Bit of a setback.
For the past year and a half, I’ve been having events during exercise where my heart rate will go up to 200-300 bpm for 5 or 6 minutes at a time. It doesn’t happen frequently, they’re a month or two apart but I finally got it checked out by my GP. I had a holter, EKG and stress test none of which revealed anything so I ended up being referred to an electrophysiology specialist and I had an EP test administered yesterday.
The catheters didn’t get anything but the adrenaline analogue drug they used revealed a genetic wide band short circuit in my heart which they were able to ablate and repair. Getting your heart cauterized is a very strange feeling. I just had to stay the night and I was able to come home today but the catheter insertions in my groin are tricky. The cardio nurse chastised me at least three times about not being able to lift anything more than five pounds for at least 7 days (because apparently I have the exact same physiology and recovery ability as the 80 year old elderly women they usually treat). This sets my maxing plans back a couple of days but overall it shouldn’t affect me too badly. It’ll be nice to finally not have one of these events again.
SATURDAY PM
A) Bench Press: 295x1 PR
B1) Explosive Pushups to Blocks: (Five 35s)x5x3
B2) HS Iso Row: (115/side)x5x10/side (different grip each set)
C1) Rope Pushdown: 5x10 work up to 70x10
C2) V-Grip Pulldown: 5x10 work up to 160x6
D1) Machine Lateral Raise: 70x4x12
D2) Rope Face Pull w/ER: 20x4x12
Bench was a goddamn grinder but I’m pretty happy with it. No videos until 315 though.
First time training at Hobart in a while so I pretty much just fucked around. At some point during the pulldowns my lats died and started a mass protest.
The pushups to blocks are a great exercise and a replacement for DE Bench from time to time. These I went slightly too aggressive on and my left shoulder doth protest a bit.
Hip is healing well. We’ll see if some maxes on Monday are in the cards or not.
MONDAY PM
Full Jump Squats 45x2x5
A) Squat: miss 405
B) Deadlift: miss 525
C) Elevated SL Hip Thrust: BWx2x10/side
D) TK Band Anti-rotation Hold: (Mini)x3x:30 sec
Meathead got the better of me when I really should have used this as a feeler session to see how well recovered I was. I got fucking stapled by 405 and couldn’t get 525 off of the floor. Really just no ability to strain at all. Very strange, it felt like I had the strength for both lifts but I just couldn’t move them.
In hind sight though I should have seen this. Ithaca birthday party on Saturday, not enough food come Sunday. I had a great time coaching athletes today at Hobart but I had to run through the same dynamic warmup at least 10-15 times for the newbies and my hip was sore even through the Traumeel by the time I got to the gym.
More experience for next time though. I’m really just going to focus on imparting more speed on the same weights over the next 8 weeks. I really can’t say anything bad about this latest training cycle either considering I came away with a bench PR after completely regressing in Missouri (pretty sure I missed a 245 bench at some point there) and my hip mobility (pre-incision) is the best that it’s ever been.
Slightly different approach than the last cycle for this day. 2 minutes rest between sets, pause at peak contraction on all exercises except pullups.
TUESDAY AM
Scap Floor Slide/Spider Crawls 3x15/Mini
A) Pullup (Medium Pronated): BWx15,8
B) Meadows Row (using T-bar machine): 90x2x10/side
C) Seated Cable Row (Close Neutral): 135x2x10
D) Spud Strap Pulldown: 120x2x10
E) Supinated DB Curl: 35x10,7
WEDNESDAY PM
KB BU Press 35x10, Pushup to Blocks 2x3
A1) Fat Bastard Floor Press: 225,235,245x3,255x2 (PR),235x3
A2) Blast Strap Face Pull: BWx15,3x12
B1) Close Grip Incline: 185x8
B2) DB Bench: 50x21 lol
C1) Overhead Shrug: 95x3x12
C2) Rolling DB Extension: 30x12,35x2x10
I got fucking owned by this exercise at the beginning of the last cycle, glad to see that its almost on par with my regular floor press now.
The rest of my assistance work is oriented towards some work that I really suck at. An 8-12RM on an incline bench variation immediately (no rest) followed by an ultra high rep DB bench variation. My 50 lb DB PR fresh is like 35 or 40 or so, it hit me really hard.
