FightingScott's Log

Training Training Logs
201

10/5/2008

Deadlift:
135X5
225X3
275X3
315X1
375X5
425X3
505XM
505XM
485XM

Speed Deadlift
275X1X6

Front Squat:
135X1
225X1
275X5

Deadlift Against Average Bands:
135X1
225X1
315X1
365X1

Today sucked. The Barbell Didn’t even budge. Today has totally fucked up the rest of my week.

I didn’t think a goal of 505 was too ambitious considering I Rack Deadlifted 495 for quite a few reps from the 2nd lowest pin height. And if I had chosen an overly ambitious number, then how the hell did I pull 455X5 last week when all I needed was 3?

Now how can I be sure if I’ll hit the numbers I want with the rest of my lifts this week?

I guess I’ll have to see how the rest of the week goes before I freak out and try changing everything.

I wish I just definitively knew what the fuck to do. I probably need to gain bodyweight. I’m down to around 186. But it’s hard to gain bodyweight when you’re not getting stronger.

I’ve been eating 6 eggs for breakfast and some combination of hamburger patties and chicken breasts to get 6-8 pieces of meat a day over the course of the 3 or 4 solid meals I have after breakfast. And I’ve been taking my obligatory PWO Waxy-Maize/Whey Protein shake, eating vegetables literally by the pound, and eating good carbs.

I suppose it’s possible I haven’t been eating enough carbs, but this morning I had 2 pancakes, 4 slices of toast, 2 hash browns, syrup, butter, and jam in addition to my normal 6 eggs. This isn’t a typical example of how many carbs I take in on most days, but it didn’t seem to help today.

Maybe my Squat is too low and my bodyweight is too low for a 505 Deadlift. Food choices are pretty limited at my cafeteria.

Actually, they’re pretty much limited to either hamburger patties or chicken breasts protein wise since that’s served every day at the grill,

But what’s served every day at the main line changes and more often than not is either fried and gravied beyond recognition or doesn’t even contain any actual meat (sometimes the dish of the day - the cornerstone item is something like tater-tot and cheese casserole).

While I only get 3 meals a day, I can get to go boxes and fill them up so I can eat 4 or 5 meals during the day. So after breakfast that’s usually something like 2 chicken breasts, a hamburger pattie, a handful of steamed vegetables, and possibly some sort of carb for the next 4 or 5 meals.

And on this diet I haven’t gained any weight.

I may have to bump it up to 7 eggs in the morning, 3 chicken breasts and a beef pattie for every other meal, the obligatory PWO, and more carbs with each meal that I eat carbs (I only eat carbs on meals before training sessions - I don’t count veggies as carbs).

The main thing that has deterred me from eating this much is that it just takes a fucking long ass time to sit down and eat all that food.

Front Squats were a pretty easy PR. It’s like I can just drop deep in the hole and make all the reps no sweat. My legs just don’t have a problem lifting the weight. It doesn’t feel heavy in my legs but it feels real fucking heavy on my torso.

By the end of the set my face was completely red and my eyes were blood-shot. It was a real battle for my core to hold up for all that time under tension but my legs just pushed through the set like it was 135.

365 on Greed Band Deadlift was kind of disappointing since when I did 315 against the greens for 3 sets of 5 it wasn’t too hard. I thought I would be able to get 365 for reps but getting 365 for 1 rep was a real bitch once the bar got above my knees.

I don’t think I’ll need to pull against heavy band tension for a while since I can lockout anything that gets a half inch off the floor.

The more I think about it, the more it seems like either everything is a weakness or that nothing is a weakness and that I should have made 505. But I didn’t make 505.

If Squats, Chins, and 3-Board go well during this last week, then I will simply use the same goal of 505 for this next cycle and I will hit bigger rep PRs. I think it is especially important that I hit 425 on Box Squats later this week since that is almost always the lift that is the limiting factor in what I can Pull.

I need to find a way to do Seated Good-Mornings so they do not hurt my testicles.

And before I try to pull 505 for the second time, I will make it my goal to hit:

305X5 Seated Good-Morning
305X5 Front Squat
385X8 Deep Romanian Deadlift
110X8 Dumbbell Lunge

The “Deep” RDLs will be done on an RDL station so I can get the bar nearly touching my feet.

