Retweaked my hamstring at work tonight. I’m officially only doing bench press at my first PL meet now, gonna continue to train accordingly. On the plus side, I am enjoying this extra back work, and my grip shouldn’t be an issue by the time I start doing deads again.
9/5 Chest/Tris
Close Grip Bench
225x5
245x5
275x8
DB Bench
100s x5
110s x5
120s x5
130s x5
140s x5
Reverse grip tricep pull downs
3 sets of 15
9/7 Back
The plan was the do as many BW+35 pull ups possible in 45 minutes. I got to 21 in about 3 minutes and strained my neck somehow. Yay.
9/13 Chest/Tri Band fun
Banded Bench (95/125)
135x3
165x3
195x3
215x3
235x2
255x1
Reverse Band Bench (-95/0)
135x10
225x10
315x5
345x2
375x1
405x1
Weighted Dips
1p x 5
2p x 4
3p x 3
4p x 1
First time ever doing anything with bands, so just kinda feelin it out. According to Elitefts charts, on the band bench, +95# on the chest, +124# at lockout. Reverse band: -95# at chest, maybe a few pounds at the top, I’m arbitrarily guessing -5# for now. For my reference, 11th hole on the squat rack.
The 255x1(380 at the top) banded and 405x1 reverse band (400ish at the top) felt like 85-90% 1RM attempts, give or take. If I can improve my strength off the chest and/or general bar speed, I should shatter 400 pretty quick here.
9/15 Back/Bi
Weighted Chins
BW+35 10 sets of 5, 15 minutes
super light leg curls, 4 sets of 10
Face Pulls
204x10x4
Deadlifted 135 for a couple singles for a feeler
Hamstring feels pretty good, but no need to rush it. Gonna start another upper body cycle after today, I’m thinkin Reverse Band as a ME (still gonna use 5/3/1 weights/reps) and normal Bands for some speed work on the other day. I’m new to bands, so I feel like I might have a lot to gain from em initially.
I thought about doing chins with 5/3/1 but I ran the numbers, and at my body weight, I’d have to max at BW+145 in order for my bottoms 5 set to be simply bodyweight. This might create a new goal. For this cycle, just gonna stick to weighted pulls/chins for time, and throw in some rows/face pulls/curls.
9/17 Chest/Tri
Reverse band bench
300x3
340x3
385x4
320x3
275x15
DB bench
120s for 6,5,5,5
Dips
1p 4 sets of 5
1 set of light leg curls, felt a little tightness and stopped
My plan this cycle is to ramp up with 5/3/1 sets, then back down for some more volume. The intention wasn’t to get 15 on the last set, but that is the best pump I’ve felt in my triceps in quite a while, so I’m gonna stick with it. Also reexamined the tension weight, and it’s definitely taking 0 off at the top. Maybe the bands stretched out a hair, I dunno.
Lack of food started hitting me pretty hard once I started DB presses, Taco Johns is currently fixing that problem.
9/20 Back/Bi
Neutral Grip pull-ups
BWx10
+25x8
+35x5
+45x3
+55x3
+70x3
+80x2
+90x2
+100x1
Face pulls
204x10, 5 sets
Squats
135x5x5
Not a great day, but my hamstring feels good.
9/21 Chest/Tri
Reverse Band bench
285x5
325x5
365x5
315x5
265x15
DB Flies
30s x6
35s x6
40s x6
45s x6
50s x6
Push ups
2 sets of 10, 4 sec eccentric, 2 sec isometric, explosive concentric
9/26 Chest/Tri (again)
Reverse Bands
315x5
365x3
405x3
365x3
315x12
Normal Bench
225x10
225x8
225x7
405x3, I think 4 or 5 was maybe possible, but my spotter took some off prematurely on the 3rd one so I just stopped. After that I decided to throw some BBB normal bench in there to make sure the movement without bands didn’t magically go to hell. And… any time I only get 225 for 7, I am done.
