Experiment: working up to one top non-paused set, same weight trying to increase reps on subsequent weeks. Then on Accumulation I’ll go back to iso holds and sets across.
WEDNESDAY PM
Scap Wall Slides/Spider Crawls 2x15/Mini
A) Weighted Chinup (Medium Supinated): (+45)x6
B) HS High Row: (125/side)x6
C) Seated Cable Row (Wide Pronated): 150x8
D) Spud Strap Pulldown: 135x6
E) Machine Preacher Curl: 80x6
Battle Ropes 4 min @ :20/:40 work rest (alternating waves)
Pullup PR is +45x7 at 185 bodyweight or so? 6 is really not bad with an extra 20 lbs on me but I’m not going to be satisfied with anything less than 10.
FRIDAY PM
Pause Jump Squats 95x3x3
A) Anderson Front Squats (Pin #11): 245x3x1 fuck this shit
B) Trap Bar DL: 365x1 fuck you
C) One DB One Leg RDL: 30x10,40x2x10/side
D) Back Extension: BWx25,25x2x12
Worst training day in months.
Decided to go to the Wintersun/Eluevitie show on Thursday. 7 hour drive to NYC from Upstate, get a ticket on the way, stuck in traffic in Jersey for an hour plus another hour to get through Manhattan to Brooklyn. Finally link up with my buddy, take the subway only to find out that the show is sold out. Eat, drink and bullshit until 1. Wake up and spend 6 hours driving back today.
Operation Redemption
SATURDAY AM
KB BU Press 35x5,3
A) DE Bench: 145+(40c)x10x3,+(80c)x2x3
B) Close Grip Bench: 185x10,10,8 (2:00 rest)
C1) SSB Upper Back GM: 175x10,195x3x10
C2) Fat Bastard Z-Press: 75x12,10,10
D) Fat Bastard Shrug: 145x3x10
Alright, went in with a mission and accomplished it. 185 for 12 or 13 reps was easily in the cards on set one. Right now it looks like the only things that are sucking are front/SSB squat and trap bar DL. Seem to have a common theme of quads eh?
New experiment is to alternate front squat and SSB each week after DE, for 10s on Accumulation and 5s on Intensification.
MONDAY AM
A) DE Squat (Free): 235(55%)+(Monster)x12x2
B) DE Pull: 285(55%)+(Mini)x8x2,(Monster)x2x2
C) Front Squat: 225,235x5
D) Wide Stance Spud Abs: 80,100x10,120x8,6,5
Not a bad session but an 1h 20m is too long for this amount of work.
My dad got me 20 lbs of frozen elk for Christmas, this shit is awesome.
WEDNESDAY AM
A) Weighted Chinup (Medium Neutral): (+45)x5 suck fest
B) Cybex Eagle Row: 220x6,240x5
C) Standing Cable Rope Row: #8x3x10 this may be the best mid-back exercise I’ve ever done
D) Ab Strap Pulldowns: #8x10 meh
WEDNESDAY PM
Half Kneeling BU KB Presses 35x2x6/side
A1) Bench from Pins (Safety #3): 265,275,285x1,275x2x1,265x3x1 (8x1 > 90%) PR
A2) Band High Face Pull: (Average)x20,3x15
B) Close Grip Incline: 165x10,8,6
C1) JM Press: 115x2x12
C2) L-Lateral Raise: 35x2x12
Prone DB Ext Rot 2x10
No focus or concentration in the AM but that’s the norm for me training at 545.
Pin Press was PR city all around. Pins were set approximately two inches off my chest and each rep got a genuine three second pause. The last two singles hit me like a truck and the rest of the session was just ok. Decided to skip the house of biceps this week and go eat.
FRIDAY AM
Band Good Morning: (Light)x2x25
Pallof Press: (Mini)x2x3 5ct/side
Quad Murder Stretch
FRIDAY PM
Clean High Pull 185x3x1
A) Sumo DL: 455x1 PR, 465 didn’t budge
B) Trap Bar DL: 435x2 lose grip on 3
C) SL Barbell RDL: 95x3x6/side
D) Back Extension: BWx30,(+25)x3x12
I like to think of the Sumo Deadlift as one of my indicator lifts. It’s consistently been 50 lbs behind my conventional deadlift so 455 (20 lb PR) puts me right on par with my 510 pull. 465 would have been nice but it didn’t move so I drove on. I put 4 plates per side on the Trap Bar and pulled an embarrassing 2 reps, losing my grip on the third. This drove my curiosity so I took the bar over to the scale and discovered that it weighed in at exactly 75 lbs. Who’s ever heard of a 75 fucking pound trap bar? Anyways, 435x2 isn’t great but it’s a hell of a lot better than 405x2.
