Despade: Tales of a Lifetime Intermediate

Training Training Logs
1123

11/8/18

Front Squatober: Day 6

Front Squat
3 x 3 x 195 (60%)
3 x 3 x 225 (70%)

Incline DB Bench
8 x 60
5 x 70
5 x 80
4 x 5 x 100
10 x 75

Giant Set:
DB Laterals
3 x 10 x 25
DB Rear Laterals
2 x 10 x 25
1 x 10 x 20
DB High Pull
3 x 10 x 55

Tricep Extensions (Band)
4 x 25 x Black

Felt heavy, moved fast, got complimented on form (ego can barely fit through a standard door now :joy:). The 195 felt like trash, 225 felt better, I find it is harder for me to brace with the much more upright positioning of the front squat as opposed to a back squat…just a bit of a learning curve, I guess.

I’m guessing that this is what I was supposed to feel like with the original squatober programming (mildly beat up, accumulating fatigue) only it has taken me 6 weeks of squatting with this frequency to get it. Am hoping that I hit another 15-25lb PR (putting me around 350 for my FS) at the end of this, but I’m not nearly as optimistic about it as I was the back squat haha but if I can make some more linear progression off of this program back to back?! Man…I’m not sure what could really be better…

4 Likes
1124

11/9/18

Front Squatober: Day 8

FS
5 x 195 (60%)
5 x 210 (65%)
5 x 225 (70%)

DB RFESS
3 x 5 x 40s

Superset:
Banded Back Pulls
3 x 20 x Green
DB Pull Over
3 x 5 x 50

Giant Set:
Banded Good Morning
3 x 10 x Purple
Goblet Squat
3 x 10 x 50
BB Curls
3 x 10 x 45

Meh, everything moved well enough, just felt meh, and hungry. Finally had an empty enough gym to sneak a video, so that I could see depth for myself, feel much better about it now that I’ve seen it. Upwards and Onwards.

2 Likes
1125

11/10/18

Weight: 213.0

Front Squatober: Day 9

Front Squat
2 x 195
2 x 225
2 x 245
2 x 265
2 x 275

Bench
2 x 190
2 x 225
2 x 235
2 x 255
2 x 2 x 275

OHP
5 x 135
5 x 155
3 x 5 x 165

Giant Set:
Banded GM
3 x 10 x Purple
Skull Crusher
3 x 10 x 65
BPA
3 x 20 x Black
DB Shrugs
3 x 20 x 60

A decent day, squats felt like hell, but the bench moved quick, that’s the best 275 has felt coming off my chest, could have easily paused it on all 4 reps, just felt solid and clean.

Weight: Ouch, haha, I’m trying to not get in my own head with this whole gaining weight thing, but it’s tough.

Program Ponderings: I may have to back it off a bit, my knees are starting to feel beat up, and that is something I don’t want to have to worry about, and it isn’t worth ‘muscling’ through a program (to me) when I could back off and simply run the back squat style again in a few weeks (or Deadlift programming from the same guy for the month of December.) I thoroughly enjoy the programming and may spring for a couple of his programs. Going to see how the knees feel today, and probably let today’s workout/knee feelings be the determining factor. A leading contender is that for the next two weeks I simply squat every other day, but maintain the programming order, and simply stimulate my legs on the days between squatting.

3 Likes
1126

11/12/18

Weight: 213.6

…Damnit…FS Day 10

Front Squat
3 x 135

Back Squat
5 x 135
4 x 205

OHP
5 x 135
3 x 155
1 x 185
1 x 205
10 x 135

Superset:
Rear Lateral
3 x 15 x 20
WG Pull Up
3 x 6 x BW

Superset:
Lateral Raise
3 x 15 x 20
High Pull (rope and KB)
3 x 12 x 35

Plate Raise
2 x 10 x 35
2 x 8 x 45

Superset:
Tricep Extension
3 x 20 x Black
Curl (rope and KB)
3 x 15 x 35

Felt like trash, right knee is a whole bucket of nopes for front squatting right now, feels just fine back squatting, so I’m gonna just let that bad boy rest up a bit and hit some volume stuff, chase dem pump feels and have some fun with it. Wanted to test OHP strength, no gain, no loss, happy with the wash. The 205 was heavy and slow, but smooth, I can deal with that.

3 Likes
1127

11/13/18

Get Thick Tuesday

Bench
1, 2, 3 x 250 (80%)
1, 2, 3 x 265 (85%)
1, 2, 3 x 285 (90%)
5 x 265 (85%)

DB Row
4 x 5 x 100

Giant Set:
Front raise
3 x 10 x 20
Lateral raise
3 x 10 x 20
Rear lateral
3 x 10 x 20
DB high pull
3 x 10 x 50
Curl and press
3 x 10 x 30

Superset:
Dips
6 x 8 x BW
BB curls
6 x 8 x 55

A solid pressing day. 285 moved well for all 6 reps. Was a little worried on the triple, but it ‘‘twas for naught!

