tried to back squat today. it was a no go. couldn’t get the bar in the groove on my back. i guess it’ll have to wait for a couple more weeks while my hand heals up.
power squat machine (i think that’s what it’s called)
worked up to a single with as many 45s as the thing could hold.
leg curls
i won’t bother to record the weights today. they don’t translate into ‘regular’ numbers anyway…
just can’t stay away from DLing, even though my hand is broken. goal for today was just a couple of singles at 315.
Sumo DL - hooked-in O-lift grip
135x5
135x5
225x5
225x3
225x1
315x1
felt like the bar was set too deep in my hand with the hooked in grip. it’s definitely a very strong way to grab the bar, but i found it uncomfortable.
Sumo DL - hook on right hand
315x1
405x1
405x1
after getting two warm up reps with 315, decided to go to roughly 90% of my 1RM. 405 was very easy, and i could have done more, but i don’t want to rebreak my hand.
also spent a few minutes trying to find a comfortable grip for squats & BP. dreading trying to bench again - don’t want my grip to cause me to lose the bar like the kid at USC…
forgot to mention two things…
i) ran a 5k this weekend. finished in 32:14. wanted to cross in 30:00, but i’m happy with the effort. i don’t do any cardio at all, i mean zero - so this is basically a get-up-off-the-couch-and-run time. with minimal training, i could get that 30 flat time.
ii) i’ve decided to drop a weight class. i walk around at around 170-172, and compete at 165. at that weight, i feel like i’m still a dough boy. going to drop down to an everyday weight around 155 and compete at 148. upping my protein and limiting my carbs. this was the third day sans carbs, and man did my head hurt…
i’m back. felt a pop in my back while warming up for squats last week. decided i should take a week off.
DLs on monday, as usual
Sumo DLs
135x5
135x5
225x5
225x3
225x1
315x1
315x1
405x1 hook on right hand
405x1 hook on right hand
275x8 hook on right hand
225x12 hook on right hand
very happy to get two singles at 405, after a sporadic training schedule due to my back and broken hand. the singles at 405 were very easy, and never in doubt.
doc says my hand is not fully healed yet, and i can’t bench for 3 more weeks. oh well, squats and DLs are where you build winning totals anyway…
Great seeing you back a’board. Great job pulling 405 with a semi-healed hand… I just couldn’t lock out the 405 yesterday. May your back remain strong and injury free.
used a hook on my right hand for everything today.
neutral grip pull ups
BWx5
BWx5
(BW 25)x25…10, 8, 4, 3 (60 sec between each set)
chest supported rows
90x5
90x25…12, 7, 6
close grip pull ups
BWx25…8, 6, 4, 3, 2
i haven’t done any upper back in a few weeks. the layoff was very apparent - i didn’t have my typical explosiveness on the pull ups. everything felt very heavy today.
my hand is getting better everyday. finally able to reasonably grip a bar for squats, which i’ve had to avoid for just over a month.
squats
135x5
135x5
225x5
225x3
225x1
275x1
275x1
275x1
dimmels
225x20
225x20
245x20 reps 16-20 burned like hell.
this would have been a really easy workout a month ago. nothing was a struggle, but everything felt heavy. i hope to shake the effects of the sporadic training by next week.
i loosely belted up for the dimmels and pulled them from below the knees. interestingly, i felt it much more in my glutes and hammies, as opposed to my lower back. i’ve never done them following squats, so i’m not sure if it was the effect of the belt or my wheels being a little tired from squatting. anyway, i’ll keep this up for the time being, since i’m relatively weak in those two areas.
Biceps today
60 second Pull up, followed by 15 reps of 40lb db curls
DB hammer curls
40x5
50x5
60x5
70x5
50x12 no rest between this and subsequent drop sets
40x8
30x6
finished off with some bar only snatches, five sets of 10 reps…just had extra time to kill…
sumo DLs
135x5
135x5
225x5
225x3
225x1
315x1
315x1 everything below was belted
405x1 hook
425 miss, hook
425 miss, hook
275x12
275x10
225x12
my weight is down, so i am not surprised that i couldn’t get 425. the plates were just breaking off the floor when i shut it down. in a meet, i probably would have gotten at least one of those reps.
on my way down to 153-155 or so. i want to lift in the 148s this spring.
making my way back from injury has been mentally tough. it’s only been 6 weeks, but i am not used to giving my all on ‘warm up’ weights.
forgot to post yesterday (tuesday):
neutral grip pull ups
bwx5
bwx5
(bw+45)x5
(bw+45)x3
(bw+45)x1
(bw+90)x1
(bw+90)x1
(bw+115)x1 this rep was iffy - i don;t think i quite got to the top
chest supported rows
90x5
135x5
135x3
135x1
180x1 easy
205xMISS; obviously not so easy
bottom half pull-ups (full extension to half way up)
bwx8x5
spent some time of my WO learning to do KB pulls & snatches. it’s definitely not as easy as it looks.
