Max Strength for gabex

I am starting Max Strength by Eric Cressey. I want to add 50lbs (each) to all the big 3… or at least to my bench and squat, with whatever on my deadlift I’ll take.

I am not doing the ‘packing day’ because all of my maxes have been tested semi-recently.

Max Deadlift: 405 (tested 11/28/08)
Max Box Squat: 265 (tested 12/26/08)
Max Bench: 225 (tested sometime in August and haven’t made any progress on this, so I’ll leave it as is)

Max 3rm Chin: bw+45 ok this hasn’t really been tested, but I am going to say 45lbs… I was doing chins with 45lbs 4x5 over the summer (at a lower bw).

I tried to do foam rolling today. It hurt. I don’t think I am doing it right. Then I did a few of the mobility workouts, but not all. Fuck Kinkos. They wouldn’t let me copy anything out of the book… and I wasn’t trying to carry the book and flip threw the pages in the gym. Fuck copyright laws.

Started today after being sick for a week. I hadn’t done lower body in 11 days.


Phase 1, Day 1, Lower

A. Box Squat 5x4
185x4, 190x4, 195x3 (fuck), 185x4, 185x4

  • I don’t think a % of 1RM is listed, or I couldn’t find it. I used Using Prilephin's Table and tried to work up to 75%… which was obviously a little too heavy… or maybe it’s because I have been sick.

B. Speed DL 8x2
200x2 all 8 sets

  • I used sumo stance. I’ve always used sumo stance. I don’t know if it matters. I e-mailed Cressey to ask.

C. DB Walking Lunge
50x8/per side
45x8/per side
40x8/per side

  • And because I didn’t have the book handy I was going off memory and didn’t realize I had one more set to do. I don’t think I could have made it anyways, as on the first set something popped in my upper left thigh. Didn’t hurt but felt weird.

D1. Reverse Crunch
3x12
D2. Prone Bridge
3x30s

Er… phase #1 says straight sets. I’ll hafta fix this next time. I also need to get some real shoes… Chucks?

Also, I’ll do some measurements later as the book says I should have done on ‘Packing Day’. And Lastly, I did not test my broad jump, as I don’t really care? I don’t know if this is ok, or just plain stupid of me… so feel free to chime in.

[quote]gabex wrote:
Er… phase #1 says straight sets. I’ll hafta fix this next time. I also need to get some real shoes… Chucks?

Also, I’ll do some measurements later as the book says I should have done on ‘Packing Day’. And Lastly, I did not test my broad jump, as I don’t really care? I don’t know if this is ok, or just plain stupid of me… so feel free to chime in.[/quote]

Chucks are good. I havent had myn for very long, but they do the job.

Measurements this A.M.

Hips 36
Waist at Belly button 32.5
Waist at Widest point 34
Arms (cold) 14.25
Thigh 23.25

fuck. I am not going to make it in to the gym tonight. I wanted to do
Sun lower
Mon upper
Tue foam rolling
Wed lower
Thur upper
Fri-Sat off

but now I’ll be doing upper tomorrow, and so forth. My fucking car broke again… I think the ball joint, control arm, or something in that area… CV’s are relatively new so its not those… I may be out of a car for a week and I’ll hafta figure out how I am getting to and from work as it is

Phase 1, Day 2, Upper

A. Bench
warmup barx10, 135x6, 145x4
175x4, 180x4, 185x3 (fuck), 175x4, 175x4

  • I said I wasn’t going to ramp weight but I didn’t know where to start/how much to use. I think this is the kind of volume I need, instead of the ws4sb I was doing which would be like 175x3, 185x5, 190x3, 195x3, 200x1 ish

B1. Low Incline Neutral DB Press
50x10
55x6 drop set 50x4
50x8
50x6
B2. Medium Grip Pronated Cable Row
100x10
120x10
120x10
120x10

  • On the db press, I forgot it was neutral grip. So I did set 1 normal grip and thought it was too easy. 55 was too heavy, and I had the 50’s next to me so I did a drop set. Then the last set I just did an extra set to make up for the lack of reps.
  • On the row, I used strict form except the last 2 reps on the last set.

C1. Prone Trap Raises
5x12
5x12
5x12
C2. Side Lying Ext Rotation
5x12/side
5x12/side
5x12/side

  • I am not sure If I was doing either of these right… I just kept the weight light…

D. Side Bridges
3x30s/side

Some really genuine efforts and routines on your part.

Continue to be as disciplined and conscientious as you are currently practicing.

All the very best as you continue to work on maxing it out and further refining your physical dimensions.