SATURDAY AM
KB BU Press 35x8
A) DE Bench: 155(55%)+(40C)x12x3
B) Close Grip Bench: 185x3x10 (2:00 rest)
C1) SSB Upper Back GM: 170x12,220x3x12
C2) Fat Bastard Z-Press: 75x3x12
D) Fat Bastard Shrug: 145x12,12,10
Imparted some serious violence into the bar today.
Stupid holidays. Stop messing with my training schedule haha.
MONDAY AM
Ankle MWOD, Band Resisted Broad Jump (Light)x5
A) DE Box Squat: 255(60%)+(Light)x6x2, bands off 6x2
B) DE Pull: 305(60%)+(Light)x5x1, bands off 5x1
C) Front Squat: 225,235,245x5
D1) Low Box Bad Girls: (Monster)x3x20
D2) Wide Stance Spud Abs: 120x3x8
Ate a 14 oz pan seared elk ribeye yesterday. It was fucking awesome.
Not a big fan on the Lights on the box squat. Altogether too much tension while I what I really need to be focusing on is good drive off the box. For deadlift the short Lights were a very appropriate amount for a circa max cycle, too much for a normal Intensification wave. They hit like a mac truck at mid shin. Assistance work went fine after this. The new heart rate monitor said I burned 1156 kcal during this session but I call bullshit.
Bodyweight 210.3
WEDNESDAY AM
Scap Wall Slides/Band Spider Crawls 3x15/Mini
A) Weighted Chinup (Medium Supinated): (+45)x5
B) Hammer Strength High Row: (135/side)x10
C) Seated Cable Row (Wide Supinated) 150x12
D) Spud Strap Pulldowns: 135x10
E) Machine Preacher Curl: 80x8
It’s always disappointing to see my pullups stagnate and regress slightly but I’m also 25 pounds heavier than the time of my personal best of +100x1 at 185 bodyweight. Strength on every other row and pulling exercise is exploding right now so I really should be thinking positive.
WEDNESDAY PM
Band Assisted Explosive Pushups (Light)x3x5
A) Fat Bastard Close Grip Bench: 245,255,265x1 (all time close grip PR), 245x6x1 (goal of 9x1 > 90%)
A2) High Band Face Pull: (Average)x2x20,2x15
B) Incline Close Grip: 165x10,9,6 (fail on 7th)
C1) JM Press: 115x4x12
C2) L-Lateral Raise: 35x2x12,40x2x8
C3) Tall Kneeling Cable External Rotation: #2x12,#1x2x15
265x1 is an all time close grip PR, fat grip or normal bar. 9x1 was a lot of fucking work and the incline after this destroyed my triceps. Very happy with how this turned out.
The best gym song off the Django Unchained soundtrack.
FRIDAY AM
Ankle MWOD, ART Therapy on Upper Back/Levator Scap/Pec Minor
FRIDAY PM
Box Jumps (13 Aerobic steps, whatever that is)x3x3
A) Giant Cambered Bar (GCB) Pause Squats: 275,285,295,305x1,315x5x1
B) Trap Bar DL (low handles of course): 385x8
C) Single Leg Barbell RDL: 95x3x8/side
D) DB Back Extension: BWx35,+25x15,15,12
First time using the GCB so I kept it pretty low key. It’s more posterior chain dominant than the SSB which is closer to a high bar or front squat. Also much more unstable, you’ll start swinging all over the place out of the hole if your concentration slips. I can see it being a good tool in the future.
Cambered bar raped my mid and upper back. Damn.
SUNDAY PM
A) DE Bench: 170(60%)+(Short Minis)x6x3, no bands 6x3
B) Close Grip Bench: 185x11,11,9
C1) Band Pushdown: (Light)x4 sets
C2) Standing Cable Rope Rows: 50 to 90x10,90x3x12
D) Bent Over Band Pullapart: (Mini)x3x20
Anthrax and tetanus shots yesterday at SRP, my left shoulder was fucked up even through Blue Heat so no overhead work today.
I don’t have a clue what the tension on the minis were but they were heavy as fuck. Speed was phenomenal afterwards on the straight weight sets.
Cat brought a bird to the front door today. I think she’s trying to tell me that I suck at hunting because she’s never seen me kill anything before.
MONDAY PM
KB Swings 35,55,75x12
A) DE Box Squats: (65%) 275x10x2
B) DE Deathlifts: (60%) 305x8x1 was supposed to be 65% but I dun fucked up
C) SSB Squat: 260,270,280x5 might be a PR?
D) Front Squat Iso Hold: 315+(C40 hanging)x:10,:10,:15
Speed off the box still leaves something to be desired. I might try a 45/50/55/55 wave next cycle just to work on explosiveness. Deadlifts may have been the fastest they’ve ever been but were supposed to be heavier today (fuck you math). SSB went good as well, I’m calling a tentative PR until I consult my old logs. The Iso Holds were ridiculously heavy with the hanging chain and something went out of alignment around my left lat insertion on the lumbar fascia. Nothing too bad, just uncomfortable. All in all good session.
