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Destroy:Erase:Improve -- PBs Training Journal

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Protobuilder

New member
Great guys here so figured I'd start tracking my training here and hopefully get some good input. I'm almost 30, about 174 @ 16%BF. I'm cutting, trying to get down to 10% so I can bulk properly again. I keep things simple -- squat, press, pull, repeat. I ran the SF 5x5 for 15 weeks, pushed a little too far, and took about a month deload, which wasn't optimal on both counts but I'm learning. I've been lifting for about 15 mo's now. I've read Supertraining & Zatsiorsky so I know enough to get myself in trouble. I'm weak as shit , but doing the best I can w/ the genetics I've got. I'm not into lookin' pretty. I just enjoy lifting iron, odd objects, and busting my ass in general.

Here's the current program. It's a 3x/wk. workout, like the 5x5 but w/ some modifications:

Day One

Squat -- 5x5 (same weight) + backoff set or two
Incline BB bench (low incline) -- 3-4x8
JS Rows -- 3-4x8
Assistance -- Lunges, abs

Day Two (rotate weekly between "A" and "B")

A
Front Squat -- 5x5 (same weight)
Pull-ups -- 4x3 + backoff
Deads -- 4x6 (pyramid)
Push Press -- 4x3 + backoff

B
Front Squat -- 5x5 (same weight)
Pull-ups -- 3-4x8
Deads -- 4x3 + backoff
Push Press -- 3-4x8

Day Three

Squat -- 5x8 (pyramid)
Incline BB Bench (low incline) -- 4x3 + backoff
JS Rows -- 4x3 + backoff
Assistance: power shrugs & lunges or GMs

*edit -- BiggT gets props for designing the leg portion. Thanks bud.
 
Week 3, Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

warmups
5x5x155
10x115 (backoff)

Incline

warmups
3x8x135

Rows

warmups
3x8x135

Lunges

2x5x95 (first time, getting used to 'em)

Power shrugs

warmup
12x305 (short on time so stopped here)


Week 3, Thurs. (workout 2A)

Front Squats (first time, getting acclimated)

5x45, 65, 85, 105, 125

Push Press

warmups
4 sets of 3x135 (easy, little leg drive; it'll get harder as the weights increase weekly)
8x95 (backoff)

Pullups

warmups
3 sets of 3x20 (easy; will add 4th set next week)

Deads

warmups
3 sets of 6x225 (moderately difficult; I lost a lot of strength not DL'ing for 3-4 weeks )
6x185

Chins (aka Biceps work)

10xBW
6xBW

Weights will go up weekly and this workout will be an ass-kicker in a few weeks.

I do miscellaneous cardio but won't post it unless it's something interesting (e.g., better than walking on the incline tredmill until my vision blurs).
 
Iliketolift said:
and WOAH buddy, lets not over do it on the squats.
Click to expand...

No such thing.

Proto, keep kicking ass. don't listen to people that think they know what they're doing. Only comment i have is pullups AND chinups on the same day?? a little redundant i think. if you want to work your bi's harder, curl. I know, i know, the curl is the most abused and over used excersize in the novice lifter world, but it's still good for something.

also, what's the diet and cardio like. 2 KEY aspects of cutting. If you want reccomendations, i got plenty. i've been messing around with this for 3 weeks now and i'm starting to get happy with what i got.
 
Iliketoshit said:
Height? and WOAH buddy, lets not over do it on the squats.
Click to expand...
shut the fuck up, squirt!
hey PB, as dce said, i wouldn't bother much with chinups & pullups. i'd drop the latter, especially as your already working your lats enough with rows. JMO
 
Heavy triples. After finishing up a 15 week run of 5s, I wanted a bit more hypertrophy so wanted to dabble w/ 8s for a little while, but didn't want to drop all the > 80% intensity stuff so figured a day of 8s and a day of 3s would be a balanced approach.

dce -- thanks for the comments. I throw chins in sometimes at the end just for shits and giggles, and to hit the bis a little bit. No big deal. If I wanted serious growth, I'd start curling again but frankly, I'm too lazy to load up a bar and curl when I can just jump up and rep out some chins instead. LoL It's called half-assing a bi workout.

Diet & cardio are taken care of. I shaved off 11% BF last fall while only losing 2 pounds of lbm, so I've got a pretty good handle on it. Thanks for your willingness to help though.

silvershadow -- I love me some weighted pullups. LoL And I get a little bored doing JS rows 3x/wk, especially if I'm deadlifting the same day.
 
Protobuilder said:
Diet & cardio are taken care of. I shaved off 11% BF last fall while only losing 2 pounds of lbm, so I've got a pretty good handle on it. Thanks for your willingness to help though.
Click to expand...

well holy hell. please, go on! thats a damn good ratio of bf to muscle loss, and i'd love to hear what brought it about.
 
I can't wait to try a PSMF for cutting. Proto seems to know his stuff as well - what did you do to cut, bor?

Oh, I like the layout very much, but pullups + chinups is a waste. Chinups are superior.
 
Alright, alright. My cutting secrets revealed! I ate less. And I moved around more. And I took the disciplined, boring, slow & steady approach. LoL

Seriously though, I hit 200 at 27% BF in a "bulk gone bad." Lesson #1 -- a pound a week isn't always good. LoL So then I started reducing my calories slowly. I reduced my carb intake & boosted my protein (& water) intake. I ate extremely clean & extremely bland, boring foods (lived off of plain oatmeal, plain ckn., and can upon can of green beans). I even gave up the beer. LoL And I switched to a higher-frequency strength-focused routine (which then led me to the 5x5). I started doing cardio -- jogging and fast walking on an incline tredmill. Lesson # 2 -- cardio on a bulk is a good thing. And then I just walked my calories down little by little, holding 'em steady if fat started coming off, and when it stopped dropping, I reduced my cals a bit more or upped my cardio. Basically just manipulated cardio & cals while eating enough protein & trying to lift heavy. My cals never got super low. But toward the end I was feeling hungry a lot, so I took about 2 weeks off, ate more, etc., then went back at it. And that helped. The coolest thing of all (other than going from a 38.5" waist down to 33.5" waist), was after I stopped cutting, I could eat w/e I wanted and as much as I wanted and wouldn't gain a pound. LoL I pigged out and bumped cals by like 1500 w/in a 2 week span and held that for about 3 weeks, and gained maybe a pound. LoL I was in heaven.

Enough w/ the chins already! LoL I do 'em purely as an afterthought like when I'm getting ready to head upstairs and see my arms in the mirror and think, "You know boys, you've earned a set or two of direct work." LoL
 
Week 3, Sat. (workout 3)

Squats

warmups
8x155 (I'm ramping up to my 8RM over the next couple weeks . . .)
3x175
12x115 (backoff)

Incline

warmups
5 sets of 3x165 (pretty easy) (rt. shoulder a bit sore from some sloppy burpees yesterday)
10x135 (backoff)

Row

warmups
5 sets of 3x160 (easy)
11x125 (backoff)

Lunges

8x95
8x95

Power Shrugs

warmups
10x315 (+10 PR)
12x225

I'm ramping up so the weights aren't too taxing right now. I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks.
 
