I ended up doing my Ab rollouts Monday night once I got home from work. Managed 4 AMRAP sets, 6,5,4,5. They’re getting easier, and my core isn’t collapsing until the last rep, and that’s where I finish my set. Felt okay yesterday but today they’re sore as hell.
I’m excited to put up a big bench triple today, but I know it’s going to hurt!
December 15/21
Week 2 Day 2
ME Upper
286.0 Morning Weight
I thought I was going to have a pretty good day today. Felt good, aside from my abs wanting to tear apart. It made it very hard to set my position and unrack today, I couldn’t get that tight. Couldn’t really push what I wanted but that’s okay. Top set should’ve been a triple however, wasn’t comfortable pushing the 3rd rep without a spot.
Comp. Bench
315x3
345x3 Last Warm Up
365x2@RIR1.5
4 Sets X 5 @ 315
Total Working Tonnage - 9010 Lbs
DB Rows
4 Sets X 6 @ 120 Ea Side
That’s all I had time for as my wife and I were looking at an investment property while I was gone from work, so didn’t have time to finish everything. All good though!
December 17/21
Week 2 Day 3
RE/DE Lower
284.8 Body Weight
Comp. Squats
405x5
4 sets x 5 @ 455
Banded Speed Deadlifts
4 sets X 2 @ 315 + doubled blacks
All I had time for. I’m leaving work to go train so I only get about 1 hour after drive time. Kind of annoying, but that’s life. Got great squat work in. Deadlifts were a write off, took me too long to set up and I got a wicked lower back pump from just bending over to set up. That hasn’t happened in the gym for a long time. The DL themselves were good though.
Edit: I was able to keep form good on the last reps of each set. Meaning I kept my hips under me. AND, my work capacity is garbage, I was breathing like I ran a marathon after my sets.
Total Working Tonnage -
Squat - 11,125 Lbs
DL - 2,520 Lbs
A trick for that is do 45 secs rest between DE sets…after two weeks you can feel the difference
That’s what I’ve been doing, a set on the minute. But it took me too much time fucking around setting bands up.
December 18/21
Week 2 Day 4
DE Upper
285.4 Morning Weight
Speed Bench
10 Sets x 3 @ 225 + Doubled Looped Reds
TnG Bench
Ascending 5s
315x5
345x5
365x4 RIR2
Only managed 4 with 365. Didn’t have a spot so I stopped there. So this is 2 weeks in a row that I’ve hit 365 for 4/5 on DE day as volume work AFTER speed bench. However on ME day for my top set I only did 365 for 2. I’ve come up with 2 conclusions. 1) Fatigue from ME Lower (2 days prior) or 2) Doing speed bench before primes by nervous system. I think it’s the latter. Next ME upper day, I’ll include some banded speed reps while working up to my top set and I’ll see if I get similar results to DE day.
EZ Curl Bar Incline Skullcrushers
4 sets X 25 @ 100
DB Rows
4 sets X 8 @ 120
I wish they had heavier DBs. I think I’ll start doing Rows with the Landmine Bar. I should be able to load it heavier.
Preacher Curl Machine - 1 Handed
4 sets X 15 @ 50 (each arm)
Did these for balancing purposes. I don’t care about the muscle that much, but I’m working on strengthening the bicep tendon in my elbows, this should help with some of the tendonitis I get from low bar squatting.
Totat Working Tonnage
Bench - 11,510 Lbs
Depending on set up if the rack, I usually put it on the collar area
As do I. I use dumbbells to use as anchors, but the bands I used were too heavy and were pulling the dumbbells. I didn’t want to grab heavier DBs so I had to switch the bands.
Ahh yeah that is the worst…if there is a small hole under the rack I tend to do that. But yeah that can be a pain in the ass
After some thought, and going back and forth and I never do this, especially mid program and only being a couple weeks in. But I need to switch my programming. I’ll be going back to a more typical powerlifting volume style of training.
The reasons for this is: I just don’t feel anything. Actually I feel good, and I shouldn’t be feeling good. I need more training stress, daily volume is okay, but I need to up frequency.
I’m going to slide right into it with tonight’s session, I’ll just need to start and finish writing the program.
The layout will be:
M - Squat Bench (Tertiary Squat, Tertiary Bench)
W - Squat Deadlift (Secondary Squat, Primary Dead)
F - Bench Accessories (Primary Bench)
Sa - SBD (Primary Squat, Secondary Bench, Secondary Dead)
Primary days will likely be a top set @RPE8. Followed by back off work. Secondary will likely be back off work and tertiary will be lighter intensity and more volume. Ideally I’d be around 30k Lbs weekly tonnage for squat/bench.
December 20/21
Week 3 Day 1
Tertiary Squat/Bench
285.2 Morning Weight
High Bar Pause Squat
315x8 Last Warm Up
365x8@7
385x8@8
405x8@9
385x8@9
The weight felt fairly light on my back, but doing those reps are tough! I have a few more weeks of these higher rep days, so I’m looking forward to my work capacity getting better.
CG Incline Bench
225x6 Last Warm Up
255x6@7
265x6@8
275x5@9
260x6
260x6@9
Slight overshoot on the top set. Stopped at 5 instead of getting all 6. Just gives room for improvement!
Daily Working Tonnage:
Squat - 14,840 Lbs
Bench - 7,615 Lbs
This session was fantastic. Looking forward to Wednesday already.
December 23/21
Week 3 Day 2
Primary Deadlift/Secondary Squat
284.6 Morning Weight
This was supposed to be done yesterday, but holiday stuff is hectic, pushed it to today.
