Berardi's Creation Continues w/minor Tweaks-Log

Training Logs
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I rarely post on these forums, but since I’m in Iraq right now, there isn’t a whole lot to do other than work, train, and fuck around online. This will be my first time posting a workout log online (I’ve kept a journal for years). It’s not so much for my benefit, but so anyone who’s interested can follow along and learn from my experience on this program. Do feel free to comment though.

I will be starting Berardi’s Creation Continues (phase 2) tomorrow.

It seems that nobody here has tried this yet, or at least hasn’t talked about it at all (could be because it’s from 2003). To me it looks good and incorporates a lot of what I like in a routine. I gave it a two week test run a while back to see how it felt, and found that because my anterior delts were hit hard and often (snatches, push press, lateral raises, “the exercise”, military press, and benching spread throughout the week), they never got a chance to recover, and remained sore the whole time. This is where the minor change comes in… I swapped day 5 and day 2 around, I know both of these days start with an exercise that hits the ant. delts, it’s more a matter of intensity (push presses are done much heavier than “the exercise”).
The only other changes are that I will be adding in face-pulls on day 3 to balance out the pushing, upping the strength exercise’s sets from 4x3 to 6x3, and replacing the leg press with tabata front squats (the leg press machine here is pendulum style, and worthless). With the tabata front squats thrown in, there will be 3 days of conditioning.
Obviously food and sleep are paramount for recovery with this. I eat at a chow hall, so food is not the greatest, but I try to eat as clean as I can.

I know this is not bodybuilding per se, but it’s not powerlifting, strongman, or conditioning either. It’s a hybrid. I am doing this with a co-worker, his goals are fat loss, while mine are strength and body comp. The only differences between us will be diet.

Current BW: 189lbs

The Program:

Day 1) Snatch: 5x5, Bench: 6x3, 1-arm punch press: 3x10, db lateral raise: 3x6/6/6, cable flye: 3x6/6/6

Day 2) The exercise: 5x5, Deadlift: 6x3, 1-leg hyperextensions: 3x10, calf raises: 3x15, leg curls: 3x20

Day 3) Close-grip bench: 5x5, face-pulls: 3x12-15, conditioning - incline treadmill sprints: 15/45 @ 13.0 incline for 20 mins

Day 4) Cleans: 5x5, T-bar row: 6x3, 1-arm cable row: 3x10, standing barbell press: 3x6/6/6, chin-ups: 3xfailure

Day 5) Push press: 5x5, box squats: 6x3, bulgarian split-squat: 3x10, seated calf raise: 3x10, tabata front squats: 20/10 for 4 minutes

Day 6) Barbell curls: 5x5, farmer’s walks: 4 sets for distance, conditioning - most likely a bw/dumbbell complex w/swings included

Day 7) Rest finally

  • foam rolling and dynamic stretches/warm-ups will be done prior to lifting.

I will include some before pictures, note that I do not know how to pose, and the angle/lighting is bad.

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  • Front relaxed
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  • Back relaxed
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Day 1 - Week 1

Warm-up: Dynamic stretching + db/bodyweight circuit

db windmills x 5
db swings x 5
push-ups x 8
inverted rows x 8
overhead squats x 5

  • done for two rounds

Workout:

Snatch: 5x5 w/ 95lbs

Barbell bench: 6x3 w/ 225lbs

*1-arm punch press: 3x10 w/ 75lbs

Dumbbell lateral raises: 3x6,6,6 w/ 25lbs, 20lbs, 15lbs (dropsets)

Cable chest fly: 3x6,6,6 w/ (weight doesn’t matter here, it’s for the stretch and to pump blood into the area)

**Just for fun - Pull-ups: 3 rounds to failure with ten seconds rest (15,8,6)

*Done with a neutral-grip, and half my body off the bench… whichever side you are lifting with, is the side that is off. I think this is a new favourite exercise. If you want a good lesson in keeping full-body tension, bracing the core, and taking shallow breaths while holding that tension, then give this exercise a try. This was as much a glute and core exercise, as it was a chest exercise. If you’ve ever done palloff presses, times that by ten, and you’ll replicate this feeling.

**These were not planned, but I love pull-ups, and it was a friendly little competition before leaving the gym.

Notes:

  • This week the intensity will be kept around 80% to get a feel for the lifts, and build up for the tough weeks ahead.