If I cannot pull 505 after hitting those numbers and using 5/3/1 for 505 again, then I will be very surprised.

202

Just a thought but could it be lack of heavy ab work since the front squat felt heavy on your torso only? You dont seem to do much in the way of any ab work?

203

[quote]HitEmHard wrote:
Just a thought but could it be lack of heavy ab work since the front squat felt heavy on your torso only? You dont seem to do much in the way of any ab work?[/quote]

I doubt it’s my abs holding back my Deadlift. If it were I think it would have effected my ability to support even heavier weights with stuff like Pulls against Bands and Rack Deadlifts.

The Green Band Deadlift I performed today was likely around 665 at the top. I’ve also performed a 455 Zercher Squat off Pins many moons ago. And no matter where I am I can usually do the entire weight stack on Ab Crunch Machines for a few reps.

But you’re right about me being sporadic with Ab work. I should adress that. Come to think of it, my Weighted Leg Raises are pretty wimpy. I can’t really tell. I don’t know anyone else who does them.

So In addition to the Front Squat, Seated GM, and Dumbbell Lunge Goals I will also toss in the goal of doing 5 reps with 45lbs in the Weighted Leg Raise.

I will do the lift in the style of Ricky Bruch.
Watch the end of this video to know what I’m talking about.

I think 45lbs is a pretty good goal since I think I’m at 30 or 35 for 5 reps right now. Ricky looks like he’s doing 65 in that video. He also cheat-like-hell curls around 350lbs.

For those of you who’ve never done a full-on super-cheat curl (cheat all you want but don’t pull yourself under the bar like you would in a clean or snatch) I’d say that the movement is pretty equal to a Power Snatch in terms of the weight you can handle. Maybe a little bit easier but not much more.

I admit it would probably be better to do Overhead Squats as a heavy ab exercise, but there’s really not room for such a demanding full-body exercise in my training at the moment and any improvements in this exercise would probably be more attributed to improving my technique than actually getting stronger.

204

whats the diff between a deadlift and speed deadlift? sorry for a newbish question.

205

[quote]FightingScott wrote:
10/5/2008

Deadlift:
135X5
225X3
275X3
315X1
375X5
425X3
505XM
505XM
485XM

Speed Deadlift
275X1X6

Front Squat:
135X1
225X1
275X5

Deadlift Against Average Bands:
135X1
225X1
315X1
365X1

Today sucked. The Barbell Didn’t even budge. Today has totally fucked up the rest of my week.

I didn’t think a goal of 505 was too ambitious considering I Rack Deadlifted 495 for quite a few reps from the 2nd lowest pin height. And if I had chosen an overly ambitious number, then how the hell did I pull 455X5 last week when all I needed was 3?

Now how can I be sure if I’ll hit the numbers I want with the rest of my lifts this week?

I guess I’ll have to see how the rest of the week goes before I freak out and try changing everything.

I wish I just definitively knew what the fuck to do. I probably need to gain bodyweight. I’m down to around 186. But it’s hard to gain bodyweight when you’re not getting stronger.

I’ve been eating 6 eggs for breakfast and some combination of hamburger patties and chicken breasts to get 6-8 pieces of meat a day over the course of the 3 or 4 solid meals I have after breakfast. And I’ve been taking my obligatory PWO Waxy-Maize/Whey Protein shake, eating vegetables literally by the pound, and eating good carbs.

I suppose it’s possible I haven’t been eating enough carbs, but this morning I had 2 pancakes, 4 slices of toast, 2 hash browns, syrup, butter, and jam in addition to my normal 6 eggs. This isn’t a typical example of how many carbs I take in on most days, but it didn’t seem to help today.

Maybe my Squat is too low and my bodyweight is too low for a 505 Deadlift. Food choices are pretty limited at my cafeteria.

Actually, they’re pretty much limited to either hamburger patties or chicken breasts protein wise since that’s served every day at the grill,

But what’s served every day at the main line changes and more often than not is either fried and gravied beyond recognition or doesn’t even contain any actual meat (sometimes the dish of the day - the cornerstone item is something like tater-tot and cheese casserole).

