Starting log for increased motivation. Been keeping a book for a couple years. It will quickly become evident my preference for bench press, front squat, olympic clean… In general, the basic lifts. Double reverse spinning pistols will never be completed or entered into log.
Bench press (today’s goal max rep BP 315)
155 x 12
175 x 12
225 x 4
255 x 4
285 x 3
315 x 6 (new PR)
335 x 1
225 x 25 (new PR)
Incline DB bench press
60 x 12
70 x 12
80 x 10
cable tricep ext - bar attachment
50 x 15
60 x 15
60 x 15
video:1
video 2
12-17. Back/bi pump day
Pullups
BW x 8
BW x 6
BW-60 x 10
BW-60 x 10
BW-60 x 10
T-bar
2plates x 15
2plates x 15
2plates x 15
EZ curl bar
25s x 10
25s x 10
25s x 10
Curl machine
80x 15 3 sets
Tough start on the pull-ups. Had no warmups. Usually more reps without assistance to get started. Hoping to get a good olympic lift session in this week so I wanted to keep horizontal pulling to a minimum.
12/20 friday night
front squats
135x10
135x10
205x5
225x5
255x3
275x3
285x2 - all I had…
225x5
leg extension
115x15
100x15
100x14.5-failure
traingle seated row
60x15
70x6-back weak
t-bar
90#x12
90x15
db curl
35x10ea
35x10ea
35x7ea–30x4ea
sqaut workouts have been unpredictable. plan was 5-5-3-3-2-2 all increasing. nothing left in tank for another 2 so dropped back down for 225 x 5. this may all be from warm-up strategy, but I dont have time to waste spending 30 minutes getting loosed up and neurally activated.
leaving town for the weekend at 8am. hoping to jump in the gym at 6 for a quick upper body. I will try my best to avoid bench pressing. I will also try to stop lying about avoiding bench pressing.
12/23
Flat bench press
205 x 10
205 x 8
275 x 6
295 x 6
295 x 6
(Slight) incline DB bench press
90 x 12
95 x 10
100 x 9
Seated OHP
95 x 15
115 x 12
135 x 10
Cable Tri-cep extension
57.5 x 15
65 x 15
72.5 x 15
2nd day in the recovery stage of over preparation and over celebration of illinois basketball win over Mizzou. Still have a headache. Was fairly pleased with BP output per level of motivation. Had very little effort in the OHP, just wanted a pump to maintain the base. Legs have had pretty tough DOMS from the squat workout.
12/24
clean warmup 135 x 5 from hang
clean warmup 155 x 5 from hang
full clean
185 x 5
205 x 4
225 x 1 miss x 1 ok
225 x 2
235 x 1
deadlift
315 x 5
315 x 5
355 x 5
lat pulldown
110 x 15
125 x 12
110 x 12
Amazing how letting focus shift for 2-3 works can turn a batch of lifts to junk such as the cleans. I should be able to hit 225 in my sleep. Too much lowering of the weight using steel plate vs bumpers. I am actually going to buy my own bumper plates soon, already have a a new bar from Rogue. Deadlift was nothing impressive either. All in all, probably ok for sneaking in a quick one on Christmas Eve.
12/26 This workout consisted mostly of about 30 overhead squats (45# bar only) and some snatch with the same weight. Did 3-4 30 seconds planks and 3-4 sets of situps.
Making major progress in my very limited home gym that Im setting up for a couple reasons. I workout in 2 1/2 gyms: The YMCA, which is a brand new facility and has nice new everything. A local 24hr which is great for holidays and sunday mornings/evenings. Equipment is old, but will work. I go here if Im going to do some deadlifting or anything requiring plates on the ground. On occasion I will drive an hour to train with a friend of mine who has a “group gym” where they have enough bumper plates to do the job. This is much better during the summer weather on motorcycle, not too time or fuel efficient during Illinois weather in a 4x4 truck.
My plates are on the way. I have 3/4" rubber mats on concrete floor and will using a rogue ohio bar bushing bar. I have 4 pendlay elite 45s on the way and 2 25 and 2 10 econs on the way. I will be picking up some steel where I can get it, but this will put me in good shape for all olympic work. I’ll be looking to find a basic power rack with a pullup bar and a bench, should be everything I need.
On more of a “get a life” note, I was really thinking about how increasingly testosterone filled my garage was becoming with my woodworking tools, beer fridge, motorcycles, firearms, and new weight sets. That is of course until my girlfriend parked her camry in in. BS…
12/27
Flat DB bench press
80 x 12
100 x 12
110 x 11
110 x 8
incline bar press
225 x 8
225 x 6
205 x 8
205 x 8
triangle ext
60 x 15
70 x 15
85 x 10–70 x 5
70 x 11
machine shoulder press
80 x 12
80 x 12
80 x 12
12/28
Pullups
BW-100 x 12 warmup
BW x 7
BW X 6
BW-50 X 8
BW-45 X 8
BW-50 X 8
T BAR RW 90 X 10
T BAR RW 90 X 10
DB ROW 75 X 10
DB ROW 85 X 10
T BAR RW 90 X 10
T BAR RW 90 X 10
EZ-Bar curl
60+bar X 10
60+bar X 10
60+bar X 8–50+bar X 7
50+bar X 12
Curl Machine
80x12
80x12
80x12
More of a pump day than a strength day today. Another disappointing pullup day. The bad part is that its not the strength that is down, but the load that is up…
1/2
Flat bench press
185 x 12
205 x 10
245 x 6
265 x 6
285 x 6
305 x 5
OHP (bar)
135 x 6
155 x 6
175 x 6
175 x 6
DB decline
80 x 15
90 x 12
90 x 10
10 minutes incline treadmill
1/4
Front Squat
BW x 10
135 x 8 warmup
135 x 8 warmup
205 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 5
245 x 5
245 x 5
pullup
BW-50 x 10
BW-50 x 10
BW-50 x 10
leg extension
105 x 12
105 x 15
110 x 15
short day, things to do. tried a little bit of the mobility warmups suggested by wil fleming yesterday. didn’t notice any exceptional performance improvement, but also didnt notice anything exceptionally tight in the first sets as they can seem. All it all, probably worth continuing.