FRIDAY PM
Seated Vertical Jumps 3x3, 10x3
A) Front Box Squat: 225,245,255,265x3 PR
B) Deficit Trap Bar DL (slight, one 45): 365x8,345x8
C) Elevated One DB BSS: 60x2x12/side
D1) Leg Curl: 40x40 reps
D2) Back Extension: (+25)x3x12
Not too bad. As you can see the theme here is extended range of motion and some really shitty prefatigue work with the high rep leg curl and back extension superset.
SATURDAY AM
A) DE Bench Press: (50%) 20x3 in 13:13 (set 40 sec)
B) Standing Cable Rope Row: (#9)x3x12 w/pause
C) Fat Bastard Close Grip: 175x15,9 (2:00 rest)
D1) Snatch Grip Shrug: 225x2x20
D2) Band Overhead Extension: (MM)x2x20
Had to cut it short a little today because of time. Still a focused session. I may never go back to close gripping with the regular barbell after today, the groove on the fat bar is just too perfect.
I start my DE work at :30, so all times are actually 30 seconds faster than listed.
MONDAY AM
Vertical Jump to Broad Jump 3x3
A) LTT Box Squats: (50%) 215x25x2 in 16:13
B) DE Deathlifts: (50%) 255x15x1 in 7:32
C) SSB Squat: 270x10
D1) Elevated SL Hip Thrust: 3x10/side
D2) One KB Farmers Walk: 75x3 six power racks/side
D3) Blast Strap Fallouts: 3x12
Much easier than last cycle, speed and cardio have improved an impressive amount. Speed on the deadlifts was killer too. I know that last Monday was just a fluke coming off of the surgery but I need to get a few more sessions like this under my belt to really convince myself.
TUESDAY AM
Scap Wall Slides/Spider Crawls
A) Pullup (Medium Pronated): BWx15,10
B) Meadows Row: 90x2x12/side
C) Seated Cable Row (Close Neutral): 135x12,10/side
D) Spud Strap Pulldown: 120x2x12/side
E) Supinated DB Curl: 35x11,9
Good stuff.
WEDNESDAY PM
KB BU Press 35x12 (7,3,2 not feeling stable today), many failed attempts at Double Clap Pushups
A1) Slingshot Bench: 255,275,295x3,305x2,315x1 PR
A2) Blast Strap Scarecrows: 4x12
B1) Incline Bench: 185x9 immediately to
B2) DB Bench: 50x23 still sucked
C1) Overhead Shrug: 95x3x15
C2) Rolling DB Extension: KB 35x12, DB 25x16,16
D) One Arm DB Lateral: 20x3x12/side
Fucked around with my new DB Row Handle up to 160x8, big shout out to Black Widow Training Equipment for making a custom length one for me to deal with these huge York plates.
Not an incredible session. Doing my RE Back session the day before ME Upper is not my favored set up but it’s the one I have to use right now. Despite that 295,305 and 315 were all Slingshot PRs with my regular grip.
FRIDAY PM
Clean Jump Shrug 135x3x3
A) Deficit Deadlift: 365,405,425x3 PR
B) Deficit Trap Bar DL: 365x6
C) Elevated One DB BSS: 65x2x10/side
D1) Lying Leg Curl: 40x50 reps
D2) Back Extension: (+25)x3x15 suckeddd
Moved up the deficit this week from one 45 to two, sucked a lot more. I think my Deficit DL PR is 355x8? I haven’t done them in a long time.
SATURDAY AM
KB BU Press 35x12 (finally 12 in one set)
A) DE Bench Press: (50%) 145x20x3 in 13:08 (12:48)
B) Standing Cable Rope Row: (#10)x4x10
C) Fat Bastard Close Grip: 175x15,10,5
D1) Snatch Grip Shrug: 225x2x15
D2) Band Overhead Extension: (MM)x2x20
E) Pinwheel Curls: 50x8/side
Somehow I have zero soreness from yesterday? Very strange, I’ll probably be eating my words tomorrow.
Got hammered and watched UFC 156 last night. It was rough seeing Alistair get KOed like that but Bigfoot had a great game plan right from the beginning.
MONDAY PM
KJ to BJ (sounds like something I can’t afford) 4x3
A) DE Box Squat: (55%) 235x15x2 in 12:26
B) DE Pull: (55%) 280x12x1 in 6 something
C) SSB Squat: 270x8 felt like shit
D1) Elevated SL Hip Thrust: BWx11,10,10
D2) One KB Farmers Walk: 75x3 trips/side
D3) Blast Strap Fallouts: BWx4x12
Nothing quite like waiting 20 minutes after you’ve already warmed up for a rack to open up (in a gym with 6 of them). I’d already been in the gym for 40 minutes by the time I got to my first working set of speed squats.
