I’m starting with back since I just hit legs on Tuesday and they’re still crazy sore haha but my back is fresh
2 Likes
Day 2 down. This is some serious volume and I see why the focus on peri-workout nutrition. This is some good old school type work. Another fun workout!
I basically copied this today and it made a big difference having this easily digestible carbs right before and during the workout. Great pump.
Yesterday I hit a 45min walk + 30lb vest that I didn’t post. I will probably do the same again today after work. Going to try to get a schedule for conditioning going based on the lifting schedule. Hoping it helps with recovery if I time everything well.
Friday 8/16/2024
11:45am
Incinerator W1 - Chest/Shoulders
GHD Sit-ups 4x10-15
Leg Lifts 4x15-20
Machine Press 2plx8 2pl+10x8 2pl+25x6
Incline Barbell Press 175x6 185x6 195x6. I did this in a squat rack with the safety bars and felt a lot more confident than usual. Will keep doing this and can push the weight up.
Decline DB Press 80x11 80x10 80x8
Bent Side Laterals 15x15 25x15 32.5x15 32.5x15. New movement, wasn’t sure on weight.
Smith Behind The Neck Press Barx5 65x5 85x5 95x5 115x5. Can’t cage press at my gym and figured this made sense as a substitute.
DB Side Raises 25x4x10
5 Likes
Glad the peri-workout strategy made a positive difference for you! I definitely am trying to make sure I stay on top of it to keep soreness down and recovery up because this is definitely a big bump in volume!
1 Like
5:00pm
75 KB Swing @ 20kg
75 Goblet Squats @20kg
1.5mi walk + 30lb vest
3 Likes
Gym was packed, had to make some adjustments to exercise order based on what was open. I also need to find a replacement exercise or workaround on rack pulls. The racks at my gym don’t go low enough. I stood on bumper plates last time and it was super unstable…I subbed weighted chins today.
Saturday 8/17/2024
7:00am
Incinerator W1 - Back
One Arm BB Row 50x8 75x8 85x8 85x8. Way harder than expected
Weighted Chins BWx5 +25x5 +45x5
Smith Machine Rows 185x6 225x6 245x6. Also way harder than expected, almost harder than regular rows.
Banded Hyperextensions 2x20
Incline Shrugs 3x10 @ 50lb DBs
Seated Calves 4x10 w/20 partials on the last set / Tib Raises 4xMAX
6 Likes
My go-to with this when doing John’s programs and not wanting to stand on bumpers in the past was generally just deadlifts from the floor or block pulls. A Smith deadlift with the safeties set just below the knee wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
2 Likes
Sunday 8/18/2024
9:00am
Incinerator W1 - Arms
Hanging Leg Raises 3xFail
GHD Sit-ups 3xFail
DB Curls 3ct Negative 30x6 35x6 40x6
BB Curls 70x8 70x8 70x8 70x8 20sec rest x5 20sec rest x4
Hammer Curls 3x8+8 partials @ 30lb DBs
Rope Pushdowns 65x8 72x8 80x8 80x8 / DB Kickbacks. Happy with the weight on the push downs.
EZ Bar Skullcrusher 65x15 65x15 65x15
Crazy pump today. Haven’t hit arms like this much and had a blast.
6 Likes
One of the harder workouts I’ve ever done. Even just a week on this program shows that I haven’t been working as hard as I thought I was, it is extremely motivating. Realizing I still had to squat after finishing up the leg presses was brutal. Awesome leg workout today.
Monday 8/19/2024
11:30am
Incinerator W2 - Legs
Lying Leg Curls 90x14 110x12 120x8 70x27+8
Leg Extensions 160x15 190x15
Leg Press 4plx15 5plx15 (12 + 3 with assist from hands) 5plx13 (8+5)
Squats 135x6 185x6 225x6 245x6 275x6. Did not feel strong but the 275x6 was still moving explosively.
DB RDL 3x10 @ 100lb DBs. 110s and 120s were taken or I would have jumped in weight as outlined.
7 Likes
Meadows row? Love these.
1 Like
@s.gentz they really take out any of the margin of error from a regular row. No hinging up the weight or really any cheating at all. Awesome exercise
4:00pm
75 KB Swing @ 20kg
10x10 burpees
15min jog
Trying to tune up on GPP and conditioning, especially now that I’m not eating in a deficit. Nothing crazy but want to work on these easy things a few times a week.
6 Likes
@davemccright @TrainForPain I was reading through the program today and noticed my book ends the program at week 6…is the theory just to repeat 2x or is my book off?
1 Like
Mine’s the same. I’m surprised by that, but maybe repeating the first 6 weeks is supposed to be the intention, which makes some sense since the volume waves.
2 Likes
@davemccright yeah agreed, makes sense to repeat. 2/4/2/4 low vs high volume seems like a good plan. Maybe change a couple movements in and out on the second run through.
Tuesday 8/20/2024
3:30pm
Incinerator W2 - Arms 1
Can get 6 sessions in this week based on my schedule easing up for work so I will repeat arms and do the pump session for chest this weekend.
