Unhappines Breeds Greatness

Training Training Logs
21

Monday - Bench
A. Pause Bench
2 x 5 w. 95
135 x 3
175 x 2
205 x 1
235 x 1
255 x 1
275 x 2 (touched and go’ed these, wasn’t feeling confident but when I felt how easy the first rep was I went for another, both were hard but VERY smooth…very happy about this…)

195 x 11 paused reps, rested 10 sec, 3 touch and go
195 x 8 touch and go

B. 2-Board Press - 175 x 15, 175 x 16
C. Spoto Press- 155 x 8, 155 x 10

D. Incline DB Press - 60s x 8, 60s x 12
E. Seated DB Press - 45s x 20, 45s x 19

F. Lateral Raises - 5 x 16 w. 15s
G. Floor Extensions - 5 x 20 w. 30

All in all a pretty great workout, happy that I am still hitting the minimum reps I need and adding weight each week…btw the floor extensions are just gold I love them.

22

Wednesday - Squats and Deficit Deads because I was pissed off

A. Squats
45 x 5 goodornings and 10 squats
95 x 10
145 x 10
195 x 10
225 x 10

B. High Bar Pause Squats - 135 x 15
C. Band Leg Curls - 8 x 10 w. black band

Thought I had work, but I got called out…my ex hit me up to hang out so I did and I had alot of fun…

…But than my frustration, confusion, depression, and hate for my current situation sunk back in so rather than let me sulk all day I decided to leave it all out on the bar…

5 hours later

D. 2" Deficit Deads
135 x 3
225 x 1
315 x 1
365 x 1
405 x 1 (slowed towards the top…started throwing a mental temper tantrum…)
455 x 1 (PR), looked back at the video and decided it was too easy…but tasted blood…?
455 x 1 (started lowering it for a touch and go double but it wasn’t in me)
2 x 0 w. 470 (figured why not, lets go for broke)

E. Yates Rows - 195 x 15 (Of course a PR, would you expect anything less right now with all that is going on…?)
F. Chins - bw x 12, 9, 9 (wanted to keep it light…)

This was the second set

There you have it, if life hands you lemons and you don’t like lemons, spit in life’s face because it spat in yours…

23

Forewarning: Sorry to all those who subscribed…

Even though this is a training log it’s probably going to have journal entries every now and again because I have a lot on my mind and I need to help myself to learn to sort it out…

So keep in mind a lot of what I am going to post is going to be a rhetorical but if you want to jump in its cool, but if you want to completely to skip over this estrogen filled bs I can’t blame you at all…

Ranting/whining I guess…:
I’m finding myself up at 3:30 AM slowly sinking back to where I was after seeing my ex…seeing her brought up so many memories that we had and reminded me why I loved her in the first place, and I cannot lie, I have no idea what I am doing. I have been waiting for this day for so long…I must have run 1000 different scenarios in my head about what I would say when I finally get to see her again…

I love you, I hate you, I miss you…

But when I finally saw her all I could do was act like everything was ok, I guess it was because I was happy to finally see her again but…was I really or was I just afraid to let my emotions out? After everything we have been through I am not sure if I love her or the idea of her, or if she even still loves me or if you she is just hitting me up because she is bored…I believe I still love her and it fucking sucks. I was hanging out with an awesome girl earlier and I felt…nothing. Nothing at all, despite all the fun I had all I could feel was an emptiness inside that just left a bad taste in my mouth about the night.

I am going to be honest, when I was growing up I was abused, friendless, miserable, and in a home that was nothing but toxic to me and not much has changed since than. I hadn’t kissed a girl until I was 17, and never had my first serious relationship until I was 19. I had other encounters with girls but with my family and my past I always ended withing 2 weeks. So I am no stranger to being alone or to suffering but if lifting is all I am really good for I am a pathetic excuse of a human being… serving no real purpose and too much of a pussy to pull the trigger and start taking drugs. I don’t know what’s stopping me. I always said I wanted to do it naturally, than I said I wanted to push it as far as I can naturally than flip my ace card to take me over the top, but what am I fucking around for? Maybe I am not ready for that step, maybe I am just letting the emotions and the sadness get to me and make me think some how if I do the drugs, and set world records it’ll somehow fix all the shit that is messed up inside of me.

I have never been a guy that has been good with emotions and I can honestly say as I travel deeper and deeper into this dark period I realize more and more that I am forgetting who I am as a person, let alone a man and I don’t even know how to begin how to find myself again. I don’t even remember what else made me happy outside of lifting, or if I was ever even happy outside of it to begin with. All I know is when I was with her, the pain seemed to go away, and even with all the fighting and the unhappiness…it was still the happiest I have ever been in my life. I can’t even tell you anymore if I am being me, or I am being someone who I am not. Am I being me, am I being who the world tells me to be, am I being who she tells me I am, or am I being this person in direct defiance to what her/they want me to be…whether the decisions I make are what I really believe is the right thing to do or if it’s the decisions of the fake Kevin.

I don’t know, I have so many questions, so many things that I want answered about her, about life, about me, and I am not sure if there is no clear answer yet or if I am too afraid to face the demons that have always been in the shadows…

24

Thursday - Upper Body 2 and some Deads

A. Close-Grip Bench
95 x 5
135 x 3
185 x 2
205 x 1
245 x 4
175 x 11-2 mostly paused, 175 x 12-1 all touch and go

B. Close-Grip 2-Board Press - 155 x 13, 155 x 15
C. Spoto Press - 135 x 12, 135 x 14

D. Incline Bench - 135 x 13, 15
E. Military Press - 70 x 22, 70 x 20

F. Lateral Raises - 5 x 17 w. 15s
G. Incline Rolling Extensions on Preacher Bench - 2 x 20 w. 15s, 3 x 20 w. 20s

H. Sumo “Speed-ish” Pulls
135 x 2
225 x 1
7 x 1 w. 275 (think I am going to pull sumo from here on out to bring up my leg strength and make my damn back stop hurting…)

25

Keep your chin up man. Women are tough to deal with and the loss of a relationship can be heartbreaking. You’ll get through it and be a better man for it. Nice lifting btw.

26

[quote]Josgood wrote:
Keep your chin up man. Women are tough to deal with and the loss of a relationship can be heartbreaking. You’ll get through it and be a better man for it. Nice lifting btw.[/quote]

It definitely does suck, but it probably wouldn’t have been such a crippling blow if everything else wasn’t thrown into the mix you know?

I know I will and thanks for the support and the kind words, it may not sound sincere but just trust me when I say I appreciate it.

27

Sunday - Deads, double at work, and getting fired

So I originally planned to deadlift today because I thought I was only scheduled one 4 hour shift at one job but late saturday night my boss at the other job decided to schedule me last minute and I got for hours of sleep the night before… So I called off deadlifting, got off work and went to the other job. The moment I went in my boss was bitching at me non-stop and this guy was always brutal to me, calling me an idiot, lazy, sneaky, and so on. I didn’t think lazy people would work their very low blood sugars to keep doing his job? Whatever, well he was screaming at me non-stop for doing my job the way the other people trained me to do it. So eventually I decided you know what, if he is going to bully me I am going to get on his nerves so every time I had nothing to do I decided to ask him what to do, and I will admit I burnt a piece of bread and when he confronted me he asked me would I eat this preparing to chew me apart again, so I decided I had enough and gave him a smart ass answer in response (knowing full well it would probably cost me my job) and it did so after taking a nap and a spike it was time to go to work on the bar…

A. Deficit Sumo Deads Standing on 2 mats
135 x 3
135 x 2 on 1 mat
from here on out on 2 mats
135 x 2
185 x 1
225 x 1
275 x 1
315 x 1
3 x 1 w. 365 (wasn’t happy with the first to singles because of my back rounding over, decided the third one was as good as it was gonna get, which was only a very slight rounding…)

195 x 15 touch and go (arch held the entire time…beautiful)

B. Sumo Deads off 4" Blocks
225 x 1
2 x 5 w. 275

C. Box Squats, Deadlift Stance - 155 x 15 (went lighter on these then previous weeks to prevent back from rounding over and to build up the necessary muscles)

D. Chins (bodyweight only)
Wide-overhand x 15, 12
Shoulder-width overhand x 10, 8
Close-Neutral (pumping to top of head) x 6

E. Deadstop DB Rows - 4 x 6 w. 45

F. Band Shrugs
all one set
2 short orange bands x 20 (3 sec squeeze)
2 short orange bands x 20 (pumping reps)
1 short orange band x 20 (pumping reps)

Plan on getting all the videos I took onto one video so I can see my step by step and lower back positioning stuff but for now here’s the 3rd single with 365

28

Monday - Bench

A. Pause Bench (ring finger on rings)
Bar x 6
95 x 5
135 x 3
185 x 1
205 x 12, rested for 5, got 1 more
205 x 11

B. Speed Bench (touch and go) - 5 x 5 w. 185
C. Wide-Grip Pause Bench (index finger just outside of rings) - 165 x 17, 165 x 16
D. Spoto Press - 145 x 15, 145 x 15

E. Incline DB Press - 50s x 25, 50s x 22
F. Seated DB Press - 50s x 17, 50s x 16

hand started charlie horsing bad so I had to do band work only after this…
G. Band Lateral Raises - 5 x 20 w. red band
H. Band Triceps Extensions - black band x 20, 15, 15, 12, 12

29

Wednesday - Squats

Had to wake up early because I wanted to squat before work so I could do well before the suit dehydrated me, but unfortunately I wasn’t feeling too good, but everything did move well and I hit PRs but it did slow me down and the second workout didn’t go so good…

A. Squats
55 x 5 good mornings and 8 squats
85 x 8
115 x 8
145 x 8
170 x 8
205 x 8
235 x 8 (pretty easy, had another 2 in the tank but this is my 8’s wave so I left it there)

B. High Bar Pause Squats
145 x 15
145 x 10

Went to work. Came back 7 hours later and did.

C. 3" Deficit Stiff Leg Deads
135 x 10
165 x 10
195 x 10
225 x 10

D. Yates Rows - 205 x 10 (was really feeling sick at this point, so I probably had more in me if I was feeling better)
E. DB Rows - 3 x 20 w. 45 (really started was pushing myself just to continue)

F. Barbell Shrugs
135 x 20
185 x 20
225 x 19
275 x 9

Called it here, I have video I’ll post later but as of right now im just going to relax and focus on not rolling over and dying…

30

Thursday - Upper 2
A. Close-Grip Pause Bench
worked up to:
185 x 13
185 x 10

B. Close-Grip 2 Board Press
185 x 11
185 x 11

C. Spoto Press
185 x 9
185 x 10

D. Incline Bench
155 x 14
155 x 14

E. Military Press
95 x 17
95 x 16

F. Lateral Raises - 5 x 20 w. 8s
G. Banded Lying Extensions - 5 x 10 w. 8s black bands

Experimented with a heavier session today and really liked how it played out…

31

Friday - Arms
A1. EZ Bar Curls (3 sec neg) - 50 x 8, 50 x 4, 2 x 8 w. 30
A2. DB Hamemr Curls (90* only) - 15s x 12, 12, 8, 6

B1. Back Supported Palms up curls - 4 x 8 w. 15s
B2. Reverse Curls - 4 x 10 w. 30

C1. Rope Pushdowns (1 sec flex) - 3 x 10 w. 32.5, 27 x 10
C2. Dips - 4 x 12 w. bw

D. EZ Bar JM Press (3/4 lockout, controlled/slow lowering) - 80 x 8, 70 x 8, 4 x 8 w/ 60

E. Suitcase Rack Deads -2 x 5 w. 135
F. Elbow Supported Leg Raises - 3 x 12

Experimenting with an extra arm session and ab work to see how my pressing plays out on monday, I have been missing alot of bicep work because of how drained I have been by the end of the sessions and figured why not with the triceps work. If I recover well I may just move the majority of my arm work until this day so I can actually hit them hard…

32

Sunday - Deads

A. 2" Deficit Deads (yep back to conventional lol)
135 x 3
185 x 2
225 x 1
275 x 2
315 x 10 (think my technique was alot better on these but I purposely didn’t record my back for a reason…)

B. Box Squats (Deadlift Stance)
95 x 3
135 x 3
185 x 2
210 x 17

C. Yates Rows (Leeman Style) - 165 x 25
D. Chest-Supported DB Rows - 3 x 20 w. 25s

E. Barbell Shrugs
135 x 20
185 x 20
225 x 25
275 x 15

F. Barbell Curls - 4 x 10 w. 45
G. Hammer Curls - 4 x 10 w. 25s

PRs across the board but my knee is feeling a little painful and sketchy…I hope its all in my head…

33

Monday - Bench

A. Pause Bench
95 x 6, 6
135 x 3
185 x 2
215 x 9, 6

B. 2-Board Press - 215 x 9, 9
C. Spoto Press - 215 x 4, 3

D. Incline DB Press - 55 x 20, 20
E. Seated DB Press - 50 x 15, 14

F. Lateral Raises - 5 x 20 w. 10s
G. Floor Extensions - 60 x 18, 16, 14, 12, 10

34

Wednesday - Squats
Band Leg Curls (more so I warm up for my hamstrings and knee)
single black band x 15
doubled black band x 10, 10

A. Squats
45 x 8
85 x 8
125 x 8
165 x 8
205 x 8
245 x 8 (moved pretty well and was a PR anyway so shut it down here)

B High Bar Pause Squats
2 x 2 w. 135
155 x 20 (really gutted these out today, huge PR)

C. Yates Rows - 170 x 15 pretty strict

Went to court and came back hours later and did

D. Lat Pulldown, Facing away
55 x 12
70 x 12
2 x 12 w. 100
115 x 10
130 x 8
145 x 6 and 25 sec isotension

E. Hammer Strength Shrugs
135 x 20
185 x 20
225 x 20
275 x 15
315 x 10 (quads started cramping, happy with this so shut this down too)

F. Reverse Curls - 5 x 12 w. 40
G. DB Hammer Curls - 3 x 10 w. 15s (3 sec neg)
H. EZ Bar Preacher Curls - 4 x 8 w. 40 (3 sec neg here also)

So there you have it gaining more and more momentum on squats and did some volume work today for bis and sort of for back. The only issue is my knees are starting to hurt and pop more and more and I have never had knee issues so I don’t know what to do…

35

Thursday - Upper 2
A. Close-Grip Pause Bench
Worked up to:
195 x 9
195 x 8

B. Close-Grip 2-Board Press
195 x 10
195 x 7

C. Spoto Press
195 x 10
195 x 8

went to work, felt miserable, added a little work to the stuff that needed to be made up…

D. Speed Bench
Worked up to:
4 x 4 w. 225
For shits and giggles
225 x 1 (10 sec pause)
245 x 1 (10 sec pause)

E. Dead Bench - 8 x 1 w. 200 (30 sec rest)
F. Military Press - 105 x 12, 9

G. Lateral Raises - 5 x 10 w. 20s
H. Single-Arm Rope Pushdowns (just to grease up elbows) - 30 x 20, 15
I. Rolling Extensions - 4 x 10 w. 30s

Tweaked some muscles in the first session because of my shitty unstable bench but got shit done in the second session. I am thinking of revamping my format a little on my bench day because I have been seem to struggling with it lately… we’ll see…

36

What I am thinking my new bench set up willbe

Monday - Bench

  1. Pause Bench - 2 x ?,? to “failure”

  2. Bench Hold Overloads - 2 x 55, 85 from top bench set

  3. Speed bench - 6 x 4 w/ 8 x 4/ 10 x 4

  4. Spoto Press - 2 x ?,?

  5. Incline DB Press - 2 x ?,?

  6. Seated DB Press - 2 x ?,?

  7. Laterals - 5sets

  8. Kaz Presses

Thursday - Bench Assistance

  1. Close-Grip Bench - 2 x ?,?

  2. Close-Grip 2-Board - 2 x ?,?

  3. Spoto Press - 2 x ?,?

  4. Incline Bench - 2 x ?, ?

  5. Military Press - 2 x ?, ?

  6. Laterals - 5 sets

  7. Rolling DB Extensions - 5 sets

So basically I am just pulling the 2-board press on monday and adding in bench overload holds for now until the weight gets heavy enough for PAP for speed bench. Than as I get closer to the meet in 3-4 weeks I’ll pull the overload holds and maybe another exercise and add in dead benches for the remainder of the cycle and it will either be my 3 or 4 exercise on that day.

37

Sunday - Deads
A. Deads from Floor
Worked up to:
315 x 1
365 x 1
405 x 1
455 x 1,
510 x 1 Just wasn’t there today, didn’t even break it off the floor

335 x 7 off a 2" deficit

B. Deadlift stance Squats (had to use a slower tempo because of my knee)
Worked up to:
225 x 10

Later
C. 2" Deficit
worked up to:
195 x 22

D. Mid-range RDLs - 135 x 15
E. Yates Rows - 135 x 15
F. DB Rows (no straps, constant tension) - 3 x 20 w. 25s
G. Seated DL - 45 x 10, 45 x 15, 45 x 20

Kept everything lighter in the second session, just got volume done and it felt great.

38

Monday - Bench
A. Pause Bench
Bar x 10
95 x 10
135 x 3 (3rd rep paused)
175 x 2 (second rep paused)
215 x 1
245 x 3 (all paused)

B. 4" Lockouts
285 x 2 (last rep held at lockout for 20 seconds)
315 x 3 (last rep held for 20 seconds)

C. Bench, touch and go
225 x 8 (standard touch and go, missed 9th rep…)
225 x 7 (spoto, probably had another in my but after missing last set and having to be rescued I cut it at 7)

D. Board Press
225 x 7 (2-board)
225 x 8 (3 board)

E. Dead Bench (3-5 sec between reps)
205 x 6
185 x 8
155 x 10

F. Incline DB Press - 60s x 20, 70
G. Seated DB Press - 50s x 19, 13

H. Lateral Raises - 5 x 13 w. 15s (20s weren’t available)

I. Rope Pushdowns
1 sec hard flex
27.5 x 15
29 x 12
30.5 x 9
32 x 6
Pumping
29 x 25
245.5 x 35 (pumping)

Alot of volume today, played with a different workout and I think I like it. Worked through a lot of different range of motions to build up strength because it’s starting to become more and more apparent that I am more explosive than I am strong. My ability to grind is basically gone.

39

Wednesday - Squats
A. Squats
Bar x 5 goodmornings and 8 squats
105 x 8
155 x 8
205 x 8
255 x 8 (The PRs just keep rolling)

B. 2" Deficit Deads
A million singles with 135
225 x 2
275 x 1
275 x 2
275 x 8 touch and go (finally can get set in the right position and Kept everything flat and tight the entire set. VERY happy with these)

C. Yates Rows - 185 x 15
D. DB Rows (constant tension, never let go) - 30 x 20, 18, 16
E. Barbell Shrugs - 135 x 35, 225 x 25, 315 x 10

F. Barbell Curls - 4 x 12 w. 45
G. DB Hammer Curls - 4 x 12 w. 25s

Very Happy with tonight’s session. Just so I remember here is the deadlift ques I need to remember…

Shins line up with mid-line between smooth and knurling
Lats locked down and back
Wrists cocked back like doing a forearm curl
Pull air into your stomach
Braise entire body like a battering ram
Drop butt down and open knees up
Pull chest up
Ensure good arch through out
Hands gripping bar 1-2 inches inside rings

40

Tuesday - Close-Grip
A. Close- Grip Bench
45 x 10
95 x 10
135 x 3
175 x 2
215 x 1
245 x 1
Holds
245 x 20 sec at lockout
275 x 20 sec at lockout

B. Close-Grip bench
175 x 17 (touch and go)
175 x 10 (spoto)

C. Close-Grip Board Press
175 x 11 (2 board)
175 x 10 (3 board)

D. Close-Grip Pause Bench
155 x 7
135 x 8
115 x 9

E. Incline Bench - 165 x 9, 145 x 10
F. Military Press - 75 x 18, 75 x 19

F. Lateral Raises (3 sec neg) - 5 x 10 w. 10s
G. Rolling extensions - 4 x 12 w. 30s

No rest between sets or exercises or repeat
H1. Rope Pushdowns - 27.5 x 2, 1
H2. Dips - bw x 15, 5