Good Squat Workout, Programming Decisions

22 May 2015


Squat, paused 135x5, 225x3, 275x3, 315x3, 345x3, 365x3 - last set was hard

Squat 405x2, 440x3 - belt and wraps on both

Back-off paused 335 x 2s x 3

Mid-shin pull 380 x 8 singles

That was it. Squats felt really strong and my hip/back injury held up fine. I feel like a comeback by the end of 2015 is still possible.

Monday I'm embarking on a slightly changed program. It will be a variant of Wendler's 3/5/1 with extra "joker" sets thrown in. I like the simplicity of the programming and the "do as much as you feel like" approach. So lots of rep PRs, except in the OH press and deadlift, where I'll still be doing singles.

Squat Again and Some Rack Pulls

19 May 2015


Squat, paused 135x5, 225x3, 295x2, 305x2, 315x2

Squat, regular 335 x 3s x 5

Back-off paused 280 x 2s x 3

Mid-shin rack pull 405 x 10 singles

Ab machine crunch 3s x 8

Cutting out some of the accessory work this week because I'll be training 4 days in a row (Sunday-Wednesday).

Leg Power

17 May 2015


Missed Saturday due to a late night on Friday (but I made sure to get my cardio workout in before going out on Friday). So next week is going to be rough.

Today I did:

Squat, paused 135x5, 225x3, 285x3, 295x2x2, 305x2sx1, 315x3

Squat, regular 335x3, 365x3, 405x1, 425x3 - belt and wraps on last three sets

Back-off paused 275 lbs. x 5

Mid-shin rack pull 355 lbs. x 8 singles

Paused shrug 50 total reps

Leg extension 50 total reps

Leg curl 50 total reps

20 minutes cycling

Boring Squat Day

11 May 2015


Volume squat 135x6, then triples to 315x3, then 345 lbs. 3s x 5

Mid-shin rack pull 405 lbs. x 8 singles

These caused a flareup of my hip injury. Did hip stretches to alleviate the pain. Also my knees are starting to hurt, not sure why as I've never hurt my knees doing squats before. Could be the total cycling volume in addition to the squats.

Leg extension 50 total reps

Leg curl 50 total reps

Curls and extensions instead of leg press, as I didn't want to aggravate the injury further. I never realized how much work the hips do in a leg press until I got hurt.

20 minutes cycling.

Heavy Squat Day - Long Road to Recovery (i.e. 5 Plates)

8 May 2015


Squat 135x5, 225x3, 275x3, 315x3, 335x3 all paused, 355x3, 385x1, 405x3, 415x3

Made these with power to spare, but form was not great. Still sort of uneven "in the hole". Used belt from 385 up.

Rack pull 380 lbs. x 10 singles in under 10 minutes

These were very hard today.

Leg press 50 total reps - made it to 35 with 5 plates

Glute ham raise 8 reps

I've been reading some stuff by Alex Viada and I can't believe I haven't discovered this guy before. Got his Hybrid Athlete book and might post a review soon. So far everything I've read, especially nutrition, is the work of pure genius.

Legwork

4 May 2015


Squat 135x5, 225x3, 275x3, 315x3, 345 3s x 5, paused 285 x 2s x 3

Rack pull 380 lbs. x 10 singles, 45-60 seconds of rest between singles

Leg press 50 total reps - started out at 4.5 plates, had to strip down to 4 for the last 15 reps or so

Ab machine 3s x 8

15 minutes cycling

Rack Pull Singles

27 April 2015


Squat 345 lbs. 3s x 5, paused squat 285 lbs. 3x3

Rack pull 355 lbs. x 12 singles, 30 seconds or less between reps

Leg press 50 total reps - started at 5 plates, had to strip to 4 about halfway through

Ab machine 3s x 8

Cycling 20 mins.

Training - Squat, One Week Before Max Attempt

17 April 2012

Today I just worked up to the daily max and did a bunch of single-leg exercises, medium reps with moderate resistance plus heavy negatives (lift with both legs, lower with one).

Back squat:

Warmup x a bunch of triples and doubles
365 lbs. x 2
405 lbs. x 2 (belt + wraps from here onwards)
420 lbs. x 1
465 lbs. x 1
490 lbs. x 1 - this is a personal best, went up easily enough. Onward to 500 next week.

Single-leg leg press 3 sets

Glute-ham raises 2 sets

Single-leg extensions 3 sets

Single-leg curls 2 sets

Adductor machine 1 set

Abductor machine 1 set

Ab work x a bunch

Training - Pulls

12 April 2012

Did a combined session of heavy deadlift – medium paused bench press, as I will be away this weekend.

