6-18
Workout A
Weight: 183.8
Squat
225x5x3
Bench
145x5/4
BB Rows
125x5/4/3
Dips
+45x5/4
Not a good day. I’m out of gas and don’t feel like typing. All of my lifts need serious work, and I’m thinking about taking next week off.
6-21
Workout B (kinda)
I trained with an old friend at his gym, which is an awesome facility: they even have an EliteFTS 2x2 Power Rack, the one that I’m planning on buying soon.
My friend (an Oly lifter) went through his normal workout, and I worked up to a max single on squat (260#). Then I dropped the weight back to 225 and did some singles to work on my technique, with the help of my buddy and a pair of giant powerlifters, which was pretty awesome. By the time I was done squatting, singles at 225 felt easy instead of challenging… This is probably the single most productive squat workout I’ve ever had.
Next was press, I worked up to 105 (I’m embarrassed to admit) and missed 110.
Training with a mirror in front of you is incredibly distracting, I really don’t see how people do it. My shoulders are uneven when they are shrugged up at lockout, and that really got in my head. My elbows are also in different positions relative to my torso when squatting… My right shoulder, I think, is screwed up from sitting in front of a computer all day. My next phase of training will incorporate a lot of single-limb stuff.
I didn’t work up to a deadlift single because I was tired from squatting, but I worked on technique with some singles at 225. First, I learned how to use my lats, then I learned about pulling myself down to the bar.
I also used chalk for the first time, pulling is so much easier when the bar isn’t prying open your sweaty grip.
6-23
No workout today, I will be going back on Wednesday. Volume-wise, Saturday’s workout was pretty easy, so I’m hoping that a week (almost) off will give me a chance to rest up and keep progressing.
6-25
Weight: 182.6
Cool! So if apparently if you eat a 400kcal surplus and don’t train (that’s crucial!), you can loose weight. Who knew? I wonder why Americans are so fat then, maybe they’ve been sneaking into the gym?
squat
230x5/5/2
dips
+45x5x3
I got to the gym really late today, so I decided to just do squat and dips. I tried holding in a big breath for squats and it made me rush my sets, so my form was all over the place.
I warmed up for dips with bwx5x2 and +25x3x2, but I had this weird twinge in my elbows.
All in all, not a good day.
6-27
Workout B
Weight: 182.8
squat
230x5/5/2
looks like it’s time to deload… I should have gone down to 215 last time instead of 225, but my ego got in the way. I really like squatting two plates…
press
85x5x3
deadlift
265x5
I will be doing 265 again next time, I may not have locked out rep 4 completely. The chalk made a huge difference, and I actually felt my lats working. Ben, if you’re reading this, thanks.
pullups
bwx5/5/4
6-30
Workout A
Weight: 184.0
squat
205x5x3
these should have felt a lot easier
bench
145x3/2
I am so sick of benching. It just makes it that much worse that it’s Monday.
BB Row
125x5/4/4
I’m not very good at these.
Dips
+50x5/5/3
Pullups
BWx5/4/3
I’m going to be changing up my programming a bit soon. My gym is closed for the 4th, 5th, and 6th of July. I’m kinda pissed.
Some ideas I’m throwing around for my next program, both are 3-day/wk
Some of the considerations:
- my pull-up strength sucks
- I just can’t squat 3 times per week and keep adding weight, my body is over it
- my shoulder is sick of benching with a barbell, and I am too
- I feel like I need more work for my back
- I need unilateral work
Monday:
Pullups 3xAMRAP
Squat 6x3
Superset 3x5-8:
DB Bench
Bent Over Row
Pullups 3xAMRAP
Wednesday:
Pullups 3xAMRAP
Superset 4x5:
Front Squat
Press
DB Step-up 3x8-10
Pull-ups 3xAMRAP
Friday:
Deadlift 6x3
Seated Cable Row 4x6
Split Squat 3x8
Pull-ups 3xAMRAP
For barbell exercises, I will add weight each week. For db exercises, I will add reps until I hit the upper end of the range, then add weight.
A day:
Superset 10x3:
Squat
Pull-ups
DB step-ups 3x8-10
B day:
Superset 10x3
Deadlift
Press
Bent over Rows 3x8-10
Both days are supersets
I’ll start with my 5RM, then add a rep each workout until I get to 5, then I’ll up the weight. This progression worked really well for me when I did Waterbury’s ABBH.
I would greatly appreciate any comments.
No post from last Wednesday, I got to the gym late and just fucked around, worked on form for deads, tried a bunch of unilateral upper body stuff, did face pulls (who would have though I’d miss face pulls?), etc.
Gym was closed last friday (and saturday and sunday), so I had to miss another workout. It might have been a good thing though, I woke up Sunday and felt really fresh for the first time in a long time.
