Have been a lurker for a while, only recently made an account (long backstory of who I am and how I train here: http://tnation.T-Nation.com/hub/ActivitiesGuy#myForums/thread/5985996/ ), but just wanted to say you post a lot of quality advice. Good stuff. Would like to see you keep the training log updated semi-regularly!
Busy-as-fuck weekend. I’m laying new floors in my house, and it is a pain in the ass. I’m doing most of the labor myself. Got about 2 hours of help from a friend, but I put in about 17 hours over the last 2 days. Should have 1 weekend left of labor, assuming all goes well.
Still managed to do my crossfit workout on Saturday. 5 rounds of 15 wallball throws (14 lbs) and 10 burpees, followed by a 100 meter run. The throws and burpees were split with a partner, but both partners had to do the run. Finished in 7:45.
Right now I’m essentially doing 10 sets of 3 on my main lifts, using OHP, bench, squat, and deadlift as my lifts. I varied a little from this on Friday night with deadlift. I worked up to some singles at 465, then dropped to 365 for 8 sets of 3. Then I did some sandbag carries and farmers walks with kettlebells.
A few things of note recently:
A couple weekends ago I did my first muscle up, on a bar. Got it on my 3rd try.
I wish I had something in my log to compare this to, but for my last squat session is did 5 sets of 3 @ 315, then my last 5 sets at 295. Amazing how much easier the sets were at 295. The reason I dropped the weight was that I only did 2 reps on my 4th set, as I dropped too low/lost tightness on the second set. Felt uncomfortable, so I pulled back a little. I think the last time I did 10 sets of 3, I did 1 set @ 315 before dropping, so this would be progress.
After squats, I did lunges up and down the room with 95 on my back. probably 25-30 yards each way, didn’t put the bar down. Then I put 155 on the bar, and just walked with the bar on my back up and down and up again, then racked the bar.
On bench the next day I did 235 for 5 or 6 sets, then 225 for the last sets. Followed this with explosive pull ups (letting go of the bar at the top), then regular pull ups, then tire flips.
Crossfit workout was tough this weekend. I had a partner who was there for the first time, in bad shape. The WOD was wallball sit ups (as many as possible) for p1, while p2 did a 100m run, 10 squats, and 10 push presses, done for 8 minutes, switching everytime p1 finished his stuff. I started on the situps. I assumed since my partner was using an empty bar, his part would go fast. It did not. I did about 40 situps, and felt like I was going to die, while my partner tried to figure out how to perform a squat. He was getting a rep in about every 5 or 6 seconds. By the time I got to my first set of barbell stuff (I used 95 lbs), my abs were destroyed. My second set of sit ups was hell (got 26), and I ended up getting through my second set of barbell lifts as time ran out. This was Saturday. My abs are sore right now.
I bought some Adidas weightlifting shoes. Returned them for size. The correct size arrives today. So I’m pretty fucking excited about that.
Tonight I deadlifted 415x8. I think my previous best rep record over 400 was 5 reps at 405, so this was very easily a PR. All reps were touch and go. After this set, I got 415x4, then did a few higher rep sets at lower weights. Finished with tire flips.
Last night I did bench press, 8 sets of 5. I did the first 5 sets with 225, then dropped to 205 to finish my last 3 sets. I believe I missed the last 2 reps on set #5. Then did 4 sets of 10 DB rows with the 110’s. Assistance work included dips and curls and stuff.
I really don’t like overhead pressing. At all. Which means I should probably stop skipping it.
Last night I worked up to a set of standing OHP at 155… I think for 5 reps, with the last one being a push press that I pushed directly into my chin. Did I mention I hate OHP?
Followed my heavy work with sets of 8-12 with dumbbells, seated, using 50’s. Followed this with pullups, close grip. Then I did a cable curl/pressdown superset, 3 sets, 10-15 reps. Then 1 set of 20 lateral raises, followed by 10 partials, as a finisher.
Couple pictures for the log to follow. I’m essentially done cutting for now, putting weight back on, but trying to stay basically as lean as I am now.
Strong deadlifting. What is your BW at the moment?
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Last night I worked up to a set of standing OHP at 155… I think for 5 reps, with the last one being a push press that I pushed directly into my chin. Did I mention I hate OHP?
[/quote]
Ha this sounds familiar. Last week, with 145, I bounced the bar off my chin during my last set, push press also, and almost lost it out the front, I then proceeded to quickly lower the bar into my teeth. It was not a good set.
Yesterday it was right about 180 at the end of my workout session. Probably 175ish fasted weight.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Last night I worked up to a set of standing OHP at 155… I think for 5 reps, with the last one being a push press that I pushed directly into my chin. Did I mention I hate OHP?
[/quote]
Ha this sounds familiar. Last week, with 145, I bounced the bar off my chin during my last set, push press also, and almost lost it out the front, I then proceeded to quickly lower the bar into my teeth. It was not a good set.[/quote]
I wish I could count the number of times I’ve nailed my chin while ohp’ing. It’s even worse when it happens during a jerk.
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Last night I worked up to a set of standing OHP at 155… I think for 5 reps, with the last one being a push press that I pushed directly into my chin. Did I mention I hate OHP?
[/quote]
Ha this sounds familiar. Last week, with 145, I bounced the bar off my chin during my last set, push press also, and almost lost it out the front, I then proceeded to quickly lower the bar into my teeth. It was not a good set.[/quote]
I wish I could count the number of times I’ve nailed my chin while ohp’ing. It’s even worse when it happens during a jerk.