Week 4, Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

warmups
5x5x160 (+5)
10x115 (backoff)

Incline

warmups
3x8x140 (+5)

Rows

warmups
3x8x140 (+5)

Zercher GMs

8x95, 125, 145

Skullcrushers (haven't done these in months)

8x75
10x75

Curls (ditto)

3x95
5x95 (+7 BW chins immediately afterwards)

Hey, doing arms is kinda' fun! LoL
 
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Looking good, man. Again, after seeing your squat video, you've got nothing to worry about form-wise, you're right on. I am looking for lots of gains from you with the squats.
 
Thanks man. Squats have been a constant battle and only now, after a year of squatting, am I able to consistently hit a healthy, below parallel groove that doesn't aggravate my back. The squat numbers should be higher so I'm hoping for good things as well.
 
Protobuilder said:
Alright, alright. My cutting secrets revealed! I ate less. And I moved around more.
Click to expand...


Ever try asking a fat person about the diets they've tried? they will list every fad diet except for what you said. Eat less, move more. Perfect.....

i've wanted to make a diet plan called "Put the shovel down" for awhile now. Good work on your squats! Keep up the heavy liftin'.
 
Thanks, bro. ^^

Week 4, Thurs. (workout 2A)

Front Squats

2 sets of 5x95 (too easy . . . still adjusting to these & trying to find my weight)
3 sets of 5x105

Pullups

5xBW, 10, 15, 20
4x25 (previous PR) (followed by 5xBW for good "pump" LoL)

Deads

5x135, 185, 225, 240 (good grief . . . this feels heavy even though my 5RM is 270)

Push Press
5x105, 125, 135, 145 (s l o w !)
17x65

I F'd up after completing my SF 5x5 . . . I was wasted & took time off, probably too much time (worked out to be about 5 weeks of "deloading" b/c I was totally unmotivated, etc.). Some people come back strong after they stop Deadlifting, but FUCK. My DL strength dropped pretty quickly, I guess. 5x240 felt very heavy. Goddammit. I need a new hobby. LoL
 
No wonder the push presses were slow....after front squats and deads you probably had zero leg drive and pop.....I would actually push press first with this workout. Also, the deads MAY have felt heavy because you taxed yourself first on chins, but you just may be deconditioned to them after the layoff.

Are you training this weekend?
 
I'm new to push press so thanks for the input there. I hadn't considered the lower body fatigue; I was just thinking about the ol' shoulders, which were totally fresh.

I'm lifting tomorrow, and doing cardio pretty much constantly, but I don't post it b/c it's boring. Sometimes I do some interesting GPP stuff w/ interval runs, runs + power cleans, heavy bag shouldering, etc., but the rest is mundane jogging/incline walking.
 
From what I can tell, if your quads aren't cramping or otherwise completely shot after push-press, then you ain't doin' 'em right. They are a total body spasm, more or less :D
 
It'll probably take a few sessions to get motor learning down for push press. Right now it's sort of a sloppy jump + slow lockout.

Week 4, Sat. (workout 3)

squats (1x5)

warmups
5x180 (10 away from my PR)

Incline (5x5)

5x160 (too heavy)
4x5x155

Rows (5x5)

5x155 (too heavy)
4x5x150

Hanging knee raises

12
11
8

Side Bridges

2x10xBW (I do these like a static hold bridge but slowly go up and down using the obliques)

Very fatigued today (combination of a lot of cardio + low carbs) so didn't do assistance stuff.

I started working w/ 8s rather than 5s about 4 weeks ago, but I think I'm gonna stick w/ 5s. I just really need to work on my strength before I go hunting for more hypertrophy. And I'm still cutting, trying to knock off about 4-5%BF so figure the lower rep ranges are a good idea. Plus, I kinda' fucked up my strength gains from my 5x5 run by taking too much time off afterwards. I wound up w/ like a 5 week "deload" and one of those weeks was off completely. Upon returning, I'd lost a good chunk of strength. And it's taking me a while to get it back, which sucks. So instead of getting into sets of 8, finding my new maxes yadda yadda yadda, I think it's best if I keep running 5x5 type programs. At least I've got my benchmarks and can keep coming back to them over the months. My strength is too low, and my strength gains over the past year too crappy, to risk bouncing around and not really getting anywhere. So, I'm gonna run variations of 5s hopefully for a good long while and see where my strength is in 6, 12, 18 months. I dunno. This is all trial and error, and I figure if i stick to 5x5 type programs like Madcow (RIP) and Glenn P preach, at least I'm in good hands.
 
Basement Day O' Fun

45 minutes on the ol' incline tredmill w/ 15 minutes of sprints included free of charge

Power Shrugs (shoulda' done 'em yesterday)

3 sets of 6x315
1 set of 5x315

BB Curls

6 & 5 x 95

Misc. close-grip bench work
 
yeah thats depth right there. Nice weight on the shrugs, you find the power shrug tears you up a lot more than the polite regualr version? I cant scratch my head the day after a shrug session :)
 
LoL @ the pic in my profile. Unfortunately, that's not me. I wish it were but alas. I am weak. LoL

Tweakle -- Thanks for stopping by. Power shrugs are one of my favorite exercises, and I do 'em from a low hang position so they really are, IMO, a compound exercise. I grab the bar, chest high, shoulders back, set the lower back arch, and then shift the hips back, let the bar come down to just above the knees, then basically try and jump up and back, pulling explosively with the traps. I just love 'em. They hammer the traps like nothing else if you really focus on exploding w/ 'em, and they also hit my hams, lower back, and lats (lower in particular).
 
Protobuilder said:
LoL @ the pic in my profile. Unfortunately, that's not me. I wish it were but alas. I am weak. LoL
Click to expand...
****BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO***

j/k :) Happy logging .. done jacking your thread... for now ...
 
Week 5, Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

warmups
5 sets of 5x165 (+5 from last week; difficult last sets)

Incline

5x95, 115, 135, 150
4x170 (lots of arch to get these . . . meh)
8x135 (backoff)

Row

5x95, 115, 135, 150
5x165
10x135 (backoff)

GMs

2 sets of 10x85 (changed my form completely; i was doing Zercher style and now I'm trying 'em w/ weight across shoulders like normal humans do)

Situps

15x10lbs.
2 sets of 15xBW (w/out weight, I feel 'em in the abs more)

After stalling at 173lbs. for 3 weeks, I finally shed 4 pounds this week. WTF? Oh well, I guess the cut is finally kicking in. Anyway, cals & carbs are low and I felt pretty wimpy today. I probably need to up my carbs a bit more on workout days, but I don't have a lot of cals to play with. Just trying to get my BF down to 10-12% and then I'll return to bulking like a proper man should. LoL
 
Week 5, Thurs. (workout 2A)

Front squats

5 sets of 5x115 (moderate; 125 next time) (these are still a new movement but they feel great)

Push Press

5x75, 105, 125
4x140 (WTF? I got 5x145 last week)
5x140 (took a longer rest)

Deads

5x135, 185, 225, 250 (moderately difficult; 260 next week; PR = 5x270 so I'm on track; last week worried me b/c 240 felt very heavy)

Close-grip bench (shits & giggles b/c me triceps are shrivelling)

15x95
12x115 (this is boring & time-consuming, LoL so I quit and went on to . . . )

Deads/Clean Pull Bastardization (metabolic/fat burning!)

16x135
12x135

If you bust your ass, you can then eat crap like manicotti b/c of nutrient partioning and other fancy stuff, right? LOL That's the main reason I did the high rep deads at the end - so I could stuff my face w/ crap. LoL I'm following BiggT's cutting diet.
 
Proto, you can eat crap anyway - all that matters is calories dammit. If you're not eating too many excess cals, you won't add excess fat.

