Step-ups - front/side/reverse x bw x 10/leg
Curls/OHP/laterals/tri ext x 8 lbs x 15 each
Bulgarians (each leg) / flat DB bench press
bw x 8 / 53 x 12
10 x 8 / 63 x 8
20 x 8 / 73 x 4
20 x 8 / 83 x 8
10 x 8 / 83 x 6
bw x 10 / 63 x 16
This was a tiring combo, and I’m feeling it a bit in my pecs and quads today. I did twice as many sets of Bulgarians (I like the traditional name for em) as last time, which shows my knee is healing. The db press’s Carter-esque two sets of a top weight then one drop set gave a nice pec pump, and stretching my pecs at the bottom after the last set was indeed intense.
Have you tried increasing your iodine and selenium intake? Like from food sources? Some extra seafood and brazil nuts. Be careful with the brazil nuts though, too many can be bad for you.
Front squats / OHP / RDL / Rows
25 x 10 / 10 / 15 / 15
30 x 10 / 10 / 15 / 15
35 x 10 / 10 / 15 / 15
45 x 10 / 10 / 15 / 15
55 x 10 / 10 / 15 / 15
DB curls
25 x 46 total
DB triceps extensions
55 x 51 total
I’ve been landscaping lately and energy to train has been harder to come by. This circuit created a good cardio pump and gave me an idea for my next circuit… it’s gonna be fun
135 x 10 (sg) / 20
165 x 5 (sg) / 25
195 x 5 (sg) / 25
225 x 5 / 25
250 x 5 / 25
275 x 5 / 25
275 x 5 / 25
275 x 5 / 25
Step-ups
20lbs (in backpack) x 50/leg, no rest
I did a lot of physical labor this week so ended up bookending the weekdays with lifting. The deficit deads are feeling great, and I was happy to reintroduce jumping rope. The step-ups were a nice leg burnout and cardio blast. I really like pairing a bilateral and unilateral exercise, one heavier and one light.
After too much agonizing and fighting the inevitable, I’m going to an upper-lower split, three days each week. Back in March, an article about it resonated with me while simultaneously reminding me of someone here’s statement (maybe @TX_iron?) who said he finds full body workouts recovery-invasive. I love full body lifting, but I love recovering even more.
Paul Carter responded to Stu in his big thread and summarized the research that he’s read. He said that training each muscle once per week is sufficient. Twice might be slightly better, but three times has diminishing returns. I’ve settled into a push/pull split done three times a week and I feel great. I think you’ll enjoy your new split. It falls right between training once or twice per week.
Man I used to love them but yeah I just feel drained instead of energized after a while & sessions become a drudge. I didn’t however, mind pushing one big lift hard and doing easier full body type assistance stuff, like a heavy deadlift session seasoned with some body weight dips, curls and leg raises (like 531 Forever is laid out).
Your mental shift from weight lifted to health and functionality is part of what encouraged me to make the leap into programming that I know will be beneficial.
For some muscles and movements, I merely maintain and simply don’t progress if I only do them once a week. Therefore I concur - this rotating schedule of doing each body part every four or five days should hit a sweet spot for me.
Yep, that’s been my exact experience too. I tried to stick with big, full-bodyworkouts, but three times a week was too much.
That’s a very reasonable workout. I’m centering my upper-lower split around two main lifts, a push and pull, and doing assistance to bring up the weak links.
Warm-ups
BPA - 2x red x 4 x 20
Curls/laterals/extensions/shoulder press - 8lbs x 15 each
Towel pullups
bw x 4
bw x 4
bw x 4
bw x 3
bw x 4
Weak grip. Must get stronger
Flat DB bench
53 x 12
63 x 8
73 x 4
83 x 10
83 x 5
68 x 11
Did 2 more reps than last time with the top set. Progress
EZ bar rows, semi-supinated grip
170 x 7
170 x 7
170 x 8
EZ bar curls / triceps DB ext
80 x 6 / 60 x 20
80 x 6 / 60 x 17
80 x 7 / 60 x 14
Sweet. I got 51 reps of the extensions, so I can increase that weight again.