Phase 1, Day 3, Lower

This felt like the longest workout of my life

A. Front Squat
warmup barx6, 95x6, 136x6
155x6, 165x6, 170x6, 170x4.5

  • I haven’t done these in pretty much a year now… last set I completely dropped the bar at almost the top portion of the end of the squat… my arms, back, and legs all gave out lol

B. Rack Pull
warmup 135x6, 225x6
275x6, 295x6, 315x6, 315x6

  • It calls for pulling from the kneecap. We don’t have a power rack, just a squat rack… so I have to stand on a step and pull. I could’ve done above knee cap, or below. These were done below. Last set was with straps and kind of sloppy… I might have been using a little bit of momentum on the last few

C. DB Split Squat
25x6/side, 30x6/side, 35x6/side

  • I hate these. My calves cramp up getting into position, plus by the time I got to them, I was exhausted

D1. Pull Through
100x12
100x12
100x12
D2. Reverse Crunch
12, 12, 12

Did 3 min rest for the squat/deadlift, and 1.5min rest for the split squat, and 1 min rest for the pull through/crunch…

Phase 1, Day 4, Upper

A1. DB Push Press
45x6/side, 50x6/side, 55x6/side, 60x6/side
A2. Close Grip Chin
6, 6, 6, 6

  • I should have done the chins weighted but forgot this was an option…

B1. Pushup
10, 10, 10
B2. DB 1-arm Row
80x8/side, 70x8/side, 70x8/side

  • I also need to add resistance to the pushups. 80 was too heavy on the row (per the instructions on maintaining form in the book)

C1. Kneeling Cable Ext Rotation
5x12, 5x12, 5x12

  • I don’t think I did these right

D1. Side Bridge

  • Should’ve been alternated with C1, but I was still trying to learn those…

Next week I am going to add weight to the chins and push ups, fo sho.

Phase 1, Day 5, Lower

A. Box Squat
warmup barx6, 95x6, 135x4
185x4, 190x4, 195x4, 200x4

  • I wore different shoes… I think this helped. Also I think I’m using a box about 2in shorter than what my orig 265 max was tested on…

B. Speed Deadlift
220x2 (all 8 sets)

C. DB Walking Lunge
40x8/side, 40x8/side, 35x8/side

D1. Reverse Crunch
12, 12, 12
D2. Prone Bridge
30s, 30s, 30s

Doing this program also. Looks like I’m one day ahead of you schedule wise. This is a fun program, if sometimes a little vague. If you have any questions or comments drop by my log and let me know. Be easy.

I am in the very hard week of the peak phase and I just want to say, this program is crazy intense at times, I was cursings cresseys name toward the end of todays workout.

I was fairly weak at the beginning of the program but I estimate my box squat went up about 75, bench around 50, and dead around 50 or 60 so your goals are pretty realistic. If you work your ass off you should be able to make them. Good luck!

Nice to see others doing it.

Next week is gonna be killer.

I’m looking for pre/peri/post workout nutrition right now…ideally a 2:1 carb:protein ratio to drink on the way to the gym and throughout my work out (nothing post, I workout late at night and would rather eat than drink another shake when I get home).

I wanna do like 100g carbs : 50g protein
on leg days and 75 g carbs : 35g protein on upper days… but I am not sure what to get.

I do not think I can afford Surge. Especially at a double dose. Plain whey and maltodextrin will taste too bad for me to be able to drink at the gym… I’ve tried. Any suggestions?

For post workout I use powdered gatorade and a scoop of ON whey with some creatine. It’s about 50g carbs and 25g protein. The more water mixed the better 'cause the gatorade powder is pretty sweet.

Son of a! I used to use powdered gatorade, but I have not been able to find it in stores since they made the little ‘gatorade to go’ packs for individual sizes… which is a rip off.

Where are you buying it?

I get mine from my local grocerey store, but all they have is old school lemon-lime. Was in a wal-mart recently and saw upwards of 15 different flavors, no joke. Long story short think I’m headin’ to wal-mart in a coupla’ weeks. You should go check 'em out.

Phase 1, Day 6, Upper

A. Bench
warmup barx10, 135x6, 145x4
175x4, 1980x4, 185x4, 190x3

B1. Neutral Grip Low Incline DB Press
50x9, 50x9, 50x9
B2. Medium Pronated Grip Cable Row
120x9, 120x9, 120x9, 120x9

C1. Prone Trap Raises
5x12
5x12
5x12
C2. Side Lying Ext Rotation
5x12/side
5x12/side
5x12/side

  • Still not sure if I’m doing this right…but still working on it

D. Side Bridges
3x30s/side

Phase 1, Day 7, Lower

A. Front Squat
warmup barx6, 95x6, 135x6
155x6, 165x6, 170x6, 170x5

B. Rack Pull
warmup 135x6, 225x6
275x6, 295x6, 315x6

C. DB Split Squat
30x5/side
35x5/side
40x5/side

D1. Cable Pull Thru
100x10, 100x10, 100x10
D2. Reverse Crunch
12, 12, 12

Phase 1, Day 8, Upper

A1. 1arm DB Push Press
50x6, 55x6, 60x6, 60x6
A2. Close grip Chin (+25lbs)
6, 6, 6

B1. Pushup
12, 12, 12
B2. 1arm DB Row
70x7, 70x7, 70x7

C1. Kneeling Cable Ext Rot
5x12, 7.5x10, 5x12
C2. Prone Bridge
30s, 30s, 30s

Looks like my last post didn’t go through…

Spent Saturday drinking like a fish back down at IU for some fun times… still feeling hungover today. I decided to push everything a day out as opposed to lifting like this.

8x3 box squats… last time 200x4 was pretty much a max attempt. Any idea as to how much weight I should use for the 8x3 sets?