3 Likes
1128

11/14/18

Deadlifts
5 x 135
5 x 225
5 x 315
2 (or 3?) x 3 x 365 (72.5%)

Banded Back Pull
4 x 20 x Purple

Banded Pull Over
4 x 12 x Green

Chest Supported Row
4 x 12 x 135

Banded Curls
3 x 15 x Purple

Superset:
Incline DB Bench
5 x 10 x 70
DB Row
5 x 5 x 100

Superset:
Tricep Extensions
4 x 20 x Black
Curls
4 x 5 x 45

I am so out of practice with dead lifts, ha, good lord that felt heavy and everything simply felt off. Need to do a bunch of light technique work for the next 2 weeks if I want to participate in Deadcember.

4 Likes
1129

11/15/18

Functional Movement and Active Recovery
(Did I hit all the right buzz words?!)

Warm-Up - Band work for shoulders and upper back

1a) BW Squats 3 x 10
1b) Ab Wheel Roll-out 4 x 5

2a) Banded Good Morning 2 x 10
2b) BW Squats 1 x 10

3a) Bench (Dynamic attempted, ha!) 5 x 5 x 135
3b) Pull Up/Chin Up 5 x 3

4a) Squat 3 x 5 x 45

5a) BB Row 3 x 10 x 45
5b) OHP 3 x 10 x 45

Incline Walk
10% Incline x 20 Minutes x 2.5-2.7mph

Feeling all the volume from the last few days and the basketball games from Tuesday night, simply wanted to do something so I just got blood flow to all body parts plus some steady state cardio to facilitate some solid recovery before a light leg session tomorrow (still gonna baby the knee a little bit).

2 Likes
1130

11/16/18

Day 1 of chasing that Participation Trophy :trophy:

After a solid phase of chasing numbers, gonna put the new found strength to good use and build some muscle (also increase caloric expenditure so I don’t have to actually watch what I eat :joy:)

Got this template from my old training partner, it’s simply what he’s running, shit load of volume, 6 days a week.

Day 1: Back/Shoulders

  1. T-Bar Rows (plate weight)
    3 x 8/12/15 x 135/115/90
    3 x 15 x 90

  2. Cable Rows (Upright)
    3 x 12 x 175

  3. Cable Rows (w/ full stretch)
    3 x 12 x 175

  4. Smith Machine Rows
    3 x 8-12 x 135/185/185

    5a) Lat Pulldowns (V-Bar)
    3 x 12 x 185
    5b) DB Pull Over
    3 x 15 x 50

  5. Pull Ups
    3 x 8 x BW

  6. High/Rear Delt Row
    3 x 12 x 70

    8a) Rear Delt Fly
    4 x 12-15 x 20/25/25/25
    8b) DB Lateral Raise
    4 x 15 x 25

    9a) Rear Delt Fly (pec deck)
    4 x 10 x 70/80/90/70
    9b) DB Lateral Raise
    4 x 15 x 20

  7. Cable Lateral Raise
    3 x 12 x 20

This is the longest workout that I’ve had in a minute, even with timed rest periods (varied between 45-60s.) Gonna run this for awhile, see how the high volume treats me, see if I can put some appreciable size on while fluffy season is upon me. Got a whole boat load of exercises that I haven’t touched in awhile, so I expect some high intensity DOMS for the next few days.

5 Likes
1131

Holy volume Batman that’s a lot of reps.
Are the other days just as long?

1132

Yeah, I think the two leg days a week are gonna be fairly brutal, but it’ll be a nice change of pace, and put all my extra calories to good use. Also, had an unreal back pump, felt like a barn door, ha!

1 Like
1133

11/17/18

Chest/Arms

Low Point Flies (w/ rope)
4 x 8-12

Incline Barbell Bench
3 x 6-10

Incline Guillotine Bench
3 x 6-10

Incline DB Bench
3 x 6-10/15 (drop sets)

BB Bench
3 x 8-12

CGBP
3 x 15-20

Superset:
Dips
4 x 10 x BW
BB Curl
4 x 8-12

Superset
Overhead Tricep Extension (DB)
4 x 20
Preacher Curl
4 x 8-12

Giant Set
Tricep Rope Extensions
4 x 10-15
Bench Dips
4 x Failure
Cable Rope Curls
4 x 10-15

Jesus…lots of failure on Saturday, ha. Don’t remember weights, but they all sucked. Volume is nuts.