While I only get 3 meals a day, I can get to go boxes and fill them up so I can eat 4 or 5 meals during the day. So after breakfast that’s usually something like 2 chicken breasts, a hamburger pattie, a handful of steamed vegetables, and possibly some sort of carb for the next 4 or 5 meals.

And on this diet I haven’t gained any weight.

I may have to bump it up to 7 eggs in the morning, 3 chicken breasts and a beef pattie for every other meal, the obligatory PWO, and more carbs with each meal that I eat carbs (I only eat carbs on meals before training sessions - I don’t count veggies as carbs).

The main thing that has deterred me from eating this much is that it just takes a fucking long ass time to sit down and eat all that food.

Front Squats were a pretty easy PR. It’s like I can just drop deep in the hole and make all the reps no sweat. My legs just don’t have a problem lifting the weight. It doesn’t feel heavy in my legs but it feels real fucking heavy on my torso.

By the end of the set my face was completely red and my eyes were blood-shot. It was a real battle for my core to hold up for all that time under tension but my legs just pushed through the set like it was 135.

365 on Greed Band Deadlift was kind of disappointing since when I did 315 against the greens for 3 sets of 5 it wasn’t too hard. I thought I would be able to get 365 for reps but getting 365 for 1 rep was a real bitch once the bar got above my knees.

I don’t think I’ll need to pull against heavy band tension for a while since I can lockout anything that gets a half inch off the floor.

The more I think about it, the more it seems like either everything is a weakness or that nothing is a weakness and that I should have made 505. But I didn’t make 505.

If Squats, Chins, and 3-Board go well during this last week, then I will simply use the same goal of 505 for this next cycle and I will hit bigger rep PRs. I think it is especially important that I hit 425 on Box Squats later this week since that is almost always the lift that is the limiting factor in what I can Pull.

I need to find a way to do Seated Good-Mornings so they do not hurt my testicles.

And before I try to pull 505 for the second time, I will make it my goal to hit:

305X5 Seated Good-Morning
305X5 Front Squat
385X8 Deep Romanian Deadlift
110X8 Dumbbell Lunge

The “Deep” RDLs will be done on an RDL station so I can get the bar nearly touching my feet.

If I cannot pull 505 after hitting those numbers and using 5/3/1 for 505 again, then I will be very surprised. [/quote]

whats the diff between a deadlift and speed deadlift? sorry for a newbish question.

206

[quote]crod266 wrote:
whats the diff between a deadlift and speed deadlift? sorry for a newbish question.[/quote]

One is fast.

Speed Deadlifts. DE Deadlifts. Deadlifts with Mini-Bands. The Dynamic Effort Method: Lifting Submaximal Loads with a focus on bar speed to develop speed strength.

If you’re doing the dynamic method, your set ends far before muscle fatigue sets in.

Westsiders doing Speed Squats with a little more than half their
best contest max.

Accomidating resistance is frequently used with the Dynamic Effort Method because it teaches one to be fast through the entire movement. If you are weak at lockout in the Deadlift, you will need to build momentum through the lift and power through the last portion so the bands do not slow you down as the tension builds when you raise the bar.

If you are weak at the start of the Deadlift, the bands teach you to be explosive enough to outrun them so that the bar gets moving before tension builds up and makes your journey from floor to lockout a slow one.

207

10/6/2008

Thinking:
I’m benching later tonight. Despite my most recent troubles with the Deadlift, I still have a lot of faith in the program. So next time around I plan to include the Bench Press with the rest of the lifts for some 5/3/1 action. But tonight I’ll be shooting for a max of 275, and hoping that I’ve gotten stronger since doing 250 for 2 and a half reps. So tonight determines what weight I choose for the next training cycle.

I’ve been thinking about the Deadlift a lot. I’ve decided that after I make 425 on Box Squats on Thursday I will Pull 505. If I don’t make 505 I will pull 455 for at least 6 reps.

I’ve found that if I miss a Deadlift, it’s because my Box Squat wasn’t strong enough. I need to Box Squat around 85% of my Deadlift BEFORE I make an attempt at that Deadlift.

I also think that my technique sucked on the first attempt on Sunday, and that I put so much into that attempt I couldn’t have even made 405 after that.

