Probably my favorite lifting, get amped song… Chevelle- Send the Pain Below
05/19/14
Squats- 280x5x3
Press- 165x3,5,1 (Weird session, never really got things settled. Took a 30lb jump from my last warm up to my working set)
Row- 185x5,4,4 (Actually completed the other two reps, but didn’t get the pull all the way to my body without a little English)
Pullups- bw x2x10
BB Curls-5x5
DB Preacher Curls- 25’sx10x3
Leg Raises- bw x10x3
05/22/14
Front Squats- 245x3x3 (not sure why I went all balls to the wall on these but it was coming up extremely easy, o well)
Bench- 245x5x3 (easy)
Deadlit-385x3 no straps PR (only managed one with straps and couldn’t lock out the second but I rushed the rest time)
05/28/14
Squat- 285x5x3
Bench-250x5x3
Deadlift- 345x5 no straps
Pullups- bw x3x5
Situps- bw x12x3
Leg Raises- bw x10x3
Reset the deadlift, going strapless sets of five as long as I can. My grip has caught up and passed my back. Getting more efficient with a mixed grip has helped out with that greatly.
05/30/14
Squat- 290x5x3
Press-135x5x3
Row- 155x5x3
6/2/14
Squat- 295x5x3 (last couple of these had an ugly good morning look to them.
Bench- 255x5,4,4 (got out of the groove on the second set and missed, and just ran out of steam on the third)
Row- 165x5x3
6/4/14
Squats- 300x4,5,4 (absolutely failed on the last rep, was not a good day in general)
Press- 145x5x3
Deadlift- 355x4 (missed a rep here, but I am blaming that on the fact that I was still fried from squats)
Thinking I learned a few things today. My body is not handling the back to back heavy squatting sessions well. Splitting them up with a light or front squat session is the way to go now and I should not deviate from that. Also, deadlifting and back squatting are not pairing well together, which that could also be just a cumulative effect of several squatting sessions in a row. Either way, mix in that with it just being a bad day in general and I am really not concerned that this is a wall just yet.
06/06/14
Front Squat- 225x3x3
Bench- 255x5x3
Row- 170x5x3
6/10/14
Squats- 300x5x3
Bench- 260x3x3 (not really sure what to make of this, I was able to grind out a 4th on each set with a slight bump from a spotter)
Row- 175x5x3
06/16/14
Squat- 305x 4,5,4
Bench- 260x3x3
Pullups- bw x5,4,4
Back Extensions- bw x10x5
First set of squats felt very strange, don’t think I was mentally in the gym yet. Third set, plates started spinning and it was messing with my head. Bench is looking like a needed deload. May try it one more time on Friday. Prepared for a week or two layoff any day now when my wife gets ready to have the baby. She was at 1cm today so the time is coming.
6/18/14
Front Squat- 225x3x3
Press- 95x3, 125x2, 155x1, 135x3, 155x2, 115x5, 95x8x3
Deadlift- 365x3
Not really sure what happened with the press. 155 was supposed to be my working sets but they were a miserable failure. I guess I haven’t done them enough lately. With that in mind, I peeled the weight back to 95, added some volume and am going to quickly head back up. Really need to start including my warm ups in my log.
6/16/14
Squats-45x10
95x5
135x5
225x3
275x2
305x3 (this was supposed to be my 3x5 but I failed on rep 4 of the first set)
275x3
245x5
Bench-45x10
95x5
135x5
185x3
225x1
260x3 (barely, and it seemed harder than it had the previous two attempts)
235x5x2
215x12 went for a rep max
Weighted Dips- 25x8, 35x8x2
EZ Bar Curls- 70x10x3
Lying Tri Ext- 70x10x3
Cable Rows- 120x12x3
Today was a garbage workout. Nothing went right.
