WSFSB Appreciation Society

Training Powerlifting
321

Just wanted to share my ME Upper workout this last monday. Here goes:

Warmup

1000 m row (held a 1:58-59 tempo iirc)

Pullups: 2 x 5

Clapping pullups: 2 x 3

A. Benchpress
5 x 40 kg
5 x 60 kg
5 x 70
3 x 75
1 x 80
6 x 80 (Almost had the 7 rep)

This really startled me. This is my progress in the bench since I began using it as an ME upper movement 4 weeks ago (Weighted pullups is usually my bread and butter). Bodyweight is @ lean 82 kg if that’s of interest.

4 x 75 kg (week 1) > 7 x 75 kg > 3 x 80 kg > 6 x 80 kg (week 4).

B. Dumbbell bench with 25 kg dumbbells, 3-4 min between sets
15 reps
9-10 reps (Don’t remember)

About 1 min between supersets

C1. Inverted rows. Feet elevated
3 x 10

C2. Face pulls
12 x 118 kg
12 x 118 kg
12 x 118 kg

D. Dumbbell shrugs with the 50 kg dumbbels, 1 min rest
8 reps
8
8
6 (my grip started giving up on me so I didn’t dare continue)

E. Dumbbell wrist curls holding on to the hexagon, 1-2 min
2 sets of 15 reps per in each of the 4 directions (ulnar flexion etc etc) with the 5 kg dumbbels. 1-2 min between sets.

This was a great workout :).

322

[quote]qa771 wrote:
thank you!
I also use to make regular bench press in my reptition upper body day, so to change it also to incline bench press?[/quote]

No! I would try to use a completely different exercise on rep upper body days!

If I use a barbell bench (flat, incline, close-grip or board) press on my ME days, I usually use a push-up, Blast-strap, med-ball pushup, weighted push-up or dumbbell variation on rep days that is different than the ME exercise. I will sometimes perform flat barbell benches for reps on RE upper body day, but I cycle that in after using many other exercises in cycles.

I’ve had no problem doing the ME movement followed by the two sets of 15-20 (or 3-4 sets of 6-8) of the assistance exercise and then going to upper back exercises (usually a horizontal rowing movement and some sort of rear delt superset).

If it’s a problem for you, you could always use chins or T-bar rows or chest-supported rows for your ME movement for a few weeks to help build up that area and have the energy to do so.

Or you may need to find another time during the week to add some extra back exercises.

You may just have a low level of work capacity at your current strength levels and need to work through it!

323

What should I do if I missed a workout? Can I do it next week? I am going to miss the reptiton upper body workout this week.

324

You have a couple options. 1) skip it and not worry about it. 2) move everything to the right one day.

I have had to miss a day, and just moved everything. This means that I don’t get both Saturday and Sunday for rest, but I still got 3 days of rest for the week.

325

I just adjust the days that I workout if I have to miss a day, but I still get them all in during the week.

You only need 3-4 days per week to use the program, so that means you have 3-4 days available to re-adjust things if necessary.

326

I want to change my ME lifts next week. I want to change the squat to deadlift and the incline bench press to narrow grip flat bench press.
What will be a good supplemental excersices for this ME excersices?

I thought to make dumbell bench press after the narrow grip bench press and to continue with the step-ups after the deadlift. What do you think about it?

thanks!

327

That will work fine. Or use something else! There are many exercises to choose from.

328

My reptition upper body workout is so difficult. I can’t finish this workout, I feel like I am sick. This workout is more difficult than the ME workouts.

my reptition upper body workout:

  • Bench press, 3 sets, 12 reps (first set- 99 lbs., second and third set- 88 lbs.), I rest between the first set and the second set 90 seconds, and between the second set and the third set 2 minitues.
  • 4 supersets- one arm bent over row (44lbs. and rear delt flyes(18 lbs.)- this superset is very difficult. I used to make chin ups insted the one arm bent over, but it is more difficult. I rest 2 minitues between the first two sets and 3 minitues between the third and fourth sets.
  • miltary press- 66 lbs. , 4 sets, 8 reps.
  • 4 superset- barbell shrugs and triceps push down - I don’t succeed to make it. I finish the workout after the miltary press because it is so demanding.

Do you feel also in this way? What do you think I should change? thanks!

329

Try this for your RE upper body day:

  1. Use a pushup variation for your RE lift and shoot for 20-30 reps each set with 2-3 minutes rest for the 3 total sets.

  2. Bent-over row or chins/lat pulldowns are fine here along with rear delt raises or some other rear delt exercise like seated power cleans, face pulls, rope pull to neck, etc.

You may need to only perform 2-3 sets if this is a difficult superset for you. Also, you can rest in between exercises. You don’t have to go immediately from one-arm dumbbell rows to rear delt raises. Rest a minute in between.

