2/28
Another big PR on the 5x5 Bench Press (23 total reps w/ 330 lb.). My goal is 350x5 in 16 weeks.
Bench Press (4 minutes rest between work sets)
135x3x5
185x3x4
225x3x3
275x3
315x2
330x3x5, 2x4
Omni-Grip Chins (Wide-Neutral-Reverse; 2 minutes rest, 10 sec. between micro-sets)
10-1-1 = 12
8-1-1 = 10
7-1-1 = 9 = 31 total reps
Circuit - Rope Extension 21s, Neutral Grip Chin Negatives, Dumbbell External Rotations
RE - 62.5x2
NGC - 2x4 reps of 6 sec. negatives
DER - 35x2x8
3/3
Pushed a little harder today; I’ve been feeling pretty great on the 5x5 and 5-4-3-2-1 sets, so I added 10 lb. to every lift from last week, and I found that I could accomplish it pretty easily. Still moving up slowly. Interestingly, my waist has stayed the same size, but my arms have grown about a quarter of an inch.
Close Grip Bench (3-4 minutes rest between work sets)
135x3x5
185x3x4
225x3x3
255x3
275x3
315x5
325x4
335x3
345x2
355x1
Supinated Chin-Up Rep Ladders (30 sec. rest)
1-5 = 15 reps
1-4, 4 = 14 reps
1-3 = 6 reps
1-2 = 3 reps = 38 total reps
Circuit - Dips, Dumbbell External Rotations, and Leaning Dumbbell Shrugs (45 sec. rest)
DIps - 3x11
DER - 35x1x8, 2x6
LDS - 85x3x12 w/ 2 sec. hold
3/7
I’ve been sick since Monday, so I still felt pretty crappy when Friday came around. My goal was to just perform a few singles, and that’s what i did, though I definitely felt something pull in my left shoulder (as my right one was having difficulty stabilizing for some reason). I think I’ve been sleeping on my shoulder wrong while I was sick. Anyway, still not a bad workout. Working my way back to 405…
Bench (3-4 minutes between work sets)
135x3x5
185x3x4
225x3x3
255x3
275x3
315x2
335x1
355x1
365x2x1
Wide Grip Pull-Up Rep Ladders (30 sec. rest)
1-5x2 = 30 total
1-3x2 = 42 total reps
Superset - Dumbbell External Rotations and Rope Pressdown 21s
DER - 35x2x8
RP - 65x2
Another solid workout today, though I definitely strained my supraspinatus while benching on Friday. Finished with some 30 degree front raises for the supraspinatus.
Close Grip Bench (4 minutes rest for workouts)
135x3x5
185x3x3
225x3x3
255x3
275x2
320x2
320x5
330x4
335x3
345x2
355x1
Supinated Chin-Up Rep Ladders (30 sec. rest)
1-5x1 = 15 reps
1-3x5 = 30 reps = 45 total reps
Circuit - Dumbbell External Rotations, Lean-Away Dumbbell Shrugs, and Dips
Dips - 3x12
LDS - 90x3x12
DER - 35x3x6
3/14
New PR today - 335x5 on the bench press. Very happy with that…
Bench (4 minutes rest between work sets)
135x3x5
185x3x5
225x3x5
275x2x3
315x3
335x5
335x4
335x3x3 = 18 total reps w/ 335
Wide Grip Pull-Up Rep Ladders (30 sec. rest)
1-5x2 = 30 reps
1-3x2 = 12 reps = 42 total reps
Circuit - Rope Extensions 21s, Dumbbell External Rotations, Incline Dumbbell Curls
RE - 72.5x2
DER - 35x2x8
IDC - 30x2x10 w/ 4 sec. negatives
3/18
Almost no time to lift today; just wanted to do something before hitting the gym on Thursday or Friday. Very busy week.
Close Grip Bench
135x2x5
185x2x4
225x2x3
275x2x3
315x3
320x5
3/21
Benching again a day and a half later does not work for me. However, I still managed to push through and improve overall on the sets, so I’m satisfied.
Bench (4 minutes rest between work sets)
135x3x5
185x3x4
225x3x3
275x3
315x3
335x2
355x1
335x4x4, 1x3 (19 total reps = 1 rep PR)
Wide Grip Pull-Up Rep Ladders (30 sec. rest)
1-5x2 = 30 reps
1-3x3 = 18 reps = 48 total reps
Circuit - Incline DB Curls, Rope Extension 21s, and Dumbbell External Rotations
IDC - 30x2x10 w/ 3-4 sec. neg.