front squats weren’t ball bustingly heavy, but they were solid for all sets except for the very last rep of last set. I am trying to build a solid base to aid olympic work. Countdown to new plates arriving is a week.
1/12
Front squat day
Squat BW x 10
Squat BW x 10
Front squat
135 x 8
185 x 6
Working:
225 x 4
245 x 4
265 x 3
285 x 3
285 x 2 belt
295 x 2 belt
305 x 2 belt
Strict chin-up, neutral grip
BW 5 x 5
Treadmill 10 minutes. Incline, fair pace.
May have started 2014 with a longer layoff than had all 2013 due to being out of town/state for work immediately following a storm that closed down the county. A little disappointing, but may have yielded some fair recovery if travel didn’t stress too much. To be determined…
Note taken by how easy reps were when I switched to belted reps tells me core may be a little weak. Will start including some sits ups, planks, ab roller. This will suck.
1/13
Quads very sore from yesterday, a little surprising for on 20 working reps prior day
Upper back, biceps somewhat sore from yesterday.
Bench press
185 x 10
205 x 10
225 x 10
245 x 10
265 x 10
315 x 2
Decline DB
80 x 15
90 x 12
90 x 12
DB OHP
70 x 12
80 x 10
80 x 10
Cable tri-ext cambered bar attachment
57.5 x 15
65 x 15
65 x 15
High-rep day (for me). 315 set of BP not what expected, I guess I’m not used to doing that weight as rep 50+ in sets. I believe it was more of the 50# jump. Really thought I would have more like 5 or 6. I probably could have ground out the 285x10 but I’m am trying to get the nervous system a chance to prioritize the lower body for a few weeks.
Intention for tomorrow is cardio.
1/16 My weights got here! No more junk steel plates that don’t fit the bar snug.
Power clean
135 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 5
Full oly clean 225 x 3
1 full clean + 5 front squat
245
245
245
225
225
Doesn’t look like it, but it was a tough day.
1/18
Warmup:
Deadlift 135 x 10
Deadlift 135 x 10
Hang power clean 135 x 6
Hang squat clean 135 x 6
Work
225 x 3
6 singles @ 245
Had a couple unexpected misses toward end
Clean pull-hang clean complex
10 reps @ 205 varying rest intervals
Ab roller
10
3
Sit-ups
10
Wow. Good workout in terms a fatigue. Shitty workout in terms of performance. Not prepared for lower body and pull volume. Very weak core, even surprised myself there as well. Need to buy another set of 10 plates and a quality collar if I use steel so they don’t shake and bust.
1/19
Warmup:
BP 135 X 10
BP 175 X 10
Working
265 x 3
265 x 3
275 x 3
275 x 3
285 x 3
295 x 3
305 x 3
315 x 3 tough
275 x 5 plan was 325 x 3
285 x 5 plan was 335 x 3
hammer strength
iso-wide chest
90 each side x 15
90 each side x 15
90 each side x 15
Attempted tri-cep extensions and abs hurt so bad from prior day I could brace against the weight. Didnt have time to do much else. Starting to realize that life gets in the way of training.
Ordered a set of Tommy Konos from Rogue Fitness last night and a jump rope. Need to start thinking about improving cardiovascular performance. I was really thinking hard about getting the Rehband 7mm, but I had direct advice from someone worth listening to and right or wrong, it would have been a mistake to ignore.
I have been out of any repeatable routine, but tomorrow should be back in line for a pullup/row day.
1/20
Pull-ups
BW x 6
BW x 6
BW-50 x 10
BW-50 x 9
BW-50 x 8
T-bar
90 x 15
90 x 12
135 x 5 --90 x 5
115 x 6 --90 x 4
EZ bar curl
Bar 25s x10
Bar 25s x10
Bar 25s x10
Seated DB curl
30s x 10
30s x 10
30s x 10
Very bro workout today. Abs still sore, hitting direct work first opportunity to get some base built. Felt it on all the lifts except the seated curls. Good arm pump though. Looking forward to oly/squatting tomorrow.
1/21
Snatch work
Haphazard sets and reps working on proficiency. Jump to 185 was too much. Bar has to much horizontal travel
135
155
Clean
225 x 2
225 x 2
225 x 2
245 x 1
Power clean front squat (1PC–8FS)
225
225
225
24 reps at 225 front squat about killed me. Snatch work was garbage, but will improve.