4/1/17 - BW 216
Burpees to Pull Ups
x15/x12
x15/x12
x15/x10
Beltless Pause FS: EMOM for 10 minutes front squat 275x2
Above was surprisingly easy, besides being just very uncomfortable/not mobile.
Zercher GM’s
185x15
185x12
185x12
185x12
185x12
Thanks dude. I’m working it out.
Currently, my right pec is still just…not feeling right. Even when dropping to do burpees, it just feels like it’s sore at the tendon insertion. I tore it twice, once last year-ish, and once in 2014. Minor tears but enough to just make me never want to bench again.
I managed to hit 180kgs/400lbs in the midst of titty tearing. Ever since then, I feel little zeal to go out and get my bench any higher. I may try floor pressing light again just since you mentioned and it makes me feel bad 
Hey man, thought of you yesterday traveling to have lunch with a customer, Monroe Roadways off Campground Road.
Saw that new CF/Gym off Bus 16. Looks very nice.
Oh yeah, it looks somewhat promising, though I don’t think the owner is savvy with strongman. Who knows, I’ll check it out for sure.
Ah I didn’t know that, just wondered because you told me once that you should bench press as a strongman.
Thanks again for your programming tips for the push press. Worked extremely well! Got a few new personal bests on the axle push press. I could push even further for sure, but will focus on the log clean and press for a while.
Super happy to hear that. I had been checking frequently to keep up on your progress as a whole. Awesome.
4/3/17 - BW 217
Burpees to Pull Ups
x15/x12
x15/x12
x15/x10
Deadlifts (close stance, sumo)
135x5,5,5
225x3,3
315x3
belt on
405x2
500x8
500x8 didnt feel harder than the last set…just hard.
500x8 okay…very hard lol. Did not have a 9th. I did this about 8 months ago but it put me to my knees on the last set and this time it went much much faster. Still very hard.
Did a bunch of abs feeling like puking.
If you wouldn’t mind, could you repeat yourself about push press/overhead programming? I know we’ve talked a bit about high rep back of sets and such. This off-season overhead work is one of my two primary focuses.
Not Vinny obviously but if you don’t mind, this was his original answer to me:
"Start primarily training your push press exclusively at the start of each pressing day and putting the strict press as assistance only. I highly recommend rotating heavy singles, doubles, triples, and sets of 5 in, followed immediately by hard drop sets of AMRAP. A template would look like this.
Week 1:
Push Press
6x5@75%, after last set is finished, (no rest) strip off some of the weight and rep it out to complete failure. Strip it 3-4 times and the only rest you’re allowed is the taking off of the weights.
Week 2:
8x3@85%, repeat the aforementioned strip sets.
Week 3:
6x2@90%, repeat aforementioned strip sets.
Week 4:
6x1@93%, repeat aforementioned strip sets."
Can’t recommend this approach enough! Worked really well. I used this for axle push press.Started with a 96 kg push press and ended with a 106 kg/ 234 lbs after about 3 (?) training cycles but also hit various other PRs like 6 x 2 with 100,5 kg. I didn’t follow it in detail because my elbows were bothering me too much, so I gave up on the strip sets after about 1,5 - 2 cycles. Someone with your work ethic might even benefit more than me.
Yup. @brady888 100%.
Nice pressing, Vinny. Good to see you’re still getting strong.
4/5/17 - BW 218
Strict Overhead (Axle)
95x3,3
135x3
185x3
belt on
225x1
245x3 no joke i had 3 more in me at least, holy FUCK.
245x3
245x3 3rd rep was faster than the second
245x3
245x3
245x3
245x3 okay finally i hit failure
Big PR on strict pressing today.
Axle Bench
135x8
185x8
230x17 my best is like 30 with 225, i’ll just chalk this up to me being tired…
-Add Slingshot-
230x10 not sure how you bench with an axle @T3hPwnisher , when i fatigue i fear for my life. I guess because you have pins to catch.
