Bench Press and Pull Day

12 November 2011

Shoulder (rotator cuff) was giving me trouble, so I decided to do some light high-rep benching. This made me remember how much I suck at high-rep benching.

Bench press:

Warmup x a few sets
235 lbs. x 10 (this felt incredibly light, could have gotten 15)
255 lbs. x 5 (this, on the other hand, felt like 300 on the bar... and the 5th rep was almost failure)
275 lbs. x 2 (no comment...)
235 lbs. x 5

Deadlift:

Warmup x a bunch of sets
355 lbs. x 1 sumo, 1 conventional
375 lbs. x 1 sumo
400 lbs. x 1 sumo - nice and easy pull, no back pain

Bent-over barbell row: 205 lbs. x 3 sets x 5, under 30s rest in between

Seated HammerStrength row 3 sets x 8 reps plus some scapular shrugs at end of each set

Pullups 5x5

Arm supersets:

Two DB hammer curl + tricep pushdown 3 sets
EZ bar preacher curl + bench dips 3 sets
Oly bar curl + Oly bar skullcrusher 3 sets

Squat Training - Week 3 of 4-Week Cycle

10 November 2011

Another shit day, nothing special to report.

Back squat:

Warmup x bunch of sets including some light singles

360 lbs. x 1

405 lbs. x 1
430 lbs. x 1

380 lbs. x 3

390 lbs. x 2

400 lbs. x 2

410 lbs. x 2

420 lbs. x 1

Squat shrugs (bar on back, shrug up & down using scapular muscles only) 315 lbs. x 12, 225 lbs. x 12

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

Called it a day.

Press Training

8 November 2011

Shity session, tired and unfocused for some reason.

Overhead press from rack:

Warmup x a bunch of sets
195 lbs. x 2
205 lbs. x 2
215 lbs. x 1
230 lbs. x 2 x fail
205 lbs. x 1
155 lbs. x 2

Two-DB overhead press 65 lbs. x 5

Pullups on bar / rings 5x5

Close-grip bench press with chains - worked up to 255 lbs. + big chains x 1

Seated HammerStrength row 4-5 sets

Bodyweight dips 2 sets x 15

Misc Leg Work and Conditioning

6 November 2011


Totally random training day, some leg exercises and some conditioning work tacked on.


Safety bar squats (right shoulder was in agony this morning - got to sort that out soon):

Bar x 5
155 lbs. x 5
205 lbs. x 5
245 lbs. x 3
265 lbs. x 3
295 lbs. x 3
315 lbs. x 2
295 lbs. x 1
245 lbs. x 5

Deadlift: sumo stance 335 lbs. x 2 sets x 2, conventional 1 set x 2

One-arm KB swings 5 sets x 20 (10 per arm)

Farmer's walk 5 sets x 40 meters

Repetition barbell power cleans, light 4 sets x 10

Finished off with some planks and even some cardio work.

Bench Press Training

5 November 2011


Bench press:

Warmup x bunch of sets
225 lbs. x 5
245 lbs. x 2
275 lbs. x 3
295 lbs. x 1
310 lbs. x 1
320 lbs. x 1 (didn't feel like I had more in me and wanted to avoid stressing the shoulder)

285 lbs. x 2, x 1 (too beat up to continue)

Close grip bench press 225 lbs. + light chains x 2 sets x 5

Overhead press - worked up to 205 lbs. x 1

Seated HammerStrength rows 2 plates + 25s + 10s x 4 sets x 8

Arm supersets:

Hammer curls + tricep pushdowns 3 sets
One-arm preacher machine curls + triceps dips off bench 3 sets
Straight-bar curls + skullcrushers 3 sets

Extra Leg Day

3 November 2011

Still tired and a bit sore from the squatting on Tuesday. Wanted to press, but my right shoulder / scapular muscles are in a world of pain. I blame the combo of low-bar squatting and bottom-position bench presses. Looks like I'll have to give one up - bottom-position benches will be the ones to go for now. No use destroying my shoulders.

Due to the pain I used a safety squat bar to take stress off my shoulders and wrists. I will immediately say this is probably the hardest leg exercise I've ever done. A squat with a SSB is nothing like a normal squat: much more leg involvement, less stress on the back. A mere 3 plates (335 lbs., as the bar weighs 65 lbs, not 45) for singles was the best I could do.

Safety squat bar squats to a box above parallel:

155 lbs. x 5
205 lbs. x 3
245 lbs. x 3
265 lbs. x 3
295 lbs. x 2
315 lbs. x 2
335 lbs. x 5 singles

Sumo deadlift - technique practice:

Warmup
330 lbs. x 3 sets x 2 for speed and technique

Incline ab board situps with weight behind head 3 sets

Squat Training - Week 2 of New 4-Week Cycle

1 November 2011

Back squat:

Warmup x bunch of sets
225 lbs. x 5
265 lbs. x 4
350 lbs. x 1
395 lbs. x 1
430 lbs. x 1
370 lbs. x 5
380 lbs. x 3
390 lbs. x 3
400 lbs. x 2
410 lbs. x 1

Paused squat 320 lbs. x 5

Leg press 3 plates x 8, 4 plates x 5, 5 plates x 5, 6 plates x 5, 6 plates +25s x 5

Calf raise 3 sets