Journey to a State Title

Training Training Logs
421

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2011

Bench Day

Bench:
45 X 8
135 X 8
185 X 6
185 X 6
185 X 6
185 X 6 - Pushing it up 10 lbs next session.

Incline Dumbbell Bench/Band Row Superset:
65’s X 10
65’s X 10
65’s X 10
65’s X 10
65’s X 9 - I’ll get it next time.

Pull-ups:
BW X 5
BW X 5
BW X 5
BW X 6
BW X 3 - I was just tired.

1-Arm Dumbbell Row:
90’s X 6
90’s X 6
90’s X 6
90’s X 6
90’s X 6

Single-arm Cable Row:
80 X 10
80 X 10
80 X 10
80 X 10

Dead-stop Barbell Skullcrushers:
55 X 10
55 X 10
65 X 10
65 X 10
75 X 6

Lying External Rotations:
2.5 lbs X 3 X 10

Standing Goalposts:
2.5 lbs X 3 X 10

Standing 45’s:
7.5 lbs X 3 X 10

I weighed in at 191 lbs earlier in the day. My neck has been a little sore lately so I took off working it today. I ate a ton of food postworkout. I’m going for another all-time sumo PR tomorrow so I’m pretty excited.

422

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

Deadlift Day

Sumo Deadlift:
133 X 5
223 X 5
333 X 3 @ 65%
383 X 3 @ 75%
428 X 3 @ 85% - Double overhand for warmups. Belted up for the 428 set. Quick and easy.

Dumbbell Lunges:
65’s X 10
65’s X 10
65’s X 10

Physioball Leg Curl:
BW X 12
BW X 12
BW X 12
BW X 12
BW X 12 - Wow, my hamstrings got pumped from this today.

Hyperextensions:
45+BW X 15
45+BW X 15
45+BW X 15 - On glute ham raise.

Decline Bench Sit-ups:
45+BW X 15
45+BW X 15
45+BW X 15 - Plate held over head.

Scapular Stability Circuit:
Superman’s/W’s/T’s/Y’s: 2.5 lbs 3 X 10 - Flipping hard.

I’ve been pissing out my ass the past few days and that’s been messing with my strength. Today was still easy though. I also shoved a full pizza, three puddings and a Burger King steakhouse burger down my throat in 45 minutes last night so I’m sure that was helpful. Also, I’m stupid so I thought I was ahead a week. Today wasn’t a one rep PR, but was 2 lbs short of a three rep PR.

423

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

Bench Day

Bench:
45 X 8
135 X 8
195 X 6
195 X 6
195 X 6
195 X 6 - Easy again. I’ll push it up 10 lbs next session.

Incline Dumbbell Bench/Band Row Superset:
65’s X 10
65’s X 10
65’s X 10
65’s X 10 - Barely got the last rep. It’s hard to progress on these after benching. I’ll stay at four sets.

Pull-ups:
BW X 5
BW X 5
BW X 5
BW X 6
BW X 5

1-Arm Dumbbell Row:
90’s X 6
90’s X 6
90’s X 6
90’s X 6
90’s X 6 - Moving up next session.

Single-arm Cable Row:
80 X 10
80 X 10
80 X 10
80 X 10

Dead-stop Barbell Skullcrushers:
55 X 10
55 X 10
65 X 10
65 X 10
75 X 6

Lying External Rotations:
2.5 lbs X 3 X 10

Standing Goalposts:
2.5 lbs X 3 X 10

Standing 45’s:
7.5 lbs X 3 X 10

I haven’t been eating that great the past few days. On Monday I had five good meals and one meal of crap. It was the same on Tuesday. I only got four meals on Wednesday and one of them was shitty as well. I have an excuse though. I went to Rick’s funeral and that lasted a lot of the day and I forgot to pack some protein bars. Oh well. Things just work out that way sometimes. It was a great service and there were a lot of laughs everywhere. The chapel was overfilled and the parking lot was packed. I really wish I’d gotten to know him better.