  1. Instead of military presses, stick with the following: seated dumbbell overhead presses, lateral raises, L-lateral raises, cable lateral raises or alternating overhead dumbbell presses. 3 sets is plenty.

  2. You don’t have to perform shrugs on your RE day. They are optional (to me). I usually skip the shrugs on this day (because I already do them on my ME day) and instead I perform a biceps and triceps superset (3 sets). I also finish with some ab work.

My workout includes a 9-12 minute warmup and then it usually takes me about 40-50 minutes for the weight portion.

Remember, adjust things as needed based on your body and abilities or areas of concern. Take more rest or do less sets if needed. Switch around exercises. Use the suggestions I listed above.

330

Also, this is what I did yesterday for my RE day:

Warm-up: Various bodyweight exercises and mobility drills including static active hip stretches, x-jacks, seal jacks, band dislocations, scapular pushups, plyo pushups, lat stretches and internal rotation stretches.

A) Incline dumbbell presses 3x max reps (20,16,15)

B1) V-grip lat pulldowns 3x12
B2) DB rear delt raises 3x12

C) DB lateral raises 3x12

D1) Seated alternating dumbbell curls 3x12
D2) Decline DB Triceps extensions 3x12

I had to skip abs because I had a football game to attend and was running late. My total workout time including a 9-minute warmup was 47 minutes without abs.

The week before, it took just over one hour with abs and a finisher (prowler pushes).

331

As a matter of fact I get exhusted before the miltary press. I don’t want to switch to push-ups, because they will improve my stamina and not the mass that I want.
How much time can I rest between the supersets?

I think that I will switch the miltary press to seated dumbell shoulder press. We don’t have machines in our weight room, so I can’t switch to machine excercises.

Thanks!

332

For the first exercise (4 sets 12-15 reps) I rest 60-90 secs.

For the lat/rear delt superset, I don’t rest between exercises, but rest 2 mins between supersets. You can rest betwen exercises, 30-60 secs if you need to. If you do, I don’t think you need more than 2 min rest between supersets. Maybe try 30 between exercises, 90 between supersets. If that doesn’t help, go 60 between both exercises and supersets. I wouldn’t rest much more though…

I also rest 2 mins on the medial delt exercise.

For the shrug/arm superset, since these are isolation exercises, I really don’t think you’ll need to rest much. I personally go 1 to the other, and rest 90 secs between the two.

I’m kind of anal with my rest periods. I time them on my ipod.

333

[quote]qa771 wrote:
My reptition upper body workout is so difficult. I can’t finish this workout, I feel like I am sick. This workout is more difficult than the ME workouts.

my reptition upper body workout:

  • Bench press, 3 sets, 12 reps (first set- 99 lbs., second and third set- 88 lbs.), I rest between the first set and the second set 90 seconds, and between the second set and the third set 2 minitues.
  • 4 supersets- one arm bent over row (44lbs. and rear delt flyes(18 lbs.)- this superset is very difficult. I used to make chin ups insted the one arm bent over, but it is more difficult. I rest 2 minitues between the first two sets and 3 minitues between the third and fourth sets.
  • miltary press- 66 lbs. , 4 sets, 8 reps.
  • 4 superset- barbell shrugs and triceps push down - I don’t succeed to make it. I finish the workout after the miltary press because it is so demanding.

Do you feel also in this way? What do you think I should change? thanks![/quote]

Kind of similiar to mine, it definitely is a ball-buster if you are not in the right mindset to train that day:

BB Benchpress (max reps of 185)
3 sets

Wide-grip pullups
4 sets of 10 reps

Military press
4 sets 5-8 reps

DB Skull crushers
4 sets 6 reps

Cable Pushdowns
3 sets 10 reps

I think shrugs and rows should be done on the ME Upper day. And the supersetting… I think that might actually make you more tired. Just group the exercises in the order of which muscles they hit. So in this case I have my shoulder dominant exercises first, then the pullups, then tricep exercises.

For rep schemes, try ramping weights for a couple exercises, like military press increase the weight each set. For pushdowns, try 3 sets of 25 reps, just mix it up.

334

[quote]ab_power wrote:
qa771 wrote:
My reptition upper body workout is so difficult. I can’t finish this workout, I feel like I am sick. This workout is more difficult than the ME workouts.

my reptition upper body workout:

  • Bench press, 3 sets, 12 reps (first set- 99 lbs., second and third set- 88 lbs.), I rest between the first set and the second set 90 seconds, and between the second set and the third set 2 minitues.
  • 4 supersets- one arm bent over row (44lbs. and rear delt flyes(18 lbs.)- this superset is very difficult. I used to make chin ups insted the one arm bent over, but it is more difficult. I rest 2 minitues between the first two sets and 3 minitues between the third and fourth sets.
  • miltary press- 66 lbs. , 4 sets, 8 reps.
  • 4 superset- barbell shrugs and triceps push down - I don’t succeed to make it. I finish the workout after the miltary press because it is so demanding.

