Haha, I am definitely going to consult with you if I ever decide to change the title of my log!
@Frank_C - It isn’t my first time being featured by T-Nation either. 
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Nice work getting featured, you deserved it!
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06/07/2017
I was a day behind with this workout so I did a bit of tomorrow’s workout to play catch-up. I’m being much more flexible with my workout/nutrition these days. I think now, especially being still plagued with a knee injury, I’m going to drop my training frequency down to 3 days/week.
#Back Width, Biceps, Calves
-
Straight Arm Band Pulldown/DB Pullover
Red + Blue Mini Band x 25 x 4 -
Weighted Chinups
BW x 13
25 x 8
50 x 5
50 x 5
2.a) Weighted Dips
-
BB Curls
45 x 22
75 x 17
105 x 1
135 x 5
135 x 5 -
DB Cross Body Curls
40 x 10 x 3
- Standing Calf Raises
135 x 20 x 3
- Arnold Press
40lb x 10 x 4
06/08/2017
Weighed in at 203.4lbs this morning. This is around what I was for my progress pictures, so it seems I’ve been holding pretty steady at this weight while increasing calories and loosening up with my food choices. WIN!
#Shoulders, Triceps
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OHP
45 x 10
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 1
225 x 1
245 x 1 ← This was enough of a grind to make my ears pop. -
Front Plate Raise
35lbs x 25
35 x 25
35 x 25 -
Rear Delt Flyes/Hang and Swings
20 x 10/20
20 x 10/20
20 x 10/20
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Banded Triceps Pushdowns
Red + Blue Mini Bands x 25, 15, 15 -
Seated OH Tricep Extensions
30 x 10 x 3
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I keep trying to work around my hip pain because I’m basically scared to death to not train legs. How are you doing with it? I know you’re still pulling… I’m beginning to wonder if heavy pulls is enough leg stimulation.
I guess I didn’t lose any mass when I did a sprinting only program a few years ago. I lost strength obviously, but my pre and post-summer measurements were basically identical.
Try to do a set of 20 on the deadlift with a pause one inch off from the ground and see for yourself
The quad pump is horrendous
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Paused deads are on the list for next Thursday. I don’t think I’m going for 20 out of the gate but I guess I’ll see how I feel it.
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Not squatting is slowly stealing from my soul. It absolutely sucks. I feel like I haven’t actually trained in months, despite some good effort in the gym.
That being said, I wouldn’t be surprised if I smash a deadlift PR around the corner when I’m healed up. I’ve been focusing on my hamstrings (with my quad out of the equation) and have been deadlifting much more upright (not quite RDL). I’m surprised at how good and strong it feels. I’m starting to think I was trying to squat the weight up a little more than I should have been. I pulled 525lb double overhand pretty easily a few days ago and my current 1RM is just 600lbs.
Moral of the story is: Use your injury as a chance to focus that lost effort on a weak point. I was always busy trying to hit everything, sometimes it is good to spend time putting more of your limited resources into fewer muscles.
Made a nice pancake omelette this morning for breakfast. Recipe courtesy of my boy Evan Centopani (sp?).
Got several ticks on me today…one I can’t reach so I’m waiting for my wife to get home to remove for me.
Wife at a hair appointment? Drink her wine!
(Notice how I save the carbs from the buns and allot them to my wine/beer after this? - Chapter 2 of Sleeper’s Dietary Hax)
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I hate ticks! Have had two close friends with lyme disease.
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Ha, this is me and deadlifts right now. Trying to take the same approach (focus on weaknesses, squats being one of my many) was surprisingly encouraging to read this in your log this morning.
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I’m highly confused by my own training. My goals are 5/4/3 plates on dead/squat/bench. I’ve been “focusing” on bench but I don’t think it’s worked much. I’ve been deadlifting on Mondays using the Training Maximally approach with Jokers and then doing the same thing on Thursdays with snatch grip deadlifts. It didn’t feel like I was doing much in terms of pushing my numbers and then I go and pull 5 plates this week. Perhaps I’m on to something…
But I must admit, one reason I’ve never pulled 5 plates til now is that I never tried. My last deadlift max was during the 600lb deadlift thread and I pulled 450. I probably could’ve grinded out 10+ more pounds but I was scared to grind out a deadlift and hurt myself.
