On My Way to 2000lbs

Training Training Logs
401

I’ve trained all this week just haven’t updated my log. Life caught up with me so to speak. Family gatherings, an unplanned trip to the Indy 500, work, life in general, etc, etc. This is one good thing about not training for a meet, I don’t feel awful about missing / half assing workouts.

Tuesday 5/28 – Lower Body Assistance

Speed Pulls
315 x1 x5 sets
365 x1 x2 sets
405 x1 x2 sets

Stiff Leg Deadlifts
315 x15

  • I tried to do the 3x20 with ~%50 that Tim Henriques recommended in the PL forum. I failed miserably.

GHR
bw x25

Reverse Hyper / Plank supersets
140 x15 / bw x 45s
140 x15 / bw x 45s

Wednesday 5/29 – ME Bench
I’ve missed 2 Sunday bench sessions in a row, so I didn’t have high hopes for this session

Bench
bar x10
95 x8
135 x6
185 x6
225 x6
275 x6
315 x3
add 3 board
365 x1
add shirt
405 x2 (3 board)
455 x2 (2 board)
485 x1-ish (to chest) – pressed it too fast – flared early & started to lose it into the rack but locked it out.
500 x1 (1 board)

First time in my own shirt since the meet. Decent day, but did no accessory work because I’m lame. Instead I drank a Busch Light. I’m embarrassed more about this than my 500lb shirted bench press.

Friday – May 30 ME Squat

Skipped. My wife went out of town. On Friday I went to work, dropped her off at the airport and then went on the equivalent of a 2nd bachelor party.

Sunday – June 1 Assistance Bench

At this point, I haven’t done my usual Sunday bench work in a few weeks and the last 2 bench sessions have been rough. I realize I need to just get in some work and start fresh.

Bench
bar x10
bar x10
95 x5
95 x5
135 x6
185 x6
225 x10
275 x10

This was actually kind of difficult. The weight felt heavy in my hands. Considering this is ~70% of my max, this is troublesome.

Lat Pulldowns
4 sets of 10 @ 180

Seated Overhead Press
135 x15
185 x6

I left here because I was hungover.

402

Ha! I’m trying those damn stiff leggers too. They are the suck!

Mine are actually more of a bastard child of an RDL and a dimel DL, but whatever. They leave me in a state of constant cramp for about 5 minutes.

That shit better do something for my pull, is all I’m saying.

403

[quote]mahwah wrote:
Ha! I’m trying those damn stiff leggers too. They are the suck!

Mine are actually more of a bastard child of an RDL and a dimel DL, but whatever. They leave me in a state of constant cramp for about 5 minutes.

That shit better do something for my pull, is all I’m saying.[/quote]

If I don’t add 50lbs to my deadlift after doing 6 weeks or so of these, I’m going to punch someone in the neck. One set of 15 reps had me hurting, 3x20 sounds ludicrous.

404

Tuesday June 4 – DE’ish Squats

Box Squats w/ Cambered SSB
I hate this bar for squatting, it folds me in half every time. I have no clue how people can use this thing.
bar x10
bar x10
150 x10
225 x6
315 x3
315 x3
315 x3
365 x2

My PR with this bar was/is 405 I think for 1, which is awful considering I have hit 5 plates for 3 reps on chain suspended good mornings with the same bar. Something doesn’t seem right there. So this wasn’t really speed work at all.

Chest Supported Rows
4-5 sets working up to 160 in plates

45 Degree Back Extensions
bw x20
average band x20
average band x20

Prowler Pushes
various weights up to 4 plates x10 trips x30 yards each trip

Wednesday – ME’ish bench

Floor Press
bar x10
bar x5
95 x6
135 x6
185 x6
225 x6
275 x6
315 x5
335 x3
355 x2
365 x1

I didn’t feel all that great today so I tried to just get a bunch of work in. I’m probably still recovering from all of the pushes on the prowler yesterday.

Lat Pulldowns
140 x10
140 x10
200 x10
200 x10

DB Incline
85 x20

Prowler Pushes Again
ascending weights up to 4 plates x10 trips x30 yards

Farmers Walk Frame Carry
300lbs x3 trips x60 yards

Call me crazy but I’m starting to like all of this conditioning work.

405

Hi, I have some issues with my deadlift. Sometimes - Often when i have hamstring soreness/tight back, I can’t seem to get down in the right position leaving my middle back to round. It’s like I can’t straighten it out, because my back erectors are so pumped. Also it gets worse set by set. Atm. I’m doing sets of 5. The first week went well, the second week(yesterday, I pulled) went to shits. I lost count on my deadlift and took an extra rep in 3 sets to be sure, they left me dizzy, all three sets.