230x8 holy fuck my bench is weak…
230x8 i can’t do this without a spotter
230x8 spookier than scary stories to tell in the dark
BTH Tri extension
x15
x15
x15
x15 fried triceps
Face Pull
x15
x15
x15
x15
Benching an axle with a slingshot sounds absolutely terrifying dude, haha. Safety bars go a long way.
4/7/17 - BW 217
Front Squat
135x3,3,3
185x3,3
225x3,3,2 right knee=a weird precarious feeling of instability
275x3 gah whatever, not feeling good/safe, not juice in the legs, gonna save myself for heavy pulls next session anyway. More important I get my shitty deadlift up.
abs
4/9/17 - BW 217
Deadlifts (close stance sumo)
135x5,5,5
225x3,3
315x3
405x1
495x1
585x1 not sure why this feels easier than 495
585x6, not a terrible grinder, erectors definitely strained though.
GM’s
150x15
150x15
150x15
DB row
100x15
100x15
100x15
4/11/17 - BW 218, rotator cuffs hurt when i do band pull aparts, or hold my arms out to my side.
Strict Overhead (axle)
135x3,3
185x3
225x1
245x1
265x1 this felt SO light, but i almost failed the lockout, not sure what happened.
265x1 better
265x1 felt good
265x1 eh
265x1
245x3
245x3
220x5
220x5
Face Pulls
x15
x15
x15
x15
x15
My god the volume on the pressing was pretty rough. Shoulders are bothering me and I don’t know why, still a good day.
Interesting. Delt raises have always (and still do) hurt my rotator cuffs pretty bad, but band pullaparts feel great. Any weight held out to the sides for me is brutal on my shoulders for some reason.
4/13/17 - BW 217…behind on sleep, burning eyes and yawning. Took a preworkout today.
Beltless Pause Front Squat
135x3,3
185x3
225x3, front squats waver so much. I can be so strong in a period, but then less than half my projected 1rm can feel heavy. Deadlifts and press are going very strong lately, 2 out of 3 ain’t so bad…not enough for me but fuck it.
275x3
325x3
345x3 kind of easy
365x1 wanted 5 but i got owned. I’ll do this certainly next time. Good to know my strength isn’t completely shit, just not the day for a rep PR.
345x2 unbelievably precarious at the bottom, NOT cool. Something amiss in my right quad. Called it there.
Circuit: overhead barbell walk up hill 135lbs, 60 foot sled drag x3 rounds.
Barbell walks uphill (not overhead), 135lbs x 300 foot circuited with 60 foot sled drags, x3 rounds. Brutal.
Vinny, what is up with the body weight? You are starting to get down to my weight.
Not really sure. My bodyweight just kind of steadily went down from not eating enough due to some issues, and now I’m struggling to gain it back? Lol, I really don’t know.
4/15/17 - BW 218
Beltless Pause Deads (double overhand on all sets, no hook grip)
135x3,3,3
225x3,3
315x3,3
365x3
365x3
365x3 minus massive spinal compression, this is pretty easy, not really feeling anything being fatigued
415x3 pretty easy, felt tight even with double overhand
415x3
For me, it’s tough to train pause deads without a belt. My lower back acts up around 400lbs and that’s a light weight for me to get stimulus with in just 3 reps. It still felt like I trained something, though.
Axle Shrugs
265x12
265x12
265x12
265x12 nope, these were agony, thumb is slowly trying to tear.
GMs
180x15
180x12
180x12
180x12 hamstrings and erectors are fried
Refrained from rowing, lat-tri tie in is kind of overly sore.
4/17/17 - BW 218
Strict Overhead Press (Axle)
135x3
180x3,3
225x1
265x1
285x1 PR with an axle. Not a grinder either.
295x0…fucking unbelievable. Never failed a strict press this close to lockout in my life. I fought it for maybe 3-4 seconds at 3/4 to lockout. I really thought I’d have this no question. Oh well, PR’d anyway.
265x1
220x9
BTH Tri Extension
x15
x15
x15
x12
Bench Press (semi wide grip+pause)
135x10
135x12
135x12
135x12
Face Pull
x20
x20
x20
x20