424

I’m about to go off on a rant here that’s likely going to come off as offensive to a few of the more ‘respected’ members here, but I really think it needs to be said. I guess it’s a good thing not a whole lot of people read this training log…

I was up late last night and I took a peek at the Steroids forum. I’ve looked through it before while bored and wasn’t really interested in a lot of it as it really doesn’t apply to me as a natural guy. Yesterday, I mainly browsed through the stickies and I happened across this thread:

http://tnation.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_training_performance_bodybuilding_gear/post_your_preaas_physique_pic?id=1962105&pageNo=0

If you don’t want to read the thread, it’s essentially a thread for ‘before’ pictures of some of the prominent posters around T-Nation and especially around the Steroids forum.

To be honest, I was shocked. The vast majority of the pre-AAS physiques were not really impressive at all. Prisoner is supposed to be one of the more respected guys on here, but his physique prior to drug use was COMPLETELY unremarkable. Dave_ was average and soft. Cortes was just plain skinny. It was disappointing for me to a great degree because it seemed like the drugs were pretty much the only reason their physiques had progressed to being above average. All three of them look like their progress can be solely credited to drugs. testanabol was the only one who looked like he progressed from big to bigger after getting ‘on’.

Even a lot of the posters who didn’t have ‘before’ pictures up disappointed me. If you’re going to use AAS, it would be nice to see some impressive results. This is really crossing a line, but I can’t respect bushidobadboy’s physique at all. He’s a smart guy and I’m sure he’s absolutely wonderful at what he does in his line of work but I don’t think it should take AAS to look like him. I have two friends in Nebraska, a state of under 2 million people, who would make the majority of posters on this site look stupid. And they’re natural. I’ve even made a fucking thread about one of them and it got maybe 200 views and 5 comments because nobody on here can admit when someone does a great job at something. He’s been up to 215 lbs at 5’10", and the other guy is up to 280 lbs at 6’1". Shoot, I’m 18 years old and I’m stronger and bigger than a lot of people on this site and I have an absolutely TERRIBLE genetic pedigree. Is it that difficult to work hard? Maybe I just associate myself with people that actually put in effort so I have high standards.

I’ve come up with a list of guys who I will listen to around the forums. In no particular order:

Professor X - Even though he rarely ever gives out training advice anymore and mostly dishes out abuse, he actually built his physique through hard work.

The Mighty Stu - Probably the nicest guy on the site, hardworking, and actually has a physique to match.

waylanderxx - Jacked as shit, and was jacked before touching any AAS. He’s actually smart and takes this stuff seriously.

maraudermeat - Big, strong, hardworking and helpful.

kingbeef323 - I really wasn’t too impressed with him at first, but if he’s still natural then he has a pro card in bodybuilding in his future.

ebomb5522 - Big, strong, natural, busts his ass and a young guy to boot.

Chi-Towns-Finest - Weaker than piss for how big he is, but clearly he’s doing something right with his physique. And he’s natural.

bugeishaAD - Nice guy who doesn’t seem to dabble in putting people down, and he’s made a ton of progress.

2-Scoops - Incredibly strong, very big for his weight and he works hard. He won’t likely see this, but he ought to know that some people recognize his achievements.

grettiron - He is VERY big and strong for how light he is. I’d like to be past where he is by the time I’m 27 year old (if he’s really 27), but I have to respect his work ethic.

StormTheBeach - When he’s not purposely being an ass hat, he can be incredibly smart and is probably the all around strongest guy on this site.

austin_bicep - Young guy, strong guy, big guy. He’s made a ton of progress, and while I didn’t respect him while he was fat, I can definitely respect him since he figured out how to do this right while still having fun.

This isn’t supposed to come off as anti-PED. I am very pro-PED, but only when you’ve actually reached a point where you should be taking them. That would entail almost completely maxing out your physique naturally or competing at a very high level in some type of sport or strength sport where their use is allowed. There are a ton more people that I left out who I respect, but I don’t feel like making this essay any longer. One last thing: if you don’t have pictures or videos up, you really shouldn’t be giving advice. Especially if you claim to be a GIGANTIC natural lifter. Cephalic_Carnage, your advice may be sound, but you get no respect from me. And I couldn’t give two shits if you don’t care about whether I respect you or not. Also, I know what the secret behind the ‘INTENSITY’ shirts is, and the fucking secrecy is getting old. People need to grow up.

