WSB: watch my Weights Skyrocket, Bitches!

New progam new journal. This is gonna look a little different than 'standard' WSB (I know, I know, there is no 'standard' WSB) in some ways and very similar in others. I'm using the common layout of:
Monday - ME Squat/DL
Wednesday - ME Bench
Friday - DE Squat/DL
Sunday - DE Bench

The unususl part is that I perform all lifts without equipment (no belts, wraps, etc.) other than starps on deads/rows. I perform Olympic, ass-to-grass squats instead of PL-style squats, so some of my assistance and DE work will reflect this. Also, I will be using some periods to focus on overhead work rather than benching. Finally, I'm gonna add some upper body stuff to squat/dl days, and some lower body stuff to bench days. Not a lot, but some.

My weaknesses (as I see them) are posterior chain strength, breaking the floor on DL, the very bottom of my bench, and I've never done speed work of any kind. So I think that despite the fact that I'm coming off of a cycle I still have room for improvement, particularly on squat/DL.

Let's get down to business:

Week 1 -- MONDAY ME Squat/DL

BTW I enter multiple sets w/ the same weight as: weight x reps x sets. So if I did 225 for three sets of five reps, it would be written as 225x5x3

Oly squat
warmups
Triples: 275, 315, 365, 405
Singles: 425, 445(PR), 455(PR), 465(PR)

-Having never focued on singles for squats, it was fun to have a PR-fest Probably couldn't have done one pound more than 465 - got stuck and my spotter almost had to help, but I busted through. BTW I've had the same spotter for a while now (he works at the gym) which is so nice b/c he knows that I don't want help unless I'm about to die. He also mentioned that it does indeed appear that I'm sitting back more than before, which is exactly what I'm going for.

Arched-back Good Mornings
warmups
225x5x3

-These still feel pretty awkward. Every set felt different thatn the others. To get my upper back to parallel w/ the floor, I have to round my low back, so I just go as low as I can while holding my arch. I'm gonna give these a few more weeks at least, but if I just can't find my groove, I'm gonna sub 'em out for RDL's since they felt pretty good right from the get-go. I plan to work up to 5x5 on these - until my natural test levels return I'm keeping workload down and only REALLY pushing on the ME stuff. Ideally, I'd like to find 'the spot' on these and get 'em into my ME movement rotation. We'll see...


Pullups
BWx6x2

-Keeping volume low on these.

Standing DB OHP
65'sx8, 75'sx8, 85'sx3

-I watned something that would have a failry low workload but still activate my core and force me to balance. These fit the bill pretty well. I got greedy though - didn't hit failure w/ the 85's but it was still too damn much.

Hanging leg raises
BWX15x2

-I'm gonna do more static stuff but I haven't put enough effort into learning the best choices for those movements yet, so I settled for a 'better than nothing' ab movement.

Overall, today was a BLAST. I loved doing singles on squats. I think it's pretty funny that my Oly ATG squat is the same as my DL (though I probably had a couple more pounds in me for DL, they're damn close regardless). I can't wait to get my speed work going.

Whazzup my Westside brotha?!

Nice workout today and impressive #s with the GMs...damn. I am interested to see how you do with WS. If you dont mind, could you post what exercises you plan on doing for each day for the first cycle? Kinda curious to see how you set it up.

Still working on it Rip. I'll post it when I'm a little more settled on it.

I swear you switch programs partly just to come up with new journal titles...this one definitely screams "finishing up a cycle."

Guinness5.0 said:

Oly squat
Triples: 275, 315, 365, 405
Singles: 425, 445(PR), 455(PR), 465(PR)

Click to expand...

I guess this was somewhat foreshadowed by your progress in other rep ranges, but still...uh, damn.

Have you done much stretching or tried to identify the tightness that causes the rounding on squats and GMs? From what blut wump has said, the GMs themselves might be very helpful if hamstring flexibility is part of the problem.

Nice workout,I look forward to following this.You are a very strong individual,especially on squats,hope I can hit those numbers one day myself .

Also,just out of curiousity,how much do you weigh?

CS - Yeah, I like to thnk I'm somewhat clever. Also, I did stretch afterwards - forgot to document it. Did a little ham/low back stuff (feet ~shoulder width, hands down the middle). I used to be VERY flexible when I played football and I'm still very flexible in general, but my ham/lowback flexibilty is putrid for now. Also, I did some hip/quad stretches one leg at a time and my heel was pushed into my ass and my knee was way back - it's just my post. chain that is tight. It's also weak, so maybe that means something...

asdf - Thanks bro, but I still feel kinda weak and I will until my dead and squat are over 500. Those are my benchmarks for me to call myself 'strong'. I chose that number because 500 would be double bodyweight (I previously said that I weighed 255, but that was in the afternoon - in the morning lately I've been real close to 250).

Guinness5.0 said:

asdf - Thanks bro, but I still feel kinda weak and I will until my dead and squat are over 500. Those are my benchmarks for me to call myself 'strong'. I chose that number because 500 would be double bodyweight (I previously said that I weighed 255, but that was in the afternoon - in the morning lately I've been real close to 250).

Click to expand...

Preceprion is a funny thing. Most would look at those squat numbers and sat "that's one strong MOFO" (myself included), but the few people that are capable of making those lifts think it's average and still not strong enough. Does it ever end?

Awesome squats as ever, if not more so. Considering you're not using a suit or wraps that's a very big number. A suit and wraps could take you to looking near 600. Wraps would take you over 500 easily.

With GMs I bend my knees quite a bit and try to sit back slightly which helps to hold the arch. It's all about finding your own groove. I suspect that you have a lot of spare mileage in there once you find the right action.

blut wump said:

With GMs I bend my knees quite a bit and try to sit back slightly which helps to hold the arch.

Click to expand...

I find that to be the case as well. I'm really starting to wonder if in my particluar case I'd be better off with the RDLs. That's only because I 'feel' them so much more in my hams, but I'm not sure that that's reason enough to switch (sounds a little too 'FLEX magazine' )

I was hitting GM more as a lower back exercise than for hams as such. It's definitely the lower back which says 'no' long before my hams give a damn about the exercise.

For hams, I'd recommend RDLs or Dimels which should be done fast for high reps and will have your glutes and hams complaining.