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Destroy:Erase:Improve -- PBs Training Journal

Sounds like you're plowing along, Brad.

Nice job on the 5x5 Squat and Front Squat PR! Way to go.

I hate Front Squats, but they work. (My wrist is STILL injured from using the fingers grip. Fuckin' thing won't heal some 10+ weeks later. I can't even bench w/ Barbell...only with DBs or I reinjure it.... :( )

Good to see you making some progress. I noticed you were frustrated a few posts back. Keep up the good work. It'll add up over time.
 
Volume Week 5 Sat. (workout 3)

Squats

warmups
5x195 (+5 PR finally, thank god)
4 sets of 3x175 (felt strong and fresh so did some more volume, these felt great)

Bench

warmups
3 sets of 5x165 (+5 . . . last rep = grinder; I figured out I can keep my shoulders out of it by really trying to bench low and not letting the bar drift up towards my head)
3x155
5x145 (short rests here)

Row

6x95
5x135 (video: http://media.putfile.com/Bent-Row-5x135-0606 )
5x155 (video:http://media.putfile.com/Bent-Row-5x155-0606 )
5x175 (matched old PR)

Power Shrugs

3x10x295

Took CEE before workout today. :rainbow:

Felt strong today, which is odd b/c I've been feeling pretty fatigued. But I'm hitting PRs on the lifts that count so I'm gonna' keep going. Anything shoulder related has sucked this cycle but I don't care too much. I added in extra shoulder work, sucked at bench etc. so I chalk it up to jumping around too much and not greasing the groove on one lift. I was thrilled w/ my squat PR b/c I crumpled last week. My squat is moving up finally and maybe it's the extra calories. Got my 5x5 and 1x5 PR this week. :chomp:

I video'd my 1x5 squat but apparently I suck b/c it only recorded the first rep, which was solid. Trust me. LoL I decided to video the rows b/c there aren't too many row vids around. I won't call 'em JS b/c I'm not getting any upper back arch at the top. :Chef:
 
The rows look perfectly fine to me. Nice job on the squat PR....I would bet money that is the extra calories doing what they do best.....I would also bet money that CEE is ghey, lol.....but keep eating, you'll keep liking your workouts.
 
Cardio/GPP

2 mi. moderate jog followed by 20 sandbag clean singles (100lb.) & 2 laps of bearhug runs. Would've been clean "and press" but damn. . . shoulders are wiped out. I pressed a few of them but not all 20.
 
Now thats more like it as far as 'cardio' condusive to being strong. If you like the sandbags, you should try some kegs filled with water.
 
It's amazing how heavy 100 pounds can feel. Really. Evenly-balanced on a nice bar set right about ankle height, it's easy. Sitting like a lump on the ground, w/ nothing to grab but the duffel, weight shifting around on the way up, etc., it feels like a mutha.
 
BiggT said:
The rows look perfectly fine to me. Nice job on the squat PR....I would bet money that is the extra calories doing what they do best.....I would also bet money that CEE is ghey, lol.....but keep eating, you'll keep liking your workouts.
Click to expand...
^^ This I'm sure means more coming from him but really, congrats on the PR & nice vids :) I really enjoy watching you guys & your progress :)

*Estrogen out*
:sleep2:
 
Thanks Bunny! I'll take all the encouragement I can get.

Volume Week 6 Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

warmups
5x5 @ 185 (+5 PR again, which feels great b/c I always feel like quitting around 15 reps LoL)

Bench

warmups
3x3x175
12x125 // 8x95 (backoffs)

Pullups

6x20
7x15
6x15 (took it easy on these b/c was tired and I'm not really trying to push these)

Snatch-grip Shrugs

20x275

Did I mention another 5x5 PR on squats? :) So far, this eating thing is pretty cool. LoL I dieted for like 10 mo's and strength went up but then stood still, and now it's moving so that's cool. I was really kicking myself a week or two ago for not being able to even do 5x5 w/185 but I got it tonight so, cool.

I really don't know what to do w/ bench at this point. In week 6, I'm still not back at my old PR but I've been brutalizing my shoulders so . . . I did 3x5x165 last Saturday and just went a little heavier w/ a little less volume today. Dunno.
 
See, that eating thing that all the 'dieters' think is overrated really does work.

If you're pushing your overhead work, the bench may slow down a little, thats perfectly normal.
 
Volume Week 6 Thurs. (workout 2)

Posting this just for consistency’s sake. . . it was an awful workout but I’m not upset about it or anything. Thursday's workouts have been rough b/c it's the end of the week. I haven’t been getting enough sleep, my lower back was achy from Tuesday’s squats, etc. and I probably should’ve just skipped it altogether. No deadlifts either.

Push Press

3x5x135
3x8x95 (strict, some cheating on last set)

Front Squats

Warmups
5x135 (this “should’ve” been 5x5 instead of 1x5 . . . LoL)

Chin-ups

BWx10, 9, 10, 9
 
you're right not to stress over it, bad workouts happen - usually after you set a PR or have an amazing session a couple of days before.. its funny how the body works. GJ on the squat PR!
 
Thanks man. My numbers are crap but they're going up little by little. It's kind of embarrassing seeing such low numbers and thinking how hard those lifts actually feel to me. LoL A grown man shouldn't be struggling w/ 215 in the squat and 305 in the dead . . .
 
hey, get it in perspective - those are better than some 'good bros' who've juiced & have millions of posts can or will ever do.