I can guarantee nobody is going to care about this post.

425

Friday, January 7th, 2011

Squat Day

Squat:
135 X 6
225 X 6
340 X 5 @ 65%
385 X 3 @ 85%
430 X 1 @ 95% - Belt for the single. It was deep and too fast. I probably should have gone for extra reps.

Bulgarian Split Squats:
60’s X 5
60’s X 5
60’s X 5
60’s X 5
60’s X 5

Hyperextensions:
45+BW X 15
45+BW X 15
45+BW X 15

Decline Bench Sit-ups:
45+BW X 15
45+BW X 15
45+BW X 15 - Plate held overhead.

Hanging Knee Raises:
BW X 15
BW X 15
BW X 15

Scapular Stability Circuit:
Superman’s/W’s/T’s/Y’s: 2.5 lbs X 3 X 10

My left knee was feeling pretty funky and so is my left elbow now. It’s just aches and pains. Squatting was a breeze today. I sank it real deep and I’d say 5 plates isn’t out of question right now. I even got video on my cellphone but it’s on Verizon Pix Place and I have no idea how to get it off.

426

Front Shot 11-25-2010
Bodyweight 187.3

427

Back Shot 11-25-10
Bodyweight 187.3

428

That was the last of the recomp. Everything I’ve done since then has been with the intent to gain or maintain my weight. I’m glad I finally figured out how to post pictures in my log because now I won’t have to keep putting stuff in my Hub. I don’t like putting pictures in there because it makes it too easy for people to see how big or small I am. I want it to be hard to find pictures of my progress around this website.

429

Saturday, January 8th, 2011

Shoulders/Arms Day

Lying External Rotations:
2.5 lbs X 3 X 10

Standing Goalposts:
2.5 lbs X 3 X 10

Standing 45’s:
7.5 lbs X 3 X 10

Dumbbell Lateral Raises:
20’s X 10
25’s X 10
25’s X 10
30’s X 10

Leaning Dumbbell Lateral Raises:
25’s X 10
25’s X 10
30’s X 10
30’s X 10

Partial Heavy Lateral Raises:
40’s X 30 - Better range of motion.

Bent-over Dumbbell Lateral Raises:
40’s X 10
45’s X 10
45’s X 10
50’s X 10 - Keeping this next week.

Hang and Swings:
30’s X 2 X 30

Six Ways:
7.5’s X 3 X 10 - Bumping this up next week.

Decline Close-grip Bench Press:
140 X 10
140 X 10
140 X 10
140 X 10

Skullcrushers:
45 X 10
55 X 10
65 X 10
75 X 8

Dumbbell Kickbacks:
40’s X 6
40’s X 6
40’s X 6
40’s X 6

Barbell Curls:
45 X 10
55 X 10
60 X 10
65 X 10

K-Pipe Dumbbell Curls:
30’s X 10
30’s X 10
30’s X 10
30’s X 10

I lifted in my basement. It was decent but nothing special. I cut down on the volume a little bit because I’ll probably be changing some things around come spring semester. My triceps have made a lot of improvements after training them three times a week, and I think I want to do something like that for shoulder width as well.

430

Just wanted to pop in and say I DID READ your rant on the last page and would say I agree with quite a bit of it.

I also have grown to like Bricknyes posts, he is a smart guy who just gets baffled by how stupid people often are on here and isn’t shy about it.

You look good in those pictures man, not very tall, but good. :wink:

431

[quote]VikingsAD28 wrote:
Just wanted to pop in and say I DID READ your rant on the last page and would say I agree with quite a bit of it.

I also have grown to like Bricknyes posts, he is a smart guy who just gets baffled by how stupid people often are on here and isn’t shy about it.

You look good in those pictures man, not very tall, but good. ;)[/quote]

I find that I agree with almost everything Brick has to say in the Bodybuilding and Nutrition forums but I just don’t like how abrasive he gets. Then again, he’s been around since 2002 so he has over eight years of pent up frustration to release so who I am to judge? lol.