 Deadlift:

135 lbs. x 10, 225 lbs. x 5, 315 lbs. x 2

350 lbs. x 1

395 lbs. x 1

420 lbs. x 1

370 lbs. x 2

Smith machine shrugs 4 sets x 10

Paused bench press (5-second pause at chest) – worked up to 275 lbs.

Dips x 10 bodyweight, x 5 x 2 sets weighted

Straight-legged good mornings 3 sets x 10 (light)

Seated rows 3 sets x 10

Weighted hyperextensions 2 sets x 10

Glute-ham raise 1 set x 7

Squat Training

9 April 2012


Good session, the heavy single went well but my wrists hurt too much to hit all the rep goals afterwards. Bench pressing and squatting on consecutive days = wrist pain. Wraps didn't help.

Back squat:

Warmup x several sets
365 lbs. x 1
410 lbs. x 1 (belt + wraps)
455 lbs. x 1 (B+W)
480 lbs. x 1 (B+W) - this matches my all-time PR. Felt like I had some left in the tank.
405 lbs. x 3
425 lbs. x 3 (wrists hurt too much at this point so I stopped)

Inner left thigh still hurts, I've tried massaging and I rested it for two weeks while I was travelling but it hasn't gotten better. I'll try to suck it up and hit 500, then I'll take it easy on the squat and focus on the deadlift more for the rest of 2012.

Leg press - 6 sets of 8 at various weights (used a different leg press machine than usual and just went by feel)

Single-leg curls x 2 sets

Glute-ham raise x 1 set x 8

Ab work x a ton

Deadlift Training

4 April 2012

Deadlift:

135 lbs. x 10, 225 lbs. x 5 - still having that weird pain in my left lat, makes it hard to pull in the correct groove once the weights get heavy.

305 lbs. x 2
350 lbs. x 1
395 lbs. x 1
410 lbs. x 1 (felt nice and easy as it should, no strain)

360 lbs. x 3, x 2

Smith machine shrugs x 3 sets

Pulldowns x a bunch of light sets - decided to take a break from pullups to see if my left lat problem goes away. Will focus on these, medium and heavy, for the next few weeks.

Ab work x a lot

Squat Training - Last Week of 4-Week Cycle

2 April 2012

Intermediary cycle is over. On to the final peaking cycle and hopefully that 500 lbs. max at the end of it.

Left thigh is still bothering me, but the pain is not too bad.

Back squat:

Warmup x a bunch of sets
315 lbs. x 2
365 lbs. x 2
400 lbs. x 1 (belt + wraps)
440 lbs. x 1 (B+W)
470 lbs. x 1 (B+W)
420 lbs. x 5
430 lbs. x 4
440 lbs. x 3
450 lbs. x 2
460 lbs. x 1

Leg press 4 plates x 8, 5 plates x 8, 3 plates x 10

Adductor machine 1 set x 20

Single-leg extensions 2 sets

Single-leg curls 1 set

Deadlift Training

28 March 2012

This was my third training day in a row this week so I didn't push it very hard. I have a session planned for tomorrow - it'll be tough. Was also suffering from terrible soreness from the squatting on Monday.

Deadlift:

135 lbs. x 10
225 lbs. x 5
275 lbs. x 2
330 lbs. x 1
375 lbs. x 1
400 lbs. x 1
350 lbs. x 3 x 2 sets

Smith machine shrugs 2 plates x 10, 3 plates x 10 x 3 sets

Glute-ham raise 3 sets

Machine ab crunches (seated) 3 sets

Squat Training

26 March 2012

Squatting went well, I managed to hit the next target single on the list so no strength lost over the layoff. Didn't do all the back-off reps and sets, just picked a fixed weight and did three sets of five.

Back squat:

Warmup x a few sets
315 lbs. x 3
355 lbs. x 2
390 lbs. x 1 (belt + wraps)
430 lbs. x 1 (B+W)
460 lbs. x 1 (B+W)
410 lbs. x 5 x 3 sets

Leg press: 4 plates x 8, 5 plates x 8 x 2 sets

Leg extension (one leg at a time) 2 sets

Leg curl (single leg) 1 set

Incline ab board situps 2 sets

Deadlift Training

8 March 2012

Deadlift:

135 lbs. x 10, 225 lbs. x 5
275 lbs. x 2
320 lbs. x 1
365 lbs. x 1
390 lbs. x 1
340 lbs. x 3 x 2 sets

Easy singles, 390 felt like no effort at all. Whatever it is that I pulled in my left lat still hurts which makes it kinda hard to activate both lats efficiently, but the weight still went up nice and easy.

