A few days out of the weight room, but no signs of laziness here. I’ve been manning a jackhammer to dig out footings for my greenhouse (finally) and also installed a clothesline post. We have 6-8" of soil on top of limestone. A couple nice callus tears to show for it!
Chest/Back Week1 Day5 BB Wide Grip Bench
135 x 12
155 x 12
185 x 12
DB Incline Bench
70 x 8
70 x 8
70 x 8
DB Incline Flye
40 x 12
40 x1 2
40 x 12
Seated Row against heavy blue band
15
15
15
Chins various grips
12
10 + 2
7 + 3 + 2
Shoulders Superset 3 Rounds
15lb DBs x Rear Delt Laterals x 15, Side Lateral Raise x 15
It wasn’t the strongest finish to 2024 regarding workouts, and even less so with updating this log.
High-level 2024 programming looked a little something like this (but honestly only averaged ~2 days per week for a lot of the year):
Jan: 5/3/1 BBB - Jim Wendler
Feb: 5/3/1 Bodyweight - Jim Wendler
Mar: DC Training - Jamie Lewis
Apr: DC Training - Jamie Lewis
May: Minimalist - Brian Alsruhe
June: Easy Strength - Dan John
July: Even Easier Strength - Dan John
Aug: Gamma Bomb - John Meadows
Sept: Pump City - Pen & Paper
Oct: 5/3/1 Triumvirate
Nov: KB/Sandbag Workouts
Dec: 5/3/1 Triumvirate
A few cool lifts in 2024, that were worthy of me writing on my whiteboard were:
Strict Standing Press: 210 x 4
Push Press: 265 x 2
Deadlift: 515 x 8
Squat: 415 x 8 & 140 x 50
Log C&P: 225 x 5
Flat Bench: 245 x 10
Incline Bench: 235 x 9
Our household has been battling a virus for the last 7 days that we managed to pick up over the holidays. I’m finally over the hump, but my wife and oldest are still fighting fevers. I felt good enough to get to the gym for workout #1 of 2025.
Small, semi-relevant, ramble:
I played in a hockey tournament organized through work in late November. One team withdrew at the last minute, so we only ended up playing two games on Day 1 and two games on Day 2. Long story short, we won the tournament (albeit, not exactly NHL-caliber hockey). However, my adductors and hip flexors had never been this sore, in my recent memory. I could barely work up past 225lbs on the squat before it felt as though my adductors/groin were going to tear/cramp. This pain took a week before I was comfortable getting in and out of the car, and 3 weeks before I felt recovered enough to squat to 3 plates+.
This, of course, leads me down the fitness rabbit-hole of how to strengthen hips/adductors, etc. One thing leads to another and I’m watching videos of low box squats, GHRs and Reverse Hypers. Then, wouldn’t you know it, a rewatch of Westside vs The World ends up playing…
All of this brings me to my current plan to start 2025.
LittleSleeper Begins Conjugate January 3, 2025
I was still quite under the weather. I was actually just in my weight room constructing my new power rack (photos to come), then decided I felt OK enough to move some light weight around.
DE Upper Speed Bench - red mini bands, doubled
95 x 3
95 x 3
95 x 3
95 x 3
95 x 3
95 x 3
95 x 3
95 x 3
Rolling Tris
30 x 12
30 x 12
30 x 12
Banded Standing Abs - Blue Heavy Band on Chin-up Bar
15
15
15
January 5th, 2025
Finally feeling like I’m going to be over this bug that has been plaguing our house for over a week now. We are 6 days out from a family trip to Mexico, so while I’m dabbling in the workouts now, I’m not getting too hung up on exercise selection or schedule until I return. Building my base back up, as I haven’t really be straining with any regular consistency in 2024.
RE Lower Wide Stance 11" Box Squat - with blue mini bands (50lbs total at top)
135 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 3 365 x 3
315 x 3
275 x 3
225 x 3
I had 405 in my head for the top set, but that 365lb set brought me to where I needed to be for straining in this set. All things considered, I’m satisfied with this RE work. It hurt in all the right places and it felt like it was really exposing the weakness in my adductors and hamstrings during the reversal off the box. I was not doing the “full release” onto the box, which is often Louis’s instructions for a pure box squat. This was more of a partial release, which I picked up from a few articles helping to target the conjugate method a little more towards the raw powerlifter. I still plan to implement the full-release box squats on DE/speed squat days.