Thanks man. 5’9" is the average height for an American male! God, all I get these days is comments about how short and stocky I am. We can’t all be over six foot like you and BlackLabel. Dicks. =)

432

I’m sure a lot of people would agree with your rant, but in the end, it’s just the internetz.

Great work in here, very impressive.

433

[quote]mrodock wrote:
I’m sure a lot of people would agree with your rant, but in the end, it’s just the internetz.

Great work in here, very impressive.[/quote]

Thanks! I really appreciate that coming from you. I read through your entire training log when you kept one and I was struck by your form. It’s pretty much perfect, especially your sumo deadlift. Why’d you cut back on posting?

434

[quote]165StateChamp wrote:

[quote]mrodock wrote:
I’m sure a lot of people would agree with your rant, but in the end, it’s just the internetz.

Great work in here, very impressive.[/quote]

Thanks! I really appreciate that coming from you. I read through your entire training log when you kept one and I was struck by your form. It’s pretty much perfect, especially your sumo deadlift. Why’d you cut back on posting? [/quote]

That’s very nice of you to say, but there is plenty of room for technical improvement. Until I get mistaken for Viktor Furashkin . . .

I stopped posting my training because I got extremely frustrated with messing with the formatting and having posts not show up. So I now have a webpage where I post my training. If you’re interested I could pm you a link. Otherwise I bet you could find it through google without too much trouble.

You have a ton of potential at a young age. The kicker is you are both mature and smart, I was neither at 18. I’m sure you’ll hit some very impressive lifts before you hang them up.

435

[quote]mrodock wrote:

[quote]165StateChamp wrote:

[quote]mrodock wrote:
I’m sure a lot of people would agree with your rant, but in the end, it’s just the internetz.

Great work in here, very impressive.[/quote]

Thanks! I really appreciate that coming from you. I read through your entire training log when you kept one and I was struck by your form. It’s pretty much perfect, especially your sumo deadlift. Why’d you cut back on posting? [/quote]

That’s very nice of you to say, but there is plenty of room for technical improvement. Until I get mistaken for Viktor Furashkin . . .

I stopped posting my training because I got extremely frustrated with messing with the formatting and having posts not show up. So I now have a webpage where I post my training. If you’re interested I could pm you a link. Otherwise I bet you could find it through google without too much trouble.

You have a ton of potential at a young age. The kicker is you are both mature and smart, I was neither at 18. I’m sure you’ll hit some very impressive lifts before you hang them up.

[/quote]

PMing me the link would be awesome. I’ve seen your posts and I can tell that at the very least you’re plenty smart now. Thanks for the compliments. Sometimes I get nervous that I might just be a guy that peaked early, but when people tell me I have some potential at this it gives me a lot of confidence.

436

Monday, January 10th, 2011

Bench Day

Bench:
45 X 8
135 X 8
205 X 4
205 X 4
205 X 4
205 X 4 - Called an audible and switched to four rep sets. Adding 5 lbs next session.

Incline Dumbbell Bench/Band Row Superset:
65’s X 10
65’s X 10
65’s X 10
65’s X 10 - Easy. This will move up.

Pull-ups:
BW X 5
BW X 5
BW X 5
BW X 5
BW X 5 - I was supposed to go for as many reps as possible last set, and results were unimpressive.

1-Arm Dumbbell Row:
95’s X 6
95’s X 6
95’s X 6
95’s X 6
95’s X 6 - Keeping the weight.

Single-arm Cable Row:
90 X 10
90 X 10
90 X 10
90 X 10

Dead-stop Barbell Skullcrushers:
55 X 10
55 X 10
65 X 10
65 X 10
75 X 8

Lying External Rotations:
2.5 lbs X 3 X 10

Standing Goalposts:
2.5 lbs X 3 X 10

Standing 45’s:
7.5 lbs X 3 X 10

I lifted in a cutoff today for the first time since the summer and I have a lot to work on. My direct shoulder work has really paid off, but there’s something missing in my upper body. My arms need to come up a lot, both biceps and triceps. They’re just small, and I have a feeling improving them will improve my upper body strength as well.