I’m hoping that by combining the confidence that comes after a 425 Box Squat along with taking off my shoes and leaning back a lot more in the pull will give me that break off the floor that I need.

Finally, after eating 3 of my 6 planned meals today, I realized that my diet plan and food volume is a bit unrealistic so I’m cutting a meal out.

So now I’ll be running on breakfast, 2 lunches, a PWO shake, and dinner. Still 6 eggs and oatmeal in the morning. Still 2 chicken breasts and a hamburger pattie for lunch and dinner. If the Cafeteria serves fish I will always eat it. If it’s fried - I’ll scrape off the fried stuff. I also won’t let myself get fats from any other sources besides the hamburger and eggs because 6 eggs and 2 hamburgers is plenty of fat for any day and is probably plenty of energy without carbs to meet my needs for non-training days.

Hopefully, Thursday will go well and my goals for the next training cycle after my deload will be as follows:

Deadlift 525
Bench 285
Chin 135
Box Squat 445
3-Board 325

208

10/6/08

Flat Bench Press:
45X10
95X5
135X5
185X3
225X1
275XM

Weighted Chin:
BWX5
25X1
50X5
80X1
125X1

Dips:
Just Me Again X 37

Finished up with some band traction and DC inspired stretches for triceps. I say DC inspired because I didn’t put myself through 3 minutes of hell so I can’t really call it extreme stretching now can I?

Oh. I got Svend Karlsen’s DVD and the COC 1.5 Gripper.

209

10/7/08

Sled Dragging:
1 Long Trip with 45lbs

Average Band Stretches for the Hamstrings and Inner Quads

Foam Rolling for the Low Back, Hamstrings, IT Band, Quads, and Calves

Ice Pack on Lower Back:
Till it’s not cold anymore

I’m getting ready for Thursday. Sometimes I do all of this stuff to recover, sometimes I don’t. I just got the Foam Roller since I lost my old one a few months ago and this is the second time I’ve dragged the sled.

Hopefully keeping a log of what I do for recovery will force me to be more consistent in using recovery methods.

The Plan is to do Foam Rolling before and after workouts, and Jumpstretch Band Stretches after workouts. I’m not sure yet how I’ll consistently fit in Sled Dragging. It may only be done once or twice a week with very light weight.

210

10/9/2008

Box Squat:
Worked up to 425X1

Deadlift:
Missed 495

Dumbbell Lunge:
45X5
115X5

Ricky Leg Raise:
35X6X2

The are pretty fuckin’ hard. Have you tried them? Just try them. Really. Much harder than Decline Crunches with a 100lb Dumbbell on your Chest.

Leg Press: This machine is totally worthless
Fuck Cybex

Leg Extension:
185X20

I think Squatting with bands has really helped. So there. I’m gonna keep doing it after I do Heavier Squats. I don’t care what you say. You know who does his Speed work after his Max Effort Work sometimes? Donnie Thompson. He’s one strong dude.

So my 5/3/1 has, so far this week, gotten me what I want on Chins and Squats and I think it will most likley give me what I want on 3-Board since my 3-Board and Chin are pretty much the same.

But it didn’t go for deads. I think a lot of it has to do with touch and go reps for me since I’m so weak at the bottom. I’ll use the same weights next time around after this deload, but every rep will pause at the ground.

I’m not really sold on Speed Deadlifts though. I don’t think they’ve helped at all, and definitely not as much as Squatting with Bands. I would like to replace Speed Deadlifts with Rack Deads.

The only thing really holding me back on this is that Speed Deads are pretty easy, so it’s nice to chill down and get your shit together instead of just jumping from Heavy Rack Deads to Heavy Front Squats. On the other hand, Heavy Rack Deads are just so Goddamn fun.

I think this is what my Sundays will come out to:

Deadlift 5/3/1
Front Squat
Rack Deadlift
Calf Raise
Dumbbell Side Bend
RDL + Machine Leg Curl Superset

Rack Deadlifts over Speed Deadlifts are probably for the best since I need to get bigger and exposing the body to 500 or 600 pounds will help push growth along.

211

10/10/2008

3-Board:
Missed 315 Twice.

Overhead Lockout:
185X5X2
225X6

For this I sat down and put the bar so it was above my head. If it had been 1 setting lower it would have been at my forehead.