I remember struggling with 225 squats not that long ago. All that matters is keep taking those baby steps and before you know it those 5lb+ PRs have added up to some big weights
 
Tweakle said:
hey, get it in perspective - those are better than some 'good bros' who've juiced & have millions of posts can or will ever do.

I remember struggling with 225 squats not that long ago. All that matters is keep taking those baby steps and before you know it those 5lb+ PRs have added up to some big weights
Click to expand...

Good post.

It all comes down to you against you. You, proto, have great knowledge for correct training and motivation to work hard. With that, your weights will go from 225, to 255 to 275 to 315 to lord knows what else while the other guys are goofing around with their sets of hammer bench and cable flyes trying to 'get cut' for summer. Even most of the guys who seem strong to you now...after you've made your 10-15 lb progress from cycle to cycle, you'll notice that you've surpassed them while they're still playing with the same weights.
 
Thanks guys. I just keep chipping away, doing the best I can. I just wonder if some people think I'm not pushing hard when they see the weights. Trust me, those numbers are low, but I'm pushing hard as I can on 'em. Lol

You must spread some Karma around before giving it to xblitz44x again.
Click to expand...
 
Not that I care about the Karma itself, but it has to be the worst set-up on the planet. I give the same people Karma because the same people tend to give good advice. They might as well change the message to:

"You must spread some karma around to some idiots before giving it to Protobuilder again."
 
Good for you proto, kick those weights' asses. And I don't think you should care what other's think, everybody's hitting the weights to workout (i'd hope so lol) and progress is progress. I respect everybody's strength if they know how to do it, want to learn how to do it, and/or are encouraged to do it.
 
Protobuilder said:
Thanks man. My numbers are crap but they're going up little by little. It's kind of embarrassing seeing such low numbers and thinking how hard those lifts actually feel to me. LoL A grown man shouldn't be struggling w/ 215 in the squat and 305 in the dead . . .
Click to expand...


i know its hard to do, but you can't compare yourself (numbers wise) to others. its just gonna cause you to run yourself into the ground. instead, what you need to do is think of the last workout you had, and try to beat it. unless you have a razor sharp memory for your workouts, a good idea is to keep track of your maxes on paper. be it a 1RM, 3RM 5RM or whatever. everything you do something in the gym that would be now considered an all time best, write it down on a single piece of paper, with the date. do this for 6 months, and you will be amazed at the amount of progress you have made
 
I say what all the others said already. Dont let yourself get frustrated about those numbers. (Hehe im saying that to myself, too. You even beat me slightly at some of the lifts at the moment.)

I think with going to the gym and reading all that weightlifting stuff we lose the normal perspecitve to bodies/ muscle mass. Those guys much bigger than you are NOT the normal population. You are already way above average. Ask someone at work or one of your friends if they can squat 185 pounds. Most of them would probably injure themselves if they would attemp that. There are a lot of people your (and my) age who cant walk 4 stories without getting seriously out of breath. Dont misunderstand me, that is not a desirable condition, but you are in a far better shape than most of the people at 30.

Those big guys i sometimes too get frustrated about are either:

a) someone with excellent genes
b) exercising since early youth (i dont know about you but i dont have done that)
c) juicing
d) aliens
e) a combination of the above

I dont want to devalue those insane weights some people here are lifting. You have to be very dedicated and training constantly and hard for that. But its rediculous to try to compete with someone who has been lifting weights for decades already and is juicing most of the time. (or is an alien)
Even someone who has been a semi-pro sportsman, weightlifter/ decathlete, whatever, who stays in shape and still lifts weights regularly has so much of a head start that it is really hard for a "normal" guy who doesnt take drugs to reach that.

On the other hand, what really pisses me off are those gym-guys who do 7 different curls all day and are kind of huge nevertheless, without a decent programm or training, simply because they take a rediculous amount of anabolics. Hrmph.

Anyways. If i get in that "my weights are tiny in comparision to the others"-mood or get that "well, i look quite decent for someone who doesnt do sports"-feeling i have a look around me. In the lockerroom at work, or at the beach, anywhere where "normal" people are. And guess what - i feel great afterwards.

Happy lifting ! ;) and sorry for the rant.
 
Volume Week 6 Sat/Sun. (workout 3 sort of)

Sat.

Powercleans

3x3x135

*too tired to do anything really and probably shoulda' just sat around

Sun.

Squat

warmups
5x205 (+10 PR woohoo!)

sandbag training -- 20 cleans w/ 100lb. sack + some bearhug runs
 
I really admire the sandbag work- something I want to get started on but have been too disorganized, lazy, et.al. Some goals just take longer to acheive than others.... :Pope:
 
Volume Week 7 Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

w.u.
5x185
4x185
1/2/1/2/1/2/1 x 185

--got 25 reps last Tues. w/ 185 and only 19 today, but I'm going w/ one less day of rest here plus I did a 10lb. PR on Sunday . . . so just tried to get in some reps, hopefully going to get another PR next Sat. I'm kinda' monkeying around, trying to manage my volume & intensity to see if I can keep pushing PRs.

Bench (superset w/ pullups)

w.u.
3x5x170 (+5)
11x125 (b.o.)
6x115 (b.o.)

Pullups

3x6x25
5x25 (+ 5 BW chins)

& some curls & hanging leg raises . . .
 
