Something New

12 October 2015


First light workout of new knee-friendly program.

Bench press 245 lbs. 2s x 6, 1s x 8

Standing BTN press 135 lbs. 2s x 5

Pulldowns 5s x 6, heavy

EZ bar curl 5s x 6

Close-grip incline bench x a few sets of 5, light

Weekend Shenanigans

26 September 2015


Few too many beers the night before. I dragged ass around the house all morning, had a couple Advil, managed to hit the gym in the afternoon. Needless to say, expectations were pretty low.

Also some kid at the gym addressed me as "sir". Haggard hungover look PR.

Bench press 135x6, 185x3, 225x3, 255x5, 285x3, 320 (1+) x 6 reps

Some improvement here. No shoulder or collarbone pain.

Joker sets 340x1, 350x2, 360x1

360 felt very heavy and I suspect the spotter yanked the bar up at the end (although I got the obligatory "all you brah"). Doesn't matter, since the rep set is the only thing that counts.

Seated cable row 30 total reps

Standing front press up to 185x1, then a couple of back-off sets with 155.

EZ bar curl 30 total reps

Pushdowns 3s x 15-20

DB curls 3s x 8-10

Just Pumping

19 September 2015


Bench press 135x8, 185x3, 225x5, 255x5, 285 (5+) x 8 reps

Whatever. Triceps were super sore, in spite of taking 2 days off and not even doing any cable pulling. Not just sore, but also somehow, I don't know, crampy? Really weird.

Seated cable row 30 total reps

Standing front press 135x3, 155x3, 165x3, 175x3, 185x3, 190x1, 190x2

DB curl 5 sets

Pushdowns 4 sets

Cable curl 3 sets

Cable fly 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.

Minus Ten Percent

12 September 2015


Had some people over last night and didn't go to bed until 5AM or so. Sleep was shitty and I didn't get enough of it. So today's workout really sucked.

Bench press 135x8, 185x3, 235x5, 280x3, 305 (3+) x 6 reps

Barely made the sixth rep. Last week I was disappointed to hit 315x6. Guess I should lower my expectations.

Joker sets 325x3, 330x3, 330x3 - these felt heavy and slow

Seated cable rows 30 total reps

Standing front press 135x3, 165x2, 185x1, 200x2, 205x1, 210x1, 215xfail

Having failed at the bench press, I thought I would at least have some juice left for the overhead press. I was wrong.

EZ bar wall curl 30 total reps

Pushdowns 3s x 15

Cable fly 3s x 10

Rear delt raises 3s x 15

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

No Progress

5 September 2015


Bench press 135x8, 185x3, 225x3, 250x5, 280x3, 315 (1+) x 6 reps

Felt heavy. Didn't beat last rep max with 315. Still sore from the huge workout on Thursday.

Joker sets 335x2, 345x2, 350x1 - maybe could have done two on the last set, but did not have a spotter.

Seated cable row 30 reps

Standing front press - worked up to 205x1, then 185x2, 185x1

EZ bar wall curl 30 total reps

EZ bar pullover 3s x 8

Backsliding

31 August 2015


Bench press 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 255x5, 285 (5+) x 10 reps

Matched the reps from last attempt at 285. Not quite sure why I have to do 10 reps when I could just do the minimum 6 and save some energy for the OH press. But that would actually... make sense, so I'll probably never do it.

Seated cable row 30 total reps

Standing front press 135x3, 165x2, 185x1, 205x1, 215x1, 185 x 2 singles

215 went up with a terrible grind. Even 205 felt too heavy. The way my press has been moving, I should hit a 1RM of 135 by year-end.

EZ bar wall curl 30 total reps

EZ bar pullover 30 total reps

Standing DB curl 30 total reps

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

Denied

22 August 2015


Bench press 135x8, 185x6, 235x3, 265x3, 300 (3+) x 7 reps

Once again, missed no. 8. I have yet to establish an 8RM in the bench press for this 3/5/1 experiment - I either stall at 7 or hit 9.

Joker sets 320x3, 330x3, 340x3 - at least the joker sets felt good.

Seated cable row 30 total reps

Standing front press 135x3, 165x1, 185x1, 205x1, 215x1, 220xfail, 190 x 2 singles

Overhead press is still stalling.

EZ bar wall curl 30 total reps

Cable fly 3s x 12

Pushdowns 3s x 15

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

Squat-Pull-Press

16 August 2015


High-bar squat 135x5, 205x5, 250x5, 285x3, 315 (1+) x 8 reps

I've already decided to bump up the calculated HB squat 1RM for the next cycle.

Joker sets 335x2, 350x2, 360x2

At least I squat marginally more than I bench press.

Mid-shin block pull 430 lbs. x 6 singles - hard but doable. Got to remember to go easier on the squats when I'm scheduled to pull medium-heavy after.

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

Redo of yesterday.

Bent-over row, light, 3s x 12

Bodyweight was 208.2 today.

Pushing Yourself to Power

15 August 2015


Bench press 135x8, 185x5, 225x3, 250x5, 285x3, 315 (1+) x 6 reps

Left one rep in the tank. Best ever at this weight was 8 reps at 15 pounds heavier. So this is encouraging.

Joker sets 335x2, 345x2, 355x1, 360x1

355 felt too heavy for a double, too light for a single. So I added a single with 360, which went up pretty easily.

Seated cable row 30 total reps

Standing front press 135x3, 155x2, 185x1, 205x1 - ran out of time. Will press again tomorrow to make up for lost reps.

EZ bar wall curl 30 total reps

EZ bar pullovers 30 total reps

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

Coach Lives

8 August 2015


Bench press 135x8, 185x6, 225x5, 255x5, 285 (5+) x 10 reps

Matched old rep PR. Very happy about this.

Seated cable row 30 total reps

Overhead press 135x3, 155x2, 185x1, 205x1, 215x1, 220x1, 225xfail, 195 x 2 singles

EZ bar wall curl 30 total reps

EZ bar pullover 50 total reps

Machine preacher curl 30 total reps per arm

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

First Day Back

1 August 2015


First post-vacation workout wasn't great, but didn't suck either.

Bench press 135x6, 185x5, 235x3, 265x3, 300 (3+) x 7 reps - simply ran out of gas on last set

Joker sets 320x3, 330x3, 335x3 - these were pretty hard

Seated cable row 30 total reps

Standing front press 135x3, 155x2, 185x1, 200 x 3 singles, failed 2 singles

I had nothing at this point.

EZ bar wall curl 30 total reps

Preacher curl machine 50 total reps per arm

Rope pushdowns 50 total reps

Bodyweight didn't go up by much - 210 post-vacation.

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

Write-Off

18 July 2015


Bench press 135x5, 185x4, 245x5, 275x3, 305 (1+) x 6 reps

Joker sets 320x2, 340x1, 350x1, 320x2

Pretty weak effort overall today. Could have gone for a second rep with 340, but did not have a spotter for that set so I bitched out. Barely made the single with 350.

Seated cable row 30 total reps

Standing front press 135x3, 165x2, 185x1, 205x1, 215xfail, 190 x 2 singles

Wall EZ bar curls 30 total reps

Weak workout overall.

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.