[/quote]
You ever BTN press? I was experimenting with those a little last week during my warmups and they felt good at the time but my Friday session and all weekend I was having pretty rough pain in the shoulder joint. That was the only thing I did different that week so I am guessing they were the culprit.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
You ever BTN press? I was experimenting with those a little last week during my warmups and they felt good at the time but my Friday session and all weekend I was having pretty rough pain in the shoulder joint. That was the only thing I did different that week so I am guessing they were the culprit. [/quote]
Did you lower the bar to your traps, or just to eye/ear level? I’d be careful with those; shoulders take for-e-ver to heal.
Looking good in the photos.
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Last night I worked up to a set of standing OHP at 155… I think for 5 reps, with the last one being a push press that I pushed directly into my chin. Did I mention I hate OHP?
[/quote]
Ha this sounds familiar. Last week, with 145, I bounced the bar off my chin during my last set, push press also, and almost lost it out the front, I then proceeded to quickly lower the bar into my teeth. It was not a good set.[/quote]
I wish I could count the number of times I’ve nailed my chin while ohp’ing. It’s even worse when it happens during a jerk.
[/quote]
You ever BTN press? I was experimenting with those a little last week during my warmups and they felt good at the time but my Friday session and all weekend I was having pretty rough pain in the shoulder joint. That was the only thing I did different that week so I am guessing they were the culprit. [/quote]
I’ve played around with it a little, and actually meant to do it last night. Completely forgot that was in the plans. Oh well, next week.
Yea, I’ve had shoulder pain from doing them, but I also have poor shoulder ROM/flexibility, so not sure if it’s good pain or bad pain. One of my goals for the near future is to gain significantly more flexibility in my shoulders. It’s not a particularly easy goal though…
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
[quote]jbpick86 wrote:
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Last night I worked up to a set of standing OHP at 155… I think for 5 reps, with the last one being a push press that I pushed directly into my chin. Did I mention I hate OHP?
[/quote]
Ha this sounds familiar. Last week, with 145, I bounced the bar off my chin during my last set, push press also, and almost lost it out the front, I then proceeded to quickly lower the bar into my teeth. It was not a good set.[/quote]
I wish I could count the number of times I’ve nailed my chin while ohp’ing. It’s even worse when it happens during a jerk.
[/quote]
You ever BTN press? I was experimenting with those a little last week during my warmups and they felt good at the time but my Friday session and all weekend I was having pretty rough pain in the shoulder joint. That was the only thing I did different that week so I am guessing they were the culprit. [/quote]
I’ve played around with it a little, and actually meant to do it last night. Completely forgot that was in the plans. Oh well, next week.
Yea, I’ve had shoulder pain from doing them, but I also have poor shoulder ROM/flexibility, so not sure if it’s good pain or bad pain. One of my goals for the near future is to gain significantly more flexibility in my shoulders. It’s not a particularly easy goal though…
[/quote]
Yeah, it was a very sharp pain on my part, but like you, I don’t have the greatest flexibility so didn’t know for sure what kind of pain it was. The only thing that really concerned me was that it basically made dips or side laterals completely unmanageable. I liked the way they made the delt feel though. Seemed to increase the stress in the medial head signigicantly. Only brought them down to ear level though.
Since we’re on the subject, can you do overhead squats? I can’t. I haven’t tried with my oly shoes yet, but I’m assuming that won’t make a huge difference. Oly lifting/overhead squatting is the sole reason I want to have better shoulder flexibility.
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
Since we’re on the subject, can you do overhead squats? I can’t. I haven’t tried with my oly shoes yet, but I’m assuming that won’t make a huge difference. Oly lifting/overhead squatting is the sole reason I want to have better shoulder flexibility.[/quote]
I can if I keep it light. Like 95 or less. But that’s mostly because my form is so abysmal I am limited by how much my shoulders can keep pulled back enough to assure it doesn’t go out the front. I haven’t tried OH squats in a long while though. A lot of guys I see do them end up with their elbows almost behind their heads at the bottom and I just cant get back that far. I may warm up with some of these tomorrow now that you mention it though.
Couple sessions to log.
Earlier this week I squatted, worked up to a 385 single. Followed this with 295 for 8, 6, 6, 6.
Last night was fun. My lifting session was pretty short. I worked up to a 295 paused bench press single. Probably a paused PR. I haven’t hit a bench PR in maybe 2 years? I also hit 225 for 8 and 245 for 5 before this. Pyramided back down after. Afterwards, I did ring dips and ring pull ups. I didn’t want to take the time to adjust the ring height each set, which was at pull up height, so I basically had to do a muscle up to get into dip position. That was interesting. I’ve never really done ring dips, and I shook like crazy doing them, particularly in the first set. It got better as I went along. I’m used to ring pull ups.
After this I spent a decent amount of time working on shoulder flexibility (external rotation). Over and backs with a broomstick, overhead kettlebell squats, band work.
Then… boxing!!! This was enjoyable. Something completely foreign to me. The session was a full hour. Learned a couple basic punches. The trainer seemed legitimately impressed by my striking power, so that was cool. He was surprised when I told him how much I weighed, he assumed I was closer to 200 than 175. I learned enough to be able to do some boxing conditioning work on my own.
I’m adding a couple pictures from this week for a few reasons. Basically, my diet has been fantastic for the last 2 weeks, and I feel like it’s made a difference. Haven’t had a drink since the end of April, I’ve been eating much more red meat than usual, and as a result I’m leaner, stronger, and weighing in heavier than I was just a couple weeks ago.