Manicotti is some good stuff. My grandma is hardcore Italian - I pronounce it as it's written, which is totally wrong, and I get a smack upside the head.
 
Week 5, Sat. (workout 3)

Squats

warmups
5x185 (+5) (5 pounds away from my PR)
9x135 (backoff)

Incline

warmups
3 sets of 5x157.5
4x157.5
5x155

Rows

warmups
5 sets of 5x155

Close-grip bench (working arms is a pain but my tri's have shrunk)

15x95
12x115
8x115

Regular shrugs (power shrugs were hurtin' my rt. lat/scapula pretty bad)

3 sets of 12x225

GMs

3 sets of 5x95 (pretty easy; getting used to the new form)
 
Week 6, Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

5 sets of 5x170 (+5 lbs) (very difficult)

Incline

warmups
4x170 (+2 reps rest-paused) (dammit . . . no progress from last week)
7x135 (backoff) (I need to go lighter here b/c I want 10-12 reps)
4x135 (ditto)

Rows

warmups
5x170 (+5) (10 lbs. from old PR)
12x135 (backoff)
8x135

Shrugs

10x315

GMs

6x95
6x95
 
Week 6, Thurs. (workout 2a)

Push Press

5x75, 105, 125
1x145 (WTF??? zero strength tonight)
2 sets of 5x125 (if PRs aren't in the cards, throw in some volume)

Front Squats

warmups
4x125 (+10 PR) (pain in abdomen so stopped . . . )
5x125 (but worked through it)
3 sets at 5x125 (after a 2 hr. break, which included dog walking)

Deads (no go; too fatigued, back still sore from Tues. & from planting 8 trees)

Pullups

8xBW
3x10, 20
5x25 (PR, but I'm lighter than last time too so . . . )
8xBW (chins, backoff)

Skulls

10x75
10x75
7x75

BB curls

10x75
10x75

ZERO strength tonight. Very fatigued and some aches & pains (deload is on the horizon) so dropped deads, did some light arm work, and broke up my front squat sets. I was only going to do 2 sets of front squats but after walking the dogs, figured I could grunt out 3 more sets so finished 'em up. My lower back has serious DOMS tonight from lifting & planting/yard work, so I wasn't up for heavy deads or too much abuse.
 
Nope. 3 days a week, with cardio intermixed. I'd really hoped to hit my old PRs by next week, then deload and try for new PRs. But I'm still a bit off on rows and squats. I don't know WTF was up with push press last night. I've done 145x5 before so dunno why I couldn't even get one. A combo of poor nutrition plus just wore out.
 
Week 6, Sat. (workout 3)

Squats

5x95, 120, 145
3x165
5x190 (+5) (matched old PR)
10x135 (backoff) (these sets burn up my hams & glutes nicely)
10x115 (backoff)

Inclines

warmups
5 sets of 5x157.5 (PR)
10x115 (backoff)
5x115 (LoL)

Rows

warmups
5 sets of 5x160 (+5 from last wk.)
12x135 (backoff)

Power Shrugs

10x315 (focus on popping the shoulders)
9x315

Still cutting (down 2lbs. this wk. to 166). Matched squat PR so I can be happy going into my deload shortly. Strained something mildly in my rt. oblique on my last rep. Weird. No buldges so I guess its not a hernia. Lol Form wasn't great; reps weren't real smooth or anything and I tilted forward on each rep. Oh well. Hopefully I'll be doing 5 sets of 5 @ 190 pretty soon.

No time (or energy?) for assistance stuff so just did some extra backoffs on incline & rows. I'm feeling good so one more week of training (and a few more PRs), then deload. This time, I won't be so burned out that I need 3 weeks off. LoL Shouldn't have as much trouble getting back to my PRs this next round . . . then I'll pass 'em.
 
I would lessen the load to 4x5 (I did it and it worked great).You really dont need 5 sets 4x5 works great without wearing you out. I also did it on an 8 day routine. 1 day on, 1 day off for a total of 4 different workouts. For Squats and deadlift I would only do 3x5. I also threw in some look good sets (bi's incline flys) Gota look good!!!

Dont do anything fancy. You only 175lbs you need to add mass. your not hitting heavy weights so you not taxing your muscles to much yet. Hit the same muscles 2x every 8 days. thats 4 days between each workout. DO this for about 2 months untill you notice your progress stale. Then switch the routine to 6x3 for about another month.

You will be stronger than you ever were in all lifts. Then start working on 3x8-10 hypertrophy routines. Now you can lift more weight those routines will start to help you.

Also dont be afraid to cheat. Cheating is good as long as you know you are doing it. If your having a hard time at 250lb cable rows. do 2 weeks of cheats( then the next week work on the form at that weight. Trust me your body doesnt really notice the difference. I do 425lb power shrugs (up on toes)for 2x5-8. This helped my normal shrug out tremdeously. I can do a flat footed shrug for 2x6-8 for 365lbs. Untill I started cheating the weight was stuck in the low 300's.
 
Thanks for the input, badboyal.

Week 7, Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

warmups
5 sets of 5x175 (+5 from last wk.) (thought I would die, LoL)
10x135 (backoff)

Incline

5x95, 115, 135
3x150
5x170 (+5 PR)
14x115 (backoff)
8x115 (backoff)

Rows

5x95, 115, 135, 155
5x175 (+5 from last wk.) (5 lbs. from previous PR, but too much body english here)
15x135 (backoff)
8x135 (backoff)

Shrugs

8x315 (goddamn computer!! rt. trap/shoulder is fucked from computer use; when I picked up the BB, I would've bet $$ there was more weight on the rt. side)
8x305 (rt. side still sucking)

GMs

6x95 (actually feels heavy after 5x5 squatting, LoL)
6x95

Knee and groin feeling a bit achy before/after squatting. I think next wk. will be the deload (I mean it this time, LoL).
 
Week 7, Thurs. (workout 2)

Push Press

5x75, 105, 125
3x145 (geesh. this sucks. I'm very shakey & unstable, and have zero "pop" . . . it's basically an awkward bump w/ a slow press . . . guess I need to go light & work on the movement)
5x135 (+5 lockouts)
20x45 (burnout)

Front squats

warmups
4x130 (+5 from last week)
130x1/2/3/1/2/3/1/2/3 (18-rep ladder; thanks wildboarman, whoever you are, LoL . . . wanted to have some gas in the tank for deads since i didn't do 'em last week; plus I just wanted to play w/ the ladder loading scheme and I'm gonna' deload next week so figured I could fuck off a bit)

Pullups

5xBW, 10, 25
2x30 (PR I guess, but I'm lighter now)
8xBW (backoff)

Deads ss/ Skullcrushers

5x135 // 12x75
5x185 // 12x75 (my tris are shrinking so need a little work; they swell up quick)
5x225
5x260 (thank god; 10 away from matching old PR so I'm on track)
20x135 (clean pull/DL bastardization to burn de' fat baby!)
10x135 (snatch grip pulls to put me hammies & traps to sleep for the night)
 
Thanks for dropping by Nelmsjer. Details: 5'11, 164-ish (cutting) & roughly 14% BF. Cutting by reducing cals (but not around workout times) and bumping up protein at the expense of carbs. I dont seem to need tons of carbs to function well. I was shooting for 10% but am considering giving it up b/c 164 feels very scrawny.

