11/1/16
Axle Deadlifts
250x3
340x3
425x2
505x3
550x2 second rep was exactly the same as the first. Definitely had 4 reps in me. Cut it early for confidence reasons and the sanity of my lower back.
450x10 this was hard, all dead stop
405x15
Single Leg RDL
40x15
80x15
80x15
80x15 literally threw up after these. ffs.
Sometimes I feel like I have the worst work capacity.
What do you mean by an arch in your feet? I’ve never really understood what people meant by that, it seems literally impossible from what I understand it is. The arch is that like, gap, or semi-circle hole structure type thing on the inside of your foot, isn’t it? Does it literally collapse as in your foot curls in, or…?
I either have some weird genetic thing, or it is because I started early, but flexibility has always been a really easy thing for me, so I can’t comprehend all of the weird stuff I hear with mobility issues, or exercises being dangerous, etc.
And thanks. I am mad jelly of your overhead strength though.
If I was a normal person who was untrained, I’d have flat feet. I mean, I already do, but I’m so used to forcing an arch because of years of doing so during squats/deads and just walking in general that I can pretty much subconsciously maintain an arch just passively, though naturally in relaxed posture, I have flat feed and a nasty anterior pelvic tilt.
11/3/16 - More of a bodybuilder style day today. Just tired of the log honestly lol.
Seated Dumbbell Military Press
100x10
100x10
100x10 volume PR i think
drop set
40x20
40x20
Upright Row
95x15
95x15
135x12
135x12
135x12
Side Lateral
x15
x15
x15
x15
Rear Delt Row (band)
x15
x15
x15
x15
11/5/16 - Unexpectedly fucking awesome volume day. I basically circuited non-stop my yardwork with front squats. Did not even do my preworking stretching/dynamic warm up.
Beltless Front Squat
135x5,5,5
185x3,3
235x3
315x5
315x8
315x8
315x8
I notice as I get tired with front squats, I tend to have LESS fight/control with the bar on the way down and start ATG squatting. It’s giving me more rebound and making the squats a bit easier. I think stopping at parallel might just be a bad habit. We’ll see how I feel about this in time.
Zercher Thoracic Extensions
135x10
185x10
250x10
250x10
250x10 wow, HARD
drop set
205x10
135x13-15ish, feels like abs on my back
Front Plank
x60s
x60s
x60s
x45s
11/7/16
Sled Drags (tire, 90 sec rest between sets)
280x50’
280x50’
360x40’
360x40’
360x40’
360x40’
All easy sets but by the end of it my legs were super pumped. Only doing this for the sake of conditioning. The drag is an early event in the contest so I need to make sure I’m basically halfway spent for log press and carry medley.
Front Battery Hold
30lbs x 95s PR
Log Clean and Press (clean all reps, no belt, 90 sec rest)
110x3
160x3,x3
200x2
250x3
250x3
250x3
Surprised with how swift and easy all the cleans and presses were with 250 AFTER the sled drags. It’s more of a technical corner turned than strength I think. Only one can lead to the other I believe.
Finished the session with sandbag runs. Carried a 200lb bag 25 feet simulate a loading extension, dropped it, ran 50 feet to and back to the bag and did it again for 4 rounds ways. Did 5 total rounds.
M
I
S
E
R
A
B
L
E
11/9/16
Seated DB Military
100x10 no strength today, gah
100x9
rested 4 minutes
100x10
90x13 massive hip cramp holy shit
Upright Row
135x15
185x8
135x12
95x25
Gonna have to be careful on upright rows, especially with no straps. A bit precarious on the biceps/forearm.
External Rotations w/ band
x20
x20
x20
x20
x20
11/11/16 - early workout. not weighing myself on purpose for a bit.
Burpees to Pull Ups to KB Swing Circuit (3 rounds, 90 sec rest)
x5, x10, x20
x5, x10, x20
x5, x10, x20
Beltless Paused FS to Box
135x5,5
185x3,3
225x2
280x10
280x10
280x8
Above is a volume PR for this lift. Might have had more on the last set but I was just fighting it hard.
Front Plank
x60s
x60s
x60s
x40s-ish man i suck at planks.
x40s
11/13/16 - BW 230. Ate a superfluous amount of cake and god knows what else in my sugar high stupor for my birthday last week. Yay.
Burpees to Pull Ups to KB Swing Circuit (3 rounds, 90 sec rest)
x5, x10, x20
x5, x10, x20
x5, x10, x20
Axle Deadlifts (dead stop, conventional)
225x6
315x3
405x2
450x15 i’m okay with this, the first and last reps were honestly the same speed off the floor. It’s kind of sad how much I rely on my lock out to carry my deadlift.
This was a fucking hard set though. Thing is, 15 is a good number, but I have to hit relatively moderate difficulty implements on the deadlift before the AMRAP with 450, so I think I need to get a bit more comfortable with speed on this weight. The axle is hard. Feels like it’s trying to yank out my vertebrae when I pry it off the floor cause of its lack of give.