Thanks. Wanted 3x5 but missed 5 on the 2d set so adjusted to a ladder scheme. Ladders are a good way to get in some volume and lots of "first rep" practice.
 
Volume Week 7 Tues. (workout 2)

Push Press

5x5x135 (+5)
2x10x85 (strict press)

Deads

w.u.
5x285 (+5 PR)
3x265
5x265

Skulls

3x10x85
 
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You guys are too kind. I know full well that 5x285 sucks ass. LoL But thanks anyway. I'm always amazed (ashamed? LoL) when I see young guys like Shades or MM107 jumping in and pulling 400 pretty easily. Shouldn't I have muscle too like everyone else? LoL
 
Protobuilder said:
You guys are too kind. I know full well that 5x285 sucks ass. LoL But thanks anyway. I'm always amazed (ashamed? LoL) when I see young guys like Shades or MM107 jumping in and pulling 400 pretty easily. Shouldn't I have muscle too like everyone else? LoL
Click to expand...

Time for the word no one wants to hear: patience.
Make sure you've given what you're doing a fair chance. Sometimes it just takes repetition and refinement to wake the beast.
On the other hand if 5x5 sincerely doesn't cut it for your DL remember what is meant by 'cookie cutter'. You have to adapt a system that works well overall to what works well for you.
I've gone through the same thing recently for my bench, something that's always lagged compared to squat and DL. Although lower-rep has worked best for me overall, I've finally figured out that I need a good amount of volume to get progress.
I'm not trying to shortchage 5x5- face it, a PR is a PR. Still it doesn't hurt to see what ideas are out there.
 
Thanks. It irks me that I'm not stronger, but really, I just find it weird how some people seem to have such diff't baseline abilities, e.g., athletic ability, strength, etc. Just interesting more than dismaying.

Volume Week 7 Sat. (workout 3)

This is the AM stuff. Back is bugging me so I'll see if I can squat tonight.

Bench

2x5x172.5 (+2.5)
4x172.5
2x5x165

--skipped backoff sets

Rows

5x5x160 (not a PR but I haven't done volume on rows for a few weeks)

Skulls

8x95 (+2 reps)
5x95
4x95

PM

Squats

w.u.
3x210 (+5 PR, wanted 5 reps though)
2x2x195
5x185
15x145 (backoff)

Shrugs

2x10x315
20x225
 
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Protobuilder said:
I'm always amazed (ashamed? LoL) when I see young guys like Shades or MM107 jumping in and pulling 400 pretty easily. Shouldn't I have muscle too like everyone else? LoL
Click to expand...
I'm in the same boat if that makes you feel any better :). I (think I) train well, I eat enough to put on weight, but I seem to get stronger slowly and put on mainly fat. It's slow going for us old guys ;). I'm trying the Korte to see what effect higher volume has on me. Just keep plugging away!
 
BiggT -- Highland game "training" is really me and my huge beastly friend trying to teach ourselves the events. We've got sandbags and variuos stuff for GPP (he needs it, he's 312, LOL) and he's put together a hammer and I'm responsible for constructing a weight for height and a weight for distance (same implement basically, a kettleball type device). Eventually, if I ever get around to cutting down the dead trees in my yard, we'll make a caber. LoL So, right now, we'll practice winds w/ the hammer and eventually learn to throw it properly and if I get the weight for height/distance built, we'll work on learning to throw that.

Check out "misc. videos" link and "Ton Dziepak's site" link: http://www.highlandgames.net/

AB -- Thanks for stopping by. We are in the same slow boat to China. LoL Or, Chiner, as you guys say. LoL
 
Sunday -- Week 7 -- Highland Games "training" LoL

2 mi. jog early (fasted, so probably lost 8 lbs of muscle)

couple of hours later . . .

hammer throws (mostly using 10-15 lbs.)

-- various distances . . . probably avg'd 60'

weight for height

-- 25 lbs. (not reg'n wgt.) -- probably 15' avg.

This was the first time doing any of the above. Technique is probably FUBAR at this point. The hammer throw is insanely fun. Worked light just to try and get the movements down. Next time, we'll find some rocks for shot (braemer stone, to be precise) and hopefully have a "proper" weight for distance built. Fun stuff. Then needed a nap b/c damn, my body is beat from yesterday (+5 PR on squats and some heavy doubles) and today's field stuff.
 
th10424shbxvmqpcn.gif


Well, what's LEFT of it ... ;)

Wishing you a great day ... :wavey: and a kick ass week of training :)
 
Week 8, Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

pyramid to 1x5 @ 195 (15 pounds down from last week but was still very difficult)

Bench

LoL terrible, 3d warmup set felt very very heavy so I quit

Rows

3x5x165 (+5, but getting a bit sloppy)

All in all, a terrible terrible workout. LoL I really forced myself to lift. Probably woulda’ been better to just take the night off. I don’t want to lose any progress on squats though so really wanted to at least do one heavy set, which I did but it wasn’t pretty. LoL I looked back and noticed that on Sat., I went overboard on squats. I should’ve hit my target and stopped. Instead, I hit my target, then did 2 heavy doubles, a heavy 5, and hard 15 rep backoff set. LoL No wonder my legs weren’t ready for PRs tonight. Lesson learned. Again.

