Damn brotha putting up some big weights for hella reps! Good stuff man, keep it up!
Thank you Nutty! Nice to have ya back 
Week 6, Day 1
SQUAT
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 1
ā¦ stopped there since the squats felt super shitty.
BENCH
135 x 3
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3
250 x 1
275 x 2
275 x 1
275 x 1
A1: DIPS
5 x 5 @ 95 lbs
with
A2: T-BAR ROWS
5 x 12-15 @ 125 lbs
AB CRUNCH
3 x 12-15
Day 6, Week 2
Missed this day. Bad, bad sleep that night and felt that taking the day off was better than forcing it.
Week 6, Day 3
SQUAT
135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 1
405 x 1
415 x 1
365 x 3
335 x 3
BENCH
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3
250 x 1
275 x 1
250 x 3
250 x 3
BB ROW
205 x 5
205 x 5
205 x 5
205 x 5
205 x 5
SNATCH GRIP HIGH PULL
ā¦worked up to 225 x 2
LEG RAISES
x15
x15
x15
Just bought this album today, great stuff!
Week 6, Day 4
SQUAT
135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 1
405 x 1
OH PRESS
155 x 3
165 x 3
165 x 3
165 x 3
withā¦
LAT PULL DOWN
170 x 15
170 x 15
170 x 12
160 x 15
FACEPULL
130 x 12
130 x 12
130 x 12
Week 6, Day 5
SQUAT
135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
345 x 1
365 x 1
385 x 1
405 x 1
335 x 2
335 x 2
BENCH
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3
250 x 1
275 x 1
250 x 2
250 x 2
A1: DIPS
4 sets x 10-12 reps
A2: 1-ARM BB ROW
4 sets x 10-12 reps
AB WHEEL
x40
Week 7, Day 1
SQUAT
135 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 1
405 x 1
405 x 1
365 x 3
BENCH
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3
250 x 1
275 x 1
280 x 1
255 x 5
DIPS
5 x 5 with 95 lbs dumbbell
superset withā¦
T-BAR ROW
5 x 12-15 at 125 lbs
AB CRUNCH MACHINE
3 sets x 15 reps
Week 7, Day 2
SQUAT
135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 1
405 x 1
415 x 1
315 x 3, with two second pauses
A1: SEATED BB SHOULDER PRESS
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
A2: CHINS
x10
x10
x10
x10
x8
T-BAR HIGH ROW
3 sets x 8-12 reps
Everything has been going well. I have floating pains, I have to keep up with stretching or I get very sore knees. Also, standing at work all day gives me sore knees as well as a very tight lower back.
Week 7, Day 3
SQUAT
135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 1
BENCH
275 x 1
230 x 6
230 x 5
BB ROW
205 x 5
205 x 5
205 x 5
185 x 5
185 x 5
LEG RAISE
x15
x15
x15
This morning was pretty shitty. Nothing exciting.
Week 7, Day 4
SQUAT
135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 1
405 x 1
315 x 3 (3 second pauses)
315 x 3 (3 second pauses)
OH PRESS
155 x 3
165 x 3
165 x ouch, got some pain in the shoulder, so I stopped.
withā¦
LAT PULL DOWN
170 x 15
170 x 15
170 x 12
TRAP BAR SHRUGS
3 sets x 30 reps
Week 7, Day 5
SQUAT
135 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 1
315 x 10
315 x 10
BENCH
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3
255 x 1
280 x 1
300 x 1 PR!
245 x 3
245 x 3
DIPS
4 x 12
withā¦
1 ARM BB ROW
4 x 12
AB WHEEL
x30
x25
x20
Knees have been very sore and have ached quite more than usual. Gonna take this next week off from squatting. Give some time for everything to heal up some. On a high note, I pressed 300 today. Boom-schaka-laka!
[u]Week 8, Day 1[/u]
BENCH
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3
250 x 1
275 x 1
255 x 2
255 x 2
DIPS
5 x 5 with 95 lbs dumbbell
superset withā¦
T-BAR ROW
5 x 12-15 at 125 lbs
AB CRUNCH MACHINE
3 sets x 15 reps
Nuttinā crazy or exciting. But Lamb of Godās new album is almost hereā¦
A couple days agoā¦
Week 8, Day 2
I did some seated presses overhead and some chin-ups. It was pretty rad.
Week 9, Day 1
SQUAT
135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 1
405 x 1
415 x 1
375 x 1
375 x 1
BENCH
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3
245 x 1
275 x 1
295 x 1
265 x 1
265 x 1
DIPS
5 x 5 @ 95 lbs
withā¦
T-BAR ROWS
5 x 8-12
AB CRUNCH MACHINE
3 x 15
Week 9, Day 2
YOKE BAR SQUATS
70 x 5
160 x 3
250 x 3
300 x 3
340 x 1
360 x 1
SEATED OVERHEAD BB PRESS
135 x 6
135 x 6
140 x 5
140 x 5
140 x 5
superset withā¦
CHINS
x12
x12
x12
x10
x10
T-BAR HI ROW
3 sets x 15 reps
Used the safety squat bar (Yoke Bar) today. Pretty cool, I might try to use it for two out of the five days I am squatting for a different groove.
Whatās up, how are your knees after a break? Nice benchin, 3 plates on the way
[quote]squats and milk wrote:
Whatās up, how are your knees after a break? Nice benchin, 3 plates on the way[/quote]
Hey bud, my knees felt awesome after the week off. I have a little bit of arthritis in my knees, but I think it has more to do with how tight my thighs and IT bands get. In any case, my knees have felt great this week. Just trying to listen to my body, you know?
Youāve been killing it man. Keep at it.
