Friday August 7th, 2009
Iso Relaxation Bench Press
160 x 3
10 sets
Smith Bench Throws/Bench Press
115 x 4/275 x 2
115 x 4/275 x 2
115 x 4/275 x 2
115 x 4/275 x 2
115 x 4/275 x 2
115 x 4/275 x 2
Med Ball Chest Slams/Floor Press
20 x 6/265 x 2
20 x 6/265 x 2
20 x 6/265 x 2
20 x 6/265 x 4
20 x 6/265 x 3
Cable Flies
42.5 x 12
42.5 x 12
Great overall explosive contrast day. All weights went up easily, and everything felt good. Week one is done and I’m feeling great.
Monday August 10th, 2009
Bottoms Up Bench Press
135 x 3
225 x 3
245 x 3
Cluster Sets
275 x 3
290 x 3
305 x 3
315 x 3 (PR)
320 x 3 (PR)
Bench Press
135 x 3
225 x 3
265 x 2
275 x 2
295 x 2
305 x 2
315 x 1
325 x 1
335 x 1 (Not a max)
Floor Press
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
245 x 3
260 x 3
275 x 3
290 x 3 (PR)
Cable Flies
30 x 12
Today was amazing. Weights went up like they were nothing. The bottoms-up bench press was a PR with 320 for 3 cluster reps. The Bench Press 335 x 1 on the flat bench press went up relatively easy compared to last week when 305 felt heavy. 335 today felt great and I expect to best it next week. The floor press 290 x 3 was also a PR. Hit PRâ??s in every heavy exercise. As far as I can tell, the bench specialization is working like a charm.
good work
[quote]totti13 wrote:
good work[/quote]
Thank you!
Tuesday August 11th, 2009
Back Squats/Aligator Smash
Bar x 8/3 LR
95 x 8/3 LR
135 x 8/3 LR
185 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 2/3 LR
315 x 3/3 LR
355 x 2/3 LR
405 x 5/3 LR
Front Foot Elevated Split Squats/Cable Serratus Crunch
45 x 8 LR/65 x 12 LR
65 x 8 LR/72.5 x 10 LR
65 x 8 LR/72.5 x 10 LR
Seated Calf Raise/Barbell Jumps
90 x 8 (2 sec at top and bottom)/BAR x 30
4 sets
Eccentric 1-Legged Hamstring Curl
70 x 3 LR
90 x 3 LR x 5
Great overall lower body day. The 405 on squats felt awesome. I felt that 6-10 reps was possible, but didnâ??t want to push it and maybe will push to get 6-8 next week.
I’ve really enjoyed following your log. Seems like the new routine is working. Are you doing anything in particular to help you recover from all the pressing that your program calls for?
Also, you still thinking about playing football or rugby this year?
[quote]jfc0533 wrote:
I’ve really enjoyed following your log. Seems like the new routine is working. Are you doing anything in particular to help you recover from all the pressing that your program calls for?
Also, you still thinking about playing football or rugby this year?[/quote]
Glad you enjoy my log man. I am probably not playing football or rugby this year. My knee would just give me too much problems and at this point the risk isn’t worth the rewards. I am not doing anything different with recovery besides taking in more nutrients during the workouts where I press a lot. My recovery has seemed fine and I have not been too sore for any of the workouts yet. I’ll keep you updated on how I feel though.
Wednesday August 12th, 2009
Bench Press
275 x 3 (20 minutes)
11 sets in time
Close Grip Lockouts (pin 13)
10 x 1
Russian Decline Twists (done intermittently)
25 x 12
25 x 12
30 x 12
Tate Cable Crunch (done intermittently)
42.5 x 10 LR
50 x 10 LR
50 x 10 LR
50 x 10 LR
Good overall day. 275 x 3 felt extremely easy for the first 5-7 sets. It felt as if I could have banged out 10 + on the first set. I performed more sets this time, but also went for 20 minutes instead of 15. I felt that I could do it for 20 minutes without tiring out and was correct.
Thursday August 13th, 2009
Weighted Pull-Ups/Renegade Rows
45 x 6/45 x 8 LR
55 x 6/45 x 8 LR
70 x 6/45 x 8 LR
Horizontal Row Hammer Strength/Calf Raise (5 sec at top-5 sec at bottom)
180 x 12/90 x 6
270 x 12/90 x 6
320 x 12/90 x 6
360 x 10/90 x 6
360 x 10
Shoulder Set
Head Supported Rear Delt Flies: 20 x 10, 20 x 8, 20 x 8
Leaning Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 27.5 x 8 LR, 25 x 8 LR
Front Plate Raise: 45 x 10
Perfect Curl/Incline Bench Inverted Hammer Curls
55 x 10/20 x 10
65 x 8/25 x 10
Great day. The pull-ups were really easy and the rowâ??s were also surprisingly easy. I was able to pull 8 plates on the hammer strength row very easily and did 2 sets of 10. Initially, I was going to go as low as 6 on that exercise, but didnâ??t want to exhaust myself too much and instead just got more volume.
Training looks like its going great man. Your making some solid gains here, keep it up!
[quote]BlackLabel wrote:
Training looks like its going great man. Your making some solid gains here, keep it up![/quote]
Thanks man. I’m really trying to get my bench up right now because it is weaker than other lifts.
Dude you’re strong as shit. I’ll look forward to following your log and seeing how the bench specialization pans out for you. My bench max is also somewhere in the 350-370 range and I’m ready to push that into the 4’s.
Lifts all around are solid, and you’ve got a solid, lean physique to boot. Good stuff.