Lateral raises
13 x 15
13 x 15
13 x 15
Good day. I’m stoked about finally settling into an upper/lower, 3 times/week split.
Back raises / hanging leg raises
bw x 15 / bw x 10
bw x 12 / bw x 10
Face pulls
30 x 15
30 x 15
Deadlifts - conventional!
135 x 8
185 x 4
225 x 2
265 x 1
295 x 1
315 x 1
335 x 1
355 x 0 (what?! DOH grip failed)
365 x 1 PR!!! (Mixed grip)
375 x 1 PR!!! (Mixed grip)
385 x 0 (moved it but didn’t want to push)
315 x 1 (grip still the weak link)
225 x 10 (SO easy compared to 375!)
So… I got a gym pass this evening and decided to test my conventional deadlift. Since the summer of 2017, I’ve worked out at home and only have the equipment to do deficit deadlifts up to 275 on my (thin spinlock) bar and 40 pounds in a backpack. After two year of not doing conventional deadlifts, I hit a 20-pound PR!!! @mortdk and I have wondered how lots of deficits affect the conventional lift. The answer? Positively
Amusing factoid - my grip failed at 355, and I’d literally forgotten about mixed grip; I’ve never used it. A woman at the rack next to me was doing sumo deadlifts with a mixed grip, so I figured “what the heck, let’s throw more weight on the bar and see if I can get a PR out of this.” And I did, twice!
Single leg press / laying leg curls
60 x 10 / 80 x 8
60 x 10 / 95 x 8
60 x 10 / 95 x 8
I honestly miss doing regular gym equipment lifts. It felt great to focus on the hams and push with just one leg.
Seated hip abduction / adduction
110 x 15 / 110 x 15
120 x 15 / 120 x 15
130 x 15 / 130 x 15
Just two plates short of repping the stack. There’s also something to be said for the strength gained from real-world work.
Power squat machine
90 x 8
180 x 8
270 x 8
360 x 8
180 x 15
I really like this machine. It pairs well with deadlifts, because there’s no balance required - it’s all push.
Swimming - 500 meters, casual pace, mixed strokes
This was an excellent session. Even if I don’t jump back into a gym, it’s validated the lifting I do at home.
You might have had the 385 if you’ve gone from 365 directly to 385. I think it taxes the body very much to pull at near max lifts so you only have 1 or 2 very big lifts… this I cannot back up by anything other than, that’s how I feel.
There is in fact an article here on TN about only doing deficits in training and then do the regular when hitting the platform. So a very legit way to train.
Next up is 375 deficit at home.
I’m going to incorporate them in my new strength training program. starting out in about a month or so.
Nice! I chuckled to myself when I read that you missed a rep and then added weight.
I don’t need a gym, but there are a lot of fun toys to use. My brain keeps trying to trick me. “I’ll train more at home if I get this.” I find myself wanting to buy stuff online even though I’m currently ignoring my home gym.
I agree, near-max lifts take a lot of energy and decrease subsequent lifting strength. I also wonder if I be able to lift 385 if I’d skipped 365, but I played it safe. Next time, hopefully I’ll get at least 385. I’m excited to see how you structure your strength-based workouts. I’ve noticed some of my lifts really benefit from Paul Carter’s max set and 50% set, but other lifts increase better for me by doing a straight sets and progressing within a rep range.
My dumbbell chest press is getting better with the 50% method, but my dumb ell OHP feels better and I’m stronger when doing 3x5 - 3x8, sticking with the weight til I get all 3 sets of or near 8 reps. So yep, I’m excited to see what you do for your strength phase.
I remembered someone here posto f about failing a lift, adding weight, and hitting the rep, which is partly why I decided to do that!
In your situation, I think a gym makes more sense. I like the convenience of lifting at home, but I also really like the variety of equipment that gyms have. Plus, at the right place, the atmosphere and social aspects can be energizing and enjoyable.