At this point (week 8), I just want to keep pushing PRs on squats and deads, the rest be damned. I am still adding a little weight here and there on the other lifts, but I’m also adjusting volume on the other lifts depending on how I feel, etc. so I can keep pushing PRs in the squat and dead. So, tonight I did 3x5 on rows, same weight, and next time, I may just pyramid up to a top set, or do 4x5 w/ this weight, etc. So far, this seems to be working OK.
 
You need those workouts, without them we'd never appreciate the good ones.....

How is the 'diet' going? I have been too tired to update my log, but I need to add in night-time trips to Baskin-Robbins cause I am dropping weight training twice a day.
 
BiggT said:
You need those workouts, without them we'd never appreciate the good ones.....
Click to expand...

Yes, yes. I'm appreciating them a bunch lately b/c this week suxxorx. Lol It's become a deload by default.

Week 8, Thurs. (workout 2)

Push press

w.u.
5x140
4x140

Front Squat

5x95
5x115
5x140 (pain in left hip . . . time to deload)

Was gonna' deadlift but hip pain . . . blah blah blah

Skulls // Chins

8x75 // 8xBW
10x90 // 8xBW
6x90 // 8xBW

Another, tired, unmotivated attempt at lifting, followed by weakness and giving up.
LoL Did some skulls & chins b/c they aren't too taxing. But nothing else was happening. I'm wiped out this week. Sleep has sucked, long work hours, stress, wifey, etc. I'm scared to take a week "off" b/c I've tried so hard to get my numbers up and I'm afraid they'll drop off and I'll have to waste 3-4 more weeks trying to get 'em back up. . . . I'd like to take it easy this week, see if next week I can't get back to the heavy weights . . . I really just want to keep a single-factor approach going at this point, and just take an easy week every now and then and get right back at it.
 
Week 8, Sun. (workout 3) -- DELOAD

Squat

w.u.
1x210

Dead

w.u.
1x305 (+10 PR, LoL)

Bench

w.u.
1x195

Ab roller (various attempted rollouts . . . black pipe stuck through 5lb. standard plate = ghetto ab roller)

This week was full of fatigue so I backed off volume, kept the weights heavy and just did very little. I plan to start a little lighter next week but be back to my current levels in the next week. I dunno if it's smarter to get a long running start or try and keep my weights close to PR territory right off the bat. I'm gonna try it the latter way and see how many weeks I can eek out. I'm convinced that I can basically keep this pattern up for a year at least (run hard for X weeks, take an easy week, get right back at it, and repeat).

Next week is kind of a "new" cycle but I'm keeping everything the same. I may do more rowing and fewer pullups, and I'm going to do less volume on OHP and flat bench to see if that helps. Both those lifts went nowhere this cycle. Part of the problem is I didn't have a set plan of attack. Now I do and I'll stick w/ it (3x5 OHP & 3x5/1x5 on flat bench). Deads went up 15 pounds and squat went up roughly 15-20 pounds over the last 8 wk. cycle. Bodyweight went up about 4 lbs. per the plan.
 
My flat bench was also stuck last time. BigT recommended I concentrate on improving my close-grip for 8 weeks or so then going back to flat. You might want to consider doing the same. Good luck.
 
xblitz44x said:
My flat bench was also stuck last time. BigT recommended I concentrate on improving my close-grip for 8 weeks or so then going back to flat. You might want to consider doing the same. Good luck.
Click to expand...


true.....or switch to inclines.


work whatever area is sticking or address WHERE the bar drifts as you fatigue.


Could be as simple as rotators
 
Week 1 (post-deload), Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

w.u.
5x5x175 (10 from old PR) (moderately hard)

Bench

w.u.
5x165 (20 from all-time PR, 10 from last cycle's PR . . . this was a hard set . . .f'ing bench)

Row

3x8x145 (hypertrophy baby! LoL)

JM Press

10x85
2x10x95 (first time w/ these, feel great, think I'll work them rather than skulls this time around)

Hanging knee raises

3x10x10

Misc. forearm stuff w/ my ghetto wrist roller (PVC pipe, rope + standard plates)

Alright, here's what I've cooked up for my next cycle. Basically, the same layout just a few tweaks. I'm rowing more, doing fewer pullups. Bench/OHP went nowhere last time, so I'm trying to stay consistent on push press and altering my bench rep scheme a bit.

Day 1 (I'd like to do more but time is short during the week)

Squat -- 5x5
Bench -- 1x3 (+b.o.)
Row -- 1x5 (+b.o.)
Ass't -- abs

Day 2

Push Press -- 3x5 (maybe backoff 1-2 sets)
Front squat -- 3-5x5
Deads -- 1x5 (may add volume down the road)

Day 3

Squat -- 1x5 (+b.o.)
Bench -- 3x5 + 2x8-10
Row -- 3x8
ass't -- abs, JM presses, power shrugs, as time allows

Day 4

Miscellaneous (arms, traps, Highland Games stuff, sandbags)
 
Week 1, Thurs. (workout 2)

Push Press

10x115
9x125
5x135
6x95

Pullups

2x5x25
3x25 // 6 BW chins
5 BW chins

JM Press

10x95
15x105

--Crap . . . back really really sore for some reason in the mid-back region right along the spine/ribs . . you know, where you sometimes "strain" your back and it gets hard to breath. . . . kind of just below the lower traps. And I did it while sitting at my desk and kind of trying to bend forward and stretch my back. LoL WTF? So, no front squats or deads tonight. Half-hearted push presses & chins. JM Presses might not be a great move b/c the way I set up, it may get hard to do these w/ the weights I'm gonna need (already getting 15x105).
 