Lying Hamstring Curl
x15
x15
x15
x15
x15
I think next session I’ll start adding in medley work to the deadlift as i get nearer.
11/15/16 - 229 BW, first fasted workout in a very long time early this morning.
Seated DB Military
90x12
90x12
90x11
90x9 didnt even really lock out this last rep
Upright Row
95x15
135x12 these are SO much easier with straps. Wow.
135x12
135x12
155x10
Rear Delt Row/Side Lateral SS
x15/x15
x15/x15
x15/x15
11/17/16 - BW 227. I have admittedly been eating a bit less but the quality is fantastic. Kind of worried because I’m starting to feel a bit lower on energy.
Front Squat (90 sec rest on all sets)
135x3,3
185x3,3
225x3
275x1
365x1
365x1
365x1
405x1
405x1
425x1 definitely a max single here. I’ve hit this for 4 and paused 455 but for some reason things are not firing today. Front squat is the most hit or miss lift for me no doubt.
440x1 just kidding. Felt better than 425. I removed my 13mm belt for this and put on the smaller soft belt because I’m beginning to think the large belt just fucks with my squat mechanics, idk.
425x1 ugly, It’s like my body is twisted today a bit extra.
425x1
Above is a large frequency PR. I think my overall strength is very high but today felt bad.
Front Plank
x60s
x60s
x60s
x60s
One Arm DB Walks (per arm)
100lbs x 50’
100lbs x 50’
100lbs x 50’
100lbs x 50’
Have you seen any carryover from the waiter walks? I thought about adding them, but I wasn’t sure when or how. Ha and I saw a few days ago you said your hip cramped on seated ohp. I thought I was the only one this happened to, but every now and then the same shit will happen to me. I feel your pain man, but still great sets all over. Really really love this log, keep it up
I have definitely noticed lately that my internal obliques are chunkier and more prominent in the midst of lower bodyfat. So yeah definitely worth just throwing them into a routine wherever. And to be honest, I’ve got some mysteriously dog shit hips. They just kind of do what they want when they want, and I put up with them.
Anyway, thanks a lot for the kind words, much appreciated.
Happy belated birthday!
Thanks man!
11/19/16
Sandbag Carry Circuit W/ Farmers Deadlifts
200x50’/120 per hand x8
200x50’/170 per hand x3
260x20’ drop repick carry 20’ /260 per hand x5
260x20’ drop repick carry 20’/ 300 per hand x3
260x20’ drop repick carry 20’/ 300 per hand x5 definitely had more, belt helps too much sometimes.
Sled Drags w/ Tire
280x50’
370x50’
420x50’
460x20’…wow this was hard to break inertia.
460x50’ easy when I got it going but so hard on the hands cause i’m gripping with a chain looped through the middle of the tire.
460x50’
45lb Barbell Hold (arms straight out)
x47s pretty shitty
Log Clean and Press
230x8 cleans and 8 presses in 60 seconds. Wow, hard. I even fumbled the first rep. Clean was rushed and i stumbled to keep my base. Very tired from the day. Happy!
recorded these to see how they looked. I didn’t curl my hands under like I normally did and my grip still held up fine and it just shortened the ROM which is even better. Huge confidence booster to be able to casually pick up that much weight.
11/21/16 - BW 227
Burpees to Pull Up to Banded Overhead Press Circuit (3 rounds, 90 sec rest between rounds)
x10/x10/x10
x10/x10/x10
x10/x10/x10
Seated DB Military
100x12
100x12
100x10
100x8
huge volume PR for seated DB. Left bicep is killing me though from using it too much bringing the 100’s down. It’s weird because my right bicep has no issues with it. Probably because my right bicep is noticeably larger than my left. Nice…
Standing Strict OHP
150x20
150x20
150x14 gassed
135x20 this was…yeah. Last 5 reps were just hilarious.
135 felt so light. Felt like I could just throw the weight up and fly into orbit. I only stopped at 20 because my muscles just had nothing left. The first 10 reps the weight actually felt lighter than ever and I have not trained this lift in a very long time.
Banded Side Laterals
x20
x20
x20
x20
I dream of 135 flying out of my hands overhead into orbit. sigh
Monster pressing, Vinny.
Oh, what do you do to keep your elbows/biceps from exploding? My elbows have been shitting me the past two days.
Honestly, the only time my elbows ever bothered me was when I was doing a lot of tricep extensions, and I haven’t done a single one in like 3 years and I’m completely okay with that and I’ve just been getting stronger since.
As for the biceps, of course, trying to use a lot of lat when the arms are outstretched on a row or even sandbag stuff. I also structure my training so I’m giving my biceps a break from time to time. I realized there are things I’ll never understand why they give me problems and so dropping them and replacing them is just invaluable. I used to think I needed certain exercises but meh, not even.