At the 5th set I couldn’t arch anything particularly hard.

Try checking out my profile. Got a vid of my PR deadlift at 360lbs. I think the form is okay, but you may have something to say.

Anyway: It’s always my middle back which rounds, I thought it’s the upper back which’s supposed to round. Am I wrong or something?

406

[quote]andreas7074 wrote:
Hi, I have some issues with my deadlift. Sometimes - Often when i have hamstring soreness/tight back, I can’t seem to get down in the right position leaving my middle back to round. It’s like I can’t straighten it out, because my back erectors are so pumped. Also it gets worse set by set. Atm. I’m doing sets of 5. The first week went well, the second week(yesterday, I pulled) went to shits. I lost count on my deadlift and took an extra rep in 3 sets to be sure, they left me dizzy, all three sets.[/quote]

Not all days are going to be winners. How frequently are you stretching or doing soft tissue work like a foam roller? Personally I have to do it once a day (atleast) and sometimes twice a day (before and after workouts). Specifically my glutes have a tendency to get ridiculously tight. The only way I’ve found to release them is to roll on a lacrosse ball. Any tightness in one particular area of your posterior chain will affect the surrounding areas as well. So if you can’t seem to get your hamstrings loose, the culprit may be elsewhere.

[quote]
At the 5th set I couldn’t arch anything particularly hard.

Try checking out my profile. Got a vid of my PR deadlift at 360lbs. I think the form is okay, but you may have something to say.

Anyway: It’s always my middle back which rounds, I thought it’s the upper back which’s supposed to round. Am I wrong or something?[/quote]

I looked at your video, it didn’t look too bad to be honest. Most PR deadlifts don’t look all that great. While your middle back did round, it didn’t look excessive. Because you’re not using a belt, you’d probably benefit from more ab work as well as some glute activation movements. I’d like to see you get your hips lower at the start of the movement, and really “load” your hamstrings before the pull.

Hope that helps.

Thursday – June 6 – Extra Workout

Body Weight Pullups / BW Dips Supersets
bw x10 / bw x15
bw x8 / bw x15
bw x6 / bw x15

Hammer Curls
40 x12
40 x12
40 x12

Machine Curls
2 sets @ I don’t know how much weight but a short man with no upper back, shoulders or legs used more weight than I did on these. Rats.

Row Machine 500m / 1:30. My best is 1:26 and I tried a different approach on this one. I like to do this every now and then just because I’m good at it.

Interval Training on Stationary Bike (dumb)
30s high blast / 30s cruise x12 rounds

407

[quote]frankjl wrote:

[quote]andreas7074 wrot0e:
Hi, I have some issues with my deadlift. Sometimes - Often when i have hamstring soreness/tight back, I can’t seem to get down in the right position leaving my middle back to round. It’s like I can’t straighten it out, because my back erectors are so pumped. Also it gets worse set by set. Atm. I’m doing sets of 5. The first week went well, the second week(yesterday, I pulled) went to shits. I lost count on my deadlift and took an extra rep in 3 sets to be sure, they left me dizzy, all three sets.[/quote]

Not all days are going to be winners. How frequently are you stretching or doing soft tissue work like a foam roller? Personally I have to do it once a day (atleast) and sometimes twice a day (before and after workouts). Specifically my glutes have a tendency to get ridiculously tight. The only way I’ve found to release them is to roll on a lacrosse ball. Any tightness in one particular area of your posterior chain will affect the surrounding areas as well. So if you can’t seem to get your hamstrings loose, the culprit may be elsewhere.

[quote]
At the 5th set I couldn’t arch anything particularly hard.

Try checking out my profile. Got a vid of my PR deadlift at 360lbs. I think the form is okay, but you may have something to say.

Anyway: It’s always my middle back which rounds, I thought it’s the upper back which’s supposed to round. Am I wrong or something?[/quote]

I looked at your video, it didn’t look too bad to be honest. Most PR deadlifts don’t look all that great. While your middle back did round, it didn’t look excessive. Because you’re not using a belt, you’d probably benefit from more ab work as well as some glute activation movements. I’d like to see you get your hips lower at the start of the movement, and really “load” your hamstrings before the pull.

Hope that helps.

Thursday – June 6 – Extra Workout

Body Weight Pullups / BW Dips Supersets
bw x10 / bw x15
bw x8 / bw x15
bw x6 / bw x15

Hammer Curls
40 x12
40 x12
40 x12

Machine Curls
2 sets @ I don’t know how much weight but a short man with no upper back, shoulders or legs used more weight than I did on these. Rats.

Row Machine 500m / 1:30. My best is 1:26 and I tried a different approach on this one. I like to do this every now and then just because I’m good at it.