today’s workout (wednesday):
box squats (trying to baby my back. feeling three pops a couple weeks back scared the poop out of me)
135x5
135x5
225x5 heavy
225x3 easy
225x1
275x1 very easy
295x1 very easy
dimmels
225x20
245x20
265x10 - had to shut it down. the pressure made my hand really hurt right where the break happened.
will do some conditioning work tonight with a 24kg KB…need to practice those pulls & high pulls.
to all of the 3 people that take the time to check out my log, HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Happy Turkey Day!
back to work after the long thanksgiving weekend…
Deadlifts
135x5 sumo
135x5 conv
225x5 sumo
225x3 conv
225x1 sumo
315x1 sumo
365x1 sumo
415x1 sumo
Kettlebell Snatches (35 lb) didn’t keep track of time or reps or anything - still trying to learn the lift. it’s much more about finesse than a true olympic snatch…
the 415 was not terribly difficult. i wouldn’t say it was easy, but the lift was never in doubt. after nearly 2 months of sporadic training, i am still within spitting distance of my PR.
bench press
135x5
135x5
225x5 very hard
225x3 ok
225x1 ok
275x1 extremely hard
225x5 i usually get 10
135x12
135x8
first time i’ve benched since 13OCT. this was a difficult workout after such a long break. still, i was able to muscle up 275 (which has always been my opener). didn’t lose that much of the top end strength (25 lb drop), but i was extremely fatigued.
box squats
135x5
135x5
225x5
225x3
225x1
275x1
305x1
310 miss
10 min 24kg kb swings (not continuous - thought i was going to die after 2 min)
neutral grip pull ups
bwx5
bwx5
bwx3
bwx1
(bw 45)x1
(bw 45)x1
(bw 90)x1
(bw 115)x1
chest supported rows
90x5
90x3
135x1
180x1 easy
135x25 (12,8,5)
narrow grip pull-ups
bwx8
bwx6
bwx5
16kg KB snatches 2 sets of 20
dont have the hang of the kb snatches yet. my arm got hit pretty hard at some point and i gave up.
Neutral-Grip Pull-Ups = Commando Pull-Ups = Heavier Weighted Sets (Indeed!)
Outstanding job on you Commandos today!!!
I like them too as they focus more on the chest and the rhomboids in addition to your lats and arms. Also, they allow one to perform some serious weighted 1RM sets… my best 1RM is BW + 82.5kg.
They can be a tricky exercise at first as one tends to spin and twist so the core must be kept firm and tight and the elbows squeezed together to remain steady and straight.
Tip: If you haven’t already noticed the more you lean back the harder the exercise becomes.
Tip: Have you ever tried them via gripping a towel (on either side) that has been slung over the bar?
i never tried the towel variation. i do them neutral grip simply because the traditional grip makes my right elbow hurt like an SOB. BW 82.5 is a serious effort…
Friday (forgot to post)
Military Press (Smith)
135x5
135x5
225x5 seemed very heavy
225x3
225x1
275x1
Biceps
60-sec pullup, followed by 40 lb DB curls to failure (15)
Hammer DB Curls
40x5
50x5
60x5
70x5
Hammer DB Curls (no rest)
50x10
40x6
30x5
Damn… a 275 Military Press at a bodyweight of @160! F’ing incredible!!!
My Overhead Press is pathetic! I am looking forward to seeing how both my Standing Overhead Press and Push Press will have progressed after I have completed this program I am currently on. I would like to have my Push past 225 and my Overhead somewhere around 185… but I don’t know about that… I am having a hell of a time still with just 140 for Rest-Pause singles but then again I am currently in a Frequency Dominant program so I need to wait, deload, and evaluate them both when fresh and recuperated. Pressing four times a week takes a toll on one’s deltoids and triceps.
275… monster!
nah, militaries in a smith machine…any dummy could do it!
Monday
Deadlift (Conventional Stance)
135x5
135x5
225x5
225x3
225x1
315x1
365x1
385xMISS
385xMISS
Deadlift (Sumo)
225x10x3
DB snatches
16kg x 120
Tuesday
Flat Bench
135x5
135x5
225x5
225x3
225x1
275x1 easier than last week
280xMISS (this was very close, stalled at 3" off the chest)
225x7 improved by 2 reps
135x10
DB swings
16kg x 5 min (probably 3 min on, 2 min off)
Shit, my eyes are failing me… they read “Military Press (Standing)”!
Don’t worry you can still keep the “monster” title.