Notes: I had no idea what to expect with the isometric test, but was actually surprised to see that I could hold 300 off my chest for that long. I gave the results into James Smith (Thinker) of Elitefts and he said that due to the less than 5% deficit between the eccentric and isometric test, I am correctly making use of my morphology. His suggestion was therefore to increase bodyweight. Since I won’t be doing this, I guess things will just have to come slow.
The speed on incline bench was really fast. I’ll up the weight next week.
I can already tell this going to better than speed bench. I nailed all my reps pretty easily, but I needed to start somewhere. I am going to make a 10lb jump next week.
Seated DB Shoulder Press
45x8
50x8
55x8
60x7
At the beginning of my last cycle I was failing at lockout. Now, I tend to fail 1-3inchs off my chest, so I think that I need some shoulder work. I didn’t really know where to start with these, so I was just experimenting. The 60s were pretty tough.
DB Rows - Never used the 100s before, so these are all PRs
100x6
100x2x8
100x6
Grip was the limiting factor here. I had a hell of time holding on to them for 8 reps.
1 Arm push downs
40x10
50x10
60x2x8
I just used the right arm. My left tri is definitely stronger then my right, so I am working on fixing that.
Ugh. We lost our soccer game today when the other team scored RIGHT at the end of the game. We were tied 1-1 and I’m pretty sure the ref’s timer had already expired but he let the game go on. I scored our goal. Four more games and the season is over. Then no soccer for at least 5+ months. I’m looking forward to it. I’m thinking about doing the 16 week Sheiko cycle Eric Talmant has posted over one EliteFTS.
Good Mornings (pin 5 wide straight leg arch back)
235x5,8,8 (Weight and Rep PR for height)
DB Swings
100x10,12,12
Notes:
5 more pounds and I’ll be back to old PR in box squat. Finallly found the stance for the cage. Can’t go really wide so I turn my feet waaaaay out and use a lot of quad . Almost looks like a ballet dancer’s plie except feet are wider than shoulders. Feels strong and balanced though.
Took the height down on the GM’s and will be alternating btwn pin 5 and pin 6. Pin 5 stresses lower back just above the hip bones more and pin 6 really gets the glute/ham area. I need both.
Changed strategy somewhat. On the theory that less is more, I’m knocking off RE days altogether and doing 3 ME days and a high rep day for joint maintenance. I overwork the areas I’m training on Days 1,2,3 and do a blood flush on 4th day. I get basically 4 days recovery during which I can pork out and grow, if that’s what needs to happen. Overall volume is lower, intensity is high so I should get stronger rapidly.
Seems to have worked for this week. 15 lbs over last week in the main exercise, 10 lbs in the secondary and 10 lbs on the assistance and it was easier than the last ME lower session. No PR’s yet, but they’ll be coming soon, I think.
Tried natural Glute Ham raises, but they were so bad I didn’t even write them down.
Decent session considering how I felt, my roommate made a ton of eggs and stuff and I think I ate something like 8 eggs 4 sausages and however much hideous amounts of cheese was used making the eggs. I had to take 3 “breaks”
First time really doing any flat BB benching in almost a year I think. First time doing them Powerlifting style, didn’t go as bad as I thought it would. I guess I have good flexibility in my lower back as I was able to get and maintain a pretty decent arch.
3 way shoulder raises where brutal as always, I decided to gut out a 3rd set. Mostly mental.
[quote]LarryJr wrote:
I noticed a few here are doing ME and RE instead of the standard Westside ME and DE. I’m curious as to why and what the benefits are?
I have to say that I love the ME day but don’t care for DE days.[/quote]
Most guys seem to dislike DE days here because of the havoc they wreak on joints.
[quote]Pemdas wrote:
Sorry about that strap comment. I didn’t mean for it to be malicious, I just wanted to hear that his grip was improving.
[/quote]
Yeah, we’re just being stupid about it.
By the way, I think my grip is improving. I have been able to pull more as of late without grip problems. Well, the last couple of weeks at least. I’m probably gonna add in some more grip exercises just to be really solid on that. I bet the next time I pull a regular deadlift, I’ll hit a legitimate 4 plate no problem.
[quote]Tony Hsiao wrote:
Pemdas wrote:
Sorry about that strap comment. I didn’t mean for it to be malicious, I just wanted to hear that his grip was improving.
Yeah, we’re just being stupid about it.
