Phenomenal Cosmic Power!

New to T-Nation. Popping Log Cherry. Lower back has been a weak little bitch recently, but today felt great. I think I was attempting to squat too often.

Mil Press
130x5
145x3
160x3 (Pretty legit for me, had to reset my TM recently)

BP 5x10 (155 LB)

50 Wide-Grip Pull-ups (sets of 5)

3 sets of lateral raises
- Supersetted w/ 3 sets tricep pushdown
3 sets cable bicep curl

OMG cosmic power!! Are you a fan of sailormoon?!!?! :smiley:

[quote]Spock81 wrote:
OMG cosmic power!! Are you a fan of sailormoon?!!?! :D[/quote]

No sorry lol. It’s a reference to Aladdin. Where the Genie gets all big

A near miss today. I hit my 5/3/1 reps but had to sub my assistance work.

50 lb Farmers Walks warm-up ( a couple minutes)

5/3/1 Deads
290x5
325x3
365x1

5 sets of Lunges (20 reps)- wanted to do 5x10 squats but lower back was not having it.

3 sets of calf raises

  • Superset with hamstring curls

70 lb Farmers Walks (a few minutes)

10 minutes of abs

Although I recently had to reset my TMs, I still feel weak on squats and deads. Learned a valuable lesson though. Previously I had foolishly not been deloading (like an amateur). I am looking forward to that next week now, been feeling kind of beat up lately.

A good day for sure.

5/3/1 Bench
235x5
265x3
295x4 (Felt like I had another rep in the tank, but didn’t have spotter so it would have been risky, either way definitely smashed TM today)

Military Press 5x10 (@85 lbs)

50 Pullups (Sets of 5) - Have been trying to condition myself to do pull-ups (instead of chin-ups). The transition has been slow going but I think it’ll pay off in the long run. I just think it probably targets my lats more and relies less on biceps than chin-ups. Does anyone have an alternative opinion on this? Has anyone really seen any additional benefit from one grip or another?

3x10 Dips (BW)

  • 3 Sets of Cable upright rows (12-10 reps)

3 Sets of Cable Curls (10 reps)

About 42 Minutes in total, was happy about that pace.

[quote]Mitchnasty wrote:
Phenomenal Cosmic Power![/quote]

1/9/14
Took it easy and didn’t squat. Needed more recovery time

10 Sets of Lunges, some weighted, some unweighted

3 sets of Leg curls

  • Superset 3 sets calf raises

10 Minutes of abs

Deload day on Military Press

8 sets of 85x10

  • Superset 50 pull-ups in between (sets of 5)

5 Sets of tricep pushdown (8-12 reps)

  • superset 5 sets of barbell curls (just bar, 8-12 reps)

An easy day, only 32 minutes in total

Deload day on Deadlift. Went even lighter than Wendler’s recommendations, but I think I will be glad I did. Hopefully I will get back on my A game next week and start hitting good PRs again.

DL
135x5
185x5
235x3
235x3
205x3
205x3
185x3
135x5

3 Sets of Lunges (@ 16-20 reps)

  • superset standing calf raises (@ 12-15 reps)

Light Farmers Walks (@ 35 lbs, about two minutes)

10 Minutes of abs

52 minutes in total

Deload day on Bench

10x155
8x190
6x220
3x235
3x265
10x155
10x155
10x155
Supersetted pull-ups in between bench sets for a total of 50 (10 sets of 5)

5 Sets of lat raises (8 reps with 25 lb plates)

  • superset 5 sets of cable upright row (setting 4 on total gym, Chuck Norris approved)

Roughly 5 minute farmers walk around neighborhood with 25 lb plates. Hands were on fire at the end.

A total of 44 minutes, not bad

Okay, I have come to realize more drastic measures will have to be taken for my back to recover. For more or less the next month I am going to have to completely lay off squats and deads. I really hate to have to do that, it took a lot of self-debate to arrive at that conclusion, but there is no way I can get stronger in these two lifts if I can’t get my back in better condition. Therefore, for the next month (until next scheduled deload period) I will be doing either leg press or weighted lunges. If anybody has any other suggestions that might be good for exercises during recovery period, feel free to suggest them.

