8/14/09
Bench Day
Flat Bench Press 205pd 4x3reps, 1x1rep (Keep the Weight)
Smith CGBP 140pd on bar 2x6-8reps (Keep the weight)
EZ bar skullcrushers 65pd 2x6-10reps (Switch out for Dips)
Abs
Flat Bench Press Unracks 235pd
Good session, had a good focus and I’m sure my preworkout stack helped =). The skullcrushers are starting to hurt my shoulders a bit, I’m sure it has a lot to do with me injuring my shoulders a few weeks back. We’ll see how Dips feel. I do the unracks so I can get used to feeling heavier weights so when I go for a PR it won’t feel so heavy.
Aug 16
Shoulder Day
Face Pulls
Smith Standing Upright Rows 70pds 2x6-8reps
Smith Shoulder Press 90pd 2x6-8reps
Machine Side Raises 70pds 3x8-10reps
Barbell Shrugs 1plate 1x10reps, 1p25s 1x7reps, 1p35s 1x7reps, 1plate 1x10reps
Cable side raises
I do more exercises and stick to the 6-10 rep range for shoulders.
Sept 2
Bench Day
Flat Bench Press 185 x 1, 205 x 3, 185 x 7, 4, 4 (Improved form a bit for the last one, set up with the bar under my neck, definite improvement)
Weighted Dips 45 x 7, 6 (Don’t really like the feel of these, but there were no available flat benches to put under the smith machine)
Straight Bar Pressdowns 110 x 9, 7, 6 (Normally would use a rope, but it wasn’t available)
That’s it, good hard workout.
Sept 3, 2009
Back Day
Rack Pulls 335 x 7, 5, 4
Db Rows 85 2x15-20
Rack Chins x 7, 5, 4
Barbell Shrugs 205 8, 6
Seated DB Curls 30 x 8, 6, 4
Hard workout, felt nauseous at the end. Good shit.
8/30/09
Front Squat 185 x 7, 6, 4
Leg Press 360 x 8, 400 x 7, 4 (Take out the 360 set to have more in the tank)
SLDL 185 x 6, 205 x 7, 6 (Take out the 185 set)
Leg Press Calves 360 x 10, 10, 10
8/29/09
Shoulders
Db Shoulder Press 55 x 10 60 x 6 (Pretty big PR considering I fatigued with the 55s, take out the 55 set, go for 65)
Smith Upright Rows 90 x 9, 6 (Gonna take these out, replace with Dumbbell Bent-Over Rear Delt Rows) think I just invented these =)
Machine Side Raises 70 x 12, 10, 90 x 8, 70 x 10
Face PUlls 100 x 12, 120 x 8, 110 x 7
9/6/09
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 65 x 7PR, 5PR (Cool, very pleased with this)
Dumbbell Rear Delt Rows 40 x 12, 10, 10 (Just put these in, figuring out the feel, technique, and weight. I like them)
Cable Lateral Raises 40 x 12, 50 x 8PR, 40 x 10
Face Pulls 120 x 12PR, 10PR, 8 (Progressing well, change in technique now, I brace my foot against the bottom of the machine
Machine Lateral Raises x some pump sets
9/8/09
Zercher Squats 185 x 5, 5, 4 (Brutal lift the Zercher squat is…love it, 'nuff said)
Leg Press 410 x 6PR, 4 (Keep weight here)
SLDL 205 x 10PR, 9PR (Don’t know how I got that many reps out of the second set, just kinda blanked out and got it done. Up to 225)
Took a breather at this point in the locker room for a bit, was nausious and still sucking wind minutes after. Either my cardiovascular endurance is getting worse or leg day is getting harder lol.
Reverse Barbell Lunges 95 x 5, bodyweight x 7
(Just kind of doing these for general hip health and strength balance in my legs, no real intention of going heavy or hard, just too tired at this point)
Leg Press Calves 380 x 10PR, 10PR, 10PR, 10PR (Up the weight to 390)
Before I post bench day, I gotta say I learned two new things from today’s session that I think will definitely help me out a lot in gaining in pushing strength.
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Now I don’t know if you guys already knew this little trick and I’m late to the party or what but today by accident I learned how to get a few more reps at the end of the set through increasing pressure in my core. I had always done this for maxes but I never thought to do it for rep sets. Here’s what happened: I was doing a lighter burnout set as my last set of Bench Press, as I got to 9 the weight came up slowly. I held it at the top for a couple breaths and by accident I took a big belly filling breath and performed the rep and 10 came up EASY. I was like “woah”, held it at the top again, took a big bellyful of air and 11 came up easy as well, tried it one more time and got 12 slowly. Intuitively it’s a duh moment (I’d always done it for deads and squats) but I’d never done this for rep sets on bench I’d always just hold my breath for the first couple of reps and then breathe out after each rep after that. Now I think I’ll be doing this more often…
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Another thing I learned was to bring my face up to the bar before I perform a set. I’d seen a bunch of guys do this on training videos, but never understood why. When I did it I realized it helped me bring my scapula even closer together so I felt much more stable going into the set.