Week 7, Sat. (workout 3)

Incline

warmups
5 sets of 5x160 (+5 PR)
11x115 (backoff)
8x115 (backoff)

Rows

warmups
5 sets of 5x165 (+5)
12x135 (backoff)
9x135 (backoff)

PM

Squats

warmups
2/1 x 185 (gah, not even a triple? geesh)
3/2/1/1 x 175
3/2/3 x 165
8x135 (backoff)
6x135 (backoff)

--Was supposed to shoot for 5x195 PR but it just wasn't in the tank. I could tell right away. Warmups felt heavy, rt. knee has some tendonitis, and I was lethargic. So, upped the volume, heading into deload next week. I'd better supercompensate from this crap. Lol

Skullcrushers (supersetted w/ squats)

8x75, 85, 85, 85
5x85

Power Shrugs

warmups
2 sets of 10x315 (rt. trap still tight & ROM wasn't great here)

Behind-the-Neck Push Press (new exercise . . . getting the form down)

10x45
8x75
5x95
5x95 (military style)
9x95 (BTN)

--Way easier than military style push press . . . easier on the shoulders (more trap), easier to get that "pop," and no jacking around w/ balance on the collar bone, elbow rotation, etc. I'll keep practicing military style, but the BTN is something I'll definitely pay attention to in the future.
 
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Thought I'd mention that I got my copy of Dreschler's Weightlifting Encyclopedia today. Very cool so far. It's just a matter of time until I injure myself attempting a power snatch. LoL
 
Protobuilder said:
Thought I'd mention that I got my copy of Dreschler's Weightlifting Encyclopedia today. Very cool so far. It's just a matter of time until I injure myself attempting a power snatch. LoL
Click to expand...

Very good book. So, you like the b-t-n pp??
 
Yes. Definitely. Felt very natural actually. I was worried about shoulder issues, but it felt fine. And overall it seems "easier" than front pp-ing.

I'm deloading next week, as you know, and I'm not 100% certain what to do, especially the week AFTER the deload, but I guess I'll just follow MCs plan for the DF5x5, b/c that's basically what my program has evolved into. LoL
 
Don't be afraid to push the B-T-N PPs as the main press....thats actually where I am leaning, and then using incline d-bells if I want to train my tits. Benching is fun and all, and I am not in the 'anti-bench' camp, but I don't think it is the be all and end all of upper body pressing.....in fact, anybody can bench....if you can control heavy push presses you can always go back to the bench whenever you want and train up to big weights in no time. Plus, overhead strength is just plain cooler because most people have absolutely zero overhead strength, lol.

With the behind the neck variety, I asked Glenn P. a question via PM a little while ago and he said he felt they were probably a better choice than the front versions for guys who trained for reasons besides competitive olympic lifting.
 
I tried a few BTN presses too after reading this, just with the bar. I've never tried them before and found that I couldn't catch the bar on my back at the correct position reliably. I'm scared of it landing on the bone at the base of my neck and I missed one catch completely with the bar running down my back. Any tips? I guess the position is something you just learn through practise.

Other than that, I really liked them and they felt like a pretty natural movement! I take it the increased weight counters the fact that you're not actually pressing it with the shoulders, just holding it isometrically?
 
BiggT said:
Plus, overhead strength is just plain cooler because most people have absolutely zero overhead strength, lol.
Click to expand...
Agreed. I can't wait 'til I'm locking out 3 wheels overhead - I'm gonna freak out the whole gym :p
 
Deload Week 1, Tues. (workout 1)

Squat

warmups
3 sets of 3x175
1x190

Incline

warmups
3 sets of 3x160

Rows

warmups
3 sets of 3x165

Hanging leg/knee raises

10
10

I have no idea if I'm deloading 'properly.' I'm following "option 2" the "pure deload" according to Madcow's DF 5x5 layout. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to do 3 sets w/ the 5x5 weight or 3 sets w/ the 1x5 weight. . . .

I hesitate to stay away from the 1x5 weight b/c it means I wouldn't be touching that weight during the deload week and then for the next 3 weeks of the ramping/loading phase. . . . that seems like a long time to not be using those near max weights.
 
You'll be feeling good next week.....while there are ideal and not so ideal ways to deload, it varies every single time depending on where you are/how you feel. As long as the total workload is less and your joints don't hurt, you really can't screw it up.

I can't just make the deload an intensity phase. What I do when I want to run a low volume/low frequency/high intensity phase is do it after a 1 or 2 week deload.
 
Deload Week 1, Fri. (workout 2)

Push Press

warmups
3x135
1x145

Front Squats

warmups
3x3x130

Pullups

5xBW, 10
3x25

Deads

warmups
3x260 (followed by 10x135 snatch pulls)

Curlz

4x95

Skulls

12x75

Roughly 60% of the volume of a normal loading week so . . . felt pretty easy. Trying to decide whether next week should be a "test" week for 1 or 3RM or whether I should just start the next loading phase. Knees still don't feel great, even w/ practically zero cardio this week. And in related news, I'm trying to decide whether to keep cutting or just start putting some muscle on my skinny-fat (162lbs, 13%BF) body.
 
Volume Week 1, Tues. (workout 1)

Squats (sort of . . . )

[I'm not even going to post what happened here . . . LoL. I went down to 80% of my previous 5x5 PR and that felt heavy. I'm very fatigued in the legs, hips & lower back from doing several days of gardening/yard work, I guess. I'm going to continue w/ upper body and maybe deload legs for one more week, but start loading everything else . . . I dunno. I'm feeling this load/deload stuff out.]

Flat Bench (no more incline; went to a slightly wider grip as well, which feels strong chest-wise)

warmups
5x145 (80% of old 1x5 PR)
20x95

Pullups

4x6 w/ bodyweight (easy)

Shrugs

8x255 (80%) (lower body still tired, so only did one set)

Skulls

10x75
6x85

Sit-ups

3x10x10 done spread eagle style
1x10 normal

This is my first volume phase after a planned deload. We'll see how it goes. I hope it helps. I'm very depressed lifting-wise at the moment . . . everything comes at a snail's pace and I swear my body is fighting me.
 
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Thanks for stopping by. It could be the cals although I've bumped my cals up the last 3 days or so due to my increased "GPP" (yardwork, building projects, etc., LoL). I'm at 158 give or take, and eating an average of 1900-2000/day. Damn I feel scrawny. But regardless of calories, I don't think I'd feel THAT gassed on lower body . . . I think it's gotta' be all that work I've been doing. Who'd of thought a little work would wear me out? LoL But damn, my thighs are fragged today.
 
You were 164 less that 2 weeks ago and you're now 158? At 158 I'd stop cutting right now and start eating. Don't bother with volume phases or dual factor training, just add some weight to the bar every session.
 
yeah.. dude.. your not losing fat there.. those are precious muscle man.. eat up.. maybe stop any form of cardio if you're doing any.. and it's time to up those weights and quit fucking around and get seriously strong!! :evil:
 
Protobuilder said:
Thanks for stopping by. It could be the cals although I've bumped my cals up the last 3 days or so due to my increased "GPP" (yardwork, building projects, etc., LoL). I'm at 158 give or take, and eating an average of 1900-2000/day. Damn I feel scrawny. But regardless of calories, I don't think I'd feel THAT gassed on lower body . . . I think it's gotta' be all that work I've been doing. Who'd of thought a little work would wear me out? LoL But damn, my thighs are fragged today.
Click to expand...