Reverse Hyper
90 x 15
90 x 15
90 x 15
GHR
10
10
10
Banded Standing Abs - blue heavy band from pullup bar
25
25
25
I’m looking forward to really hammering my reverse hyper, and seeing what benefits I can reap. It’s been a bit of a background tool and hasn’t come to the forefront of my training as much as it likely should. Even just after a couple of mediocre workouts using it, I can feel my hamstrings, glutes, and lower back getting some great stimulus. Bringing back my sleepy posterior chain. I’m going to work on getting my numbers to climb back up to where they once were, while doing my best to stay healthy!
What I’m coming to terms with lately is that actual sports places a different demand on the body that’s completely different from training any movement (or even close) in the gym. I’m realizing that’s probably why Wendler always said something along the lines of nothing beats doing the actual sport when it comes to training sports-specific-movement. That’s also probably why my chiro actually told me that I have to keep playing volleyball consistently so that my body can get used to it again.
Jan 8, 2025
I almost talked myself out of a workout tonight. Working from home with a sick wife and two sick kids made for a tired Dad at 8:00pm, but we got it in!
Conjugate ME Upper Close Grip Bench - index on smooth
45 x 10
95 x 10
135 x 10
185 x 8
225 x 5
275 x 2 295 x 2
225 x 5
185 x 10
JM Press
95 x 10
95 x 10
95 x 10
95 x 10
DB Bench
80 x 10
80 x 10
80 x 9 (failed 10th rep near the top - triceps were toast!)
DB Row
80 x 12
80 x 12
80 x 12
80 x 12
Good workout, started lagging towards the end. Great pump!
Jan 11-18 - Vacation with family and friends down in Mexico!
We had a fantastic time with family and friends (some of which we haven’t seen in nearly 10 years!) attending a destination wedding.
I did manage to slip in two workouts during my time there, at a surprisingly very well stocked gym.
One day I worked up to a squat triple at 365lbs, then played around on machines that I don’t normally have access to: adductor/abductor, leg extension, leg curl, & calf raise. My adductors were feeling it the next two days!
The next workout I worked up to 295 x 2 on the decline bench. Likely had a 3rd, but I performed a quick risk assessment - empty gym, no spotter bars, not sure how I’d quickly escape a pin on the decline bench - and racked it. Did some DB bench, lat pulldowns, chest supported rows, dips, and of course, finished off with some preacher curls.
Lots of walking, swimming and playing with the kids. It was a very nice break from work/life - it came at a good time following the busy holiday season.
Feeling refreshed as we make our way back into the regular routine.
Jan 23, 2025
Conjugate ME Upper Bench with Bands - mini blue doubled, 105lbs @ top
45 x 8
45 x 8
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 1
245 x 1
265 x 0 ← oops, already committing a cardinal sin of failing a rep
225 x 3
That band weight really caught up to me when the weight got heavy. Still had the speed at 245 to muscle through the band tension without too much trouble, I fully expected 265 to pop up as well (was already planning my next jump). Hit ~1/2 way mark, and the bands pushed back - no bueno. Dropped down for a triple at 225 + bands.
Arnold Press
50lbs x 12
50lbs x 12
50lbs x 12
50lbs x 12
Rolling Triceps Extensions - laying on floor
50lbs x 10
40lbs x 10
40lbs x 10
40lbs x 10
11" Box Squat, Comp Stance
135 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 3 ← a familiar burning sensation in the lower ab
405 x 3 ← good smooth reps, this weight is more difficult than I remember
Goblet Squats
100 x 12
100 x 12
100 x 12
BB Shrugs
135 x 20
185 x 20
205 x 15
225 x 12
205 x 12
185 x 12
135 x 25
Reverse Hyper
90 x 15
90 x 15
90 x 15
90 x 15
I really want to push my weekly reverse hyper volume/poundage up over the next few months. The movement is starting to “click” for me. Able to get great lower back, glute and hamstring pump/target.
Right now, it seems that my squat strength has had the biggest drop over this past year.
Jan 30, 2025 ME Lower Sumo Deadlift Against Green Avg Bands - ~200lbs @ top
135 x 5 (without bands)
135 x 5 (bands added, and all remaining sets)
225 x 5
275 x 3
315 x 3
365 x 3
405 x 3
455 x 3