Completion Deadlift
495x1
545x1 Last Warmup
565x1@8
455x5x5 Back off Work
My top set actually felt really good, and the lockout seemed quite “easy” and I use that loosely. Really focuses on driving hips forward once I break past knees.
High Bar Box Squat
405x6@7
405x6@8
425x6@9
405x6x2
High bar is starting to come around which is great. Can’t wait to see the carryover to low bar.
This workout was tough, I really tested my cardio lol. I think I finished in 1.5 hours, which for me Is really good.
Got lots to catch up on, holidays have been very busy.
December 24/21
Week 3 Day 3
Primary Bench
282.6 Morning Weight
Competition Bench
365x1
385x1
405x1@9
315x5x5 Back Off
That was the first time I’ve hit 405 bench in a fatigued state. I didn’t feel great at first, but I was sure to make small enough jumps during warm ups to get everything moving and it all payed off.
Daily Working Tonnage - 9030 Lbs
I was supposed to have an SBD Saturday but gym was closed due to Christmas.
December 27/21
Week 4 Day 1
Tertiary Squat/Tertiary Bench
284.6 Morning Weight
HB Paused Squat
315x8 Last Warm Up
365x8
385x8
385x8@8
365x8
I felt a bit too overworked last week on Mondays session from these, so I pulled the top set back down to a RPE8.
CG Incline Bench
255x6
265x6
275x6@9
260x6
260x5
I got that 6th rep this week on the top set which is great. But felt it in my backdowns. Only managed 5 on the last back off set.
Daily Working Tonnage -
Squat - 14520 Lbs
Bench - 7630 Lbs
Week 3 Total Tonnage -
Squat - 27,110 Lbs
Bench - 16,645 Lbs
DL - 12,980 Lbs
December 29/21
Week 4 Day 2
Primary Deadlift/Secondary Squat
284.8 Morning Weight
I felt way better today than I did last week going into this session, felt recovered. Dialling down the top set from Mondays session I’m sure helped, that or I’m starting to get accumulated to the higher rep work.
Competition Deadlift
495x1
545x1
565x1@8
-17% off E1RM
465x4x5 Sets
The last couple reps on the 4th and 5th set I was gassed. Top set felt good, my lock out is feeling a bit stronger.
High Bar Box Squats
405x6
405x6
425x6@9
405x6
405x6
I think I’m seeing progress with the upper end of my squat too. These are getting a bit easier.
Daily Working Tonnage -
Squat - 12,270 Lbs
Deadlift - 10,905 Lbs
December 30/21
Week 4 Day 3
Primary Bench/Back Accessories
284.8 Morning Weight
I felt fatigued still from the session prior, namely lower back. And just overall sluggish. Legs recovered good, chest/triceps good too. I didn’t think this session was going to be great because my low back was still fatigued. But it went quite well. I had to push both these sessions forward a day because the gym is closed on Saturday.
Competition Bench
365x1
385x1
405x1@8.5
325x4x4
325x10
I feel like my bench has been blowing up since I incorporated incline bench last week. Two weeks in a row now that I was able to hit 405 in a fatigued state, and it felt very comfortable, easier than last week. Back offs were a perfect weight, ended up with a big volume PR on the last set.
Landmine Rows Holding Collar
Not sure what to actually call these, used a bar in the landmine attachment pivot, I stood adjacent to the collar with my chest facing it and used the collar of the bar to hold. These felt awesome.
100x10
100x10
125x10
100x15
Pulldowns
120x12
135x12x3
December 31/21
Week 4 Day 4
Primary Squat/Secondary Bench/Secondary DL
285.2
Forgot to post this one last week. This is the last day of the first block. Variation exercises will rotate, although I decided to keep incline bench in for 2 more weeks because the carryover has been great.
Competition Squat
495x1 Last Warm Up
545x1@8
445x4x5 Sets
Slingshot Bench
315x6
365x6x2 Sets
I was supposed to do 2 more sets but my triceps were jelly and I was running out of time, so I just called it.
Snatch Grip RDL
315x6x4 Sets
Daily Working Volume -
Squat - 9,940 Lbs
Bench - 6,270 Lbs
Deadlift - 7,560 Lbs
Weekly Working Volume -
Squat - 36,730 Lbs 92 Working Reps
Bench - 22,205 Lbs 72 Working Reps
Deadlift - 18,465 Lbs 47 Working Reps
In! I like your style
January 3/22
My province has announced another lockdown incoming starting on the 5th, for 21 days. Gyms will be closed.
I’m afraid it’ll likely last longer than this though, it always does. I think I’m going to pull out from nationals. I’ll be coming back 1 week before my peak block starts. That’s a lot of time missed.
I have a cable machine at home, and lots of bands. My plan is to chest press every day for lots of volume, and banded goblet squats for lots of volume, hopefully it’ll slow down and progress lost.
I’m mad and disappointed.
On another note, I went off program to have some fun. I went for a squat max.
Competition Squat
495x1
545x1
585x1
605x1
Didn’t do any backdown work. 605 is a 20 lb PB. It actually went a lot nicer than I thought. All my high bar work is translating because my hips didn’t shoot back, positioning stayed good throughout and I was through the sticking point without too much slow down.
I’m trying to be excited for it, but I can’t. Hitting something like that unpeaked, and hitting my primary squat 3 days prior, not bad.
I’ll likely go for a bench PR tonight, before gyms close.
Thanks for following man!