DE Upper
Banded Speed Bench (1 doubled mini per side):
Bar
Bar+Bands
5 @ 135+Bands
3 @ 225+Bands
4x2 @ 275+Bands
5x2 @ 275 (No bands)
20 @ 135
Pull-Ups:
7x5 (3 sets wide, 2 narrow pronated, 2 narrow supinated)
Decline Plyo Push-Ups:
3x15
Mini Band Curls (Prehab for elbows, right one is bothering me):
3x12 per arm
Mini Band Push Downs:
3x12
Today went well. I’m kinda worried about my elbow. I’m not sure if it’s an imbalance thing, or just overuse. I’ll figure it out and get some blood flow in there.
Speed bench went well, but the elbow held me back.
Motivation: 3/4
Nutrition: 3/4
Explosiveness: 4/4
Maybe try getting some blood into your elbows before you press next time. Supersetting some light curls in b/w my bench warm up sets have helped with elbow pain. Along with long sleeves to cover my elbows.
Aqua: Yeah, you’re probably right. I’ll start warming up more in general too. Gettin’ too old now. Thanks, dude!
DE Lower (Yesterday)
Banded Speed Squat (1 Avg. per side):
Bar
10 @ Bar+Bands
5 @ 135+Bands
3 @ 225+Bands
9x2 @ 275+Bands
Shrugs:
10 @ 225
5 @ 315
10 @ 405 (Add Straps, Last 5 were pin power shrugs)
5 @ 455 (Pin power)
5 @ 495 (Pin power)
5 @ 405 (Pin power)
10 @ 405
Neutral Grip Pull Ups:
2x10
5 (Towel Grip)
5 (Normal)
Some ab work
Squats are getting better. I still have a rough sticking point, but I’m working on it. I didn’t have any knee pain though, which happens a lot of the time.
Motivation: 4/4
Nutrition: 2/4 (Beer and wings post-workout, delicious)
Explosiveness: 4/4
ME Upper
Warm up with mini band for elbows
Bench:
Bar
10 @ 135
10 @ 225
5 @ 275
3 @ 315
2 @ 345
1 @ 365
0 @ 380 (Elbow hindered this a lot)
1 @ 365
32 @ 135
Neutral Grip Pull-Ups:
10x5 (Superset with bench)
HS Low Row (Focused hard on using my back):
10 @ 180
4x8 @ 270
Mini Band Prehab:
Curls- 3x12
Triceps Extension- 3x12
Bench went pretty well considering the elbow pain. It feels like I have a pump almost. It sucks I missed 380, but the bar rolled back in my hands and I couldn’t get it off my chest. I’m attributing that to my elbow not wanting to take the load.
I haven’t deloaded in a long time either. Maybe I will next week or something. At least on bench.
Motivation: 4/4
Nutrition: 2/4 (I’m just going to start eating a lot. Would be a 3/4, but canned ravioli isn’t exactly healthy)
Explosiveness: 4/4 (CNS is doing surprisingly well this far out from a deload.)
ME Lower - Yesterday
Deadlift:
Bar
8 @ 135
5 @ 225
5 @ 315 (Add belt)
5 @ 405 (Everything easy so far)
1 @ 455 (Nevermind)
1 @ 495
0 @ 545 (Stapled)
1 @ 495
Clean:
5 @ 135
5 @ 185 (Add Belt)
1 @ 225
1 @ 255
Neutal Grip Pull-Up:
4x8
1x6
Ghetto GHR w/ Mini Band Assistance:
5x5
Deadlift sucks now apparently. New plan for that is lots of heavy squats and speed pulls around 405. That, along with the added back work should get it done. I’m done with the plateau on all my lifts. I’m probably going to gain about 15 pounds too.
Motivation: 4/4
Nutrition: 4/4
Explosiveness: 3/4
DE Upper - Yesterday
Speed Bench:
Bar
10 @ 135
5 @ 225
9x3 @ 275 (Very fast. Elbow didn’t start hurting until around the 6th set)
20 @ 135
Narrow Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown (Straps):
8, 7.5, 7.5 @ “180”
4-Inch Deficit Plyo Push-Ups:
3x15 (Last set, not plyo)
One-Arm DB Row (Straps):
3x15 @ 120
Very happy with the speed I had with 275. I usually stick to doubles with that weight, but today the third went up as fast as the other two, so I kept doing it.
