[quote]bugeishaAD wrote:
Nice lifting brotha.[/quote]
Thanks, big sexy.
[quote]Otep wrote:
[quote]RobRaynerBB wrote:
Do u think its good, placing all ur sets so close together? Why this way then larger gaps and moving up to ur last set? Seems like it would wear you out? Thoughts?[/quote]
What I do is similar to what CT was recommending before they actually released the I, Bodybuilder program.
Yes, I think its good placing all the sets together. Maybe I don’t understand what you’re talking about but, for example, theres plenty of range on my front squat: 225 to 285. Thats a range of 60 lbs on what is probably a 345lbs lift (I’m assuming thats my 1RM because its 10% higher than my highest training weight), which is close to… 14% I think. Good enough to set up the nervous system, hit some heavy, fast, explosive reps, and move on.
I really don’t understand the rest of the question. Can you give an example?[/quote]
Its ok I didnt realise you were doing ‘explosive movements’. I guess you are stopping when it slows down?!
I was thinking standard training where the jumps are bigger, going from a lower weight to higher in 3-5 jumps:
ie. bench 6x135 220 315 405 etc.
The value of focus.
Workout had a ferocity that puzzled me, because I had just eaten a decently large breakfast about an hour before and hadn’t eaten anything before that since I woke up. Then I remembered the two cups of authentically french-pressed Vietnamese cafe du lac I had made earlier with the help of some ethnic friends of mine and my inexplicable testicular fortitude seemed more… explicable.
Push press went great, and I’m expecting bench to go similarly. Coffee makes my initial pushes feel like bitch weight, but the enthusiasm usually peters out by my heavier sets. I work my way up through the light work, pausing on the chest instead of bouncing (something I do only for lighter sets), and then work my way up to 255.
255 goes up about as easy as expected, and the time for the gym to close is nearing, so I figure I’ll hit 275 and 285 and call it a day.
275 sucks. The first two sets are explosive, but the third rep… the technique is good, its in the groove, the triceps are taking over the weight, I’m getting support from my abs and lats, but I hit a sticking point. I push through it with a titan-charged yell, racked the weight, blink the spittle from out of my eye and start walking.
Do I load 285?
I tried last time, and failed on the third rep. What I should do is just bury my ego, keep it at 275, and rock 275’s cock off so badly it changes sexes. Even if I could hit 285, I wouldn’t smash it, and at these weights, speed is as or more important than load on the bar. If I really wanted to up the weight I could just go to 280. There’d be some improvement and I could feel good about that. Save 285 for a day when I didn’t fast.
So I load up 285 on the bar and silence all negative thinking.
I give myself an extra couple of minutes of walking. This allows the muscles to recover. I’m fairly certain I can hit 285, probably just didn’t allow enough rest between 255 and 275. I think about the press, visualizing it, the exact moment the tension gets greatest, not on rep one, or rep two, but on rep three, when the bar’s about two boards off the chest and the momentum has slowed and the triceps haven’t fully taken over. I feel the lats pulling down, pushing the pecs to push the arms to push the weight, feet planted on the ground, belly tight. And I clear the weight and rack it and burst up. I play this a couple of times in my head as I’m walking around, head hunched like Kratos when he can’t remember where he put the Blades of Athena (“Oh THERE they are…”), making sure to feel the tension in the push. The song changes, and I get under the weight.
The first two bounce easy, the third encounters some light resistance, and then goes up. Much easier than 275. Weight is racked. And then I burst into some yelling jubilation. And then I wonder if I should add more weight. And then I don’t, because I move on.
285 isn’t a PR. Its something I haven’t hit since I put extra focus on being fast, but it isn’t new. But it was definitely a challenge and definitely made me feel good.
Hopefully the above was educational for those who’ve never used visualization in their workouts.
Monday 03/14/2011. Push
Military/Push Press: 135-205. 9 sets
Bench Press: 185-285. 8 sets
1Arm Ropedown: Setting 5-8. 8 sets
- Good stuff. Late (around 9-10ish), but good.
[quote]RobRaynerBB wrote:
Its ok I didnt realise you were doing ‘explosive movements’. I guess you are stopping when it slows down?!
I was thinking standard training where the jumps are bigger, going from a lower weight to higher in 3-5 jumps:
ie. bench 6x135 220 315 405 etc.[/quote]
Ah, yes. Usually with that kind of training, one would record their reps as well. From what I’ve seen, the first weight would be 135x20, 225x10, 315x5, 365x3, 385x3, 405x5, or something like that.