Interval Training on Stationary Bike (dumb)
30s high blast / 30s cruise x12 rounds[/quote]

Thanks a lot, man. I do soft tissue work an a little stretching 5 days a week.

On the subject of putting my hips lower, then i dont think i can without having more movement at the knee. I will try to foamroll my glutes and low back as well as the back of my knee. Those tend to get really tight.

Thong is. I have only been deadlifting conventionally for 4 weeks so i still experiment. I will try to bring my hips lower at the next deadlift session.

Btw i deadlift with moderate intensity (5x5@7percent) and (6x3@75 percent) 2 times a week. On top i deadlift 6x3@60 once time a week

I back squat 2 times pr week with same intensity as the dead. I frontsquat heavy once pr week and light once per week.

I bench 3 times a week and oh press 2 times.

408

[quote]andreas7074 wrote:
Thanks a lot, man. I do soft tissue work an a little stretching 5 days a week.

On the subject of putting my hips lower, then i dont think i can without having more movement at the knee. I will try to foamroll my glutes and low back as well as the back of my knee. Those tend to get really tight.

Thong is. I have only been deadlifting conventionally for 4 weeks so i still experiment. I will try to bring my hips lower at the next deadlift session.

Btw i deadlift with moderate intensity (5x5@7percent) and (6x3@75 percent) 2 times a week. On top i deadlift 6x3@60 once time a week

I back squat 2 times pr week with same intensity as the dead. I frontsquat heavy once pr week and light once per week.

I bench 3 times a week and oh press 2 times.
[/quote]

One cue that usually helps… reach down and grab the bar & start pulling the bar with your upper back. Drop your hips and flare your knees out until your chest is facing forward. You should be looking straight forward. I still struggle with this and I think most people do.

Friday – June 7 ME Squat

My hips are still sore as shit from pushing the prowler the other night. I tried my best to get loose, but ended up throwing my gear on very early because of how tight I was.

Squats
bar x10
bar x10
155 x10
245 x8
add briefs
335 x5
425 x4
515 x3
565 x3
605 x2
635 x1

I stopped here. I could have easily done another rep @ 635 and probably could have gone heavier but decided to be lazy.

GHR
bw x15
bw x15
bw x15

Ab Wheel
bw x12
bw x12
bw x12

Prowler
3.5 plates x35 yards x10 trips

409

June 9 – DE’ish Bench

Bench Against Doubled Minis
bar x10
bar x10
95 x6
135 x6
185 x3 x4sets
205 x5 (close grip & paused)
215 x5 (close grip & paused)
225 x5 (close grip & paused)
235 x5 (close grip & paused)

Pullups
bw x5
bw x5
bw x5
bw x5
bw x5

These were hard really today for some reason

DB Military Press
80 x8
80 x8
80 x8

DB Curls
35 x12
35 x12
35 x12

Prowler
3 plates x40yards x10 sprints

^ This almost killed me today, it’s 92 degrees in Columbus. Pushing a prowler on blacktop this time of year is probably the equivalent of doing windsprints in the 2nd layer of hell.

410

Tuesday – Heavy Pull

Deadlift off 5 Mats
I just decided to work in with a group that was already doing this
135 x10
225 x5
315 x5
add belt
405 x3
495 x3
545 x2
585 x1
635 x1
675 x0

I figured 675 was a reasonable jump, I think 9 times out of 10 I make this lift but it wasn’t in the cards today.

Good Mornings with SSB
185 x10 (no belt)
185 x10
185 x10
185 x10

I really got weak at these. This was an eye opener for me.

Ab Roller thing / Reverse Hyper supersets
bw x10 / 70 x12
bw x8 / 70 x12

Sled Sprints
3.5 plates x40 yards x10 sprints

411

Wednesday June 12

ME Bench

Today was 94 degrees in Columbus, OH with humidity so high that it literally hurt to breath. We haven’t yet turned the AC on in the gym, we usually like to weed people out of the gym who are prone to heat strokes first.

Bench w/ 80 lbs Chains
bar x20
bar x20
add 80lbs chains
115 x6
155 x6
205 x6
245 x6
295 x1
325 x1 ← didn’t realize this, but this ties my PR
335 x0 ← sucked
add Titan Ram
335 x2

Close Grip / Straight Weight
295 x6

BW Pullups
bw x7
bw x7
bw x7
bw x5

Prowler
10 sets x 40 yards

412

Do you know if the cookout meet is in July or August down at lexen? Apparently powerlifting watch says it’s in July and the RPS site says it’s in August.

Either way thank you.

413

[quote]vanillagorilla33 wrote:
Do you know if the cookout meet is in July or August down at lexen? Apparently powerlifting watch says it’s in July and the RPS site says it’s in August.