9/10/09
Bench Day
Flat Bench Press 185 x 8PR, 5, 4, 135 x 12
SRGBP 130 x 5PR, 5PR, 3r (As far as I know this is a PR, couldn’t find the weight I used last time anywhere…must not’ve logged the workout)
Dead-Stop Skullcrushers 80 x 7, 5r
Incline Situps
Gah, It’s so obvious that it’s my tri’s that are keeping my BP from progressing…the weight comes up fast off my chest but once it hits that point where the angle between my elbows and my upper arm is 90 degrees it’s like I run into a brick wall. I’ve been looking for that final tricep exercise that just clicks and really allows the strength of my triceps to go up quickly, and I don’t think rope pushdowns were cutting it. Dead stop skulls is a good candidate for that magical exercise… totally takes away any help I could get from my stretch reflex…
It looks weird that I do so few exercises on this day, but I hit those three exercises as hard as I can, and after that it feels kind of redundant because there really aren’t too many more “push” exercises that would allow more load than these three and I’d be too tired at that point in the workout to really make them effective…but if this trend of barely eeking out PRs continues then I’ll have to consider adding another exercise at the end.
9/12/09
Back Day
Rack Pulls 335 x 10PR, 6, 5 (Move weight up to 365)
Rack Chins 45 x 6PR, 30 x 8, bodyweight x 8 (Went too high for first set, want to be in 9+ rep range, will start with 35 next time)
DB Rows 85 x 12, 11 (Move up to 90 next time)
BB Shrugs 225 x 12PR, 9PR
DB Seated Curls 40 x 6PR, 5 (Change these to hammer curls next time, add some direct bicep work on shoulder day)
Had to take a break in the middle of the DB rows, getting nausious at this point in the workout. Productive day.
9/14/09
DB Shoulder Press 65 x 7, 5 55 x 5 (No improvement =( Keep weight here)
DB Bent-Over Scapula Rows 50 x 10PR, 10PR, 9 (Up to 55)
Machine Lateral Raises 90 x 16HUGE PR, 120 x 8PR, 90 x 8 (Wow. Well now I know working weight next time will be 120)
Face Pulls 130 x 8PR, 120 x 10, 8 (Keep weight at 130)
Cable Side Raises x some pump sets
9/15/09
Legs
Front Squat 185 x 8PR, 6, 5PR (Keep weight here.)
Leg Press 410 x 7PR, 5PR (Keep weight here.)
SLDL 225 x 10PR, 8PR (Up weight to 245)
Single Leg Full ROM Leg Press x 2 sets (No Weight, and I used that machine that kinda mimics an arc)
Leg Press Calve Raises 410 x 10PR, 10PR, 8PR (Keep weight.)
Good workout.
9/25/09
Upper Back
DB Rows 85 x 20
Rack Chins bodyweight x 11, 6
Lat PUlldowns 90 x 15 (strange lever differences from machine to machine…)
9/28/09
Barbell Curl 70 x 10
RGSBP 140 (on bar) x 12PR, 8PR (Up weight)
Preacher Curl 65 x 9
Dead Stop Barbell Extensions 80 x 10PR, 5
Pinwheel Curls 40 x 12, 8
I think it’s about time I put in an arm day, they (and my numbers) are pathetic. Tomorrow will probably be ‘Deads’ day.
9/29/09
‘Deads’ day
Rack Pulls 355 x 5PR, 4PR (Moved the pins down a notch to about mid-shin)
Shrugs 225 x 11, 9, 7
Weighted Holds 205 x 2, 185 x 1
9/30/09
Shoulders
High Incline Smith Press 110 (on bar) x 10, 6
Bent Over Scapular Rows 55 x 10PR, 10PR
Machine Side Raises 110 x 10PR, 9 (Different machine)
FAce PUlls 130 x 11PR, 9PR
Side Cable Raises x couple of sets
I’m pleased, my shoulders are coming along nicely since I gave them their own day.
Bench Day
Flat Bench Press 185 x 9PR, 4 135 x 10
DB Bench Press 80 x 3, 70 x 6
Dips bodyweight x 2 sets
Oct 5, 2009
Back Squat 245 x 6, 3
One-Leg Arc Leg Press 90 x 8, 8
SLDL 225 x 12PR, 7 (Ok, up the weight to 245)
Standing Calve Raises 100 x 11, 8
Man, it’s crazy how just changing the bar placement from a Front Squat to a Back Squat changes muscle recruitment, my hamstrings were becoming sore just after the two sets of Back squats. It feels like I just created a huge amount of micro-tears and muscle damage.
Oct 6, 2009
Db Shoulder Press 65 x 8PR
Scapular Bent-over Rows DB 60 x 8PR, 8PR
Machine Side Laterals 110 x 12PR, 10
Face Pulls 140 x 17PR, 15PR ( 150)
Side Cable Lateral Raises
10/9/09
Upper Back Day
Rack Chins 30 x 9, 5 bodyweight x 5 (I need to be more consistent with these so I can start improving)
Db Rows 90 x 13PR, 8PR
Bent-over Cable Rows 80 x Wow I forgot, spaced out. But it hurt like hell. 2 sets.
Incline Situps 1 set