50 total reps

These went OK in spite of my lats being very sore. The reduced bodyweight might be helping with pullups. I clocked in at 206.4 yesterday. Not super light, and my weight has popped above 210 a couple of times during the week, but a solid loss from my previous average of 220-225.

Now if only I could get my pressing strength back to where it was before the weight loss...

Standing front press 185 lbs. 2sx3

My left palm started hurting on the second set - a weird pain like the bar was pressing down directly on the nerve, or something. So I didn't go for a third set. Just as well, because even the previous two felt very heavy and I had to cheat a couple of the reps with a kick.

DB tricep extensions 50 total reps

DB incline bench curls 50 total reps

DB front raise 50 total reps

SlingShot Bench Press- 3+ Day

30 May 2015


Walked 10 miles in 90 degree heat before lifting today. So not a great day lifting wise.

Bench press 135x5, 185x4, 225x3, 265x3, SlingShot 295x3, 315 (3+) x 10 reps

Joker sets 335 2x2

Standing front press 135x2, 155x2, 175x3, 180x3, 180x2

Rope cable rows 5s x 20

Inclne bench DB curl 50 total reps

Overhead tricep extensions 50 total reps

SlingShot Day

20 May 2015


Bench press 260x4, 300x4, w. SlingShot 335x4, 365x3

Still weak, but already the SlingShot sets are feeling more solid.

Back-off (SS) 335 x 2s x 3

Seated cable row 30 total reps

DB hammer curl 40 total reps (all with FatGripz)

Cable pushdown 50 total reps

Heavy SlingShot Bench Press

12 May 2015


Bench press 245x6, 275x6, SlingShot 315x6, 355x5, 315x3

Was supposed to do 355x6, but crapped out. Shoulders feel infinitely better though. I've lost the SlingShot groove, but it should come back to me after a few sessions.

Seated cable row 30 total reps, heavy - got through these without having to reduce weight

Seated DB press 4s x 6 (65s)

DB hammer curl 50 total reps

Rope cable pushdown 50 total reps