Doing yardwork, household projects, etc can certainly tap into energy, but that fact that you're barely eating 2000 calories a day magnifies the effects. I helped a friend move not too long ago, washer, dryer, dressers, the whole 9 yards, got done at 2 PM and went to the gym and squatted and pulled.

What I'm saying is the combination of cutting and the unexpected extra work probably combined for the bad session.

On the plus side, I really don't feel you're as genetically challenged as you've always thought. The reason being is you went from 175ish to 158 in a short time, and at 5' 11 thats a BIG drop, and you still managed progress in that time and some PR's. That says to me that you have a lot of untapped potential.

If you want to weigh 150's for now, then that is your goal, but you can't get discouraged about bad workouts, because a 6' tall guy eating 2000 cals a day can't expect to be smashing through weightroom workouts.

If your concern is bodyfat, look at it this way. Marathon runners are light and appear trim, but they always have surprisingly high bodyfat when tested. I think the key to low BF levels is to have as much calorically expensive muscle as possible. I think you'd be heavier, stronger, and leaner if you ate more lean beef/chicken/fish and all the veggies in the world and a lot of complex carbs. As a perfectly healthy 30 year old guy who trains hard, all you'll really have to do to stay lean is avoid simple sugars.
 
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Thanks bro. I could use some positive feedback about now. The combination of dieting to a new low (literally and figuratively) and transitioning to a new job is taking a toll. Not a lot of positive self-talk going on right now. LoL Anyway, I do NOT want to be in the 150s! I f’ing hate it, actually. But I also don’t want to start w/ high BF (e.g., 18-20%), then bulk to an even HIGHER BF%, and be fat throughout my 30s. I was trying to get low so I could have a cushion to work from . . .bulk to a max of maybe 16-18%, then cut it back down to 12-14 and repeat. I just underestimated exactly how friggin small I’d wind up (157.5 lbs w/ just under 13% BF right now). I can’t complain—strength has maintained or gone up while cutting, and I’m doing as much now as I did when I was at 200—but I also hate that my weights really haven’t gone up objectively since . . . oh, last fall? LoL That’s basically zero progress strength-wise, even though, yes, I have been cutting so my “relative” strength has improved but fuck. I looked back at my journal and over Christmas break, I did for example a set of 5x250 on deads . . . well, I’m just now back to doing 260 for a set of 5 and that’s 4 months. I took too long of a break after my SF5x5 run and found out that I lose lots of strength if I do that. So, lesson learned. And now I’ve had to scrape and fight to get BACK to my old PRs from just a few months ago. And surpassing them is . . .well, we’ll see what happens. I think I’m going to maintain for this week, consider 13% BF my “low” spot, and start bulking again. But goddamn I’m gonna’ hate if my F’ing waist pops back up to 36” (just under 32 right now) and my strength doesn’t go up much.

About the genetic thing, it just sucks that I have so little natural muscle and strength, and everything comes so goddamn slowly.
 
It is going to come down to adding more muscle, nice, calorically expensive muscle. I imagine you look ridiculously lean by most people's standards. Most of the Joe Average Atkins dieters who are height/weight proportionate look very lean, yet most people from an exercise/athletic background would do a double take if they looked at a bodyfat % number. We're about the same height, I'm over 5'11, and if I've got on my Doc Martins and the urge strikes me I can easily say 6' ++, point is, I can tell you that at your height, you're a good 5 inches too tall for 158lbs even allowing you to carry any amount of appreciable muscle. So, don't get caught up in the game of starving yourself down just for a lower BF %, you'll dispose of muscle, thus leaving your body comp generally the same, just a smaller, lighter, less muscular version of yourself. You don't need to be stick thin to bulk up. You also don't have to bulk up on twinkies and beer. Just plenty of clean calories, peanut butter, extra virgin olive oils, lean meats, complex carbs, etc etc, I see no reason you cannot get to 185-195 with zero change in bodyfat right now considering the muscle you'd add.
 
Great advice from BiggT.

PB, didn't you put on lots of weight really quickly last year? Was that you? I can't remember. Either way, for your next bulk, just take it nice and steady. No more than 1lb per week. Your lifts should go up nice and steadily and you shouldn't put on much fat if you go up slowly.
 
BiggT said:
You also don't have to bulk up on twinkies and beer.
Click to expand...

You ruin everything. LoL

Thanks for the encouragement.

BiggT said:
I see no reason you cannot get to 185-195 with zero change in bodyfat right now considering the muscle you'd add.
Click to expand...

If I could see 185 w/ decent BF levels (I've seen it w/ high BF), I'd be stoked.

*edit -- Just saw AB's post above. Yep, I put on a good deal of weight last year in my "bulk gone bad." Lesson learned. I'd really like to bulk w/out gaining too much fat, but I don't know how realistic that is. I'll hope for the best but be cautious about bulking this time.
 
Decide how much you want to gain per week, e.g. 3/4 lb (three quarters, not three or four, lol), then plan how much you should weigh each week for the next 10 weeks or so. Try to hit that weight some time during each week. It doesn't matter if you're under or over some weeks, so long as you stay roughly on track over the long term.

Then at the end of the 10 weeks, you can look at the difference you've made and decide whether to increase by the same amount next time. A plan over 10 weeks tends to even out the fluctuations.

In fact... see here :)
 
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Volume Week 1, Thurs. (workout 2)

Front Squats // Push Press

5x5x105 (80%) (easy) // 5x5x115 (80%) (easy, but have to remember to keep the core tight throughout b/c leaning back and relaxing the core due to fatigue = back trouble)

Deads

5x135, 185, 210 (80%) (VERY easy obviously)
12x135 (snatch-grip pulls; backoff)

Chins // Skulls

10xBW // 8x75
8xBW // 8x85
8xBW // 5x85

Squats

20x45
17x45 (lazy man's cardio. . . plus that workout was very easy so didn't quite feel "done" yet)

Alright, legs felt a lot better this time. I basically have done zero cardio for like 10-12 days now. LoL It was definitely a "deload." This is my first "planned" deload so I'm sticking to "the plan" and trusting it will work. Last time I deloaded, I lost a lot of strength, so I hesitate to work w/ such light weights but that's what "the plan" calls for . . . I"ll hit my old PRs in week3 I guess. We'll see if this bullshit works.
 
Volume Week 1, Sat. (workout 3)

Squats

warmups
5x155 (roughly 80%; moderately difficult . . . god I suck . . . I jogged yesterday, maybe i'll jsut drop jogging this cycle and do incline walk instead like a curves gal)

Flat Bench

5x5x140 (80%; easy)

Rows

5x140 (80%; easy)
15x115 backoff

Deads (WTF?) // Skulls

5x5x205 // 3x10x75

I'm scared that I'll lose DL strength not getting back to higher intensities real soon so figured I'd do 'em today since the rest of the workout was easy. This is the first cycle w/ 5x5 at set weight on deads so figured I'd get an early start. They're time consuming so I don't know how often I'll be able to do 'em during the week on top of 5x5 push press & 5x5 front squat . . . it's hard to superset any of those exercises, which I usually do due to time constraints.
 
You should stop being a Curves girl, at damn near 6' tall, you're light enough. cardio for heart health is great, and ideally should be done in some form.....but as far as bodyfat, you need to add more nice, calorically expensive muscle and recomp now....getting any lighter by reduced cals and long, slow cardio will give you the physique/bodycomp of a marathon runner, which is not good at all, lol.

We should set a long-term goal of 185 at no more than 14%. That is beyond do-able.
 