  • The snatch is a new lift for me, I have only gone up to 135lbs with it in the past, but will start low to perfect technique. I do them full ass-to-heels without any trouble thanks to http://www.mobilitywod.com

  • If you haven’t been to mobilitywod.com yet, and care about mobility, and your joints, I highly recommend it. It’s a lifesaver. I’m not recommending this to plug the site, nor do I have any affiliation with it… It has just helped me more than any other mobility work I’ve tried in the past.

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Day 2 - Week 1

Intensity: 80%

Warm-up: Dynamic stretching + db/bw circuit

Workout:

*The exercise: 5x5 w/ 135lbs

Deadlift: 6x3 w/ 315lbs

One-leg hyper-extensions: 3x10 ea. leg w/ bw

Seated calf raises: 3x10 w/ 125

Lying leg curls: 3x20 w/ whatever - not concerned with weight here

Planks: 3x60 seconds

*The exercise, is a combo lift… You start with a clean, then push-press it overhead, from there you lower it to your back, do an explosive squat, and push it back overhead once more before lowering it to the ground. That’s one rep.

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Didn’t have time to post this yesterday…

Day 3 - Week 1

Intensity: 80%

Warm-up: Dynamic stretching + db/bw circuit

Workout:

Close-grip bench: 5x5 w/ 185lbs (super strict form on these) - I felt really strong on these, looking forward to going up in the weeks ahead

*Bat wings: 4x8 w/ 30lb db’s

Face pulls: 3x12
s/s
Standing ab wheel rollouts: 3x8

Sprints outside: 8x100m’s

*These are a creation of Dan John’s that are meant to work the rhomboids without too much lat activation. Lay face down on a flat bench, and with a dumbbell in each hand, perform a row, pulling your elbows up as high as you can. Don’t worry about the lack of range of motion, it’s only the last four inches or so that really count here.

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Day 4 - Week 1

Intensity: 80%

Warm-up: Dynamic stretches + db/bw circuit (on the overhead squat portion of the warm-up I’m holding the bottom position for four seconds before coming back up, really trying to grease the groove here)

Workout:

Cleans: 5x5 w/ 165lbs

T-bar rows: 6x3 w/ 190lbs

One-arm cable row: 3x10 ea.

Overhead press dropsets: 3x6,6,6 w/ 105,85,65lbs

Chin-ups: 3xfailure (20,10,8) - only 45 seconds rest between sets.

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Day 5 - Week 1

Intensity: 80%

Warm-up: Dynamic stretching + db/bw circuit (used 75lbs for the windmills and it felt easy, doing these everyday has really helped me improve)

Workout:

Push press: 5x5 w/ 155lbs

Low box squat: 6x3 w/ 295lbs

Bulgarian split-squat: 3x10ea. w/ 50lb db’s

Standing calf raises: 3x20

Tabata front squats: 4 minutes of 20 seconds work/10 seconds rest w/ 95lbs (kept the reps at 10 or above the entire time, will have to go up in weight soon)

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Day 6 - Week 1

Intensity: 80%

Warm-up: Dynamic stretching + db/bw circuit (used an 80lb db for the windmills)

Workout:

Barbell curls: 5x5 w/ 105lbs

Farmer’s walks: 4 sets of roughly 80 meters w/ 95lb db’s

*Stir the pot: 3x10ea. direction

Swiss-ball jackknives: 3x10

Conditioning circuit:

  • DB swings x 10 ea. arm (60lb db)
  • Push-ups on medicine ball x 15
  • Mountain climbers x 20
  • One-arm rows x 8 ea. arm
  • Jumping lunges x 10
  • Goblet squat x 10 (60lb db)
    X 3

*The stir the pot exercise is something I got from Dr. Stuart McGill, It’s actually in the second part of his interview with Chad Waterbury. Basically, you get in a plank position with your forearms resting on a swiss ball, body straight, feet together, and make small circular motions with your arms in one direction for the desired reps, and then you switch directions.

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Rest day - Finally

I just spent a little bit of time today stretching out my hip-flexors, and hamstrings. I also spent ten minutes in a deep squat position, making sure to keep my knees out, and back straight. Doing this has really helped me with the overhead squat.

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Day 1 - Week 2

Intensity: 90%

Warm-up: The usual… still using an 80lb db for the windmills, and upped the overhead squat weight to 115.

