So next cycle I will shift my focus slightly. These past few months, the focus was pure strength. In that time my lifts jumped as follows:
OHP: 7x140 to 7x150
Box Squat: 8x225 to 4x325 (note: this is so drastic since I’m still technically rehabbing)
Bench Press: 8x235 to 8x245
Deadlift: 3x405 to 2x435 (actually this is more like 2 weeks, since I’ve only been doing them for a month)
Wow! Just looking at that is one of those rare instances I’m actually proud of myself!
Now, I shift to hypertrophy. Will be moving from 4x/week upper/lower split to 6x push/pull/legs split. It will look like this:
Push: 5/3/1 OHP+ accessory
Pull
Legs: 5/3/1 Box Squat + accessory
Push: 5/3/1 bench + accessory
Pull
Legs: 5/3/1 Deadlift + accessory
For the very first time in my training career I will be consistently incorporating isolation work. Obviously I will still be focusing on getting all the big lifts up; however, my accessory work will be hypertrophy focused now and I will be focusing 2 whole days to strictly lat and bis work.
Oh…and I will EAT EAT EAT.
My program is hypertrophy based, but im also getting stronger on my big lifts. It starts w a big lift for 3-6 reps, then goes into iso work for 8-12 reps. For ex, leg day:
Leg press: warmup
Front squat: work up to top set 3-6
Hack squat 3 x 8-10 + widowmaker
Leg curl 3 x 8-12 + dropset
Calves
Cool log man. You’ve made consistent gains Damn near week to week, that’s not easy to do. You’ll get your goals pretty quickly bud.
PICTURE TIME!
Ok, so these were all taken on 7/16/11. They are cold, carb depleted, and completely relaxed. In a nutshell, they are me at my most unflattering. Hopefully they will be motivation.
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
Cool log man. You’ve made consistent gains Damn near week to week, that’s not easy to do. You’ll get your goals pretty quickly bud.[/quote]
Thanks for the support. That’s how I roll man! I think like a beginner, train like one, and try to make linear steady gains like one!
Hello
Looking at the big picture you are doing very good but here is a few thing I noticed:
You need to put on back width, your BB row is very weak compared to your other lifts and you do pullups only with BW. Maybe you should start doing pullups with weight on a belt. Alot of people feels their lats better that way.
These are just exterior observations, obviously you know what you are doing and it is not like I was that much stronger than you.
Good luck
[quote]jasmincar wrote:
Hello
Looking at the big picture you are doing very good but here is a few thing I noticed:
You need to put on back width, your BB row is very weak compared to your other lifts and you do pullups only with BW. Maybe you should start doing pullups with weight on a belt. Alot of people feels their lats better that way.
These are just exterior observations, obviously you know what you are doing and it is not like I was that much stronger than you.
Good luck [/quote]
Yep, I’ll be working on that. I usually do weighted pull ups and chin ups (check the earlier pages of this log). It was only the last cycle that I opted to do BW and go for reps. I have honestly never seen much growth from them, hence, as I shift my focus to hypertrophy training, I will be going back to cable pulldowns–both wide and neutral grip. And yes, I just need to put weight on my BB rows.
Perception is really a bitch. I really had no idea what my BB row should be at, and certainly never witness anyone at any gym I’ve been to using more than 115. When I get to my target of 10x225, I should have some thickness built up.
[quote]hlss09 wrote:
My program is hypertrophy based, but im also getting stronger on my big lifts. It starts w a big lift for 3-6 reps, then goes into iso work for 8-12 reps. For ex, leg day:
Leg press: warmup
Front squat: work up to top set 3-6
Hack squat 3 x 8-10 + widowmaker
Leg curl 3 x 8-12 + dropset
Calves
[/quote]
You’ve dropped the volume then a tad, haven’t you? Quality over quantity?
No its about the same volume, prob 20 sets total on leg day
[quote]hlss09 wrote:
No its about the same volume, prob 20 sets total on leg day[/quote]
Gotcha. I will be sitting at about 12 total sets on leg day; however, I have two leg days/week.
Sunday 7/17/11
OHP: top set 11x140
Low-Incline DB Press: 10x60, 10x65, 8x65, 8x60
60 sec rest
Superset: 3 sets of 10-15
Lat Raise: top set 12x15
Seated Face Pull: top 12x50
Front Raise: top 11x20
30 sec rest between sets
Note: the hardest transition today was dropping from 2-3 min rest between sets down to 30-60. I overestimated my weights just a tad. Things will pick up next week.
[quote]jskrabac wrote:
Sunday 7/17/11
OHP: top set 11x140
[/quote]
And thats how we do it!
Monday 7/18/11
Box Squat: top set 11x285
Reverse Lunge: 15x95, 15x105, 12x115, 10x125
90 s rest
BB Hip Thrusts: 10, 10, 12, 15x 135 (I’ve never done these before. Was just getting used to the motion and not trying to push all that much weight. Still burned the hell out of my glutes though!)
90 s rest
Superset:
Cable Woodchop: 3x10x120
Plank: 2x1 min
[i]Once again there was a drastic drop in rest time between sets. Fortunately, I scaled back weight just a tad and made this a very effective workout. I walked home very sore and out of breath, but overall feeling refreshed.
Apparently my box squat yields a projected max of 390. No way in hell! Lol. Interesting for my first day of 5/3/1 box squats though, considering one of my goals is 405 for 1.[/i]
[/i]
Tuesday 7/19/11
BB Rows: 12x135, 2x10x145, 2x8x155
60 sec rest
Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown: 10,10,9 x 140, 20x100
60 sec rest
Superset:
BB Curls: 12,10,10x60, 12x50
DB Rear Delt Flyes: 4x15x15
30 sec rest
Standing Calf Raise: 5x10-15, top set 15x150
Seated Calf Raise: 5x10-15, light (35lb)
45 sec rest
Wednesday 7/20/11
Bench: top set 12x225 (hellz yeas!)
High Incline DB Press: 10x45, 10x50, 8x50, 8x45
60 sec rest
Superset: 4x10-15
Close Grip Bench: top 13x115
DB Lying Tri Extension: top 15x20
DB Pec Fly: top 10x30
Awesome bench man, projected max: 315. Me likely
Anyway, I had a question for you(no not about carbs/kcals or any other bullshit) but rather your warm up.
I was wondering if maybe you could outline the way you warm up before you hit the iron and then how you warm up before you big lifts?
Im doing the agile 8 as a dynamic warm up and then go bar, half weight, work sets but I feel like my warm up could be much better. Any advice?