Either way thank you. [/quote]

It’s actually both.

There is one on July 20th I believe, as well as another in mid-August. Both meets will be at the gym, and both are capped at 50 or so lifters. I am actually going to do a raw push/pull at the August meet. I believe cj_ballance from this site is talking about doing the August meet too. Should be a good time man, we’d be happy to have you.

Friday June 14 – ME Squat

Squat
raw up to 315 x1

My hips were so tight I didn’t go any heavier raw
add briefs
405 x3
510 x3
560 x3
600 x3

We only had 3 guys at the gym today because of the meet the next day so I didn’t push it

SSB Box Squats w/ 80lbs chains
225 x6 x3 sets

These slaughtered my upper back

Pulldown Abs
130 x15
130 x15
130 x15

Saturday I worked the RPS Summer Slam meet all day. I had the pleasure of meeting cj_ballance from this site who is a very strong, humble man. It will be interesting to see how he does when he has a little more time to prepare for a meet. I skipped Sunday workout because I was sore from spotting, loading & handling for 12+ hours the day before.

Me and another member of the gym got into a little competition. A raw push/pull in August. My goal is a 1050 subtotal. I figure a 360-380 bench and a 660-680 deadlift are reasonable numbers. I think training for this will also help my geared numbers.

414

Thanks for the response. Me and a couple guys from Youngstown are thinking about coming down for the August one. Hope it all works out. Good luck with your training. Stay strong

DF

415

Tuesday-- June 18 – RE Deadlift

Pin 3 Pulls
It bothers me how weak I have gotten on these so I decided to train the shit out of them
Double Overhand / No Belt
bar x10
135 x10
225 x5
315 x5
405 x5
add belt
455 x5
add straps
495 x5
545 x5

SSB Good Morning
155 x20
155 x20

Lat Pulldown / Pulldown Abs Superset
180 x10 / 130 x20
180 x10 / 130 x20

GHR
bw x17 reps

I couldn’t stand the thought of the prowler today so I did more sled work / farmers carry

Drag Sled
5 plates x100 yards x4 trips

300lb Farmers Walk Carry
70 yards x2 trips

416

Wednesday – June 19 ME Bench

I wanted to take my raw opener bench today just to see how it would feel. I figured it would feel like shit since I’ve been neglecting my usual Sunday work the past few weeks. And it did. Then plenty of board work to get used to some heavier weights.

Bench
bar x10
bar x10
95 x8
135 x8
185 x6
225 x6
275 x3
315 x1
350 x1 ← paused, opener weight
add 3 board
365 x3
375 x3
add Titam Ram
385 x3
405 x2.5
Ram off, Reactive Slingshot on
425 x3
445 x1

After this, it was 7pm and I had been benching for 2 hours. I figured I should probably do some upper back work and some other stuff for a change.

Chest Supported Row
3 plates x10 reps for 3 sets

Band Tricep Extensions
medium band x20
medium band x20

Prowler
3.5 plates x40 yards x10 trips

417

Friday - 6/22 – Heavy Squat

Raw Squatting
bar x10
bar x10
155 x8
205 x6
245 x6
295 x6
335 x5
385 x1
405 x1

None of these were too hard, I just got tired of doing good mornings with them.

Box Squats
335 x3
335 x3
335 x3

GHR’s w/ 20lbs Chain Around Neck
4 x12

Pulldown Abs
130 x20
130 x20
140 x20

Prowler
8 x40 yards

I’m an awful raw squatter, I shouldn’t ever stop working at it.

418

Sunday - 6/23

Bench
worked up to 315 x3 raw all with pauses, then

Dead Bench
265 x1 x12 sets w/ 30 seconds rest

Pullups
bodyweight x8 x4 sets

Pec Dec
130 x20 x3 sets

Hammercurls
35 x20
40 x15

DB Skullcrushers / Elbows Out Extension superset
35 x15 / 27.5 x20
35 x15 / 27.5 x20

419

Hey, Frank, how’s the heat? Make sure to get plenty of water while lifting in gear, and in a non air conditioned gym in the summer. Make sure not to vomit out your whole intestinal tract this summer from the heat. :wink:

420

Today sucked for many reasons.

Speed Pulls
warmups
135 x5
225 x5 ← and on one of these I somehow tweak an adductor
315 x3
add belt
405 x2
405 x2
405 x2
405 x2
435 x2
455 x2

These were not fast at all considering I hurt myself on my 2nd set of warmups.

Leg Extensions
90lbs x20
90lbs x20
90lbs x20
90lbs x20

Rollout Abs
bwx 10
bw x10
bw x10

Pullups
bw x8 x3 sets

Heavy Sled Drags
100 yards x4 trips x4 plates