Sucky minor injuries. There's something wrong all around when someone who works good, compound, free-weight exercises can still fall foul of something spurious like this. I wonder what causes these twinges and knots?
 
Week 1, Sat. (workout 3)

Squats

w.u.
5x190 (felt fairly heavy even though it's 15 away from my 5RM . . . ugh)
15x95

Bench

3x3x170 (not easy . . . probably should start lighter but I'm SICK of always using the same goddamn weights on flat bench . . . it's ALWAYS 165-170)

Rows

3x8x145

Deads (skipped on Wed. so . . . .)

w.u.
5x255 (30 off of old PR)

--This week has sucked. Achy back & knee . . . I've not been sleeping enough. Pretty simple actually. I'm tired. LoL Also, my conditioning is piss poor right now. I'm getting winded doing silly, simple stuff. That's the tradeoff I guess. I backed off cardio big time due to time, energy, and working on my squat . . . but I can't neglect it completely. I've gotta' balance it. But it's hard right now b/c I'm beat from work, etc.
 
Week 2, Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

3x5x185 (10 reps off my PR . . . trying a bit less volume due to working my ass off & not having much time to lift right now, we'll see if I can progress w/ a bit less volume and I'll add it in when I have time)

Bench

5x165 (+12 lockouts)
12x115 (backoff)
5x115

High Pulls

3x5x135 (getting acclimated . . . really trying to be snappy here and learn to develop speed/power through the thighs/hips, which I suck at now)

Chins

2x5x20

Hollow Rocks (ab work)

2x12

Working a lot right now, not much time to post or even lift. I'm hoping this cycle still goes OK. I'll be in PR territory next week, which is fast but I hate spending a whole damn month not making progress (1-2 weeks deload, 2-4 weeks ramping). Looking forward to doing high pulls in Tuesday's workouts rather than rows. Main goal = increase squat & deadlift and hopefully add some LBM (scale is moving but a lot of it is probably fat given that I don't have time or energy for cardio).
 
proto kill those 10rep squats.. i would drop that to 3x5 every week. if your into body building youll get better quads doing lots of leg presses for reps...

185 for 10 reps is a waste.. get 315 for 5 and i guarentee your 10rep max will be 225 at least..

fastest way to get your 10rm up is to work the lower rep scheme. try it for 3 months then go try 10rm it will be way past 185
 
LoL Thanks for the input. I appreciate it, but I guess I wasn't clear. By "ten reps off my PR," I mean, I did 5 sets of 5 @ 185 last cycle and this time, I only did 3 sets of 5 b/c I'm tired and lazy. I'd love to do 5x315, believe me. LoL I'm working on it.
 
Week 2, Thurs. (workout 2)

Push Press

5x5x125 (pretty easy)

Front Squats

5x5x115 (easy)

Deads

w.u.
5x270 (very hard . . . see below)

Skulls & Curls . . .
Hanging knee raises . . .

I don't know how in the hell you guys take a week off of deadlifting and come back stronger. It sure as hell hasn't worked that way for me. My old 1x5 PR is 285. Over the past 2 weeks, I've deloaded and taken a bit of a break. This week, 2d week back after the deload, and 5x270 was heavy as hell. Maybe b/c of the light 5x5 front squats? Dunno. But I'm lucky to eek out 5 pound gains. Ugh.
 
Week 2, Sat. (workout 3)

Front Squats

7 sets of 5x125 (easy, 5 pounds from old PR . . . cleaned 'em from the floor first b/c didn't have access to a rack)

Bench

3x8x155 (I just suck at pressing . . . )
 
Protobuilder said:
Week 2, Sat. (workout 3)

Front Squats

7 sets of 5x125 (easy, 5 pounds from old PR . . . cleaned 'em from the floor first b/c didn't have access to a rack)

Bench

3x8x155 (I just suck at pressing . . . )
Click to expand...

Nobody sucks at pressing, they're just too light, you need to get teh fat and fill out those leverages, lol. Nice front squatting progress.
 
BuggT said:
you need to get teh fat and fill out those leverages
Click to expand...

And lose t3h 6pack???? Noway.

BTW, I'm up to 165-ish. Gained too much over the past 2 weeks b/c I've missed my cardio due to work. I am now getting close to t3h fat.
 
Week 3, Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

3x5x190 (+5 PR, but only doing 15 reps right now, keeping volume low b/c I'm so damn tired from work . . .we'll see if this is enough to keep hitting 1x5 PRs)

Bench

5x170 (+5 from last week but still 10 away from PR territory . . . determined not to jump the gun and stall this time)
13x120
12x120

High Pulls

3x5-6x135 (still working on exploding . . . getting better, got air on most reps)

Pullups

4x30
3x30

Hanging Knee lifts

BWx12,12, 9
 
Good job with the Squat PR....I think reducing the volume by 10 reps might be doing the trick, I say don't add volume until you stall, when you do, reduce bar weight a little and reramp, making up for the initial reduction in bar weight with workload.....but keep doing 3x5 if you're PRing, no need to fuck up whats working.
 
That's my thought too, but I don't want to compare apples to oranges. A 5x5 PR is diff't than a 3x5 PR. I'm short on time & energy right now so figured I'd see if 3x5 is enough volume to keep me pushing PRs on Sat's 1x5 squatting. We'll see how it goes. I"ll throw in more volume when time allows and if I stall, etc. Gives me some room to play.
 