Not really what I do. I understand the confusion.
Wednesday 03/16/2011. Pull
Low-Pulley Row: 160-255. 12 sets
Power Snatch: 135-205. 8 sets
Hammer Curl: 30-45. 8 sets
Blastabs: 1xSome
- Low Pulley Row at 255 was cheating as all hell, but made it and made it fast. Wanted to hit the highest weights before I changed my back staple.
- Changing Back staple to Chinese Rows. I want to take advantage of the dumbbells that go higher than 150. This is how to do it.
Wednesday 03/23/2011. Push
Military/Push Press: 115-205. 8 sets
Bench Press: 185-275. 8 sets
1Arm Ropedown: setting 5-8. 8 sets
BlastAbs: 2xSome
- Been too long since I worked out. Fast ended on Monday, but had some difficulty summoning the will to go lift. Glad I did.
Thursday 03/24/2011. Legs
Front Squat: 225-295. 5 sets
Back Squat: 295-335. 5 sets
Deadlift: 365-425. 5 sets
BlastAbs: 2xSome
Friday 03/25/2011. Pull
Chinese Rows: 70-140. 12 sets
PowerSnatch: 135-185. 5 sets
Hammer Curls: 30-45. 8 sets
BlastAbs: 1xSome
- Some days, I judge the intensity of my sets by how much my face scrunches. If my face was totally rigid, everything scrunched, it was probably a really intense set, I probably gave it my all. If I was yawning through it, probably not.
- Or speed. If I can legit say I moved the weight as fast as any human has a right to move that weight, I either need to use mwoar weight, or don’t need to worry about my intensity.
- Face scrunches, man.
- Happy Friday to all you work-a-day folks.
- For those that don’t know Chinese Rows, here’s an example: http://tnation.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding/chinese_db_rows
Sunday 03/27/2011. Push
Military/Push Press: 115-215. 9 sets
Bench Press: 185-275. 8 sets
1Arm Ropedown: Setting 5-8. 8 sets
BlastAbs: 2xSome
-255lbs. Wasn’t even trying to lose weight over fast, lost about 10 lbs.
- Good workout. Felt like running out of energy about 45min in. That’s the real reason I drink Surge and Surge SWTF. Have some but haven’t used it because workouts during fast are not important. Getting back into the regular gym-type season again.
- Starting tomorrow, I’m doing a 14-week cut. I’ve had this planned since January. In January, I figure the goal would be to drop down to 250. In the beginning of March, it would have been to drop down to 240. Now, I think It’ll be to drop down to 235, about a 20 lb drop over 14 weeks. That seems like a challenge. The total for this year, I think, is to get to 220 while keeping my 3/4/5 lifts. If I can get down to 235 by the end of June, I should be able to feel comfortable walking around without a shirt this summer. Which’ll be nice. And I should be in great range for having a four-pack by the end of the year.
Tuesday 03/29/2011. Pull
Chinese Row: 80-130. 12 sets
Power Snatch: 135-205. 7 sets
Hammer Curl: 30-45. 5 sets
BlastAbs: 2xSome
Wednesday 03/30/2011. Legs
Front Squat: 225-295. 5 sets
Back Squat: 295-345. 6 sets
Deadlift: 365-435. 5 sets
- Shout out to my man Jake, who made it up to Metroflex today for some incline bench and such. Good meeting you man.
- Shoulders and T-spine on front squat felt fine. Hit sticking point, but its becoming less of an issue. Hopefully, will be up to 305 on the regular soon.
Thursday 03/31/2011. Push
Military/Push Press: 115-225. 10 sets
Bench Press: 185-275. 8 sets
1Arm Ropedowns: Settings 5-8. 8 sets
BlastAbs: 2xSome
- Last push press was like, all legs. Fuck yeah.
- Had to power through bench press sticking point. Back clenched. Fucking back. While benching. WTF.
- started doing blastabs while standing on a block. Increases tension. Will continue to do.
- WOrked out later than usual. SURGE WTF tasted a little like the protein went bad, if you know what I’m saying. Probably 'cuz left it out in my car for the entire day, under the Houston heat lamp. Whatever. Wasn’t delish, but got the job done.
POST 4500!!! Halfway to 9000!!!
Friday 04/01/2011. Pull
Chinese Row: 80-130. 12 sets
Power Snatch: 135-205. 8 sets
Hammer Curls: 30-50. 9 sets
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- No blastabs. Didn’t feel it.