Lower back pump was retarded by my 8th set of speeds. Going to follow Storm’s advice and start using a slightly higher box, my new indestructible creation should be finished by next week.
TUESDAY AM
Overhead Tricep MWOD/Scap Wall Slide/Band Spider Crawl
A) Pullup (Medium Pronated Grip): 15,11
B) Meadows Row: 100x2x10/side
C) Seated Cable Row (Close Neutral): 135x2x12
D) Spud Strap Pulldown: 125x2x10
E) Supinated DB Curl: 35x12,10
WEDNESDAY PM
KB BU Press 35x13, Drop Pushup to Box 4x3
A) Fat Bastard Bench Press: 235,245,255x3 PR, 235x3
A2) Blast Strap Face Pull: 4x12
B1) 45 Degree Close Grip Incline: 185x4 lol
B2) Incline DB Bench: 45x28 reps
C1) Snatch Grip Overhead Shrug: 105x3x12
C2) Rolling DB Extension: 25x15,10,10
D) One Arm DB Lateral: 25x2x12/side
Bunch of overhead extension/internal rotation mobs thrown in throughout the AM, pretty slow coaching day.
Today revealed two things that I royally suck at: fat bar benching with my comp grip and 45 degree incline.
Extra: Band Pushdown x80, TK Cable External Rotation/Supine Band External Rotation 2x15
FRIDAY PM
Seated to Vertical Jumps BWx3, 15x3x3
A) Giant Cambered Bar Box Squat: 255,275,285,295x3 PR
B) GCB Good Morning: 135x8, 155x3x8
C) Elevated One DB BSS: 65x2x12/side
D1) Lying Leg Curl: 45x45 reps
D2) Back Extension: (+35)x3x10
E) Leg Extension (BURN THE HERETIC): 40x2x20
Yes my quads are that weak lol.
Really like the feel of the GCB for both the box squats and good mornings, more hip dominant than the SSB.
SATURDAY AM
KB BU Press 35 x suck, BA Explosive Pushups 4x3 great
A) DE Bench Press: (55%) 160x15x2 in 10 something, pretty sure I did 2 extra sets.
B) Standing Cable Rope Row: (#10)x4x12
C) Yngwie Malmsteen Close Grip Bench: 175x15,12,6
D1) One Arm DB Z-Press: 45x2x8/side
D2) Snatch Grip Shrug: 225x2x20
E1) Band Overhead Extension: (Light)x2x15
E2) Pinwheel Curl: 50,55x8/side
Pretty nice session, Agalloch and Clutch made it a good morning. Progress on the shrugs has been really impressive. That first week of Snatch Grip for only 10 reps looked like some kind of epileptic seizure.
MONDAY PM
A) DE Squat (Free): (60%) 255x15x2
B) DE Pull: (60%) 305x12x1
C1) Hip Extension Leg Curl: BWx2x10
C2) One KB Farmers Walk: 55x2 trips
C3) Blast Strap Fallouts: BWx2x12
Training without stimulants sucks, good speed despite the lack of focus though.
TUESDAY AM
Scap Floor Slide/Band Wall Slide
A1) Tactical Pullup: BWx12
A2) TK Band Pulldown: (AVG)x3x12
B) Seated Cable Row (Close Neutral): 105x2x12
C) Spud Strap Pulldown: 105x2x12
D) Straight Arm Kayak Pulldown: 80x15
E) Supinated DB Curl: 30x2x12
Quick, only like 35 minutes including warmup.
WEDNESDAY PM
A1) Bench Press w/Chain: (+40C)x225,235,245x3 PR, 255x2 PR
A2) Blast Strap Scarecrow: BWx3x12
B) Incline DB Bench: 50x35 reps (fresh PR)
C1) Overhead Shrug: 115x2x12
C2) Rolling DB Extension: 25x2x20
D) One Arm DB Lateral Raise: 25,30x12/side
Extra: Band Pushdown (Light)x2x25, Suckfest Band Pullaparts (Micro)x2x20, Lying Band External Rotations (Mini)x2x20
Huge PR with this bench variation, I almost died with 225 the first time I did this.
Three day drill starting tomorrow. My plan is to get in a GPP Lower day on Friday and do a deload DE Upper on Sunday.