Sounds like a plan. I'm not interested in staying in the 150s, believe me. I'm currently 158-60 @ 13%. So, I need 25 pounds of LBM . . . but dunno' about the 14% business. LoL I'm guessing I'll need to go above 14 to get 25 lbs. of LBM. I'll keep my diet reasonable & use cardio to tweak fat as necessary. I'd rather do the cardio and eat more, although I'll keep an eye on it in regards to leg strength.

So, now that my cut if officially over, I maintained last week and will probably try to maintain this week as well and then start moving the calories upward. I don't think I"m gonna' go nuts calorie-wise . . . or maybe I should, and maybe do 2-3 weeks hard eatin' followed by 1-2 weeks moderate or something (got that from tweakle, I believe). Hell, I don't know. I do know that I can get fat pretty easily though. LoL I've never bulked while doing cardio though, so maybe I can eat like a horse and keep my cardio going and see what happens body comp wise. These are all lessons you've gotta' learn w/ experience, I guess. Looking forward to it . . .
 
Like I said, work out some kind of plan and stick to it. The plan might be as simple as wanting to gain 7-8lbs in 10 weeks. Work out your target weight 10 weeks from now and write it down. It doesn't matter if you gain the same amount each week or more in some weeks and less in others.

I hate micro-managing things, but having a plan will stop you from losing track over time and gaining too quickly.
 
Thanks, AB. I figure a pound every week or two is a reasoanble goal, and I'll just plan on bulking while I load, checking my waist/fat and then going from there. So, short term goal, a pound every week or so.

Volume Week 1, Sun. (workout 4 . . . had time so why not)

OH lockouts/partials/stand there holding weight

95, 115, 135, several at 155 (working on stability, getting used to stable lockout at heavier weights using delts + traps + core)

Front squats

10x95
10x95

Chins

5xBW, 10, 20, 20, 20

Did an easy 2 mi. run this AM, came home & did the above just for kicks. I need to work on overhead stability so figure I'll play around w/ rack lockouts.
 
Volume Week 2 (90%), Tues. (workout 1)

Squats // Pullups

5x5x145 (85%) // 2x6x5lbs. . . . 2x8x5lbs
1x185 // 2x5x10lbs.
12x115 (backoff)
10x115 (backoff)

Bench

5x162.5 (90%)
5x3x160
10x115 (backoff)

Rows

12x135 (my version of bi's & rear delt work)

Shrugs

2x10x295 (rt. lat still very tight . . . postural issues from my F'ing desk job)

Alright, 5x5 squats at 85% are difficult. WTF? I thought the whole 'deload' thing was supposed to make me bounce back stronger & refreshed . . . I was eeking out 5x5@175 before, and now 5x5@145 doesn't feel "easy." I got the reps OK, but it's not like 25 smooth reps, one right after the other. This deload stuff is new territory for me so I'm not sure what to expect. I'm wondering if maybe I lose strength easily or something . . . . maybe I need to stay working at 90% week after week or something. I dunno . . .

BTW, I'm eating more like a man again. LoL
 
The people at CURVES will not be happy with your recent calorie increase.

85% of a 5 rep max for all 5 sets of 5 is no joke, if you used 70-75%, you'd probably smoke all 5 sets. If I was gonna deload with 85%, I'd make the set of 5 at 85% my last set of a ramp, instead of doing all 25 reps with it. Still, as long as you're doing less total work this week than the loading weeks, the fatigue should disappear. Just keep track of the total workload, backoff sets probably aren't the best idea for a deload as they 'quietly' add some nice tonnage when you add them up.
 
Thanks bud. 5x5@145 is 80% of my 5x5RM, not 1x5, so I'm a bit surprised that the reps weren't "easy." I'm done w/ my deload now, and am in week 2 of my volume phase. Next week, I'm supposed to do 5x5@175 w/ squats but shit . . . 145 wasn't even "easy." WTF?
 
When is your next workout? If this week was significantly less total work, and you've got 2-3 days to continue letting the fatigue fade and you don't do anything crazy like run a couple of 7 minute miles during the next few days, then I'd bet on you feeling pretty good for the 5x5 @ 175 next week.
 
LoL @ the 7 minute miles. I will try to hold myself back . . . seriously. I figure I can do two 2-mile jogs during the week and be safe. If it cuts into "leg day," I'll back off. No worries.

My next BACK squat workout is Saturday (pyramid to 1x5). I've just started week 2 of my loading phase. Last week was 80% so was pretty "easy" (although you may remember I gassed my lower body w/ yard work so skipped the Mon. 5x5 squats), and the week before that (2 weeks ago) was my deload week so it was very easy (kept intensity high, but slashed volume & frequency). This week is 85-90% of previous PRs. I'm just surprised (disappointed) that my first 5x5 on back squat wasn't "easy." I was hoping I'd get a supercompensation effect . . . we'll see what I feel like next Tuesday when I try 5x5@175. Everything else feels good & strong, just leg strength seems to be lagging.
 
Well waddya' know? I do more than just troll EF . . . I also WORKOUT!

Volume Week 2 (90%), Thurs. (workout 2)

Push Press

3x5x130
10x95 (backoff, semi-strict)
9x95 (ditto)

Front Squat // Chins

5x5x117.5 (90%) (ready to match old PR in week 3) // 4x8x5lbs (chins . . . duh, easy)

Deads // Skulls

warmups // 8x75, 6x90, 5x90, 12x75 (superset w/ DL warmups)
5x235 (90%)
3/2/1/3/2/1x235 (DL ladder, adding a bit of volume b/c 1 set at 235 felt dumb)

hanging knee raises
. .. blah, blah, blah

Ready for old PRs next week! Feeling pretty good. Next week, I start a new job and my time may get F'd. These workouts are taking a bit too long, and I can see maybe having to cut down to 2 movements per session . . . by the time I do 5 sets of push press, 5 sets of front squats, and 5 sets of DL's, I'm pushing an hour.
 
2 movements plus abs and a few sets of fluff works out nice. I find with 3 movements, especially when 1 is DL, I am in there over 2 hours. I just do more backoff sets for the 2 main lifts (except deads.....backoff DL sets are bad news, lol)
 
If worse comes to worse, I'll do squats + chins one day, then DL + bench the next, and hammer other stuff on the weekends as time allows.
 
Volume Week 2 (90%), Sat. (workout 3)

Squats

warmups
5x175 (90% 5RM)
3/2/1 x 175 (adding some volume)
10x125 (backoff)
8x125 (backoff)

Bench // Rows

warmups
5x5x155 // 5x5x160
8 lockouts on last rep // 15x125 (backoff)

Took a little longer than expected. I'll throw in some fun stuff tomorrow AM (arms, shrugs, OH supports).

I think I'm going to start playing this stuff by ear a bit more. I'm still using a 5x5 base, but I think I'm gonna' see if I can't bury myself every 3-4 weeks, then back off for a week, maybe test maxes, and repeat. Nothing new, but I'm relying less on a hard and fast formula and see if I don't know my body well enough at this point to make adjustments on the fly. Also, the flexibility will help w/ my new job, stressors, etc. Part of the "plan" involves worrying less about a strict 'set/rep' scheme and just trying to get in more reps at heavier weights, adding weight as often as possible. If i'm feeling good, I'll throw in a heavy ladder or two. If i'm feeling beat, I'll run a few sets of 10 instead . . . just adjusting on the fly more than freaking out when my template goes bust.
 