[quote]bugeishaAD wrote:
Dude you’re strong as shit. I’ll look forward to following your log and seeing how the bench specialization pans out for you. My bench max is also somewhere in the 350-370 range and I’m ready to push that into the 4’s.
Lifts all around are solid, and you’ve got a solid, lean physique to boot. Good stuff.[/quote]
Thanks a lot man. Ya I really want to get my bench to 400 by 2010. Hopefully this bench specialization should jack it up to 370-390 and then I can easily get it there.
Friday August 14th, 2009
Iso-Relaxation Bench Press/Aligator Smash/Wrist Curls
160 x 3 x 10 sets
2 smash sets
4 sets @ 135 x 5 wrist curls
Smith Machine Throws/Bench Press
115 x 4/275 x 2
6 total sets
Cable Flies
35 x 10
42.5 x 10
50 x 8
57.5 x 6
Drop Set: 57.5-35
Great overall day. I scaled back the volume with the ballistic movements and explosive contrast movements by removing medicine ball chest slams and heavy floor press. I felt that when dealing with explosive contrast, 1-2 exercises tops is more than enough and then added supplemental work (cable flies) should do it for the day.
Saturday August 15th, 2009
Power Cluster
Deadlift/Sled Pull Variations
405 x 8/50 yards (105 lb)
405 x 6/50 yards
405 x 7/50 yards
405 x 8/50 yards
First conditioning session in about 2 weeks! And I started the new conditioning season with a bang might I add.
Did a fat loss/strength workout for the lower body today. Very low volume as you can see and relatively light with the weights. I havenâ??t deadlifted in a long time, but 405 x 8 was extremely, I emphasize extremely, easy. On the last set 8 felt like doing 225 or something. I felt as If I could have banged out 15-20 if I were crazy enough.
Monday August 17th, 2009
Bottoms-Up Bench Press
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
Cluster Sets
280 x 3
300 x 3
315 x 3
Bench Press
135 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3
300 x 2 (Extremely Easy)
315 x 2 (Extremely Easy)
335 x 2 (Could have done 3-4 maybe)
Floor Press
135 x 3
225 x 3
265 x 2
280 x 2
295 x 2
305 x 2 (PR)
315 x 2 (PR 2. Very Easy. 3-4 possible)
Today was the best benching day of the entire cycle!!! I hit big PRâ??s in both the bench press and floor press. 315 x 2 on bench press felt almost more impressive to me than 335. I felt that I could have benched 315 x 5 reps which would have been a huge PR to me, but it wasnâ??t possible with the prescribed reps for the program. 335 was awesome as well. 315 x 2 on the floor press was easier than the 305 x 2 set before it! Overall, I left the gym absolutely amped after today that this program that I set up actually is working for me.
Tuesday August 18th, 2009
Back Squats
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 3
405 x 5
Leg Extension Pre-Exhaust/Barbell Lunges/Dumbbell Calf Raises
210 x 20/185 x 10 LR/60 x 20
210 x 20/185 x 10 LR/60 x 20
Drop Set: 290 x 5/270 x 5/250 x 5
Good Mornings
135 x 12
185 x 10
1-Legged Eccentric Hamstring Curl/Calf Raise (2-2)
70 x 3 LR/90 x 8
90 x 3 LR/90 x 8 (6 total sets)
100 x 3 LR/100 x 8 (3 total sets)
Good overall leg day. Hit the quads pretty hard today with the leg extensions followed by the lunges. Will be switching to a different squat variation starting next weekâ?¦Any suggestions??
Very good log and great progress, as for you invitation for squat variations, try a change of foot position, e.g from close stance to very wide stance (ala powerlifting style) or vice versa, possibly you could try front squats or if you really wanted to you could pull a deep sumo deadlift (possibly after some quad pre-exhaust work)
Good luck and keep adding weight to the bar 
MJ-Cartwright
Personal Trainer and Strength Coach
Pontypridd South Wales
I like the idea of Sumo Deads. I haven’t done them in years. I also like snatch grip deads from a deficit. I think that I may do either. Thanks for the help bro!
Wednesday August 19th, 2009
Weighted Pull-Ups
45 x 3/Swiss Ball Rollout x 20
55 x 3/Swiss Ball Rollout x 20
75 x 3/Jacknife x 50
90 x 3/Jacknife x 50
90 x 3
Rack Pulls (Knee Level)
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 5
405 x 6
465 x 6
500 x 6
500 x 10
Donkey Calf Raise/Barbell Jumps
45 x 10/30
90 x 10/30
110 x 10/30
110 x 10/30
Giant Set:
Hammer Strength Row
3 Plates x 15, 3 Plates + 25â??s x 12
Hammer Strength Pulldown
3 Plates x 15, 3 Plates x 12
Dumbbell Rows
125 x 20, 125 x 10 LR
Hammer Strength Drop Set
Row
4 plates x 10, 3 plates x 10, 2 plates x 10, 1 plate x 30
Pulldown
3 plates x 10, 2 plates x 10, 1 plate x 10, 1 plate x 10
Great back day. Have slightly altered my routine due to my slightly inflamed shoulder. However, as you can see, I can still hit the back pretty hard. Havenâ??t done rack pulls in a long time. The 500 x 10 was really easy, but I didnâ??t want to push it at all on them (not to say that I still didnâ??t work hard). The Giant set was pretty brutal, and what was really annoying was that the handles on the 125 lb dumbbells were as thick as a thick bar!!! I could barely grip it! Call me a bitch, but I donâ??t have massive hands. Overall, good back day, and may or may not take a day off tomorrow.
Update Pic: