Wake Up: 5am (a bit tired from bjj, but not much. I hurt my hip yesterday. My legs were forced apart in a “front-split” way, and it hurts to lift my leg in certain ways.)
Song of the Day: Meet Me in Montana (Dan Seals & Marie Osmond)
RDL - 3x4@180 (These were fairly easy. My grip was weaker than normal from BJJ, but it is getting much stronger. Some dude was using the 85s, so I had to bump up the weight a bit.)
Inc DB Press - 3x4@95 (Wow. This was pretty strange because I had never pressed more than 85s on this lift, and this weight felt really good. I believe that I could’ve gotten 6-8 reps with this weight.)
DB Row - 3x4@110 (I didn’t up the weight because of the sketchy reps last week. These felt really hard, and I think I’ve approached my max with this weight.)
GF:
RDL - 3x4@60 (She had a hard time hanging onto the weight, but she did really well on this lift. Her form when picking it up wasn’t good, but her RDL form holds nicely)
Incline DB Press - 3x4@15 (no shoulder pain, steady progression here)
DB Row - 3x4@20 (This lift also moved well. Her back was hurting, and I’m honestly not sure why, because she has had this pain before while just walking around. I believe her poor form while picking up the DBs for RDL might have aggravated a preexisting pain.)
Zercher Squat - 1x12(close to failure),4x3(10s pauses between clusters)@135lb (This was pretty tough. I liked the challenge though)
Facepull - 1x12(close to failure),4x3(10s pauses between clusters)@54 (This felt awkward because the pulley was grinding, so it added more resistance than just the poundage. I didn’t like how these felt at first, but it absolutely torched my rear delts, which was a new sensation)
Lateral Raise - 1x12(close to failure),3x3(10s pauses between clusters)@45 (I loved how this exercise went, because it was true to the intended structure of clusters. It was super hard and intense, and I was truly reaching failure when needed)
OHP - 1x9@135 (I don’t know why, but I really wanted to see how many reps I could get overhead with 135. I ended up with 9 before struggling. I decided not to push my luck because I’ve had some shoulder issues from that movement before, so I stopped there. I was pretty pleased considering how tired my arms were from the previous shoulder work. The last time I tried this (earlier this year) I got only like 3-4 reps, so there is definite improvement.)
GF:
Squat - 3x8@30 (Still working on her form. I understand that my form isn’t perfect, but the GF is having some stability issues that I’d like to address before we really try to stack on the weight)
Facepull - 3x8@27 (Weird pulley issues messed with her too)
Rear Delt Flyes - 3x8@5lb (These didn’t hurt her shoulders so I told her to do some)
Overall it was a good workout. It was short and intense, and I got to set a new PB on a lift that I never do. I didn’t film it though because I was concerned I’d only get 3 reps or so. I wish I had now lol.
Squat - 2RM@275 (This moved much better than I expected. My squat is absolutely leaping up, and I’m very pleased. I had hoped to get this lift today, and hitting it felt great. I switched up my training schedule for a new 4 week block, and hopefully I can get at least 295 on my back before the year is over.)
Leg Raise - 4x5 (These were done hanging from a bar and I went from a dead hang to having my feet up at my hands. These were also supersetted between my squat warmups)
Incline DB Press - 2x10@75lb (Not much to say. Will try to do more than last cycle)
Rear Delt Flyes - 2x15@15 (It had been a while since I had done these, but my endurance sucked. I dont care too much about my form here, but getting to superset these with incline DB press helped get us out in a timely fashion)
GF:
Squat - 3x8@50 (I’m not concerned about depth right now, as long as the bar path is straight, which it is, then I’m happy)
Incline DB Press - 2x10@10 (Her form is still great and her shoulders don’t hurt)
Rear Delt Flyes - 2x15@5 (She was getting tired near the end, but I dont blame her because we hadn’t done more than 10 reps in a long time)
I’m happy with my PR, and I’d love to see 315 moving in the near future.
Wake Up: 6:45am (felt super drained. not physically tired, but almost like my endocrine system wasn’t active at all. I woke up with a weird sleep paralysis episode that spooked me, and then woke up mid-sleep-cycle, so I was all out of wack this morning)
Pullup - 2RM@290 (BW+72.5) (This felt so good that I thought I could do 3 reps. I then tried 300, did the first rep, and stopped because I could feel that I wasn’t gonna get 2.)
Plank - 3x30s (Did these between pullup warmup sets)
RDL - 2x10@150 (I felt a bit tired doing these. I’ve kept the reps low for so long that even 10 was hard)
Lateral Raise - 2x15@12 (I did controlled reps instead or heavy overloaded reps.)
GF:
Pullup - 3x10@BW-70 (these looked pretty tough, but she got the job done
Plank - 3x20s (she did these between her pullup sets)
RDL - 2x10@40
Rear Delt Flys - 2x15@5 (I didn’t want to hurt her shoulders, so I had her do rear delt flys instead.)
The GF and I will be doing different rep schemes for our main lifts. I will have her do decreasing reps/increasing weight each week in the hopes that she’ll get some strength on her. I think she has been conditioned enough to start adding lb to her lifts.
Dips - 2RM@310 (BW+92.5) (I felt pretty strong here, and I am happy that there’s no discomfort during or after this lift. My goal in this lift is to hit 310 for 5 reps.)
Ab Wheel - 3x5 (These weren’t supersetted with dips like originally intended. My abs were sore from heavy pullups and planks, and the ab wheel has a way of making the slightest soreness agonizing)
DB Row - 2x10@95 (These felt better than expected. Grip felt strong too)
3D Lunge - 2x16@BW (This was super easy. I’ll be adding weight next week for sure)
GF:
Dips - 3x10@BW-70 (I’m surprised that these don’t hurt her shoulder, but she did well)
DB Row - 2x10@20lb (She was working really hard to get this one. Just needs to be careful about her back twisting so much)
3D Lunge - 2x8 (IDK if she did any real reps because her back was hurting, so I had her do hyperextensions instead.)
As of right now, at the end of the year, I’d like to try:
Squat 315 for 1-3 reps
Pullup 310 for 1-3 reps
Dip 310 for 5 reps
Once that’s completed, I will be trying to maintain that strength and get into better shape so that I can perform better in MT and BJJ. For now, school is keeping me from doing anything but morning workouts, so I will be able to have some more time to train when the year is up and I start my next co-op (internship).
Squat - 3x1@95.5% (275) (this was a lot harder than I expected. I don’t think I was resting enough between sets, but oh well.)
Hanging Leg Raise - 3x8 (These are getting a bit easier, I’ve been varying how my legs are positioned to get different stimulus)
DB Incline Press - 2x8@80
Rear Delt Flyes - 2x12@15
GF:
Squat - 3x8@55 (Much better reps today, having her pause between sets is helping her form)
DB Incline Press - 2x8@15 (getting stronger here for sure)
Rear Delt Flyes - 2x12@5
I am glad that my part time work will be ending soon as I start another coop rotation. It’ll help me put more into my gym and mma workouts. I also will have to maintain my cardio while studying for finals so my return to bjj and mt doesnt kill me.
Man the gym was crowded. I hate when it’s that packed. I can sense a move back to the home gym, and I’m getting excited. Nothing like braving the elements in a dirty garage, blasting music, and putting in work. I’d like to move back into the garage next year. Right now we have 2 adjustable DBs, one 35lb kb, BB w/ 300lb weights, two-post Power rack, pullup bar, ab wheel, and 10lb med ball. I’d like to build a legitimate power rack with a solid pullup bar, dip station, and improved safety. Maybe I can throw in a standing punching bag to practice striking and for conditioning. Creative weight storage would also be nice.
Ideally, my home gym would have:
power rack (w/ pullup bar, dip station, weight storage)
4 adjustable DBs, w/ loading weight up to 80lbs
KBs (2x15, 2x35, 2x50)
Airdyne
Battle Ropes
Prowler
Punching Bag
Space for box jumps
I can build or buy most of this stuff used, so maybe I’ll have some big changes soon. Also, I’d like to continue working on my strength until the end of this year. I want to squat 295 or 315 for 3 reps before 2020 rolls around or before February. Once I get there, I’ll most likely be roughly 220lb and pretty strong all around. I then would like to cut down to 190ish and see how light/agile my body feels. Then I’d like to get creative with my training since my size/strength will be good to me.
Thank you! I am terrible at judging how quickly a weight is moving, and I really only have a sense of how hard I pushed. In the video it looks good, but that was my first set, so I think my low rest times caught up to me for my last set which felt pretty heavy. So I believe my difficulty was an issue of endurance, not necessarily strength.
I didn’t log yesterday’s workout because we cut it short. The gf was feeling sick
Wake Up: 7am
Song of the Day: Sugar (Def Leppard)
Previous Workout:
Me:
Squat - 4RM@255
Hanging Leg Raise - 3x8
Incline DB Press - 2x6@95
GF:
Squat - 3x6@60
Today’s Workout: 7:45-8:20am
Me:
Cable Row - 3x5@204
Facepull - 3x12@144
Wide Pulldown - 3x15@90
Hammer Curls - 1xAMRAP@20
GF:
Cable Row - 3x5@72 (HUGE jump ahead in this lift. Lots of db rows are helping for sure)
Facepull - 3x12@48
Wide Pulldown - 3x15@17
Hammer Curls - 1xAMRAP@5
The GF wanted to workout today, and we didn’t feel like doing cardio, so I suggested we do some back work. Also my hip is bothering me. I think it is affected in the same way as my shoulder joints (socket unusually larger than the ball joint). I will be rehabilitating it for a while before I get back to BJJ since moving my left leg while on my back hurts pretty bad.
Wake Up: 4am (couldnt fall back asleep for some reason, but I went to bed at 9:30, so im not sure what caused that)
Song of the Day: Jingle Bells
Previous workouts: We did about 3 workouts since returning from vacation, and we didn’t really log them because I never got a chance.
I had planned on starting something new since I began to encroach 225 BW and I really didn’t want that to happen. I’m getting a bit fat and would like to curtail that trend. I wrote up a new plan to follow for a while and its composed of 2 workout structures:
1 - Heavy Lifting Days
A. Jump/Explosive movement - 3x5-10
B. Heavy Compound lift - 3x3-8
C. Assistance Superset - 2x8-12
D. Abs/Finisher (Battle ropes, airdyne, row, etc.)
2 - Dynamic Movement Days
A. Loaded Carries - 4-6 sets
B. KB/Bodyweight Circuit - 3 sets of 3-4 exercises and 5-10 reps
C. Finisher (Battle ropes, airdyne, row, etc.)
We will alternate days and vary the lifts to keep things interesting and fresh. I also will be doing some rehabilitory work on my hip while the GF does the same for her shoulder. It seems that she will be getting an injection for it soon, but we’ll see. Also, we’re both suffering from a ridiculous cold.
Wake Up: 7:30am (well rested, but lacked total sleep from a late night)
Song of the Day: Unexpected Lovers (Lime)
Workout: 8:30-9:10am
Me:
Squat - 3x5@225 (This was pretty hard, but I kind of expected that since my diet has been all over the place and I havent squatted in a minute. I believe my form needs tweaking because my left knee was hurting pretty badly about 30min after the workout and it lasted for a few hours)
Clean and Press - 2x8@40lb
Ab Wheel - 3x8-12
Row - 1x200m, 3x30s as fast as possible
GF:
Squat - 3x5@70
Band Work
Plank 3x30s
Row - 1x200m, 3x30s as fast as possible
I’m excited to start doing this new workout structure, and hopefully it’ll help me get in better shape as the new year begins.
Previous workout: We haven’t filmed our past workouts in a bit. The main thing is the log, so we aren’t too worried about missing a post or 2
Workout: 12:30-1:15pm
Me:
Squat - 3x8@205 (My legs were pretty tired from hiking a bit this morning, but squatting felt good. I widened my feet and used more of a powerlifting motion, which was harder, but my knees feel great. So Ill be continuing to use this form)
Squat - 1x3@85lb, 3x1@75lb (Her form was great up until the set at 85. Her butt would shoot back and up at the bottom of each rep. I told her to lower the weight and focus on form. She is progressing nicely)
Band work
Cable Row - 1x10@48, 1x10@72
Jacob’s Ladder - 1x45s, 1x30s AFAP (53), 1x40s
We very recently got turned onto the Jacob’s ladder machine, and I like it a lot. I like anything that increases resistance as you increase your speed like the airdyne bike. We’ve been enjoying this workout plan, and I plan on tweaking it a bit to suit the GF’s needs.
Wake Up: 7am (9hrs of sleep) (legs are pretty sore, but ready to workout)
Song of the Day: I Like It (Cardi B)
Workout: 8-8:30am
Me:
Dip - 5RM@285 (These felt strong, but all the sudden my last rep was ridiculously hard, so I’m assuming my endurance just sucks)
DB Row - 2x6@110 (Might ease up on these because I can feel my bicep under great stress)
Lunge - 2x15@BW (These sets and the rollouts were back to back with no rest)
Ab Rollouts - 2x8
GF:
Dip - 3x10@85 (Mainly she worked on her form, but I was also taking it easy on her since her shoulder is just now feeling better)
DB Row - 3x6@25
Lunge - 2x10@BW
Plank - 2x20s (Supersetted with Lunges)
I am really enjoying these short workouts. It helps me stay focused and put in maximum intensity. I will most likely change up the plan so that the GF and I do different things on some of the days. I need to be doing more conditioning, circuits, and cardio. She needs to be doing more general strength training and additional bodybuilding. Our goals do intersect, but are generally different. Ill see what I can come up with.
DB Powercleans - 3x3@65lb (Boy oh boy does my form suck an egg on these. Powercleans have never clicked because I have a hard time dropping down to “catch” the weight, and my wrist mobility sucks. Thus I switched to DBs and focused more on form than weight. I lowered the weight after these terrible sets and worked on the motion. I really want to get better at this movement because of how useful it is for building explosive power)
Landmine Press - 3x5@70 (Although these feel great on my shoulder, I always feel a weird pop inside my elbow at the bottom of the rep. It’s uncomfortable, so I try to avoid it, but the only way to do that is lowering the bar more toward my side, which greatly stresses my shoulder that’s trying to remain stable) The gym I go to doesn’t have any slammable medicine balls, so I couldn’t do med ball slams or throws
The GF got her injection, so she will hopefully be pain-free soon. For the next 3 days, she won’t be working out. After those three days, I plan to ease her back into exercise by just doing band work. Then we will carefully return her to weights. Assuming her issue is purely inflammatory, there will be no problems after a while.