9/28 Back/Bi & Leg rehab
Pull-ups
BWx5
+25x4
+35x4x4
superset with BB Curls
45x10
95x8x3
Squats
135x5
185x5
225x5x3
superset with BB Rows
95x10
115x10
135x10
155x10
165x10
Leg curls (medium-light) superset with Ab Wheelin
4 sets of 10 each
The most strain I felt today was during the BB rows, I’ll probly hold off on those a bit more. This workout looks kinda crappy on paper, but it kicked my ass. I really wanted to go heavy on squats, but I’m glad I didn’t. No need to push too hard on the injury with no squat competition planned.
9/29 Light Deads
Deadlift
135x5x2
185x5x2
225x5
275x1
325x1
355x1
385x1 (all double overhand)
Lying leg curls superset with a glute raise machine thingy, 4 sets of 10 each
Rack pulls, held for time
405,455,475, 495 x 10 sec
515x5 sec
Finished off with some calf raises and plate pinches
The hammy might be better off than I thought, but still playing it safe here. Not gonna DL anything that I can’t double overhand for a while.
9/30 Chest/Shoulder Deload
Bench
225x5x5
Military
135x5x5
some grip work and some cardio
10/2 Chins & Squats
Weighted Chins
BW+50, 50 reps in 14 minutes
(sets of 2-5)
Squats
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x5
315x5
superset with some hammer curls
I am officially ready to get back on 531 starting next work out, with a few tweaks. One, my upper body stuff is gonna remain bench heavy until the meet. Two, lower body stuff will be limited. Deadlift training max will be set so I can double overhand all sets, and squat training max will be dropped down to 365. And only prescribed reps at least for a month.
Training maxes for the next month:
Bench: 385
OHP: 205
Squat: 365
Dead: 405
10/3 Bench
Bench
270x3
310x3
345x2
225x10x4
I dunno why, but I paused the first rep at 345. I didn’t plan to, just did, and it killed the set. Oh well, I know 345 paused is in the bag.
10/4 Deads
Deadlift
265x5
305x5
345x5
a few sets of glutes and hams
Tire Flips x 60 (15,15,10,10,10)
I didn’t know my gym had a tire, and I’m not positive it is the gym’s. Anyways, this is my kind of conditioning.
10/6 Shoulders and stuff
Military
135x5
155x5
175x8
Bench+bands (focused on speed)
135x3
185x3
205x3
225x3
245x3
DB Press slight incline (20ish degrees)
80s x 5
90s x 5
100s x 5
110s x 5
120s x 5
Tire Flips x 75 (15,15,10,10,10,15)
I think this tire is a little on the light side for flipping, but it’s more than enough for my fat, out of shape ass at the moment.
10/10 Squats
240x5
275x5
310x5
185x10x5
I can see what Wendler is talking about when he says “Earn the right to squat and leave”. Even with my nerfed training max, this was a little bit of an ass kicker. It’s gonna be nuts with a full training max, and working those last 5 sets up to 20 reps each.
10/11 Chest/tri
Bench
240x5
290x5
325x5
290x5
240x5x3 paused
Skullcrushers
115x6x4
Cable flies
6x3
Tire Flips x 78 (15,15,12,12,12,12)
So for my first meet on the 29th, I think I’m gonna settle on 325 for an opener for bench. The advice I’ve seen/heard is to open with something you get 3-5 times in the gym. I think the heaviest triple I’ve got is 350, and I believe 325 is my 5RM. Highest single in the gym is 365.
Far as what I think I’ll do on the 2nd and 3rd attempts, all I know is I want the cheesy state record for this fed, which is only 340. Past that, my original goal was 400-405, but I think I’m a hair short on hitting that, especially paused. Likely I will play it by ear, somewhat close to 325, 350, 375.
If anyone following has a suggestion here I’ll take it into consideration.
10/12 back
Pull-ups
BWx5
+10x5
+20x5
+30x5
+40x5
superset with chin-ups of the same reps/sets
Kroc rows
120s x 15, 8, 8, 8
Face Pulls
211x10x5
little bit of Ab wheelin
Forgot to superset my pressing with back stuff, so I threw a back day in again.