Squat Training - Week 1 of 3-Week Cycle, Day 1

5 December 2011

Finally got round to doing some heavy squats, felt pretty good. I haven't given up on the 480 lbs. x 1 before the end of the year just yet.

Warmup x a bunch of sets from 5 to 2 reps
300 lbs. x 1
335 lbs. x 2
370 lbs. x 2
425 lbs. x 1
450 lbs. x 1 (good)
420 lbs. x 3
430 lbs. x 2
440 lbs. x 1
430 lbs. x 2
420 lbs. x 3

Paused squats 350 lbs. x 4 (3 reps with long pause, one barely paused, fifth one was impossible)

Hack squats x 2 sets

Incline ab board situps, no weight x 2 sets

Mixed Push / Pull Session

3 December 2011

Hit some bench presses and deadlifts today, felt a lot better. Deadlifted heavy for the first time since my multiple back injuries, including the back tweak from Thursday, and was pleasantly surprised.

Bench press - light:

Warmup x a few sets
250 lbs. x 3 sets x 5
250 lbs. + big chains x 2 (big chains weigh 45, but add something like 30 lbs. apiece, total of 60 lbs.)
260 lbs. + big chains x 1 (nice and easy single)

Pullups 5x5

Bent-over rows 135x8, 185x6, 205x5, 235x5

Deadlift:

Warmup x a few sets, some conventional, some sumo
335 lbs. x 2 sumo, x 1 conventional (all double overhand to train the grip)
355 lbs. x 1 sumo (double OH), x 1 conventional (mixed)
385 lbs. x 1 sumo
405 lbs. x 1 sumo
415 lbs. x 1 sumo
435 lbs. x 1 sumo (felt good, so I kept adding)
465 lbs. x fail x 2

465 lbs. would have been an all-time PR, which would've been a huge surprise. Considering the state my back is in, even 435 was a big surprise. Either my lower back is getting strong from all the squatting, or sumo pulls are worthless as an exercise.

Some arm work:

Hammer curls x 3 sets
Olympic bar skullcrushers x 3 sets
EZ bar preacher curls x 3 sets

Coming Back - Light Session

1 December 2011

First session back from my trip. Jetlagged as hell - 12 time zones in 1 day tends to be stressful on the body. So I didn't exactly push myself today. Squats felt terrible (a good 80-90 lbs. heavier than they were), bench press was okay. Not bad all things considered, although I sprained my back (yet again) racking the bar on squats and now it hurts a bit. The whole setup felt wrong - my quads were the first thing to go, which almost never happens, it's always the hamstrings and hips that get tired first. Right knee feels weird too. I guess flying 45 hrs. coach in a week doesn't do much good for the back and knees either.

Squat: warmup, 300 lbs. x 1, 315 lbs. x 5, 365 lbs. x 3 (toughest triple I've ever done, sprained my back slightly here so I decided to quit)

Bench press: hit a few warmup sets, then 255 lbs. x 2 x 3 sets and a light single with 265 lbs. All felt nice and easy.

Pullups/chinups 4 sets x 5

That was it.

Bench Press Training

19 November 2011

Bench press, medium-heavy:

Bunch of doubles to 205 lbs.
225 lbs. x 1, 235 lbx. 1, 250 lbs. x 1, 255 lbs. x 1, 270 lbs. x 1, 280 lbs. x 1

Pullups 5x5

Incline bench DB flyes 1 set x 10

Dips 2 x 12

EZ bar preacher curls 3 sets x 5-8

Light Deadlift + Heavy Overhead Press

17 November 2011


Warmed up with some light safety bar squats - two fives and two triples. By light I mean light, like 205 lbs. for the triples.

Deadlift - light fast pulls:

Warmup 3 sets x progressively heavier doubles

345 lbs. x 3 sets x 2 (1 conventional, 2 sumo)

Seated behind-the-neck press:

Warmup - fives, then triples
155 lbs. x 3
165 lbs. x 3
175 lbs. x 3
185 lbs. x 2
195 lbs. x 1

Squat and Bench Press Training Day 2

16 November 2011

Back squat:

Warmup x a few sets
275 lbs. x 1
295 lbs. x 1
305 lbs. x 1
370 lbs. x 2
415 lbs. x 1
440 lbs. x 1
340 lbs. x 8 (wanted to max out on reps)

Squat shrugs 340 lbs. x 10 (bar high on traps, move it up and down through shoulder girdle action only)

Bench press:

Progressively heavier triples x 6 sets (still light, top weight was 215 lbs.)
235 lbs. x 3
245 lbs. x 3
255 lbs. x 3 (all paused)

Pullups 3x5 reps

Seated rows x 3 sets, medium weight, 8-10 reps, last set followed by row shrugs x 10

Dip shrugs x 2 sets

Hammer curls x 3 sets

Situps x 2 sets on incline ab board

Squat and Bench Press Training

14 November 2011

I'll be away on business over the next week and a half, so I decided to go into slight overtraining before I leave. Lower body only - I will be bringing my cables on the trip and working the hell out of the upper body. I'll also be spending more time on practising perfect, paused bench press form with light weights several times per week (if I find a gym on the road, even more so). This will hopefully help my right shoulder heal faster.

Squat:

Warmup x a bunch of sets
285 lbs. x 1
295 lbs. x 1
370 lbs. x 2 (belt + wraps)
415 lbs. x 1 (b+w)
440 lbs. x 1 (b+w)
340 lbs. x 5 (supposed to pause these, but too tired)

Bench press: hit a bunch of triples focusing hard on perfect body positioning. It's pretty hard - even with light weights you have to contort your body and hold the pose in order to have the bar descend correctly. Finished off with 225 lbs. x 5 sets x 3.

Pullups 5x5

Seated HammerStrength rows 3 sets x 6-7, kinda heavy

Dips x 15, x 12

DB flyes on slightly inclined bench, 1 set x 11 (wanted to hit 20 reps but my rotator cuff was complaining) with a pair of 50s