Dumbbell Bench Press:
75X5
100X15

Cybex High Row:
250X6
305 + 25lb Plate X 8 Drop Set

Machine Fly:
170X6 Drop Set

I think that’s all I did today. Whatever. I’m super pissed about not getting 315. I definitely over-shot, but I wanted it so fucking bad. 3 plates just looks so goddamn beautiful to me right now.

I’m just so fucking tired of not looking like I lift weights. As I’ve said before, I think by the time I can Bench 315 I’ll at least look like I lift weights. I’m really obsessed with this number.

I just don’t get it. Every time someone asks me what my ‘hobbie’ is or what I do outside of Eat, Sleep, and Study, I just feel like I have to recline with the ultra-boring ‘nothing.’ What’s worse?

Having someone think you’re a boring, empty vessel of a human being or having someone laugh at your face when you tell them you actually lift weights even though you’re not 245.

There are 3 types of weak, normal people who don’t get it. There’s the first kind of “whatta you bench?” folk who evaluate you on nothing but your chest, arms, and bench. Nevermind Deadlifts, Squats, Rows, Chins, Atlas Stones, Zerchers, or what-have you. Nevermind that I’m a fucking FREAK at the Zercher Sqauat.

These guys have NEVER lifted for anything but the upper body so when you tell them your Squat or Dead numbers they say “Shit, that sounds easy. All you have to do is put it on your back/pick it up off the ground. It’s practically cheating since you’re using your legs/back”

Then there’s the other type of people who totally don’t understand. You tell them you Squat and Dead this or that, but you’re not quite at 300 for bench, and they totally don’t believe you or any human can Squat or Deadlift so much more than their bench.

Sure, there’s more scrawny people 1000 times weaker than me who still don’t think I lift weights that piss me off, but theres a small group of very stupid women in the world that piss me off the most. "How can you be stronger than so-and-so.

He’s so much bigger than you." These chicks totally don’t understand how muscle works. They really think that the 6’5" guy whose 200 pounds is probably stronger than me just because he has more atoms in his body. OH MY GOD.

Clearly it’s my fault. I just need to get brutally strong so I can get jacked enough that people won’t ask me what I do with my spare time.

212


10/12/2008

Deadlift:
135X5
225X5
305X5
335X5
355X5

Front Squat:
135X5
205X5

45’ Back Raise:
BWX50

Ricky Leg Raise:
BWX20X2

Captain of Crush:
TX10
1.5X11
2XNear Miss

Hammer Curl:
Did Some

DEEEEEEEEEEELoadin!

My new suppliment of choice is gamer grub.

Not really.

213

10/14/2008

Dumbbell Bench Press:
40X10
70X5
100X8X2

Machine High Row:
150X5
220X5
Stack + 45 X 8 X 2

Weighted Chin:
BWX5
15X5
30X5

Cable Crossover:
1 Set of 20

Cable Lateral Raise:
1 Set of 20

Cable Curl:
3 Sets of 8ish

Rope Pushdown:
1 Set of 20

Band Pull-Apart:
Light Band X 12

Captain of Crush:
TX10
1X3
2 X 1 Very Near Miss per Hand
2 X 1 Very Slow, Heavy Negative Per Hand

Overhead Dumbbell Extension:
40X10
70X10
100X20

Inspired to do these after watching Matt Kroc’s Video and thinking “If his Dumbbell Row is this and he can do that, then I’ll give it a go…”

I had fun and did a more bodybuilder type workout today. Quite a bit of volume.

Yeah, it wasn’t really done in the spirit of deloading, but I figure doing 1 bodybuilder day early on in the deload week and doing 1 very light, low volume day towards the end of the deload will benefit me more at this point than 2 very light, low volume deload days. It’s not like I went even close to failure today or was able to get psyched up since

I forgot to bring my Ipod and listened to “disturbia” and T.I.'s shitty rapping on the radio.

Whatever. Disturbia is a sweet song. And Rihanna has perfect legs. She’s a fox.

214

do u really do lunges with 100 pound dumbells?

215

[quote]crod266 wrote:
do u really do lunges with 100 pound dumbells?[/quote]

Well, now I’m trying to do them with 115lb Dumbbells.