I am still tweaking my diet. I don’t handle carbs well, period. They make me fat and give me acne and mood swings. I am cutting down on carbs and adding more protein and fat, I think I am over 4000kcal now.
I decided that instead of buying a $1600 power rack from elitefts, and waiting 2 months for it to be delivered, I will just buy a cheap squat rack somewhere local and spend some money on flooring and some nice adjustable dumbbells. I will also need a stand for dips/chins.
Don’t get me wrong, I still want the rack, I’m just not strong enough to deserve it yet.
I decided on a new training regimen. I am pretty sure I can get away with linear progression for a while longer, I just need to grow a pair and move the damn weight.
Workout A:
Superset, 6x3, 60s rest
Squat
Chins
DB Bench 3x8-10
DB step-ups 3x8-10
Workout B:
Superset, 6x3, 60s rest
Deadlift
Press
One-arm cable row 3x8-10
Split squats 3x8-10
The rationale behind the supersets is twofold; First, it gets me out of the gym faster, which has been a problem in the apst since I go so close to closing time. Second, my aerobic capacity has gone to complete shit. I’m hoping that I can improve this somewhat by limiting my rest periods and supersetting.
Step-ups are in the program because I HATE HATE HATE step-ups. Eventually, my grip will get strong enough to actually challenge my legs… I may do these with a barbell to work on balance. Either way, they’re quite miserable.
Progression will be linear weight progression for the main movements, and rep-then-weight progression for the secondary exercises. I may also try a rep progression with the primary movements (6x3,6x4,6x5) at some point.
Weight: 183.0
Squat: 6x3@225
Chins: 6x3@BW
I felt really my glutes for the first time in a squat today, I just have to resist the urge to “good-morning” the weight up when I start to struggle and they will do their job.
Chins were quite easy.
DB bench: 10,10,10@30’s
Felt great. I don’t think I’m going to miss the barbell at all, and my shoulder doesn’t hurt a bit.
DB step-ups: 8/8,8/8,8/8@35’s
Miserable, as always.
Weight: 182.4
Deadlift: 6x3@245
Press: 6x3@85
I could have gone heavier on both of these.
One-arm cable rows: 10/10@35, 10/10,10/10@45
I like these a lot. If I tighten my core, it’s much easier to resist using trunk rotation to make the motion easier.
Split squats: 8/8,9/9,8/8@95
I’m going to be switching these out for DB Bulgarian Split Squats. Loading my back after deads was not fun, even if it was sissy weight, and I think having the rear leg elevated will hit the p-chain more (that’s just my experience).
Weight: 182.8
Squat: 6x3@235
Chins: 6x3@+10
Squats took everything I had, especially since I was so sore from deadlifting on Wednesday.
Chins, I probably could have done +20.
DB bench: 10,10,10@35’s
Step-ups: 8/8,8/8,8/8@65
Did these with a barbell today, they still suck.
This is for Monday:
Deads: 6x3@255
Press: 6x3@90
My form was terrible, I payed for it Tuesday.
One-arm row: 10,10@52.5, 10@45
Bulgarian split squats: I don’t remember. My log is in my gym locker.
Today:
Squat: 6x3@240
Chins: 6x3@+15
DB bench: 10,10,8@40’s
Step-ups: 10/10,10/10,10/10@65
DL: 6x3@255
Press: 6x3@95
one-arm row: 10/10,10/10,10/10@45
DB bulgarian split squat: 10/10,10/10.10/10@35’s
Congrats! You are officially no longer a beginner (as you can no longer make progress from workout to workout).
I really recommend DeFranco’s Westside for Skinny Bastards 3. My friend Schubert is making STUPID strength gains on it.
Glad Jim and Justin and I could help you out. You are welcome any time.
Ben
[quote]Sneaky weasel wrote:
Congrats! You are officially no longer a beginner (as you can no longer make progress from workout to workout).
I really recommend DeFranco’s Westside for Skinny Bastards 3. My friend Schubert is making STUPID strength gains on it.
Glad Jim and Justin and I could help you out. You are welcome any time.
Ben[/quote]
Good to hear from you!
I looked at WSB3, I think I’m going to hold off on a 4day/wk regimen until I have my garage gym set up, I feel like the student gym is sucking my soul out, slowly.
I definitely want to train with you guys again, that was a lot of fun.
I thought I posted Monday’s workout, I guess it didn’t make it, for some reason.
squat:
245x3x6
chins
+20x3x5
+20x2
I don’t remember what I benched, but I decided to go back to sets of 5 instead of 8-10. I skipped step-ups, which makes me a bad person, I suppose.
No workout today. I’ve had a cold since last Wednesday, and every time I go to the gym, I end up sicker the next day.
I was looking forward to deadlifts, but I would rather get better. I did some light cardio (i.e. rode my bike around for a while) just so I wouldn’t feel like a lazy slob.