Week 9, Day 3
SQUAT
135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 1
390 x 1
405 x 1
325 x 3
325 x 3
BENCH
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 3
225 x 3
250 x 1
275 x 3
230 x 3
230 x 3
BB ROW
205 x 5
205 x 5
195 x 5
195 x 5
195 x 5
SNATCH GRIP HI PULLS
ā¦up to 225 x 2 then back downā¦
LEG RAISES
x15
x15
x15
Week 9, Day 4
FRONT SQUAT
135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 2
300 x 1
320 x 1
OH PRESSES
135 x 3
145 x 3
155 x 3
165 x 3
super set with
LAT PULL DOWNS
4 sets x 12-15 reps
TRAP BAR SHRUGS
3 sets x 30 reps
Decided to do front squats since I was pretty damn sore from the last three days of squatting. Here is a video of my last singleā¦
[u]Week 9, Day 5[/u]
BENCH
135 x 8
185 x 5
205 x 3
225 x 3
250 x 1
275 x 2
275 x 1
275 x 1
250 x 5
DIPS
x30
x25
x20
x20
superset with
DB ROW
105 x 12
105 x 12
105 x 12
105 x 12
AB WHEEL
x30
x30
Soā¦ Iām gonna drop squatting so frequently. I truly love doing it, I love the training style, but working up to a max or the frequency or whatever has really bothered my knees. For me, it is not worth the discomfort that I have gotten over the last several weeks. If I do it again In the future, maybe I will keep it to only a 6 week run or so. My knees will feel better with rest, but after I return to 3-4 days of consecutive squatting, the discomfort returns to where it hurts to get out of a chair, walks up steps, etcetera. Too young for that shit.
Anyway, for a quick re-hashā¦ here you go if youāre interestedā¦
What I got out of it and what I liked:
1- I got more comfortable with lifting over 85% of my max. The weight itself just felt better on my traps and 95% felt more like 80% when lifting usually.
2- For me, squatting so frequently was not a giant challenge like some folks have made it out to be. I liked it and it was a lot of fun. It was not a mental toughness builder or anything like that for me. If anything, it was easier than my usual 2 days per week, because my overall effort was reduced so much and spread out over the entire week. Generally my squat sessions are very intense. Working up to a daily max and doing some drop sets was very manageable. Smolov, 20-rep squatting, GVT, in my opinion is way more intense.
3- I loved not having specific numbers I had to hit. I had way less anxiety going into the gym since I did not have any type of pre-conceived notion of how I had to perform on paper. Just an open space on my work sheet I took with me that I would fill out as I lifted.
4- I didnāt really give a fuck when I got in the gym. Not that I didnāt have intensity, but I could focus on enjoying my training rather than trying to beat numbers when I may feel like crap. So, for example, if I didnāt feel up to hit 415 one day, I wouldnāt care, because I had 20 more tries that month to do it.
5- I never actually lifted my true 100% one rep max, which for me that was the point the whole time. I wanted to build my smooth sexy 1RM. I did not ever want to have get psyched for a lift. I didnāt care how much I could grind out in a slow shitty looking rep. I wanted it to look and feel good. So if I got to 420 and it felt like 430 would be somewhat slow and crappy, I would stop. Based on how my highest numbers felt, I would say my actual max would be 440 - 450. 450 being a very slow grinding rep with stars floating in the eyeballs and embarrassing form.
6- The greatest thing I learned from all of the 8 weeks or so was how much your strength truly fluctuates from day to day. I would hit 390 one day, 415 the next, then 315 the next day would feel insanely heavy, then the next day 405 would go pretty quick. My diet was pretty much the same thing every day.
7- I definitely gained some size in my thighs. I did not do anything else for my lower body, zero, zilch-- and my lower body looks just as good or even slightly thicker than 2 months ago. My girlfriend even noticed the thickness increase of my thighs and they were already pretty muscular before.
What I did not like (not much at all):
1- My IT bands and thighs got ridiculously tight. I couldnāt stretch enough. A PVC pipe wouldnāt even phase my IT bands.
2- The pain I got in my knees towards the end. It was in the lateral (outer) part of the knee joint, where I have some crepitus. Iāve gotten discomfort there in the past, and it is always something I work around and am mindful of. It has never really been an issue, but towards the end I felt like I was being stupid and possibly damaging my joint if I kept going with it. Which is why I stopped. I havenāt squatted in a few days, and my knees feel good again. I can walk up steps with no issues and get into a deep squatting position with no issues.
I am still on the fence on what caused the knee pain. Possibly overly tight muscles. Iāve had a doctor tell me I have a little bit of arthritis in my knees, so it could be that. In any case, resting and taking 3-5 days off from squats made everything feel normal. If I could warm up enough I could get the knee pain to go away usually. One evening, at home, I did about 30 minutes of mobility and warm-up drills when I had severe knee discomfort and I was able to totally alleviate the pain and do bodyweight squats with no issues. So again, still unsure. I am very vulnerable to overly tight muscles that have affected my joints in the past (even shoulders).
I believe frequent squatting is awesome. I really enjoyed it and I wish my body would let me do it year roundā¦ but like I mentioned, I donāt think it is worth the discomfort I was getting. Happy medium you know? I would recommend it to anyone wanting to get better at squatting, but at the same time I donāt think it is necessary at all. A great squat can be built with 2-3 days per week, I strongly feel. The greatest thing I feel I gained from this was learning your body. From such frequency, you can learn to recognize how you will perform within the first 10 minutes of lifting. That was my experience at least.
Week 1, Day 1
SQUAT
135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 3
315 x 1
365 x 1
390 x 1
315 x 8
315 x 8
315 x 8
315 x 8
GHR
x8
x8
x8
AB CRUNCH MACHINE
3 sets x 12-15 reps