I’m deloading my next two ME days and then starting a 12 week program that I wrote that is slightly different than what I’ve done before. For instance, the first 3 weeks of ME benching will be decline, then reverse band the following cycle. So instead of rotating every week, I’ll rotate every cycle (3 weeks + a deload). The first week in a cycle will be a triple, the second is a double, and the third is a 100%+ effort. I based everything on percentages this time.
Also, lots of squatting and the only pulling I’ll be doing is for speed around 405. Back work will remain the same as my goal of a few weeks ago stated.
We’ll see what happens. I’m considering 5/3/1 after this, if it doesn’t work.
Motivation: 4/4
Nutrition: 4/4
Explosiveness: 4/4
DE Lower
Speed Box Squat (New box setup, below parallel now):
Bar
10 @ 135
5 @ 225
9x3 @ 315 (Destroyed this. Set, rep, and weight PR for speed)
Sprints:
6 @ ~80m
Plank:
3 @ 45 seconds
I got real drunk last night, ate a stromboli at 3am that included about a pound of both meat and cheese, woke up slightly hungover, ate about 2 pounds of chicken fingers, and felt great. Speed squats were very fast and so were the sprints. I know I didn’t do any traditional accessories, but the sprints seemed to do a lot after pushing myself hard during the squats. I think that having the box below parallel (used aerobic step things and a 45 plate) instead of slightly above with a bench helped me explode off the box. The bench started me at my sticking point, this lets me skip it basically.
I also did some sprints yesterday, maybe it helped me squat today.
Motivation: 4/4
Nutrition: 2/4
Explosiveness: 4/4
ME Upper - Deload
Bench:
Bar
10 @ 135
10 @ 225
5 @ 275
7x3 @ 315 (Set/rep PR. Wrist wraps)
20 @ 135
Inverted Rows:
4x10
Neutral Grip Cable Low Row:
8 @ “18”
3x8 @ “20”
Neutral Grip Pull-Ups:
2x5
Push-Ups w/ One Hand on Med. Ball:
2x10 L/R
Went to the gym yesterday, but it was closed. Four days before school starts. WTF.
Probably pushed myself too hard for a deload, but I felt good enough to do some high volume at 315. I probably could have done a 10x3 if I wanted to though, so it’s close enough to deloading.
Everything was fast and easy today. CNS was shot at the end though.
Operation gettin’ big is going well. I’ve gained a good 3-5 clean pounds in the past 2 weeks.
Motivation: 4/4
Nutrition: 4/4
Explosiveness: 4/4
ME Lower - Deload
Box Squat (Still new, lower setup. Not going back to high box):
Bar
5 @ 135
5 @ 225
5 @ 315 (Add belt)
3 @ 365
3 @ 405
3x1 @ 455 (3 Singles. Easy. Fuck yeah)
10 @ 225
Sprints:
2 @ ~80m @ ~70%
5 @ ~80m @ ~85%
Unilateral Leg Press:
10 @ 270
10 @ 360
10 @ 360 + 2 Monster Minis
455 stapled me the past few times I tried it for some reason. Today, it was easy. I’m not worrying about ever going back to using a bench as a box.
I got a crazy exertion headache on my first single at 455. I probably could have done 5 or 6 singles otherwise. It hurts like a bitch.
Motivation: 4/4
Nutrition: 4/4
Explosiveness: 4/4
DE Upper
Floor Press:
Bar
10 @ 135
5 @ 225
9x3 @ 275 (Wraps. Set and rep PR, much easier than they used to be)
JM Press (Wraps):
10 @ 135
3x8 @ 185 (PR)
Neutral Grip Cable Low Row:
8 @ “18”
5x8 @ “20” (PR)
Mini Band Facepulls:
3x15
Running:
~250m warm up
3 sprints @ 60m @ ~90% (Did the math on the track length, so my sprints have been about 60m)
Felt good today. All the benches were taken when I got to the gym, so I decided to just do floor press. I hadn’t done it in a pretty long time. It was easy though. Everything went better than expected!
I’m sure all the freshmen and brotatoes wanted to walk up to me and tell me I was benching incorrectly when I was doing the JM presses.
I didn’t really have a reason to run today, but I did anyway.
Motivation: 4/4
Nutrition: 4/4
Explosiveness: 4/4
DE Lower
Speed Squat (Medium stance):
Bar
5 @ 135
5 @ 225
3 @ 275 (Add belt)
9x3 @ 315 (Fuckin destroyed this. PR for speed)
One-Arm DB Rows:
3x15 @ 120 L/R (Strapped, these were more explosive than usual)
Westside Cable Abs:
25 @ “10”
3x25 @ “12”
Mini Band Pull-Apart:
3x33
Alright, I’m officially stronger than I’ve ever been in the mid-range weights. I was scared that I was only going to be strong on the box squats, but I was tearing through the full squats today with no issues whatsoever. Squats and bench are going well, so hopefully deadlift will follow when I start doing them for speed this week.
