Beginning my first cycle of Madcow today.
Maxes: Squat 424. Bench. 300 Deadlift. 501
BW: 205 @ 10% Bodyfat
Goal at end of 12 weeks are reasonable increase in my Squat and any improvment in bench and dl I will be fine with. I want to compete in the 220s so I will be tracking my bodyweight pretty closely to get up in the 217-220 as well. Any tip/ideas will be appreciated. Open to criticism, and willing to learn.
Monday
BW. 205.4
Squat 175, 220, 265, 305, 350
Bench 125,155,190,220,250
Row 115,155,190,200,230
Relatively easy training session, as expected. 1 min rest in between Squats until last work set I took a five min. Will probably cut that down next week. Benching felt good as well as the Pendlay rows. Excited for Weds. Also will be doing mobility work on tuesday/thursday
Weds.
Squat 175 1x5, 220 1x5, 265 2x5
Military Press 90 1x5, 115 1x5, 135 1x5, 145 1x5
Sumo Deadlift 260 1x5, 315 1x5, 365 1x5, 415 1x5
Squat were a bit slower. I’m assuming maybe I haven’t recovered completely from Monday. Did squat at 1 min rest until 265 2x5 at 3 min rest. Press was smooth as well as pulls.
Friday
Squat 175x5, 225x5, 265x5, 305x5, 360x3, 265x8
Bench Press 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 255x3, 185x8(did 10)
Pendlay row 90x5, 115x5, 175x5, 220x5, 235x3, 175x5
Do your first 2 sets of 5 work like a warmup or do your warmup before them. Looks like a big spread between first and last working sets. I tried to find a madcow template online but didn’t come across any percentages
I do a warm-up before getting into the sets of 5. Bar x 10-20, 95 x 10 etc. I try to move into working sets slowly.
Weekly BW: 205 lbs
Monday
Squats Warm-up w/ added hamstring curls
175x5,225x5,265x5,315x5,360x5
Bench Warm-up
125x5,155x5,190x5,225x5,260x3(miss loaded bar supposed to be 255) 225x3
Pendlay Rows Warm-up
115x5,145x5,175x5,205x5,235x5
I’m trying to push through issues with my left shoulder and it isn’t working out too well. Just the second week of this program and I missed two reps on the last work set. I think I could just decrease the weight but I feel as if I do that the issue is just going to resurface once the weights get heavy again. But yeah I’m gonna decrease weight and go from there.
Weds.
Squats Warm up.
Squats 180x5,225x5,270x5,270x5
Press Warm up.
90x5,110x5,125x5,145x5
Deadlift warm up.
260x5,310x5,370x5,425x5
Did pause squats on last two working sets to make it a bit harder and work on explosion out of the bottom.
Friday
Squat
180x5
225x5
270x5
315x5
370x3
270x8
Bench
115x5
145x5
175x5
200x5
235x3
175x8
Pendlay Row
120x5
145x5
175x5
205x5
240x4
175x8
DB Overhead extensions 3x 8-12
EZ Reverse Curls 3x8-12
Incline Bench 3x8-12
New bench max for the program is 270 as I try to rehab my shoulder. No pain today oddly enough though. Going to do external/internal band rotations every day and see if that fixes anything or makes anything better. If not I’ll just see a doctor when I get back in the states.
Week 3
BW: 205 lbs
Monday
Squat
185x5
230x5
280x5
325x5
370x5
Bench
120x5
145x5
175x5
205x5
235x5
Pendlay Row
120x5
150x5
180x5
210x5
240x5
Barbell Curls 4x8-12
Everything was really smooth today. Been reading alot of starting strength lately and applied alot of the principles to my squat
and honestly say it helped alot. Hands over bar, hips straight up etc.
Been struggling with weight gain bad. Trying to add more milk daily and generally more food. I’m at about 3500-3600 cals for the last month. Just gotta keep pushin
Weds.
Squat
185x5
230x5
280x5
280x5
Press
90x5
110x5
125x5
145x5
DL
270x5
325x5
380x5
435x5
Lat pulldowns 4x8-12
EZ curls 4x8-12
Standing calf raise 4x8-12
I now have a cold due to the rapid change in weather. Fridays training sess is def gonna suck but I am gonna have to tough it out.
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435x5 from weds
Friday
Five min on bike
Squat
185x5
230x5
280x5
325x5
375x3
280x8
Bench
120x5
145x5
175x5
205x5
240x3
175x10
Pendlay row
120x5
150x5
180x5
210x5
250x3
180x8
Hypertrophy work on incline bench, biceps, and triceps
Took my time during this workout because of my sickness. It made me realize that I actually rush during my workouts when I am not sick. In between sets today I was focusing on getting oxygen through slow/steady breathing and it helped alot. I’m gonna start applying that concept to every training session(as if I am sick). I felt like I could have squatted the set of 3 reps for like 8(which I have never done).
Be: 205.6 Week 4
Monday
Five min on bike
Squats
Warm up sets
190x5
235x5
280x5
330x5
375x5
Bench
Warm up sets
135x5
170x5
205x5
210x5
235x8
Pendlay Row
125x5
155x5
190x5
220x5
250x5
GHR 3x-8-12
Abs 3x8-12
Lat Pulldowns 3x8-12
Curls 3x8-12
Weds.
Squat
Warm up sets
190x5
235x5
280x5
280x5
Push Press
Warm up sets
95x5
115x5
130x5
150x5
Deadlift
Warm up sets
280x5
335x5
390x5
445x5
Pullovers 3x8-12
Chin-ups 3x8-12
Abs 3x8-12
Switched to push press from military to ease my shoulder pain. I don’t know if I should stop training that involves my shoulder or what but It is just a nagging pain not unbearable. I feel alot stronger at this point in the program and I think I will make pretty good progress as I go on. Got rehband knee sleeve and squatted with them today… very comfortable. And I got a perfect fit too.
Competing in a local deployed powerlifting comp tmw. It is mid madcow but oh well. I don’t think it will effect my progress so much that i can’t continue since I am in the earlier weeks. (not a full meet)
Had a great time at the meet!! PR’d on squat and deadlift with a 460 squat and 565 deadlift. I think the best part of meets are
Meeting other people with the passion you have.
Back to normal programming on Tuesday
Monday
LTE 4x10-15
Seated Military Press 4x8-12
Chin-up 3x8-12
Barbell Curl 4x8-10
Hanging Leg Raises 4xFailure
Back to week 5 madcow on tuesday
Tuesday
Squats
195x5
240x5
290x5
335x5
385x5
Incline DB 3-4x8-12
Pendlay Rows
115x5
145x5
175x5
200x5
230x5
No benching due my shoulder issues. I’m gonna be taking alot of time off from bench pressing. Vertical pressing/Incline DB is still ok. We I get back to the states I’m gonna get a diagnosis and get to the process of rehab.