216

[quote]FightingScott wrote:
crod266 wrote:
do u really do lunges with 100 pound dumbells?

Well, now I’m trying to do them with 115lb Dumbbells. [/quote]

dude wtf thats sick haha, i use do them after squats and deads but only use like 60 and can barely remain upright how the hell do u use 115 lol

217

[quote]crod266 wrote:
FightingScott wrote:
crod266 wrote:
do u really do lunges with 100 pound dumbells?

Well, now I’m trying to do them with 115lb Dumbbells.

dude wtf thats sick haha, i use do them after squats and deads but only use like 60 and can barely remain upright how the hell do u use 115 lol[/quote]

I wear straps to hold them.

Think about the ultra-heavy weights Olympic Weightlifters can hold overhead in a partial lunge position.

Look at the weights one guy uses in this video for a Full Front Lunge.

I think that people vastly underestimate the potential for how much weight can be used on a Lunge. The picture most people have in their mind of a lunge is of Huge, Olied up Bodybuilders in muscle magazines who are doing 40lb Lunges after Squatting 405 for reps and Leg Pressing 700 pounds for 10 minutes straight. Or they’ve got the image of women doing Lunges, since it’s one of the few exercises most women let themselves do besides the hip adductor machine and swiss-ball crunches.

So get that out of your head. Look at the Lunges this guy is doing at the end of this vid.

If you think you’re ready to be blown away, look at this guy do Lunges with 495!

The truth is, the Lunge is up there with the Clean, Front Squat, Push-Press, and Incline Press in terms of you being able to handle fairly heavy weights.

Why should you do your Lunges heavy? How can you tell what your weak points are if you’re not training everything to be as strong as possible?

218

[quote]FightingScott wrote:
crod266 wrote:
FightingScott wrote:
crod266 wrote:
do u really do lunges with 100 pound dumbells?

Well, now I’m trying to do them with 115lb Dumbbells.

dude wtf thats sick haha, i use do them after squats and deads but only use like 60 and can barely remain upright how the hell do u use 115 lol

I wear straps to hold them.

Think about the ultra-heavy weights Olympic Weightlifters can hold overhead in a partial lunge position.

Look at the weights one guy uses in this video for a Full Front Lunge.

I think that people vastly underestimate the potential for how much weight can be used on a Lunge. The picture most people have in their mind of a lunge is of Huge, Olied up Bodybuilders in muscle magazines who are doing 40lb Lunges after Squatting 405 for reps and Leg Pressing 700 pounds for 10 minutes straight. Or they’ve got the image of women doing Lunges, since it’s one of the few exercises most women let themselves do besides the hip adductor machine and swiss-ball crunches.

So get that out of your head. Look at the Lunges this guy is doing at the end of this vid.

If you think you’re ready to be blown away, look at this guy do Lunges with 495!

The truth is, the Lunge is up there with the Clean, Front Squat, Push-Press, and Incline Press in terms of you being able to handle fairly heavy weights.

Why should you do your Lunges heavy? How can you tell what your weak points are if you’re not training everything to be as strong as possible?[/quote]

Awesome post.

Honestly, I think people skimp on their lunges because it’s such a difficult exercise. I’m not using extraordinary weights by any means, but I feel more wrecked after a set of walking lunges than I do after front squats. That may be because of the longer sets that you do when you do lunges, but whatever. Still a tough and effective exercise.

219

10/16/2008

Box Squat:
45X5
135X5
225X1
255X5
275X5
295X5

Leg Extension:
It’s official, this thing sucks.
So does the Hack Squat we have.

Pulldown Abs:
2 sets of 20

Didn’t do any lower back or hamstring stuff because hopefully I’ll get out and drag the sled later today.

I want to find something to help me get some bigger, stronger quads that I can do at the end of the workout. I’m already doing Squats, Front Squats, and Lunges.

Whatever. Bringing up my Hamstrings is probably more important than bringing up my Quads to increase my squat and deadlift. I’ll just replace the Machine Quad work I had planned to do with Hamstring work.

220

They always crush my quads (mostly VMO) and glutes, or you could try sissy squats.

Are you gonna try one arm negative chins anytime soon? You’lll see your chinning strength sky-rocket as soon as you do.

Good luck with your training.