My suspicions were correct. My pull-up range of motion is more like forehead ups than chin ups. The Internet Lifting Federation would no doubt have me arrested without even a chance for 60-lb lat pulldown parole.
But I don’t know though man. Because most exercises get easier as you get closer to the top and lock them out. But pull-ups don’t have a lockout. It just gets harder as you get to the top. Besides, it seems like the weak link in getting me that extra distance is biceps strength. So I could drop 50 lbs off my pull-up working weight or get better at curls, which is happening.
Bench
1x235
1, 2 x225 - Must have been CNS potentiation. To make sure, I got a voltmeter to measure the potential difference of potentiation, then I used a potentiometer to potentially potentiate my potential difference potentiation. But don’t steal my idea.
9, 7, 5x185
15, 12, 9x135
Food and sleep were the usual - 2 full boxes of rice, good size turkey sandwich, dropset milk to failure.
This is a pain. I was doing fine just training 5x/week, consistently getting in, hitting a volume PR, and getting out, hitting press and pull 2x/week each. Before I did that little 3x/week bench experiment I had already hit 4x2x225, and it’s not like they were grinders. Better scientific practice would have been to find 1RM on Monday that week, and compare to a 1RM on Thursday. If I could hit 4 doubles with 225 my max probably didn’t jump 10 lbs in 48 hours.
All that said I’m going back to the old setup of 5 total sessions per week. I was doing fine with it, slow and steady volume PRs every single day. Heavy all-out (A typical press workout ends with me unable to do a pushup) upper body training 6x/week, at least the way I’m doing it, is too much. I’ll be back Sunday.
Tug
1x365
1x375
1x385
1x395
1x405 - Was tough. Took a side video. Straight back, bar came right up the legs.
0x415 - I’ve hit this before. I thought those small PRs in terms of sets of 3-5, like 3x355 to 5x355 to 3x375 to 4x365 were helping. Nope.
Squat
14x205
GM
7,8,7,1x135 - ran out of gas on the last set, just blah
Situps at home
More heavy singles on deadlift - If I want to get stronger at deadlifting, I need to stop just jerking around with 365. But after all the heavy singles I only had 20 minutes for assistance. Most natural option just seemed like repping out squats and then hitting low back and hams.
I then wrote a program in Java to take this exact text as an input file (without notes) and find the total lbs lifted, because I was sick of busting out my calculator all the time.
Upper body pulling - was pretty crappy. Didn’t get that full upper back/biceps/traps pump I usually got. May be sleep/food, I’ll be back on Wednesday. Only highlight of the day was changing my mind about the half rep pull-ups I’ve been doing.
Pull-up
1/2 x +85
1/2 x +75
3x+45 - full, chin over bar, no crap.
more pull-ups with BW and +25
Pulldowns, upright rows, curls. Plenty of sets really, esp on pulldowns, but today was really a B- compared to what other pull days have been like. Not downright shitty but definitely not all there either.
Back and bis. Nothing new, just the usual heavy + get a pump.
I think I’m gonna go back to heavy (but not so full) pull-ups. Cutting from +85 to +45 didn’t actually boost the distance that much, meanwhile if I want to “work the muscle” I still get, um, the entire rest of the workout’s lighter pull-ups and lat pulldowns for that.
Back and bis. Nothing new, just the usual heavy + get a pump.
I think I’m gonna go back to heavy (but not so full) pull-ups. Cutting from +85 to +45 didn’t actually boost the distance that much, meanwhile if I want to “work the muscle” I still get, um, the entire rest of the workout’s lighter pull-ups and lat pulldowns for that.
Pull-ups
2x+85 - blagh. forehead
2x+65 - nose/mouth
2x+45 - legitimate chinnage
3 sets with +25 and BW
Between every set did a hold as long as possible at the top with just BW.
Pulldowns
5 sets, 120-160, 6-12 reps
One-arm pulldowns
Even though I was too tired by now to pulldown 120 let alone 160 for strict reps, I could get multiple strict, full ROM sets with 110 on each arm. Neat
Upright rows / curls
Upright rows don’t pump up my traps like they used to. I’m going to set up a new back day:
Pull-ups
Snatch grip high pull
One arm lat pulldowns
Curls
Waist went up but if I flex I still have a six pack under normal lighting. Still kinda bugs me though since everyone on the Internet has a 28" waist at 225.
Bench
0x245
2 sets x Cry about how I’ll never make gains
2,2,1,1,1,1,1,1x225
6x185
7x155
8,7,4x135
OHP
8,4x95
Judging by how many reps I got with 225 my max for today was probs 235. It makes sense that last Thursday’s bench (done after an off day) would fare better than today’s (done the day after deads/squats). I know I had some upper back soreness this morning. We’ll see Thursday.
Waist went up but if I flex I still have a six pack under normal lighting. Still kinda bugs me though since everyone on the Internet has a 28" waist at 225.[/quote]
True, I have yet to see any such creatures in real life. But I remain hopeful.
10/27/14 - Monday
Pull-up
1x+65
1x+65
1x+45
4x~6xBW
Snatch grip high pull
4x4-7x135
One arm lat pulldown
Each arm got:
3-4x8-12x110-140
Dropset: 100, 80, 60 (8-12 reps at each weight)
Only cheated to squeeze more out of the dropsets. The normal sets didn’t even need cheating, once I ground out the last strict one (chin level, no swinging) there wasn’t anything left anyways.
Curls
yeeaaaaa
I’ll see how Wednesday/Thursday goes. I hate to think Saturday’s lifting would affect Sunday and today but it might be the case.