Volume Week 2 (90%), Sun. (workout 4)

Front squats

2x10x95 (active recovery)

OH Supports

95, 115, 135, 155, 2x175 (focusing on stabilizing the body as a unit)

BB Curlzz

10x65
8x85
5x85
10x65

Shrugs // Skullzz

2x10x305 // 4x10x75
 
I know both of you are waiting w/ baited breath for my latest workout . . . wait no more:

Volume Week 3 (100%), Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

5x5x162.5 (+17.5 lbs; roughly 92% previous max; difficult but ready to match old PR next week)
12x115 (backoff)
12x115 (+2 reps)

Pullups (ss w/ squats above)

5xBW
5 sets of 6x10 (easy)
5x25 (shits & giggles . . . still pretty easy)

Flat Bench

meh . . . a disaster. nothing to see here, move along . . . After working low incline, I'm still not back to my old bench weight and not ready for 5 pounds less than my old PR . . . and shoulders still tired from overhead supports on Sunday (that's my excuse).

To whom it may concern: overhead supports are the bomb apparently. I shit you not, my shoulders actually look bigger just from doing them for the past 2-3 weeks. I'm not kidding. And that never happens. I can feel muscle soreness right down to the very tip of teh medial head, where it meets the humerus. Next time someone asks how to "put a cap" on their delt, I'm going to recommend overhead supports. They fry the whole delt, hit the traps a bit, and work teh core too boot. They are t3h w1n!
 
thats normal that the flat bench is in the shitter after not doing them in a while....it always happens to me.....the benefit is that you'll be able to ramp it to a PR after you regain your groove for the lift.

I'll shoot you a PM tomorrow or the next day regarding my school situation
 
Volume Week 3 (100%) Sat. (workout 3) (had to skip 2)

Squats

warmups
5x190 (old PR)
10x125 (b.o.) (+10)
10x125 (b.o.)

Bench

3x5x160
4x155 (damn; apparently I still suck at bench)

Rows

5x170 (some English here)
12x135 (b.o.)

Deads (done about 3 hours later)

5x260 (10 away from matching old PR)
3/2/1/3/2/1 x 260 (still F'ing w/ the ladders for volume . . .not really sure if this is smart/helpful etc.)
8x225 (b.o.)

Hanging knee raises

3x8xBW (ugh)

Notes: I'm considering officially hating bench. It's the only lift I sit down for. It fries my front delts mainly. I need to really make small jumps w/ it. I probably need to also drop the 5x5 w/ it and just run the 1x5 and then 1x3 pyramids. I don't know that the volume is doing much. Or maybe it is. Fuck. Bench sucks.

Note # 2: Can anyone justify VH1 putting Pearl Jam and The Clash in front of Judas Priest AND Iron Maiden on their "best 100 hard rock bands"? Are you fuckng kidding me? What's this world coming to . . .
 
Volume Week 3 Sun. (workout 4; misc)

BTN Push Press

6x95
5x115
3x135
4x135
4x145
5x145 (shoulders tired from benching or I would've done overhead supports)

Curls (yes, that's right, curls)

10x75
9x75
8x75 (I'm massive!)

Skulls

10x75
8x90 (+2)
5x90
5x90

Watched UFC 60 last night, Hughes v. Gracie. Damn good show. 8 fights including some pretty awesome finishes. Good stuff. Oh yeah, ate a fat burger, a fat brat w/ sauerkraut & hot English mustard, and some other junk, including some beer. Today, I ran as punishment and am doing yard work so, probably drop a pound. LoL
 
Volume Week 4 Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

5x5x175 (old PR) (very tough; losing form on last reps)
12x125 (b.o.) (+2 reps)

Bench

warmups
5x170 (10 away from old PR)
12x125 (b.o.)
7x105 (b.o.) (heh, heh)

Pullups

2x6x20
5x20
4x20 (doh!) (+ burnout w/ BW)

Front Squat

5x95
2x125 (just for kicks)

NS abs

2x12x10

This shit is frustrating. I'm lucky to get back to old PRs. I'll be REAL lucky to push past 'em much, then I'll be so damn beat up, I'll have to backoff and start all fucking over. It's one step forward, two steps back. And I start feeling fatigued before I can push very long. Sucks. I'm in week 4, barely getting my old PRs and starting to feel beat up already. My knees ached today during squats DESPITE doing very very little running. WTF? I think I'm gonna' just play this shit by ear, doing more of a single-factor approach. I'm not going to drop back anymore unless absofuckinglutely necessary b/c it's a waste of time apparently. I don't "spring back" stronger than before. Not at all. I reach exactly where I was the last fucking time, and then I get beat up trying to scratch and claw my way past my old PRs. This time, I'm gonna' hang out there as long as possible, and maybe lower the frequency for a week or two if I feel beat up, but then go back to the heavy weights. Live in heavy land as long as possible I s'pose.
 
Volume Week 4 Thurs. (workout 2)

Front Squats

4x5x125 (old PR for weight, but one less set than old PR)

Dead

warmup
5x275 (+5 PR woot)
9x225 (backoff)

BTN strict press

10x85
8x85

I'm just really tired right now. New job = long hours, losing sleep, etc. So, rather than skip working out altogether, I just cut back quite a bit. I may have to do that on these "middle of the week" workouts. I dropped push pressing (shoulders are beat from the past week), dropped one set off front squats, and dropped chins. Good news . . . +5 PR on my dead 5RM.
 
Protobuilder said:
Notes: I'm considering officially hating bench. It's the only lift I sit down for. It fries my front delts mainly. I need to really make small jumps w/ it. I probably need to also drop the 5x5 w/ it and just run the 1x5 and then 1x3 pyramids. I don't know that the volume is doing much. Or maybe it is. Fuck. Bench sucks.

.
Click to expand...


anyway you can post a video of you benching. I think you might have a form/set-up issue. can't really tell w/o seeing it
 
Good you're listening to yourself, and training 'your way'.

If the bench is pissing you off, there is no reason to do it unless you plan to compete in a powerlifting meet or you've got an invite to the NFL combine......I'd say pound the overheads/push presses and do incline work or dips to train the tits.

How is the bodyweight doing?
 
Wow, thanks for stopping by everyone.

re:diet -- it's solid. I'm consciously keeping the weight gain to a pound a week. I'm tracking it pretty carefully. I'm at 159.5 this AM, which is on track, and I'm averaging probably 2900 cals/day.

re: bench -- I really keep thinking I need to post some vids just for kicks but then I forget to film myself. I'll see what I can do. I hate to admit it, but I do care slightly about my bench numbers and chest size. I still don't like benching though. I actually prefer overhead work, but I'll keep some chest stuff in b/c it's a plane of movement that needs work plus the ladies like the big chest. LoL And, no, I'm not up for the NFL anytime soon.
 
Protobuilder said:
Wow, thanks for stopping by everyone.

re:diet -- it's solid. I'm consciously keeping the weight gain to a pound a week. I'm tracking it pretty carefully. I'm at 159.5 this AM, which is on track, and I'm averaging probably 2900 cals/day.

re: bench -- I really keep thinking I need to post some vids just for kicks but then I forget to film myself. I'll see what I can do. I hate to admit it, but I do care slightly about my bench numbers and chest size. I still don't like benching though. I actually prefer overhead work, but I'll keep some chest stuff in b/c it's a plane of movement that needs work plus the ladies like the big chest. LoL And, no, I'm not up for the NFL anytime soon.
Click to expand...


hey, even if you are a powerlifter, or an oly lifter, you still care, to some extent, about your chest size. everybody wants to look huge.
 
