28/04/10
ME Bench Presses
Bench Presses (Paused):
20x8
(Added doubled mini bands)
20x5
60x3
(All subsequent sets performed with a 1-board)
80x3
90x1
100x1
110x1
115x1
3-Board Presses:
110x5
120x5
130x5
Chin-ups:
BW+10x6
BW+10x6
BW+10x6
BW+10x5
Triceps Pushdowns w/Straight Bar Attachment:
2x12
Face Pulls:
2x15
30/04/10
DE Squats/Deadlifts
Speed Box Squats:
20x2x5
(Added 2 sets of chains per side)
20x3
60x2
80x2
100x8x2
Speed Deadlifts:
70x3
(Added doubled mini bands)
70x1
90x1
110x6x1
Reverse Hypers:
90x4x8
Ab Pulldowns:
125lbx1x10
125lbx1x8
115lbx2x10
Very satisfied with this evening’s work - all of my dynamic sets were as fast as they should be, and I got in a decent amount of volume with the assistance stuff.
02/05/10
DE Bench Presses
Speed Bench Presses:
20x2x8
(Added 2 sets of chains per side)
20x5
40x3
60x3
70x8x3
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows:
45x12
50x10
55x10
60x10
Neutral Grip Dumbbell Floor Presses:
80lbx8
80lbx10
85lbx8
85lbx9
TRX Rear Delt Flyes:
3x10
Barbell Curls:
45x3x8
Nothing spectacular.
03/05/10
ME Squats/Deadlifts
Cambered Bar Good Mornings:
30x2x5
50x5
70x5
90x3
110x3
130x3
140x3
150x3 (PR)
Rack Pulls (from 3rd pins):
60x3
100x3
120x3
140x3
160x3
180x3
190x1 (PR)
200xF
Glute/Ham Raises:
BWx2x15
Reverse Hypers:
50x2x15
TRX Ab Fallouts:
4x12
I was delighted with the good mornings - my previous best effort with the straight bar was 140, so 150 with the cambered bar was extremely satisfying. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for my rack pulls, which still suck. I’ve managed 180 for a triple from this height before, so 190 for a single was a pretty hollow PR.
After smashing my lower back to pieces with the heavy stuff, I did some easy assistance to finish off.
I never tried GMs with that bar. Good idea and congrats on the PR
[quote]whup wrote:
I never tried GMs with that bar. Good idea and congrats on the PR[/quote]
Good idea? If you plan on walking the day after, I would not suggest breaking the habit! Thanks though, man.
05/05/10
ME Bench Presses
Suspended Chain Reverse Band Bench Presses:
20x2x8
(Added light bands)
60x5
80x5
100x3
120x3
130x3
140x1
150x1
Close Grip Bench Presses:
85x5
95x5
107.5x5 (PR)
Chin-ups:
BW+10x4x7
Triceps Pushdowns w/Straight Bar Attachment:
80lbx2x10
Face Pulls w/Straight Bar Attachment:
110lbx2x12
Everything felt heavy for the main exercise - but the rest of the session was pretty good. Not much else to say.
07/05/10
DE Squats/Deadlifts
Speed Box Squats:
20x2x5
(Added 2 sets of chains per side)
20x3
60x2
80x2
110x8x2
Speed Sumo Deadlifts:
70x3
(Added doubled mini bands)
70x1
90x1
110x3x1
120x2x1
130x1
Reverse Hypers:
95x8
Tonight’s session was going really well, until my first set of reverse hypers. On the final rep, the ankle strap snapped clean through and the lever swung forwards, taking the plates along for the ride. This crushed two fingers on each hand, rendering me pretty helpless to do anything else for the session. Annoying.
08/05/10
DE Bench Presses
Speed Bench Presses:
20x2x8
(Added doubled mini bands)
20x5
40x3
60x3x3
70x3x3
80x3x3
Neutral Grip Dumbbell Floor Presses:
85lbx2x8
85lbx1x10
Barbell Rows (from 1st pins):
97.5x4x6
TRX Rear Delt Flyes:
3x10
Front Plate Raises:
25x3x10
I have to admit that I wasn’t expected an awful lot from today’s session - I figured that I’d turn up and do whatever my fingers would allow me to - but it turned out to be a great day.
Benching was fast, assistance work went very well, and my fingers were absolutely fine. It’s funny - I often find that it’s the times I go to the gym with low expectations of what I’ll achieve that I end up having a fantastic session.
10/05/10
ME Squats/Deadlifts
Reverse Band SSB Box Squats:
30x2x5
70x3
(Added green bands)
110x3
130x3
150x1
170x1
180x1
190x1
200x1
210x1
Stiff-legged Sumo Deadlifts:
65x5
105x3
125x3
135x3
145x3 (PR)
155x3 (PR)
TRX Ab Fallouts:
5x10
Tonight’s session was absolutely fantastic - I ended up exceeding my expectations by a large margin on the squats, and followed that up with a solid deadlift PR. After that, my lower back, hamstrings and glutes were all completely hammered, and the prospect of glute/ham raises wasn’t particularly enticing. So I skipped these for today and got a decent amount of volume in with the ab fallouts.