RE - 72.5x2
DER - 35x2x8
3/24
Close Grip Bench (4 minutes rest between work sets)
135x3x5
185x3x4
225x3x3
275x3
320x2
320x5
330x4
340x3
350x2
365x1
Reverse Grip Chin Rep Ladders (30 sec. rest)
1-5 = 15 reps
1-3x5 = 30 reps = 45 total reps
Dumbbell External Rotations - 35x2x8
Dips - 30 total reps
3/28
Bench - 4 minutes rest between sets
135x3x5
185x3x4
225x3x3
275x3
315x3
335x1x5, 4x4 = 21 total reps ( 2 rep PR)
Wide Grip Pull-Up Rep Ladders (30 sec. rest)
1-5 = 15 total reps
1-3x4 = 24 reps = 39 total reps
Circuit - Dumbbell External Rotations, Rope Extension 21s, and Dumbbell Curls w/ partials on set 2, and drops 1x3
DER - 35x3x8
REx - 72.5x2
DC - 40x12, 10, 8
3/31
Tried training close grip bench at a different gym; let’s just say I will probably not make that mistake again. I could not get into the right position; the floor is so slick that my feet kept sliding out beneath me; and the benches are too low for me to gain much stability. Nevertheless, I still performed pretty well on my close grip bench considering what I had to deal with - I hit 3 reps at 345 lb., each of them complete grinders.
Close Grip Bench (4 minutes rest between work sets)
135x2x5
185x2x4
225x2x3
275x2x3
325x5
335x4
345x3
355x1
Wide Grip Pull-Up Rep Ladders (30 sec.)
1-5x1 = 15 reps
1-3x6 = 36 reps = 51 total reps
Dumbbell External Rotations - 35x2x8
Circuit - Dumbbell Curls and Rope Extension 21s
Dumbbell Curls - 40x12, 10, 8
Rope Extension - 80x2
4/3
Decided to lift today but I was not yet fully recovered. Still I had a pretty good workout anyway. Switched from straight sets to clusters after my first two work sets on bench bombed. My shoulder was acting up so I had no stability; otherwise, I could still have performed really well.
Bench (4 minutes rest between work sets)
135x3x5
185x3x4
225x3x3
275x2x3
315x3
335x1
355x1
375x1
335x4
335x3
Bench Clusters - 15 sec. rest between reps
335x8x1
335x5x1
Wide Grip Pull-Up Rep Ladders (30 sec. rest; head kept down so I was pulling up much higher - almost chest to bar)
1-5x1 = 15 reps
1-3x5 = 30 reps = 45 total reps
Bicep Tri-Set (Chin ups, Dumbbell Curls, and Incline Curls)
Dumbbell External Rotations - 35x2x8
Rope Extension 21s - 72.5x1
4/11
New PR today - two sets of 5 with 335 lb. on the bench. Pretty happy with that, even though it was meant to be a bit of a reload; felt much stronger than I have in past weeks.
Bench Press (4 minutes rest between work sets)
135x3x5
185x3x4
225x3x3
275x2x3
315x3
335x1
335x2
335x2x5, 1x3 (13 total reps)
Wide Grip Pull-Up Rep Ladders (30 sec. rest)
1-5 = 15 reps
1-4 = 10 reps = 25 reps
1-3x2 = 12 reps = 37 reps
Dumbbell External Rotations - 35x2x8
Rope Extension 21s - 72.5x2
Barbell Curls (Ramp to Max)
45x5
75x3
95x3
115x1
125x1
135x1
Well, new phase of my training. I’ve been gaining strength with 5x5, but to make continued gains i think I need to start shooting for even lower reps with more weight, so now I am going to start performing 6x2-4, followed by 3-4 sets of 5-6 reps with around 80% of my top weight. IN addition, I have focused intently this week on lowering my carbs significant, and since Monday I have dropped 6 lb. I realize that is mostly glycogen and water, but I have lost some fat too. I’ve started sleeping better already as well. I just got into a PhD program for this coming fall, and I would like to be able to fit into some nicer dress clothes.
Superset - Bench Press and Wide Grip Pull-Ups (2 minutes between exercises)
Bench
135x2x5
185x2x4
225x2x3
275x2x3
315x3
335x2
355x1
355x6x2
Close Grip Bench - 295x3x4-6
WGP - 2x5, 1x4, 6x3 = 32 total reps
Circuit - DB Curls, Rope Extension 21s, DB External Rotations, Seated Machine Laterals
DB Curls - 40x2x10
RPX - 72.5x2
DBER - 35x2x8
SML - 70x2x12-15
4/22
Bench Press (4 minutes rest between work sets)
135x3x5
185x3x4
225x3x3
275x3
315x2
345x1 (went up very fast)
365x1 (also very fast)
385x1 (no leg drive, so this went a little slower)
355x2
Wide Grip Pull-Ups (5-1 Density Sets, 2.5 minutes rest)
5-4-3-2-1 = 15 reps
5-2-1-1-1 = 10 reps = 25 reps
5-2-1-1-1 = 10 reps = 35 reps
Circuit - DB Curls, Rope Extension 21s, Dumbbell External Rotations, and Machine Laterals
DBC - 45x8, 6
RE - 80x2
DER - 35x2x8
ML - 70x2x15
Conditioning - One Arm Kettlebell Swings - 8 sets of 15 sec., with 20 sec. rest
Great, great workout today. I felt awesome in the gym. I also started taking creatine, which definitely gave me a bit of a boost and preserved the fullness of my muscles despite my lower carb diet.