TUESDAY AM
Prowler (high handles): 140x8 trips (:45 rest)
TUESDAY PM
BA Explosive Pushups (Light)x3x5
A1) Floor Press: 245,255,265,275x1 PR, 255x2x1
A2) High Band Face Pull: (Average)x3x20
B1) JM Press from Pins: 115x15,14,10
B2) Prone DB Ext Rot to Press: 5x2x8
Not bad at all. I was feeling very beat up going into this so I wasn’t sure how it was going to work out. 275 paused is a definite PR on the floor press, previous was 250x2 and that was touch and go. I was pretty wrecked from that single so I did some three count pauses with 255 and decided to get out quick today.
WEDNESDAY PM
Scap Floor Slides/Band Spider Crawls 3x15/Mini
A) Weighted Chinup (Medium Supinated): (+45)x7
B) HS High Row: (135/side)x12
C) Seated Cable Row (Wide Supinated): 150x12
D) Spud Strap Pulldown: 120x8 (had to use the piece of shit pulldown in the corner of the gym)
E) Machine Preacher Curl: 80x11
Fucked around with some Cobra Pulldowns
Shoulder Int Rot, Extension and Dip MWOD.
Could not focus and felt like shit all day, finally managed to bring it together about an hour before the gym. I ended up getting the entire workout minus the MWODs at the end in only 35 minutes which is some kind of a record for me.
THURSDAY PM
Box Jump (15 steps)x2,(14 steps)x3x2
A) Front Squat: 315x1, belt 335x1 PR, miss 345
B) SL Barbell RDL: 95x3x10/side
C1) Barbell Shrug: (straps) 315x20,13
C2) Tall Kneeling Band Anti-rotation Hold: (Mini)x2x:15/side
Chugged a Redline Extreme and got some awesome nausea towards the end of my front squats. 335 was quick and a 15 pound PR but I could not hold my air for shit on the 345. I’ll take it though.
Annnnnnnd off to a super exciting three days of drill.
One more drill before the rest of the unit deploys and then it’s Rear Det time.
Transmutation Week One
MONDAY PM
Ankle MWOD, KB Swing 35x12,55x12, Deep Jump Squat 45x5
A) DE Squat (Free): (50%) 215x6x2 speedy
B) DE Deadlift: (50%) 255x6x2 more speedy
C) Front Squat: 225,245,265x5
D1) Band Squat Landmines: (Mini)x3x5
D2) Low Box Bad Girls: (Monster)x3x15
Squatting has never felt better. Reinforcing my deep squat position with band traction and working on my dorsiflexion Mobility WOD style has really been paying off.
TUESDAY PM
Tall Kneeling KB BU Press 35 x shittiness
A1) Bench Press: (75%) 215x5x1 three second pauses
A2) High Band Face Pull/Blast Strap Face Pull: (Average)x2x20/2x12
B) Close Grip Incline: 165x8,8,7
C1) JM Press from Pins: 95x12,115x10,135x6
C2) L-Lateral Raise: 35x3x15
D) TK Cable Ext Rot: #1x3x12
Slightly shit workout. I can pin it on a combination of two things: no DE Upper session on Saturday because of drill and dragging around too much damn plywood today.
Cardiac stress test in the morning, joy to the world.
WEDNESDAY PM
Nothing to write home about for the back session, was done in like 30 minutes.
FRIDAY PM
Ankle MWOD, Box Jump (14 steps)x5x2
A) Squat: (75%) 325x3x1
B) Deadlift: (75%) 385x3x1
C) SL Barbell RDL: 95x3x10/side
D) Back Extension: BWx3x25
Shoulder Extension and Int Rotation MWOD (1:30 each)
Maxes next week. Squat and DL were pretty speedy. It’s good to see my double overhand grip progressing again, it’s remained pretty stagnant around the 385-405 range since I first pulled 425.
SATURDAY AM
Med Ball, BU KB Press 35x7,3
A) DE Bench: (30%ish) 95x6x3
B1) Close Grip Bench: 185x3x8
B2) Band Pullapart: (Mini)x75 reps (3x25)
C1) Band Pushdown: (Light)x70 reps (20,20,15,15)
C2) Barbell Shrug: 315x2x15
Deloadish, 1RM on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Deloadish
MONDAY PM
Goblet Squat/KB Swing 35,55,75x5/10
A) DE Squat: (30%ish) 135x6x2
B) DE Pull: (30%) 155x5x2
C) Sled Forward/Backward Pull: work up to 115/side
D1) Skater Squats (Concentric Only): 3x6/side
D2) Band Standing Abs: Light, Average x1x20,2x20