So I guess I attribute some of my “success” to getting more experience with the lift and realizing how it feels to really struggle with a weight while keeping my form in check. But I’m still thinking that my twice a week approach played a factor. I’ll be applying it to bench in a couple weeks after I attempt to max in the next week or so. I’ll be benching on my first “push” day and doing incline on the second. No overhead pressing unless I throw in DB presses for my delts.
EDIT: I think I got a little off track here (no surprise). My point is that I agree about focusing on one thing (even though I struggle like hell to do that). I also wanted to share that I inadvertently improved my deadlift and how I did it.
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@dchris - Ouch, I know one person that got Lyme Disease and it was not a fun time.
@Despade - 
Us lifter dudes gotta stick together!
@Frank_C - Different strokes for different folks. I think deadlifting twice a week for me would do much more damage for that lift than anything else. Even BBB is too much DL weekly volume for me and my numbers don’t move and the weight feels progressively heavier. I’m better off doing a Training Maximally approach to deads and hit some supplemental lifts for volume.
My biggest thing for bench is confidence in the lift. For some reason I’ve always felt comfortable with weight on my back for squatting, while others are nervous to get pinned. I will basically know if I’m completing the lift or not based on my unrack. If it feels heavier than I think it should, I’ve already defeated myself. Some days the unrack feels light and I’m just able to manhandle the weight.
I went months attempting a 350lb bench and couldn’t do it. I was hitting 335lbs for a triple and couldn’t do 350lbs…just mental fuckery at work. Then one day I FINALLY hit 350lbs…then 360, then 375lbs for a huge PR because I was able to jumpt that damn 350lb hurdle.
While I agree with lifting for longevity and not doing stupid things in the gym that could result in injury, I also think that sometimes it is necessary to put your big boy pants on and lift until your nose bleeds.
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OMG! Not just “I got A tick on me”, but “I got SEVERAL ticks on me”
You must be used to getting ticks or something. Pretty sure if I ever find one on me, I’m getting into the car and driving to the closest person that can get it off me! 
What’s a pancake omelette?
Haha, ya they are nasty little creatures. Unfortunately, I’ve had plenty crawling on my but have only been bitten 4 times in my life.
This is from one of Evan Centopani’s youtube videos. Basically it is eggs, with a scoop of protein, fruit and some pancake batter. He finds it keeps a lot better than eggs when meal prepping for breakfast. Much better to eat cold as well…cold eggs aren’t great. I throw a whole bunch of stuff in it for fun.
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Absolutely. Also with the confidence element.
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06/09/2017
#Hamstrings, Back Thickness
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Lying banded Leg Curls
Red Mini Band x 20, 20, 20 -
Deadlift
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 5
405 x 1
495 x 1
585 x 0 ← Expected this to be easy for some reason. Broke the floor, felt hard, quit.
585 x 0 ← I was ready for it to feel heavy…and boy did it. Didn’t budge…I’m not happy about it.
315 x 20 ← Punishment for being weak. -
One Arm DB Rows
115 x 20, 15, 12 -
Bent Over BB Rows
205 x 10, 10, 10
Called it there. Bud Light is going to soothe my pain of missing my deadlifts. Happy Friday folks.
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Here is a vid of my failing at 6 plates. I also recorded my first set of DB rows for @Frank_C as I believe you were asking about how strict I do them? This was the first set, so if anything, they got sloppier as I went.
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That’s a big jump. I always take 545 so 585 doesnt feel as shocking.
I like this 
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It looks like the bar pulls away from you just enough to ruin things very early on. Probably just tired in the upper back is all.
Thanks! I guess your form is more like Kroc rows and I’m a bit more strict. I still haven’t tried Kroc rows. Guess I’m just used to my version.
Not really a Kroc row at all. Just a standard dumbbell row really. He didn’t use any body English really at all.
1 Like