BH - Well spotted. I’m following a Mike Mentzer routine. 1 set to failure then 290 days rest between workouts. I’ve come back weaker so I obviously didn’t rest long enough. Bugger! I guess you just can’t lift more frequently than this unless you’re on something.
07/12/2012
Deadlift
5 x 5 x 242 lbs
Sumo deadlift (just messing with form)
3 x 220 lbs
3 x 264 lbs
2 x 308 lbs
2 x 330 lbs
1 x 352 lbs
Pull ups
3 x 6 x BW
Glute bridges
3 x 10 x 165 lbs
DB One arm row
3 x 8 x 102 lbs
60 second chin @ BW - 40 seconds
…immediately followed by…
EZ curls
1 x 5 x 55 lbs
RDLs
2 x 10 x 165 lbs
Ab rollouts off knees
1 x 8
1 x 7
Performed the glute bridges non stop, continuous tension style.
Did the deads touch and go. They’re still a bit light, but I’m using them as a sort of conditioning to get my sorry arse back into shape to lift the heavier weights.
A 60 second chin is a loooong time. I guess I’ll have to build up to it.
oh dear oh dear now i feel like a slacker. i’ve been… well… slacking, really.
brett contreras reckons you adapt to not using a pad with the bridges / hip thrusts, but i use a pad anyway. otherwise i feel like the bones get a bit bruised and it distracts from the mind-muscle connection.
Alexus - I hear you on the bruised bones. It wasn’t just uncomfortable, it was downright painful. But I know I’ll adapt. I even have sore collarbones from the front squats and sore traps from the back squats because I’m so unused to them.
GV - I don’t know exactly what the 60 second chin is for. It’s just a pre-exhaust method out of an old book. I haven’t really decided what my specific goals are yet. I’m just happy to be back lifting and am just playing around with stuff right now.
Jack/James - Thanks.
10/12/2012
Back squats
5 x 5 x 236 lbs
RDLs
3 x 10 x 176 lbs
supersetted with
Glute bridges
3 x 10 x 176 lbs
Front squats
3 x 10 x 132 lbs
Bulg. split squats
2 x 6 x BW each leg
Dips @ BW x 15-10-8
supersetted with
DB curls x 30.5 lb’ers x 15-10-6
The clean grip on the front squats felt alright today. I’ve found it much easier to switch than I thought I would.
The RDL/glute bridge superset was tough. I only allowed enough time to get into position between exercises.
I’m not progressing as quickly on the squats as I would like. They still feel a bit alien to me.
A 60 second chin? Seriously? That sounds about awful.
Do you find the Bulgarian Split Squats helpful for imbalances or are they just an overall part of your “I hate my legs I must crush them” routine? I only ask because I have a very obvious lean/drag to the left when I squat, wondering if the Bulgarian split squats might rectify that?
Brian - I’m doing the BSS because I have that same lean/drag thing you mention. My right leg does most of the work when I squat and deadlift. (I do have some twisted pelvis, leg length thing going on too. My right foot is about 2" further forward than my left when I squat and if I level them up it feels plain WRONG). Anyway my left leg is incredibly weak and I’m hoping these will help bring it up to match my right leg (pathetically weak).
Wednesday 12/12/2012
Military press
5 x 5 x 110 lbs
Face pulls
3 x 15 x 60 lbs
One arm DB press (each arm)
1 x 10 x 53 lb’ers
1 x 3 x 69 lb’ers
Band pullaparts
3 x 20
Pushdowns
4 x 10 x 77 lbs
Toe raises
3 x 15 x 286 lbs
DB bent over flyes
3 x 10 x 22 lb’ers
Push ups
1 x 30 x BW (finisher)
Really, really liked the one arm DB presses. Definitely going to keep them in.
I’m being very cautious with the calf stuff because I’ve suffered from plantar fasciitis several times in the past and I don’t want to ever experience that again. Every step is agony.
Since I’ve been back lifting my appetite has gone ape-shit! I’m hungry all the time.
Dude - I’m not really switching, just having a go at both. Right now I’m just trying to hammer my posterior chain and I feel Sumo works it more. Conventional still feels more natural though.
Matty - I don’t really think it’s a lesser way of doing it, it’s still the same weight whichever way you hold it, but I knew the real reason I wasn’t using the clean grip wasn’t because I couldn’t but because it was uncomfortable (wah, wah) and more difficult to keep my elbows up (wah, blubber, sniff) and that… basically I was being a pussy. So I forced myself to start using it and so far after 2 weeks it feels OK. No wrist pain etc.