Do you feel also in this way? What do you think I should change? thanks!

Kind of similiar to mine, it definitely is a ball-buster if you are not in the right mindset to train that day:

BB Benchpress (max reps of 185)
3 sets

Wide-grip pullups
4 sets of 10 reps

Military press
4 sets 5-8 reps

DB Skull crushers
4 sets 6 reps

Cable Pushdowns
3 sets 10 reps

I think shrugs and rows should be done on the ME Upper day. And the supersetting… I think that might actually make you more tired. Just group the exercises in the order of which muscles they hit. So in this case I have my shoulder dominant exercises first, then the pullups, then tricep exercises.

For rep schemes, try ramping weights for a couple exercises, like military press increase the weight each set. For pushdowns, try 3 sets of 25 reps, just mix it up.

[/quote]

That’s the WS4SB version… I think hes doing WS4SB3. But perhaps he should do the original one untl he gets his work capacity up .

335

[quote]gabex wrote:
ab_power wrote:
qa771 wrote:
My reptition upper body workout is so difficult. I can’t finish this workout, I feel like I am sick. This workout is more difficult than the ME workouts.

my reptition upper body workout:

  • Bench press, 3 sets, 12 reps (first set- 99 lbs., second and third set- 88 lbs.), I rest between the first set and the second set 90 seconds, and between the second set and the third set 2 minitues.
  • 4 supersets- one arm bent over row (44lbs. and rear delt flyes(18 lbs.)- this superset is very difficult. I used to make chin ups insted the one arm bent over, but it is more difficult. I rest 2 minitues between the first two sets and 3 minitues between the third and fourth sets.
  • miltary press- 66 lbs. , 4 sets, 8 reps.
  • 4 superset- barbell shrugs and triceps push down - I don’t succeed to make it. I finish the workout after the miltary press because it is so demanding.

Do you feel also in this way? What do you think I should change? thanks!

Kind of similiar to mine, it definitely is a ball-buster if you are not in the right mindset to train that day:

BB Benchpress (max reps of 185)
3 sets

Wide-grip pullups
4 sets of 10 reps

Military press
4 sets 5-8 reps

DB Skull crushers
4 sets 6 reps

Cable Pushdowns
3 sets 10 reps

I think shrugs and rows should be done on the ME Upper day. And the supersetting… I think that might actually make you more tired. Just group the exercises in the order of which muscles they hit. So in this case I have my shoulder dominant exercises first, then the pullups, then tricep exercises.

For rep schemes, try ramping weights for a couple exercises, like military press increase the weight each set. For pushdowns, try 3 sets of 25 reps, just mix it up.

That’s the WS4SB version… I think hes doing WS4SB3. But perhaps he should do the original one untl he gets his work capacity up .
[/quote]

Definitely, thats what DeFranco said anyway. No offense to you qa771, but this will help put things in perspective. I use 100lb dumbells for my rows, 185lbs for 3 sets of 10 reps of reptition bench, and military press with 135lbs. I’m actually still using the original WS4SB template, and its been almost a year now. Funny part is, I still see myself as a beginner in most respects.

336

so, you tell me that I should change my workout to WS4SB?
Nate Dogg, I think that you have a lot of experience with this program.Do you think that I need to change my program?

337

It’s the same program!!!

They just have minor differences in how they set up some of the supplemental/accessory exercises! You don’t have to switch from one to the other. Just make minor changes if needed to fit you!

I like the changes in WS4SB2 that DeFranco made to improve upon the original WS4SB program. And WS4SB3 is a good option over part 2 depending on your goals.

The reason I prefer WS4SB2 and 3 over the original program is because it’s set up so you perform horizontal pulling exercises on ME upper body day and vertical pulling exercises on RE upper body day. This helps balance things out during the week and makes sure you get in both forms of pulling to offset some of the horizontal pressing. Otherwise, 2 and 3 are almost identical.

How you set up the other stuff (traps, arms, abs) is small stuff and can be done however it best works for you.

So use whichever template works best for you and your goals and level of strength.

338

I plan on doign somehting like this next summer.

M ME Upper body
T conditioning
W ME Lower body
T off
F RE Upper Body
S Conditioning

Woulding having a conditioning day on thursday instead of sunday be better for recovery or would an day off be better?

Conditioning will be prowler/sled work (do not have yet)

Hoppefully that will result in getting leaner and stronger.

339

You could do either way. You may have to try it and see what works best. Try it one way for 3-4 weeks and then the other way for 3-4 weeks and see how it works!

I highly recommend the Prowler. I’ve been using it as a finisher 2-3 times a week, and it kicks my butt every time.

340

how much money the prowler costs?