Attempted deload day on squats (as you can see my numbers were ridiculous, horrible even for a deload)
135x5
185x3
185x3
couldn’t squat any more so I just did a bunch of lunges and 50 Pullups

Went inside house and felt like a weak bitch for about 10 minutes and then went back into garage

Did 4x10 sets of leg curls

  • supersetted 4x15 sets of calf raises (standing)
    threw in a bunch more pullups

10 minutes of abs.

The end

A damn good day.

Mil press 5’s

115x5
130x5
160x6
90x10 (5 sets)
In between press sets I did sets of chins totaling 50.
50 Dips
about 5 minutes of boxing

a total of 39 minutes CLEARED HOT!

----integrity check----

I just realized I put in 160 for final mil press set. it was in fact 150

Okay First day of dropping Deads and Squats. Felt good and I think it was exactly what my lower back needed. I’m still going to go at least another week or more before attempting either of these.

Weighted Lunges
65x 5 each leg
75x 5 each leg
85x 5 each leg
95x 3 each leg
85x 5 each leg
75x 5 each leg
then did 3 sets of non-weighted lunges (9 reps each leg)

3 Sets 10 of Leg curls (on Total Gym)

  • superset 3 sets of standing calf raises (15 reps)

10 Minutes of abs

30 second wall-sit (hey why not?)

6 Minute farm walk around neighborhood with 25 lb plates

Kind of lost track of time but I think it was between 45-50 minutes.

A fine day gentlemen

Bench 5’s

205x5
235x5
270x8 (pretty damn happy about that, I think PR)
5 sets of 160x10

  •  Got in 50 Pull-ups in between bench sets
    

5 Minutes abs
5 Minutes boxing
10 more pull-ups for good measure
Stopped the clock right on 49 minutes

Lunges 65lbs x 5 reps per leg x 6 sets
Military Press
95x5
105x5
115x5
115x5
155x5
Pull-ups in between squats and Mil press (55 total)
4 sets of 10 Leg Curls

  • Superset sets of 15 Calf raises
    5 Minutes of Abs

48 Minutes total

From the 18th. Have been bulking for about a month, but I have started seeing more fat gain than I wanted. So I am going to reign in my calories a bit. Tried to upload a bench vid, but it was too large to send from my phone. It was shitty quality anyway lol

Gentlemen,

I had an epiphany today. I am going to completely drop squats from my regimen. I know its the essential cornerstone of powerlifting, but for whatever reason my body won’t allow me to do them anymore. Ideally in the process of lifting, one aims to become stronger. If in that process they are actually becoming weaker, one must ask themselves: WHAT THE FUCK IS THE POINT?

Therefore, I am going to just sub lunges for squats indefinitely . I know many would probably be critical of this concept and at first I had a lot of reservations about it, but I think it will be for the best. So I’ll end my diatribe here and conclude by saying I am completely cool with this idea now.

Squats
185x5
225x5

Leg Press
270x5
360x5

Lunges
3x 10 per leg

Bench
185x5
205x5
225x5
245x5
245x5
245x5
295x5 (very happy about this. I’ve hit this before, but only once)

Lunges
3x 10 per leg
- Superset calves (sets of 15)

5 Minute abs

I have no idea about the time frame. Abnormally long for sure.

Simple day.

150 Pull-ups
5 Minutes incline walk.

didn’t bother to time it

Lunges
65x 5 per leg
75x5
85x5
85x5
85x5

MP
85x5
95x5
105x5
115x5
155x5

In between sets of press and lunges got in 50 pull-ups

leg curls 3x10

  • superset 3x15 standing calf raises

5 minutes of abs

2min 45sec of 50 lb farmers walks

total time was 1:02. A lot of time for this amount of work, but I was in no hurry.