Cable Crunches 3xFail @ 72lb
Rope Pushdowns 57x15 67x14 67x12 / Close Grip Pushups 3xMax / Cable Kickbacks 22.5x10 22.5x10 22.5x10
Incline DB Extensions 30x12 30x12 30x9
EZ BB Curls 65x10 75x10 85x8 20s x4 20s x2
EZ Preacher Curls (not sure of bar weight) +10x10 +20x10 +25x8 20s x4 20s x2. The last set of these was killer.
Hammer Curls 3x10 + 6 partials @ 35lbs
Followed by:
75 KB Swings
30min walk + 30lb vest
Overall active day, at over 12k steps
6 Likes
Planned rest day today, long day at work. Been doing the Meadows program with increased calories for a week now. I feel like I can’t get enough food and the scale is staying pretty stagnant, which is exactly what I want, gain very slow and steady. Even just a week of eating around 3000 calories, I feel so much stronger in the gym.
I think I was stagnant for the past few years because I would eat in a deficit during the week expecting to drop weight, then have blowout weekends while living in NYC with booze and food. I really think that type of eating was messing with hormone levels and even general ability to drop or gain weight.
Bit of a mini-rant but I’ve nearly cut out all booze and I feel so much better it is truly insane. I am not against drinking and there are events that I’ll drink at. I work a corporate job and client dinners sometimes I will still have a drink to not be out of place. But I think for so long I had this mindset that it was something out of my control. Friends are hanging out and going out to dinner, I would think “OK I will drink and eat like everyone else, I am strict during the week!” I think it ended up keeping me weaker in the gym and stalling my goals. I floated at 195-200 and softer than I should have been for too many years, while pretending I worked hard in the gym.
I had a realization sometime around the time I started this log, maybe a bit earlier that everything is a choice and there is nobody to make that choice but me. I can hang out with my friends and NOT drink and NOT eat garbage foods. It is up to me not some mysterious force that is out of my control. And if it goes wrong, there is nobody to blame but ME. I don’t know how to explain and it sounds so simple but I looked at those things as being out of my control. I still hang out with all of my friends every single weekend. Now most of the time I won’t drink and will get something sensible out to eat and I don’t think anybody has even noticed. Not sure what I expected but it feels great.
I have a lot of progress to make still but reading through everyone’s logs and seeing the work people put in has motivated me so much and thanks to T-Nation and the community for that!!!
9 Likes
Loved your rant and your comments around drinking really resonate with me, this is something I discovered for myself over the past few years too. So much great progress to come your way. Excited for you.
2 Likes
Thank you @simo74. The drinking just kills progress so much and it was hard to see that in the moment for me.
Great chest and shoulders workout today. Skipped out on the shoulder press as the smith machine and hammer strength were both taken and I was on a bit of a time crunch at that point. Gym was unusually packed for my usual lunch break workout. Insane chest pump. I’m hopeful the high volume pressing blows up my strength too, I’ve always just benched once a week.
Thursday 8/22/2024
11:30am
Incinerator W2 - Chest/Shoulders
DB Flat Bench 75x15 75x12 75x10
Incline BB Bench 175x6 185x6 195x6 205x5
Flat HS Machine Press (smith taken) 225x10 245x10 245x8 drop 185x9 drop 135x11
Cable Flies 1x15 @80lb
Heavy DB Laterals 30x8 35x8 35x8
Bent DB Laterals 3x25 @ 22.5
6 Likes
5:00pm
1hr walk. Halfway through did 5 rounds of pushups and walking lunges. No counting on pushups and went pretty far on the lunges, maybe 100 yards each round.
Took the shirt off for the walk since it’s sunny and it felt great to get some sun when it isn’t as strong. Inspired by reading @freshyfresh and @T3hPwnisher
6 Likes
Solid back workout today. The pullovers are tough for me to feel, I’ll have to dial in on those. The last set of DB rows were a bit heavy and the form was off, so I’ll note that too. Subbed deadlifts for back extensions since I skipped on rack pulls last week.
Friday 8/23/2024
11:30am
Incinerator W2 - Back
Hanging Leg Raises 4xFail
Cable Rows 180x10 200x10 220x7
Dead Stop DB Rows 100x8 115x8 125x8
DB Pullovers 50x12 60x12 60x12
BB Shrugs 3x10 @ 225. These ended up lighter than I expected with the 2ct pause up top. Pretty hard.
Deadlifts 225x2 275x2 315x2 365x2 415x2. The weight moved but after a full workout these were pretty hard. 415 usually moves easily and this felt like 1000lbs.
6 Likes
I have a hard time feeling DB pullovers as well. If I lighten the load a bit and flex last at the start of the movement before my arms move it helps. I also find doing cable pullovers with a strap is more effective for me
2 Likes
@s.gentz I’ll have to give the cables a shot. I will say the stretch feels great on these but then doing the actual motion I feel more in my chest.
4:30pm
3mi walk + weighted vest. Push-ups and squats interspersed in, no counting and nothing crazy.
3 Likes