By the way, I think my grip is improving. I have been able to pull more as of late without grip problems. Well, the last couple of weeks at least. I’m probably gonna add in some more grip exercises just to be really solid on that. I bet the next time I pull a regular deadlift, I’ll hit a legitimate 4 plate no problem. :-)[/quote]
How are you pulling these days? Hook, mixed or overhand?
[quote]LarryJr wrote:
I noticed a few here are doing ME and RE instead of the standard Westside ME and DE. I’m curious as to why and what the benefits are?
I have to say that I love the ME day but don’t care for DE days.[/quote]
DE Bench bothers my elbows a little, but that isn’t the reason I decided to drop it. I don’t really think it is helping my bench right now. The DE squat a definitly useful, but I am just not seeing a carry over from speed bench.
[quote]AlphaDragon wrote:
How are you pulling these days? Hook, mixed or overhand?
[/quote]
I use a mixed grip on my max attempts. My overhand grip is usually good for 225s then I alternate between the mixed grip until I used my better alternating grip for my PR attempt.
[quote]Tony Hsiao wrote:
AlphaDragon wrote:
How are you pulling these days? Hook, mixed or overhand?
I use a mixed grip on my max attempts. My overhand grip is usually good for 225s then I alternate between the mixed grip until I used my better alternating grip for my PR attempt. [/quote]
Sounds like you and I are in the same boat…I’m about the same, actually.
Good Mornings (pin 5 wide straight leg arch back)
235x5,8,8 (Weight and Rep PR for height)
DB Swings
100x10,12,12
Notes:
5 more pounds and I’ll be back to old PR in box squat. Finallly found the stance for the cage. Can’t go really wide so I turn my feet waaaaay out and use a lot of quad . Almost looks like a ballet dancer’s plie except feet are wider than shoulders. Feels strong and balanced though.
Took the height down on the GM’s and will be alternating btwn pin 5 and pin 6. Pin 5 stresses lower back just above the hip bones more and pin 6 really gets the glute/ham area. I need both.
Changed strategy somewhat. On the theory that less is more, I’m knocking off RE days altogether and doing 3 ME days and a high rep day for joint maintenance. I overwork the areas I’m training on Days 1,2,3 and do a blood flush on 4th day. I get basically 4 days recovery during which I can pork out and grow, if that’s what needs to happen. Overall volume is lower, intensity is high so I should get stronger rapidly.
Seems to have worked for this week. 15 lbs over last week in the main exercise, 10 lbs in the secondary and 10 lbs on the assistance and it was easier than the last ME lower session. No PR’s yet, but they’ll be coming soon, I think.
Tried natural Glute Ham raises, but they were so bad I didn’t even write them down.[/quote]
how long ago did you cut your volume (rep work out)?
Here is my plan for DE Lower body tonight. Does it sound like too much volume?
Box Squats: 10 sets of 2 reps with 50% of 1RM (45 to 60 sec rest between sets)
Standard Deads: 4x6
Pull Throughs: 4x12
Front Squat: 4x6
Decline setups
Seated Calve raises
[quote]LarryJr wrote:
Here is my plan for DE Lower body tonight. Does it sound like too much volume?
Box Squats: 10 sets of 2 reps with 50% of 1RM (45 to 60 sec rest between sets)
Standard Deads: 4x6
Pull Throughs: 4x12
Front Squat: 4x6
Decline setups
Seated Calve raises
[/quote]
I would do speed-pulls instead standard deads. Most of the literature says to use 50%, but I have found 60-70% more useful. I have trouble not falling back if rip 50% of the ground as fast as possible. Plus 60-70% still feels really fast.
Pull Throughs are good. I would probably kill the front squats and add in another hamstring/lowerback movement. Unless, your quads are weak in comparison, but that is not likely.
I am assuming that you meant situps not setups.
Calve work is fine if you want to do it, but I never got anything out of it in terms of strength. However, if you have stability issue when you squat then I could see the need.
[quote]LarryJr wrote:
Here is my plan for DE Lower body tonight. Does it sound like too much volume?
Box Squats: 10 sets of 2 reps with 50% of 1RM (45 to 60 sec rest between sets)
Standard Deads: 4x6
Pull Throughs: 4x12
Front Squat: 4x6
Decline setups
Seated Calve raises
[/quote]
Save the front squats for ME day as the main movement, or as your primary supplemental exercise for that day. Instead of front squatting do a lower intensity posterior chain movement like GHRs or back raises. On DLs, do speed pulls for 6 sets of 3 (resetting after each rep) w/ about 60% of your max.