Cardio

I normally don't post it but today was good stuff. Practiced doing winds w/ my light hammer. Did a few throws but mainly just winds. Probably 40 per side. Then jogged a hill a few times. I've lost track of cardio the past few weeks and can tell my conditioning has slipped. Here's a link to a guy doing light hammer throws, which is essentially a wind plus release. I'm not nearly this good though. LoL

http://www.kiltedthrower.com/video/LHPractice.wmv
 
Protobuilder said:
Week 3, Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

3x5x190 (+5 PR, but only doing 15 reps right now, keeping volume low b/c I'm so damn tired from work . . .we'll see if this is enough to keep hitting 1x5 PRs)

Bench

5x170 (+5 from last week but still 10 away from PR territory . . . determined not to jump the gun and stall this time)
13x120
12x120

High Pulls

3x5-6x135 (still working on exploding . . . getting better, got air on most reps)

Pullups

4x30
3x30

Hanging Knee lifts

BWx12,12, 9
Click to expand...


GOOD JOB
 
Thanks for stopping by Shadow.

Week 3, Thurs. (workout 2)

Push Press

3x5x140 (+5, pretty easy)
2x125 (strict press, just to see where I'm at)
8x95 (backoff)

Front Squat

4x5x135 (+5 PR, pretty easy . . . probably b/c I'm backing off Tuesday's back squat volume)

Power Shrugs (should be deads but back was feeling tweaked)

10x295
8x325 (+10)
8x325

Skulls

2x10-12x75
 
congrats on the FS pr - you can do more for sure if you're pressing 5lbs more overhead than you're front squatting :p
 
Week 3, Sun. (workout 3)

Squat

2x3x205 (wanted 5 to match old PR but didn't get it . . . geesh)
5x185
10x145

Bench

3x3x175 (feels pretty heavy and I still haven't gotten back to old 5RM . . . fuck)
15x125
7x125

Row

3x8x150

Front Squat (just b/c)

2x5x145 (+10)

BTN Press (just b/c)

5x125
3x145 (not real used to this movement & high risk of injury if I fuck up the lockout so stopped)

Skulls

10x90
6x90

Hanging knee lifts (knees up to chest)

12xBW
10xBW
6xBW

I swear. Taking time off (deload or w/e) screws me up. I guess I shouldn't complain to much as I'm only in week 3, but I really thought I"d be back to my PRs by now. Bench is just a mess--it went NOWHERE last 8 wk. cycle and I'm still not feeling strong enough to get my all time PR. Maybe I just need to go back to the old 1x3 & 1x5 progression pattern. Front squats are going up nicely for some reason though. LoL I'm really REALLY hoping that next week I can get 5x210 for a back squat PR.
 
Good work PB.........do you feel the deload screws you up? or time away from the lift?

I know what you mean about the bench, for me when it goes great it goes great, but then the times when it pisses me off everything feels heavy and SLOW, it'll come together.....
 
BiggT said:
do you feel the deload screws you up? or time away from the lift?
Click to expand...

Well, it's not so much time away from the lift b/c I've been squatting for months now on end, the only thing that chnages is the weight on the bar and the volume really. So, I'm getting plenty of 'practice' w/ the lift. I'm not sure if its the deload or what. It may just be that I really need to force myself to take a break after 2 weeks of PRs no matter what. I may be running myself into the ground a bit too much or something. This last cycle, I went 8 weeks, pushing PRs for probably 4 weeks, often twice a week (5x5 & 1x5 maxes). I didn't feel real wore out or anything but was getting some aches & pains, etc. so took a light volume/frequency week or two and started ramping again. And here we are. It's just kind of annoying that people swear taking a week off of deadlifting or coming back from a deload and they're magically stronger. Not me. LoL That's why I started this cycle a bit heavier, b/c I thought maybe my body needs to stay right on top of the heavy weights or I lose too much. And I'm wondering if I can't stay heavy, just force a week off after 4-6 weeks regardless of how I feel, and keep on w/ the heavy weight, using good ol' linear progression.

Another factor "could" be that I'm doing 3x5 rather than 5x5 on Tuesday's squats due to time/energy from work. Maybe those 10 extra reps make the difference in helping me hit PRs. Additionally, this cycle hasn't been perfect due to work again. This week, for example, I'm missing Tuesday's workout due to travel. So, come Sat., I'll shoot for another 1x5 PR but w/out having the benefit of Tuesday's volume. We'll just see how it plays out. I think it'll be fine and I'll get some progress, just not as organized as I"d like. And I really may need to force a week off after hitting PRs, and see how that goes, whether I can come back sooner and heavier and hit PRs more often. I"ve still got tons of linear progress ahead of me.
 
Proto,

I read Madcow's post right below yours on Tweakle's thread on what worked for getting lifts up......and it got me thinking......You might want to try something like this...

Have one day where you grease the groove and 'maintain' your flat bench....maybe 5x5 pyramiding up to your 5 rep PR and just keeping there.....then the second day can be a HEAVY incline or close grip day.....just a thought.

If that doesn't work, I suggest investing in a 'Chairman of The Board' membership, as that will unlock the secrets that neither you nor I know of at this point.

PS,

I'm not gay, the Plat membership was a gift from George Spellwin for being a board member for 1 year, lol.
 