2 Likes
1134

11/19/18

Legs

Superset: Heels Touching
Leg Curls
4 x 8-12
Leg Extensions
4 x 8-12

Superset: Shoulder Width
Leg Curls
4 x 8-12
Leg Extensions
4 x 8-12

Superset: Shoulder Width/Squeeze Emphasis
Leg Curls
3 x 8-12
Leg Extensions
3 x 8-12

Leg Press: Shoulder Width/Rest-Pause
1 x 45 x 150
2 x 45 x 200

Leg press: Close Stance/Rest-Pause
3 x 45 x 150

Single Leg Press
3 x 12 x 80

Alternating Lunges
3 x 15/15 x BW

Superset:
Squats
2 x 8 x 135
Machine Squats
2 x 15 x 90

Christ on a cracker…I’m wrecked, and I didn’t even really push the weight too much as I’m still feeling a bunch of beer from this weekend, ugh. Can still feel both Friday’s and Saturday’s sessions in my upper body. Lots of fluids and good food today.

2 Likes
1135

Plan for this program: Lots of travel and lots of extra calories through the holidays, plan is to run this for 6-8 straight weeks, not worry about abs/cutting/being sexy, and just gain then quite possibly jump on the T-Ransformation 2019 train and get all sliced and diced for the spring (best laid plans of mice and men, and all that…)

3 Likes
1136

Sounds like a good plan… that is if you can handle all that volume.

1137

Ha, it definitely sounds like a good plan…I figure if I consume enough calories I’ve got to grow and that’s how I’ll recover, ha! But yes, this is going to take some getting used to.

1 Like
1138

You enjoy being able to walk right? Good grief man…

1 Like
1139

11/21-11/24

Got pretty good lifts in, shit loads of volume, shit loads of eating. Really need to rein my shit in, ha!

Hope all had a grand holiday week, I know I sure did :ok_hand:

1140

11/26/18

Weight: 218.2 (Haaaaa, I’m a thicc boy now!)

Back/Shoulders

Heavy T-Bars —> High Volume Accessories

Ended with 15 minutes on the treadmill at a 10% Incline at 2.7-3.0 mph

I don’t feel overly sloppy (that could be wishful thinking) and definitely feel like I’ve added some actual muscle (definitely not all.) Luckily I carry extra fat well :joy:

3 Likes
1141

11/27/18

Chest/Arms

Bench
5 x 135
5 x 185
3 x 225
3 x 3 x 255 (~80%)

Incline Bench
3 x 6-10 x 185

Incline Bench (Guillotine)
3 x 8-10 x 135

Cable Fly
4 x 8-12 x 40-60

Incline DB Bench
3 x 15 x 50

Superset:
Dips
4 x 8-10
BB Curls
4 x 12 x 65

Superset:
Tricep Extensions
4 x 20-25
DB Curls
4 x 12 x 25

Edit: 50 minutes light bike cardio

Made a few tweaks with this workout, I’ve got to have some kinda of heavy compound work at the beginning, I like getting back to the volume, but I have to feel like I’m actually getting stronger as well, so there will be some percentages thrown in right at the front end of my workouts, not enough to fatigue me, but enough that I did some actual strength work, none of this getting to my compound lift 6 or 7 exercises deep and using 155 with shit form, ha, just seems wrong to me. This is how I used to train, prior to 5/3/1, work up to as heavy as I could go for the day on my compound lift, then death by volume, ha.

Moved my grip out a little bit, to pinkies on the inside of the ring, I’m typically a ‘closer’ grip bencher, lots of triceps involved, but when I moved it out yesterday it felt pretty good, will take a little getting used to, but I think it’s going to move my numbers up almost immediately, simply due to better technique (stacking my joints better, and involving my chest more.)

5 Likes
1142

11/28/18

Weight: 215.0

Legs

Squat
5 x 135
5 x 225
3 x 275
3 x 315
3 x 3 x 345 (80%)

Superset:
Banded GM
3 x 15 x Purple
Walking Lunges
3 x 15/15 x BW

Hack Squat: Squat Stance
3 x 15 x 150

Hack Squat: Close Stance
2 x 20 x 100

Standing Calves
4 x 25

Good Morning
3 x 15 x 45

Decent session, definitely out of the groove for squatting, kept wanting to come forward at 315 and 345, bracing was a little wonky, but it got done. Knew coming in that it was going to feel heavy, as this is the first I’ve gone heavy since stopping 2 weeks ago due to the knee twinge during front squats, but everything felt good, so I’m chalking it up as a win. Planned on hitting hamstrings a bit more, but shit, they’re still tight from all the volume last week, so pretty much just did the good morning/weighted stretch for them.

Weight: Better, it’ll probably level out around 210 by the end of the week.

6 Likes