Eating a lot really does work.
Motivation: 4/4
Nutrition: 3/4
Explosiveness: 4/4
ME Upper - Cycle 1, Week 1, Day 1
Decline Bench:
Bar
10 @ 135
10 @ 225
5 @ 275
3 @ 315 (Add wraps)
3 @ 335
3 @ 355 (+1 rep PR)
12 @ 225
Pendlay Row:
6 @ 135
6 @ 225
4x6 @ 275 (Add straps on 2nd set)
Dumbbell Bench:
8 @ 100s
7 @ 120s
5 @ 120s (Fail 6th)
Lat Pulldown (Straps):
8 @ “16”
8 @ “17”
8 @ “16”
This is my new program for the next 12 weeks. I’m going to do a triple with 90% in the first week, a double with 95% in the second, and a single above 100% in the third. I will be doing decline for the first cycle, reverse band or floor press for the second (depending on set-up capabilities), and flat bench for the third. This should set me up to beat the shit out of a PR finally.
Same goes for squats. I will switch between box and free squats each cycle. Speed deadlifts will be incorporated after the max effort squats.
I hit my goal for today with the triple at 355. It wasn’t particularly difficult, but I wouldn’t have gotten 365. I’m going to do more DB benching from now on as well, so that I can work my chest to some degree. They also made my forearms very tight and sore. So, grip may be something that has been holding me back on bench.
Motivation: 4/4
Nutrition: 4/4 (Prior to the workout, I didn’t have any calories for 14 hours besides alcohol and sugar, post-workout is completely perfect though)
Explosiveness: 4/4
ME Lower
Squat (low bar, medium stance, will probably continue using this):
Bar
5 @ 135
5 @ 225
3 @ 315
3 @ 365 (Goal for the day achieved, easy)
3 @ 385 (Easy again, maybe a PR, been so long)
Speed Deadlift:
5 @ 225 (Conventional)
2 @ 315 (Deficit Sumo)
8x1 @ 405 (Sumo)
Ghetto GHR w/ Mini Band Assistance:
5x5
Goblet Squat:
3x10 @ 120
Plank:
2x1:00
Jog 2 laps, about 375m.
Well, I apparently undershot my perceived 1RM with the squats. I set it at 405 since I hadn’t done max effort in what seems like forever. I probably could have gotten 3x405. Next week I’m going to shoot for 2x425, and then a PR the week after, which is anything above 435. It really shouldn’t be any kind of problem based on how I’ve been feeling. It’s about time my squat moves up.
Speed pulls went pretty well I’d say. I haven’t pulled in a while, so I was unsure of what the outcome would be.
Motivation: 4/4
Nutrition: 4/4
Explosiveness: 4/4
DE Upper
Wide Grip Banded Speed Bench (Doubled mini per side):
Bar
Bar+Bands
5 @ 135+Bands
9x3 @ 225+Bands
20 @ 135
Pull-Ups:
5x5
Bench Dips:
2x10 @ BW+120 (Never doing these again. The internal rotation is too extreme for my shoulders)
Decline Push-Ups:
2x10
Doubled Mini Facepulls:
3x15
Nothing special to report today except for the bench dips pain. Nothing major, just not worth doing them again. I’m switching between wide, close, and normal grips each week for DE bench days. Also, I will use bands on a different week next cycle and then the next.
Wide grip is the hardest for me, so that’s why I used less bar weight than I have been using.
Motivation: 3/4
Nutrition: 3/4
Explosiveness: 3/4 (Hard to tell with wide grip)
DE Lower
Banded Speed Squat (Avg. Per Side):
Bar
Bar+Bands
5 @ 135+Bands
3 @ 225+Bands
9x3 @ 245+Bands (Belt)
Clean:
5 @ 135
3 @ 185 (Back doesn’t feel great)
Front Squat:
3x5 @ 185
Decline Weighted Sit-Ups:
12, 10, 10 @ BW+75
Ghetto GHR (w/ Mini Band Assistance):
3x5 (Weaker than usual)
Speed squats felt great today, must have taken a lot out of me for some reason though, because the rest of the workout was pretty weak. I’m still happy with the fact that squats are going so well though, so I can’t complain much.