Workout:

Snatch: 5x5 w/ 115lbs

Barbell bench: 6x3 w/ 245lbs

One-arm neutral-grip db press, half off bench: 3x10 w/ 80lb db’s

Dumbbell lateral raises: 3x6,6,6 w/ 25,20,15lbs

Cable chest fly: 3x6,6,6

Neutral-grip chin-ups: 3xAMAP (15,8,8) w/ only 10 seconds rest between sets

Notes:

  • I felt super tired today, maybe it’s because I only slept 6 hours, or that my body needed more than one day off… Either way, I went up in weight on all exercises, but it was definitely a struggle.
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Day 2 - Week 2

Intensity: 90%

Workout:

The exercise: 5x5 w/ 155

Deadlift: 5x3 w/ 335 - 1x3 w/ 365 (deadlifts were easy at this weight, but I didn’t want to take too big of a jump in weight yet)

Hyper-extensions: 3x10 w/ 35
s/s
Seated calf raises: 3x10 w/ 125

Lying leg curls: 3x20

Planks: 3x60 seconds (held one leg in the air for first 30 seconds, then switched legs for the last 30)

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Day 3 - Week 2

Intensity: 90%

Workout:

Close-grip bench: 5x5 w/ 205
s/s
Bat wings: 5x8 w/ 50’s

Face pulls: 3x12
s/s
Standing ab-wheel rollouts: 3x8

Conditioning:

Treadmill sprints: 15 on/45 rest for 20 minutes @ speed 10.0, Incline 13.0

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Day 4 - Week 2

Intensity: 90%

Workout:

Power cleans: 5x5 w/ 185

T-bar row: 6x3 w/ 205

One-arm row: 3x10

Overhead press drop-sets: 3x6,6,6 w/ 125,105,85

Chin-ups: 3xAMAP (22,11,9)

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How are you finding the programme so far dude? Looks like you’ve got a great starting position for it anyway!

I totally second the advice on mobilitywod too - great resource.

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Day 5 - Week 2

Intensity: 90%

Workout:

Push press: 5x5 w/ 165

Low box squats: 6x3 w/ 315 (these pissed me off because I was doing them with 365 last month easily, but today I had zero energy and 315 was tough)
Bulgarian split-squat: 3x10 w/ 55’s

Standing calf raises: 3x20 holding a 100lb db

Tabata front squats: 20 seconds work/10 seconds rest for 4 minutes with 95lbs - I kept my first few sets at 12 reps, and stayed above 10 for remainder of the time

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Day 6 - Week 2

Intensity: 90%

Workout:

Barbell curls: 5x5 w/ 115

Farmer’s walks: 4x100m’s w/ 100’s

Conditioning circuit:

  • Dumbbell swings x 15 ea. hand (60lb db)
  • Push-ups on medicine ball x 15
  • Mountain climbers x 20
  • Inverted rows x 12
  • Jumping lunges x 10
  • Goblet squats x 10 (60lb db)

Notes:

  • I had a shit ton of energy today, and felt strong on everything. The conditioning circuit barely got me breathing heavy. I think it’s due to the fact that I had a great sleep last night, and included more carbs in my lunch than usual. I’ve been reading Nate Miyaki’s book on my kindle lately, and it’s got me re-thinking my view on carbs.
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Jab1: I’m liking this program a lot so far… The workouts are intense, and I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot every time I leave the gym. It is tough though, if your work capacity is not high before starting it, the first two weeks will drain you of life. Also, because of the intensity of the exercises, if your recovery is not dialled in, and you don’t get enough sleep, you will suffer greatly in the following workout.

The olympic/explosive lifts are my favourite part, and I think I’ll be keeping these in my future programs for sure. I’m not sure I would do this program if I had a regular 9-5 job and other life stressors as well though (unless you have great recovery). My current situation is unique and I have nothing else to do besides work and train, so it fits me well. If I was on a routine that was any less than 6 days, I would lose my mind to boredom.

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Day 1 - Week 3

Workout:

Snatch: 5x5 w/ 115

Bench: 6x3 w/ 235 (had to drop the weight by 10lbs this week, was not feeling strong on the bench at all today)

One-arm db bench (half off the bench): 3x10 w/ 80’s

Dumbbell lateral raises: 3x12 w/ 30’s

Chest fly: 3x6,6,6

Ball jackknife to rollout: 3x10

Neutral grip chin-ups: 3xAMAP (15, 10, 10) w/ 10 seconds rest only