Hey Look! When not causing trouble, Protobuilder also WORKS OUT!! Another exciting entry:

Volume Week 4 Sat. (workout 3)

Squats

warmups
2x195 (DAMMIT! Really wanted a +5 PR here . . . damn, it was ugly; ZERO "pop" and pretty much crumpled in the hole, lost my balance, stumbled, it was ugly)
. . . didn't really know what to do afterwards . . .
1x195
2x185
1x185
3 sets of doubles @ 175 (which is 85% of my 1RM)

Bench

warmups
3x175
4 sets of triples @ 165

Rows

3x175 (my old PR is 5x175 so I'm getting there)
15x125 (backoff; focused on trying to arch the middle back on these)

Skulls

8x75
2x10x80
6x80

Alright. I'm bummed about missing my squat PR. I thought I was doing OK feeling it out on my own, kinda' following Brooks Kubik's advice of just working hard in a progressive fashion . . . but damn. I hit these weights and just seem to stall. Should it be this freaking hard to get a +5 PR??? I'm not an elite lifter or pushing hyooge weights or anything. I'm literally lifting the same weights I was lifting 5 months ago. That's not right. I was dieting though so, OK, I can't complain too much, and now I'm starting to put on some weight again (shooting for 1lb/wk), so I hope that makes the difference. But goddamn. How fucking long am I going to be grinding out trying to get a 5 lb. PR on squat? Ugh. In my defense though, my glutes & lower back were still a bit tired from Thursday's DL PR. LoL I probably shouldn't be so hard on myself.

I didn't know what to do after missing the squat PR, so I just did some volume @ high intensity. I probably need more work doing heavy singles b/c when the weight gets heavy, I'm not really firing everything in unison & keeping tight, which probably just comes w/ experience. I'm not quite able to pull it all togethre for a big single.
 
Volume Week 4 Sun. (workout 4) -- Very UnGay Day

2 mi. jog, brief rest . . . and then

Clean & Press w/ 100 lbs. sandbag (two 50 lb. bags of sand in a big duffel, which makes for a very odd-shaped, unevenly weighted, difficult to grab sack o' sand)

5/2/1/3/2 . . . and some cleans b/c I couldn't press it out

Interspersed w/ a couple of bearhug runs back and forth across my yard w/ the bag o' sand.

Alright. That shit will kick your ass. It's humbling too. It's hard just to get a decent hold on the duffel, and then when you lift it, the weight shifts in the bag and it's pretty far out in front of you, and it sags down, so as you try to get it to your chest, it's more of a continental clean. Then, it takes some all-over strength just to get ready for the push press. Lockout takes stabilizing force, etc. All in all, very cool. And I was breathing pretty heavy too.

Please don't ask "which muscles does that work." It works every single goddamn one of them. LoL

BTW, any input on the post above here would be greatly appreciated. I work hard so you don't have to.
 
Dude, you'll never build t3h delt$$ without lateral raises and reverse pec deck.

Seriously, sand bag workouts are some of the best things you can do for overall conditioning and 'real world' strength.
 
BiggT said:
Dude, you'll never build t3h delt$$ without lateral raises and reverse pec deck.
Click to expand...

Don't worry dood! My delts are like the cannonball, but I think I'm overtrained. And besides, my brother in law did reverse pec deck and then was divorced, so I think reverse pec deck is a pretty bad machine. But advices are always welcome so thx!!
 
...rear delts:

1 - Rope pulls on a lat machine....lean back at a 45 degree angle - pull rope to chin level...squeeze blades together in rear

2 - Seated rows with a straight bar - pull to chin level

3 - modified rear db laterals....instaed of soing them conventionally - with palms facing down...do them with palms facing BACK(behind you) - focus on pulling with back of arm(elbow) - squeeze at contraction for a count of 2.
 
If Brooks were dead, he'd be rolling in his grave. ^^

Volume Week 5 Sun. (workout 1)

Squats

warmups
5x5x180 (+5 PR . . . I'm proud of myself on this one. It was a struggle and I didn't think I'd get all 25 reps. It's still a pathetic weight. I suck.)

Bench

warmups
4x175 (I was really pissed about this crappy showing but my shoulders are still tired from sandbags on Sunday so . . . ).
8x145 (backoff)
5x145 (backoff)

Pullups

3x6x20
5x20 + 7 chins

Skulls

6x95 (+5 PR)
4x95

Knee raises

2x10x10

Going into week 5, I'm feeling pretty tired. I'm dropping some lifts and maybe dropping some sets to keep getting PRs. Bench still really fries my shoulders more than chest despite my best efforts. I may go back to narrow grip b/c my tri's are stronger. Doing heavy triples doesn't seem to help either. I'm not built to bench. In fact, I'm not built to lift weights in gen'l.
 
I know both of you reading this journal are eagerly waiting the next installment . . .

Volume Week 5 Sun. (workout 2)

Push Press (this was a real mess, shoulders are smoked, so never mind)

Front Squat

4x5x130 (+5 PR minus one set)

Dead

warmup
5x280 (+5 PR . . . using a lotta' back here, thighs are tired)

Skulls // Pullups

9x75 // 8
10x85 // 7
7x85 // 6
10x75 // 4 +10 chins backoff

Push Press never really got off the ground this cycle. Flat bench is killing my delts, plus I started throwing in overhead supports / sandbags / BTN push press, etc. Tried 'em tonight and it was terrible. LoL I'm making this 2d workout of the week into an easier night, with more rest, fewer lifts, less volume, etc. b/c I'm feeling tired in week 5, plus work, etc. So, 4 sets on fronts, no backoffs, and nothing too crazy except for one top heavy set of DL. I'm thrilled that my DL is still going up along w/ my 5x5 squat.
 
Maybe I need an intervention. Last night, I pulled out my old half-used jug of CEE and am probably going to try it again. Last time I used it, it did nothing except taste like shit. Now though, I'm hoping it makes me HYOOGE and gives some wicked pumps!
 
Protobuilder said:
Maybe I need an intervention. Last night, I pulled out my old half-used jug of CEE and am probably going to try it again. Last time I used it, it did nothing except taste like shit. Now though, I'm hoping it makes me HYOOGE and gives some wicked pumps!
Click to expand...

Creatine is pretty much the only way to get gunzz$$ , unless you take d-bol like a whole bunch of times a day.
 
I’ve already got pretty huge gunz though. They’re up to like 14.5, which is pretty awesome and way bigger than most of my friends. Now I’m looking to really bring out the brachialis.
 
Hullo pb,
i just read your journal and wanted to express some sympathy here. Nice work, keep on going, you will make it !

Just on a side note: for me, weighted dips did a lot for my flat bench. I seriously bench less on monday when i didnt do dips on friday before (following the 5x5 sf). Might be a psycho thing though. And if your delts do too much on the bench - maybe try flaring the elbows out just a little bit, and keep a tight arch so that its a tad like a decline bench. For me, if i keep an elbow angle of 45° or lower, its mostly delts and tris that do the press. Thats only me, others might disagree.
And i think you are right - you should stick more to a linear programm like the sf, the df programm might be too taxing if you are feeling tired.

Anyways, keep up the excellent work, and dont let some progress-slowing discourage you. With more eating the strength will come no prob at all.

Just my thoughts.
 
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