Motivation: 1/4 (Pre-workout. Didn’t want to move), 4/4 (Once there, with caffeine’s assistance, I was happy)
Nutrition: 4/4
Explosiveness: 4/4
ME Upper - Cycle 1, Week 2
Decline Bench:
Bar
10 @ 135
10 @ 225
5 @ 275
3 @ 315 (Add wrist wraps)
2 @ 345
2 @ 365
2 @ 375 (+10 lb. PR! Goal achieved)
1 @ 385 (Rolled back in my hands, didn’t go for a the second rep)
17 @ 225
Neutral Grip Pull-Up:
5x5 (As explosive as possible)
Standing Kroc Row (Straps):
3x20 @ 120 L/R (That’s 120 reps at 120 lbs…PR, want to throw up)
Doubled Mini Band Dips:
3x5 (Exhausted)
Felt great again today. Eating a lot is fun. I think I had the strength to get the 385x2, but I didn’t get my hands set correctly. The 375x2 was almost easy to be honest…very little grinding at the top of the second rep.
My back will be sore as hell tomorrow from stabilizing during all the Kroc rows.
Motivation: 4/4
Nutrition: 4/4 (Ate all the things for breakfast, probably why I wanted to throw up)
Explosiveness: 4/4
ME Lower
Squat:
Bar (Hips are tight as shit, quads feel weak and almost hurt)
5 @ 135
5 @ 225
5 @ 315 (Add belt)
2 @ 365
1 @ 385 (Didn’t want to make a 40 lb. jump, but didn’t want to wear myself out)
2 @ 405 (Goal Achieved, PR)
2 @ 425 (Something like a 40 lb. PR)
Speed Deadlift:
5 @ 225
1 @ 315
8x1 @ 405
Westside Cable Abs:
4x10 @ “10”
15 @ “8”
Fuck yes. Based on today, I want at least 455 next week for my single. That would be a 20 lb. PR and finally set me in the right direction with my squat. I want 500 ASAP. After the 425x2 I was shaking because of how much I psyched myself up before such a short set. haha
Speed pulls didn’t feel great, but I ended up just grippin and rippin for the last 5 sets and they got faster, albeit less safe.
The cable abs were heavier than I usually do on the lat pull-down. I think going heavy is better anyway.
Motivation: 4/4
Nutrition: 4/4
Explosiveness: 4/4
DE Upper - Yesterday
Close Grip Bench:
Bar
10 @ 135
3 @ 225
9x3 @ 245
Neutral Grip Pull-up:
5 @ BW
5 @ BW+35 (Straps)
4 @ BW+45 (Straps)
5 @ BW+35 (Straps)
5 @ BW
DB Bench:
3x10 @ 105s
Bent Over BB Rows (Strict):
10 @ 135
3x10 @ 225 (Straps)
Mini Band Pull-Apart:
3x33
I wasn’t really into this workout at all. I’ve been on nootropics (oxiracetam, vinpocetine, DMAE, and caffeine) all week, but I didn’t take any yesterday. So I was feeling pretty down with regards to motivation as a result. Also, I needed to go so that I could set up a spot for my ME upper day.
I got everything done relatively easily though. I’m also happy with how weighted pull-ups felt, I just need to do more.
One thing that pissed me off: A worker walked up to me while I was doing a set of rows, then stood there until I was done. I looked at him, took my headphones out, and he asked me to put my bag in a locker because of a new rule. Keep in mind my bag is filled to the brim with my bands, water, belt, chalk, straps, wraps, etc. All shit that I need DURING a workout. Needless to say, I said, “Are you serious?” and then didn’t do it.
Told Alex about it and he responded with the best descriptive question I’ve heard of this gym: “Since when is it okay to hate your user base?”
Motivation: 2/4
Nutrition: 3/4
Explosiveness: 3/4
DE Lower
Speed Box Squat:
Bar
5 @ 135
5 @ 225
9x3 @ 315 (Belt)
Shrugs (Straps):
5x10 @ 315
Hanging Leg Raises (Straps):
3x15
Avg. Band Ab Pulldown:
3x15
Lying Hamstring Curl:
3x10 @ “10”
Motivation was back up today, as expected. My lower back was pretty sore though, so I wasn’t as fast as I could have been on the squats.
Went to the aquatic center gym today, and guess what? I used a bag and chalk and no one said anything.
Motivation: 4/4
Nutrition: 3/4
Explosiveness: 3/4