Bench Press (4-5 minutes rest)
135x3x5
185x3x4
225x3x3
275x2x2
315x2
335x1
355x1x3, 5x2
295x3x6
Wide Grip Pull-Ups (5-1 Micro Sets w/ 15 sec. rest)
5-4-3-2-1 = 15 reps
5-2-1-1-1 = 10 reps = 25 total reps
Superset - Dumbbell External Rotations and Rope Extension 21s
DER - 35x2x8
RE - 80x2
Machine Lateral Raises (60 sec. rest)
75x15
75x12-55x6-35x4
Incline Dumbbell Curls - 30x2x8-10 on 41X tempo
Still kicking ass! Nice 
5/3
Started to switch things up a bit today. Decided to start playing with other bench press variations and found the decline close grip bench really nice - I’m still figuring out the best bar path (touching between .5-2" below nipple line) and getting used to the movement, but it felt awesome on my triceps and didn’t bother my shoulders half so much. I do need to figure out a way to shorten these workouts, however, as they are still taking between 1.5-2 hours (including warm-up).
Superset - Close Grip Decline Bench (5/4/3/2/1) and Pull-Ups Variations (neutral, reverse, and wide)
CGDB - 135x3x6, 185x3x5, 225x3x5, 255x3
275x5
285x4
295x3
305x2
315x1
315x3
Pull-Ups - 10x4 (4 Wide, 3 Reverse, 3 Neutral)
Superset - Dumbbell Curls and Dumbbell External Rotations (60 sec. rest)
DC - 40x4x8-12
DER - 35x4x4-6
Circuit - Barbell Shrugs, Machine Laterals, and Trap 3 Raises (60 sec. rest)
BS - 135x2x12-15 w/ 2 sec. hold
ML - 70x2 (drop sets on second set)
TR - 5x2x12
5/5
Great workout today. Felt very tired and sore after Saturday, but I am still happy with the effort and overall performance. First day of carb cycling diet (100g today).
Weight - 301.8
Superset - Close Grip Decline Bench and Pull-Ups (2 minutes between exercises)
CGDB - 135x3x6, 185x3x5, 225x2x3, 255x3, 275x3
275x5
285x4
295x3
305x2
315x1
315x3
Pull-Ups - 8x4 (3 Wide, 3 Neutral, 2 Reverse)
Superset - Dumbbell Inclines and Hamstring Curls (90 sec. between exercises)
DI - 3 rounds (70x2, 1x50) of presses at 3 different inclinations
HC - 100x8, 110x7, 120x6
Circuit - Dumbbell Shrugs, Rear Delt Raises, Cable External Rotations, and Cross Body Hammer Curls
DS - 80x2x12
RDR - 10x2x15
CER - 10x2x15
CBHC - 40x2x10
Conditioning - Bodyweight Circuit - 10 sec. on, 20 off (1:2 Work-Rest Ratio), 4 minutes
5/9
Pretty much did nothing on Wednesday - I really needed a break after working out every other day for so many days in a row. I just did some external rotation work and moved on. Today, however, I did more. Felt a little tired, but I think this was still a good workload overall. More sups came today - I love Mag10. Also, my weight was down significantly since Monday; I have been low-carbing it, but I think I might need to slow the weight loss down a bit, as it’s starting to have an effect on my lifts. Focusing on increasing strength in the 3-5 rep range from here on out until I leave for Taiwan (12 Weeks).
Weight - 299.8
Bench Press (5/4/3/2/1 - 3-4 minutes rest)
135x3x5, 185x3x4, 225x3x3, 275x2x3, 315x3, 335x1, 355x1, 315x5
295x5
305x4
315x3
325x2
335x3
Wide Grip Pull-Up Rep Ladders (1-5 with 30 sec. rest)
1-5x1 = 15 reps
1-3x3 = 18 reps = 33 total reps
Circuit - Barbell Shrugs, Dumbbell External Rotations, Rope Extension 21s, and Dumbbell Curls
BS - 135x12, 165x12
DER - 35x1x8, 1x6
RE - 72.5x2
DC - 40x12, 4x10 (Second set Hammer Curls)
Logging two workouts here…
5/12
Superset - Close Grip Decline Bench Press and Pull-up variations (60 sec. rest)
CGDB
135x2x5
185x2x4
225x2x6 on 4 sec. negatives
255x5
265x4
275x3
260x5
270x4
280x3
Pull-Ups - 34 total reps
Circuit - Incline Dumbbell Presses, Dumbbell Lunges, and Low Cable Row
IDP - 65x3x6,6,6 (3 different inclines)
DL - 35x20,12,12
LCR - 135x3x10
Dumbbell Stabilizers - 50x2x10
Cross Body Hammer Curls - 35x3x10
5/14
Superset - Snatch Grip Deadlifts and Neutral Grip Chins (60 sec. rest)
SGD - 135x4x6
NGC - 5x5
Superset - Barbell Hip Thrusts and Barbell Shrugs
BHT - 135x3x8
BS - 135x12, 155x12, 185x12
Circuit - Cable Internal Rotations, Face Pulls, and 1 and 1/4 Dumbbell Curls
CIR - 30x3x10
FP - 50x3x10
DC - 40x8, 35x6, 30x8
Conditioning - Bodyweight Tabata