Not a bad idea. I'm going to let this cycle run and next cycle, I'm going to push close-grip bench, which I"ve never really tried before. I tend to be a stronger presser w/ a clsoe-grip so maybe this will make a difference. And, yeah, I may very well do exactly what you set out. Or, I may just be done w/ it and invest in a pec deck. They're good for wicked cuts.
 
BiggT said:
I'm not gay, the Plat membership was a gift from George Spellwin for being a board member for 1 year, lol.
Click to expand...
lol at being embarrassed about being a plat.

PB, how about a lot more volume on the squats? I've been quite surprised at being able to carry on adding more weight to the bar whilst following this high volume Korte and I'm definitely stronger because of it.
 
AB -- Thanks for stopping by! I'm cutting volume due to time constraints and lack of energy due to long work hours. Due to circumstances, I'm seeing how I grow/adapt to lower volume, and hoping for the best.

Week 3, Sun. (workout 3)

Squat

w.u.
3x5x195 (+5 . . . 15 rep PR I guess . . . went up fairly easy, probably could've got 5x5 but time constraints and I'm gonna see how this 3x5 does for my 1x5 max . . . )

Bench

5x172.5 (LoL . . . easy, whereas 175 a week ago was hard, so hopefully w/ these small jumps, I'll get back to 5x180 and beyond)
15x135

Rows

2x5x175 (pretty easy; haven't done 1x5 rows in awhile so was glad to be 5lbs away from my alltime PR . . .)
burnout at 145

Short and sweet. Not bad for a guy who just took a 2 day bar exam (6 hours straight each day of non-stop testing).
 
a bar exam ? Does that mean you did cocktails for 6 hours straight on 2 days ? Surprising you could lift something at all ... ;)
 
good bro workout


I used to find time off, or deloads killed my training when I got back to it.. now they have the opposite effect. I think you need to pass a certain neurological threshold (my, don't I sound scientifical?) and get to the place where the form is so ingrained that you can take time off without your body rewiring itself to suck at the lifts.

Or something
 
What, no more inspirational vids? I guess I'll take science 101 instead. LoL You may be right though. I'm not so advanced that I'm grinding myself down w/ super intensities here. I can pretty much run close my 1RM for quite awhile. But when I take a week or two break, and then ramp up again, it feels like I'm taking 2 steps back. I need to figure out how to stay at the edge and just back off a tad, and get right back into it. Trial and error.
 
Week 4, Sun. (workout 3)

Push Press

3x5x145 (+5)
6x105 (strict)

Front Squat

3x5x145 (+5 reps)

Deads

5x275 (+5, 5-10 from old PR)

Shrugs

12x275
10x275

Skulls

7x95 (+1 rep)
6x95
7x95
 
Protobuilder said:
Week 4, Sun. (workout 3)

Push Press

3x5x145 (+5)
6x105 (strict)

Front Squat

3x5x145 (+5 reps)

Deads

5x275 (+5, 5-10 from old PR)

Shrugs

12x275
10x275

Skulls

7x95 (+1 rep)
6x95
7x95
Click to expand...

You know you just ruined a very heterosexual workout by doing skullz. I guess you really gayed it up if those were strict shrugs too, lol.

Nice push pressing though, keep bringing up the front squat and the push press will follow right along..
 
Last edited:
You know you just ruined a very heterosexual workout by doing skullz. I guess you really gayed it up if those were strict shrugs too, lol.
Click to expand...

As if setting PRs in the under 200 range isn't gay enough already. LoL But how else can I get the chicks if I don't get the gunz??? Actually, it's pretty efficient. I get gunz by working the muscle that makes up 2/3 of the arm. LoL I don't bother w/ bis.

Power shurgs. Always power surgs. Never strict anything really. LoL I'm up to 325 on 'em but after deads, I was feeling t3h weak.
 
Chix dig abz bro, gunz are what get the guyz all jealous and shit but the ladies are all about the abz. Make sure to measure out your oats and casein & count every last almond if you want that lady-killer bod

Doing regular shrugs after deads isnt the worst thing in the world, you already burned your traps pretty nicely.

PR K if I had any
 
It's the thought that counts, Tweakle.

Week 5, Tues. (workout 1)

Squat

5x5x195 (+ 10 reps, hard but not that bad)

Bench

5x175 (+2.5, five away from old PR . . . it's only taken like 2 months, LoL)
13x140

Pullups

2x5x25 (fatter this time so this is decent)
. . . weight strap broke so repped out w/ BW & some chins

Knee Raises

12
11
6

I'm constantly tired. I almost didn't lift even though I had a nap beforehand. Just tired, and I haven't been doing much volume so WTF? Just crumby genetics? Who knows. I'm not stressed at work, just working longer hours. Oh well.

Damn BiggT for discussing Animalize2.63 w/ me today. Just talking about that crap gave me a wicked lower back pump on like my 2d warmup set. That was annoying. No more talk about Amolify0.2.
 
Nice workout, is that a 5x5 PR on the squat??

Do you lift after work? Sometimes riding a desk all day is worse than manual labor in that it drains your energy in a psychological way. Sometimes napping more than 20 min. or so can do more harm than good too, lol.....I don't think you're tired due to genetics, I think it is more or less mental.....do you get better workouts on weekends when you can lift when you want, rather than going after work? Also, what does your eating through the day look like.....lack of food or the wrong stuff at the wrong times, as well as dehydration can lead to feeling zapped.