Cool vid, as always. “Some old fucker called Louie Simmons” LMAO
[quote]whup wrote:
Cool vid, as always. “Some old fucker called Louie Simmons” LMAO[/quote]
Cheers whup. I was thinking of ways to improve the videos, and came up with only one solution: more weight.
Oh, and… erm… Louie who?
12/05/10
ME Bench Presses
Bench Presses (Paused):
20x2x8
(Added 2 sets of chains per side)
20x5
40x3
60x3
(All subsequent sets performed with a 2-board)
80x3
90x3
100x1
105x1
110x1
115x1 (PR)
117.5x1 (PR)
Seated Overhead Press Lockouts:
60x5
70x5
80x5
90x3 (PR)
Chin-ups:
BW+12.5x2x6
BW+12.5x2x5
Triceps Pushdowns w/Straight Bar Attachment:
80lbx3x12
Face Pulls w/Straight Bar Attachment:
120lbx3x10
I tend to hit the peak of my strength in the third week of each mini-cycle we do, and this has proven to be true this week. After the highs of Monday’s performance, I hit a 7.5kg PR tonight on my max effort exercise - not a bad improvement at all for two months’ work! The rest of the session included good progress on all assistance and accessory lifts.
14/05/10
DE Squats/Deadlifts
Speed Box Squats:
20x2x5
(Added 2 sets of chains per side)
20x3
60x2
80x2
100x2
120x5x2
130x2
140x2
Speed Deadlifts:
70x3
(Added doubled mini bands)
70x1
90x1
110x2x1
120x2x1
130x1
140x1
Glute/Ham Raises:
BWx10
BW+10x3x10
Ab Pulldowns:
125lbx4x9
This was an extremely satisfying session. The squats felt fast(ish) and smooth (even though I worked up to about 80% plus chains), I equalled my PR pulling conventional against bands (even though I was using new ones) and then put in a good shift with the GHRs and ab pulldowns. Progress is enjoyable.
15/05/10
DE Bench Presses
Speed Bench Presses:
20x2x8
(Added doubled mini bands)
20x5
40x3
60x2x3
70x2x3
80x3
90x3
95x3
100x3
Barbell Rows (from 1st pins):
100x4x6
Neutral Grip Dumbbell Floor Presses:
85lbx2x10
85lbx1x18
TRX Rear Delt Flyes:
3x10
Front Plate Raises:
25x3x11
Perhaps unsurprisingly, I couldn’t resist the temptation of working up to some heavy triples after my speed sets today. I beat my previous best (95kg plus doubled minis) by 5kg, so am very happy with that. Everything else was pretty standard.
17/05/10
Deload - Squats/Deadlifts
Glute/Ham Raises:
BWx3x15
Reverse Hypers:
50x1x10
70x3x10
TRX Ab Fallouts:
4x12
With the ankle strap still in two pieces, I had to improvise and wrap a couple of blue bands around the ‘arm’ of the reverse hyper machine today. This actually turned the exercise into a pretty challenging variation with this weight!
Ab fallouts were performed standing on a low aerobic box. Not that anyone cares.
19/05/10
Deload - Bench Presses:
Neutral Grip Dumbbell Bench Presses:
20x2x10
26x8
34x15
34x15
34x11
Neutral Grip Chin-ups:
BW 10x6
BW 10x6
BW 10x5
Triceps Pushdowns w/Straight Bar Attachment:
45x2x10
Face Pulls w/Straight Bar Attachment:
60x2x10
21/05/10
Deload - Squats/Deadlifts
Speed SSB Box Squats:
30x2x5
70x3
90x2
100x6x2
Reverse Hypers:
80x4x8
Ab Pulldowns:
125lbx2x10
120lbx2x10
22/05/10
Deload - Bench Presses
Speed Bench Presses:
20x2x8
40x5
60x3
85x6x3
HS Row Machine:
2 platesx10
2.5 platesx10
3 platesx10
3.5 platesx8
Scarecrows:
7.5x2x12
Barbell Curls:
50x2x8
Sick curls, bro.
24/05/10
ME Squats/Deadlifts
Squats:
20x2x5
60x5
80x3
100x3
120x3
140x1
160x1
170x1
180x1 (PR)
Deficit Deadlifts:
60x5
100x3
140x3
160x3
180x3 (PR)
160x5
Glute/Ham Raises:
BWx8
BW 10x3x10
TRX Ab Fallouts:
5x10
Tonight was the first time I had performed a no-frills straight bar squat since my competition at the end of February, and the first time I had attempted one in training (which meant having to walk it out) since 8th February. I was interested to see where I was, and the result was a 10kg PR, and my first 4-plate squat! For our American readers (OK, whup) - don’t get too excited, it’s only 396lb.
All of these sets felt pretty heavy and awkward, and both 170 and 180 were grinders (180 was a genuine head buster) but I guess that comes with not performing the exercise regularly. I still need to fix my issue with falling forward, like so many of us long-bodied lifters.
I got a rep-PR for deficit deadlifts, and continue to make gains in my assistance work, so am very satisfied with this session!