Sumo deadlift 290 lbs. x 5
Deficit deadlift 290 lbs. x 5

Smith machine shrugs 2 plates x 10, 3 plates x 10, 4 plates x 10

Seated low cable rows 4-5 sets x 8-10 reps

No squats today.

Squat Training

5 March 2012


Back squat:

Warmup x a few sets
315 lbs. x 2
380 lbs. x 1 (belt + wraps)
425 lbs. x 1 (B+W)
450 lbs. x 1 (B+W - still nice and explosive)
400 lbs. x 4 (didn't grip the bar properly, almost lost it on rep 3)
410 lbs. x 4
420 lbs. x 3
430 lbs. x 2
440 lbs. x 1

Paused squat 225 lbs. x 4

Leg press: 4 plates x 8, 5 plates x 8, 6 plates x 8

Leg extensions 1 set x A.M.A.P.

Adductor machine 1 set x 20

Abductor machine 1 set x 20

Glute-ham raises 1 set x 8

Calf raise 1 set x 20 or so

Deadlift Day

1 March 2012


Deadlift: 135x10, 225x5, 265x2

315 lbs. x 1
355 lbs. x 1
380 lbs. x 1
330 lbs. x 3 x 2 sets

Sumo deadlift 280 lbs. x 5

Deficit deadlift 280 lbs. x 5

Smith machine shrug 2 plates per side x 10, 3 pps x 10, 4 pps x 10

Smith machine bent-over row 3 sets (worked up to a heavy 5)

Pause squat to pins - worked up to 315 lbs., back felt somewhat wobbly after this so I stopped

Abductor / adductor machines 1 set x 20 each

Leg extension 1 set A.M.A.P.

Squats - First Week of 4-Week Cycle

27 February 2012


Back squat:

Warmup x a bunch of sets, 315x2, 335x2
380 lbs. x 1 (B+W)
425 lbs. x 1 (B+W)
440 lbs. x 1 (B+W) - misloaded here, should have done 450x1... but the way things were going 440 was enough
400 lbs. x 5
410 lbs. x 4
420 lbs. x 2
430 lbs. x 1

Paused squats 315 lbs. x 3, 325 lbs. x 1, 335 lbs. x 1

Leg press: 4 plates x 8, 5 plates x 8, 6 plates x 8

Leg extensions x 1 set A.M.A.P.

Abductor machine 1 set x 20

Adductor machine 1 set x 20

Still can't get rid of the pain in the left inner thigh.

Leg curl x 1 set A.M.A.P.

Deadlifts and Day 2 of Squats

23 February 2012


Lousy day today, the lower body hasn't recovered from the squatting on Monday yet. Fortunately this is the last week of high-rep squats (multiple sets of five after working up to a max for the week). It's been an excruciating experience - first the two weeks of sets of 8, then the five weeks of sets of five - but this phase is supposed to build the body up for the heavier triples, doubles and singles to come in the next 7 weeks. Seems to have worked well; my bodyweight is sitting at around 205 lbs. now with no noticeable gains in fat.

Once the deadlifts start getting heavy I'll have to rethink the whole squat-twice-a-week strategy. Or at least do one heavy day and some light squats on deadlift day, maybe with a safety bar.

Deadlift:

135 lbs. x 10, 225 lbs. x 5
300 lbs. x 1 (double OH)
345 lbs. x 1 (had to use mixed grip - too many shrugs on Tuesday!)
370 lbs. x 1 (mixed grip)

Sumo deadlift 275 lbs. x 5

Deficit deadlift 275 lbs. x 5

Squat: a few reps to warm up, then:

370 lbs. x 1 (B+W)
415 lbs. x 1 (B+W)
440 lbs. x 1 (B+W)

Paused squat 320 lbs. x 3 (even this felt more like 420)

Tried some leg presses, but legs were too sore and cramped at this point. Hit one 20-rep set each on the adductor and the abductor machine and left.

Squat Training - Last Week of 5-Week Cycle

20 February 2012

Back squat:

Warmup x a bunch of sets
335 lbs. x 1
370 lbs. x 1 (belt + wraps)
415 lbs. x 1 (B+W)
440 lbs. x 1 (B+W)
360 lbs. x 5 x 4 sets (B+W)

Paused squats - fail

Glute-ham raise 2 sets x 5 reps

Leg extension 1 x set as many as possible

Leg curl 1 set x as many as possible

Calf raise 1 set x A.M.A.P.

Situps on ab board x 3 sets x A.M.A.P.