06/25/14
Bench-45x10
95x10
135x15
165x12
185x10
205x8
225x5
245x3
265x3
275x1
Inc Bench- 155x8x4
Didn’t really do a lot. Needed to get home and may only have WTF to workout so will probably just do one of the big lifts each day. I want to play around with some higher rep work anyway.
6/27/14
Squat- 45x10
95x10
135x20
185x15
225x12
255x8
275x5
RDL- 135x10x4
7/14/14
Finally back at it after the birth of my baby girl on 7/2. Decided last minute (meaning I was unprepared programming wise) to try Greyskull LP. It was a mistake. My whole workout was already behind the 8-ball because of sleep deprivation so just kind of winging it didn’t go that well. Think I am going to include the Greyskull resets in my SS training though. Also, my knee felt awful yesterday. Squats just didn’t go well and putting them last just doesn’t really work for me. They are my worst lift (and mentally most difficult) and doing them last in the workout just didn’t leave me the energy I needed.
Bench- 205x5x2, 11x1
Inc DB Bench- 55’sx12x2
CG Pulldowns- 120x8x2, 12x1
Squats-
45x10
95x5
135x5x2
185x3
225x2
245x5
245x3 (stopped here as I just could not get my knee to feel right)
Was supposed to do a 2x5 and a rep max at 245 but it just wasn’t happening. Thinking I may need to break out the bicycle or start pulling the tractor tire. Need to build some stability in the lateral part of my knee.
6/16/14
I don’t really know what is up with me. I still have not got back in the groove of an actual program. I need to start over pretty low and work on my squats. I think it is a weak hamstring issue. Need to work on sitting back in the squat. Had a guy watch me today and he confirmed what I was thinking. I am sitting back on my hamstrings but when I go to rise out of the hole my first move is to slide my knee’s forward, out over my toes. I don’t really know how to fix this except for maybe starting really low and paying very close attention to what I am doing.
Squats- 45x10
135x6
185x3
225x5x2, 8x1 (last set was done paused)
Press- 45x5
95x5
115x5x3
Deadlift-135x5
225x5
275x5
315x3
365x2
405x1
435x1
7/21/14
Started Greyskull today. Basically have set it up where it will take me 8 weeks to get back to where I was before the 2 week layoff. I think the time spent will do me some good though. I am actually excited about it. I am going to be doing squats first in the program however because minding my form on them needs me at full capacity.
Squats-
135x3
185x2
225x5x2, 13x1
Bench-
95x6
135x4
185x3
205x5x2, 11x1
Situps- 3x 15,15,10
Pullups- 3x 5,3,4
Rows- 135x8x3
Thinking to go along with the Greyskull LP, I am going to do my two main lifts followed one of three assistance days. Each day will also include an ab exercise to be slowly eased in one set at a time. Situps (weighted and unweighted), Ab Wheel, Leg Raises, Cable Crunches being my favorites.
Pullups will be done on a daily basis, rested, following a plan similar to the one laid out in Dan John’s recent article, until they reach a respectable level. I believe it was Pavel’s Russian fighter pullup program. I am only giving myself 30 minutes for extra work so if I will go as far down the list as I can. Not going to stress to much about this.
Monday- Back
Pendlay Rows- 3x8
DB Rows- 1x15, 1x15
CG Pulldown- 3x12
superset w/
Cable Row- 2x12
Wednesday- Shoulders
Upright Rows- 3x8
Side Raise- 3x10
Plate Raise-2x15
Bent Raise- 3x10
Friday- Beach Muscle Day
Weighted Dips- 3x8
EZ Bar Curls- 3x10
Skullcrushers- 2x12
DB Curls-2x12
7/30/14
Press- 45x5
95x5
105x5x2, 15x1
Deadlift-135x5
225x5
295x10
Situps-1x15
I suppose I should get back to doing this myself. Been reorganizing my garage before I move, and I kinda lost my gym for a bit.
I think the + sets are what makes this program work so well psychologically. It lets you do stuff like back up 8 weeks and still keep you feeling like you’re moving forward.