- Power Snatch at 205 was difficult. Legs splayed allto the sides and beginner mistake bullshit like that. Made the lifts, but they weren’t clean, like they used to be. Weird. Maybe I need to groove technique again, or something.
Thanks brotha! Awesome meeting you as well. You bust your ass in the gym and i respect you for that!
And i did more than incline! 
CHAIN DIPS FTW!!!
Sunday 04/03/2011. Legs
Ran 20min.
- No joke. I woke up too late and was too busy during the day to make it to the gym, which closes around 5/6ish. I’m still kind of in fat-loss-mode, and one thing I’ve been wanting to incorporate was morning jogs for about 20 min. But I suck at waking up. And I greatly fear running, sprinting, or any type of road work that makes me breathe heavy.
- Running was a bitch, even doing it like a bitch with frequent breaks, like I was. I’d run a block, and then walk a small block, and then run as far as I could until I slowed down for fear my heart would burst out of my chest. No bullshit, it felt like a coke-can that’d been left to bake in the afternoon heat had been surgically implanted in my chest, had sprouted hands and arms, and was desperately trying to make its way back out of my chest and to the mothership. At points like that, I jogged slowly. The rest I just jogged.
- So it’s not great progress. But its not retreat either, and I didn’t just cry into my diet-coke about how much of a failure I am for not getting to a gym on Sunday.
- Alpha as fuck.
Monday 04/04/2011. Legs
Front Squat: 225-295. 5 sets
Back Squat: 295-345. 6 sets
Deadlift: 365-415. 4 sets
Tues 04/05/2011. Push
Military/Push Press: 115-215. 10 sets
Bench Press: 185-275. 8 sets
1Arm Tricep Pushdown: Setting 5-8. 8 sets
BlastAbs: 2xSome
- Bench felt strong, like I could do more, but didn’t think it’d be fast, and didn’t feel like doing it just to feed my ego. My ego’s pretty big. It could probably stand to go on a diet.
- Push Press feels like a lot of fun. Feels like so much weight, so fast, and my arms/shoulders are still doing a lot of the work.
Wednesday 04/06/2011. Pull
Chinese Rows: 80-140. 14 sets
Power Snatch: 135-205. 8 sets
Hammer Curls: 30-45’s. 8 sets
Blast Abs: 2xSome
- Rows felt great. The secret to the 140’s is using a hook grip on the dumbbell so it doesn’t slide out of your hand.
- Remember to buy and bring pink spray paint, so Joe can turn the slosh-pipe into THE POWERFUL PINK PILLAR OF PAIN!!!
- Power Snatch went great, the last reps were ugly but felt powerful. Problem was yelling out ‘Champion’ with a Jamacain accent like Chet was making me do. Before, after, no problem. During? Problem.
Thursday 04/07/2011. Legs
Front Squat: 225-295. 5 sets
Back Squat: 295-355. 6 sets
Deadlift: 365-445. 5 sets
- ‘Joe’ tried to recruit me for a semi-pro NFL league. Hell of a compliment. And all I had to do was lift 445, like a BAUS.
- Turns out there’s a deadlift competition this Saturday. It’s probably a good thing I’ll be out of town, because otherwise I’d show up without prepping and take bronze. I say bronze, because I there’s a cat at Metroflex that’s taller than I am, and has always made my DL look like SQ, even when I was lifting at RecSports at UT. Also, Chet has retard strength, and can pull 455 with a double-overhand grip and a rounded back. With a monkey on his back. And that monkey is 240 and on-cycle.
- Pulled 445 yelling ‘Champion!’ with thick Jamacain accent DURING THE LIFT. 1000 points to Otep!
- Lifting at Metroflex is filled with Shenanigans. Its kind of amazing I/we get any lifting done.
- Weighed 257 this morning. Not freaking out, but considering what’s happened. It’s been two weeks I’ve been on-diet, and I haven’t kept my diet THAT clean, haven’t taken my HOT-ROXORZ and FLAMEOUTZ every day (maybe half the days), I’ve been having an extra helping at dinner if I’m still hungry after my massive plate of meat and veggies, I ate out a couple of times because I was too tired the night before to cook my lunch, and I haven’t quit smoking since Naw-Ruz (cut down a lot, to only smoking in the evening after work, its maneagable and doesn’t interfere with my lifting, though probably it does with recovery) and haven’t even attempted any serious, regular cardio. I guess my work is cut out for me.