437

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

Deadlift Day

Sumo Deadlift:
133 X 5
223 X 5
358 X 5 @ 75%
408 X 3 @ 85%
453 X 1 @ 95% - Belted for the last two sets. The single was a little slow off the floor, but fast enough.

Dumbbell Lunges:
70’s X 10
70’s X 5
70’s X 5

Physioball Leg Curl:
BW X 12
BW X 12
BW X 12
BW X 12
BW X 12 - Last few reps on the last two sets were partials. I’ll be cycling this movement out.

Hyperextensions:
45+BW X 15
45+BW X 15
45+BW X 15 - On glute ham raise.

Decline Bench Sit-ups:
45+BW X 12
45+BW X 12
45+BW X 12 - Plate held over head.

Hanging Knee Raises:
BW X 10
BW X 10
BW X 10 - Spread my knees a bit and started feeling them more.

Scapular Stability Circuit:
Superman’s/W’s/T’s/Y’s: 2.5 lbs 3 X 10 - Flipping hard.

I had to shovel all of yesterday so I was a little worried about how today’s session would go. I’ve also been a little short on sleep because I’m trying to cut back so I’ll be ready for the semester. Overall, things went well. I hit an all-time sumo PR that was fast enough that I’m confident I have quite a few more 5/3/1 cycles left in me. I do have to focus on keeping my knees pushed out more during the middle of the lift because they tend to cave a little bit. I didn’t push the assistance exercises too much today because I really wasn’t feeling it.

438

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Bench Day

Bench:
45 X 8
135 X 8
210 X 4
210 X 4
210 X 4
210 X 4 - Decent, especially with no lift off.

Incline Dumbbell Bench/Band Row Superset:
70’s X 10
70’s X 10
70’s X 6
70’s X 6

Pull-ups:
BW X 5
BW X 5
BW X 5
BW X 5
BW X 5

1-Arm Dumbbell Row:
95’s X 6
95’s X 6
95’s X 6
95’s X 6
95’s X 6 - Good sets today.

Single-arm Cable Row:
90 X 10
90 X 10
90 X 10
90 X 10 - Great sets today.

Dead-stop Barbell Skullcrushers:
55 X 10
55 X 10
65 X 10
65 X 10
75 X 7 - A little worse than last week. Oh well, it’s all about stimulation.

Lying External Rotations:
2.5 lbs X 3 X 10

Standing Goalposts:
2.5 lbs X 3 X 10

Standing 45’s:
7.5 lbs X 3 X 10

The lack of sleep has been wearing on me a tad. I just need some time to adapt. I’ll have a pizza later today because I was feeling a bit flat.

439

Friday, January 14th, 2011

Squat Day

Squat:
135 X 6
180 X 5 @ 40%
225 X 5 @ 50%
270 X 5 @ 60% - Breezed through it, but my shoulders and legs were very tight. I need to stretch more.

Bulgarian Split Squats:
60’s X 5
60’s X 5
60’s X 5
60’s X 5
60’s X 5

Hyperextensions:
45+BW X 15
45+BW X 15
45+BW X 15

Decline Bench Sit-ups:
45+BW X 15
45+BW X 15
45+BW X 15 - Plate held overhead.

Hanging Knee Raises:
BW X 15
BW X 15
BW X 15

Scapular Stability Circuit:
Superman’s/W’s/T’s/Y’s: 2.5 lbs X 3 X 10

Deload felt good today. I got a decent amount of sleep and all the extra calories from yesterday helped as well. I watched this interview recently:

http://antibullshittraining.blogspot.com/2010/06/pat-mendes-interview.html

It’s somewhat long, but it’s definitely worth watching. In it, Pat Mendes talks about his mindset and his goals for weightlifting.

It got me thinking about myself. I really want to succeed at the sport of powerlifting. I want to succeed at everything I put effort into. In high school, I put all my effort into sports and lifting weights. I did the bare minimum in academics for my last two years because I knew my natural abilities would carry me. And they did. However, all I ever heard about was my wasted potential. While I’m not as gifted for powerlifting as I am with academics, I know that when I have the desire I can push myself farther than most people would believe. Although I’ve been a runner-up my entire life, I know I have that mindset of a champion.

440

A hatred of wasted potential (in all areas of life) can go very far.