If you don't want to discuss XtremePumpz69 anymore, fine, but you're the one who will suffer with sub par pec-delt tie-in development, and thus pick up less chikks on 'myspace'.
 
5x5 PR. I monkeyed w/ 3 sets of 5x195 for the past 3 back squat workouts, and wanted to see what that did. I hope to hit a 1x5 PR this Saturday. Things are moving the right direction, just slowly.

I am at a desk all day, staring at a CPU. I come home pretty tired and sometimes take a 25 min. nap which usually really helps. Weekends are better workouts b/c I'm not trying to rush to get 'em done. Preworkout tonight, I had 2 cups of wheat chexs and 2 cups of milk. Lol It's usually not that bad. During the day, I'm pretty much hungry all the time b/c I'm trying not to add 2-3 pounds per week, and I can do that real easily. I'm actually eating "less" than I'd like and I'm still gaining weight. I'm at around 3100 k/day and that'll give me a pound a week if I skip cardio. The suck. Lol I could eat 3600 real easy. Foods aren't real clean but not total crap.

Just tired. But things are moving the right direction.
 
Week 5, Thurs. (workout 2)

Push Press

3x5x147.5 (+2.5 PR; no explosion . . . a dip, a pause, and a slow press at the top)
6x95 (b.o.)

Front Squat

3x5x150 (+5 PR)

Skulls

9x90
8x90
6x85

Deads

w.u.
5x285 (old PR, pretty difficult)

Took a look back at my old journals and last year, at 200, I was deadlifting 5x255 . . . which means I've only added 35 pounds to my dead over the past year. That's awful, IMO. Granted, I'm 167 now, but still. With such a low dead, you'd think the weight would be shooting up faster. But no. LoL Also, my bench has only gone up maybe 15 pounds over the whole last year. Pretty frustrating. Oh well, I'll just keep trying to add weight to the bar . . . and order some Amplify6.4.
 
Sometimes patience and repetition are what's required. These lifts- deadlift,bench, and so many others- seem simple in design and execution but in reality they require teh truly hyooge amounts of man hours to become skilled at. Once the necessary information is able to make the return trip from the your brain to your countless of millions of neural endings in an accomplished manner your numbers will improve faster.
 
Numbers are all relative....all that matter is progress. You also have to consider bodyweight fluctuations.....it isn't like you ate big all year and didn't do a lot of cardio. I still think you're progressing nicely. You have to be a good strict presser, you're push pressing what you front squat with no explosion.

Also, dude, just take some 'D-Blade'....the D in D-Blade is the same as the D in Dianabol, so you know it has to be good.
 
2 PR's in one workout? I think someone's been at the Amplify 02 :D

that's not a bad dead at all for your weight.. it's possible your form needs more tweaking so if you can, post some vids next time you pull
 
You forgot to add in that before you set the front squat PR, you weren't really feeling it and didn't think you'd PR, but then you ran in the house and changed into a pair of daisy dukes accessorized with a fanny pack and combat boots and it gave you that little edge.
 
Protobuilder said:
Took a look back at my old journals and last year, at 200, I was deadlifting 5x255 . . . which means I've only added 35 pounds to my dead over the past year. That's awful, IMO. Granted, I'm 167 now, but still. With such a low dead, you'd think the weight would be shooting up faster. But no. LoL Also, my bench has only gone up maybe 15 pounds over the whole last year. Pretty frustrating. Oh well, I'll just keep trying to add weight to the bar . . . and order some Amplify6.4.
Click to expand...

Since McRoberts is fresh in my head, I remember how he has a little ditty on how just adding 0.5lb a week to, say, your bench would be 25lbs a year. Doesn't seem like much, but in 10 years that's 250lbs on your bench, in 5 years that's 125lbs.

Obviously it's just to get his point across of focus and progression and slow and steady approach but most of us would take that in a hearbeat :)
 
Thanks for stopping by Jim. You're absolutely right. Funny thing, I just read that passage too. LoL I just keep plugging away, little by little, but everyone wishes progress didn't take so freaking long. LoL

BiggT: thanks for that. I get about a 10 pound boost when I wear my cut-off jean shorts w/ the white fringey stuff kinda' hanging.

Week 5, Sat. (workout 3)

Squats

w.u.
5x210 (+5 PR, very tough)
10x145 (b.o.)

Bench

3x3x180 (+2.5, still 3 reps away from all-time PR . . . whod've thought 8 weeks of incline would screw up my flat bench so much?)
11x140 (b.o.)

Rows

3x8x157.5 (+2.5, PR by default . . . last reps were pretty tough)

I've had a sore throat all week and thought about taking today off but really wanted a 1x5 squat PR. I may drop a session next week or drop volume or something to give my body a wee break. I'll pick up shrugs, gunz, & abs tomorrow hopefully.
 
Week 5, Sun. (workout 4)

DB swings w/ homemade kettlebell

misc x. 30 lbs. (definitely need more weight, but these are fun for traps and if it were heavier, it'd hit the posterior chain nicely)

Hanging Knee Raises (knees to shoulders really)

12
12
10

Skulls

9x90
8x90
3x110
2x110

BB Curls (the upper body squat :rainbow:)

6x85
6x85

Wanted to front squat & shrug but lower back is sore from work I did today.
 
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